• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Modding Squier Affinity P bass

C

CriminalCypress

Mar 19, 2011
120
2
29
NC
#1
I plan on changing the Neck to a Fender jazz neck, add in some Seymour duncan Quarter pounders, new pickguard and bridge.


But seeing as this is an affinity, is it worth it to mod? I think with the jazz neck it will solve the crappy feel of the bass.
 
#3
Is it worth it to mod? Depends.

Does it make financial sense? No. You're better off trading it in on a Squier CV or VM.

Is it worth doing because you like to screw around with basses? Practice your soldering? Make a silk purse out of a sow's ear? Sure. It's your money, have some fun.
 
#4
CriminalCypress said:
I plan on changing the Neck to a Fender jazz neck, add in some Seymour duncan Quarter pounders, new pickguard and bridge.


But seeing as this is an affinity, is it worth it to mod? I think with the jazz neck it will solve the crappy feel of the bass.
Click to expand...

I agree with ThrashMaster, you should consider selling it and buying a better bass from the classifieds. The quality of the Vintage Modified or Classic Vibe series Squiers is leaps and bounds ahead of the Affinity. You will notice a huge difference in playability and tone. I had a Classic Vibe 60s Jazz and couldn't find anything that I wanted to upgrade. It was such a great bass. Get a good setup with some fresh strings of your choosing and you'll have a great instrument without breaking the bank.

I upgraded a Squier Affinity Precision at once point and, looking back, it wasn't really worth it. I enjoyed the experience of picking new parts and trying to craft a pseudo-custom bass out of a cheap Squier but the money I dumped into it didn't get me very far. A good quality neck would probably do a lot for the feel, though. I never took it that far. If you're broke and want a good instrument, you're better off trading up for a higher end Squier or used MIM Fender (depending on your budget). If you want to have some fun messing around with the thing, that's understandable, too. Kenfxj put it nicely.

I have a fretless Mighty Mite Jazz neck that feels great. It's really thin and fast. I've got it on a cheap Jazz body right now but I no longer have the tuning machines for it. I'm happy with the quality and feel but they require more work than buying a loaded neck on eBay or in the TalkBass classifieds.

Pickups are fun to shop around for. The SD that you mentioned gets a lot of love but have you considered other options? It's not a bad choice but there are so many fantastic sounding pickups out there that it'd be a shame if you didn't at least browse around and listen to some sound clips. The Quarter Pound wouldn't be my first choice but the price:tone ratio is pretty appealing. That's an entire different discussion, though. ;)

Good luck with whatever path you take, man!
 
#5
Because I never look at an instrument as an investment and expect to maker a profit or at least break even on it - I don't float my desires that way.

I buy and play a bass because I like it - it sings to me or it has a fantastic (fill in this blank here) on it that really attracts me.

I own a Squier Affinity P and although it was a very inexpensive bass - it has grown to a great first string player with next to no monetary outlay from me for upgrades.

Rumors however, abound.
 
#6
Go for it, just keep the stock parts and return it to it's original mediocre status before you sell it (or better yet, give it to a youngster looking to get into playing). You will learn alot about modding which you can apply to a real custom build later on and you will have a stock of quality parts to pull from.
 
#7
I am in the process of making almost all the changes you mentioned on my MIK 1993 Squier Precision Bass. My bass was totally amazing before the upgrades even so that's why I had confidence in investing a lot of money in my bass. I've heard good and bad things about the new Affinity basses, so it's really your call. Don't expect your changes to make a magically better difference if you didn't like the bass in the first place, but hey, you never know. You might end up with something better than a Fender. If I were you and I liked the bass, I would totally go for it.
 
#10
Guess, I didn't address the original question. I wouldn't change the neck unless it's just crap and you already know that you prefer a jazz neck. Most I'd do is change the pickups and pots. Plenty of used pickups for sale in the classifieds. You can always swap it back to stock with minimal work. If it's not good at that point, return it to stock and invest in a new bass you will love.
 
