New Squier colors/models for 2021

[TheIronMustache]

While this is not related to the brand new models yet to be released I thought it would be worth sharing my thoughts on the 2020 Affinitiy that I impulse bought about a month ago. This was made in the Indonesian factory and was listed online for $229.99. I had never owned a Squier before but was looking for a beater bass and came across Nate Navarro's Budget Bass Shootout of some of the least expensive basses on the market. Of the categories I felt most important to my situation (overall quality, Feel, Neck/frets) he scored it 5/5. That paired with the raw components (Alder/Maple/Indian Laurel) and price made me pull the trigger right then and there. I mean what's the worst that could happen? I was expecting a beater with the possibility of being pleasantly surprised. And boy was I...

The Good:
Unboxed the thing to see that it was from the Indonesian factory while I completely expected it to be from China so that was my first sign. Fretwork was better on this thing than my 2019 MIM J and I could not find an imperfection on it (without tearing it down which I did). Once setup properly it played and felt like something 10x it's price from a non-tonal perspective. Pickups were nothing to write home about but completely serviceable for a working musician in a pinch. With the Affinity lines history well documented I preemptively ordered a set of PJs from Aguilar (The new DCB PJ set) and with those plus the Hipshot bridge upgrade I can't put this thing down. My 2019 MIM J has the Ultra Noisless Vintage pickups in it and when I side by side the Affinity next to the Player with the bridge PUs soloed I pick the Affinity/Aguilar every time.

The Bad:
Setup was absolutely horrendous and borderline unplayable but nobody on here is going to care about that. Pots were loose but again I doubt that is a deal breaker for anyone else and I already loaded a new PG before the thing came in.

Comparison:

2019 MIM J: - $750
Fender Ultra Noiseless PUs - $130
Gold Gotoh High Mass Bridge - $50
Gold Hipshot HB7s - $120
All Bournes pots completely rewired - $45
TOTAL: $1095

2020 Affinity PJ: - $230
Aguilar DCB-PJ4 - $225
Hipshot Kickass Bridge - $85
TOTAL: $540

Half the price and on par at the very least as it sits but I find myself reaching for the Affinity way more often right now...

I will end with this - after dialing it in/installing new bridge and pickups I cancelled the pre-order I had on a Miami Blue Am Pro P.

**EDIT - A note about the this bass and the Aguilar DCB-PJ4 Set**
For anyone interested in this combo this set is NOT a direct fit as the J pickup is slightly larger than the cavity length wise. It was however easily modified with a dremel and sanding wheel. Only needed about an extra 1/16th on both the bass and treble sides. No drilling needed though as the mounting holes DO match.

 

[AV8R]

TheIronMustache - I did practically the same with the Squire Classic Vibe 70s P-Bass I bought. Hipsot A-Style Bridge, Fender '62 Custom Shop pickup and a Richter shielded control board with quality control pots and solderless connections. The result is a great bass I love to play - even over my $1700 Ibanez SR5PBLTD Premium. The neck is flawless (after adjusting), the weight is reasonable and the looks are classy (all black with maple neck with black block inlays). This is my choice for all of my gigs now due to comfort, tone, control and playability. Total cost (including upgrades) was about $750. A little more than yours, but still half the price of a name brand Fender - with no perceivable loss of quality. I'm totally enamored with the Squire line now and continue to shop for more interesting models.

 

[TheIronMustache]

TheIronMustache - I did practically the same with the Squire Classic Vibe 70s P-Bass I bought. Hipsot A-Style Bridge, Fender '62 Custom Shop pickup and a Richter shielded control board with quality control pots and solderless connections. The result is a great bass I love to play - even over my $1700 Ibanez SR5PBLTD Premium. The neck is flawless (after adjusting), the weight is reasonable and the looks are classy (all black with maple neck with black block inlays). This is my choice for all of my gigs now due to comfort, tone, control and playability. Total cost (including upgrades) was about $750. A little more than yours, but still half the price of a name brand Fender - with no perceivable loss of quality. I'm totally enamored with the Squire line now and continue to shop for more interesting models.

