Jazz bass: Squier Affinity vs Squier Classic Vibe

[Kipp Harrington]

Not drop in, exactly. I used the Gotoh FB30 tuners. Had to redrill screw holes. The ferrules were slightly smaller than stock, so I had to use a bit on ingenuity to get them to stay in place (glue). But they fit fine ultimately.

I think one of the Hipshot models are a drop in but I forget. The Gotohs were a lot cheaper and accomplished the look I wanted.

I appreciate your response. I am thinking of "upgrading" the tuners on my Affinity PJ. I really like the bass. I think I will look into the Hipshot tuners. Not so good at "modding" stuff! LOL. Thanks again for the reply.

 

[39-Bassist]

CV all the time...Great for the price.

 

[dxb]

Thanks for all the replies so far! A lot of useful info.

Just one more question. Does anyone know if this particular bass (the natural version, not the black or sunburst) is soft maple of poplar? It's the 2019 line of Classic Vibe '70s jazz basses.

Invalid Link Removed

Fender says it's poplar, but as I mentioned in my original post, I've noticed mistakes on the site before where they've listed all colours as the same wood type even though they differ. Eastcoasteddie mentioned the natural is likely soft maple, but I'm wondering if there are any owners who may know for sure?

Ta!

It looks a lot like poplar to me. I can't imagine they'd use maple on a solid body since it would be pretty heavy. I guess it could also be a maple veneer on a poplar body.

 

[pappabass]

Classic Vibe, has a better resale.

 

[leonard]

They both can be very playable and enjoyable but there are differences between individual basses. Be sure to try it before you buy. A decent setup is always worth it. Learn to do it or have a pro do it for you. The problem with Squiers is that the hardware is not as durable as on more expensive basses. But at the moment you wear your frets out you can be proud of all your hard work you've done practising and gigging.

 

[skyline_01]

I'd have to go with the CV as well, having played those and the Affinity as well.

Can't say much bad about the Affinity though. I just picked up an older one and modded it for my daughter's Christmas present and I'm pleasantly surprised with how nice it turned out.

I replaced the stock bridge with a cheaper higher mass version and replaced all of the guts with a new kit (CTS, Sprague, Switchcraft), as well as changing the pickguard to a black pearl. Sounds and plays great - I posted a thread with a demo a couple weeks ago.

 

[Oobly]

Hmm.... That's actually a tricky one. I have bought a new Indonesian CV 60's P bass which I took back for a refund (lots of faults, main one being the nut was chipped at the exit of the D string so intonation would never be able to be set properly, neck wasn't set straight in the pocket, blemishes in the finish, etc), which I then used to fund the last Chinese-made CV 70's P bass that I managed to find in my city, which I absolutely love... The newer basses made in the Indonesian Cort factory have much lower standards on quality control than the Chinese-made ones.

But... My CV 70's has a CGS serial number, and every instrument I have seen made in that particular factory is fantastic. The Affinity has a CY number, so is most likely not made in the same factory, even though it's a Squier made in China. I don't know anything about instruments made there (although they're most likely more consistent than the new CV, I don't know whether it is consistently good or consistently bad).

I'd say it's definitely best if you can try the bass in person before you buy. Then I'd recommend trying the CV and see if matches your expectations. I suspect the natural one is more likely to be maple than poplar, it certainly LOOKS more like maple, poplar is a very boring and plain looking wood with very little grain patterning. If you can't and it has to be a Jazz style bass, I don't know what to recommend...

If it doesn't absolutely HAVE to be a Jazz bass, perhaps the new CV Jaguar is worth a look? The body and neck shape allow it to "sit" like a jazz and feel like one when played, it has PJ pickups so can get somewhat Jazz-like (with separate stacked tone and volume pots for each pickup) and it's made in the Samick factory in Indonesia (ISS serial), which so far looks promising (I have seen a couple of Stratocasters made there and they're close to the CGS ones in terms of quality). I have one on backorder which should arrive early January, so I am "putting my money where my mouth is"

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

The new classic vibes I've gotten my hands on have been just as nice as the old, I actually like the necks better, they have more of a vintage tint which I think looks good they sounds great as well.

