Assembling your own basses vs buying production basses vs modding

[Bobhmcs]

Hmmm. Not a post in almost 3 months. Well I am going to take a shot. Hi all I have been away for medical reasons but am back and need input.
I was bequeathed a box o stuff that includes a number of good pickups. A family member asked if I would upgrade her husband's American Professional Jazz Bass. Of course my response was "Why". The answer I received was "Because". Ok here is the dilemma. I have a set of CS '60 reissue, Geddy Lee MIM, V-Mod jazz, Yosemite Jazz, and Dimarzio 123 Model J. All brand new and unopened. I am not sure what originally came with this bass but from what I have read I am leaning to the V-Mods may have been what it came with. Now I really do not have much of a clue as to the differences between the group or their sound. If it was you what would you choose and why. I am on my bended knee here. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.
Bob

 

[JimmyM]

Hmmm. Not a post in almost 3 months. Well I am going to take a shot. Hi all I have been away for medical reasons but am back and need input.
I was bequeathed a box o stuff that includes a number of good pickups. A family member asked if I would upgrade her husband's American Professional Jazz Bass. Of course my response was "Why". The answer I received was "Because". Ok here is the dilemma. I have a set of CS '60 reissue, Geddy Lee MIM, V-Mod jazz, Yosemite Jazz, and Dimarzio 123 Model J. All brand new and unopened. I am not sure what originally came with this bass but from what I have read I am leaning to the V-Mods may have been what it came with. Now I really do not have much of a clue as to the differences between the group or their sound. If it was you what would you choose and why. I am on my bended knee here. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.
Bob

Glad you're doing better. The CS 60's are likely the best set you have IMHO. I know they're better than the V-Mods and Geddy pickups. Model J's are cool if he wants humbuckers with a whole lot of output, reduced brightness, and a really strong low mid and midbass response.

 

[Bobhmcs]

Glad you're doing better. The CS 60's are likely the best set you have IMHO. I know they're better than the V-Mods and Geddy pickups. Model J's are cool if he wants humbuckers with a whole lot of output, reduced brightness, and a really strong low mid and midbass response.

Thank you Jimmy. I was leaning towards the CS but just didn't know enough about the mix not to ask. Thank you for the kind words as well.
Bob

 

[Charlzm]

Glad you're doing better. The CS 60's are likely the best set you have IMHO. I know they're better than the V-Mods and Geddy pickups. Model J's are cool if he wants humbuckers with a whole lot of output, reduced brightness, and a really strong low mid and midbass response.

I have only ever owned one Fender, a Geddy Lee CIJ from 2000. I'm guessing it has the Geddy Lee pickups. What's wrong with them? How are the other pickups "better" than them? They sound fine to my ears, but I am admitting ignorance of Fender pickups.

 

[JimmyM]

I have only ever owned one Fender, a Geddy Lee CIJ from 2000. I'm guessing it has the Geddy Lee pickups. What's wrong with them? How are the other pickups "better" than them? They sound fine to my ears, but I am admitting ignorance of Fender pickups.

You must have missed the part that the Geddy pickups are from a MIM Geddy, not CIJ.

 

[N4860]

Hmmm. Not a post in almost 3 months. Well I am going to take a shot. Hi all I have been away for medical reasons but am back and need input.
I was bequeathed a box o stuff that includes a number of good pickups. A family member asked if I would upgrade her husband's American Professional Jazz Bass. Of course my response was "Why". The answer I received was "Because". Ok here is the dilemma. I have a set of CS '60 reissue, Geddy Lee MIM, V-Mod jazz, Yosemite Jazz, and Dimarzio 123 Model J. All brand new and unopened. I am not sure what originally came with this bass but from what I have read I am leaning to the V-Mods may have been what it came with. Now I really do not have much of a clue as to the differences between the group or their sound. If it was you what would you choose and why. I am on my bended knee here. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.
Bob

Of those, I would also go with the CS 60's. Those are the ones I went with for my latest jazz build and I couldn't be happier.

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

Why don't you sell all of those on Reverb, ask the guy what he really wants and find a screaming deal on that set...???

Ya know what I mean...

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

I just looked at the specs on that model and it has V-Mod's in it so there's one for the sale pile...

 

[Bobhmcs]

Why don't you sell all of those on Reverb, ask the guy what he really wants and find a screaming deal on that set...???

Ya know what I mean...

That is a very good idea and considered. He is very hard to connect with and getting him to sit down for 5 minutes is like pulling hens teeth. This is the husband of my other cousin(sister to the one that passed) and he is the (I don't know if this is appropriate), well let's just say he works in DA's office in the Bay Area. Thank you for the heads up on what that bass came with. Unless a conversation happens the CS '60s are it. Thank you all for your input it has been a huge help.
Pics to follow maybe.
Bob

 

[JBassDeluxe]

I’m glad to hear that you’re on the mend. I second the idea of finding out what he really wants tone-wise and selling off the surplus to get the ones he wants.

 

[Bobhmcs]

Just as a follow up. Pinning down my cousin's hubby is not going to be easy so I have gone in a different direction. Put him on a rear burner and made a offer on his bass and he can do whatever with what I pay for it. I have a Warmouth Jazz body coming I got for a stupid price from a private individual. Still wrapped and in the box. Going to install the CS 60's, a Mighty Mite neck I already have, a set of Grover Vintage tuners, a Hipshot Kickass Bridge, a custom 4 ply pickguard, a control plate with a custom volume bleed wiring harness and Schaller strap locks all topped off with Diaddadario chrome flat wounds. Then get whatever I end up paying for the Pro back. All for the price of that body as I had all the other parts from previous projects. Pics to come. I still have a bit of GAS for those CS pickups but I can always upgrade the Pro in the future. I am more of a Precision man than a Jazz man. That's just me. Plus I already own a Mahogany body Jazz. Weighs a ton but sounds saweet!
Thank you again for all of your input and suggestions. They were extremely appreciated.
Bob

 

[Malak the Mad]

There is another option here. Have luthiers build basses to your specifications. Boutique shops as well as Custom shops ie Fender do this with great results.

True, but that could be considered prohibitively expensive by some. Not all of us can justify dropping $2,000 or more for a single instrument. For people like myself, it's far more economical to source individual parts that meet my personal specs, or to extract said parts from used instruments, and assemble them into a working bass guitar. Not only is it very educational, it's kinda fun, too. I, for one, get quite a charge out of putting together something that doesn't exist "off the rack", especially when it cost way, waaaay less than $1,000.

Suffice it to say, I have way more parts-basses than straight up production instruments…

 

[SactoBass]

True, but that could be considered prohibitively expensive by some. Not all of us can justify dropping $2,000 or more for a single instrument. For people like myself, it's far more economical to source individual parts that meet my personal specs, or to extract said parts from used instruments, and assemble them into a working bass guitar. Not only is it very educational, it's kinda fun, too. I, for one, get quite a charge out of putting together something that doesn't exist "off the rack", especially when it cost way, waaaay less than $1,000.

Suffice it to say, I have way more parts-basses than straight up production instruments…

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Nice collection!

 

[cordsonbass]

4 years after completing the red bass, I decided to build another. This time it took me 1 week and a half. I did all the routing this time. It was my very first time using a hand router. Not bad if I do say so myself. The bass machine heads will be arrving tomorrow so I can string it up.
I'll might touch up on the black later. Despite it looking blue in the pictures, the color is deep turquoise.