Squier question

[bassliner50]

You will notice most if not all Squiers without skunk stripe were made in China. Indonesian made have the stripe. The stripe hides the route were the truss rod was placed. The Chinese route under the fingerboard to allow for the truss, then apply the finger board. I am not aware of any benefit of one to the other. End results are the same.

 

[Lee Kirkham]

Now I've read Chinese squires often don't have a stripe. That's probably the answer.

Bingo. It's simply where the neck was manufactured. Some install from the front, some from the rear, that's all.

 

[Mosstone]

Older Squier 'Bullet Series' (bottom of the Squier line) basses did not have skunk stripes.

These days, skunk stripes are largely ornamental (you'll find them on necks whether the fretboard is glued on or not) as a lot of people consider it a 'signature' feature on Fender necks and prefer the aesthetic.

 

[danosix]

That's not at all what I thought. Good info, thanks. I'm even more curious why mine doesn't have one. I believe it's an 01' and there's nothing special about it. It would seem it would normally have a stripe.

It only NEEDS a stripe if it's a maple neck. If it has a Rosewood fretboard or separate maple fretboard the truss rod is installed from the front before the fretbaord is installed.
With Fender it USED to be ONLY maple necks got the skunk stripe and there is no validity to them being there for strength (theoretically they might, but it's not why they're there. But nowadays Fender goes through fazes of making all the necks with skunk strips with a thin veneer for rosewood necks and maple with/rosewood without.
There is nothing either special or undesirable about your bass, it's just a non-skunk stripe neck.
As for quarter sawing, I'm not sure all the necks are anymore strictly speaking, but the grain is oriented to maximally resist string strain.

 

[D M C]

I have a 13 USA special P bass (honey-burst) and a 06 Am Std Jazz, both with glued on maple boards, neither of which has a stripe.

 

[sgtpepper]

Both my MIM instruments have rosewood fretboards and skunk stripe.

My VM Squier (MI Indonesia?) has maple fretboard and skunk stripe.

My MIA P Bass has maple fretboard and no stripe.

 

[Michael Fields]

They all sound just plain good...

 

[DigitalMan]

Whats the best tonewood for a skunk stripe?

 

[petrus61]

My American Std 2012 P has no skunk stripe, nor do any other American Std's dating back I think to at least 2000 (at which point they were called American Series, I think). I'm pretty sure this goes for both P and J in the AmStd line. The maple board versions probably have a maple cap, though I haven't owned any to confirm, it would make sense as there is no stripe.

My Squier VM77 also has a maple cap, no skunk.

Edit: I lied. It has both a maple cap AND a skunk stripe.