Upgrading Sub4 bass

[Chistopher]

I've got a Sub4 bass that's just fine, but I'd be interested to hear what you guys have done to yours, seeing as it's a fairly popular and easy to mod instrument.

 

[ErikH]

Yanked the active electronics, wired it like a P-Bass, installed a Seymour Duncan SMB-4a pickup wired in parallel, installed a Hipshot Xtender, and swapped the pickguard for a black one. I love that bass.

 

[Chistopher]

I too have a Hipshot extender. Definitely a worthwhile change

 

[Chistopher]

I've toyed around with the idea of adding a John East MMSR preamp and maybe a new pickup, but I'm in no hurry to change it.

 

[Mr. B]

I replace pickups and other things on a lot of my other guitars and basses. For my Sterling Ray24 Bass, I put some D'Addario EXL190's (40-100) on it, and I'm pretty satisfied. Don't really feel the need to change anything else. Good strings really bring out what a bass is capable of. I had a more expensive Sterling Ray34 with the 3 band EQ, but I didn't like it as much and sold it.

 

[ErikH]

Strings always get replaced. I did play the stock ones for a bit on mine until I got some replacements. Put some EB Slinky’s on it for a few years and recently put some Rotosound Swing 66’s on it. The Rotosounds are much nicer feeling.

 

[PFDarkside]

Have you seen Low End Lobster’s YouTube channel? He has to have modded half a dozen of them then does an awesome demo at the end. Here’s a wild one:

 

[Chistopher]

Not gonna lie he's got some pretty slick projects.

 

[Chistopher]

What's the best way to add a mute to an Sub4?

 

[donaldr]

What's the best way to add a mute to an Sub4?

Buy a tuner pedal

 

[donaldr]

Have you seen Low End Lobster’s YouTube channel? He has to have modded half a dozen of them then does an awesome demo at the end. Here’s a wild one:

Was also going to suggest Low End Lobster YouTube Channel. He compared couple of pickups/preamps for the Ray 4/24

 

[Mincer]

I have a SUB guitar from Music Man...that was a great series!

 

[Chrisxedge]

I have a 2002 EBMM SR4H that I put the SD70s alnico pickup in. It’s wired with a seperate volume for each coil, and then a master tone. The fourth pot is just a dummy, but I bought 4 of them same so I have a spare mounted on the bass; should one ever fail. kind of like a jazz bass sound when you drop out one of the coils, but still super aggressive. I also have a 1999 and 2019 SR4, so I was excited about making one passive and slightly different sound. They all rip.

 

[Fender_Punk]

I "Upgraded" my Sub5 bass when the active EQ died (yes I tried changing the battery) by wiring it as just volume and tone. I like a warm bass so it works well for me.

 

[Chistopher]

Yeah I usually dial my treble control all the way down and pick near the neck. I think I will get a thumb rest for it too while I'm at it, I play up there so much