Can I modify a 4 string Neck to become a 5er?

[Leigh Semmens]

I'm having a thought bubble here and thinking of building a five string Bass, with a 24 fret neck. Finding a suitable 5 sting neck seems to be more difficult that finding a 4 string neck. Will the additional tension of the B string adversely affect a neck or must I keep looking for a 5er neck that fits my aesthetic?

 

[skwee]

Your string spacing would be uncomfortably tight with that kind of modification.

 

[Dlew919]

Why not buy a cheaper five and use that neck?

 

[Alex Xander]

I have built a few five strings with spacing as low as 15mm (which is what you will get if you use a 4 string bass with 20mm spacing as the basis of conversion).

I personally didn’t find an issue with them, but they were all fretless. Certainly not a spacing for slapping and popping. Quite good for super fast fretless licks.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

if you are a pick player, it might work fine, with fingers maybe not so much. The Ibanez SR series 5's are 16.5 MM spacing IIRC, and that feels fine to me either pick or fingers. Even 5's from soembody like Harley Benton are so cheap now, it's hardly worth building parts basses, unless you just like doing it for fun, a worthy goal in itself.

 

[31HZ]

Absolutely it will work. You'll need a new nut, a new bridge, and another tuning peg. Obviously you'll need to account for string spacing, and you'll have better luck with a soapbar-style pickup than one with individual pole pieces. String tension can be alleviated with a trussrod adjustment.

 

[Jhalb]

I played a 4 string P neck with 5 strings for 20 years with a Wilkinson 3D bass bridge. You have the same 4 tuners on the headstock with the 5th tuner on the bridge. The spacing was comfortable with the P neck. It has a special string tree where the extra string is anchored.

 

[GreyBeard]

As to your question, maybe. It really depends on the stiffness of the neck you are using. Finding a 5 string bridge that will accommodate the narrow string spacing might be difficult. Changing out the nut and cutting a new one for 5 shouldn't be too difficult.

 

[Hiroi Kikuri]

i have a 5 string neck on a 4 string body for my 5 string 51 P bass semi hollow you just have to shave the neck to fit and 5 string bridge

 

[carsonchilders]

I enjoy a Yamaha BB5000 which is basically the same thing so.... it's fun! For some people.

 

[Reedt2000]

This will definitely work, though as already pointed out the spacing will be tight, you'll probably want pickups with blades or bar magnets, and you'll need to figure out a bridge that will accommodate the tight spacing, and make a new nut.

Pretty sure @mapleglo has done this to a couple Ric basses.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Sounds like a lot of work for 5 more available notes.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Yes, it can be done. The original Alembic Series I (or was it Series II?) 5 string built for Jimmy Johnson in 1976 (arguably the first 5-string with a low B) was essentially that. As was the original Yamaha BB5000. And the G&L L5000, and many others along the way. I had a BB1000S that had been converted to 5-string, but whoever did it never updated the 4-string P pickup, so the A-string was extremely weak without any poles under it. I converted it back to 4-strings, but it worked just fine as 5, pickup excluded.

As already mentioned, the spacing will be extremely tight. Not a big deal if you're ok with it, but not ideal and a high price to pay for an "aesthetic".

Have you considered a Warmoth Gecko 5 neck? You can get them in various widths and they have 24 frets. If aesthetics are that important, just go take the full step and build your own from scratch.

 

[darwin-bass]

I have planned this exact project on more than one occasion but have yet to pull the trigger.

The only bridge I can find that will support the 15mm spacing is the Kahler.

The problem with the project is it a sink or swim effort. If the conversion works, you have a bass to play. If you find the spacing too tight then you probably have a project with zero resale value and a neck with zero value should you decide to part things out.

And if you try to limit the risk by using cheap stuff (e-bay China neck) and then discover you like it, now you have a cheap bass and probably want to do the conversion again for real with better stuff.

 

[mapleglo]

This will definitely work, though as already pointed out the spacing will be tight, you'll probably want pickups with blades or bar magnets, and you'll need to figure out a bridge that will accommodate the tight spacing, and make a new nut.

Pretty sure @mapleglo has done this to a couple Ric basses.

Yes, I converted my Jetglo from 4 to 5 strings.

The string spacing is a bit tight, but I got used to it. I gigged with this bass on many occasions.

I also converted a 4 string Precision to 5 string.

Incredibly enough, I didn't even have to change or adjust the pickup in any way. It worked fine with 5 strings, somehow maintaining even volume between the strings, even the "A" string. I used a Fender "Roger Waters" signature neck for this conversion as it features a 1.75" nut width, so there was plenty of room for the 5 strings up at the nut. It was a bit tight at the bridge, but again, I got used to it. I still have this neck, though the body is gone.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

You might do all the work required and then end up not liking it. You’d be much better off just buying a five string bass

 

[Aussie Player]

Your string spacing would be uncomfortably tight with that kind of modification.

When I joined Talkbass this was a major topic with a great many contributors showing their narrow neck conversions by changing the nut and bridge and pick up, if it didn't register string vibrations evenly. Many 4 stringers did however.

Try a search on the topic.

 

[Leigh Semmens]

Thanks for all the feedback. Neck width was something I failed to consider. Thanks for popping my thought bubble. I might just wait until I find something that I like and maybe build that.

 

[Saetia]

Yes, I converted my Jetglo from 4 to 5 strings.

View attachment 7162013

The string spacing is a bit tight, but I got used to it. I gigged with this bass on many occasions.

I also converted a 4 string Precision to 5 string.

View attachment 7162014

Incredibly enough, I didn't even have to change or adjust the pickup in any way. It worked fine with 5 strings, somehow maintaining even volume between the strings, even the "A" string. I used a Fender "Roger Waters" signature neck for this conversion as it features a 1.75" nut width, so there was plenty of room for the 5 strings up at the nut. It was a bit tight at the bridge, but again, I got used to it. I still have this neck, though the body is gone.

I was going to tag you lol. Don’t think many have as much experience as you do in this department.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

I was going to tag you lol. Don’t think many have as much experience as you do in this department.

Former TB member Ric5 made a bunch of 4-to-5 conversions, but he's been gone a long while now.