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Jazz bass: Squier Affinity vs Squier Classic Vibe

#41
Are you able to test them out? Are you willing /able to modify and adjust (file frets, swap pickups, etc?)

If yes, then Affinity should be fine. IME Affinities are pretty good, but most need a few tweaks. If you want it ready straight off the rack, CV is a safer bet.

Im not a fan of the gloss neck on the CV, I’d buff that down to a satin- but that’s a personal preference, not a complaint about quality.
 
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#42
Thanks so much for all the excellent replies. That gives me a lot to consider. I'm definitely overthinking it, just I've had a habit of buying and selling basses in the past and for my own sanity I'd like to get the right bass and stick with it, even if it is just a beater bass. As some have suggested, I'll see if I can find any to try in person first.
 
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#43
CallMeAl said:
Are you able to test them out? Are you willing /able to modify and adjust (file frets, swap pickups, etc?)

If yes, then Affinity should be fine. IME Affinities are pretty good, but most need a few tweaks. If you want it ready straight off the rack, CV is a safer bet.

Im not a fan of the gloss neck on the CV, I’d buff that down to a satin- but that’s a personal preference, not a complaint about quality.
Click to expand...

I would be willing to swap pickups and other parts (tuners, bridge etc) eventually if needed and if it's a good enough bass. But I'd like a bass that's good enough just for getting going without needing to do much tweaking. Obviously it wouldn't be my main bass though.

Judging by all the comments I'm guessing either will do just fine as a beater bass.
 
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#44
SonnyBassPlayer said:
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!
Click to expand...


Thanks for the clips! The basses sound and look great. How's the weight on the 70s jazz? How can you tell it's soft maple? Is it from the wood grain? I'm not too knowledgeable in that area, just Fender has it listed as poplar which surprised me.

Thanks!
 
#45
S.F.Sorrow said:
Someone recommended the Harley Benton PB-20 so I just thought I should give a warning as they clearly vary a LOT in quality...<cut>
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Damn, a total piece of crap... Obviously in cheap instruments quality may vary a lot, but seems that you was really unlucky.
Mine (bought a couple weeks ago), was quite flawless, action was good, finish also, neck straight.
Swapped the original pickups with EMG PAX and replace strings with 45-105 DR Black Beauties.
Yesterday I have a rehearsal with my Queensryche Tribute Band and test the bass for the first time.
I have to say, and my bandmates agreed, that it rocks. I found also the bass very playable, no dead spots, volume of every single string well balanced.
Sorry for the off topic ;)
 
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#48
bassbourne said:
I would be willing to swap pickups and other parts (tuners, bridge etc) eventually if needed and if it's a good enough bass. But I'd like a bass that's good enough just for getting going without needing to do much tweaking. Obviously it wouldn't be my main bass though.

Judging by all the comments I'm guessing either will do just fine as a beater bass.
Click to expand...
Are you looking at new ones? I’ve found the 2017-2019 models to be pretty darn good. My major complaint is the necks seem a little raw, so I’d give them a light sanding and maybe a refinish. One PJ I tried sounded a little anemic, but most sound pretty darn good. Many have complained about the hardware on the reissued Indo CV’s (as well as the Affinities,) but I’m in the “if it ain’t broke...” camp
 
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#49
CallMeAl said:
Are you looking at new ones? I’ve found the 2017-2019 models to be pretty darn good. My major complaint is the necks seem a little raw, so I’d give them a light sanding and maybe a refinish. One PJ I tried sounded a little anemic, but most sound pretty darn good. Many have complained about the hardware on the reissued Indo CV’s (as well as the Affinities,) but I’m in the “if it ain’t broke...” camp
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Are you referring to the 2017-2019 Affinity models? I agree with the "if it ain't broke..." theory too. As long as the bass does it's job and can handle plenty of playing, I'm happy!
 
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#50
Bassdirty said:
that sounds awesome!!
any sound clips?
T$
Click to expand...

Not yet, we are actually work to a full Operation Mindcrime Album Setlist, it's an hard work.


Actual setlist:

Anarchy X
Revolution Calling
Operation Mindcrime
Speak
The Mission
Breaking the Silence
I Don't Believe in Love
Waiting for 22

And from Empire Album

Jet City Woman
Empire
Silent Lucidity

PS: Geoff Tate will play near me in Italy in December 22, I don't miss him for sure.

Sorry again for the OT :sorry:
 
#51
From my experience, a classic vibe will still be a better bass stock than an Affinity. Not just in terms of sound but things like neck work and quality. Of course the Affinity can be made to closely match the CV, but after changing the Pickups, maybe the bridge or tuners, you'd likely be paying a little more in total cost had you bought the CV in the first place. So if you're happy with the quality of the CV and don't plan to upgrade any further, then I would say buy the CV now. If you plan to upgrade the pickups and hardware regardless of which bass you buy, then I would say an Affinity might be good enough for now. Recent Affinity basses are of much better quality than it used to be - I was surprised when I tried one last year and really liked how the bass felt considering how about it previously (had bad experiences with them).
You want to save money? Buy used if you can, even a used CV can be pretty affordable.
 
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#53
bassbourne said:
Hi there,

Apologies in advance for the essay and thanks in advance to those who made it all the way through.

So I'm thinking of buying a back-up bass for travel (practicing with on holiday and perhaps even doing the odd gig with).

