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Jerry Jones Bass 6 to Baritone

D

DM3MD

Apr 17, 2019
21
4
#1
Hi Guys,

I have a 1990’s Jerry Jones Bass 6 that was incorrectly labeled at the store and I now have my choice to keep it or return it for a refund. I would like to explore the idea of trying to convert it to a true Baritone. Is this possible?

To my understanding, the JJB6 I have now has 24 frets and a 29.75” scale. The JJ baritone has 23 frets and a 28” scale. These numbers are according to the JJ website.

As a true guitar player (I’m not a bassist) I strum the heck out of guitars and do not slap or use my fingers like bassists.

So, how can this conversion be achieved? I’m shooting from the hip here, but would this require a new fingerboard, frets, and removing material from the neck to shorten it to 28”? I have yet to talk to a luthier.

I’m tuning BEADF#B. Yes, I can play it as is, but the “feeling” of a true baritone just won’t be there.

I appreciate your thoughts. This JJB6 is rare, and the true baritones are rarer. So, I can’t just sell it and buy the real JJ baritone off the shelf next to it. Might take years to find the true baritone.

Thank you. Your thoughts will truly help guide my decision making.
 
#6
DM3MD said:
the “feeling” of a true baritone just won’t be there.
Click to expand...
Many baritone guitars come in 30" scale; in fact, from 1956 until the first dedicated B-B or A-A tuned baritones appeared in the late '70s, you only got ~30" scale retuned or just repurposed Danelectro, Fender (Gibson, Teisco, Höfner...) bass-VI instruments available for baritone guitar work.
So my first suggestion is to
0) just slap a baritone string set on the Jerry Jones and try it as is.

Now, if you're dead set on having a shorter-scale instrument, the most logical courses of action are:
1) baritone set on the unmodded JJ, tuned Bb-Bb, permanently capoed at the 1st fret et voilà, a 28.08" scale baritone tuned to B standard;
2) make the above-described arrangement a permanent mod, by moving the nut to the former 1st fret and the fret markers one fret ahead
Luthier to Convert a Long Scale Bass Into Medium Scale?
3) as suggested above, sell it and buy something else.
__

But yeah, you could also have a luthier make a new 28" scale fretboard, and
4) reposition the bridge frontwards, or

5a) shorten the neck at the heel end, or
5b) deepen the neck pocket,
for the sole purpose of not having the bridge move (and, uh, spending more money just because?).
EDIT: OK, in addition to the bridge staying put, the overall length would be 1.67" shorter. Not much gain IMO.
 
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#7
In an ironic twist, and to further complicate the matter, I have a Danelectro ‘56 replica baritone. 24 frets, and 29.75” scale.

It’s ok, not comfortable, not uncomfortable, just “right there” on the limits of hands and ability.

Ugh.
 
#9
Its a bolt on neck, right? If so and you’re determined to keep it, don’t mod a comparatively rare neck or body. Have a 28” scale neck that works with the current bridge position made. If the existing neck is 30” scale and 24 frets a 28” scale should come out to the first or second fret position so you would end up with 22 or 23 frets. That would probably work out to a similar cost as having someone else chop up the existing neck. Having said all that, your best bet would be to experiment with string gauges and see if you can come up with something that works with what you have.
 
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#12
Thank you for all of your replies!

Yes, a new nut, truss rod adjustment and baritone .68’s would be perfectly acceptable. And you’re right, who knows, I might just like it. Also, I’ll err on the side of caution and simply move this guitar along and not modify it.

I really wanted the true 28” scale that would be better suited to my hands/fingers. For me, that 1.75” does make a difference. I think I’m better off just returning it and continuing my search.

Another reminder, I’m not a bassist. I don’t know how you guys “walk” the fretboard with your fingers. I can strum the guts out of any guitar and I’m no slouch to finger style. But, bass just isn’t my style. It’s a foreign language!

Thanks again for all of your help. I’m 99% decided.
 
#13
I think your plan of returning it sounds fine and reasonable. For the sake of discussion, though, it seems worth mentioning the recently discontinued Gretsch baritone. It started out as a Bass VI with a 30" scale. Word on the street is that nobody bought them, so Gretsch just started sending them out with baritone strings instead, it worked great and suddenly people loved it. So I wouldn't worry too much about making a conversion work or modifying the instrument.

Which is of course moot at this point in the conversation, but hey.
 
#15
It would probably work going B to b as has been suggested, assuming the strings were the right gauge, but true baritones generally have shorter necks. The Jerry Jones 6 string bass is a much sought after instrument, so doing any further modifications to it would be a really bad idea.
 
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#17
OP here...

I’m surprised to see so many people mentioning the rarity of this guitar. I did some more google searching and I was only able to locate one other ever posted on the web. Interesting. I’m curious to know if anyone here has some more familiarity with it. I believe it dates to very early 90’s according to the serial number on the back of the headstock. I’m not sure if prices are allowed to be discussed on this site (some forums yes, some forums no) but truthfully I didn’t pay a whole heck of a lot for it considering what I put down for my acoustics.

Now, I’m wondering if I should slap some baritones on it and keep it.
 

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