Making it yours do you usually modify your new basses?

[gtlover]

Like the OP, all my basses get Straploks.

I also use the slotted leather straps - just set it and forget it. Yeah, I have to have a dedicated strap for almost every bass, but straps are cheap and they last a long time.
I also set mine up by making a loop with the end of the strap before I attach the straplok, and route my cable through that. No accidental disconnects!

I almost always restring with light gauge DR Hi-Beams, but my ABG came with Chromes and my second Ibanez 2626B came with a set of pressure wounds that sound and feel perfect.

Then there are a few things that I do to personalize my “keepers”.
First, all of my 4 string Fenders get the D string tuner reversed. It’s my trademark - there’s no functional advantage.
Second, I prefer to set up the controls vol/blend/tone, with a chickenhead knob on the blend.
Third, I often swap single coil pups for humbuckers. In the past it was Carvin H50’s but recently I’ve been favoring DiMarzio Model J’s.
Finally, I name them after female cartoon characters and add a sticker of that character; this step can take awhile to decide what character suits it.

 

[TJL]

Never. I buy basses that work perfectly for me as is. The only way they become "mine" is from the natural wear that will occur from use.

 

[Low Main]

As a rule, I don't buy new basses and I don't bond with used ones unless they have issues that need tending to.
I enjoy the bench work and bringing out the best in a bass makes me more emotionally invested in it.
It would be strange for me to order a custom build and obsess over the details of it. I'm much happier assessing and addressing issues on existing basses.
If someone dropped a bass in my lap that was perfect from the get go, I think I'd be bored with it.
I don't freak out if a bass has fixable problems that a seller hasn't noticed or disclosed. It's just another opportunity to head to the bench.
If mods occur in the process of optimizing a bass, that's fine. If not, that's OK too. If I'm doing repairs anyway, it's easy to justify a bit of modding.

 

[MGCollis]

It depends on the bass. Other than a fancy pick guard, my Stingray is stock. My Rick has had a few changes, mostly moving the upper bout strap button around the corner and adding a second one up about 5 inches from the bottom one to curb neck dive. Both my Fenders have had Seymour Duncan 1/4 Pounders put in them, the MiM Jazz got a drop tuner, both the MiJ Precision Lyte (P/J) (active) had the electronics replaced with passive ones from 920D.

All in all, I will play an instrument for a while before I start modding it to make it sound and play the way I want it to.

 

[Zbudah]

I tend to not buy an instrument I dont like, or think I can make better. I seem to be that way with most things...cars, motorcycles, amps, guitars. I've bought and sold instruments because I found something I liked better, but never took the route of modifying. I like the idea of building a Frankenbass from parts, but dont know if I'll ever get around to trying it. I bought a slightly neglected Warwick Thumb BO 5 string a few years ago, but bought factory parts to get it back in playing condition and is now my go-to instrument. I've changed out drivers in combo amps and cabinets, but more out of necessity than desire to change the sound. They say in the motorcycle world: Love what you ride, ride what you love. I feel the same way about my guitars: Love what you play, play what you love.

 

[Doug P]

I’ve only owned Fender and Ric basses. Dunlop Strap locks ( if not on already ) and Roto 66’s at purchase. The “newer” Jazz Geddy Lee’s have Badass already and the older J & P’s have original bridge. The 3 Geddy’s I use for gigs (95% of the time) have Seymour Duncan Hot Stack in the neck position.
On the Ric’s I only remove the cover over the bridge pick up.

 

[EarlTroutman]

Funny timing on this post. I work on Tuesdays at the local library and yesterday I was putting books away when I see one I didn't know existed: How to do DIY mods and repairs on guitars and basses. I brought it home and sat up last night reading the section on basses. Book was published in 2007 but most of it is still good stuff. One area I noticed was having each bass string directly centered over the pole piece on my humbuckers. My low B has never been close to being centered. I worked on the spacing this morning and after two hours had all five strings centered. My one issue with my 2008 Warwick $$ was the low B was never as loud as the other four strings. Well it's as loud now. And sounds better! All 5 strings are the same volume. I'm lucky that Warwick strings can be moved wide or narrow. I had never read anywhere that they need to be centered over the pole pieces. Big difference. I played Stevie Wonder songs for 30 min. while my wife enjoyed me rocking away. Book is "Guitar Player Repair Guide" published in 2007. By Dan Erlewine. Backbeat Books.

