• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

squier neck question?

Christian Waiau

Christian Waiau

Jun 16, 2005
3,584
31
las vegas/maui, nevada/hawaii
Disclosures
Endorsing Artist: Spector, Aguilar, Darkglass
#1
What i really want to know is if it'll be worth the money to get the frets filled and dressed or buying a new neck?

I would like to actually gig this bass at some point and I am not too sure one how much more reliable this neck will be compared to say a used MIM neck? I'm guessing it'll be cheaper to get the frets fixed then it would be to get a new neck... but i dont want to drop money if it's going to be a losing battle.


Here's where I am at...

I just recently picked up a squier affinity pbass

I had one a while back when i first started playing bass and i never really liked it. However this one just seems to sound good both when i play through my amp and acoustically.


I have only a couple complaints..

A) some frets have sharp edges..(sliced my finger this morning...)

B) fret buzz on one of the frets..(its only on one fret but its one i like to use...)

C) low output on the pickup


Now i know i want to try out new pickups so thats not going to be the problem soon..
 
#3
How good is the intonation fret to fret? If that is junk, then new frets wont fix it. Might make a good frettless neck depending on what you want to do with the bass. <<< that's if you need a total over haul... but to fix sharp edges, why not get a small file and fix them your self? Maybe add some relief to the neck or raise the action to fix the fret buzz. My neck on my custom is a squire. They ALL seem to have sharp edges but it intonates spot on through the whole neck. I see no reason for the Fender logo. I see a reason to put my own custom logo on it.

Some bash Squier's QC, but maybe I got lucky. Got it off musicians for like 250.

I did have to get a bone nut installed in mine because of the buzzing... Set me back a whopping 30 dollars for it to be cut, ground, slotted, buffed, and professionally installed.
 
#4
Well, I'll be honest. If you can work on this bass yourself you can fix some of the problems with out a lot of money, provided you have tools. To get the frets leveled and recrowned/dress the the ends will be a lot of work ($$$). If the frets are in the wrong place, it will still not play right. The PUs in the affinity basses are pretty weak, my fix was a Basslines SP-3 QPDer but there are many good choices.

I've hade mine for almost 5 years in Minnesota(big climate changes) and the only time I have had to adjust my truss rod is after I put different stings (brand, type) on it. The neck has been stable and no warping. I still have the stock cheapy tuners, too. The are getting a little jumpy now (hard to readjust tune) , but still hold tune ok.

As far as a new neck goes, I say go for it if you can get one really cheap that is actually an improvment. I say this as mine is kind of a money pit that I kept throwing time and money at, it did become a nice bass.

One thing to watch is the cheap 1 ply pickgaurds, mine cracked at jack. It almost crumbled when I took the rest of it off of the bass.

Good luck.
 
#6
bassmodder said:
How good is the intonation fret to fret? If that is junk, then new frets wont fix it. Might make a good frettless neck depending on what you want to do with the bass. <<< that's if you need a total over haul... but to fix sharp edges, why not get a small file and fix them your self? Maybe add some relief to the neck or raise the action to fix the fret buzz. My neck on my custom is a squire. They ALL seem to have sharp edges but it intonates spot on through the whole neck. I see no reason for the Fender logo. I see a reason to put my own custom logo on it.

Some bash Squier's QC, but maybe I got lucky. Got it off musicians for like 250.

I did have to get a bone nut installed in mine because of the buzzing... Set me back a whopping 30 dollars for it to be cut, ground, slotted, buffed, and professionally installed.
Click to expand...


the intonation is fine thats why i was wondering about neck in the long run. i figured its got an alder body that already sounds good so the only thing id be worried about is how the neck is going to be in the long run.
 
#7
scary bill said:
Well, I'll be honest. If you can work on this bass yourself you can fix some of the problems with out a lot of money, provided you have tools. To get the frets leveled and recrowned/dress the the ends will be a lot of work ($$$). If the frets are in the wrong place, it will still not play right. The PUs in the affinity basses are pretty weak, my fix was a Basslines SP-3 QPDer but there are many good choices.

I've hade mine for almost 5 years in Minnesota(big climate changes) and the only time I have had to adjust my truss rod is after I put different stings (brand, type) on it. The neck has been stable and no warping. I still have the stock cheapy tuners, too. The are getting a little jumpy now (hard to readjust tune) , but still hold tune ok.

As far as a new neck goes, I say go for it if you can get one really cheap that is actually an improvment. I say this as mine is kind of a money pit that I kept throwing time and money at, it did become a nice bass.

