• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Who Believes In Leaving Basses Alone?

#81
I have a perfect 2 for 2 bass modding track record.

My first bass (a Dean Edge 09) is now a fretless that has off and on had Christian fish car decals on it's now dinged and (intentionally to figure out how deep the finish goes, in interest of making it natural) sanded in one place.
My Squier VM Jazz has a Badass II.
I am planning on a third mod. Turning an old crap bass into an 8 string with a single diagonal J bridge Pickup in the Neck (P bass) position. Should be an interesting project, huh? :D)
I'll be modding my Ric (Badass II), once I get one, as well, so I guess I'll still have that perfect track record.
 
#83
I once modded a Fender deluxe P I had by putting in Duncan Quarter Pound pups, and the result was good, but not as dramatic as I expected. Haven't modded since.

That being said, now I've got an SR5 H, and an SR5 HH, and I see no reason whatsoever to mod these things. They are pretty much perfect stock. The only thing I might change is the pickguard on both of them, but that's purely for appearance.
 
#85
It's funny, the same guys that trumpet "it's just a tool, why buy a boutique instrument" are the ones that are now saying "a Fender is sacred, I would never mod it".

It's a tool, not some sacred icon. If it works well but I want to personalize it to make it even better, I will. I added a P pickup to my 70's Alembic. I swapped pickups and preamp on my Ransom, swapped pickups on my Sadowsky. I regularly move the strap button if it helps the balance on the bass. I just bought a 2008 Fender MIA P5. Sounds great, even better because it has a John East P-Retro preamp.

I customize my environment to suit me, whether it's inside the computer, in my house, or on my bass. That's what humans do, that's largely what makes us human. What's the big deal? Why does anybody care what other people do to customize their tools?
 
#86
Since I own and buy a lot of basses, I will only replace the strap buttons (used to use Dunlop Straplock but now use Grippers) and strings. I buy different basses for their unique qualities and sounds. I don't much with them unless something dies or breaks, and usually then I try and replace it with what was as close to original as possible.

If I had only one or two main basses, I'd probably change them a little more. Then I would be tinkering with the pickups and maybe the tuning machines.

I have been dying to change the pickups on my Kramer 650B as they are original and Neptune factory hand wound, and are weak as heck. I could have them custom rewound but then it does kill the character and original sound the makers created.

I love my Hartke, Vaccaro and Kramer because the aluminum necks give me a piano like quality. I love my Peavey G bass because it has a great range of usable tones. I love my Danelectros and Jerry Jones because they don't sound like anything else. My Kubicki's and my J bass with Kubicki electronics also have a character unlike any Fender or Gibby.

Maybe one of these days I'll buy something cheap on evilBay and mod the crap out of it. I have an original EB0 neck pickup and a BadassII bridge I've been dying to use. Maybe I can find a project Dano and put that in it. Can you imagine?

My $0.02
 
#87
smeet said:
It's funny, the same guys that trumpet "it's just a tool, why buy a boutique instrument" are the ones that are now saying "a Fender is sacred, I would never mod it".

It's a tool, not some sacred icon. If it works well but I want to personalize it to make it even better, I will. I added a P pickup to my 70's Alembic. I swapped pickups and preamp on my Ransom, swapped pickups on my Sadowsky. I regularly move the strap button if it helps the balance on the bass. I just bought a 2008 Fender MIA P5. Sounds great, even better because it has a John East P-Retro preamp.

I customize my environment to suit me, whether it's inside the computer, in my house, or on my bass. That's what humans do, that's largely what makes us human. What's the big deal? Why does anybody care what other people do to customize their tools?
Click to expand...

I've moved the strap buttons to help balance as well. That's a pretty mild mod and not one that cost anything or changes the sound of the instrument.
 
#88
11bae310.gif


I like my VM Precision, but it isn't offered with a tort guard. So I replaced it with one.

I love my Geddy, but I think it looks better with a black guard, sounds better with Model J's and suits me better with a D-Tuner. So it 's been modified as such.
 
#89
I really, truly enjoy the act of tinkering with my bass in my little workshop. I like replacing stuff, even if there's not much of a change in tone, just because I dig the act of it. How else was I gonna learn how to solder, set up intonation, use a dremel, or cut a pickguard to fit? That's stuff I really enjoy, and don't get to do much since I quit being a mechanic.

I think that for someone to criticise modding as being "unnecessary" while owning a dozen basses is being just a tad hypocritical.

Also, if I never modded anything, I wouldn't have these boxes of parts laying around, waiting to be turned into new projects.
 
#90
vinxbass said:
'08 MIA Fender Jazz V

The bass sounds great stock and there no longer anything that I would do to change it.
Click to expand...

I am hoping to make a bass like this my new bass. I want a passive jazz sound with 5 strings and 34" scale. This should do it. I'm waiting to hear from the seller....

I plan to leave it alone. If I want an "active" or modern tone, I'll use outboard gear like a Sadowsky pre/di or something like that.
 
