Entry level= $700? Really????

[Danni Moe]

Which is exactly the reason that basses are made in so many price ranges.
It seems that you are upset that they make basses that cost more than you can afford. My advice to you is to enjoy what you have until your situation changes and you can afford something nicer.

I'm not upset. I bolded that part to make a point.

 

[mcnach]

No its not obsolete, and I'm sure its pretty nice. But there is much more to a good bass than pickups. Entry level basses usually do not have near as good hardware, fit and finish, and fret work as a higher end instrument.

There is a reason for the price difference. I have a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz that Has been extensively upgraded. It sound and plays very nice, but this was after a fret dressing, nut replacement, electronics upgrades, tuning machine upgrades, and full setup. In the end I have as much money in it as a more expensive bass.

Funny.
Fret dressing? Probably just fret levelling. Not a big issue, and part of a full set up.
Nut is cheap.
Electronics are also cheap (why did you feel you needed to change?)
Tuners are perfectly adequate on that bass too.
So, full set up including nut replacement (also not needed in 99% of cases, although it is good to have a decent one)... that's not a lot of money.
Some people go crazy changing stuff, which is okay to do, if you want to, but hardly necessary to have a bass you can regularly gig with and depend on.

 

[ghostdog93]

Brah, I'm 16, $700 a sh*t load of money.

Wait until you buy a car.

 

[Kwesi]

I really don't but this baffles me.

If you don't, then why make a thread about it in the first place? Not jumping down your throat but the Fender website is gonna try and cram whatever they can down the throats of those who look at the descriptions. All they are is a block of text that screams "BUY ME PLEEEEEEEEEEASE!" I'm just saying don't expect a multi-million dollar corporation to represent their products honestly. If $700 was entry level the Squier line would be non-existant and Dean would be damn near put out of business.

 

[sigmafloyd]

It's funny when people try to label certain basses as 'professional'. There are bands that tour constantly that play squiers and there are guys who have foderas that don't make a dime playing bass.

There are no rules to what you can and can't gig or record with or whatever. Most people here would have a hard time justifying 'needing' something more than a good squier,

 

[sigmafloyd]

If you don't, then why make a thread about it in the first place? Not jumping down your throat but the Fender website is gonna try and cram whatever they can down the throats of those who look at the descriptions. All they are is a block of text that screams "BUY ME PLEEEEEEEEEEASE!" I'm just saying don't expect a multi-million dollar corporation to represent their products honestly. If $700 was entry level the Squier line would be non-existant and Dean would be damn near put out of business.

Dang corporate fat cats

 

[KingRazor]

Wait until you buy a car.

Yeah, I'm 22 and no where near being able to buy a car.

 

[fingerbun]

It's funny when people try to label certain basses as 'professional'. There are bands that tour constantly that play squiers and there are guys who have foderas that don't make a dime playing bass.

There are no rules to what you can and can't gig or record with or whatever. Most people here would have a hard time justifying 'needing' something more than a good squier,

I don't totally disagree with you...on the other hand I went in to buy a Highway One Precision and came out with an American Standard because it was just a much better instrument that I decided I couldn't settle for the lesser guitar. And both were clearly better than the Squier Precision I was replacing.

I'd be interested to see a list of top line bands who use Squier. And more interested to know who modifies them.

 

[sigmafloyd]

I don't totally disagree with you...on the other hand I went in to buy a Highway One Precision and came out with an American Standard because it was just a much better instrument that I decided I couldn't settle for the lesser guitar. And both were clearly better than the Squier Precision I was replacing.

I'd be interested to see a list of top line bands who use Squier. And more interested to know who modifies them.

Dont get me wrong, if money isn't an issue I'd buy an Mia fender as well, my point was just that it wont make or break you as a 'professional'.

As for bands, it seems like almost every indie rock band I see at least one guy/gal has a squier. The pains of being pure at heart are a recent example. I saw a fiesta red cv p on letterman a few weeks back, can't remember the name.

 

[tom once dead]

I believe they mean entry level into a FENDER bass.

Throughout its history, Fender® has always made a special point of welcoming new players to the family by offering entry-level instruments of remarkable style and substance (such as the Duo-Sonic™, Mustang® and Musicmaster® models), with great sound, classic looks, solid performance and eminent affordability. The Modern Player series continues that great my-first-Fender tradition, with thoroughly modern features and several distinctively unconventional new takes on our most revered instruments-all with outstandingly attainable value.

Key words: MY FIRST FENDER.
$699 is the Manufacturer's Suggest Retail Price. At Guitar Center, these are $499.

The Mexican made Standard Jazz Basses are $599.
American Standard are $1299.

So at $499, the Modern Player IS the entry level to a Fender branded Jazz bass.

Nothing more to it.

This is exactly what I meant.

 

[fingerbun]

If you don't, then why make a thread about it in the first place? Not jumping down your throat but the Fender website is gonna try and cram whatever they can down the throats of those who look at the descriptions. All they are is a block of text that screams "BUY ME PLEEEEEEEEEEASE!" I'm just saying don't expect a multi-million dollar corporation to represent their products honestly. If $700 was entry level the Squier line would be non-existant and Dean would be damn near put out of business.

