SamIAm

Well fiddle!!! The distance between the B string saddle "witness point" and the bottom edge of the body is abt 65mm. I have been unable to find any headless tuners that are short enough to fit in this space, the ones I've researched have the following distance between the saddle and the end of the tuning knob: Nova 78mm ABM 70-80mm (ish) Hipshot 69-76mm Thus, their tuning knobs would extend beyond the edge of the body and so I do not feel headless is a viable approach. S'manth x

They do appear to be the US made ones (which are lighter than the licensed ones) ... according to the Hipshot site they are 42g each https://docs.hipshotproducts.com/20650_ULTRALITE_3-8_Y_KEY.pdf ... I agree, it looks like they are £34.40 per tuner, so £172 vs Gotoh £100 ish S'manth x

Thank you @3below, I'd overlooked the bridge end of things! The centre-ball to witness point on my bridge-saddle ranges from 3cm (B) to closer to 4cm (G). With the B, I could pop a washer or two on if need be to act as a ball-end stand off. The centre-ball to tuner side of nut is 80.5cm The centre-ball to middle of B tuner (the closest to the nut) is 85cm So 81.3 would work nicely I think, putting the string-to-silk point just beyond the nut, but still short of the tuning machine. I am considering just a tuner change; the headless option has some more attractive points for me but is a major hassle! S'manth x

This (Which actually turns out to be the short scale EHB-1005SMS) would be amazing!!! S'manth x

Nods! Apart from the practical pros, I think it would just be deeply cool! I did rather like it when folks would come up after a gig where I played Twiggy to ask/talk about her ... and as a bass player it is nice to get noticed (one day perhaps for my playing too! lol) S'manth x

Thanks @Cato, the strap I use is grippy enough to hold, but I loath the feel of it pulling on my shoulder, trying to drag my neckline down etc. At present I am mostly playing sitting (cause my back is painful) where a grippy strap would not help (Tho I read about a neat trick where one hooks the strap to the bottom button and then sits on it which apparently stops any dive). There are some other reasons I'm toying woth the headless approach (See my recent post) S'manth x

Interestingly it was the in depth reviews by that fellow that moved me to "just push buy" on the TMB35. There are a few factors relating to a headless conversion that apply in this situation: Pros It is almost certain (tho I really need to do some more calcs/measurements) to totally resolve the neck dive. It may well reduce the overall weight of the bass. It should allow me to put a chamber on the back of the body to help reduce overall weight and still prevent neck dive. Stability of headless tuners. The headless mechanism (using grub screws at the 'headstock' end) will allow me to use long scale strings (I did this with Twiggy), a lot of which are not available in short scale. Shorter length overall of the bass. I like the look of headless and think a headless TMB35 would look really cool(IMHO). Cons It is a non trivial amount of effort (I am no luthier, but I am happy it lies within my skill set) It will be costly for the headless parts ... it always is! I may have to refinish the body, depending on what approach I can use for mounting the tuners. If this is required, I'd probably go for a oiled/waxed finish ... but I'm not totally sure if the wood underneath would be suitable. It may well destroy any potential resale value, tho my intent is to craft a bass I love to play rather than sell on ... but you never know. It is a totally irreversible mod and once started, I am committed. As you say, new tuning machines seem a common approach to reduce neckdive, are fairly straightforward and easy to reverse if I want ... but some of the headless pros are really attractive to me (Weight reduction via chambering/increased string choice). I did also see a conversion where the chap a;so trimmed away the perimiter of the headstock, which is another option one might consider. Did you actually go for the Hipshot Ultralites? In my searching I came to the conclusion that the Gotoh Res-o-lite GB350 are the lightest (40g) and seem available at about £90-£100 for a set of 5. I think the HipShots (USA 3/8 Inch Y-Key) are 42g and seem to run a lot higher price! S'manth x

I was browsing strings ... thanks for the tip. At present I'm thinking about these but am struggling to find them in stock anywhere ... I love the sound, the feel (and the look) of black tapewound. S'manth x

Not me S'manth x

Still ... basic concepts and approach are likely to apply Same for the other link, thanks @PaulThePlug. Also useful is a active thread here on BC where someone did a headless conversion of a MM Bongo ... there are some things there I've learned from. S'manth x

Could be this ? S’manth x

That sounds like a really fun trio! The call of an EUB is like a siren song for me ... I was so very very tempted by the Stagg that was for sale for £300 ... but in the end I just don;t think my back would be up for lugging it about My endgame at present in to use my Kala California (fretless fiver), the TMB35 and hopefully manage to get Phoenix (Self build short scale headless fretless) off the ground next year. S'manth x

Similar, Kala ElectroAcoustic with Aquila Thunder reds that are a couple of years old ... must retune at the start of a session and every few minutes. Kala Solid Body with Aquila Thunder Browns that are a few weeks old ... needs a retune every other song! Once in tune, the solid body (5 string fretless) sounds amazing and I can accommodate off tuning a wee bit with finger positioning, but ... one of the most frustrating things I've found with UBASS is string instability. S'manth x

