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New SQUIER VM series! (Part 2)

#101
Hank Scorpio said:
Just took the plunge on a PJ in CAR for delivery tomorrow... Don't like buying unseen, but nobody locally is intending on stocking them in the near future, and I got impatient. At the very least I'll be swapping out the jack and neck in future, and maybe even the pups, bridge and tuners - the VMs are great stock but I want to use this to build my ideal bass (assuming I like it enough!)

The working days between ordering and unboxing a new instrument are always the longest..
Click to expand...

Uhm... There is a difference between "good" and "ideal".

Squiers (even VM and CV series) are good basses, and a lot for the money, but they are not perfect or "ideal".

IMHO, the core of any good bass or guitar is in the neck with its fretwork and how it works with the body. It is about playability and balance. Those can be done well for cheap, but are hard to do perfectly, and are expensive to change. In comparison, hardware, strings and electronics (including pickups) are cheap and usually easy to swap.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of bass for your money, and I really hope you get what you want with the bass you have ordered, but do not have unrealistic expectations about what it may become by swapping some parts. Ideal customized basses rarely come cheap, but sometimes good basses do. ;)

And BTW: Do not dismiss it if it feels "uneven" to play at first. A string change and a setup may be all that is missing for a good playing experience.
 
#102
Shardik said:
Uhm... There is a difference between "good" and "ideal".

Squiers (even VM and CV series) are good basses, and a lot for the money, but they are not perfect or "ideal".

IMHO, the core of any good bass or guitar is in the neck with its fretwork and how it works with the body. It is about playability and balance. Those can be done well for cheap, but are hard to do perfectly, and are expensive to change. In comparison, hardware, strings and electronics (including pickups) are cheap and usually easy to swap.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of bass for your money, and I really hope you get what you want with the bass you have ordered, but do not have unrealistic expectations about what it may become by swapping some parts. Ideal customized basses rarely come cheap, but sometimes good basses do. ;)

And BTW: Do not dismiss it if it feels "uneven" to play at first. A string change and a setup may be all that is missing for a good playing experience.
Click to expand...

I own one completely stock VM and one where the only mod is d new nut/jack/pots, and I've owned a VM Jazzmaster guitar, so I know exactly what to expect in terms of quality.

By idea bass, I mean 'a CAR PJ bass with a maple neck', essentially. I toyed with routing a J in either an American Special or Standard, or the Nate Mendel signature with a neck swap, but this is the most cost effective way of doing it. I've never had a VM body I didn't like, so even if it's the only bit I use, I'll consider it a bargain.

However, I do know the VM quality, so I may never change the hardware or pups. It's just a potentially mod for the future; I have the neck, and all hardware I'd use, so I'm not throwing extra cash at this. It's a long term plan ;)
 
#106
Does anyone know if the pickguard on the Squier VM Precision PJ is standard Fender 13 hole ?

I am toying with the thought of replacing it with some enhanced functionality, and that would require new electronics and different controls. Anyone have a picture of the cavity routings under the pickguard?
 
#107
Shardik said:
And BTW: Do not dismiss it if it feels "uneven" to play at first. A string change and a setup may be all that is missing for a good playing experience.
Click to expand...

Definitely. I wasn't too over the moon with the playability of my PJ when i got it out of the box. High action and brittle feeling stings. I noticed my fingers were not falling on the strings as easily as they normally do, and that was noting to do with the size of the neck.
New strings, lowered the action and straightened out the neck a bit and its as comfortable to play as i could ever expect from this type of neck.
 
#111
petrus61 said:
Does anyone know where to get flat top barrel knobs that fit a split shaft pot? I again wound up with the dome knobs on my P5. BassPartsResource has some for the Affinity but the image shows them with set screws, so it's likely just a stock photo.
Click to expand...

Here are the exact knobs you need for the Squier P5.
http://angela.com/fenderduo-sonicknobchromepushonsetoftwo.aspx
When I recieved my Squier P5, it came with the dome knobs, it was suppost to come with flat top knobs, so I called Fender and they sent me out the correct knobs. This was the part # they used.
 
#112
I've just tried to change the bridge over on my PJ. The G string saddle legs (is that he correct term?) are sticking out a bit too high above the saddleand really bugging me now, as I keep catching the side of my hand on them.
My Gotoh 201 seemed like the perfect replacment but the screws are narrower than the fender ones. I guess I could fill the holes and re drill but it's a lot of hassle at the moment.

Bugger.
 
#114
dave_bass5 said:
I've just tried to change the bridge over on my PJ. The G string saddle legs (is that he correct term?) are sticking out a bit too high above the saddleand really bugging me now, as I keep catching the side of my hand on them.
My Gotoh 201 seemed like the perfect replacment but the screws are narrower than the fender ones. I guess I could fill the holes and re drill but it's a lot of hassle at the moment.

Bugger.
Click to expand...

The Gotoh's not going to help you, really. If your saddle screws are sitting too high, it means your action is really low. Due to the plate on the gotoh being thicker, you may not even be able to get down low enough with your action.

Squiers seem to have changed their bridges in the last few years. I changed the bridge on my Affinity P to a stock MIM bridge and the screw holes were shifted to the left on the Affinity bridge. The alignment of the bridge was now off.

T-34 said:
You can file the screws a bit to make them shorter maybe? (The side facing the bridge plate, not the one where screwdriver goes)
Click to expand...

THIS. File the bottom of the saddle screws so that it sits lower without sticking out.
 
#115
dave_bass5 said:
I've just tried to change the bridge over on my PJ. The G string saddle legs (is that he correct term?) are sticking out a bit too high above the saddleand really bugging me now, as I keep catching the side of my hand on them.
My Gotoh 201 seemed like the perfect replacment but the screws are narrower than the fender ones. I guess I could fill the holes and re drill but it's a lot of hassle at the moment.

Bugger.
Click to expand...

A visit to a good hardware store might provide some shorter allen screws. Bring a bridge saddle with you to make sure they fit - I'm guessing that they're probably metric.
 
#116
Thanks guys.

Filling was going to be my next option, although I'll need to actually by a file.

I'm pretty sure the Gotoh would be fine. The action I already have with it on my classic vibe is lower than on the PJ. The saddle legs seems shorter and nowhere near sticking out. I did place them side by side and it did seem that the Gotoh was already lower.
I do have a fender BBOT but I really don't like the look of it.

Getting new legs did cross my mind, its something I did with my old fender P5, but I really don't have the time to hunt them down. I tried a few off the bridges I've got hanging around here but none would fit the holes.
 
#117
dave_bass5 said:
Thanks guys.

Filling was going to be my next option, although I'll need to actually by a file.

I'm pretty sure the Gotoh would be fine. The action I already have with it on my classic vibe is lower than on the PJ. The saddle legs seems shorter and nowhere near sticking out. I did place them side by side and it did seem that the Gotoh was already lower.
I do have a fender BBOT but I really don't like the look of it.

Getting new legs did cross my mind, its something I did with my old fender P5, but I really don't have the time to hunt them down. I tried a few off the bridges I've got hanging around here but none would fit the holes.
Click to expand...

The other option would be to shim your neck up. Then you could raise the saddles up.
 
#119
Shardik said:
Does anyone know if the pickguard on the Squier VM Precision PJ is standard Fender 13 hole ?

I am toying with the thought of replacing it with some enhanced functionality, and that would require new electronics and different controls. Anyone have a picture of the cavity routings under the pickguard?
Click to expand...

Am I the only one wondering about this?
(I think my question got lost in the bridge/knobs discussions)
 

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