Put all the upgrades on one bass!

[la bam]

OK, so just for a bit of fun, but also an attempt to see what hardware mods / upgrades are out there at the moment..... 

 

What hardware mods are available to create or modify a bass guitar into the most versatile it could be? 

 

I'm thinking pre Amps including parametric eqs (for bass, mid, high) s1 switches, pick up switches, knobs etc, different pick ups and configurations. Anything goes. 

 

Ie to make the 'Homer Simpson mobile' of bass guitars. 

[ped]

Roland GK system, internal install

 

Kaoss pad

 

Sims pickups?

 

Coil taps and phase switches

 

Varitone control

 

Might as well chuck some LEDs on there too

[Baloney Balderdash]

Also D Tuners for each string (which can be set to just do half steps as well).

 

Black Ice passive overdrive/distortion module.

 

Lusithand double filter preamp: https://lusithanddevices.com/product/double-nfp/

 

And having a tremolo system installed as well, Kahler does one for bass (and comes in a 5 string version as well): https://www.thomann.de/gb/kahler_2410r_w4_bass_tremolo_blk.htm

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2024 by Baloney Balderdash
https://www.thomann.de/gb/kahler_2410r_w4_bass_tremolo_blk.htm

[linear]

25 minutes ago, la bam said:

Ie to make the 'Homer Simpson mobile' of bass guitars. 

 

Speed holes

 

 

[fretmeister]

Kahler trem

Kill Switch

 

[la bam]

Brilliant so far! 

 

A few of mine:

Built in tuner

On board fx

Full selectable parametric eq cut and boost for bass, lo mid, hi mid, treble. 

Luminlay or led fret markers

 

It'd be good for a laugh if when compiled someone could mock up what the basschat homer Simpson mobile bass would look like!

 

[TheGreek]

Headless system?

[uk_lefty]

I pad for watching Netflix while doing root fifth stuff/ playing the same set you've bashed out every week for years.

[la bam]

A vertical plastic flap on the back (like on the hohner headless) that pulls out to make it's own stand. 

[Baloney Balderdash]

1 hour ago, la bam said:

Brilliant so far! 

 

A few of mine:

Built in tuner

On board fx

Full selectable parametric eq cut and boost for bass, lo mid, hi mid, treble. 

Luminlay or led fret markers

 

It'd be good for a laugh if when compiled someone could mock up what the basschat homer Simpson mobile bass would look like!

 

It's not a fully parametric EQ unless you can also dial in frequency and Q/Bandwidth for each band, for tonal versatility you would be better off with a filter preamp, like the one I suggested.

 

Edited April 9, 2024 by Baloney Balderdash

[ped]

I forgot - built in headphone amp/output

[fretmeister]

Larry Graham style vocal mic

 

[bloke_zero]

The FX from this: 

Quote

Hurricane (pitch controlled hurricane/tornado sounds),volume (normal volume pedal), wah (funky 70s "growl-y" wah sounds!), surf (like "hurricane" but volume controlled). and the last choice is a switch called 'siren' which is a sine wave rising and falling.

Maybe they could be hooked up to something like a b-bender mechanism attached to the neck, which instead of tensioning one of the strings could be attached to a pot so pulling the neck down controlled the wah effect?

 

A switch to turn it all off and just go passive (with a complete set of passive treble and bass controls ala G&L L2000).

Edited April 9, 2024 by bloke_zero
Legibility and spelling

[tauzero]

Built-in wireless - preferably modular so it can be upgraded when quantum digital wireless comes along.

 

Fretted/fretless operation by moving a lever:

 

 

I'm sure there was a better video than this but I can't find it.

[Doctor J]

A bridge with Kubicki style wheels around which you spool fresh string. Instead of removing strings to change them, you just spool more out of the bridge and clamp the fresh section behind the nut, then snip off the excess of old string.

[Baloney Balderdash]

Can't remember who makes them but midi sensitive/triggering frets/fretboard.

 

Build in metronome/drum machine, and looper.

 

A digital watch with build in alarm and stop watch functionality.

 

A build in Nintendo Gameboy, so you can play video games on your bass when not playing bass.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2024 by Baloney Balderdash

[lemmywinks]

1 hour ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

It's not a fully parametric EQ unless you can also dial in frequency and Q/Bandwidth for each band, for tonal versatility you would be better off with a filter preamp, like the one I suggested.

 

 

For a while I've wanted a 3 band preamp with dual concentric pots on each band - a HPF on the bass, a mid sweep (going quite low, like 100hz) and a treble rolloff so I can add highs I like and just nip off the nasty, ice pick in your ears stuff. Volume pot should be an optional plug in module as I never use 'em.

 

Dunno if one like that exists but it should!

[la bam]

Haha, I'm already loving this bass! 

[Russ]

1 hour ago, tauzero said:

Built-in wireless - preferably modular so it can be upgraded when quantum digital wireless comes along.

 

Fretted/fretless operation by moving a lever:

 

 

I'm sure there was a better video than this but I can't find it.

Great idea, but it kinda works backwards - the fingerboard should come up rather than the frets going down, otherwise the action is going to be too high for the fretless mode. 

 

The Novatone swappable magnetic fingerboards that were a thing back in the early 90s were cool though.

[gjones]

5 hours ago, linear said:

 

Speed holes

 

 

 

Those would make excellent beer glass holders!

[BassApprentice]

All the strings 

 

https://youtu.be/p2kJMPfFOX8?si=4K8WF40p-Q2CcbvN

[lidl e]

I built rhis fella from scratch. Raw wood.

 

I decided to use all the pickups!

 

Has a 12 step varitone and the MM can be split by the switch

 

[LeftyJ]

Just now, lidl e said:

I built rhis fella from scratch. Raw wood.

 

I decided to use all the pickups!

 

Has a 12 step varitone and the MM can be split by the switch

 

Mike Watt wants to know your location. 

[TheGreek]

If you're going for LEDs why not a sound to light? 

 

(Can't find the video I was looking for)

[lidl e]

6 minutes ago, LeftyJ said:

Mike Watt wants to know your location. 

seeing as he sits down when he lays now, i think it might be too heavy for him. It's almost 10lbs

 

the neck is gorgeous. I had a buddy make it for me.