Considering upgrades on old bass...

[FalextheFalex]

Alright, I have an Ibanez GSR100 bass that I'm going to upgrade. I have some questions though. I was thinking about going with some EMG HZ pickups, a Schaller 403 bridge, and Gotoh compact tuners. Some questions though.

1. Will the new pickups fit into the existing hole without a massive overhaul.

2. Will the bridge mount on the body correctly.

And lastly, 3. Will the tuners fit into the peg holes

Any input would be appreciated.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by FalextheFalex

Alright, I have an Ibanez GSR100 bass that I'm going to upgrade. I have some questions though. I was thinking about going with some EMG HZ pickups, a Schaller 403 bridge, and Gotoh compact tuners. Some questions though.

1. Will the new pickups fit into the existing hole without a massive overhaul.

2. Will the bridge mount on the body correctly.

And lastly, 3. Will the tuners fit into the peg holes

Any input would be appreciated.

Just my thoughts on this-

The EMG's will not be an inprovement in sound. The stock aren't that bad. Maybe a Basslines would give a slight improvement. For now, the biggest sound upgrade would be good strings.

The bridge works. I wouldn't change it. The Schaller can be made to fit without too much work but you'll have to drill new mounting holes. I would measure the size of the stock bridge and the Schaller to see if the Schaller will cover the existing bridge's footprint on the body, otherwise you may have rough finish marks showing.

I wouldn't change the tuners myself. There'll be no sonic advantage. You'll need to get the dimensions of each to see if the holes are the same size.

For a real upgrade, get a pro setup done on the bass. Just my opinion.

[Tbirdbassist]

I say go with a different set of pups. Like Dimarzio or SD, I'm not a fan of EMG-HZ's and there are a lot better options. The Ibanez P pup route is the same as a fenders (just backwards) so it will fit. I would also add a pickup at the bridge, like a MM or a J pup. A good luthier can do this for you without charging an arm and leg.

I would also go with a Badass bridge instead of a Schaller, but thats my opinion, I have no long term experience with Schaller and I just love the look of Badass (and improvments it does).

If the tuners are shotty on your bass then change them, if not so, then it's kind of a waste. the Ibanez tuners are Gotoh knock offs anyway.

[FalextheFalex]

Yeah, I was thinking about it. I like the Schaller bridge because of it size, the Badass bridges would be a bit too big on that bass in my opinion, and the Schaller is about the same size I have now. The pups aren't bad, just want something different, a bit more punchy to give me a nice offset to the jazz I have. The tuners are crap though, the jiggle around when the string are off so I think it's time for a new set. And thanks for the advice on the pickup, I was a bit shy of committing on a passive EMG myself, I think I'm going to either go SD Basslines SPB-3 quarter-pound or DiMarzio Model P DP122. I think it'll look good with all black hardware though.

Heh, funny story though, I ran into some money this weekend, sold an old videogame account for $500 on eBay (idiot actually bought it) so I bought that Jazz I mentioned and figured I'd use the rest on new parts for the old girl.

[Tbirdbassist]

Um.. It's fine on my bass I have a GSR190. bad pic...






Oh, I have a set of Dimarzio Ulltrajazz pups in it, wired Volume-tone-blend. Its also now a fretless.

[FalextheFalex]

Bad for my tastes, I should have specified.