• 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.

NBD Squier Debut Series…

#42
InstantEctobass said:
Yes but is the routing underneath compatible with a "standard" pickguard
Click to expand...
It appears so, plenty of room in there, looks like room for full size pots as well and probably enough room to move the pickups down 1/4” to fit standard pick-guards, one of the extra Squier guards I have seems to fully cover the rout, fair warning it’ll need new holes for a guard
 

Attachments

  • FA60A58B-7EFC-4F31-8F90-8C58D2BEE2AD.jpeg
    FA60A58B-7EFC-4F31-8F90-8C58D2BEE2AD.jpeg
    150.6 KB · Views: 108
  • Like
Reactions: kxxled, Seanmo, Dust2Dust and 4 others
#45
Hey Stone,
I’ll be curious how that matte finish holds up where your picking/plucking forearm hits the body compared to a satin finish. I wanted my bass vi project to go matte but went satin (mostly because my local hardware store only had satin clear and I was under a time constraint) but I’m guessing even an industrial matte finish will gloss up after some time.
Purely curiosity, i think your new bass looks badass and I’m sure you’ll make it sing!!!:thumbsup:
:beaver::beaver::beaver:
 
  • Like
Reactions: JRA and C Stone
#46
C Stone said:
Hey all I thought I’d put this up since this is a new offering from Squier and I’m not sure anyone here has one yet.
Anyway I believe this to be an Amazon exclusive as far as I know and the only place offering them right now at least.
The Squier Debut Series Precision bass

The site description really doesn’t have much spec info other than it’s “Poplar”
I grabbed one as I was curious to see what a $129 bass from Fender/Squier
was all about. It’s been marketed as a beginner bass with free lessons, maybe they are trying to drive people to the “Fender Play” subscription with these basses or trying to get some of the SX Glarry, Harley Benton, Ktaxon market?
IDK but one was delivered today so for anyone interested here is the rundown.
View attachment 5477626
I grabbed the Dakota Red (matte) they currently also have a burst and black, all with matte finishes, first impression it’s very good (for the money) no sharp frets the set-up and action was playable right out of the box and the neck is straight…
View attachment 5477639
The neck feels “almost” unfinished, it’s surely sealed though and the neck feel
is very thin (front to back). The nut is “standard” Jazz width at 1.5” (38mm)
so it’s very much like a P Bass Special.
The open gear tuners work fine so far.
Frets themselves are surprisingly nice.
View attachment 5477647 View attachment 5477646
Quickly measured it seems a standard size P but with a thinner body. The fit and finish is surprisingly good and not just for the price, it seems like it is put together pretty well for a very budget friendly bass, at least my example here.
View attachment 5477651
View attachment 5477656
The bad: strangely enough for a full 34” scale bass the pickups are approx. 1/4” closer to the neck so no Fender/Squier
p bass guards are going to fit without checking under the hood to see if the rout is large enough move them down
a 1/4” to the standard P’s “sweet spot”
A quick overlay of couple other Squier guards looks like all but one of the PG screws line up (I’ll have to see when I pull it apart). The strings are garbage not 7250’s. All-in-all I am flummoxed
at how well this bass is put together at
a price point of $126 US. Serial-CMCA and is “Crafted In China”. Take it easy!
Click to expand...

what's the weight?
 
#47
Deleted member 365158 said:
Hey Stone,
I’ll be curious how that matte finish holds up where your picking/plucking forearm hits the body compared to a satin finish. I wanted my bass vi project to go matte but went satin (mostly because my local hardware store only had satin clear and I was under a time constraint) but I’m guessing even an industrial matte finish will gloss up after some time.
Purely curiosity, i think your new bass looks badass and I’m sure you’ll make it sing!!!:thumbsup:
:beaver::beaver::beaver:
Click to expand...
Thanks brother! I hear ya…and I’ll let you know, suspect your right. I have a matte black active five string, it collects fingerprints but a good wipe down with
a microfiber cloth fixes it up but hasn’t gotten enough play to find out¯\_(ツ)_/
:beaver::beaver::beaver:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deleted member 365158
#48
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
  • Like
Reactions: arbiterusa and covermego
#49
C Stone said:
It appears so, plenty of room in there, looks like room for full size pots as well and probably enough room to move the pickups down 1/4” to fit standard pick-guards, one of the extra Squier guards I have seems to fully cover the rout, fair warning it’ll need new holes for a guard
Click to expand...

Yes I checked, some screws are not placed in the "standard Fender spec" positions. It has been done on purpose. With CNC machinery today it cannot be a "mistake".
 
