Short scale Jazz neck for a P Bass?

[Gunnerpunk]

Hey all, I've got a gorgeous Fender American Performer Precision Bass that I love, but it's just too dang long for my short arms. I've been happily playing a couple of 30" basses with 1.5" nut widths that are much more comfortable, but I'd really love to be playing my P bass. Is anyone here able to create or recommend someone to build a neck that would fit the full size body?

If I had my way I'd be going all out on an ebony fretboard with white pearloid block inlays, white binding, stainless steel frets and a black headstock. But I could be happy with a simple traditional maple neck as well.

Willing to install a new bridge if needed for the scale length change, or even just an 18 fret neck that essentially just chops the first 2 frets off the standard neck.

Here's the model I have, for reference: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...satin-lake-placid-blue-with-maple-fingerboard

Thanks!

 

[Beej]

This totally sounds like a job for @Freekmagnet . Including all of your special desires.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Technically, if you can fit a short scale neck on your long scale body and relocate the bridge accordingly, it should work.

 

[Gunnerpunk]

Technically, if you can fit a short scale neck on your long scale body and relocate the bridge accordingly, it should work.

Right, the issue is finding a short scale neck that fits the neck pocket.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

There are two approaches to doing this conversion. Both are reasonable, with different tradeoffs.

The first is to find an existing short scale Fender-type neck. Like a Fender Mustang neck or one of the many clones. That'll be 20 frets and 30 1/2" scale length. They are usually a narrower heel width than a P-bass. It'll take a little bit of trimming and filling to fit it correctly into the neck pocket of your standard P-body, but it can be made to fit. Then the bridge will need to be moved forward on the body, by a little less than an inch. And sometimes the string spacing needs to be made a little narrower. That can give you a few problems, but it can be done. The tradeoffs are that the location of the bridge may not feel comfortable to your right arm position, in the way you hold the bass. The pickup will end up closer to the bridge than normal. And it may be somewhat ugly cosmetically, unless you have the body nicely modified and filled, and repainted.

The other approach is to have a Conversion Neck made up. This is a neck that is made specifically to convert an existing P-bass to a shorter scale length. It bolts on without any modifications to the neck pocket, the body, or the location of the bridge. It'll end up being a little shorter than the Mustang neck, and will have around 18 frets. The neck is tucked further into the body, so the access to the high end frets is less. But everything about the body feels the same.

There a few aftermarket companies that make conversion necks, and some Luthiers who make them on custom order, with whatever dimensions and features you want. Width of the nut, shape of the back, truss rod access on the headstock, tilt back headstock, block inlays, binding. On a custom neck, all those things are easy (for a small extra charge!) My buddy Jeremy (@Freekmagnet ) is one of the Luthiers who specializes in custom necks, and conversion necks are routine for him.

 

[Max Bogosity]

Would it be an option to tune down and play higher up the neck? If you tune down to D standard, you get E at 30" scale and you can just ignore the two lower frets except on special occasions. I have a somewhat buggered up left shoulder and find I mostly play five string because I can reach the whole standard range at or above the 5th fret and rarely have to stretch way out toward the nut.

If you just want a project, though, go for it!

 

[Gunnerpunk]

Would it be an option to tune down and play higher up the neck?

I have thought of that, and only tried it briefly. The main thing there is that my arms are actually short, I'm 5'6" and I can't reach the farthest tuner without pulling the bass to the right with my other hand. And all the dots are in the wrong place. But in the meantime it's worth another shot.

I'm also interested in a custom neck for my TMB30, which has a fantastic body but I hate the neck width & fretboard. So just looking to find out who might do a good job.