Let's See Your Hot-Rodded Cheapo Basses!

[Doctor Morbius]

This started out as a stock Silver Short Scale Squier Jaguar. It was my first bass so I wanted to "treat" it to something nice. Had a lot of fun doing it.

The original price for the stock bass used was $150. I now have a total of $343.53 into it. Well worth it, IMO.

Oddly enough, I don't have a "finished" project picture to post. I wanted to use the original Jag style knobs, but they wouldn't fit over the larger shaft pots so they're just bare shafts for now. I'll get something one of these days.

• Dyed the fretboard black so it would look darker
• Tru-Oil neck refinish
• Touched up the fret ends a tad
• Polished the frets, even though they weren't that bad
• Used a Dremel to route out the control cavity a skosh bigger for full sized pots
• Copper shielding
• Three full sized 250k CTS pots
• Orange Drop cap
• Duncan Steve Harris P pickup SPB-4 (didn't use the quarter pounder in the picture)
• Duncan HOT Stack J bridge (STKJ2B)
• Silver plated Teflon coated wire
• Switchcraft jack S-11
• Gotoh 201-B4 high mass bridge
• Fresh D'Addario 50-105 strings

 

[Riff Ranger]

This started out as a stock Silver Short Scale Squier Jaguar. It was my first bass so I wanted to "treat" it to something nice. Had a lot of fun doing it.

The original price for the stock bass used was $150. I now have a total of $343.53 into it. Well worth it, IMO.

Oddly enough, I don't have a "finished" project picture to post. I wanted to use the original Jag style knobs, but they wouldn't fit over the larger shaft pots so they're just bare shafts for now. I'll get something one of these days.

• Dyed the fretboard black so it would look darker
• Tru-Oil neck refinish
• Touched up the fret ends a tad
• Polished the frets, even though they weren't that bad
• Used a Dremel to route out the control cavity a skosh bigger for full sized pots
• Copper shielding
• Three full sized 250k CTS pots
• Orange Drop cap
• Duncan Steve Harris P pickup SPB-4 (didn't use the quarter pounder in the picture)
• Duncan HOT Stack J bridge (STKJ2B)
• Silver plated Teflon coated wire
• Switchcraft jack S-11
• Gotoh 201-B4 high mass bridge
• Fresh D'Addario 50-105 strings

Looking forward to seeing a finished (for the moment) job at some point. I had one of those in black and kind of wish I still did. That neck was incredible, and it looked so cool

 

[Malak the Mad]

This started out as a stock Silver Short Scale Squier Jaguar. It was my first bass so I wanted to "treat" it to something nice. Had a lot of fun doing it.

The original price for the stock bass used was $150. I now have a total of $343.53 into it. Well worth it, IMO.

Oddly enough, I don't have a "finished" project picture to post. I wanted to use the original Jag style knobs, but they wouldn't fit over the larger shaft pots so they're just bare shafts for now. I'll get something one of these days.

• Dyed the fretboard black so it would look darker
• Tru-Oil neck refinish
• Touched up the fret ends a tad
• Polished the frets, even though they weren't that bad
• Used a Dremel to route out the control cavity a skosh bigger for full sized pots
• Copper shielding
• Three full sized 250k CTS pots
• Orange Drop cap
• Duncan Steve Harris P pickup SPB-4 (didn't use the quarter pounder in the picture)
• Duncan HOT Stack J bridge (STKJ2B)
• Silver plated Teflon coated wire
• Switchcraft jack S-11
• Gotoh 201-B4 high mass bridge
• Fresh D'Addario 50-105 strings

Interesting work, Exeter, but where will you install the interocitor?

 

[LeighOnSea]

2. Bronco Bass with EMG Geezer pickup

Hi!
This is what I want to do for my second Bronco
I have a router and am not afraid to use it, but have never done this on a bass
How do route out in the right place / accurately?
and where is 'the right place'?
could you even scan / share or something a template?
please?

