Decked out Squier?

[precisionrules]

I think getting a new squier vm and a new tweed case would be the better option than a dented used one..ill have more money for a rig too and thats whats gonna be a huge part of my sound

 

[Burlington]

Sorry if this has been covered, but have you checked your local Craig'sList?

 

[precisionrules]

i have but only affinities around. Just give me some time. I may be able to get about $1110 for new gear. People are finally interested in what I have!

If thats the case ill start a new thread needing some thoughts on what to get with $1110 in a new bass rig

 

[Burlington]

Buy used man. I got my SWR 6x10 cab for about $400 used, it's an amazing beast.

 

[f.c.geil]

The CV Squier is a better instrument than the MIM, so I wouldn't go with the scratch and dent.

 

[spaz21387]

Buy used man. I got my SWR 6x10 cab for about $400 used, it's an amazing beast.

I also snagged a swr goliath sr for 400$ at gasp!!! guitar center. It was just sitting there unused in a corner of the bass room for about 3 months before I asked about it. They hooked it up and it was perfect. I came back the next day with a truck and took it home.

 

[Burlington]

I also snagged a swr goliath sr for 400$ at gasp!!! guitar center. It was just sitting there unused in a corner of the bass room for about 3 months before I asked about it. They hooked it up and it was perfect. I came back the next day with a truck and took it home.

Sometimes they don't know what they have! $400 is an amazing price for one of those, even if it is beat up. They last forever.

 

[precisionrules]

I can't use ebay to buy used and craigslist has no good basses im looking for. Where are other good sites for used?

Im having trouble finding some

 

[newbold]

If money were no object I'd get a VM tele bass and drop a Precision pickup in it. I'd have a strings-through bridge, awesome vontage style, and a maple neck.

However...a Classic Vibe P, stock, is a great bass as long as you get one with a tight neck pocket joint. Fit and finish are paramount to success with these so if you get a great one you're set with an amazing instrument.

 

[doktorfeelgood]

I planned to put QP's and change the bridge on my VM P but I've come to realise it just doesn't need, to me the Duncan Designed pickups already sound better than the stock Fender MIM pickups.

As for the VM vs CV, I didn't find the CV was any better, in fact I hated the sticky neck and small frets on the CV.

Yeah the "vintage" frets were a deal breaker for me, too with those basses....

 

[precisionrules]

Behringer Ultrabass BB410 1200W is only $10 more and it is 1200Watts opposed to the Hartke 410XL at 400watts

Which is better deal, i want better sound quality

 

[Von Felgenhauer]

I would stand by Hartke way before Behringer if not just for Larry's customer service. What other owner puts his personal cell number up to call if you have problems?

 

[Von Felgenhauer]

And plus you cant really go by the printed Watts. If that berhinger were to ever see 1200 watts it would probably smoke and die. A more conservative figure would be probably 200 watt Max with out the xmax being pushed to its limit.

 

[precisionrules]

ive heard behringer is cruddy anyways, just looked pretty good deal, but honestly, who here will ever power up to 1200watts?

 

[pudgychef]

+ another to a stock CV or VM Squier - I like the CVs better overall but thought the Duncan Designed P PU sounds very good in the VM Ps (ime, imho, ymmv)

Hartke LH500s seemed to go real cheap used...

 

[precisionrules]

where are you guys finding used gear websites? Craigslist doesnt have anything good near
me and i cant use ebay (dont have paypal)

 

[irishryno]

I would recommend the Babicz bridge over the Leo Quan. I have owned and played both. The Babicz is superior in every way for me personnally. They are also only 94 bucks and usually ship free. I would change the tuners to lighten up the nose heavy squire so you dont get nose dive on stage. There are some great Squiers out there and most of them seem to be the VM's. Most of the new VM's come with Duncan pups and are great on their own right. I wouldnt change them. For about 150 in investment and you can have a great playing Squier. I would get a pro set up, including getting the nut dressed so you can get better action. There is my suggestion.

