Upgrading Cheap Bass into Something Lovely

[Doug Parent]

just say no.

 

[sikamikanico]

the value proposition depends on how much you will learn doing it... with mods you're considering, I don't think you will learn that much. Adding pickup covers is not a learning experience imo

 

[GretschWretch]

That neck looks really wide, with an original Peavey headstock on top. And another shout-out to paulowina wood.

Given the location of the seller, I'm wondering whether OP may not be European as well. If so, some of the alternatives so casually tossed around here may not be so available to him. And what is the cost of an American P in pounds sterling?

 

[Fender_Bender]

That neck looks really wide, with an original Peavey headstock on top. And another shout-out to paulowina wood.

Given the location of the seller, I'm wondering whether OP may not be European as well. If so, some of the alternatives so casually tossed around here may not be so available to him. And what is the cost of an American P in pounds sterling?

I'm guessing he's in Europe. If so, I hear good things about Harley Benton guitars.

 

[Growlmonkee]

I disagree about the pots, and wiring having any effect at all on the sound, if they work as intended, there is nothing to be gained by changing them to ones that cost more, but, do the same thing...there won't be a different sound at all.

 

[Showdown]

It would probably need to have a fret job and at that price, the neck (wood between the frets) would also need to be levelled.

The fingerboard? Why?

 

[Showdown]

I disagree about the pots, and wiring having any effect at all on the sound, if they work as intended, there is nothing to be gained by changing them to ones that cost more, but, do the same thing...there won't be a different sound at all.

I agree it won't change the tone - 250k ohms is 250K ohms. But a more expensive pots will feel smoother and the taper will be more even (many cheap pots will barely change until you get to about 7 or 8 then suddenly jump up).

That said, I have several cheap basses and the electronics work just fine.

 

[wintremute]

I you insist on mail order, just get this one:

Invalid Link Removed

I think he's in the UK because what he's looking at is a UK website.

Also...UP THE IRONS!

 

[wintremute]

Might want to also consider this:

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[kodiakblair]

Given the location of the seller, I'm wondering whether OP may not be European as well. If so, some of the alternatives so casually tossed around here may not be so available to him. And what is the cost of an American P in pounds sterling?

NOS American Standard,if he can find one, £1100. American Pro £1440. Roughly 15-20 times the cost of the bass OP linked to. Mexican Standard's average around £600. A Squier VM P Bass £420 but they only come in black.

@Fender_Bender @wintremute
There is no "Red" Harley Benton P-Bass only the PJ4 HTR .

 

[madbass6]

ok so ive been playing bass for about 4/5 months now and am thinking of getting a second bass.

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this one to be precise! /\/\/\

now i know it will be a bit meh but playable so here is my plan!
- im going to swap out the stock pickups for either some seymour duncan SPB-1's or the steve harris signatures (massive maiden fan btw!!)
- add teh shiny pickup and bridge covers for the '60s retro style
- maybe some new tuners (hipshot xtender?)

and in the end of this little project i should have experience with the internals of a bass and also a lovely vintage style "'63 p bass" without having to shell out $$$!

any tips or ideas that i should incorperate?

(ive included the picture of the bass i want to replicate)

my opinion it will always be a cheap Bass ! just an upgraded cheap Bass .
Personally I would rather wait save up a bit and Go for a decent Bass VS upgrade a cheap one! alot more go's in to quality then just changing pick ups etc. But then again that's Just my opinion.
Go for it!! it mite be a cheap Bass but it looks good , real good actually !(awesome color!) hopefully it will sound as good as it looks at the end of the day !

 

[Nickweissmusic]

Just make sure you like how the bass plays, and they the truss rod works properly, before sinking a lot of money into it. Pickups and electronics are not hard to get into and you can end up with a great sounding instrument. The ashtray covers may or may not be worth it, they're pretty much just obstacles if you're used to playing without them. A lot of low end basses have bad tuners so that's often a practical upgrade. I say go for it if the instrument playswell and you are fully aware that you will not get your time or money back that you put into the project.

