You CAN have a nice bass for a cheap price!

Perhaps this is stating the obvious to many TBers. However, this is directed to those who are maybe new to the bass world etc and perhaps you want a $1000+ bass but just can't afford it. Well, you can have a pretty nice sounding and playing bass for not a whole lot of money.

IMO you can buy an SX or Squire and fix up it a little at a time and in the end you will have a great bass that you bought parts for *as you could afford them*.

In my case I wanted a good shortscale bass to use while my custom shortscale Stambaugh was being made (which could take as much as a year to complete). Since I was getting a $2000 bass I didnt want to spend a large amount of money.

So I bought an SX J shortie with an ash body and maple/rosewood neck. The type of wood is the heart of the bass and pretty much everything else is upgrade-able.

The first upgrade I did to my SX ss J was to bring it in to a luthier and get a fret job and pro setup.I also got her to install a new graphite nut. That right there cost more than the price of the $100 bass but to me is essential to take a bass from "mediocre" to "great".

Then awhile later I upgraded the pickups to DiMarzio Model Js and put on a set of Chromes flatwound strings.
Sometime after that I scooped up some HS Ultralite tuners I had on another bass and put those on. Down the line I put on a BA II bridge I picked up used for $50. Finally, I upgraded the electronics with better quality components and an orange drop capcitor.

The result is now I have a fairly good bass tailored to my desires that didnt cost me a whole lot of money all at once. To be honest the bass plays so well and sounds so great that I am sort of wondering if I made a mistake ordering the Stambaugh. I can bring the SX to any gig, be it a sleazy bar or in inclimate weather, and not worry. A $2000 bass will always bring me concern as I want to protect my investment.

So if you can live with an "SX" on your headstock, you might be find yourself very happy with a budget instrument that you have, as funds permitted, upgraded to make into a great sounding and great playing bass.

Fundamentally, you can take any bass and make it much better by getting a pro setup, putting good strings on and upgrading the pickup. Those are the essentials. The rest is just gravy.

One of these days I'll have to take a proper picture, but this is roughly what it looks like.


Here is a video of me playing with one of my bands using this bass:

 

Yeah, the stock pickups are decent, but IMO the Model Js are just fantastic and have become a part of 'my tone'.