When does a bass upgrade translate to a performance upgrade?

[Kmonk]

Upgrades do not improve performance. When I think of performance, I think about how easy a bass is to play. Upgrading pickups, tone capacitor or a bridge, may make the bass may sound different, but it won't play any better nor will it make your playing better.

 

[JimmyM]

I do think a better bass can make things easier than another one might, but the gap is ever shrinking, and it's less about price and more about build quality and design.

 

[WardEarth]

Yes, nicer sound and playability. It’s a big deal if your basses aren’t quality, plenty of cheap quality basses (used) out there though.

 

[N4860]

Personally, I enjoy modding my basses and do so without regard to how much I can sell it for afterward. I don't buy basses to sell them, I buy them to play them so I really don't care what the resale value is. I agree with others that there are plenty of upgrades that aren't necessarily going to improve your playing, such as tuners, bridge, pickups, pots, etc. They may improve the reliability of your bass but they aren't going to magically make you Jaco. They may improve the sound though resulting in being more inspired and likely to play more.

There are also mods that can improve the playability of an instrument in some cases. Stuff like reducing the weight of the hardware to better balance an instrument so that you don't have to put more work into keeping your headstock from diving. This could also include a minor mod of moving strap buttons to a better location. A better neck can certainly help playability. Or even just sanding down a glossy neck improves the feel for me to the point that it is much more comfortable for me. Adding contours to a body could also help with comfort.

 

[somebrains]

I do think a better bass can make things easier than another one might, but the gap is ever shrinking, and it's less about price and more about build quality and design.

^ he is right, cnc'ing wood is a matter of where $ of manufacture is cheapest. Expert assembly is more important for that finishing touch that people equate with "quality".

Lakin had a good process Plek'ing parts made overseas.
If parts are produced with tight repeatable tolerances, screwing everything together is basically less skilled. Into the Plek it goes. Final setup becomes less involved and data guided like assembling rebuilt transmissions.

You, as the end user, could go buy a used instrument.
You could focus on quality of life polishing that the manufacturer determined cost prohibitive.

It's like upgrading a tract home to suit how you want to live.
Many people just leave the home barely repaired, much less upgrade builder quality (garbage) initially installed line items.

Nothing stops me from wrenching on my gear, and absent aptitude pay someone. I also wrenched on a lot of houses in my life bc I'm a really particular person.

This same type of argument goes on in home improvement forums.

Improve whatever you want however you want bc you have to live with it everyday.

When it comes time to sell, then we will see if people agree with your upgrade philosophy or not.

 

[SJan3]

I have 2 decent, low-cost "working man's" basses. I've been thinking of an upgrade. Same specs, basically a nicer version of a bass I already have. I want to separate inspiration from GAS.

So I'd love to hear your experiences and opinions on the subject. When does a nicer bass translate into making you a better player? Is it as simple as inspiration to pick it up more? Does the craftsmanship translate into something tangible? Or is it all just ego?

I have some theories, but would love to hear YOUR thoughts!

If you find that your current Basses playability is limited, then an upgrade may open up more creativity if the instrument isn't resisting/getting in your way.
If I fight the instrument, it definitely puts a damper on my creativity and, of course, chops.

 

[mbell75]

Squier vs MIM, but basically yes. I avoided the cliche "F v. S" because I think it applies to all brands. But in all those threads, players talk about "better" components, but my whole point here is does that make you a better player?

Overall, the difference between Squier and MIM Fender is pretty minimal. They both use the same CNC machines etc...it’s like Ford and Lincoln. Built on the same platforms yet one is more expensive and has fancier upgrades, but does that make you a better driver? Probably not. The only time I would be worried about the difference in components is if I were a touring musician who was rough on my gear and had to worry about something going out during a gig. However, even high end gear can fail, that’s why all pros have multiple guitars and amps on hand.

 

[SJan3]

I have to admit, there's something oddly satisfying about taking an inexpensive bass in need of a set up and customizing it and setting it up to your personal specifications (as long as the truss rod isn't toast or the neck is warped beyond repair). It's like pruning a bonsai tree.

MIM P Bass w/2 simple upgrades:
American vintage bridge
DiMarzio pups
Sounds killer.

 

[Aidenn7]

If You have reliable basses you are good.. If I'd tour.. I get a 3 fender parts basses with trs jack.. And wilde P-46 pickups.. And never worry about it

 

[somebrains]

Take a look at what this guy did to a pre lawsuit 83 G&L: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[selowitch]

Upgrading, if done wisely, can be a useful way of making your bass perform, sound, stay in tune a bit better.

1. The best upgrades are those that are 100% reversible so as not to harm resale or collector value;
2. If your bass has a plastic nut, a bone nut is often a worthwhile swap;
3. Usually the stock tuners and bridge are just fine. I rarely bother upgrading either of those. In my experience, swapping either of those out makes minimal if any difference;
4. Strings that suit your tone and feel needs are possibly the best upgrade you can make;
5. Pickup upgrades are often very expensive and should not be undertaken lightly;
6. If you are not using a quality cable, get yourself a Mogami;
7. A good setup, fret dressing, etc. is worth far more than a new pickguard;
8. If the jacks and pots are of low quality, replacing them with a Switchcraft jack and CTS pots or similar makes sense.

 

[2F/2F]

No!

The "better" bass just makes it easier to play, more luxurious, often more reliable/better built, and usually better looking!

