Difference between squier and mim fender

[pbgonecrazy99]

I was wondering if it would be better to buy a used squier precision bass, or to spend a little more on a used mim precision bass? I am going to put some new pickups in it regardless, but I was wondering if the MIM has a notably better quality than the squier that is worth paying for.

 

[tabdog]

The answer is yes and no. The MIM have
poorer pickups than the VM and CV. The
wiring is no better in a MIM. But the MIM
is better than the average Squier. But
only sometimes.

Confusing, I know.

But, each bass should be judged on it's
own merits. If you get a good one, it
doesn't really matter if it says Fender
or Squier.

The MIM and most Squiers will need a
pup and wiring upgrade. The VM and
CV already have a good pup.

Body materials vary and should be considered.
But, even the lowly Affinity can have a
nice alder body and a nice neck. Or a
more expensive CV may have a bass wood
body and a funkie neck. (most CV's have
bass wood bodies.) Most MIM have alder
bodies, I think. ( I may be wrong)

But, if you want Fender on the headstock,
spend the extra money.

Tabdog

 

[tbassist4]

I was wondering if it would be better to buy a used squier precision bass, or to spend a little more on a used mim precision bass? I am going to put some new pickups in it regardless, but I was wondering if the MIM has a notably better quality than the squier that is worth paying for.

Do yourself a HUGE favor: Go to the store, find a used Squier, find a used MIM (both are extremely abundant, even used), play them, and then buy whichever feels better. Done. You can't judge a bass as being better or worse without playing it. You'll find Squiers that are better than MIMs, you'll find MIM's that are better than Squiers. Even if you plan on changing electronics, the feel is the key to a good bass.

This thread will reach a ridiculous amount of posts, and it will just include a lot of bashing of both MIMs and Squiers from their respective parties. Do it the classic way - go try some basses, have tons of fun, and pick one you love.

 

[secretface]

The MIM's I have owned always had better wiring and pickups than the Squiers I've owned. But since you're replacing them it might not be such a big deal. However, the MIMs are made of Alder or Ash with Maple necks like their American counterparts. The Squires are a bit trickier. My VM PBass is made of Agathis and the CV's are Soft Maple or sometimes Basswood. Also the hardware seemed slightly better on the MIMs I've played compared to the Squires. However the fret jobs seemed better on the Squires! You just need to shop long and hard when buying one of these basses. It took me about 6 months, 5 stores, and probably 25 Jazz basses before I found the closest to perfection possible in a new MIM Jazz. I pray your mileage will vary!

 

[tabdog]

It took me about 6 months, 5 stores, and probably 25 Jazz basses before I found the closest to perfection possible in a new MIM Jazz. I pray your mileage will vary!

I did the same thing with P basses. I looked at MIM
and Squires for a year before my finances allowed
me to buy one. It was a good thing I had the time
because there are so many variations.

On Memorial Day, I finally played the VM P with the
soft maple body. I had not played it because I
thought I didn't care for a soft maple body or a maple
fretboard. I was wrong. The floor model had a two piece
body that seems expertly matched. The neck is real
nice and I like the sound of the Duncan pup. So I
took it home

Tabdog

 

[CLMSHQ]

MIM's are good, especially the MIM Classic 50's...Best deal out there for MIM's.
I had the FSR ash P 4yrs ago and loved it, but had to get rid of it do to unforseen expenses.

I had a CV 60's P...what a great comfortable Bass. The only change I did on it was put a Fender Vintage bridge. I gave that one up, unfortunalety as I was playing it more thatn my MIA Jazz, to my wife's Uncle for all his work helping us durign the 2010 Floods. He loves it.

Now I have a MIM 50's Classic P and a 08' MIA Jazz. Next purchase may be the CV 50's P in Butterscotch Blonde...damn sexy!

 

[nocontrols]

Do yourself a HUGE favor: Go to the store, find a used Squier, find a used MIM (both are extremely abundant, even used), play them, and then buy whichever feels better. Done. You can't judge a bass as being better or worse without playing it. You'll find Squiers that are better than MIMs, you'll find MIM's that are better than Squiers. Even if you plan on changing electronics, the feel is the key to a good bass.

