Squier Contemporary Jazz V: No Love?

[CH Design]

The neck is wide and fairly thin front to back with 19mm spacing at the bridge.

Are you sure about that? I always thought they were 18mm just like the VM and Classic Vibe 5-string basses.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Would I be right to assume that the Pedulla is also gone?

I know you have a life, but I explained a while back that last year I ran into a rough patch, and I let it go. The Pedulla was amazing, but I probably do not want my number one to be fretless again.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Are you sure about that? I always thought they were 18mm just like the VM and Classic Vibe 5-string basses.

I measured it in store. It is 19mm like the old Protone Squier Precision’s made in Korea.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

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I bought this one last Fall (hell, I actually stole it; a mint demo, with warranty cards, and the nice Fender gig bag behind it from Chicago Musical Exchange, for just a little over $400) and have definitely enjoyed it way more than what I paid for it.

It is a bass for a full-grown man. Size-wise, it's a bit bigger than their passive Jazz Fives. Beneath that flawless piano-black paint is a real Ash body, and with that big all-maple neck, mine also nudges a bit over 10 lbs. Not annoyingly heavy, but I know it's there. If you've ever handled a Roscoe Beck Five, it's just like that, the way if feels strapped on.

The 'smoked' hardware (along the lines of that 'Cosmo Black' chrome that Ibanez uses) is just fine, the usual open-gear tuners, a nice bridge. So far, I can provoke no noise from the pickups and electronics. Very easy to live with. It took a slight tweak to nail the action for me, and I've not yet had to revisit it again. Frets and nut just fine. Satin-finish neck and fingerboard, flatter fingerboard radius.

I was quite ready that a 'Squier with active electronics?!?' might be a bit wonky sounding, but as Dr. C has found out, it's full of nothing but great tones. Front pickup gets beefier, back pickup can get that bubble-up dancing tuba tone, it's all good. The add-only bass and treble is handy to thicken up or thin out the tone as it changes when you pan here or there between the two pickups. Single 9v. I'd say the tone(s) are better than average and it's hard to dial up something stupid, and it's quick to find a happy spot without much work.

I'd have to say this is the biggest surprise in a five-string I ever bought. My top five basses over my days were all three versions of the Yamaha BB5000 and two Alembic fives. If they were still around, this would be a very worthy little brother to those beasts, it's that good. I also owned several Peavey Fives and a few others, and this thing would have ate them alive, mercilessly.

I've become convinced over my time with fives (since the late 80's) that a harder, stiffer bass is the way to go to coax those big notes off the big strings, and the ash body and big maple neck kick in big time on this one.

To me, for someone looking for a five with a 'modern' tone folder and the slightly bigger and heavier dimensions are not an issue, this is simply the biggest sleeper out there. Period. It is simply quite an exceptional value and a wonderful bass.

Obviously, I agree with the remarkable Dr. Cheese, once again proof that great minds DO think alike !

This is a great review. This is Bass where you need to listen with your ears and not focus on the name on the headstock.

 

[ruju]

There are some new ones here at my local long and mcQuade store.
They must be exclusives. Beautiful roasted necks and new matte finish colours. Burgundy, and a blueish grey..really nice. Still heavy..lol..
They do feel and play really nice though.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I bought one of these after my band's calendar collapsed under the weight of COVID-19. I figured I'd have lots of time to figure out playing a 5-string. Very nice fit and finish ("piano black" it says here) and a B string that produces nice, solid tones. It is pretty hefty--12 lbs.--and I wish it had an active bypass, but jeez, it really does sound good. And it was under $400. Once we're able to play out again, I plan to use it for songs where the configuration helps (I like having that low D a lot) and anything in Eb. We'll see how the weight thing works out. It's been a long time since I was young and strong, I can't imagine playing it for a whole set, much less a whole gig.

 

[chris_b]

. . . . . Still heavy..lol..

I know Squier are probably selling every bass they make. . . . but if they could ensure their basses come in at less than 9lbs they would discover a whole new market. Me included.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I know Squier are probably selling every bass they make. . . . but if they could ensure their basses come in at less than 9lbs they would discover a whole new market. Me included.

