Squier Classic Vibe Club (Part 3)

[sonojono]

Kind of an interesting direction this thread took. Players debating which budget level bass is the best? Is this some kind of pleasant relief from the which better a CV Squier or a MIM Bass? I have both a CIC Matt Freeman and I just bought one of the new Jazz Basses Fender offered at 50% off on the Labor Day Sale. I also sold a CIC Jazz Bass a few years ago when I began buying G&Ls. FWIW here's my take on them.

When Fender discontinued the CIC production in favor of elevating some of the old VM line to become the new CV Series we already new that VM models weren't quite as good as the CV models. But they were still very good playable basses that could also be modified or upgraded as I did with all of my CV models. IMHO debating which is best is really spitting a fine hair isn't it. Does it really matter? Both have their strong points and weaknesses.

I've been playing bass for over 50 years and have owned a '63 PBass and a '66 Jazz Bass. Both are pretty highly sought after by collectors now but back then one was just a used bass I bought from a buddy who needed cash to buy car. IIRC I paid around $225 for it and of course I sold it long ago. Same with the Jazz Bass and with that one I never got paid all of what I was owed. It was around $300 IIRC. Today they'd be worth as much as many new cars. LOL Seems car prices have gone up even more than gear prices huh?

Those basses weren't all that special. The PBass had a huge neck and was hard to play so I played the Jazz Bass a lot more but neither one was any better than most of what we can buy today without spending $2000 for one.
These Squier Basses are probably more playable out of the box than either of those two were but back then music stores actually did setups on their inventory so any issues were fixed before a bass went out the door. I'm glad for that because my 16 year old self knew jack about properly setting up a guitar or a bass. I just played 'em.

So I guess what I'm saying is these are actually very good basses and not just for the money. Yeah, they lack some of the features and finery of pricier basses but they're also helluva easy to modify and upgrade if anyone really want to do it. I did but not because I couldn't tolerate them stock. I did because what I did made then a little bit better and more to my liking. That's it. I wasn't trying to make them into a Fender. There wasn't any reason to do that. The Matt Freeman is probably the best PBass out of the 5 I've ever owned.

Both Jazz Basses are probably as good as that old '66 I had at least as far as playability goes and if someone doesn't care for the pickups or the electronics swap them out for what you do like. You'll still have far less into one than even an MIM Fender would run and more than likely have a good or better a bass. If I really believed that FSR Indo model was a crappy bass I would even have bought it at half price and bothered to upgrade it. It's not so there really nothing to debate or at least that's my 2 cents about it all. Just play 'em and enjoy 'em.

I mean it was going well till you brought it up but I can see your concern.

 

[Texican]

Kind of an interesting direction this thread took. Players debating which budget level bass is the best? Is this some kind of pleasant relief from the which better a CV Squier or a MIM Bass? I have both a CIC Matt Freeman and I just bought one of the new Jazz Basses Fender offered at 50% off on the Labor Day Sale. I also sold a CIC Jazz Bass a few years ago when I began buying G&Ls. FWIW here's my take on them.

When Fender discontinued the CIC production in favor of elevating some of the old VM line to become the new CV Series we already new that VM models weren't quite as good as the CV models. But they were still very good playable basses that could also be modified or upgraded as I did with all of my CV models. IMHO debating which is best is really spitting a fine hair isn't it. Does it really matter? Both have their strong points and weaknesses.

I've been playing bass for over 50 years and have owned a '63 PBass and a '66 Jazz Bass. Both are pretty highly sought after by collectors now but back then one was just a used bass I bought from a buddy who needed cash to buy car. IIRC I paid around $225 for it and of course I sold it long ago. Same with the Jazz Bass and with that one I never got paid all of what I was owed. It was around $300 IIRC. Today they'd be worth as much as many new cars. LOL Seems car prices have gone up even more than gear prices huh?

