Making $100 Bass Sound Like a $1000 Bass

[@markusm108]

The 'before' actually did sound a lot better. The upgraded version sounds much more scooped - more top end and bass but also sounding much more muddy. Maybe it plays better now but those original pickups were a better fit to the body than the new ones imo.

[@darkfox2401]

It also sounds like its picking up more sounds from the body after the re-work.

[@taliesinmusic]

definitely not scooped. Might be your headphones, there's more crispy high end and the low has more clarity as if its edges have been sharpened. The earlier pickups had no definition between the lows and low mids so it sounds flatter, and more like a mumble - that's what I call muddy.

[@cyborgchimpy]

@@taliesinmusic KZbin bitrate is 256.

[@NousSpeak]

Yeah, way too bright.

[@jomonger-g1f]

1. He didn't use EQ at all, we don't know how would it sound in other positions (some EQs have 0db at 0% and some at 50%). 2. The more hardware you use, the more important pickup quality is. There is a lot less noises in DiMarzio 3. DiMarzio is not the best choice for a bass guitar. For electric they are great. Fender, Aguilar, Seymour or MEC are main to go.

[@larneyshah4563]

Now turn a $1000 bass and turn it into a $100 bass

[@stevejxnms]

😂😂😂

[@jeffreywells6573]

I personally am not a huge fan of preamps, I prefer a more passive tone but I will say that it definitely helped the tone tremendously. Those DiMarzio pickups are gorgeous and really sound great!!

[@ryananthony4840]

Dimarzio is the best! However, I really like the seymour duncan quarter pounders when it comes to bass

[@buffkangaroodog]

I think Ibanez does their preamp well. It enhances the sound rather than changing it (mostly it just allows for their EQ and mids selector)

[@bassyey]

How do you record? You're likely plugging to a preamp. There will be EQ somewhere there, whether you like it or not.

[@jeffreywells6573]

I was referring to the preamp on my bass, not preamps in general. My bass has a preamp but it also has a toggle switch where I can switch between active or passive tones. I prefer a more passive tone. If I want an EQ, I'll adjust my amp.

[@aaronocelot]

@@buffkangaroodog but it's still a battery sucking flat-sounding onboard preamp. I have no love for them. I have no love for that half-charged battery sound either.

[@NMbass906]

That's awesome I had no idea you guys were buds. I've been watching both of you for a few months now lol. This is the crossover episode I didn't know I needed!

[@cliffpurcell6363]

My daughter-in-law, Rachel Wammack, introduced me to both you guys. She pointed me your direction, Travis, years ago because of your collaborative work. After I built her a guitar, she told me I needed to familiarize myself with Justin’s work at NEO- she was right! Y’all do killer work, and this video was a fun study in the modding business. I wish you both well!

[@CL_Audio_Tuning]

Here's my take on this situation, you get the 100 bass, 300 worth of upgrades, and the difference to the 1000, put it towards a good multieffects unit or a good amp and you're done! Better spent budget if you ask me. The inexpensive instruments are getting better and better with each passing month, so its probably well wroth it!

[@larrytaylor5222]

After you did the comparison of before and after, you should have done a comparison of the new bass vs one of your $1,000 5 string basses. That would of lead to a good price comparison for sure, none the less, great video 🔥

[@larrytaylor5222]

@davidwang1326 it’s literally the title of the video 😅 I’m saying that as a way of comparing the two.

[@last808]

I would have liked to have heard the Donner properly set up without the added electronics.

[@budizen3104]

I have been modding basses for over 40 years. One thing I have learned is that if the basic platform doesn't sound all that good, throwing money at it is just a waste. My rule of thumb is that if the bass was originally passive, keep it passive. P basses are a known quantity in the studio. If you change the pickups AND add a preamp, you no longer have a standard P bass. I love Rotos but not on a P Bass because when you consider the classic P Bass sound in the hands of trad. players (Jamerson comes to mind immediately), bright Rotos are the antithesis of what that sound is. As one other person here said, I didn't learn how to make a $100 bass sound like a $1000 bass, but I did learn how to throw money at a cheap bass to make it sound like a more expensive cheap bass.

[@RogerSanGabriel]

I agree but sometime one needs content.

[@c.conga11]

I put Seymour Duncans into a cheap Squier Affinity and it sounded so much better

[@brunoraffo6726]

To me a must do is put a real bone nut.

[@budizen3104]

@@brunoraffo6726 Why is that? Just curious. I don't think I have ever had to change a nut unless it broke.

[@brunoraffo6726]

@@budizen3104 Bone is way harder than plastic. You don't need a soft material that dampens the vibration of the string. Great Spanish guitars use bone nuts even today.

[@andyhamm6389]

There is a real dip in the mid range after the mods, the low end is more prominent and the top end is too bright. I'd have to say that the before was a more workable tone. You should have moved the jack to make more space for the preamp if you wanted to go that way.

[@damiandoherty8183]

Yeah - I'm glad I'm not the only one - I actually preferred the tone of the bass pre-mod - much more balanced and spread across the range. Having said that, I'm sure a bit of time dialing in the pre-amp and the tone controls of your amp would help.

[@RobVespa]

...or routed? The pickguard will cover changes. Additional or a different style of pickups could've been added or placed in a different area. There are a lot of possibilities.

[@andrewblawson]

I converted a 2003 Squier P Bass to a PJ with Seymore Duncan's and a maple neck, and a badass bridge, and it's become my main instrument. Modding is great!

