Paul S Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 Someone please shoot me down quickly. I quite fancy the idea of a short scale headless bodiless bass a la Hohner B2A. I can see it might be easy to 'just' saw off the neck at approx. the first two frets and put the end thingamebob back on. But what about the truss rod? That I imagine makes it a no go - but does it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 It might work with a Hondo Alien - no truss rod, just an aluminium neck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 5, 2020 Author Share Posted January 5, 2020 Never played - or even seen in the flesh - a Hondo Alien. Are they any good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 The Hondo Alien/Kramer Duke is already short scale so no sawing needed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 6, 2020 Author Share Posted January 6, 2020 4 minutes ago, BigRedX said: The Hondo Alien/Kramer Duke is already short scale so no sawing needed. Marvellous, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 The Kramer Duke is generally a better bass, especially where the hardware and electrics are concerned. However if you can find a Hondo Alien cheap enough to be worth upgrading then it can come very close it in quality. There are two things to watch. 1. There are quite a few Hondo Aliens that are being passed off as Kramer Dukes. The earliest way to tell them apart is the neck joint. The Duke has the standard Kramer 2-bolt attachment with a lozenge-shaped plate which includes the serial number. The Alien has a 4-bolt neck plate attachment. Also the Duke has a single bolt string retainer whereas the Alien has two bolts. 2. Not all Hondo Aliens have an aluminium neck. All Kramer Dukes do. If you prefer the feel of the all-wooden neck the Alien might be a better choice if you can find a wooden-necked one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 I am sure I saw this done once when I was googling, and I am sure it was a thread on talkbass where someone made a b2 short scale. I remember it was a lot of effort and remember thinking that it would be a lot easier to just make a short scale b2 copy from scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 This is one, I am sure there was another: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/hohner-b2av-ws-headless-5-string-modification.887701/ although he said it was successful, the fact was he sold it after finishing it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 6, 2020 Author Share Posted January 6, 2020 Thanks for this. Looks like the Hohner is a non-starter but I will look more closely at the Alien/Duke basses. Gotta love Basschat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 6, 2020 Author Share Posted January 6, 2020 Doing some reading... calling @alyctes you still have both an Alien and a Duke? If you have the time, sir, how would you say they stacked up against each other? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Get a Hohner and tune down, put a capo on the second fret. Thank me later...have a beer while Contemplating all the unnecessary exertion I’ve saved you... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 6, 2020 Author Share Posted January 6, 2020 43 minutes ago, AndyTravis said: Get a Hohner and tune down, put a capo on the second fret. Thank me later...have a beer while Contemplating all the unnecessary exertion I’ve saved you... Not a very elegant solution, though, is it. Nor does it do much to cure the slight GAS build up... Maybe get a cheap Bronco and attack it with a saw! 😃 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 1 hour ago, Paul S said: Doing some reading... calling @alyctes you still have both an Alien and a Duke? If you have the time, sir, how would you say they stacked up against each other? I've not owned a Kramer Duke, but I have owned other Kramer basses - 450B long scale and XKB-10 short scale - and a Hondo Alien, and IMO apart form the completely rubbish hardware (bridge and machine heads) on the Alien it compared very well. Once I'd swapped them for proper Schaller components it was a very usable compact bass with a perfectly good sound. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 11 hours ago, BigRedX said: The Hondo Alien/Kramer Duke is already short scale so no sawing needed. So it is. Thank you BRX! I should have known that, I have one in a cupboard somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 7 hours ago, BigRedX said: I've not owned a Kramer Duke, but I have owned other Kramer basses - 450B long scale and XKB-10 short scale - and a Hondo Alien, and IMO apart form the completely rubbish hardware (bridge and machine heads) on the Alien it compared very well. Once I'd swapped them for proper Schaller components it was a very usable compact bass with a perfectly good sound. I would agree, though I've barely played the Alien. The Duke makes an interesting noise; to my ears it sounds more like an electric stepped down an octave than a "conventional" bass guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 13 hours ago, alyctes said: I would agree, though I've barely played the Alien. The Duke makes an interesting noise; to my ears it sounds more like an electric stepped down an octave than a "conventional" bass guitar. That's pretty much how my Hondo Alien sounded, particularly once I'd replaced the horrible bridge with a proper Schaller one. Plenty of clarity and a piano-y sound with round-wound strings - very suitable for post-punk bass lines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Hm. I might try defretting the Alien, if I can find the time and enthusiasm - it's not going to be worth selling, probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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