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Professionals using a Squier

#281
I don't think there is much in the difference between a MIA Standard/Special Fender, and a MIM Fender or CV Squire, at least to me. To see a real difference in build that translates to playability and tone you need to step up to the MIA AVRI, Dimensions, and certain sig models, like the MM V or the Tony Franklins. Tone and playability on those Fenders are really great.

The CV Squires and MIM Fenders are closer to vintage specs, which to me is familier and more playable than the flat boards on the MIA Standard. Toss in some Nordstrands or Fralins and the CV Squires and MIM Fenders (assuming they are good ones) are really great instruments.

I sold my MIA standard Jazz. A great bass, no doubt about it, but I never really gelled with it. It is just too different an instrument from a vintage spec Jazz. The VM Jazz I played for a while at GC played better (to me) than the MIA I had, but didn't sound better, at least with stock pickups.
 
#282
I'm not exactly a professional, but I have gigged at least twice a week for the past 3 years. I recently bought a Squier VMP5, and have been gigging it ever since. It replaced a Cirrus 5 that I had been playing for the better part of a year and a half. It still has the stock pickup, and will likely keep it for a long time. I replaced the bridge to a Hipshot B style, mainly to ease my mind as far as solidity goes. I will eventually replace the tuners, as the stock ones are a bit rubbery, but beyond that, I am very happy with it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Squier of any variety, and proceed to gig the living crap out of it.

I can still remember a few years ago, I went to the local Sam Ash and played a Squier Affinity Jazz 5 and was blown away at how good it felt and sounded. I've been meaning to get one ever since, but haven't. Squier has definitely upped it's game, and, if people can't look past the name, oh well. I'll be playing and making money using mine.
 
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#283
NicJimBass said:
I'm not exactly a professional, but I have gigged at least twice a week for the past 3 years. I recently bought a Squier VMP5, and have been gigging it ever since. It replaced a Cirrus 5 that I had been playing for the better part of a year and a half. It still has the stock pickup, and will likely keep it for a long time. I replaced the bridge to a Hipshot B style, mainly to ease my mind as far as solidity goes. I will eventually replace the tuners, as the stock ones are a bit rubbery, but beyond that, I am very happy with it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Squier of any variety, and proceed to gig the living crap out of it.

I can still remember a few years ago, I went to the local Sam Ash and played a Squier Affinity Jazz 5 and was blown away at how good it felt and sounded. I've been meaning to get one ever since, but haven't. Squier has definitely upped it's game, and, if people can't look past the name, oh well. I'll be playing and making money using mine.
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I've thought about upgrading the bridge on my VM Jazz V. Any issues when you installed the Hipshot? My bridge has 6 screws, looks like the Hipshot has 5 screws.
 
#284
Mark Hughes said:
I've thought about upgrading the bridge on my VM Jazz V. Any issues when you installed the Hipshot? My bridge has 6 screws, looks like the Hipshot has 5 screws.
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I got one from Best Bass Gear on sale as a scratch and dent. It has 4 holes total. I didn't do the best job installing it, so it's ever so slightly crooked (by about 1/16" or less, but I can still see it) and it needs to be moved about 1/8" to the treble side to line up with the pole pieces. I'll probably fix it later today, but I gigged it 3 times this week with no problems, as-is.

The 4 holes on the Hipshot match the inner 4 holes of the stock Squier bridge, but, when you use the existing holes, the bridge is off center. I plugged and re-drilled the holes. Most definitely not a drop in procedure.
 
#285
BazzTard said:
I never said all MIA's are perfect. Nor did I say Squiers are dogs.

Most MIAs are better than most Squiers. You admit they are better but not worth the extra money, you are agreeing with me then that the MIAs ARE better, just not as good value, lol.

Squiers are much much better value, no doubt, but don't say they are better than MIAs. They aren't, Fender will tell you that lol, you really think they don't have better hardware and QC? Come and see my MIA.
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I think we've all seen a few MIAs before. I'm a Squier fan and a MIA fan and I wouldn't write home about any stock hardware on either. It's functional, but come and see quality? Besides, if you're banking on hardware to put MIA over the top...that's like an extra 1000 bucks for $200 worth of hardware.
 
#288
I have many very nice basses. Some cost a whole lot and some don't. I have two Squiers....a VM Precision 5 and a Affinity Jazz V. Both are close to stock except for strings and a Hipshot bridge on the Jazz. I have toured with them and never felt weird about it. The workmanship on both is flawless. Even I was shocked.
 
#289
tgriley62 said:
I bought my first Squier last month for $95. Its a '07 Pbass with a 1 1/2 inch neck. My other bass is an '89 Peavey Foundation and I can't believe how good the Squier sounds. I have said this once and I will say it again "99% of an audience is not going to tell what type of bass you use or if you are playing a song note for note but, 100% of your audience can tell if you are out of tune or playing the wrong notes". Play what sounds good
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QFT. I've been guilty of headstock-gazing myself, but am working on it. And the new Affinity jazz I bought a few years ago made a big impression on me about how little the brand really matters.

I think it was Marcus Miller who said something like "Get your gear, get your sound, set it and forget it."
 
#291
Fender Squire Bass 6.jpg
I recently bought a new Squire bass 6. its awsome. $359. made in Indonesia. i bumped my head once and had Indonesia for a month. cant remember a thing.
 
