Did you mod your Fender jazz bass?

[TN WOODMAN]

My only experience with Bad Ass bridges has been on my 2 fretless jazz and the action is low on both. BAs get a bad rap these days but they simply work on these 2 basses.

On my fretted jazz and p I still have the stock bent metal bridges.
On my ESP P/Js one has a Wilkenson (sp?) and the other Gotoh.
My EBO has a Hipshot Supertone.

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by 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?

Had one on a P-Bass I own. It wouldn't allow me the low action I wanted. I put a Fender standard bridge back on it. Perfect!

[Green Lantern]

Originally Posted by 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.

I have the Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 amp, so I would want the pre inside the bass. Getting the TH though may be another option.

[Mojo-Man]

I've changed Jazz necks, to Precision necks, on a few Jazz Basses.
Prefer feel of P-Neck, also bigger neck mass = more tone.

[drummer5359]

Other than changing from a white to a black pickuard, my 2011 is bone stock.

As I bought it...



With the blackguard...



Here is my American Fender trio.

[SteveC]

HipShot tuners on my Geddy Lee.

[overbybr]

Originally Posted by Green Lantern

I have the Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 amp, so I would want the pre inside the bass. Getting the TH though may be another option.

The TH500 has the full tone hammer DI preamp already. Why bother with an on board aguilar pre?

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by drummer5359

Other than changing from a white to a black pickuard, my 2011 is bone stock.

Did the exact same (as I mentioned earlier) with my Charcoal Frost Metalic '08:
. i think the black PG looks much better.

[xander8280]

Originally Posted by 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.

+1

[atomicdog]

You left off the bridge from your poll. I have swapped out hi-mass bridges with vintage bent-metal type and found that the mod produced tight, focused punchy sound, especially on a Geddy JB. I recommend it.

[The Nameless]

Originally Posted by atomicdog

You left off the bridge from your poll. I have swapped out hi-mass bridges with vintage bent-metal type and found that the mod produced tight, focused punchy sound, especially on a Geddy JB. I recommend it.

+1! I believe wholeheartedly in the bent plate bridges, w/threaded saddles. Tried a whole lotta real nice replacement bridges, on some very nice American an Mexican Fenders. For me, it's just never worked as well, felt as nice, sounded as good, as puttin the original bridge back on. I recently convinced a die hard Badass user ta let me put original bridge back on his Mexican 5 string Jazz. He had to admit, it was just better. For basses that come wit Bad Ass, or others, as original equipment, they fine, work well. But even on my 2002 fsr avri 75 J, the bent plate bridge w/threaded saddles is only mod I made. It came wit fixed spacin saddles. Strings didn't line wit pickup poles. I'm shallow. Put a 60s bridge onnit. Perfect setup, and my headstock is a hand massager it vibrates so well when hit a drop D. I believe Leo got it right wit that design, despite obvious weaknesses, includin saddle drift, occasional audible buzzes, etc. So can see advantages of newer design, higher mass bridges, for certain applications. And, kinda wish could find some brass, fully threaded saddles. And saddle screw grooves on the plates. Heh. If they made a bridge like that? I'd certainly do that mod.

[Fat K]

Marcus Miller 4 string Jazz Bass - Lollar PUs + John East Preamp
Jaguar Bass (qualified as a Jazz?) - Hipshot bridge + SGD Neo PU using either an Atelier Z or the old version Sadowsky outboard preamp

It is quite clear what I have voted.

[kevteop]

I just changed the passive electronics - 500k pots all round, a switch to put the pickups in series, and a .1uF cap on the tone pot. Left the pickups stock.

I mostly wanted to get more treble roll-off from the tone knob for playing reggae-influenced stuff and to help with note-tracking effects. I put in the series switch because it was a simple thing to do while I was soldering everything else but I'm very happy with the extra grunt it gives, it's a nice option to have.

So no new pickups and no actives, but yes I did mod it and I'm glad I did.

[davedblyoo]

I have a '95 American Standard Jazz that I updated with Aguilar 70's pickups. Only had one weekend playing with them so far, but I noticed a real difference right away. I have also replaced the stock bridge with a Fender HMV bridge, which I like a lot.

[deste]

Well, not me, but the previous owner of my '91 MIM: a great bass in itself (weight, balance, neck), the guy out two Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder and an EMG active tone circuit. I'd just put some noiseless pup in it, maybe DiMarzio (neck UltraJazz, bridge Model J), but I still hesitate.
BTW, I have a Squier CV completely rewired (V/Series-Bal-T), with Model J on, and it's a great backup.

[Green Lantern]

Originally Posted by overbybr

The TH500 has the full tone hammer DI preamp already. Why bother with an on board aguilar pre?

Because I want a little more modern brighter sound than the warmer sound that the jazz gives you stock. Then again I already have a active Fender 24 fret jazz bass. Maybe I will just keep it stock. I need to play the American jazz with new strings through my amp to really make a decision.

[Green Lantern]

Originally Posted by davedblyoo

I have a '95 American Standard Jazz that I updated with Aguilar 70's pickups. Only had one weekend playing with them so far, but I noticed a real difference right away. I have also replaced the stock bridge with a Fender HMV bridge, which I like a lot.

I am thinking about the Augilar pickups as well. That just might be all what I need. I know the 70's are brighter than the 60's Aguilar pickups. Not sure how different the 60's Aguilar pickups are from the stock ones.