Upgrading a P-bass; but how much is it worth spending?

[Grangur]

Hi All,

I'm asking here for a sanity check. I've recently had GAS for a P-bass. So I got carried away with the excitement on ebay and I've "won" a Squier for £82.

It arrived and it's a "YN6". So it's made in China in 1996. [size=4]Well it has a ding in the paint, but after a set-up and re-string it sounds ok.... or does it?[/size]
[size=4]No worries I'll upgrade the pups... a search on BC later and I've got a set of Bartolinis on the way for £60ish. Nice one.[/size]

Next day: Dammit, one of the tuning heads rattles when you dig in on the A string. I find the tuning head for the G string has a loose plate on the shaft that resonates down the neck to the body. A search later and I can get a new set of Schaller heads delivered from Thomann for £57. (Single one would be £26.30 delivered, but not match the existing)

Hold on... isn't this getting to be the same price as I could get a Fender?

What would you do?
This bass would, so far have cost me £199 and [size=4]I [/size][i]could [/i][size=4]have a great sounding bass at the end. But would this be crazy to do this on a Squier?[/size]
[size=4]I could, after all, sell this and buy another Squier without the head problem, or maybe buy a better bass to start with?[/size]

[size=4]Have you had similar situations?[/size]

[size=4]Rich[/size]

Edited June 8, 2013 by Grangur

[mike257]

Happy new bass!

If its worth it to you and you'll get use/enjoyment out of it, go ahead. Won't make it any more valuable to resell though. The pickups are well worth doing (Wizards in my Squier) and I swapped the stock bridge for a Badass, although having realised I'm not going to gig this bass any time soon its come back off to trade for a pedal.

I've got the same rattly tuner on mine, but aside from that I have no problems with tuning stability so maybe a whole new set of Schallers is overkill - just replacing the duff one with an equivalent will probably suffice.

If the bass feels ok, I'd just upgrade the pickups/pots/socket/wiring and get a decent setup on it. I think anything beyond that will have a negligible difference to the tone and playability - others may feel differently and go for bridge/nut/tuners too but I don't think it'd be enough of a difference to be worthwhile on my Squier. I've gigged it as is and it sounds and feels great with the upgraded electrics and stock hardware.

[mike257]

And a side note - can't hear my rattly tuner when its plugged in, so its only annoying during unplugged/low volume home playing!

[discreet]

You don't need Schallers. Wilkinsons look the part, are good quality and are cheaper.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wilkinson-bass-guitar-tuners-No-12-/130708990010?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&var=&hash=item1e6edce83a"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item1e6edce83a[/url]
[color=#ffffff]X[/color]

Edited June 8, 2013 by discreet

[Lozz196]

The thing about modding a Squier as oppose to buying an MIM Fender is that, aside from the body and the neck, you are getting the items you want on a bass, rather than stock - almost like having a signature model. So if the spend is the same, you still have the pickups/bridge/pickguard/pots/tuners etc that you want.

[martthebass]

Not much of my original squier left. Neck swapped out for a mighty mite, wilkinson tuners, CTS pots and new wiring, orange drop cap, Bass Doc pic guard and Wizard Thumper. Was it worth the spend.....absolutely.

Edited June 8, 2013 by martthebass

[Grangur]

Hey! I'm goin' shopping!

Many thanks for the feedback guys. You've confirmed what I've been thinking. It has a good body, a firm pocket and a straight neck. The rest is all customisable.

[Bigjas]

I am doing the same as the OP, I have bought a beaten up squier for £80 and once I have finished with it, the only original parts that will remain are the body and neck. I am currently re-painting it, dressing the frets and swapping out all the pots, pickups etc. the resale value won't be anywhere near what I spend on the parts but I end up with a custom bass that I want, rather than an off the shelf one. I would say carry on spending and create the bass that YOU want, it's a fun and rewarding thing to do.

Jas

[Grangur]

[quote name='Bigjas' timestamp='1370768217' post='2105197']
I am doing the same as the OP, I have bought a beaten up squier for £80 and once I have finished with it, the only original parts that will remain are the body and neck. I am currently re-painting it, dressing the frets and swapping out all the pots, pickups etc. the resale value won't be anywhere near what I spend on the parts but I end up with a custom bass that I want, rather than an off the shelf one. I would say carry on spending and create the bass that YOU want, it's a fun and rewarding thing to do.

Jas
[/quote]
It's interesting you say about changing the pots etc. Surely a 500K ohm pot is a 500K ohm pot? OK I know a cheapie will be +/- 5% on its accuracy, so it may be something like 525k or 475k, but does that matter?

I can understand more that the capacitor may matter more, because of leakage currents, but the pots?

[Paul S]

Definitely worth doing. I find it interesting to see how changing the various changeable bits affects the playability/sound and am gradually inching towards my ideal bass as a result. If you aren't in a rush it is worth keeping an eye on the classifieds here - generally most things you might want turn up at some point. You can pick stuff up cheaply second-hand and, if it doesn't work out, move to on again without taking much of a hit. Or, like me, keep getting more shoeboxes to keep it all in 'just in case'.