Those basses weren't all that special. The PBass had a huge neck and was hard to play so I played the Jazz Bass a lot more but neither one was any better than most of what we can buy today without spending $2000 for one.
These Squier Basses are probably more playable out of the box than either of those two were but back then music stores actually did setups on their inventory so any issues were fixed before a bass went out the door. I'm glad for that because my 16 year old self knew jack about properly setting up a guitar or a bass. I just played 'em.

So I guess what I'm saying is these are actually very good basses and not just for the money. Yeah, they lack some of the features and finery of pricier basses but they're also helluva easy to modify and upgrade if anyone really want to do it. I did but not because I couldn't tolerate them stock. I did because what I did made then a little bit better and more to my liking. That's it. I wasn't trying to make them into a Fender. There wasn't any reason to do that. The Matt Freeman is probably the best PBass out of the 5 I've ever owned.

Both Jazz Basses are probably as good as that old '66 I had at least as far as playability goes and if someone doesn't care for the pickups or the electronics swap them out for what you do like. You'll still have far less into one than even an MIM Fender would run and more than likely have a good or better a bass. If I really believed that FSR Indo model was a crappy bass I would even have bought it at half price and bothered to upgrade it. It's not so there really nothing to debate or at least that's my 2 cents about it all. Just play 'em and enjoy 'em.

I think for the most part, those issues have been resolved here, and the moderators have even stepped in at a few points. Probably not a great idea to beat a dead horse (especially when that horse has the potential to resurrect and start biting people). That being said, I completely agree with you.

Regarding your Matt Freeman, that is a bold statement to put it on top of your 63 P bass! Honestly I've only ever heard great things about the Freemans, but unfortunately I've never come across one. There is one here in town for $700, which I felt was too much money, but now you have me intrigued.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

If you like that aggressive 70's sound and the full neck, you will love a Matt Freeman.

 

[Texican]

If you like that aggressive 70's sound and the full neck, you will love a Matt Freeman.

How "full" is the neck? P Bass necks don't bother me as long as they aren't on the fatter end of the spectrum. I've never had a problem with a classic vibe precision neck, Chinese or Indonesian, but I absolutely hated the neck on my American originals 50s P bass and ended up selling it.

 

[Robert Booker]

I think for the most part, those issues have been resolved here, and the moderators have even stepped in at a few points. Probably not a great idea to beat a dead horse (especially when that horse has the potential to resurrect and start biting people). That being said, I completely agree with you.

Regarding your Matt Freeman, that is a bold statement to put it on top of your 63 P bass! Honestly I've only ever heard great things about the Freemans, but unfortunately I've never come across one. There is one here in town for $700, which I felt was too much money, but now you have me intrigued.

Sorry, didn't mean to reopen and old would or resurrect that debate. It just that I was catching up on the posts that took place after the Fender sale took place and members bought a J or P bass during the sale just as I did. To me the whole deal just seemed like an old "less filling/taste great" kinda deal that wasn't going anywhere.

Due to the difference in their neck profiles the Matt Freeman is far more playable than that old '63 PBass was. We're talking about the era of 1.75" nut width coupled with a huge "U" profile. I guess somehow the thought at that time was a bass needed a really beefy neck to do it's thing and maybe that was the case or maybe it was because standup players were used to more substantial necks so electric basses needed those as well. I dunno.

From perspective it's the neck on the Matt Freeman model that set it apart from others but I really can't say how other than the profile just feels right. It's a pretty standard 1.65" nut width but the cut of the profile itself is what I enjoy most. The pickups were said to have been wound hotter ass well but you couldn't prove that by me. Soon after it arrived I installed the Wilde P46 split coil that's been in it ever since. It's a very very good bass.

 

[Robert Booker]

How "full" is the neck? P Bass necks don't bother me as long as they aren't on the fatter end of the spectrum. I've never had a problem with a classic vibe precision neck, Chinese or Indonesian, but I absolutely hated the neck on my American originals 50s P bass and ended up selling it.

