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What Little Mod Made All The Difference?

#63
I don't know if this counts as mods but : taking the thumb-rest off of my squier 60's CVp , and switching to rotosounds 77 flats ...

other than that does defretting count as a little mod?
 
#65
I guess the only "mod" i do right off the bat with EVERY bass is Straplocks. Other than that, my focus is usually 90% setup and new strings.

Although, I do like to tinker. That's a big part of the enjoyment of bass guitar for me.
 
#66
My favorite mod that I do to all my basses and guitars is to sand off the poly on my necks. Then I sand it down with real fine paper...down to 1000 microgrit paper(I think). Finally finish off with Danish Oil.

I do this because in the summer I hate the feeling of sweaty hands on the poly and this allows me to move my hands more freely.
 
#70
johnk_10 said:
IMO, alot of the comments about setup and strings are really just maintenance. for me, one of the best 'mods' is to add a little roll-over to the fingrboard's edges to make it feel smoother and more 'broken-in' .
Click to expand...

I have done that also. I also take time to polish the frets with a jewelers cloth. the jewelers rouge in the cloth works perfectly without leaving any residue or mess to clean up it also works great for cleaning the fret board too. Makes any bass play smoother.
 
#72
It's already been mentioned a few times but just to underscore the option. String changes are one of the cheapest ways to change the look, feel and sound of your bass.
Colored strings, flats, tapes, rounds, stainless, nickel, gold plated, silks, no silks... the list goes on. A different type or brand of string can have a profound impact on how much you like playing your bass. I've turned ho-hum basses into go-to basses for less than $40.
Unfortunately it's a little like dating - you never know exactly how much you're gonna like the new strings until you've played with 'em for a while.:hiding:
 
#73
I've done all sorts of mods, my feeling is that they are really a culmination - a sum of all the things when combined together that make the whole instrument a joy to play.

If I absolutely HAD to pick only one or two, I'd go for a playability mod like making sure the nut/neck relationship is in order. Evaluating whether a file and/or shim is in order. *Most* nut heights are left way too high on a factory bass, and are already hindering optimum playability right out of the gate 9 times out of 10. The nut & level/angle of the neck sitting in the neck pocket is a very intertwined connection. It really is amazing how only a few thousandths of an inch can really make an instrument "OK" to play versus an absolute dream to play.
 
#74
Converting my VVT F Basses to VBT. With VVT, the basses are just completely out of control. There's no telling where you're going to end up tone-wise. You can be playing along in the groove only to discover that you need more volume. You definitely want the same tone, hands down. Next thing you know, your tone goes to pot because you have to turn up both volumes to keep your tone perfect. But no, now you end up with too much of that neck pickup and you're stranded in a no-man's land of tone.

Now, if you have VBT, you've got your tone going, you need more volume, and you give a little crank to the volume knob, and no worries. More volume, same tone. I rest my case.
 

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