question for builders or repair people

[gonzosc1]

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??

[Thundernotes]

You can't do that. You'd have to reposition every one of the frets to correct for the altered scale. It's also unlikely that the mass of the 4-string neck with single truss rod could handle the tension of 5. Maybe - but it's not something I'd try.

[marcnorth]

I'm no expert by any means, but if you increase the scale length don't you have to increase the spacing between the frets for it to ever be correct?

I really need to learn to type faster.

What Thundernotes said.

[cmatthes]

I'm no expert by any means, but if you increase the scale length don't you have to increase the spacing between the frets for it to ever be correct?

Exactly right. I am not 100% sure, but the spacing on the Blitz neck wouldn't have room for another string under most circumstances - that's a pretty narrow nut.

[BCR Greg]

Nope.

Buy a 5 string, that bass will not take the added tension, and the spacing will not work.

I have converted 4 strings to BEAD for 5 string guys, and that works well and is reversible.

[gonzosc1]

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???????

[Thundernotes]

A bunch more wood on the neck - I think that's the main reason a 5 works with only one rod. The BEAD is a great option for you and like Greg said, it's reversible.

[gonzosc1]

Nope.

Buy a 5 string, that bass will not take the added tension, and the spacing will not work.

I have converted 4 strings to BEAD for 5 string guys, and that works well and is reversible.

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

[marcnorth]

But they also usually have more mass to the neck. Those necks on the Blitz are pretty thin. At least the one on mine is.

Damn you guys are fast!

[gonzosc1]

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.

But they also usually have more mass to the neck. Those necks on the Blitz are pretty thin. At least the one on mine is.

Damn you guys are fast!

I guess I will know for sure if I'm going to try when it arrives.. its in shipping right now

[Steve Haynie]

The bridge would have to be moved so close to the edge of the body that you would have an odd looking placement, and the pickups would appear to be more like neck and middle positions.

Longer scale lengths have been used to make the low B string feel tighter. Most of the longer scale basses seem to be 35" instead of 36". Have you tried a longer scale five string bass?

Even if the truss rod could handle the tension of a five string, you would have to replace the fretboard for the new fret placement.

I have a Blitz in nice shape here in Easley if you want to find out how your Blitz was meant to play.

[gonzosc1]

The bridge would have to be moved so close to the edge of the body that you would have an odd looking placement, and the pickups would appear to be more like neck and middle positions.

Longer scale lengths have been used to make the low B string feel tighter. Most of the longer scale basses seem to be 35" instead of 36". Have you tried a longer scale five string bass?

Even if the truss rod could handle the tension of a five string, you would have to replace the fretboard for the new fret placement.

I have a Blitz in nice shape here in Easley if you want to find out how your Blitz was meant to play.

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.

[marcnorth]

Here's a nice looking 5 string Hamer that looks like it will go pretty cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-Vintage-Hamer-5-S...1QQcmdZViewItem

[cmatthes]

That Cruise is actually an excellent option. It is essentially the same as a factory 5-string Blitz would have been, except for the body shape, of course. The necks on those should be more to your liking.

[Steve Haynie]

I have a four string Cruise in Easley that can be played before bidding on the 5 string if necessary.

I have been thinking about going after the five string Cruise myself.

[Jimbilly]

I think MC2/Jon was thinking of selling a setneck Cruise5 with narrow spacing.

[DNight]

I have converted 4 strings to BEAD for 5 string guys, and that works well and is reversible.

Not to Hijack the thread here but does this conversion require anything more than a new nut and a truss adjustment?

Dan

[BCR Greg]

New nut, mild clearancing of the bridge(to allow for the thicker string), and some truss rod silliness.

[killerteddybear]

Rondo Music will sell you an SX 5-string bass between $120(!) and $469.

Don't mess with the Blitz!

[gonzosc1]

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

[marcnorth]

If it were me I would put a dual action truss rod in it too.

I put one in a Gibson SGZ bass that needed a new truss rod. The nut side of the rod was snapped completely off. The old rod looked like a POS.

No more wood compression to tweak the neck. The action is nice and low now too.

[DNight]

New nut, mild clearancing of the bridge(to allow for the thicker string), and some truss rod silliness.

Thanks for the info Greg!

Dan

[gonzosc1]

Rondo Music will sell you an SX 5-string bass between $120(!) and $469.

Don't mess with the Blitz!

whats the width at the nut????????????????

thats what this whole thread is about. 5 string range with the comfrot of a 4 string neck..

[gonzosc1]

If it were me I would put a dual action truss rod in it too.

I put one in a Gibson SGZ bass that needed a new truss rod. The nut side of the rod was snapped completely off. The old rod looked like a POS.

No more wood compression to tweak the neck. The action is nice and low now too.

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..

[Steve Haynie]

Just for your own reference, most 5 string basses use the string spacing of a four string neck at the nut. It may have been a Pedulla 5 string that I tried that had a tighter string spacing at the nut.