Let's See Your Hot-Rodded Cheapo Basses!

[Riff Ranger]

Thanks, Monty! And no, not a cheapo bass, but nor was it a hideously expensive one. In fact, it was my first parts-bass "Projekt". It's a Mighty Mite body (purchased with a discount coupon), an Aerodyne neck (harvested from an inexpensively-priced, used 'Dyne), some Jockomo vinyl "inlays" and other bits of interesting hardware goodies.

• Unveiling ~ Part Two: Projekt Blue II

So, while not cheap by the standards of this thread, it's total cost was a far cry from a Custom Shop or a brand-new MIA Fender.

It almost counts!

That thing’s glorious.

Now back to our regularly scheduled cheapos …

 

[Dean N]

Is there a difference between modded and hot-rodded?

I bought my first bass in 1992, an Ibanez CT series, for 300 or 400 bucks. I love this thing. I had it professionally defretted long ago, but ended up putting on a whole new fingerboard myself.

Mods:
Pale moon ebony nut
African blackwood fingerboard
Aluminum side dot inlay
Refinished neck (Formby's Tung Oil Finish)
Threaded inserts in neck joint and bridge
Knobs made from rosewood and blackwood cutoffs from fb
EMG PJ electronics
Schaller straplocks
All stainless screws

Edit: I'm not a big believer in new bridges and/or tuners creating a "tone upgrade". Unless they have a functional mechanical problem (e.g., can't hold tune, can't get proper action) I find those "upgrades" the same as flushing your money. That said, after almost 30 years, these tuners are nearing their expiration date.

 

[Riff Ranger]

This totally counts, but I don’t see a need to be too picky. This thread exists to show off cheap basses made great. Nice work!

 

[Oig]

I pulled out my hot-rodded GSR205 today. My head says it’s too cheap to be this good. The rest of me says shut up and play.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Finished my Jazz Bass

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Here’s my Cheapo Family!

 

[Riff Ranger]

Finished my Jazz BassView attachment 3899112

Here’s my Cheapo Family!View attachment 3899299

I think I remember you sprucing up at least one of these—the yellow one, I think—but are all of those modded?

 

[EatS1stBassist]

I think I remember you sprucing up at least one of these—the yellow one, I think—but are all of those modded?

Yes! All of them are modded. Last two built from scratch.

 

[ZedLepp]

Here’s my Cheapo Family!View attachment 3899299

The fretless blue bass. I take it is one of the cheap replacements form china on Ebay.
I am thinking about getting one of these necks. What's the inlay quality like?

 

[EatS1stBassist]

The fretless blue bass. I take it is one of the cheap replacements form china on Ebay.
I am thinking about getting one of these necks. What's the inlay quality like?

Actually quite good. When you consider I paid almost $300 for the fender 51 neck, these are quite a bargain Are they perfect? Very very close. Still very nice though and fun to play.

 

[Sub-hoo-fer]

Please accept my contribution to one of my favorite threads.

This quarantine project began life as a Squier P over a decade ago. I bought it for super cheap from GC. It came to me in pretty bad shape. The neck was bowed and you could put a finger under the strings at the 17th fret. The nut was held in via string tension alone. It only made sound intermittently. And it was filthy.

Spent a day cleaning. Worked on the neck and action over a couple of days and put on some well loved flats. Ended up needing a shim to get the action right. Taking off the neck was a first for me!

Then came a New Tusq nut, new EMG GZR pup along with EMG wires and pots, new knobs to fit the new pots, and a new white pearl pick guard. I was thinking of a new neck, tuners, and bridge but the neck and tuners have been remarkably stable for a month now and the stock bridge it heftier than what is on my MIM Fender. The old flats sound crazy good with the Geezer pup. So they all stay for now.

All in all I am pretty happy with how this turned out. Thank you for looking!

 

[Matt_Raymond]

I was cruising the Facebook marketplace one day last year and I came across a free, yes, FREE Squier P Bass. A real hunk o junk. Made in 2000, closed back tuners, no knobs, a neck you could shoot an arrow with. If it was chrome or chrome plated, it was rusty.

Mods:
Warmoth Rosewood neck (Jazz radius)
Tele Headstock
Fender decal
Aguilar 60s pickups
All new fender parts, most of which I already had laying around (Thumbrest, pickguard, knobs, 60s style bridge, string retainer, Cali stamped neck plate etc etc).

This bass could be so good, but the one thing I didn’t replace were the guts. And I think it’s really dragging down the potential of the Aguilar pickups. But! It looks nice, and even though I rarely play it, when I do, it’s so fun to run around with!

 

[Riff Ranger]

I’ve got another one!

1992 Peavey Fury (180 USD in 2019).

I remember wishing I had gotten one of these back in the early ‘90s when I had just gotten started. A cousin and a friend both had them, and I remember loving the necks even though I generally prefer Precision dimensions. When my cousin recently got himself another, I finally had to have one of my own.