 

[Flooflox]

The Affinitys won't fall apart. They work just fine, feel good and sound good. Also, they will be lighter than the Vintage Modified or the Classic Vibes. I believe the bodies are slightly thinner which is a plus for those of us that like a lighter bass.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

I have an affinity j that's my #1 at the moment but I'm not gigging these days. It required a setup but it plays so good now. It's pretty light. The bodies on them are slightly thinner. Mine is the sunburst model and it looks like alder.

I have an affinity p bass w a j neck that's been my beat-up bass for at least 6-7 years now and it's still functional also one of my lightest basses. When i changed the neck, the wood sewmed like alder to me though I'm no expert. I think the bodies have 3-5 pieces.

I played the natural 70's j OP mentioned (soft maple) and it was considerably heavier.

 

[BAG]

Depends on the individual basses. If you can play them both get the one that feels and sounds better.

Many years ago when we got my daughter a new guitar we tried a stack of strat-style guitars. Even though the budget could have gotten her a CV we bought the Affinity as it had better fret work and actually sounded better to our ears.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Someone recommended the Harley Benton PB-20 so I just thought I should give a warning as they clearly vary a LOT in quality:

I got one out of curiosity after reading a couple of decent reviews. I mean, how good can such a cheap instrument really be? It turned out to be a total pieces of junk.

It needed a fret job and a neck shim to be even remotely playable. The fret buzz wasn't the worst I've heard but not acceptable either. Far worse was the fact that without a considerable neck shim it was 100% impossible to get decent action. The factory setup was laughable. By far the worst I've seen on any bass EVER. The action was sky high and the truss rod was tightened too much, causing a slight back bow. The pickups height was completely wrong. The pickups were set completely flat rather than angled to follow the fretboard radius.

The pickguard wasn't cut correctly around the neck pocket so it had dug into the neck and caused damage to the finish. Because of this the finish on the body around the neck pocket cracked when I removed the neck, even though I was very careful.

The pots weren't even fastened, both were completely loose. The knobs weren't tightened either. Even the bridge wasn't fastened properly so it vibrated against the body and caused a weird ringing sound! All of the loose screws that needed tightening were of extremely poor quality and some of them stripped more or less the moment I touched them, meaning they can never be tightened again (and probably need to be drilled out to be able to fit better screws).

The stock strings were so unbelievably poor that I honestly think it would have been better to ship the bass without strings. The strings hardly produced any output at all! I've never EVER encountered such ridiculously poor strings. Something must be way off with the magnetic properties of the metal alloy they use. If this is the same strings they sell cheap under the Harley Benton brand it's borderline fraud! These are not bass strings, they're pieces of scrap metal.

The bass is also very heavy and has a very chunky neck profile. The neck isn't particularly wide though, it's just very thick front to back and doesn't feel quite right to me (but neck profiles are very much a personal thing of course). The "fake rosewood" fretboard is probably the thickest fretboard I've ever seen and it feels kinda rough under the fingers. Plus it scratches easily.

The tuners on mine have a grinding feel and also have too much play for easy tuning. I haven't bothered replacing them because it won't be worth it. Lipstick on a pig and all that...

The ceramic pickup wasn't a total disaster once I got rid of the unbelievably poor strings but it wasn't exactly great either. Practically any aftermarket pickup will be an improvement. A Model P (which I had a spare lying around because I'm not really a big fan) was a HUGE improvement. But I wouldn't have bothered buying a new pickup specifically for this bass. It's simply not good enough to spend any money on upgrades.

None of the parts except the pickup are standard Fender sizes so you can't expect to find any drop-in replacements anyway.

