I aspire to an American Precision someday. If I get a used Squier CV Precision, will it give me an effective, accurate preview of a top-line Fender? If not, what would I be missing out on?
Thanks,
Jon
Thanks,
Jon
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Can I "train" for a Fender precision with a Squier Classic Vibe Precision?
- Thread starter JProbber
- Start date
With CNC technology where it is, I'm not sure it works that way. You may find a Squier that sounds/feels as good as a US Fender. It really depends on the instrument. Many Squiers punch way above their weight class. And many US Fenders are sadly disappointing. Get yourself in a guitar shop and start playing both. You might be surprised.
It is essentially the same instrument just using different quality materials so both should feel the same in general terms.
This is a new concept to me and I've played many different basses over a 50 year career. Training towards a particular bass seems to me to be unnecessary. A bass is a bass. Not long ago I set up a friend's Squier Precision and there was very little difference between it and my old '73 Precision. You will adapt to whatever you buy quickly and easily.
My 2014 CIC Squier Mattfreeman P play and feel great in my hand. The neck are rock solid and stead and great build. I also own Mexi Vintera 50s P and play some American Stadard and Pro P . The MF P just as great as both of them without huge money spend.
With a high end replacement pickup and a professional setup you might find that the Squier gives you everything you seek, except the Fender logo, at a fraction of the cost.
I have two American Precisions and a Squier Classic Vibe Precision that plays every bit as good as the American P’s with a couple caveats.
1. I had to play several Squiers until I found one under 9lbs and without any obvious neck issues. Some were twisted, some had high spots. I wouldn’t buy a Squier without playing it first.
2. I had to do a full setup, and sand the neck on the Squier as the American P’s only needed minor adjustments.
Other then that you wouldn’t be able to tell which is which in a blind test either hearing or playing it.
1. I had to play several Squiers until I found one under 9lbs and without any obvious neck issues. Some were twisted, some had high spots. I wouldn’t buy a Squier without playing it first.
2. I had to do a full setup, and sand the neck on the Squier as the American P’s only needed minor adjustments.
Other then that you wouldn’t be able to tell which is which in a blind test either hearing or playing it.
I regularly play a Sonic P and it's a great bass. I also have 2 Vintera I P's that are a different animal, feel-wise, but are also great basses. I don't GAS for any US Fenders, or any other US mass produced bass for that matter. I have lots of fancier stuff but, while they cost more (sometimes by an order of magnitude) they don't deliver much more and sometimes much less. My 2 cents.
BBB
BBB
Agree that Squier Sonic are unbeatable !! 38mm nut width and round neck profile also has great playing feel to me. Factory fret levelling and fret job are better than Indonesian Classic Vibe bass i been setup and own my self.
The low cost ceramic pickup also sound just nice, has better P vibe than Vmod on Am Pro P !
Anthony from Empire music also praise how Sonic P pup sound.
Those Squier basses are a great value. A classic vibe with an EMG geezer pickup or Nordstrand would sound amazing.
Despite what some will say, the neck shape and dimensions are slightly different than their USA counterparts. Not better or worse just different. The width can be the same but thickness from front to back or the taper from top to bottom may not be the same from model to model as an example. Although the Squier necks fall into the Import neck specs as I call them. With very few exception, most import necks share the same specs.
The variations in neck specs even happens within the US line, neck specs can differ slightly from model to model.
If you can play the Squier P bass, you will be able to play the American versions, IMHO
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Yes. A Squier is the same design, just cheaper. A Squier acts just like its Fender equivalent, in every way but the details of component quality. In most cases, a Squier that has had all of its hardware and electronics "upgraded" can be a professional level instrument. When you install really good stuff, it can be a better quality instrument than a stock standard American Fender (as standard American Fenders don't really use high quality components any more – e.g. most of the hardware is made in Asia, not made locally or sourced from Schaller like it was in days past).
That said, I usually leave my Squiers stock – at least the ones I've purchased new in the past 10–15 years. They are quite good these days. As I said above, a lot of the parts on the American versions – which used to be considered much better parts in terms of quality – have now been cheaped out so much that the quality gap isn't that big. I find a lot of my stock Squier hardware and electronics to be perfectly fine until they actually break – at which point I would upgrade to actual upgrades from the aftermarket, not the parts used on standard American Fenders. I tend to go for Schaller tuners and Hipshot bridges when "upgrading" a cheap-O Fender style bass. Many other aftermarket "upgrades" aren't really upgrades. They're just slightly to moderately less cheaped out stuff, but marketed as being high end.
In most cases IME, the original Squier parts never break, the electronics sound fine, and the instrument ends up staying stock. And I say this as someone who is very critical about craftsmanship, and also owns innumerable "high quality" basses. When it comes down to it, a skilled bassist can get the job done on a stock Squier, and no one else would ever know without reading the headstock. I don't treat my Squiers any differently than I treat my Fenders or G&Ls. They're all basses. They all work. They all sound like me when I play 'em.
