Bronco Bass to Musicmaster-style Guitar conversion

[MagnetInMyHead]

Hi, guys! Thanks for checking out my first post! I might be new here, but I think I have a project that will prove interesting to some of you.

I want to turn my recently acquired Squier Bronco bass guitar into a 6-string guitar I can call my own. I'm not sure why but lately I've been craving not only a guitar to call my very own, but also a non-standard, Fender-style offset guitar with a single, non-humbucking pickup and a V-shaped telecaster neck in bright red. I know that this is going against the main philosophy of the forum here, but I will be turning this short-scale bass into a full-scale guitar. Still, I thought it would be applicable to all of you since this guitar will start its life in the short-scale realm.

I've seen a couple of things like this. In fact, I think I saw a thread sorta like this on this forum right here!

So, if it pleases this court, I will be taking pictures of my progress and detailing my plans. I've seen so many different threads through the years that have helped me out by doing this sort of thing so I think it is time for me to give back.

I've failed to take any pictures yet but, rest assured, not much has happened. I've begun stripping the original paint off of the body. It is an ugly process and I hope it ends soon. Once I complete it, I'll be sure to take a sweet pic of my naked (guitar) body.

I'm kind of in a pickle, however. The way I see it, I've got two options here as far as neck placement goes. Naturally, the neck pocket is way too big for a guitar neck.

I can, of course, use the existing holes and mount the neck there. This leaves an unsightly gap between the end of the neck and the beginning of the body which will need to be filled and covered. It will also cause the new bridge to jut into the pickguard (I think...this is all by my terrible calculations). Of course, to be covered and to accommodate the bridge, I'd need a custom pickguard (which I would have to outsource as I cannot be trusted to do such things).

My second option (and original choice) is to drill new neck holes in the body and mount the neck so that it is as close to the rest of the body as possible. This eliminates the need for a custom pickguard but it also opens up a new struggle - I will need to cut off/reshape some of the body. Easier said than done, I'm sure, but it isn't anything that I can't handle (I think).

I've been thinking about going with the first option and have done a quick mockup to send to potential pickguard makers. It is completely terrible and does not represent my skills as a photoshop artist.



Well, that's all I have for today. I plan on updating this post plenty of times as I continue my work. I will have to wait for the neck and the bridge to come in order to move on after the body is stripped, but I'll be checking in and updating until then anyhow.

If anyone has any hot tips or opinions about this, feel free to share them! I'm a novice when it comes to any of this stuff, that is for sure. I do plan on refinishing this bad-boy like a pro, however.

[James]

What scale do you intend to use? 25.5"?

[rps-10]

Seeing as I'm a few steps down the road of this path you have taken..

I thought about the neck right into the pocket (in fact there are some pictures in my thread I think) but instead went for the option of using the original holes and filling the gap with a block of wood. I think that is the easier option and less fuss in the long run. If you go up tot he body, you have to fill in the side gaps and other stuff. A block of wood in between the neck and body solves this issue in one lump. You just need a veneer or two to close the gap then to make it snug on the sides.

A custom pickguard will be needed whatever option you take.

Stripping the paint is a pig on thise things, that's why I'm leaving it to last on my "conversion" I want to see if I can make something playable before refinishing. I'm pretty close on mine now.

[Dave]

A chap on this forum only recently converted a Bronco bass into a guitar. Search for the words 'bronco belew bass' (I think) and you'll find it. I think he covered the gap btween body and neck with a pickguard.

One small point that comes from literally years of fiddling and doing weird mod jobs on guitars: I wonder whether for all the time, money, and effort you'll put in to converting this (cheap) body you may as well take that money and order a nice body that would be ready fit for purpose.

Having taken the road of most resisence 99% of the time, I now realise that it's often not worth the hassle for a few dollars more! You could get a bronco body with bridge and pocket placement set up for a tele neck and scale for highly resonable money. The body will likely be something 'better' than basswood or aghatis, and you'll save yourself a huge amount of trying to fit 'square pegs in round holes'.

I suppose the only upside of this kind of major overhaul is you'll learn a lot about modding guitars if that's something that will be of continuing value to you! However this pans out I look forward to seeing the end result!