[@Daddy53751]

As a builder, I’ve discovered a couple of things. As long as the neck and the fretwork is good, and the body is also good, You have 80% of everything you need. Decent pots (wired well) and average tuners are also perfectly fine. Now about the never ending battle of pickups. I’ve made a study of taking the absolute cheapest PUs and potting and experimenting with changing out the magnets, (Neodymium are my favorite with different sizes which really changes the sound depending on the size) What I also found was you can make some of the cheapest PUs sound amazing! (Of course this only applies to passive PUs, and not active) Ive come to the conclusion that IMO the lions share of the sometimes ungodly prices of really “high end” PUs is mostly brand name hype. My favorite “secret” which is actually no secret at all, but everyone raves about is this, As a final step, tape off the fretboard (If you don’t you’ll spend forever getting the compound off) and take a dremmel with a polishing wheel, and mirror polish the frets. Seems like such small and insignificant thing but it feels fantastic! Aside from “name” price hikes (I’m talking to you Gibson) Most of the cost of high end, especially custom made guitars and basses comes down to the man hours put into the attention to detail. The quest for “as close to perfect as possible” is nit picking and time consuming, but really fun.

[@stephenhookings1985]

I've not tried potting but it on my wish list. I tend to just use EMG active pickups - no noise. 100% agree with you.

[@Daddy53751]

@@stephenhookings1985 try it out with some cheapie eBay pickups and paraffin wax, you’ll like the results. 👍🏻

[@stephenhookings1985]

@@Daddy53751 I have a plethora of pickups front my guitars and basses (taken apart on my channel). From what I see I need a stove, some wax, a lot of patience :-). I am quite happy with the EMGs - I guess potting these things reduced the microphonic but I still have to shield. And I find that OK except it takes me an age. Dropping in a quiet at rest pickup ... about the same time as a noisy pickup. But agree - it would likely be fun - even with today's energy prices. Do it after a BBQ cookout:-)

[@jockojohn3294]

Only way I know to make both these bases sound the same is to drop them from a third story balcony to a concrete sidewalk below. My guess is the sound each makes is pretty darn close........

[@Chilla81]

😂😂😂

[@MrClassicmetal]

The one with an alder body would make a more balanced sound, with equal doses of lows, mids and highs when it hits the concrete. While the mahogany bodied bass sounds more musical, with a warm sounding crash that sustains more.

[@tednugentlives]

@@MrClassicmetal yep

[@tednugentlives]

Sometimes a "good" cheapie gets out of the factory..ive seen it. (My E7 squier) and a 50 DOLLAR "trinity river" Chinese knock off. But its easier to get a selfie with a unicorn.

[@AtomizedSound]

That’s cute. You’re funny, so funny

[@TedCurran]

It's worth the money to do these kinds of upgrades if you're sure you're going to play it for a long time. Nobody is going to buy a $100 Donner bass from you for much more than $100, so the money you added into it really doesn't increase its market value. That said, it makes it a nice donation or gift to a young player coming up, or as a decent backup bass. Also a fun learning experience to pop the hood on your player instrument to see what you can improve without worrying about ruining a truly nice instrument.

[@terran3276]

Great video. I had the same situation. I was given a FREE bass that retailed. for $100 or less. It is a Hamer Slammer P Bass. Since the bass was free I decided to do the same thing. Do a conversion to bring it up to par with my other higher ended basses. P Bass is a passive instrument so I wanted to keep it passive. I researched what I needed and brought an Emerson pre-wired electronic harness and replaced the pickups with SD quarter pounders. I brought an actual fender P Bass pick guard and gave it all the pieces to a Fender Certified luthier locally here. He installed all what I brought. After he was finished I took it home and plugged it in my amp and turned the amp up to 10. No buzz or hum noises at all. It Sounds and plays great and I spent $260.00 for everything. It is a fun bass to play. You dont have to spend $1000.00 and above to get a good bass if you take the time. Thanks T.

[@ronniefarnsworth6465]

First thing a Badass bridge, that is the name of the company for the "Youts" out there !! All Geddy Lee's Fenders have a Badass bridge or a Fender copy of it !!

[@mythcrab6047]

I grabbed a 70s Aria Japan lawsuit P bass for $125. Went through the same process to restore it with a nice wiring harness and some Fralin pickups. It's almost indistinguishable from my 70s Fender P.

[@jamescharlesl7662]

His trading income stream is mind blowing, I also trade with him . I've made $62,000 so far trading with his guidance/advice .

[@possibly8180]

Wack ass bots lmao

[@tednugentlives]

Yessir that is the best way..those appreciate in value also..70s Ibanez , matsumoku, vantage, electra, even some harmony and hondos were MIJ. Seek and ye shall find..

[@tednugentlives]

Yes a bot got in here 🤣 lmao. Stocks anyone?

[@stephenhookings1985]

I genuinely thought they were talking about the guitar ...

[@hunterhelfrich1270]

Definitely a lot more articulate with the new electronics, not only that, those pickups look amazing!! Great video 🤘

[@WayneGreen-b4y]

The problem with radiused pickups, is that they don't always match the radius of the neck at the heel (or 20th/21st fret), which leads to unbalanced volume between the strings. I put a Dimarzio Standard PJ set into my bass, and adjusted the individual pole screws (use an allen wrench) of each pickup to match the radius of the neck at the heel of my bass. Nice balanced volume over both pickups. I love DiMarzio pickups...they have a nice "growl" to them when the master volume(s)are turned all the way up. Also, don't forget to adjust the bridge saddles to match the radius of the neck heel.