My starting point was a scruffy MIJ P-Bass I bought on here that was very lightweight with a vintage tint maple Mighty Mite Jazz neck on it. I swapped the vintage tint neck for a natural one on here then, over time, most of the rest has been changed since as well. It has become my main gigging bass now.

Note - that little toggle thingy on the left does work for being able to type in IE10!

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1370769539' post='2105210']
It's interesting you say about changing the pots etc. Surely a 500K ohm pot is a 500K ohm pot? OK I know a cheapie will be +/- 5% on its accuracy, so it may be something like 525k or 475k, but does that matter?

I can understand more that the capacitor may matter more, because of leakage currents, but the pots?
[/quote]

I think I`d change the pots more down to the quality so they won`t fail aspect, than the quality of sound aspect. They`re a cheap part, as is the capacitor, so going with a "named" part will just have better usage life. You don`t want to get to a gig and have an electronics failure.

[Bigjas]

I agree, a 500k pot is a 500k pot, but I am changing them because the original ones are noisy when turned, I will buy quality ones to raise the quality of the whole guitar along with the other components.

Jas

[threedaymonk]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1370721067' post='2104896']
You don't need Schallers. Wilkinsons look the part, are good quality and are cheaper.
[/quote]

Watch out for the size, though: the base plates are quite large, and might not fit the MIC headstock:

[url="http://i.imgur.com/MpPVOH0.png"]http://i.imgur.com/MpPVOH0.png[/url]

[paul_5]

My favourite 'go to' bass is a home customised 'bitsa' All in for about £250 including 2nd hand Mighty Mite fretless jazz neck, actives, PUPs etc... Plays and sounds better than any other bass I've ever played.


to me at least.

[hamfist]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1370729726' post='2105026']
It has a good body, a firm pocket and a straight neck. The rest is all customisable.
[/quote]

Those are the key things. If it has those, plus no dead spots on the neck and every string has a good, punchy attack, then you have the base for a great bass. You can then simply mix and match hardware to taste.

[Grangur]

[quote name='threedaymonk' timestamp='1370810219' post='2105926']
Watch out for the size, though: the base plates are quite large, and might not fit the MIC headstock:

[url="http://i.imgur.com/MpPVOH0.png"]http://i.imgur.com/MpPVOH0.png[/url]
[/quote]
Many thanks for this. They wont fit the MIC headstock. They're chunky aren't they?

[Bigjas]

[quote name='threedaymonk' timestamp='1370810219' post='2105926']


Watch out for the size, though: the base plates are quite large, and might not fit the MIC headstock:

[url="http://i.imgur.com/MpPVOH0.png"]http://i.imgur.com/MpPVOH0.png[/url]
[/quote]

They are a little to large for the squier headstock too. I have bought black ones and have filled the base plates down to fit and touched them up with black paint.

Jas

[SlapbassSteve]

I've got those Wilko tuners on both my Squiers, they overhang a bit, but as tuners they're that good I don't really mind. Main thing to check on a bass before you mod it is how well it actually resonates- play a note acoustically on what you know are a good and a bad bass, regardless of price and you'll know what I mean. If it doesn't resonate well, any money you spend would be better spent on a better bass, sometimes even from the same year/make/model.

[threedaymonk]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1370853503' post='2106191']
Many thanks for this. They wont fit the MIC headstock. They're chunky aren't they?
[/quote]

Aye. Voice of experience here ;-)

[Conan]

What a great thread! It illustrates perfectly all the right and wrong reasons for modding/upgrading/customising a bass. Never do it to make money... it will cost you in the long run. How much it costs you depends on where you buy your parts, which is why Wilkinson is better than Schaller (for example) and that BC is better than buying new.

The satisfaction of getting a bass that is [i]yours[/i] and plays well for [i]you [/i]is amazing!

[Grangur]

Hi again All,

So far I've bought a new Hip-shot bridge & Bartolini pups on BC.

I've already fitted new strings and to sort the headstock rattle I've struggled to find machines heads. The only tuners I found that don't overhang the head-stock, other than Ultralites are these:
[url="http://www.giggear.co.uk/p/Guitar-Gear-P-Bass-Style-Machine-Head-Set-4-In-Line/"]http://www.giggear.co.uk/p/Guitar-Gear-P-Bass-Style-Machine-Head-Set-4-In-Line/[/url] So I got these in chrome.

Next step is to sort the ding on the front... re-spray coming up!


I'm thinking of white with a blue pick-guard.. hey here's one.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230995279776?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230995279776?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649[/url]

Shame about the Fender attached, but what the hell. There's the next project!

(this is becoming a habbit)

[Jonnyboy Rotten]

Nice project Grangur - so is the problem with these Squier headstocks/machine head compatibility just that they are too small compared with the Fender ones? Speaking as a complete novice and noob, they can't be all that different can they?!

[Grangur]

As you can see from the pic here, there's not much space between the "D" machine head and the cut-out. These units' plates are only 36mm from top to bottom.
Wilkos are 46mm high.

[Owen]

I have a set of cheap and cheerful machine heads with small plates you can have for £14 to you door.

[Grangur]

[size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Many thanks but I've already bought some. [/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]But [color=#323232]Jonnyboy Rotten is doing a similar re-build and I know he needs a new machine head[/color][/font][/size]