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Personalization of your bass

Semisweet

Semisweet

Aug 31, 2011
85
1
Dallas, Texas
#1
Yesterday, I took apart my new, yet incredibly filthy with the yuck of a bazillion nasty hands, GC Epi Viola to clean it.

(Original Dirty Viola thread here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/dirty-viola-bass-christmas-838192/)

Firstly, I have to admit, I'm enjoying the heck out of cleaning this thing. Although the strings, pickups, etc. and so on were removed, I didn't disasseble the wiring, but just set it aside per advice given. It surprised me how easy these instruments are to understand from a components standpoint. (It made me want to someday attempt to build my own bass from scratch.) To remove each piece and see what goes where has been an education, and cleared up quite a bit of the mystery.

As I work on the instrument, something keeps coming to mind...personalization. It's mine, it's paid for, and I never purchase anything with the consideration of resell...ergo, I don't care if nobody else wants it if I personalize. This instrument's name is "Thumper", and I think it'd be fun to paint the Disney rabbit of the same name on it. (I'm a professional studio artist, so it's no big deal to do it.)

Has anyone else here had their instrument personalized? Whether it's something like deliberate "aging" (saw a thread on that), or putting stickers all over it, or painting on it, what have people done here to really personalize their bass?

Inquiring minds want to know.... :D

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#2
Every time I get a new bass I put on new knobs, an aftermarket neck plate if it has one, and depending on the quality of the bridge and tuners I tend to replace those too. Also half my basses have those fret marker stickers... all in an attempt to personalize my basses.
 
#4
I upgraded my Ibby GSR200 to EMG P and LJV pups, did away with the Phat EQ, and only have the VVT setup as I like simple.
On my new Xavier P bass, I plan on doing a black theme, black knobs, bridge,tuning keys, string tree button, and black pickguard screws.
My Electra Outlaw X620 im not touching, with the exception of the strings(rotosound swingbass) and I replaced the MPC switches with the original STYLE batwing type.
Jeff
 
#5
Epi1.jpg


My Epiphone Viola...great woody tone. I painted the screws on the pickup covers black, "aged" the control plate with brown shoe polish, replaced the control knobs and got rid of the "Viola" wording on the truss rod cover-now just black.

I did have her strung with Fender tapewound strings but went back to the original rounds. I have never been a fan of flats but may try LaBella's one day.
 
#13
I had a phase where I "personalized" my Stingray, took off the pick-guard and knob plate for a while and had some weird knobs, eventually I decided it looked better the way it came and I put it all back to its original look.
 
#14
I personalize each of my basses with a fret level and crown, and then I set it up to my playing style. That's about all I do. I thought about building my own but don't see the need as there are plenty of basses already made that do what I need.
 
#15
Mostly its just been swapping stock knobs for the black les paul style speed knobs. An usually adding glowdotz fretboard makers. But of late its starting to include string color choice. Lol. Since fave strings sound wise is Dr neons. I'm starting to like yellow a little more over the blonde spalted maple top. But green kinda works well to. Lol. I've also done some simple glow n dark graphics on some solid color bass bodies. Never tackled doing anything as kewl and detail oriented as the bunny your doing. Lol,

Btw vampyrebunny snarfle aproves of the bunny graphic. Likes. Lol.
 

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