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Budget Bass VI Conversion
- Thread starter RBS_Johnson
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- bass vi budget conversion
Thanks. I have multiple project syndrome and a slight touch of attention deficit disorder to make getting any actual work done harder/take longer(especially when something comes up with a car or motorcycle in between).
Don't feel too bad. I think that Aria, which is one of the nicer ones I've done up, took like three years....
Don't feel too bad. I think that Aria, which is one of the nicer ones I've done up, took like three years....
I did manage to make a little progress this weekend around some unplanned family emergency type stuff.
I used some fishing line to make sure that the bridge would line up properly with the nut(that it was centered and that the strings wouldn't fall off the edge of the fretboard). Looks good.
I drilled out the E and A string holes on the bridge, rather unceremoniously with a hand drill. The weird angle they went through the plate made me shy away from trying to rig up something to use in the drill press. The A didn't have to go far, and the D fit just fine. You won't even be able to tell that they were enlarged once it's strung up.
I used some fishing line to make sure that the bridge would line up properly with the nut(that it was centered and that the strings wouldn't fall off the edge of the fretboard). Looks good.
I drilled out the E and A string holes on the bridge, rather unceremoniously with a hand drill. The weird angle they went through the plate made me shy away from trying to rig up something to use in the drill press. The A didn't have to go far, and the D fit just fine. You won't even be able to tell that they were enlarged once it's strung up.
For the holes in the headstock, I started by drilling out the existing tuner holes to 1/2". This wasn't much, they were probably 12mm already. I bought a 1/2" oak dowel to plug the holes. I sanded the dowel a little to give the glue somewhere to grab. I cut it with a regular miter box, seemed safer than trying to cut a 1" piece off with a power tool. They were a nice press fit, and after the glue swelled the wood they were immovable. I left them long on the back to facilitate installation, I'll trim them after the glue cures.
Not perfect, but not bad for my first job. For anyone watching, be aware that I'm totally making this up as I go, like usual.
-Jake.
Not perfect, but not bad for my first job. For anyone watching, be aware that I'm totally making this up as I go, like usual.
-Jake.
Got a little time to work on the VI today. I cut off the dowel close to the headstock with that same hand saw. Had a couple slips and scratches the crap out of the finish. No big deal, as I'll have to refinish it anyway, just annoying. Then a combination of sanding and a quick pass with my trim router helped level them out close enough to the rest of the headstock for now.
Spurred on by how decent this was going, I proceeded to mark out the holes for the tuners. In hindsight I should have done a better job getting these perfectly even, one tuner sits slightly farther in than the rest. Again, not a big deal on this test bass. I used a small bit to make a pilot, so that my 3/8ths forstner bit would be centered. I also did a test hole to make sure the tuners fit into the hole.
Spurred on by how decent this was going, I proceeded to mark out the holes for the tuners. In hindsight I should have done a better job getting these perfectly even, one tuner sits slightly farther in than the rest. Again, not a big deal on this test bass. I used a small bit to make a pilot, so that my 3/8ths forstner bit would be centered. I also did a test hole to make sure the tuners fit into the hole.
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I got the tuners lined up and drilled the holes for the tiny screws that keep them oriented correctly. Then I started tightening up the nuts that hold them to the headstock.
That's when I got the "well ****" moment I was waiting on. Five of them went fine. The low E tuner, as I was snugging up the bushing just falls off the headstock. With a piece of the headstock. So now I have to glue that back on and try to reinforce it. It'll still be covered up by the finish as I would like to hide all the surgery I've done to the headstock. It does raise some concerns though. I don't know what kind of wood this neck is made of. It's really light. Hopefully it doesn't break under the tension of six strings instead of four. I need to remember to tune it up standing off to the side!
That's when I got the "well ****" moment I was waiting on. Five of them went fine. The low E tuner, as I was snugging up the bushing just falls off the headstock. With a piece of the headstock. So now I have to glue that back on and try to reinforce it. It'll still be covered up by the finish as I would like to hide all the surgery I've done to the headstock. It does raise some concerns though. I don't know what kind of wood this neck is made of. It's really light. Hopefully it doesn't break under the tension of six strings instead of four. I need to remember to tune it up standing off to the side!
I've actually worked on this some, and got it playable. I glued the piece back on the headstock, under closer scrutiny it looks like a single grain line connected the bass tuner hole and several screw holes on the back if the headstock. I just glued it back on, remembering that the glue joint is generally stronger than the surrounding wood. I've been keeping a close eye on it since.
Here it is strung up in all its bassy glory.
And then upon attempting to actually set it up the high e string broke. I need to email the seller and/or Ernie Ball and see about a replacement, as I didn't even do anything to stress the string beforehand.
I took it to blues practice anyway as a Bass V. It sounds like new roundwounds on a short scale P bass. With the emg pickup it's pretty hot. I alternated between using a pick and figerstyle depending on the song and it did well. I'm lousy with a pick or I would have tried to add some flair into my playing. I need to spend more time with this bass before I can really use it.
-Jake
Here it is strung up in all its bassy glory.
And then upon attempting to actually set it up the high e string broke. I need to email the seller and/or Ernie Ball and see about a replacement, as I didn't even do anything to stress the string beforehand.
