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For the same price: Squier or Fender?

#41
I have to echo many of the fine folks on this thread and suggest you try before you buy.

But I think sticking merely with the Fender or Squier name brands might be curtailing your choices out there, especially if you're considering the wide gamut of P-bass instruments made in both Japan and Indonesia. There are some great early 80s Ibanez Roadstar II basses, not to mention plenty of lawsuit basses (built by many of the same folks that made the revered early 80s Squiers) that fit the bill. For Indonesian basses, well, Cort makes all kinds of different brands, including G&L Tributes that have amazing pups.

BTW, the Squier brand itself is finally beginning to lose its reputation as a 'budget brand'. As someone who has a small side business creating headstock decals, I've actually started having customers asking for Squier and Epiphone replacement decals for their new builds. Also, as many on this board will tell you, the gear snobs are far out-numbered by the folks who want to hear you play.
 
#42
Dayum, so many replies while I was asleep!

Anyway, I noticed many of you were telling one thing, and you got this wrong: I would NEVER EVER buy an instrument without trying it beforehand. I don't want to spend hundreds of euros on something that, when I have, I play it and say ''but this isn't right, that isn't right'' etc. etc.
What I was saying is just that the research may take VERY long hence why I'm also here asking this questions and seeking the help of surely MUCH more experienced bassists and/or gearheads than I am! ;)

By the way, another ''issue'' is the aestethic.
You could easily say it's bull***t (and it is, after all!) but I'd want to get a bass that I can look at and go ''dayum, you're sexy!'' as well! Basically a black P with black pickguard (that black on black thing... it isn't an issue if the bass is black with the white pickguard, because it's replaceable), silver hardware and the darkest of fingerboards (I don't really know what wood that is but... yeah, you know what I mean). It's a really dark bass, yeah. haha

And they're pretty rare to come by, with this aestethic. Some Squier SQs are exactly like that.
The CV and VM series would be really interesting, indeed, but they have a P/J configuration (which I don't seek in a P Bass... I'd rather get an Ibanez Destroyer if I needed that) and (in my awful opinion) not so much of a great look, except for the sunburnt Vintage Modified.

I didn't know that the E Series of the 80s was the same instruments with a different name on the headstock, though. That's really cool to hear, I'll keep in mind.
 
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#43
And:

1) Digitalman: you're right! I just want to get the best deal that I can on the RIGHT bass and I'll take my time to find it! Also because I hate collectionism (I loathe it for vinyls, etc. but of course I do for instruments as well, then) so, if the seller is fine with a lower price, I'm really damn fine too!

2) Thanks to all the others who replied, you're all very helpful and give some neat advices.
This community is really great! I hope some other replies will arrive, to hear even more opinions and tips.
 
#44
Oh, another thing I forgot: obviously I don't care about resale value because I'd get the bass and keep it. I don't like selling instruments, personally, because I get attached to them after a while. So that is really not a problem!
 
#45
For $650 you should certainly be able to find an MIA Fender if you look. However, there isn't 'A' Fender or 'A' Squier. Ever Squier isn't worse than every Fender and every Fender isn't better than every Squier. You need to go out and try them out. It's not a decision you can make with your eyes over the internet. ;)
 
#46
For the same price: Squier or Fender?
My guess is that re sale value of a 'Fender' may be higher. apart from that I'd always go by individual instruments rather than what it says on the head.
 
#47
From what I've experienced, the only things I can really say is that the best of the Fender basses are the MIA and MIJ Fender branded instruments, without going into specific models or signature series. Anything after that is pretty much a grey area - I've tried MIJ Squier basses that were better than MIM Fender basses, the Squier CV Can be better or comparable to a MIM Fender, heck I have an older MIK Fender Squier Series P bass I would take over a MIM Fender bass - even though it has a plywood body, the neck on that is pretty sweet and sounds pretty good stock.
My best advice is if you can't afford the MIA or a MIJ Fender, don't even bother looking whether a bass is a MIM Fender or a Squier bass, pick it up and try it and see if feels/sounds good to you . It used to be a little more clear cut in terms of figuring out the whole Fender/Squier Pantheon, but pretty difficult nowadays with the improvement in quality of Squier.
 
#49
I would shop around as mentioned. I can tell you I sold an excellent condition MIA Jazz from early 2000's for $400 on CL because I had it listed for a while and it wasn't moving and I wanted the cash to buy a lefty for my son. It had a couple of small dings in the finish but was totally clean as far as neck/frets/electronics etc. I'm sure I could have gotten more, but I wont sell an instrument online that I have to ship. I'm too worried about getting screwed by dishonest buyers or stuck with the cost of shipping two ways due to buyer's remorse or something. If you look around a while you can probably find something similar. Also, I have seen MIM Precision Deluxe's go used for the upper end of your range.

