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Am I crazy?

mhartman29

mhartman29

Mar 23, 2014
267
220
Austin, TX
#1
I just picked up a popular "vintage-ish" bass. Nothing super high end, just one of those 80s Japanese basses that are underrated overall, but popular on here Love the look, playability and feel. The sound is good, but I feel like I want to tweak it a bit. I'm somewhat loathe to replace a preamp and pickups since it is original. But I feel like I'd rather replace the guts and keep it than resell it.

On the other hand, I've never replaced a pre/pups before so I have no idea where to begin with that.

Thoughts?
 
#4
strings often have a more immediate change in tone from my experience.. but I also enjoy swapping guts.

Those are great basses, but are the pickups able to have direct replacement? It looks like you might need to do a bit of routing, not sure. The Aguilar OBP-3 would give it a bit of a darker and maybe more aggressive sound; great pre.
 
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#7
+1 on changing strings first! :thumbsup:

I've had the character of a bass radically change by switching out one type and/or brand of strings for another. It once kept me from selling-off a Jazz bass I thought was "underperforming", despite a pickup upgrade. Also, it can save on time and money spent.
 
#9
+1 on String replacement.

* Then preamp

Also new replacement pre-amps (EMG for example and John East) are more geared to novice modders. They have screw in terminals for the pickup wires and there are many you-tube videos detailing this type of work to guide you..

* Then lastly replace the pickups

I have an old Yamaha BB1600 and I had to route out the jazz pickup location in order to replace it with a standard jazz pick up. Not something I was willing to do myself so I had a pro do it.
 
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#10
LowEndWooly said:
strings often have a more immediate change in tone from my experience.. but I also enjoy swapping guts.

Those are great basses, but are the pickups able to have direct replacement? It looks like you might need to do a bit of routing, not sure. The Aguilar OBP-3 would give it a bit of a darker and maybe more aggressive sound; great pre.
Click to expand...
I'll second the Aggie OBP-3, great sounding preamp. I recently has Banzai music make me some custom pots so I can put sweepable mids on one stacked knob (requires three actual pots, a 50K single and 2 50K duals for the sweepable mids). One caveat - lots and lots of wires! But they're all nicely color coded and instructions aren't too hard (unless you want to get fancy with it like I am).

But yeah, always start with the strings...
 
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#12
+1 more on strings.

Also, don't assume you can leave your amp set the way it was with your other bass(es). Try tweeking that as well, if you haven't already. My only point is don't try to make your new bass sound exactly like the tone in your head from your other basses.

I recently bought a Mike Lull with a Sadowsky Pre. By all accounts it is an amazing bass. It does have some great attributes. However, I am struggling with getting used to it. It just sounds so completely different from my favorite 5 String Fender P bass. Not bad. Just very different. At first I was thinking of getting rid of it immediately. Then I took a breath and decided that having two different main basses is a good thing. I will use the Lull for the things it shines at, and use the P for what a P bass does better than anything else could.

Short version. Swap strings and noodle with it for a while before gutting it.

By the way, those are some sweet looking basses! And, you know the rules. No pics, no cool new Yammy bass! Don't make me wag my finger at you. :cool:
 
#13
two fingers said:
+1 more on strings.

Also, don't assume you can leave your amp set the way it was with your other bass(es). Try tweeking that as well, if you haven't already. My only point is don't try to make your new bass sound exactly like the tone in your head from your other basses.

I recently bought a Mike Lull with a Sadowsky Pre. By all accounts it is an amazing bass. It does have some great attributes. However, I am struggling with getting used to it. It just sounds so completely different from my favorite 5 String Fender P bass. Not bad. Just very different. At first I was thinking of getting rid of it immediately. Then I took a breath and decided that having two different main basses is a good thing. I will use the Lull for the things it shines at, and use the P for what a P bass does better than anything else could.

Short version. Swap strings and noodle with it for a while before gutting it.

By the way, those are some sweet looking basses! And, you know the rules. No pics, no cool new Yammy bass! Don't make me wag my finger at you. :cool:
Click to expand...

+1. This ^

This thread needs some photographs!
here is my blue '97 japanese yamaha trb5IIf five string fretless bass:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

IMG_20160105_100416.jpg
 
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#14
Flaked Beans said:
+1. This ^

This thread needs some photographs!
here is my blue '97 japanese yamaha trb5IIf five string fretless bass:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

View attachment 766262
Click to expand...


OK @mhartman29 we're calling you out!
The new (to me) Lull. I expect your pics by the end of the day.
20151223_203840.jpg
 
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#15
mhartman29 said:
I just picked up a popular "vintage-ish" bass. Nothing super high end, just one of those 80s Japanese basses that are underrated overall, but popular on here Love the look, playability and feel. The sound is good, but I feel like I want to tweak it a bit. I'm somewhat loathe to replace a preamp and pickups since it is original. But I feel like I'd rather replace the guts and keep it than resell it.

On the other hand, I've never replaced a pre/pups before so I have no idea where to begin with that.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Newer preamps have been improved things, so I don't think you're crazy.

mhartman29 said:
Yeah, I should probably switch out strings to my favorite type and give it a set up before doing anything drastic. Just an initial impression. Are pres hard to swap out?
Click to expand...

It's not that difficult. Each preamp is a little different though so you just want to read the instructions. Likely it will just take soldering two to four pickup wires to a place ready to take 'em.

If you're going to swap the preamp you may as well swap the pickups at the same time, if you think you'll do it eventually anyway. The hardest part of installing pickups is wiring them in. Not that it's hard, but the rest of the work installing pickups just requires a screwdriver.
 
#17
two fingers said:
+1 more on strings.

Also, don't assume you can leave your amp set the way it was with your other bass(es). Try tweeking that as well, if you haven't already. My only point is don't try to make your new bass sound exactly like the tone in your head from your other basses.

I recently bought a Mike Lull with a Sadowsky Pre. By all accounts it is an amazing bass. It does have some great attributes. However, I am struggling with getting used to it. It just sounds so completely different from my favorite 5 String Fender P bass. Not bad. Just very different. At first I was thinking of getting rid of it immediately. Then I took a breath and decided that having two different main basses is a good thing. I will use the Lull for the things it shines at, and use the P for what a P bass does better than anything else could.

Short version. Swap strings and noodle with it for a while before gutting it.

By the way, those are some sweet looking basses! And, you know the rules. No pics, no cool new Yammy bass! Don't make me wag my finger at you. :cool:
Click to expand...

+1 @ not expecting to keep your amp at the same settings as with other basses. A great player once said "it's easier to get a good amp to make a lesser guitar sound good than it is to get a lesser amp to make a great guitar sound good"....fwiw
 
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#19
One question I had, if any of you are BB experts out there, is the spec sheets on the BB3000a indicate it has an ebony fingerboard. But, this one sure looks like rosewood to me. It's really nice way, but it doesn't appear to be ebony.
 
#20
String height from pick-up matters too. I like to get my pickups very close to the string. There is a point that is to close thought. Play with it, easy adjustment. Move pickup, not string, if I was not clear.
 

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