Squier Classic Vibe 60s P Bass

[Memphis Soul]

Does anyone have one of these basses? I am probably getting ready to purchase one and was wondering how they sound and play. I am a guitarist who is going to start doubling on bass. I have played a 70s Classic Vibe and really like it. It played and sounded great. I’m assuming it’s the same pickups in both basses. If you own one is it your main bass and how do you like it? Also how does the fretboard look? I like a dark fretboard and in the photos on the Fender website it looks very light.

 

[jd56hawk]

One of the best Squiers made. Unfortunately, I had to sell mine. Moving forced me to sell quite a few basses, including five Squiers...three of them were Jazz basses.
(Pickup spacing is different than the 70s model.)

 

[Thornton Davis]

This is my 2013 FSR Squire Classic Vibe 60's Precision. I've replaced the factory p/u and harness with a Seymour Duncan Quarter pounder SPB-3 and CTS harness.
Love the neck it. All around it's a great bass and no it's not my #1.

TD

 

[Geepers]

This is my 2013 FSR Squire Classic Vibe 60's Precision. I've replaced the factory p/u and harness with a Seymour Duncan Quarter pounder SPB-3 and CTS harness.
Love the neck it. All around it's a great bass and no it's not my #1.

TD

That, sir, is a cracker. If it plays as good as it looks I could die happy with that. I can see why OP is after one

 

[stinkfoot60]

I have a 2020 CV 60 Precision (in avatar). I upgraded the wiring harness, otherwise it’s stock. Currently wearing Chromes. I’ve played my brother’s MIM P Bass and my Squier compares well. Fit and finish is good, the neck has been stable. I have a MIM Jazz that’s my #1, but the Squier provides the old school sound when I need it.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Does anyone have one of these basses? I am probably getting ready to purchase one and was wondering how they sound and play. I am a guitarist who is going to start doubling on bass. I have played a 70s Classic Vibe and really like it. It played and sounded great. I’m assuming it’s the same pickups in both basses. If you own one is it your main bass and how do you like it? Also how does the fretboard look? I like a dark fretboard and in the photos on the Fender website it looks very light.

I found it was lightweight, neck was real nice, pickups were ok, meaning not great---kind of felt like a toy, instead of a professional bass. Was not boomy, probably because of the inferior body wood. Basically, you are buying a nice neck, with a bunch of garbage attached to it. My fretboard was light colored, the neck and fretboard were maple, with glossy poly over the fretboard. Like I said, it was the only redeeming thing about that bass. I think I paid $400 for the bass and that is roughly how much a decent neck costs.

I also had a CV70 jazz bass, which had TI flats and Dogal flats on it and it was slightly better than 'just ok'. I sold it for a MIM Player fretless Jazz, that is 'just great', not excellent.

 

[beaglesandbass]

 

[wolffire99]

I wanted to get a sonic blue classic vibe 60’s so I played 4 of them before finding one that was < 9lbs and no weird neck/fret issues out of the box.

Once I found one (8.5lbs) I sanded the neck, replaced the pickups with Aguilar 4p-60’s and replaced the wiring harness.

It now plays and sounds better than my American Pro ii and the neck is a little thinner which I like for ~$600 total spent.

Highly recommend

New:

With mint pick guard:

 

[JazznFunk]

The CV line is one of the best values out there. Depends on the year in question, but if you can find a 2009/2010 era CV P-Bass you will NOT be disappointed. I have one from that time... the Fiesta Red 'Poor Man's Pino' as I call it. It held its own against a buddy's 60's Fender P (a real deal Fiesta Red one) and he loved how similar they both felt. I concurred after playing his bass. My CV P is one of the lightest and most resonant basses in my collection. Which reminds me.... I haven't played it in a while! To counter the one heavily negative nelly review on this thread so far, the pickup actually sounds very good once you get it dialed in and the height set properly. It's got a nice grunt to it, and has great presence in the mix, and I've gotten big thumbs up from every engineer who has recorded me while playing it. It gets 'boomy' if you want it to, depending on tone control setting. My neck was very well planed and finished rosewood, with a nice dark vintage tint to the neck, which was not overly sticky in terms of the poly coat finish. Thin vintage style frets which reminded me a lot of the frets on my Laklands. Maple has some nice depth and figuring in spots as well. YMMV.

