cheap bass upgrade or look elsewhere?

[NormM]

I got back into regular playing this year, after a long time off... I play out pretty much every week, mostly contemporary Christian music, and some jazz. I have been getting by with a Johnson J-bass, which has been surprisingly workable. Just to be able to play the thing (in public), I installed a set of EMG active pickups and controls. I still have not been able to get the sound I really want, but for now it's working. It actually looks pretty good for what it is - not a bad job on the sunburst, and with the basic white pickguard. As I have been redeveloping my chops, I have discovered more of this bass's limitations. The biggest problem is the neck. There are some dead spots, and it just does not respond evenly accross the strings. Also I have to keep the action quite high as the fretwork and construction are not very good. My question is this:

Would it be worth it at all to get a high-quality replacement neck, and maybe a bridge? Or should I just look for a new instrument? If I don't try to keep this going, I have been considering building a bass using a Warmoth neck, maybe a Gecko.

 

[honestjohnny]

You can certainly get a nice neck that will mate to the J body, particularly if it can be made to fit your neck pocket route, and mess around with different pickups to get a sound you like--that's probably the least expensive solution. An additional benefit is that if you like the neck, electronics, and hardware, but down the line you decide the body is a weak link, you can replace that too and have a 100% custom bass, spreading the cost out over time.

OTH, a custom bass is a thing of beauty that will give you a look, feel, and sound that is uniquely yours. More costly though

 

[smogg]

Any excuse to get a new bass will work. Let the GAS begin.

 

[Woodyrson]

You can certainly get a nice neck that will mate to the J body, particularly if it can be made to fit your neck pocket route, and mess around with different pickups to get a sound you like--that's probably the least expensive solution. An additional benefit is that if you like the neck, electronics, and hardware, but down the line you decide the body is a weak link, you can replace that too and have a 100% custom bass, spreading the cost out over time.

OTH, a custom bass is a thing of beauty that will give you a look, feel, and sound that is uniquely yours. More costly though

+1 If you like the tone you have going on and you don't have a problem with the body, sounds like a new neck would complete the bass for you.

But, as he said, a custom bass could be made EXACTLY how you like it. Right down to the screws you put in the pickguard. Not to mention, you could make the thing gorgeous, in your eyes, at least.

 

[NormM]

smogg can read me like a book! Trouble is, I seem to gravitate toward the expensive - even though I'm working from the bottom end of the quality spectrum now, when I stop in a music shop there just doesn't seem to be the "wow, that's a great bass" until I get into the upper shelf Fenders, Music Man, etc. I actually thought that the Ibanez ATK had a pretty good sound. Anyway, maybe the details on the neck are suited for the Luthier forum. If I build all-new, I'm probably looking at $1000 - probably some decent basses for that money, though.