Sane person? Here?Any sane person will tell you that "it depends" and "carrots" are not mutually exclusive.
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POLL: Do you mod your basses?
- Thread starter jg42
- Start date
I voted "It Depends". Only if the bass doesn't have what I desire in an instrument. Most times I like high end hardware and Bartolini or EMG electronics. Yeah, I could go boutique but I refuse to spend that kind of coin when I can have the exact bass I want for way, way less money by modding a modestly priced instrument. Or build one myself.
Modding is fun. I've modded many of my basses to lighten them. Lighter bridges, lighter tuners, lighter knobs. Modded eventually led to building basses from parts. This became very addicting. Now I'd rather build than buy.
On a few basses, I've never changed a thing. I'm never modding the Custom Shop Pino other than tweaking the action and pickup height and oiling the back of the neck.
On a few basses, I've never changed a thing. I'm never modding the Custom Shop Pino other than tweaking the action and pickup height and oiling the back of the neck.
Outside of strap buttons, I do not modify. Repairs not withstanding, I figure the instrument in question was made that way for a reason. Simplistic as it sounds, that is just what works best for me.
Dunno......My girlfriend made a living for over 20 years doing just that. ;^D.What if.... there was no such thing as a rhetorical question?
In the late seventies, I defretted, stripped, refined, Barted, Badassed and brass nutted my '67P.
I pulled the frets out of a Takamine G series ABG several years ago.
There's a Yamaha BB404 under my bed (and on CL) that if I ever decided to use for what ever reason, the control functions would certainly need to be changed.
The only thing I'd ever do to my Takamine B10 would be to replace the pre amp module if it ever failed, and I'd hope, real hard, that the newer TB10 module is interchangeable.
I pulled the frets out of a Takamine G series ABG several years ago.
There's a Yamaha BB404 under my bed (and on CL) that if I ever decided to use for what ever reason, the control functions would certainly need to be changed.
The only thing I'd ever do to my Takamine B10 would be to replace the pre amp module if it ever failed, and I'd hope, real hard, that the newer TB10 module is interchangeable.
I will if I need to. One out of my 3 basses is has many aftermarket replacement parts or parts from other basses, though it's basic character is still the same, meaning a fairly standard example of a Fender Jazz. I don't feel the need to mod my other two basses, they are fine just as they are.
It depends, but the three basses I currently own have been modded:
Roscoe SKB-3005: Just a pickup swap from stock Roscoe Barts to Nordstrand Big Singles
Lakland DJ5: Added a neck pickup cover, changed the bar string retainer on the headstock to hipshot retainers (I hate that bar), sanded the neck down to bare maple, swimming pool route under the pickguard (this was thinking I'd lose a little weight and end up making it a PJ - weight loss was negligible and PJ mod never happened)
Fender American Standard P5 - Wanted black hardware so I plasti-dipped the bridge black (wanted to keep the stock bridge) and put black hipshot ultralights on, had it modded to a PJ by adding a Nordstand Big Split at the bridge with a volume/blend stack and tone setup, sanded the neck down to bare maple
Roscoe SKB-3005: Just a pickup swap from stock Roscoe Barts to Nordstrand Big Singles
Lakland DJ5: Added a neck pickup cover, changed the bar string retainer on the headstock to hipshot retainers (I hate that bar), sanded the neck down to bare maple, swimming pool route under the pickguard (this was thinking I'd lose a little weight and end up making it a PJ - weight loss was negligible and PJ mod never happened)
Fender American Standard P5 - Wanted black hardware so I plasti-dipped the bridge black (wanted to keep the stock bridge) and put black hipshot ultralights on, had it modded to a PJ by adding a Nordstand Big Split at the bridge with a volume/blend stack and tone setup, sanded the neck down to bare maple
I have no objection to it. You can end up with some awesome unique instruments. I love customizing everything though, to make it exactly how I want it. I'm in the process of making a frankenwarwick and I always look at basses for sale and see how I can change them to suit me.
Two of my basses were modded when I bought them...
The 55-01 had a LH3 Pre in it and Bart mk 5 pups with a S/P switch. I took out the LH3 and sold it and put in an Audere PZ4.
The Heir was stock.. I put in Delano a MC5AL MM pup and a Delano JMVC5 FE/S Jazz pup and a Sonar 3 preamp. I took the 18mm bridge that was on the Brute and put it on the Heir and put some Gotoh GB7 tuners on it. I left the black Hipshot knobs on the Heir since the Brute had black knobs already and I thought it looked nice with the black knobs.
The Brute came with a Bart NTMB pre and Bart quads and a 18mm.. Hipshot A bridge.. I swapped out that bridge with a black 19mm bridge that I had in my Heir. I also put some black Hipshot Lic tuners on this bass thatI also took off my Heir.
The Peavey is a recently acquired bass in a trade for my fretless Cirrus. I have no intention of modding it at all.
I am pretty set for basses.. (I also have a 78 J, a Breedlove Atlas 4, and a Brice 6.. which I may be selling soon..) and do not see myself buying one for a long long time.. If I do wind up with another one it will be in a trade or by way of a sale.
