Squier Classic Vibe vs. Vintage Modified Jazz Bass

[Perroid]

Hi guys,

It all comes down to these two.
I have the luxurious option of buying one of these two fine basses second hand. But I can't decide for myself.
I probably want to upgrade them with some new hardware.

But what is the difference between these two instruments?
I like Jazz Basses because I have tiny hands and find them comfortable to play. I'll use the bass for all sorts of styles and I know the Jazz Bass can handle it.

Since my budget is limited (I know, being a student means living the poor life) I really want to buy the best possible instrument for me.

What are your experiences with these instruments and have you tried them both?

Oh, and I am based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I could really use your help.

Thanks!

Perry

[VeganThump]

I can't speak for the classic vibe but I have a VM Jazz V and I LOVE it. Mine is all stock, though I am most likely gonna upgrade the pickups. It really is a superior instrument, highly recommended.

[SolarMan]

Can you play them?

The CV is usually a bit higher on the quality, IN MY OPINION, fit and finish wise. The CV and VM both offer great value.

CV has a glossy neck, VM is satin. CV has the High Mass bridge, VM has the bent plate (plenty good enough for most). Both have very nice pickups (you need to spend a good amout of money to go better).

But, if you can play them let them tell you.

(You have done your homework, you have found the most bass for your money either way).

[1SHOT1HIT]

I own the Classic Vibe J & the P, and have played the VM quite a few times that my buddy has.

Both are excellent basses, Both are,(IMO) just fine the way they come.

I don't know the specs in & out enough to tell you the differences beyond the obvious. The CV has 60's spaced P'ups and style & the VM is 70's style and spacing.

You really won't be disappointed either way you go, so just figure out which one is more appealing aesthetically to you I guess.

Personally; I like the CV better, but just barely.

[CBRXJ]

I have one VM jazz with a CV neck...love it
and one VM jazz with VM neck....also love it.


If you can't play them both before buying I would go with the cv...I had fret sprout on one of the VM's . The frets were pushing through the binding. I bought it 2nd hand and it sat in a dry desert garage for most of its life. thats why I put a cv neck on it.( EBAY)

[CBRXJ]

The 70's natural has 60's pickup spacing , not sure about the black one.

[SolarMan]

Originally Posted by 1SHOT1HIT

The CV has 60's spaced P'ups and style & the VM is 70's style and spacing.

Excellent point. You sure know your Jazz Basses!

[Perroid]

So far everybody is giving me great advice, so thanks guys.

I read on the Fender site that the CV has a "modern C-shape" neck and the VM has a "C-shape" neck. Can you tell me what's the difference?

I have played a CV a while ago and I loved it. But I'm just so damn curious about the VM especially with those looks (love the natural finish). Well, I think the CV is just as nice..

Deciding which bass to go for is harder than taking a college-level test :P.

[deste]

I'd go for the CV.
I tested both of them, and then I chose the CV.
Sound: CV softer, VM too aggressive for my taste.
Finish: no faults noticed on the VM, the CV looks quite good for the price.
Bridge: CV himass, seemed to be very good.
Look: I don't like maple necks, don't like black inlays, and that's just personal taste. I was not convinced by the different color shades between neck and body. Anyway, I liked the rosewood/white/tortoise look...

My experience with the CV: wiring was quite noisy, bridge pickup sounded quite thin. All the rest was simply good, and for the price I'd say VERY good.
Then I rewired it (Vol/pull series - balance - tone) and put DiMarzio Mopdel J on it, and now it's my Number One for aggressive things.

Great bass for its price.
So good that few months later, just for having a P, I bought a CV60 too.
Feel free to ask more on the forum or PM.

[Perroid]

It also says on the Fender site that the CV has a basswood body and the VM has a maple body. I kind of get the feeling that basswood has a bad reputation. Anyone want to disagree on that part?

[Carl Greder]

Just want to vouch for the classic vibe. I got one earlier this year mostly on a whim,and I've barely touched my av 62 Fender since. An incredible instrument considering what you're paying.

[tjh]

I started this post to tell the OP to do a search, and that there is so much written on here about these, that it would take someone a month to read everything available ... besides, the obligatory ' search is your friend' reply can be construed as rude in many cases, so I thought I would just do one and post a result ...

... at the time I wrote the response in the link below, it was getting redundant to see all the posts ringing the praises of each based on personal opinioins, with very little about the actual differences ... having had at least a half dozen of each, and being able to do an A/B compare, I decided to cut through the fluff and personal biases and try to do an impartial detailed comparison that hopefully helps the readers to decide on details, rather than subjective opinions ... I did a quick search, and will link the thread below .. its been a year, probably time to revisit it ...

... BTW, on a side note, the CV Jazz that I used in this comparison, is the one that is currently for sale in the Accessories forum ... unfortunately a possible problem with both of these lines, is the weight .. so I decided to make some changes, and as a result ended up with the lightest CV Jazz I have ever owned/played ...

... here is the link to the comparison thread .. enjoy !!

Squier Classic Vibe or Vintage Modified

Edit to add: ... I should probably mention, that there have been models added/changed since my comparison almost a year ago .. I beleive there are currently 5 models of the VM available , and they are doing a neck swap on some models as well ...

there are also now 2 models of the CV available with the addition of the JJ, which in essence specs the white/tort 60's, but it took a spin through the paint booth ...

[tjh]

.. just a quick note, to clarify ... VM J's all use 60's pup spacing ...

[wilfredes]

It also says on the Fender site that the CV has a basswood body and the VM has a maple body.

[tjh]

Originally Posted by wilfredes

It also says on the Fender site that the CV has a basswood body and the VM has a maple body.

... depends on the bass ... the two I compared were both basswood ... the only maple bodied VM is the natural finish

.. the 3TSB is basswood

... the F/L and the black body are both agathis

[Jawbone]

I went with the Vintage Modified Jazz. I already had a nice P but needed a J for unique situations. Didn't want to spend a lot of money at the time and wanted the best on the market so I went with the VM. I now own a CS '64 Jazz NOS and can say there isn't a great deal of difference between the two except money. Everyone talks about the quality of the CS but side by side you can't really tell which is which until you see the head stock.

[Perroid]

I've looked around to see if I could play a VM but there aren't many around. Is the neck on the VM "thicker" because it's all maple or does it have the same neck profile as most jazz basses?

[georgestrings]

IME, the CV line is a bit better made *on average* - in fact, I've yet to play a CV that I wouldn't buy, if I were in the market for such a bass... however, I have played a few VM basses that I wouldn't buy - albeit not all that often, though...


- georgestrings

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by Perroid

I've looked around to see if I could play a VM but there aren't many around. Is the neck on the VM "thicker" because it's all maple or does it have the same neck profile as most jazz basses?

Actually, the VMJs mostly have a smallish neck like a Geddy Lee - whereas the CVJs have a typical Jazz sized neck...


- georgestrings

[wilder]

I've owned both and kept the CV Jazz. The VM was a good bass, but I prefer the CV overall.