Do you Mod your Fenders? And why?

[j0616bass]

I mod every bass I own....with straplocks!

To the OP's direct point, I have an 2002 MIM jazz with aftermarket tuners, bridge, pickups, pickguard, pots, tone cap, and input jack. Some items were modded for performance, some for asthetics, and some for maintenance!

 

[Fight4Bottom]

I did a bit of modding to my MIM Geddy Jazz. Hipshot Drop D tuner, shielding in the cavities, and replaced the stock audio taper pots with linear taper.

 

[Nev375]

I know - I just feel like people are more apt to mod a fender for some reason

It's because there are far more aftermarket parts built to interchange to Fender specs than any other brand.

That makes it easier to mod a Fender with less technical skills. If you have basic electric and mechanical knowledge and own a few screwdrivers, allan wrenches and a soldering gun you can do a LOT of different mods and adjust nearly anything on a Fender instrument.

_______

As for why did I mod a $200 Squire with $1000 worth of aftermarket parts?

Well, there isn't a single custom builder out there willing to make a fan-fretted graphite-necked Jaguar bass with Bartolini pickups, 2 tone controls, a Gibson 3-way pickup selector on the upper control plate and a master vol. with Strat boat jack inset into the lower control plate and a Hipshot D-tuner and Fender A-string washer retainer all for under $1200 total.

So I made it myself.

And if my tastes ever change, there's a good chance I can just re-mod it again without having to buy a whole new bass.

 

[Chuck King]

I've got three Fenders, in various degrees of modded-ness:

I've got a '74 Precision that was modded when I got it: replaced pickups (Hi-A), replaced pots, Hipshot Ultra-Lite tuners swapped in. It also had a new pickguard, appears to have been painted, and was re-fretted at some point, with the back of the neck and the fingerboard stripped and re-finished with thinner lacquer. I don't always consider cosmetic changes to be mods because they don't usually result in any functional change, but the neck on this one feels different than most other 70s Fenders I've experienced due to not having the thick finish everywhere. But this was all done to it when I got it, and I haven't changed anything since. It is a very nice bass as it is; I have no idea what it would have felt like or sounded when it was stock.

I've also got a '92 MIM Precision, which also has new electronics including Seymour Duncan SPB-1s. I had a set of Fralins in it for a while, which I got just to see what all the fuss was about, and I loved them, but I ended up putting them in a different build. So I got the Duncans because they seemed like the same type of pickup (vintage-style), and so far I'm happy with them. I find the stock MIM pickups less clear, although they are certainly loud and punchy. I also put Hipshot Ultralites on that one too, after feeling what a difference they made on the 74. Also, the original tuners were pulling out of the headstock, which I have never seen on any other Fender.

Finally, I've got a AVRI 62 Jazz Bass, which as far as I know is entirely stock, except that I did put pickup covers on it. While that may or may not count as a mod, I did it because an original 62 would have had them.

 

[Kmonk]

There was a time when I never modded anything. I figured that the manufacturer made it that way for a reason and since I primarily play MIA Fenders, I didn't see the reason to modify. However, a few years ago, I installed of Lindy Fralin pickups in my MIA Jazz. I had them over wound by 8% in order to get slightly more mids and lows. I love the way they sound. I recently entered into an artist deal with Nordstrand and installed a set of NP4v vintage pickups in my MIA P Bass and am amazed how good they sound.

 

[Kmonk]

I put Sadowsky preamp in my Fender Marcus Miller Jazz bass

I remember reading that Marcus was putting Aguilar preamps in his Fenders. Sadowsky and Aguilar are definitely upgrades.

 

[jjmuckluckjr]

I mod all of my basses to some extent. Since 3 out of 4 are Fenders... I put an original Badass bridge on my '77 Precision in '78. Then moved the thumb rest down by the bridge, where it should be. That's right, screwed it right into the body, and 40 years later it's still there. Sometime after that I removed the frets (gently). I've never looked at basses as untouchable works of art, just an expensive tool. It didn't stop me from using it as a battering ram, crowd control device or baseball bat during the punk era. Bruiser never even went out of tune.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Does taking the tug bar off count?

I used to love tug bars, til I did a TB poll to find that only 20% of 200 respondents think they "always" look good.

The other 80 percent said using a tug bar was situational - that you should have a vintage guitar or replica, for instance.

And my less "official" survey of non-players found that people guessed the tug bar to be some sort of learning tool, crutch or training wheel.

So that's mod #1.

Mod #2 is trying to square a circle by getting the board near to perfectly flat, but with no fret buzz.
That's the real witchcraft!

Not much else to do to passive P basses, is there? I mean, you could use light weight tuners, sure -- if you're a lightweight. (Well, OK, weight & balance can of course be a legitimate factor).