#12
I messed around with a Affinity P in my early days of bass modding. What I learned was the tuners, neck, bridge and electronics are all junk. The neck plate had some weird spacing and the pickups were bigger than a standard P pickup, that meant a new pickguard.
Hardly worth the trouble if you consider the cost of parts.
New tuners- 80-100 bucks, new neck (Fender licenced)- starts at 100 bucks, new bridge- 30-50 bucks, SD Quarter Pounders- like 80 bucks, new pickguard- 20 bucks.
I believe these basses sold new for $199.
 
#14
If you have all those parts, I'd say go ahead.
Dollar-wise, you're probably better off going with
a MIM or USA, but alot of people mod their MIM's,
so it never ends.
As far as what you'd have after all those mods, which
is a Squier body, according to this thread,:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/scrap-lumber-bass-vs-alder-bass-can-you-tell-difference-743932/

the body doesn't matter as much as strings, pickups, etc.
I have no problem with a Squier body and plan on putting
a Fender P-neck on a Squier Standard or Affinity as soon
as I can trade into one. I have the left-over neck from putting
a Jazz neck on my MIM P, but Jazz necks are not easy/cheap
to find, because a lot of people like to put them on P's.
Have fun with the project and forget about Squier vs. Fender. (Same company, btw.)

S
 
#15
ThaLowEndTheory said:
I love my affinity P. It's just awesome. Best P I've played hands down. I'll never sell it. Sometimes you just get lucky. Unfortunately for me it came in the form of an awesome cheap bass instead of the lottery.
Click to expand...

+1000!

I love mine. I've modded it with a Gotoh 201 bridge, an EMG Select pup and plenty of graphical upgrades too. I love it and find myself playing it almost exclusively live and at practices with my band. I'll never get rid of it!!:bassist:

Link Removed
 
#16
CriminalCypress said:
I plan on changing the Neck to a Fender jazz neck, add in some Seymour duncan Quarter pounders, new pickguard and bridge.

But seeing as this is an affinity, is it worth it to mod? I think with the jazz neck it will solve the crappy feel of the bass.
Click to expand...

I doubt the J neck will do anything for the "crappy" feel of the bass if the rest of it isn't set up properly. You could put a brand new neck on it and it might still be a lousy player.

IME, most basses that play poorly are much better instruments after a thorough setup. It's something that is worth learning to do yourself, as it can save you some money down the road.

Ultimate Guide for the Perfect Bass Setup


As for the mods, my own experience with modding a Squier Affinity P can be found in the thread below:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/help-upgrading-p-bass-746167/
 
#17
kenfxj said:
Is it worth it to mod? Depends.

Does it make financial sense? No. You're better off trading it in on a Squier CV or VM.

Is it worth doing because you like to screw around with basses? Practice your soldering? Make a silk purse out of a sow's ear? Sure. It's your money, have some fun.
Click to expand...

Yup! There ya go. Add to that it will be one of a kind and all yours! I am much prouder to show of one of my franken beasts than any off the shelf bass...

And I am amassing an army out there of modded basses. I have 2 here and several I have sold. And here is the funny part! I have never done worse than "break even" when selling them! Several times I did pretty good! (but I am not in it for the money)

There is quite a sense of accomplishment when you take apart and put together a bass that is better than when you started. And it is a good way to learn how these things work and are put together. It causes you to grow your skills and learn how to do it all!

Price be damned!
 
#18
CriminalCypress said:
I plan on changing the Neck to a Fender jazz neck, add in some Seymour duncan Quarter pounders, new pickguard and bridge.


But seeing as this is an affinity, is it worth it to mod? I think with the jazz neck it will solve the crappy feel of the bass.
Click to expand...

Done and done.

TheDoctor1.jpg


TheDoctor2.jpg


MIM Fender Deluxe Jazz Neck
Seymour Duncan Performer pickup
Wilkinson Humbucker pickup
stacked vol/tone knobs
High mass string through body bridge

I don't know if it was worth all it to mod, but I learned a lot about what I do like. I enjoy it a lot now and can't imagine selling it (nor would I be able to), but you could just save and get the bass you want instead.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back