[@edsfkna]

You could put a switch in place of the blend and it would act as mute. And they make battery boxes that you could install on the back of the body and have access to the battery easily.

[@cameronfrost3225]

Yep. Hiding the battery behind the pickguard is regrettable.

[@markdavis4754]

@@cameronfrost3225 I was thinking the same thing however I get the feeling that the video was to make the mods as easy as possible. Personally I would not have bothered with the active preamp and used the money to upgrade the bridge and machine heads.

[@vladimirkirillovskiy8056]

I'm surprised that you kept the bridge, that is the first thing I would change. As well, I would add shielding, as it is cheap and simple.

[@hoth2112]

That was my first thought too. Replacing the stock bridge for a Badass II would be a must imo

[@Sharpened_Spoon]

I mean.. “guitar builder” and doesn’t just route the cavity for the electronics. My expectations weren’t too high.

[@LUISPEREZ-vd3cz]

How about making vid of how frequencies work and how to blend them ? How hand technique in the mid range changes the whole sound of bass?

[@MadJackF1]

I modded out my Donner DPB-510 with a complete rewire (CTS, SwitchCraft & Sprague) and an AlNiCo V pickup. I also did something similar for the frets and fretboard, I went just a tad further by radiusing the edges of the fretboard just a hair. I used an extra fine sanding sponge. Makes the edges just a little more comfortable, like a well work fretboard. I also have another bass that uses an active preamp. The blend knob was on it's own lead from the master board. I just removed the blend pot and wired directly to the lead. I'm not sure if you could do that with the Lusithand preamp, but it worked fine on my active bass.

[@SirBoopBoop]

I was surprised that Justin didn't consider routing in a battery box onto the rear of the right cut and then drill a 1/8" hole through the battery box cavity into the pickup cavity for the battery box wiring. It's a one time install but now you have a convenient way to change your batteries. Also it looks clean AF! I only say this because I learned how to do it and though it takes a bit of effort to do, the work is worth it overall. So much so that I installed a battery box into every active bass & guitar I own that did not have one already. Also I despise trying to fish a battery out from underneath the pickguard! XD

[@danielhdz.643]

You could have replaced the blend knob with a fixed value resistor and get more space inside the cavity.

[@forkless]

...and not run the risk of having a rogue pot making all sorts of noises when it gets dislodged.

[@Steve-mp7by]

remove the pot and use jumper wires. A resistor is not needed

[@forkless]

@@Steve-mp7by He literally said in the video that he wanted it to be 100% blended with the other pot, ergo you do need the resistor. No resistor=No blend

[@Steve-mp7by]

@@forkless Oh well I see you know nothing about electronics. I guess ignorance is bliss

[@forkless]

@@Steve-mp7by Resistance of a piece of copper wire is effectively 0 Ohm, a potentiometer however depending on the type used (for guitars) while fully extended is somewhere between 250k and 500k Ohm. Like it is stated in the video he uses the pot at 100% for blending purposes, ergo 250k (or 500k) Ohm resistance. So you tell me, where is that 250k-500kOhm for the desired blend coming from?

[@ericpeterson9336]

hmmmm... Somehow taking a $100 Bass and adding a few hundred dollars worth of parts doesn't quite qualify as "Making $100 Bass Sound Like a $1000 Bass. I have a $100 Peavey Bass, I re-soldered all the connections to make them fresh, I straightened the neck, I did the intonation and put new strings.....total ? $35 bucks ... The music director at our church has a degree in music, he also owns the "Performing Arts Center " here in town, which has an awesome recording studio in ... anyway, he stopped and really took a good look at that Bass and said "that thing sounds really awesome" .... I was satisfied.... ( I think new strings always works . :)

[@javadog6288]

So what was the total cost of the preamp, pickup, strings and knobs? What do you think the labor cost would be to have a technician install them and redo the setup? Also, anybody with a two pickup bass is going to have to cough up another 100-200 dollars for the second one. You may need a new tone capacitor and while you're at it , put in an upgraded output jack like the Pure Tone. All those costs add up fast.

[@innocentoctave]

If you enjoy swapping parts, buying a cheap project bass makes sense - to a point. My problem with the solution here is that you could swap out all the parts - including the bridge and tuners - and change the nut as part of the process of cleaning up the fretboard: but at the end of the day, you would still have the same neck, body and finish that the manufacturer thought were good enough for a $100 instrument. Unless you believe that the woods used in $100 basses are exactly the same as those in $1,000 basses, that's a problem. You also now have an instrument that nobody designed. Nobody auditioned that preamp with that pickup in that body with that neck before you put that combination together. That's a lot of money to risk on the chance that it will sound good. A $500 instrument will be better than a $100 instrument with $400 of upgrades - unless you have very specific and unusual modifications in mind. Upgrading a bass piece by piece may make sense for someone on a low budget. But you should still start with the best foundation you can afford. The Donner is great for $100: but if you could go to $250-300, it would no longer be the best choice. You should also be aware that a manufacturer can make a better bass for any given sum of money than an individual can, because they can buy parts and timber in bulk and access other cost savings. So as the bass becomes more expensive, it makes more and more sense to buy a complete instrument that comes with all or most of the quality components you want.