It's full but not fat if that makes any sense. IMHO kind of a "Goldilocks" profile that just seems to provide a nice balance of both "grip" and comfort that makes you want to play the bass more. I can measure the specs as far as the depth from fretboard to the bottom of the neck at various points if you'd like. I have calipers.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

How "full" is the neck? P Bass necks don't bother me as long as they aren't on the fatter end of the spectrum. I've never had a problem with a classic vibe precision neck, Chinese or Indonesian, but I absolutely hated the neck on my American originals 50s P bass and ended up selling it.

I can't do a baseball fat U shaped neck .The Freeman is slightly fuller than the CIC CV60's P. In comparison, it is slightly fuller. Very comfortable. Even for my small female hands.

 

[58kites]

I can't do a baseball fat U shaped neck .The Freeman is slightly fuller than the CIC CV60's P.
In comparison, it is slightly fuller. Very comfortable. Even for my small female hands.

It's strange, some basses have a smaller neck and still don't feel awesome and some necks are bigger and feel great.
For me, rolled edges on the fretboard make a neck feel nice.
I also like the fretboard radius to be 7.25 to 10 inch radius, anything flatter than that starts to feel weird.
I think that a wide-ish nut width is okay if the neck is fairly shallow front to back.

 

[BassyBill]

I don't think I jumped in on this thread before, but I am a delighted owner of two of two Classic Vibe instruments - 60s and 70s P basses. I'm really happy with both of them in terms of overall quality (although the 70s bass needed quite a bit of setup attention out of the box, it's A1 now) and especially value for money. It's amazing how they can turn these out for the bargain basement prices that they charge. Just excellent.

 

[Robert Booker]

I can't do a baseball fat U shaped neck .The Freeman is slightly fuller than the CIC CV60's P. In comparison, it is slightly fuller. Very comfortable. Even for my small female hands.

And that in my own experience is what makes this particular bass as popular as it is. Although I seems to be an almost perfect neck for a PBass I'm glad they chose to use it only on that bass. It makes it a little more unique.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

I don't think I jumped in on this thread before, but I am a delighted owner of two of two Classic Vibe instruments - 60s and 70s P basses. I'm really happy with both of them in terms of overall quality (although the 70s bass needed quite a bit of setup attention out of the box, it's A1 now) and especially value for money. It's amazing how they can turn these out for the bargain basement prices that they charge. Just excellent.

View attachment 4830651 View attachment 4830652

Love the walnut finish!

 

[InstantEctobass]

And that in my own experience is what makes this particular bass as popular as it is. Although I seems to be an almost perfect neck for a PBass I'm glad they chose to use it only on that bass. It makes it a little more unique.

From the CV (Squier) and MP (Fender) lines both Crafted in China I know have all these necks and here's the corresponding feelings:

- CV 60s P : feels C shaped but not modern C (slim), would have loved more "meat" to it, even though I have small hands and slim fingers, but definitively a fast neck, 41mm nut width
- CV 70s P : feels D shaped, maybe my favourite of my "P" necks, even with black nylon strings with high action, it has a nice grip, 41mm nut width, got lucky cause it's quarter-sawn and flammed!
- CV 60s J : feels C shaped but not modern C (slim), and although it is beautiful, and my first ever "great" neck, and Classic Vibe neck too, I wish it was a fatter too, but the rounded fingerboard edges are top notch
- Artist Series Matt Freeman 70s P, feels D shaped, in pair with the CV 70s P neck, awesome feeling, and yes, like some mentioned, I also think it's what made these Matt Freeman basses WANTED: the neck, and a real 70s P neck vibe, no binding and blocks, because in the real 70s, Precision never got the binding and blocks, 42mm nut width
- Modern Player Jazz Bass : feels U shaped, an awesome neck it is meat and it's rock solid, since I got it 18 months ago, I adjust the trussrod once and it is stable all year long, got lucky and it is quarter-sawn, my favourite J neck, 38mm nut width
- Modern Player Dimension Bass : feels a bit like the MP Jazz Bass neck but maybe a little slimmer, awesome neck for fast playing, 38mm nut width

So in short, all these necks are awesome and all have near perfect fret job/fret planning. My favourite P sized neck is the CV 70s P but it's darn close with the Matt Freeman one, and as J sized neck, the Modern Player Jazz Neck (that I attached to a CV [2nd Gen] 70s Jazz Bass Body haha), is truly awesome. I wouldn't want to part out with any of theses!