I was blown away man, I had no idea they were at this point with these models and I regret not getting into them sooner. I already pre-ordered one of the new Jaguars in LP Blue and a J in Burgandy Mist haha. At these prices I will end up with a couple of each I am afraid. Not good for my GAS.

The PJ I from my original post is Black but has already been sanded and is ready for paint. On the fence about whether or not to do the Miami Blue like what I was going to end up with had i not gotten this or something different. Roth's Sublime Green Candy is rather appealing...

 

[srayb]

They've got ceramic pickups though, not alnicos like the VMs/CVs. If they're anything like previous Affinity pickups they're likely to be the weakest link. There's nothing wrong with ceramic pickups if they're properly made of course and there's also an element of personal taste but I personally never liked the pickups in the old Affinity-basses. Very sterile, lifeless, clanky IMO. They were more or less my definition of a "cheap bass sound" but I guess they could be fine for some styles/genres.

And who knows, they may have re-designed them.

I’ve got an old EMG Jazz set still waiting for a place to put them. Just need to be able to squeeze a battery in somewhere. I used to stay away from the affinity line but if these new ones are decent quality it could be what I’ve been waiting for.

 

[dave84]

Hello guys! I have just published on my Youtube channel the complete sound test of the new affinity model of the Squier Precision PJ which as you know has been completely revised compared to the previous series model. I hope the video can be useful to anyone who was considering purchasing this good listening bass!

PS: The sound test was made using the original factory strings without the use of effects or sound equalization, in short, what you hear is the bass with its natural sound!

 

[nico485]

Man, I really don't need a new bass, but for some reason I'm gassing for one of these PJ's! I had one from a few years back and I liked it a lot for what it was, but sold it when I bought a new CV 70s P in walnut. I love the looks, but it feels heavy to me for some reason and I would also love a satin neck.

I've been looking into pickup swaps lately anyways, so I'm thinking of selling the CV and using the money to buy an affinity (is that insane?!) And if I don't like the ceramic pickups, I'll have the extra cash to get something else, probably the emg gzr set which get a lot of love on here.

Anyone that has one, is the neck profile on the PJs the same as the CV? The slim modern C

 

[srayb]

Can someone confirm if there are any differences from last year’s Affinity Jazz to this year’s? I think it is mainly the pickups are better in the new one, but I have an EMG Jazz set that I would install so the included PU’s are unimportant to me. I’m interested in the black model and other than fretboard (Indian Laurel vs Maple) & pick guard colour, I am thinking it’s worth saving some $ and getting last year’s version, but I’d like to know if anyone has knowledge of both of these if that seems like a good idea.

2020:

2021:

 

[P Cheen]

I love that they’re revamping the Affinity line! It’s akin to what the American Performers are compared to the rest of the USA line up. Heck, the new “Precision Bass” or “Jazz Bass” logo looks to be the exact same font and size!

The only problem is the name. As good as they may be (I’ve only tried and own the new Affinity Jaguar H), people might still think Affinities are the bottom of the barrel. They should’ve just ditched the Affinity name and went with something else.

Eager to try the PJ though!

 

[nico485]

Well, I couldn't help myself... I just ordered an affinity PJ in lake placid blue! When it comes in, I'm going to compare it with my cv70s P and keep the one I like better. Really hoping it's thinner/lighter and excited to check out the ceramic pickups. I'll try to get some comparison shots/notes for those that are interested

 

[dave84]

Hi guys, after the sound test I published here a few days ago of the new squier precision affinity, here is the first cover I recorded with this new toy. Here you can hear how the split coil roars in this Iron Maiden instrumental!

 

[TheIronMustache]

Can someone confirm if there are any differences from last year’s Affinity Jazz to this year’s? I think it is mainly the pickups are better in the new one, but I have an EMG Jazz set that I would install so the included PU’s are unimportant to me. I’m interested in the black model and other than fretboard (Indian Laurel vs Maple) & pick guard colour, I am thinking it’s worth saving some $ and getting last year’s version, but I’d like to know if anyone has knowledge of both of these if that seems like a good idea.

