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Upgrading a Squier piece by piece

Absumone

Absumone

Guest
Nov 20, 2012
54
24
#1
I've started playing a couple of years ago using a Squier P-Bass Affinity, and since it has a lot of emotional value for me, I was thinking of upgrading it piece by piece.

Now I have two questions, is it worth upgrading an affinity? Especially considering I have a Fender Nate Mendel Signature P already.
And if it is worth it, which part do I start with?
 
#3
I recently upgraded a Squier Vintage Modified P5. It was a good bass out of the box, but with new tuners (Hipshot HB7 Lollipop- special order), a new bridge (Hipshot B style, brass, chrome) and a Stellartone Tonestyler, it became great, and a bass that I will be playing for a long time. I liked the feel and tone of the bass, just wanted to make it a little more durable for the long run, especially since I gig 100+ times a year. I also like making instruments my own. If you have sentimental attachment, and simply want a better version of your bass, do it. If you plan on selling it at any point in the future, make sure the upgrades are reversible. You'll make more money back piecing it out than selling it all at once.
 
#5
I want to keep most of the wood how it is, definitely the body and maybe the neck. I'd get the neck checked to see how decent it really is and if necessary, replace it with a Fender neck. But I really like the weight, the feel and also the look of my Affinity P, so I want to keep that how it is as much as possible.
It would also be a learning process for me, to get to know my instrument better by working on it.
 
#7
Absumone said:
I want to keep most of the wood how it is, definitely the body and maybe the neck. I'd get the neck checked to see how decent it really is and if necessary, replace it with a Fender neck. But I really like the weight, the feel and also the look of my Affinity P, so I want to keep that how it is as much as possible.
It would also be a learning process for me, to get to know my instrument better by working on it.
Click to expand...

If you are thinking about tossing the neck, just go source a new body and go from the ground up. Even putting $150 pickups in that bass would barely make it a $150 bass. Keep it for sentimental value.
 
#8
.. if you buy your mod components used (at used market value), and keep the original components, it is like using the bass as a test bed where you will likely maintain component value (having bought used), with the ability to restore any changes you have made ... consider it a learning experience without a significant investment ... ;)

JMHO ...
 
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#10
Here's how I did it. First I bought a Squier Affinity P-Bass for $50 on eBay, then over about a year I replaced just about everything on it with used parts bought on eBay. Here's what I bought:
Tusq nut - $10
P-Bass 3-ply pickguard - $15
tugbar - $5
Used MIM Fender P-Bass pickups - $20
Electronics (pots, caps, jack) - $15
Wilkinson bridge with brass saddles - $10
La Bella 760FM flatwound strings, bridge and pickup covers, and inlay stickers - forgot how much but not a lot of money.

I kept the body, neck, and original tuners. The tuners are the cheap closed kind, but they hold their tuning well, and have never given me any trouble, so i saw no reason to replace them. Here's how the bass looks now:
IMG_0482.JPG


Plays and sounds exactly like one would expect a P-Bass to sound and play, all for about $150. Worth it? For me, yes. It's my main gigging bass, and I plan on keeping it for the rest of my playing days. As usual, YMMV. But since I don't plan on ever selling it, it made sense for me to upgrade it.
 
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#13
I have an affinity that my wife bought me for my birthday years ago to get me playing again after i let it go for a bit.
Upgraded the wiring/ pickups/ nut/ and strings.
Sanded off the paint job myself and gave it a fret level.
Its the woodgrain on the right.
Plays fantastic!
Thump monster with the old flats on it.
Worth every penny extra i spent on it.
And since it has a special value to me its priceless.
I say go for it.
 

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#15
The only person that can tell you if modding your Squier is "worth it" is you. Will you be able to sell a modded Squier Affinity P bass for the cost of say a good used P bass and the parts? Nope... Not unless you get lucky and find someone that values everything that went into that modded bass... So I wouldn't recommend modding one with the intent to be resale value. Not worth it. BUT... If you are wanting to mod it as a player with sentimental value to you, then mod away, and play the snot out of the thing... That sentimental value is part of what goes into the "mojo" that so many folks talk about with vintage instruments...
 
#17
The standard things to upgrade are the bridge, pickup and tuners. After that it's the pots & knobs, pickguard, jack, nut, getting the frets leveled, crowned & dressed. After all that the only things original are the neck and body wood. So if those are good then the bass is worth upgrading.
 
#18
As others have said, you'll never get the $ back out of it, but if you plan to never sell it, you're golden.

And this kind of thing IS a good way to learn your way around instrument guts.

Get a soldering iron!

But yeah, typical mods/upgrades include hardware like the bridge and tuners. I don't usually do this unless the stock ones just aren't functional or are extra-sucky. I'm more inclined to replace the nut or at least work on it a little bit.

And of course electronics. New pickup, jack, wiring harness...

Even if you bought all the components at one time, you wouldn't necessarily be outlaying that much $$$. Pickups in particular vary. You can get nice used replacement pups here in the classifieds pretty often, or get some decent CV pups from Guitar Parts Resource for $35 or so, or you can go whole hog into high-end and custom pups and spend more than the value of your entire bass.

New wiring harness and jack--even high quality ones--shouldn't be more than $30 total.

Modding is fun! I have a couple of basses I want to put under the knife myself here pretty soon...
 
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