[@johnathanbrabham3241]

You could gone with a middle of the road bass $400 - $500 double pickup bass and good set of strings( why Roto Sounds)?

[@miguellogistics984]

Powerful Pups make a huge difference to how hard one might have to work the instrument against the Amp's Preamp circuit, which then effects the tone. I worked only with 18v preamps in the end, and was very happy, and inspired. They might have been making a slight overdrive snarl, and if so, I enjoyed it. My long time fear was distortion destroying speakers from being overdriven somehow. Fret dressing is the only thing that physically effects the hand, neck adjustment is only really possible into the 0.??=2mm Set after a proper fret dressing, and that is where the instrument is going to begin to talk the whole truth. I say "begin", because you need a friend with a Walk-in Refrigerator to place the instrument in for 8-12 hours to see what the Neck wood's reaction will be in an adverse circumstance, that is less hazardous than generating heat/fire. Heat, cold, humidity, altitude, they all move the wood. Different woods will do different things, Between the Bubinga stringers on the 1006 I have and the Walnut stringered 400's, 2880 abv sea level, in the East, to Iowa, to LA at sea level, to Eastern NC at Sea Level, and Dallas at 750 abv sea level, I became a skeptic of exotics as stringers, and walnut is fine with me, at least these pieces were nice to me. If the neck wood endures some temperature adversity, then it is worth a Pre and some pickups. Some will say, 'Why are you putting $500 into a $100 bass? Just get a $600 bass, or a $1000 bass!" Best answers are: A. Because it is stable: and; B. Because it is a known quantity of inspiration in my hands. Nothing worse than an uninspiring +$1000 instrument, that does not inspire when the newness is gone. A bad answer to people thinking spending money on a $100 instrument retro is, 'Why Spend $500 retroing a $1000 instrument?" Shouldn't it be right coming out of the factory? That is sad. So many people making so many products. So many performers inspiring us with their relationship with their instruments, that synergy of invisible inspiration. Stop looking, stop listening to what you are being told by marketers, and pick up instruments and assess them, go find your inspiration.

[@jttech44]

Exactly. People forget that wood choice is 95% structural concerns, ie, does it resist string tension well over time. The tone you get from XYZ wood is hardly noticeable, but, you will notice if it pulls a twist or if it has too much or too little bow or bow in the wrong places. If all that's good, fret work, or replacing them altogether is usually a big upgrade in terms of playability, and then pickups and a preamp. Sure that'll still land you 500-600 bucks from where you started, but, you'll land in a place where nothing else you can just go buy will feel right, and instruments that don't feel right only get in the way, life's too short for that brand of nonsense.

[@gentrymagician]

I get compliments all the time for the tone of my Fender Bronco (less than $200, brand new) - and I’ve never changed the strings. If you play music with a 50’s - 70’s sound, you’ll find that “cheap” with the tone rolled down is actually a very good sound.

[@bigjohnson7415]

To me, if the pickup didn't need a preamp, the pickup itself would have made a huge difference.

[@Funkbass85]

The bigger issue with $100 basses IMO is playability. Cheap necks with very bad fret work kills tone and playability.

[@WayneGreen-b4y]

@@Funkbass85 A few simple procedures would expose any neck/fret defects. One of the first things I always check on a new bass, is the neck bow. On some cheaper basses, the truss rod doesn't extend far enough along the whole neck, which causes the neck to be completely flat from the 12th fret to the heel.

[@ramencurry6672]

True. Get a good neck or fret level. Possible that the tuners a may not even need to be replaced. Even the nut may not need replacement

[@WayneGreen-b4y]

@@Funkbass85 I bought a new Ibanez GSR200 for $185 from Guitar Center. I ALWAYS check the neck for bow, and flatness after the 12th fret. The one I bought HAD NO ISSUES WHATSOEVER. Not all basses are the same. The only thing I replaced, were the pickups, which I removed, and then installed a PJ pair of Dimarzio's, which I already had removed from an older Ibanez bass. The bass sounds awesome.

[@karenzarate_bass]

@@WayneGreen-b4yImma bout to do the exact same thing, just because i love the softness of my $400 ibanez, EMG 40 pups for me

[@powerforward1955]

The difference is unquestionable. My one concern is replacing the battery-looks like it could be a real chore. …wish I had a bud to help me with such a project.

[@beatrocka5]

Seems like a lot of work to put into an inexpensive bass to attempt to improve it, but I understand that if a person is into tinkering it can be a fun project. Me, I just gotta save for the one I really want. Nice, Travis.

[@andrewlong7578]

Cost isn't everything. If it's a really good player or happens to sound really good that would matter more but given what was changed it would seem to be neither in this case.

[@Dell-ol6hb]

I’d only bother modding if the instrument already sounds good and just want some slight improvements that don’t require me to buy an entirely new instrument. Or if I had a personal/emotional attachment to the instrument

[@darrenokrain7058]

Travis is an amazing player that will make any bass sound fantastic. Unfortunately the only was to make $100 bass sound even better is to make it a $500 bass with upgrades.

[@sortextheguy]

Thats $500 less, but i get what you mean

[@MrNeroDiablo]

@@sortextheguy Without putting any value on Justin's time or knowledge, although to his credit he did say it was easier to just go buy a higher end instrument. Which would have less risk of will it work or not.

