Quote:
Originally Posted by FourBanger  FWIW the Special only sounds good if you employ the bass tone boost (the active bit) otherwise the pickups are quite bad. It can sound good, but it needs that crutch. The other model has nice pickups in their own right.
Not sure how long the sale lasts, the normal difference in price is $100.
Edit: don't knock on Agathis, some very nice sounding instruments can be made from it, I would personally put it above some of the really soft basswods and poplars out there. |
What FourBanger tells is partially true in this sense:
agathis can be on par with poplar and very hardly compares basswood.
But just like that:
agathis is a hard wood off pine family (in this case, havin' pine in China - see Squier Classic Vibe butterscotch '50s Precision - agathis is, from Indonesia, where Vintage Modified Squier are manufactured, the Indo pine) it can be clearly resonant yet poor in fundamental so, employed in entry level/beginner instruments, where the kid's just startin' to learn, with no band
in sight yet, he/she can experiment a brilliant timber whenever
playin' in a shop or at bedroom practicin'. Furthermore, learnin' to improve side by side his/her skills and bass performance, agathis is hard enough to allow drillin', chamberin', moddin', etc
Basswood is less clearly resonant but, still with not so much fundamemtal, has a much more distinctive edge so, even if sometimes a bit "nosy", cuts thru and sits better in the mix. So if he/she are good to go for band rehearsals/gigs, they won't be disappointed with their tone together with other band members. Yes, basswood it's soft, so sometimes lighter than agathis and generally not so forgivin' before drillin' and moddin'
Back to basses from Op, I never came across a stacked knob 3TS Squier Jaguar, only full black are available over here. Yet I once owned a crimson red Jaguar Special (because no 3TS was available back in the day) especially for its basswood body, and it sounded huge. Yes Duncan Designed (pay attention here: no original Seymour Duncan's, just cheap reproductions) are way hotter than Special's with phatboost rolled off. But if you'd like a passive P/J Jaguar, with a few bucks more you can achieve a MIC Fender Modern Player Jaguar, assembled in the Squier Classic Vibe facility and with perfect fit and finish
Cheers,
Wallace