I know Squiers do get a lot of love for their price, and I've played several that felt great in the store, but I won't touch them. The bass player for an old band I was in had a Squier he had purchased new. A couple of years in he was complaining of it being hard to play. I checked it out and the action was insanely high and the neck had a huge curve in it. I attempted to tweak the truss rod for him, but after 2 weeks of minor adjustments, the truss was maxed and it was still bowed. I think the wood used had been inadequately dried or something. Turned me off to Squier forever.
 
#50
i'm afraid we're splitting hairs here.

i don't completely disagree with the hierarchy of MIA, MiJ, MIM, Squier - but I would hesitate to insist that it is true. I think we all agree it is not always true.

you really need to find your bass. That is a different thing than trying to get the "best" in your budget. I've played a lot of MIM basses that just had something to them that I really liked. More than many USA or other instruments. USA basses are of course generally finished to a higher standard and are most likely to have that "something," but this is not guaranteed.
 
#51
Yes, I'm looking forward to try some, for sure.
I'm just waiting for them to pop up on the internet in some place near me...

About that thing about the curved Squier, man, I don't know... I see your point and I understand your repulsion for Squier since you witnessed that, but that might be just a case of bad luck and/or bad manufacturing of that particular one.
 
#53
activa44 said:
Yes, I'm looking forward to try some, for sure.
I'm just waiting for them to pop up on the internet in some place near me...

About that thing about the curved Squier, man, I don't know... I see your point and I understand your repulsion for Squier since you witnessed that, but that might be just a case of bad luck and/or bad manufacturing of that particular one.
Click to expand...

I had a MIM Fender Jazz fretless and a Squier VM Fretless at the same time, wouldn't you know it, I preferred the Squier in terms of how it played and felt in my hands. Both had identical strings and setup professionally. The MIM sounded a little better but in terms of feel (and I know it's all a matter of personal preferences), I preferred the Squier. Also regarding the Squier neck bowing, I agree with you - I've had a few other Squier basses and haven't had one bow any more or less than Fender basses I've owned, or other basses for that matter - very sure that's a case of bad luck as there are gems and lemons in any bass you purchase.
 
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#55
I always prefer a MIA Fender over an import if the price is the same (not very often!!!), but only if the MIA plays and sounds as good (or better) than the import.

Some models are worth more than others. 1980s P Elite basses typically sell for less than the Standards of the same year. Same story with the Plus models of the 1990s. Good for a buyer, bad for a seller.
 
#57
activa44 said:
Ah LONG scale!
Damn. Because there's a really interesting Squier from 86 (MIJ) for 500€ at 3 hours of car from me, but it says it's short scale, so it's nah.

That's a shame.
Click to expand...

Those MIJ Squiers are medium scale 32" I think... Someone will correct me if that's wrong. You might not notice the difference! Seems like a lot of money to me, but I'm not sure if that's the going rate in your country.
 
#58
activa44 said:
Yes, I'm looking forward to try some, for sure.
I'm just waiting for them to pop up on the internet in some place near me...

About that thing about the curved Squier, man, I don't know... I see your point and I understand your repulsion for Squier since you witnessed that, but that might be just a case of bad luck and/or bad manufacturing of that particular one.
Click to expand...

I’m sure y’all are right about that being a one off. I couldn’t image that happening either. I guess after my experiences with having to redo the shielding in my MIA Elite Jazz V, which several owners have dealt with, I just don’t trust Fender on the lowest end of the scale. If I’m dealing with that on a $2000 bass, what kind of stuff is slipping by on the high volume lines low cost lines. Apparently a neck, though i have wondered if it could have been owner neglect, like leaving it in a trunk in Texas in August. I don’t know what happened in those 2 years because it wasn’t in my care. I have had lots of great Fender basses. I had a MIM that split in half down the center of the body. A good tech glued it back together and it was rock solid. I wish I had never parted with my 96 Am Deluxe Precision with the big humbucker instead of the J. I loved that bass. It’s what made me but he Elite.

But for $600 I’d look for high end used MIM or basic MIA. For $600 I’d buy a new MIM before a used MIM or Squier. Unless it was a MIM Deluxe.
 
#59
4sight said:
Those MIJ Squiers are medium scale 32" I think... Someone will correct me if that's wrong. You might not notice the difference! Seems like a lot of money to me, but I'm not sure if that's the going rate in your country.
Click to expand...

I thought they were all like my bass, except for a few runs made different.
The seller says that one is short scale... I'm a short guy (so not very long arms either) so the issue wouldn't be it being different, but it being different AND not the most common thing around. I'm fine with my 34'' and I hope I won't have different ones, because if I get used to them and then have to change it, it's gonna be even more preferences and trouble finding the right one (yeah: I'm paranoid...).

Are you sure all the 80s MIJs are 32''?
Aren't the Squier SQ, JV and E series, 34s?
 

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