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Agathis or Alder. .. REAL difference?

M

Mr_Sore_Fingerz

Oct 10, 2007
1,084
8
Houston, Texas
#1
I'm looking to buy a P-bass and im on a low budget...

It's between the Squier VM P-bass or a used MIM Fender P. I'm going to be replacing the pickups with S.D. Quarter Pounders and im wondering if the wood will make much of a difference in the sound (Squier is agathis, MIM would be alder).

Would the S.D p-up really pick up on the wood differences or would it not make much of a difference? I'm also playing this through a Traynor all-tube head, so please keep that in mind as well.



If anyone wants to sell off a Squier VM P-bass or a MIM Fender after reading this, send me a link or PM if you want =)
 
#4
either way, i think you'll only hear a difference if you want to. you'll probably be able to hear a difference from one squire to the next really. if it was me i'd go with a new squire between your 2 choices. play as many as you can and pick the one you like best. the vm with a tort pickguard would look sexy as hell.
 
#7
ConspiracyBass said:
I played a VM Squier awhile back and it sounded really good. Just like a P-Bass should. Unless you already have the Duncans (and you get the Squier) I would seriously think again about the pickup swap.
Click to expand...

you think Quarter Pounders would be a bad move? I hear a lotta good about them and to be totally honest, I'd really be using this for picking most of the time and playing at my friend's church every week or so (could probly just roll off the tone knob to ease the aggression).

I liked the p-ups on the VM but figured the Quarters would make it even better...what about them dont you like?
 
#9
I think my squiers' pups (seymour duncan designed) are great. Of all my P-basses this one sounds excellent. The only bass that sounds better is my MIM Pbass with the SD SPB-2 pup......

Leave the originals in, or at least play with them for a while..


Mike
 
#10
keyboardguy said:
I think my squiers' pups (seymour duncan designed) are great. Of all my P-basses this one sounds excellent. The only bass that sounds better is my MIM Pbass with the SD SPB-2 pup......

Leave the originals in, or at least play with them for a while..


Mike
Click to expand...

I hate to admit it, but I got that "OMG I can't go on stage with an everything stock Squier" thing going on (I'm 20...gimme a break lol). If the pickups arent that big of a deal, I can just focus on p-up covers and a pickguard change-out....and sanding that headstock logo off lol

Is your SPB-2 a big tonal difference or no? Would you put one in the Squier?
 
#11
Mr_Sore_Fingerz said:
I hate to admit it, but I got that "OMG I can't go on stage with an everything stock Squier" thing going on (I'm 20...gimme a break lol). If the pickups arent that big of a deal, I can just focus on p-up covers and a pickguard change-out....and sanding that headstock logo off lol

Is your SPB-2 a big tonal difference or no? Would you put one in the Squier?
Click to expand...

Keep the logo, the VM line is amazing. I wouldn't change anything on the P bass other than a nice tort guard, then strings and a setup. The stock pickups sound great, and are even Duncan designed. I wouldn't bother changing them, just play the hell out of it!
 
#12
Mr_Sore_Fingerz said:
I hate to admit it, but I got that "OMG I can't go on stage with an everything stock Squier" thing going on (I'm 20...gimme a break lol). If the pickups arent that big of a deal, I can just focus on p-up covers and a pickguard change-out....and sanding that headstock logo off lol
Click to expand...

It isn't far beneath the surface. I scratched a piece off of the "S" accidently.So, I just took lacquer thinner to mine...off in a jiffy.

I'm gonna keep an eye out for a classy sticker.

Ive added a few things to my VM Fretless...( my favorite addition was 250k US CTS pots)
 
#13
You can tell the differences between different woods in two separate recordings. None are bad or good... just different. Gotta try out both, no two pieces of wood are the same anyways. Especially overseas guitars, who knows where the wood comes from and how consistent the selection is.

But yes you would be able to tell the difference in tone. One will have more attack or less sustain or more mids.. etc...
 
#15
Just my 2c......& I know we ain't talking about basswood, but outta the two basses I had that were pretty much I dentical except one Basswood & one alder- I gotta admit the alder one was punchier & had more guts & sustain. I evenb swapped out the elecs from one to the other & STILL the basswood one sucked compared! Take what U want outta that, but IMHO ALDER eats basswood in bass bodies for MY needs!
 
#16
troyus said:
You can tell the differences between different woods in two separate recordings. None are bad or good... just different. Gotta try out both, no two pieces of wood are the same anyways. Especially overseas guitars, who knows where the wood comes from and how consistent the selection is.

But yes you would be able to tell the difference in tone. One will have more attack or less sustain or more mids.. etc...
Click to expand...

+100

I would rather have a bass with a good resonant piece of agathis, then a deadsounding piece of alder.

All the cort action basses (agathis bodies) i've played sounded very decent. Not the most complex sounding pieces of wood, but resonant and decent. I've played many alder bodied basses that sounded dead to me, including mim jazzes. I'm not bashing all mim jazzes. I've played excellent mim jazzes, but i've allso played horrible ones.

Greetz,

Cigi
 
#17
I have an agathis bodied ESP/LTD B-155. Great unplugged tone, nice and resonant, good sustain.

I got it to pull the frets out of it, but almost didn't due to the great stock tone.

The only thing that let's it down a little are the stock LTD electronics. They are good, but not great.

The agathis body is much better than I had hoped it would be. I'd say go for the VM, and don't sweat over the agathis!

BTw, do a google picture search for agathis. What a beautiful tree. I have one as a desktop background.

oyo
 
#19
Mr_Sore_Fingerz said:
I hate to admit it, but I got that "OMG I can't go on stage with an everything stock Squier" thing going on (I'm 20...gimme a break lol). If the pickups arent that big of a deal, I can just focus on p-up covers and a pickguard change-out....and sanding that headstock logo off lol

Is your SPB-2 a big tonal difference or no? Would you put one in the Squier?
Click to expand...


Hopefully you'll get over that Logo thing. Really, no one cares what it says on the headstock if you do your job well. I've been playing an SX (half the price of the Squier with an Alder body) for years, and never heard anyone in the real gigging world say anything negative.

I'd recomend against the 1/4 pounder. Worst sounding P p/u on the market IMO. Too hot, too much top end ,and very grainy sounding IMO (for whatever that's worth). Otheres seem to love them, but for me..... nope. The stock Squier P/U isn't bad. The Spb-2 is a better sounding P/U IMO, but I like vintage sounding stuff.
I usea a Jason Lollar P/U myself in my "workhorse" P.
 
#20
savit260 said:
Hopefully you'll get over that Logo thing. Really, no one cares what it says on the headstock if you do your job well. I've been playing an SX (half the price of the Squier with an Alder body) for years, and never heard anyone in the real gigging world say anything negative.

I'd recomend against the 1/4 pounder. Worst sounding P p/u on the market IMO. Too hot, too much top end ,and very grainy sounding IMO (for whatever that's worth). Otheres seem to love them, but for me..... nope. The stock Squier P/U isn't bad. The Spb-2 is a better sounding P/U IMO, but I like vintage sounding stuff.
I usea a Jason Lollar P/U myself in my "workhorse" P.
Click to expand...

well its the fact that its all stock, not that its a squier. Although I will be taking some laquer thinner to it (thanks to a suggestion from a previous poster lol) the problem isnt in the squier itself. It's just if its ALL STOCK then it bothers me.

No, I do appreciate your opinion on the 1/4 pounder, i have actually heard some bad reviews as of late (lotta finger noise and buzzing) with them and changed my mind. If I do replace i will get Dimarzio Split-P's or the SPB-2's.
 

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