Tell me more! I have two Fenders and two Music Mans (Music Men?) that might just need some of that action...
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Best bass mod ever for you?
- Thread starter Raman
- Start date
In the nineties I had a MIM jazz that had excellent playability. I eventually updated the pickups to the ‘64 Vintage Jazz, and then added an Aguilar OBP2. That bass satisfied my GAS for almost 10 years. In fact I was almost disappointed when I later bought a Fender American Jazz. You could tell it was better built, but it didn’t produce the tonage like the MIM with mods. At least the American Fender resold for a decent price, which the MIM most likely would not.
A Lane Poor pickup and Aguilar preamp in a late-90s Fernandes Tremor standard. Dunlop Straplocks. Hipshot and Badass bridges. Japanese Fender TBX tone pots on passive basses. Hipshot ultralight tuners on basses that don't come with them or better tuners. Rosewood nut and saddle on acoustic fretless. Defretting my 1988 Japanese Jazz Bass Special. Nordstrand pickups in my Fenders.
Putting Audere Pre-Amps in some of my Jazz Basses. I really like the Audere + Notdstrand pickup combo
best mod: additional precision pickup in bridge position
Adding EMG active pickups to any bass needing Nylon Tapewounds ( string ground is lost with tapewounds... )
Done many types of mods, but adding a ramp has made my life easier especially live and so the award goes to the ramp!
I swapped covers and pickguards on this one over the years. Most of the time covers would come off after one or two gigs.
Replacing the stock pickups in my MiM Fender PJ active deluxe, for the DiMarzio Model PJ set.
Is like a new bass now.
Is like a new bass now.
Depends on the brand.. Replacing Preamps,pickups,tuners,strap buttons,bridges,grounding,shielding,sanding the back of the neck for better playability,refret,shims,filing nut..
They all helped to bring a bass to the "Next Level" for me..
Make it what you want, you own it,not just what it is!
They all helped to bring a bass to the "Next Level" for me..
Make it what you want, you own it,not just what it is!
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Hipshot D-tuner.
Every 4 string I own gets one.
Every 4 string I own gets one.
I modded a cheap P once, with a Nord pickup and a Schaller bridge. The mod actually didn’t do much, but I wasn’t clear what I was trying to achieve, except to “upgrade.” 
Now I think twice before modding. Haven’t done a mod since then (but I do buy nicer basses to begin with). Instead, I started assembling parts basses to test my “ideas.” Most of these ideas turn out to be stupid, sparing my main bass(es). But it’s a lot of fun.
Top (potential) mods:
Now I think twice before modding. Haven’t done a mod since then (but I do buy nicer basses to begin with). Instead, I started assembling parts basses to test my “ideas.” Most of these ideas turn out to be stupid, sparing my main bass(es). But it’s a lot of fun.
Top (potential) mods:
- String change. While typically not considered a mod, it actually fundamentally changes how the bass sounds. Some strings are more expensive than other, “traditional” mods. I think this counts
- Mods that improve playability and/or setup-ability. Again, not necessarily your typical mod, but do what it takes. As far as I can tell, this is imo the most legit reason to change hardware (tuners, bridges)...
- Pickup change. Stick with the form (no routing), but go for a different design/architecture. Won’t do that much for a P bass, but many different designs come inside soapbar or MM shapes...
- Changes to passive electronics. They can do so much for so little money. Currently my favorite “mod”!
It had to be tort. (Sung to the tune of "It Had To Be You" – Isham Jones/Gus Kahn [1924])
Followed closely by some "bling" hardware.
Followed closely by some "bling" hardware.
Removed the stock PU cover from my Ric 4003 and installed one of those bezels. I've done other mods to other basses, but the bezel made the biggest difference to me ergonomically.
Lightweight tuners. You might be surprised how much more you enjoy playing a bass after installing them.
This. I’ve recently converted even by nicer basses to full passive and I wish I had done it years ago.
I would also add to the pile that I’m a huge fan of Luminlay side dots now and will get ‘em in any bass I buy now.
I've done many, but my hands down fave is stripping gloss poly from the back of a neck and treating it with Tru-Oil
I put a BadAss bridge on my Rickenbacker 4001 back in the late 1980s. The stock bridge was awful (and thoroughly debated here on TB). Back then, the BadAss was the only viable option. Today I probably would use the HipShot direct-replacement bridge. But I still have, play, and love that bass.
So now I find I prefer high-mass bridges. I bought the MIM Geddy Lee Jazz in part because it comes with a high-mass bridge. And I put a HipShot high-mass bridge on my Squier VM Jazz V; it really helped the B-string to be not-so-floppy.
Aside from strap locks, those are my only mods. (Note: I wouldn’t change a thing on my EBMM Sterling 4H.)
So now I find I prefer high-mass bridges. I bought the MIM Geddy Lee Jazz in part because it comes with a high-mass bridge. And I put a HipShot high-mass bridge on my Squier VM Jazz V; it really helped the B-string to be not-so-floppy.
Aside from strap locks, those are my only mods. (Note: I wouldn’t change a thing on my EBMM Sterling 4H.)