#91
I'm not afraid to change things if I'm unsatisfied with a bass, mostly pickups. I feel as though every pickup upgrade I've made (with the except of two trial-and-error cases on my P bass) were vast improvements. The Precision incident helped me figure out exactly what I wanted from my instruments. I'm much, much, much more satisfied with my Highway 1 P. It's my favorite playing bass and instead of rotting under the bed due to very underwhelming tone, it's one of my favorite tone monsters.

Stuff like Rics, I buy for what they are. Precision, Jazz, or otherwise, I usually buy because of what I can make them into. I've got a Bronco bass that went from disabled $40 clunker to tone monster that my band's bassist is begging to play.
 
#92
C.Linton said:
I think if you'e modding a bass because you think that magically it's gonna make the bass play and sound near perfect, then you're fooling yourself. There's no magic bullet here, IMO.
Click to expand...

Maybe not, but there are DRAMATIC differences that can be made with some instruments with upgraded electronics. I'm so much happier with my Dean Rhapsody 12 now that it has an SGD in the neck position and an Audere pre, and it is well past the honeymoon period. Night and day difference between that and the old EMG-HZ and stock pre.
 
#93
billiam5billion said:
I really, truly enjoy the act of tinkering with my bass in my little workshop. I like replacing stuff, even if there's not much of a change in tone, just because I dig the act of it. How else was I gonna learn how to solder, set up intonation, use a dremel, or cut a pickguard to fit? That's stuff I really enjoy, and don't get to do much since I quit being a mechanic.

I think that for someone to criticise modding as being "unnecessary" while owning a dozen basses is being just a tad hypocritical.Also, if I never modded anything, I wouldn't have these boxes of parts laying around, waiting to be turned into new projects.
Click to expand...

Not really, if by unnecessary one means that there's nothing wrong with the individaul instrument in the first place, why mod it just because you can? Unless it's just something you like to do, then more power to you. I don't see where the conflict is and I don't see anyone crticising others for modding. I personaly expressed a concern about those who plan to extensively mod a bass before they even have it in their hands, but that wasn't meant as a crtiticism, I was just expressing my confusion as to why someone would do that.
 
#94
smeet said:
It's funny, the same guys that trumpet "it's just a tool, why buy a boutique instrument" are the ones that are now saying "a Fender is sacred, I would never mod it".

It's a tool, not some sacred icon.
Click to expand...
dude, you've seen what 70's fenders go for now. if i could have left mine stock, i could have gotten well over $2500 for it just because this particular ash body i have is gorgeous. and who knows how much it would have been worth when i die? that is sacred to me ;)

but what did i know back in 1982? nobody ever thought they'd be considered the next best thing to pre-cbs.

so for that very reason, i'd never touch a japanese or american fender anymore. i did put new pickups on my p lyte, but i still have the old pickups and preamp and it would take 5 solder joints to put it back to stock. hell, i even took off the pickguard off my 98 mia jazz when i had it and put it in a safe place because it had the original plastic cover with the flag on it still attached.
 
#95
On 90% of my instruments, I never give a **** about what the potential "next owner" might want.

I own my instruments. They do not own me. Worrying about resale is not a part of my enjoyment in owning these basses.. As far as I'm concerned...i AM the END USER.
 
#96
This really depends on the brand / instrument. Stock Fender? Yes, replace the p'ups. It has very nearly always been the case that their p'ups were lame (there are exceptions, but still...). Stock Zon/Lakland/Sadowsky? No - they come with great pickups - which is one reason why they cost so much.
 
#97
JimmyM said:
dude, you've seen what 70's fenders go for now. if i could have left mine stock, i could have gotten well over $2500 for it just because this particular ash body i have is gorgeous. and who knows how much it would have been worth when i die? that is sacred to me ;)

but what did i know back in 1982? nobody ever thought they'd be considered the next best thing to pre-cbs.

so for that very reason, i'd never touch a japanese or american fender anymore.
Click to expand...

From a financial perspective, I can see that. But there are better investments than basses.


BigOldHarry said:
This really depends on the brand / instrument. Stock Fender? Yes, replace the p'ups. It has very nearly always been the case that their p'ups were lame (there are exceptions, but still...). Stock Zon/Lakland/Sadowsky? No - they come with great pickups - which is one reason why they cost so much.
Click to expand...
Better or worse is subjective. I replaced my nyc Sadowsky pickups with Nordstrands because it was too glassy and scooped sounding for me. Did I (temporarily) reduce the resale value? Maybe, but it improved the instrument for me.
 
#98
smeet said:
Better or worse is subjective. I replaced my nyc Sadowsky pickups with Nordstrands because it was too glassy and scooped sounding for me. Did I (temporarily) reduce the resale value? Maybe, but it improved the instrument for me.
Click to expand...

Fair enough - but it's not like your bass came with *bad* p'ups - just not the p'ups you liked... And I too think stock Sadowsky's sound very scooped / brittle - but that's the Marcus sound, right?
 
#99
Not to digress, but I find Marcus' sound to be quite warm and non-brittle. Then again, his bass sounds like a souped-up Fender, which is very different than a Sadowsky.

We all like different things, and that's OK. Unless what we like doing is telling other people what they should like. That's not OK. Because some things are less equal than others. :)
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back