What's the best modification you've made?

[BassHappy]

I am always amused when I hear about the Fender fans swapping out their pickups. Apparently, Leo got it right, yet the first thing many players do is swap out the Fender pickups the minute the bass arrives.

"WOW, my Fender REALLY sounds great now that it doesn't sound like a Fender!"

 

[SLO Surfer]

Selling it and buying a bass that closer suited my tonal requirements.

This.

 

[stingray69]

I am always amused when I hear about the Fender fans swapping out their pickups. Apparently, Leo got it right, yet the first thing many players do is swap out the Fender pickups the minute the bass arrives.

"WOW, my Fender REALLY sounds great now that it doesn't sound like a Fender!"

Why are you assuming that people don't want their instruments sounding like a Fender?

If anything, a lot of pickup swaps are done to obtain a more (dare I say better) Fender tone of days gone by.

Personally, I'd rather see today's jazz basses for example, sounding like a vintage '62 jazz of the past - but given the choice of building a time machine or upgrading my pickups, I opted for the Ulyate pickups.

Of course, others may want a more modern voicing to suite their style - to each their own.

There's no right or wrongs, only whether the player is happy with their own tone.

 

[BassHappy]

I am certainly not going to argue about it. I made my point. Let's move on. I have 11 Fenders by the way...

 

[stingray69]

I am certainly not going to argue about it. I made my point. Let's move on. I have 11 Fenders by the way...

Perhaps we should - this thread is about modding, not mocking people's decisions to do so.

 

[TheCouchBassist]

I am certainly not going to argue about it. I made my point. Let's move on. I have 11 Fenders by the way...

I’m always amused by arrogant responses, who assume they know the exact thoughts of all the Fender fans and their mod choices. For the record, I replaced the stock Japanese electronics as they were 16 years old and were getting a bit scratchy. I replaced the stock Japanese “USA pickup” because although it sounded nice at bedroom volume or in playing by myself it had a tendency to get swallowed up in the mix. I was going to get a Curtis Novak Charlie Christian, but settled on the Fender 63 and have not been disappointed.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Started out as a 1979 Gretsch Committee Bass...

After a major makeover and addition of Barts and Bart preamp, now looks like this....
Plays and sounds like a 7 or 8k boutique bass...

 

[7615]

I ahve 2 of those.

Started out as a 1979 Gretsch Committee Bass...
View attachment 3069970

After a major makeover and addition of Barts and Bart preamp, now looks like this....
Plays and sounds like a 7 or 8k boutique bass...

View attachment 3069971

I have 2 of those. An all original 1979 (7 piece) and a modded 1978 (5 piece) - finish removed and pick up replaced with a Carvin

The neck on those basses are fantastic to start with. Both basses are fantastic. I do love the Filtertron sound.

I see you actually carved up the neck for better access.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I ahve 2 of those.


I have 2 of those. An all original 1979 (7 piece) and a modded 1978 (5 piece) - finish removed and pick up replaced with a Carvin

The neck on those basses are fantastic to start with. Both basses are fantastic. I do love the Filtertron sound.

I see you actually carved up the neck for better access.

I did. I loved it stock but saw huge potential in the old Gretsch wood stock (purchased in the mid 50s from what I read) so after looking at their going unmodified prices of about 1k and since I'm not planning to sell it cause it was given to me by my mom as a 15th birthday present I decided to mod it and am very glad I did.

 

[BadWithNames]

The only modification I’ve ever made, and the only one I plan on ever making, is putting straplocks on my basses.

So, I’d say that is the best sounding modification I’ve done.

 

[Bard2dbone]

I'm currently considering expanding the stable slightly. On the rare occasions I might need to play outside, I currently bring the Squier P that I modded for my son, and then later daughter, to play. It's the 'PJ with a P body and a J neck' version.

I put a pair of hum canceling DiMarzio PJ pickups in it, added the Schaller roller bridge I'd had on a Schecter back in the day and a Bart preamp. It's a much better bass now than the 'Squier' on the headstock would lead you to expect. But I want something more interesting.

So I found a Moses graphite neck for a decent price on evilbay. That got me thinking: DeLano makes a MusicMan style humbucker where one coil has the huge EBMM coils, but the other has J coils One of those could sound really cool with a Nordstrand Powerblade P and an Audere preamp.

Now the only holdup is finding or building a body to put it all on.

 

[russellh86]

Gotoh Resolite reverse tuners for my AVRI ‘62 Precisions

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I ahve 2 of those.


I have 2 of those. An all original 1979 (7 piece) and a modded 1978 (5 piece) - finish removed and pick up replaced with a Carvin

The neck on those basses are fantastic to start with. Both basses are fantastic. I do love the Filtertron sound.

I see you actually carved up the neck for better access.

didn't know they made a 7 piece...can you send pic please?

 

[7615]

didn't know they made a 7 piece...can you send pic please?

Gretsch in the day was known for no 2 alike - even when the same model.

The 7 pieces ones are where the 2 body wings either side of the maple are 2 pieces.

They look the same on first blush - its just when you look more closely one can see the laminated wings

 

[BassAgent]

I have modded many basses more or less but the best decision was on this bass:

The pickups (Lollar), bridge (Gotoh) and pickguard aren't original which is all fine and dandy and make it sound really good but I had the fingerboard epoxied about 10 years ago and that's what really did the trick. It sings like no other fretless and it has made me sell every other fretless I have ever owned (which is about 5). I've owned this bass for 15 years now and it still amazes me every day.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Not to any specific instrument, in particular, but the best mod/improvement I have made was getting rid of all my Fender basses. All my basses sound much better, now.

The JB-2 and SR4H were quite nice, however, but those are gone, too.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

My favorite mods are the work I did on my '78 Musicmaster.

After getting my Squier Musicmaster and seeing how they "upped" the construction techniques on that one, I bought a second 70's Musicmaster body and went to town on that. It got the new paint work, the string through body bridge, control knobs, and new 4 pole Seymour Duncan pups.

Great improvement in how well it tunes and stays in tune, and better bass sound too!

 

[pertyman]

1. Warwick Star Bass II:



2. Fender Precision Deluxe:

 

[Beej]

Best mod to a bass that I've personally toyed with for improved tone, is introducing a series switch for a two-pickup bass.

Its funny though how one person's garbage is another's treasure. A guitarist I used to play with had an early 70s strat that was worn out, but bone stock. He put in a set of noiseless Lace pickups and then raved to us about how awesome it sounded. When he brought it to practice, the drummer and I looked at each other due to the "improved" sound. We secretly agreed that the originals sounded way better, but Mr. Guitar went on and on about how it was better in the mix. I liked those Lace pickups, but I sure didn't hear an improvement in his tone...

 

[Bourbongangster]

I have what started out as an SX P/J with a Jazz body. Over the last two years I have turned it into something else entirely with two SCPB-3s, a three way switch, two volumes and no tone, and the Ric-o-sound double output jacks. A couple weeks ago, I completed it's transition to being as close as possible to a Rickenbacker by installing a "vintage switch" that puts a cap in between the bridge pup and the outputs. By far the coolest mod I've ever done.