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Anybody have anti modding fever?

#21
Depends on the bass.

I LOVE buying junkers and then pretty much straight away replacing the input jack with a new one, and full-size CTS pots for the dime-sized cheapies found in many basses. It doesn't make the bass SOUND any different (maybe a little) but it does give a big boost to the "operational reliability" of it.
And new strings. Wanna give the instrument a fighting chance to show it's inherent colors first.
Oh, and maybe straplocks if I'm going to play it a lot.
 
#23
I'm not much of a tinkerer so I tend to buy something that works for me as-is. But I don't hold anything against those order replacement parts before they get their new bass in hand, either.

Plus, there's a difference (IMO) of swapping out a bridge or tuners, and swapping out a neck or body. One is modding, the other is reconstructing.
 
#25
wshines1892 said:
I'm just wondering if there's anyone else who just pulls it out of the box, sets it up, and let's it speak for itself?
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I do. The only change I often make is strings, since I'm a flats player and most come with rounds. but once flats go on it, I don't ever change them.

I'm interested in hearing what a bass was designed and equipped to sound like by the builder - so I play them the way they were built.

I recently bought a '64 EB-0 that had a BA bridge on it, was missing the original mudbucker and had a Dimarzio Model 1 installed near the bridge. I found the original bar bridge in the case, yanked that BA off and sold it, re-installed the original bridge (which intonates just fine, thanks), found a correct mudbucker and installed it. The bass is as close to original as I can make it. I eliminated the tone control and used the mounting hoes for the pots for independent volume controls for the mudbucker and the Dimarzio. I also installed Labella Deep Talkin' flats.

The result:

PB070018.jpg
 
#28
When a string breaks, lets go or just plain disentegrates, I change that one only. Does that count as a mod? ;) Tone is very important to me but I just don't look at changing my basses as a way to achieve. I prefer to play with eq or buy different amps which allows me to quickly A/B any differences.
 
#29
I think it depends on the brand. Were I to buy a new Fender, I'd seriously look at replacing the P'ups since Fender pickups are mass produced and are just not as good as small builders like Nordstrand.

However, some brands seem perfect out of the box: EBMM seems that way to me - and they are hardly more spendy than Fenders. Heck, compare ANY brand new stock Fender P or J to a EBMM Stingray or Sterling - - thinking about it makes me wonder why anyone bothers to buy a Fender...

But there are plenty of higher end basses that I wouldn't mess with: Lakand, Sadowsky, Zon (of course, I'm having a new preamp installed in a passive Zon even as I type, so shame on me!). But of the more mass produced instruments - Ibanez/Fender - sure. Pickups for sure.
 
#30
I find myself wanting to mod my basses, but not going through with it. I always wonder if I’d like different pups more, how it would change the sound, etc. However, there are a couple of things that always keep me from doing it.
First, I’m always very wary of buying things without hearing them. Which makes me pose a question: if you have switched pups, how did you know which ones you wanted? It’s not like you can go to the store and try them out first. I understand you can listen to sound clips, etc, but that doesn’t mean that they’re going to sound the same in your bass. Do you just do it based on word of mouth? I’ve often wondered this.
Second, I’m generally pretty happy with the sound that I have as is. Could I possibly make it better? Yeah, probably, but it sounds pretty killer as is, and any changes I would want to make in terms of changing EQ, I’ll either do on my amp, or my DI box that I use in my chain.
I may make some cosmetic changes, but at the most that’s going to be pickguard, maybe knobs, throw some inlay stickers on the neck or something…
 
#31
#33
The school of thought of "Why not just buy what you want and leave it?" is flawed. I bought a Squier P for less than 100 bucks, and then found some American standard Fender pickups on Ebay for like 10 bucks. I also swapped the white PG for a mint one. Then one of the pots went all scratchy and died, so I swapped those out for a couple CTS's I found for around 12 bucks after shipping.

So, for less than $150, I've got a P-bass with real American Fender electronics and it looks really good. Why on earth would I spend over a thousand dollars on something I can (almost) replicate for 150? I have never been in the financial position to spend over a grand on a bass, and I don't want to finance one, so what's wrong with building my own?
 
#34
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.;10137191 said:
In 24 years of playing bass, the only mod I've made to an instrument is this.
Click to expand...
I love my EMG P/Js. :D It's also the only mod I've ever done outside of strap locks. And I only did it because the Aguilar on-board in my Spector Rebop was buzzing like crazy. (And, well... I did miss the tone of my P/J that I gave away.)
Going forward, I might mess with the tone control on my MIA Jazz someday -- don't like that it does nothing 90% of the turn.
 
#35
Modding is personal preference - I modded my MIM Fender Jazz Roadworn with a few of the usual suspects (schaller straplocks, black pickguard, and BAII Bridge). I don't think those changes make it anyless of a Fender Jazz. I've never modded my Laklands and after a few years of owning my MM Stingray, I think its finally time to do a pup swap.

I tend to think that mods are subject to the needs (and sometimes the ear) of the player.
 
#36
wshines1892 said:
I've seen people posting all about their uber modified basses. They seem to have the idea that they have to change a bunch of stuff about it as soon as they get it, like new pickups, a tort guard, BAII bridge, CTS pots and orange cap, etc.

I seem to be in the opposite school. I'll drive it until the doors fall off as it were, and only replace a part once it's stopped functioning. For instance, the volume pot has finally stopped functioning as it should on my '92 precision and the saddle screws are boogered up somehow on the bridge. These parts have been on it since it came out of the factory, and I'm finally replacing them 18 years later.

I'm just wondering if there's anyone else who just pulls it out of the box, sets it up, and let's it speak for itself?
Click to expand...
Sometimes. If the bass sounds good and plays well as is I might leave it alone, but I'm usually trying to get a particular tone that I can't find in the basses at GC, or they're too expensive for me.

My best bass right now is an Ibanez BTB 4-string. Mahogany body, maple/bubinga neck and it originally came stock with USA Barts and Bart preamp. I replaced the pups with Nordstrand Big Splits, the pre with an Audere pre, and the strings are TI flats - it sounds much better to my ears now.
 
#38
My two main basses are stock Squier P-Basses (one 4-string with split-coil, on 5-string with two single coils). I've received multiple compliments on the tone of these basses, and I love the feel and look of them both.

I've been considering throwing a set of Fender MIM Jazz V pickups in the 5-string, as it has dramatically reduced B-string response.

Other than that, I'm a happy man :D
 

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