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A lil disappointed with fender :(

skiscem

skiscem

Aug 16, 2006
2,092
35
deerfield beach florida
www.lostky.net
#1
First of all this is not a thread to talk bad about fender.. i just got disappointed and i waned to share

I own 2 squiers Jazz deluxe v, I own a few high end basses but for a reason this two basses are on my main rig.. believe me, i wasnt a Squier believer until i played the jazz deluxe..
well the point is that I saw this bass online called Fender Jazz Bass 24 V, looks a lot like the squier and comes with "better" parts.. you know is a Fender..Wich is priced at $800.. not too bad for a fender.
I was almost pulling the trigger without even playing it... but today i had the chance to see one in person at my local music store.
Nice fit, finish etc. etc... but everything looked exactly like my squier, neck, hardware, control layout, and almost the same sound...
So i went to look in the back of the headstock, and i found this MADE IN KOREA, So now everything makes sense... the squier jazz deluxe and the Fender 24 v are made with the same parts, same bridge, same necks, i mean like 70% of the bass is Exactly the same as my Squier...
So what i dont understand is why fender is selling this bass being almost an exact copy of the Squier For more than double?
If it was made in Mexico i understand, But Almost identical? even both made overseas, with the same hardware with a few modification..
They changed the controls layout, but they do exactly the same in both basses, even the slap switch

I dont want to open a can of worms or anything, i just wanted to share this with everyone. And i like fenders!!

Here is the links for both basses

Squier
Link Removed

Fender
Invalid Link Removed
 
#2
Hmmm.....I sort of understand what ur trying to say.

I do think that Squiers and Made in Korea Fenders are made in the same factory.

But do you know why the Fender is more expensive than the Squier?

Indeed the Fender Jazz Bass 24 looks very similar to the Squier Active V, but the Fender has the more higher end parts.

The Fender has seymour duncans pickups which are VERY great pickups.

The squier has original active pickups which are also great, but they are made overseas. The seymour duncans are handmade in the USA, which raises quality and price too.

The Squier is made of basswood which is commonly used on low end basses like Squier.

The Fender is made of alder which has more sustain and tone over basswood (in my opinion, some people like basswood).

So, it`s just the quality of the parts and woods that make the Fender mor expensive.
 
#5
Well, the name is everything. That's just part of life. :D

It seems to me that there are a lot of minor additions made to the Fender that bump up the price as well. Rolled edges on the fingerboard, and other structural issues that you don't pay as much attention to on a cheaper bass.
 
#6
arjune said:
Well, the name is everything. That's just part of life. :D

It seems to me that there are a lot of minor additions made to the Fender that bump up the price as well. Rolled edges on the fingerboard, and other structural issues that you don't pay as much attention to on a cheaper bass.
Click to expand...


And also isn`t the Squier Active V fretboard made of ebonol?

BTW, ebonol is a hard resin rubber.

I think rosewood is definately better than rubber.
 
#7
skiscem said:
i give you the woods used the pickups and maybe the 2 more frets, but the hardware is exactly the same, i mean the same, the tuner are different but the ones on the fender are "Hipshot" LIcensed not made here, im not a big fan of quilt tops, i like the flat black that BTW is cheaper than a glossy finish
Click to expand...

In regards to the finish, not really, since with a gloss finish, you can buff out any imperfections. But are sprayed in bullet proof plastic anyways.

Also, its $800 and has Fender on the head stock. That means when you sell it, you're not getting maybe 1/3 of what you paid for the instrument.

Generally with higher priced instruments, you have more attention to detail. I say generally because Gibson is a case and point in that matter. You'll likely have better fretwork, better woods, and yes, better hardware.

While I'm aware that you think the hardware is the same, it probably isn't. Similar yes, but exactly the same? Probably not likely (another case in point the Classic 50s P and the 57 AVRI using many of the same parts) You can get the part codes from Fender and compare. Same number, same part. Different number, different part. Just because some parts look exactly the same, doesn't mean they are.

Hipshot licensed, isn't nescessarily a bad thing. They have to meet Hipshots specs before getting the name tag on it.;)

Low end basses can sound great (how many people on this board play SXs and Squier VMs) but you usually get what you pay for, bearing in mind the law of diminishing returns. Since you own these Squiers, they've probably been set up, and get new strings once in awhile. Many stores (not just bigbox GC style stores) don't bother giving the new bass a setup and it goes from the box to the display. They also have the same factory round wounds until either the bass sells, or someone breaks a string on it.

I don't own either bass.:)
 
#8
Korean Fenders are made by Cor-Tek in Inchon.