 

[5544]

I'm thinking of this because
1. I want experience modding basses
2. I think the vintage basses look amazing
3. I just can't afford anything too expensive at the moment as I'm a student

I can understand wanting the experience in modding basses however, you say you cannot afford anything too expensive at the moment. Honestly, sit down and make a list of everything you want to know how to do and then go to Stew Mac to price out the tools required. You don't have to purchase all at once but the stuff does add up.

I disagree about the pots, and wiring having any effect at all on the sound, if they work as intended, there is nothing to be gained by changing them to ones that cost more, but, do the same thing...there won't be a different sound at all.

I guess you never had a bad pot or broken wiring. I will change the guts while changing the pickups because I am in there anyways. Do it once and do it right.

The fingerboard? Why?

 

[gully_jones]

ok so ive been playing bass for about 4/5 months now and am thinking of getting a second bass.

Honestly, take a couple of deep breaths and step away from this idea for a year or more. Unless you are prodigy, your time is better spent practicing with the bass you already have. You have a lifetime to aquire more gear but only 1-2 years of being a beginning bassist. Enjoy playing and learning.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Dan Erlewine has probably sold more stuff to folks who don't need it than anyone I can think of.

 

[JACink]

Speaking from experience on cheap basses... I have bought quite a few.

Some of the ones I purchased have been modded into basses I really like. Others have stayed stock as I am happy with them as they are. Heck, my favourite neck is from a bass that I got free (a gift from @kodiakblair ). However, another has had literally everything modded except the body and neck, and I still don't like it.

Saying this, the 12 basses I currently own add up to approximately the price of one high level instrument, but I have now had experience on 12 different necks, body shapes, pickup configs etc.

I am now looking to have a bass built to the spec that I have found to like from all the experience gathered above. I could never have found this out if I was purchasing 2k instruments.

What I am saying is that the expensive option is not always the best option for some, and money "wasted" on cheap instruments may help "save" money when you finally get the bass you love.

YMMV as always.

 

[InhumanResource]

ok so ive been playing bass for about 4/5 months now and am thinking of getting a second bass.

Invalid Link Removed

this one to be precise! /\/\/\

now i know it will be a bit meh but playable so here is my plan!
- im going to swap out the stock pickups for either some seymour duncan SPB-1's or the steve harris signatures (massive maiden fan btw!!)
- add teh shiny pickup and bridge covers for the '60s retro style
- maybe some new tuners (hipshot xtender?)

and in the end of this little project i should have experience with the internals of a bass and also a lovely vintage style "'63 p bass" without having to shell out $$$!

any tips or ideas that i should incorperate?

(ive included the picture of the bass i want to replicate)

The price of admission is attractive, but in this range I would rather ind a bargain bass in the flesh so I can test how it feels. If it feels and plays good, making it sound good is easy.

I find that the biggest issue with inexpensive instruments is the comfort/playability factor, specifically on the neck.

 

[Atshen]

I'd save my money for a nice amp instead. Through a good amp, that bass should sound fine.

 

[5544]

Dan Erlewine has probably sold more stuff to folks who don't need it than anyone I can think of.

That is probably true.

I look at it this way: cost of paying someone to do it vs. the cost of owning the right tool for the job multiplied by the number of instruments minus experience level.

 

[two fingers]

get this instead
View attachment 1102732

About 15 years ago I was on the road in South Carolina and the band stopped at a Cracker Barrel to eat. When we came out, there was a bluegrass band playing on the front sidewalk. They had a washtub bass player. This dude was using a piece of nasty twine as a string. He had a piezo pickup running from under the tub to an SWR California Blonde amp. But his intonation was dead on. I might not be Jaco or Victor, but I have a great ear. And this guy was dead on every note, using a piece of twine and pulling the tension on a broom handle. The guys had to force me to get back in the van so we could make our next show. I could have watched and listened to him play all day.