 

[HeadWind]

From the CV (Squier) and MP (Fender) lines both Crafted in China I know have all these necks and here's the corresponding feelings:

Adding one more to the list, I have an MP Jaguar and is has a very chunky neck. Which I like. I can't tell U- from C- from D-shaped necks, but it is thick front to back. I have very long fingers, so I like a chunky neck.

It requires some set up from time to time, but no more than any other neck. I was fortunate to find it on Craig's List with the pickups already replaced with EMG Geezers. A bit heavy, but otherwise a great bass.

 

[InstantEctobass]

Adding one more to the list, I have an MP Jaguar and is has a very chunky neck. Which I like. I can't tell U- from C- from D-shaped necks, but it is thick front to back. I have very long fingers, so I like a chunky neck.

It requires some set up from time to time, but no more than any other neck. I was fortunate to find it on Craig's List with the pickups already replaced with EMG Geezers. A bit heavy, but otherwise a great bass.

My MP Dimension Bass is on the heavy side for Alder body too, but I agree with you, the chunkyness of these necks are really good in my own opinion. Very nice profile from to back, I agree!! I wish I had a Jaguar haha

 

[sulliman]

This is probably not the right thread for this but its a very specific problem. Its not even really a problem I just have a look in mind when it comes to my basses. I recently got a paranormal series jazz bass, it's a really good bass, the neck feels good(like a full D profile), however it has the classic squier "problem" that the maple neck is white as paper and clashes with the almost orange butterscotch finish. I'd love to get a replacement neck, preferrably a 50's p neck, but I have major qualms about buying a fender neck that costs more than my bass. Squier necks are not that much cheaper and way harder to find. Where could i find a good maple neck thats not white or brown? It's probably weird but in my opinion maple necks look best orange lol.

 

[Malak the Mad]

This is probably not the right thread for this but its a very specific problem. Its not even really a problem I just have a look in mind when it comes to my basses. I recently got a paranormal series jazz bass, it's a really good bass, the neck feels good(like a full D profile), however it has the classic squier "problem" that the maple neck is white as paper and clashes with the almost orange butterscotch finish. I'd love to get a replacement neck, preferrably a 50's p neck, but I have major qualms about buying a fender neck that costs more than my bass. Squier necks are not that much cheaper and way harder to find. Where could i find a good maple neck thats not white or brown? It's probably weird but in my opinion maple necks look best orange lol.

Welcome to TalkBass!

You could always buy a nice, used bass that has the neck you want, part it out and sell what you don't need. I've done it several times. For example, I traded a bass in at Guitar Center so I could buy this brand-new bass for that exact purpose.

The neck was so gorgeous that I knew I had to have it. I mean, check out that figuring! And the vintage-style tinting was, in my opinion, just right...far from pale white, but not too orangy.

 

[sulliman]

Welcome to TalkBass!

You could always buy a nice, used bass that has the neck you want, part it out and sell what you don't need. I've done it several times. For example, I traded a bass in at Guitar Center so I could buy this brand-new bass for that exact purpose.

The neck was so gorgeous that I knew I had to have it. I mean, check out that figuring! And the vintage-style tinting was, in my opinion, just right...far from pale white, but not too orangy.

You're right, i could do that. take me a while to find the perfect neck like you did. Gorgeous figuring in that thing. I personally think that might be the prettiest neck that squier makes. Ive thought about getting that neck a lot, I'm just not sure it's the right fit for my paranormal jazz.

 

[cataract]

I done put some Nordstrands in me 70s J huzzah

 

[sonojono]

I done put some Nordstrands in me 70s J huzzah
View attachment 4834686

Heck yeah! They're going to sound amazing

 

[cataract]

Heck yeah! They're going to sound amazing

They truly do! I was digging the Barts but these are next level good. Thanks again man!!