[The_Spell]

Hey, everyone,

I just ordered some parts to put together a bass from a guitar with a FUBAR body. This is my first ever guitar-related project.
The seller I ordered the guitar from was selling an ESP V-50. I noticed it's a thru body set up. I saw from the pictures the high E occupies most of that empty space in the holes for the strings.
So, I guess my question is: What kind of work would go into making a thru body guitar work as a thru body bass?

[darkbluemurder]

What does FUBAR mean?

EDIT - I googled and found "fouled up beyond all recognition".

[HarlowTheFish]

What does FUBAR mean?

Fucked Up But All Right, Stephan

Hey, everyone,

I just ordered some parts to put together a bass from a guitar with a FUBAR body. This is my first ever guitar-related project.
The seller I ordered the guitar from was selling an ESP V-50. I noticed it's a thru body set up. I saw from the pictures the high E occupies most of that empty space in the holes for the strings.
So, I guess my question is: What kind of work would go into making a thru body guitar work as a thru body bass?

So you want to make a bass from a guitar body? Like a Bass VI-type short-scale deal with 6 strings and guitar spacing, or like a 4-string bass deal? In either case, I'd recommend filling the bridge post and ferrule holes and redrilling for a new bridge much further back, otherwise that neck's gonna dive like a fish. IMO, get a body that'll balance a bit better if you really wanna do that, but if you're really set on that V-50, then:

• get a short-scale neck, Allen Eden sells some
• fill the bridge post and ferrule holes
• redrill for a new bass (or bass VI) bridge as far back on the body as you can for balance reasons
• fit the new neck after shaping the headstock and drilling tuner holes (make sure you measure for the scale length - you might need to make the neck pocket deeper or have the bridge at a specific location to get it to intonate
• add your pickups of choice, string up, and set up
• profit

Pain in the ass, to be honest, but DIY short-scales are really cool and DIY Bass VIs are even cooler IMO. You might genuinely have an easier time with unrouted parts though, just because you don't have to do as much filling to get rid of the pre-existing hardware mounting holes.

[darkbluemurder]

Fucked Up But All Right, Stephan

You were faster than I was - many thanks nonetheless! And I fully agree to your recommendations to OP.

Cheers Stephan

[The_Spell]

What does FUBAR mean?

Fucked Up But All Right, Stephan

Hey, everyone,

I just ordered some parts to put together a bass from a guitar with a FUBAR body. This is my first ever guitar-related project.
The seller I ordered the guitar from was selling an ESP V-50. I noticed it's a thru body set up. I saw from the pictures the high E occupies most of that empty space in the holes for the strings.
So, I guess my question is: What kind of work would go into making a thru body guitar work as a thru body bass?

So you want to make a bass from a guitar body? Like a Bass VI-type short-scale deal with 6 strings and guitar spacing, or like a 4-string bass deal? In either case, I'd recommend filling the bridge post and ferrule holes and redrilling for a new bridge much further back, otherwise that neck's gonna dive like a fish. IMO, get a body that'll balance a bit better if you really wanna do that, but if you're really set on that V-50, then:

• get a short-scale neck, Allen Eden sells some
• fill the bridge post and ferrule holes
• redrill for a new bass (or bass VI) bridge as far back on the body as you can for balance reasons
• fit the new neck after shaping the headstock and drilling tuner holes (make sure you measure for the scale length - you might need to make the neck pocket deeper or have the bridge at a specific location to get it to intonate
• add your pickups of choice, string up, and set up
• profit

Pain in the ass, to be honest, but DIY short-scales are really cool and DIY Bass VIs are even cooler IMO. You might genuinely have an easier time with unrouted parts though, just because you don't have to do as much filling to get rid of the pre-existing hardware mounting holes.

So far, and I haven't touched it in a whole because of work, COVID and money, I've got a bass neck, the bass bridge, and bass tuners I need. I just need to fill, drill, shape, sand, and paint the thing before I get my pick ups installed.
I got the ferrules and bridge post taken out, and I'm currently looking at widening the neck slot on the sides a little so I can fit the neck in. I decided to ditch the thru body set up and I'm just going to set it like a normal bass because that's a lot of work for a beginner. 😂

[buddroyce]

So far, and I haven't touched it in a whole because of work, COVID and money, I've got a bass neck, the bass bridge, and bass tuners I need. I just need to fill, drill, shape, sand, and paint the thing before I get my pick ups installed.
I got the ferrules and bridge post taken out, and I'm currently looking at widening the neck slot on the sides a little so I can fit the neck in. I decided to ditch the thru body set up and I'm just going to set it like a normal bass because that's a lot of work for a beginner. 😂

It was probably a good idea to ditch the thru-body setup as it would be a lot easier this way. Although it's not really *THAT* much harder to do.

[The_Spell]

So far, and I haven't touched it in a whole because of work, COVID and money, I've got a bass neck, the bass bridge, and bass tuners I need. I just need to fill, drill, shape, sand, and paint the thing before I get my pick ups installed.
I got the ferrules and bridge post taken out, and I'm currently looking at widening the neck slot on the sides a little so I can fit the neck in. I decided to ditch the thru body set up and I'm just going to set it like a normal bass because that's a lot of work for a beginner. 😂

It was probably a good idea to ditch the thru-body setup as it would be a lot easier this way. Although it's not really *THAT* much harder to do.

I don't really know what I'm doing or where to even start with it. I feel a little intimidated. Where would you start if it was your project? I need to patch up some holes in the body, repaint it + paint the back of the neck (ESP does it and I like that a lot), remove and install pups, install neck. What should be the very first thing I need to do?

[buddroyce]

It's definitely intimidating when you do this for the first time. If it were my project I'd start with making sure I measure out the scale length to sort out the placement of the bridge in the new body first. To do that just measure the length from the nut to the 12th fret on the neck. Then use that measurement to measure from the 12th fret down to the body. Where it lands is where the saddles will be on the bridge.

From there I'd get all the work done on the body and work on the neck in between coats when painting the body.