I know, I know. "Why'd you get the Bronco when you could have spent a little more and gotten something better??" "Why are you spending so much money polishing a turd?" "There is no sense in spending more in modifications than you spent on your instrument!!"
Well, here I am. I have a habit of buying Squiers, tearing them apart, and making them into a monster of an instrument. It's something I really enjoy.
]WARNING: LIFE STORY AHEAD]
I'm mainly a guitarist but I have been doing a lot of recording this year and I wasn't happy using pitch shift to make my geetar sound like a bass geetar. So off I went to guitar center with a small budget and big dreams. Being a lowly guitar player, I was aiming for short scale and cheap and found the one that shall not be named. The confused little Bronco.
I was actually quite impressed with it and it kept finding a way back into my hands at the store so I bought the thing. I felt pity for it. But there was something special about it. I got home, set the action, and the intonation to the best of my abilities. Damn two saddle bridges making me choose favorites. It was quite an alright bass. I recorded a couple songs with it and for the price it was good, but after a few days with it my brain started doing that thing. You know.. that thing.
[END OF LIFE STORY]
I really liked the look and shape of the neck, but I didn't like the fact that it was unfinished. I prefer a glass-like finish that just glides through your palm as you are playing. I took the neck off, did a light sanding to it, and started applying Tru-Oil. I did a Warmoth neck with it and it came out absolutely perfect. I pretty much buff each coat of it on so it takes quite a few coats to build up on the wood. After a bunch of coats, I buff it with a gentle cutting compound and finish it off with gunstock wax. Your hand just glides along the neck. It is my preferred finish these days.
The pickup was... alriiiight?? I guess? Pretty weak. A little muddy. Nothing special about it. After taking it out I discovered it was a 6-pole strat pickup. I went back and forth over what to replace it with. At first I was going to go with a humbucker, and then a GFS Lipstick, and then a rail style pickup. I'm still very interested in trying out a lipstick, I'll probably grab one for the bridge of my Tele. But I ended up finding a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails bridge pickup used for $50. They go for $90 so I pulled the trigger on that.
The two saddle bridge absolutely had to go. I got rid of the 3 saddle on my tele and this one is going too. I can hear bad intonation wayyy too well and once I hear it, it will never leave my mind until it's fixed. I was able to score a Fender Jazz Bass bridge with 4 saddles for $20 + shipping so that will be drilled in place of this.
I measured the tuner holes and they are 7/16" or just over 11mm. I didn't feel like widening the holes so I picked up a brand new set of Sperzel Trimlock locking bass tuners which set me back $60. I was originally looking at some bigger tuners, but damn! I never realized how expensive bass tuners could be! Also I didn't realize they even made locking bass tuners so we'll see how they work out. These should drop right in.
Lastly, being someone who records direct in, noise is a big concern for me and this being single coil it was on my list of worries. I spent a decent amount of time coating the pickguard and the entire body cavity with copper shielding tape. I did this with a Squier Mustang I did heavy modifications on and the thing is absolutely SILENT.
Anyways, here are some pics. Not sure why I was feeling like writing a novel about this tonight. Might be the Red Bull. I apologize for that. This thread will be updated as parts continue to come in.
Here is the stock Bass. Notice the unfinished neck.
A couple coats of Tru-Oil
A couple days of Tru-Oil
Body cavity and pickguard shielded
Well, here I am. I have a habit of buying Squiers, tearing them apart, and making them into a monster of an instrument. It's something I really enjoy.
]WARNING: LIFE STORY AHEAD]
I'm mainly a guitarist but I have been doing a lot of recording this year and I wasn't happy using pitch shift to make my geetar sound like a bass geetar. So off I went to guitar center with a small budget and big dreams. Being a lowly guitar player, I was aiming for short scale and cheap and found the one that shall not be named. The confused little Bronco.
I was actually quite impressed with it and it kept finding a way back into my hands at the store so I bought the thing. I felt pity for it. But there was something special about it. I got home, set the action, and the intonation to the best of my abilities. Damn two saddle bridges making me choose favorites. It was quite an alright bass. I recorded a couple songs with it and for the price it was good, but after a few days with it my brain started doing that thing. You know.. that thing.
[END OF LIFE STORY]
I really liked the look and shape of the neck, but I didn't like the fact that it was unfinished. I prefer a glass-like finish that just glides through your palm as you are playing. I took the neck off, did a light sanding to it, and started applying Tru-Oil. I did a Warmoth neck with it and it came out absolutely perfect. I pretty much buff each coat of it on so it takes quite a few coats to build up on the wood. After a bunch of coats, I buff it with a gentle cutting compound and finish it off with gunstock wax. Your hand just glides along the neck. It is my preferred finish these days.
The pickup was... alriiiight?? I guess? Pretty weak. A little muddy. Nothing special about it. After taking it out I discovered it was a 6-pole strat pickup. I went back and forth over what to replace it with. At first I was going to go with a humbucker, and then a GFS Lipstick, and then a rail style pickup. I'm still very interested in trying out a lipstick, I'll probably grab one for the bridge of my Tele. But I ended up finding a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails bridge pickup used for $50. They go for $90 so I pulled the trigger on that.
The two saddle bridge absolutely had to go. I got rid of the 3 saddle on my tele and this one is going too. I can hear bad intonation wayyy too well and once I hear it, it will never leave my mind until it's fixed. I was able to score a Fender Jazz Bass bridge with 4 saddles for $20 + shipping so that will be drilled in place of this.
I measured the tuner holes and they are 7/16" or just over 11mm. I didn't feel like widening the holes so I picked up a brand new set of Sperzel Trimlock locking bass tuners which set me back $60. I was originally looking at some bigger tuners, but damn! I never realized how expensive bass tuners could be! Also I didn't realize they even made locking bass tuners so we'll see how they work out. These should drop right in.
Lastly, being someone who records direct in, noise is a big concern for me and this being single coil it was on my list of worries. I spent a decent amount of time coating the pickguard and the entire body cavity with copper shielding tape. I did this with a Squier Mustang I did heavy modifications on and the thing is absolutely SILENT.
Anyways, here are some pics. Not sure why I was feeling like writing a novel about this tonight. Might be the Red Bull. I apologize for that. This thread will be updated as parts continue to come in.
Here is the stock Bass. Notice the unfinished neck.
A couple coats of Tru-Oil
A couple days of Tru-Oil
Body cavity and pickguard shielded
I enjoy modding cheap guitars and basses also. I recently finished up a Squier Jag short scale and have already started on another one. Both will have Tru-Oil finished necks too.
