Old Stingray 4 Classic - dilemma

I have beautiful all wood old Musician Ernieball stingray 4 . I bought this gem used over 25 years also , its the real old Classic , sounds and plays beautifully ,excellent action , its very lightweight when compare to modern stingray 4 I see in shops .Only recently begin to get confidence to attempt singing & play ( at home ) ,I find I need to transpose key's down for my voice so this is where the 4 string has limitation ,I need the low B string as in the 5 string ...
Options are (1) sell my Gem to and seek a MM 5 of similar light weight , (2) Seeking to convert it to 5 ( a lot of work ,Neck ,Pick ups ec (3) Learn how to sing higher.. ( I have tried this ) . If anyone has a similar dilemma let me know

 

[Jim C]

Sell it or expand your vocal range.
Chances are anything less than a super expensive conversion will ruin it.

 

[gluvhand]

How much are you dropping down? If it's 1/2 to a whole step, just tune down and make adjustments to your bass. If you need heavier strings have the nut adjusted.

 

[DrKev]

Howiya! Fáilte go dtí an forum.

Option 1 - Yeah the newer StingRay Specials are lighter than the older instruments. A 5 Special could be exactly what you're looking for. StingRay 5 Special
Option 2 - My inital feeling is no, just no. Permanent modification will destroy your resale value if you don't like it. If you really want to explore the idea, reach out to Gerry Hayes at Hazeguitars.com. He's one of the best in Ireland.
Option 3 - Is actually not a bad idea and financially could make more sense than a new bass. Find a good vocal coach and an introductory lesson or two will let you know what's possible. If you've already been down that path, the answer is probably option 1.

 

[Iperfungus]

I have beautiful all wood old Musician Ernieball stingray 4 . I bought this gem used over 25 years also , its the real old Classic , sounds and plays beautifully ,excellent action , its very lightweight when compare to modern stingray 4 I see in shops .Only recently begin to get confidence to attempt singing & play ( at home ) ,I find I need to transpose key's down for my voice so this is where the 4 string has limitation ,I need the low B string as in the 5 string ...
Options are (1) sell my Gem to and seek a MM 5 of similar light weight , (2) Seeking to convert it to 5 ( a lot of work ,Neck ,Pick ups ec (3) Learn how to sing higher.. ( I have tried this ) . If anyone has a similar dilemma let me know

I would not modify that bass.
I'm quite sure it would be a mess, due to different necks size and body proportions.
I do not want to say that's impossibile, but very hard and expensive for sure.

There's a simpler way.
Modify nut or change it to use strings from a 5 strings bass set....and tune to BEAD, instead of EADG.
I've done it on some basses and it works!
You loose the G string, but you can survive to that and keep your bass!
I'm doing this modification to a Kramer bass where I'm going to install a GraphTech U-Bass nut instead of the horrible original plastic nut.

Graph Tech TUSQ BT-1260 U-Bass Nut

Nut for 4-String Bass Ukulele Suitable for Kala U-Bass models, Material: TUSQ, String spacing E to G: 33.33 mm (1.312"), Dimensions (L x W x H): 44.84 x 6.06 x 11.99 mm (1.765" x 0.239" x 0.472"), Colour: Black

www.thomannmusic.com

 

[strummer]

Just sting it BEAD, let someone you trust widen the nut slots if necessary.

 

[Golem]

One more vote for BEAD.

FWIW, theres less total tension on your neck at BEAD, so if it suits your voice you can tune that up to CFBbEb and land at approximately normal total tension. For CFBbEb use a lighter gauge than a typical 5-string set. And dont worry about transposing. Are we not bassers ?!?