Old Austin bass- worth fixing up?

[RyRob813]

Still have my Austin P bass, the first bass I ever played on in my closet. It's really cheap, but definetley still playable.

Would it be worth getting new pickups and strings for it and using it as a second bass, or would it be a waste of money?

thanks!

 

[GlennW]

No reason to jump to conclusions because of the brand or the price. Wood is wood. If you like the way the neck feels there's no reason not to get some strings. Good strings will help the sound a lot, you might not even want to change the pickup. A lot of inexpensive basses have cheap pots. I'd change the pots and input jack before getting another pickup, and splurge for a good .1 cap too. For less than $50 for strings and electronics you can make a definate improvement. If you don't like the neck, I wouldn't bother. Don't waste your money on tuners and a bridge either, IMO.

 

[Pilgrim]

I agree. I took a Lotus bass on as a project and it turned out great. If it fels good and plays well, then do strings first (I recommend Labella Deep Talkin' Flats as the classis P-bass sound), pots next, and pickups only if necessary. And you can find used pickups on Ebay all day for a lot less than retail. You don't need tuners if they don't slip, and any bridge that screws down securely and stays put will work OK.

 

[ack]

I took the first bass I ever owned - a Brownsville P/J - decided to change out a few things. First off, I really like the way this bass feels, but it sounded like crap. I put a set of EMG passive P/J's in there as well as all new pots and output jack. I also put on a set of GHS Boomers.

The difference is staggering. I really like this thing, and it was a fun project. I liked it so much after the pots/pickup/strings, that I put in a new Schaller roller bridge and new tuners.

I feel that the pickups and strings made most (if not all) of the difference. The other hardware just made it less cheap looking and feeling.

ack

 

[RyRob813]

Thanks guys! Yea, I love the feel of the bass, always have. The neck is just how I want. I"ll get some new strings for it for sure, and then go from there- a much better plan than simply buying a new one, use what you have you know.

Thanks again!