How Would Someone Build a "Fenderbird"?

[AltGrendel]

I still get a laugh from the Drinky Crow on the pickguard.

 

[TBird1958]

How does a Fenderbird conversion deal with intonation? The neck, say a P neck, has been designed and built so that the proportions of the distances between the frets and the length of the neck itself are correct for a particular distance from the bearing-surfaces of the bridge. If the neck is fitted to a different body the distance from the nut to the bridge must be the same as it was with the original body or the bass will play out of tune. Woodwork to get the width and depth of the neck pocket right is necessary of course, but what about this overall scale length? Surely that's what makes the instrument playable or not?

For mine, before I disassembled it I marked the various fret locations of the stock Epi neck on the body with masking tape.
The Mighty Might neck was trimmed down extesively with a Dremel and various hand tools, that included taking wood from the end of heel so the new neck's fret locations would coincide with the original. Mine also needed a little bit of shimming to give the neck some relief and lower the action.

 

[Ric5]

Does anyone know of a company that makes aftermarket T-bird bodies besides Warmoth? The Warmoth ones seem to be really oddly proportioned, with the neck pocket sticking way outside the body, which makes for an extra long bass with even more neck dive than a normal T-bird. Any other alternatives?

There are several different small companies that build bass and guitar bodies from their workshops and they sell them on ebay or direct.

 

[Ric5]

How does a Fenderbird conversion deal with intonation? The neck, say a P neck, has been designed and built so that the proportions of the distances between the frets and the length of the neck itself are correct for a particular distance from the bearing-surfaces of the bridge. If the neck is fitted to a different body the distance from the nut to the bridge must be the same as it was with the original body or the bass will play out of tune. Woodwork to get the width and depth of the neck pocket right is necessary of course, but what about this overall scale length? Surely that's what makes the instrument playable or not?

For intonation you put the bridge in the right place. Do some simple measurements and simple math.

 

[TheDominoKid]

Question for you pro Fenderbird builders... Would Epi Thunderbird tuners fit a Jazz headstock? Thanks so much.

 

[Blazer]

I made one using a self made Mahogany body and an All parts Jass bass neck.

It sounded really good too.

 

[thunderider]

im looking to do this but keeping the original bridge in its original place this should be ok?