Thanks, man! I think that pickguard really sets it off, and it was around $12. I had to shave it a little around the pickup routes but the screw holes basically lined right up. Couldn't be happier with it.
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New Cheap Modded Bass Day NCMBD
- Thread starter skyline_01
- Start date
Thanks, man! I think that pickguard really sets it off, and it was around $12. I had to shave it a little around the pickup routes but the screw holes basically lined right up. Couldn't be happier with it.
Thanks! That wiring kit made a night and day difference in the sound, and I'm sure new strings and a heavier bridge contributed too.
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Thank you! I agree, they really livened up the sound of that thing in conjunction with the new wiring harness. Those strings were cheap too, like $13!
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You're welcome. I suck at "do it yourself", so I am very impressed! I think that pickguard looks great.
Well well, the question may be allowed: why blowing out XXXX$ when this one equalizes in tone with a little 30$ upgrade? Great bass, great tone, mucho congratz!
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,593
- 18,613
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
@skyline_01To funny I just did the same for my daughter but Jazz V.
I had the same tyep of pickgaurd hanging around as well.
I will eventually put a heavy bridge on it and different pickups...That is an ongoing conversation, she wants one particular brand of pickups and my persuasion for something else is not winning
.However it’s her bass so...I will get her what she wants.
If you asked me a decade ago if I would be having pickup discussions with my 9 year old daughter I would have chuckled I’m sure...Well truth is stranger then fiction at times for sure
Well well, the question may be allowed: why blowing out XXXX$ when this one equalizes in tone with a little 30$ upgrade? Great bass, great tone, mucho congratz!
Thank you, I couldn't agree with you more!
To funny I just did the same for my daughter but Jazz V.
I had the same type of pickguard hanging around as well.
I will eventually put a heavy bridge on it and different pickups...That is an ongoing conversation, she wants one particular brand of pickups and my persuasion for something else is not winning
However it’s her bass so...I will get her what she wants.
If you asked me a decade ago if I would be having pickup discussions with my 9 year old daughter I would have chuckled I’m sure...Well truth is stranger then fiction at times for sure
View attachment 3617734
Wow, Tony, that thing looks great! How funny that we chose the same pickguard color.
I love the way the pearl looks with the gloss black finish.I've not had the pickup brand discussion yet, as she is a beginner, but I'll be sure to have that conversation in the near future.
I do think it's hilarious to think about though.
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you're pushing for Nordstrand maybe? That would be the first choice for mine anyway, as one might guess by my signature.If you ever post sound clips of that Jazz V I'd love to hear them!
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,593
- 18,613
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
You are correct sir...I want Nordstrand and my daughter wants EMG because she has EMG Geezers in her other bass. I tried explaining BUT...I didn’t get to far lol.Wow, Tony, that thing looks great! How funny that we chose the same pickguard color.
I've not had the pickup brand discussion yet, as she is a beginner, but I'll be sure to have that conversation in the near future.
If you ever post sound clips of that Jazz V I'd love to hear them!
My is beginner as well but odd enough she does play with some older kids and I let her sit in with my guys on occasion...I would rather watch her then play myself and I would never say that anywhere else.
Ahh, I see - well I have to admit that the EMG seem to be very popular, but maybe you'll win out in the end. There's always hope, right?
I think it's great that she sits in with your group. I look forward to the day when mine can do something like that.
I am still playing, and enjoying, my first bass—a Squier Affinity P I bought at a pawnshop when I was about 40, ten years ago—and am satisfied with it.
Mine’s all stock except for a set of 40-100 D’Addario chrome flats and the black-anodized knurled barrel knobs off a Stinger Tele copy I used to have. It does all I need. But I may take your recommendation on that wiring harness upgrade, now that I’ve read this...thanks!
Awesome gifts! So are you going to upgrade the opamp in the Ampeg? Since you seem to enjoy tinkering that sounds like a worthwhile upgrade.
Wow, that's a fantastic-looking Squier! I love the creamy vintage white, one of my favorite finishes.
I also use the Chromes but on a 'Ray fretless. I really like them and they seem to have lasted a long time.
And about the wiring harness, I STRONGLY recommend it if you're looking for a relatively easy and fairly inexpensive upgrade. The difference between stock and the new one is like night and day (at least for me). There are many kits out there but this one was pre-assembled and had the best parts for the money.
Truth be told, I originally wanted to change it out just bc the stock pots were really scratchy and I didn't feel like figuring out if they were just dirty or actually going bad. I'm glad I did it though bc it sounds great!
I'm not particularly handy but I managed to install it with no issue. Just xfer the new parts to the pickguard, connect pickup wires and bridge ground lead and that's about it.
Thanks! Actually I hadn't given a single thought to upgrading the amp, and I've never done anything quite like that, but I'd be willing to look into it if it were cheap and the result was worth the time and effort. I'm all ears if you'd like to enlighten me.
The finish is what grabbed me when I first saw it. In person it looks a little bit less like vintage white and a little more like coffee spills & meth lab fumes exposure white. With chips and dings. But I like a bit of jank in my rig.
My volume pot has a brief scratchiness at the halfway point—sort of an audio center detent—and the tone knob is scratchy all the way through its rotation. But I only use the volume knob as a kill switch so I’ve gotten by with it so far, but would like that all sorted out ultimately.
I like how it sounds with the stock pickup after some height tweaking (not tweeking.)
The black/black pearl on yours is classy and understated looking to me.
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I recently picked up a used Squier Affinity P Bass to fix up for my daughter's Christmas present (yes, she asked for bass stuff, which is awesome). I cleaned the fretboard with 0000 steel wool and conditioned it with mineral oil, then cleaned/polished the rest of the bass as best I could. It sounds and looks way better than I thought it would. Makes me itch for another P Bass project to keep for myself.Mods/upgrades include:
- New high-quality wiring kit (CTS, orange drop, switchcraft, push-back cloth wiring, yadda yadda)
- New (cheap but nice looking) pickguard
- New cheap higher-mass-than-stock bridge; used some longer 1-1/4" #6 screws to anchor it bc the screw holes were beginning to strip
- New heavy-feeling flat-top chrome knobs (actually came with the wiring kit)
- Dunlop Super Brights
- action/intonation/height adjustments
Link to hastily-put-together sound demo below.
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Don’t forget one of these. A nice instrument like that needs quality amplification.
You may consider asking about modding the Ampeg BA108 in The Combo Club . I think one or two people there recently modded theirs.
I know absolutely nothing about it, but you can find info in this thread.Thanks! Actually I hadn't given a single thought to upgrading the amp, and I've never done anything quite like that, but I'd be willing to look into it if it were cheap and the result was worth the time and effort. I'm all ears if you'd like to enlighten me.
Ampeg BA-108 Coffeeshop Micro Rig
