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I was blown away....by a Squier
- Thread starter guy n. cognito
- Start date
Fender has already done its share of fudging the US by expanding overseas in the first place to maintain profit margins, or by keeping the market price high and driving consumers to overseas products.
Or maybe the cost of living in the US is high enough that really, there is no way to maintain sales volume and manufacture domestically. When Peavey was putting out so many CNC routed bodies and cheaper instruments in the 80's, surely they cut their staff down since automation reduced the need for labor. So for all of their domestic manufacturing, were they really helping the American worker?
I try not to think about it. Our red ink is fueling trains in China. Something about the world's tallest midget. I get a nosebleed when I try to stop and analyze it.
You didn't ask, but I say don't sell yet. Put them in a closet, get a Squier or whatever and see if you start to miss them. You might, you might not.
I visit out of state family about once a month for 7-10 days. Going without playing for those stretches of time takes it toll. Takes me 3-4 days to get back up to speed and strength and my callouses soften a bit. And something I didn't realize; playing bass daily for me is sort of therapeutic. Some folks gotta jog or meditate or work out at the gym. For me it's playin', if I don't, I start gettin' antsy, grouching and out of balance. Knowing all this, my girlfriend arranged to have a bass at the out of state house when ever I am there. After thanking her I asked what type of bass it was? She said a 'Squire'. My first thought was, Ugh. Oh well and God bless her for trying. Well, well, well...I show up and there is a Precision Squire copy bright red with a black bat logo'ed on it. Cheesy. I started to play it and was pleasantly surprised with the action and feel. Not bad at all. IMHO it is the best copy out there. Funny thing is; I have a Squire Affinity Stratocaster 6 string and it is absolutely Crappy with a capital C. Weird, their basses are great but their guitars suck...or maybe it's just mine?
Theyve improved those quite a bit. And Id say the overall qaulity and QC is in some ways better then the american fenders of the 70's when i was growing up.
I dont own a squire, but I have played quite a few of them at various Music stores and have been equally impressed. Also the cheap $199 Yamaha basses (dont remember the model but they are at every guitar center) seem to be very high quality basses as far as playability goes.
I personally think most low-cost basses out there are very playable, durable and otherwise well made. They tend to be somewhat impersonal, though. Same construction and so on. The cool thing with older instruments are that each one has its own temperament.. Based on what wood was available at that day, what analog components, how did the builder feel and millions of other parameters that are now squeezed away by mass production.
Well, my Rob Allen Mouse has been for sale for a while without much interest so it's like keeping it.
The Sadowsky may go quicker....we'll see. I may be playing them both for a while in this economy.
I think the cheaper bases are made with the same CNC equipment as the more expensive product but if there is a short cut, it is in either the grade of stock blank or a mixture of laminated pieces which is very debatable on whether it impedes a quality sound as there are MIA Fenders with 2 and 3 pieces and eve some Warwick bases that do the same thing.
Some of the laminated blanks have an additional facia piece added if they are to be either clear or light color painted.
The necks can be either plain, laminated or fancy maple but are made to a standard that appears En masse, to provide a stable product.
This really only leaves the wiring, pots and pick ups and many people change those routinely even if it is a so called premium MIA product.
The only fact, is that a good player can make anything sound better than a bad player on a high end bass.
Some of the laminated blanks have an additional facia piece added if they are to be either clear or light color painted.
The necks can be either plain, laminated or fancy maple but are made to a standard that appears En masse, to provide a stable product.
This really only leaves the wiring, pots and pick ups and many people change those routinely even if it is a so called premium MIA product.
The only fact, is that a good player can make anything sound better than a bad player on a high end bass.
Here's my Squier tale:
I took up bass almost two years ago rather late in life (I'm in my, er, extreme late forties, heh). I bought a used Squire Affinity J starter kid from a young guy on ebay, found the StudyBass web site and started. By the fifth month I knew I would play the electric bass guitar every day for the rest of my life, so I researched "real" basses and would up getting an American Standard J that looked just like my Squier.
