Help! Stringspacing on a vintage 'ray

[pnts]

I need some input on something thats been on my mind and in my fingers for a long time.

I Love my rays to death, 76 sunburst 77 fretless black, but i NEED tighter stringspacing!
My excellent tech says Im crazy trying to modify anything on these vintage instruments but my technique and heart says the stringspacing has to be closer.. is there a anyone of you that know of a good way to accomplish that?

Regards,

Pontus

 

[sanderhermans]

Well. The bridge sort of is what it is. So this can not be narrowed down. You could have someone who knows what he is doing take the nut out and place a new one in, this time with the strings closer togheter. But the neck will feel pretty fat then because you will have a bunch of extra room on the side of the E and G strings and the edge of your neck. I would not recomend this. Especially not on this sort of collectible instruments. If you do decide to do this, keep the original nut! Also it might be a better idea to buy eighter a sterling bass or a stingray with the "slo special" neck. These basses both come standard with a slimmer neck and narrower string spacing. This way you can keep your vintage basses to original spec. I love both my sterling and sr4 slo special necks. Great playabillity!

 

[pnts]

Thx for your input. Ive thought of this and the neck isnt really a problem.. It could stay the same width. I really only want some millimeters of tighter stringspacing here. Could you get a spara set of "rollers" in the bridge and "cut" them tighter for the purpose? Of course a new but has to be cut but saving all the parts for the vintage instrument would be Done of course.. I did install a D Eb tuner.. And saved the original parts. I do NOT want to buy a Fender Jazz and "chisel in" a MM pickup. i want my to get MY choosen instruments to fit me... feel me!

 

[pnts]

The autocorrect did not help me here but I hope I made myself somewhat clear?

 

[sanderhermans]

Just for the record a sterling or stingray slo is not the same as buying a jazz bass. You would have your stingray tone (and even more with the sterling) but better playabillity (for those who prefer a slimmer neck and tighter spacing)

Making new bridge sadles would be verry hard, or so i would think and the strings wouldnt align with the pickup annymore so i would leave the bridge as it is... just my opinion on it. If you really cant help but to do a mod. Then i would start with the new nut and go from there. For more info about bridge sadle replacements you can contact ebmm customer service and ask them what they can provide...

 

[pnts]

Hmm... When staying I Love my rays to death, I really mean it. Then again the stringspacing is a real issue. If I had a Choice the neck would also be 24 frets long...

I know Im lost and totally out of it but I would sooo much appreciate it if I could get the loves of my life to be just "right" for me..

 

[vates]

Installing a new bridge would help. Of course, you should chose the one which requires holes drilled inside the original bridge's footprint.

 

[vates]

Like this Hipshot .669 version. And it has an appropriate appearance too.

 

[sanderhermans]

Like this Hipshot .669 version. And it has an appropriate appearance too.

good suggestion, but this doesn't look like a string-tru bridge... also I would never ever recommend drilling into a musicman (ebmm or pre-eb) but that's just me. if you don't like your vintage musicman, sell it and let someone else enjoy it, with that money you can propably buy 1 or 2 new basses to your liking.