New Classic Vibe Basses really that bad?

[Ralferator]

Hi everybody,

I am a P Bass lover and had a lot of P Basses in my lifetime in search for the perfect P Bass but sold them all because I moved to Brazil and switched to a Jazz Bass. Now I need a P Bass again!

I had Japanese Tokai Hard Punchers, two Greco P Basses (one of them I should never have sold), an Ibanez RB 650 PJ that i loved, two Squier JV, several Fender American Standards, one 62 Original (i think), two Mexican Road Worn (one was awesome), 1 Squier Matt Freeman, one chinese Classic Vibe 60s and one 70s and two SX P Basses.

You see I have some experience. I thought the Classic Vibe P Basses where quite nice and I loved the necks (my hands are rather small) I still think some others are better but I don’t have the possibility here in Brazil to hunt down an old Japanese P Bass that is in good condition. So I was thinking about getting a new Classic Vibe 60s P Bass.

Now I read the new Indonesian ones are not that good anymore and have Issues, the same I read about the Player Series and I can’t afford more at the moment.

Is it true that the actual Classic Vibes are nothing like the Chinese ones? If so are there any other recommendations that don’t cost much more?

I will have to order so I am even thinking about ordering two and keeping the better one. But if they aren’t that great anymore it might not be worth the stress and I could get an SX instead and mod it.

What do you guys think? Did anybody try new ones just recently? What are the issues- fretwork, feeling, materials or sound not that great anymore?

 

[lowendblues]

Not sure what my CV 50's P bass is, but I've had it a few years, and its tough to beat for the cash.

 

[Jeremy Crockett]

I had a CV '70s Jazz. It was very nice. In my opinion and from what I've read here and elsewhere unless you get a bad "luck of the draw" a CV bass will serve you well for years.

 

[Ralferator]

Not sure what my CV 50's P bass is, but I've had it a few years, and its tough to beat for the cash.

Is it made in China or Indonesia?

 

[Ralferator]

I had a CV '70s Jazz. It was very nice. In my opinion and from what I've read here and elsewhere unless you get a bad "luck of the draw" a CV bass will serve you well for years.

Is it made in China or Indonesia?

 

[Swipter]

My CV P bass from Indonesia is top notch. I really don't think you tell a difference in sound or appearance. The front and back is perfect and tone great, still with the original Fender roundwounds nearly two years old.

 

[Gorn]

Are the new ones considered bad basses?

 

[Jeremy Crockett]

Is it made in China or Indonesia?

It was a 2019 Indonesian-made:

 

[stinkfoot60]

I have a 2021 CV 60s P bass from Indonesia. Plays and sounds good, fit and finish is what I'd expect from a $400 bass. Minor flaws and setup issues were easily dealt with. I replaced the alpha pots and jack but the bass is stock otherwise. With flats, it does the P bass thing very well.

 

[HP Hovercraft]

My Indonesian-made CVs are great

 

[Ralferator]

Are the new ones considered bad basses?

I read here in the forum that they are not that good anymore

 

[Ralferator]

So it seems like others made other experiences and they are still great basses.

 

[Ralferator]

I have a 2021 CV 60s P bass from Indonesia. Plays and sounds good, fit and finish is what I'd expect from a $400 bass. Minor flaws and setup issues were easily dealt with. I replaced the alpha pots and jack but the bass is stock otherwise. With flats, it does the P bass thing very well.

what kind of flaws?

 

[HP Hovercraft]

My Indonesian-made CVs are great

I should say that of my 3 Indonesian Squiers, the only issue I've had is a fret wasn't tapped in the whole way, which was an easy fix with a mallet.

 

[JazznFunk]

I have a 2009/2010 era Chinese-made Classic Vibe P-Bass in Fiesta Red (the Poor Man's Pino), and it is one of the lightest, most resonant, best-playing basses I own. It's better than many American-made Fender P's I've played, and certainly better than the Mexican-made ones I played recently.

I also have a 2018 Classic Vibe 60s Jazz Bass in Daphne Blue. Made in Indonesia. It's heavier than my CV P-Bass, but the fit and finish is fantastic, it's comfortable to play, and has been very stable in terms of the neck and setup. Stock pickups sound really good. Zero complaints with that bass. I do feel that maybe the fretwork was a little less refined, and it has jumbo frets instead of the smaller vintage frets on the P-Bass, but that's a minor criticism.

There are lemons everywhere for sure, but I feel like the Classic Vibe line is a better bet and better value than a Mexican-made Fender. I would buy a CV bass without hesitation. If it has problems that a proper setup can't fix, then return it. Simple.

 

[FRoss6788]

I should say that of my 3 Indonesian Squiers, the only issue I've had is a fret wasn't tapped in the whole way, which was an easy fix with a mallet.

Funny, I just picked up my late 80's Guild Pilot from a refret, and the tech told me to keep an eye on the frets as, with the weather we're having up here, humidity and temp changes, the fretboard can "spit out" the frets. I've never heard of this before, only fret sprout, so maybe the bass didn't leave the factory that way...

 

[Ralferator]

I have a 2009/2010 era Chinese-made Classic Vibe P-Bass in Fiesta Red (the Poor Man's Pino), and it is one of the lightest, most resonant, best-playing basses I own. It's better than many American-made Fender P's I've played, and certainly better than the Mexican-made ones I played recently.

I also have a 2018 Classic Vibe 60s Jazz Bass in Daphne Blue. Made in Indonesia. It's heavier than my CV P-Bass, but the fit and finish is fantastic, it's comfortable to play, and has been very stable in terms of the neck and setup. Stock pickups sound really good. Zero complaints with that bass. I do feel that maybe the fretwork was a little less refined, and it has jumbo frets instead of the smaller vintage frets on the P-Bass, but that's a minor criticism.

There are lemons everywhere for sure, but I feel like the Classic Vibe line is a better bet and better value than a Mexican-made Fender. I would buy a CV bass without hesitation. If it has problems that a proper setup can't fix, then return it. Simple.

Of all the P basses I had in all the years, funnily the cheapest, an SX was the most resonant and with 3,8 kg also pretty light. Still I liked the Grecos, Roadworn and one American Standard better because they had more character

 

[Grinderman]

Bad vibes?

 

[JazznFunk]

Of all the P basses I had in all the years, funnily the cheapest, an SX was the most resonant and with 3,8 kg also pretty light. Still I liked the Grecos, Roadworn and one American Standard better because they had more character

I had an SX P-Bass for a while. It was pretty good for the price, but it was not of the same quality or fit/finish that the Classic Vibe basses I have. I do still have an SX SJB-75 ('75 Jazz Bass) and it's a wonderful instrument considering what I paid for it in 2009.

 

[Kael]

I'd put a push/pull pot to go from parallel to series on the J that you already have. Then I'd play it in series mode for P gigs and start saving money for a better used P bass than a Classic Vibe. No, the J in series doesn't sound like a P but it will be thicker in the mids like P will and it might afford you a little breathing room to get a bass you will actually want. Money spent on a crappy instrument is wasted money.