bass/guitar conversion

[elektrikdeath66]

is it possible to take a bass body and convert it into a guitar?

if so any idea of what it would sound like tonewise?

body is a Fender Bronco bass model.

my idea is to simply switch the neck with a guitar neck, and switch the bridge.

the reason is that I like the body shape and style, and I am interested in the kind of tone it would produce.

[truerussian558]

weel if it is a short scale bass it would be possible to make it a a very long scale baritone guitar, but if the scale is anything more than at most 30" (very short scale bass) it will be very akward/hard to play, and many other problems are involved.

1. the width of the neck, if it is to wide it wont be playable, keeping it maximum to the size of a clasical guitar should be a good pointer, but of course you can go 7/8 string to keep a smaller string spacing.

2.replacing and rerouting the pickups/pickup routes. will take time and will require a refinish (most of the time) in at least the surrounding area.

3. remaking the nut, this can be tedious and mistakes are common especially if this is your first time.

4. redrilling the headstock. the tuner holes are designed for (i believe)thicker bass tuners, and are in position for 4 strings. thos would require you to put dowels and glue them in and redrill the headstock, and then put top and bottom veener to cover the uglyness.

5. buying all the replacement hgardware.

In other words this mioght end up costing slightly less then buying a guitar, but a lot more work and youl end up with only a guitar and if you buy a guitar you will have a bass and a guitar. And as I recal, the Bronco line of guitars and basses where amde in the late 70's as a student model of guitars and basses, but never became big.

in conclusion unlesss you really want a baritone guitar (and yes 34" is way too much) dont do it since it wont really save you money, and youll end up loosing a bass.

[truerussian558]

woops its only a body

but ill keep the above for other people

it destroys many of the problems, but you still have some stuff to work on

1. the bridge is probably far to the bottom of the body, you either have to redril a new brodge position or be comfortable with a 15 fret neck.

2. you will need to reroute the pickup position to mae it fit at least one humbucker.

3. The neck pocket will be to big for any regular electric neck, and you either have to make yourself a custom clasical width neck or do something about, but making it super wide is a problem since even if you have the nut spread at a bass width, you wont find an electric bridge with a 2.5" string spread. so it will look very akward, as the string will get farther and farther away from the edge of the fretboard.

id say the neck pocket is your biggest problem. as remaking it will prove to be hard.

edit: i remebered some one other thing, the route for the pickup is more then likely in the position where the brdige would be for a 25.5" scale neck or to close to it, so your gonna have to route it to be square and you can follow the principles in this tutorial to fill in the space square hole, and then you have to reroutge pickup positons and redrill the bridge positions, all of whcih whould be done with an unfinished body so you would have to sand the finish off and refinsh it later which would result in even more work.

Edited June 1, 2004 by truerussian558

[litchfield]

I'm in the middle of a neck thru of what you are saying. Havent done muc recently tho.

[RAI6]

If it's the body shape you're after, it would be alot easier to just make a new body from scratch.

Just my humble opinion....

[MikeB]

i agree with RA16, you would save yourself alot of hassle!!

[RAI6]

Even though I might be Divine, I'm not even close to being as radiant as RA....

Rai

[skibum5545]

The bridge's new position would overlap with current pup routs, and you'd have to fill everything and redrill/rout. Just get plans for a bass and modify for neck pocket and bridge positions, and build one from scratch.

In short, it can't be done.