Did you mod your Fender jazz bass?

[bassteban]

Mine is a 96 5er, so perhaps it doesn't count, but I get nothing but praise for its tone, from sound guys, wife, non-musicians, etc. I am OK but not in love w/the sound, but will likely never alter it for fear of offending the masses.
KIDDING- I'd saw it in half if I believed it would sound better or get me laid twice, but wil most likely only change strings and keep it clean.

[fivestringgecko]

Originally Posted by bassteban

KIDDING- I'd saw it in half if I believed it would sound better or get me laid twice, but wil most likely only change strings and keep it clean.

If it only gets you laid once, it's not worth it though.

5sg.

[jkingbass]

When I got my Jazz bass i repaced the pickups with EMG's and used the standard kit that comes with the EMG jazz set, im quite happy with the sound now, it still has the jazz bass tone but the sound is more consistent and the notes are clearer due to the lack of noise/crackling/ strings hitting off pole pieces when slapping ect. that i would normally hear when playing a passive bass. But this is just a personal preference

[D.M.N.]

Yeah, I picked up a brand new AVRI 62 Jazz earlier this year, and almost immediately had the neck pickup replaced with a Daguer Guitars Dagstar (Bi-sonic descendant). I'm also going to wire it to stereo output soon to help isolate the pickup controls and run two separate amps.

[Commreman]

Only thing I've done to mine is add a Hipshot D-Tuner. Mine is a 2006 MIA FSR, and sounds great the way it is.

[Doner Designs]

I thought they were made to be modified.

I wish you could buy a new Fender without any hardware or electronics at an appropriate discount which would then allow user selection and installation of everything.

[seang15]

Voted keep it stock. If you want a bass with those electronics, have it built.

[newbold]

I say go for it. You have an already awesome bass there so you can only build on that instead of modding a bass to try to play 'catch up'.

FWIW, I had a decent MIM Jazz that turned into an amazing player whe I swapped out the stock passive Pups with DiMarzio ModelJ's and changed the controls to master volume, master tone, and a pickup selector.

Hindsight being what it is, I'd have probably kept the controls stock...or went with a '62 stack plate.

If you like the aguilar pre, why not get a ToneHammer? You could use it with every bass you own then...and you'd have a DI.

[overbybr]

06 MIM FSR. I swapped the pups for some Alleva Coppolo single coils, then changed the neck to a MIM B&B neck. I finally added some pickup covers and a thumb rest to dress it up. It smokes!

[C.Linton]

Voted for kept them stock, although ...
On two Jazzes:
'08 MIA - pickguard swap from white to black
'10 Squier VM J - swapped knobs for proper black Jazz-style knobs, added thumb rest and bridge/pickup covers
All purely cosmetic, no functional changes, they weren't needed.

[Jeff Scott]

I have modded, in some way or another, most basses I have owned over the decades, including two Alembics, three Zons, a few Fenders, a Yamaha, a Rick Turner and some others. On one of my former Jazz Basses, that a friend of mine has now, a '72 Sunburst, I stripped the finish off and tung oiled it, replaced the bridge with a Schaller 3D bridge, replaced the neck/mid pickup with a Rickenbacker hi-gain, and replaced the tone control pot with a C&K switch to quickly switch to a roll-offed setting. The last time I saw the bass my friend had replaced the neck with some unknown fretless neck. The bass still sounds and plays great.

[s_mcsleazy]

kinda. i changed it up for a gibson style 3-way selector with a master volume and tone.

[Tx Basser]

I couldn't vote from the choices you listed but I did modify my '10 American Jazz. I replaced the volume/tone knob plate with a Varitone volume/tone/pickup switch set-up.

The Varitone gave me:
1. One master volume control
2. One master tone control
3. A passive 6 position tone control (with the small tone knob) with some tonal "scoops"
4. A pickup switch which enables me to select neck p/u or bridge p/u or both.

The Varitone sells for about $125.00 on ebay and it has been well worth it. (P.S. I am not endorsed by Varitone and this is simply a user evaluation)

[Bluedevilxx]

I put an Aguilar obp-1 into my stack-knob 62 AVRI. I had to custom make the pots and cramming all the wiring into the control cavity was a pain. In the end I wound up putting the OBP-1 into a stompbox, and wiring the bass back stock. Now I can use the preamp with the rest of my passive basses.

I also removed the nitro (GASP!!) from the back of the neck and used Tru-Oil in its place. My hands feel awful on nitro for whatever reason, and Tru-Oil suits me fine.

Ymmv

[Jeff Scott]

I did not vote, either, not enough flexibility in the choices on offer, here.

[TN WOODMAN]

I have 3 MIM Jazz basses. The Three Amigos. Couldn't resist.

2001 Fretless. Di Marzio J pickups, black Bad Ass II bridge, B/W/B pickguard, black body, lined rosewood board. John East Retro J preamp. Black Dunlop strap locks. Black beauty strings.

2007 Fretless. Black with lined rosewood board. Stock except for SCN Noiseless pickups, Stew-Mac pots with phase switch, Bad Ass III chrome bridge, chrome Dunlop strap locks. Fender flatwound strings.

2006 De Luxe. Black with fretted rosewood board. Box stock with Fender preamp and original generation noiseless pickups.

So that makes 2 modded and 1 stock.

[jbybj]

In college, in the late 70's, I rewired my 69 Jazz so that the neck pup went directly to one side of a stereo jack, and the bridge went through the tone pot to the other side of the stereo jack. I ran the neck clean to a Traynor Bassmaster and an EVM 15L, and the bridge through my Little Muff and Small Stone phaser to a second identical rig. That was a sweet setup. I had to make a cable that was pretty bulky coming out of the bass.

[BowserBass]

To the few of you that have changed or upgraded to Badass II bridge, can you confirm or deny that its hard to get low action with a Badass?

[Bass Mayhem]

I got this bass in 1982. The first thing I did was getting rid of the ugly black lacquer. The pups were already switched to the butt-coloured DiMarzio humbucking j pups. I switched the bridge to a Badass II. I switched the original volume and tone knobs to knurled black metal knobs. Then I installed a DiMarzio butt-coloured bucker between the J-pups. Then I sold it. Then I bought it back. Then I switched to EMG J-set. After some years I added an EMG DC35 between the J pups. Then I took out the DC35. Then I took out the EMG J's and switched to Q Tuner pups. Then I had a new body made, because the old one was heavy as a smaller car. That's the way you see it in the pic, with the new swamp ash chambered body and heavily flamed Swedish birch top. Now I've installed a J-Retro. It is original from neck up, except for new super fat frets and a new saddle. Well, this is my laboratory bench and the bass of my life...

[bstringrandy]

I took my 06 MIJ Geddy and put in DiMarzio Model J PUs with an Audere JZ3 pre. Finished with a black pick guard and strung with Dr Hi-beams. It's a tone monster!!

I took the PUs and control plate from the Geddy and put them in my sons 92 MIM jazz. It woke that bass up nicely!