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Squier 70s Jazz Bass: How Can They Do It?

KingOlav

KingOlav

Oct 1, 2011
76
0
#1
I have a question about the Squier Vintage Modified 70s Jazz Bass. I'm looking into it as something intermediate so I can have a bass at all while I'm waiting to get rich and pay for a Fender American Standard P-Bass. (Squier P-Basses are not left handed...GRRR)

Anyway. I'm looking at the specs and pictures and YouTube videos for this bass, and for the price, it looks exceptional. But I'm also a little skeptical: how could they build a bass with a maple body, maple neck and fretboard, with block inlays and Schaller tuners and charge only $350 (at Guitar Center) for it? I know they're made in Indonesia, but would that really deflate the price THAT much? Even my Mexican Standard Jazz was made out of basswood. I feel like for the Squier bass, they would have had to cut a major corner somewhere else.

Any ideas?
 
#7
You're definitely getting a different species of wood in the Asian guitars, compared to what you'd get in the American or Mexican guitars. At least the Mexi basses can use the same species of woods.

Some things to consider: yes, the labor rates cost less in the third world, but the Asian woods are cheaper was well. The quality of the Asian wood isn't equal to what you're getting in the American or Mexican basses. IME the species of Asian woods used for the Squiers is softer than the North American woods, and doesn't hold screws as well.

With that in mind, I tried out a Squier 70s J at my local GC and it didn't feel anything at all like a 70s bass. The neck has nothing in common with a 70s profile, so I'd have to say that the only thing 70s about the guitar is what it looks like from 10 feet away.
 
#8
The Bass, when setup properly, plays VERY well and sounds just as good as a MIM. I put $100 into it with upgrades pickups and LEO QUANN II bridge....and boy it really is a nice bass....BUT it is like any lower end bass.....you need to try a few and find "the one" that feels best to you. When you find it, get it! well worth the cost..IMHO
 
#9
KingOlav said:
But I'm also a little skeptical: how could they build a bass with a maple body, maple neck and fretboard, with block inlays and Schaller tuners and charge only $350 (at Guitar Center) for it? I know they're made in Indonesia, but would that really deflate the price THAT much? Even my Mexican Standard Jazz was made out of basswood. I feel like for the Squier bass, they would have had to cut a major corner somewhere else.
Click to expand...

The Squier doesn't have Schallers, also the current MIM Standards are Alder.
 
#10
If it sounds good, why would you even care about what wood it is made out of? And the idea that one side of the globe grows high quality trees, while the entire Asian Pacific region is populated with "inferior" trees that can't hold a screw is ludicrous. Even on the cheapest basses I have ever owned, there was never a problem with screws working their way out of the wood.

I own about six or seven Precisions, all built from a variety of different parted out Squiers, MIM Fenders, USA Fenders, Hondos, Mighty Mite, No-Names. I couldn't even tell you what wood most of them are made out of. I think that 99% of the people talking about wood choice on sub-$400, poly-coated basses are frankly talking out of their behinds.
 
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#11
bolophonic said:
If it sounds good, why would you even care about what wood it is made out of? And the idea that one side of the globe grows high quality trees, while the entire Asian Pacific region is populated with "inferior" trees that can't hold a screw is ludicrous. Even on the cheapest basses I have ever owned, there was never a problem with screws working their way out of the wood.

I own about six or seven Precisions, all built from a variety of different parted out Squiers, MIM Fenders, USA Fenders, Hondos, Mighty Mite, No-Names. I couldn't even tell you what wood most of them are made out of. I think that 99% of the people talking about wood choice on sub-$400, poly-coated basses are frankly talking out of their behinds.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with this, I have a VM P5, it weighs within 1 ounce of my American P5, not sure what the wood is, maybe basswood? The resonance is crazy, especially on the A, D, and G strings, far more than on the American P5. This is a seriously good bass.
 
#12
KingOlav said:
Well, they say "soft maple", don't know what they mean by that...I see your point.
Click to expand...