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#292
I think there is a huge difference between different "Squier"-years. When Fender started to produce in Japan around 1981 there were no Fender Japan models (at least not for export). Later Fender started to offer higher quality Japan models as "Fender" and more budget oriented models as "Squier", but even the Fender models were of a lesser quality than the first JV and SQ Series Squiers.
The first Squiers were about 60% of the price of US Fenders. That's more than later MIJ Fenders and much more than later Squiers that often were starting at about 20/30% of a US Fender or even less.
Most early Squiers had ash or alder bodies, the later Fender Japan models for export had nearly all basswood bodies. Not bad, but a difference and basswood doesn't look to cool in sunburst or natural.
During the late eigthies sometimes the MIJ Squier and Fender standard models were identical. When Fender decided to label all MIJ Fenders as Fender and Squiers were produced in Korea and later in China, the quality and the prices were much lower...at least at the start.
I'm not sure about later Japan Squiers, but many korean and chinese Squiers were really plywood.

I would rate the early Squiers (1982-1984) as some of the best instruments Fender ever build. I prefered the necks to almost any US-instrument. The newly US-vintage series basses can at least compete with the early Squiers (but not in price).

Dirk
 
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#293
Just a guess here... I guess I'd qualify as semi-pro, and old :)
i've had high priced basses,, and low priced basses, and simply LIKE playing my two vmj's. they fit my hand right away first time I picked one up. the pickups are good enough - they have beef and sparkle out of the box. some have better setup than others but every bass has to be setup for me.
Why others don't use is not an issue of money for anyone willing to do just a little work: good instruments are essentially "free". Good instruments, bought right, appreciate in value. I'm not sure I've ever lost money on trading basses or acoustic guitars - can't recall any big hickeys.
it ain't money.
 
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#294
A pro friend of mine has played on a bottom line Squier guitar for years. He likes it because of the weight but he changes out the bridge, pickup and tuners to something he's more comfortable with. His take on brands is this. The only people that notice what brand he plays are other guitarists. Of them. the ones that can't play are the only ones that care.
 
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#295
DirkP said:
I think there is a huge difference between different "Squier"-years. When Fender started to produce in Japan around 1981 there were no Fender Japan models (at least not for export). Later Fender started to offer higher quality Japan models as "Fender" and more budget oriented models as "Squier", but even the Fender models were of a lesser quality than the first JV and SQ Series Squiers.
The first Squiers were about 60% of the price of US Fenders. That's more than later MIJ Fenders and much more than later Squiers that often were starting at about 20/30% of a US Fender or even less.
Most early Squiers had ash or alder bodies, the later Fender Japan models for export had nearly all basswood bodies. Not bad, but a difference and basswood doesn't look to cool in sunburst or natural.
During the late eigthies sometimes the MIJ Squier and Fender standard models were identical. When Fender decided to label all MIJ Fenders as Fender and Squiers were produced in Korea and later in China, the quality and the prices were much lower...at least at the start.
I'm not sure about later Japan Squiers, but many korean and chinese Squiers were really plywood.

I would rate the early Squiers (1982-1984) as some of the best instruments Fender ever build. I prefered the necks to almost any US-instrument. The newly US-vintage series basses can at least compete with the early Squiers (but not in price).

Dirk
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Great post! First off I'm a Fender fan boy and I like P basses.... Japanese please :thumbsup: I owned 3 SQ Squiers, 2 were SQ P basses in 3TS Sen-Ash, the other was a SQ bullet bass basswood. I owned a CIJ 51' RI which was good but my least favorite Japan Fender so I sold it.
I have owned several MIA Fenders all P basses from early 70's to 08' and some newer Squiers.

Flat out IMO the MIJ Older Squiers and Fender's are the best made basses Fender ever made besides Pre CBS. The one thing that makes them so good are the necks. Those necks especially Maple are sick with great fretwork fit and finish. The rest of the bass is pretty standard. Some say the MIJ pups lack but not for me and the type of music I play.

A few weeks ago I scored an E series MIJ fender P bass in black. I added an anodized gold guard, bridge cover and thumb bar to look like a 57"P bass with maple neck.
This bass is Basswood and I really feel this is the best P bass sound and feel wise I have ever owned. The tone is massive like the heavier neck transmits the tone thru the lighter weight Basswood body. This bass vibrates when you play it.

Like I said I have owned and played allot but those older MIJ Fenders and Squiers are worth a look by anyone who wants a decent priced solid Bass that will get the job done very well.
 
#296
The best bass is the one that feels right..... No mater how much it cost or how fancy the headstock decals.

Always promised myself a fender, but I've always preferred the feel of squires in shops. Each to their own.

(i do wonder if these mega buck guitars also cook dinner when you're not playing them as I can't work out the price structure otherwise)
 
#297
iain westland said:
The best bass is the one that feels right..... No mater how much it cost or how fancy the headstock decals.

Always promised myself a fender, but I've always preferred the feel of squires in shops. Each to their own.

(i do wonder if these mega buck guitars also cook dinner when you're not playing them as I can't work out the price structure otherwise)
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Nah, they're like high-maintenance girlfriends. They just sit around, lookin' pretty and making other interested parties jealous. At least when you get them in your hands, they make all-kinds of great noises. ;) :D

EDIT: I should totally sell that to Fender as a sales-pitch! Then maybe, just maybe, I could afford an American-made bass! :smug:
 
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#298
I was on the Detroit bass players you tube channel and saw a video for the 2016 bass day in memory of bassist lost this year .
The video begins with Nate Watts in his studio sending his regrets for not being able to attend due to recording his solo project. He gives a short sample playing in the background .
Nate is recording with a black Squier bullet precision bass. Looks like a 80's model with the star graphic on the headstock .
 
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