4 string to 5 string project

[Ronbeast]

The strings cut through the magnetic flux, the polepieces create an even magnetic field over the polepieces. As long as the strings aren't dramatically off the side of the pickup, you won't have any problems.

 

[iriegnome]

Great to know.. Hopefully my little experiment that has been forged by others will work out good.. I have many plans...

 

[Beej]

The pickups work fine as mentioned above. The biggest issue I've found is that when converting a 4 to a tight spaced 5, is that you need as tight string spacing at the bridge as you can handle. Put it this way, bridge spacing of a 4 string is 19mm. Outer to outer is 57+mm. On a 5 string, 16mm outer to outer is 64mm. Not a huge difference, but 6.75ish mm works out to a bit more than a quarter inch. Translate that to where the strings cross the final fret at the end of the fretboard, and you could have strings dangerously close to the edge of the fretboard. Its obviously workable as Ric5 has proven over and over D) but it's something to watch for you in your conversion...

 

[iriegnome]

I purchased a bridge that has 16.5mm spacing. 66mm total.

 

[ctmullins]

Okay, so it's time to do a little geometry. 66 mm at the bridge, and if we assume a nut width of 1 5/8 inches, that would probably mean an actual string spacing at the nut of a little less. Convert that to mm, and let's say string spacing at the nut is 40 mm. 66 minus 40 is a difference of 26 mm. Half of that is present at the midpoint (12th fret). So string spacing at the 12th fret will be 66 minus 13, or 53 mm. You'll want at least 1mm more than that on each side of the fretboard, so that means the fretboard width at the 12th fret needs to be at least 55 mm.

At the 24th fret it's 3/4 of that, which would be a fretboard width of 59.5 mm. If you don't actually have 24 frets, then just interpolate accordingly.


Make sense?

 

[iriegnome]

Nope. But I do have a 1-3/4 nut width and a 24 fret board. Washburn RB-2002. I don't know if that 1/8" does much, but it should work good. Ric5 has done this exact conversion several times.

 

[Beej]

True, it will work and be doable for you, but as mentioned above, because yours is a 24, the strings will be close to the edge so it's just something to be aware of. I'm sure it will work out fine, I've only done a couple but they only required minor technique adaptation to keep the strings on the board...

 

[iriegnome]

I am looking forward to starting this project. Hoping everything I ordered comes soon

 

[Jazz Ad]

Or you could buy a BB5000.

 

[JustForSport]

Just measured 2 necks, for a 34" scale and a 35" scale, both are mounted on bodies with bridge string width of 66.5mm.
Both have 1.75" width at nut.
34" neck is 67mm- at 24th fret, and 35" neck is 68mm at 24th fret (from the factory), and fit/ line up perfectly.

 

[Ric5]

What did you purchase as your starting point?

I buy bodies, neck, pickups, pots, tuners, etc from ebay or other sources on the internet.

Ric5, what about pickups? do you find that the 4-string designs are workable even with 5 strings at a different string spacing?

I use 4 and 5 string pickups.

A Fender style pickup with 8 pole usually covers 5 strings nicely.

I don't use 4 pole pickups. First they look wrong, second the A string might not be loud enough.

Dual rail pickups work good.

 

[Ric5]

I would not use those pickups for 5 strings. They might work but they look too wrong for 5 strings.

 

[iriegnome]

So, ?? Recommendations?

 

[Ric5]

So, ?? Recommendations?

Use other pickups ...

you can find pickups of the same size that do not have exposed poles. Dual rails would be the best choice. Ebay is a good place to start.

Something similar to these pickups could work

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wilkinson-L...Accessories&hash=item2565ec9732#ht_2289wt_868

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-String-Ja...ccessories&hash=item5d49d6edac#ht_2831wt_1106

You may have to try different pickups and possibly remove some wood to make them fit, and get pickups that you like the tone of. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes not.

 

[Ric5]

Most of my conversions come out well ... but you can ruin a bass by doing a 4-2-5 conversion and you can butcher a bass by hacking it up to try lots of different pickups.

 

[iriegnome]

that I understand all to well. I will proceed cautiously and see what turns out. Thanks again Ric5 for all the help.

 

[iriegnome]

So I picked up hidden pole pickups today. It shouldn't look too out of place now with 5 strings and 4 poles

 

[iriegnome]

Got the bass in today. What a wreck.. No bridge on it at all. Everything was missing. The wiring on the preamp was cut, so I am going to either have to make it passive or find a wiring diagram for it. Scammed, I was for this bass. Would have been better off buying a $89 new P copy for my first attempt.

 

[iriegnome]

Just removed the nut. Well, honestly, it looks like I am going to chalk this one up as a no go. With a 1-1/2 nut width, I cannot find a 5 string pre-slotted nut. I don't have the knowledge to make my own and having my luthier do it would be counter productive. I think I am going to put this one back to working status and move into a different bass.

 

[ctmullins]

So it's not a 1-3/4" nut after all?