[Dave]

Stripping the paint is a pig on thise things, that's why I'm leaving it to last on my "conversion" I want to see if I can make something playable before refinishing. I'm pretty close on mine now.

I strongly advise you just key the surface, fill any dings and spray over it. That will get you a much better finish than anything but a highly tedious and time cxonsuming refinish job. If you strip back to wood (HORRIBLE PROCESS) you'll need to grain fill, sanding sealer, primer paint and clear - and literally days of gentle sanding down over the whole process. If you strip it righ back and just rattle-can it, it will not look as good as just rattle-canning over the existing finish; the existing finish essentially IS your grainfiller, sanding sealer, and primer. Just key the surface first.

[MagnetInMyHead]

These responses have been great! Thanks a ton, guys.
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James: 25.5", of course. I wouldn't have been opposed to making it a shorter scale but I really wanted a telecaster headstock for some reason.
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rps-10: It's nice to hear from someone who has the same terrible idea!

I've thought a lot about either option. I honestly thought that a custom pickguard would be easier/cheaper to get a hold of. I am finding out that my original thought is not the case.

I know that the wood block would be easier to do. Filling those cracks would be nice and simple. However, with the added stress of a new pickguard, I am becoming discouraged from this option.

As for the second option, I don't think that a new pickguard would be necessary. The bridge that I'm getting (Squier Duo Sonic-type) has a pretty small footprint. From my rough calculations, if the neck is against the body, the bridge will clear the pickguard and eliminate the need for custom work for it to fit.
Of course, I could be wrong. If I am wrong, I feel like modifying the existing pickguard to accommodate the bridge would be very easy and simple to do with a file, seeing as how the edge doesn't have to be beveled or anything.
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Dave: That "chap" is right above you, sir!

As for buying a body to suit my needs, that would have been the smarter route, surely. But, yes, as you've said, I do look forward to learning a lot. I've never attempted a project like this. I've done refinishing, rewiring and all of that but I've never converted a bass neck pocket to fit a guitar neck pocket. Nor have I ever adjusted bridge placement for scale length. I've also never drilled neck pocket/neck holes which is something that I may end up having to do.

Plus, I'm relatively poor and don't have the kind of dough necessary to spend on guitar bodies. Not to mention that I have no idea where to buy anything reasonably priced. The only place online that comes to mind is Warmoth and, though I've fantasized about building a guitar through them many-a-time, the final price has always been way out of reach for me.

As for the finish, I wish that I would have read your post sooner. I am two chemical-stripper baths in right now. I've decided that I'm going to be sanding the guitar body the rest of the way because the stripper started to burn my skin through my gloves (fun surprise) and I just plain don't like it (I will definitely be getting a heat gun in the near future).

Also, though I claimed I would be doing a professional job, I am realizing now that it will probably be extremely amateur. I have no idea what grain fill or sanding sealer is. My thought was just to get the body down to wood, fill all unnecessary holes, fit all parts, sand a bit, lay down some primer, put a couple coats of paint on and then clear coat the hell out of it and wet sand/polish it up. Do you know how the end result will differ if I don't use grain fill or sanding sealer?
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You guys have been great! Thanks for all of the responses so far. I curse the digital age on a regular basis but forums like this are what make it tolerable.

edit: Here's a mockup of my two options.

[rps-10]

As for the second option, I don't think that a new pickguard would be necessary. The bridge that I'm getting (Squier Duo Sonic-type) has a pretty small footprint. From my rough calculations, if the neck is against the body, the bridge will clear the pickguard and eliminate the need for custom work for it to fit.
Of course, I could be wrong. If I am wrong, I feel like modifying the existing pickguard to accommodate the bridge would be very easy and simple to do with a file, seeing as how the edge doesn't have to be beveled or anything.
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Have you placed a 6 string neck into that Bass neck pocket yet? You will have to cut or modify the body to make it look any good, otherwise you will have a hangover on the neck side that you do not need or want. -- see my layout pics on my thread when I was using the Kahler.
But yeah, you will have plenty of space to do things that way.
<edit> the original pickguard gap will be to wide at that point too, you will have a noticable gap of a few mm each side.

