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5-string conversion kit

Discussion in 'Hardware, Setup & Repair [BG]' started by Taylor Livingston, Feb 16, 2003.


  1. Feb 16, 2003 #1
    Taylor Livingston

    Taylor Livingston Supporting Member Commercial User

    Dec 25, 2002
    Oregon, US
    Owner, Iron Ether Electronics
    on hipshot's website, they sell a kit for converting a four-string into a five. it includes 5 tuning machines, a bridge, and a nut blank. i don't get it. won't the string spacing be a bit unmanageable? especially on a jazz bass, which is what they show it on in the pictures. am i not getting something, or are other people more willing to put up with so little spacing?
     
  5. Feb 16, 2003 #2
    JMX

    JMX Vorsprung durch Technik

    Sep 4, 2000
    Cologne, Germany
    complete junk IMO - unless you're a pick player.
    Better buy a used fiver.
     
  10. Feb 17, 2003 #3
    gweimer

    gweimer

    Apr 6, 2000
    Columbus, OH
    I don't know if they are around anymore, but Wilkinson used to make a 5-string conversion kit that didn't require any special drilling of the headstock. You'd replace the bridge, the nut, and the string retainer (which was the fifth string tuner). I de-converted a G&L that had one of these, and it was a breeze to make it a 4-string again.
     
  14. Feb 17, 2003 #4
    Chasarms

    Chasarms Casual Observer

    May 24, 2001
    Bettendorf, IA USA
    Is this the one that the extra tuner was on the bridge?

    I played a bass like that in a pawn shop a few years ago.

    The spacing wasn't that big of a deal, to me at least. It was tight (about 9/16" or so) but playable.

    I would be more concerned about the long-term impact on a neck designed to be a four string that is taking the tension load of a five string.

    Chas
     
  18. Feb 17, 2003 #5
    Taylor Livingston

    Taylor Livingston Supporting Member Commercial User

    Dec 25, 2002
    Oregon, US
    Owner, Iron Ether Electronics
    pardon me if i'm misinterpreting, but i think he's saying that the fifth tuner was where the string tree would go, and it has grooves, so it acts as a string retainer as well. i guess maybe the string retainer/tuner would be the fourth tuner, and the one that was the fourth gets bumped to fifth. does that make sense?

    1---2---3---4
    e---a---d---g

    gets bumped to

    1---2---3---sr---4
    b---e---a---d----g

    sr being the newly added tuner. maybe that's not how it is; just my mind trying to envision.

    i agree about the tension - especially with the truss rod problems of fenders.
     
  22. Feb 17, 2003 #6
    Bryan R. Tyler

    Bryan R. Tyler TalkBass: Usurping My Practice Time Since 2002 Staff Member Administrator Gold Supporting Member

    May 3, 2002
    Connecticut
    From what I have gathered, kits like that came out back when five-strings were very hard to come by, and they allowed people who couldn't get one the opportunity to have a fiver. Seems pretty useless nowadays, when fives are everywhere and don't cost much more than fours.