Worthwhile Conversion?

[themickster]

This is the kinda thing my mind does to me. I play, sitting in my wheelchair. I need a small-bodied bass, for the sake of my right arm. My friend has loaned me his Steinberger copy. It gives me a great arm angle, but the foldout thingy that keeps it on the lap makes it lay far enough to the left to make the head end to much of a reach. Would a Steinberger guitar convert well enough to a shortscale bass?

 

[Rocket Queen]

Speaking from experience, I think that almost any sub-short-scale (<=25") bass will have a proportionately scaled-down body. Consider Glarry, TinyBoy, Kala, Flight, History, MihaDo, even Mauricio Über. You can go as short as 22" and still be able to use standard E1-A1-D2-G2 strings.

 

[themickster]

Speaking from experience, I think that almost any sub-short-scale (<=25") bass will have a proportionately scaled-down body. Consider Glarry, TinyBoy, Kala, Flight, History, MihaDo, even Mauricio Über. You can go as short as 22" and still be able to use standard E1-A1-D2-G2 strings.

Steinberger guitars have a 25.5" scale

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I’m not sure which versions of Steinberger instruments / hardware you’re looking at, there were a number. I don’t have actual Steinberger or Spirit instruments on hand. I do have a Hohner 6 string with a trem bridge and a bass that started out as an 80s Cort headless, both with “Licensed by Steinberger” hardware so feel free to take this with most of a shaker of salt.

The bass bridge is wider than the guitar bridge and both are recessed into the body. Call it 3 3/16” for the guitar and 3 5/8” for the bass so the bridge recess on the body would need to be enlarged for the 4 string bridge.



Also, the bass neck is slightly wider so while the bass headpiece may screw into the guitar neck it will overhang and the string spacing may be off.



You aren’t going to find double ball end strings the right length also but an adapter can be made or purchased, see the picture of the guitar neck. Also, the newer Spirits and Steinbergers may, probably do, use something different so they don’t need double ball end strings so the last part may be a moot point.

Definitely check these measurements against newer hardware but I’d say it’s doable but may require some routing and finish touchups.

Another option if the bass string ball ends fit in the guitar claws would be to get some spacers made up so you can use 4 guitar saddles and the existing bridge/tuner. You’ll still have to figure out something at the neck end.

 

[Water buffalo]

All I have to offer is that I have built a few 25.5" scale basses with excellent results.

I've mentioned this before, Ernie Ball makes a 9 string guitar set, The lowest string is a .105. The lower four strings work well for a bass.

 

[Rocket Queen]

Steinberger guitars have a 25.5" scale

But I'm curious, why go to the time and effort of converting a guitar to a short scale bass when you already have small-bodied, guitar-scale basses available on the market?

 

[themickster]

I’m not sure which versions of Steinberger instruments / hardware you’re looking at, there were a number. I don’t have actual Steinberger or Spirit instruments on hand. I do have a Hohner 6 string with a trem bridge and a bass that started out as an 80s Cort headless, both with “Licensed by Steinberger” hardware so feel free to take this with most of a shaker of salt.

The bass bridge is wider than the guitar bridge and both are recessed into the body. Call it 3 3/16” for the guitar and 3 5/8” for the bass so the bridge recess on the body would need to be enlarged for the 4 string bridge.

View attachment 7295588View attachment 7295589

Also, the bass neck is slightly wider so while the bass headpiece may screw into the guitar neck it will overhang and the string spacing may be off.

View attachment 7295590View attachment 7295591

You aren’t going to find double ball end strings the right length also but an adapter can be made or purchased, see the picture of the guitar neck. Also, the newer Spirits and Steinbergers may, probably do, use something different so they don’t need double ball end strings so the last part may be a moot point.

Definitely check these measurements against newer hardware but I’d say it’s doable but may require some routing and finish touchups.

Another option if the bass string ball ends fit in the guitar claws would be to get some spacers made up so you can use 4 guitar saddles and the existing bridge/tuner. You’ll still have to figure out something at the neck end.

Monorail headless bridges might work.

But I'm curious, why go to the time and effort of converting a guitar to a short scale bass when you already have small-bodied, guitar-scale basses available on the market?

