Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI

[vindibona1]

Let me start with the Squeir name. I would not buy one. They are generally awful and I would not recommend them to beginners. Simply because its a poorly made instrument. Why recommend something that will be uncomfortable to play and keep set up??

I know you wanted to talk about your Squier VM VI, but I don't think I can let such a blanket statement go unchallenged. I will grant you that there are many Squier guitars and basses that aren't very good. But that all changes as soon as they put "vintage modified" after the brand name.

While I would probably qualify myself a bass newbie in professional terms but I've taken apart and rebuilt a few Stratocasters and Telecasters of all levels so I know what a quality product is. And I know what is easy to play and maintain. And it wasn't by accident that I chose a Squier VM 70's bass (used) as my first bass as an adult. The basic bones of the guitar is quite good. What makes a lot of guitars "cheap" is the lack of final finishing... which is where most of the labor and costs reside in the build. But price often doesn't mean squat, as witnessed by my purchase of a Taylor 814ceDLX that needed a fret level right out of the box plus a brand new Stratocaster that needed the same work.

The pickups on the VM models are Duncan Design pickups and are decent as is and would satisfy any beginner and most intermediate players. The tuners are stable and the neck relief requires very little adjustment, even with wild swings in the weather and humidity. I will confess that I like the satin neck of my Squier better than the new high gloss necks that have a bit of "stiction", but a scotchbrite pad easily takes care of that as a Revlon diamond file and bit of skill takes care of any sharp fret ends (which were even more egregious on the $2100 Elite JBass that I played the other night). I've probably over-improved my Squier bass with Aguilar pickups and a heavy Gotoh bridge and a fret level, but were I in a blind test the chances of my picking my upgraded Squier would be very great against many basses costing more, perhaps much more.

Now as far as that Squier VM VI... I think it's got more fun in it that you even know with just a few tweaks.

JMO

 

[okcrum]

I am aware however I shouldn't have to do this upon delivery. If the machinery is weak that speaks for the rest if the build?

Then leave it loose if it offends you. SX basses must really piss you off.

 

[guestOU812]

Then leave it loose if it offends you. SX basses must really piss you off.

SX basses?

 

[guestOU812]

I know you wanted to talk about your Squier VM VI, but I don't think I can let such a blanket statement go unchallenged. I will grant you that there are many Squier guitars and basses that aren't very good. But that all changes as soon as they put "vintage modified" after the brand name.

While I would probably qualify myself a bass newbie in professional terms but I've taken apart and rebuilt a few Stratocasters and Telecasters of all levels so I know what a quality product is. And I know what is easy to play and maintain. And it wasn't by accident that I chose a Squier VM 70's bass (used) as my first bass as an adult. The basic bones of the guitar is quite good. What makes a lot of guitars "cheap" is the lack of final finishing... which is where most of the labor and costs reside in the build. But price often doesn't mean squat, as witnessed by my purchase of a Taylor 814ceDLX that needed a fret level right out of the box plus a brand new Stratocaster that needed the same work.

The pickups on the VM models are Duncan Design pickups and are decent as is and would satisfy any beginner and most intermediate players. The tuners are stable and the neck relief requires very little adjustment, even with wild swings in the weather and humidity. I will confess that I like the satin neck of my Squier better than the new high gloss necks that have a bit of "stiction", but a scotchbrite pad easily takes care of that as a Revlon diamond file and bit of skill takes care of any sharp fret ends (which were even more egregious on the $2100 Elite JBass that I played the other night). I've probably over-improved my Squier bass with Aguilar pickups and a heavy Gotoh bridge and a fret level, but were I in a blind test the chances of my picking my upgraded Squier would be very great against many basses costing more, perhaps much more.

Now as far as that Squier VM VI... I think it's got more fun in it that you even know with just a few tweaks.

JMO

Seems we’ve had opposite experiences. 95% of the time I buy my guitars in person. I go on a Wednesday during the day and have them bring me out several of the same model I’m interested in. If the instruments don’t “sing” to me I don’t buy them and even change stores to try more of the same. The 01’ Gisbon SG Angus Young I have is an excellent example. I’ve always loved and wanted an SG. Every SG I played over a period of several years was just blah. One day on my lunch break I popped into Guitar Center and tried a Robbie Creeger model. It was gorgeous!!! But was just blah. In other words it didn’t do anything for me other than please my eyes. There was not a single thing wrong with it but it just didn’t feel right. Upon leaving the store the salesperson says to me, “hey we have a used Angus Young SG, you wanna try it?” I wound up leaving with it and it is now one of my favorite guitars. It must’ve sung me a ballad that day.

Fit and finish is one thing, vibe a completely other thing and what I found with 95% of the Sqiers were corners cut and shoddy craftsmanship. In my VMBVI’s scenario it’s bridge, which I have to apply LokTight to and a neck which wants attention. Is it worth the money to have something like this? I guess, maybe for it’s oddity however if Fender decides to make the same American BVI for around a grand you will certainly find me at store test running 10 of them.

One thing I can say for certain about me is, I am a picky guitar addict in constant search of the next inspirational instrument.

