Owen Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 I have a couple of P bodies. I want a 5 string P. I know that there are all sorts of issues with wider bridges, routing for bigger pick ups etc etc. However, can anyone think of a good reason NOT to have a neck made that would be 5 string width but chamfered at the heel to fit into a 4 string pocket. The fingerboard would hang over each side of the neck pocket. I could just rout out the body, but I am not sure which body will work with the neck and I want to keep my options open. I am open to accusations that I have too much time on my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Sounds like a pigs ear..IMO. wouldn't it be better to get another body that will fit properly.. properly routed for the parts you want...? Or make your own body if you want to... If ever you come to sell it... it needs to be finished off properly, not look like a bodged-job which it sounds like it will be if you go with a 5str neck on a body routed for a 4 str neck width.... Just my 2p......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 I hear a lot of people ask this. Really it seems a pretty silly idea because yes it is possible but it's going to look totally weird so yeah fine for a cheapo thing just to noodle around on but you can't buy a 5 string neck for less that £150 so really you're spending a lot of money on a bass that's not going to be worth much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Would be easier and more stable to rout the body to accept the wider neck. Didn't Neepheid put a 6er neck on a smaller body to make an extra wide 5 string bass? There was a build diary on it somewhere, search Zebrano wide boy. As for not being able to buy a 5er neck on the cheap, i'm sure waynepunkdude paid a few quid for an entire 5 string bass! Although it was fugly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 From the front it would look fine and dandy. From the back it would look slightly odd due to an overhang on the lower horn side of the neck pocket, but I do not look at the back of a neck so I would not be bothered. From above it would look fine because it would sit on top of the bass and not really be obvious that there was a lip protruding further than the heel. It would make more sense just to rout the body which is probs what I will do, I was just musing really. Not really thinking about resale, but if a 5 string neck which would fit into a 4 string P pocket and turns it into a 35" 19mm P (with new bridge and pick up) then I would bet that there would be a fair few on here who would be interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I made a bolt-on rick copy into a 5ver by drilling an extra hole on the head, new nut, Kahler bridge & soapbar pickup. a bit like what Jeff Rath does over on rickresource with real ones. The string spacing was ace but not if you're into slapping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 There was a kit a few years back that converted the P into a 5 string. It had a different bridge & nut of course but the only other mod was a tuning peg in place of the string tree to take care of the extra string. The spacing was fairly narrow but not unplayable. It didn't convert it to 35" scale though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 [quote name='lemmywinks' post='611402' date='Sep 28 2009, 10:48 PM']Would be easier and more stable to rout the body to accept the wider neck. Didn't Neepheid put a 6er neck on a smaller body to make an extra wide 5 string bass? There was a build diary on it somewhere, search Zebrano wide boy. As for not being able to buy a 5er neck on the cheap, i'm sure waynepunkdude paid a few quid for an entire 5 string bass! Although it was fugly...[/quote] True story £10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 [quote name='henry norton' post='611612' date='Sep 29 2009, 08:36 AM']There was a kit a few years back that converted the P into a 5 string. It had a different bridge & nut of course but the only other mod was a tuning peg in place of the string tree to take care of the extra string. The spacing was fairly narrow but not unplayable. It didn't convert it to 35" scale though![/quote] Yep, the Wilkinson 4+1. I have used one and the A string passes over both halves of the pick up and is consequently louder than all the other strings. If I could figure a way round that I could probably live with the 34" scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 (edited) [quote name='owen' post='611108' date='Sep 28 2009, 06:40 PM']I have a couple of P bodies. I want a 5 string P. I know that there are all sorts of issues with wider bridges, routing for bigger pick ups etc etc. However, can anyone think of a good reason NOT to have a neck made that would be 5 string width but chamfered at the heel to fit into a 4 string pocket. The fingerboard would hang over each side of the neck pocket. I could just rout out the body, but I am not sure which body will work with the neck and I want to keep my options open. I am open to accusations that I have too much time on my hands.[/quote] the body sees the neck the neck sees the body the body holds the neck and the bridge and the pots etc the neck holds the strings..and connects with the bridge obvious change in bridge needed etc...but what piece of wood is destined for 4 or 5 string use the neck to body joint imho if you want to retain 4 for future is to cut the neck as you said...but only where it needs to be cut..reduced i dont think it will be easy but could look ok when done... how good are you with machine tools.. how about a narrow spaced 5 string... Edited September 29, 2009 by mrcrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyned Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 [quote name='owen' post='611108' date='Sep 28 2009, 06:40 PM']I have a couple of P bodies. I want a 5 string P. I know that there are all sorts of issues with wider bridges, routing for bigger pick ups etc etc. However, can anyone think of a good reason NOT to have a neck made that would be 5 string width but chamfered at the heel to fit into a 4 string pocket. The fingerboard would hang over each side of the neck pocket. I could just rout out the body, but I am not sure which body will work with the neck and I want to keep my options open. I am open to accusations that I have too much time on my hands.[/quote] Hey, don't listen to the doubters. I bought a really nice 5 string neck off Ebay (CH Guitars) and I already had a standard alder Precision-type body sitting round doing nothing. I routed the neck out no problem and yes the neck overhangs a little and you have to move it back a bit into the body but it looks great. I fixed the overhang with some veneer so no more overhang. I've nearly finished it and it plays and sounds great. I wanted to keep the P-bass look and struggled to find a 5 string set of pickups. Bartolini do them (very expensive) and Lace do an Alumitone lookalike which is expensive, but cheaper than the Bartolini so I bought one form the States (they are rare here). There are plenty of very cheap soapbar pickups around. Axesrus sell bass machine heads as singles so you can get what you want and 5 string bridges are easy to get. Go for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.