I haven't changed anything other than strings (duh!) on my Vintera I P bass. Haven't even switched out the tuners for Hipshot as I usually do (because of the Xtender, which it currently lacks.) To be honest, I did not have problems with neck dive myself-may have been lucky (I also rarely play without a strap, even sitting down.) The original pickup is dreamy sounding to me-very special. Currently sporting Rotosound SM77.
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Fender basses you have never wanted to mod
- Thread starter matti777
- Start date
The sibling of my FSR J!Only a couple for me. I haven't had the issues with Fenders that others seem to gripe about. I did change out the PJ "noiseless" pickups and preamp on a MIM FSR for Bartolini stuff. Turned a meh sounding bass into a sweetie.
This FSR gem came to me already modded with DiMarzio dual coils, Gotoh Res-o-lites, and a Hipshot 'A' bridge. Not a fan of dual-coil jazz pups, replaced them with Fralin s/coils, a Fender threaded bridge, and a tort guard. I don't know what the orig pickups may have sounded like, but it's a killer now.
View attachment 7066201
1962.
Body was refinished by Bryan Galloup at The Guitar Hospital in 1987. I had bought the stripped and dysfunctional bass from a guy who scoured the local pawn shops. $275 for purchase, and Bryan’s work was another $550. Which wasn’t exactly cheap in 1987, especially for me with 3 young ones in the house and a 4th on the way. My kids named the bass Bucephalus after The Black Stallion, which we watched. My TB name is an ignorant mis-spelling on my part. No Wikipedia to check in 1987.
I’ve had a variety of adventures with the bass over the years. The bridge pickup was open circuit when it came to me. I repaired that after finding the errant windings under a microscope; but, the repair failed after a few years. Lindy Fralin rewound what I believe to be the original bobbin; but, couldn’t be sure, because he wasn’t careful about it.
The original plate, pots and pickups are sitting in the non-original tweed case; and I’ve got Seymour Duncan SJB-2’s and a proper newer control plate installed; because I still gig it.
This is an interesting question. Depends on what you consider a mod? Does changing the pickguard count as a mod? If so, that rules out my Precision. It had a cream pickguard but I swapped it out for a tort, but that's really only cosmetic.
Technically, as it stands right now, this bass is stock. MIM Fender Deluxe Active Jazz V. I DO want to put single coils in it though. It just doesn't sound like a Jazz to me and I think the pickups are at fault. I've never been able to make it sound like a Jazz with the active preamp...so maybe that's part of it, too?
This one is stock. I do have a push/pull pot to convert it to series/parallel, but have never installed it and don't think I will. Am Pro II. She sounds perfect just the way she is.
Technically, as it stands right now, this bass is stock. MIM Fender Deluxe Active Jazz V. I DO want to put single coils in it though. It just doesn't sound like a Jazz to me and I think the pickups are at fault. I've never been able to make it sound like a Jazz with the active preamp...so maybe that's part of it, too?
This one is stock. I do have a push/pull pot to convert it to series/parallel, but have never installed it and don't think I will. Am Pro II. She sounds perfect just the way she is.
I never wanted to mod my black Squier Paranormal Rascal bass...But...
I installed D'Addario medium scale Chrome flats, a BWB pickguard with black screws, a black switch tip, chrome skirted knobs, Dunlop strap locks, Gotoh GB350 Res-O-Lite tuners in black chrome and a black string retainer. They were all parts I had from other projects except for the pickguard. I figured why not?
I started with the flats for tone and the lightweight tuners to improve the already good balace even further. Then I just kept going as I stumbled across other parts.
I installed D'Addario medium scale Chrome flats, a BWB pickguard with black screws, a black switch tip, chrome skirted knobs, Dunlop strap locks, Gotoh GB350 Res-O-Lite tuners in black chrome and a black string retainer. They were all parts I had from other projects except for the pickguard. I figured why not?
