Best bass mod ever for you?

[Cage]

Which? Replacing which? On which instrument?

I say burn that witch

 

[LowEndOperative]

Chrome knobs to replace the black ones on my Ray35, 2 tort guards by Pickguardian, other than that, not much.

 

[zon6c-f]

Hi,

I've never altered my instruments, although I've thought about it often. Switch pickups, add a knob, having the body redone completely in a different wood, etc.

For those who have modded stock instruments, I'd love to hear what was the best improvement that you've ever made to a bass.

Replace original stock strings with Rotosound Swingbass 66 round wounds!

 

[Magthegrate]

I have a dead spot on my P bass, 7th fret, G string.

May I ask what you used for the string T?

Thanks!

If you’re looking for permission to mod your bass, you’ll find lots of encouragement here.

Any aspect of a bass is fair game. Try whatever. If you get an idea from the forum, get on it and make it so. A tiny example of that is replacing the Fender headstock button with something non-resonant. Takes out the distinctive Fender ring and evened out the G string dead spot.

View attachment 3233687


You’ll never know if you don’t try.

 

[saabfender]

It's a neoprene faucet washer, backed by a small flat washer and slightly longer screw.

 

[Magthegrate]

It's a neoprene faucet washer, backed by a small flat washer and slightly longer screw.

Thanks! I was actually considering routing out a small hole under my tuners on the back of the headstock to add a few ounces of weight. I've heard that can help, and it's well within my woodworking wheelhouse to do well. However, I'd prefer a less invasive approach first!

 

[1bassplayinfool]

Why the threaded bridge? Just asking, as ivI'been debating a bridge swap on my jazz for awhile...

String spacing to line up with pickups, plus the look.

 

[EtoBb]

Here ya go.
View attachment 3234530

That thing looks rad!

 

[Bassist Jay]

Hi,

I've never altered my instruments, although I've thought about it often. Switch pickups, add a knob, having the body redone completely in a different wood, etc.

For those who have modded stock instruments, I'd love to hear what was the best improvement that you've ever made to a bass.

I am a huge Nordstrand Audio fan. I love everything that Carey builds, from his instruments, to his pickups, to his pre-amps to his effects pedals.

I was very blessed to sign an endorsement deal with Nordstrand, I think around 3 years ago? But, even if I had never signed that deal, Nordstrand pickups are the only pickups that I will use in my basses. All of my new basses either get ordered with Nordstrand’s or if I buy a bass that has something else, that is the first thing swapped out.

The other big upgrade that I believe in doing if an instrument is made overseas, especially if made in China, is swapping out the tuning keys and if needed, bridge too. In recent years, ever guitar or bass that I have played that was made in China, had awful tuning keys. It was impossible to accurately tune the instruments because there was so much play in the heads. You go to tighten the strings, and the head moves before the gears engage. Same with loosening the strings. There is play in the head, before the gears engage.

With bridges made overseas, I have found that it is hit and miss. I have been told by several people, that stuff made overseas and especially in China, all metal parts and copper wiring for pickups, has tin mixed in with the metals or copper. They do this to save on material cost but in turn, it also reduces the quality of the component.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Fender Jazz Neck onto a P-Bass.

P-bass neck onto a Jazz.

Great for my large, but rather stubby hands...

 

[eban3]

i once made a canoe paddle out of a vox hollow body teardrop does that count?

 

[KohanMike]

I can't pick just one of the mods I've had done, so here are all of them.

 

[Fair Warning]

Completely stripping and refinishing Fender Ps and Js

 

[Magthegrate]

I can't pick just one of the mods I've had done, so here are all of them.

Have you ever refinished one of the hollow body Hadean ukes? How well does the body stand up to sanding? I'd be dying black, and then sanding back a couple of times before dying a color.

 

[KohanMike]

Have you ever refinished one of the hollow body Hadean ukes? How well does the body stand up to sanding? I'd be dying black, and then sanding back a couple of times before dying a color.

I haven't because all my finish work is done by Pat Wilkins, but never changed the finish of one. As far as I know the Hadean acoustic basses are laminate so I would think there's a limit to the sanding it can take.

 

[bassbenj]

Chrome knobs to replace the black ones on my Ray35, 2 tort guards by Pickguardian, other than that, not much.

Yes, I've done quite a few pickguard by Pickguardian mods, and love the way it tweaks out the looks of my cheap SX basses (such as tort in Avatar). But even better than that was when I added pickguards to my 3 G&L L2500 which come from the factory pickguardless. New guards are just stuck on with double sided tape so you can swap guards around or even take them off for classic look.

But my most successful mod was the conversion of some SX from fretted to fretless by replacing fingerboard with ebony. (also avatar)

 

[micgtr71]

What's the ramp for? I've never heard of this.

It follows the radius of the strings and allows for a quicker recovery on the string. It’s like plucking over the fingerboard

 

[twinjet]

What's the ramp for? I've never heard of this.

Check out Gary Willis, he's big on 'em. He gets some crazy fast plucking using a ramp.

Here ya go.

View attachment 3234530

Looks like a sexy hybrid of Wal, G&L and Fender. Me likey.

 

[ofajen]

I really don’t think of it in terms of “best”. My mods have largely targeted issues that really needed to be resolved and got the job done:

Wishbass issues - My approach

In brief, humbucking J solves hum issue, ground wire for strings solves buzz issue, and graphic EQ compensates for close bridge pickup location.

If P, then Q!

In brief, added Q-filter expands range of tones, three string tree keeps A string under control, Fender flats sound better than lousy SX stock strings (and I mess with shape of the headstock.)

Too Funny... Ripper running on 1 1/2 pickups all these years

In brief, not really a mod, I simply had Tom Brantley rewire the Ripper’s bridge pickup because one coil had been dead and out of the circuit for over thirty years until I happened to notice it.

Otto

 

[mustBmtd]

Just finished, now at 8:15pm. Reed James Neo EMG style pickups and ACG/John East Preamp