The two I've narrowed it down to are the following:

Squier Affinity Jazz Bass:
Invalid Link Removed
Squier Classic Vibe '70s Jazz Bass (2019):
Invalid Link Removed

Initially I was leaning towards the Classic Vibe (PLEASE NOTE this is the new 2019 Indonesian made series by the way, as the older Chinese made series are harder to come by here) as I've heard good things about them and was worried about going too cheap with the Affinity. However, having done some research, it seems the Affinity has an alder body, which I like, having had issues with poplar in the past (screws stripping etc). But I have read some threads stating that the older models have alder bodies and the newer ones have poplar bodies. Can anyone confirm this? Every site I have checked so far states they have an alder body (including Fender's own). On the other hand, the Classic Vibe is listed as having a poplar body, however I have seen multiple review videos in which they state the natural color is soft maple. I am guessing they are just assuming it's soft maple due to the natural look and the fact the similar older Vintage Modified '70s jazz basses are soft maple (if I remember correctly). Does anyone know what the actual wood is? According to Fender's site it's poplar, but I have noticed a few mistakes on their website recently and figured that perhaps the black and sunburst finishes are poplar and the natural is soft maple and they forgot to correct this. Also would there be a big difference in terms of pick-ups?

Other than that, if anyone has any opinion on which of the two basses to get that would be much appreciated. I'm open to other suggestions too, such as the '60s Classic Vibe or Contemporary Jazz bass etc (as long as it's a jazz bass and preferably Squier). Obviously I'm tempted to spend as little as possible on a beater bass, but I don't want to go for the Affinity if it's going to fall apart after a few months.

Thanks!
Sam
Click to expand...
Actually you might score a used MIM Jazz not far over the cost of a new Squier… I like Squier, but my experience with the Mex stuff was very good.
 
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#55
My Affinity Jazz from China clobbers my Indonesian 70s Classic Vibe Jazz. It's like night and day. The Affinity has a great DARK tone across the board. The CV has a bright tone, but when cut to dark tone, it doesn't come close to the quality of tone from the Affinity. The Affinity not only sounds much better than the CV, it also plays and feels much better. I was shocked at the differences 'cause I really expected the opposite to happen. The CV is lighter, and it looks better 'cause of the block inlays and the vintage neck. I was planning to get two more CVs, but now I'm looking for more Affinitys. I'm really happy that I found the right bass to stick with. The price is so good. My Affinity J sounds better than both of my Elite J basses, and feels and plays about the same!
 
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#56
DrakeWeiss said:
My Affinity Jazz from China clobbers my Indonesian 70s Classic Vibe Jazz. It's like night and day. The Affinity has a great DARK tone across the board. The CV has a bright tone, but when cut to dark tone, it doesn't come close to the quality of tone from the Affinity. The Affinity not only sounds much better than the CV, it also plays and feels much better. I was shocked at the differences 'cause I really expected the opposite to happen. The CV is lighter, and it looks better 'cause of the block inlays and the vintage neck. I was planning to get two more CVs, but now I'm looking for more Affinitys. I'm really happy that I found the right bass to stick with. The price is so good. My Affinity J sounds better than both of my Elite J basses, and feels and plays about the same!
Click to expand...

Wow, I'm surprised you find the Affinity that much better. Are these (the CV and Affinity) both new models?
 
#58
Well, I just figured out the main reason the CV doesn't feel as good as the Affinity... it's 'cause the CV has NARROW TALL frets while the Affinity has MEDIUM JUMBO frets. I picked up a Vintage Modified Jazz, and those have MJ frets too, which make the VM feel better and play better than the CV. Maybe somebody prefers narrow tall frets, but I sure don't.
 
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#59
Well, I ended up getting a Squier Affinity jazz bass. I figured if it's going to be a beater bass for travel I should go for the cheaper option. Anyway, I'm surprised by the quality. I was expecting the bass to feel like a toy and sound like a poor imitation of a jazz bass, but I was pleasantly surprised. Firstly, the bass weighs the same as my Mexican Fender (just under 4kgs) and has an alder body (also just like the Fender). Secondly, it sounds great and even has more output than the Fender. It's slightly different sounding (perhaps a little brighter with more highs) than the Fender, but I wouldn't say it's worse sounding. Both sound like a jazz bass. The fretboard has a lovely grain to it and reminds me more of Pau Ferro than Indian Laurel.
I owned a 2019 classic vibe jazz bass early last year and ended up selling it for various reasons. Overall the Affinity has better fit and finish and nicer wood than the CV.
I've removed the pickguard, but otherwise I won't be making any changes to it anytime soon.

I've attached a few photos, although, to be fair, the poor lighting doesn't really do the bass justice.

Anyway, thanks again for all the tips and comments!
 

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#60
S.F.Sorrow said:
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.
Click to expand...

Sorry and odd to read this. I have one and it's great. Neck feels fine, not chunky at all, just P.
It needed just a little intonation and a quarter turn on the rod.
Strings are shite, but these things cost less then a hundred here.
I dropped in a Di Marzio pup no problems, fitted like that.
I pulled it apart completely for a respray and everything was fine.
The tuners were not great, but better then on my epiphone which costed way more.
Replaced those and the bridge, which was not that bad even.
Fretwork was excellent, I checked it very thorough as I ordered it just before I got my hands on a Ray and figured if there's only one thing not upto spec it goes back.
It is a really good bass now for 300 and looks great. It is my go to at home bass.

Guess you had the one from the day the quality control guy got fired or something.
Or the guy that shipped it had a grudge.
 

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