How much are MIJ Squier Basses really worth?

[onamission]

My Avatar is a early 90's MIJ PBass i scored for a $110 at a pawn shop. I would never sell it.

 

[onamission]

I think the late 90's Korean Squier's are as good as any. I have a Korean P that I bought for $75 that's a fantastic player, neck is great.

 

[327]

They don't come up around here for sale very often. So locally if I see one for under $300 I jump on it.

I bought an E series (E7) Jazz a few months back for $280USD and sold it on Reverb for I think around $400.

I do see some here and there for sale and people are asking astronomical prices for them.

 

[b_carville]

I got a medium scale Japan Squier P bass from the local Sam Ash last year for $325 with a USA Fender hard (well,plastic over hard styrofoam) case that probably was original. Cream /Yellow color.
One of my favorites.They originally wanted $375 but there was a Memorial Day sale going on. I grabbed it because I rarely see them & sellers are asking $400-600 for Japanese Squiers . Sometimes you can get lucky if someone doesn't know what he/she has. Most players are holding on to them.

 

[Runnerman]

I do think the JV's can be over priced but as has been said many times, it's what the market will bear. My SQ precision was purchased for $275 with case and I thought I did well, despite the need for a fret re-crown which I had done shortly thereafter. As someone has said, it's all about the neck. Mine has the most comfortable neck profile (typically slimmer front to back and slightly narrower than the usual P) of any Fender P I've played. That said, I do agree that the PUP's are bit low output compared to other P's I've owned, although they do sound very good. Will be staying with me for a long time to come.

 

[Yellow Bang66]

Hey thanks for your thoughts so far guys. The truth is I just bought a 1984 Olympic White Squire Jazz with an E serial number. On studying the pictures I was impressed I have to say. It has truss rod adjustment at the heel the frets look nice, the rosewood looks good and I was told it weighs 4.5 kilos which is a little heavy but hopefully I can handle it. I got it for £276 on eBay auction and would have gone to £343.

I've acquired (3) "E" serial number MIJ jazz bass specials, and I agree, they are fantastic craftmanship, I love them! I also have 1 MIA p bass from around the same time 1987, the fit & finish of the MIJ's are TOP notch tight & flawless. the Mia not so much(not even close) you card fit a credit card in the neck/body joint. everyone I know who knows a lot about guitars, go "crazy" about these MIJ basses, in fact, they Rave about the quality, and the sound. I get nervous about how "Manic" they get about these basses. I've done a little bit of setup on them (all basses need a little setup) and now, they just sing. In fact, my goodfriend closely inspected/scrutinized them, and remarked how great they are put together "These are better than MIA!". they have good "mojo" too, very easy to play! I've modded (pickups& Bridge) them to be a little more versatile sounding, But nothing irreversible. I believe it improved them even more to my liking (I 've kept one totally stock). I'm kind of scared they'll be stolen, because a lot of people "covet" them. I still shop for them (just in case ). Great quality at a reasonable price. totally worth the investment. I fully endorse these basses.

 

[Biffa]

I've got a 1990 pre logo Silver series Strat. They came out in 89 and had a silver Squier logo, Fender buttoned on to people calling them Silver series so added that to the headstock. I'll never part with mine

 

[Biffa]

Cottoned

 

[Fergie Fulton]

OK this may offend some, USA members, but JV and MIJ basses are as good, if not better, the USA models.
USA guitar is made in the USA and assembled by Mexicans i the USA...a MIM instrument is made in the USA and sent to Mexico to be assembled by...??

OK so maybe no..maybe so... but the bottom line is the quality..not the name, or the place of manufacture...if it is good enough then it is worth it.

do you look at economics or quality?

I have a JV Squier 57, made in 83 it is as good as an 57 Precision Fender made because it follows the exact spec for that model, it is in every way a 57 P bass but not made by Fender in 57, but made in Japan in 83..the quality is the same...if not better as it is Fuji Glen made.

In every detail, including flaws, it is a Fender 57 P bass, but made in 1983....what effects her value is she is not Fender, so it is the name, not the quality of the build, or the workmanship, or the materials, but the name.