Since a used Squier Affinity is worth next to nothing I decided to keep it as a back up and as a test bench for the custom mods I wanted to make to the Fender (new pups, tone controls, etc.) Squier got a bunch of Fender's old parts and as time passed, I picked up some bargain on a BA II bridge and pretty soon I realized I had one heck of a nice beater bass.
I began to imagine finding a great deal on a MIM Fender J and putting Squier's upgraded gear on it. Then I read that the Affinity uses the same wood as the USA Fender (alder, maple, rosewood), and while I'm sure the grain selection for the Squier is as rigorous as it is for the USA Fender, it's more than good enough for a back-up guitar that's already paid for.
So I took a fraction of the money I was thinking of spending on a used MIM and invested it in a pair of Fender Noiseless neck pups to fit into the Squier.
I have to tell you that I'm might happy about the idea that I'll likely hang onto my first bass and feel confident about playing my "bionic starter" anywhere.
On a related note regarding Squier's future cache among currently young players: I saw blues phenom Joanne Shaw Taylor over the summer and she's playing--at least on tour--a Squier telecaster, i'm guessing one of the newer mod vintage models.
So everybody have a gas with those Squiers. They're becoming more respectable by the day.
Jeff
I took up bass almost two years ago rather late in life (I'm in my, er, extreme late forties, heh). I bought a used Squire Affinity J starter kid from a young guy on ebay, found the StudyBass web site and started. By the fifth month I knew I would play the electric bass guitar every day for the rest of my life, so I researched "real" basses and would up getting an American Standard J that looked just like my Squier.
Since a used Squier Affinity is worth next to nothing I decided to keep it as a back up and as a test bench for the custom mods I wanted to make to the Fender (new pups, tone controls, etc.) Squier got a bunch of Fender's old parts and as time passed, I picked up some bargain on a BA II bridge and pretty soon I realized I had one heck of a nice beater bass.
I began to imagine finding a great deal on a MIM Fender J and putting Squier's upgraded gear on it. Then I read that the Affinity uses the same wood as the USA Fender (alder, maple, rosewood), and while I'm sure the grain selection for the Squier is as rigorous as it is for the USA Fender, it's more than good enough for a back-up guitar that's already paid for.
So I took a fraction of the money I was thinking of spending on a used MIM and invested it in a pair of Fender Noiseless neck pups to fit into the Squier.
I have to tell you that I'm might happy about the idea that I'll likely hang onto my first bass and feel confident about playing my "bionic starter" anywhere.
On a related note regarding Squier's future cache among currently young players: I saw blues phenom Joanne Shaw Taylor over the summer and she's playing--at least on tour--a Squier telecaster, i'm guessing one of the newer mod vintage models.
So everybody have a gas with those Squiers. They're becoming more respectable by the day.
Jeff
So...is it okay to include my Squier Affinity P-Bass in my bass photos? I've been leaving it out!
It's fine for what it is, but still sounds like I'm banging a cookie sheet on an oven rack sometimes.
It's fine for what it is, but still sounds like I'm banging a cookie sheet on an oven rack sometimes.
A HUGE +1 there! I can't believe the prices that some of the 70's Fenders are fetching these days. We used to laugh at them back then. The QC was horrible to say the least. The Squires today, as well as several other lower priced instruments are equal to many of the classics of yesteryear. Maybe you might have to search a bit to find "the one," but they are out there. I have a fabulous Deluxe 5 that isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
I can dig it.. for the record im not for or against squire or anything outsourced..heck i shop at harbor freight ...I can say it does sadden me to read or hear about unfair labor and cruelty so we can save money..also frustrated with the standard American made where we cant even come close to competing with their labor rates for a majority of reasons.. My original point had been proven on here a few times..folks recording themselves playing high end jazz basses beside squires and no one can decipher between the 2. Live the same scenario.. For me its been how I feel..if a nicer or cheaper bass makes me feel good and creative so be it..but ive seen a number of folks go the opposite in which they get less creative and think they are better based on the label.
Although I like these basses well enough, I am not on board with the squiers as much as most are here. I had a VM jazz....very cool looking, nice finish, sounded pretty good etc. but the things that are skimped on make a difference to me...The tuners, the tiny frets, the dinky bridge...also the tone knob drained all the beef from the sound. I may have had a lemon but it's hard to think that these things would change as much from bass to bass.
