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Making my bass sound amazing?
- Thread starter WookieeForLife
- Start date
The black is and Ibanez gsr and the red and black is a fender squier standard series. If anything I would want to invest into that one.
This is what I would recommend. I know there are others out there who love to mod Squiers and SX's, but I don't see the point in dropping $200 pups into a $100 bass.
IMO/YMMV
Edit: To clarify, what I really mean is save your money and put it towards a a new to you used bass.
Right over my head. And im not going to buy a new one because I like the one I have now alot. I want to mod it.
+1
dropping expensive pups wont make a bad bass sound good, only better, a huge amount of the sound/tone of a bass comes from the wood and most squiers and low end Ibanezes are made with fairly low quality wood
If you can install new pickups, you can install new tone caps. Look for the little thing soldered to the tone pot that looks like an aspirin, unsolder it, and solder on a paper in oil tone cap, which looks like a very small metal cylinder. Here's one that you can get for $6 shipped:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=380139519620
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Is there anything wrong with these basses everyone else knows about? 
If they play well and sound how you want acoustically, the thing to do would of course be to switch the electronics. Cheaper basses almost always cut costs with the electronics. If you like how your basses sound, I'm a big fan of Bill Lawrence's work, but be aware that his pickups are unusually clear and sensitive to what you do. I think the Pbass pickup goes for $56 and the Jazz pickups are $60 each. Every other pickup I'd consider trying is far outside your budget and no better, just different.
If they play well and sound how you want acoustically, the thing to do would of course be to switch the electronics. Cheaper basses almost always cut costs with the electronics. If you like how your basses sound, I'm a big fan of Bill Lawrence's work, but be aware that his pickups are unusually clear and sensitive to what you do. I think the Pbass pickup goes for $56 and the Jazz pickups are $60 each. Every other pickup I'd consider trying is far outside your budget and no better, just different.I agree with steamthief and infamusblkdeath! I did the same mods on my first Mex made P-bass which I purchased at a pawn shop. (That was all I could afford at the time!) Don't know your financial situation but it sounds like these axes are what you enjoy and certainly like. Don't listen to what the other two commented about saving your money. Use it wisely instead with what you have now, first on the bass you enjoy most. Experiment with it! It's true, particular woods give you certain sustain and tone to achieve a unique sound. With that said, those properties are most important for acoustic instruments. Lets face it, the instruments we play are more dependent on the electronics placed into them!
My recomendation, I placed Seymour Duncan Basslines Quarter Pound pups. Also replaced the 500k ohm tone pot with a 250k ohm pot. (CTS brand, they are built with brass shafts) The 250k pot is one item alone that can give your bass a warmer tone! while ordering the tone pot, replace the volume pot as well. (This is a 500k pot) Those 2 things alone made a big change in how that bass sounded. I wish I had known about the oil and paper cap! I think I'll open up my toys and look to see what can be done there. Strings are another factor to be considered.
Shop around on the web. You can find good deals on Ebay.
Warmoth.com has inexpensive pots.
Stewmac.com has good info and parts as well.
SeymourDuncan.com has great info and many wiring configurations which are helpful.
To just buy a so called "BETTER BASS" will only keep you ignorant of what you and your AX can do! GOOD LUCK!
My recomendation, I placed Seymour Duncan Basslines Quarter Pound pups. Also replaced the 500k ohm tone pot with a 250k ohm pot. (CTS brand, they are built with brass shafts) The 250k pot is one item alone that can give your bass a warmer tone! while ordering the tone pot, replace the volume pot as well. (This is a 500k pot) Those 2 things alone made a big change in how that bass sounded. I wish I had known about the oil and paper cap! I think I'll open up my toys and look to see what can be done there. Strings are another factor to be considered.
Shop around on the web. You can find good deals on Ebay.
Warmoth.com has inexpensive pots.
Stewmac.com has good info and parts as well.
SeymourDuncan.com has great info and many wiring configurations which are helpful.
To just buy a so called "BETTER BASS" will only keep you ignorant of what you and your AX can do! GOOD LUCK!
First find a bass that sounds good to you. You can try to emulate it, but you'll spend less buying what you want instead of experimenting and creating originals. Just watch and wait for a good price.
Boy, the bad advice is flying fast and heavy today.
#1 If you're not a good player, the bass doesn't matter; learning to be a good player is a must
#2 You must have a good amp; my dead mint 1960 P bass or MM Stingray do not sound good through crap amps; would rather have a great amp and a Squier bass than the other way around; mostly use an SX rather than the above mentioned or J basses as it is easily replaced and sounds great
#3 Have experimented extensively with paper in oil caps as well as polyester, metal film, and old fashioned ceramic caps and the difference is nill if at all audible
#4 If you decied that you would like to change pups; new Lawrence are a great choice, or buy used from any of the big boys (Duncan, Dimarzio, Fender, etc.)
#1 If you're not a good player, the bass doesn't matter; learning to be a good player is a must
#2 You must have a good amp; my dead mint 1960 P bass or MM Stingray do not sound good through crap amps; would rather have a great amp and a Squier bass than the other way around; mostly use an SX rather than the above mentioned or J basses as it is easily replaced and sounds great
#3 Have experimented extensively with paper in oil caps as well as polyester, metal film, and old fashioned ceramic caps and the difference is nill if at all audible
#4 If you decied that you would like to change pups; new Lawrence are a great choice, or buy used from any of the big boys (Duncan, Dimarzio, Fender, etc.)
Don't know what amp wookiee is using or if he plays well. I guess I should stop tearing open my basses to look into the caps! I'm curious, there apparently is no difference in the type of material a cap is made of to improve the tone or might there be a different farad value cap used to achieve a different tone?
What kind of tone do you have now, and what sort of tonal direction are you looking at? A cheap or no name bass, does not mean that it's a bad bass (Maybe cheap, but not NECESSARILY bad). Changing pickups and strings may be the answer to your question
I'm not looking for a different sound. I read the questions Wookee had at the top and responded to everyone elses comments concerning the value of an ax and the type of sound one can achieve by purchasing a high cost Bass. The caps came up in one response and I became curious. Anymore I use my Boss GT-10B effects processor to change my sound.
Wookee,
I still think that researching and discovering what works differently to your likes is a more valuable benefit and a priceless satisfaction!
I guess thats all I have to say about that! Feel all alone suddenly.
I still think that researching and discovering what works differently to your likes is a more valuable benefit and a priceless satisfaction!
I guess thats all I have to say about that! Feel all alone suddenly.
