How much to spend on mods?

[spinynorman]

I've got a MIM Fender Jazz 5-string which I was intending to upgrade. New strings were the first thing - £30 and I don't like them much, so probably another £30-£40 to find some I do like. Then at the least it needs new pickups and, assuming Wilkinsons wouldn't do, that's going to be £90 - £150 depending what I go for. Then the frets need some work, which is a luthier job and I've never got out of his shop for much less than £100. Or I could hang on for a MIA neck, though there don't seem to be many 5-string necks about.

So even at this minimal level, that's as much or more than the bass cost me in the first place, and I'm starting to wonder if it's actually worth it. Any thoughts on what it's worth spending to do up a cheapish bass?

[ped]

Hi mate,

At first I thought you wanted to spend some money on the 'mods' of basschat, in which case I was going to suggest you should keep your money well away!!

My advice would be to spend a bit of cash having a proper setup done on the bass (if you are not confident to do this yourself or if you don't live near another basschatter who is) and see how that changes things. It might change your opinion of the basses potential, for better or for worse.

Cheers
ped

[Jase]

[quote name='ped' post='212840' date='Jun 4 2008, 11:20 PM']Hi mate,

At first I thought you wanted to spend some money on the 'mods' of basschat, in which case I was going to suggest you should keep your money well away!!

My advice would be to spend a bit of cash having a proper setup done on the bass (if you are not confident to do this yourself or if you don't live near another basschatter who is) and see how that changes things. It might change your opinion of the basses potential, for better or for worse.

Cheers
ped[/quote]


Tidy advice!!!

[ped]

Thank you! I learnt the hard way with this one. I had a MIM jazz and the only real problem was the fact it was made of what seemed to be laminate chipboard, nothing I did to it helped but it was fun all the same...

Cheers
ped

[bass_ferret]

When I started I spend loads of money doing up a cheap bass and all I had at the end was a cheap bass.

I really do think that by the time you have pimped a Squire VM or a MIM you might as well get a MIA and save yourself a lot of money and bovver.

Its OK pimping a cheap bass if its a keeper, but if you sell on the pimping is not worth a lot.

[Mr. Foxen]

First thing to ask yourself is what do you not like about it? Then ask what you do like about it, and balance hte two. Is it worth changin, or trading up for something else. A skim of the frets to knock the high ones down shouldn't cost much, I had it done and EMGs installed (including new pots I didn't provide, and a few more pots and switches I asked him to order as spares) and it came to £70.

[Merton]

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='212853' date='Jun 4 2008, 11:41 PM']Its OK pimping a cheap bass if its a keeper, but if you sell on the pimping is not worth a lot.[/quote]
+1. I modded an MIM Jazz 5 with Bartolini PUs, J-Retro and new scratchplate. Made an average bass sound amazing, but it was still only ever average to play (too heavy). I spent the best part of £600 on the bass and all the mods, then sold it for £325...

[Machines]

I've got a MIM Jazz i'm not happy with and to be honest just want to shift and get something else. I don't think it's worth dumping any money into them as you usually don't get much of that investment back if you sell it on.

Things I dislike with mine are unbalanced pickup output (loud G string and slightly farty neck pickup), plus it needs more defined sounding pickups, but i'm reluctant so spend any cash on it when it might still not be what I want (Jazzes may just not be for me).

[bigjohn]

Modding anything usually results in spending money. it's very unlikely you'll get it back again.

I'm currently spending a "fortune" on modding a MIM Precision. The hobbyist in me has taken over. I only played the thing for 15 minutes before I took it apart. It's not been back together since.

I already had a '62 reissue USA pickup (£60)

I've (so far) bought...

1) Vintage domed knobs (£15)
2) Copper shielding tape and sheet (£10)
3) New pots and jack (£5)
4) New neck (£50)
5) Vintage wires and various caps (£5)
7) New TI flats (£30)
8) White pickup covers (£6)
9) New headstock logo (£6)

10) NOT bought yet - new tuners.

