For those of you who have changed pots and cap in the Bronco - which pots and what value cap did you go to? I have a Bronco and a Hot Rails that's going into it this weekend!!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Reasons not to mod a Squier Bronco
- Thread starter Pablo Fanque
- Start date
Hey for those who really want to go the Mustang bass route - I just discovered that basspartsresource.com has re-issue Mustang bridge plates for under $30. Their part # is 007-9335-000. Check this page: Link Removed
If you have that plate, you will need:
- Saddles, screws and springs
- Mounting screws
- Ferrules for the strings on the back side
The Mustang bridge is always a through-body string bridge. If you don't want to go that way, the Musicmaster bridge (sold on that same web page) can be drilled for strings to act as a standard bridge without stringing through the body. Ponticat commented about that mod earlier in the thread.
I now have my Bronco bass, and I've found that the two-saddle bridge allows very decent intonation, so I'm not planning on changing it.
I've installed a Seymour-Duncan Hot Rails pickup on the Bronco, which definitely adds more solid low end than the stock pickup. Minir filing was needed in the pickup cutout, but it inly took a couple of minutes - mainy to widen the radius of the curves at each end of the pickup cutout. I also cut some chrome striping tape and added a Mustang Competition-style racing stripe, which I think looks great against black.
If you have that plate, you will need:
- Saddles, screws and springs
- Mounting screws
- Ferrules for the strings on the back side
The Mustang bridge is always a through-body string bridge. If you don't want to go that way, the Musicmaster bridge (sold on that same web page) can be drilled for strings to act as a standard bridge without stringing through the body. Ponticat commented about that mod earlier in the thread.
I now have my Bronco bass, and I've found that the two-saddle bridge allows very decent intonation, so I'm not planning on changing it.
I've installed a Seymour-Duncan Hot Rails pickup on the Bronco, which definitely adds more solid low end than the stock pickup. Minir filing was needed in the pickup cutout, but it inly took a couple of minutes - mainy to widen the radius of the curves at each end of the pickup cutout. I also cut some chrome striping tape and added a Mustang Competition-style racing stripe, which I think looks great against black.
Hey for those who really want to go the Mustang bass route - I just discovered that basspartsresource.com has re-issue Mustang bridge plates for under $30. Their part # is 007-9335-000. Check this page: Link Removed
If you have that plate, you will need:
- Saddles, screws and springs
- Mounting screws
- Ferrules for the strings on the back side
The Mustang bridge is always a through-body string bridge. If you don't want to go that way, the Musicmaster bridge (sold on that same web page) can be drilled for strings to act as a standard bridge without stringing through the body. Ponticat commented about that mod earlier in the thread.
I now have my Bronco bass, and I've found that the two-saddle bridge allows very decent intonation, so I'm not planning on changing it.
I've installed a Seymour-Duncan Hot Rails pickup on the Bronco, which definitely adds more solid low end than the stock pickup. Minir filing was needed in the pickup cutout, but it inly took a couple of minutes - mainy to widen the radius of the curves at each end of the pickup cutout. I also cut some chrome striping tape and added a Mustang Competition-style racing stripe, which I think looks great against black.
The SD pup and racing stripes look great! You now have a Bronco that's comparable in sound and sight to an $800 68 - 73 Mustang.
So far, the only thing I've done to my Bronco is change to J Bass knobs (one regular size and one small).
Thanks!
I think a set of flats is needed to really get the sound right - and I'm planning on Labellas soon.
I rather like the factory knobs - they're a match for the classic P-bass knobs.
But the black Jazz knobs would look very nice on that instrument...
For those who feel like playing - don't forget that auto pinstriping tape works great on basses, and it's easy to get rid of your mistakes. Fun stuff to play with.
I just bought a bronco and had planned to change the pickup out. I bought a B/W/B pickguard and put some Rotosound .040-.090 flats on it. It really sounds good even with the stock pickup. So, I'm putting the pickup on hold and moving on to the tuners. Anyone have suggestion on which brand and size to use? This is my first mod, so ease of installation would be very important. Other than the bad stock tuners, I really like this bass.
Try putting flatwound strings on if you haven't already. GFS precisions and fender flats are good.
O.k. so I'm a guitar player and not a real bassist, but I found the knob placement on the Bronco a bit awkward. Solution: I slid the volume to the tone hole in the pickguard, the tone to the jack hole and the jack out the side of the instrument. Definitely more comfortable. I'm hoping to sound like old Ron Wood. Anyone know what he played with Jeff Beck Group or old Rod Stewart?
No.
This is TalkBass, where you plan your mods before you even touch the bass
LOL! How true is this!!!
I played a bronco the other day... so great!!! The tuners is all I would replace. It sounded really really good!
I'm getting ready to mess up a Bronco. Here's the wiring plan; it'll get a neck pickup, making them RW/RP. The volume knob will become a 6-way rotary switch; the tone knob will become a 500K p/p volume with a series/parallel switch. The controls will look stock other than the JB knobs.
It should work like this:
(N = neck; M = middle pickup)
1) N, cap A; or NxM series, cap A
2) N, cap B; or NxM series, cap B
3) N+M parallel, no cap; or NxM series, no cap
4) M, cap A
5) M, cap B
6) M, cap C
That's nine different sounds; maybe a couple will be good. I'm not sure M will get the choice of three caps, but you get the idea.
It should work like this:
(N = neck; M = middle pickup)
1) N, cap A; or NxM series, cap A
2) N, cap B; or NxM series, cap B
3) N+M parallel, no cap; or NxM series, no cap
4) M, cap A
5) M, cap B
6) M, cap C
That's nine different sounds; maybe a couple will be good. I'm not sure M will get the choice of three caps, but you get the idea.
I picked up a black one about a month ago on Craigslist for $80. First I put GHS Precision Flats on it, which IMO totally revamped the tone of this thing (I play in a garage rock/Brit. Inv. cover band, all short scales w/flats and a pick). The stock pickup sounds great in tandem with these strings, and I have no plans to replace it. I replaced the machine heads with a set that was made for an '03 Squier P-Bass; these were $20 shipping included on e-bay. I replaced those metal knobs with black, witch hat, Fender strat style tone and volume knobs. I added a Fender thumb rest and added a red Mustang style racing stripe, $10 for a roll of it at Pep Boys. I may switch the bridge to a four post Musicmaster for better intonation, but it's not bad as is.
Couldn't agree more. The stock pickup with GHS flats has a warm, wooly, thick sound. I ordered a GFS Lil Killer rail pickup just to see if I couldn't get a little more clarity on the lower strings and still keep the warmth. I'll post A/B clips if there's enough difference. Bridge is fine but I may change mine to a 4 saddle as well. Why not? They're inexpensive.
Bronco weight varies considerably....I weighed four stripped bodies (the necks have gone on to better things) and here are the results:
1.) 5lbs, 5ozs
2.) 5lbs, 2ozs
3.) 4lbs, 5ozs
4.) 3lbs, 7ozs
I would suspect that all the other components of the instrument are fairly constant.
