4 to 5 string conversion

[Ric5]

I want to do a 5 to 6 conversion and a 5 to 10 conversion.

I already have the wide 5 string neck for the 5 to 6 … I am trying to figure out the 5 to 10 …

I had this 10 for a while

 

[Marcus Willett]

Did You try this...Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Yes.

Like you I am not a fan of wide necks. My 5 strings (custom builds) have necks only slightly bigger than standard (Fender) sized 4 string necks. 1.65” at the nut, 2.7” at the heel (22 frets).

I have tried doing exactly the conversion you talk about but it was just a bit too tight. Those extra fractions of an inch at either end made the difference...for me at least.

 

[selowitch]

I've done a couple.

Great work. In the case of the Rickenbacker, may I ask if you hesitated at all to modify an instrument with that resale value potentially at risk?

 

[Beej]

Great work. In the case of the Rickenbacker, may I ask if you hesitated at all to modify an instrument with that resale value potentially at risk?

Only at risk for 4 string players.

 

[selowitch]

Only at risk for 4 string players.

Well played.

 

[Steven Ayres]

The world is full of good fivers, the range of design parameters is well established and the problems solved. Building your own for the reasons you mention seems like reinventing the wheel, paying extra for it, and taking a chance on whether it ultimately works for you. Converting a four-stringer is asking for a week of headaches, imho.

 

[selowitch]

Converting a four-stringer is asking for a week of headaches, imho.

I personally wouldn’t attempt it, but clearly others have had success and more power to them.

 

[mapleglo]

Great work. In the case of the Rickenbacker, may I ask if you hesitated at all to modify an instrument with that resale value potentially at risk?

Thanks!

You know, like most basses, a Rickenbacker is just a hunk of wood and metal. I had no reservations doing the mod. Oddly enough, I actually bought this one specifically to mod:

I haven't done the mod, because the Ric 5 strings came out soon after I got this, and I bought a couple of the 5 strings. This bass is pretty rare, and I no longer have the need for a walnut 5-string Ric, as I own a new one. This is one of the few 4 string basses I still have. I did change over all the hardware from gold to chrome though.

 

[kodiakblair]

Myself and a couple of others have converted the old Peavey T-40 from 4 to 5 strings. It's actually a very easy mod.

Drill headstock for the extra tuner,swap the nut.Even the bridge was an easy mod though string through body option is lost. A fella in Wales used a Kahler,I used mono saddles. The string spacing was tight but I'm not a busy player so it didn't affect my playing much. The old neck coped with the extra string no problem,for about 18 months it had heavy La Bella Jamerson flats.

 

[Ric5]

Thanks!

You know, like most basses, a Rickenbacker is just a hunk of wood and metal. I had no reservations doing the mod. Oddly enough, I actually bought this one specifically to mod:

View attachment 3752155

I haven't done the mod, because the Ric 5 strings came out soon after I got this, and I bought a couple of the 5 strings. This bass is pretty rare, and I no longer have the need for a walnut 5-string Ric, as I own a new one. This is one of the few 4 string basses I still have. I did change over all the hardware from gold to chrome though.

yes they did a good job with the new 4003s5 basses

and the original 4003s5 was basically a factory made 4 to 5 conversion bass

So Rickenbacker started doing 4 to 5 basses back in 1986 … they were ahead of the curve by 34 years

 

[smart51]

Most 5 strings have 9mm spacing at the nut. I believe a 4 string P bass has roughly 12mm spacing, so they're about the same. You could totally convert one at that end, with a single tuning peg on the other side of the head.

The P bass has 19mm spacing at the bridge. Converting to a 5 string would mean 14.25mm spacing at the bridge or else the strings would roll off the side of the neck as you played higher frets. The narrowest I've seen is 16mm. That's totally playable. I'd guess 14.25 would work, but there's a problem. You'd have to make your own bridge. No-one makes them at that size. Individual bridges tend to be 15mm wide, so too big for what you want.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Kahler advertises the minimum spacing on their bass bridges to be 0.550” which is just under 14mm. You can also order their 4 string bridge with 5 saddle units as a narrow 5. They’re a bit fiddly to set up but once set up, unless you change string brands or gauges regularly, they are solid.

 

[tpa]

Thanks all. I am overwhelmed by the responses. I am aware that I might end with an undesireable compromise. Finding a bridge with a reasonable string spacing might be the difficult part.

 

[bound'n'blocked]

Thanks all. I am overwhelmed by the responses. I am aware that I might end with an undesireable compromise. Finding a bridge with a reasonable string spacing might be the difficult part.

Here's your answer...

NEW Schaller 3D-5 CH 5-String Bass Bridge, With Roller Saddles, CHROME | eBay

Schaller roller bridge

BnB

 

[EddieG]

Having been inspired a few years ago by Ric5's conversions, and looking for a lighter bass to take over from my Burner, I decided to go a step further, and start off with 4-string bodies but have the necks made for me. I did two basses, one chambered, and they worked out great.

I used Schaller 2000 5-string bridges on both, to achieve a 16mm string spacing. Apparently these bridges are no longer available, which is a shame because they're fantastic. The necks on both basses are pretty thin (23mm at the 1st fret from front to back), but use a 5-piece construction along with carbon fibre rods so they're really solid, with 45mm nut widths on both, 7mm front dots and 3mm Luminlay side dots. I also used tiltback headstocks for the string tension, and had the B tuner positioned a little further from the nut than usual, as I've had problems in the past with 5-string basses and the tuner being too close, so it requires you to wind some of the "speaking length" of the string around the tuner post.

The one on the left started as a 1-piece pre-routed ash body from Guitarbuild in the UK. I had a walnut guard made to hide the top rout. It has a BassMods 35AP 3-band preamp (wish they still made those too!), with Kent Armstrong Claymore pickups, which each run through mini switches so I can coil-tap and have the option of series/single/parallel on each pickup, an idea I took from the Fender Roscoe Beck V I used to own, which was a very versatile bass.

The bass on the right is a chambered custom body from Guitarandbassbuild.co.uk, rear routed control cavity, using the same pickups and switching system, but coupled with a Noll TCM-3 preamp and PA1 booster as I found the preamp by itself a little quiet. This one was made to see if I could get an instrument even lighter than the first, which is a very light bass, and to be honest, it didn't work!
But its still a fantastic instrument.

If anyone is thinking about going this route, I can totally recommend it. The actual dimensions of a "Fender" 4-string neck can completely accommodate 5 strings, and even though I had my necks built for me (mainly because I have small hands), I'd have no problem using a Fender neck with a 44m nut width on it, such as the Roger Waters Precision, and just add a tuner. My two basses are now all I use, and its good to know that if anything happens, I can put another together using 4-string bodies.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Yep, easy peasy, as long as the pickups cover the string spread, and the bridge goes narrow enough.
Mine: For Sale - 70's Goya Double Precision: *pics added*Mahogany body 4-5 string conversion

 

[Englishman]

I used the Kahler when I did this scratch build.

 

[Ric5]

<---Always! Can't get enough of them:

View attachment 3751797
Body still needs paint (clear only) and wiring.

I like the cat and the bass!!!