Re: Taylor’s, I have a GA4. As this instrument ages it gets better. It’s the craziest thing to experience. My ‘09 Highway One too. They just seem to be getting better as they age.

I got real lucky with a Ric 4003 Ebay purchase. That was a nail biting experience. That 4003 is SWEET!!

But the real truth which makes this conversation moot is if you like/love it then you do and they do say “love is blind.” This dialog is simply about my experience with the Squire VMBVI which I am having a blast with.

Thank you for your response.

 

[G On Bass]

Let me start with the Squeir name. I would not buy one. They are generally awful and I would not recommend them to beginners. Simply because its a poorly made instrument. Why recommend something that will be uncomfortable to play and keep set up?? Please don't answer that question this is not about that philosophy, keep reading.

Sorry. Can't post a strong, derogatory opinion then ask others to ignore it. Personally, I have found Squiers to be very good instruments for the money and I don't hesitate to recommend them. I often buy them when I want to try a new 'style' of instrument so that I don;t have to drop many hundreds more on an experiment.

Do you have a Bass VI? What do you think of it? I love mine but wish the metals were milled better.

I do have a Squier VI. I bought it to play with a pick when I injured a finger on my plucking hand. I read up on the threads about things people have hit and I made some basic mods. I have mine set up as a regular 6 string bass with Kalium strings from B-C. It sounds great in the mix, but I'm not trying to cop anyones tone, just set one that fits the song and it has it's own voice. My main 5 string basses are high end boutiques, and I have zero problems sharing the stable with this $400 Squier on certain songs where it just fits. I play in a trio with a grammy nominated singer/guitarist and she loves it. She has never once mentioned that it's a Squier.

 

[vindibona1]

Seems we’ve had opposite experiences. 95% of the time I buy my guitars in person. ...Fit and finish is one thing, vibe a completely other thing and what I found with 95% of the Sqiers were corners cut and shoddy craftsmanship.

In my VMBVI’s scenario it’s bridge, which I have to apply LokTight to and a neck which wants attention. Is it worth the money to have something like this? I guess, maybe for it’s oddity however if Fender decides to make the same American BVI for around a grand you will certainly find me at store test running 10 of them.

One thing I can say for certain about me is, I am a picky guitar addict in constant search of the next inspirational instrument.

Re: Taylor’s, I have a GA4. As this instrument ages it gets better. It’s the craziest thing to experience. My ‘09 Highway One too. They just seem to be getting better as they age.

But the real truth which makes this conversation moot is if you like/love it then you do and they do say “love is blind.” This dialog is simply about my experience with the Squire VMBVI which I am having a blast with.

Thank you for your response.

I don't think you and I are all that different in how we choose our instruments. My hands are super fussy as are my ears. I've just not developed an ear for good bass yet, but my hands can tell. Perhaps I got super lucky, and my ability to tinker, having torn apart Strats and Teles made my personal tweaks virtually nothing compared to the price I paid ($150 plus tax). If my Squier hadn't been a good one there's no way I'd have put any money into it and I may have over-improved it. But improved as it is, for a developing player such as myself, I'd have to give it 4.5 stars.

Just a word on your Taylor GA... Since you feel it's improving with age, perhaps more improvement is still in there. If you can, try putting a Tonerite device on it for one or two 72 hour cycles. The Tonerite has absolutely transformed my 614ce (2011- pre re-voicing). Had I done it before buying my 814 I might not have made the latter purchase. There is no telling how much or how little it can help a guitar until you try it. But my results have been good with other guitars to fantastic on my 614. JME

 

[lfmn16]

One of the reasons I bought a Schecter Hellcat VI is because I did a lot of research on the Squier VI and came to the conclusion that the price difference wasn't that great after you factored in the upgrades recommended on the Squier VI. IMHO anyway. I might feel differently if I could do the work myself.

 

[guestOU812]

Sorry. Can't post a strong, derogatory opinion then ask others to ignore it. Personally, I have found Squiers to be very good instruments for the money and I don't hesitate to recommend them. I often buy them when I want to try a new 'style' of instrument so that I don;t have to drop many hundreds more on an experiment.



I do have a Squier VI. I bought it to play with a pick when I injured a finger on my plucking hand. I read up on the threads about things people have hit and I made some basic mods. I have mine set up as a regular 6 string bass with Kalium strings from B-C. It sounds great in the mix, but I'm not trying to cop anyones tone, just set one that fits the song and it has it's own voice. My main 5 string basses are high end boutiques, and I have zero problems sharing the stable with this $400 Squier on certain songs where it just fits. I play in a trio with a grammy nominated singer/guitarist and she loves it. She has never once mentioned that it's a Squier.[/QUOTE

Sorry. Can't post a strong, derogatory opinion then ask others to ignore it. Personally, I have found Squiers to be very good instruments for the money and I don't hesitate to recommend them. I often buy them when I want to try a new 'style' of instrument so that I don;t have to drop many hundreds more on an experiment.



