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Bass modifications...why?

#121
Planespotter said:
Sometimes otherwise great instruments have big shortcomings that need to be addressed. The tilt-0-matic bridge on my '70 EB-3L comes to mind.
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
MAIN REASON here also.

Got the "stupid mods" phase of life done in the early 70's, one of which included destroying a 67 P by adding a Gibson mudbucker at the neck, Ric bridge pickup at the rear, a 3 way strat switch, and a pound of lead epoxied under the bridge. It killed but weighed a ton....something you shoulders and backs don't worry about. I had not heard of or seen Billy Sheehan at that time but it's ok b/c we're facebook friends.

Now?
Only improvements.....usually.
The bridge replacement mentioned above, replacing dud pickups in budget basses(well-made with good "tone woods") with Seymour Duncans or Dimarzios, adding shielding, correcting neck angle with shims, and other play or sound-improving mods.
Only 2 full-on BIG MODS going on currently:
1) Refinishing a budget SG bass clone to copy a multi-thousand dollar custom Texas Flag bass
2) Putting the neck and bridge from a Steinberger clone onto an Epi T-Bird body complete with 60's copy pickups. They'll never make one so you have to do it yourself. Neck dive?
Minor mods: got a LOT of 60's Gibson T-Bird pickup and ring copies recently that will be scattered into various basses that have lame-sounding pickups...to improve sound and eye-appeal.
 
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#122
Why? Looking at all the posts; probably as many reasons as there are bass players. I also tend to leave mine alone (mostly); but there are a couple of mine that fell into the "serious component upgrade" category. Also, a couple that need repairs, and will get some upgrades, too. I put the push-pull bridge tone pot in both my Ricks; new ones have it; it works relly nice (IMO); so, why not? And, my '94 Gretsch Broadkaster is an absolutely beautiful, extremely well made bass; but the tiny, dime-sized pots are crap (the teeny-tiny wiring isn't anything to write home about, either); and the ceramic magnet, faux Filtertron pick ups? Please, don't get me started on those abominations... Mostly, though, for me? It's usually just better tuners (I like Schallers), if I think they're needed; and a better nut. I also have one or two basses that I bought just so I could mess around, and modify them - purely in the spirit of scientific inquiry, you understand...:whistle:
 
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#125
My experience in modding comes from hard times in find stock instruments that suit me perfectly. I mean, I like big fat solid body, let's say P bass, with modern feel to them, in the form of string tru body (don't want to enter the whole attack/sustain story, I just like the "playability" more) and possibly big output pu. But sometimes they can be very expensive. So, few days ago I found a MIM P with really nasty cracks on the body, so I embarked in a relic journey by myself, I'll eventualy put its neck to a Squier Body (maybe PJ, after some advices from you guys) and vice versa and make it string tru (by rouitng the body) + SD Pickups (Quarter Pound PJ Set).
 
#127
People mod there basses because they want to improve them from what they are either soundwise, looks or ergonomically. If people are happy with what they have them cool. I have one bass that I modded myself from scratch and I did it because I wanted to make it sound better and hum less. Most of my other basses came modded when I bought them.
 
#127
People mod there basses because they want to improve them from what they are either soundwise, looks or ergonomically. If people are happy with what they have them cool. I have one bass that I modded myself from scratch and I did it because I wanted to make it sound better and hum less. Most of my other basses came modded when I bought them.
 
#128
Kinda like OP my early years where buy and use because i was too broke, then i hit the point i could afford what i wanted and when i found it i dumped the rest. I quit music for a number of years and when i started back i grabbed a sweet playing little MIM j bass to keep from dragging old faithful out to unknown places. I quickly discovered my little MIM bridge had problems with my playing style when it came to keeping strings in place, so i got a babicz bridge to solve that problem. After a while i began to have trouble getting the sound i wanted so i installed a set of dimarzio pups and solved that problem.
I'm semi retired and after doing that little bit i got bit by the tinker bug, so these days it's rare i'm not piddling with a bass project. Buy a used one, clean it up, mod it a little, then sell it. As long as i break even i'm GTG.
 