[@bazerkly907]

I agree with Jeff regarding Pre-amps! Amps not only amplify the "Good stuff" but they also amplify the "Bad stuff"...

[@freednighthawk]

For the blend control, what you want to do is jumper the signal in and signal out for the neck pickup, and singal in and ground for bridge. Then you can get rid of the blend pot kicking around inside the guitar.

[@WayneGreen-b4y]

That task isn't always easy, nor affordable. I was very fortunate to purchase the right bass to mod (Ibanez GSR 200). Straight neck, excellent fretwork, the only things I had to do, were install a pair of DiMarzio PJ pickups, and cut the nut just a little bit more, for ease of playing at the first fret. The "Boom" control works really well with the DiMarzio p/ups! Had the pickups already, so the total cost of the bass was $185.00 + tax!

[@JBass_86]

Hey! I wonder why making a battery hole in the back wasn't an option and also moving the jack to the bottom and using the jack hole in the pickguard to put the tone knob, so you don't have to jam everything inside that tiny space. Anyway, I loved the video and love the sound of those new pickups!

[@judih.8754]

My thought as well. Move that Jack. Very simple to drill the hole.

[@ranzio477]

1. Buy a second-hand stock Ibanez SR500 2. Upgrade preamp to an Aguilar OBP-3 3. Upgrade the pickups to whatever tone you are looking for, ideally high-end Bartolini or Aguilar. 4. Upgrade the bridge to a Hipshot bridge. 5. Upgrade tuners to Hipshot tuners. 6. Upgrade nut to a bronze handcrafted nut. 7. Put some DR Hi-Beam strings on that bad boy. Additionally you also want to get a new paint job so it looks cool and one of a kind, completely customized at your style. And there you have a $3000 bass that costs you a third of that actual price.

[@Thepuffingyank]

personally i don't like arrangements where your only recourse to change a dead battery is to remove every one of those screws, take off the strings, pull everything out, change the battery, then put everything back. in my 58 years i have done one remodel of a bass, trust me it needed it desperately cuz whoever had had before me had done some "improvements" a 4 string fender jazz bullet bass. emg pickups. i went to buy it. the guy said it would require some work which is why the price was what it was. so i bought it. and took it home with a pack of new strings and a battery. me an my musician friend carefully took it apart, only to discover the massive understatement 'some work' was. for a ground they had taken a bunch of insulated wireand had carefully wrapped as much around itself as possible, next, they soldered the battery in, no on off switch, and their choice of hot glue to hold the battery in place was commendable. so we cut the 2 miles of wire out de-soldered all the connections and completely redid the insides including adding an on of switch and putting a chromeed battery compartment thats accessed from the back almost all the holes for the faceplate, striped, so they got puttied and redrilled. Thanks whoever did all those things sure did a wonderful thing i bet it played like crap though unfortunately, the neck was warped and no amount of truss rod adjustments would satisfy its need. by that happy time came around i actually enjoyed playing it. but sadly i was going back to calif and i was not going to be able to play my bass for months so i sold it to my friend my message about this is; make changes to your bass, that make sense to you. then have fun playing it

[@b.ewoolcock7755]

I did a similar move with a Rogue XL200B. at the time it was $99. the pickups were $200 but on sale for $125 sooo..why not? It was an interesting project and the bass sounded a lot better but not something I would do again. I would just opt for a better bass. Love your work sir!

[@YichenWang]

I just LOVE, like I really LOVE making a cheap guitar/bass into a prestige one by installing a bunch of super expansive parts. It's just my guilty pleasure. I've done this on my Squier and a cheap Gibson. And it feels goooood!

[@tonycampbell9626]

Modding a entry level bass with a professional as shown here can yield great results. One has to consider the laws of diminishing returns. As an example a $3000 bass is not 3X better than a $1000 bass. So a great mod can yield great outcomes. There are guitar purists and snobs but that is human nature.

[@JSRMedia]

That's awesome! Goes to show entry level basses have good bones. I think buying a mid-range bass is a happy medium between putting the work into a cheap bass and buying a high end bass. Mexican Jazz Basses go for $350 sometimes.

[@abegarfield7031]

True. They're not bad to begin with, especially for the price. The same goes for Mexican P basses and with some minor modifications you've got yourself a sweet bass.

[@gayrambo4529]

Mexican Fenders are getting expensive. Brand new Strats go for $700 and the used market is getting insane. I have two Hoppus signature basses that have appreciated 3x for what I paid for them since I bought them about 5 years ago.

[@tallmccartneymusic]

Their prices have skyrocketed unfortunately. I got mine new in 2013 for $400 and now they’re double that… I’ve put about $250 into upgrades and it’s still my number 1. Amazing instrument. Yet to find a more playable bass.

[@ooj316]

Might I suggest an ohmmeter... The blend pot is a variable resistor which you could desolder and replace with a standard resistor after measuring the pot since you don't need the blend knob. You can go crazy and hollow out some more wood to make room with a drill press and chisel set but I understand why that would make a lot of people nervous.

[@Gosuminer]

Same what I wanted to write. A pot turned fully to one side is just a direct connection on one side and a resistor on the other. This takes no space at all.