I too am doing mine on a budget - as cheap as possible, I’m just using parts I have had lying about for years or bought stuff extremely cheap off ebay. Plus had some luck with trades off this forum.

It's a fun project. my other half keeps nagging me about it hanging about the house, but I know if I finish it I'll have nowt else to do and then start modifying my other guitars of which they don't really need modifying anymore.

It’s a bit like Modifiers Anonymous for me that project

[rps-10]

You can just about make it out on this pic.. neck goes in, body hangs out under the neck.. (around 15~16th fret)

[MagnetInMyHead]

Have you placed a 6 string neck into that Bass neck pocket yet? You will have to cut or modify the body to make it look any good, otherwise you will have a hangover on the neck side that you do not need or want.

Ah, yes, I've thought about that. I'm sorry that I didn't articulate my idea more clearly (I kind of suck at turning my head-stuff into write-stuff [see what I mean?]).
If I got this route, I am going to hack off part of the body and make the neck pocket your standard Fender-style length for guitars. The neck that is coming to me has a fretboard overhang (what do they call those? I don't know) so it should cover up some of my handiwork with wood putty to get that neck to fit more snugly/with less unsightly gap.

One pro that I've figured to the re-drill option: the guitar will have a more short-scale appearance. Who will be able to tell that is short scale sized? Who knows.


As for the project, I've completely stripped the body now. I've plugged the existing holes meant for the bass bridge with toothpicks and wood putty (lol at professionalism) and just need to sand that down. In fact, I might go do that once I get off the computer. I'll be sure to upload a picture for anyone looking at this thread (past, present or future).

edit: PS: Thanks for the reference picture and the help, brother-man. I do appreciate the hell out of it and you seem like a good dude.

[MagnetInMyHead]

All right! Looks like I am scrapping this project. I don't have the right tools to make this an enjoyable experience. The Bronco bass is going to be a test piece for my refinishing skills and it looks like I'll be talking to cooterfinger for some custom parts to make my guitar.

So, I guess this thread no longer pertains to the title. I'll start new threads as things happen!

[crazydave911]

Hate to hear your packing it in, but it could be saved if you like. Go to Woodcraft and get a scraper and finish stripping the body. You can grain-fill and ready for primer quite cheaply. Go to Walmart and buy a quart of lightweight spackle (yes, like you'd use for sheetrock) and then an acrylic paint (I'd use black, to get a gray filler) from the hobby section. Lightly mix the paint into the spackle until you get a creamy gray then squeegee onto the body (thinly) and let set overnite. While you are at Walmart, get a medium and fine sponge sanding block and cut each in half. Start lightly sanding with the medium, then once done go over it with the fine. It will shape right up and smooth out ready for primer

As for the rest, your really making life hard for yourself sinking that neck down into the bass body all for the sake of a pickguard. Pickguards aren't hard to make, and to top it off, it's almost been done for you. Bolt the neck in normally (you can make the filler block later) then install the pickguard. Cut a piece of cardboard and make the filler to fit the current pickguard and match the guitar neck, then remove the pickguard and tape the cardboard filler piece in place. You now have your pattern. As for pickguard blanks, it depends. If I'm running low on funds, and I need a white pickguard, I simply buy a "Beware of Dog" sign from Harbor Freight (just 5$) and flip it over. Trace your pattern on it, then cut it out with a jigsaw with fine tooth blade (like used for metal) . You can cutout for the pickup by drilling at each end with 3/4" forstner bit (a basic set at Lowe's cost 20$) then saw out the remainder. Then using the old pickguard as a guide, drill all your holes. I now use a Dremel to smooth all the edges and just scrape in the bevel on the outside with a utility knife (1.59$ at Walmart). If you don't have a Dremel, no sweat, I didn't for a long time either. Before I did, I just cut 4 or 5 inches off the end of a broom stick (you could use a dowel), wrap sandpaper around it and go to town
When you get a little experience, later on you can buy a good pickguard blank from Grizzly (cheaper than GFS even) and make a new one.

This one is made from the "Beware of Dog" sign






These are with a proper pickguard blank:
















It's not rocket science, if I can do it anybody can . No need to make yourself nervous over it. Once you've made one or two, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about






Dave