SQUIER TELECASTER BASS - USER REVIEWS?

Lowbrow · #1 11-25-2012, 01:50 PM

Still aching in my heart for a Vintage White 32" single p/u Squier Tele bass, and will not be satisfied until I order one online and find out it stinks, or I have an owner tell me it stinks. That said, I hope it doesn't stink.

I'm concerned primarily with the build quality as I don't have experience with Indonesia-built basses - I have great faith in the Chinese Squiers - and pickups and electronics are secondary for me as I can always fix these as long as the wood is good.

I'd love the hear what anyone's got to say.

C.Linton · #2 11-25-2012, 03:20 PM

All I can tell you is that I have two Indonesian Squiers (VM J and VM P), and the build quality on both is just about perfect.

JimB52 · #3 11-25-2012, 04:12 PM

I know I want one. I tried a Squier '51 RI (actually more like a '55) at GC the other day and it had a beautiful flamed maple neck with really good fretwork. The Tele is a medium scale, so the neck's a little shorter than the '51, but same country of origin.
The down side was that the body felt like it might be plywood and the tone control didn't work.

**twocargar** · #4 11-25-2012, 04:24 PM

I have the 'Crafted in China' Tele neck on my VM Jazz body, and it's one of the nicest necks I've played.

Hilton Marsh · #5 11-25-2012, 04:38 PM

Why not go boutiQue and get a telebass made so it is to your specs. Re-sale on the CHinese , Kporea and Indo made basses are not up with the re-sale prices on the MIA and MIJ basses as yet, so a boutique might hold its value better. Bare in mind I dont actually know what a Squier bass costs as I dont play those models.

Diesel Kilgore · #6 11-25-2012, 04:44 PM

Dont worry about an Indonesian Squier. They say 'Crafted in Indonesia' for a reason. My Jag is awesome. Not flawless but darn good.

el basso · #7 11-25-2012, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hilton Marsh

Why not go boutiQue and get a telebass made so it is to your specs. Re-sale on the CHinese , Kporea and Indo made basses are not up with the re-sale prices on the MIA and MIJ basses as yet, so a boutique might hold its value better. Bare in mind I dont actually know what a Squier bass costs as I dont play those models.

what? it is "bear in mind," and knowing what you don't know about the Squier Tele, why would you even bother chiming-in about the Squier Tele?

Hilton Marsh · #8 11-25-2012, 04:48 PM

I just rang Ellaways Music and they have an Indo Squier P-Bass in stock and Matt says its a quality bass with a killer tone. Unfortunately they haven't been able to stock the tele basses. Weird?

Hilton Marsh · #9 11-25-2012, 04:51 PM

I chimed in because I had heard the build qualiy on them was not great

Diesel Kilgore · #10 11-25-2012, 05:22 PM

They are, or should be. Tele's are like outcast children. Very hardly spoken of. But being cut from the same cloth as other VMs. It should be a winner.

Diesel Kilgore · #11 11-25-2012, 05:23 PM

Probably cant stock one because they are so new.

Immigrant · #12 11-25-2012, 06:29 PM

Sweetwater has them. And there's a few threads around here and the general feeling the new owners have is happiness, especially with the build quality at that price point.

grrg63 · #13 11-26-2012, 07:06 AM

I have one and I love it. The Wide Range Humbucker has an incredible deep sound, with way more definition than the old mudbuckers. The Jazz pickup gives you all the treble you need if thats what your after.

georgiagoodie · #14 11-26-2012, 11:01 AM

'Love mine!

aproud1 · #15 11-26-2012, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimB52

The down side was that the body felt like it might be plywood and the tone control didn't work.

It's Pine on the butterscotch model. Those things sound great!

C.Linton · #16 11-26-2012, 01:46 PM

This newer Tele bass is made of basswood.

Scott549 · #17 11-27-2012, 07:23 AM

I played one a couple months ago. Actually both the standard and the special. I thought the feel was very good. Preferred the sound of the single pickup version.

Dwarfcraft Aen · #18 11-28-2012, 09:44 AM

HEY ITS MAH BIRFDAY!
And in celebration of the blessed event, dear wife presented me with this

Which means I have something to contribute to the forum, again!
Let me tell you why you want this bass.
Humbucker in the neck is LOUD and BEEFY. and VERY DARK! It's almost like having flats on the bass. I've got the stock roundwounds on, though i usually use flats.

Bridge pickup is bright and spanky. Just like some wierdos like on their Jazz bass for clanky spanky toanz.

The scale is 32" easier to work than a 34" but more snap and definition than a short scale. A lot better low frequency response than my mustang bass. The neck is almost "P-bass" wide, but I found it usable. It might be due to the shorter scale that I fit with this, and not a ful scale P.

With Fuzz: The humbucker kind of overpowers some of my fuzz pedals. BUT switching to middle or bridge makes it plenty snarly again. I played it through an 8x10, with my Surrender Dorothy and Baby Thundaa pedals.

SUMMATION: Its got a lot of sounds, an easy scale, and it's cheap, as far as nice basses go. It's kind of ugly, I'll admit. But I'd rather have the electronic options than the better looking single pickup model.