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Do you personalize your bass?

#21
With this one I started off with an unfinished Warmoth body and a Fender Japanese reissue Precision Bass neck:

1802003292_cd378a58d3_o.jpg


I finished the body in Seafoam Green, added all Bartolini electronics w/3 band EQ and a Badass bridge.
 
#22
I replace ALL the strap buttons with Dunlop Strap Lock Buttons (only exception is my vintage Danelectro, because I am afraid to sink the longer Dunlop screw into the body and f up the bass).

Other then that, I usually leave 'em stock. When I play I have a small piece of foam I stick under the strings near the bridge. Unlike my friend Carol Kaye, I just can't bring myself to tape foam over the bridge and to the bass body.
 
#23
As far as I'm concerned if you play a bass long enough you'll personalize it, whether you want to or not and the softer the woods that faster it'll happen, lol. I've got no pics but I'd say my Euro 4LX is plenty personalized :D.

But as far as intentionally doing something to make your bass that much more special, I don't. If I buy a bass it's because it has everything or most of the things I'd want and there's no need to do anything more so I leave it alone. I do, however, plan on having some fun with my next Spector though ;).
 
#27
The truth is that if you buy a very cheap bass you can upgrade it to a very good bass very cheaply.

Go to Walmart and buy the First Act bass. Kinda cool shape. Replace the tuners and the bridge and the pickups. Depending on what you use, maybe $200 bucks tops. So the bass which retails around $199 becomes a bass with the sound of a $1000 instrument.

I had an old MIJ Fender Jazz that had crappy sound. I was given a Badass bridge by a friend, so I put that on. The tuners were cheap, so I replaced them with better-cheap open back tuners. I replaced the pickups with Seymor Duncans. Bass sounded amazing after the mods. The MIJ cost me used $110. All the mods about $120 (thanks to the donation of the bridge.) Sold the bass for $800 after a jazz/studio musician heard me recording with it.

The rest is history...
 
#28
I do usually "personalize" my basses - new pickups, new pre-, straplocks for sure

My latest project is to replace all the hardware on my black Ray with gold hardware, Straploks, Hipshot ultra-lites (if they'll fit), a D-Tuner, EB Hybrid Stainless Steel Slinkies, and a new pickguard.

Shame I have to sell some gear to be able to finance this stuff though.
 
#31
I don't think there's one bass I've ever owned that I didn't modify in some way. Some minor, some major.

People have asked why I can't ever just be happy with stock I just say it's like a car. You find a ride you like but you get the windows tinted, put some wheels on it and swap out the radio. Just making it better and more personalized. Plus I love to tinker with stuff.

Even with something that's like 99% of what I want like the Geddy bass I'd still put a Hipshot on it like I do all my basses and add a blend knob instead of the V-V-T setup it has.
 
#32
RichardCranium said:
I don't think there's one bass I've ever owned that I didn't modify in some way. Some minor, some major.

People have asked why I can't ever just be happy with stock I just say it's like a car. You find a ride you like but you get the windows tinted, put some wheels on it and swap out the radio. Just making it better and more personalized. Plus I love to tinker with stuff.

Even with something that's like 99% of what I want like the Geddy bass I'd still put a Hipshot on it like I do all my basses and add a blend knob instead of the V-V-T setup it has.
Click to expand...

Very well put Richard. (may I call you Dick, as your user name implies? Or would you prefer Mr. Head?)

I am pleased to see that I am not alone. Comparing a car to a guitar is right on. I have been criticized over the years because I (almost) always make some change to my basses. Some of the same people who tell me that I'm "never satisfied" are busy tricking out their cars. Hypocrites.

I seem to be in very good company with my peers.
 
#33
I don't have a single bass that isn't modded in some way. Mostly bridges are where I start, but keywinds, knobs, and pickguards are never safe either. I usually try to keep it to something that doesn't require surgery, but I did rename my Precision after I "stole" it for $100...

Headstock2.gif
 

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