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Bass mods, when does it cross the line?

What do you think of modding basses?

  • if it's your bass do what you want.

    Votes: 461 64.5%

  • Basses should never be modded.

    Votes: 13 1.8%

  • Some basses shouldnt be modded, it harms their value. The rest are fair game.

    Votes: 212 29.7%

  • Mod any bass except...

    Votes: 29 4.1%
  • Total voters
    715
#82
Darnell Jones said:
What would be a suitable punishment for what Jaco did to the bass?

And if it was OK for Jaco what if an even bigger celebrity/deity wanted to modify it would that be OK?
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It was OK for Jaco because at the time it was still an ordinary bass and Jaco was the "artist" who created upon it! And that gets the bass it's unique value.

Now the question of an "even bigger celebrity/deity" is a critical one, because there are artists who are wildly popular (fads) at a certain time but then are disregarded as just hacks later in history. And there are others whose stature just grows with time. So determining WHO is "bigger" is a problem. But assuming you COULD figure that out, does it still make sense?

I mean if Rembrandt slashed the Mona Lisa is that OK? Is the Mona Lisa now worth more because of the "mod"? Personally I doubt it, but then in ART there are no rules.
 
#84
ubermiguel said:
Mod any bass except...a rare or vintage piece.

Could everyone agree no mods are allowed to Jaco's Bass of Doom (for example)?

Interesting article about it here:
Invalid Link Removed

Or Leo's prototype for the P-Bass...hands off!

Or a mint stock 1951 P-Bass. Go buy a new one if you want to mod something.
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll admit...if there is such a line, this and only this would be it.
 
#87
I've had my Ric for 36 years and apparently lots of people would disapprove if I modded it. Well, too late, it already had a black scratchplate (it's a jetglo) when I bought it and I've 'modded' it further by taking the pickup cover off along with the bridge mute and lost them both over twenty years ago in ahouse move.

I've just adjusted the intonation and my patience with the devil's bridge has finally snapped, so a hipshot will be going on at the earliest opportunity.

I am also investigating various preamps, and if I can persuade an AGC EQ01 into the control cavity I'll buy one and that will be going in. I'm not likely to get a battery in there as well so I'll replace the stereo jack with an input for an external PSU.

If two of the East P-Retro's would fit I'd run a couple of them (unfortunately I don't think the Ric control cavity is deep enough).
 
#88
The ones that get me are the ones who buy a bass for $139, then swap in a set of $285 Nordstrand pickups, a $295 J Retro, a $150 Babicz bridge, a $100 set of Hipshot tuners, cool pearl knobs, a new pickguard, $90 set of TI strings, and so on.

Now you have a bass that sounds better and plays better than any bass ever made, and yet, you still have a bass worth $139.

Obviously I don't mod . . . other than strings!!!
 
#90
AH, Here's the kind of Ric purest I can relate to. My 4001 was born in 81, acquired new, with that Chris & Geddy tone resonating in my ears. Immediately out of the bag, the bridge cover (playability) and scratch plate (to black, desired with the deep fireglo) were removed. Having almost dropped it at several gigs came the dunlop straplocks, the OEM little strap buttons not worth the risk. Not long after came the realization that it could not be intonated - the bridge saddles were too far forward in the furthest rear position of the e & a strings, so arrived the badass ala geddy. Alas, I grew into my bass and began to define the sound that I wanted, not so much what I had heard. My rigs began to evolve, and so did my tone, and the shortcomings of the pickups held back the evolution. Along came Seymour Duncan and his wonderful bridge humbucker, quiet and powerful, while maintaining the Ric character. I soloed this pickup for ten years before the rigs evolved again from sweet clusters of tens to aggressive 12's, and I longed for the warmth of my EB-3L to be incorporated into the mix. The Model-1 was inserted up front and the Ric reached it's current strength, and has been that way for 15 years - no need for a preamp, the series parallel switches give me the color choices I need. BTW, when the Hipshot bridge arrived on the scene, I snatched it up right away - much cleaner appearance than the badass/pickguard surround detail and better adjustability still.

So, if the line to cross is the "don't change the original design regardless of the purpose", then it's my opinion that line is only appropriate to the instrument, and not the player. And not having read all of the responses above, I'll reiterate that alot of who we are influenced by have done so with their own creations or alterations, which have in some cases become production designs.

None of my other basses have gotten so much attention in the parts department.....none have warranted the exploration of tone, none have the history that my main bass has.

Make it your own.
 
#91
WoodyG3 said:
Who did that? I haven't seen anyone say you CAN'T do it, just that they think certain mods are a bad idea.
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Ok exacting word police.

I'll change it so you can understand:
I don't get why some people think they have a right to tell you what you SHOULD or SHOULDN'T do to your private property.

From the original post, "IMHO some basses just shouldnt be modded."

Can't, Shouldn't; Next let's argue about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. :rollno:
 
#96
bassbenj said:
It was OK for Jaco because at the time it was still an ordinary bass and Jaco was the "artist" who created upon it! And that gets the bass it's unique value.\
Click to expand...

But he was an unknown when he did it. And he even admits he didn't do it so it was some chump who defretted his bass not even the true deity/artist. It's getting so complicated I think I'll just make rules for my basses and leave the choice to others for theirs :)
 
#97
vince a said:
Now you have a bass that sounds better and plays better than any bass ever made, and yet, you still have a bass worth $139.
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Yeah but you have a bass that sounds better and plays better than any bass ever made. That's gotta be worth something to the right person?

Myself for example, I bought an OLP new for $115, got about $600 in it now and I wouldn't sell it for a $1000 since it's that great of a bass. And of course I wouldn't find a buyer willing to pay that much. :hyper:
 
#98
lfmn16 said:
Can't, Shouldn't; Next let's argue about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. :rollno:
Click to expand...

3

tootsie-pop-owl.jpg
 
#99
Any exceptionally rare or vintage bass... especially a once off or a 'legendary' axe should be left as is, unless it's to restore it to stock (assuming existing mods aren't part of it's legendary status).

Why? because it's not possible to replace it. If you want to mod something, get a newer, more replaceable model (not necessarily a cheap one) as you can start from scratch if you make a mistake.

Imagine wreaking a perfect 1961 P neck!
Get a good replacement, use that for modding and keep the original. You mightn't regret it, but you might regret it a loooot!
You can do reversible mods on delicate or irreplaceable instruments, but be careful. and definitely keep the original hardware.
 

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