Some info on a Squier VM Jaguar bass

[Ralph124C41]

I found a Squier VM Jag bass for sale and I'm trying to get some information about it. I'm confused (nothing new there) but there seems to have been a regular model and a deluxe model. The deluxe model had, I've read, block inlays and the controls were double-banded or one on top the other ... however that is called. And there seems to have been both a regular 34-inch scale version as well as a short-scale version, at least in the cheaper model and maybe in the deluxe version.

The one I'm looking at has the standard 34-inch scale. No block inlays and it seems to have two volume controls and two tone controls. It was "crafted" in Indonesia and the serial number starts with 18 so I'm assuming it was made in 2018?

I'm assuming it has ceramic pickups ... but I've also read it may have Alnico V pickups. So ...?

 

[Sharko]

I’m not totally sure what your question is here, but yes, there were several Jaguar basses in the VM series:

One was a passive short scale (smaller body and upper horn, dot inlay, curved control plate, black/red/silver bodies had black headstocks, sunburst has a natural headstock).

one was an active long scale (dot inlays, straight control plate). The Troy Sanders sig Jaguar is this bass with a silverburst body, block inlay, and black headstock with mastodon logo.

one was an active long scale with a single humbucker at the bridge (dot inlay, straight control plate).

One was a passive long scale (stack knobs, curved control plate, black headstock, and block inlays)

To make matters more complicated, there is also a CV Jaguar (medium scale, stack knobs, straight control plate, block inlay) and an Affinity Jaguar (medium scale, uses the same smaller body as the short scale, curved control plate, single MM pickup in the pickguard), and music shops frequently have them misidentified.

 

[AK Bass Guy]

Is this the version you are looking at?

Used Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Electric Bass Guitar Crimson Red Transparent | Guitar Center

For greater savings check out our Used Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Electric Bass Guitar and get a great deal today!

www.guitarcenter.com

 

[Malak the Mad]

A couple of pictures would go a long way.

 

[Sharko]

If the one you are looking at is 34” scale and has dot inlays, it is likely the active version. The 4 knobs are not v/v/t/t, they are volume and EQ.

In my opinion they are all great sounding basses for the price

 

[AK Bass Guy]

If the one you are looking at is 34” scale and has dot inlays, it is likely the active version. The 4 knobs are not v/v/t/t, they are volume and EQ.

In my opinion they are all great sounding basses for the price

From personal experience I’d recommend only buying if you can get your hands on it first. I bought the CV Squier Jag 32 unseen via shipping and it had a really bad hump 14th to 17th fret on the A and E strings. Not enough fret wire to fix it that way. Ended up putting a Warmoth neck on it.

 

[Ralph124C41]

Is this the version you are looking at?

Used Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Electric Bass Guitar Crimson Red Transparent | Guitar Center

For greater savings check out our Used Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Electric Bass Guitar and get a great deal today!

www.guitarcenter.com

Yes that is ... I didn't know we could name the seller. But that's it. I called and talked to somebody who told me it was the 34-inch scale. But as others have said there are SO many different versions I just wanted to get some info about this particular model.

 

[Ralph124C41]

From personal experience I’d recommend only buying if you can get your hands on it first. I bought the CV Squier Jag 32 unseen via shipping and it had a really bad hump 14th to 17th fret on the A and E strings. Not enough fret wire to fix it that way. Ended up putting a Warmoth neck on it.

Well that's the good thing about buying used from GC. I've gotten some great used gear items ... as well as some duds (such as an acoustic with "no cracks" that had five old cracks) ... and I've been able to get a full refund including shipping every time, although sometimes I have to talk to a manager or supervisor.

 

[Ralph124C41]

A couple of pictures would go a long way.

It is the one listed at Guitar Center.

 

[Ralph124C41]

I’m not totally sure what your question is here, but yes, there were several Jaguar basses in the VM series:

One was a passive short scale (smaller body and upper horn, dot inlay, curved control plate, black/red/silver bodies had black headstocks, sunburst has a natural headstock).

one was an active long scale (dot inlays, straight control plate). The Troy Sanders sig Jaguar is this bass with a silverburst body, block inlay, and black headstock with mastodon logo.

one was an active long scale with a single humbucker at the bridge (dot inlay, straight control plate).

One was a passive long scale (stack knobs, curved control plate, black headstock, and block inlays)

To make matters more complicated, there is also a CV Jaguar (medium scale, stack knobs, straight control plate, block inlay) and an Affinity Jaguar (medium scale, uses the same smaller body as the short scale, curved control plate, single MM pickup in the pickguard), and music shops frequently have them misidentified.

I just wanted some thoughts on the model. It's the one listed at Guitar Center in a reply to my post. I wanted to know which model it is and if anybody has any particular info about it.

"Stack" knobs ... that's the term I was seeking.

 

[Ralph124C41]

If the one you are looking at is 34” scale and has dot inlays, it is likely the active version. The 4 knobs are not v/v/t/t, they are volume and EQ.