It's already cost me £360 and I've not replaced the black dots on the neck with mother of pearl or lacquered the neck yet - It'll come in just over £400. Price of an MIA. However - I'll have put it together myself, learned loads with it, have a bass I (hopefully) love, and will keep forever anyway.

It's a bit like this computer I'm on. I built it myself. I know it inside out, all the creaks, whizzes and beeps. Cost me a fortune to build but was the fastest computer I'd ever used when it was new. Now's it's nearly 10 years old and still keeps up!

Oh also -

11) A new soldering iron (£10)

[bremen]

[quote name='bigjohn' post='213307' date='Jun 5 2008, 04:15 PM']Modding anything usually results in spending money. it's very unlikely you'll get it back again.

I'm currently spending a "fortune" on modding a MIM Precision. The hobbyist in me has taken over. I only played the thing for 15 minutes before I took it apart. It's not been back together since.

I already had a '62 reissue USA pickup (£60)

I've (so far) bought...

1) Vintage domed knobs (£15)
2) Copper shielding tape and sheet (£10)
3) New pots and jack (£5)
4) New neck (£50)
5) Vintage wires and various caps (£5)
7) New TI flats (£30)
8) White pickup covers (£6)
9) New headstock logo (£6)

10) NOT bought yet - new tuners.[/quote]

I have some new, boxed Gotoh tuners. Want them?

[quote]It's already cost me £360 and I've not replaced the black dots on the neck with mother of pearl or lacquered the neck yet - It'll come in just over £400. Price of an MIA. However - I'll have put it together myself, learned loads with it, have a bass I (hopefully) love, and will keep forever anyway.

It's a bit like this computer I'm on. I built it myself. I know it inside out, all the creaks, whizzes and beeps. Cost me a fortune to build but was the fastest computer I'd ever used when it was new. Now's it's nearly 10 years old and still keeps up!

Oh also -

11) A new soldering iron (£10)[/quote]

[Jobiebass]

You sound like me,
I spent a fair amount pimping my bass, spent more on it then it was worth new.
Also built my own PC too, same deal as you! was 7 year old and still beat most things on the market before it blew up last year.

I dont think there is a limit on what you should spend as long as you have fun doing it, enjoy the end result and are not doing it to make a quick buck. As long as you arnt thinking about selling it, I say pimp away!

[spinynorman]

Very interesting responses here, there seems to be a widespread expectation that when you sell a bass (that you bought used, at least) you should expect to get your money back. That's how I feel too and I've been quite gutted any time I've lost money on one. And that tends to work against modding, as an MIM Fender is what it is, in spite of anything you do to improve it.

I don't think I'd go as far as BigJohn, looks like the only part left of the original bass is the body.

Maybe one way of recovering some of the value would be to keep the old parts and put it back stock before selling it. That way you either have parts for a new project, or could sell them, certainly with pickups and preamps I guess that would work.

So I'm talking myself into pickup replacement. Just need to decide which ones.

[bigjohn]

[quote name='spinynorman' post='213572' date='Jun 5 2008, 11:32 PM']Very interesting responses here, there seems to be a widespread expectation that when you sell a bass (that you bought used, at least) you should expect to get your money back. That's how I feel too and I've been quite gutted any time I've lost money on one. And that tends to work against modding, as an MIM Fender is what it is, in spite of anything you do to improve it.

[b]I don't think I'd go as far as BigJohn, looks like the only part left of the original bass is the body.[/b]

Maybe one way of recovering some of the value would be to keep the old parts and put it back stock before selling it. That way you either have parts for a new project, or could sell them, certainly with pickups and preamps I guess that would work.