 

[wazzel]

Just change the string and adjust the set up to my liking. My 95' EBMM SR5 is still all stock.

 

[Possum Willy]

The most modification I've done was to my Ric 4001: removed pick up cover and install a plate to fill in the space around the pick up, and added a Hipshot bridge. Otherwise I don't modify my basses. Oh yeah, I did add a Drop D tuner on my Ray 34.View attachment 4539584

Hey, I understand, it's a Rick, about as perfect as they get outta the box. You have a beautiful example!!

 

[Fuzzbass]

What do you do to make a new bass your own? (Besides paying for it, for the pedantists.)

I just finished customizing and converting into a workhorse my new fender player plus jazz. (Here is the NBD if interested in the before pics: NBD—J back in the house!
First, I got rid of that starchy white nurse’s hat of a pick guard for some nice red tort.

It needed a drop tuner for some of my current band’s stuff (plus the deeper the note, the sweeter it sounds!)

I really love the sound of Labella DTB flats in the light gauge on a J and I love the way they play. I do my own set ups, and it always takes a couple of days to get a bass stable with new strings in my experience.

I put in strap locks so it’s easy to change straps and it’s more secure. It’s not like I swing it around my neck, but I don’t just stand there and I’ve never had an issue with strap locks. I’ve had to catch basses a few times that did not have them, so I’m there for life. That was the diciest part for me, drilling 3/8 inch holes in that gorgeous body and hoping I had them centered perfectly. My guitarist’s face literally turned white when I told him I had done that. But it worked out nicely, and completed the personalization of my new workhorse.

Remembered the pic this time:
View attachment 4534205

Nicely done! I'm not normally a fan of tort, but it's great on that bass. Also... I don't use inlaid Straploks because I'd have to play sitting down if I didn't have my locked strap for whatever reason... but whatever, it's YOUR bass, and it's OK to play sitting down.

To your question: I started playing in the 70's, back in the days of "Fender and Rickenbacker and everyone else". I was a Fender guy, and jumped on the modding craze right from the start: converted my P to PJ (tried a bunch of different pickups), with Badass bridge and Schaller tuners.

Starting this millenium I've been buying custom basses almost exclusively, so I usually get the features I want from the get go. But even so, after owning a bass for awhile I sometimes realize I want changes, even when it was a custom order, and I don't hesitate once I make up my mind. Sometimes it's just a direct equipment swap that can be undone, but I've also done electronics replacement/rewiring, and have even had basses routed for different pickups. I realize modding affects resale value, but I don't care... I want what's right for me.

Note: if I think a bass requires a whole buttload of changes then I usually take that to mean it's not right for me, so I'll probably just sell it! But hey, I've done the buttload-of-changes thing on keepers, nothing wrong with that.

 

[ryco]

Not usually.
Bought this '75 P out of the back of a van for $200 in '80.
Since it wasn't "pre CBS" - which was a thing back then - I paid to have Mark Arnqusit (ex tech for Rickenbaker incl McCartney's) repair guy at American Music in Seattle mod it for me into a JPJ. Wanted to add active EMGs, but Mark recommended I stay passive so added Seymour Duncan QuarterPounders, vol knob w tone ring each pup, BadAss II bridge, brass nut, and kill switch. An Urge bass 10 years ahead of time!
Still gets played a lot!

In advance: know nothing about electronics. Strictly a plug in and play guy, so won't be able to answer questions.

 

[DECEMBER]

Got a Yamaha TRBX505 and had to file the nut to accommodate a .146 for drop-A.
On my Gretsch Electromatic Junior Jet II short scale 4 string I got black metal speed knobs to replace the chrome.

 

[bleedingfingers]

Straplocks and a Hipshot aluminum B style bridge minimum .
Nordstrands in all but my new Fender 5 pre stock pickups are good in that one .

