HOT ROD A MIM JAZZ BASS

[Ian Perge]

Looking at most of the suggestions here, you're gonna be spending more then what you paid for it.

But a) Buying a MIM on the cheap or used simply for the purposes of modding can be the entire reason people purchase them. Others like them but for a few issues, and b) most, if not all, can either be taken out and reused on a "better" should they upgrade - if I sell mine, I'd likely replace all the drop-in parts with the stock and use them on another J-bass project. Also, if sold will usually raise the selling price on the used market. So yes, people are spending, but it's "reusuable spending" in my book.

As for mine:

• Dunlop StrapLoks
• White pearloid pickguard
• Hipshot Tuners and Bass Xtender
• Gotoh 201 Bridge
• DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pickups
• Shielding
• New strings (duh - D'addario ProSteels, which eat 'em up and ask for more )
• Neotech neoprene Super Bass strap

 

[massrequiem]

I would say the most important upgrades to me are the bridge, the electronics and the pickups. You dont have to get crazy expensive pickups a nice pair of Dimarzio's would work great. Bad Ass II for the bridge and new potentiometers for sure.

 

[tortoise.sg]

But a) Buying a MIM on the cheap or used simply for the purposes of modding can be the entire reason people purchase them. Others like them but for a few issues, and b) most, if not all, can either be taken out and reused on a "better" should they upgrade - if I sell mine, I'd likely replace all the drop-in parts with the stock and use them on another J-bass project. Also, if sold will usually raise the selling price on the used market. So yes, people are spending, but it's "reusuable spending" in my book.

Why buy a boutique jazz when you can...

I've always believed in the tonal quality of woods used in our instruments and how they affect the sound.
For the price of the MIM Jazz, you can get a good Jazz body and neck from say Warmoth or USACG.
And if you're swapping out everything from the MIM Jazz, how much can they fetch on the 2nd hand market?

 

[bassbully43]

Gee..to each his own i guess. I own and gig two MIM fender jazzes one a 5 one a new 4...i dare anyone to say they sound weak...please...i get sustain for weeks and great bottom out of the stock pups. I had a $1000 Carvin 5 active the whole nine yards and it was weak...not the pasive Fenders. Tuners? Someone please tell me where and why they always need changed out? The only bad ones i have ever had is on an SX...(locked up) Bridges again i dont need no more stinkin sustain..got tons...a good amp and EQ is what you need and good hands...save your money. By the way i change the strings ,pickguards and addd straplocks end of mods for me.

 

[dougjwray]

Gee..to each his own i guess. I own and gig two MIM fender jazzes one a 5 one a new 4...i dare anyone to say they sound weak...please...i get sustain for weeks and great bottom out of the stock pups. I had a $1000 Carvin 5 active the whole nine yards and it was weak...not the pasive Fenders. Tuners? Someone please tell me where and why they always need changed out? The only bad ones i have ever had is on an SX...(locked up) Bridges again i dont need no more stinkin sustain..got tons...a good amp and EQ is what you need and good hands...save your money. By the way i change the strings ,pickguards and addd straplocks end of mods for me.

+1
A Mexican Fender Jazz Bass really isn't different at all from the specimens used by Jaco, John Paul Jones, Jerry Jemmott, and so on. It's fun to switch different parts in and out (and great for learning about how the different components affect the tone), but really, the bass you've got is just fine, IMHO. (Of course, you're the one playing it, so it's your decision!)
Having said all that, the only thing I'd recommend is the series/parallel rewiring mod.

 

[The Dave]

I was very impressed with my MexiJazz before mods. The only problem is that I've got a freakin' wicked dead spot!!! So, I'm saving up for a Warmoth neck. I went ahead and got the DiMarzios for a little more fatness and I'm planning to wire in a series/parallel switch for each pup and change the controls to Vol/Blend/Tone. Apart from that, I've just done strings, knobs, straplocks and a 3 string retainer. The knobs were just for looks and the string retainer was partly for looks. The rest is functional. And, although the stock bridge isn't bad, I'll be putting on a Hipshot B Style, mainly for the quick load. Eventually, I'm also going to build a Jazz from scratch with Warmoth stuff, but that's a long term goal.

 

[GM60466]

I dedcided to keep it stock and let the daughter thump on it as it is, maybe she'll leave my Lakland alone.

GM

 

[dougjwray]

I was very impressed with my MexiJazz before mods. The only problem is that I've got a freakin' wicked dead spot!!! So, I'm saving up for a Warmoth neck. I went ahead and got the DiMarzios for a little more fatness and I'm planning to wire in a series/parallel switch for each pup and change the controls to Vol/Blend/Tone. Apart from that, I've just done strings, knobs, straplocks and a 3 string retainer. The knobs were just for looks and the string retainer was partly for looks. The rest is functional. And, although the stock bridge isn't bad, I'll be putting on a Hipshot B Style, mainly for the quick load. Eventually, I'm also going to build a Jazz from scratch with Warmoth stuff, but that's a long term goal.

No offense intended, but I got a good laugh out of that post. It was kind of like,
"I love my house and I was satisfied with it when I moved in. All I did was change the windows. And the door. And I replaced the roof. And the floors. The walls were good, but I replaced them too. Oh, and the furniture..."

 

[The Dave]

Yeah, maybe I should have just built one ground-up to begin with but this way, I got an affordable, usable bass that I can upgrade as I go. It was nice. I just wanna make it awesome.