The 55-01 had a LH3 Pre in it and Bart mk 5 pups with a S/P switch. I took out the LH3 and sold it and put in an Audere PZ4.
The Heir was stock.. I put in Delano a MC5AL MM pup and a Delano JMVC5 FE/S Jazz pup and a Sonar 3 preamp. I took the 18mm bridge that was on the Brute and put it on the Heir and put some Gotoh GB7 tuners on it. I left the black Hipshot knobs on the Heir since the Brute had black knobs already and I thought it looked nice with the black knobs.
The Brute came with a Bart NTMB pre and Bart quads and a 18mm.. Hipshot A bridge.. I swapped out that bridge with a black 19mm bridge that I had in my Heir. I also put some black Hipshot Lic tuners on this bass thatI also took off my Heir.
The Peavey is a recently acquired bass in a trade for my fretless Cirrus. I have no intention of modding it at all.
I am pretty set for basses.. (I also have a 78 J, a Breedlove Atlas 4, and a Brice 6.. which I may be selling soon..) and do not see myself buying one for a long long time.. If I do wind up with another one it will be in a trade or by way of a sale.
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Picked up a Sting Signature P Bass for a steal. Routed it out for a Bill Lawrence P bass split P at the bridge position. Also expanded the control cavity for a V/V/T custom control plate. Sounds great. Not a perfect routing job, but it works.
Also, my American Special P Bass now has a tort guard, Babicz bridge, Geezer EMG's and a 1988 Korean Squier Jazz Bass neck (these necks rival American necks in my opinion....plus I Prefer a jazz neck on a P bass and this is an affordable way to do it).
So, I guess not much original, but it now suits me and I've off set some expense by selling off the parts.
So, I guess not much original, but it now suits me and I've off set some expense by selling off the parts.
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I never used to, aside from occasional cosmetic mods, but all my basses now are El Cheapos, so at the very least I install better wiring and jack. From there, I generally go (if necessary) pickup(s), nut, tuners, bridge.
But if those things are functional, I tend to leave them be.
But if those things are functional, I tend to leave them be.
It depends:
I have a Brice Z6 that I'm modding, basslines soapbars and preamp. Next will be a hipshot bridge and a bone nut. Then I'll see if tuners must be changed.
I aslo have a franken P bass that I won't mod and the rest will stay stock.
But since my GAS is cured I don't know when I'll finish the mod on the Brice
I have a Brice Z6 that I'm modding, basslines soapbars and preamp. Next will be a hipshot bridge and a bone nut. Then I'll see if tuners must be changed.
I aslo have a franken P bass that I won't mod and the rest will stay stock.
But since my GAS is cured I don't know when I'll finish the mod on the Brice
wmhill
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- Aug 20, 2012
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this is a link to the last bass (MTD artist) I modded. I just started a new hot rod project with a MTD Saratoga, I'll post up the finished project. I enjoy tweaking a bass that I really like to "personalize" to my way of thinking. Both of these basses were bought brand new, solely with the intent of being modded. Not quite as intense as having a custom rig built, and obviously my cost effective. Much like some one that builds hot rod cars, I really enjoy the process and the end product.
MTD ARTIST 4 UPGRADES.......... | TalkBass.com
MTD ARTIST 4 UPGRADES.......... | TalkBass.com
Hell yes I do. Now I only own a few squiers and I've modded all of them pretty heavily. And my ibanez ATK 300 is pretty much perfect the way it is. But I'd mod it if I found other things I wanted in/on it.
Now, if I had a Wal, or a Zon, something really high end, I would work with the builder to customize it the way I wanted and leave it. There would be no reason to mod something like that. But a Squier I bought for $150 that I feel I can add or subtract to/from it to get it to where I want it in looks and tone, I'm modding the hell outta that bass!!
Now, if I had a Wal, or a Zon, something really high end, I would work with the builder to customize it the way I wanted and leave it. There would be no reason to mod something like that. But a Squier I bought for $150 that I feel I can add or subtract to/from it to get it to where I want it in looks and tone, I'm modding the hell outta that bass!!
My EBMM Big Al is stock. My other two basses have minor practical mods. My Squier VM P has a Gotoh 201 bridge (sturdier than stock, grooves help string alignment) and my Squier VM Mustang has a Nordy NM-4 pickup (stronger output than stock). In the past, I have done similar things to other basses, like adding a Hipshot to a Fender Aerodyne. Nothing extreme in any case, because I don't believe much in extreme mods. There's a blurry point with mods where you're better off simply buying a stock bass with more of the features you want.
Super modder: "Yeah, I just made my MIM active with blah blah pickups and new hardware and this and that..."
Me: "Congratulations. You spent the cost of a Fender Deluxe to turn your MIM into a jury-rigged, used, cheaper-built clone of a Fender Deluxe."
I guess Billy Sheehan and John Entwhistle wouldn't have liked me very much.
Super modder: "Yeah, I just made my MIM active with blah blah pickups and new hardware and this and that..."
Me: "Congratulations. You spent the cost of a Fender Deluxe to turn your MIM into a jury-rigged, used, cheaper-built clone of a Fender Deluxe."
I guess Billy Sheehan and John Entwhistle wouldn't have liked me very much.
