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I need help, P bass or Jazz, SX or Squier?

#21
normal fighting aside, on the Squier/SX debate, I always say this:

Squier: probably the very best bang for the buck right now for the whole package. Especially the CV basses. You can buy it, setup to how you like to play, and gig away.

SX: cheaper, still great quality. Very playable after a setup, but mist likely will have one or two hardware things you will want to change. You can put the extra money in, get it to the same price as the Squier, and have something just as good, possibly better, as it will be more "custom suited" to your needs since you picked the parts and did the work. But that's the "catch" You will want to, and do some work on it most likely. Now for some, like me, I enjoy that. For some others, they don't want to, moding just isn't their thing. Only you know what you like.


Follow above, and you can't go wrong with either, and you will end up with a great bass.

As for P/J, depends on the sounds you want.
 
#22
Nickthebass said:
Haven't you answered the question already? You love the sound and feel of a Jazz...what other considerations are there?

My first bass was a Squire Jazz. I've still got it. It's got some new pickups in it and I've had more than one "it's a Squire!!!...wow" comment.
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thats really cool i really dont care what people say about my cheap bass, if i could be happy with an SX or an Squier i will go for it i dont need no sell any kidney or one of my eyes to buy a bass or to make a pretty decent cheap bass to sound good :scowl:
 
#23
dakpluto said:
normal fighting aside, on the Squier/SX debate, I always say this:

Squier: probably the very best bang for the buck right now for the whole package. Especially the CV basses. You can buy it, setup to how you like to play, and gig away.

SX: cheaper, still great quality. Very playable after a setup, but mist likely will have one or two hardware things you will want to change. You can put the extra money in, get it to the same price as the Squier, and have something just as good, possibly better, as it will be more "custom suited" to your needs since you picked the parts and did the work. But that's the "catch" You will want to, and do some work on it most likely. Now for some, like me, I enjoy that. For some others, they don't want to, moding just isn't their thing. Only you know what you like.


Follow above, and you can't go wrong with either, and you will end up with a great bass.

As for P/J, depends on the sounds you want.
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thanks for the good advice, i think i will go with the Vintage Series on Squier, anyways i will put some mods and $$$ to make my bass my own style, for real those Squiers Vintage Series look so good and they sound nearly as good as any Jazz or Pbass out there, im not a professional but i will enjoy my next bass, thanks again guys this is the right place to make a quiestion and get some really good answers. ;)
 
#24
Another thing that I don't think has been mentioned here but is a big difference is that SX basses are all ordered online - meaning you can't try it before you buy it. The Squier will be found at any major Fender dealer and you can get a feel for it before you buy, which in my opinion is one of the most important things to do when buying an instrument.
 
#25
marklaforest said:
Another thing that I don't think has been mentioned here but is a big difference is that SX basses are all ordered online - meaning you can't try it before you buy it. The Squier will be found at any major Fender dealer and you can get a feel for it before you buy, which in my opinion is one of the most important things to do when buying an instrument.
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thats true and believe me those SX,s are very good. i owned one SX Jazz back in 2002 and man they are very decent basses
 
#26
Go for the Squier VM Jazz Bass easily! As far as standard Squier P's go, I've noticed them to be real clanky in tone. The VM Jazz sounds great and feels great, especially for the price. Being in a band that plays some Ska, with some Reggae influence, it would fit much better than a P.
 
#27
Well to me it came down to this, the Squier Classic Vibe Precision 60s bass sounded more like the Fender American precision than the VM 70s Jazz did to the Fender american Jazz, plus I really like the THUMP of the Precision :)
 
#29
Squire Jazz. Then drop in a set of DiMarzio Model J pickups. Super ballsy tone, more ballsy than a P.

The newer Squires are MILES ahead of the SX. The Squire J has a much slimmer neck than the SX which are very chunky. I've owned about 5 SXs at one time or another, and I've checked out the Squire Js many times at stores. I'm always impressed with the new Squires.
 
#30
IMO, it`s mostly a question of the neck - do you prefer a J or P neck? If you`re not comfortable playing it, what it sounds like doesn`t matter. Once you make that decision, pick the Squier (P or J). I bought my first Squier - a VM P, this week, after reading all the TB`ers endorsing them. I can tell you, they are outstanding! Far and away better than the MIMs I`ve played; certainly better than SX`s. Mine has possibly the best-playing neck of any P I`ve played - straight as an arrow, no dips, ski jumps, dead spots, etc. Excellent fretwork. Sustain for days. Could not believe I bought such a quality bass for that little $$$. Def getting a J asap.
 
#31
I'd say as you like the Jazz already go for that.