It came to me in good shape and ready to handle my standard tuning, general purpose bass needs—but the cheap white plastic pickguard and even cheaper plastic knobs (replacements?) had to go.

I custom ordered a mirror pickguard (70 USD ) but it didn’t quite fit , knocked a solder joint loose learning that the hard way , and the maker, ahem, didn’t take it too well when learning that the guard didn’t fit , so I didn’t feel like dealing with them further. I set this bass aside for weeks, tried getting a white one with a black guard to see if I could swap parts, but nothing quite matched up. The teenage dream was becoming a middle age nightmare.

After I came upon some sweet old Peavey knobs (9 USD each), though, I knew I had to give them a try:

Emboldened by the instant improvement, I summoned my courage and went about making the guard fit. I will need to drill some new screw holes if I fully commit. What do you think? Should I get drilling?

 

[EatS1stBassist]

View attachment 3901096 View attachment 3901095 View attachment 3901092 I was cruising the Facebook marketplace one day last year and I came across a free, yes, FREE Squier P Bass. A real hunk o junk. Made in 2000, closed back tuners, no knobs, a neck you could shoot an arrow with. If it was chrome or chrome plated, it was rusty.

Mods:
Warmoth Rosewood neck (Jazz radius)
Tele Headstock
Fender decal
Aguilar 60s pickups
All new fender parts, most of which I already had laying around (Thumbrest, pickguard, knobs, 60s style bridge, string retainer, Cali stamped neck plate etc etc).

This bass could be so good, but the one thing I didn’t replace were the guts. And I think it’s really dragging down the potential of the Aguilar pickups. But! It looks nice, and even though I rarely play it, when I do, it’s so fun to run around with!

Killer!

 

[EatS1stBassist]

I’ve got another one!
View attachment 3901208
1992 Peavey Fury (180 USD in 2019).

I remember wishing I had gotten one of these back in the early ‘90s when I had just gotten started. A cousin and a friend both had them, and I remember loving the necks even though I generally prefer Precision dimensions. When my cousin recently got himself another, I finally had to have one of my own.

It came to me in good shape and ready to handle my standard tuning, general purpose bass needs—but the cheap white plastic pickguard and even cheaper plastic knobs (replacements?) had to go.

I custom ordered a mirror pickguard (70 USD ) but it didn’t quite fit banghead:), knocked a solder joint loose learning that the hard way, and the maker, ahem, didn’t take it too well when learning that the guard didn’t fit, so I didn’t feel like dealing with them further. I set this bass aside for weeks, tried getting a white one with a black guard to see if I could swap parts, but nothing quite matched up. The teenage dream was becoming a middle age nightmare.

After I came upon some sweet old Peavey knobs (9 USD each), though, I knew I had to give them a try:
View attachment 3901207

Emboldened by the instant improvement, I summoned my courage and went about making the guard fit. I will need to drill some new screw holes if I fully commit. What do you think? Should I get drilling?

View attachment 3901213
View attachment 3901192
View attachment 3901193

Sweeet! Drill the holes keep the bass!

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

I’ve got another one!
View attachment 3901208
1992 Peavey Fury (180 USD in 2019).

I remember wishing I had gotten one of these back in the early ‘90s when I had just gotten started. A cousin and a friend both had them, and I remember loving the necks even though I generally prefer Precision dimensions. When my cousin recently got himself another, I finally had to have one of my own.

It came to me in good shape and ready to handle my standard tuning, general purpose bass needs—but the cheap white plastic pickguard and even cheaper plastic knobs (replacements?) had to go.

I custom ordered a mirror pickguard (70 USD ) but it didn’t quite fit banghead:), knocked a solder joint loose learning that the hard way, and the maker, ahem, didn’t take it too well when learning that the guard didn’t fit, so I didn’t feel like dealing with them further. I set this bass aside for weeks, tried getting a white one with a black guard to see if I could swap parts, but nothing quite matched up. The teenage dream was becoming a middle age nightmare.

After I came upon some sweet old Peavey knobs (9 USD each), though, I knew I had to give them a try:
View attachment 3901207

Emboldened by the instant improvement, I summoned my courage and went about making the guard fit. I will need to drill some new screw holes if I fully commit. What do you think? Should I get drilling?

View attachment 3901213
View attachment 3901192
View attachment 3901193

It's like Hartley Peavey and Phil Lynott had lunch and a cocktail.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Waiting arrival on this.

A finish I hated when I was young. I now love it since I’m old and eat avocados.

 

[Riff Ranger]

It's like Hartley Peavey and Phil Lynott had lunch and a cocktail.

Steve Harris dropped in and suggested more maple

 

[Ronzo]

Waiting arrival on this. View attachment 3901224View attachment 3901225 A finish I hated when I was young. I now love it since I’m old and eat avocados.

Now you need one in Harvest Gold. And a shag rug.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Now you need one in Harvest Gold. And a shag rug.

Lol! Wouldn’t that be luvly!