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Fender Squier Precision Bass

G

gypsydjango

Jul 9, 2009
460
71
UK
#1
I'm looking to buy a Fender Squire Precision Bass. Done a bit of research--but Your knowledge welcome.

a) Which was the best model made? 'Vintage Mod' / 'Classic Vibes'?
b) Which country made / make today the best quality Fender Squire Precision Bass?
c) Are the current one's made today as good as previous years?

Look forward to your answers.
Thanks.
 
#3
I personally stayed away from the Affinity line and my 3 Squiers are VMs. CVs are supposed to be as good or even slightly better and the 40th Anniversary even better than that.

IME. it comes down to materials, hardware and electronics. Electronics are easily upgradeable (which I do recommend), the hardware is meh but usable and the material (wood) is a hit and a miss.
 
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#4
GrapeBass said:
I personally stayed away from the Affinity line and my 3 Squiers are VMs. CVs are supposed to be as good or even slightly better and the 40th Anniversary even better than that.

IME. it comes down to materials, hardware and electronics. Electronics are easily upgradeable (which I do recommend), the hardware is meh but usable and the material (wood) is a hit and a miss.
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I would have stayed away from the Affinity line a few years ago but the were upgraded in 2021. I bought one just for the heck of it (I have a pretty substantial vintage collection.) The Affinity Precision I bought is a really good bass at a really comfortable price.
 
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#5
The Squier Precisions are a good bang for the buck. I have a Fender Sting and 2 of the Squier conterparts. The Chinese is in Seafoam and the Indonesian is in Tobacco Sunburst. The build quality of the Chinese Squier is pretty good and surprisingly the Indonesian is pretty good as well. Mostly, this comes from the fact the CNC machines that make the parts have improved over the years. The Sting is stock except for the pickup, which is a Fralin Split 51' P-Bass and the Squiers have the same pickup as well. They are fun to play and the Fralin pickup cooks. Cheers! ;^D.
 
#6
gypsydjango said:
I'm looking to buy a Fender Squire Precision Bass. Done a bit of research--but Your knowledge welcome.

a) Which was the best model made? 'Vintage Mod' / 'Classic Vibes'?
b) Which country made / make today the best quality Fender Squire Precision Bass?
c) Are the current one's made today as good as previous years?

Look forward to your answers.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
I don't think there are definitive answers to your questions. Which is the "best" is a subject to interpretation and will be opinionated. How do you define quality?

I have a '21 CV 70's P-bass. I like it. It is as well made as any of my other basses regardless of cost or country of origin. I played it in the store before buying it and liked it. No two basses are the same. It was made in Indonesia. Any bargain bass made today is, on average, going to be better built than a bargain instrument made 20 years ago. The machining is automated and there are not as many things to go wrong. Manufacturers take QC pretty seriously these day. Wood selection in older instruments may have been better. Hardware and electronics on bargain instruments are suspect. It all depends.
 
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#7
The current models are fine, but certain older models are better.
(Yes, the new Affinity basses are better than they used to be, but why buy one instead of a Classic Vibe?)
A nice used Crafted In China Classic Vibe is the way to go, but I'm pretty sure I can make this one work, too.
Late 50s CV white blonde with gold anodized pickguard.
 
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#8
If it wasn't for one high fret my Squier 70s limited edition Precision bass would be perfect! Thanks to rewards points I paid $190 so definitely worth it. Even at full price the current crop is worth it. What I don't understand is people that bad mouth the Indonesian models but love the Chinese. Just so everyone is clear, the Indonesian guitar manufacturers have been at it for a very long time as opposed to the newer Chinese manufacturers. If I were newer to bass and didn't know that, I would have wanted that clarification. Anyway, yes, I highly recommend the classic vibe series.
 
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#10
gypsydjango said:
I'm looking to buy a Fender Squire Precision Bass. Done a bit of research--but Your knowledge welcome.

a) Which was the best model made? 'Vintage Mod' / 'Classic Vibes'?
b) Which country made / make today the best quality Fender Squire Precision Bass?
c) Are the current one's made today as good as previous years?

Look forward to your answers.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Affinities are trash.

Just about anything else they currently make is fairly decent in all aspects.
 
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#12
Lowendchamp said:
If it wasn't for one high fret my Squier 70s limited edition Precision bass would be perfect! Thanks to rewards points I paid $190 so definitely worth it. Even at full price the current crop is worth it. What I don't understand is people that bad mouth the Indonesian models but love the Chinese. Just so everyone is clear, the Indonesian guitar manufacturers have been at it for a very long time as opposed to the newer Chinese manufacturers. If I were newer to bass and didn't know that, I would have wanted that clarification. Anyway, yes, I highly recommend the classic vibe series.
Click to expand...
Probably the answer to your question is that owners of Chinese models think their basses are great. So do owners of Indonesian. Maybe a few people have owned both, but I doubt there are many. And like I said, every bass is going to be different.
 
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#13
The CV basses are very good. VM were also good. The early China made CVs were excellent but they command higher prices now. Of course the Japan made Squiers from the '80s are famous for their quality but those will cost you almost as much as a US Fender these days.

I would look for a Chinese CV.
 
#14
I own five Squier basses.

Three are Vintage Modifieds, a 70's Jazz, a Fretless Jazz, and a Precision PJ. They were all made in Indonesia and are all very good basses.

I also own a '98 Standard Precision that was made in Mexico, it's a great bass.

My '82 JV '57 Precision that I bought new is definitely my best Squier bass and is every bit as good as the myths and legends about JV's says that it is.

I don't own a Chinese made Squier, but I do own an '11 Modern Player Telecaster Bass that was made in China. It's very well made and plays well. It's interesting and has a character all it's own with the dual humbuckers. It has a unique growl.

The point is to make a good selection when picking out a bass. The country of origin is not as important as finding a quality instrument. I'm sure that there were good and bad ones made in each series and in each factory.

Let someone else pick the bad ones.

Pick a good one.
 
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#15
a) 'Classic Vibes' 60's is my favorite, the neck feels better than the Classic Vibes 70's in my hands.

b) These basses are made in Indonesia. I won't add any comments with regards to the quality/country question. I think it's highly subjective.

c) I believe the one made today are better than many older instruments.

Instead of asking this group, go play one and let your hands and ears be the judge. These basses are fantastic for the money, they play and sound great.
 
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#18
As far as I'm concerned the ones they make now are just fine.

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This one in the classic 3-tone sunburst with the laurel fingerboard is just fine. Thread-saddle bridge, nut-adjust truss rod, amber tint neck. I'd simply add a suitable Fralin (not because you need to, just to get a different vibe) and add the ashtray covers over the pickup and bridge for my Motown tribute axe. I suppose I'll have to spring for a tweed case . . .

I was around for the original Made-in-Japan ones in the mid-80's that signaled the start of Fender's rebirth, and bought one full price, $189.00, case or bag extra. Long since traded away for my five-string days. They've been built all over the map since then, and the current Indonesia-built ones are just fine.

The only 'vintage' Squiers I'd be after would be the ProTones, which are every bit as good as anything Fender ever made, and honestly, better than a lot of them.
 
#19
In my opinion the best current Squiers are the Paranormal series but I suspect some people may not like how they look.

The best Squiers ever were the Crafted in China 1st generation Classic Vibes and the older Japanese Squiers.

The current Indonesian Squiers made by Cort/Samick can also be very good instruments but you really need to try before you buy. I've seen more than a few REALLY bad ones. Very inconsistent, poor QC. And they WILL need a setup, including filing the nut slots.
 
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