Squier Classic Vibe 60s P Bass

[Memphis Soul]

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.

The Motown sound is what made me fall in love with the Precision Bass to begin with. That’s why I bought the Fender AP II . God I hated selling that bass. The Squier is to hold me over until I pay down my Sweetwater card enough to buy another one.

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

I have a 2022 Indonesian one. Not a favorite. Pickup pole piece alignment under the strings is pretty bad. Sounds OK, though. A lot like a P-bass! Had to resurface the frets and dress the fret ends. Plays well now. Fingerboard is laurel. Mine looks nice after a couple of rounds of oil. They tend to be dry. Neck pocket wasn't real snug. I wouldn't buy another. My Sonic P's and Vintera I P's, on the other hand, are stellar, IME.

I suggest a used Vintera I (not II) in Dakota Red. Comes with an anodized aluminum pickguard, maple fingerboard, and 1 3/4" nut. Reverse tuners. Slap a Duck Dunn duck sticker on the pickguard and play Stax/Volt/Atlantic/Muscle Shoals all night long! There's one at Sweetwater Gear Exchange for $625 incl. shipping. I have no affiliation but if I didn't have 2 already I'd be very tempted.

BBB

 

[Memphis Soul]

I have a 2022 Indonesian one. Not a favorite. Pickup pole piece alignment under the strings is pretty bad. Sounds OK, though. A lot like a P-bass! Had to resurface the frets and dress the fret ends. Plays well now. Fingerboard is laurel. Mine looks nice after a couple of rounds of oil. They tend to be dry. Neck pocket wasn't real snug. I wouldn't buy another. My Sonic P's and Vintera I P's, on the other hand, are stellar, IME.

I suggest a used Vintera I (not II) in Dakota Red. Comes with an anodized aluminum pickguard, maple fingerboard, and 1 3/4" nut. Reverse tuners. Slap a Duck Dunn duck sticker on the pickguard and play Stax/Volt/Atlantic/Muscle Shoals all night long! There's one at Sweetwater Gear Exchange for $625 incl. shipping. I have no affiliation but if I didn't have 2 already I'd be very tempted.

BBB

I will check out the Vintera model you suggested.

 

[CoughSyrup]

Got this for a song from the used rack at Guitar Center. Came with a new set of Deep Talkin' Flats (not the Jamerson ones) and some of the lowest action I've ever seen. I wanted a "Motown bass" and this thing looks and sounds the part. I had a 2020ish CV Precision in Olympic White that I sold to another TBer and regretted it, then I found this guy and I ain't selling!

What I like: pickups sound amazing, more than enough classic P sound for me, especially with the LaBellas on their and some foam near the bridge. Fit and finish is great, especially for a cheap import. I love the color and the tint on the neck. For what's supposed to be a 60's Precision, the neck is a modern C and comfortable for my small hands. I think the newer CVs have a larger neck. Tuners are reliable and the bridge is rock-solid.

What I don't like: despite being basswood, this thing is nearly 9 damn pounds. Not exactly an anchor but when my Player P is under 8, this can feel a bit heavy. I dislike the small vintage frets and can't stand the glossy finish that Squier uses on this and other CV series. It feels thick and grippy even after it's been knocked down with a Scotch Brite pad.

It's not my number one, but it's the best bang for the buck I've gotten so far.

 

[Memphis Soul]

Got this for a song from the used rack at Guitar Center. Came with a new set of Deep Talkin' Flats (not the Jamerson ones) and some of the lowest action I've ever seen. I wanted a "Motown bass" and this thing looks and sounds the part. I had a 2020ish CV Precision in Olympic White that I sold to another TBer and regretted it, then I found this guy and I ain't selling!

What I like: pickups sound amazing, more than enough classic P sound for me, especially with the LaBellas on their and some foam near the bridge. Fit and finish is great, especially for a cheap import. I love the color and the tint on the neck. For what's supposed to be a 60's Precision, the neck is a modern C and comfortable for my small hands. I think the newer CVs have a larger neck. Tuners are reliable and the bridge is rock-solid.

What I don't like: despite being basswood, this thing is nearly 9 damn pounds. Not exactly an anchor but when my Player P is under 8, this can feel a bit heavy. I dislike the small vintage frets and can't stand the glossy finish that Squier uses on this and other CV series. It feels thick and grippy even after it's been knocked down with a Scotch Brite pad.

It's not my number one, but it's the best bang for the buck I've gotten so far.

View attachment 7109733

That is really nice.

 

[mr80htz]

I have no need for a new bass but the neck on the sonic blue pbass (matching headstock) is amazing and a looker. With some upgrades, it would be be an lasting friend

 

[J Wilson]

The Motown sound is what made me fall in love with the Precision Bass to begin with. That’s why I bought the Fender AP II . God I hated selling that bass. The Squier is to hold me over until I pay down my Sweetwater card enough to buy another one.

Soul, isn't it amazing how all these years later, those many Motown records (I was a kid when they were the current hits on the radio, born in '55) still live in great detail in my mind all these so many years later. And how deeply Jamerson, Babbitt, Duck Dunn, and all the others on those Soul and R+B records of the time are almost people I feel like I know from listening to their stuff inside out. What giants they were, and the drummers like Benny Benjamin and the other drummers who were their partners in crime.