  • Like
Reactions: Old Blastard, C Stone and shojii
#50
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
  • Like
Reactions: Jim C
#52
Aidenn7 said:
the glarry's are like 6.7lb. so I double it's made of the same wood.. poplar I think would be lighter.. so I'm guessing it's something else.. like chinese soft maple.. at least it shouldn't neck dive.. white lite tuners it's prolly going to be 8.2 lb? with hollow bass knobs 7.9?
Click to expand...

Poplar isn't always light, just like basswood it varies a LOT. I got a Squier CV2 Jazz 70s POPLAR body and oh boy it's heavy... not ASH heavy, but still heavy. Thankfully I got a maple neck and not rosewood...
 
  • Like
Reactions: UNICORN BASS and C Stone
#54
InstantEctobass said:
Yes I checked, some screws are not placed in the "standard Fender spec" positions. It has been done on purpose. With CNC machinery today it cannot be a "mistake".
Click to expand...
Sure, it’s a “budget minded” bass that seems to be marketed as a starter and it’ll do that job just fine. Cheap dime
size pots, basic tuners, cheap wiring,
less than full thickness body, ceramic pickups is what you get for $129 USD.

Havin fun with it, added some relief set
it up to my liking, loaded it up with EB Hybrid Slinky’s, it’s coming along fine…
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lackey, JRA, ebo and 2 others
#55
C Stone said:
Sure, it’s a “budget minded” bass that seems to be marketed as a starter and it’ll do that job just fine. Cheap dime size pots, basic tuners, cheap wiring, less than full thickness body, ceramic pickups is what you get for $129 USD.

Havin fun with it, added some relief, set it up to my liking, loaded it up with EB Hybrid Slinky’s, it’s coming along fine…
Click to expand...

You probably get the same pots and tuners on Classic Vibe range currently. And pickups being "ceramic" aren't anything bad. Yes they are cheaply made, but some expensive brands make Ceramic pickups. Out of my 7 basses, I equipped (voluntarily) 3 of them with ceramic pickups and I love the sound. It's a matter of taste.

That being said, I understand it's a budget bass but the fact that they moved things around is still a shady behaviour to me. It would have cost them nothing to send the standard CNC specs to the factory for that model. They didn't; cause they're FMIC.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lackey and C Stone
#56
InstantEctobass said:
You probably get the same pots and tuners on Classic Vibe range currently. And pickups being "ceramic" aren't anything bad. Yes they are cheaply made, but some expensive brands make Ceramic pickups. Out of my 7 basses, I equipped (voluntarily) 3 of them with ceramic pickups and I love the sound. It's a matter of taste.

That being said, I understand it's a budget bass but the fact that they moved things around is still a shady behaviour to me. It would have cost them nothing to send the standard CNC specs to the factory for that model. They didn't; cause they're FMIC.
Click to expand...
You are preaching to the choir as I am partial to ceramics especially with some dirt/OD. I have several rockin ceramics.

Would have been nice with fender specs
no doubt about it, I agree 100% oh well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: covermego, JC BASS 91 and InstantEctobass
#57
InstantEctobass said:
the fact that they moved things around is still a shady behaviour to me. It would have cost them nothing to send the standard CNC specs to the factory for that model. They didn't; cause they're FMIC.
Click to expand...

Or maybe they didn't want the factory to be able to churn out perfect Fender-spec necks and bodies and have some go out of the back door on AliExpress etc. Who knows? We're all just speculating here
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bassdirty and Lackey
#58
MartinB said:
Or maybe they didn't want the factory to be able to churn out perfect Fender-spec necks and bodies and have some go out of the back door on AliExpress etc. Who knows? We're all just speculating here
Click to expand...

The CNC profiles can be literally bought for less than 40USD on any website that offers them. They are very well made. Also, in a Fender instrument, nothing but the shape of the headstock is protected under pending patents. The rest can be copied without any lawsuits possible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Seanmo
#60
Aidenn7 said:
the glarry's are like 6.7lb. so I doubt it's made of the same wood.. poplar I think would be lighter.. so I'm guessing it's something else.. like chinese soft maple.. at least it shouldn't neck dive.. white lite tuners it's prolly going to be 8.2 lb? with hollow bass knobs 7.9?
Click to expand...
I haven’t held a lighter piece of wood than the Glarry Paulownia body it’s like Balsa dipped in a sugary candy coating.
My Glarry P (VM ‘77 neck) weighs 6.4lbs

For the record I don’t plan on putting $ into this Debut Series bass, may replace
the pickups with something I have here already lower them and try a pickguard
also already on hand but that’s about it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jim C, joeLowB and BHaev

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back