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Modded Affinity P bass or Stock SX Pbass

Modded Squier Affinity P ($75) or stock SX P ($109 + $20 S&H)

  • Modded Squier Affinity P

    Votes: 19 35.8%

  • Stock SX P

    Votes: 18 34.0%

  • carrots

    Votes: 16 30.2%
  • Total voters
    53
K

K-Frog

Feb 6, 2002
1,175
10
Camden, AR, USA
Visit site
#1
I've been eyeballing a Squier Affinity P bass in a local pawn shop that already has some upgrades (DiMarzio p/u, white pearliod pg) that I figure i can pickup for $75 (it's been priced to me for $100, has $129 on the tag, been there a while).

I'm not crazy about the style of tuners on it, but they may work and hold tune just fine.

I know that SX basses are great bang for the buck, and are giggable in stock form.

I can't help but like the Fender headstock on the Squier, plus it has the Dimarzio, and needs to be repainted, just because I want to practice on that (ugly dark blue - change to black).

So, mildly upgraded cheapo Squier for $75?
or
Good stock SX for $109 + shipping?

opinions, comments?
 
#2
My experience with the Affinity Series is that PUP's alone wont solve the issues one might run into. I guess it depends what PUP is in it....it might be worth more than the bass itself.

I had an Affinity years ago when I was the starving artist type, and I'm glad I no longer need to do that. The VM series is a million times better if you want to go Squier. They are giggable without mods.

If you spend the $75, you might just find that you have a bass that plays like it cost $75. Usually that isn't a good thing.
 
#5
sevenyearsdown said:
The VM series is a million times better if you want to go Squier. They are giggable without mods.
Click to expand...

i don't "need" one enough to go that route. Trying to just have a low-buck P in the stable.

sevenyearsdown said:
If you spend the $75, you might just find that you have a bass that plays like it cost $75. Usually that isn't a good thing.
Click to expand...

Hoping to avoid just that, but I don't have any experience with them. If the bass functions and plays well, it will be great with the mods it already has.

I know that an SX plays performs far better than a $109 bass.
 
#6
Kinda in the same boat and asking myself this question. I don't want to spend to much on a 4-string P, b/c I won't be playing it a whole lot for the urban gospel music I usually play (but can prolly fit it in, no problem). Leaning towards the SX.

OT rant, but really wish there was an MIM P5 out there!
 
#7
My experience with the Affinity series (and again - this was years ago) is that the build quality is as cheap as the price would indicate. They are fine for a beginner - but everything about them is low grade. The one I owned had poor fret work, an issue with one of the pots, and wasn't the easiest to setup due to the cheap hardware.

I also owned a Tele 6-string from this series that had similar issues. The finish was stunning....and that was about all the good I can say about it.

In the end they both ended up being the type of axes for me that would frustrate me every time I gave them another try. I ended up getting rid of all of them, and now I have VM series stuff for my beaters and backups.
 
#9
sevenyearsdown said:
My experience with the Affinity Series is that PUP's alone wont solve the issues one might run into. I guess it depends what PUP is in it....it might be worth more than the bass itself.

I had an Affinity years ago when I was the starving artist type, and I'm glad I no longer need to do that. The VM series is a million times better if you want to go Squier. They are giggable without mods.

If you spend the $75, you might just find that you have a bass that plays like it cost $75. Usually that isn't a good thing.
Click to expand...

The quality on the Affinity series varies, but one can say that about all Fender/Squier lines to some degree. I recently tried out an Affinity Telecaster guitar in my local GC that was as good or better than half the Fenders in the shop...

Anyway, in this particular case, I would want to play the used Affinity P in question before I could pass judgement. Of course, the upgraded pickup is a plus, especially since the pickup alone would normally cost more than he would be paying for the bass. If he can get it for only $75 as a fun cheapo to hone his tinkering skills on, I say go for it.
 
