Indulge me for a second...Squier content

[bassbenj]

Try as many as possible of both! You'll know it when you find it.

This. Different basses give you different things. Name on headstock is irrelevant (unless trying to land a gig from some guitarist BL).
I play my Fender. I play my Squier. They are not the same but I wouldn't trade one for the other because then I'd be giving away whatever the other one offers. TB rule. You can never own too many basses!

I mostly play my G&LS and really prefer my SX and Modulus basses to the Fenders and Squiers but what does my preference have to do with you?

Just go and TRY them. IF a bass offers you something you like, think about owning it.

 

[boamedt]

I have owned one fender, but its gone. I play squiers mainly. They have alot of good models and I have pretty much loved them all. I currently own a vm 70s jazz, a vmp5, and a cvp. All great basses at their stock levels and I was impressed ar the quality i got for the prices I paid. I have only modded the p5 with a bridge humbucker. I find everything to be above par for a sub 400$ bass. My maple vm70s jazz only weighs 7lbs 2 ounces...I have never seen a fender that light

 

[plankspanker13]

It really boils down to your needs. If you need another sonic color/texture to add to your palette, a quality Squier specimen just might fit the need, if not the budget. For me, the need is for a "designated beater" to play in tight spaces and unsavory places, where I might harbor great concern for a 4-figures instrument, like my G&Ls or Warwick. An Affinity J-bass, with upgraded pickups and bridge fit that need very well, and I could still sell the bass for a good price. The replacement beater for now is an SX, and I am inclined to deem Squier's QC to be a bit better, roughly corresponding with the pricing differentials.

 

[dabbler]

I gotta laugh at any sentence that puts the words Fender and status close together. Fender is no more a status brand than Ford, Coors, Starbucks, or Levi's. Fender is simply an established mass-producer of bass guitars. The fact that they have history, a broad line of price points, and sizable market share mean they are a good measuring stick. Everything can be compared to a US Fender because the very concept of a US made Fender bass pretty much owns the middle of the road.

How do Squiers compare? It's a question inviting affirmation bias.

Frankly the implication that people who own Fenders do so because they "care about the logo on the headstock" is more insulting than saying that "Squiers suck." Why? Because one of these is ad hominem and the other isn't.

What something is depends on who you ask. Everyone has biases, some think their biases are objective. And just because someone has different values doesn't make their opinion meaningless, it just makes it less useful for someone with different values.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[organworthyplayer337]

The Squier I have absolutely sucks because the person I bought it from took NO care of the thing. But I love it's sound though.

 

[40Hz]

I've got a CV Jazz in Inca silver like jd56hawk's. I started on a Fender JBass, and owned four of them over the last 40+ years. I'd put this particular Squier up against any jazz bass I've ever owned. And a friend of mine who is a diehard AmStd JBass player and collector (and as big a "Fender snob" as you'll find anywhere) said he though it could easily hold it's own against 90% of what's out there - including most AmStds he's ever played. So it's not just me that's thinking that.

So...too bad you climbed back down off the ledge after hearing a single diss. But so it goes. If you'd feel better going with a red-blooded all-American Fender Jazz Bass...you shouldn't be disappointed either. Fender makes a really fine bass...

...as does Squier.

 

[arbiterusa]

I had an original 73 Jazz and a recent Indonesian Squier. As someone who used to work for an American guitar maker, it's agonizing to say this; the Squier is a far, far better built instrument than the old Fender was.

Now, comparing apples to apples, modern US Jazz to Squier, well, the US stuff has better electronics. They're nice basses. But the cost compared to that of the Squiers is ridiculous.

 

[aaronious]

I have 3 fenders and one squire. I play them all equally. Get a used VM and you can't go wrong.

 

[blindrabbit]

I have yet to play or own an MIA Fender that comes anywhere close to warranting its price. Conversely, the Squiers I've played and own have been some of the best basses I've ever tried. MIM Fenders seem to be a mixed bag, although the Road Worn models seem to be uniformly fantastic. I have yet to play a bad MIJ Fender, these are also consistently excellent.

Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Squier, even sight unseen. I can't say the same about a Fender.

 

[wintremute]

I like the Jazz sound and I want one, I was just thinking out loud as to whether or a not a Squier could effectively fill that roll.

Yes.

 

[Feralhog]

I had a Squier Jazz VM 70s (natural finish) for awhile. Seemed fine to me, but I swear it weighed thirty pounds.

Still have the Jaguar SS and really like it.....

 

[Fingerpickingood]

I've had a VM 5er for a few days now. I absolutely love it. I'm strongly considering trading in my Ibby for the four string model.

 

[DigitalMan]

What something is depends on who you ask. Everyone has biases, some think their biases are objective. And just because someone has different values doesn't make their opinion meaningless, it just makes it less useful for someone with different values.

Different strokes for different folks.

I'm not disagreeing with anything you say, but I am wondering how it is related to my post.

My point is simply that some folks who appreciate Squier's have a habit of looking down their noses at others and insulting others values for being too shallow or lacking substance. However we let it slide like so many other forms of reverse discrimination.

 

[dabbler]

I'm not disagreeing with anything you say, but I am wondering how it is related to my post.

My point is simply that some folks who appreciate Squier's have a habit of looking down their noses at others and insulting others values for being too shallow or lacking substance. However we let it slide like so many other forms of reverse discrimination.

I think you left out the fact that it goes both ways.

 

[tedious1]

Summed up how I feel. I'm not at all concerned with the "Fender" name being on the headstock. The whole Squier thing came up solely as a "I want a J without spending a ton of money, but I don't wanna throw 300 bucks away on a crap guitar" thing. From what I can tell from reading here is that there is a discernible difference between Fender and Squier, but not a by a 1000 dollars.

IME, not even close to $1000...but there is a caveat...

I own two Squiers, to get to that princely total required playing somewhere upwards of 35 instruments (I can no longer remember the exact number...) I basically went and played every Squier available locally until I figured out which was the pick of the litter...But, IMHO, this is one of the better parts about buying a Squier, I can think of much worse ways to spend an afternoon than driving around playing basses..

Which is a damn good thing, because when I went and got myself a Blue Rock (chinese J-knockoff) I ended up going through all the display basses and half a pallet of them in the back room before finding one that was acceptable.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

i play my Squier MORE than any other instrument I own.
Squier VMP5

 

[LanOsb133]

I have a 1990s Chinese Squier. Its a beast although it has full Fender electronics swap. Playability though is outrageous and it plays and feels better than my MIM 1995 Fender.

 

[DigitalMan]

I think you left out the fact that it goes both ways.

I didn't leave it out because it's not a fact and I disagree that it does go both ways.

It is very common to see people comment to the state of mind and superficial motives of Fender buyers. It is incredibly rare to see comments about the state of mind or purchasing motives of people who prefer Squiers.

This has nothing to do with opinions about the basses themselves.

 

[dabbler]

I didn't leave it out because it's not a fact and I disagree that it does go both ways.

It is very common to see people comment to the state of mind and superficial motives of Fender buyers. It is incredibly rare to see comments about the state of mind or purchasing motives of people who prefer Squiers.

This has nothing to do with opinions about the basses themselves.

Now you're confusing me. It doesn't go the other way... except rarely? Low probability events do happen, right?

 

[DigitalMan]

Now you're confusing me. It doesn't go the other way... except rarely? Low probability events do happen, right?

Saying it goes both ways primarily implies that it evens out. It doesn't. This is not about probabilities. It is about what has actually been posted. You're being disingenuous.