Others seem to have had better luck with the PB-20 than me but I've also seen reports of similar problems as mine. I wouldn't bother unless I was inside the EU and could return it easily without customs hassle. Personally I won't even call mine a bass but a cheap parts bin of low quality parts.

To be fair it turned out halfway decent after a LOT of work and some upgraded parts (basically parts that I'd pulled OUT of other basses I had upgraded, lol) but I would never in a million years recommend this bass to anyone.

 

[wraub]

I appreciate your response. I am thinking of "upgrading" the tuners on my Affinity PJ. I really like the bass. I think I will look into the Hipshot tuners. Not so good at "modding" stuff! LOL. Thanks again for the reply.

I have heard that the tuners are a weak point, and, they do have a "basic cheap chrome" look, but so far they work fine and hold tune for days at a time, as it sits when neglected...
For replacements, variance in ferrule sizes have been adjusted by aluminum or copper tape, iirc.

Hmm.... That's actually a tricky one. I have bought a new Indonesian CV 60's P bass which I took back for a refund (lots of faults, main one being the nut was chipped at the exit of the D string so intonation would never be able to be set properly, neck wasn't set straight in the pocket, blemishes in the finish, etc), which I then used to fund the last Chinese-made CV 70's P bass that I managed to find in my city, which I absolutely love... The newer basses made in the Indonesian Cort factory have much lower standards on quality control than the Chinese-made ones.

But... My CV 70's has a CGS serial number, and every instrument I have seen made in that particular factory is fantastic. The Affinity has a CY number, so is most likely not made in the same factory, even though it's a Squier made in China. I don't know anything about instruments made there (although they're most likely more consistent than the new CV, I don't know whether it is consistently good or consistently bad).

I'd say it's definitely best if you can try the bass in person before you buy. Then I'd recommend trying the CV and see if matches your expectations. I suspect the natural one is more likely to be maple than poplar, it certainly LOOKS more like maple, poplar is a very boring and plain looking wood with very little grain patterning. If you can't and it has to be a Jazz style bass, I don't know what to recommend...

If it doesn't absolutely HAVE to be a Jazz bass, perhaps the new CV Jaguar is worth a look? The body and neck shape allow it to "sit" like a jazz and feel like one when played, it has PJ pickups so can get somewhat Jazz-like (with separate stacked tone and volume pots for each pickup) and it's made in the Samick factory in Indonesia (ISS serial), which so far looks promising (I have seen a couple of Stratocasters made there and they're close to the CGS ones in terms of quality). I have one on backorder which should arrive early January, so I am "putting my money where my mouth is"

Mine also has a CY serial, which I believe designates the Yako works = C (China) Y (Yako).

The Affinitys won't fall apart. They work just fine, feel good and sound good. Also, they will be lighter than the Vintage Modified or the Classic Vibes. I believe the bodies are slightly thinner which is a plus for those of us that like a lighter bass.

I have an affinity j that's my #1 at the moment but I'm not gigging these days. It required a setup but it plays so good now. It's pretty light. The bodies on them are slightly thinner. Mine is the sunburst model and it looks like alder.

I have an affinity p bass w a j neck that's been my beat-up bass for at least 6-7 years now and it's still functional also one of my lightest basses. When i changed the neck, the wood sew med like alder to me though I'm no expert. I think the bodies have 3-5 pieces.

I played the natural 70's j OP mentioned (soft maple) and it was considerably heavier.

My 2017 Affinity did have some fret sprout, which I attributed as much to weather as mfg.
Filed them at their most protruding state, now with some humidity they feel invisible.

Mine is also thinner than a MIM or MIC Fender, and is comfortably light at 8lbs6ozs.

EDIT- fwiw, here's a review I did of mine...
Review- Squier Precision Bass PJ *Update, With Pics*

 

[twinjet]

Thanks for the reply. I have heard great things about those models. However, they are hard to come by here, so I'm considering the new Classic Vibe line (2019 Indonesian made). Also, I'm not expecting to spend too much or for the quality to be too high as it's just a beater bass. As long as it won't fall apart.