#11
If you can play it and it plays ok. I'd go for the squire. I'm a big fan of SX Basses but $75 for a playable bass with a decent dimarzio pickup sounds good to me.

Now if you play it and it causes you physical pain or make you feel less cool get an SX.
 
#12
aproud1 said:
If you can play it and it plays ok. I'd go for the squire. I'm a big fan of SX Basses but $75 for a playable bass with a decent dimarzio pickup sounds good to me.

Now if you play it and it causes you physical pain or make you feel less cool get an SX.
Click to expand...

Part of the reason it's been there so long is that it has no strings on it.

I'm perfectly capable of pulling off a great set-up on it, but the neck/trussrod has to be functional to make it playable. The rest is simple mechanics (nut, bridge, strings)
 
#14
Definately go for the SX P bass.. I own and play one over my fender jazz, and people love the thump and low end on my sx P bass. The biggest difference fromt the squire and SX is that SX use Alder wood, while squire affinity uses an unknown wood made somewhere in mexico which to me, makes the difference in sound. Check out some of my clips on youtube under dallas groove cartel live.. it's with a hip hop band that i played live with my SX
 
#16
DFW_Bass said:
Definately go for the SX P bass.. I own and play one over my fender jazz, and people love the thump and low end on my sx P bass. The biggest difference fromt the squire and SX is that SX use Alder wood, while squire affinity uses an unknown wood made somewhere in mexico which to me, makes the difference in sound. Check out some of my clips on youtube under dallas groove cartel live.. it's with a hip hop band that i played live with my SX
Click to expand...

I believe the Affinity series is made of Alder in China.
 
#17
DFW_Bass said:
The biggest difference fromt the squire and SX is that SX use Alder wood, while squire affinity uses an unknown wood made somewhere in mexico which to me, makes the difference in sound.
Click to expand...

This is just crazy talk. Unknown wood from Mexico, lol. I really hope you were just joking around. Last I checked - Alder on the Squiers.

My point earlier is just that the Affinities are el cheapo's, so if you don't mind spending $75 bucks to bang on it - then fine. It may be very well worth your money in that case, especially with the PUP in it. Saying that an Affinity is better than half the Fenders in a shop......well maybe the best Affinity vs. the crappy MIM Fenders, but certainly not a MIA on it's worst day.

The best setup skills in the world will not make it as playable as something in a higher class of bass. You can't expect miracles from an instrument that inexpensive.

All I'm saying is that for $75, it's probably gonna feel like $75 when you are playing it - if you know what I mean.
 
#18
jmain said:
I believe the Affinity series is made of Alder in China.
Click to expand...

+1 my affinity is awesome. Picked up the body and neck for $30. Stripped it, turned out to be a decently matched 3 piece alder body. New pickups, new hardware, and a new paint job and it's now one of my favorites. I would still want to play it before you buy it. Take a set of strings up there and make sure everything works ok. The bare bones of an affinity are good. Pickups already upgraded on this one. Only other thing I would look for is that the neck is in good shape. Get some new pots and wiring and your set.
 
#19
I own both. Affinity Squires are Alder, but the body is thinner than its Fender brother. My Squire seems to be a really solid build and really thumps. I've made a few upgrades, but still have the stock pups. However, having recently purchased my first SX, I'm regretting spending nearly twice as much on the Squire. The body on the SX is full size (same thickness as a Fender), and just seems much more solid. If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely go with the SX.
 
#20
I put together a parts P bass that has become my main gigging bass, and I'm quite sure the body is from a Squier (probably an Affinity series) that a local shop had stripped down for sale because it arrived with neck issues. Everything else is decidedly non-stock as I've got a fender p neck on it (mighty-mite), some quarter pounders, a new bridge, rewired with cts pots, etc... but the body is a nice light platform for all of that. You might be better off buying the squier with the nice pups, and then swapping out a bit here and there.

and here she is:

3540628645_deec25b37e_b.png
 

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