True. Are they as small as the tinybodied Steinberger? Are they headless?

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Maybe if you have a relatively soft playing style. For MY playing style, anything shorter than 30" (with 45-105) is totally unplayable, far too floppy, fret buzz everywhere.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

@Water buffalo has a good thought if you don’t mind the extra strings and tighter string spacing. Use that 9 string set with a headless guitar and set it up as a Bass VI. If you can do the setup yourself it won’t cost anything except the price of the strings and you can put it back to stock if things don’t work out.

 

[bassdude51]

About $220 new. Don't mess with trying to turn a guitar into a short scale bass!

GSRM20 | miKro | ELECTRIC BASSES | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars

GSRM20 at Ibanez. Ibanez offers electric guitars, bass guitars, acoustic guitars, effect and pedals, amps, plus guitar accessories like tuners, straps and picks.

www.ibanez.com

 

[dlmarquez]

There is a forum for Warmoth guitar/bass builders, and on that forum there is at least one person who has mixed/matched warmoth parts to come up with a sub 30” scale bass. just sayin….
due to multiple rotator cuff tears to my left shoulder over the years, Tennis, Motorcycles, general clumsiness, etc, I have difficulty with the stretch out to the first few frets of my long scale bass. I am investigating short scales now. I have one classical guitar with a 610 scale length and its a much easier and more comfortable instrument to play, seated or standing.

 

[Rocket Queen]

Monorail headless bridges might work.

True. Are they as small as the tinybodied Steinberger? Are they headless?

Why the headless requirement? In any case, if that's a must have, then do absolutely check out MihaDo. Theirs are both headless and tiny-bodied. There's a bunch on Reverb:

https://reverb.com/shop/mihado?product_type=bass-guitars&page=1

 

[themickster]

All I have to offer is that I have built a few 25.5" scale basses with excellent results.

I've mentioned this before, Ernie Ball makes a 9 string guitar set, The lowest string is a .105. The lower four strings work well for a bass.

View attachment 7295766

That's got to be better than my idea

 

[themickster]

Why the headless requirement? In any case, if that's a must have, then do absolutely check out MihaDo. Theirs are both headless and tiny-bodied. There's a bunch on Reverb:

https://reverb.com/shop/mihado?product_type=bass-guitars&page=1

I don't know a headed bass with the tiny body I need. There are some almost as small-bodied, but neck dive.

 

[themickster]

There is a forum for Warmoth guitar/bass builders, and on that forum there is at least one person who has mixed/matched warmoth parts to come up with a sub 30” scale bass. just sayin….
due to multiple rotator cuff tears to my left shoulder over the years, Tennis, Motorcycles, general clumsiness, etc, I have difficulty with the stretch out to the first few frets of my long scale bass. I am investigating short scales now. I have one classical guitar with a 610 scale length and its a much easier and more comfortable instrument to play, seated or standing.

My physio diagnosed rotator cuff problems

 

[WayneP]

Maybe if you owned the bass, you could move the fold out thing to a better location? I’d just be a matter of drilling a few holes for the screws.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Make Your Own Cables: A How-To Guide Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Official Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Heartfield Club #36
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Official Pre-Gibson Tobias Owners Club
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Make Your Own Cables: A How-To Guide

 

[buldog5151bass]

Have you considered a bass uke?

 

[dlmarquez]

another option might be to look at Dave Weirs Anarchist headless short scale bass. its about 36” long total but has a regular 30” short scale and you can choose your neck and body woods….not for everyone for sure, but as far as I know, the people who have them LOVE them!

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Maybe if you owned the bass, you could move the fold out thing to a better location? I’d just be a matter of drilling a few holes for the screws.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Make Your Own Cables: A How-To Guide Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Official Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Heartfield Club #36
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Official Pre-Gibson Tobias Owners Club
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Make Your Own Cables: A How-To Guide

It’s a little more than that, at least on my Hohner. There’s a larger route underneath for the spring and the lever that holds the leg rest once it’s folded open or closed.

 

[lug]

I move my "flapper" on my steinie Spirit for just the same reason. It's definately neck-light now!