Fake or Real Squier VM?

[clearis]

(Pictures removed for the privacy of the seller's sake)

Hello! This is my first post, so I hope I'm doing this right.

I am looking to purchase a used Squier Vintage Modified precision bass. The price is amazing, however there are two points that worry me:

- The headstock is painted white (over the Squier logo).
- There was originally an additional third pot that served absolutely no purpose whatsoever, which the seller removed. He says that's where the cable jack is supposed to be. The actual cable jack is on the bottom of the instrument. Don't know how true this, but that's what he said.

The guy claims he bought the bass like this brand-new some 13 years ago, apparently wasn't bothered enough by these defects to return it, changed the pickguard at one point, and has been playing it ever since, with nothing to indicate that the quality is off.

I'd hate to go for this and later find out that it was, in fact, a bootleg model, so one or several outsiders' perspectives would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Malak the Mad]

Greetings and welcome!

1. If the seller bought it thirteen years ago, he must be some kind of time-traveller 'cuz that serial number dates it back to 2008.
2. I have a .pdf of a 2008 Squier brochure and it's right there, even in the same color.
3. The pickups are consistent. Up until 2013, the VM's sported "Duncan Designed" pickups, so that also matches.

Outside the temporal boo-boo, it looks like a it's a legitimate, albeit slightly modified, Squier Vintage Modified Precision bass. As for the extra pot, that aftermarket pickguard was most certainly meant for a two-pickup Precision Bass Special like this one…

Happy hunting! If you get it, please post an "NBD" (New Bass Day) thread with your thoughts and maybe some new pics.

EDIT: I take the comment about the pickguard back. That's a weird mod to make, moving the output jack like that.

 

[Maxdusty]

Hello! This is my first post, so I hope I'm doing this right.

I am looking to purchase a used Squier Vintage Modified precision bass. The price is amazing, however there are two points that worry me:

- The headstock is painted white (over the Squier logo).
- There was originally an additional third pot that served absolutely no purpose whatsoever, which the seller removed. He says that's where the cable jack is supposed to be. The actual cable jack is on the bottom of the instrument.

The guy claims he bought the bass like this some 13 years ago, apparently wasn't bothered enough by these defects to return it, changed the pickguard at one point, and has been playing it ever since, with nothing to indicate that the quality is off.

I'd hate to go for this and later find out that it was, in fact, a bootleg model, so one or several outsiders' perspectives would be greatly appreciated!

I have yet to hear of a bootleg Squier VM as they're inexpensive basses to begin with and not worth making illegal copies of, the nefarious counterfeiters would go for the gold and make it worth their while by producing "Fender" basses. What you can do is check the serial number with Fender to see what the original configuration of the bass is supposed to be, color and what parts it originally came with. You can email customer support and ask them - it takes about 2 days to get a response. I do that with all my Fender basses just as a reference should I ever need a part or bring it back up to original spec, and also just for my records.
Now with that bass, I bet it was bought as a Squier VM P bass, previous owner probably put a preamp in it at one time (hence the extra hole on the bottom for the output jack), an EQ/tone pot occupied the hole in the pickguard where the original jack used to be, the output jack moved to the bottom. He/She then took the preamp out and reverted it back with the original wiring/pots pickups when the bass was put up for sale, left the output jack at the bottom as there's now that extra hole.

I also completely agree with the Malak's post above, looks like a 2008 (well the neck is anyway) so a few years off but looks like it is a VM with that extra hole.

now why paint over the logo? Some people really like matching headstocks on their basses or perhaps a clumsy attempt at hiding the Squier logo. Who knows? Looks like it might be a good buy if the price is right.

 

[KJMO]

It looks to me like a modded squier. Someone painted the headstock to match the body (not a good job), and moved the output jack (no way did it come that way). The pickguard doesn't look like the one I've seen in person, but I don't know about that. Someone else can chime in there.

edit: there is also the notch for the truss rod adjustment on the pickguard, so it definitely isn't the pick guard that came with that body.

 

[mexicant]

Looks like a squier affinity, they have 3 pots and a output jack on the side. But,where did the second pickup go?

 

[Malak the Mad]

Looks like a squier affinity, they have 3 pots and a output jack on the side. But,where did the second pickup go?

Check out pages 84-85 of this 2008 Fender Frontline brochure. It's a VM, not an Affinity. There weren't any Affinity P/J's until two or three years ago. Also, the color scheme matches the VM, whereas the Affinities only came in blue, black and red.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[jd56hawk]

Is the price $100?
If so, it's probably a good deal depending on how it plays and sounds and you have no other options.
If not, there are plenty of other used Squier VMs around.

 

[seilerbird]

Greetings and welcome!

1. If the seller bought it thirteen years ago, he must be some kind of time-traveller 'cuz that serial number dates it back to 2008.
2. I have a .pdf of a 2008 Squier brochure and it's right there, even in the same color.
3. The pickups are consistent. Up until 2013, the VM's sported "Duncan Designed" pickups, so that also matches.

