What should I do with this?

[andrew]

I bought this Ibanez Artcore hollowbody bass a while back. It's a righty bass (they never made lefties that I saw) but being symmetrical it flipped fine.

So far all I did was swap the musicman looking stock pickup for the TV Jones pickup you see in it. This bass sounds surprisingly great plugged in.

So besides finding something besides a Converge sticker to cover the old control holes, what recommendations does everyone have for me to mod it further?

A second pickup, controls, pickguard, etc., what do you think would improve it from it's current state?

I'm also contemplating elephant ear tuners, if I can find a set that will fit it.

[bugsy]

I like it just the way it is.

Maybe you could put an old Hofner type pickguard on it?


Oh! and ivory tuners!! HA HA

[AustinLeftyBass]

I got one of those when they first came out, great value, I just put the pots inside the body and left the holes. I'm considering straplocks and elephant ear tuners.

[Agent00Soul]

I can't believe how many instruments people own on this board! Don't get me wrong, I'm totally jealous but I forget that not everyone lives in a place where space is a premium. My 3 is probably 1 too many for my digs...

[AllroyPA]

Do you have pots in it or is it hardwired? If you have pots you could try a cap-switching mod, which could give you different flavors from the same pup.
Can get the basics of it here> http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... g_Mod.aspx

[andrew]

I got one of those when they first came out, great value, I just put the pots inside the body and left the holes. I'm considering straplocks and elephant ear tuners.

100% agree on the value, really nice feeling bass for the price.

If you find an elephant ear tuner that'll fit it without modding the headstock tuner holes please let me know.

[andrew]

Do you have pots in it or is it hardwired? If you have pots you could try a cap-switching mod, which could give you different flavors from the same pup.
Can get the basics of it here> http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... g_Mod.aspx

Right now it's just hardwired. I drilled a new input jack hole on the opposite side of the bass and wired the pickup straight to it.

A cap switching mod is a real interesting idea.

[Carmine]

The TV Jones was a great mod choice Andrew, looks like it's always been there and I'm sure sounds 100% more vintage tone-wise than the original PU did. Makes me think of my 1965 Gretsch 6070 and my 6072 reissue- maybe you can draw some inspiration or ideas from them...

[AustinLeftyBass]

I love hollowbodies, I imagine part of it is that they're often symmetrical and don't look TOO stupid upside-down. Just got this a few months ago, needed a back-up for my Gibson EB-2.

[Carmine]

I love hollowbodies, I imagine part of it is that they're often symmetrical and don't look TOO stupid upside-down.

True- one of the things I love about my Gretsches is they have knobs all over the place, so no one ever notices if they're lefty or righty....

[andrew]

Great pair'o'Gretsches Carmine. AustinLB, what is that hollowbody bass?

[AustinLeftyBass]

It's a Douglas, got it from Rondo. It's 32" scale but fits in an EB-2 case 'cause the bridge is set further back into the body, so it's the same length as a 30" EB-2. Plays nice, sounds good, I leave my Gibson at home now, it's too old and still in one piece to be gigged.
Sorry 'bout the huge pics.

[Carmine]

I just saw this Samick RLB3 Royale- very cool, just the way I'd draw one up if I could. Mahogany back and sides, set mahogany neck- the sides and center block are routed out of one piece of wood, and instead of a single humbucker those are 2 active single coil pickups. Really wish this was available in lefty!