5 string Stingray Bass Build

[Jimothey]

Because I'm swaying more to playing 5 string instead of 4 I thought I'd convert my '72 ish P bass onto a 5 string 

I have seen people doing this but keeping the 4 string neck and changing the nut and bridge, but to be honest I don't think I would be able to get on with the tight string spacing so I think I will get a 5 string neck and rout out the neck pocket and change it that way 

I'm still not 100% sure whether it's going to be a Tele or a Precision I'm leaning more toward a Tele but that could change? 

But here's the donor bass

Edited May 5, 2019 by Jimothey

[6feet7]

Glad to see I'm not the only mad one around here converting a 4 to a 5

[kodiakblair]

I converted one of my T40s to 5 strings. It wasn't difficult but did mean 16mm string spacing. I kept the original bridge plate,inside size is 83mm.

Not being a super fast or too technical a player the spacing was fine. Worked out well I think.

 

[Jimothey]

14 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

I converted one of my T40s to 5 strings. It wasn't difficult but did mean 16mm string spacing. I kept the original bridge plate,inside size is 83mm.

Not being a super fast or too technical a player the spacing was fine. Worked out well I think.

 

Did you keep the same neck and just change the nut and change to smaller saddles so you could fit an extra one in? I'm not a fast or technical player either so it might be OK...... And save me some money 

Edited June 23, 2018 by Jimothey

[kodiakblair]

Same neck Jim, swapped the nut for brass instead of the original steel. Changed the saddles for mono saddles,took a file to the sides for more room. Had to forego through body stringing but monos are through body or top loading.

Had it strung with La Bella Jamerson flats for 18 month, neck handled it no problem. 

[Jimothey]

38 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

Same neck Jim, swapped the nut for brass instead of the original steel. Changed the saddles for mono saddles,took a file to the sides for more room. Had to forego through body stringing but monos are through body or top loading.

Had it strung with La Bella Jamerson flats for 18 month, neck handled it no problem. 

What is your overall string spacing the smallest I can find is 64mm (16mm spacing) which is only 7mm wider than the bridge I'm going to replace? And the heel of the neck is 64mm so that should just fit without the strings falling over the sides of the neck?

 Did you shave a couple of mm of each side of the nut (45mm) aswell to get it down to 42mm?

[kodiakblair]

Sorry Jim was out and about.

64mm overall. Heel is just under 61mm,been a wee bit shrinkage over the years, so I couldn't go much wider. 

Nut on this fella was 43.5 so only a little filing was required. Main concern was strings still ran on fretboard and within pickup magnets.

They do so happy Scotsman.

[Jimothey]

On 23/06/2018 at 19:06, kodiakblair said:

Sorry Jim was out and about.

64mm overall. Heel is just under 61mm,been a wee bit shrinkage over the years, so I couldn't go much wider. 

Nut on this fella was 43.5 so only a little filing was required. Main concern was strings still ran on fretboard and within pickup magnets.

They do so happy Scotsman.

I measured my Ibby 5 string and that has 16mm spacings and at the end of the fretboard the string width measured 60mm, so I think it will just be ok 

Where did you get your nut from? the only 43mm 5 string nut I could find is some crappy plastic adjustable acoustic bass nut

Edited June 26, 2018 by Jimothey

[kodiakblair]

2 hours ago, Jimothey said:

I measured my Ibby 5 string and that has 16mm spacings and at the end of the fretboard the string width measured 60mm, so I think it will just be ok 

Where did you get your nut? from the only 43mm 5 string nut I could find is some crappy plastic adjustable acoustic bass nut

Was out and about again 😊

Is that the 2 part adjustable on ebay for £3.61 ? Keep meaning to try one of those. 

I bought quite a few different nuts but in the end just went for a 45mm brass and filed a bit off each end. Got one of these in the drawer for the rainy day.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/abm_6250_webster_nut_bass.htm

[Jimothey]

2 hours ago, kodiakblair said:

Was out and about again 😊

Is that the 2 part adjustable on ebay for £3.61 ? Keep meaning to try one of those. 