So lets look forward to today's market, if a company moves it production abroad..does it lessen the value of the product, or the quality of the product?

So that Hofner violin bass you have...if not made in Germany...do you really have a Hofner?

Lets look at cars, if you do not have a USA made Ford, do you really have a Ford??

I have an Ampeg, made in the USA, made in Ferguson Rd, by SLM...but is it any less of Ampeg depending on its location of manufacture??

In the end if is sounds good and is good, then it is worth what anyone will pay...

 

[giacomobass]

I've acquired (3) "E" serial number MIJ jazz bass specials, and I agree, they are fantastic craftmanship, I love them! I also have 1 MIA p bass from around the same time 1987, the fit & finish of the MIJ's are TOP notch tight & flawless. the Mia not so much(not even close) you card fit a credit card in the neck/body joint. everyone I know who knows a lot about guitars, go "crazy" about these MIJ basses, in fact, they Rave about the quality, and the sound. I get nervous about how "Manic" they get about these basses. I've done a little bit of setup on them (all basses need a little setup) and now, they just sing. In fact, my goodfriend closely inspected/scrutinized them, and remarked how great they are put together "These are better than MIA!". they have good "mojo" too, very easy to play! I've modded (pickups& Bridge) them to be a little more versatile sounding, But nothing irreversible. I believe it improved them even more to my liking (I 've kept one totally stock). I'm kind of scared they'll be stolen, because a lot of people "covet" them. I still shop for them (just in case ). Great quality at a reasonable price. totally worth the investment. I fully endorse these basses.

I fully endorse Japanese Fenders too, in fact I happen to own a couple of CIJ PB70's which I acquired second-hand not many years ago at very reasonable prices (a few hundred Euros each) and then upgraded to my liking, starting from pickups and electronics: very playable and finely built instruments; dunno if "better" than their contemporary MIA counterparts, but I wouldn't exchange them for an American Standard for sure, as I don't like modern (9.5") radius fingerboards and rough fret ends. I just don't understand why some people will spend, on average, about three times as much for an '80s Japanese Squier! Maybe I'm missing something, but it simply doesn't make sense to me. I'd much rather put that kind of money in a nice late-'70s/early-'80s US-made Fender. Oh wait, I did!

 

[wraub]

I got my SQ Precision and my SQ Jazz for around $150 total.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

This is my ex-MIJ PB70 which I also bought 2nd hand for a few hundreds Euro from Ishibashi:

Nice narrow neck, Fender PV ‘63 pickup, Fender PV celluloid pickguard etc.
Nice, powerful bass ... sold just because of too many P-basses in the stable

 

[bluespenny]

I paid around $450 US for my 1984-85 E-series Squier Jazz a couple of years back. Sleek, "play-me" feel to the neck and overall, a very well finished bit of lumber. It's feel spoke to me, which is what matters, not the "made in xxx" label. The pickups were not as charming, so I transplanted a full set of electronics from a beloved 1971-ish Ibanez Jazz (retired with a twisted neck), and now enjoy the best sounding, most responsive Jazz I've ever had the pleasure to pluck. My favourite is the sneers so many "oh, it's a Squier" snobs give her after coming up to see what I'm playing. Still wouldn't pay $1,500 to replace it though.

 

[JohnDL]

This is my ex-MIJ PB70 which I also bought 2nd hand for a few hundreds Euro from Ishibashi:

View attachment 3491370

Nice narrow neck, Fender PV ‘63 pickup, Fender PV celluloid pickguard etc.
Nice, powerful bass ... sold just because of too many P-basses in the stable

I like that it's just like the kind of p bass I would like to get at some point.