 

[Son of Wobble]

I would posit that Fenders are among the most "moddable" instruments. To use an automotive analogy, I can pretty much go to any local NAPA store here in the States and get OEM and aftermarket parts for my Ford Mustang. However, tracking down parts for my Citroën ain't so easy.

And for that reason, most of us Fender guys who have a spare neck or body sitting around consider ourselves half way to the next one. Parts is parts.

 

[five7]

I modded my 65 jazz back in 1977 and screwed up the value for when I sold it a few years ago.
you never know until you do.

 

[Nev375]

Not much else to do to passive P basses, is there?

You lack imagination grasshoppah. I'm thinking... laser beams!, VU meters!, beer bottle opener!, scrolling LED matrix down the fretboard to advertise your band or whichever beer is on sale!, silk schmatas hanging from the headstock!, and a tort guard! ...and flats!

 

[ispunk]

Yes I nod my Fenders because I buy the "bad" ones that are not supposed to be worth the wood they are made of.

 

[40Hz]

About all I'll do these days is swap out a pickup occasionally, and maybe (rarely) put in better quality or different value pots or sometimes a different cap if I think it would be of benefit. But nothing radical like I'd sometimes do when I was younger.

The reason I stopped modding Fenders was because I reached the conclusion (after many dollars and mods) that the results mostly didn't justify the expense or effort involved. Possibly because I didn't buy anything I didn't already like the sound and feel of? Possibly because Fenders are what they are. And if you get a good one to begin with, most standard mods don't do that much to improve them. And if I want something completely different I just get a different brand or model bass.

 

[Son of Wobble]

You lack imagination grasshoppah. I'm thinking... laser beams!, VU meters!, beer bottle opener!, scrolling LED matrix down the fretboard to advertise your band or whichever beer is on sale!, silk schmatas hanging from the headstock!, and a tort guard! ...and flats!

I avoid lots of pots and switches for the same reason I avoid pedals: I am a graceless clod singularly lacking in dexterity.
But I do admire those who can juggle many balls while patting their head and rubbing their belly! I just lack that cool, especially under the stress of performance.

Not a bass, of course -- But the late Frank Zappa's take on the SG always worth a gander:

 

[Son of Wobble]

A Google search for "most tricked-out Precision" led me right back here to TB, and this thread from 2006.
You be the judge!

the worlds most tricked out p bass; pics

 

[mesaplayer83]

Have you modded your fender? And is it true that Fenders are more "moddable?"

1st question - it depends

2nd question - Fenders are definitely more "moddable"

 

[lpdeluxe]

2009 American Vintage '57 Precision: no mods other than TI Jazz Flats.

2006 Classic '50s P: Quarter Pound pickup for more punch, TI Jazz Flats.

2006 Classic '51 P: Quarter Pound pickup for more punch, 4-saddle bridge to improve intonation, Electrosocket to replace poorly designed output jack carrier, black pickguard screws to improve appearance, TI Jazz Flats.

2012 FSR P: Quarter Pound pickup for more punch, Warmoth unlined fretless maple fingerboard neck, TI Jazz Flats.

Results: The AVRI is a great instrument, and I can't imagine changing it. Through my Mesa/Boogie Walkabout it's the voice of God.

The Classic '50s, with its mods, is interchangeable with the AVRI. My go-to bass for gigs with a drum kit -- it doesn't have the AVRI's vulneralbe nitro finish.

The Classic '51: #1 for my percussion-only combo. Thumpy, with fast attack and short sustain, its only flaw is the non-contoured body.

FSR (natural finish ash body): a gorgeous P, but...meh. I never got a sound out of it. Donated to a local musician's medical benefit auction.

 

[twinjet]

hey all - I've modded my P-bass quite a bit to make it "mine." Have you modded your fender? And is it true that Fenders are more "moddable?"

I think Fenders could be considered more moddable. Having set the standard, more after-market pieces have been made to fit Fender instruments.

 

[micguy]

I have a bass that I built with a Fender pickup. That was the only part that Fender made, so I'd consider it a Very Heavily modified Fender. Eventually, I replaced the pickup. So, that Fender was definitely moddable, as it modded itself out of existence.

I also had a fretless Fender. A previous owner had removed the frets. A subsequent owner decided early one morning to modify its position and ownership (without my permission). One more way Fenders are moddable.

 

[NoiseNinja]

I never had a Fender in my life.

But I would think, if any, the reasoning behind modding a Fender should be easier than any other bass is properly most due to the fact of the brand being so common and basically standard that there's a lot of products for upgrades aimed for specifically Fender style basses and their owners and that they will be widely available.

I'm for one am all for modding your bass into what you like, visually as well as tone wise, so feel free to go ahead.