Bass Modifications

[The Assasin]

Can someone please help me.
I am about to buy a second hand bass guitar and modify the body drastically. I have seen the new electric double basses at Allens music store in Melbourne Australia. No bodies. just a Stick and it looks Awesome. My idea is to get a Bass and cut the body leaving just the frets all the way down to the end of the bass. or cutting the body and designing a F Cleff Shape. my question is.. Would this modification which is only to the body change the sound of the bass. Please let me know as i am really busting to know as i want to get this second hand. Cheap bass and modify the body only.

 

[The Clap]

Yes, it will definitely change the sound of the bass. Why do you want to do this? It's an interesting idea, but I get the impression that your goals with this and the reality of what will happen are not in alignment.

 

[The Assasin]

The Goal of this is to have a different shape bass guitar and still be able to get the same sound. Modification to be different as most bass guitars have the same shape and the majority of music stores only stock normal shaped basses. I own an acoustic bass which is my pride and joy but am worried about damaging it if i take it from gig to gig so i need something light and different at the same time. how would i go about modifying this bass without affecting that rich bass sound.??

 

[JimmyM]

You can't. Changing the body shape changes the entire sound and character of a bass. You'll make a decent bass into a pile of crap, quite honestly.

 

[PilbaraBass]

Can someone please help me.
I am about to buy a second hand bass guitar and modify the body drastically. I have seen the new electric double basses at Allens music store in Melbourne Australia. No bodies. just a Stick and it looks Awesome. My idea is to get a Bass and cut the body leaving just the frets all the way down to the end of the bass. or cutting the body and designing a F Cleff Shape. my question is.. Would this modification which is only to the body change the sound of the bass. Please let me know as i am really busting to know as i want to get this second hand. Cheap bass and modify the body only.

do you know Steve Wishnevsky?

DON'T DO IT!!!!

 

[The Assasin]

my question .. does it work... can you play it and is the sound different from before the modification?? thats all i want to know..!! i will only cut away the wood body not moving pickups etc . maybe just the knobs which i must replace them to another location.
Thank you... this is great..

 

[The Assasin]

sorry .. i am a new user. so i am learning.. this web sight and forum is great.!!

 

[The Clap]

It will probably work alright if you do a decent job. It won't sound any better, but if you've got a spare axe to experiment on (ruin forever) AND the tools for the job AND you just gotta do it, I'd say go for it!

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

my question .. does it work... can you play it and is the sound different from before the modification?? thats all i want to know..!! i will only cut away the wood body not moving pickups etc . maybe just the knobs which i must replace them to another location.
Thank you... this is great..

The sound will be different, the wood in the body does affect the sound quite drastically

 

[Sippy]

Don't do it guitars are a lot like cars.. they are built to run a certain way... any overly drastic modifications, will make it work differently.