Unorthodox I know. It all has to do with palming the bridge to control the strings mid pop.
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Bass modifications...why?
- Thread starter baltodoc
- Start date
Unorthodox I know. It all has to do with palming the bridge to control the strings mid pop.
Yeah.... I play with old cars too... When I was a teenager all I wanted to do was add the latest and greatest "performance" equipment. Now forty years later I worry about how "original" a new component is.... But my personal hot rod is all about the "performance" equipment..... But back in the 70's & 80's I tinkered with all my instruments, But I had time, energy and ambition then too.... I marvel at some of the guys on here that modify their amps and circuitry and such. Wish I had that electronics "gene".
What, you mean one of these? Any Harley owner (me included) will tell you its not a motorcycle; it's a place to put all your chrome goodies, and accessories...since I bought it new, I've spent at least as much on my Sportster as it cost originally; and I'm not quite finished...
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A pick holder. I await the day where I build a custom guitar with one built in flush with the body. That and my last name is Stark.
People are arrogant and they think they know better than the original designers.
Some mods I've done (tummy relief) have been great improvements. But most have been just wasting time trying to apply my Superior Intelligence to a design that was already pretty well thought out.
I bought a Bronco Bass not too long ago. I decided that I Will Never Change Anything On This Thing. Out of the box, this $100 (used) bass sounds better than most of the basses on most of the videos I've seen. And it is just a dream to play.
Some mods I've done (tummy relief) have been great improvements. But most have been just wasting time trying to apply my Superior Intelligence to a design that was already pretty well thought out.
I bought a Bronco Bass not too long ago. I decided that I Will Never Change Anything On This Thing. Out of the box, this $100 (used) bass sounds better than most of the basses on most of the videos I've seen. And it is just a dream to play.
A good question.
As you no doubt know, all of this came about in the '60s when the most popular basses in the world (Fender Ps & Js) were everywhere - and some players thought that they lacked some features. The necks & bodies were A-Okay, but the electronics & hardware were lacking. Interestingly, Fender has *never* made electronics that make all players happy - so it's still pretty normal for someone to buy a new P or J bass and immediately replace the pickups. Funny, really - Fender *has* tried - but they'd do better to offer 3rd party pickups for an upcharge, I think.
Slinging on chrome blivets and billet aluminum gegaws isn't modifying, it's accessorizing.
Modifying is painting, suspension work, jetting, machining, welding, ad nauseum.
The difference is vast.
In many cases the original designers are trying to appeal to mass market which often means common denominator and sometimes even lowest common denominator. I will quite happily leave building of the basic platform to the experts, but when it comes to electronics I don't think knowing what I need and how to achieve it makes me arrogant.
I bought my first bass, a Jazz SX Vintage, almost year ago. The day it arrived I found, thanks to this website, the bass I wanted - a signed Sire Marcus Miller V7. The V7 I'm leaving stock; the Jazz SX I bought because I wanted to make it into a P/J & learn more about guitars. I did not anticipate loving a $150 bass - I wanted to not feel guilty about making a mistake on the SX, but I scored a quality instrument. I found a Babciz FCH bridge for $20, an Ampeg BA-108v1 amp for $45, and I want to add threaded inserts in the neck, add copper shielding, & upgrade the wiring. I'm seriously thinking about getting a third bass & hacking into it first
. Throw in a few books, a $20 leather strap & a new matched pair of pickups, & I'm still well under the $1k estimate. Now, I will lose a lot of time I could have used learning the fingerboard, but I will learn about the guitar & how it sounds the ways it can sound. I just have to watch out I don't spend my free time tinkering with, & trying to build, amps (and buying instruments).I took a similar approach with my cars, I want to know how they work. I'm not cleaning Pistons, but I will do a tune-up. Obviously I enjoy working with my hands & seeing how things work, & I recognize not everyone else does. However, I do feel good when I can hear my engine idle & know I found the vacuum leak. I can save up & order an Alembic (it'll take me a Long time to build one), and maybe I will, but modding a bass will help me know what I want, & what I don't, in a $x x10^3 bass. Hopefully along the way I will become a better player.
i got really into modding my lower tier fender basses, but my usa g&ls haven't really required it, or maybe i'm just older, cheaper, and lazier now
madbass6
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hey.. thats kool!! but I think you're a little late for the party.. this topic was months ago . infact im very surprised this topic is still open.I bought my first bass, a Jazz SX Vintage, almost year ago. The day it arrived I found, thanks to this website, the bass I wanted - a signed Sire Marcus Miller V7. The V7 I'm leaving stock; the Jazz SX I bought because I wanted to make it into a P/J & learn more about guitars. I did not anticipate loving a $150 bass - I wanted to not feel guilty about making a mistake on the SX, but I scored a quality instrument. I found a Babciz FCH bridge for $20, an Ampeg BA-108v1 amp for $45, and I want to add threaded inserts in the neck, add copper shielding, & upgrade the wiring. I'm seriously thinking about getting a third bass & hacking into it first
I took a similar approach with my cars, I want to know how they work. I'm not cleaning Pistons, but I will do a tune-up. Obviously I enjoy working with my hands & seeing how things work, & I recognize not everyone else does. However, I do feel good when I can hear my engine idle & know I found the vacuum leak. I can save up & order an Alembic (it'll take me a Long time to build one), and maybe I will, but modding a bass will help me know what I want, & what I don't, in a $x x10^3 bass. Hopefully along the way I will become a better player.
That's how we roll in the East Coast - parties don't start before 1AM
. Shoot, New Yorkers don't leave the house before 1 - I'm surprised when I see a party start thinning out at midnight. But my Grandmother told me to never be the 1st at a party, & never be the last out the door: if the party was over, then please excuse me beating a dead horse.
Noob question: did NoBlackTShirts post at 8:45PM on St. Patrick's Day? I'm looking at a smaller font on the bottom of the post, next to the Report & Bookmark links.
madbass6
Inactive
- Jan 13, 2009
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Yeah this topic was a wile ago.. but Kool welcome in dude !!That's how we roll in the East Coast - parties don't start before 1AM
But my Grandmother told me to never be the 1st at a party, & never be the last out the door: if the party was over, then please excuse me beating a dead horse.
Noob question: did NoBlackTShirts post at 8:45PM on St. Patrick's Day? I'm looking at a smaller font on the bottom of the post, next to the Report & Bookmark links.
OP, I am 100% with you.
I've never understood why folks don't just buy a bass that looks, sounds and feels like they want it to in the first place.
Of course my 20-something son tweaks and modifies virtually everything he owns, so maybe it is a generational thing.
Picking up on an early post: John, Do you recall which tuners you got and how did the hole alignment work out? I hope your mods turned out OK. Thx, Tom