Now, I still think they are a good bass for what you pay for them and certainly you could gig and play one and be happy for the rest of your life...... but for me my G&L, MIA Fender jazz and my 86 Ibanez Roadstar all play and sound loads better than this bass...granted the GNL and MIA were 2-4X the price!
I will say this. I traded an Ibanez ATK for that VM Jazz and the build quality of the Ibanez and the Squier were not close. The Ibby had much better hardware, frets, etc. and just had a better feel IMHO. These basses cost more or less the same. The guy that I traded with on TB "couldn't believe how well made and what a beast the ATK was after playing the VM"
So before I get kicked out, to wrap it up the Squiers are great basses for what you pay but IMO not mind blowing and i think you can find basses of other makes in the same price range that are as good or better. Of course it is all opinion.....
Now I get crushed
Now, I still think they are a good bass for what you pay for them and certainly you could gig and play one and be happy for the rest of your life...... but for me my G&L, MIA Fender jazz and my 86 Ibanez Roadstar all play and sound loads better than this bass...granted the GNL and MIA were 2-4X the price!
I will say this. I traded an Ibanez ATK for that VM Jazz and the build quality of the Ibanez and the Squier were not close. The Ibby had much better hardware, frets, etc. and just had a better feel IMHO. These basses cost more or less the same. The guy that I traded with on TB "couldn't believe how well made and what a beast the ATK was after playing the VM"
So before I get kicked out, to wrap it up the Squiers are great basses for what you pay but IMO not mind blowing and i think you can find basses of other makes in the same price range that are as good or better. Of course it is all opinion.....
Now I get crushed
So before I get kicked out, to wrap it up the Squiers are great basses for what you pay but IMO not mind blowing and i think you can find basses of other makes in the same price range that are as good or better. Of course it is all opinion.....
Now I get crushed
No crushing. That's your experience.
I think folks get a little irked when somebody comes out and says "All those XXXX basses are crap", or some other idiotic generalization about a particular brand. I also believe that there are bad basses in any mass-produced bunch, no matter the make. Sometimes, people get a lemon. Or two.
If you had a VM and certain things bothered you about it, that's fine. My cheapo Affinity P needs some fret work, and I'd really like to roll the edges of the fretboard, but it's a really solid player, especially given what I paid for it.
As for other manufacturers, I would agree that some of them are putting out some kick ass basses for the money. I think Schecters, for example, are underrated, as all of them that I've played have been absolutely top notch. I got my hands on an Epi EB-3 a few months ago at GC and was really surprised. I had heard how awful those basses were, with muddy tones and crappy build quality, but the one I played was really nicely made and sounded quite good.
While I don't think that Squiers have cornered the market on the good, inexpensive bass, IMO they certainly are one of the top manufacturers in terms of choices and bang-for-the-buck. As usual, YMMV.
I have lost so much money buying things per the reccomendation of my friend and guitarist, who is also an amateur. After 2 years of frenzied gear switching, money wasted, time lost, he's finally STFU and found a musicman guitar he loves, and I use a Squier VM TB that I love.
Don't let him talk/bully you into a more expensive instrument, out of whatever insecurities or misconceptions he has. Are you going pro any time soon? No. Are you going to be playing to arenas on extremely hi-fi amps? No. The squier will do JUST fine. It has a P/J pickup configuration. It can sound 80% like a much more expensive P/J bass. Is he qualified to hear the 20% difference? Are the moths in his garage able to tell the difference?
Just patiently explain to him that there's nothing simpler in the world than a P pickup and a 4 string. Tell him it's so tried and true that even an import gets it right. Just smile and nod but don't waste money due to a guitard's neurosis. I'd have a lot more cash if I'd just smiled, nodded, and ignored my friend
I just found a new tag line .....
Sounds like you know my buddy Steve. He's dropping big cash on a Carvin and I can't even get him to stand up to play. Dude always wants to sit. I told him by the time we get good enough to play out you're not even going to be able to stand up so you better do it now.
