Neck Modifications

[thebates]

I have a Washburn Force 4 and i want to modify the neck to Jazz bass proportions. This will be in width only. Starting at no change at the body then tapering down to a 1 1/2" at the nut. This will require about 3/32" material removal at the first fret on each side of the neck.
Options are from hand sanding to a vertical milling machine.
Anyone ever done this? I'm not a luthier but have woodworking and machine skills.
Thanks.....Doug B

 

[Phendyr_Loon]

To do it proper I believe you would need to defret the neck then make a template sized to the new dimensions and go at it with a top bearing router bit.
After that you'll need to install the missing side dots, re-carve the neck, clean up the playing surface, re-fret, and refinish.

And after all that you'll wonder why you didn't just buy a jazz neck.

 

[thebates]

Loon, the bass is a neck through...one piece.... Or i would have believe me.
And thanks.

 

[Mickey Mao]

What problem are you trying to solve? Is the neck really too wide, or is it just the string spacing that is too wide? If the latter, a new nut is way less work.

 

[thebates]

Mickey , it's a combination. I have a nut ordered from fender. Will install that first and see how it feels. But if the strings are to far in from the edge, it's option 2.. heh heh....

 

[thebassbuilder]

Mickey , it's a combination. I have a nut ordered from fender. Will install that first and see how it feels. But if the strings are to far in from the edge, it's option 2.. heh heh....

I did this on an old sting ray I had (nut only mod) and I played it that way for years but did not like as much as a narrower neck feels in the hand. You can feel the sides of the neck more and it can be uncomfortable.

I always wondered if you could (how to describ this) tapper in the top of the fret board only Meaning the base of the fret board would be wider than the top of the fret board. Hard to explain but you would have a true "C" shape going on where the back of the neck come back around on it self when it gets to the top/fret side. This way in thery it would be a much smoother transition. Hope this helps.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

That is a lot of work to put into a $550 bass.

You'd need to defret the thing,
then route the taper you want (not terribly easy, given the fretboard is not flat and will not make a good surface for the router),
re-profile the back side of the neck,
probably re-do some side dots,
refret the thing,
and refinish at least the neck.

 

[thebates]

Hammerhed....I'm not going to defret the bass. Whatever technique i use will utilize a high speed multi-flute cutting head. That is if i do it in our machine shop. Yes i'll have to dress it up a bit with a file when i'm done but that's ok. I could also use a hand grinder/sanding wheel. I would clamp a straight edge to neck on fret board and use as a visual guide. Get it close then block sand it lengthwise. A router is out, because i would have to defret it. A router would blow the frets out of it.
We are only talking about 3/32" a side for this. So a major reprofile of the neck won't be an issue.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Sounds like you have a good idea of what you're doing, so I say good luck to you.

I still think it's a lot of effort to put into making such an inexpensive bass only marginally different/better, but if you have the means and don't mind the work, more power to you.

 

[thebates]

Done......here are pics. About 4 hours total.

 

[thebates]

One more pic. Trimmed about 1/8" off each side of neck to bring it down to 1.5" @ nut. This tapered to 0" where neck meets body. I machined the jazzbass nut into the existing nut since the size was so different. Sanded in a new radius to remove the flat spots. Refinished with a tung type oil. So i then set the nut, neck truss rod, intonation and action. Oh yes, i also added tension relief for the nut.
Couldn't be happier!

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Nice! And nary a scar is visible. Sweet work.