 

[JohnDL]

I paid around $450 US for my 1984-85 E-series Squier Jazz a couple of years back. Sleek, "play-me" feel to the neck and overall, a very well finished bit of lumber. It's feel spoke to me, which is what matters, not the "made in xxx" label. The pickups were not as charming, so I transplanted a full set of electronics from a beloved 1971-ish Ibanez Jazz (retired with a twisted neck), and now enjoy the best sounding, most responsive Jazz I've ever had the pleasure to pluck. My favourite is the sneers so many "oh, it's a Squier" snobs give her after coming up to see what I'm playing. Still wouldn't pay $1,500 to replace it though. View attachment 3491371

Very nice I like your aluminium scratch plate, I often wondered how that would look having seen similar on eBay. Now I know....very cool.

 

[327]

I didn't intentionally set out to do this, but I basically built an MIJ Squier / Fender P out of parts from the classifieds section. It's an 82/83 SQ serial neck with a mid 80's E body. I'm in about $390 on it.
It has the nicest Precision neck that I've played and I can't get the same tone from my other basses that this one gives. I've actually gotten compliments on how good it sounds from other bass players who happened to be at my gigs. (It only happened twice, but I'll take it!) Pic just because (the one on the right)

 

[Biffa]

On The Smiths first two albums, 'The Smiths', and 'Meat is Murder', bassist Andy Rourke used two Squier JV Precisions, the first hit single, This Charming Man, features one of these basses. He went on to acquire a 64 Precision

 

[giacomobass]

The list price for a JV ‘57 Precision was $369 without a case from 1982 - 1984. A Fender Standard Precision listed for $699 with a case.

This is one of the oldest JV Squiers. It is dated July 8, 1982. It has a four digit serial number, JV085XX. It is one of the very first Squier branded basses.

It is totally bone stock except for the strings, which are DR Black Beauties.

View attachment 3490871 View attachment 3490898

I bought it brand new in Aschaffenburg, Germany from Herr Otto Dressler at Musik Dressler down on the Rossmarkt. It was the first Squier bass that he ever had in his shop.

I’ll never have to worry about the value of this one. It’ll never be for sale as long as I am alive. This is a damned good bass.

That looks just like the '82 JV that I saw for sale in the classifieds with an asking price of € 2,000 (LOL)...

How does it differ from a Fender CIJ PB57-US, apart from the body wood (ash vs. alder)? Just askin'.

 

[grrg63]

Ive been playing for almost 40 years and my 80s MIJ P Basses are my favorites because I figured out a few years ago that a medium scale P bass was exactly what I would want if I could have a custom bass made for me. I got the white E series about 5 years ago and it soon became my workhorse. I recently got a black A series just for the hell of it. No mods necessary.

 

[Eilif]

OK this may offend some, USA members, but JV and MIJ basses are as good, if not better, the USA models.
USA guitar is made in the USA and assembled by Mexicans i the USA...a MIM instrument is made in the USA and sent to Mexico to be assembled by...??

OK so maybe no..maybe so... but the bottom line is the quality..not the name, or the place of manufacture...if it is good enough then it is worth it.

do you look at economics or quality?

I have a JV Squier 57, made in 83 it is as good as an 57 Precision Fender made because it follows the exact spec for that model, it is in every way a 57 P bass but not made by Fender in 57, but made in Japan in 83..the quality is the same...if not better as it is Fuji Glen made.

In every detail, including flaws, it is a Fender 57 P bass, but made in 1983....what effects her value is she is not Fender, so it is the name, not the quality of the build, or the workmanship, or the materials, but the name.

So lets look forward to today's market, if a company moves it production abroad..does it lessen the value of the product, or the quality of the product?

So that Hofner violin bass you have...if not made in Germany...do you really have a Hofner?

Lets look at cars, if you do not have a USA made Ford, do you really have a Ford??

I have an Ampeg, made in the USA, made in Ferguson Rd, by SLM...but is it any less of Ampeg depending on its location of manufacture??

In the end if is sounds good and is good, then it is worth what anyone will pay...

As regards quality, in today's markets location is nearly meaningless. You can get gold and poop from many different countries. I drive a Spanish-Made Ford. It's a Ford.

As regards perception and reputation, location is cash. MIJ and MIA have the reputation and hence the price.

When buying an instrument, quality is important and reputation is worthy of consideration, but perception can be misleading.