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POLL: Do you mod your basses?

Do you mod your basses?

  • Total voters
    480
#121
Mystic Michael said:
I play Carvins. Up until just a few years ago, Carvin pickups & preamps were mediocre, at best. Since I began buying Carvins during that period, I've pretty much stayed in the habit of having them upgraded with high-quality aftermarket electronics, i.e. DiMarzio, Nordstrand, Delano and SGD pickups; Aguilar, Bartolini and Audere preamps.

From what I gather, Carvin electronic components have improved significantly during the past several years. While they're not at boutique levels of quality, they're decent and playable.

If/when I buy any more Carvin basses, I reckon I'll still have the electronics upgraded. One possible future build is a new LB75 with custom Kent Armstrong soapbar humbuckers, and/or a new LB70 with a set of Seymour Duncan Pro Actives. As for preamps, I like the Aguilar OBP-3 for rock, and anything by Audere for all other, more hi-fi applications.

MM
Click to expand...
I hear Ya. Fretless Icon 6 here circa 2013. Upgraded with Delano pups. Left the stock pre in. Stock pups were so-so.
 
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#124
Yep, modding is fun. I've been playing bass a little over a year. I only play sub-short scale 21-24" and my first was a Gold Tone GT MicroBass on which I changed the preamp. The I converted an Epiphone Les Paul Express guitar to a bass. Next was a Rondo Hadean blue solid body u-bass that is in the works to cut down the horns and match the head to the body, plus add pickguards with integrated thumb rest. Then almost immediately sent in another Ronda Hadean u-bass to have a new violin style body made with integrated thumb rest, white pickguard and tailpiece and white block fret markers. And just last week bought a mini P-bass to have painted sea foam green, and change the pickguard to pearloid and add pearl block fret markers.

GT preamp.png
GT Joyo.JPG

LP Bass orig.jpg
LP Gotoh 600.jpg

1 Rondo blue bass both Kala.jpg

1 Violin bass both block.jpg

small P-bass both.jpg
 
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#125
Oh yep - I've modded just about everything I've owned except my '94 Musicman Stingray 5 and my Sandberg TM5. Those ones have always been perfect to my ears without the need to adjust them.
In the end, instead of buying something and then changing it to suit my needs, I've simple built what I've wanted via Warmoth and other parts manufacturers. HEAPS happier with the results. But even then I've done a few mods he he.
The never ending search for tone via trial and error.
Expensive but fun...
 
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#127
KohanMike said:
Yep, modding is fun. I've been playing bass a little over a year. I only play sub-short scale 21-24" and my first was a Gold Tone GT MicroBass on which I changed the preamp. The I converted an Epiphone Les Paul Express guitar to a bass. Next was a Rondo Hadean blue solid body u-bass that is in the works to cut down the horns and match the head to the body, plus add pickguards with integrated thumb rest. Then almost immediately sent in another Ronda Hadean u-bass to have a new violin style body made with integrated thumb rest, white pickguard and tailpiece and white block fret markers. And just last week bought a mini P-bass to have painted sea foam green, and change the pickguard to pearloid and add pearl block fret markers.

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Cool. If you don't mind me asking how much did each of them cost you to have done?
 
#128
brianrost said:
I don't see the point...if the bass is not up to snuff as is, why buy it?
Click to expand...

I've never seen a production bass that was up to snuff, as you say.

The closest I've ever gotten was a mid 80's Ibanez prototype with a neck that was manufactured by Modulus Graphite.
(Both company logos and patent labels on the headstock.)

Still though, not a production instrument, but It is amazing. I still have it. Unbelievable tone and playability.
The problem? the neck joint does not quite match the body so there is a gap. (drives my OCD nuts)
Also, I would prefer it to have a truss rod. (though it doesn't really need one)
You control the neck relief by the gauge of strings you use. Normal gauge = normal relief.

If I were blind, this bass would have ended my GAS forever. Instead it made a believer out of me regarding graphite
and inspired my frankenstein build that DID actually end my GAS:

I bought 1000 dollars worth of parts I needed and then bought brand new Squier Jaguar bass for $200 as a modding platform.
I ripped that bass apart and took the power tools to it the very next morning.
 
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#131
It depends.

I have 3 modded basses now. The fist bass I got was modded by the previous owner.
He changed the bridge humbucker for a Höfner 512b single coil.

Years later I replaced a J pickup on my fretless for that 512b pickup.
After it broke down, I replaced the 512b for a DiMarzio G humbucker.

The other non-original / modded basses I have were already in some kind of state.
No electronics, broken truss rod, that kind of thing.
So they were more or less restorations with parts that I had on the shelf, or that were available.



 
#136
It depends, but I have modded most of my basses and one of my guitars:

1. Fender MIA Jazz, Fralin Split-Jazz pickups, drop-tuner, Fender black sparkle pickguard;
2. G&L SB-2, tone control and drop-tuner;
3. G&L JB, Lace Sensor Man O' War pickups and different pickguard; and
4. Fender MIA Strat, Lace Sensor Hot Gold pickups.

My G&L M-2500 and HH Strat are completely stock. I don't plan to mod either, but a single coil setting would be cool on the M-2500 to get something resembling a J-bass tone. I've also thought about a Duncan P-Rails pickup in the neck position on the Strat, but I barely play it so I'm more likely to sell it than mod it.
 
#137
PeteJordanBass said:
Cool. If you don't mind me asking how much did each of them cost you to have done?
Click to expand...

The Les Paul conversion I did myself, all in for $205.89. The blue one is being worked on by Fren Asken near me in Los Angeles, his estimate is around $250-300. The red violin body is being done by Bruce Herron of Blue Star Guitar in Michigan, around $400. The sea foam paint job is being done by Pat Wilkins in Los Angeles valley for $270, the pearl parts cost me $35.
 
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#138
Voted yes as I enjoy customizing, changing plastics, hard wear, electronics.

I am currently planning on buying a Kay K162V in black that I with be replacing all stock plastics with single ply tort, and down the road upgrading the electronics to CTS/SwitchCraft, and possibly having the pickup fully rebuilt by Seymour Duncan custom shop.
 
#140
As many have said here, mine are reversible (albeit a little sacrilegious). I have a '57AVRI P-bass, but I couldn't take the 1-3/4" nut width and deep C neck. So it now has a Warmoth 1-1/2" nut width neck. Lifted the whole electronics assy out of my tuxedo Pedulla Rapture, and dropped in Delano pu's and passive electronics on a black guard for that full black-n-maple look.
 
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