I took it to blues practice anyway as a Bass V. It sounds like new roundwounds on a short scale P bass. With the emg pickup it's pretty hot. I alternated between using a pick and figerstyle depending on the song and it did well. I'm lousy with a pick or I would have tried to add some flair into my playing. I need to spend more time with this bass before I can really use it.
-Jake
Inspired! I'm thinking about a winter project and I have the perfect candidate for a bass VI conversion.
I did a 4 to 8 string conversion earlier this year that went pretty well, so this is a similar project.
The eight string conversion was probably harder. I used an off the shelf nut and a standard Tele bridge(just cut out for a humbucker). Just try and get a bridge with saddles like mine(like baby bass saddles), I guess the strat saddle style doesn't play so nice with the bass strings.
What's the string spacing at the bridge? That's your most important measurement, as you can get guitar nuts in basically every width. I'd bet you have plenty of room for a tune-o-matic and a stopbar tailpiece. Or if there's room and you're feeling fancy use a hollow body type trapeze tailpiece.
I had to use a fender style hardtail bridge for mine because of how close the bridge is to the back edge of the body.
That would be a cool conversion!
I had to use a fender style hardtail bridge for mine because of how close the bridge is to the back edge of the body.
That would be a cool conversion!
This is brilliant!
I'm about to embark on a conversion of my own - a vintage Zenta short scale into a bass VI type thing.
One of these numbers:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/63/08/15/6308153f116a1f6fbc219ed1765237a6.jpg
As a bass it's rubbish, but it looks amazing, so I wanted to try it as a more baritone/bass VI.
Has anyone had experience with using guitar pickups with bass strings? I'm tempted to put some P90s in this.
I'm about to embark on a conversion of my own - a vintage Zenta short scale into a bass VI type thing.
One of these numbers:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/63/08/15/6308153f116a1f6fbc219ed1765237a6.jpg
As a bass it's rubbish, but it looks amazing, so I wanted to try it as a more baritone/bass VI.
Has anyone had experience with using guitar pickups with bass strings? I'm tempted to put some P90s in this.
Yes. I had one bass I used an EMG Select single coil in and another that had, for a while, a Select humbucker. Sounded fine. I picked the Selects because; 1 I found them locally, used and cheap and 2 bar magnets so string spacing wasn’t an issue, although I have doubts how much of a difference that makes because I have a 4 polepiece Schaller bass pickup hidden under the body on a 6 string guitar and it, also, works fine.
I agree, the magnetic field is not bounded by the pole pieces, I have a short scale where the poles are not aligned at all to strings. I don't hear any difference in tone or volume between strings over the poles and those that are offset.
I'm going to bring this thread back from the dead. It's my thread, I'll perform necromancy if I want 
So, a lot has happened since I've been off TB, a huge move(including moving my father in with us), my wife has graduated college and gotten a new job, and I've wrecked my motorcycle and been off work and unable to play. Since I've been working back up to playing, this little project has been the easiest bass to play. It's spurred me on to make it more refined.
First off, my headstock repair has held, and survived for a couple years now, and survived a move with no case.
Onto the future: I've decided that the cheap plywood explorer body isn't cutting it. I was going to go with a telecaster style body and reuse the neck. Then I found this guy: Rosser Guitars | eBay Stores. He does a number of neat bodies at good prices. All in ash, with the option of a tele style neck pocket(what the bass has for a neck heel). I'm leaning towards either the firebird or the telemaster.
And I'm dedicating a set of Gibson TB plus humbuckers from another project to this, along with a fender style split humbucker in the middle. I need to order the middle pickup, body, control plate, and pickguard.
This has been longwinded, but I'm happy to be back.
-Jake
So, a lot has happened since I've been off TB, a huge move(including moving my father in with us), my wife has graduated college and gotten a new job, and I've wrecked my motorcycle and been off work and unable to play. Since I've been working back up to playing, this little project has been the easiest bass to play. It's spurred me on to make it more refined.
First off, my headstock repair has held, and survived for a couple years now, and survived a move with no case.
Onto the future: I've decided that the cheap plywood explorer body isn't cutting it. I was going to go with a telecaster style body and reuse the neck. Then I found this guy: Rosser Guitars | eBay Stores. He does a number of neat bodies at good prices. All in ash, with the option of a tele style neck pocket(what the bass has for a neck heel). I'm leaning towards either the firebird or the telemaster.
And I'm dedicating a set of Gibson TB plus humbuckers from another project to this, along with a fender style split humbucker in the middle. I need to order the middle pickup, body, control plate, and pickguard.
This has been longwinded, but I'm happy to be back.
-Jake
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I do have one alternate option I am exploring today. I'm going to take this guitar apart and see if it's feasible to use this body with the bass VI neck and bridge. Could be interesting.
-Jake
-Jake
On closer investigation, it looks like this could work. The neck pocket is close, some sanding on the neck/sides of the pocket will probably be all it needs. The hole for the old vibrato will need a block glued in to anchor the new bridge screws. I'm going to dig out a kahler style top mount trem and see how that lines up. Looks like there will be room for the two current pickups, plus the two Gibson buckers.
That's a Silvertone... I had a tobacco sunburst model with an even darker tort PG. 
For the record, those pickups actually sound pretty good and the neck was always dead straight... 
For the record, those pickups actually sound pretty good and the neck was always dead straight... 