I started with the flats for tone and the lightweight tuners to improve the already good balace even further. Then I just kept going as I stumbled across other parts.
Not quite a thread "resurrection", but more of a thread "wake up! you can't sleep here!". 
Most of my Projekts are infinitely mod-able, but, for the longest time, I kept one bass relatively intact; my first-ever bass, a Fender Aerodyne Jazz.
I say "relatively" because of the Hipshot Drop-D tuner I installed, a minor enhancement that could be reversed at any time...assuming changing strings is barely considered a modification.
For the record, it still bugs me to this day that Hipshot will make perfect fit, drop-in extenders for the Aerodyne, but will not offer it in the smoked chrome they've sported since 2004. That being said, it's not a huge deal. The slight mismatch is barely noticed.
The other bass, one I commissioned and acquired not long after this thread was started, is my Fender Mod Shop Jazz bass. I'd been jonesing over a Fender Jazz in Silverburst for years, but had never pulled the trigger, but when Fender started offering blocked Jazz necks AND I was able to apply a particular coupon code that would save me over $200, I finally bit the bullet.
There was some debate on a couple of threads about which pickups to get. Ultimately, I decided to get the Generation 4 Noiseless pickups which turned out to be a good decision. And, like my aforementioned Aerodyne, the only thing I bought to "mod" it is a Drop-D tuner and, possibly, some Thomastik-Infeld Powerbass strings. Regardless, it sounds and feels great as it came to me. If I had to leave it completely "unadulterated", I would have no problem leaving it be.
Most of my Projekts are infinitely mod-able, but, for the longest time, I kept one bass relatively intact; my first-ever bass, a Fender Aerodyne Jazz.
I say "relatively" because of the Hipshot Drop-D tuner I installed, a minor enhancement that could be reversed at any time...assuming changing strings is barely considered a modification.
For the record, it still bugs me to this day that Hipshot will make perfect fit, drop-in extenders for the Aerodyne, but will not offer it in the smoked chrome they've sported since 2004. That being said, it's not a huge deal. The slight mismatch is barely noticed.
The other bass, one I commissioned and acquired not long after this thread was started, is my Fender Mod Shop Jazz bass. I'd been jonesing over a Fender Jazz in Silverburst for years, but had never pulled the trigger, but when Fender started offering blocked Jazz necks AND I was able to apply a particular coupon code that would save me over $200, I finally bit the bullet.
There was some debate on a couple of threads about which pickups to get. Ultimately, I decided to get the Generation 4 Noiseless pickups which turned out to be a good decision. And, like my aforementioned Aerodyne, the only thing I bought to "mod" it is a Drop-D tuner and, possibly, some Thomastik-Infeld Powerbass strings. Regardless, it sounds and feels great as it came to me. If I had to leave it completely "unadulterated", I would have no problem leaving it be.
-P bass CS Postmodern 2018
-P bass
1968
-P bass
1997 Noel Redding Jazz MIJ. Other than restringing with flats I’ve never felt a need to change a thing on that bass.
I UN-modded a 1978 fretless P-bass, if that counts; it came to me with a bunch of changed parts and I spent a fair amount of effort returning it to as close to stock as possible.
If pickguards count as mods we can disqualify my 1983 P-bass which is otherwise stock.
I UN-modded a 1978 fretless P-bass, if that counts; it came to me with a bunch of changed parts and I spent a fair amount of effort returning it to as close to stock as possible.
If pickguards count as mods we can disqualify my 1983 P-bass which is otherwise stock.
The only bass I modified was a 96 MIM JB. I installed Fender 62 pickups. It really didn’t effect the tone much but the gain was greatly improved.
The only guitar I modded, I replaced the pickups on my MIA Strat to Fender SRVs which has a stronger gain on the middle strings..
Thanks! It started life as a new standard issue MIM Fender Cabronita. The only original parts left are the body & strap buttons.I have no idea what that is, but it’s super cool!
