Today's topic will be modifications. We all have our own perspectives on them. I don't modify instruments any more, although I have done some mods in the past.
Non-G&L topic:
My latest acquisition is a 1990 PRS Bass:
All of these photos were taken by previous owners. This one came to me over the internet. These basses have a very strong reputation for reggae and dub due to the preamp's voicing and pickup selections, but have a reputation for getting "lost in the mix" in typical rock and blues settings. The seller was very clear in his listing that the bass had been modified. The preamp and pickup selector were removed several owners ago, and a very pricey Glockenklang three-band preamp was installed. Somehow I misread the description in the ad and thought it was still original. I went ahead with the purchase anyway. The bass itself has insane playability and weighs less than eight pounds. On the other hand, the preamp is so transparent (that's the big selling point for Glockenklangs) that it sounds a bit sterile to my ears. I'm going back and forth on seeing if PRS would be able to replace the preamp with one that would match the original.
One of the neat features that AFAIK is unique to this bass is the dummy coil that can be seen in the third photo. It sits under the bridge, and makes all of the positions hum-cancelling without having any pull on the strings. I can't understand why that didn't get traction in the marketplace and become a common feature for other models. The bass was made in Annapolis MD (about ten minutes from where I live), and the workmanship is incredible. I would put it on par with any of my Leo-era G&L basses.
Have you ever bought a modified instrument? Did you appreciate the previous owner's decision to mod the instrument, or did you work on it as well?
G&L topic:
I called a Guitar Center yesterday to ask about an SC-2 that had just been listed on their used gear site. The ad said it had been modified, but there was no photo up yet. I was curious to see whether it was an old one, and whether the mod could be undone with a reasonable effort. It turned out to be a recent one with a sunburst body. Somebody had swapped the bridge pickup with a mini-humbucker, and replaced the neck with one from a Tribute. I got to thinking about the economics on that one. Start with a guitar that sells for about $1000 new, add a pickup for about $100 and a neck that G&L sells for $30, and end up with a guitar that is listed for well under $500. The trade-in value would have been half of that.
For those who modify their guitars, does resale value figure into your plans, or are you just looking to optimize the instrument to meet your own preferences? Have you ever run across a mod that held or increased the instrument's value?
Ken
Most have added dimension to the guitar. Currently working on two, (very slowly I should say), an ASAT that was going to be an ASAT S3 now a Bluesboy version, and a tele copy that will become something with a Z coil bridge. With an extra ASAT why not build it up to something special? 
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or something like that, I say mod away. Have some fun with it. Usually I will mod pups or switches but after building a couple of my own, I don't really hesitate to try something out. I can always put it back the way it was. I like tinkering.