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Do the pros mod their basses?

C

Cooljazz58

Mar 23, 2011
25
0
#1
Hi,

Aside from strings I haven't read of too many "pros" (per speculation on my part) noodling with their basses. Maybe they have personal bass techs that maintain them but I get the sense that they are well tweaked "stock" basses. I haven't seen too many Billboard 100/20K seat venue bass players with Gotoh 201 bridges or specialized pups.

Is it because at that level they have the best high end (or vintage) basses that don't really require modding?

Just wondering (and bored at work). :)

Peace all
 
#5
I'm a full-time 'pro'. I do all of my own tech work (instruments anyways & some amp work and modding) and I have modded a number of my own instruments. I'm working on an article on my website about the Epi Rivoli that I just heavily modded (stay tuned...)

I think I'm in the minority of my colleagues, though. I actually do tech & setup work for some of them. Most players I know just aren't that interested in learning the deeper "how things work" side, or have kids & other things that occupy their time. Its just easier to hire someone, I suppose.
 
#6
Well ... from what I know Marcus Miller's Fender Jazz bass is modified by Sadowski and the first fodera bass that Victor Wooten bought is also modified ( he put a Kahler trem on it ). While other don,t do anything like Les Claypool, John Patitucci and John Myung.
 
#7
The answer to this is "all of the above".

Some artists are comfortable on just their own longtime personal instruments, and may have done mods or repairs to them over the years.

Some artists only use vintage pieces or a few choice pieces from their collections. Maybe only one "type" of bass.

Some artists (especially hard-touring acts) rely on a supply of factory-stock instruments that are replaceable, because things get beat up a lot on the road. Some are reluctant to take the "good stuff" on the bus.

Some artists are contractually obligated to play only one brand of "enndorsed" instrument. At a time, anyway.
 
#9
A simple look at the number of signature basses available should sorta answer your question.

And I guess you have to ask the question is something like a Sadowsky a "stock" bass?
I could walk into GC and walk out with two (for the most part) identical Jazz basses, but one will be a Standard and one a Deluxe.


I'm sure it happens a lot more than we think, we just don't hear about it.
 
#11
as for ME . . . I have Custom-made (by Carlos Carbajal of Mexico City) 5-string fretted with 2 pups (4 bolt-on), 5-string fretless with 1 pup (2 bolt-on, 1 neck-thru) basses (Basslines SMB-5A pups, Carvin tuners, Hipshot drop-tuner and Type-B bridge, Carvin BN5 neck - 34" scale) All are tuned BEADG except the neck-through, which is EADGC . . . :cool: . . .
 
#14
i am backstage at many large radio shows.(50k +) i always check out what everyone is using. i dont think i have ever seen a mod besides changed pickups and custom colors. then again its all rock bands lol. i know pro drummers who do not even know how to set up their kit, let alone tune the heads ! johnny a. staind
 
#15
I agree with 'some do, some don't'

I love knowing my basses are the only ones exactly like them...sure many won't notice any difference, but there are some who do and comment on the look and sound, and when it's positive, it feels really good.
 
#17
I know that John Myung, contrary to what was stated further up, has modded a couple of his basses. The Spector NS-2 that he used to record I&W was stock, and the Tobias Basic 6 that he used for a bit afterwards was also stock, as was the Tung that he used after that (though there weren't many Tung basses made so one could almost call them "custom built"). But, while his first Yamaha signature bass was always stock, the second one he had (RBX JM-2) had a second pickup installed with accommodating electronics about a year or two after he first started using them. To the best of my knowledge though he continued to use a stock JM-2 alongside the modded one for quite awhile.

In addition to that, he's had a modified Musicman Stingray for quite some time (since the I&W days even IIRC), the mod being a second pickup installed in the neck position. He's used that bass on one or two albums I think. Recently he has been playing stock Bongo 6 strings, usually HS but occasionally HH models. They're not modded but even more recently he's been experimenting with different dimensions and "body masses", so maybe that could count as modded? Not modded hardware, but modding the bass itself.

EDIT: A good point that was made further up, pretty much any artist that has a signature instrument is playing a modified instrument. You could call those signature basses "stock", but ultimately most of those players don't play those exact models that the companies sell, they play further modified and custom-made versions (despite the marketing ;))
 
#19
I'd figure it depends also on the circumstances and fashion of the local scene. For example, I rarely see a 5- or 6-string here in NYC, but on Long Island they seem aplenty. Typical here for the "working bass player" from what I have seen seems vintage vibe with a good preamp hidden in it = Sadowsky, who got his whole thing started by modding Fenders with preamps and pickups. In NYC one typically plays on whatever amp the bar or rehearsal space has to offer, and from that perspective you really need a clean pre-amp to at least retain some control over your sound, as I found out during that audition with my lovely 70-ties passive P-Bass on a 70-ties Peavey head with a mismatched homebuilt cabinet.
 
#20
Well, Jaco ripped out the frets.

The Marcus Miller Signature is based on his heavily modded stock Jazz from 78 (circa).

Gary Willis is know to constantly noodle around with minor details in terms of setup that no one else seems to note.

...and of course, some of the major players develop their own signature basses (Anthony Jackson, Mark King, etc.), but that may not really count as a mod (to a stock model).

But then again, I am sure that there are many pros who also just play stock basses (For instance, I think Jamerson's P was stock - I guess no one had thought of a hi-mass bridge or lightweight tuners back then ;-).
 

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