Bass Mods... Seriously???

[TBird1958]

I would not transport my bass on a bicycle rack on my car like that I would be too nervous.

Not to worry, it's on a stand to have it's picture taken. My basses are always the last thing to go inside the car in the case when I go to a show.

Here's my other modified bass, it started life as a stock Epiphone Thunderbird in Custom Shop CAR. I stripped everything off and kept the body, new lefty neck and tuners, Allparts bridge, Seymour Duncan '51 P Bass pups potted into '76 Gibson covers, rewired VVTT with switch and A new Drinky Crow PG.

 

[gjohnson441496]

Not to worry, it's on a stand to have it's picture taken. My basses are always the last thing to go inside the car in the case when I go to a show.

Here's my other modified bass, it started life as a stock Epiphone Thunderbird in Custom Shop CAR. I stripped everything off and kept the body, new lefty neck and tuners, Allparts bridge, Seymour Duncan '51 P Bass pups potted into '76 Gibson covers, rewired VVTT with switch and A new Drinky Crow PG.

I like this one more than the other one. That maple neck with the block inlays, not to mention the lefty neck makes it unique and Hot!

 

[Watchootognbout]

This is my Wolf WTHB-7W.A seven string.I bought in November last year.I am in the process of "moding"it.

This is the best bass I've ever had.13.6 pounds of solid walnut!
But I gotta fiddle with it!

I have ordered gold bridges,gold knobs and gold Hipshot Ultralite tuners to replace all the black hardware.
Dark woods like walnut beg for gold hardware!

In a few months I'll drop in a set of Delano SBC 7 HE/S's.
Replace the noisy preamp with a ToneMonster SEB V.2 preamp.
Other than the upgrades,this is the best bass I've ever had.

I've always have modified basses.
They're always "Not quite there.Not quite ME"
For me,the perfect bass has not been made!

Plus,most of us don't have the funds to have a custom bass made.

 

[Malak the Mad]

You see, according to Cocteau's plan... I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy who likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I want high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-O all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener." You live up top, you live Cocteau's way: what he wants, when he wants, how he wants. Your other choice: come down here... and maybe starve to death.

Mellow greetings. What seems to be your boggle?

 

[JIO]

Thanks for the reply. I get it. It's just that I had one bass for 38 years and have only upgraded it once with the Aguilar OBP-3 preamp. The Jazz bass I recently bought sounds so good as is I have no intention of messing with it. I really wasn't expecting all this feedback I'm getting, although most of it, like yours, is really positive and has me at least looking into accessories other than amplifiers, cabinets and string replacement. I totally get the DIY spirit and the personalization.

On the other hand, I'm glad that I don't feel the need to mod because it seems, at least for some, it's a never ending quest. The obsession it seems would take away from actually playing the instrument.

Thanks again and keep having fun. I totally get that.

Your point is a pertinent one. If modding, for me it usually ends with having exactly what I want at that time. Most of the time that bass stays like that and that's that. On a couple of basses over time, they end up evolving in one way or another for a variety of reasons. Back in the day before all the vintage hysteria, I could only afford one bass and wanted it to be more tonally diverse. So like so many others then I added another pu and was very happy with what it sounded like. In retrospect it took it out of the 'collectors' value pool. Regrets? None whatsoever - it still sounds great and I have no plans to sell it any time soon. An instrument in general is organic and even one unaltered will evolve over time. To mod or not to mod - to each their own.

 

[JIO]

I cant for the life of me understand why its so popular in recent times to start a sentence with "to be honest" or "just being honest here" is it not a given that you are speaking the truth?! When I hear this I automatically think that everything else prior I heard this person say is untrue and dishonest.

I take it to mean that the speaker is about to dole out a blunt but frank statement that may not be well received or popular...thinking that if they say they're "just being honest" that it will somehow soften the blow or that you should reserve harsh judgement of their opinion.

honestly you two!

 

[2saddleslab]

When it comes to mods, I can't help myself.

Perfectly good original MIM Fender Cabronita.

After a visit to the laboratory. Much more to my liking. Not a mention a blast to work on.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Yeah, I like to Mod stuff....
I have modded two of my basses, my '97 L2500 Custom, where I can do Series/ Patallel/Coil Tap (these first-run L2500's only had Series/Coil Tap...no parallel).
I also had a Pensa/Suhr preamp installed...
I have a Dean Sledgehammer that was originally a single-pickup bass....now has two MM pickups.
I have also modded the crap out of a 1980 Camaro and an '89 Harley....(both now sold)....but yeah, I like to mod stuff...

