Show Your Pandemic Mods

[andruca]

Cool thread! Some really neat mods 'round here.

I got a gorgeous MIK Star Bass halfway thru' the pandemic and modded it to relocate the strap pin from the heel to the upper horn...

Then also got rid of the VVTT control layout and have a VVT + tone cap selector (rocks!)...

Also I "decorated" an Y/bal utility pedal I had made some time ago; my 8y/o helped with the drawing (just primer, UNI Posca pens and lacquer)...

Last but not least, I modded an Epiphone EB0 I got in "custody" (my nephews') with a series-single-parallel switch for the mudbucker. Surprising results. Not much to see but the switch over there...

More DIY comming, as I've got a GUMA DRIVE in the making, just not a mod.

 

[champbassist]

Defretted my old Yamaha RBX-170. Had a couple of little dents that I could've avoided but overall I'm happy with what's basically a brand new instrument

 

[JRA]

not sure this fits the thread's intent, exactly, but: two bass assemblies from parts (hyper modding?) during the pandemic. both of these were conceived as "modifications" before all of the parts were even gathered:

 

[scuzzy]

Swapped necks on two builds. Required neck pocket routing and fairly extensive setups. Changed one of those over to all blacked out with a vintage Kramer/Schaller roller bridge. Also changed pickup and bridge on my peavey fury. (EMG GZR). New bridge on my 4-string short scale build (kickass). Changed the pickups in my spector euro 4 to EMG-X's.

Currently I'm doing the craziest thing I've ever done, but won't post till it's done. It could still go very wrong.

not sure why pictures didn't attach properly...here they are.

I forgot I put Lace Sensors in my pink tele as well. amazing pickups, greatly underrated.

 

[Dan_reeves]

I built this bass from parts I had lying around. I defretted the neck, decided that fretless was not for me, removed the plastic lines and refretted it. It sounds cool and plays great.

I don’t have a picture of it, but I replaced my Jay Turner beatle bass pickups with some Nitro Hemi Mini Humbuckers from Lace. They are normally for a firebird guitar - higher output pickups. They sound great. My Turser pickups sounded like garbage and it was a quality upgrade.

Next I am building another bass, just waiting for some parts to get here.

 

[Planespotter]

I bought this Vintera 50s P at the onset of the pandemic because I wanted a lightweight p. I added a lollar p pickup, orange drop cap, gotoh res-o-lites, fully shielded the cavity and topped it off with a WD pickguard. It tips the scales at 8.0 lbs on the dot and plays/sounds great.

 

[DanAdams]

I finished a lot of mutant mods over the pandemic.
I haven't taken the Finished Pics of most, but they are all done.
-the Bionic Ibanez Musician

The rescued Ibanez Musician. (pick guard covers the horrors from a previous owner)

The Peavey T40 / Ibanez ATK / G&L mash-up. (AT40K-2000)

The Hondo Hybrid. (The Dan Adams signature model)

Real EMGs from Steinberger into a copy


They were mostly damaged or had bad previous mods performed to them.
I don't cut into otherwise fine instruments...... most of the time.

 

[Reedt2000]

I built 2 pandemic mod projects so far, and I've got parts for a third sitting on my bench right now.

First was the completion of a stalled project adding bubinga and wenge to the top of this Toby Deluxe V, and swapping out the electronics and bridge:

And I Frankensteined together this headless 6 string from a bunch of different bits:

I've got a Peavey single pickup Forum body, and a 5-string Millennium neck (both US) waiting to get mated up and have a Duncan MM pickup and pre installed followed by a refinish on the body.

 

[fourstr00]

Upped my rehearsal space game.

-PA with powered speakers and XR18
-Hardwired mic lines to recording computer
-New furniture and seating
-Bookshelves for sheet music
-Stands for the amps and keys
-Noiseless LED lighting on dimmers
-Redid all the outlets
-Full humidity control
-New carpeting and entertainment options in the lounge for significant others
-Tuned the piano
-Soundproofed the ceiling

All of the changes picked up about an extra 20 square feet too. Can’t wait to resume rehearsal probably later this summer.

 

[fourstr00]

 

[Jerry Catanescu]

I installed an onboard headphone amp, filter preamp, and low battery indicator in my G&L Tribute L2000. Now I can just grab the bass, plug headphones straight in, and jam. Fewer excuses not to practice . I also got rid of the awful barrel jack and replaced it with a proper Neutrik.

 

[Jamvan]

I built a "Corn Teen" bass.

It complements my fretless I finally finished during the lockdown.

 

[NKBassman]

Not much to look at, but my Hwy 1 P got a set of TI flats and a SD Antiquity II pickup. Previously modded with a Gotoh 201 bridge and an Obsidian Wire solderless harness as well. I've been through a lot of pickups and different string sets on this bass, but I’m pretty dern happy with how it sounds these days.

I also recently "modded" the 55-02 by deciding to sell it and buy a Dingwall Super P5 to replace it, which is currently en-route.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

I didn't do mods on my basses but modded my pedlas, made a homemade pedalboard and got a gun case for it:

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

I modded a couple of parts piles into amazing instruments I guess. First was a MIJ 70s Classic body, Duncan SPB3s, vintage threaded saddle bridge, vintage reverse tuners, 50s anodized guard, and a US AO50s neck, with an apple flake finish by Marty Bell.

The other is an ash Mike Dirnt body, MIM Cabronita neck, reverse tuners, hi-mass bridge, DiMarzio pickups, WD 3 ply cream guard, and tangerine flake finish by Marty Bell.

Both of these Covid puppies turned out so sick I had to call the vet.

 

[Benj-jammin]

 

[jchrisk1]

I didn't mod any basses, just sold a few. I did buy a chunk systems brown dog clone (fuzzdog chestnut mutt) and had my drummer, who is an auto painter, paint the new case I bought for it.

 

[Inara]

Not so much a mod, but I built this from parts a couple of months into the pandemic, and it's become my number one. Squier Precision Standard body, Warmoth roasted maple and ebony fretless 21 "fret" Jazz neck, DiMarzio Model PJ pickups, and Hipshot Ultralight tuners with eXtender. I decided to build this in lieu of buying a Fender Tony Franklin, so I used a simple three position selector switch with master volume and tone, like on that bass.

 

[seedokebass]

@mouthmw Japanese G&L? I've never seen such a thing!

 

[Kro]

Just a little body-swap for me. From burst to nitro Sonic Blue (but with a contoured heel)!