Fenders - Ultimate Mod Machines

Beowulf · Growing Lion Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Posts: 876

One thing I've recently discovered I love - tinkering with guitars and basses. Fenders are GREAT for this. My Strat is getting the treatment now, too. And I'm getting a Fat Strat that's BEGGING for a new Screamin' Demon or JB in the bridge (I haven't decided which). Anyone else have cool mod stories?

Beowulf · Growing Lion Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Posts: 876

Or maybe I'm not getting the Fat Strat... I'm not sure yet. But I want one!

BassMan02 · Tiger Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 848

Why not get one of those squire things and do that stuff to it. You can't just go and mess up a perfectly good strat.
_________________
Sometimes we ride on your horses
Sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear
are just songs of our own

-"Eyes of the World" Grateful Dead

Beowulf · Growing Lion Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Posts: 876

Well, putting new pickups in an instrument isn't "messing it up" if you know how to do it. Cool

At any rate, I'm gonna have to hold off on my Fat Strat aspirations for now. I just spent a TON of money on a new bass....

scorpionldr · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 1:46 pm Post subject:

bassman, i interject. if there was any electric instrument that should not be modded, it would be squire made. they are pieces of fecal matter waiting for people to pick them up, too light for their own good, and the one that i've never picked up since getting a fender has an InPUT that cuts out!!. if there was any thing that should be modded, perhaps a cheapo ibanez or a fender

gibson_thunder · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 1:56 pm Post subject:

scorpionlsd, , i interject. I have a hot rod squier P that Ill put against any standard P or P copy in the price range. Im not a fan of Fender styled basses, but this one is boss. 2 cents.
_________________
--==Warum tut es weh, wenn ich pinkele?==--

Beowulf · Growing Lion Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Posts: 876

Some Squiers are crap, some are the most underrated instruments out there. Mine is killer and I'm sure Gibby's is, too.

You can't win with some people. If you tear up a really nice American made instrument, they complain. If you tear up a cheaper instrument (like a Squier) they complain the pickups are too good for the guitar or bass.

Screw everyone's opinion. My philosophy is: If I bring an instrument into the house, it's going to sound how I want it to sound. If I spend fifty dollars or fifty thousand dollars, it'll have exactly the pickups I want for it.

Neil Gray · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 10:10 pm Post subject:

scorpionldr · Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2003 6:29 am Post subject:

well first off keep them. you don't know if you'll want your sound back after even a couple MONTHS with the new pups

2slick4u · Big Hamster Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Posts: 97

hmmm lets see. i think ill get a fender jazz standard, and put a new bridge and pickups on it. any recomentdations?
_________________
The few. The proud. The Bass players.

Beowulf · Growing Lion Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Posts: 876

As far as recommendations go, it depends on what type of sound you're trying to get. Gibby and BassMan will show up and tell you that you NEED to switch over to Gibson..... Rolling Eyes

Seriously, check out Seymour Duncan and learn about different pickups and what types of sound they can give you. If it were ME, I'd say go with Hot if you want more output and go with Quarter Pounders if you want total rock dominance. I have QPs in my P/J right now.... Mr. Green

As for what to do with your stocks..... who cares, they're STOCKS! Laughing

Seriously, I save them in case I might need them some day. I've seen pics of guys who use them as refrigerator magnets, though. That's a creative idea.

gibson_thunder · Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:06 pm Post subject:

you NEED to switch over to Gibson. Rolling Eyes

_________________
--==Warum tut es weh, wenn ich pinkele?==--

gibson_thunder · Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:13 pm Post subject:

but seriously, I recommend Gibbys to those who describe a Gibson sound as their desired sound. If you want a geddy lee-like pop-twang modern sound, DONT get a Gibson. you wont dig it. I put DiMarzio`s in my squier & am happy with it.
_________________
--==Warum tut es weh, wenn ich pinkele?==--

scorpionldr · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 6:18 am Post subject:

lol, yea, you put in dimarzio's but give your nice little hot rod squire a year or so before the input starts corroding out, and then i'll smile when your working on resottering it. it's not that i hate squire, it's just they're materials are subaverage, and they're instruments feel like toys

Beowulf · Growing Lion Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Posts: 876

I'll smile while I work on resoldering it, too. I don't mind working on basses and I don't mind replacing parts. In fact, I love it.

Here's a thought - Go ahead and put nice pickups in a cheap bass. Even if the bass falls apart in your hands you can still take the pickups out and use them in whatever bass you feel like.

Not getting decent pickups just because you have a Squier is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Pickups only cost 70 bucks a piece and allow you to customize your sound. There's absolutely NO downside to it, as they're interchangable.