[Powdered Toast Man]

I've really gotten into modding my basses. I've got a MIM Fender Jazz Bass where I swapped the pickups for Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders, added a series/parallel switch, and changed the pickguard. Last week I also changed the pickups on my American Deluxe Jazz for another set of SD Quarter Pounders (the Fender Noiseless pickups suck).

Anyone else out there modding their stuff?

 

[james on bass]

But of course.

I got the SX bug last year and purchased 4 of them. Bridges, pick gaurds, pots, cap values, knobs, nut and pups in my p bass.

Makes for a great bass and it's a lot of fun to personalize them to my liking.

 

[Mooh]

Some axes just demand modification. Generally if the basic chasis (say, body and neck) suit me, anything else is fare game for change.

That said, the OLP Ernie Ball five string has remained unchanged (besides strap buttons) because I pretty much get along with it fine, though a pickup upgrade would be okay so long as it was of similar tone.

The Godin five string got new Hipshot tuning machines when the orginals started to get sloppy, locking strap buttons (with two on the butt end), roller string trees, the frets removed and fingerboard reshaped to become fretless, and ebony knobs for volume and tone controls. The pickups are okay. It gets more attention because it's my main bass.

I love to tinker with guitars so I do everything myself. Great learning experience.

Peace, Mooh.

 

[RIFF WRATH]

Have been thinking the same thing lately. It appears a lot of mods to regular guitars are discussed a lot, but not much for bass.

Does a soapbox at the bridge, soapbox at center, and P near neck feasable?
perhaps a strat type selector, 6-way (phasing or parallel would have to be figured out?)

Strap locks are a must.
comments appreciated
cheers
RIFF

 

[JBassJohn]

My MIJ Squier jazz has 60's re-issue pickups and a couple of different pickguards. A series/parallel switch is next on the list.

 

[Greenman]

I've never owned a stock bass.:rockon2: :food-smiley-004:

 

[Baconator]

The only thing I've ever done on any bass I've owned was to put some Antiquities in my Jazz bass - AMAZING DIFFERENCE :banana:.

 

[bassman blue]

i've always modded a bass but typically kept the stock parts should i end up selling it. having said that i do have a G&L SB1 that i had the neck reshaped to a jazz neck with a custom inlay, but hopefully the bass is a keeper and i think it only makes it better. but generally basses are like harleys, you need to personalize them to make them fit you. :rockon2:

 

[Bevo]

Just changed some parts on my guitar and was super impressed at how different it became.

Was thinking of a new 4 string and have a beauty in mind but am finding myself searching for a used J to pick up. I want to mod that sucker!!

I also played a Squire J and it felt great, do you think it would make a good platform for the mods? I know the woods will be the weak point if you upgrade everything..

What other new cheap bass would make a good starting point? What is the best woods to look for in a cheap bass?

Bev

 

[KTownPete]

Other than switching my Fender Hot Rodded P to Quarter Pounders (helped with the sound and the balance between the P and J volume), my other basses (Rick, Stingray, G&L) are all stock.

 

[Jaco D]

I've moded all of my four guitars and basses. Maybe just being curious to see "what if.." and find out for myself.

 

[Bevo]

So stopped by the local shop today to look around and tried out a Yamaha 4 string RBX 170 in a natural unfinished body. Was just loving it, it had no price on it. Shop guy comes by and tells me its the best Bass in the shop and I have to agree. Not interested in spending money I never asked about the price. Played all the other ones they had and came back to this one, guy comes back and said its on sale for $199

Thought it would be a good Mod guitar but damn it sounds so good right now..Think I will just pick up some new parts when I see them on sale.

 

[erigod23]

Gotta have the Hipshot X-tender key on all my basses. Instant drop-D is the way to go. They're very easy to put on. I'm thinking about changing the bridge on my epiphone Thunderbird, so if anyone has done this please let me know what you did and if it was worth it.

 

[Flatball]

My BTB is totally stock. My MIJ Precision deluxe now has a set of EMG's, each with their own volume pot. The white pickguard (the bass is black) might get switched for a black or cream pearloid and the chrome knobs might get swapped for black ones.

 

[radapaw]

I've only ever NOT modded a bass once... a gibson EB-3.. oh wait, (lol) I changed the selector switch to a blend.

 

[famouspogs]

I own an Ibanez SR400, its already perfect, except for looks.

 

[Bevo]

I have been loving my Yamaha 4 string and have not spent much time with my Godin 5 over the last few months.
Pulled it out and played it and the neck pick up sounded terrible.
The E string from 1st to 7th fret seems to have twice the volume and is boomy or resonating..something odd..Any idea. Bridge was totaly normal.
I like the bass and think it could use some new PU's, what do you recomend? Is there a passive EMG?
The B also seems to be very loose sounding, would a thicker string make it sound a bit tighter or am I into a different bridge or type of string?

Bev

 

[hammer744]

I have been loving my Yamaha 4 string and have not spent much time with my Godin 5 over the last few months.
Pulled it out and played it and the neck pick up sounded terrible.
The E string from 1st to 7th fret seems to have twice the volume and is boomy or resonating..something odd..Any idea. Bridge was totaly normal.
I like the bass and think it could use some new PU's, what do you recomend? Is there a passive EMG?
The B also seems to be very loose sounding, would a thicker string make it sound a bit tighter or am I into a different bridge or type of string?

Bev

A thicker B string will require more tension to get to the 'B' frequency which can help it feel tighter. Also, different brand strings of the same guage will 'feel' looser than others, and flats will feel tigher than rounds.

Does the E string sound boomy all the time, or just in certain rooms, etc. One bar that we played at, the low G (E string, 3rd fret) would sound absolutely horrible on stage - boomy,etc, but out on the floor it was fine - may just have been the amp coupling with the stage and hitting a resonant frequency

 

[RogerNelson]

I have a '78 Gibson RD Standard that I swapped out the vol./vol./master tone for a master vol./3 way switch/master tone. I like to rock the switch to get tremolo effect.

 

[RogerNelson]

oh yea, I file out the nut on all my basses - ('76 Fender P, '78 Gibson RD, '80 Rickenbacker 4001) to allow for a B string, I use a B, E, D, & G string, but I tune them all C-G-C-F like a standard drop D tuning, but down a full step. I've learned my scales and such so I can play with folks that are tuned standard. gives pretty close to the range of a five string with out having to play disgusting looking newer 5-string basses!

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