Outside the temporal boo-boo, it looks like a it's a legitimate, albeit slightly modified, Squier Vintage Modified Precision bass. As for the extra pot, that aftermarket pickguard was most certainly meant for a two-pickup Precision Bass Special like this one…

Happy hunting! If you get it, please post an "NBD" (New Bass Day) thread with your thoughts and maybe some new pics.

EDIT: I take the comment about the pickguard back. That's a weird mod to make, moving the output jack like that.

Thank you sir. I have been wondering what NBD stood for. I see it all the time here and none of the online dictionaries had anything listed that made sense.

 

[clearis]

Greetings and welcome!

1. If the seller bought it thirteen years ago, he must be some kind of time-traveller 'cuz that serial number dates it back to 2008.
2. I have a .pdf of a 2008 Squier brochure and it's right there, even in the same color.
3. The pickups are consistent. Up until 2013, the VM's sported "Duncan Designed" pickups, so that also matches.

Outside the temporal boo-boo, it looks like a it's a legitimate, albeit slightly modified, Squier Vintage Modified Precision bass. As for the extra pot, that aftermarket pickguard was most certainly meant for a two-pickup Precision Bass Special like this one…

Happy hunting! If you get it, please post an "NBD" (New Bass Day) thread with your thoughts and maybe some new pics.

EDIT: I take the comment about the pickguard back. That's a weird mod to make, moving the output jack like that.

I have yet to hear of a bootleg Squier VM as they're inexpensive basses to begin with and not worth making illegal copies of, the nefarious counterfeiters would go for the gold and make it worth their while by producing "Fender" basses. What you can do is check the serial number with Fender to see what the original configuration of the bass is supposed to be, color and what parts it originally came with. You can email customer support and ask them - it takes about 2 days to get a response. I do that with all my Fender basses just as a reference should I ever need a part or bring it back up to original spec, and also just for my records.
Now with that bass, I bet it was bought as a Squier VM P bass, previous owner probably put a preamp in it at one time (hence the extra hole on the bottom for the output jack), an EQ/tone pot occupied the hole in the pickguard where the original jack used to be, the output jack moved to the bottom. He/She then took the preamp out and reverted it back with the original wiring/pots pickups when the bass was put up for sale, left the output jack at the bottom as there's now that extra hole.

I also completely agree with the Malak's post above, looks like a 2008 (well the neck is anyway) so a few years off but looks like it is a VM with that extra hole.

now why paint over the logo? Some people really like matching headstocks on their basses or perhaps a clumsy attempt at hiding the Squier logo. Who knows? Looks like it might be a good buy if the price is right.

This is incredibly helpful, thank you so much! Yeah, I figured the seller just misremembered the original purchase date.

 

[Malak the Mad]

This is incredibly helpful, thank you so much! Yeah, I figured the seller just misremembered the original purchase date.

Glad to be of help.

Another clue about that bass' origin is, obviously, the serial number. The "08" at the beginning means it's a 2008 model…or at least, that's when the neck was built. There's always a chance it's a parts-bass. At that time, only Squier VM's and the last of the Squier Standard Series were manufactured in Indonesia, while the Squier Affinity series was produced in China.

Nowadays, things are a little bit murkier. Over the past handful of years, Affinity production has moved to Indonesia, so encountering one is a coin-toss as to which factory they came from. Also, Squier recently re-launched their Classic Vibe series and they're being manufactured in…shocky-shocky…in Indonesia. But I suppose it makes sense on a business-level to have the entire Squier lineup built and shipped from the same country, possibly from the same cluster of factories even.

 

[DeliriumTremens]

The bridge isn't a Squier part

 

[Woofer]

I'm thinking parts bass. Wrong pickguard, wrong bridge, the only thing Squier on it might be the neck and pickup.

 

[Slinger]

Frankenbass?
If you take a closer look at that first pic the pups seem to be Duncans.

 

[nilorius]

You see, Squier as it self is not special, so any changes made by seller could easaly do it better than new, so if possible check out the sound and consider the price yourself.

 

[cnltb]

They fake squiers?

 

[Maxdusty]

Frankenbass?
If you take a closer look at that first pic the pups seem to be Duncans.

As Malak mentioned, "Duncan Designed" pickups were used on the earlier VMs. I remember choosing between an older Squier VM fretless with the Duncan designed and a later one with whatever is being used currently. I ended up with the Duncan Designed as I thought it sounded better.
I will say though, I missed that bridge as mentioned by Delirium Tremens - I don't believe that's Squier, the screw holes are not consistent with the ones you see on the Squier basses- with five holes along the bottom of the bridge. good catch.

 

[Ostie]

Be nice if you could strip that bad paint job on the headstock. What was the PO thinking?

 

[gln1955]

It's definitely a white P bass, with at least some Squier parts. If it plays nice, its a keeper.

What's the asking price?

 

[johnson79]

If it's a really good price I'd go for it. The oddest part is the jack placement. Makes me think it was done after the fact as they probably wouldn't go through the trouble to fill in a J route if it was there. Bridge may be a replacement. The saddle grooves are odd for a bent plate bridge.

 

[Kukulkan61]

I would pass, there are better legit Squiers out there, also that headstock paint job looks ghetto, look around they are a dime a dozen...