[@gayrambo4529]

Cheap guitars/basses usually have good bones. Unless you have a major issue with the neck where it's twisted or the bridge is in the totally wrong place and it won't intonate, you can always spend time/money to get playing like a more expensive instrument. And when it comes to upgrading electronics and pickups, there are a ton of companies out there where you can get some really good stuff for way cheaper than the "name" brands. If you like spending more money for the label, that's fine too. But if you're on a budget, look Artec or Fleor pickups. I found a Fleor humbucker that sounds pretty much the same as a Duncan JB. A lot of companies just re-label them as their own brands.

[@chizorama]

Budget mods for a P that you can pretty much do yourself: EMG Geezer Butler Signature pickups $110, they're solderless & come with pots & an input. Graph Tech nut $15. Gotoh bride $45, Gotoh Tuners $40, decent strings $25. Probably good to invest in a set up, but it would probably come in under $300. Not saying it's gonna sound like a $1000 bass, just that they're budget options that can turn a crappy bass into something that can get the job done.

[@londonsofttissuetherapy]

Great work. Love the pre amp addition but boy is that battery going to be a nightmare to change.

[@bradericksen3175]

this was my thought too

[@jdmafparts5585]

Hey bro! Whatever you're doing with this video is working, as I haven't seen your channel before and got it in my recommended. That being said, super helpful video as I'm restringing/refreshing my Ibanez SR805 for the first time as someone who is normally a drummer. Keep it up man!

[@stevefiorito5379]

Yeah, more clarity and definition post mod. I bought a used Chinese Made Fender Squire 50th anniversary P-Bass. I changed the pickups as you did, I left all of that passive, I installed a hipshot bridge system, and I insulated the electronics with copper foil. Sounds great ... not bad for a $100 guitar plus mods ($120). Most important: the neck is amazing! Very playable.

[@andyhinds542]

I don't think there's a great difference between the two, it depends on what kind of sound you're after. Personally speaking, the best way to upgrade any budget bass or guitar is to change the machine heads because they're usually the weakest link. Even Squire and Mexican Fenders have awful machine heads, so I'm going to put some Schaller heads on mine over the next few months, and change the bridges too. Pickups I'm not too fussed about.

[@aarsyl]

Looks awesome! Except for when that battery dies. That's gotta be a fun time

[@righty-o3585]

It sounds much brighter. Like you put new strings on, except from the inside. If that makes sense

[@derekdauchan2741]

Travis, you're well respected in the bass community, if you designed and sold a nice 4 and 5, competitively priced, you'll sell truckloads. 👏👍✌

[@TravisDykes]

That’s so kind man, I’m really thinking about doing something like that in the future that’s affordable and great quality. What would you say would be a decent price range?

[@derekdauchan2741]

@@TravisDykes A lot of us respond to the $500 and above range. No instrument is perfect, but as you know, If it's a workhorse with good usable tones, it will work on gigs. Thanks for all you do, we need the encouragement. 🕆

[@lawrenceholmes55]

Hey man your base sounds great now it always pays the upgrade your base especially when you know you need to I have a few bases myself that need upgrading and looking at your video has expired me to get the job done thanks man

[@DervishNagval]

I think the success of the experiment can be seen after testing with a live band. Because in the pocket the bass can get lost and have less stability of the "operating frequencies"

[@johncouch5648]

I’ll echo what others have said. The fret dressing, Board oil, and setup probably made the most difference. I would have left the stock pickup or dropped the Dimarzio P in and done a full passive rewire. Either would have opened it up quite a bit. Also, I would have CHANGED THE PICKGUARD. A new tortoise shell guard would have made it LOOK more expensive. Also, a bit of brown shoe polish on the maple to “vintage tint” it. Whether we like it or not, people often hear with their eyes.

[@donaldromero4999]

Great vid. I bought cheap squire affinity bass p bass on eBay for 90 dollars. The neck was bowed and could not get it straight. So I replaced it with a mighty mite maple jazz neck and added EMG bass pick ups, I routed a battery case to the back with a dremmel so I don’t have to remove the pick guard to change the battery. It plays and sounds great. The weight is lighter than a traditional p bass. Other bass players can’t seem to put it down after playing it. I eventually replaced the stock tuners with fender highway and Wilkinson brass bridge. I put about $300 in up grades. I learned set up and parts replacement on you tube, If you have a cheap bass, upgrade it yourself. Save money and have some fun. Become your guitar tech. I enjoyed the video

[@josephalaguna]

The DiMarzios were nice. You also look more comfortable playing the mod version. Hope it’s still giving you joy.

[@stevekirksey9293]

I picked up a Gibson Baldwin student guitar single pickup at a garage sale 20 bucks I had a Seymour Duncan pickup I bought 30 years ago went to guitar center purchased two Fender pots installed volume and tone and one good double hum bucker wanted to see if it would make a difference night and day it’s a sleeper😊

[@voornaam3191]

For real, those 100 "gold nuggets" basses can be pretty good, considering the money. When you replace everything that touches a string, by something that resonates better, and you buy a pickup that really suits your style of playing, well, what else can you do? Remove the finish, it may look okay, but NO FINISH sounds better. Grind until you see wood, maybe not great wood, but what you want? Sound? Or paint? Okay, some lineseed oil is allowed. Then the neck. Fingerboard does things you can hear, maple is bright, rosewood and blackwood is warm. If you like bright, you can even do something unusual: paint it with very hard varnish. The liquid superglue can be applied as a beautiful layer of varnish. Simply paint a lot of layers. Be careful not to breath the fumes, it is dangerous. But if you like a bright tone, it really is an option. And before you do, I like the zero fret. Do you even know that it is there?! Open strings sounding exactly like the fingered ones? Ever thought about that? Now you've got THE chance of installing one. Do it, why nut? And why not buy 4 top brand tuners? Those should conduct the resonation in the string just a bit better to the wood. That is the idea, tuning can be just as good, it is about the sound. Top brands will pay more attention to the sound. And of course buy your favourite strings. Ah, did you think about removing those frets, anyway? You do not want frets, do you? Ever seen a contra bass with frets? You do not need them. I do hope this video will cover all the options you have, here.