2020:
View attachment 4362447

2021:
View attachment 4362450

I know one thing for certain that changed for the better and that is the neck. No more affinity logo… it’s back to large print 70s style and it the front gets a nice coat of gloss. The back of the neck has a satin feel as well. This change alone is worth the increase in price IMO. Neck is fantastic value.

 

[TheIronMustache]

I love that they’re revamping the Affinity line! It’s akin to what the American Performers are compared to the rest of the USA line up. Heck, the new “Precision Bass” or “Jazz Bass” logo looks to be the exact same font and size!

The only problem is the name. As good as they may be (I’ve only tried and own the new Affinity Jaguar H), people might still think Affinities are the bottom of the barrel. They should’ve just ditched the Affinity name and went with something else.

Eager to try the PJ though!

It doesn’t say affinity anymore and for what it’s worth I love flaunting the affinity on the headstock personally. It gives me great joy to have other players come up to me and ask about what I was playing. The responses are always fantastic when I sport the Bananaffinity.

 

[kevmac]

I know one thing for certain that changed for the better and that is the neck. No more affinity logo… it’s back to large print 70s style and it the front gets a nice coat of gloss. The back of the neck has a satin feel as well. This change alone is worth the increase in price IMO. Neck is fantastic value.

Sweet jam!

 

[dave84]

Another sound proof for my new Squier Precision Affinity model 2021, this time with a bassline from the legendary Larry Graham!

 

[dave84]

The eternal challenge between Fender and Squier is renewed with a new battle this time between two Precision PJ of completely different price ranges. In this challenge, the entry level Squier Precision of the new affinity series is compared with the only American Precision PJ passive currently available in the Fender catalog, the Fender Precision American Performer.

Who will be the winner? The decision is yours after having seen and heard this complete sound test of the two instruments!

PS: for both basses I used a set of Fender strings 7250M Nickel Plated Steel Roundwound, Long Scale.

 

[butterfingers1]

I’m trying to decide between the new Squier Affinity jazz and Fender Player. I’m just a home player and already have a Fender Player precision (and Squier CV 50s single coil p bass and Epiphone Embassy).

In the above video I can definitely hear a slight difference (deeper broader richer) but that Fender must be 6x the price. The Player is 3x the Affinity.

 

[Chris_will_do]

I recently got me an Affinity Jazz V. And I'm very surprised by it's buildquality, it's sound and it's playability. Comparing it to my MIA Jazz it's actually a very very nice bass. And it's a steal.

 

[zenabi]

The eternal challenge between Fender and Squier is renewed with a new battle this time between two Precision PJ of completely different price ranges. In this challenge, the entry level Squier Precision of the new affinity series is compared with the only American Precision PJ passive currently available in the Fender catalog, the Fender Precision American Performer.

Thanks for doing this. While differences can be heard, I think the price difference says a lot more. Do you have the weight of each of them?

 

[butterfingers1]

I tried the new Affinity jazz in the store. There was definitely a sound difference even the new Squier 40th Anniversary bass guitars, weaker and thinner. The difference is subtle, but it’s possible I’m biased too. But yes the price difference is staggering, hard to justify paying more than the Affinity.

 

[zenabi]

I tried the new Affinity jazz in the store. There was definitely a sound difference even the new Squier 40th Anniversary bass guitars, weaker and thinner. The difference is subtle, but it’s possible I’m biased too. But yes the price difference is staggering, hard to justify paying more than the Affinity.

I plan on getting a pair of the Squier 40th Anniversary basses, a P and a J. But with the price of the Affinity PJ I'm considering getting one for learning/practice, rather than put the wear on the Limited Edition basses. It's cheap enough to buy one, use it for a few years and then pass on to someone else to who wants to learn.