Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

[ItsaBass]

Hi,

I've been jamming with a band, and it looks like I'm probably gonna join. Thing is, they tune to C# standard with a drop B on the bottom. I've downtuned my Precision and it's okay for practice, but not great. I really dislike five string basses (they're ugly and clunky), so I want to dedicate a bass to a B standard tuning using the bottom four strings of a five-string set. This got me thinking about longer scale basses too. I've played five string basses and never liked the floppy tone or low tension of the bottom string, so I think I'd like 36" scale quite a lot. I do have an unfinished Precision body sitting in my garage. I'd love to put a 36" scale neck on it, but none of my usual neck sources make them. Some offer 35" necks, but they are five string only, and have ugly headstocks on top of it.

So, the question: Who makes extra long scale four string necks? Or am I gonna have to build one myself?

Thanks.

[BlueTalon]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

I have a Peavey Grind 4-string bass in a 35" scale. Their 5-string version is also 35".

The basses in the picture are older models. You can get the newer ones, still 35", for about $400.

[BlueTalon]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

If you want a really long scale, Skip Fantry at Knuckle Guitar Works makes the Knuckle Quake, a bass with a 39.5" scale. (39.5" is not a typo.) He makes a 4-string version. Of course, you need a spare 3 grand, and you might not like the headstock.

[idsnowdog]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

Hi,

I've been jamming with a band, and it looks like I'm probably gonna join. Thing is, they tune to C# standard with a drop B on the bottom. I've downtuned my Precision and it's okay for practice, but not great. I really dislike five string basses (they're ugly and clunky), so I want to dedicate a bass to a B standard tuning using the bottom four strings of a five-string set. This got me thinking about longer scale basses too. I've played five string basses and never liked the floppy tone or low tension of the bottom string, so I think I'd like 36" scale quite a lot. I do have an unfinished Precision body sitting in my garage. I'd love to put a 36" scale neck on it, but none of my usual neck sources make them. Some offer 35" necks, but they are five string only, and have ugly headstocks on top of it.

So, the question: Who makes extra long scale four string necks? Or am I gonna have to build one myself?

Thanks.

I thought you were a fan of shortscale basses?

[One Bad Monkey]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

Just slapping a longer neck on a body isn't as easy as it sounds. I did that many moons ago (put a standard neck on a body that previously had a short scale neck) and also had to move the bridge back as well to adequately compensate for the length. It also threw the balance of the bass off to the point where the concept of neck dive seemed like a wonderful idea.

I'm with funkfingers; get a heavier set of BEAD strings and you should be fine. I play on a 34" scale bass, use a .120 B string and it sounds brilliant, full and clear. If you prefer a heavier set, talk to the guys at Kalium Strings, as they have the heavier gauges DOWN, and are experts at all of the altered/different tunings out there.

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

Yeah I would say just the lower four strings of a 5 string set would work. Or a set of Dunlop Heavy Core Bass Strings (Heaviest Gauge 55-120).

[ItsaBass]

Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

As mentioned in the OP, the bottom four strings of a five string set is already the plan. The set I'll be using is .132 through .065 (flats).

The reason I am considering extra long scale is because I have never played a 34" five string that I thought had a good tone or feel on the bottom string. I don't want to buy a pre-made 36" bass because they are all expensive, ugly, and overengineered/techie type basses (weird shapes, too many pickups, knobs, switches, active electronics, etc.). I just want a fairly classic Precision style bass. I also don't want to alter the nut or setup of my Current P, so it's a build for me.

I got a quote from a luthier named Brian Monty who seems very highly recommended. I'm probably gonna go with him. I'd like to try building it myself, but that takes time, which I don't have a lot of these days.

As for the issues of putting longer or shorter necks on bodies, they are all taken care of by using a "conversion" neck. All Brian is going to do is basically add another fret's worth of length to the low end of a standard P neck design. That allows the use of an unaltered neck pocket and bridge position. The only thing that ends up a bit off is the pickup position.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

FWIW, here is what I have so far. It will have the chrome covers and a Tele Bass headstock, which were not an option on the virtual bass builder. And the neck will of course go one fret lower.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

I did some quick Photoshopping to illustrate what the hell I'm talking about.

It's a scale conversion neck that makes the scale longer. To make it, what you basically do is build in an extra fret on the low end of a normal bass neck. It doesn't require altering the standard spacings between all the other frets. You just design in an extra low fret (and shift the dots down one fret to match). As another way of looking at it, the extra fret ends up where the nut would normally be, and the nut ends up farther out on the neck. This results in a longer scale length, while allowing the use of the stock neck pocket and bridge position.

In the picture, a normal 34" scale bass neck is on the bass in the top picture, while what I want is on the bottom. If you use a ruler, you can see that the fret spacing between the two is the same. The bottom one just has an extra fret, and the dots shifted.

In this picture, I show a regular P-Bass headstock and a curved heel. That's because they were the only options available on the virtual guitar sketching program I used. The neck I'd like to get would have a square heel and the '51-style P-Bass head.

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

How many frets are you gonna use?

[Demanic]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

If you want a really long scale, Skip Fantry at Knuckle Guitar Works makes the Knuckle Quake, a bass with a 39.5" scale. (39.5" is not a typo.) He makes a 4-string version. Of course, you need a spare 3 grand, and you might not like the headstock.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]58938[/ATTACH]

Funny, but when I read the post I was thinking "Hmm, maybe someone makes a 40" scale..."

[ItsaBass]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

How many frets are you gonna use?

Whatever one extra is.

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

Whatever one extra is.

Will you at least use 11?

[ItsaBass]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

Don't worry. I'll make sure it has at least 12.

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Extra-long-scale conversion necks??

Don't worry. I'll make sure it has at least 12.

24 frets on a bass are my preferred. that's why I wanna get a Music Man Bongo 5.