 

[Ghook]

Strings, strings, strings. Like this thread, the string choices are going to vary but I think the consensus will be uniform. High quality strings are the single most noticed change in playability and sound on a bass guitar. My purchase of an eBay P bass no name
( $54.95) was my eye opener. I planned on modding it and started with a set of LaBella Tapewounds. My modding stopped there and I have loved playing this thing. Same goes for my Rogue Fretless and Hofner Ignition restrung with LaBella flatwounds. At some point I will upgrade the tuners on the Hofner but so far I can deal with what it is. This being said I am still gassing for a SRF 700 4 string Fretless. The looks, feel and playability will inspire me. Perhaps that is the only reason any of us need to justify our purchase(s).

 

[chris_b]

I have 2 decent, low-cost "working man's" basses. I've been thinking of an upgrade. Same specs, basically a nicer version of a bass I already have. I want to separate inspiration from GAS.

IMO there are 4 upgrades, 1- to sound, 2 - to feel, 3 - a better bass, 4 - just because you can.

1 - New pickups or a preamp, or an outboard preamp pedal.
2 - Professional set up, fret level and new set of strings.
3 - A more expensive bass.
4 - Do what you like. It's you money to waste.

I have upgraded the sound of an old P bass with new pickups, didn't cost too much and made a huge improvement. Then added a J pickup, cost more and didn't add much as I'd hoped. Then I put a preamp in, which cost a lot more and gained me very little.

When I buy a new bass, the first thing I do is to get it properly set up and the frets checked and levelled if they need it. Even the best basses can come back feeling like a million dollars.

So my experience and conclusion is to buy the bass that sounds like you want it to sound and forget any upgrading and always get your bass professionally set up. The upgrade you're looking for is the next level of bass. Choose well and you'll find a night and day improvement that can't be achieved buy just buying more parts for your existing bass.

The best basses I've owned have been a Wal, Lakland, Lull and Sadowsky. There's no going back after playing these instruments.

 

[mongo2]

I have 2 decent, low-cost "working man's" basses. I've been thinking of an upgrade. Same specs, basically a nicer version of a bass I already have. I want to separate inspiration from GAS.

So I'd love to hear your experiences and opinions on the subject. When does a nicer bass translate into making you a better player? Is it as simple as inspiration to pick it up more? Does the craftsmanship translate into something tangible? Or is it all just ego?

I have some theories, but would love to hear YOUR thoughts!

I went the other way in that I made what some may consider downgrades to my DIY SCPB to get performance upgrades.

I replaced a beautiful birdseye maple Warmoth neck with a $25 plain maple/rosewood SX shortscale neck, relocated the bridge to accommodate the new scale length and the playability improved greatly for me. I also replaced the Fender pickup with a <$15 dual rail humbucking Strat style pickup making it noiseless and improving it's tone. I find both "downgrades" definitely resulted in performance upgrades.

 

[Bobro]

I think with any kind of guitar, it's always simple- well made neck that's shaped right for your feel, right body shape and weight to jibe with your body, good setup and appropriate pickups, and you're 9/10s there to "perfect", everything else is gravy.

 

[Maxdusty]

Strings, strings, strings. Like this thread, the string choices are going to vary but I think the consensus will be uniform. High quality strings are the single most noticed change in playability and sound on a bass guitar. My purchase of an eBay P bass no name
( $54.95) was my eye opener. I planned on modding it and started with a set of LaBella Tapewounds. My modding stopped there and I have loved playing this thing. Same goes for my Rogue Fretless and Hofner Ignition restrung with LaBella flatwounds. At some point I will upgrade the tuners on the Hofner but so far I can deal with what it is. This being said I am still gassing for a SRF 700 4 string Fretless. The looks, feel and playability will inspire me. Perhaps that is the only reason any of us need to justify our purchase(s).

I just picked up a Rogue Fretless strung with LaBella Deep Talking strings, it also has a hipshot bridge, hipshot tuners and EMG Geezer Butler pickups. The previous owner really modded that thing to be quite a player. I agree, the strings definitely make a difference, but the other parts certainly help too, in particular the pickups.

 

[nilorius]

Pick up change.

 

[3bc]

Nothing new to really add but my personal experience. Some basses are simply more fun to play than others and will inspire you to play it more often. That can make you a better player. Some basses simply play “better” than others, and by that I mean they suit your hands a little bit better in terms of neck profile.

I had a bass that checked both of those boxes, German Warwick $$. Going from a Gibson TBird to that was night and day. The TBird was hummy, tonally limited, really thin neck, floppier string tension. The Warwick had a big fat neck, active electronics, taught strings. It suited me much better and I legitimately was instantly a “better player”. And I enjoyed playing it a lot more.

I had several friends over the years pick it up and remark about how easy it was to play. Ironically they also played Gibson basses.

Then I switched to Lakland because I found the Warwick too dark and tonally limited and I was immediately a worse player as both Lakland and Warwick necks are so unique in very different ways. After a couple weeks I adjusted and now I’m the same player I was before.

A new bass can improve your playing in the long run if it makes you play more often. If it’s ergonomics suit you better it can also marginally improve your speed and or accuracy. But if you are going from a $300 jazz bass to a $1500 jazz bass with the same neck profile it’s not going to make you a better player.

 

[Ghook]

I just picked up a Rogue Fretless strung with LaBella Deep Talking strings, it also has a hipshot bridge, hipshot tuners and EMG Geezer Butler pickups. The previous owner really modded that thing to be quite a player. I agree, the strings definitely make a difference, but the other parts certainly help too, in particular the pickups.

I agree on p/u 's , but I think strings , as the first mod will have the most dramatic noticeable impact, everything after will improve on that change. Your Rogue might not have sounded as good with the original strings and geezer pups as it does with the Labella s . So I guess my point is to make strings the first mod. Although not cheap @ around $40 - 50 if seen as merely strings it's very inexpensive with respect to the overall results. Also keep in mind we are talking budget level basses where the change will be more pronounced . In the case of my eBay P bass the strings were almost as much as the bass.