And yet again someone bases their opinion of an entire brand on one or (in this case) two bad experiences. Brilliant.
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Is a Squier Bass Really That Bad?
- Thread starter BassNoob1
- Start date
And yet again someone bases their opinion of an entire brand on one or (in this case) two bad experiences. Brilliant.
Wrote my post before I read this! I put a gently used Mighty Mite neck on mine that I bought for roughly $80 on ebay. It's ebonal -- durable, though I don't think I like it as much as real wood. I do plan on upgrading the pickup in the Squier. The nut on my neck was high, which made lower position playing a pain -- make sure your bass is well set-up to play fretless.
The P hasn't been bad, but if I were to do it over (and ran across a simlar deal) I'd try a Jazz for fretless. Since you already have the P, though...
One advantage of getting an inexpensive fretless neck is that it won't be hard to put your bass back to fretted if you don't like/want to sell.
I play a Squier P Bass. Since I'm left handed I was glad I could find a passive bass at an affordable price point ($250US). I didn't know if i was going to stick with playing bass when I started so I was glad I didn't pay a lot.
Yeah it's not perfect, I'm going to have to tweak the action on the strings a little, it's to high for me. The frets are a little rough, and the pickups are probably going to get replaced eventually. That's understandable considering it was made in Indonesia, not Mexico, but it didn't cost a $900-1000US either.
The Squiers are a lot better than some basses out there. Overall I'm happy with mine, and if I find something better I can always trade or sell it.
Yeah it's not perfect, I'm going to have to tweak the action on the strings a little, it's to high for me. The frets are a little rough, and the pickups are probably going to get replaced eventually. That's understandable considering it was made in Indonesia, not Mexico, but it didn't cost a $900-1000US either.
The Squiers are a lot better than some basses out there. Overall I'm happy with mine, and if I find something better I can always trade or sell it.
The main difference between Affinities and MIA Fenders comes in the way of playability. MIA Fenders, in general, can be set up to play better. Some of the recent classic vibe series Squiers are really impressive, price point or no.
Tonal changes can mostly be altered with a string and pickup change. As long as the neck sits fairly tightly in the pocket, the tone will be pretty much the same. Especially on something as fundamentally simple as a P bass.
Tonal changes can mostly be altered with a string and pickup change. As long as the neck sits fairly tightly in the pocket, the tone will be pretty much the same. Especially on something as fundamentally simple as a P bass.
When I first started I used to have a Squier affinity P-bass that I absolutely hated. I didn't know much about basses at this point, but it didn't sound "good" to my ears. Then one day when shopping around for amps, I plugged it into an SVT300 for fun... all of a sudden it sounded a lot better. Sold it probably 7 years ago but I'm sure that with a good setup and a proper amp, they can be fine basses.
In regard to marching band, my band instructor in high school used to arrange for a trailer with a generator and we'd load the amps on there. Granted, the generator was almost as loud as our amps, but it was pretty cool for us. Especially since we didn't have to march
In regard to marching band, my band instructor in high school used to arrange for a trailer with a generator and we'd load the amps on there. Granted, the generator was almost as loud as our amps, but it was pretty cool for us. Especially since we didn't have to march
- Dec 23, 2008
- 157
- 0
- Disclosures
- Staff Producer / Audio Engineer: Blue Tower Studio, Denver, CO & Mighty Fine Productions, Denver, CO
I got a ~$220 Squier J 5 string "Crafted in China" at guitar center some months ago & it has kind of become my daily driver. Didn't see that coming.
I have a memory from when i was a kid of seeing a marching band in a parade, dude playing a fender bass, someone pushing a big peavy amp on a cart behind them. Not sure about power.
I have a memory from when i was a kid of seeing a marching band in a parade, dude playing a fender bass, someone pushing a big peavy amp on a cart behind them. Not sure about power.
Currently have a VM Jaguar bass on layaway at the local store here. Wasn't expecting to get a new bass any time soon, but when I plugged it in and started noodling around, the tone that came out was THE tone that I hear in my head when I imagine a perfect bass tone. The neck on it is smooth and fast, no crappy frets. The weight is pretty much right where I like it, neither a backbreaker nor a featherweight. In a seated position the balance felt great, didn't get a chance to throw a strap on and find out for sure, but I think it mayyy suffer from a tad of neck dive in a standing position. This beast will be my main player when it comes home and I can proudly say that I support Squier basses.
Now, as far as the Affinity P goes, I've played a couple in stores and my Ex girlfriend owned a great one. I definitely thought that my Fender was better than those, though only marginally. When my Fender was stock it had a very sliiiightly noticabley better sound IMO, less "raw" feeling neck, and a better weight ((IMO)) due to the body not being shaved down. Ultimately, if you dig your Affinity and don't feel you neeeeed the big ol F on your headstock, save your money until you walk into a store one day and play a bass you just can't live without I say.
Now, as far as the Affinity P goes, I've played a couple in stores and my Ex girlfriend owned a great one. I definitely thought that my Fender was better than those, though only marginally. When my Fender was stock it had a very sliiiightly noticabley better sound IMO, less "raw" feeling neck, and a better weight ((IMO)) due to the body not being shaved down. Ultimately, if you dig your Affinity and don't feel you neeeeed the big ol F on your headstock, save your money until you walk into a store one day and play a bass you just can't live without I say.