I do have a Squier VI. I bought it to play with a pick when I injured a finger on my plucking hand. I read up on the threads about things people have hit and I made some basic mods. I have mine set up as a regular 6 string bass with Kalium strings from B-C. It sounds great in the mix, but I'm not trying to cop anyones tone, just set one that fits the song and it has it's own voice. My main 5 string basses are high end boutiques, and I have zero problems sharing the stable with this $400 Squier on certain songs where it just fits. I play in a trio with a grammy nominated singer/guitarist and she loves it. She has never once mentioned that it's a Squier.

The post speaks highly of the VMBVI for the most part. But let’s knock this thought around if we want the instrument to “reliable” and or “dope.”
A good bridge = 150
Jazzmaster tail piece = 65 Japanese
Upgraded pickups and harness = avg 250 +/-
Add the price musiciansfriend sells it for at 449.99 and your getting rather close to 1k

I don't think you and I are all that different in how we choose our instruments. My hands are super fussy as are my ears. I've just not developed an ear for good bass yet, but my hands can tell. Perhaps I got super lucky, and my ability to tinker, having torn apart Strats and Teles made my personal tweaks virtually nothing compared to the price I paid ($150 plus tax). If my Squier hadn't been a good one there's no way I'd have put any money into it and I may have over-improved it. But improved as it is, for a developing player such as myself, I'd have to give it 4.5 stars.

Just a word on your Taylor GA... Since you feel it's improving with age, perhaps more improvement is still in there. If you can, try putting a Tonerite device on it for one or two 72 hour cycles. The Tonerite has absolutely transformed my 614ce (2011- pre re-voicing). Had I done it before buying my 814 I might not have made the latter purchase. There is no telling how much or how little it can help a guitar until you try it. But my results have been good with other guitars to fantastic on my 614. JME

Thank you!! I’ll look into it. If your out and about and you come across a G&L L2000 Bass take it for a spin. It was my second bass purchase back in the mid 80’s. Recently I picked up a discontinued G&L El Toro. Both basses are my favorite all time basses. I’ve played new ones and BBE (who now owns G&L) is doing a fabulous job.

 

[G On Bass]

The post speaks highly of the VMBVI for the most part. But let’s knock this thought around if we want the instrument to “reliable” and or “dope.”
A good bridge = 150
Jazzmaster tail piece = 65 Japanese
Upgraded pickups and harness = avg 250 +/-
Add the price musiciansfriend sells it for at 449.99 and your getting rather close to 1k
.

Other than maybe a Staytrem some day (<$100) I have no intention of upgrading any of that other stuff. I went as far as to invest a couple of bucks in the brass sleeves at the hardware store to lock the bridge off and in a good set of strings. Were I looking to put $1000 into something, I'd have looked at that price point as I would never spend that kind of money on upgrades, most of which I do not need or want. Kinda defeats the purpose of a cheap bass, IMHO.

If it sounds right for what I need it to do, I really don't care whose pickups are in it. If it's pleasant to play and it fits the song(s) and the band is OK with it, then that's all there is to it.

That being said, the Bass VI is not my main bass in my main project, nor will it likely ever be. Which is why I bought it instead of a vintage one with all the original bits for thousands of dollars. But it adds a cool variety of tones and will likely get a lot of use in another project that will be coming off hiatus soon. YMMV

 

[bigtone23]

There is a Vintage Modified Squier Bass VI club here, it has a lot of pages of info. Official Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Club
I have a VM Bass VI, too. I got mine a few years ago when they were about $300. I did all the usual stuff to give it better bass performance--Kalium 102 strings, bronze sleeves on the bridge posts, shimmed the neck to get more downward pressure on the saddles, put LocTite on the saddle screws, repurposed the strangle switch to be a series/parallel switch with middle pickup combinations and dropped a Duncan Blackouts concentric bass/treble pre where the tone control was and replaced the volume pot with a CTS 1M audio taper. Oh, all the plastic was switched to black and installed straplocks. All in all, it was under $100 in parts and a few hours labor to set it up, play it, tweak it, play it, tweak it and play it. It's pretty darn stable now. I really like it, granted it took me a lot of work to get it where it is. I can fully understand how that would not be feasible for someone who doesn't do their own work.

 

[guestOU812]

So you love it, but Squiers are generally awful and you wouldn't buy one?

Normally I avoid Squier's yes. I bought the VM Bass VI because the alternatives were Fender Custom at around 4k or the Pawnshop which don't have the same pickup configs. Check out my revision to this threads original post. I put some crazy sounding pickups in it and WHOAH!!!

 

[DirkP]

Normally I avoid Squier's yes. I bought the VM Bass VI because the alternatives were Fender Custom at around 4k or the Pawnshop which don't have the same pickup configs. Check out my revision to this threads original post. I put some crazy sounding pickups in it and WHOAH!!!

Agree, just add the MIJ version with the correct bridge for a bit more than 1.000.-.

 

[guestOU812]

Agree, just add the MIJ version with the correct bridge for a bit more than 1.000.-.

What and how do you get the correct bridge?

 

[Zenbassie]

I started playing bass in 1980. My first bass was a crazy shaped Hundo I picked up for 220 bucks at Sam Ash in Queens, NY

Wow, that's weird. I started playing bass in 1981. My first bass was a Hondo that I bought for 220 bucks (Australian).