gonzosc1

I can't say that I agree with you on that, but I have not tryed every 5 string out there. those Pedulla's are nice basses, but $$$$..... but every 5 string that I have tryed, the nut width combined with the extra neck mass was just way to big for me, most are at 1.75" at the nut. which is the same as the blitz bass but the blitz bass doesn't have that extra mass to fatten the neck. we all have our comfort zone on guitar or bass. mine on bass is a 34" scale 24 frets and a nut width right around 1.5". even my beloved Warwicks are hard to come by with the small nut width on a 4 string. I was lucky enough to get my Fortress One before they stopped making them. its very hard to pick up another bass without a 1.5" nut width... the speed that you generate is unreal when the neck feels like its not there. even with the Blitz bass at 1.75" nut width it would have gotten little play as a 4 string, so converting it to 5 string without the extra neck mass is my cheapest option.. I don't have the money to have a custom 34" scale, 24 fret, 1.5 nut width bass made.... the only down fall to this project as I see it is the fact that the Blitz bass is only 21 frets. but at least its still a long 34" scale so it still will have a nice tight bottom end sound to it...

that sounds like a good idea too. and I have to correct myself on the rods I mentioned earlier. they will be carbin fiber rods not graphite..

whats the width at the nut???????????????? thats what this whole thread is about. 5 string range with the comfrot of a 4 string neck..

My 86 Hamer Blitz Bass restore project came on the big brown truck today. we talked about my 4 to 5 string conversion in another thread and it looks like I "will go forward" with this conversion as the bass is in need of a little more work then first thought. the fingerboard is dented in some spots and it is pulling away from the neck a little at the heel end. the frets are also pulling up. This Blitz bass does have the "maple neck" which is in great shape other then one ding and a scratch or two. it has been sanded dwon already. the body overall has many chips in the paint and many dings which may stop me from doing a natural finish on it unless I can figure a way to fill the dings and make it look right.. theres a huge buckle rash on the back down to the wood, but it appears that this buckle rash is 90% scratches without any deep dings into the back of the bass. the logo on the head stock is a total loss. the serial# ??? I will try to save it. it has paint cracks running through it but I might be able to sand around it and seal it with wood sealer then tape it up during repaint. many coats of clear should get it looking decent.. We talked about the neck before not being able to handle the extra tension for this 4 to 5 string conversion. I have also been talking with a guy that does many 4 to 5 string conversion. he thinks that with the hard maple neck I shouldn't have any problems.. but to be on the safe side,, here's my plan. since I'm going to replace the fingerboard anyway(ebony), I will install 2 graphite rods on either side of the truss rod in the neck and this should be more then enough to handle the tension on the neck. I should be able to use it for a trailer hitch after that,,,LOL thoughts????????????? I will get pics up this week of this monster

yeah, we ruled out the long scale conversions as the frets will not be right. I have a long scale 5 string cheapie to get me by. its an Ibanes ergodyne 405.. I have just come to the concludsion that no one makes a 5 string that I like or can ready play the way I want too...pretty much every bass I ever had was a long scale with a very narrow neck,,1.5" nut width...had a P-bass once, sold it after a month..love the sound but its got a baseball bat for a neck. as far as 5 strings goes I cound get by if I could find one or convert one that has a P-bass size neck, I could live with it.

I have seen a few different conversions. and the best one that I got to play was a fender 4 string P-bass to 5 conversion.. the nut width was perfect on that. I think the nut is about the same on the blitz. I guess I will know for sure if I'm going to try when it arrives.. its in shipping right now

well thats my whole problem.. I have a 5 string now. and I have tryed out many 5 strings over the years.. I hate all of them because the necks are so damn big. I have short fingers,,LOL

yeah your right, I wasn't thinking,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,frets dudddddd!!!! as far has neck tension goes.. I don't understand why this neck would take the tension just because it only has one truss rod...many 5 basses only have one truss rod???????

getting ready to start my total "custom" restore on 86 blitz bass. thinking of converting it to a 5 string. have not taken any measurements yet but my first concern is the width of the neck on the heel end compared to the overall string spacing width. at a 34" scale don't know if the the upper and lower strings will set on the neck right or not. my question is, if I need to. can I increase the scale to 36" to "maybe" reduce the angle of the strings. I know it won't reduce the angle much. but it might just givr me the extra room needed if I have to go this route. I've picked a bridge out already. it will be a Warwick style bridge which has full adjustments for string spacing also. this will also help and may keep me from have to switch the scale... so what do you think.. whats the pros and con of a 36" scale??