You would probably be talking $600-$650 Squiers, and that would put them squarely in the MIM Fender price range.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

It seems like these basses just are not very popular, and besides being heavy, I think they are very nice. The neck is wide and fairly thin front to back with 19mm spacing at the bridge. The electronics are two band, boast only with a passive tone control (sound familiar?) The one thing the electronics do not have that I wish they did is an active bypass function of some sort. The pickups are apparently hum canceling, but they certainly get a fine Jazz tone to my ears. At $499, I think they are really underrated.

Oh, the HH. I've been looking at those for a bit. Haven't found anything note worthy toward getting one though.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Oh, the HH. I've been looking at those for a bit. Haven't found anything note worthy toward getting one though.

You can search for them. I must have five videos on my channel, Below Average Joe.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

You can search for them. I must have five videos on my channel, Below Average Joe.

This was the first or second time I played the bass I now own about two years ago.

 

[MOTORHEADBANGER]

I worked for a certain retailer when the matte black contemporary was released a year or two ago and after inspecting several of them, I was not impressed. The satin finish felt wrong, like a bad formulation, the build quality was shoddy at best (tuning keys coming off was common with the first batch), and they just felt clunky to play. Really soured the experience for me.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I worked for a certain retailer when the matte black contemporary was released a year or two ago and after inspecting several of them, I was not impressed. The satin finish felt wrong, like a bad formulation, the build quality was shoddy at best (tuning keys coming off was common with the first batch), and they just felt clunky to play. Really soured the experience for me.

I have those stories too. This is a bass you try before you buy, buy from a place with a return policy.

 

[Jack Butler]

The one at my local store has been there two years and is great. It just needs a touch up with a fret file. I think it may weigh 11lbs. I have seen some at Sweetwater that were 13lbs.

This was the situation for me, I liked the concept and played one at my local store a year or so ago, but the weight! I tend to prefer a light-ish bass all other things being equal, but I'm not obsessed with weight. The one I played had to be one of those 13 lb'ers because honestly it was by far the heaviest bass I've ever played, and I've played a few Steve Harris P's! The weight alone was a total deal breaker for me, especially given that the one I played was a 4 string. Maybe I should have searched for a lighter one, because it was a nice sounding and looking bass for sure.

 

[bordinco90]

I've been wanting to try the newer version of this bass. The one with the roasted neck. It seems like Squier is doing great things.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Tried it out at church for a song. Unfortunately, the drummer had to leave early to play at his uncle’s church, that took a lot of punch out of this song. We played the song again at the very end of church. The version without the octave pedal was the one at the end of church. I tried the bass out after service, and the B string is very solid. This bass gives a really nice active Jazz tone with great playability for a reasonable price for those who can handle a full sized and fairly heavy bass.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Tried it out at church for a song. Unfortunately, the drummer had to leave early to play at his uncle’s church, that took a lot of punch out of this song. We played the song again at the very end of church. The version without the octave pedal was the one at the end of church. I tried the bass out after service, and the B string is very solid. This bass gives a really nice active Jazz tone with great playability for a reasonable price for those who can handle a full sized and fairly heavy bass.

I saw and commented on your videos on your channel. You have 2 very nice basses . I’m glad you replaced the Spector fretless with the Squier.
They both sounded really good. But of course you already know the Geddy Stole the show !

 

[eastcoasteddie]

This was the first or second I played the bass I now own about two years ago.

That’s some thickness!!!!

 

[Dr. Cheese]

That’s some thickness!!!!

That’s why I kept coming back and playing that bass over the last two years.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I saw and commented on your videos on your channel. You have 2 very nice basses . I’m glad you replaced the Spector fretless with the Squier.
They both sounded really good. But of course you already know the Geddy Stole the show !

Yes, the Squier is really nice, but the Geddy is in a class of its own. I doesn’t matter that it has no B string, it never sounds lacking to my ears.