So I'm talking myself into pickup replacement. Just need to decide which ones.[/quote]


And I might replace that too one day

[Hit&Run]

[quote name='spinynorman' post='213572' date='Jun 5 2008, 11:32 PM']Maybe one way of recovering some of the value would be to keep the old parts and put it back stock before selling it.[/quote]You'll probably make more dough if you revert it to original before selling it. That way the new buyer can pimp it up their way, and you can keep or sell the rude-ass bits you pimped it with!

[quote]So I'm talking myself into pickup replacement. Just need to decide which ones.[/quote]I know dimarzio make a 5 string jazz set (ultrajazz 5) that can be wired for series and/or parallel wiring, which is a nice option.
They're about £50 for the set from the USA (though you'll have to pay a couple of £ for shipping), which I don't think is that bad cash-wise.

[ashgeezer]

The only thing i'm doing with my MIM precision is changing the pickups and bridge and thats it. i couldnt justify going berserk and spending shedloads on it as i only use it for jamming with at the moment, maybe gigging in the near future,who knows, all i do know is it sounds fine as it is and i get the sounds i want out of it. i suppose everyones different.

[bigjohn]

[quote name='ashgeezer' post='220208' date='Jun 16 2008, 09:01 PM']The only thing i'm doing with my MIM precision is changing the pickups and bridge and thats it. i couldnt justify going berserk and spending shedloads on it as i only use it for jamming with at the moment, maybe gigging in the near future,who knows, all i do know is it sounds fine as it is and i get the sounds i want out of it. i suppose everyones different.[/quote]


I don't mind MIM bridges now. When I started on Fenders I thought the bridges were all crap - but I'm much more used to them now.

Am quite intrigued by these vintage high mass bridges on the 2008 MIAs though.


I'm not a fan of MIM pickups - nor tuners. The tuners do a job, but aren't very subtle.

Best mods (and best value) are the pickups and the capacitor(s).

[spinynorman]

Well I managed to find some Basslines cheap on eBay. Thanks to Dubya doing the dollar in, bidding on US auctions is like taking candy from children.

I tried Dimarzio UltraJazz on an old Ibanez Jazz copy I had, didn't like them on that for some reason. I had a Dimarzio P/J set on another bass and they were wonderful.

Edited June 17, 2008 by spinynorman

[Cantdosleepy]

I'm about to embark on my first pimpage mission.

Owned my MIJ 75 reissue jazz for about four years now - use it everywhere and for every jam, practice, gig etc since I bought it. Never been quite happy with the sound, though - I'd like it a little beefier and more defined.

Just spent
£70 on pickups (still lost in the world of Royal Mail!)
£40 on a new bridge

and am going to take it into a shop to get all actioned and sorted.

The bass was ~£375 new. After the shop I'll probably have spent about half that amount again on upgrading it. Haven't bought a bass since I got this one, though, so it's a reasonable outpouring of GAS.

[ardi100]

I've got a (Made in Korea) Squier Jazz. I really wanted to replace the pickups until I recorded it and was talking to the engineer. I told him of my plans and he said, "Why? It sounds fine." Which it does, and now I dont have pickup GAS!
I just want a new amp!

It could do with a setup, though.

[chris_b]

You can put go faster stripes on a rusty old Ford and what you have is a rusty old Ford with go faster stripes. I have modded a bass in the past and now wish I hadn't. My view is you should save up and get the right bass "off the shelf".

[bigjohn]

[quote name='chris_b' post='220443' date='Jun 17 2008, 10:58 AM']You can put go faster stripes on a rusty old Ford and what you have is a rusty old Ford with go faster stripes. I have modded a bass in the past and now wish I hadn't. My view is you should save up and get the right bass "off the shelf".[/quote]


I'd like a rusty old ford with go faster stripes. Maybe an Escort MKII Mexico. Or a nice old Capri, or maybe a Mustang

Anyway - I'm not sure that's the correct analogy, a good bass is a good bass, if you can make it better by modding it, then great.

