In the '70s and the '80s, there were a LOT of interesting things that people did to basses. I remember that a lot of people were modding old Fenders a lot. Jazz necks on Precisions was a popular thing to do. I remember a band called The Boyzz - Dave Angell had a '64 Jazz bass that he not only added a pickup to, but redid all the electronics, and refinned it flat black. It was an awesome sounding bass, though. I was on the milder side - my '64 Precision already had a crap refin on it (you could actually peel the charcoal gray finish off with your fingernail), and I dropped a Bart in it, and put a BadAss II on it. Best thing I ever did for that bass. It had a perfect neck, though.
I remember in high school, my friends and I went to the local music store. There was a '56 LP Junior there. The owner (this was a mom/pop sheet music type store) tried to sell it to our guitarist, a leftie. When Jeff told him he was left-handed, the owner just said, "Hell, we'll just cut out that other side for you".