Is a Squier worth setting up?

adil · #1 06-17-2006, 05:52 PM

Well, my Yamaha bass bailed out on me right before a gig and even though it's fixed now, I don't trust it fully yet. I ended up borrowing a Squier Affinity Series P-Bass. I gigged with it once and it was okay. Not too much sustain on it and the action could be lower.
I don't have much money now so even though I'm looking into a passive Fender J or P, I can't afford it.
Do you think this Squier is worth paying to set up? I don't know how much they charge at GC for it but I'd like to have the action lowered a bit and just general maintenance.
I'm afraid the set up price will be too close to the actual price of this thing. Will it really improve this bass? I could even take it to a decent set up guy if I'm convinced because I might have to stick with this Squier for a few months, till I find money (or a cheap used Fender).
thanks

Philbiker · #2 06-17-2006, 06:06 PM

Short answer: Yes.

Hookus · #3 06-17-2006, 10:30 PM

Every instrument should be set up. That's like asking if you should change the oil in a Hyundai...

Do you?

dcr · #4 06-17-2006, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philbiker

Short answer: Yes.

What he said!

dcr

Lowtonejoe · #5 06-17-2006, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adil

Well, my Yamaha bass bailed out on me right before a gig and even though it's fixed now, I don't trust it fully yet. I ended up borrowing a Squier Affinity Series P-Bass. I gigged with it once and it was okay. Not too much sustain on it and the action could be lower.
I don't have much money now so even though I'm looking into a passive Fender J or P, I can't afford it.
Do you think this Squier is worth paying to set up? I don't know how much they charge at GC for it but I'd like to have the action lowered a bit and just general maintenance.
I'm afraid the set up price will be too close to the actual price of this thing. Will it really improve this bass? I could even take it to a decent set up guy if I'm convinced because I might have to stick with this Squier for a few months, till I find money (or a cheap used Fender).
thanks

If the bass has never been set up properly and you plan on playing it for a while, then yes, make sure that it is set up right.

Maybe, if you aren't sure, let someone with a bit more experience play it and see what they think?

Joe.

SMPTE · #6 06-17-2006, 11:43 PM

My Squier P played pretty sweet once it was set up properly. 'Course the neck turned into a noodle after a few years of humidity cycling....

JustOpenYourMind · #7 06-18-2006, 04:03 PM

Or...

Learn to do setups yourself, it's easy to do, you just need to practise doing it... You'll save a lot of money over the years if you can do it yourself. And I forgot to mention that only you can do the ultimate setup you like because when you pay someone to do it you cannot play the bass after every little adjustments you just live with what he or she did.

phat daddy · #8 06-18-2006, 04:11 PM

I agree with everyone so far. Especially about venturing to do your own setups--I've been setting up my basses for years and it's gotten to the point that I won't let any setup guy touch them. Nobody can truly get it right but you, and it's pretty easy to figure out, just get a set of allen wrenches and go a quarter of a turn at a time.

markjazzbassist · #9 06-18-2006, 04:52 PM

i would do the setup yourself. you can lower the action yourself (it's easy). plus it's a good skill to have. plus you can save that money for a MIA Fender.

lemur821 · #10 06-18-2006, 05:17 PM

Every bass is worth setting up... but no bass is worth paying to get set up. Save time and money: do it yourself!

Lowtonejoe · #11 06-18-2006, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemur821

Every bass is worth setting up... but no bass is worth paying to get set up. Save time and money: do it yourself!

Nice!

+1

Joe.

adil · #12 06-18-2006, 06:13 PM

Well, the reason I'm paying someone is not because I'm dumb (I'm doing a Ph.D., 1-2 years away from finishing, if it helps).
Everybody's got their cup of tea. I know very little about basses and how to set them up. I also do not enjoy jobs that require manual dexterity. Thanks for the encouragement, if that was your intention. I will hopefully learn these things one day. That's why I'm on this forum, constantly asking questions.
I asked GC and they said I'd probably pay 60-70 bucks, which is almost half the price of a new Squier. So I'm going to ask my lead guitarist to see if he has a key which we can use to adjust that thing there, which the strings are resting on. It doesn't look very complicated, but I wouldn't do it myself right now because I'd have no idea what I'd be doing and can cause damage and lose this bass, too.
I just got a 20% discount letter from GC, so if I can risk living without food for a few days, I might get a standard P-Bass and have it set up for free.

Minger · #13 06-18-2006, 06:21 PM

Learn to do the setup on your own.

Seriously, it helps to know this stuff - and shims are my best friend .

SBassman · #14 06-18-2006, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minger

Learn to do the setup on your own.

Seriously, it helps to know this stuff - and shims are my best friend .

Are you talking about shims for the neck pocket? If so, what do you use?

[Haven't shimmed a neck yet, but I think I'm going to try.]

ZombieGhosTrain · #15 06-19-2006, 12:53 AM

$60 seems a bit high... try looking around. Ask around for people that know how, that aren't professionals. Adjusting the string height is much easier than you may think, but if you don't want to do it, maybe your guitarist could. There has got to be someone that can look at it and turn a few screws, for much cheaper if not for free. How about the guy you borrowed it from? If you need any info on how to do any set-ups, even lowering the action, you can find it here.

SGT. Pepper · #16 06-19-2006, 06:55 AM

By all means yes. That $200 bass might feel and play like a $600 bass after a set up, providing you have a good made instrument.

Hookus · #17 06-19-2006, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adil

(I'm doing a Ph.D., 1-2 years away from finishing, if it helps)....I also do not enjoy jobs that require manual dexterity.

Then I hope you won't be a surgeon...

Seriously though, man, why is it people use degrees as an indicator of intelligence. It has nothing to do with how smart you are, it has to do with diligence, commitment, and study. Intelligence is independent of education, my friend, this is why children can consistently score very high on IQ tests. I have met many so-called rednecks that were actually highly intelligent people.

Sorry for the hijack. Anyway, it takes very little time to do yourself, read Fender's set up guide.

GM60466 · #18 06-19-2006, 05:05 PM

I purchased on for my godson. UGGGGGG!!!!!
The best way to set it up is with a can of Ronson and a match.

GM

Broseph · #19 06-19-2006, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GM60466

I purchased on for my godson. UGGGGGG!!!!!
The best way to set it up is with a can of Ronson and a match.

GM

NICE! I've never BBQd with alder. Any pointers?

bigd4207 · #20 06-19-2006, 06:00 PM

Is it WORTH it to buy a Squier? NO NO NO NO NO NO NO, thus you should never need to set one up......SORRY, IMO!