Amateur mods on professional basses

[Ric5]

Chris Squires 4001s rm1999 covered with contact paper

 

[Ric5]

Another one

 

[BarfanyShart]

Who is that?

Michael Parks Jr. of All Them Witches.

 

[TrevorR]

Always liked Chris Squire’s modded slab bodied Tele jazz bass...

 

[slowjam98]

Gail Greenwood (Belly) with some decal personalization. If this showed up on a NBD, we’d see recommendations for naphtha and WD-40.

 

[David McIntire]

 

[Jay2U]

 

[dbsfgyd1]

He really takes woodshedding to the next level.

That’s was terrible...I liked it!

 

[darkwasthenight]

Some dude from a DEVO tribute band in UK. Probably has a cool nickname of Bob or spud something. But isnt that bass awesome? How the tuning keys not just fall out? Where's your precious gravity now?

You've no idea how terrible that bass is. I have to admit the mod is actually quite nicely done though. I believe the only guidance given to the luthier was "lop this big bit off here cause it's in the way, but don't make it look too much like I'm a flash bugger". We have a lot of handmade guitars these days, but they're all quite well done thanks to having two woodworkers and a painter in the band.

Bonus Splattercaster shot.

 

[bassman28]

Gotta have the Berry Oakley Tractor bass on the list!

 

[Frenchy-Lefty]

Some dude from a DEVO tribute band in UK. Probably has a cool nickname of Bob or spud something. But isnt that bass awesome? How the tuning keys not just fall out? Where's your precious gravity now?

You guys are funny. In the case of this Devo tribute guy, it is not a "mod".
Like me and quite a few others, the guy is left-handed and just plays a regular Jazz Bass upside down (without reversing the strings, meaning the E is now at the bottom)
He had to move the pots so that they are not under his forearm.

I am a lefty and my teenage son plays my lefty basses upside down so I guess he'll get the ultra-cool label on this forum.

 

[bassdude51]

Stu Cook of CCR..........perhaps not an amateur's mod on the Ric. Also, Stu's modded out P Bass.

 

[FugaziBomb]

 

[brianrost]

I’ll start with this beauty—Dennis Dunaway’s Airline Bass.

I used to own one of those. If you ever played a stock one you'll know why he changed the electronics

BTW the scale on that is 25".

 

[Picton]

This one?

View attachment 3792754

Thank goodness he leaves the bridge cover on.

Y’know. To keep the bridge pristine.

 

[slowjam98]

View attachment 3793112 Gotta have the Berry Oakley Tractor bass on the list!View attachment 3793111

Oh, that’s a nice one!

 

[J_Bass]

You guys are funny. In the case of this Devo tribute guy, it is not a "mod".
Like me and quite a few others, the guy is left-handed and just plays a regular Jazz Bass upside down (without reversing the strings, meaning the E is now at the bottom)
He had to move the pots so that they are not under his forearm.

I am a lefty and my teenage son plays my lefty basses upside down so I guess he'll get the ultra-cool label on this forum.

He cut the upper horn. It's a mod.

 

[izpak]

You guys are funny. In the case of this Devo tribute guy, it is not a "mod".
Like me and quite a few others, the guy is left-handed and just plays a regular Jazz Bass upside down (without reversing the strings, meaning the E is now at the bottom)
He had to move the pots so that they are not under his forearm.

I am a lefty and my teenage son plays my lefty basses upside down so I guess he'll get the ultra-cool label on this forum.

If you look closely (it's much easier to see it in post #49) but what used to be the top horn has been amputated and rounded off.

 

[J_Bass]

Tim Commerford installs these thumb rests on all his basses:

 

[Vinny_G]

The modified Rickenbacker from Roger Glover.