32" P-bass with jazz neck?

[jd56hawk]

I'm thinking of trying one of these! I'd love to have the vintage white / buttercream one (whatever they call that finish), but get a pearloid pickguard from one of the other models to swap onto it.

I know what you mean...I think the Roadster Orange Metallic would look better with a black pickguard

Can anyone comment on neck dive on the Mezzo? It looks interesting on paper but I won't be able to handle it before purchasing and I really don't want to deal with neck dive.

Thx.

I plan on trying one out Friday.

 

[MrLenny1]

I'd like a headless 5 string version in 32" scale.
Traveler has one, P bass body with 32" scale.
OK Luthiers listen up.

 

[nonohmic]

I'd like a headless 5 string version in 32" scale.

Tom Clement will do that for you. His basses are awesome, and I have often considered a similar build (E-C).

 

[B-Mac]

Any company make such a bass without going custom?

@BassHappy would know....

 

[jongor]

Check out pat Wilkins. I believe he is offering 32’’ scale basses. I own two of his standard scale basses they are wonderful instruments and pat is awesome to work with

Pat makes great instruments...they look nice but no prices.

 

[Inara]

I know what you mean...I think the Roadster Orange Metallic would look better with a black pickguard

I plan on trying one out Friday.

Well, if we both end up with the ones we've mentioned, I'll happily trade pickguards with you
Not sure when I'll be able to grab another bass, but this one has me really interested ...

 

[jd56hawk]

Well, if we both end up with the ones we've mentioned, I'll happily trade pickguards with you
Not sure when I'll be able to grab another bass, but this one has me really interested ...

Just bought a PJ so I won't actually be buying one, but I haven't been to the Philadelphia Sam Ash in years and I like to try out as many basses as possible.

 

[mikewalker]

Can anyone comment on neck dive on the Mezzo? It looks interesting on paper but I won't be able to handle it before purchasing and I really don't want to deal with neck dive.

Thx.

Mezzo strap button is near the ELEVENTH FRET!! So it almost certainly can NOT have any neck dive...

 

[Inara]

Mezzo strap button is near the ELEVENTH FRET!! So it almost certainly can NOT have any neck dive...

Good point! Plus the neck is shorter, reducing the headstock's leverage. I've never personally handled an Ibanez SR series bass that had neck dive, even with the 34" scale. But, I'm sure there have been some at some point, and anything's possible.

 

[hypercarrots]

 

[Thorsoundcore]

View attachment 3320330

For quite some time now I've wondered which of the old Ibanez basses were medium scale. It's hard enough trying to discern the difference between the rest with such limited info/little variation in model names.. Once I found out some of them were 32' scale, I figured the search would be near hopeless (and I wasn't wrong!)

 

[sotua]

Can anyone comment on neck dive on the Mezzo? It looks interesting on paper but I won't be able to handle it before purchasing and I really don't want to deal with neck dive.

Thx.

Mine gets here tomorrow or the day after. Will report then, though on paper it doesn't look divey - 2+2 small headstock and the upper horn looks nice and long up to the 12th fret.

 

[sotua]

No issues. And you can prove it to yourself.

Take a 34" scale P bass. Tune it down 1/2 a step and capo on the first fret. It is now a 32" scale with the pickup in the "wrong" place. I bet it still sounds like a P.

The problem isn't the location of the pickup - the problem is the placement of the neck pocket vs the bridge - if you stick a medium scale neck on a long scale body, chances are that the 12th fret will not be in the middle of the string, and every note that is not an open string will be out of tune.

 

[hypercarrots]

For quite some time now I've wondered which of the old Ibanez basses were medium scale. It's hard enough trying to discern the difference between the rest with such limited info/little variation in model names.. Once I found out some of them were 32' scale, I figured the search would be near hopeless (and I wasn't wrong!)

1982 RS721
1983 RB600
1992 SR530

 

[darwin-bass]

The problem isn't the location of the pickup - the problem is the placement of the neck pocket vs the bridge - if you stick a medium scale neck on a long scale body, chances are that the 12th fret will not be in the middle of the string, and every note that is not an open string will be out of tune.

That totally depends on the neck. A 32" scale neck off a 32" scale instrument that is moved to a 34" scale body would likely not work as you point out, but if the neck is designed to fit a 34" scale body it works just fine. See post 17 in this thread.

 

[yodedude2]

Any company make such a bass without going custom?

fender stu hamm urge, first edition. or fender of choice with a brad lowe conversion neck.

 

[Cutter8]

@TexasThunder, On the semi-custom front, I could build one out for you using a finished conversion neck, Fralin pickups, and a finished WD body.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like more information, and thanks!

@TexasThunder, as others have pointed out, there several ways you can achieve your goal.

Warmoth's 30" and 32" necks mate with their SSB bodies, which are scaled down a bit from their standard offerings.

By contrast, my 32" conversion necks mate with traditional 34" scale bodies from manufacturers like Allparts, Mighty Mite, USACG, Warmoth, etc.

Although the picture below shows a custom build, the image will help visualize how the conversion neck works:

View attachment 3320124

I've had both 32" scale P/J's with downsized bodies and 32" conversion necks on full-size bodies. FWIW, Brad's conversions necks are fantastic, and I actually like the way a full scale body balances on a strap with a conversion neck. I have recently transitioned to playing strictly medium-scale 5-strings and I'm in the middle of 'converting' a Lowe conversion neck and full-scale Fender body to a 5-string with 16.5mm spacing...

 

[Cutter8]

Any company make such a bass without going custom?

You might want to try to find a Greco PJB-540. They were made in the late 90's by FujiGen. It's basically a Fender P-Lyte (also built by Fujigen) in a medium scale:
Ash body passive P/J medium scale (32") with V/V/T controls
1 1/2” at nut
Great high-mass bridge (identical to P-Lyte Deluxe but top-load only)
19mm string spacing
Very light weight (mine was 7lbs 2ozs).

You can find them for ridiculously low prices and the quality is on par with MIJ/CIJ Fenders.

 

[Solarmist]

I'm a bit interested in the new Ibby Mezzo too, I'll have to try one out sometime at my local GC.

 

[Polk Salad]

Fender Japan "scaled down" medium scale P - rare as hen's teeth!
View attachment 3319879
I had a white one 20+ years ago and to this day I still regret selling it

I have one of these and it's definitely a P neck not a J. The Fender and Squier models both have a P neck.