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Fender Squier

#21
You have a very good point there. I think though in this case what I think is pretty should not be primary over seeing just what is so special about a Fender. I cruised eBay looking at fender offerings there and saw a 77 P-bass identical to my copy, that brought back such /bad/ memories :hiding: It even surprised me what my gut reaction was when I saw it! :eek: But I kept looking. There are a lot of Squiers up and there was one newer P bass that was dirt cheap I gotta admit. No shop in my area that I know of deals in Fender...which is odd, or I'd just crash the place and take 'em for a test drive there.
 
#22
Oh well, someone bid on the squier I was looking at. If no one had bid on it my BF was going to get it for me. It was like $39 opening bid ...couldn't pass that up. :p But there are some bids on it now (yea a whole $41 right now LOL) and I won't fight for it so thats that.

I don't know fender models but I suppose if I ever want to try one out, I've either got to find one in a pawn shop somewheres or not worry about it. I appreciate the opinions posted here on the subject though.

Thanks ^_^
 
#23
Starscream, I don't know how old you are, but you need to get over your Fender prejudice which is clearly based on your experience with a POS bass which was NOT a Fender. The logic there is troublesome.

That said, I own an American Fender Jazz bass and a Squier VM fretless, and though I no longer play Fenders much, both are great instruments. I think you can get an idea of what a Fender bass is like by playing a Squier. It sounds as if the price is right, so what the hell, go for it. You can always sell it if you don't like it. And more than likely, you'll like the Squier and be motivated to see what the next step up in the Fender catalog is like.

Good luck. Here's a vote to buy the Squier.
 
#24
StarscreamG1 said:
I am not willing to pay a lot to try a Fender... so...
Click to expand...

Why would you have to pay to try a bass? My opinion is that unless you live in Antarctica, you should go to a music shop and try several fenders. Play the USA's even if you can't afford them. Play more than one. Then play several Mexicans. Then play other brands. Music Man, all the major stuff. Then you can make an informed decision about what you do and don't like that isn't based off of one bad experience on one cheap knock off. It won't cost you a dime - you don't have to buy anything. Just go shopping with no intent to buy. Get an idea of what you do and don't like in a bass.
 
#26
Come play my Jazz 5 and play the Fenders at GC, then judge for yourself. The B string alone sold me. The only thing holding it back from being a great bass was the hardware and I upgraded all of mine. Yes, doing so cost more than the bass did but it was well worth it. The new Squiers coming from Indonesia are built really well.

squierdone3.jpg


squierdone2.jpg


squierdone1.jpg
 
#27
Jazzbassman23 said:
Starscream, I don't know how old you are, but you need to get over your Fender prejudice which is clearly based on your experience with a POS bass which was NOT a Fender. The logic there is troublesome.

That said, I own an American Fender Jazz bass and a Squier VM fretless, and though I no longer play Fenders much, both are great instruments. I think you can get an idea of what a Fender bass is like by playing a Squier. It sounds as if the price is right, so what the hell, go for it. You can always sell it if you don't like it. And more than likely, you'll like the Squier and be motivated to see what the next step up in the Fender catalog is like.

Good luck. Here's a vote to buy the Squier.
Click to expand...

Well yes, I realized after reading all the praise here about Fenders that I need to get over my prejudice over them. ;) As for the troublesome logic in why I don't like them? I was 12 years old when the P bass copy was chosen and bought for me. As Ive said before I had no idea how to set the neck and I positively loathed the thing as time went on. Not too long after I got it, I found out it was a Fender Precision bass /copy/ (1977)...now my 12 year old self translated that into meaning it was identical to the real thing save the brand name therefore it was cheaper. As such I assumed the POS neck on the Memphis P bass copy was identical to a real Fender Precision and thats where I got my opinion of Fenders. Well that and uhm, nearly every Fender I've ever seen I have thought was ugly.

Now because I've always had such a (misguided?) narrowminded view of Fenders, I never paid any attention to them. But after joining here and seeing all the talk, when I stumbled across that Squier on the bay -- at its price -- I was like ok lets try it out. Because I don't know fender models I had no idea it was not a /real/ Fender??? But I have put it back on my watch page and we shall see.