Where would I buy a gun metal blue precison with a 62 pickup with a 70's style maple fretboarded neck off the shelf from? By the way can I have it with a pearl pickguard, white pickup covers, a reissue cornell dublier 0.1uf cap, and have the cavity and scratch plate shielded? Oh, and one more, can I have the metallic outline on the headstock logo in silver and not gold please?

I'll admit - with the money spent I could have bought an MIA or MIJ 62 reissue. But that wouldn't be quite the same.

I will probably do a similar thing in a couple of years. Got my eye on those new MIM jazz basses with the blocks inlays. Want a black one. Already have a set of US noiseless pickups waiting for a new bass!

[Count Bassy]

I guess it depend on your motivation.

If you enjoy tinkering and upgrading, and enjoy the results, and learn something in the process, then why not spend a bit of money doing it?. After all most people spend money on their 'hobbies' without any thought of getting their money back.

Again, if you've got a bass you're particularly fond of, but want to tweak it rather than trade it in, then why not?

If you can't afford the bass you want at the moment, but can afford a different bridge etc, then why not.

BUT, ultimatel, as others have said, this will not be a cheap way to get a good bass, and (assuming you've paid the going rate for the various bits) you're not going to get your money back. As long as you realise this befor you start then OK.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Clive Thorne

[bigjohn]

[quote name='Clive Thorne' post='220511' date='Jun 17 2008, 12:20 PM']I guess it depend on your motivation.

If you enjoy tinkering and upgrading, and enjoy the results, and learn something in the process, then why not spend a bit of money doing it?. After all most people spend money on their 'hobbies' without any thought of getting their money back.

Again, if you've got a bass you're particularly fond of, but want to tweak it rather than trade it in, then why not?

If you can't afford the bass you want at the moment, but can afford a different bridge etc, then why not.

BUT, ultimatel, as others have said, this will not be a cheap way to get a good bass, and (assuming you've paid the going rate for the various bits) you're not going to get your money back. As long as you realise this befor you start then OK.[/quote]


Yeah - the only way you can get your money back is to make a bass from good quality (and cheaply sourced) vintage parts. A mate of mine has put together a nice '77-'78 precision, all original parts - it's lovely and only cost him about £300. He's also put together a rather tasty handwired vintage hiwatt stack for about £450.

But then, he works in a guitar shop!

[CHRISDABASS]

[quote name='spinynorman' post='213572' date='Jun 5 2008, 11:32 PM']Very interesting responses here, there seems to be a widespread expectation that when you sell a bass (that you bought used, at least) you should expect to get your money back. That's how I feel too and I've been quite gutted any time I've lost money on one. And that tends to work against modding, as an MIM Fender is what it is, in spite of anything you do to improve it.

I don't think I'd go as far as BigJohn, looks like the only part left of the original bass is the body.

Maybe one way of recovering some of the value would be to keep the old parts and put it back stock before selling it. That way you either have parts for a new project, or could sell them, certainly with pickups and preamps I guess that would work.

So I'm talking myself into pickup replacement. Just need to decide which ones.[/quote]


i recommend wizard pickups!! great price, really quick turn around, awesome sound......

[Bigwan]

It's like my old boss used to say "There's no point polishing a turd..."

My point is, if you like the bass and plan on keeping it for a while then go ahead and mod it until your hearts content, but only if it's a worthwhile mod. If you're modding it trying to make it into something else you've seen/played/lusted after then you may be wasting your money needlessly.

I spent over the odds tarting up an old Aria Pro II 5 string with a new bridge, Bart pickups, then EMG pickups and circuit. Spent way more than the bass cost me. In the end it wasn't much better than when it started. It's the bass I learned to play on, and it's never going anywhere, but it's still a plank after all the mods.

For the money you're talking about spending you could sell the bass, add the extra and have something better (into Lakland Skyline territory there). This is all very subjective though. In the end it's your bass and nobody's going to call you a mug if you want to spoil it a little. I wouldn't class a change of strings as an upgrade though...