turning a guitar into a bass

[HofnerRockr]

I am a guy who likes to fiddle with basses and guitars.

would it be possible for me to turn a guitar into a bass and would the neck be strong enough to handle it?

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Flaked Beans]

I will tell you, buy a mandolin and convert it to bass. Bass trombone, to be more precise. You're welcome.

[edit] it is possible, of course [/edit]

 

[KohanMike]

I am a guy who likes to fiddle with basses and guitars. Would it be possible for me to turn a guitar into a bass and would the neck be strong enough to handle it? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've had a number of short scale guitars (22" to 23") converted to mini bass guitars using Gold Tone/La Bella MBLS flat wound bass strings, done by Eric's Guitar in Van Nuys, CA (in the Sound City complex) and a full setup. No problem with the necks on any of them. Go for it.

 

[crobasster]

I will tell you, buy a mandolin and convert it to bass. Bass trombone, to be more precise. You're welcome.

[edit] it is possible, of course [/edit]

 

[HofnerRockr]

I've had a number of short scale guitars (22" to 23") converted to mini bass guitars using Gold Tone/La Bella MBLS flat wound bass strings, done by Eric's Guitar in Van Nuys, CA (in the Sound City complex) and a full setup. No problem with the necks on any of them. Go for it.

thank you for your support on the Idea

 

[Andy Marshman]

I did it once. I converted a Telecaster Hwy1 guitar to bass. I extended the neck pocket into the front pickup cavity and put a short scale Musicmaster neck on it. I put a 2 barrel bridge on it (almost all the way to the end of the body for a 30" scale). The biggest challenge for me was finding a pickup that gave me a tone I liked (Motown) and trying to find a PUP where the pole pieces sat under the strings properly. I tried dual rail and some other 4 pole PUPs but none of them hit the target for me. I gigged it a few times. I took the neck of and sold the body locally. The buyer converted it to a Bass VI - a totally different look. I gave the neck to a friend of mine who was building a short scale bass from Warmoth parts. I already sold the MM body to someone in Europe.

 

[RichterScale]

I am a guy who likes to fiddle with basses and guitars.

would it be possible for me to turn a guitar into a bass and would the neck be strong enough to handle it?

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would post this in the Luthier's Corner sub forum if you really want to do this.

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

...would it be possible for me to turn a guitar into a bass and would the neck be strong enough to handle it?

When I saw that my first thought is that the tuning to an octave lower would put less strain on the neck, not more, and if you used stiffer strings so they don't smack into the frets the moment a passing gnat farts in their general direction, you might even end up with the same tension if you chose the right strings, but then you'd find the frets too closely spaced and start to recognise why basses take the form that they do. Looking at the choices made for a short scale bass might give you a head start in figuring out what might work.

 

[lug]

Tension charts for rotosound guitar and bass strings....
Tension comparison chart for guitar and bass • Rotosound Music Strings

Plenty of bass sets with equivilant tension than some of the guitar sets.

 

[mini-milli]

I will tell you, buy a mandolin and convert it to bass. Bass trombone, to be more precise. You're welcome.

[edit] it is possible, of course [/edit]

I almost wonder if you could do this with ubass strings...

 

[bassrique]

Pics of such projects?

 

[HofnerRockr]

something like this ( I didn't take this picture I found it on the internet )

a Jazzmaster body maybe a telecaster guitar neck or bass neck, guitar pickups, maybe one bass pickup, the same guitar controls with some added bass controls, a new bass bridge, and an increased neck slot if I use a bass neck but for the guitar neck it would be to increase strength. this would be a project that I would give to either my father or mother

 

[Cave Puppy]

The Stanley Clarke Spellcaster Bass | From Lieber Guitars

 

[bolophonic]

I would be most concerned about having a bass with the bridge mounted directly in the middle of the body, because that is my least favorite thing about the way guitars look.

 

[Ric5]

I am a guy who likes to fiddle with basses and guitars.

would it be possible for me to turn a guitar into a bass and would the neck be strong enough to handle it?

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

My first bass was a guitar strung EADGXX ... XX = missing strings. The strings were fat chunky flatwound strings probably 55 to 20 or similar.

 

[Ric5]

Retrovibe makes some cool guitar-basses

Basses | Retrovibe

 

[Ric5]

 

[Chrisk-K]

Why not covert a double bass into a guitar? It would be the deepest sounding guitar ever.

 

[Flamingo21]

I bought a cheap old guitar and turned it into a bass. No new neck. Scale 24". New tuners, Gold Tone strings, piezo pickup.

Before:

After:

Matching bridge, tailpiece, and thumb rest:

 

[mini-milli]

I bought a cheap old guitar and turned it into a bass. No new neck. Scale 24". New tuners, Gold Tone strings, piezo pickup.

What kind of volume did you get from it acoustically? And how does the pickup sound?