This thread will reach a ridiculous amount of posts, and it will just include a lot of bashing of both MIMs and Squiers from their respective parties. Do it the classic way - go try some basses, have tons of fun, and pick one you love.

Best post yet. Correctly, absolutely. MIM Fenders are better than Affinity Squiers but the newer model CV and VM Squiers can quite legitimately give MIM Fenders a run for their money. Is it absolute one way or another? I've played both and loved them both and I can't say there's one super-obvious winner. I'd want to try both of them back to back and judge each bass independently before I said one or the other.

 

[pbgonecrazy99]

Best post yet. Correctly, absolutely. MIM Fenders are better than Affinity Squiers but the newer model CV and VM Squiers can quite legitimately give MIM Fenders a run for their money. Is it absolute one way or another? I've played both and loved them both and I can't say there's one super-obvious winner. I'd want to try both of them back to back and judge each bass independently before I said one or the other.

Ya, the newer squiers like the cv and vm are awesome. But I was just thinking basically material wise, if the mim is worth the extra money over the squier. I am replacing the electronics and pus almost immediately, so I wasn't going to bother looking at the cv or vm. I can buy a used squier pbass for about $100 or a mim for like $200 give or take. I was guessing the mim had better wood and craftsmanship than the squier, or otherwise why would anyone buy them over the squuer? I just haven't been around too many mims to know.

 

[Pilgrim]

A good Fender is a good Fender - regardless of whether it's an MIM or a Squier. A good Squier is better than a bad MIM.

The more you plan to replace, the LESS the difference matters. You can also replace everything and make a Squier a lot more expensive than a MIM Fender. For that matter, replacing pickups at retail prices can easily make a new Squier cost more than a pristine used MIM Fender. The "why" question occurs to me.

IMO the difference matters mostly if you plan to buy it and play it. If you're going to buy a bass and you've already decided to mod it, find a cheap one that plays well and then waste money "upgrading" it. I say waste, because it's money you cannot recover if you re-sell. If you keep it forever, then maybe it's worth the $ as a long-term benefit to you.

Planning to replace the pickups on either one before you ever play it mystifies me. I am not a believer in replacing pickups unless there is a problem to be solved - and it escapes me how there can be a problem with a bass you've never played.

 

[Jerry Callo]

Similar. Varies from one to the other. I also see no reason to replace the pu's in either one. They're fine.

Personally, if I wanted a cheap P, I'd get the CV Squier. Very nice and the price can't be beat. Getting less to save 50 bucks makes no sense.

 

[Bongolation]

The MIM and most Squiers will need a
pup and wiring upgrade.

Explain to me why either "need a wiring upgrade."

 

[pbgonecrazy99]

A good Fender is a good Fender - regardless of whether it's an MIM or a Squier. A good Squier is better than a bad MIM.

The more you plan to replace, the LESS the difference matters. You can also replace everything and make a Squier a lot more expensive than a MIM Fender. For that matter, replacing pickups at retail prices can easily make a new Squier cost more than a pristine used MIM Fender. The "why" question occurs to me.

IMO the difference matters mostly if you plan to buy it and play it. If you're going to buy a bass and you've already decided to mod it, find a cheap one that plays well and then waste money "upgrading" it. I say waste, because it's money you cannot recover if you re-sell. If you keep it forever, then maybe it's worth the $ as a long-term benefit to you.

Planning to replace the pickups on either one before you ever play it mystifies me. I am not a believer in replacing pickups unless there is a problem to be solved - and it escapes me how there can be a problem with a bass you've never played.

Because my plan was to route my own precision pu's in the bridge position as well. So I was putting SD to replace the original, and for the bridge as well. I don't really plan on selling it, or at least for a very long time.

 

[Bongolation]

Planning to replace the pickups on either one before you ever play it mystifies me. I am not a believer in replacing pickups unless there is a problem to be solved - and it escapes me how there can be a problem with a bass you've never played.

