Best aesthetic mod is changing pickguards. Easy and cheap and can turn an average looking bass into a beautiful piece of gear.
Another aesthetic mod is I like is adding a bridge cover to a P-bass. Gives it a nice vintage look. Its easy and inexpensive.
Simplest aesthetic mod I often do... change pickguard screws from chrome to black.
Best bang-for-the-buck mod to nearly any bass is changing strings. Put on those flats and thump away, or those chromes. Whatever string you like. Factory strings are mostly junk.
Best functional mod for me is changing the bridge. The 3-point bridge on my Gibson Thunderbird was impossible to adjust the way I wanted. I bought and installed a hipshot bridge and was able to dial in the string height exactly as I wanted. Turned a decent bass into my favorite!
Pickups ... well I've had mixed luck with these. I see so many posts about changing stock pickups, but the truth is most iof the time I do this I figure out later that the stock pickups were as good or better. I changed the pickups in my Geddy Lee Jazz to QPs and it turned it into a thump master and killed all of its natural jazz bass character. I eventually changed back to the originals and couldn't be happier. I changed the pickups on a Fender Mustang PJ to "Fender Original P-Bass pickups" and it was definitely an improvement. Advice ... always keep the original pickups in case you ever want to sell the bass.
I see endless posts about upgrading the "electronics". Mostly changing pots to CTS. Unless your pots are scratchy, and you've already tried contact cleaner and it didn't work, I don't see the point. I've done it and it makes no difference generally.
Changing to switchcraft input jack? I only do this if I have a jack issue.
Another aesthetic mod is I like is adding a bridge cover to a P-bass. Gives it a nice vintage look. Its easy and inexpensive.
Simplest aesthetic mod I often do... change pickguard screws from chrome to black.
Best bang-for-the-buck mod to nearly any bass is changing strings. Put on those flats and thump away, or those chromes. Whatever string you like. Factory strings are mostly junk.
Best functional mod for me is changing the bridge. The 3-point bridge on my Gibson Thunderbird was impossible to adjust the way I wanted. I bought and installed a hipshot bridge and was able to dial in the string height exactly as I wanted. Turned a decent bass into my favorite!
Pickups ... well I've had mixed luck with these. I see so many posts about changing stock pickups, but the truth is most iof the time I do this I figure out later that the stock pickups were as good or better. I changed the pickups in my Geddy Lee Jazz to QPs and it turned it into a thump master and killed all of its natural jazz bass character. I eventually changed back to the originals and couldn't be happier. I changed the pickups on a Fender Mustang PJ to "Fender Original P-Bass pickups" and it was definitely an improvement. Advice ... always keep the original pickups in case you ever want to sell the bass.
I see endless posts about upgrading the "electronics". Mostly changing pots to CTS. Unless your pots are scratchy, and you've already tried contact cleaner and it didn't work, I don't see the point. I've done it and it makes no difference generally.
Changing to switchcraft input jack? I only do this if I have a jack issue.
