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Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:01 pm
by Snake Hips
MatthewK wrote:I tried the bottom horn rounding in Photoshop - still undecided:
And thanks for the clip - that is a small body isn't it? Looks like the instrument would be pretty cool unmodified.
Very Nice I had a few drawn up like that I was thinking of a victor wooten style pickguard
http://www.bassmarion.com/mmjazzbass.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Rumor is that Rondo is getting in a Bass VI style guitar (30 scale) soon keep your head up for that
I would send it to you but I am so strapped for cash right now I wouldnt be able to front it.
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:24 am
by Isaiah
The thought crossed my mind that the same thing could be done with a Squier Bronco bass.
I also wondered whether installing a baritone conversion neck (28"?) onto a 25.5" (?) scale guitar like a JM or strat would allow you to tune a whole octave down, or whether there would be intonation issues.
Does anyone know any hard facts about this rumoured Rondo/Agile Bass VI, please?
Sorry to go off topic...
Cheers!
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:03 am
by scott_va
MatthewK wrote:Clearly the genius switch has no "off" position!
Sometimes my typing fingers need an off button....
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:53 pm
by hobb_masta_flex
Snake Hips wrote: I was thinking of a victor wooten style pickguard
You mean Marcus Miller style pickguard! Another great modern bassist.
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:04 pm
by scriffraff
So would this possible with any short scale bass?
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:21 pm
by MattK
Well I guess so - as long as you have six tuners, space for six slots at the nut, six saddles at the bridge, you can put that many strings on anything. 30" scale length means you can use the Fender VI string sets.
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:22 pm
by Snake Hips
hobb_masta_flex wrote:Snake Hips wrote: I was thinking of a victor wooten style pickguard
You mean Marcus Miller style pickguard! Another great modern bassist.
o wow its been a couple of off nights
I emailed Rondo he said Nov. over the summer so maybe Dec.
?
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:25 pm
by MattK
Uh oh, it looks like I actually need a different shortscale from the Rondo catalogue (color is wrong, but ...):
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:07 pm
by cauger
MatthewK wrote:Uh oh, it looks like I actually need a different shortscale from the Rondo catalogue (color is wrong, but ...):
I had one of these for a day intending to use it as a bass. The body is so small that it's incredibly neck heavy. If that doesn't matter to you go for it, I found it extremely uncomfortable.
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:13 pm
by MattK
Good tip, thank you. Also I think I prefer the Jazz body shape AND the neck with dots, for this. Plus, it's hard to beat "available" vs "not available".
I should add that I have had a kind offer from a nameless Shortscaler to buy and mail me one of these if I can't source it otherwise. So this WILL HAPPEN.
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:47 pm
by cauger
MatthewK wrote:Good tip, thank you. Also I think I prefer the Jazz body shape AND the neck with dots, for this. Plus, it's hard to beat "available" vs "not available".
I should add that I have had a kind offer from a nameless Shortscaler to buy and mail me one of these if I can't source it otherwise. So this WILL HAPPEN.
No problem! I'm looking forward to seeing what you do, I'm very jealous of you guys who can do these projects.
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:52 pm
by MattK
Don't get your hopes up, the most I have ever done is change a tail-piece and a nut, and re-wire a guitar. This will be a big leap for me.
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:52 am
by scott_va
MatthewK wrote:Don't get your hopes up, the most I have ever done is change a tail-piece and a nut, and re-wire a guitar. This will be a big leap for me.
Selfishly, that's good--it'll be nice to see what somebody who's not a master craftsperson can do. It's pretty intimidating to see the perfect results that really good woodworkers with lots of tools can do.
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 10:59 am
by rickenmetal
Isaiah wrote:The thought crossed my mind that the same thing could be done with a Squier Bronco bass
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... ronco+bass" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... ronco+bass" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: A Bass VI for $200?
Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 3:11 pm
by MattK
Update - I have actually started on this project - running a thread at Shortscale.org -
Follow the slow progress
here!
If you guys can't view it, I can do a few updates here, in fact here's the stuff I posted in the linked thread:
So I ran
a thread with a few queries and suggestions for adapting a cheap 3/4 SX bass into a VI project. In the end I decided the best approach was to take an SX neck and a Jazz body to modify them into an approximation of a VI, to see how I go.
So far I have started work on the body. I had priced alder Jazz bodies around $99, so when I got the chance to buy a frettless jazz bass for $100 I thought, why not, sell a few parts to pay for my requirements. So I bought it, added a few bucks to entice the guy to drop it off to a friend, and received it a couple of weeks ago.
Good news is that it had some decent quality parts for me to use and/or re-sell (Seymour Duncan JBs, Wilkinson bridge, MOP pickguard). Bad news is that it had a thick polyurethane sunburst finish with a horrendous home-made relic job on it.
I was dreading the stripping process. Then I turned my heat gun onto the finish, with a crackle I discovered it was going to be a lot easier than I thought:
As Sebadoh put it, bubble and scrape. I found a moderate degree of heating turned the finish into a kind of brittle chewy plastic, which would scrape straight off the wood with little damage. Ironically the areas where the finish had been "reliced" were the toughest to get off.
After maybe 2 hours work I was done, and toothpicked the screw holes (pickguard holes were single toothpick, bridge ones took three toothpicks as a bundle which I hammered in).
Midway through, I thought, "What's the WORST this could turn out if the neck and body were way out of proportion?" So I grabbed my ugly old Strat copy neck (the cheapest guitar in the world at the time, I think) and bolted it up. Even that looked OK, so the SX neck is bound to be better.
Some interesting things to note:
- the neck screws seem offset toward the treble horn (maybe standard for a JB?)
- pickup routs ... well, let's just say I don't think a CNC machine was used
- pretty clearly alder (awesome) but the wood strips don't seem to be straight along the body
- looks pretty good from here.
One nasty surprise - some kind of glass or epoxy filler in the neck pocket:
My guess is, I will be dowelling and re-drilling anyway, so with luck this won't affect it.
I look forward to further updates, all advice gratefully received.
Another update, I have laid my design onto the best straight-on shot of the body I could find. I think this is going to work out just fine - Haze, you are right, the ideal is to dowel both the body and the neck, line everything up and drill a proper set of aligned holes.
In case anyone missed my pleas - I am looking for a Mustang trem, Jag bridge and control plates, and a pair of Jag pickups with covers. Happy to pay decent prices for the parts, and for shipping as well, if you have any lying around.