I can see it a lot sooner than "upgrading the wiring," for which absolutely no benefit is gained in a properly functioning instrument.

People just don't know when to leave well enough alone.

For over forty years I've been wincing in disbelief, looking at the destruction they create fixing things that aren't broken. Sheesh.

Proper, careful detailing and setup will do far more for the usefulness of an inexpensive bass than dubious "upgrades" or "modding" will.

 

[lbwdog]

Do yourself a HUGE favor: Go to the store, find a used Squier, find a used MIM (both are extremely abundant, even used), play them, and then buy whichever feels better. Done. You can't judge a bass as being better or worse without playing it. You'll find Squiers that are better than MIMs, you'll find MIM's that are better than Squiers. Even if you plan on changing electronics, the feel is the key to a good bass.

This thread will reach a ridiculous amount of posts, and it will just include a lot of bashing of both MIMs and Squiers from their respective parties. Do it the classic way - go try some basses, have tons of fun, and pick one you love.

+1........Great, practical advice.

After forty + years, and owning dozens of guitars and basses (including several vintage Fenders), I'm down to two. A '95 MIM Jazz which I bought used for $125, and a recently acquired Squier Jag Shortscale. The Jag is now my gigging bass. It's great!

My main criteria is:
How does it feel/play?
Is it assembled well?
Neck straight? Other parts line up well?
No obvious flaws?
How does it sound?

If it passes these tests, I'm good to go with it. Even if the tone isn't exactly what you want, a pickup and/or wiring change will usually get you there. I can't see me ever spending over $1000 on any bass now, unless I hit Powerball, and then I'd probably get a Sadowsky or another vintage Fender just because I could!

So, don't worry about MIM, MIA, or Squier on the headstock. Find one that "speaks" to you and go with it. IMHO

 

[mstott25]

Planning to replace the pickups on either one before you ever play it mystifies me. I am not a believer in replacing pickups unless there is a problem to be solved - and it escapes me how there can be a problem with a bass you've never played.

There is the problem of "pickups not being so great" which is persistent among many non-US Fenders. Now the problem with a bass he's never played need not escape you.

 

[pbgonecrazy99]

+1........Great, practical advice.

After forty + years, and owning dozens of guitars and basses (including several vintage Fenders), I'm down to two. A '95 MIM Jazz which I bought used for $125, and a recently acquired Squier Jag Shortscale. The Jag is now my gigging bass. It's great!

My main criteria is:
How does it feel/play?
Is it assembled well?
Neck straight? Other parts line up well?
No obvious flaws?
How does it sound?

If it passes these tests, I'm good to go with it. Even if the tone isn't exactly what you want, a pickup and/or wiring change will usually get you there. I can't see me ever spending over $1000 on any bass now, unless I hit Powerball, and then I'd probably get a Sadowsky or another vintage Fender just because I could!

So, don't worry about MIM, MIA, or Squier on the headstock. Find one that "speaks" to you and go with it. IMHO

I don't care about what is says on the headstock at all, or I would have bought the mim already. But since I am putting the new pu's in and an active electronics, I just wanted to know if like the wood and craftsmanship of a mim is worth the extra money over the squier, or if they are same, and I should just got for a squier.

 

[bass rocks]

200 for the mim get it.

 

[tbassist4]

Can we just have a sticky about CV's VM's and MIM's? This is starting to get like the best bass for metal threads...

 

[johnk_10]

IME, the MIM (up to 2004) are a much better bass. they have solid alder bodies, USA CTS pots and much better (straighter) necks. i haven't played or worked on a Squier (CV or VM) that has impressed me at all yet. not to say that there aren't out there, but after working on 10 (and test playing 10 others at a GC) of the newer squiers (2010-2011 models) i personally would not buy another one.
i do like the duncan designed pickups in the squiers better than what comes stock in an MIM bass though.

 

[Batmensch]

Explain to me why either "need a wiring upgrade."

Agreed %100. My two VM's (Jazz and Precision) do not absolutely "need" any kind of upgrading. I would only do that when (and if) something were to break down.