Can i turn a guitar into a bass

[Alder Tollner]

Hi! So for a while now i have wanted to get a bass vi so i can have that octave below regular guitar sound. I have found that the only style really of this is a fender jaguar type instrument. I really like the look of firebirds. My question is: if i were to get a reverse head stock firebird, would it be possible to turn it into a bass vi. Thanks

 

[Wasnex]

Hi! So for a while now i have wanted to get a bass vi so i can have that octave below regular guitar sound. I have found that the only style really of this is a fender jaguar type instrument. I really like the look of firebirds. My question is: if i were to get a reverse head stock firebird, would it be possible to turn it into a bass vi. Thanks

A Way to Learn to Play Guitar in One Day! - Welcome to the Basitar & Guitbass Page - Guitar Instruction Made Easy

 

[Matt Liebenau]

When we lived in Idaho I had a friend who took one or two Tele style guitars and used heavy bass VI type strings and set them up appropriately for the strings using the sock 25.5” scale necks. They seemed to work ok. I don’t remember if he tuned an octave down or tuned to A or B though. I have one Bass VI type instrument where the neck is a 30” scale Teisco type neck that was relatively wide and converted to 6 strings. That might be an option, find a 30” scale neck with a blank headstock and make it a 6 string neck then make a body for it.

 

[dwizum]

Definitely possible. What level of work are you comfortable with? (i.e. building your own neck? Fitting a mismatched neck to a body?)

Trying to do the lowest-possible-effort conversion - just switching to bass VI strings (with a new nut, etc) - would mean you have no control over scale length or neck width. The Bass VI has a longer scale length (30") and wider nut (1.65 I think?) than a firebird or other typical guitar. Trying to convert with the same neck and typical bass VI strings and tuning would mean your strings would be really floppy (shorter scale length would need less tension to hit the same tuning). You could do an intermediate tuning vs a whole octave down, or try to find heavier strings.

Or you could add your own neck, and reposition the bridge if needed to match the new neck, and get the typical 30" scale length.

Or you could build from scratch and have full control over everything.

 

[Scoops]

Definitely possible. What level of work are you comfortable with? (i.e. building your own neck? Fitting a mismatched neck to a body?)

Trying to do the lowest-possible-effort conversion - just switching to bass VI strings (with a new nut, etc) - would mean you have no control over scale length or neck width. The Bass VI has a longer scale length (30") and wider nut (1.65 I think?) than a firebird or other typical guitar. Trying to convert with the same neck and typical bass VI strings and tuning would mean your strings would be really floppy (shorter scale length would need less tension to hit the same tuning). You could do an intermediate tuning vs a whole octave down, or try to find heavier strings.

Or you could add your own neck, and reposition the bridge if needed to match the new neck, and get the typical 30" scale length.

Or you could build from scratch and have full control over everything.

Yes to all of this.

And in addition, if you go with a standard guitar scale length, I suspect you might not be able tune the intonation at the bridge. There may not be enough travel in the saddles.

 

[dwizum]

Keeping the guitar scale length will also likely be a little limiting on string selection. A bass VI is already a bit of a weird animal in terms of getting the right string gauges, I don't know if anything is even available in guitar lengths...

 

[micguy]

Keeping the guitar scale length will also likely be a little limiting on string selection. A bass VI is already a bit of a weird animal in terms of getting the right string gauges, I don't know if anything is even available in guitar lengths...

There's good and bad news on this. The good news is that a 25.5 inch scale is precisely the 5th fret on a 34 inch scale, which means the lowest 4 strings of a 5 string set will work tension wise as the lowest 4 strings on a Bass VI - The B will end up as an E on that shorter scale, with exactly the same tension. The upper 2 strings you can use guitar strings. The bad news is.....trying to get shorter windings on the 2 lowest strings so the fat part doesn't go around the tuner posts - i Have no idea how to get that.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

For the right amount of money anything is possible. I noticed you didn't ask if it would be easy because I assume you already know the answer.

Don't let me steer you from your dreams because if you can make it happen, you'll probably be credited as the trend setter.

 

[JIO]

The key is determining bridge saddle to nut length. If you can lower the bridge/saddle-center on the body to at least 30" scale - you can create a short-scale bass. But.., normally 1-12fret doubled + a bit will give you ability to intone it. If too short - no. You can create a tenor bass or piccolo bass (I'm guessing), but it won't be a "standard" bass.