Matthew Bryson said:
Why would you have to pay to try a bass? My opinion is that unless you live in Antarctica, you should go to a music shop and try several fenders. Play the USA's even if you can't afford them. Play more than one. Then play several Mexicans. Then play other brands. Music Man, all the major stuff. Then you can make an informed decision about what you do and don't like that isn't based off of one bad experience on one cheap knock off. It won't cost you a dime - you don't have to buy anything. Just go shopping with no intent to buy. Get an idea of what you do and don't like in a bass.
Click to expand...

Sadly the only music shop in my area does not carry Fender...seriously. I'd have to drive a good hour and half to get to a place that sells Fenders and with a car that gets 8MPG, I frankly am not that motivated to deal with that. I'd wager that its cheaper to take a shot in the dark on that Squier then to drive out and try some.

And its because I realized I was basing my opinion on one very bad knock off that I have reconsidered Fender.
 
#28
Matthew Bryson said:
That is odd. I'm wondering what (general) area this is, and how far you would go to try a Fender bass. I know of some pretty small towns that have Fender dealers. It seems like there has to be some place near by.
Click to expand...

Knifemaker knows the only /music/ shop in my area LOL and last time I was there I saw not one Fender. Things might have changed since then but thats how it was when I was there last.

FL Knifemaker said:
Come play my Jazz 5 and play the Fenders at GC, then judge for yourself. The B string alone sold me. The only thing holding it back from being a great bass was the hardware and I upgraded all of mine. Yes, doing so cost more than the bass did but it was well worth it. The new Squiers coming from Indonesia are built really well.
Click to expand...

Now that is one of the few Fenders I have seen that /is/ pretty. :D

I don't know how old this Squier is, or where it was made, that I am looking at to be honest. There is still time to email the seller and ask what the back of the headstock says.

Its been a long time since I've been to Lakeland. I would assume there are some shops there that carry Fender? Orlando is the closest place I can think of from my location that would have enough shops to go check out some serious brands.
 
#30
Many Squiers are perfectly good instruments. I owned a Squier II P (for a reason similar to your OP: I wanted to try out the Fender style without spending a fortune). In the event, I found a maple fingerboard P for barely over $100, with a molded Fender case thrown in.

At the time I owned a Carvin, an Ibanez, and a Tribute by G&L.

I now own only Fenders, 3 Ps and a J, so I guess I was convinced.

Used Squiers can be found for not much money, and their virtues and drawbacks are parallel to those of Fenders. If you buy a new one, you'll end up losing more money due to depreciation.

Good luck.
 
#31
No one has asked the OP if his original aversion was due to sound or playability or both. If sound, then the P sound may not be your thing, it's not mine though I do appreciate it for certain things. He might like a Jazz or Humbucker or even a PJ setup. If playability, he might just like a jazz neck style over a P. Fender has some amazing basses old and new but you kind of need to find what your hands and ears like, which of course can take a lot of time.
 
#32
I have a vague idea where you are, Knifemaker. That works ^_^ I will steal the BFs 01 crown vic for the cruise over there. It will beat the gas bill for my '74 Gran Torino :p yup..can pass pretty much anything in my monster .. 'cept a gas station ....

And my original aversion is due to the playability of the P bass copy which because I was a kid and didn't know any better I transposed over to the real deals (ie fender). As for how it sounded? I seem to remember it just had one sound, a relatively clear deep tone and that was it...I guess it sounded ok but I had nothing else to compare it to so what did I know? Actually you know, I have always been pretty shut off from different basses and quality and sound ranges and stuff. So even though I can play a bass, this time around its like I'm starting all over again like I know nothing because I see how much I /should/ have known all this time (about the tech end of it) that I really don't. Uhm did that make any sense? I do know that I like Peaveys for their playability and their sound (and that my Dyna bass has pretty much what I would call my dream neck). I know Deans don't do much for me, and neither do Gibsons and well, thats about it. That is sad....
 

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