Indonesian Jazz Basses are great value. I'd consider checking pawn shops or the classifieds here, you're sure to find a good bass for little money.

 

[bassmanrocke]

Currently my best sounding bass is a Classic Vibe 77 Jazz(sunburst, pearl block maple neck) and my worst is a Classic Vibe 70s model( White, maple with black blocks). Both Indonesian. It really does depend on the particular bass.

 

[Ric5]

Classic Vibe all the way

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Hmm.... That's actually a tricky one. I have bought a new Indonesian CV 60's P bass which I took back for a refund (lots of faults, main one being the nut was chipped at the exit of the D string so intonation would never be able to be set properly, neck wasn't set straight in the pocket, blemishes in the finish, etc), which I then used to fund the last Chinese-made CV 70's P bass that I managed to find in my city, which I absolutely love... The newer basses made in the Indonesian Cort factory have much lower standards on quality control than the Chinese-made ones.

But... My CV 70's has a CGS serial number, and every instrument I have seen made in that particular factory is fantastic. The Affinity has a CY number, so is most likely not made in the same factory, even though it's a Squier made in China. I don't know anything about instruments made there (although they're most likely more consistent than the new CV, I don't know whether it is consistently good or consistently bad).

I'd say it's definitely best if you can try the bass in person before you buy. Then I'd recommend trying the CV and see if matches your expectations. I suspect the natural one is more likely to be maple than poplar, it certainly LOOKS more like maple, poplar is a very boring and plain looking wood with very little grain patterning. If you can't and it has to be a Jazz style bass, I don't know what to recommend...

If it doesn't absolutely HAVE to be a Jazz bass, perhaps the new CV Jaguar is worth a look? The body and neck shape allow it to "sit" like a jazz and feel like one when played, it has PJ pickups so can get somewhat Jazz-like (with separate stacked tone and volume pots for each pickup) and it's made in the Samick factory in Indonesia (ISS serial), which so far looks promising (I have seen a couple of Stratocasters made there and they're close to the CGS ones in terms of quality). I have one on backorder which should arrive early January, so I am "putting my money where my mouth is"

Lots of good advice in the post I quoted!

YES, the Chinese CGS serial number Squier CVs are some of the best basses Fender has manufactured in this millenium! I have no idea what factory manufactured these CGS instruments but every single one I've tried has been consistently good, some of them GREAT. And not just "for the price". The Chinese CVs and the US AVRIs are my personal favourite Fenders of the 21st century. The current Indonesian CVs not so much. At least not the ones I've tried. But the new upcoming models looks to be made in a different Indonesian factory than the current ones (based on IC/IS serial numbers for Cort/Samick respectively). Who knows, the new ones might be better... if they ever arrive.

The CY Serial number Squier Affinitys from a couple of years back can also be great in my experience. They're made in Yako, Taiwan. They're not often mentioned here on Talkbass but they seem to have a very good reputation on guitar forums. I've got a CY Affinity P-bass from year 2000 and it totally blows away any later PJ Affinitys I've tried. The pickup wasn't that great though so I replaced it with a Fender Original. The tuners are the closed back ones that everyone hates but they work perfectly 20 years later and this was my severly mistreated touring bass for over a decade. It's now one of my favourite recording basses because it simply sounds amazing. I keep choosing it over my expensive Fenders. It got to the point where I got a friend to record a blind test with me to make sure I wasn't imagining things! The neck feels really nice too, quite slim front to back profile for a P-bass. Beautiful rosewood board. And the body is a SINGLE piece alder which is pretty cool for a bass that hardly cost more than the pickup I later put into it.

As for any advice between the current Affinitys and CVs... I wouldn't buy either to be honest. At least not without trying before buying!!! But if you want a Cort why not just buy a Cort instead of buying a Cort with Squier/Fender written on the headstock? You will avoid paying extra for the logo. Cort has some pretty decent J-style basses for cheap.

