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upgrading bass?
- Thread starter jbryan01
- Start date
maybe a bridge too actually just upgrade everything 
I upgraded a Squier Jazz, and tried not to overdo it. I did most of the work myself.
Here's the order of my upgrades:
1. Pots...a set of full-size, correct-value pots really is an improvement. I also re-did the wiring and jack, and added a blender pot. Make sure the grounds are good. I think they use shielding paint, which is sufficient. $15. (I had to enlarge the control plate to accept the full-size pots.)
2. Nut...I paid a guy to do it in bone. It cost $40.
3. Strings... I think that these guitars need light strings as the wood on the neck is a bit rubbery, and the truss rod needs all the help it can get.
4. Bridge... I tried a vintage-style I found on TB for $20. The threaded saddles are an improvement as far as stability goes.
5. Pickups... I had a set of pickups that I thought would drop in, but the spacing was all wrong. Beware here, there is a metric/standard discrepency. I just kept the originals.
Well I'm quite happy now, and I don't feel like I'm "upside-down" on the cost of the bass vs. the upgrades. Good luck.
Here's the order of my upgrades:
1. Pots...a set of full-size, correct-value pots really is an improvement. I also re-did the wiring and jack, and added a blender pot. Make sure the grounds are good. I think they use shielding paint, which is sufficient. $15. (I had to enlarge the control plate to accept the full-size pots.)
2. Nut...I paid a guy to do it in bone. It cost $40.
3. Strings... I think that these guitars need light strings as the wood on the neck is a bit rubbery, and the truss rod needs all the help it can get.
4. Bridge... I tried a vintage-style I found on TB for $20. The threaded saddles are an improvement as far as stability goes.
5. Pickups... I had a set of pickups that I thought would drop in, but the spacing was all wrong. Beware here, there is a metric/standard discrepency. I just kept the originals.
Well I'm quite happy now, and I don't feel like I'm "upside-down" on the cost of the bass vs. the upgrades. Good luck.
I bought a Squire Jazz 4 and went through the same thing. I wanted something decent for a backup as I'm going to get a Fender AM for my main.
For pickups, I ended up settling for Quarter Pounders (Used) from SD. I did have to route out the pickup slots slightly to get the standards to fit, but you can't tell unless you're right on top of it. Biggest issue was trying to get the strings centered over the pickup coils.
I also bought a cheap high-mass bridge from ebay and now the sustain lasts forever. It was not a drop-in replacement so I had to drill new holes. Did need to shim the neck after to get the action playable. Slaps good now too.
Last was strings. I went with coated slinky's. Seems to sound good. A little zingy with the hot pickups, but I can adjust the tone. Didn't have to touch the nut. Next upgrades will be a set of pots.
Since I did all of the work myself, I feel it was a good deal. I have maybe $270 invested in the whole bass with upgrades.
For pickups, I ended up settling for Quarter Pounders (Used) from SD. I did have to route out the pickup slots slightly to get the standards to fit, but you can't tell unless you're right on top of it. Biggest issue was trying to get the strings centered over the pickup coils.
I also bought a cheap high-mass bridge from ebay and now the sustain lasts forever. It was not a drop-in replacement so I had to drill new holes. Did need to shim the neck after to get the action playable. Slaps good now too.
Last was strings. I went with coated slinky's. Seems to sound good. A little zingy with the hot pickups, but I can adjust the tone. Didn't have to touch the nut. Next upgrades will be a set of pots.
Since I did all of the work myself, I feel it was a good deal. I have maybe $270 invested in the whole bass with upgrades.