 

[don21480]

@LeighOnSea - i just installed it where the original pickup was. If I remember I had the pickguard made and then put it over the body and marked what needed to be removed and did it with a drill, sharp chisel and dremel. Got the pickguard from a seller on REVERB who does a lot of Bronco guards. Precision Guitar I believe. He had done a P bass pickup before so he had a template.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I have a router and am not afraid to use it, but have never done this on a bass
How do route out in the right place / accurately?
and where is 'the right place'?
could you even scan / share or something a template?
please?

@LeighOnSeaIf I remember I had the pickguard made and then put it over the body and marked what needed to be removed and did it with a drill, sharp chisel and dremel.

I did something similar to a Mighty Mite Jazz body. I bought a pickguard from WD Music and had a local Guitar Center tech use it as a template.

Technically, I had it done twice with much better sonic results the second time around.

What's really nice is I can always go back to the original J/J configuration with a pickguard and pickup swap, so I recommend you keep your original electronics and guard. You never know if the idea will ever strike your fancy.

 

[fourstringbliss]

Mine started like this:

And now it looks like this:

The only stock parts are the body and the neck. Hardware is now Hipshot, pickups are Bartolini 2J Squared humbuckers, and the preamp is an Audere 2-band. Each pickup shell houses two split-coil jazz pups and is wired to a mini switch. I can choose series/front single/parallel on the bridge pickup and front single/series/rear single on the neck pickup for Jazz, P, PJ, and MMish pickup configurations.

 

[LeighOnSea]

Thanks!
I found this, and chisel makes more sense


What about rolling the neck edges on a bronco? Is there enough space and/or are there necks that fit?
I am used to Marcus Miller Sire necks

 

[MadJack]

...

What about rolling the neck edges on a bronco? Is there enough space and/or are there necks that fit?
I am used to Marcus Miller Sire necks

I rolled the edges on my Sonic Bronco, with the Laurel fretboard. I didn't roll the edge as much as I remember on any Sires I've tried, but it was noticeable.

The maple fretboard should be the same size and shape, but you would have to repair the finish on the edges or refinish the heck on a whole. I refinished the neck on my Harley Benton PB-50 that I modded into the Dusty Hill/Bolin Peeler P. I refinished it with Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and Gunstock Wax. Smoother than a babies' bottom and my hand doesn't stick when sweaty. EB-MM finishes their necks with oil and wax.

 

[LeighOnSea]

I just found the method using a screwdriver shaft, crushing the wood a bit - it worked well on my Sonic P that I have in UK at mum's, will do same to Sonic Bronco when back 'home' in Portugal

 

[Jessefar84]

Please tell me more about that Jaguar is there anything on it you didn’t change up? Refinished?

its actually stock color from Sweetwater and just hardware and pickup the pickup costed more than the bass lol I got the bass used for $180 and the pickup for $200.

 

[Jessefar84]

its actually stock color from Sweetwater and just hardware and pickup the pickup costed more than the bass lol I got the bass used for $180 and the pickup for $200. here is picture with the correct pickguard ( apologize for taking so long to respond)

 

[Jessefar84]

View attachment 7400704

 

[LowEndLobster]

Here's my new Bronco. I bought it to revisit for a video, but decided to give it some mods ahead of time. Guyker GB408 bridge (amazon has this listed as having 17.5mm spacing, when it's really standard 19mm but so is the factory bridge so that's fine), Guyker 9k hot rail pickup, Guyker GK3436 tuners (65g each, 4g heavier than stock but oh well lol), Guyker knobs, and a 250k push pull tone control (pull for series). Also did some copper shielding. Everything was drop in minus the tone pot which required me to widen the hole on the pickguard. Total cost for all the parts together is about $100, and I'm very happy with how it sounds. Final upgrade is a set of EB Group 2 short scale flats (not included in the $100 mod bundle)

 

[poochiecheeks]

Hello fellow TB'ers. This is my first time posting over here. Riff Ranger suggested I come on over.
Here's one that I've done.

