Upgrade or Sell?

Rocker

I have the option of selling my Aria STB Series bass but am considering keeping it with a plan to upgrade the electrics. My Aria, which is an entry level bass, is modelled on a J bass but it has active circuitry.

I read lots of positive comments about Entwistle replacement pickups. If a replacement J control plate is the same size as fitted on the Aria, the upgrade process would be straightforward. And allow me to retain the existing electrics. I understand that different value pots are needed for passive pickups.

Do you think it is worthwhile upgrading my Aria or should I sell it as it is? And buy a Squier J bass sometime in the future? The Aria is not a patch on my Fender bass but it was not far off a Squier PJ bass that I tried out in a shop recently.  I like the colour of the Aria and as it was my first bass, the bass that started me on the low end..........Thanks. 

Funkfingers

The stock pickups in the Aria STB-JB-DX are passive. Only the Treble 'n' Bass EQ controls are +9v powered. Therefore, the stock electronic circuitry will work with Entwistle pickups. 

One area of concern on budget J basses is the respective length of the two pickups. If the OJA-1 single coils are of equal length, the rout for the bridge position pickup is likely to be the wrong dimensions to accept the majority of good quality replacement pickups.

It would be wiser to sell the Aria STB as is. Its active EQ should make it more attractive proposition to punters than the Squier Affinity bass against which you are comparing it.

ICBM

In my opinion, with any cheaper active bass the best solution would be to get a high-quality set of passive pickups and rewire the bass with good-quality passive electrics, so if you can do that just by swapping the whole plate, that seems like the easiest way to go. Cheap actives are never that brilliant.

But to be honest, unless you have a great sentimental attachment to it, and given that you already have a much better bass, I would probably just sell it as-is.

Funkfingers

Zombie thread resurrection. 

I'm mulling over an Aria STB PJ bass guitar in a local charity shop window. I do not need the instrument but I know a man who might - especially after a few subtle modifications.

Any opinions on how the Aria STB compares to the Squier Affinity, Standard and (pre-2019) Vintage Modified series for build and materials quality?

MattBanshee

Funkfingers said:

Zombie thread resurrection. 

I'm mulling over an Aria STB PJ bass guitar in a local charity shop window. I do not need the instrument but I know a man who might - especially after a few subtle modifications.

Any opinions on how the Aria STB compares to the Squier Affinity, Standard and (pre-2019) Vintage Modified series for build and materials quality?

I think they sit below Squier Affinity, if it's the cheapy black logo copy that we're both thinking of.

Funkfingers

MattBanshee said:
the cheapy black logo copy 

As I suspected. Probably wisest if my associate buys the bass then, I set it up and make some minor hardware upgrades.

ICBM

MattBanshee said:

I think they sit below Squier Affinity, if it's the cheapy black logo copy that we're both thinking of.

£189 new, so roughly equivalent. Pretty cheap and cheerful though.