ShortScale.org

This guy appears to have just cut a deeper angle to the headstock when re-shaping it, unless I'm missing something?

The Bronco Bass uses smaller tuners and has a smaller headstock than SX basses, it seems. Makes sense, the Bronco has a great weight balance as a result.

I guess the rule of thumb would be to lay a ruler along each side of the neck and trace those edges onto the headstock - the bass side line would need to line up with the hole centre for the low E tuner, and the treble side line would need to be a hole diameter below the high E tuner hole centre. Klusons and similar are spaced an inch apart in the sideways direction, I think.

Yeah, it'd take a lot of measuring, no doubt. I'd just start by doweling the holes and then figuring out where to stick the tuners, cutting as necessary.

But, as it turns out, I don't think this idea would work all that well. Both the Bronco and Jaguar bass have a 1.5" nut width...same goes for the SX. That may be alright for some, but it's a deal breaker for me. I prefer 1-11/16" nuts...I think even a 1-5/8" nut feels a little narrow. Instead, I may just buy a conversion neck and stick it on the JM body I have

Dillon wrote:Yeah, it'd take a lot of measuring, no doubt. I'd just start by doweling the holes and then figuring out where to stick the tuners, cutting as necessary.

But, as it turns out, I don't think this idea would work all that well. Both the Bronco and Jaguar bass have a 1.5" nut width...same goes for the SX. That may be alright for some, but it's a deal breaker for me. I prefer 1-11/16" nuts...I think even a 1-5/8" nut feels a little narrow. Instead, I may just buy a conversion neck and stick it on the JM body I have

Apparently that's the same nut width that original Fender Bass VI's had, though. Good enough for me, it's not like I've ever played a real 60s six-string bass before anyway. Only problem I can see with the Bronco is string length, possibly. Dano Baritones are conversions, with the neck converting the usual 25" scale to 30", I think (would that be right? Surely that would result in an overall scale shorter than the full 30"? Maybe I think about scale length all wrong) and the strings anchor at the bridge so the overall length of string before it narrows out for the tuners is shorter than on a Bass VI string, which are made longer as a result of having to be threaded through the trem first. Which means if I just used a Duo-Sonic-type guitar bridge on the Bronco the string lengths might be a bit out. But there's very little space at the end of the guitar to stick anything there. It would possibly have to be a string through job over a tunomatic to add an extra inch or so for full Bass VI strings.

Hmmmm.

Another option could be to buy a cheap Jass Bass body and shave the horns down to make it look more like a Bass VI and loading everything onto that, which would leave plenty of room for the Jaguar trem plate, too, which I think is what the guy above did.

Weirdly enough the original Bass VI has a 1.5" (or A width) nut as well. The neck I adapted had a 1.5" nut and although the feel is quite different to a bass or a guitar, it's very playable. Your fingers press "on" the strings instead of "on and around" the strings if that makes sense.

ekwatts wrote:Maybe I think about scale length all wrong) and the strings anchor at the bridge so the overall length of string before it narrows out for the tuners is shorter than on a Bass VI string, which are made longer as a result of having to be threaded through the trem first. Which means if I just used a Duo-Sonic-type guitar bridge on the Bronco the string lengths might be a bit out.

The length from the trem to the nut on a VI is 35-36" I think - that's where the taper starts. I actually strung mine using individually bought standard-scale bass strings because I have a shorter length between trem and bridge, the taper happerns in the right place and the Kluson copies take those strings easily.

ekwatts wrote:Another option could be to buy a cheap Jass Bass body and shave the horns down to make it look more like a Bass VI and loading everything onto that, which would leave plenty of room for the Jaguar trem plate, too, which I think is what the guy above did.

More or less - the JB body part is correct and I will be altering it (more like a Mustang). That didn't leave enough room for the trem though - a "real" VI neck is 19 frets but a JB neck pocket is deeper so everything moves toward the tail end of the guitar. I solved that using a Mustang trem which I had to slightly modify so it wouldn't snap strings when I threaded them up. The length works fine and it's a pretty good setup but I've only tried it with the tail-bar screwed down, not floating.
Clearly it's time for me to revive this project, I'm going to get it out and start work today.

I actually have a cheapo Jazz bass body. Problem is, it's lefthanded. But if I manage to grab a cheap Bronco I can at least see how everything fits together, even if it is the wrong way round.

I'm looking through your thread again, it's good stuff, the Mustang bridge is a really good idea and visually doesn't really alter the Bass VI design at all at first glance. I'm also guessing that means the overall length is slightly shorter than a "proper" Bass VI? Have you measured yours from end to end?

It's in pieces at the moment, but yeah, it's about 2" shorter in overall length than a proper VI. No real idea if the trem will work, but if not, it will just stay screwed down. Thanks for the compliment!

Also, what sort of tuners are you using on your build currently? Are they just regular split shaft Kluson types?

Yep, split shaft Kluson copies (I think they were ex Fender but they have white plastic buttons). They take all the strings without problems - only the low E needs the taper to fit.
If you use a guitar bridge/tailpiece/whatever, be aware that you may need to modify it - bending a bass string 90 degrees is a likely way to snap the core when you tune it up. I needed to file grooves in the Mustang tailpiece to allow the strings to curve around when they pass through the bar - the sharp bend snapped 2 or 3 strings.

I wonder if a Bass V (in the same style as a VI) would be cooler than a Bass VI, since it's probably easier to play, especially with fingers.

Different animal I think - a Bass V is like most contemporary 5-string basses, and it has a 34" scale, a P bass pickup and wider string spacing - it's unquestionably a bass. The VI has the 30" scale and the tight string spacing - with the Strat / Jag pickups, multiple pickup switching and strangle switch, it's conceptually more a guitar, but an octave down.

I guess I didn't express myself very well, I mean a Bass VI with one fewer string, so a 30" Bass V w/ EADGB tuning. Would be fun.

Ah, the "Keith Richards" VI. Nice.

This is worth looking at

scroll down to the red bronco bass with a guitar neck on it.

http://ilovefuzz.com/viewtopic.php?f=149&t=2333

Also i just got the Gretsch Baritone from Aen, it's a great instrument. You can pick them up for around 350-400 on the bay. I've got mine tuned E-e and it sounds fantastic.

yeah, i posted that one in matthewk's thread a year or two ago. it looks awesome.

I've been thinking about doing this with one of those Gretsch shorties. (talking bass here) It's one of the few short scale basses that has a 1-5/8" nut, and as a bassist I'll take as much room as I can get playing with 6 strings.