8 More Bass Upgrades You'll Regret (By Popular Demand)

A while ago I showed you eight bass upgrades that are a waste of money, and the comments filled up with confessions — and with upgrades I had left out. You were right about every single one of them. So here are eight more bass upgrades that quietly drain your wallet while changing almost nothing, and four more cheap fixes that genuinely transform how your bass plays. Three of the four cost less than a pizza. One is completely free. The new wallet-drainers: the prewired "vintage" wiring harness ($90–150 for maybe $15 of standard pots, a capacitor and cloth-covered wire that changes nothing electrically); the brass nut, which only touches the string on open notes and vanishes from the signal the moment you fret anything; the $300–500 replacement neck for a perfectly healthy bass — a gamble that rarely fits without a fret level, new tuner holes and a full setup; and the 18-volt mod for active basses, doubling your battery cost for headroom you were never using. Then the controversial one: ultra-boutique strings. Part 1 said strings are the best upgrade in bass — still true. But the jump from a fresh $30 set from any major maker to a $130 exotic set is small, subjective and inaudible in a mix. Freshness beats price, every time. Plus: the wireless system for bedroom players who never move further than desk-to-sofa, the $300 preamp/DI pedal bought as a band-aid for dead strings and a bad setup, and the preventative fret level on healthy frets — machining that removes metal your frets never get back. The four that actually work: a $10 fret polish and fretboard conditioning that makes bends feel like glass; learning gain staging and amp EQ properly (free, and it beats any pedal in a band mix — cut, don't boost, and respect your low mids); a wide padded strap set to the right height, which fixes your wrist angle, your fatigue and your back for $30; and the completely free number twelve — record yourself and listen back. Your phone is enough. It is the only honest mirror in this hobby, it shows you exactly what to practice, and it kills gear-buying impulses better than any budget. The three questions from Part 1 still apply before any purchase: Can I actually hear the problem right now? Is this fixing a real fault or selling me a feeling? Have I done the cheap things first? 🎸 EVERYTHING MENTIONED (compare prices yourself — neutral links): 1️⃣ Single pots (fix the one that's scratchy) → https://www.thomann.de/intl/search_dir.htm... 2️⃣ Properly cut nut (any material) → https://www.thomann.de/intl/search_dir.htm... 3️⃣ Before you buy a neck: try basses used → https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=bass+... 4️⃣ 9V batteries (you only need one) → https://www.thomann.de/intl/search_dir.htm... 5️⃣ Quality standard string sets → https://www.thomann.de/intl/search_dir.htm... 6️⃣ A good $20 cable instead → https://www.thomann.de/intl/search_dir.htm... 7️⃣ Preamp/DI (if you actually gig) → https://www.thomann.de/intl/search_dir.htm... 8️⃣ Fret polish supplies → https://www.thomann.de/intl/search_dir.htm... 9️⃣ Micro-mesh + fretboard oil → https://www.thomann.de/intl/search_dir.htm... 🔟 Free: your amp's manual + one evening 1️⃣1️⃣ Wide padded bass straps → https://www.thomann.de/intl/search_dir.htm... 1️⃣2️⃣ Free: your phone's voice memo app ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 0:00 You named them — the sequel 1:56 #1 The prewired "vintage" wiring harness 2:49 #2 The brass nut myth 3:41 #3 A new neck for a healthy bass 4:33 #4 The 18-volt mod 5:22 #5 Ultra-boutique strings (the controversial one) 6:26 #6 Wireless for the bedroom 7:17 #7 The preamp pedal band-aid 8:13 #8 Fret level on healthy frets 9:10 The 3 questions from Part 1, still undefeated 9:39 #9 Fret polish + board care ($10) 10:27 #10 Gain staging + amp EQ (free) 11:18 #11 A proper strap + ergonomics 12:02 #12 Record yourself — the honest mirror (free) 13:00 The lesson that refuses to budge Which of these eight have you been guilty of? Is there a brass nut in a drawer somewhere in your house? And which cheap fix surprised you the most? Drop it below. Subscribe for honest, no-hype truth about bass gear. 🎸 #BassGuitar #BassUpgrades #BassGear #BassMods #WasteOfMoney #BassSetup #BassStrings #BassPlayer #Bassist #GearTips #BassTone #HiddenGems