I don't see anything dishonest here. The same corporation owns both the Fender and Squier brands, but they are distinct in my thinking. Modern Player is just the entry to Fender branded instruments.

 

[sigmafloyd]

I don't see anything dishonest here. The same corporation owns both the Fender and Squier brands, but they are distinct in my thinking. Modern Player is just the entry to Fender branded instruments.

Exactly. Every manufacturers goal is to sell their product, I don't think fender is lying about anything here. It's called marketing.

 

[sigmafloyd]

Also, different builders use terms differently. You can get a 'standard' p bass for 600 or a 'standard' emperor for 5k. The emperor is the entry level fodera non-NYC series.

 

[fingerbun]

Dont get me wrong, if money isn't an issue I'd buy an Mia fender as well, my point was just that it wont make or break you as a 'professional'.

As for bands, it seems like almost every indie rock band I see at least one guy/gal has a squier. The pains of being pure at heart are a recent example. I saw a fiesta red cv p on letterman a few weeks back, can't remember the name.

Is it that cheap gear is part of the indie rock image? And are those Squiers factory spec or modified?

I've been a professional and I know the gear makes a difference. First because better instruments sound better and more reliable, and second because image is important. Of course other factors at play (quality of setup, talent of player, etc). But having a solid sound makes a lot else happen, and the best way to sound like a Fender thru an Ampeg, for example, is to have a Fender and an Ampeg.

 

[sigmafloyd]

Is it that cheap gear is part of the indie rock image? And are those Squiers factory spec or modified?

I've been a professional and I know the gear makes a difference. First because better instruments sound better and more reliable, and second because image is important. Of course other factors at play (quality of setup, talent of player, etc). But having a solid sound makes a lot else happen, and the best way to sound like a Fender thru an Ampeg, for example, is to have a Fender and an Ampeg.

What's your definition of professional?

 

[Kwesi]

I don't see anything dishonest here. The same corporation owns both the Fender and Squier brands, but they are distinct in my thinking. Modern Player is just the entry to Fender branded instruments.

Exactly. Every manufacturers goal is to sell their product, I don't think fender is lying about anything here. It's called marketing.

True enough and I actually agree. It would've been more accurate if I had said that one should not be surprised to see an endorsement of a product on the website of the company that makes said product. They're trying to sell a product and they'll use whatever jargon they think will have people whipping out those wallets. While calling a $700 bass "entry-level" isn't outright deceptive, that definition isn't what most folks have in mind when they hear the phrase. At least, I don't think it is, anyway.

 

[fingerbun]

What's your definition of professional?

Boringly literal.

• Gets paid to make music
• Lives off that pay (not savings, or the wife's job, or living at home with mum and dad, etc)

 

[Hopkins]

Funny.
Fret dressing? Probably just fret levelling. Not a big issue, and part of a full set up.
Nut is cheap.
Electronics are also cheap (why did you feel you needed to change?)
Tuners are perfectly adequate on that bass too.
So, full set up including nut replacement (also not needed in 99% of cases, although it is good to have a decent one)... that's not a lot of money.
Some people go crazy changing stuff, which is okay to do, if you want to, but hardly necessary to have a bass you can regularly gig with and depend on.

Yeah level, recrown, and polish, Its not a big issue, but it would have been avoided if the factory fret work was better. I got rid of the cheap plastic nut for a black tusq one.
I used this bass to experiment with all sorts of different pickups, Its got a set of Rio Grandes, and an Aggi OBP-2 in it now.
The stock tuners were anything but perfectly adequate in my case, I didn't go out of tune but they didn't turn smoothly and were difficult to fine tune.

 

[WoodyG3]

"Entry Level" is just a marketing term. It has no real world meaning in my opinion.

Everyone is young and relatively poor at some time in their life. I remember at 16 thinking I'd love to have a Nikon SLR camera instead of the old Argus C3 I was using. But, now that I have a couple of nice Nikons and some great lenses, I look back at the pictures I took with that old C3 and realize it served me quite well.

OP, I would just play the bass you have and enjoy it. Stop reading Fender ad copy if it plays with your mind, because in the end, it just doesn't matter that much!

 

[mellowinman]

Is this an entry level thread into complaining about how expensive everything is? Because I've got quite a bit to add:

Amps! Ridiculous!
Speakers! Out of this world!
Wood to build my own stuff! Are you kidding me?
Being married! Don't get me started!
Gas? Man!
Mortgage! I really have a lot to say about this one. My house is in negative equity.
Anyway, I bought my modded Squire with Genuine Fender Replacement Neck and aftermarket pickups, pick guard and bridge for $250.00.

It plays and sounds as nice as many of the ones hanging there in Sweetwater, with price tags of well over a thousand bucks on them.

Is it collectible? No. Can I get a couple hundred bucks on a Saturday night, playing classic covers in a bar? Yes I can, and do.

So I'm happy.

Now about those amps, speakers, wood, wife, mortgage and gas...