 

[themacinator]

+1 on the Babicz. Current on three of my basses, my main three. Including my MIK Squier Jazz.

 

[doktorfeelgood]

Sorry - but I've got to break this up so I can read it:::

I have a 2009 Squire VM P-bass that I bought as a leftover at GC in 2010. When I played it at GC,

I really liked the way it sounded and felt as it was VERY light which is exactly what I was looking for.

But it was neck heavy so I changed out the stock tuners for some HipShot UltraLites that I had.

Then I had my local luthier file the nut slots to my taste and put new strings on it and set it up with the stock pups, cap, pots, and bridge.

I did about half a dozen gigs before I realized the bridge saddles were cheap white metal and were robbing me of tone so I switched out the whole bridge for a Gotoh 201 and it made a difference.

This last part I do NOT believe. But at least you didn't take it outta the box and change things as soon as you got it home. That's One Point IMO

Not a HUGE one, but enough. Played a few more gigs and by now had a good idea of what I wanted to do to tweak the sound. I bought a Sprague .047 Orange Drop cap and two CTS brass shaft mini-pots and re-wired the control cavity.

How? If you stayed within the same values for the exchanged parts, I don't believe this either.

I had to use mini pots because that's what they used at the factory because the Squier control cavity is smaller than a MIM or an MIA P-bass control cavity. But the cap and the pots did make a HUGE difference in the tone.

<sigh>

I'm loving it at this point. I played it like that for another 3 months or so before I decided that I wanted a little more bottom amd mids out of my sound and decided to go for a pup swap and I installed a DiMarzio WillPower middle pup and that bass transformed into a real amazing bass at that point.

Maybe so - but I don't think the OE p'ups are bad at all. The only thing this mod might do is bring in some more HIGHS for a slapper.

For the last year it's been my go-to bass for almost ALL my gigs. I have a '68 Jazz parts bass that's really nice and I'll take that out for special occasions.

IMO you can't go wrong with the VM P-bass but YMMV and you will have to look around to get one that has a good feel and a good truss-rod.

I tried a few other Squier basses out in the last 4 years or so and had problems with the truss-rods on a few of them. But when you get the one you want, just go slow with it and you'll be happy with it.
Oh....I forgot to mention that the bass only cost me $239 bucks out the door. IMO the Squiers are tremendous value for the money.

Now if I can only stop GAS-ing for that new Black/maple neck American made American Special P-bass that's at my local GC......lol

Just wondering if you've had any personal experience with this type of bass and these exact mods that I did to mine...?

 

[SurferJoe46]

Just wondering if you've had any personal experience with this type of bass and these exact mods that I did to mine...?

Certain aspects, yes - others no way!

The Orange drop is a fake and it makes absolutely NO difference in tone - but people constantly fool themselves into believing otherwise - or they just vehemently defend the expense and trouble to install it with their lives.

I also have no practical use or need for Ultra Lites - they just don't come into my view as important when a good strap will counteract any perceived neck dive (real or otherwise) that I've ever had.

The Fenderesque bridge is a subject of sore responses also. NO - I've never ever thought of changing a Fender style bridge out for some other foolscap device. Again - stooooopid money being thrown at a stoooopid idea and glossy ideals that are defended by the fish that actually buy them. Then there's the lack of any real, non knee-jerk substantiated results.

CTS stuff is really great though - I love their parts, although I only use them on an 'as needed' level. I will stick with pretty much anything that works even if it's stock, made in China or not. Once something fails and I need to replace it, then in goes the CTS - but not until I have a failure happening.

As far as MY experience with the VM-P, I had one and loved it totally stock. I also mod'd one for another guy when I was living in SoCal. What he wanted was silly in my opinion and I saw no actual improvement in the guitar except for a little more bling in the bridge he wanted on it - much to my dismay.

I found his bass actually got thinner-sounding and needed more attack to get any decent music outta it.

As he wanted it, I then put the Fender Samarium Cobalts on it that he bought and they just sucked all the good outta the bass for real.

So - yeah SOME experience.