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Differences between Fender MIA, MIM and Squier bass

#101
lethargytartare said:
The MIA necks are quite different from the MIMs and Squiers (modern ones, anyway...I can't speak to every generation)? The reinforcing rods make a huge impact on their stability -- they're just on another plane. That's why you can practically buy an MIM or Squier bass for the price you'd pay to get an MIA neck by itself. I agree completely with the "ultimately they're only as 'good' as they fulfill your playing" and "it's still the player who makes the music" etc. but I keep seeing comments that suggest folks don't realize the necks on the MIAs are structurally very different.
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I hadn't thought about this but my MIA doesn't have any dead spots. I guess the reinforcing rods made a difference or I just got a good build.
 
#102
out of my small sample size, i'd say the 84 A series squire jazz was well above the 2009 highway one p and the 90s mim jazz in terms of craftsmanship and attention to detail, however all three needed new bridges and pickups to get where i wanted them, the highway one had an acceptable pickup, but it was a pain in the butt to eq i couldn't really use the super thick and subby tone that it excelled at with my band
 
#104
brendanbassix said:
Are you sure on your pricing? Link Removed says that they are only $1170 for a USA std jazz and that's roughly the price they are everywhere. Here in Australia the are $2200(not on sale) brand new which in US dollars is $1578 so normal price
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It's £1170 for that Jazz. The exchange rates bounces between 1.5 to 1.6, so it's $1755 to $1870 depending on the exchange rate.
 
#105
I've owned a CIJ 62 RI P bass, which couldn't have been better. Owned a RW P for a minute, loved it but I guess it had a U neck and I thought it was too much wood so I traded for a RW J. I have a beautiful Sonic Blue Squier CV P bass with an AVRI pickup and a wiring harness/pot upgrade (I've lost track of the investment here, but still feels like a good value). Syco_Bass built a very nice P bass to my specs. And I bought a used 2014 Am Std P for $800. They're all very good instruments, but if I had to choose only one, it would be the MIA... there's just nothing I don't like about it. It all seems subjective and personal preference. And, like the rest of life, you can take polls, gather opinions, study the literature, etc., but in the end, nobody will be better at making the decision than you. I do enjoy the discussion, though, so back to my popcorn.
 
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#108
slobake said:
The bridge on my MIM is pretty good but the MIA is better. The MIA seems more responsive and has allen screws instead of standard screws. The allen screws are easier for me to work with. I carry a ball end allen wrench in my case. I did an on the fly intonation adjustment a couple of weeks ago in record time for me. Got it done while our band leaders were working out a transition.
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I find that standard screws are less likely to get stripped if you confuse metric versus imperial allen keys, and in a pinch, if the screws are protruding, I can adjust using a fingernail, or a plectrum.
 
#110
i've had several mia / mij fender basses ... never had mim bass ..

but to me ... everything needs a little tweeking and mods to become ' mine ' ...

i think the 80's mij fender basses are really made and usually a pretty good value ...

wasn't there a short time in the 80's when Fender was retooling/moving the US plant and only made stuff in japan for a few years .. ??
 
#112
I put a SD Blackouts for bass in my MIM Jazz V, and with the separate treble and bass controls it's ANYTHING but nasally on the bridge. Again, if you really want tonal malleability, preamps, whether for active or passive pickups, can offer a lot of expanded ranges and new tones for your bass. Same goes for a PBass, honestly.
 
#113
I just bought my first brand new MIM Fender. A short scale Rascal. I have to say that the setup on it was awful. It took a couple hours to get it to what I consider playable, or almost as good as an out of the box USA. The neck relief, usually measured in thousands of an inch, was almost an 1/8" Adjusting the truss rod required removing the neck. The neck pocket was so tight, that removing the neck broke off 2 small chips of paint. That done, the nut needed to be filed lower. Now, all it needs is a full blown fret leveling.

All that said, I like the bass enough to tolerate it and bring it into usable form. But still. To compare the out of the box setup to a SS Lakland that costs a mere $100 more? It's ridiculous.
 
#114
I bought an MIM P-bass 3 days ago after playing an American Standard P-bass for 2 hours. The American version had different (maybe better) pickups, and I liked the headstock. Action, neck feel, weight, bridge, strings....I couldn't tell the difference. Both had the traditional P-bass growl.

After many visits to Mexico, I've concluded that there are many things they don't do well. However, they've been making outstanding acoustic 6-strings for HUNDREDS of years, and they take pride in their work. I saved 50% and went with the MIM, but I could be missing the finer points. Enlighten me, brothers !!
 
#115
Impetus man said:
I bought an MIM P-bass 3 days ago after playing an American Standard P-bass for 2 hours. The American version had different (maybe better) pickups, and I liked the headstock. Action, neck feel, weight, bridge, strings....I couldn't tell the difference. Both had the traditional P-bass growl.

After many visits to Mexico, I've concluded that there are many things they don't do well. However, they've been making outstanding acoustic 6-strings for HUNDREDS of years, and they take pride in their work. I saved 50% and went with the MIM, but I could be missing the finer points. Enlighten me, brothers !!
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Play that MIM and enjoy it. Sounds like you did your homework and know what you like. That is what really matters.
 
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#116
If your a good bass player, you can make a Squier sound like a MIA. Well at least I can and I'm not that pro. I've owned both, but only have a Squier right now, along with a few high end other brands. I like The Squier just as much
 
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