One thing to watch is the cheap 1 ply pickgaurds, mine cracked at jack. It almost crumbled when I took the rest of it off of the bass.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

i just got a quote on the neck and its going to cost $50. That includes includes level, radius, crown, and polish and fret ends fixed. I figured a neck would be a bit over 100$ used. I was mainly worried if squier necks warp over time more so then "fender's"
 
#8
diechris said:
i just got a quote on the neck and its going to cost $50. That includes includes level, radius, crown, and polish and fret ends fixed. I figured a neck would be a bit over 100$ used. I was mainly worried if squier necks warp over time more so then "fender's"
Click to expand...

I think $50 isn't too bad. Fret leveling can be done, but is very tedious work maybe best left to a pro. I don't think squier necks are more prone to warp. I also don't think it will warp right after you get a leveling done, but YMMV.
 
#9
scary bill said:
I think $50 isn't too bad. Fret leveling can be done, but is very tedious work maybe best left to a pro. I don't think squier necks are more prone to warp. I also don't think it will warp right after you get a leveling done, but YMMV.
Click to expand...

i figured they wouldnt.. i just need some confirmation from long time squier owners. thanks :)
 
#10
IDK if I qualify as a long time owner, mine was new 2002-I got in june 03. I am the second owner. How long has the Affinity series been made?

After replacing the PU's ,pickgaurd, 1 of the pots (don't rememer which) the jack, some wire, screws, had a few high frets that I fixed, some sharp fret ends, and probably some things I have forgotten it has been great for 2 years with no problems. And most important to you, my neck is fine after close to 6 years. My brother also had an affinity Strat, the neck never gave him trouble in 2-3 years that he had it.

I was angry about the work I had to do at first (I hate fixing broken stuff:mad:, modding is cool though) but I got it very cheap and with actually $175 in mods/replacment parts its very nice now. I don't even look at other P's as I will never get rid of this one. I also learned a lot about guitar repair this way.

If I had things to do over now I would get a VM P,though. They just kill for the money.:D

Here is a pic:

Picture074.gif
 
#11
A good luthier can look at the neck and tell you of any problems he might see, like a "hump" or uneven bow or something similar. Sometimes a fret leveling and dressing can compensate for small problems with a neck, sometimes not. Again, if the luthier is good, he can tell you the status of your neck and whether it's worth the money to work on it. Chances are the neck is fine and with a little work your playability will improve a good deal.
 
#13
WoodyG3 said:
A good luthier can look at the neck and tell you of any problems he might see, like a "hump" or uneven bow or something similar. Sometimes a fret leveling and dressing can compensate for small problems with a neck, sometimes not. Again, if the luthier is good, he can tell you the status of your neck and whether it's worth the money to work on it. Chances are the neck is fine and with a little work your playability will improve a good deal.
Click to expand...

Yep. The guy I'm taking it to has a good rep and told me upfront that he's going to look at the neck first and tell me if he would recommend against it.
 
#14
scary bill said:
IDK if I qualify as a long time owner, mine was new 2002-I got in june 03. I am the second owner. How long has the Affinity series been made?

After replacing the PU's ,pickgaurd, 1 of the pots (don't rememer which) the jack, some wire, screws, had a few high frets that I fixed, some sharp fret ends, and probably some things I have forgotten it has been great for 2 years with no problems. And most important to you, my neck is fine after close to 6 years. My brother also had an affinity Strat, the neck never gave him trouble in 2-3 years that he had it.

I was angry about the work I had to do at first (I hate fixing broken stuff:mad:, modding is cool though) but I got it very cheap and with actually $175 in mods/replacment parts its very nice now. I don't even look at other P's as I will never get rid of this one. I also learned a lot about guitar repair this way.

If I had things to do over now I would get a VM P,though. They just kill for the money.:D

Here is a pic:

Picture074.gif
Click to expand...

good to know man! the bass looks good :bassist:
 
#15
diechris said:
A) some frets have sharp edges..(sliced my finger this morning...)

B) fret buzz on one of the frets..(its only on one fret but its one i like to use...)
Click to expand...

A) Get a little file, a roll of tape and some sandpaper. It'll take a while, but you can make a big improvement for about $5 and some time.

B) It might be a low fret if all the strings buzz on that fret and nowhere else. If that's the case and it's in the middle of the neck it could be because of a little too much relief. If it's just one fret in somewhere between frets 6 and 9 or there abouts I'd try tightening the TR a bit to effectively raise the low fret. That with raising the saddles (if necessary) might help. That'll cost you $0.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back