Considering a Squier. Need input.

[Spent]

Just ordered a Chris Aiken, it was the FB that made the difference for me. I have a Seymour Duncan SPB-3 that'll be going in it. Also ordered a white pickguard, 250k pot, 0.047uF cap and white pickup covers. Probably going to go with gold hardware at some point.

 

[Spent]

The Chris Aiken showed up and 30 minutes later it had a Seymour Duncan SPB-3, new volume pot and a tone pot (250k each), a white pick guard, and new strings. Just for grins, I painted an old set of pickup covers white and slapped them on yesterday. I decided that gold would look better than chrome, so I ordered a gold bridge and gold Schaller bml tuners and of course a gold string tree as well as a real white set of pickup covers. The screws were replaced by gold screws I found at Lowes. With the few changes and the amazing neck (my favorite part, it's a great neck!) IMHO it is a great looking bass. More importantly, it's sounds fantastic. I've been playing it exclusively for the last few days and will bring it to a gig tonight. Seriously considering installing a j pickup, I'm addicted to PJ basses. After I replace the backplate, gotta go gold, the only original parts will be the body and neck. Did I mention how much I like the neck?

 

[Jhclark]

Don't get a squier affinity (obviously) but the mid to upper range squiers are definitely on par with how Mexicans used to be.

Maybe MIM have gone up in quality as well?

Blind taste-tests (that I saw on YouTube done by Lee Anderton and Rob Chappman) could tell which guitar was Mexican and which was American, but could not reliably tell the difference between Squier Classic Vibe and CUSTOM SHOP which either says the VCV are crazy good (whih I think) or there's a problem at the custom shop...

I convinced my wife to get a Squier Classic Vibe Deluxe Telecaster and now that she doesn't play it, I'm absolutely thrilled. Even the binding is exquisite. The fit and finish is at LEAST on par with the cheapest Fender models.

If youre a snob, then that's that. Obviously you're not, otherwise you wouldn't ask. So go for it. Not much to lose.

 

[Joedog]

I don't get the Squier hate. Yes, I've played some so-so (or worse) older ones, but also a few great ones. Several years back I picked up a Pro-tone 5 for a song, just for a cheapo "trunk bass" that I could leave in the hot car (FL) and not worry much about. It's one of my favorites now, and gets a lot of play time. Much more than I would have predicted! Best advice is to play ANY bass (if possible) before buying. If you love it... own it! If not, walk. Pretty simple.

 

[Spent]

I don't get the Squier hate. Yes, I've played some so-so (or worse) older ones, but also a few great ones. Several years back I picked up a Pro-tone 5 for a song, just for a cheapo "trunk bass" that I could leave in the hot car (FL) and not worry much about. It's one of my favorites now, and gets a lot of play time. Much more than I would have predicted! Best advice is to play ANY bass (if possible) before buying. If you love it... own it! If not, walk. Pretty simple.

That's why I posed the question, I was of the opinion that they were a good starter bass and nothing more. I really hadn't even looked at one since the last century. Either way, I kept going back and forth between the P Bass Standard and the Squiers. As you can see, Squier got a lotta love in this thread. Since I planned on modding the heck out, I went with the Chris Aiken. It played great out of the box, a lot more solid than I expected. The hardware was just OK, but the pickups were very nice. If I didn't have the SD laying around I probably would have left it. As I stated above, the neck is outstanding, very well made. I can see what these are so often modded. It's an inexpensive yet well made platform to start from.

 

[Rusty G String]

My Squier Standard is just an awesome player. I bought it used on eBay for $100 in brand new condition. I like the VMs also, but the ones I tried at GC had loose knobs, loose input jack, or horrible action. I know with a little work they'd be really nice. I like my squier every bit as much as my mim fender and can't justify the money for an American fender.

 

[bnolsen]

if you find a new bass at gc that doesnt have horrible action you probably deserve some sort of prize. all you acn do is check for a not twisted neck. the vm jazzes ive played have all been heavy, that would be one squier issue.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I've got a VM PJ, with a VM Jazz 70s neck, and it's the lightest bass I own - 8lbs on a bathroom scale, maybe a little more or less... So lighter models are out there. I was lucky, as I bought it sight unseen.

Considering throwing some Hipshot Ultralites on, the stock tuners are fine, though, and the bass balances well. Was going to put a Hipshot A bridge on, but the stock model intonates well and is sturdy enough.

The jack is well worth swapping, and the pots won't last forever, but nothing else NEEDS changing imo. Although it is a great mod platform.

The more I play it, the more I love this bass.

 

[Spent]

I played it at a gig last night, used my Aerodyne for the first two sets and the Squier for the third. Bottom line, I would have no problem using it all night long. It played and sounded great. I can't see how the mim standard would be noticibly different. Very happy with the Squier.

 

[INTP]

I have a Squier VM Jaguar that's a couple years old. It's a great bass. I had to dress a couple of frets, but it wasn't too bad. It is my second favorite bass to play (behind my Pedulla Thunderbass, which has a totally different sound). It has good pots, wiring, shielding, etc.

I have tried several Squier models in the store and the setup varies considerably, but they all seem to be great values.

I recently picked up a used P bass special (standard series) that was made in 2000. It's still a good value, but it isn't quite as nice as the VM Jaguar, particularly the electronics. It has cheap pots, no shielding and mediocre pickups. It needs fret work, but it's also 14 years old. If this means anything at all, I am inclined to agree that the VM series has raised the bar.

I prefer the VM series to the CV series, mostly because the CV basses I played had lower frets and I prefer the larger frets.

 

[codycon96]

Through my custom Squier (affinity p bass body with a vintage modified jazz neck) through a big box TV set once. all I had to do was tune the D & G string back into their places.

 

[BazzTard]

Squiers are now too expensive in Australia to be of any value.

$699 for a VM Squier or $1000 for a MIM Fender........

i know which one will hold it's value better

 

[trjazzluva05]

Bought me a Chris Aiken P Bass and it's great!!! Added time knob, changed pick guard and put a BA II bridge on it and it kills!!! I play gospel and have been playing it at church every week since I bought it! Eventually will switch out the pickup for an Aguilar or EMG pickup, but the Duncan Designed pickup sounds good for now...

 

[pudgychef]

+1 to a pile of what has been said - Current Squiers are reminiscent of those early MIJ Squires in that they are just great instruments - factor in the cost and they are silly good!

Have gigged plenty on a couple CV 60s Ps, 50s P and did a year straigh (plus recorded a CD) on a VM P - would love to grab a couple again BUT here in China they start at around $500USD