Squier Affinity sound...

[darwin-bass]

WAIT - OP, what are you using to monitor the sound? A bass amp? Headphones, laptop speakers? And how do you have the amp set?

Are you cranking the lows and cutting highs on the SUB 5 (with flats) making is sound very dark and heavy and then comparing that to the full-range Affinity?

I've personally heard/played one Affinity J. It sounded quite good against my $1000+ instruments. I mixed sound for that same instrument and in the FOH it was solid yet clear.

 

[C Stone]

According to the info page on the Affinity, it doesn't come with 7250 strings (just generics). Put new flats on it and see where you go.

According to FMIC all Squier basses ship from manufacturer with Fender USA Bass strings 7250M or 7250ML, NPS Just sayin

 

[OneNut]

According to FMIC all Squier basses ship from manufacturer with Fender USA Bass strings 7250M or 7250ML, NPS Just sayin

If you check the spec sections of the product pages, as of right now, you'll see some basses like theInvalid Link Removed are listed as having just 45-105 Nickel Plated Steel, while the Invalid Link Removed get the 7250. They could be entirely the same strings on delivery, but what they spec is indeterminate

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Flats vs rounds is what you're hearing.

 

[C Stone]

If you check the spec sections of the product pages, as of right now, you'll see some basses like theInvalid Link Removed are listed as having just 45-105 Nickel Plated Steel, while the Invalid Link Removed get the 7250. They could be entirely the same strings on delivery, but what they spec is indeterminate

Gotcha, all good. It’s just the answer FMIC e-mailed after an inquiry as to which strings come factory installed. Musicians Friend does shows them with Fender 7250’s and Sweetwater lists them as “Fender” brand on the Squier basses.

 

[newfuture]

I've never met an Affinity I've liked (and I'm into really cheap and weird basses). A lot of my dislike comes from the pickups.
Try the strings, and don't be surprised if you later do a PU swap.

 

[ebo]

I bought a used Affinity P last year for $100. Strings were goners and it sounded pretty bad. Figured the pickups as well as the strings were to blame. New strings and bam! Pretty decent P bass. Mine has a nice neck. Stays at the house mostly but I’ve gigged it and bring it as a backup sometimes.

 

[SharpCat]

I thought the factory pickups on the affinity PJ I have were terrible, muddy and overwound. All three factory pots were 250k. Replaced them with ceramics I got from a Yamaha BB234 and CTS pots, and much better sound. Strings definitely first thing to try, but may need different pickups too.

 

[trick420]

PS I just read above that someone said these come with 500k pots. If a string change doesn't get you closer to what you are looking for and you can handle a soldering pen, I'd change them our to 250k.

I definitely love the sound and FEEL of flats. May go that way but was kinda wanting to stay with rounds for a different sound. Maybe I should try half wounds?

PPS That pickup-changing thing, I'd wait on that. Unless you have a discerning ear, and or you are going to play mainly by yourself, you won't hear it in a band situation. I say start with strings, then pots to 250k, then if you are not getting what you want or just feeling adventurous, then a pickup swap, to get the girl u want...

I play for myself at home only. Just jam along with songs l like. My years in a band are far behind me! I am an electrical engineer by profession and am proficient with a soldering iron as well as circuit design, so I'll likely go there next messing with the pots.

While you're at it, maybe check out the pickup height and action/intonation.

That was the first thing I did - Pickups were super low and I had to pull them and add some shims underneath to get them up to an acceptable height. Made a decent difference. Also had too much relief on the neck so I sorted the action out. Plays fantastic now. In fact, I have always maintained that I hated P basses and preferred J basses because of the way the neck felt. Turns out that I think what I was experiencing were P basses with poor action setups, because this neck is surprisingly good feeling.

WAIT - OP, what are you using to monitor the sound? A bass amp? Headphones, laptop speakers? And how do you have the amp set?

I have a Hartke A75 but I don't use it a lot. What I use mainly is a Nux Mighty Pro plug. I have 7 different amp cab sims on it and play it through a nice pair of over the ear headphones. It's FANTASTIC and I can get all kinds of bass sounds from it as well as stream music to play along with. For all of my amp sims, I run no EQ and all controls flat. I do run compressor and a touch of reverb. On the Hartke I run it pretty much flat. On my Stingray, I built an original stingray 2 band preamp for it and tonally speaking it sounds awesome with flats and no EQ dialed in, so I leave it alone.

This bass sounds pretty good at the moment, but the cheap strings are definitely a giveaway... The E and A sound full and fat and the D and G are tinny and harsh - definitely cheap strings.

 

[PeVaPu]

I definitely love the sound and FEEL of flats. May go that way but was kinda wanting to stay with rounds for a different sound. Maybe I should try half wounds?


I play for myself at home only. Just jam along with songs l like. My years in a band are far behind me! I am an electrical engineer by profession and am proficient with a soldering iron as well as circuit design, so I'll likely go there next messing with the pots.


That was the first thing I did - Pickups were super low and I had to pull them and add some shims underneath to get them up to an acceptable height. Made a decent difference. Also had too much relief on the neck so I sorted the action out. Plays fantastic now. In fact, I have always maintained that I hated P basses and preferred J basses because of the way the neck felt. Turns out that I think what I was experiencing were P basses with poor action setups, because this neck is surprisingly good feeling.



I have a Hartke A75 but I don't use it a lot. What I use mainly is a Nux Mighty Pro plug. I have 7 different amp cab sims on it and play it through a nice pair of over the ear headphones. It's FANTASTIC and I can get all kinds of bass sounds from it as well as stream music to play along with. For all of my amp sims, I run no EQ and all controls flat. I do run compressor and a touch of reverb. On the Hartke I run it pretty much flat. On my Stingray, I built an original stingray 2 band preamp for it and tonally speaking it sounds awesome with flats and no EQ dialed in, so I leave it alone.

This bass sounds pretty good at the moment, but the cheap strings are definitely a giveaway... The E and A sound full and fat and the D and G are tinny and harsh - definitely cheap strings.

 

[PeVaPu]

I would like to if the mighty plug pro could feed my Eden amp so that I can use it as an effect rack?

 

[beatdatthang]

Has anyone said “try rolling off the tone knob”, yet? Lots of suggestions for a set of $50+ dollar flat wound strings and $300 pup and electronics swaps on a $150 affinity P bass, but the fastest way to take the zing out is just roll off the tone. Play it awhile and the strings will lose that zing. You can take the zing out of rounds pretty easily.