Is it worth it to mod this Squier?

[Shaky]

I am looking to start playing fretless bass so I decided to purchase a cheap but good fretless, which is the Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass.
Though I do realise that one day I'll want something better.. which leads me to this question.

Should I just mod the Squier or get another bass?


Thanks

I thought the whole idea of "vintage Modified" was that the bass had already been upgraded some. I thought the ducan design pups were supposed to be really good.

I am all for modifying, but in this case I would be tempted to play the heck out of that bass the way it is and just replace parts out of necessity, and either build a bass from the ground up or find something that has a little bit more traditional body wood (ash or alder) to start with. I am not in anyway puting down agathis. Having said this there are a lot of low cost things that can be done to improve the tone of most any bass.

I am not saying that the bass isn't worthy of modifying, I am just saying there is a lot to take into consideration. I have bass that sells for a little over a hundred dollars that I have sunk some money into and personally think it plays and sound better then many higher end basses I have heard, but If I ever decide to sell it, I still have a $125 budget bass. This is why I have been hanging on to all the original parts, so I can swap them back if I decide to sell.

Anyway, best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

If you were to pay a pro to do the job you are basically spending as much as a MIM Fender anyways.

From personal experience, a MIM doesn't mean you are out of danger when it comes to bad necks. I purchased one brand spanking new and the neck for it was jacked UP. I took it to two different reputable luthiers and they all said the neck was way too messed up to do any decent fretless intonation on it with acceptable action. Fender told me this was due to the area I was in and that they weren't going to be held liable for improper treatment of the bass. (this was circa 2006 that this happened), saying that the places I kept it caused it to be warped like this or that the luthiers messed it up.


ANYWAYS OP, playing it first is a good idea for sure. Make sure the intonation is correct on it or at a reasonable amount of variation. I'd say the pickup change and the right set of strings would make that bass amazing.

 

[afiaowo]

Another recommendation for a good setup with flats and time getting to know the bass.

But in the end, no, there's nothing wrong with modding anything. Make it your own!

 

[6stringpanda]

I have to say, I modified mine.

I actually think the bass is decent and a replacement bridge is cheap off the web.

I have to say my biggest gripe is the stock pickups!

They are probably the worse pickups I have ever heard in a stock instrument, absolutely horrible tone and even through my amp almost no volume.-They sounded so bad I thought it had a bad volume pot!

Throw some new P/Us in and you will have a nice fretless for less than 500.00.

 

[mushav66]

I bought one of these on impulse a few years ago, and it was great for getting some experience without frets and for training my ear. The only mod I did on it was after a few years of playing, had another jack laying around so I replaced the tone pot with it and took each pickup out separately.