Only sugar (rock, Canadian) maple can be called hard maple when marketed in North America. All other maples are considered soft maple. Quite a number of species exist worldwide. Don't flame me, flame the wood experts.

There are some really silly things said about wood here on TB. Friggin google things before you open your gate.
 
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#15
Owned a SQ VM Jazz. Besides needing a pickup swap and some slight fret filing, that bass was VERY nice next to my US made Jazz basses.

After a truss adjust and bridge tweak that neck played better than the 7 or 8 next to it.

I too wonder how hey do it.
 
#16
First of all, VM Jazz basses are maple bodied and it's really good

Other than that, yes... labor cost is so low down there that the price is more than justified

The one I bought-from the start pleased me by its look-that's how it went

You know I'm a Glenn Hughes diehard since day one I been aware of sound of bass, and he's as sucker for Vintage Precisions, when playin' rock (like on Deep Purple records and recent Black Country Communion's) as for Vintage Jazzes when playin' funk

ten years ago he released a "live in the studio" album which was recorded in LA with Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Funky as heck, it was called "soulfully live in the city of angels": Glenn was bearin' a fantastic '75 Jazz

That sound (and image) stuck with me until a later moment in which I was shoppin' for a Jazz bass

Of course I couldn't afford no AVRI75 so I turned to Squier VM
'70s Jazz

At that time I was involved in an allround cover rockband and I
was playin' rage vs machine/audioslave/red hot chilli peppers/
faith no more/incubus stuff.

I also bought a Classic Vibe Jazz for these reasons... the VM natural Jazz for rage/audio Tim Commerford's sake, the CV olympic white/tort Jazz for red hot's Flea.

VM Jazz had a terrible neck (that's somethin' hit or miss
with Indonesian VM basses: experienced the same with Jaguar Special and My Chemical Romance's Mickey Way Mustang:rollno:) so the Glenn Hughes alike project felt apart.
I ordered a Fender parts American Deluxe 21 fret 1,625" Precision neck on which I mounted Fender Vintage open
gear tuners with Hipshot BT2 bass extender, plus an "F" stamped 4 bolt neckplate and Bartolini "deep" dualcoils:
that's my 12+lbs:eek: Tim Commerford bass

CV has a wonderful neck (chinese QC is second to none)
so I concentrated on Hipshot BT1 bass extender and pair
of Seymour Duncan's Quarter Pound: that's my Flea bass

Nowadays, the VM has gone and I'm awaiting for Hipshot
BT1 from the US to place it on my brand new Biffy Clyro's
James Johnston Jazz which, other than Hipshot and bridge
Seymour Duncan Antiquity, will stay a stock Classic Vibe.

Cheers,
Wallace
 
#17
The Squier VM Jazz is a great bass. Whatever they do to keep the price as low as it is has no impact on the quality of the tone, feel, and looks. I enjoyed its feel and sound as much as I did that of my early 90s German Warwick Thumb NT. The only reason I sold it was because the over 10 lb body wasn't working for my shoulder anymore, and even still I regret letting it go. My luthier/tech that sets my basses up said that he thought it played as nice as any other Fender Jazz he had ever worked on. The fellow I sold it to is using it as a studio recording instrument. I could go on...but the point is, these are fantastic basses.
 
#20
WretchedExcess said:
You're definitely getting a different species of wood in the Asian guitars, compared to what you'd get in the American or Mexican guitars. At least the Mexi basses can use the same species of woods.

Some things to consider: yes, the labor rates cost less in the third world, but the Asian woods are cheaper was well. The quality of the Asian wood isn't equal to what you're getting in the American or Mexican basses. IME the species of Asian woods used for the Squiers is softer than the North American woods, and doesn't hold screws as well.
Click to expand...

The "soft maple" they use in some of the Squier VMs holds screws quite well, and is certainly harder than agathis or basswood. I have a "maple" bodied VM Precision and noticed how hard the wood is when I drilled it for a thumb rest and strap locks.
 

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