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Breathing new life into my Squier.
- Thread starter thecapm
- Start date
heh heh heh......here's one thing you can do....
this is "The Carpenter's Daughter". she was a fender chinese-squier, I sanded all the plastic off, put on a light poly coat, switched out the chinese neck for a late 80's korean squier neck (SO much better!) hacked in a extra humbucker which has a seperate circuit/out. My goal was to make a unique sounding, feeling, and looking guitar/bass, with effects +rig that would be "full" enough to play alone with a drummer. I also wanted to make it look like it was made in shop class.(hence the name) (that's a masonite pickguard btw )It's tuned to D-A-E-B. and that's a banjo string on the end there
HOW SHE LOOKS NOW>
go here for past pics of her and my rig/effects
this is "The Carpenter's Daughter". she was a fender chinese-squier, I sanded all the plastic off, put on a light poly coat, switched out the chinese neck for a late 80's korean squier neck (SO much better!) hacked in a extra humbucker which has a seperate circuit/out. My goal was to make a unique sounding, feeling, and looking guitar/bass, with effects +rig that would be "full" enough to play alone with a drummer. I also wanted to make it look like it was made in shop class.(hence the name) (that's a masonite pickguard btw )It's tuned to D-A-E-B. and that's a banjo string on the end there
HOW SHE LOOKS NOW>
go here for past pics of her and my rig/effects
- strip it and refin - if the wood grain looks nice, add a nice oil finish or some sort of clear lacquer finish, otherwise have it painted something unordinary (I like the Seafoam green example here, not my bag, but nice to look at on someone else's bass). Metallic black with a white pearloid pickguard (and good luck with that paint job)!! - $300-500 I guess plus a lot of time and patience - most dramatic change
- add a J pickup and all new pots; I think there is a Dimarzio PJ set that is supposed to be well balanced, and the pots with wiring harness (including a phase switch) can be bought at Bayou Cables, Stewmac, etc. - $200 or less, if you buy used
- Bad Ass II or Gotoh bridge - $75 or less if you buy used
- new tuners!! shop around, regular fender tuners do not fit my Squier, the holes in the headstock are offset so the backs of the tuners do not sit beside each other well on the back of the headstock - try something with a small footprint, like the Gotoh tuners - $100 I'd guess or less if you buy used
- new strings, something you don't usuallyuse but have wanted to try out for a while. I find adding new/different strings is an often overlooked mod that is cheap to do and can *totally* bring new life to an old bass. - $17-75, depending on brand
- defret - no idea what it would cost or how hard it is to do yourself, but you can maybe find a used fretless neck somewhere and just use it instead. I wouldn't touch this mod with a 30' pole personally
- add a J pickup and all new pots; I think there is a Dimarzio PJ set that is supposed to be well balanced, and the pots with wiring harness (including a phase switch) can be bought at Bayou Cables, Stewmac, etc. - $200 or less, if you buy used
- Bad Ass II or Gotoh bridge - $75 or less if you buy used
- new tuners!! shop around, regular fender tuners do not fit my Squier, the holes in the headstock are offset so the backs of the tuners do not sit beside each other well on the back of the headstock - try something with a small footprint, like the Gotoh tuners - $100 I'd guess or less if you buy used
- new strings, something you don't usuallyuse but have wanted to try out for a while. I find adding new/different strings is an often overlooked mod that is cheap to do and can *totally* bring new life to an old bass. - $17-75, depending on brand
- defret - no idea what it would cost or how hard it is to do yourself, but you can maybe find a used fretless neck somewhere and just use it instead. I wouldn't touch this mod with a 30' pole personally
Or instead of the J pickup, you could add a MM pickup or reasonable facsimile. That would sound immense I bet.
I've found some guides. The typical time it seems like is about 2 hours to get the frets off, 2 hours of sanding, time for the filer to dry, then another 2 hours of sanding. I would totally do it.
I have modded several Squier P basses and plan on modding several more. The P is a good bass to mod since it is the bass that requires the least amount of soldering. I have also found that I like the Squier P pickup and the necks on the ones I have had have been nice.
For one of them I put a Fender double jazz pickup from an American Deluxe P in the bridge position and put in a genuine Fender wiring harness, I kept the Squier P because I actually really like the way they sound. I also replaced the bridge with a Wilkensen. I also replaced the white PG with a black to make it black on black.The tuners felt fine to me so I left them alone and kept the bass passive. This bass rocked and I regret ever selling it. It put me back about $200.00 for the mods and I sold it for around $275.00.
I am currently playing a modded Squier P bass with a G&L MFD humbucker in the bridge position and a Fender American P Bass Deluxe preamp. I swapped out the bridge for a nice Gotoh and replaced the PG with a cool carbon graphite fiber weave PG. That PG is cool and costs almost $100.00 new, I got it for $30.00. The neck on this bass is sweet and it absolutely has tone for days. I can go from L2000 spank to classic P bass grind in nothing flat and the fingerstyle and slap tones are very clear, growly and articulate. This bass I am keeping.
For one of them I put a Fender double jazz pickup from an American Deluxe P in the bridge position and put in a genuine Fender wiring harness, I kept the Squier P because I actually really like the way they sound. I also replaced the bridge with a Wilkensen. I also replaced the white PG with a black to make it black on black.The tuners felt fine to me so I left them alone and kept the bass passive. This bass rocked and I regret ever selling it. It put me back about $200.00 for the mods and I sold it for around $275.00.
I am currently playing a modded Squier P bass with a G&L MFD humbucker in the bridge position and a Fender American P Bass Deluxe preamp. I swapped out the bridge for a nice Gotoh and replaced the PG with a cool carbon graphite fiber weave PG. That PG is cool and costs almost $100.00 new, I got it for $30.00. The neck on this bass is sweet and it absolutely has tone for days. I can go from L2000 spank to classic P bass grind in nothing flat and the fingerstyle and slap tones are very clear, growly and articulate. This bass I am keeping.
I have a modded Squire P also.
I put a bad ass, new tuners, black pick guard (black on black now) and a Quarter Pounder in it (on it).
It totally rocks now, it's light as a feather (around 8 pounds), and is a blast to play...
I put a bad ass, new tuners, black pick guard (black on black now) and a Quarter Pounder in it (on it).
It totally rocks now, it's light as a feather (around 8 pounds), and is a blast to play...
I mod'ed a PJ for a friend of mine and he absolutely loves it! I placed Lakland pickups in it, routed out the body for a battery box and LH3 preamp, added hipshot tuners, and refretted the neck with smaller gauge fretwire. The only other mod I would've done would"ve been to change the bridge, although not neccesary. I will say, it was tough letting him have that bass back. It sounded like a beast and played like a dream.
BTW, this friend is a well respected member of TB with some 30 years of playing experience. He definately knows his basses, so for him to dig this bass it says alot!
Maybe he'll chirp in to give his $.02.
BTW, this friend is a well respected member of TB with some 30 years of playing experience. He definately knows his basses, so for him to dig this bass it says alot!
Maybe he'll chirp in to give his $.02.
Does anyone know of any guides for installing LEDs in a bass? I'm sure I could figure out how to put them in, but I'm trying to figure out the power source.
