Highly Modified Does Not Equate To Higher Prices

[2112]

Stock instruments are designed to appeal to as large a market as possible which increases demand. Modded instruments, no matter how much money is pumped into them to implement "upgrades", appeal to a relatively smaller smarket, which drives down demand and thus, average selling price.

On the other hand, you would think that parts basses built from firing together all the top third-party upgrades would be worth a pretty penny. That's how I've built my parts gig basses... and they absolutely blow away any stock bass that I've ever owned... and I've owned A LOT. But, as we all know, musicians gonna musician... so, the popularity contest always leans toward stock instruments, even if it lesser than the parts bass (and in many cases it *is* lesser). So, the parts bass won't typically command the value as a whole that a stock instrument might, and may not even command a value that is simply the sum of the costs of its parts.

For these reasons, if I were to sell any of my modded basses, I would return them to stock and sell the parts separate... and if I were to sell any of my parts basses, I would part them out.

 

[darwin-bass]

tl;dr - I believe in the 75% rule.

An item in excellent condition is worth ~75% of new cost. Assuming the item is not rare, or somehow difficult to obtain (Broughton, I'm looking at you). Upgrades and enhancements should return about 60% of new cost with zero dollars on installation fees.

So, new $800 bass should go used for about $600. Add $200 in upgrade parts plus say $100 in installation and you are looking at $720 return on your $1100 investment.

Not all sellers believe this. Nor do all buyers. YMMV.

 

[Eric Huber]

I have modded 2 of my Squire basses after owning them for a few years. If I have kept the bass for a few years and played it a lot then it's mine I am not going to sell it. With the quality and price point of a 500$ squire bass I don't mind throwing in some pickups later.

 

[two fingers]

I don’t understand why there’s many people that think upgrading a Squier or any cheap bass means the value of the instrument goes up. I believe it’s the opposite and whatever part that gets upgraded should be kept as a value of its own and not added to the instrument.

I’m sure there’s a great counter argument to this topic and would like to hear the peoples opinions on this matter (if one cares to express).

To me, "upgrading" a Sadowsky, or other high-end bass shouldn't net you any more money. They already had outstanding electronics. But just about any swap out of electronics or parts on a Squier is literally an upgrade. So, you should he able to recoup SOME of the money you spent on the upgrades, but certainly not all of it.

 

[JRA]

It does depend. But for the most part it does not. Which is my point.

whatever you say...i think...it depends!

 

[tbz]

whatever you say...i think...it depends!

Not if we’re actually discussing the OP. It doesn’t really depend when it comes to highly modified basses.

Great example. There was a bahama blue Spector NS2 with Alembic pickups and an alembic preamp on reverb during 2020/2021. Despite having $1200 in upgrades (list price of the Alembic “activator” and pickups) it was listed at a normal resale price for an NS2 of its condition. Despite that it took almost a year to sell. Upgrades added nothing.

But I get it. Someone wants to get the last word in, and it won’t be “yeah I guess you have a point.”

 

[JRA]

But I get it. Someone wants to get the last word in, and it won’t be “yeah I guess you have a point.”

i made my point, i get it if you don't get it!

 

[MegaSwing]

Another way to look at it is once you’ve modded a bass it becomes a parts bass. Those rules apply now.

 

[tbz]

i made my point, i get it if you don't get it!

Oh I did, my statement still stands. Enjoy the ignore. We’ve gone through this routine before. Not worth my time.

 

[Jefenator]

When I put some Gotoh tuners on a budget bass, it is objectively smoother to tune and more reliable than it was brand new. I'm going to ask for some extra money for that. Not all of what I'd pay for a new or even a used set, but some. Ideally I'd get the tuners used and get my $$$ worth of enjoyment for a while before selling.

 

[avi]

Depends on the bass and the cost of the upgrades. Cheapo tuners to Hipshot? I'm charging more. Cheapo pickups to EMG/Nordstrand/Sadowsky/Seymour Duncan, etc.? I'm charging more. Cheapo preamp to Aguilar/Sadowsky/John East? Yeah...........I'm charging more. Or else I'm removing everything and putting the stock crap back in it.

No way you're getting these upgrades for free!

Some basses I think can carry higher prices for upgrades. Some can't. Warwicks, Spectors and other highline basses ok. Probably. If it's what you would have done anyhow, go for it.
Spector Legend...nope. That's always going to be a legend.. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But if you upgrade the pickups or preamp you won't get it back.
I dont understand the refins.. Lately Ive been seeing vintage Warwicks and Spectors getting refin's and not losing $$. I know those finishes wear and stuff but it's kind of freaking me out. A refin on a 63 Jazz you will take a $$ hit. Why not the "new vintage"? Or is it just a symptom of the wacky pricing lately?

 

[Texican]

you will take a $$ hit.

Well, I read that completely wrong the first go round

 

[JRA]

@tbz --- maybe you're being more 'fragile' than this thread is worth. i get all of the arguments that imply or state that "it's not worth it!" i just happen to be a cat who has a different experience/POV, and i state that where i can for those who would find it encouraging...

bottom line: no improvement you can make to your ax should be judged by what others might find to be 'a foolish investment', especially if you know what you're doing and/or you're willing to be responsible for your decisions. IMO: that's the way life works whether you play a modded/upgraded bass or not.

 

[Rayjay]

Signature models ?

modified? Or unmodified? Let me put it to this way, would you buy my signature model? Probably not because you’ve never heard of me. Would you buy a famous players signature model? Not speaking directly for you but consumers would be more likely to do that. And they probably modifying a little bit, which would obviously bring the value down.

 

[Texican]

I put $110 into my Squier Classic Vibe 60’s Precision and now it hangs with my American Original 50’s P bass… No it’s not as good, but it can hang. And I gig, so it’s already paying for itself.

I did keep the original parts, but that’s only because I will want the Geezer pickup when the bass is gone.

 

[lyralain]

this thread baffles me. if you junk some cheap ceramic garbage for a multi-hundred dollar pickup, if you replace a bridge that can't intonate with one that's a solid chunk of metal, if you put on expensive tuners that actually hold a tuning... yeah, it should sell for more.

 

[80jazz]

Then the seller would need to find a buyer that agrees.

In some cases, that may take a while.

 

[EXCAV8]

The seller calls them upgrades. But the real word is modified. In general basses are not investments. But as a rule when I make a change I keep the old parts so can make it whole. Bottom line a $500 bass plus $500 mods is worth $350 and without the mods it’s worth $500. Partscasters are never worth the sum of their parts. I make mods. But I do it for my use only.

I would consider the Hipshot bridge I put on my Ric to be a serious upgrade over the poopy stock bridges they used to put on them. I didn't even keep the stock bridge when I took it off- went right in the trash.

 

[Killing Floor]

I would consider the Hipshot bridge I put on my Ric to be a serious upgrade over the poopy stock bridges they used to put on them. I didn't even keep the stock bridge when I took it off- went right in the trash.

I would consider an Electrosocket jack cup an upgrade to a Telecaster because stock Tele cups constantly rattle and can come loose. But it also involves screwing into the body. I don’t doubt that it permanently renders it unoriginal. I’m with you, it’s still an upgrade. To me it’s worth making any instrument I own work for me. I don’t mod everything I own but I’m not timid to do it. Sometimes OEM parts are shabby.

 

[MegaSwing]

‘It depends’ means nothing. It’s nothing to bank on. The marketplace has spoken and is well established.