I found the opposite to be true with my Affinity Pbass. It's about ten years old; I bought it used, and the neck was warped badly. After a proper setup, it played just as well as my '62 Fender Jazz, accounting for the differences in neck profile, of course. Unfortunately, I bought it and did the setup during the summer when the humidity was high. Already, due to the low winter humidity, it badly needs another set up. The action has changed and the strings are hitting the frets when I go past the seventh fret. Additonally, the frets are now so sharp that they feel like razor blades when you slide your hand up and down the neck. All of these issues are fixable with another proper setup. The difference is that I rarely ever need to adjust the setup on the '62 Jazz, even with seasonal weather changes.
Based on the conditions described in the OP, I would keep the Affinity and save money to buy a better bass when and if I started playing paying gigs. Based on TB reports, one of the newer Squier of basses may be better choice.
I also played the Affinity Jazz 5 a couple days ago when I was in GC checking out amps. I was quite pleasantly surprised, and I have an MIA Jazz V to compare it to. Like Tommy said, it sounded pretty good and played well. For $229, I plan on picking one up and use it as a bass I can leave at a rehearsal space or practice setups on. It'd be much easier to handle breaking a $200 bass than any of my others. And if one was so motivated, it would also be a perfect bass to mod/upgrade the CRAP out of.
5sg.
Exactly!! I have one with Lindy Fralins (from a JO5), wiring harness, tort guard and flats. I rocked a couple weeks ago. Sounded great.
In what world are Squiers better then American? There is a reason why Squiers are priced so much lower than the American Fenders. Personally, I will never buy a Squier or a MIM Fender.
My Affinity is seviceable, but it had a scratchy pot when I got it, and the neck only backbows to a point. You can crank the truss rod all day and the action won't drop. I've had a VM too, and I loved it.
You're getting confused because you have it the other way round.
You're bass player. The audience listens to you. You don't need to listen to the audience.
If the bass sounds good for you then it sounds good.
You're bass player. The audience listens to you. You don't need to listen to the audience.
If the bass sounds good for you then it sounds good.
I've played a good few Squier basses, and I honestly cannot see the problem with playing them. Infact I'm prepared to say that the Squiers I've played rivalled the Fenders I've played.
And there's nothing wrong with gigging supposed 'budget' gear. I've seen guitarists gigging Epiphone (Gibson's budget line) guitars and basses (including Alex Lifeson of Rush) and Squier basses too.
And there's nothing wrong with gigging supposed 'budget' gear. I've seen guitarists gigging Epiphone (Gibson's budget line) guitars and basses (including Alex Lifeson of Rush) and Squier basses too.
Nice! I'm curious... are the pickups in the Squier Affinity 5 the same size as the MIA Jazz V's? I put Quarter Pounds in my MIA, maybe I could throw the pickups from my MIA in the Squier?
5sg.
I have to echo this comment. If they were really that amazing, rest assured, Fender would charge more for them. Think about it. We know they're bone-cheap to produce, so if they were amazing basses, people would be willing to pay more for them, and Fender would make a larger profit. I have no doubt that Squiers are adequate basses, or in many cases very fun to play, but better than an MIA? No way.
My sense is that the quality of Squier stuff has varied over time and that a particular Squier model from 10 years ago may not be the same as what you can get today. I think there were far more compromises on materials and build quality in the past than there is today. I currently own 2 and have played several other newer ones. Like all instruments, they tend to vary somewhat from one to another but on balance the quality, playability and sound are amazing. I also own 2 AV fenders and a beautiful Mike Lull. While there are things a like better about those basses it's not on an order of magnitude scale. I have a Fiesta Red 60s PBass and a Squier Affinity Jazz V. I've done some mods to both, nothing over the top expensive, more for tone shaping and cosmetics. It struck me recently that you could have 2 great basses that could cover an awful lot of ground for about $600 for pair. That's amazing.
I recently did a 3 set gig, had 5 basses to choice from and ultimately played the CV 60's bass all night. It was fantastic and I wasn't at any point wanting for one of my pricier instruments.
Because those foreign workers get paid what would amount to slave wages here. The price has nothing to do with the level of quality or the skill of the workers. If anything, one could argue not that Squiers are cheap crap (which they certainly are not) but that Fenders are overpriced, because you CAN get a quality bass at a much lower price.
Of course, overpriced is a relative term, it's only overpriced if you can't afford it. And if you can't afford a Fender, then a Squier is a good QUALITY alternative. I like my $300 Squiers as much as my $1200 Fender.
Better than a Fender? Maybe not. But at least as good as? In some cases, yes. In my own experience alone, my current VM P bass is as good as the '78 P-bass I used to have, which was a teriffic bass.
And don't let the price fool you. More expensive does not automatically mean better, just that American workers get paid way more than their foreign counterparts, not that they are any better at the job.
I have just purchased a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass as my first Bass. All the reviews i have found are quite positive for the price.
I dont think i will buy anything more expensive as it will just be used in the Studio.
I dont think i will buy anything more expensive as it will just be used in the Studio.
