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cheap doesn't matter

I had one that I liked the stock sound better than my Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. However, mine would not stay in tune. I was torn about which one to keep, and after a discussion with a friend I realized that I could either replace the tuners on the Squire or replace the pickups on the GL. The neck on the GL was the deciding factor, and I put Duncan Quarter Pounders in it. If it had stayed in tune, I never would have gotten the Geddy, I was so happy with it.
 
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Now on the other hand if you're not handy with tools and can't do your own work, buy a nicer bass or you will end up with this beauty.
frankenbass.jpg
 
View attachment 847780 So i go to my local gc and to my surprise they actually had 35 basses in stock (usually they are quite empty) so im messing around on a couple of four stringers (i only own and play a fiver at the moment) so the sales guy say hey man check this bass out he covered my eyes plugged me into a mark bass 4x10 and i started jamming away ,about 5-7 mins later i discovered i was playing a fender squire jazz bass 349$i had to do multiple double takes it sounded very good, he said just throw some after market strings on it and replace the pickups and your good to go,my question is since im not very knowledgeable with pickups, which pickups Would sound best on this passive bass i love the bassy growling tone and which strings would you recommend? ?????

That is one quality sales dude! Props to him.
 
Sweet bass...I have used the necks from that bass to do my 2 Bass builds that I kept...LOVE the action and playability.
Congrats....Great Soft Maple body too.
 
I just did the same thing you did.

I happened to see a guy on Craigslist selling an unopened set of Fender Noiseless J-bass pickups for $60.
Fender Accessories N3Noiseless JBass Noiseless Jazz Bass Pickup 2-piece Set

So I found another guy selling a Chinese Squier J-bass, with hard case, for $100. I had a spare strap.

The bass was so poorly set up it didn't play at all! I had to shim the neck with a piece of sandpaper folded over to make two layers, loosen the truss rod nut two turns, and lower the saddles 3/4 of the way down.

The tuners had very narrow posts, and were so loose they rattled. I tightened things up with judicious use of vise-grip pliers, bending the two points of the housing where they meet the gear shaft just a little tighter. But then I decided to do it right, and ordered a set of these: 4pcs Chrome Bass Guitar Machine Heads Knobs Tuners Tuning Pegs Guitar Parts

A 11/16" drill bit on the drill press (hand drill if you have steadier hands than I do), and all is well.

Those Fender Noiseless pickups are very, very nice.

The only other change, was a set of these. They were recommended by others on this forum, and I'm glad I gave them a try:
http://www.amazon.com/Thomastik-Inf...id=1461020628&sr=8-1&keywords=Thomastik+EB344

As for your bass, don't fix anything that's not broken. But you asked for recommendations, and now you've heard mine.
 
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Recommendations?

Ok. Bought a CV Jazz sight unseen from Sweetwater. Tried it out. Was amazed at how good it sounded. Not for a Squire. It's a damn nice sounding Jazz Bass period.

Found the factory strings a little too rough feeling and put a set of DR Pure Blues on it. Everything else is stock. Everybody who's heard it loves the sound. It plays like a dream, feels solid as a rock, and stays in tune on a guitar stand for days on end. (When it arrived it was perfectly set up and almost perfectly in tune as well. So props to Sweetwater too!)

Got a friend who's a super militant Fender Jazz player. He owns about a dozen of them; and can recite chapter and verse about JBs because he's a walking encyclopedia on the history of that instrument. And when it comes to setups, tweaks, and modding them, he's done it all

His opinion of my Squier CV: "That's one really nice Jazz Bass you got."

Nuff said?
 
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The “cheap” in these basses is really about the hardware. Quality knobs and tuning pegs make a massive difference to the look and feel of the instrument.

The electronics are usually passable on these mid-range basses and changing the pickups probably won’t makes a noticeable different to 95% of people. It’s like changing a microphone because you don’t like the singer. Changing the singer (or your strings) is going have a much bigger effect on the sound
 
I just did the same thing you did.

I happened to see a guy on Craigslist selling an unopened set of Fender Noiseless J-bass pickups for $60.
Fender Accessories N3Noiseless JBass Noiseless Jazz Bass Pickup 2-piece Set

So I found another guy selling a Chinese Squier J-bass, with hard case, for $100. I had a spare strap.

The bass was so poorly set up it didn't play at all! I had to shim the neck with a piece of sandpaper folded over to make two layers, loosen the truss rod nut two turns, and lower the saddles 3/4 of the way down.

The tuners had very narrow posts, and were so loose they rattled. I tightened things up with judicious use of vise-grip pliers, bending the two points of the housing where they meet the gear shaft just a little tighter. But then I decided to do it right, and ordered a set of these: 4pcs Chrome Bass Guitar Machine Heads Knobs Tuners Tuning Pegs Guitar Parts

A 11/16" drill bit on the drill press (hand drill if you have steadier hands than I do), and all is well.

Those Fender Noiseless pickups are very, very nice.

The only other change, was a set of these. They were recommended by others on this forum, and I'm glad I gave them a try:
Amazon.com: Thomastik-Infeld EB344 Bass Guitar Strings: Power Bass 4 String Magnecore Set G, D, A, E Set: Musical Instruments

As for your bass, don't fix anything that's not broken. But you asked for recommendations, and now you've heard mine.
Thanks
 
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As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
I had the same 4 string VM 70's and used it as trade fodder toward a MIJ Geddy Lee. I will admit that I prefer the GL, but I would also not hesitate to get another VM 70. I had an older model with the Duncan Designed pickups and the three piece body did not match very well at all. On some of the newer models I've seen; there was a two piece body and the glue joint was almost seamless. I think I've also read that the new pickups are a step up from the DD on the older model.
 
"Cole Louis Allar, post: 18666489, member: 287509"]For strings, I will ask you what kind of music are you going to play? EB is very versatile but brands like rottosound are known for their heavy rock like tone[/QUOTE]
Gospel music in church which is close to jazz/funk
 

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