Show me your modified/custom basses!

[grimjim]

Wanted a white/white/maple 5 string p-bass. Fender doesn't offer that combo, so i bought two basses and switched out the parts. I ended up with these.

My latest Warmoth build.

 

[EmuBass]

Pickguard DIY - active electronics (from TMB-100). For sale ...

 

[definenredefine]

I just finished this guy today! When I bought this J bass in 2012, it was a red with a white pickguard. It was sold to me as a Highway 1 but I'm not sure that's true. In any case, the previous owner shoved (and I do mean shoved!) an MIJ Fender J bass neck on it. A few years ago, I put on a high mass bridge and block "inlay" stickers. This past month, my good friend refinished it in mahogany gel stain. I put on a black pickguard and control plate, as well as amber top hat knobs. I also rewired it for a 3 way switch with volume/tone knobs.

 

[chris_b]

I bought my Fender Precision, with A neck, in March 1969. It's gone through some changes/improvements since.. . . !

The original bridge was put on out of line and I had to reinstall it. The pickups were pretty bland from the start, but during that era basses didn't seem to need the clarity they do now. I know a lot hasn't changed, but back then so many people listened with their eyes that turning up with a Fender was half the battle, no matter what it sounded like! It had to have a new nut, the original snapped, fortunately at home, and it needed a re-fret after just 3 years!! This was one of "those" basses, but I was 19. What did I know?

It served me well until the mid 80's when I installed Schaller hardware and Bartolini pickups and pre amp. That was a massive jump in tone that made me sit up and realise how great a bass could sound. The improvements made to that bass started me on a path that lead to my current Mike Lull and Sadowsky.

 

[KaraQ]

Poor-ish phone pics of my three most heavily modded basses...




'96 Ibanez sr1200:

EMG GZR p/j pickup set, EMG vol/tone pots & wiring (passive, vol/tone per pickup), Hipshot Kickass bridge, Hipshot licensed clover-leaf tuners, Schaller straplocks, Q-parts purple abalone topped black knobs.

'89 Ibanez sr885le & 2013 Epiphone Thunderbird Classic Pro:


The Ibanez: chrome EMG Rip Tide pickup set, EMG (active) BTS EQ & wiring, Schaller 3D-5 bridge, Schaller straplocks, Q-parts red acrylic topped chrome ringo knobs.


The Thunderbird: 2016 Gibson Thunderbird pickups with chrome covers & rings from Philadelphia Luthiers, CTS pots (500k vols, 250k tone), Switchcraft output jack, Schaller chrome DaVinci tuners & (relocated) straplocks, custom-made knobs, Axemasters brass nut, chrome Epiphone after market 3-point bridge with Gibson flush-mount inserts, pickguard & trussrod cover from Pickguard Planet (and a matching electronics cover by me). I think that's all for it....

 

[Jaybone]

I had a left over length of ash from another project that was just barely big enough to make a bass body with, so I made a PJag. I was originally going for a high-contrast black/blue grain fill, but couldn't get it non-blotchy on the back (water-based filler and dye kept messing with each other), so stuck with clear on the front.

MIM '20 Fender Player series neck and tuners
Gotoh 203 bridge
Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound PJ set

 

[P. Aaron]

Wanted a white/white/maple 5 string p-bass. Fender doesn't offer that combo, so i bought two basses and switched out the parts. I ended up with these.
View attachment 4704545

View attachment 4704546

My latest Warmoth build.

View attachment 4704547

Now you could 'customize' the 5'er s with a B string retainer. As a Precision V/Dimension 5 owner, it does help with stringing. I have no idea if it improves sustain.
I love the white Precision. I'm jealous in Texas.

 

[P. Aaron]

My garbage parts Jazz Bass. I bought it as an 'early' 70's body, MIM neck, EMG pu's and ugly knobs. I recently changed the neck for a Warmoth P-bass neck. Shaped the scroll so it resembled a Fender. Changed the knobs, the bridge, oh yeah, stripped the ugly black pain't and refinished it in Olympic white.