 

[BarfanyShart]

Warmoth makes a neck for converting a guitar to a 28.5" baritone scale - which may be sufficient for your bass vi dream, as there have been bass vi's made in this size. I was just looking into it yesterday because a bass vi dream came into my head. Don't know much beyond that, but an email to the good folks at Warmoth may keep your dream alive.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi! So for a while now i have wanted to get a bass vi so i can have that octave below regular guitar sound. I have found that the only style really of this is a fender jaguar type instrument. I really like the look of firebirds. My question is: if i were to get a reverse head stock firebird, would it be possible to turn it into a bass vi. Thanks

String it with 4 basstrings.

 

[KohanMike]

I've had a bunch of short scale guitars converted into bass, not complicated at all and works just fine. La Bella makes a set of flatwound 25" scale bass strings for Gold Tone bass ukes that I use on most of my conversions.

 

[CatchaCuda]

I'm in the process of a guitar-bass conversion. Just for fun. The headstock cracks me up, it looks ridiculous.

I think I'll move the "E"&"D" tuning machines a bit away from the "A". I just filled the headstock holes earlier.

I intend to use BEAD strings (tune EADG), and cut to length on the tuner end. I'll try unwinding and trimming the outer windings, maybe a dab of CA glue, and hide my mess with heat shrink tubing.

 

[Col Mustard]

Hi! So for a while now i have wanted to get a bass vi so i can have that octave below regular guitar sound. I have found that the only style really of this is a fender jaguar type instrument. I really like the look of firebirds. My question is: if i were to get a reverse head stock firebird, would it be possible to turn it into a bass vi. Thanks

To answer your question: This is possible, but probably much more hassle than you think.

But look at all these Baritone guitars, which have a longer scale and will probably do what
you want.
Baritone Guitars | Sweetwater

If you want a Firebird bass, look into a Thunderbird, those are awesome.
Here's the Epiphone version... the Gibson version runs a couple thousand.
Either one works quite well. I like and play both Gibson and Epiphone guitars.
This is the simplest solution: Buy the Epiphone, install the strings you prefer and rock.
It's only four strings, but I say, if you can't do it with four, you can't do it with six.

Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Guitar - Vintage Sunburst

In addition, check out Warmoth Custom guitar parts:
Invalid Link Removed
I'll say +1 on looking into building your own, using parts from Warmoth.
I've done it. This is my fretless J-bass with maple inlays instead of frets.

Building the guitar from Warmoth parts was easy. The parts fit together well, and
you end up with the guitar of your dreams.

 

[Alder Tollner]

Thanks for all the input guys!! I will probably end up looking into a baritone firebird type thing and just tuning down. Thanks again

 

[JIO]

I'm in the process of a guitar-bass conversion. Just for fun. The headstock cracks me up, it looks ridiculous. View attachment 3956887
View attachment 3956892
I think I'll move the "E"&"D" tuning machines a bit away from the "A". I just filled the headstock holes earlier.

I intend to use BEAD strings (tune EADG), and cut to length on the tuner end. I'll try unwinding and trimming the outer windings, maybe a dab of CA glue, and hide my mess with heat shrink tubing.

If you use Sperzel locking tuners they will look better/be the right scale for that hs and they work great.

 

[dwizum]

Not to get on a tangent, but @JIO - those are regular old Sperzel guitar tuners and they work OK with bass strings? Don't get too crowded or anything?

 

[herndonbassist]

Not to get on a tangent, but @JIO - those are regular old Sperzel guitar tuners and they work OK with bass strings? Don't get too crowded or anything?

Not trying to speak for @JIO but my guess is that because they're locking, there isn't much to wrap, therefore you shouldn't have any trouble with crowding. I've got locking tuners on 2 guitars now, and I absolutely love how simple they are to use!

 

[Bassamatic]

I have looked into this a couple of times. The hard parts are the narrow bass bridge, but there is someone on eBay with a narrow bridge, and you can also use the single bridge pieces and put them closer together. Also the strings! I have seen two work-arounds - 1. to make the bass string through as far from the bridge as possible to use short scale strings. 2. Another solution I saw was a second bridge without saddles mounted behind the main bridge - extending it 2" or more.