In my opinion they are all great sounding basses for the price

Yes looking at the back I see two covered-over areas ... one looks like it is made to accept a 9-volt battery and the other looks like a control-access panel so I do think it's an active model. Does it have active pickups or just the active EQs, like I had on my Ibanez TBM 100 and the bass-boost on my Ibanez GRS200?

 

[Sharko]

Yes looking at the back I see two covered-over areas ... one looks like it is made to accept a 9-volt battery and the other looks like a control-access panel so I do think it's an active model. Does it have active pickups or just the active EQs, like I had on my Ibanez TBM 100 and the bass-boost on my Ibanez GRS200?

I don’t know the answer to that question exactly, but I do know something about this model, the controls are unusual: p volume, j volume, tone, active bass boost. It doesn’t cut, it only boosts. I remember when these came out, a lot of TB users decided to replace the electronics with a more conventional preamp because they said this bass boost knob felt like a gimmick and wasn’t very useful. That said, apparently Troy Sanders likes it, I have seen him play both his Fender sig and Squier sig basses on stage.

If I wanted a Squier Jag this probably isn’t the one I would buy:
If I wanted short scale I would buy the passive short scale (I have 2 of them) or the 32” CV.
If I wanted a classic fender look and vibe I’d get the long scale with the black headstock and stack knobs and blocks, it looks so cool.
Overall which one do I like the sound of most? The long scale with the bridge humbucker sounds great to my ears.

Which would I never buy? The affinity with the smaller body and 32” scale, it neck dives terribly ( I had one but quickly sold it).

 

[Ralph124C41]

I don’t know the answer to that question exactly, but I do know something about this model: the active EQ is unusual, one of the knobs is what Squier describes as an “active bass boost.” It doesn’t cut, it only boosts. I remember when these came out, a lot of TB users decided to replace the electronics with a more conventional preamp because they said this bass boost knob felt like a gimmick and wasn’t very useful. That said, apparently Troy Sanders likes it, I have seen him play both his Fender sig and Squier sig basses on stage.

If I wanted a Squier Jag this probably isn’t the one I would buy:
If I wanted short scale I would buy the passive short scale (I have 2 of them) or the 32” CV.
If I wanted a classic fender look and vibe I’d get the long scale with the black headstock and stack knobs and blocks, it looks so cool.
Overall which one do I like the sound of most? The long scale with the bridge humbucker sounds great to my ears.

Which would I never buy? The affinity with the smaller body and 32” scale, it neck dives terribly ( I had one but quickly sold it).

yes I did some more research and found it has the bass boost only, which seems similar to what I had on my GSR 200 and not like the controls on my Ibanez TMB 100 at all which provides boost AND cut for both bass and treble. The model seems to have sold in only the transparent red (like the one at GC) and sunburst.

Yeah I will pass on it I think. (Btw, I wish people would stop saying their bass has "active" pickups when all they have is some sort of active EQ control.)










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[Ralph124C41]

yes I did some more research and found it has the bass boost only, which seems similar to what I had on my GSR 200 and not like the controls on my Ibanez TMB 100 at all which provides boost AND cut for both bass and treble. The model seems to have sold in only the transparent red (like the one at GC) and sunburst.

Yeah I will pass on it I think. (Btw, I wish people would stop saying their bass has "active" pickups when all they have is some sort of active EQ control.) When I sold my GSR 200 I made certain to tell prospective buyers it did not have active pickups, just a bass boost, which I thought worked pretty swell..










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[Sharko]

yes I did some more research and found it has the bass boost only, which seems similar to what I had on my GSR 200 and not like the controls on my Ibanez TMB 100 at all which provides boost AND cut for both bass and treble. The model seems to have sold in only the transparent red (like the one at GC) and sunburst.

It also came in black, and the aforementioned Troy Sanders silverburst with black headstock.

 

[Ralph124C41]

I thought the black finished model was the one with the stack controls. I knew about the silverburst but I was citing what I though were the standard models.

 

[Sharko]

I thought the black finished model was the one with the stack controls. I knew about the silverburst but I was citing what I though were the standard models.

This model came in black, red, burst, all with natural headstock.

The black one with a black headstock and block inlays is a passive bass. It has stack knobs on a curved control plate.

 

[AK Bass Guy]

(Btw, I wish people would stop saying their bass has "active" pickups when all they have is some sort of active EQ control.)

Agreed. Big difference between active pups and passive pups with an active EQ.

 

[AK Bass Guy]

Fender has this 34” scale Squier PJ on sale new.

Affinity Series™ Precision Bass® PJ | Squier Electric Basses

Affinity Series™ Precision Bass® PJ, Laurel Fingerboard, Black Pickguard, Charcoal Frost Metallic

www.fender.com

 

[Ralph124C41]

Fender has this 34” scale Squier PJ on sale new.

Affinity Series™ Precision Bass® PJ | Squier Electric Basses

Affinity Series™ Precision Bass® PJ, Laurel Fingerboard, Black Pickguard, Charcoal Frost Metallic

www.fender.com

I recently played one of those and I wasn't amazed by either its sound or its feel. In fact I played it and some other basses and my favorite was the even cheaper Squier Sonic Precision (not the Sonic Bronco however). (Fender has a yellow model also on sale btw.)