 

[ChemDave]

If it's a cheaper bass (like my Squiers), I throw a set of Hipshot tuners that match the originals on it, sometimes install a D-tuner if the spirit moves me in place of the E-string tuner, install a Hipshot KickAss bridge, copper foil or use shielding paint in the electronics cavities, and maybe add a thumbrest if it doesn't mess up the pickguard. So far I've been OK with the stock pickups on the Squiers (though I did install a Seymour Duncan Antiquity II in a Jay Turser TeleBass copy that I bought over 10 years ago). Jazz basses get a push-pull pot installed for series/parallel circuitry. If the neck turns out to be funky I have it worked over by the Guitar Doctor in Reading, PA. The better basses get a D-tuner, and if I get really fussy I will replace the stock tuners with Hipshots to match the D-tuner's brand. I keep all of the original parts, and if I decide to buy another bass--with my current practice of when one moves into my collection another has to move out--I reinstall the original parts on the departing bass and recycle the good parts on the new member of the family.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

Not usually.
Bought this '75 P out of the back of a van for $200 in '80.
Since it wasn't "pre CBS" - which was a thing back then - I paid to have Mark Arnqusit (ex tech for Rickenbaker incl McCartney's) repair guy at American Music in Seattle mod it for me into a JPJ. Wanted to add active EMGs, but Mark recommended I stay passive so added Seymour Duncan QuarterPounders, vol knob w tone ring each pup, BadAss II bridge, brass nut, and kill switch. An Urge bass 10 years ahead of time!
Still gets played a lot!

In advance: know nothing about electronics. Strictly a plug in and play guy, so won't be able to answer questions.


View attachment 4539979

My bass to your bass: “DADDY!!!!!”

I really dig that!! Unique and awesome! Oozes mojo!

 

[Hillsidebass]

I usually buy vintage Basses, when I can find them for cheap. I've modified every car, motorcycle or backpack I've ever had, so working on/modifying my guitars comes natural.
Finally found my favorite string, after going through a few dozen others, GHS Pressurewound Bronze. So those are fitted.
Set up the neck tilt and get the action as light as possible. Let it set for 2 days. Tune it, Play it, Tweak it, rinse and repeat until happy.
Whatever needs to be fixed (why I got it so cheap) I'll fix. Work on the balance, I like playing with the neck almost vertical, basically makes it playable by me only LMAO.
In all, it takes about 2 weeks of tiny adjustments, for me to be happy with the setup. But then I can be rather picky. Your setup time and effort may vary.....

Same here……exactly…..except TI Flats for the last 25+ years

 

[Kashofa]

I don't always do any one thing, but I've done a lot of things to basses...

I've bought basses assuming I would need to replace pickups. Most recently the bridge J pickup on a Fender Jaguar bass was swapped for a quiet humbucker. I sometimes go with strap locks but not always. I've found the straps with locking ratchets work really well for me so I'm more likely to go that route now.

I've painted basses, replaced the bridge, replaced the pickguard, painted the pickguard, cut a slot for a 9volt for active pickups, filled in that same slot years later, added stickers, removed stickers and once I cleaned off a dedication written on a bass that I had assumed was permanent when I bought it (it said something about "Joe and Tina 4ever" which was amusing because this forever instrument ended up in a pawnshop

 

[GTHintz]

as was said previously about parts basses this one was basically a parts bass. Decent build from the Chinese but garbage electronics. I installed emg pots and Spector pickups, an impoved adjustable bridge, Warwick nut. I was able to get the string spacing adjusted to be very close to my Warwick which I like. The tone is very versatile now. I'm honestly impressed with how great the tone is.

 

[bigtone23]

I will set it up with the strings I like and such. If it has cheap or borderline switches, jacks, pots, nuts, etc... those get swapped out. If there are some cool features that can be done with push/pull pots, I'll do that, too, since I'm already in there with the electronics.
At this point I'll determine if the hardware is up to snuff or if it can use a more personalized pickguard.

 

[Frank Vozak]

The only mod on my 67 Gibson EB-O was Guild Nylon Tape strings that sounded better than Gibson flat wounds and didn't cut up my fingers like Gibson roundwounds. I am a mechanical klutz so I never touch the mechanicals on any bass that I have owned