And why not consider a used Chinese CV or even a VM instead? Used VMs shouldn't be hard to find unless you live in a very remote area. The VMs were a bit more inconsistent though so trying before buying is a good idea, if possible.

Come to think of it, aren't the "70s" maple body VMs still available new? I really like those! I've got the 5-string J-bass and it sounds way cooler than the "regular" VMs in my opinion. It's a very aggressive side of the J-bass sound though so if you want warm/fat it's probably not the best choice. It's bordering on thin in the lows to be honest but it SNARLS and is really fun to play. I don't know if it has a different pickup than the regular VM or if it's the body wood (maple vs basswood) but they sound completely different. But the maple body makes it shockingly heavy too, at least the 5-string!

If you can stretch the budget a little and would consider PJ instead of J there's the Yamaha BB434 which is a seriously good instrument in this price range. I wouldn't get the cheaper BB234 though as it's missing some of the most important BB features. But a BB434 will last you a lifetime and potentially be your number one.

And of course there's the Ibanez SR series that will blow away almost anything in every step of the price ladder. But it's such a competely different vibe/sound than Fenders that it's probably not the right choice here.

If I HAD to choose between the current Affinity and CV J-basses... If color doesn't matter I would probably get the Affinity and use the money I save for a better set of pickups, like the Seymour Duncan Apollos or something. But TRY BEFORE YOU BUY with these current Squiers! Or buy from a store with a good return policy.

Oh, and the Chinese CV70 P-bass still keeps popping up at dealers from time to time. I don't know what that's about? It looks pretty much identical to the upcoming new black Indonsesian CV so check the serial number (and that it's got the bridge cover). I know it's a P and not a J but they're so spectacularly good instruments in this price range that anyone in need of a reasonably priced bass should consider it!!!

 

[SonnyBassPlayer]

I own a 2019 CV 70s Jazz (which is indeed soft maple), a 2019 CV 60s P bass and a 2015 CV 50s Telecaster. They are all amazing instruments for the price and I would highly suggest them to anyone searching for a great instrument at under 400€ new.
Both my 2019 basses have a few defects but the sound and playability outnumber anything.
If you want to stay on the cheaper spectrum and have the chance, Harley Benton is better IMHO that entry level (affinity) Squiers.

I'll leave you some clips: (disclaimer: I am no YT partner, it's not advertising!)

70s Jazz:


60s P:


50s Tele:


Hope this was useful!

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Hi there,

but I don't want to go for the Affinity if it's going to fall apart after a few months.

I don't think this will be a problem. They're not THAT bad and they come with a warranty. It's more about sound, playability and inconsistency due too poor quality control. Maybe the tuners won't last a lifetime but the same can be said for the Fender Player series. If you can test a few and find a nice one I'm sure they will be fine as a beater bass for travels/practising. But if it's for gigs I would probably stretch the budget a bit if possible. Or at least replace the pickups with something better. They're usually the weakest link in cheap Squiers, provided that you find a nice one. I would personally recommend noise cancelling pickups unless you are a single coil fanatic (and I mean that in the nicest possible way, I totally understand why some people want true single coils in their Js).

 

[pie_man_25]

The affinity is a good bass. The classic Vibe is a bass that costs more money. I've seen people gig with affinities, classic vibes, and even Jay turser basses.

This bass is your backup travel bass. How good or expensive so you want it to be? What features would the CV have that the affinity doesn't?

Also, I'm in the camp that whatever the squiers are actually made of, it's probably something that grows in a place not too far from where it's made. I'm not inclined to think that an Indonesian factory it's going to pay big bucks to have whatever precise species is used in a fender shipped over there. They're probably using something either in the same family so that they can call it Alder or soft maple, or they're using whatever is available and has favorable properties - and I don't think that's a bad thing.