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So what do I do with them?

#22
So if it was me......
My favorite upgrades: Hipshot "A" style bridges, Hipshot ultrallites for tuners. Bartolini preamps for both. Sometimes I feel an instrument's inherent character can be found in the stock pickups and adding a preamp can really kick them into overdrive.
As for the color, I agree with stripping them and refinishing them in with a tung oil, or some sort of clear coat. A burgundy stain could be nice too.
Leave them fretted. To me these necks wouldn't feel right without frets. Fretless is a whole other vibe than what these basses have.
I don't know if you want to change them just for fun, or to make them more effective to gig on, but if you make these changes, the basses should kick some serious butt!
Just my two cents.
 
#23
Sadly, I don't gig. Not that I couldn't, just never happened. I believe offering myself as a 'remote' bassist (internet project) is more my goal at this point. And I like your suggestions. This is what I was looking for. Im a bit tech challenged with all the stuff out there for hot rodding basses so this is cool. My reasons for changing them is several I feel. For fun, make them as awesome looking at they are to play and kick up their great playability and sound a notch or two. Make them fit me more though they already do a great job at that as far as how they feel in my hands. But just express myself through them more if that makes any sense. I love all my basses as they are but not those two and its cosmetic. And somehow if the looks dont inspire you its hard to get into an axe. Its crazy but its true -- least for me.

Ive never touched a fretless but I hate frets and always have. My T40 and a lawsuit Les Paul I have have frets so worn they are pretty much NOT there but in looks only and I love the way they feel. I am getting a FoundyS fretless factory (black and rosewood of course -- my kind of bass :p) here soon I think (waiting on the seller for some more pics and shipping estimate) so I am about to take the plunge into that finally. ^_^
 
#24
Take them both out back and burn em!!!!

Just kidding....:D


I think you should try refinishing them. If nothing else it'll be a learning experience. Foundations are pretty plentiful so it's not like you have a rare bass. The 5 string would probably be more on the rare size with the SF pups. But... work on the 4 stringer first. Then you'll find out pretty quickly if you want to tackle the 5 stringer.
 
#25
Thats a good idea. Its not like Im /that/ Foundy4 poor anyway.... >_> Got 2 counting the red one and theres that extra one with the Foundy S *whistles innocently*

Im trying to figure out how Ive ended up with the 3 Foundys now and getting 2 more... O_o
 
#29
LOL Yea they are a bit on the fuugly side aren't they? :p Though how they play and how they look /are/ two totally different things thankfully. :p

And yea now that I think about it, I think Ive mulled it about before on what to do with them. Then I moved on and forgot about it... I can have a short term memory like a rock sometimes... I really like the idea of stripping them, and swapping out for black hardware and a preamp. Still going back and forth about trems though. For a n00b on rodding out a bass, thats kind of a lot to bite off there IMO.

So far it seems either put them up for a while or stripping the finishes on em. I like the stripping idea. ^_^
 
#30
StarscreamG1 said:
LOL Yea they are a bit on the fuugly side aren't they?
Click to expand...

What?!


They look awesome! Red and maple! I'm kinda on a maple kick, btw.

Steve Harris can't be wrong!:D
SteveHarris98.jpg
 
#31
The only surprise you may encounter is ugly wood underneath that ugly paint. The only Foundation I sold (which I liked) was that red so I know where you're coming from. Might be easier to paint over the finish than to strip it. I toyed with the idea of making a pickguard for it, to change things up and soften the effect of the red. I used a sheet of the plastic used for signs (printable w/computer) and printed tortoise shell on it. Came out cool, but eventually the red one left and pretty soon after that, I got another black/rosewood one. No matter what you do, you'll still have one or two coming and going. Its not like you need a mortgage to invest in another one.
 
#33
jgsbass said:
The only surprise you may encounter is ugly wood underneath that ugly paint. The only Foundation I sold (which I liked) was that red so I know where you're coming from. Might be easier to paint over the finish than to strip it. I toyed with the idea of making a pickguard for it, to change things up and soften the effect of the red. I used a sheet of the plastic used for signs (printable w/computer) and printed tortoise shell on it. Came out cool, but eventually the red one left and pretty soon after that, I got another black/rosewood one. No matter what you do, you'll still have one or two coming and going. Its not like you need a mortgage to invest in another one.
Click to expand...

Yea that red is something else. I really am not a fan of the color red. Yea my favorite Transformer character is primarily red. Thats fine on him not for me. LOL My childhood dream car just happens to be the second brightest shade of automotive red out there and I grudgingly made an exception for it when I got it, and of course xmas decorations are nice red but thats as far as red goes for me in my book. Ive thought about how bad the wood might look underneath too. I am of the impression that the bodies that don't get stained and stay natural or get burst get the solid colors like that cause they got some fubarness going on with the grain or what have you on the wood ... :p All I can do is strip them and see what I have underneath. If its acceptable they get the natural treatment, if its not, well then I learn how to paint a bass body....:hiding: And yea I already know the hell Im about to go through to strip them....

And Ive thought about pickguards too. HUGE ones to like cover all of the face.... LOL:help: I can live with the maple necks (I am just used to em even if they aren't my preferred fretboard) just gotta dump that red or something.
 
#34
I know I've said this before, but while the quality of a Foundation is high, the collectability is low. It is rare to see them go for much over $250. As a result, the potential value loss is negligable by making them unoriginal. Have fun and do what you want with them. Even if they miraculously doubled in value the loss still would be less than the cost of a Mexican Fender. I love my Foundations, and I have limited my mods to capacitors and pots because that was all I felt they needed, but if you want to do more don't let anybody stop you.
 
#36
I just finished painting my foundation. Pics Here
I know what you mean about the red. I had an 80's Charvel/Jackson that color. Over time I grew to hate that bass just because of the color. :help: The finish was perfect so I didn't dare paint it and just sold it.

My Foundation had no real wood grain on the front so if yours are like mine. That may mean that the burst or stained finishes are out.
Stripping only took a couple of hours. I tried paint stripper and it didn't penetratrate at all and did nothing. I then started using a metal scraper to chip the paint off and got all the paint off that way. If you go the scraper route make sure you have glasses because the chips aim for you eyes:crying:
 
#39
Oh man, woody!!!! You won't believe this, Im still in shock over it but I just traded the four a bit earlier. First time Ive checked this thread today too. :( Here I was all set to just give up and keep em (which really wouldnt have been a bad thing...Foundys are just that great) and then a trade offer was given and before it was over, it was a done deal.

But heres a red Foundy like mine up on eBay right now. Only 16 hours left as of when I post this. Its in really good shape and with a case:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Peavey-Foundation-Bass-Guitar-USA-Made_W0QQitemZ330313830676QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item330313830676&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50
 
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