Also, more versatile, older, better and more discerning players go for the Jazz, so they make them better.

Also I'd say that ANY gig is yours on the Jazz, whereas you might put out too much of a 'rock' vibe turning up with your P to the latin-jazz night (for instance).

The first mod I would do to the electrics is put a series/parallel switch in - this gets you more into P territory soundwise.
 
#34
As far as the Squiers go, +1 (not to dis the SX, I have one and I love it, sounds and plays great,but it does need a little electronics work, no biggie), But In my experience, my Squier Vintage Modified Jazz needs NO modding whatsoever. The Duncan Designed pickups sound great, and the tuners/bridge are good as is. The only extra expense I had to make was new strings and straplocks. Pretty much the only other mods I made were totally optional, I put on a spare thumb rest I had laying around, and put on some proper black Jazz bass type knobs. Other than that and a quick setup, this bass was good to go right out of the box.
 
#35
::::BASSIST:::: said:
Squire Jazz. Then drop in a set of DiMarzio Model J pickups. Super ballsy tone, more ballsy than a P.

The newer Squires are MILES ahead of the SX. The Squire J has a much slimmer neck than the SX which are very chunky. I've owned about 5 SXs at one time or another, and I've checked out the Squire Js many times at stores. I'm always impressed with the new Squires.
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Some people like bigger necks. I would never tell someone to stay away from a brand just because "the necks are thinner."

Personally, I used to like small necks, until I started into playing upright again. Now, I can't stand small necks. Feels like a toothpick in my hand I'm going to break.
 
#36
I love the thick necks. My Rockbass 5 is wide and lets me know I'm holding it. My old SX 5 was about a mile across and felt great. My SX 4 is fairly wide and I like that. Played an Ibanez 2 weeks ago; sounded great (REAL GREAT) looked good but felt like I was playing a pencil. Don't refer to neck thickness as good or bad, the OP said nothing of it. But, like I said before, a classic look of a P or J deserve a classy looking headstock and SX shot itself in the foot.
 
#37
((KamiKaZe)) said:
thats true and believe me those SX,s are very good. i owned one SX Jazz back in 2002 and man they are very decent basses
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I have to say that I would never ever even think about parting with cash for an instrument that I hadn't played. Even if I've owned one that is the exact same spec made in the same factory before.

Every piece of wood is different and some times instruments that are allegedly the same sound totally different. (I read a Justin Chancellor interview recently where he made exactly this point about his two main instruments.)

My very strong advice would be go to a shop and try every instrument and buy the one that feels the best in your hands...even if it's painted pink with purple spots. You can change the finish (or even tweak the tone) much more easily than you can change the feel of the neck.
 
#38
Nickthebass said:
I have to say that I would never ever even think about parting with cash for an instrument that I hadn't played. Even if I've owned one that is the exact same spec made in the same factory before.

Every piece of wood is different and some times instruments that are allegedly the same sound totally different. (I read a Justin Chancellor interview recently where he made exactly this point about his two main instruments.)

My very strong advice would be go to a shop and try every instrument and buy the one that feels the best in your hands...even if it's painted pink with purple spots. You can change the finish (or even tweak the tone) much more easily than you can change the feel of the neck.
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Technically the moment he alters the finish, he is going to change the tone just as much as individual wood does also ;) Remember, the finish will have an effect on the tone also.
 
#40
-Well I have 4 SX Jazzes. A Vintage Green/Rosewood with 2008 MIA pups, Vintage Yellow/Rosewood, LPB fretless/Rosewood, and one sunburst thats dissembled and ready to route a P pickup for a P/J setup.
-2 early Squier "SQ" Serial P basses Black and Sunburst.
-I SOLD my 2008 MIA Jazz about 2 months ago. I bought 2 and kept the best sounding the black/maple returned the other
-Had a new HRR Jag never liked any sounds it made, EVER........ sold

The Green SX jazz was used for recording, live and practice for MANY reasons, mostly the SOUND while the USA sat at home, after months of SX use I brought the MIA with me one day and could not find a tone I liked.... back to its case..... Eventually to be sold, same with the Jag.

The stock SX pups in the others has a nice growl slightly more output then the MIA pups of the Vint Green SX. A great tone for sure! Love the sound of the fretless/stock pups/flats.

Now the two "SQ" Squiers are amazing in every way they took over prime spot because the P sound killed the J sound in my old band. They sound amazing, look amazing, the sunburst is explainable light, I put a rosewood blocked All parts J neck on the black looks amazing. But the "JV" "SQ" Squiers are a whole nother animal EVEN considering the newer/better VM/CV Squiers.

So I am going to mod the one Jazz and buy another SX P to play with
 

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