Is taking a Squier and making it better over the years a good idea?

[bootsox]

There was an episode of Top Gear during which the guys bought "lesser" cars in order to modify them with aftermarket parts. Across the board, had they simply waited, saved, and purchased a better vehicle to begin with, they would have actually saved money in the long run.

I've seen that episode (or at least an equivalent on BBC's Top Gear if you're watching the American version) You neglect to mention that those "lesser" cars with aftermarket bits in most cases outran the unmodified sports cars.

 

[Mike N]

I've got two Squiers... one four string P with an MIA pickup, MIA tuners and a Badass bridge... the other is a five string P that is box stock right down to the strings. Both play and sound nice. Lately I've been recording with the five string, and imo it sounds nicer than my four string 98 MIA P does.

 

[hdracer]

sounds like a pretty canned response,, or at best an overused cliche

a few years back i purchased a bass that happened to have a Squier logo on it ( still does )

in OE form, it smoked the current bass i was using at the time ( Fender American Deluve Jazz Bass V )

modded the crap outta it & it's been on many stages thru the years, i didn't buy it for resale value,, as it's a tool in my toolbox

the parent company ( cough,,, Fender USA ) has been marketing, mass manufacturing, & distributing untold numbers of pigs,, i mean " sows ears ",, uhh,, finely crafted american made instruments for wayyyy too many years

the quality, fit & finish,,, & the most important aspect, fretwork, playability & tone of these Squiers usually equally match & alot of times surpass much higher offerings from the parent co.

not trying to get into any pissing match with anyone with this post,, but it is ime / imho

Yes you are.

I said it was a nice bass but it will never be equal to a American Standard Fender.
Are you going to put a better truss rod in the neck and some graphite rods? Will it have a ash or alder body? Are you going to pay for a fret level and dress?
My son has a nice Squier Matt Freeman P bass. For the money it is a nice bass but it doesn't come close to my MIA P5 when it comes down to the frett work, nut, neck stability fit, finish. But for $1000 less I would not expect it to be.

I respectfully disagree. However I do agree that Fender has put out some crap in the past. Since early 2000 the American Deluxe has gotten much better. These last few years have been stellar compared to the 80's and 90's, both lines made in America that is. (Standard and AMD) Quality of the fretwork and attention to detail of the current models (my opinion) just "smoke" the Chinese and Indonesian products. Those Squire basses have no stiffening rods, and mediocre fret work. I've never been able to get a Squire neck to straighten out and play clean (minimal/no buzzing) up and down the neck. But then again, I'm appreciative about the details that guys like Sadowsky, Lull, Lakland and Tobias and Pedulla put into their basses, so I'm already biased against the Squire level of product in the first place. The Squire line works for some people, not for others.

+1 Doug
I have a good friend that just got a new Sadowsky NYC. We can swap our basses back and forth. My P5 is a lot closer to his Sadowsky then my sons Squier is to my MIA Fender.

 

[Figjam]

Im doing exactly that right now. I have to say, the CV 60s precision is amazing. So I got one. I just put my beloved 1993 MIM jazz neck on it (it is one of the best feeling necks I have ever played, it really must have been old wood stock from the american factory when they just opened the mexican shop).

I am putting a dimarzio pup in it because to be honest it looks amazing, plays amazing, but sounds 'okay; I think the strings are also just too darn new for my taste.

After that, I will either be content or I will be having a jazz pickup routed and added in there as well. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite basses to play. The lightweight body is amazing, and while I do love a good heavy piece of wood, for live play its a different story.

The neck swap took care of the tuners, and while I was at it I put a Fender neck plate on. I wont be changing the stock bridge, as it is amazing. I also have put on strat style knobs (I started playing on a fender with them, as they used to put them on the MIMs, and I just dig it still). The neck also has a replacement brass nut. The tuners are the old 'liscensed by Schaller' ones that used to be on MIMs. Strings are D'Addarios.

Once the Dimarzio P pup is in, I dont see why this bass wont be a dream.

 

[Figjam]

Also I think this needs to be stated or restated; The Made in China Squiers far surpass the Indonesian ones. Blanket statements should not be made that refer to both as the same entity.

Ill provide a little more info about my feelings on the Squier CV. The hardware and everything is definitely a bit cheaper (except the bridge, solid), but it is functionally sound. The fretjob is quite great; really no complaints. The neck finish looks good but is a bit sticky. Definitely something I like at first and slowly prefer a broken in older neck. I have a hard time liking Fender necks that havent been played. The finishes just get better with age IME (although the thick finishes on the CV's probably wont change significantly over time, too thick to respond dramatically to hand oils). The faux bone nut is fine. Its a pretty good shape for a P neck. Not my favorite, not my least favorite. I find it a little 'lost' in terms of being neither thin nor thick in feel.

I really like that I put my jazz neck on the CV. Its going to be really exciting bass, with the added sentimentality of having a neck on it that I have had for a long time.

 

[Mark4]

Is it a good idea? I'd say so. They're decent affordable instruments, and you'll probably learn a lot from the experience.

 

[redzebra6]

No matter what, it's your bass. The only reason why a lot of people are trying to talk you out of this is because they really are nice basses. I have 3 Squiers and this is one version that I've been drooling over since I got to try one when they first came out. But I know where you're coming from, its not yours until you open it.

If it where mine, I would give it straplocks and a detuner. And thats it.


But it ain't.

 

[JACink]

Yes you are.

I said it was a nice bass but it will never be equal to a American Standard Fender.
Are you going to put a better truss rod in the neck and some graphite rods? Will it have a ash or alder body? Are you going to pay for a fret level and dress?
My son has a nice Squier Matt Freeman P bass. For the money it is a nice bass but it doesn't come close to my MIA P5 when it comes down to the frett work, nut, neck stability fit, finish. But for $1000 less I would not expect it to be.



+1 Doug
I have a good friend that just got a new Sadowsky NYC. We can swap our basses back and forth. My P5 is a lot closer to his Sadowsky then my sons Squier is to my MIA Fender.

Whats the price difference between the P5 and the Sadowsky? Is it closer (% wise) than the Squier and the P5?

I'm not picking arguments here, nor am I saying that a Squier is on a level with many other instruments, but I will say that in it's price range it's a pretty darn good instrument.

 

[brad houser]

if the bass feels good, it's worth modding.

 

[spiritbass]

Your bass, your money - do with them what you want. I enjoyed modding the three Squiers I owned. Yes, they are giggable as-is. The nut on my CV 60's precision was fine, I replaced those on the VM Jag and CV 50's precision which were not set up to my liking.
What raised a flag for me in your original post was the proposed neck change. If it were me, I'd get one with the neck type I want from the get-go.