Fraser bought a Zoom Pedal from me. Super easy transaction, rapid payment, good comms. I would happily deal with him again! S'manth x

Patty is here! (And I am in love) Patty is my new peppermint green Ibanez TMB35. For those of us who prefer short scale five stringers ... there is not a lot of choice out there (certainly not in the affordable end of the spectrum). The TMB35 is a bass that has had fairly good reviews and does not break the bank. I finally pushed the button yesterday (birthday treat for myself) and Patty arrived this afternoon. Finish - Generally very tidy, the smallest of chips around the perimeter of the headstock (only visible from up close). Body finish is uniformly smooth, neck is nice and smooth. Frets seem to be level, no buzzing notes and their edges are clean with no sharp/jaggy bits. Weight - Not as bad as I was expecting (but definitively heavier than one might expect from a bass of this size). Neck weigh however ... argh!!! Maybe as it is the first bass I've ever had with neck dive I am sensitive to it, but it is ... not nice! (But I have a plan) Tuners - Seem OK, turn easily and gearing is acceptable. Strings - Ruff! I need to get some some flatwound (or ideally tapewound) on ASAP! Action and intonation not too bad for now, will tweak when I get new strings on. Tuning is BEADG ... the low B is not too bad not floppy, but does rattle a bit if I pluck it with any wellie. It's a 0.130, I might replace with a 0.135 which I've found to be great on a 760mm scale. Pickups+Wiring - PJ passive pair. The Neck P Type seems an OK middle of the road pup. The bridge J type is on the shrill side, hum noise is apparent. The controls are Vol/Vol/Tone ... not a huge fan, but easy enough to change to Vol/Blend/Tone (The tone control crackles). Jack socket is a bit wobbly, and some of my plugins ... won't! Feel - I like the feel of the neck and the width of the fingerboard. When sitting, with Patty on my left thigh (in a high neck classical position) I can comfortably reach the full extent of the fingerboard. When positioned on my right thigh or on a strap the head definitely wants to ostrich. Overall, given the price point, I am very pleased with Patty and I would be very surprised if she is not with me for many years to come. Whilst it would be possible to gig with her (once I've got some new strings on) I see her more as a strong foundation of a project bass ... I've already got some copper tape on the way from Amazon to line the cavities, I can definitely see myself changing out the pups and electronics ... most likely passive, not sure if I will stick with PJ or go another route, either way some channeling and probably a new pickguard will be called for. I've read reports of others putting on lighter tuners to help reduce neck dive, but I am seriously considering if I can go headless ... this would totally resolve neck dive (and might even let me pop a cavity or two in the body to reduce overall weight even further). But most importantly ... loads of playing TL;DR Patty is a keeper. For size comparison, here is Patty next to my Hohner Fiver 34inch scale The Hohner (and a couple of other long scalers) are likely to appear in the Marketplace ... I am now totally convinced that a scale length over 30 inch is just too long for me! S'manth x

I am going to have to use (steal) that! S'manth x

LOL ... very true, perhaps the ehb1000s is a better comparison ... but with a different body shape, different pups and an extra string! But basucally I suspect it'd look OK (Well, if you like the look of the Ibinez headless ... which I do) S'manth x

Indeed ... not sure I could even attempt a "I'd like to return this bass due to a fault ... its head just suddenly fell off" 😛 S'manth x

They have some great reviews. I've been stuck in feeling very ill (nasty cold/flu thing) on my birthday (I was due to go out to watch a friends band this evening) and when I looked at the various options it seemed the best one. If I take to it, then I'm thinking to lose the head ... which would reduce both the weight and neck dive issues I've read about ... and I love the look of the Ibinez headless ... just not their price point! And there is a 30 day return policy so ... S'manth x

A variety of factors aligned today (not least of all it's my Birthday today ... no longer a 50 something 👵😱) and I pushed the button on a TMB-35, which should arrive tomorrow. To be treated with kid gloves until I decide if it's a keeper or not. It seems just spot on from a size perspective, I gather it is not light and tends to neck dive ... but if I do hang onto it then I am pondering a headless conversion which would help both ... it might end up looking more like its ehb1005sms sibling (which is well outside my price bracket). But, I've till mid Jan (so long as I am careful with it) to return it if I want. S'manth x

Errrmmm … indeed! I pushed the buttton and one is arriving tomorrow, I’ll have 30 days to see if I like it S’manth x

@3belowand @Downunderwonder, thanks for your thoughts on edge spacing ... I'd not thought about vibe/bending as it is not something I use ... as you say, I can have a "safer" 3mm down each edge and still achieve a playable layout it seems. S'manth x

I've run some calculations on the viability of using the PB Shorty neck with 5 strings, I've started a new thread asking for feedback S'manth x