Best Budget Bass Upgrades!

These are hands down the best budget friendly upgrades you can make to your bass. For more information about these products, or to make a purchase, please check the links below: (in order of appearance)

Vintage/Modern bass pickups (my custom version):
Epic Custom Shop bass pickups:

Wilkinson open gear bass tuning machines (hip shot ultra light clone):

*Prices mentioned in this video are subject to change without notice, please check the links for current pricing.

Full disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate, and the links in this description are affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, it doesn't cost you any more money, but I will earn a commission.

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[zodakb]

The original sounds pretty lifeless. The post-upgrade sound is much more alive. Good job, Dan!

[riccardorubini]

Before the upgrade the bass sounded kind of okay, a bit muffled maybe, but after you upgraded it, the sound just "opened up" and I think the combination of upgrades you chose for it gave the instrument a completely new life and voice. Excellent job.

[machinesdeguerre]

Hi Dan, and all, I am going to take the opportunity here and now to thank you for all the videos you've made. The ones where you mod/upgrade guitars and bass put me and my wife on a path to revamp most of our guitars and basses one after the other. They sound and "feel" 10 times better. And as a bonus we refinish them to the way we like. You my friend are the biggest influence in this adventure which...as an other bonus...has created amazing projects for me and my wife to do together. Your videos on the tools needed to work the instruments got us thinking that our "average" quality instruments could become the best they can be. We work with what we have...and ...so far so good!! Thanks again from us up north!

[grantkoeller]

The Fender 7250's are the exact strings I use! I love them! They are nickel plated steel hex core roundwound and they are the stock strings used on all Fender USA, Mexico and Japan models, in addition to all Squier basses. When Fender closed the Mexico string plant in 2010, all Fender strings manufacturing were transferred to the D'Addario company using Fender specifications and containing the colored ball ends. Great strings! I use medium string gauge .105"-.085"-.065"-.045"

[craigparse]

I hear the increased output from the pickups and the extra life in the new strings. Great job Dan. I must have missed this video when you made it.
I like that you give really decent (honest) opinions on 'budget' gear like the bridge & tuners.

[realjester]

I do hear more sustain after the upgrades. The pickups sound brighter not as muddy as the original pickups. Cool upgrades can’t wait to see the next video. 👍👍👍

[raybbj]

In order to isolate the bass upgrades from the string change, I would have like to have heard an A/B compare with the same strings on the bass. Right now I'm left trying to guess how much of the improved tone is from the bass upgrades vs. a simple string change. Either way, nice work none the less and thanks!

[pc]

Your reasoning is extremely sensible. Seems very logical and fair minded to me. Definitely a great salesman too. Might look into one of your customs!

[Cruiseangel]

Amazing! I've been a bass player for over 33 years I enjoy this man's videos . I'm not very good at wiring or sodering etc. Watching him I've learned a few things.

[DefenderTIM]

A bit more sustain for sure, but the big improvement in articulation is where it sold me. Got a couple of cheapos here I may dial up now with your tips, thanks!

[brianwoolery]

I recently bought a Glarry P style Bass as my learning instrument. Will def consider these upgrades as I gain skills and crave a better sound. Thanks!

[OleDadFishing]

Just got my Epic Custom Shop pickups! Installed and it’s like I have a new Bass! Love them!

[davejones]

Hey brother bass player and leader. I'm from Canada and probably 1, 000 years old and been playing bass and stopping pucks around 900 years. In all my years I've never heard a more profound difference in sound. That is except when I got my first puck upside the head in a Kevlar goalie mask! It certainly didn't hurt, but the noise was shocking! This is how profoundly impressed I am! I saw this and immediately subscribed. Hey I'm an old dog, and old is gold! I am so impressed with your sound. I'm wondering how with the currency exchange and dutys, shipping and so on I may be of service to you? I'm not techno savvy, and don't care to be, so I have no idea how we can open a repoir and possibly I can help you. We really do have our share of musicians. Ps, I never made a dime stopping pucks, but I have a wonderful life playing studio work. And I'm in Calgary Alberta Canada where we really do have more trucks than cars, and more Rodeos than anywhere in North America (including Texas and Montana, Nevada etc. and your branding "Guns and Guitars " will go a long way in this neck of the woods. Possibly I can help you promote your wares in Canada?

[edwinstovall]

I can't say that I heard better sustain from the bass after the upgrades, but man, was there a difference in volume and tone! Definitely worth the upgrades! You also gave me some ideas to consider for an Ibanez miKro bass in my collection!

[ColonelAngus]

Pickups in most budget bass guitars are fine. The best upgrade is to replace the small cheap stock 250k pots with quality full-size 500K pots and a .022uf Orange Drop cap. The increase in total options is amazing. I do like the idea of choosing a replacement Bridge with a string spacing adjustment option. It doesn't cost anymore and is very useful in most cases.

[mobbinator]

The original sounded much duller but not bad in any way, but the upgrades really opened it up and made it come to life. Excellent video Dan!

[RubyRoks]

Very cool that you're gonna be selling those bridges on your site. All the mods make it sound like a completely new instrument. Those pickups are incredible. Shame ECS don't list 5 string Music Man pickups on their site.

[christosfragias]

Awesome that you helped out a fellow Christian ✝️ Brother. ☦️🙏

[ColonelAngus]

Upgrading the nut with a bone is a great idea. However... It will only affect the sustain of the open strings. For more sustain on all notes is to have the intonation set perfectly. Professionally set intonation is the best thing you can do for any bass. Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwounds are the best sounding and feeling Flatwounds that I have ever used.

[AdrianSiller]

WoW Dan, that was incredible. The difference in sound is totally noticeable. Thank you for Sharing my brother.