All of this being said, there was a change in where the CV line was made after that 'golden era' of 2009/2010 or so and there is a general feeling that the newer CV basses aren't quite on that same level of fit/finish/playability. I also own a 2018 Classic Vibe Jazz Bass which plays and sounds great, but is much heavier than my P-Bass is. I still put the CV line up there as a great value, and don't consider any of them to be 'trash' with a 'nice neck'.

 

[commonplayer]

I haven't tried any of the newer versions, but this original China produced 60's Classic Vibe is as good as everyone says. I would hold out for one of these if you can!

 

[wizerd]

Mr "JazznFunk" is right. Mine is a 2009-2010 poor mans Pino in red and has been great through 5 bands and dozens of gigs. Dead stock was great but I added a Lindy Fralin pup for a bit more of that "P" ness. Can't go wrong with the CV series.

 

[MdC64]

Yeah, what Jazznfunk said for sure.
This is a 2011 CV 60s P. Fantastic bass.
I changed out the tort guard, installed a Dimarzio Model P pickup along with a kellingsound harness(500k volume pot/250 tone, .033 cap). It’s a beast of a player and rotate it at gigs regularly.
I have all OG parts as well. The OG pickup and harness were great but wanted to add a little more to the bass.

 

[sonojono]

I own both Sonic Blue and Fiesta from the years 2008 and 2010. I’m actually selling my Sonic Blue (2008) as I don’t play it as much. Anyway, family photo

 

[miikee90]

One of the best Squiers made. Unfortunately, I had to sell mine. Moving forced me to sell quite a few basses, including five Squiers...three of them were Jazz basses.
(Pickup spacing is different than the 70s model.)
View attachment 7108996

Did it come with the matching headstock or did you paint it? I ask because I love the matching headstocks from the factory.

 

[Ostie]

I got this one used for $200. Worth every penny. A little tweak of the TR and it was ready to play. PU isn’t that great so maybe a mod in the future.

 

[JazznFunk]

I haven't tried any of the newer versions, but this original China produced 60's Classic Vibe is as good as everyone says. I would hold out for one of these if you can!

View attachment 7109139

That's the one! Beautiful!

 

[Swerve]

How does one distinguish the early CV's vs the later ones, and what is the cutoff date? Looks like the older ones had a higher mass bridge?

 

[JTNuney]

How does one distinguish the early CV's vs the later ones, and what is the cutoff date? Looks like the older ones had a higher mass bridge?

The early ones that people rave about are marked Crafted in China rather than Indonesia. I think they were made from 2008-2010 and have serial numbers starting with C. For example, my 2010 CV 50s P has a serial starting CGS, where C=China, G=Grand Reward factory, S=Squier. (Indonesian Squiers are either ICS where C=made by Cort, or ISS where S=made by Samick.) When I bought mine, I was torn between the 50s and 60s Ps - wish I’d just bought both!

The early Chinese ones have the high-mass bridge you mentioned. To make matters confusing, there was a Sonic Blue 60s P *without* a matching headstock. The matching headstock one came later and (I think) was made in Indonesia as a special run for Guitar Center.

Honestly, as much as I love my China CV, it’s not like the Indo ones I’ve tried are duds. I still kick myself for letting a 40th Anniversary Squier Jazz (Indo/Samick) get away - one of the nicer feeling basses I’ve ever picked up.

Gratuitous picture of my 50s CV, just for giggles (it has a black/parchment/black PG now, just to be different):

 

[Memphis Soul]

Those are some great looking basses. If the Indonesian one are as good as the guitars they should be good to go. My Classic Vibe 50s in white blonde has become my go to guitar over my Fender Player Plus. I like the neck better on the CV and the pickups sound pretty good although I’ll probably replace those with some Fender Pure Vintage 52s soon. I really want a decent bass to play around on and maybe do some recording.

 

[J Wilson]

You can buy a 'better' bass, but the with the CV Squiers, you can't find a better value for the MSRP. I own several and I'd gig with any of them. And since they're Fender Shaped Objects (!!), adding in better pickups or pots or a bridge is easy and not necessarily expensive should you get the mod fever.

This year I'm going to get around to buying the Sunburst/rosewood Squire PBass, add the ashtray and pickup cover, maybe a Fralin pickup to be my little In Memory of Motown bass. Be glad when it's time.