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Squire jazz bass upgrade project... Options?

T

thebass905

Jun 7, 2011
123
1
#1
Have a newish squire jazz bass that I'd really like to upgrade to better parts on to really he a handle for instrument repair but also for sound as well. Essentially it sound like garbage. The pickups are clacky and dull sounding and terra no resonance to the sound. I also believe the nut Is loose. So would an upgrade or repair be worth it for the instrument? The neck and body are solid but are American made fenders made of different wood? And most importantly what kind of repair or replacement would give me the biggest upgrade in sound?
 
#2
thebass905 said:
Have a newish squire jazz bass that I'd really like to upgrade to better parts on to really he a handle for instrument repair but also for sound as well. Essentially it sound like garbage. The pickups are clacky and dull sounding and terra no resonance to the sound. I also believe the nut Is loose. So would an upgrade or repair be worth it for the instrument? The neck and body are solid but are American made fenders made of different wood? And most importantly what kind of repair or replacement would give me the biggest upgrade in sound?
Click to expand...

Frankly, I think you'd be polishing a turd. Get a better bass.
 
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#3
First of all, realize that you're doing this for love, not money. Even with upgraded parts, you won't get much if you sell it, unless you sell the parts separately. Secondly, the most important part of the bass you have is the neck and frets. Is the neck straight and not badly bowed? Does the truss rod work? Are the frets in good condition, with no high spots or fret sprout? If the neck is in good shape, then you should be good to go. Replace all the electronics with good quality parts (use the Search function here on TB for threads about types and brands of pickups), clean all the crud on the bass, if any, make sure the tuners work as they should, and you should be good to go.
 
#4
I have a Squier Jazz that I am currently upgrading. I have had people say, "why don't you just buy another bass?" Essentially I am...I'm just doing it with the parts and paint color that I want. I have done a lot of reading on here. Basically I am:
1. refinishing with Guitar Reranch paint. (this stuff is awesome to work with)
2. Gotoh 201 bridge
3. SD 1/4 pounder pickups (neck pickup will be a P instead of J pickup!)
4. All black hardware

I will be starting a topic on it soon.
 
#5
Only if you are happy with the body and neck should you spend too much money on upgrades. The Squier is made of a thinner less expensive wood. There is a huge difference in an American Standard and a Squire. I am not knocking the squire, I own a Jazz fretless squire, it is a good quality functional bass, but it is not, in any way, the quality of my American Standard Jazz.
 
#8
You can pick up a used MIM pretty cheap and upgrade it to your heart's content. The necks are very close to the Am. Std., the profile is identical. I have 2, including a P that I swapped the guard, dropped in a 62' RI p-up, CTS pots, etc. It has been my main gigging bass and a pretty close second to my MIA, which stays at home. :bassist:
 
#10
Don't play them on my frettless but la bellas are great I have them on a pbass and people (guitards ). Rarely notice that I have them on as they are pretty bright and distinct but still kind of warm and soft at the same time. That maybe a hard to understand without hearing for yourself but regardless they're great strings.
 
#11
sanderic said:
Only if you are happy with the body and neck should you spend too much money on upgrades. The Squier is made of a thinner less expensive wood. There is a huge difference in an American Standard and a Squire. I am not knocking the squire, I own a Jazz fretless squire, it is a good quality functional bass, but it is not, in any way, the quality of my American Standard Jazz.
Click to expand...

All the Squier bodies I've ever owned have had the same thickness bodies as the MIM (and probably the USA) bodies. Not thinner, probably multi-piece laminated body, same routings as any other Fender-type body. Any aftermarket neck or hardware should fit just fine, at least they have for the basses I've built (okay; assembled really) so far. Upgrade parts as you can afford them, you'll eventually end up with a pretty nice bass. I'd put my latest frankenstein'd jazz up against any "expensive" bass. With a Warmoth neck, Gotoh and Schaller hardware, still messing with pickups (EMG - DiMarzio - Duncan's so far...). It's fun to mess with all these combinations, and I still only have about $500 into the bass. Some turds polish up just fine!

I've bought Squier jazz basses just for the body, because it
was cheaper to buy a whole Squier Jazz than it was to buy an aftermarket body (then again, I'm a "body wood doesn't matter much" sort of person)

BTW, the first upgrade you should do is put a good set of strings on it. Your dull clacky sound may just disappear with the old strings.
 
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#13
I have a jazz bass affinity series 5 string, the one on my profile pic, and I've been able to make it sound better using an eq pedal and the line 6 bass pod. I don't use them together though. I like sending a good signal to the bass pod because i feel like the bass pod can do much more with tone than the eq pedal because it has all the cabinets and amp models. Ever since i got the bass pod, i haven't used the eq pedal, but thats besides the point.

An eq pedal or that bass pod ( or a different multi-effects pedal) can make your bass sound clearer and you can adjust the tone of it to make it more slappy
 
#14
Here's my polished turd:

ZoUMqvJ.jpg

It's a Squier Affinity P with Quarter Pounders, Hipshot-A bridge, and covers with a string mute for that Igor sound. The bass does great for my Motown gigs. This and my Squier VM fretless are great support basses for when I get calls for a sound outside the standard requests.

If that bass snapped in half today, I'd be happy with the use I got out of it. But it's still going strong, and with a straight neck, considering it has heavy gauge flats with super high action for that authentic sound.
 
#15
I am always amused by the naysayers: "You've got a piece of crap, get something better." "You'll never get the money you put into it back." "The brand of parts for that mod you want to do are garbage, use this brand."

In the hands of a master, a "low-end" bass can sound sweeter than any clown who brings out his boutique bass but can't play for his life. Jaco could play a "polished turd" that would sound better than most naysayers playing any high-end bass.

It's the bassist where the music originates. It's the artist that creates. Are all tools equal? Of course not! There are definitely better and worse tools, but all of those tools do nothing without an artist to use them.

So, you do whatever you think best to improve that bass. You'll find that some mods work and some mods don't. You'll also gain valuable experience and understanding of the tool, the bass, and that is always beneficial.
 
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