It started life as a Limited edition Jackson JS1M. Nothing to rave about but a good platform to experiment with. The flat black body wasn't my thing. So, the body was scuffed and sprayed with clear. Then, that overly white looking Maple also had to go. Enter the amber tint and vintage amber topcoat. The neck was also shaved down from the heavy D profile to a more fat C style similar to a Tele bass neck. Fingerboard edges rolled as well. These necks have graphite rods in them stock. Surprising on an under $200 dollar bass. The amber really makes the Birdseye and flames in the Maple pop. Also shows off the scarf joint.

Now for the sound. I didn't like the tone of the stock ceramic magnet pickups. So, they were upgraded to an EMG Geezer Butler signature set, since I had a spare set here anyways. After all is said and done this bass looks and plays great. Sounds HUGE and hits way above it's price point. In fact I've been asked a few times if it was a vintage USA Jackson.

I also run the Official Black 'n' Maple basses owners club. Feel free to hear on over there and say hi.
60bass
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/th...-club-part-four.928117/page-112#post-28480043

The stock look (puke)
View attachment 5466651

After mods.
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That is awesome. I thought that was an 80s Charvel 1B for a second. Amazing

 

[RedNuk]

Not entirely sure this fits in the "cheapo" or "hot roded" category but here goes :

So this is a Squier Precision CV60 stock bass in olympic white in mint condition I got for dirt cheap. Changes I've done: swapped in a Squier Jazz Bass Deluxe neck (sanded the fretboard to make it matte finish), black tuners, black strap pins, hi-mass black bridge, black knobs, black aluminum pickguard (with black screws), black string retainer and DR Black Beauties strings Had to have the neck adjusted to perfectly fit the pocket.

2 more things I have to do : put in a black jack plug and print some pole-less pickup covers (black obviously^^)

Was a fun project
Cheers !

 

[MadJack]

Not entirely sure this fits in the "cheapo" or "hot roded" category but here goes :

So this is a Squier Precision CV60 stock bass in olympic white in mint condition I got for dirt cheap. Changes I've done: swapped in a Squier Jazz Bass Deluxe neck (sanded the fretboard to make it matte finish), black tuners, black strap pins, hi-mass black bridge, black knobs, black aluminum pickguard (with black screws), black string retainer and DR Black Beauties strings Had to have the neck adjusted to perfectly fit the pocket.

2 more things I have to do : put in a black jack plug and print some pole-less pickup covers (black obviously^^)

View attachment 7423871View attachment 7423872

Was a fun project
Cheers !

A GraphTech TUSQ XL Black nut for the last little bit.

 

[RedNuk]

A GraphTech TUSQ XL Black nut for the last little bit.

Yeah was thinking about it but I'm not confident in changing it and also don't have the equipment to do it correctly... Maybe I'll see what my luthier can do about it

 

[WI Short Scaler]

the wide range pickup makes the jaguar sing

The original Fender ones are spectacular. Oddly enough I came across one in an el cheapo project someone else abandoned.

and my most recent just finished today, Tahitian Coral Bronco - Squier wide range humbucker in a 3 ply bwb pickguard, new pots. jack and cap and LaBella flats!

That looks really good. The Squier wide range humbuckers are really good, not quite as good as the original Fender ones but still really good. Of course they are more easily located and reasonably priced too.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

Very cool to see some others on TB that really like the wide range humbuckers. Just thought I'd update my experience with them.

After completing my short scale Tele bass I was totally hooked on the Fender wide range humbucker that was in it. Such a full and great sound. So I shopped around and lucked into a loaded Squier Rascal pickguard from Stratosphere and got two of the Squier version wide ranges. I love the sound of them. While the Squiers aren't quite as good and have a lower output than the Fender I'm still glad to have them.

Enjoy your basses!