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Keep a Cheapie?

#81
A while back I owned many high end basses from Sadowsky, Lakland, MTD and fender custom shops just to name a few and now I own a MIM Fender Jazz bass white/maple board. It weighs 8.8 lbs and just kills. Just remember
It is not the arrow but the Indian. Enjoy your bass
Bro
 
#82
Cheapies are great as long as they sound good. That's all that matters. I wouldn't take a really nice(expensive) bass to your average gig. I've heard and SEEN bad things happen to good instruments. A friend of mine had his Smith bass kicked over by someone just goofing around. Luckily it landed on something soft after doing a couple of spins. I've heard of guitars getting smashed after bar patrons got in a fight. Guitars dropped by straps slipping off and cracking set necks. I got a Squier Vintage Modified bass a few weeks back and it has become my regular for the time being.
 
#83
I recently picked up an '84 SQ series, and I love it. It may not say "Fender" on the headstock, but it's just a name. Upgrade the pickups and replace the volume and tone pots, and you made a jump closer to Fender anyway. I rock my Squier with pride. It does what I want and with a little more tweaking, is gonna sound better than most Fenders I ever played anyway. Go with it, dude. Wear the fact that you aren't giving in to popularity with pride.
 
#84
I recently upgraded my Electra Phoenix x630NA (1983, without pickguard) with another Delano bridge pickup, the SBC 4 HE/S (it already had the Delano PC 4 AL pickup.) Yes, had to have it routed. Two 500k volume pots, one of them push/pull for series/parallel, no tone. (Best thing with cheapies is that they rarely have huge resale value, so they are good for experiments!)

Incredible, refined, P bass sound, a blend of modern and old, without losing the P bass vibe at all. Basically, P bass sound+++ (note that I do love the "normal" Fender P bass sound, and I am not demeaning it in any way or fashion.) Sounds like a high quality P bass recording, even without equing. No noise at all either (of course.)

The Delano vintage pickup was already clear, and with the addition of the bridge SBC 4 HE/S, it's super defined, no mud anywhere, not even in series, it's just a beautiful sounding "cheapie" bass. I am amazed at the natural sounding Delano pickups. Both the P and the soapbar pickups blend beautifully. It's not the sound of a P/J (which I didn't want) but it WORKS incredibly for me and my specific playing needs.

Have to add that the seemingly simple Electra x630 body is incredibly easy to play with a "jazzy" neck, and the horns are comfortably placed, so everything plays fast on ALL frets.

Why part with that which works? :) If anything, if you love your cheapie, treat it with love and upgrade it as needed. Make it your own, customize it, make it sound the best it possibly can. :bassist:

(Have to add that without Brian Ristola (bestbassgear.com) the succesful experiment above wouldn't have ever happened. His recommendations, according to what I was asking and what I told him I was looking for, were spot on! My props to Brian and everybody at bestbassgear.com)
 

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