 

[minimalist freedom]

I should also note my sectors have been slightly modded ie pickups and preamp and pickups. I will say 2ay long aago we opened for Winger and he himself told me he had one USA NS2. And his other two were NS2As that were modded with emgs. Currently i use a modded NS2A with Seymour Duncan's with the dipswitches. This things rocks and the neck profile is slimmer and body weight way less than a Euro which I owned previous. I will note I bought the bass in mint condition and a new hardshell case for 200. Pups for 40 dollars. If you can find even a ns2a this nice at this price then your in the gameView attachment 539452

 

[minimalist freedom]

I had an Aria with those pickups (my first bass that I sold) what are those pickups?

 

[Rebopmass]

I had an Aria with those pickups (my first bass that I sold) what are those pickups?

Seymour duncan apbs they have little eq switches in them. Dug from mingsx used to use them in all his basses. I have a few sets sold that bass. They sounded pretty good. Im not a big fan of red basses and have since gotten a teal ns2a and am in the process of getting a white one.

 

[Snakeman1066]

because 9 times out of 10 you can't find a certain color/style/parts combinations in an off the shelf stock bass...and why play what thousands of other bass players are playing...put your own stamp on it

 

[EricMordus]

While I may not mod my Musicman ever (well, perhaps, some day the pickup), I have heavily modded my Aerodyne to become exactly the bass I want it to be. I seriously don't see anything wrong with it, unless you plan on selling them, in which case, if possible, hold on to any original parts & restore them to spec.

That Aerodyne, however, is never going anywhere.

 

[Neon Blues]

I'm all for mods. Doing one right now.

What I wanted wasn't available off a shelf so did a parts bass with very minor mods.

I wanted a hot red PJ with a maple neck, block inlays.

I pretty much made a USA quality PJ which is perfect from parts for less than I can buy a RW Mexican.

 

[soulman969]

Is it just a hobbyist thing?

Hardly. It's all about taking something you already like and prefer and making it even better.

 

[Big Hoss]

Just being honest here. For the life of me I can't understand why anyone would buy a guitar with the intentions of modding it. I can understand if you had a bass for a while, years, and decided maybe I'll upgrade the pickups or whatever. But, to buy a bass with intentions to immediately mod it???? Why not just find the bass that you're looking for and be done with it? Lets say you spend $300.00 on a bass, buy another 300.00 worth of upgrades, and pay for labor on top of that. Why not just save the money and buy the bass you're after? I'm mostly referring to mods that effect sound or playability.
I don't know I just had to post this because I seriously don't get it. Is it just a hobbyist thing?

Simply put, more often than not what you want just isn't available. I'll give you my example.

When I bought my Squier Affinity Jazz Bass, I did so for 2 reasons, and they both related to the woodwork. I LOVED (and still do) the feel of the neck. The run of Affinity J's had well dressed frets, the neck is fast, and smooth as a baby's backside. I also like the slightly thinner body of the Affinity series, nice and light. And lastly, I wanted a Burgundy Mist Jazz, which the Affinity series was my only option.

Pickups wise, I wanted the Duncan Designed jazz pickups from the first generation Vintage Modified series. I just love the sound of them...

Bridge wise, I wanted a high mass bridge, but with a classic, brass touch of the Classic Vibe 60s bridge.

And lastly, OEM pickguards blow chunks in most cases.

To get what I wanted, I had to mod, I couldn't even try to pay the custom shop to get what I wanted. They just don't offer it...

My pending mod is on an SX Ursa 3. Simply put, I want a passive PJ bass in 3 tone sunburst, with an alder body, a fretless neck but with a maple fingerboard. I can get everything but the maple and Alder with the Squier Vintage Modified PJ Fretless, for $299.99, and it still wouldn't be right.

For $149.99 I can get an SX Ursa 3 RN ALD 3TS, and the neck is unimportant as I alredy have an SX Ursa 1 MN FL neck (Maple Fingerboard Fretless). The neck cost me $30.00

And lastly the pickguard. I am a big fan of antique white pearl on sunburst finishes. I can get a pickguard that requires VERY minimal trimming to fit for $12.00

So for less than $200.00, and with a little bit of my time, and effort, I get EXACTLY the instrument I want, instead of paying someone else a couple of grand to get what I want... I'm not that rich, and honestly I love tinkering...