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Using guitar necks for sub short scale bass


SamIAm
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Using guitar necks for sub short scale bass  

  1. 1. Have you used a guitar neck on a sub short scale bass

    • Yes - It worked well
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    • Yes - It did not work well
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    • No - I found some issues that put me off
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I'm investigating building a sub-short scale (24 - 28 inch) 4 string bass, it would be my first build.

I'd like to use a pre-built neck and wondered about the experience of others in this approach, good, bad, didn't proceed.

Details of your build and photos would be much appreciated.

 

S'manth x

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9 minutes ago, James Nada said:

As finding strings might be a challenge I'd suggest you put a reverse headstock on it so the E and A strings have more chance of being into the tapered part before reaching the tuning peg.

Indeed ... I'm struggling to find strings with my current MCR-1 (24.6 inch scale length).  If I go DIY I am likely to go for headless tuners, the ball end to go into the tuner and then the "free" end to go throu the headstock clamp (using a hex screw or pair of them) ... with this approach I presume that I could clamp down at the head end on the fully wound part of the string without any problems ...

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11 minutes ago, SubsonicSimpleton said:

You can always string through the body of the instrument to compensate for the shorter scale (going at an angle as the modern Yamaha BB basses, you could adjust the angle to change the amount of string behind the saddles)

Good thinking.  I play bass in a ukulele band (Used to play a UBASS but intonation problems were enough to push me to an electric bass) and I want my bass to be as physically short as possible.  My MCR-1 fits in OK, but if I go headless I could increase my scale length and still have a bass that does not appear out of place amongst the ukes (Tho of course headless will look ... unusual).

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1 hour ago, Joe Nation said:

I've got my eye on a couple of used Strat bodies on ebay for just this purpose - either using a Retrovibe 30" neck or an undrilled Strat neck.

Cool!  I've not seen the Retrovibe Necks before ... brilliant!  Bodywise I'm toying with the concept of 3D printing a body. Google brings up a few inspiring designs ...

image.png.1a3a9a619af30edd040ab07a1425725f.png

image.png.3324c244497c7e668c897d86f829471b.png

image.png.29ab7c3f58c16b20488a650f84c8f8d4.png

image.thumb.png.638bc507d996402fc51b52c7c48fcaaf.png

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And an instagram video of it being played 

 

And if a total disaster I can revert to a wooden body or perhaps have a wooden/metal body "core" to affix the neck/pickups/bridge and then 3D print the body shape; woodworking is not a skill I have but I'm a dab hand at 3D design :)

 

 

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Check out Tim Sway on youtube, he makes some amazing and weird guitars and basses. He uses only reclaimed or recycled materials and isn't afraid to break a few moulds. His sliding pick-up bass and modular pick-up guitars are particularly cool

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