Upgrade time :)

[meinl]

Hey guys,


So I recently remembered I have a P-bass. I keep at a friends house since I live in small dorm room and its not my main bass.

Now it is a squier... let me preface I didn't like squier's for a lot of years (sounded terrible especially all the P's I played not to mention they had horrible action and lots of flaws) I got this bass for free last summer as a gift from a good friend who knew I played...I had foreboding thoughts upon seeing it was a squier but was pleasantly surprised... it sounded pretty good (nothing amazing but a lot better than any other squier bass I have played) and it played good... did research and its just another low line one... every once and while there is a gem I suppose... (well gem for squier land that is )

Anyways its decent, but I want to make it into a good players bass.

So the first two major upgrades I think are a fretless neck and some new pups.

The major fretless necks I am seeing are mighty mites which have good reviews, but have no markings (which would be nice for a guy who has never owned a fretless before) is there anything around $90 that has markings or is better?

For pups I have been thinking about Bill Lawrence P-46's or Fender 62' Reissue's... Leaning towards Bill Lawrence's P-46's though since I have heard they are fantastic and I am guessing I will not always be able to get those down the road while fender should be easier to get....


Anyways thats what I am interested in doing right now. Thoughts? I think this is the right section.
Anyways thanks for the help.

Shalom,
Meinl

[meinl]

Also thinking abut possibly adding a J bridge pickup... Whats the best way to do that? wiring wise and such?

[WoodyG3]

If I were you I think I'd look for a good, used fretless. It could cost much less than the mods you want to make. I got a used Peavey Foundation fretless for $150 and it has served me quite well with no mods needed.

[Figjam]

Modding this bass to be what you have in mind would cost 3x as much as buying a used bass. That said, it would be a good learning experience.

If you plan to get a fretless neck, I would look for a squier vintage modified jazz neck. The ebonol fingerboard feels great if you like that coated fingerboard feel; jaco esque. I prefer mine to most necks I have played , as far as fretless goes.

[meinl]

I want to mod it because I like working on stuff and and I have never put a new neck on... I have put new pups in my other bass. The parts I am looking at it would cost $150... not sure if they are good though. Are mighty mite necks any good or are they horrible? Being I got the bass for free... I don't feel like a $150 is a lot of money to put into it...

I could do a more expensive neck , but I just wouldn't do it in the next month so I could save a little more for this project.

Anybody have any thoughts on those Bill lawerence p-46 pups? and how the would react on a fretless?

Thanks,
Meinl

[RSBBass]

If you like working on your basses, why not pull the frets and fill the gaps. It isn't too hard and the cost is very low.

[meinl]

hmmmm how "not too bad"...

I am decently good with electronics... the idea of bodywork and fret work.... ehhh... Not sure if I would be able to do that. What does the process entail exactly?