That said, I usually leave my Squiers stock – at least the ones I've purchased new in the past 10–15 years. They are quite good these days. As I said above, a lot of the parts on the American versions – which used to be considered much better parts in terms of quality – have now been cheaped out so much that the quality gap isn't that big. I find a lot of my stock Squier hardware and electronics to be perfectly fine until they actually break – at which point I would upgrade to actual upgrades from the aftermarket, not the parts used on standard American Fenders. I tend to go for Schaller tuners and Hipshot bridges when "upgrading" a cheap-O Fender style bass. Many other aftermarket "upgrades" aren't really upgrades. They're just slightly to moderately less cheaped out stuff, but marketed as being high end.
In most cases IME, the original Squier parts never break, the electronics sound fine, and the instrument ends up staying stock. And I say this as someone who is very critical about craftsmanship, and also owns innumerable "high quality" basses. When it comes down to it, a skilled bassist can get the job done on a stock Squier, and no one else would ever know without reading the headstock. I don't treat my Squiers any differently than I treat my Fenders or G&Ls. They're all basses. They all work. They all sound like me when I play 'em.
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Yes. Fantastic instruments that are far and beyond better quality of what was available to me many decades ago. Dare I say, they are made better than the first P I owned, maybe.
You can make music on any bass, cheap or not doesn't matter. Don't overthink the gear. Just practice and have fun!
This is just a suggestion Jon. Play a lot. Have fun. Your aspiration may change with time.
Play. Noodle. Practice. Steal chords by ear. Practice scales and chords and learn the notes on the fretboard. Do all that and you can sit down with any bass and play it. Once you get used to that bass, you'll play it well. I switch between long, short and medium scales, hollow, semi-hollow and slab, string spacing and number of strings (I'm a 4 guy at heart) I can gig all of my basses, from the Squier Affinity P to my custom Drakes.
When you get ready to by another, play as many as you can find. One will call your name.
When you get ready to by another, play as many as you can find. One will call your name.
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2 things:
1- If you play bass, you play bass. Even with their differences, most basses are similar enough that it takes a microscopic amount of time to adjust to the slight differences. Any bass you have now is fine, and when you get a new bass, you'll still be able to play it. Every bass is ever so slightly different from every other bass, but they're all pretty much the same at the end of the day. Don't overthink the nuanced differences of two models, especially two nearly identical models such as a Squier (by Fender) P and a Fender P.
There is no special training needed to play an American Fender Precision.
2- Don't aspire to a certain bass. Aspire to play better and then get that bass you lust after when it's financially feasible... but only if you play it first and it's everything you thought it was going to be. The magic you imagine in your head and see in the pictures and when other people play it in videos isn't always there when you actually get your hands on it.
It's that old saying, "Never meet your heroes." That saying gets applied to many things, including bass guitars. Too many times people "aspire to" their dream bass, only to spend a lot of money on it and find out, it's kinda crap. Or at least it's nothing special. Or it just doesn't vibe with them when they play it.
I'm not saying don't lust after instruments you want. I'm not saying don't get an American Precision if you really want one. Just, don't "aspire" to it, like getting it means you've achieved something, or like it'll make you a better player. All getting an American Fender Precision means is you've traded money for a bass guitar and now you have another bass guitar.
You're the player you are on any bass. Dream-basses are just expensive toys for some, and expensive tools for others. But it's you that makes music with it.
And if you do play one and you do love the way it feels and sounds, by all means, get that thing!
1- If you play bass, you play bass. Even with their differences, most basses are similar enough that it takes a microscopic amount of time to adjust to the slight differences. Any bass you have now is fine, and when you get a new bass, you'll still be able to play it. Every bass is ever so slightly different from every other bass, but they're all pretty much the same at the end of the day. Don't overthink the nuanced differences of two models, especially two nearly identical models such as a Squier (by Fender) P and a Fender P.
There is no special training needed to play an American Fender Precision.
2- Don't aspire to a certain bass. Aspire to play better and then get that bass you lust after when it's financially feasible... but only if you play it first and it's everything you thought it was going to be. The magic you imagine in your head and see in the pictures and when other people play it in videos isn't always there when you actually get your hands on it.
It's that old saying, "Never meet your heroes." That saying gets applied to many things, including bass guitars. Too many times people "aspire to" their dream bass, only to spend a lot of money on it and find out, it's kinda crap. Or at least it's nothing special. Or it just doesn't vibe with them when they play it.
I'm not saying don't lust after instruments you want. I'm not saying don't get an American Precision if you really want one. Just, don't "aspire" to it, like getting it means you've achieved something, or like it'll make you a better player. All getting an American Fender Precision means is you've traded money for a bass guitar and now you have another bass guitar.
You're the player you are on any bass. Dream-basses are just expensive toys for some, and expensive tools for others. But it's you that makes music with it.
And if you do play one and you do love the way it feels and sounds, by all means, get that thing!
Not a P bass but yes another Squier Jazz bass in action. It’s the notes played not the name on the headstock that makes the difference, imho