It's a much more enjoyable and boomy player with the maple P-neck.

 

[Beej]

My mod project from this past winter:
Winter Build Off 2022 - The Crook
"Build" thread here: Winter Build Off 2022 - The Crook

 

[Kev1955]

PBass final results
1. PBass body
2. Jazz Neck
3. Hipshot Kick ass bridge
4. Hipshot HB7 tuners
5. SD Quarter Pounder pickup
6. Emerson PBass prewired kit
7. Zero Mod Thumbrest

Sounds and plays great, hope this helps somebody.

 

[Bassmike62]

Here's my modified SBMM ray24ca. Bought like this

And after adding a Hipshot Bass XTender, swapping the PG with my other ray24ca (butterscotch), putting Schaller straplocks, changing the stock pickup and preamp for Seymour Duncan 3-band preamp and Alnico V pickup and having it refinished, it now looks like this. It already played quite well before the changes, but now it is amazingly sounding bass. Can't say it has a unique look, but it is certainly uncommon for these basses.

 

[Kev1955]

Here's a link to the Basses I modded and what works
The Official Short Scale Bass Club -- Part 4

 

[Green Knight]

This Landing L32 began as an active bass with Bartolini everything. I had a great local dude take out the pre and install a Bill Lawrence and two Man o War jazzbuckers and add s/p switches for the p and the jj. I never get bored with this bass, and it sounds great with the amp eq set to 000.

I also like that putting money into it discourages me from trading or selling out of sheer impulsivity, given how mods can lower rather than increase the value of some basses. The scale is a bit of a compromise—I prefer 2” shorter—but it’s not such a big diff.

 

[definenredefine]

Here's my modified SBMM ray24ca. Bought like this

View attachment 4730677


And after adding a Hipshot Bass XTender, swapping the PG with my other ray24ca (butterscotch), putting Schaller straplocks, changing the stock pickup and preamp for Seymour Duncan 3-band preamp and Alnico V pickup and having it refinished, it now looks like this. It already played quite well before the changes, but now it is amazingly sounding bass. Can't say it has a unique look, but it is certainly uncommon for these basses.


View attachment 4730680

Uniqueness notwithstanding, that is a gorgeous refin.

 

[Texican]

I posted my replica 64’ Jazz bass earlier in this thread, but here is my latest (and less interesting) modified Classic Vibe. Added a set of Geezers, mint pickguard, and tug bar.

 

[Lonnybass]

The Quilted Tiger. Born May 2022 in my workshop.

 

[BassNugget]

The Quilted Tiger. Born May 2022 in my workshop.

View attachment 4731440 View attachment 4731441 View attachment 4731442 View attachment 4731443 View attachment 4731444 View attachment 4731445 View attachment 4731446

Good God man! That is spectacular. Good show!

 

[Lonnybass]

Good God man! That is spectacular. Good show!

Thank you! My favorite part of this bass is that its identical fretless twin goes into construction in October.

 

[Basic Lee]

Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass

body, neck and tuners are original
Thomastik-Infield Jazz Flats
Graph tech nut
Seymour Duncan Appollo pickups
Hipshot Kick Ass bridge
920D custom wiring

This actually sounds better (to me) than my German made Warwick fretless.

 

[Eddie Jones]

I bought mine already built and customized. It is about 15 years old but looks and plays flawlessly. It has an Alder body with a Curly Maple top. It was finished by Warmoth in a Honey Burst Gloss. The neck is also Warmoth, maple with a maple fretboard. It is a slim taper profile, 38mm nut with 21 nickel steel frets, and a Graphtec nut. It was finished by Warmoth in a vintage tint gloss. I used all black hardware on this bass. It has Schaller Tuners, a Hipshot Kick-Ass bridge and black brass control knobs.. For electronics it comes with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder pickups and a wiring harness by 509 custom. The pickups are the bomb. I know some of you dont like them but the Quarter-Pounders are the real deal.