I bought quite a few different nuts but in the end just went for a 45mm brass and filed a bit off each end. Got one of these in the drawer for the rainy day.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/abm_6250_webster_nut_bass.htm

Yeah their the kiddy! I thought they looked a bit cheap and nasty and the fact they are plastic turned me off a bit!?! but it would be much easier as they are already 43mm I might just order one and give it a go and I'm probably going to buy a blank graphite nut and cut the slots myself aswell just to see which works better

[Jimothey]

Got started today on the conversion

First job was to remove the nut, the nut I'm replacing it with is 3mm deeper so I had to pare off the nut slot flat

Then I marked out for the 5th tuner...... 

Then the moment of no going back I drilled the hole for the the 5th tuner..... 

Tomorrow I'll remove the bridge and fill the holes and get started on changing the pickguard 😀

[Norris]

Wouldn't it have been easier to sand 3mm off the nut?

[Jimothey]

9 minutes ago, Norris said:

Wouldn't it have been easier to sand 3mm off the nut?

Its an adjustable height nut and the grub screw goes almost the full width so I thought it would be easier just paring off a couple of mm off the fretboard, it only took 30 secs with a sharp chisel 😀

[Norris]

7 hours ago, Jimothey said:

Its an adjustable height nut and the grub screw goes almost the full width so I thought it would be easier just paring off a couple of mm off the fretboard, it only took 30 secs with a sharp chisel 😀

Ah. I didn't realise it was adjustable:)

[Jimothey]

Only got the tuner fitted today as I'm waiting for the bridge, nut and pickguard to come from China 

[Jimothey]

Just saw this I wonder................ 

Edited July 3, 2018 by Jimothey

[Jimothey]

Well got started on the pickguard and body today

Pickguard has had the first coat on it and has been flattened needs a final coat 

But the body has had a reaction in places so I'm going to sand it back a bit and respray it before I go home tonight 

You get the rough idea 😀

[funky8884]

Well done to all those who have spent the time converting a 4 to a 5, how do you find the B string and neck stability compared to a purpose built 5 ?

 

[Jimothey]

24 minutes ago, funky8884 said:

Well done to all those who have spent the time converting a 4 to a 5, how do you find the B string and neck stability compared to a purpose built 5 ?

 

I'll let you know when I've finished but I can't see how putting one extra string will make that much if a difference to neck stability 

My Ibby 5 string has a 45mm nut (which is 3mm wider than my P) and the heel is 75mm (which is 11mn wider than the P) the neck thickness are the same and both have a single truss rod

[kodiakblair]

2 hours ago, funky8884 said:

Well done to all those who have spent the time converting a 4 to a 5, how do you find the B string and neck stability compared to a purpose built 5 ?

 

When I convert a T40 to 5 strings I put La Bella Jamerson flats on it. 38 year old neck subjected to extra strain of 5 quite high tension strings. Handled it no problem and it stayed like that for over a year. Only changed over to La Bella low tension flats because I got a used set for £28.

 

IMO a good B string depends more on the brand, if it works on a bass tuned BEAD no reason it wont work on BEADG.

[Jimothey]

I haven't got a clue what's going on first the body reacted (spotting), sanded it back a bit sprayed another coat now its fine

Put a final coat on the pickguard now that's reacted (crackled) 🤬

 

[SpondonBassed]

Airborne contamination perhaps from a kitchen extractor distributing greasy particles?

Frustrating.

[Jimothey]

53 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Airborne contamination perhaps from a kitchen extractor distributing greasy particles?

Frustrating.

Yes very!! 

I completely sanded the pickguard back to original and resprayed it and it looks OK now 

Still need to sand the headstock back to maple as I don't think it would look right colour matched 

I'm going to l leave them both till Sunday and start getting it all back together ready for the nut and bridge when they turn up 😀

[SpondonBassed]

Well done.

Is it my eyesight or is the truss adjustment drilling behind the nut off axis?

[Jimothey]

5 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

Well done.

Is it my eyesight or is the truss adjustment drilling behind the nut off axis?

Looking at the pic of the headstock it does look like it's not central I'll have to check it when I go back to work tomorrow

I reckon it's just an optical illusion (well....I hope it is?!) 🤨