Tele Bass, no not that kind.

Tim Armstrong on here did that with a Musicmaster neck on a Tele body with MM style pup if I remember right.

 

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bass-place/150467-my-tele-bass-project.html

here ya go~

 

Damn! I was just wondering what I was going to do with that other red cherry blank I've got-now I know! Thanks! Be sure to keep us updated on the build.

 

Here's one I started a few years ago and still haven't finished. This is a short scale (~ 30 in.) neck from an old Hohner bass.

.......

 

Hey, that reminds me. I've got a Tele bass build to finish. I best get down to the back shed and find it!

 

I vote single Dark Star pickup. Esquire Bass, if you will. I've got a Dark Star on a bass in that p-bass "middle" position, and I like it quite a bit. And the neck position on a bass isn't the most usable -- pretty woofy.

The Dark Star also has a lot of surface hardware. I think I just prefer the uncluttered look of the single pickup mock-up.

Have fun and good luck!

 

I like the single, but you could also through in a piezo with a blend for good measure. That would be sweet with the short scale!

 

I'd say go with the GFS and also +1 on the piezo. I wouldn't go with a normal 3-way switch though, I think when mixing piezo and magnetic pickups, you should go with a blend pot, so you can mix in the most usable sound possible.

 

I've also had a tele bass build on hold for some time... body's all mocked up, pup and all. My only problem is finding a short scale neck that I think it worth the money. Old musicmasters or one of the new bronco basses seem like the best options. I wish Warmoth or USACG would make a 30 or 32 inch bass neck. No luck.

 

I can't say enough good things about the alnico GFS MM copy. Just flat-out delicious!

Also, remember to cut the neck pocket deeper so that it lines up right, it ought to go into where the neck pickup hole is. This will prevent neck dive, too!

Tim

 

I had thought of going this route. I actually have a SX short scale jazz... The body's sort of novelty sized (small!), but the quality's pretty good. With a little work, it's a very reliable and fun to play bass. I just don't like how wide the neck gets up near the body (above 10-12th fret). It feels very awkward in my hands. I do like the dimensions of Musicmasters, and I think the bronco's the same. Call me a cheapskate, but I've been hesitant to spend a $100-150 on a bronco just to get the Indonesian made neck.

BTW, you'll definitely want to route the neck pocket so you can set the neck in a bit. The mock up I did with the sx neck proved to me that even the short scale neck will be a bit neck heavy.

 

Search for 3/4th size bass necks on ebay. They're usually 30", which will work perfectly for you.

also, I was wondering, is it possible to fit a full 34" neck, would you be able to orient a bridge still on a normal tele body?

 

Nope, I'm using a 30" scale 1973 Fender Musicmaster Bass neck. I think a 34" scale neck would be neck dive city, and on a regular Tele guitar body (not the ones Warmoth makes for Tele-style basses), you would probably run out of body before getting the bridge far enough back...

Tim

 

Alternative approach

Here I used a custom made Aged Cherry Sandwich body, with a chopped Bronco Bass neck.



I sold the bronco bass body on ebay, and bought a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder - awesome sound.

I moved the neck down as far as possible to avoid neck drop, and finished the whole thing off with a Fender Telecaster Bass style switch plate.

 

Sweet!

Tim