They currently make virtually every Korean-made guitar in the store, no matter whose name is on the headstock.

Most (but certainly not all) of their product is fairly high-quality, depending entirely on contract specs. Some are superb instruments. It's whatever the contract calls for.

I am not positive, but I believe they are now making some Indonesian product for Squier. I've seen some of Cor-Tek's Indonesian output for another corporation that was absolutely flawless.

Personally, I'm really disappointed with Fender Corona's product right now. Very disappointing QC and materials. :rollno:
 
#11
What I find really interesting is the concept of diminishing returns in terms of sound as you go from $300 to $800 - I mean, I agree with everyone who pointed out the better pups, wood, rolled edges, etc., but the OP found almost the same sound and feel ("almost identical").
I just feel jealous of anyone starting out now, who can get decent, playable gear so inexpensively. Back in the day, a cheap bass played, felt, and sounded CHEAP!
 
#12
skiscem said:
I saw this bass online called Fender Jazz Bass 24 V, looks a lot like the squier and comes with "better" parts.. you know is a Fender..Wich is priced at $800.. not too bad for a fender.
I was almost pulling the trigger without even playing it... but today i had the chance to see one in person at my local music store.
Nice fit, finish etc. etc... but everything looked exactly like my squier, neck, hardware, control layout, and almost the same sound...
So i went to look in the back of the headstock, and i found this MADE IN KOREA, So now everything makes sense... the squier jazz deluxe and the Fender 24 v are made with the same parts, same bridge, same necks, i mean like 70% of the bass is Exactly the same as my Squier...

Squier
Link Removed

Fender
Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

Sorry, I just don't see it. The Squier looks nothing like the Jazz 24. I know, I own one and it's really good. For me it has been well worth the price. The Squier you show on the link looks completely different. As for it being Korean made, I don't see that as a bad thing. About 10 years ago my favorite bass was a Korean made Ibanez and to me the neck on the 24 harkens me back to my old SG400.
 
#15
Fender does not have a factory in Korea. The Jazz 24 series is built by Cort.....who happens to be one of the best instrument manufacturers in Asia. Some of their bass model are exactly like the JAzz 24....just different body and headstock shapes.
 
#16
Esulatell said:
I did'nt know Fender had a factory in Korea :confused:
Infact i'm pretty sure they don't.

The main to are Mexico and America.

AND Fender don't display where the instrument was made on the back of ANY of their headstocks.
Click to expand...

They don't, as someone already pointed out. It is made in Korea by another company for Fender (as per their specifications). Think Craftsman tools, i.e. a drill made for CM by Ryobi but with a little change here and there. You can thank sigma-six for that.
 
#18
arjune said:
It seems to me that there are a lot of minor additions made to the Fender that bump up the price as well. Rolled edges on the fingerboard, and other structural issues that you don't pay as much attention to on a cheaper bass.
Click to expand...
The Squier has a rolled fingerboard, as do many instruments Cort build.

Asgard222 said:
And also isn`t the Squier Active V fretboard made of ebonol?

BTW, ebonol is a hard resin rubber.

I think rosewood is definately better than rubber.
Click to expand...
Don't be so quick to judge, Ebanol is manufactured to give a similar tonality to ebony, and is a suprisingly good fretboard material, especially on fretless. It also makes for a very stable neck.
Bongolation said:
Korean Fenders are made by Cor-Tek in Inchon.

They currently make virtually every Korean-made guitar in the store, no matter whose name is on the headstock.

Most (but certainly not all) of their product is fairly high-quality, depending entirely on contract specs. Some are superb instruments. It's whatever the contract calls for.

I am not positive, but I believe they are now making some Indonesian product for Squier. I've seen some of Cor-Tek's Indonesian output for another corporation that was absolutely flawless.
Click to expand...
Yes, Cort make the Vintage Modified, and the Deluxe Active series for Squier, as well as all Korean Fenders.
ClassicJazz said:
Fender does not have a factory in Korea. The Jazz 24 series is built by Cort.....who happens to be one of the best instrument manufacturers in Asia. Some of their bass model are exactly like the JAzz 24....just different body and headstock shapes.
Click to expand...
Yes they are, their own stuff is also as good as their sub-contracted stuff.
 
#20
I thought the Squiers were made in Indonesia, not Korea?

My local music store has a Squier Deluxe V and a Fender Jazz 24. There is a huge difference between them. The Squier had very noisy electronics, and strings through the bridge only. The Jazz 24 was easily the best bass in the store, although the only MIAs they had were Highway Ones. Had I not found a good deal on my G&L I may have picked up that 24.
 

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