[@madatlas3806]

DiMarzio pickups are the tops. I'm eyeballing a set of PJs for my Ibanez GSR190, just saving up for them.

[@BigBri550]

I don't entirely get your upgrade. 1) Why a preamp? Is that really necessary? Just crank the amp way up. 2) Pickups- well, yeah, if there's something really wrong with them. But don't just assume. 3) Knobs? Really? Maybe the pots if you want better quality electronics in there, but who cares about the knobs? 4) Fretboard- I agree if the instrument hasn't been played much. 5) Strings: this also makes sense. I am particular about the gauges of my strings. I never use sets, just custom roundwounds, flatwounds, and tapewounds. I once serviced a P bass knockoff that was the house instrument for a local church. They asked me to fix it up for them. All I did was thoroughly cleaned it, restrung it with flatwounds, readjusted the neck, reset the string & pickup heights, and re-intonated the bridge saddles. Voilá! Total upgrade.

[@AtomizedSound]

The preamp beefed it up a little tone wise but that’s about the only thing I believe changed overall

[@senhorspock]

Great sound!! IMHO, just the DiMarzio Pups alone would be a game changer for that bass... I mean, the preamp is nice, don't get me wrong... but, if you have a budget... the DiMarzio's and new CTS potentiometers (500k), with a 0.22nf capacitor would make this bass sound like a tone monster.

[@neoguitarconcepts20]

100%!! This preamp was a plug and play system so there was minimal soldering involved. We felt that most musicians that we know personally don’t know their instrument on that level so we felt that doing more of a plug and play system would be easier for the average person, rather than replacing all the different parts individually. If that makes sense.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

4:40 is that a LTD B206 in the background? I've got one of those :)

[@TravisDykes]

Yep!

[@robertbright2057]

After the upgrade there’s definitely more punch and output nice job.

[@alonzofreeman2268]

Just buy the thousand dollar bass, it went from sounding like a $100 bass to a $300 bass. A little different but not much.

[@sending2ormore45]

Nice work. I have considered a project precision with a preamp. Things I have considered is replacing the tone control with a stacked pot for high/low on the preamp without having to drill another hole in the pick guard. Another though was possibly using a push/pull pot on the volume as a passive/active switch. Listening to the before and after sounds of your mod I think I would use a boost only preamp. The EMG BTC is interesting with the stacked knobs and preamp built into it.

[@Raytown007]

The clarity and output is such better with the new pickups. But you can hear the low quality wood of the bass in how it resonates.

[@judih.8754]

I have that Relentless Pick Up ready to install in my Yamaha Bass. BTW: Love the red 911 in the shop!

[@nicolasgibbons4683]

I found this really awesome way to make all of your instruments sound a lot better and it doesn’t cost anything! Practice.

[@deandee8082]

yea thats nice, I do this to the good squier strats, the NC's with 60's style necks.. they sound GREAT

[@kds58]

Ha! I love how the upgrades also made your pocket deeper on it!

[@ivan_osorio]

changing that battery is going to be wonderful... hopefully you never forget this plugged in.

[@grantkoeller8911]

This bass was just fine totally stock.

[@tonysteele2735]

I am scratching my head about putting an active circuit on a P-bass... it's kinda weird... Should have gone with a PJ or JJ configuration if you wanted to use that fancy pants preamp.

[@brettolson8397]

The bright tone on the finished product sounds great

[@Fili2009able]

I have a $ 70 dlls P bass and I like the sound but the neck is 'fatter ' than a regular P bass I'm thinking to sand it but the biggest issue is that I have to adjust the rod truss very often ! What I do to release the strings tension is I tune the bass like this 4th string D , 3rd string G , 2nd string C and the first string F that way the neck has less tension of course when I play I have to transport the song , it is fun to do that. How do you change the battery on your bass ? I have 3 passive basses and I use them with an out board Sadowsky preamp , I love how they sound . I don't want to sound negative but if I spend $ 100 dlls for the bass plus more than $ 400 on the updated pickup and preamp that's a $ 500 dlls bass guitar , I'll prefer to buy a $500 good used bass that will have a better neck , fretboard, better tuners, wood , electronics , paint etc

[@rikjones5924]

A few times if I needed 3 holes for vol/tone/etc I would use the hole for the output jack and drill a end jack hole Wich I prefer (easier on the face plate)

[@TravisDykes]

Yeah we thought about an idea like that we were just trying to keep it as simple as possible.

