Squier 40th Anniversary basses - BAD QC

[Crackle]

I ended up with a Yamaha BB434 that proved excellent in every way.

I still say the QC issues I have experienced with the new Squiers are unacceptable. Bridge screws that will not tighten are never acceptable - regardless of how easy the fix might be. I know I'm spoiled on some of the best basses there are, but I refuse to lower my standards.

 

[Yahboy]

Hi there, I came across your discussion because I have exactly the same problem as Crackle, on the same model. I live in France and the bass comes from a German store.

This is the second one I've bought because I loved the first one so much (sunburst model)!

With the second one, I decided to mount the neck and hardware on an ash body. When I took the whole thing apart and saw the neck pocket, I couldn't believe my eyes! This is not the work of a luthier, but that of a Sunday tinkerer! Removing paint with a router on an already calibrated instrument??? Why not use a chainsaw?

So I took the Sunburst apart to see if this was the case, and it is! Only slightly less serious...
On the green, there's almost 1 millimeter of vertical drop. The screws pull on the neck in a vacuum. As a result, the neck only bears on the body from the sides. Not good for sound transmission and stability of the neck. Very bad from a guitar manufacturer.

Okay, the squier has to be worse somewhere, but here... even my 2003 model, "Affinity", the cheapest of them all, has a perfect neck pocket!

I'll keep it, I'll fix it myself, but I'm not happy, and that's normal. Even Harley Benton has perfect construction! Fender, where have you been!

Thanks to you, good music!View attachment 5228449 View attachment 5228448

A painted shimmer !

5 Indo CV50P I been own included the one I keep all has paint left on neck pocket. Need sand the paint until entire pocket become flat.

No such issue on my previous China Classic vibe.

 

[Yahboy]

I ended up with a Yamaha BB434 that proved excellent in every way.

I still say the QC issues I have experienced with the new Squiers are unacceptable. Bridge screws that will not tighten are never acceptable - regardless of how easy the fix might be. I know I'm spoiled on some of the best basses there are, but I refuse to lower my standards.

Agree, BB434 QC are better than current day classic vibe bass. I wish there are BB434M with candy apple body, black pickguard and maple neck without painted headstock.

 

[thrashingbass]

You are talking about a lower cost imported instrument. That’s no reason for them to be junk, but it is a reason for them to be made with every possible cost cutting measure in place to maximize profit. Cost cutting generally includes material and workmanship as much as possible for each category. It’s possible QC is being left to assemblers, which means inconsistency at best.
The depressing reality is that the same deficiencies are probably becoming more common instead of less common.

One piece of advice I’m surprised hasn’t been mentioned; get away from Squier & look at some other brand. If fewer people buy the brand with quality issues, the quality will improve or the brand will go away.

If you keep looking for a good apple in a basket of bad apples you might find what you think is a good one until you find the worm at the core….

Except your story is fiction. Squier is-especially currently-not a basket of bad apples.

This is just-at least seemingly, with the vehemency of the OP-another Fender/Squier hate thread. Of course there must be bad samples, but it does not seem to be the norm-and there will be worms to be found elsewhere as well.

(Which is not stating that there aren't any other good value brands out there, as you mentioned.)