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"Vintage Modified" vs. "Classic Vibe"

D

DrVenkman

Jan 22, 2010
191
18
Pacific NW
#1
Still chasing the perfect $200 bass, and I've started to look at the Squiers. Everyone says to run screaming from the Affinity series but that the VM and CV's are pretty good, maybe even on part with a MIM Fender.

So what's the difference between the VM and CV line? Would you pick one over the other, and why? And if you only had about $200 to spend on a bass and really wanted a jazz-style bass (in terms of tone, flexibility, and how the neck feels), what would YOU buy?
 
#2
The CV is better to me i like the glossier necks , i like the looks better and i think the ainco pickups are better, i like my CV for then any MIM i owned but i have not owned a 2008+ MIM the ones that got upgraded i have never played so i may like those more. But the cvs are awesome i love the 50's P bass.
 
#9
EagleMoon said:
Classic Vibe all the way. Quality-wise you can't beat them. Better than the MIM Fenders for sure. With a pot change/pickup change you can have a bass very close to a MIA Fender. Even without that they're still very very nice.
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I'll go along with that, although I think the stock pickups are really good. I have tended to avoid the Fender standard (MIM) line, and have disliked the ones I have played. The Roadworn series is a whole other ball of wax, and one of the best deals out there, though. At any rate, my CV 50s P is an amazing bass for the money, or three time the money for that matter!
 
#13
king_biscuit said:
I'll go along with that, although I think the stock pickups are really good. I have tended to avoid the Fender standard (MIM) line, and have disliked the ones I have played. The Roadworn series is a whole other ball of wax, and one of the best deals out there, though. At any rate, my CV 50s P is an amazing bass for the money, or three time the money for that matter!
Click to expand...

aside from the LPB MIMs with the maple boards mim P's do nothing for me and pale in comparison to the CV series and the stock electronics are very nice for the cash
 
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#14
I have one of each of the Jazz basses. I have to say I really like them both, though the neck profile on the VM is much more to my liking. I cannot say much about the stock electronics in the CV vs the VM as my CV came heavily modded.

However, I have the original CV pups and they are going in a current project. I have played several CV jazz basses in shops and still cannot say enough about them. But then the same goes for the VM Jazz. And FWIW, the VM is currently my favorite of all 6 of my basses.

The best advice I can give is to play each yourself. Hopefully in the same shop, side by side through the same amp. You will then be able to tell which you likie better in terms of tone and feel.
 
#16
I have a VM P. I bought it new for $200 from Guitar Center a few years back. I swapped in a Lollar pickup, with some high quality parts (CTS Pots, Switchcraft jack, etc), and did some minor work on the frets. Now, I have a P bass that sounds and plays better than any USA P bass I've come across, and it only cost me $300.
 
#17
A few other things to consider. The CV jazz is basswood which should lend itself to being a lighter bass, but that rule is not written in stone. All pieces of wood are not equal. The fretted VM jazz is made of soft maple, and the VM fretless is made of agathis. It's always best to try before you buy. Everyone is different and values different things. That being said I myself like the CV based on looks. I think both models are great basses at an awesome price.
 
#18
Between the VM ((fretted)) jazz and the CV jazz, based off a side by side comparison through a Fender 250 watt 2x10 combo, I must say I would go with the VM. Aesthetically, the natural finish on the body is one of the best out there, and black block/bound inlay on the neck is a nice touch. In terms of feel, I've always felt it had a much more comfortable neck, as I prefer a more satin finish as opposed to a gloss one on a neck, like can by found on the CV. And finally, tonally the VM is more aggressive ((but still flexible)) which I prefer to the politeness of the CV ((which is also, still quite flexible)). Something worth noting is that every CV jazz I've played or heard has seemed to have rather dismal output in comparison to the VM...This could be attributed to the "politeness" I cited earlier.
I guess it all comes down to what you want to do. Obviously you like the flexibility the J-bass offers, but if you are gonna spend a great deal of your time in the realm of rock/punk/any other fast paced "aggressive" music, I would go with the VM. If your musical quest lies on a softer path, maybe I'd pick the CV...But I suppose if you plan on modding none of this really matters. Load either one of them with SD Quarter Pounders and CTS pots, and they'll both sound ((for the most part)) like a jazz bass with QPs and CTS pots. So I guess in the event that you plan to mod, pick the one you think looks coolest. : )
 
#19
:rollno:

The CV and VM are both great for what you pay for them, and you won't be disappointed. But to say that swapping out the electronics puts them on par with a MIA Fender is pretty, well, wrong. Not even in the same ball park.

I owned the VM Fretless Jazz for about a year, and loved it. However, close to the end of that year, screws started popping out of the backs of the tuners, and wouldn't stay in. Hard to say what else would have started falling off/out with more time. Definitely worth the money, and definitely giggable (I gigged it pretty steady), but not a life-long companion.

The CV Squiers seem to be about the same quality-wise, but seem better built in the sense of better feel, better tone, etc. Build quality I expect is the same.

You can't go wrong with either one, for the money, but likely leaning towards the CV.
 
#20
I remember going to the music store to get a bass and being amazed by all the choices. I played as many as time allowed and really liked a very expensive bass, but couldn't afford it, so I bought a really inexpensive bass that sounded pretty good. Each day I played it, I kept wishing I could afford the really expensive bass. To quiet these thoughts, I kept telling myself how awesome my bass sounded (poor grammar) in comparison to the other, more expensive basses. I even managed to find other bassists who agreed with me (we spent alot of time talking about the awesomeness of our instruments). Then one day, the stars aligned and the bass I really wanted went on sale! Without a second thought, I traded in my less expensive bass, purchased my more expensive bass, then went back to the bass clubhouse to show off. On the way, many fine ladies saw my awesome instrument and immediately became groupies. Went I got to the clubhouse, I could not resist the urge to trash everybodies basses. They felt bad and wanted to kick me out, but I said, "what are you so mad about? You to could save your money and get the bass of your dreams!" They thought about it, then did exactly that!

About 3 weeks later, we ran into this group of guys who had even more awesome instruments than we did. The girls that were with us, stopped hanging out with us. We asked this new group what was so special about their instruments. They replied "they are custom built. You can find them at a place called boutique, if you can afford it". We all walked away feeling pretty bad about ourselves, until we started pumping ourselves up about how awesome our instruments really are, compared to those "boutique" basses. each of us went home, and even though we kept meeting regularly, we each secretly started saving money so we could get a boutique bass and rub it in the faces of those who don't have one.
 
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