[@justanothernoobe]

I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to technicalities but ... I loved the softer sound of the Pre-change but sometimes it sounded a little too muddy ... so that post-change punchiness was good but I think it went a bit too far ... I dunno - it sounded like the post-change was just a tad too hot and scrappy. It's a bit like when someone rides past on a Harley that's had the muffler ripped out ... a bit too brash up close but sounds better from a distance. For me, I think the perfect sound is somewhere in the middle. Cool vid though ... I loved how you guys had to solution shit on the go :)

[@johnnybgoode1950]

I improved a cheap p-bass substantially by swapping out the stock ceramic pickup for a Wilkinson Alnico for about $25. Then, instead of stuffing a preamp in the bass itself just I bought a Behringer V-Tone Bass BDI 21 pedal for about $40. Don't know if it sounds like a $1,000 bass, but it is a big improvement for not much work or money, and I don't have to take the bass apart to change the battery.

[@boomerbutler7569]

Four string player here for the four string love even if it's upgrading a crappy four string 🤣🤣🤣

[@kenbahr7235]

The bases tones got higher and thinner. Sorry but this experiment was a fail at least on this one. I’ve heard of people swapping out pickups but it just didn’t help much on this one.

[@gerson7998]

I have 2 Squier basses. One fretted(5) and one fretless(4). I installed DiMarzios on both, then I got custom passive electronics, better hardware and they sound very very nice 👌! All under $800 each including the basses!😉! Plus is just a lot of fun doing it!😃!

[@ericstrauch3215]

The upgrades are great. Sounds ten times better. My question is...How did the playability/feeling of the bass change after the neck/fret upgrades?

[@donnyjohnson3766]

Thats cool, but we can’t just ignore the Porsche in the back… lol 🔥

[@carbonvibes]

My ears are getting a much deeper and full sound after the upgrade. Sounds really nice. 👍🏻

[@marsrideroneofficial]

I think if you haven't heard how a $1000 bass sounds like you wouldn't know the difference from a $100 bass.

[@CRguitarsnmore]

Sweet set up… custom basses are the way to go if you have the time to do them. Up to number project 15 for myself, next time go to Fat Bass Tones for your pots and wire kits, he has been a big blessing for my builds for church.

[@marc942]

When the drummer/engineer decides to pick up his bass and get serious, the perfect vid pops up to motivate my desires. Now if I can just find the time to push away from the mountain of DAW work. 😊 Great information for us newbies. 🎉

[@jonofrye2394]

Hi Travis, Interesting video again thanks! Could a passive pickup have made the grade - a lot less hassle and how long does the battery last as it is a bit of a job changing it over as the pickguard will have to be removed? Cheers Jon (Australia).

[@N0B0DY_SP3C14L]

Brother, you know what a good instrument is. Of course it's cool to make a cheap axe into something nicer, but it's even cooler to have a good instrument to begin with. That said, there is nothing wrong with turning a good instrument into a real monster of an axe, if you know what you're doing. Obviously, messing too much with a vintage piece like say a '62 Jazz or or a '63 P-bass would most likely be frowned upon (though I'd make no bones about bringing such an instrument to Gary Brauer to have him refret it with jumbos and plek it, because I'm going to actually it and I play on jumbos,) but I had no qualms about routing my USA G&L L-2500 out and installing a Hipshot whammy, new rear pickup, new preamp, fully shielding the control cavity, and even having G&L make me a custom neck. It is my workhorse. I'd pimp out a cheap bass for a student or friend, but unless it is something that is the right kind of special to begin with, I'll probably pass on it, because I'm picky and my hands only work well with certain things. Others I just can't do justice to. As a study and an experiment, this was a cool video. Respect.

[@fadetoblack2888]

I would have routed it for a PJ setup, made the cavity bigger, and moved the input jack to the bottom of the bass. Also would have changed the pick guard, Tusq nut, new hipshot tuners including a bass Xtender. And depending on how it played and how much I time I really wanted to invest in this bass, I'd replace the frets with extra jumbo fret wire OR replace the neck entirely with something a little better. But I'm also the kind of guy to re-fret a Squire Affinity he got from the garbage, sand off the logo and lacquer it, replace the pup's, and upgrade the hardware. Used to be quite the hobby lol

[@davehughes8212]

Really, isn't this more a comparison between passive and active, rather than cheap/expensive? It'd be interesting to hear "good" passive P-Bass pickups, and pots....and see what the difference is, then.

[@4EverLearning757]

Great video! I did a similar thing by putting a third pick up on my jazz bass up by the neck. I wanted the versatility of a Strat on my jazz bass. Thanks for doing this video.

[@4EverLearning757]

@TravisDykes. what does that mean?

[@raycuellar1]

Why would you let someone work on your bass or give KZbin time to someone that doesn’t know how to bypass a blend control?

[@DaftFader]

The old one was so muffled, it almost acted like a compressor evening out the volume. Now you can hear every minute detail of what's going on, plugging a slow reacting compressor in line might help even it out a bit (although you'd loose volume expression a bit in the process).

[@troycharbonneau8643]

The preamp sound is more scooped, but it should hopefully be able to sound like an original P bass when needed. I would have dropped in a higher quality passive harness with pots and jack, and pickups if needed. And then leveled the frets as necessary, before doing the polishing and setup. Those seem to be the weak points on cheap basses. Seeing it on the bench, I was expecting to see a fret job being done first. If going active, I would have saved the preamp assembly for when you upgrade a Jazz, and got one made for a P bass. And put in a proper battery box. Even if you don’t have a router, you can always do it with a drill and chisel, after all it’s a $100 bass.

[@samuelboucher1454]

As soon as his dad started speaking with that thick Southern accent, I knew everything would work in the end.

[@thadeupalma]

I prefer a passive mode! But, congrats for process!