#129
baltodoc said:
I've been playing bass since I was 8 years old and I'm now in my 60's. I notice that many, many players make modifications to their basses. I've never had anything but stock basses in all those years. I realize I'm old school, but what is it that you're after that you can't get out of a stock instrument?
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I've never modified any of my guitars: acoustic, bass or electric. I've repaired a guitar with similar parts but only because a part was broken. I'll try out different strings though.
 
#131
Because I never buy "premium" or new instruments ( been there and ultimately let down....even custom builds ). I've found that most every instrument has potential. Especially if you really know what works for you and what you like. New pickups and a proper set up fixes ALOT of issues. Hardware for the most part is easy and a cost effective upgrade as well if no routing is involved
 
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#132
Although I've only done visual modifications to mine so far, which is obviously a way of personalizing and making it fit your visual taste, I strongly consider upgrading the pickups on it too.

The reason for modifications like that is either the same as above, to make it sound more like you and achieve a sound closer to what you pictured with your minds eye, or to improve the quality of the stock hardware.

As my preffered bass in an Ibanez Mikro that usually is to be found for as cheap as around 180$, the sound of it, although surprisingly well for that price, leaves a little more to wish for.

And that is why I do plan on swaping the pickups out with some quality ones at some point.

Now you could ask: "Why not just buy a bass with better pickups in the first place?", and for me it's simple to answer:

It's hard to come along 28,6" scale quality basses and the Ibanez Mikro just feels perfect to play on in my hands.

Anyway, here's the visual mods I've done to my bass:

4grnr6.jpg


And here's how it looks from stock:

lg_GSRM20BK.gif
 
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#134
Tone first. Love the feel, hate the sound!!
Function second. I hate repetitive tasks like hooking on a strap; let's have it just stay there!
Aesthetics third. Can I get a little bit of personality here?
Creativity fourth. Just why CAN'T I turn this 4-stringed Yamaha into a 5-stringed custom Stingray HH? Watch me!
Experimentation: will this Hipshot drop tuner save me time and embarrassment on stage?

Etc...
 
#135
Replace tuners to reduce weight and increase balance, replaced pickups to create a combo not otherwise available, and replaced bridges to ones my dad made, which I prefer. Plus, I enjoy working on them and making them my own.
 
#136
Modified Aerodyne P-Bass

Modified Aerodyne P-Bass


This is probably my most modified instrument. It's a Japanese Fender Aerodyne P-Bass which I bought new somewhere around 10 years ago. I've done quite a few modifications to it over the years...

First, I replaced the stock white pickguard with an anodized aluminum one just for looks, replaced the Precision knobs with Jazz knobs because I prefer both the feel of them as well as the visual indicators, and added a pickup cover which is my preference with Fenders.

A few years later, I removed the J-pickup wiring as I only ever use the P-pickup, moved the tone control to the 2nd pickup volume position, and put a top-loading input jack in the 3rd hole in the pickguard as I generally dislike side-loading inputs (the side jack is still there, but disconnected).

More recently, I acquired a fretless Precision neck which I mounted on the bass - that was not the greatest fit, as the Aerodyne bodies are much slimmer than typical P-basses and the pocket is shallower, but with a shim I managed to make it play quite nicely.

Where would I be able to find a bass like this without having done these mods myself?
 
#139
saltydude said:
View attachment 777145 View attachment 777147 I relocated the pickup on my Ernie Ball MM because it interfered with a style of slap I preform down near the bridge. I made a aluminum insert complete with thumb rest to fill the void. Still plenty of tone variables. I'm just on the knob a little more often than before.

Edit:BTW I was hoping the body was routed for two pickups but being a SUB it wasn't so I did all the work body, pick guard & insert piece on a Bridgeport. Made a jig and everything. Wish I took more pictures. Fortunately at least the wires were long enough I didn't have to do any circuitry work.
Click to expand...

Interesting - I've never seen anyone slap near the bridge
 

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