RnRDave Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Hey all bass brethren... I have a Squier VM Jazz as my main bass at the moment (im a poor student) and have just come into a bit of dollar from the sale of another bass and thinking about upgrading this bad boy. I'm happy with it as it is playability wise (the neck is the sex) but i reckon I could get alot more out of the sound of it. Im willing to gut out the controls and get some new pups in there, was thinking of trying Wizard Thumpers or SD Quarter Pounders but no idea where to go for wiring etc. I play in a 4 piece alt-rock originals band who play quite hard and I use a pick and also as a session bassist for a couple of acoustic acts around here which i play fingerstyle if that helps any factors. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 KiOgon is your man for wiring kits. You can find him here somewhere Recommend the SD quarter pounders, I've got em in my JV P/J and they sound the business through my Ampeg and 4 x 10 & 1x15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RnRDave Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 I have a Hartke HA3500 and custom Emminence Beta 4x12 - not quite the same league as an Ampeg but it does me fine. Was thinking of having a MM style pup put in the bridge area, would this be a stupid thing to try and do? Expensive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 SD Quarter Pounders are good pickups, but they do change the tone quite a bit. If you like the actual tone of what you currently have, but feel it could be better, again SD, but the Hot Stack pickup (STK-J2) could be what you`re after. Hum-cancelling too, which is a bonus. Duff McKagan uses them, as a point of reference for what they sound like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RnRDave Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 I'm thinking of trying the Wizard 84s - will these give me a similar sort of high output growl? only £70 for a set, looking at £120 for the SD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieD_FenderP2009 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Seymour Duncan SJB-1 or SJB-3 quarter pounders. I've got a (heavily customised) Squier VM 77 Jazz and i'm going to stick a set of SJB-1's in there next month. They're amazing pick ups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prunesquallor Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I'm very interested in this for the future, as I've got exactly the same bass. I've read that there's a lot of love for the Nordstrand NJ4, but it sounds like you don't want that classic Jazz sound. Seymour Antiquity IIs are supposed to have a huge bottom end (fnarr!) to their sound, and I've read that Di Marzio Model J's have a really punchy, muscular tone. Hope this helps! @StevieD: I read somewhere that the stock pups in the Squier VM are an Asian version of the SJB-1 anyway, so you wouldn't get that much change in your tone. Correct me if I'm wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brensabre79 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Hi RnR I did exactly what you're planning to do. I was on a budget and found a Squier VMJ for £200. The mods I made were also on a limited budget, I have upgraded over time... I popped a set of Wizards in there, they are loud compared to originals but really great growly sound. I wouldn't start cutting out the wood for a MM pickup as there are far more options in the JB pickup size. The Wizards were a massive improvement. I wasn't sure about the 84s so I got Alan to do a custome wind '74 pickup for about £5 more - I have since also aquired the 84s and they are great! I upgraded the bridge, first a Gotoh which improved the sustain and tone. Then I sourced a Badass cheaply so I put that on, again improved sustain and tone - you can buy other high mass bridges on eBay for under £20 though and these will do a similar job - maybe not quite as good as a Badass but they are not cheap. I upgraded the electronics to my liking, I put an Artec 2 band EQ in there, its a stacked pot so it just rplaced the tone control and although a tight squeeze, the battery fitted in under there. These are pretty good Eqs for the money (£25). I think WD or Allparts do some similar priced kits, but the Artec ones are on eBay. I could have stopped there because I had a bass at that point that was nicer to play and better sounding than my Fender American Deluxe Jazz Bass, and I gigged with the Squier in preferance to both the Fender and my beloved MusicMan Sabre (my main bass for over 20 years!!). None of these mods broke the bank, all of them improved noticably what was already a pretty good bass for the money. I have since upgraded everything except the neck (which, as you say, is the sex!) because I wanted 70s spaced pickups, but if you're happy with the original spacing on the VM theres no real advantage to paying £££s for a new body IMHO. You have a damn fine bass there, its only a matter of time before Fender realise this and they stop production or reduce the quality somehow. so look after it! Best of luck fella! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_B Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Wizard Hammers may also be worth a try. I put a set in my fretless Jazz and they definitely improved things tone-wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I've kept mine just as it is. It could be a very rare beast in years to come. Jokes aside, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the tuners. It may be just mine, but I think they are one of the weak points of the Squier VM Jazz. Still, a lovely instrument. Probably the best £170 I ever spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayben Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Likewise, my VMJ is absolutely beautiful. The pickups have the decal 'Duncan Designed' on them - Does this mean they are SD's? Or copies of? Also Len, what's the problem with the tuners? Mine seem to work fine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 [quote name='Jayben' timestamp='1329219947' post='1538898'] Also Len, what's the problem with the tuners? Mine seem to work fine? [/quote] I'm just being a bit picky I suppose! Compared to the ones on my MIA and MIJ Ps and J they're a little bit rough round the edges and are not quite as precise. But, I've lived happily with them for 18 months so I'll just admit to being a bit anal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayben Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Aha, they do the job don't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 (edited) I had a VM 77 JB that was all pimped up! It sounded and played beautifully. The mods: - badass II bridge - hipshot d-tuner - SD Basslines - Artec SA-2 preamp - MXR-type knobs - Fender backplate - schaller straplocks - fender headstock logo (when it got to my hands the original logo had been wiped out and replaced for some kind of vinil sticker... very poor job...) Some pics: [url="https://picasaweb.google.com/106572846091439162015/77VMJB?authuser=0&feat=directlink#slideshow/5708962889369308994"]https://picasaweb.go...962889369308994[/url] Every mod was worth it, it was a very light bass and the neck was very comfortable and fast, woult it have been a five-string and i would still have it! Edited February 14, 2012 by Ghost_Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prunesquallor Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 What do you guys think about upgrading the nut in these beasts? Worth doing? (Apologies to the OP for the slight derail.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmeDunk Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 +1 on the Wizards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brensabre79 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 [quote name='Prunesquallor' timestamp='1329305861' post='1540248'] What do you guys think about upgrading the nut in these beasts? Worth doing? (Apologies to the OP for the slight derail.) [/quote] I just filed mine down a bit, don't really see any problem with the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prunesquallor Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 [quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1329323802' post='1540682'] I just filed mine down a bit, don't really see any problem with the original. [/quote] Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wylie Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 [quote name='Jayben' timestamp='1329219947' post='1538898'] Likewise, my VMJ is absolutely beautiful. The pickups have the decal 'Duncan Designed' on them - Does this mean they are SD's? Or copies of? Also Len, what's the problem with the tuners? Mine seem to work fine? [/quote] 'Duncan Designed' came with my '77 style Squier jazz and I had DiMarzio Jazz pickups put in. Huge difference! (There was no need to do any woodcarving, either; replacements were a perfect fit.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) another +1 for DiMarzio Ultra Jazzes. I picked a pair up on here for £60 and they are the absolute balls. My fretless 4 string just [i]sings[/i] Edited February 17, 2012 by paul_5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1329218240' post='1538856'] I've kept mine just as it is. It could be a very rare beast in years to come. Jokes aside, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the tuners. It may be just mine, but I think they are one of the weak points of the Squier VM Jazz. Still, a lovely instrument. Probably the best £170 I ever spent. [/quote] Definitely on my VMJ FL. Just have to look at them funny to go out of tune (nothing to do with my terrible intonation on the fretless, honest). Thinking of doing some upgrades and this is the first thing I'm looking at. Edited February 17, 2012 by Maverick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margusalviste Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) Antiquity IIs all the way!!! Tried them against all the possible brands and there is no better choice of pickups for a jazz bass! Well, perhaps Fralins but they sound a bit differently. Edited February 17, 2012 by margusalviste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScreencastTutor Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I was just thinking about this as well, probably bridge and possibly pickups. Something I've noticed lately is the inconsistent spacing of the strings on my bass. Is this just luck of the draw or is there something with the bridge I can tweak? Basically the G string is a fair bit in from the side and the E string is very close to the side. It seems a bit off center - bridge to head that is. PS. Never played any other bass in my life so maybe its just standard. Also sorry for semi derail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) [quote name='ScreencastTutor' timestamp='1329492405' post='1543339'] I was just thinking about this as well, probably bridge and possibly pickups. Something I've noticed lately is the inconsistent spacing of the strings on my bass. Is this just luck of the draw or is there something with the bridge I can tweak? Basically the G string is a fair bit in from the side and the E string is very close to the side. It seems a bit off center - bridge to head that is. PS. Never played any other bass in my life so maybe its just standard. Also sorry for semi derail. [/quote] You need to move the neck in it's pocket slightly. Loosen the strings first, then loosen the neck screws and move the neck so the headstock goes down slightly. Tighten the screws, re-tune and check the spacing. You may have to do this a few times to get it right. Edited February 17, 2012 by ColinB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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