[quote name='henry norton' post='1364949' date='Sep 7 2011, 09:11 AM']If you're prepared to lose an inch the 31" Birdsong Hy5 string is to all intents and purposes a production bass. Otherwise, have you thought about getting yourself a standard Jazz 5 and getting a custom made, medium-scale neck for it?[/quote]
The Birdsongs are great looking basses but defo not for me. A jazz bass works fine.
I have thought about getting a standard Jazz 5 and getting a neck done. However, unless the bridge is also moved, then you end up in a situation where the pickups may be sensing in a different area of the string to what normally occurs on a jazz bass, thus altering the classic 'jazz bass tone'.
Also, by the time you plow money into a new neck and bought a bass to do that on, you are a good chunk of the way towards a custom bass anyway. Hence my hesitance to look for 'non-production' instruments.