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Has anyone ever made a bass from a 330 guitar? Which scale length do you think would work best: 30" or 32"? I think a 34" scale would make the instrument too neck heavy. I would move the existing bridge location back as far as feasible to allow for the longer neck, and it would place the bridge pickup in a better location for a bass (the pickups will not be relocated).

Haven't done it, but having a 330, a 4000 and a tape measure close at hand, it looks to me like 32" would indeed be the limit - the bass would have a very similar neck length to a 4000 series bass (assuming the bridge is located at the top of the ramp). A 30" scale would probably be a little better balanced.

jps wrote:Has anyone ever made a bass from a 330 guitar? Which scale length do you think would work best...

Have you thought about making a 32" 360 bass?

bluewhale wrote:

jps wrote:Has anyone ever made a bass from a 330 guitar? Which scale length do you think would work best...

Have you thought about making a 32" 360 bass?

I don't have a 360 to make one out of but I did (as you most likely know ) used to have a certain Jetglo '67 4005WB for 38 years.

antipodean wrote:Haven't done it, but having a 330, a 4000 and a tape measure close at hand, it looks to me like 32" would indeed be the limit - the bass would have a very similar neck length to a 4000 series bass (assuming the bridge is located at the top of the ramp). A 30" scale would probably be a little better balanced.

I was doing some measuring this evening and I agree, a 30" scale may work best. The bridge would be placed about where you mentioned so it would be very similar, in that respect, as that on a 4005. I would have to have a bridge made or perhaps something like the Hipshot Gibson style replacement bridge on studs, or I could use a Hipshot A style I have on hand but that would require a block under it to raise it up enough to work.

jps wrote:

antipodean wrote:I would have to have a bridge made or perhaps something like the Hipshot Gibson style replacement bridge on studs, or I could use a Hipshot A style I have on hand but that would require a block under it to raise it up enough to work.

If it helps... the Czech-made BaCH non-reverse Thunderbirds used a two point bridge patterned after the original Gibsons (and vaguely reminiscent of a 4005's bridge.. if you squint ).

Rob (Basvarken) over at LBO might have a lead in obtaining one, and/or other folks there may have some stashed for projects. I know that one fellow there is doing a Hamer B4S clone, and was able to source one recently.

Good luck - sounds like a cool project.

Larry Davis did a 360 style bass in Mapleglo - the body was from a trashed 360 and he did a new neck from scratch.

I saw a picture of it on one of the RIC facebook groups.

It could probably be done with a 3-point combo tailpiece/bridge off a Gibson/Epi bass, like a Jack Cassady bass, because the overall string spacing is also about 2 inches. Measure from the nut to where the bridge would install on the ramp and you have your scale. The position of the bridge pickup on a 330 is where the bass pickup should be, as a one-pickup instrument. Just get a bass neck high-gain, drill out the mounting threads, and put it in its place. New fingerboard, plug and re-drill the headstock for either Gotoh or Hipshot mini ultralite tuners, and you're in business.

jps wrote:Has anyone ever made a bass from a 330 guitar?

I'd love a 330 bass guitar. Sort of like my concept of the 4381JV.

Using the existing neck the scale length comes out to around 26"-27" depending on the bridge and it's final location (currently, as a guitar the scale length is 24 3/4"), a new neck would be a better choice, I think. Most of the parts on the 330 would be used for the bass: two toaster pickups, the pickguard and controls, the plexi TRC. perhaps even the R tailpiece. The 330 is fully intact and in great shape, it just has a small repaired crack in the back of the neck right below the headstock; nothing wrong with the guitar as to playability or anything, this is just an idea I may run with. Basically, the body and associated components are in place, it would primarily just need a bass appropriate neck mounted to the body.