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Squier Vintage Modified Precision V: who's got one?

#344
I don't know what rig you are playing through, I have 3, and according to which one I am using, my B can sound a little weaker than the rest. My fix was to use an Fdeck HPF. Only my best cab (Thunderchild 115) doesn't need any help, with the rest, some dialing in of the Fdeck made the B tone tighten up (I'm talking tone, not feel).
 
#345
:bassist:I had one for awhile, and liked it a lot! Everything you expect from a Fender bass, BUT, the body is 'bass wood' (read plywood), the pickups were a little weak, so I put a set of EMG actives in; replaced the bridge with a Babicz Full Contact, and a set of D'Addario flats! Now were talking! Sound improvement 100% - Sold it to my brother, because I had built a '62 RI P-Bass! (which is a big improvement from the Jag). Overall, I would certainly recommend it!
 
#346
MrRubi04 said:
:bassist:I had one for awhile, and liked it a lot! Everything you expect from a Fender bass, BUT, the body is 'bass wood' (read plywood), the pickups were a little weak, so I put a set of EMG actives in; replaced the bridge with a Babicz Full Contact, and a set of D'Addario flats! Now were talking! Sound improvement 100% - Sold it to my brother, because I had built a '62 RI P-Bass! (which is a big improvement from the Jag). Overall, I would certainly recommend it!
Click to expand...

Body is not plywood.
 
#347
A
MrRubi04 said:
:bassist:I had one for awhile, and liked it a lot! Everything you expect from a Fender bass, BUT, the body is 'bass wood' (read plywood), the pickups were a little weak, so I put a set of EMG actives in; replaced the bridge with a Babicz Full Contact, and a set of D'Addario flats! Now were talking! Sound improvement 100% - Sold it to my brother, because I had built a '62 RI P-Bass! (which is a big improvement from the Jag). Overall, I would certainly recommend it!
Click to expand...

Jag? Are we talking about the same bass here? :p

Still loving mine.
I pick my Fender MIM J every time for the live setting but I usually end up reaching for this bad boy when I'm sitting around at home.
It just draws me to itself somehow...
:D
 
#348
RyanJD said:
...I pick my Fender MIM J every time for the live setting but I usually end up reaching for this bad boy when I'm sitting around at home.
It just draws me to itself somehow...
:D
Click to expand...
You too? My Dingwall (sounds somewhere between a Jazz and a Warwick most of the time) gets the nod for gigs, but somehow the VMP5 is the perfect living room bass.

Fun to noodle on, and very comfortable.
 
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#349
Starflyer59 said:
I installed TI Flats on my P5 and even after a pro setup and some pickup tweaking i find the B string to be a little anemic. Anyone has suggestions? Im almost tempted to get a nordy p5 to see if it improves the tone a hair.
Click to expand...

The TI Jazz Flat B was not one of my favorites. The GHS Precision Flats B was pretty good. Didn't like the Chrome B at all. I just put an Ernie Ball Slinky .130 B on to go with my Rotosound RS66 set and that's working out well. Of course that's a roundwound.
 
#352
jallenbass said:
The TI Jazz Flat B was not one of my favorites. The GHS Precision Flats B was pretty good. Didn't like the Chrome B at all. I just put an Ernie Ball Slinky .130 B on to go with my Rotosound RS66 set and that's working out well. Of course that's a roundwound.
Click to expand...

I'm running the D'Addario BT nickel round set from Bass Strings Online. 45-145. Balanced tension really helps to make it sound and feel better and more even. Had to tweak the nut a little to make the .145 fit.
 
#353
Starflyer59 said:
I installed TI Flats on my P5 and even after a pro setup and some pickup tweaking i find the B string to be a little anemic. Anyone has suggestions? Im almost tempted to get a nordy p5 to see if it improves the tone a hair.
Click to expand...

(If/when I get a VM P5) I'm thinking about putting on a Fender American Deluxe V Bass Bridge that can run either string thru or top load, available at basspartsresource.com and elsewhere I'm sure. Then drill a hole and put one ferrule in for the B string, and run the B string thru body. I think this might help anemic B strings.
 
#354
tedsalt said:
(If/when I get a VM P5) I'm thinking about putting on a Fender American Deluxe V Bass Bridge that can run either string thru or top load, available at basspartsresource.com and elsewhere I'm sure. Then drill a hole and put one ferrule in for the B string, and run the B string thru body. I think this might help anemic B strings.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good idea to me. I have a Catvin B5 from the 90s that has top load or string through bridge and I run the B string thru body and it really helps to even out the tone from the b to the other strings.
Ther are a few higher end manufacturers that are already running only the b string as a string through ie Mike Lull.
 
#355
This has been covered ad infinitude on other threads.

Most people report no difference at all when they alternate through-body and top-load across a single instrument.

Yet there's a small group who find a noticeable, even dramatic difference. IMO, there must be a particular setup issue on the basses where it makes a difference.

There are a number of setup tricks you should try before going to the trouble and expense of swapping bridges and drilling for through-body.

It all begins with looking at how the string breaks over the saddle. If it arches up even the slightest bit, the intonation and tone will suffer. If that's the case, then bending the string sharply down towards the body just in front of the saddle, will tighten the break angle. Tune the string back up to pitch, and wallah, a tighter B-string.

Next, look at the break angle again. Is it too shallow?

If so, there are a bunch of factors that influence the geometry, including:
- the distance between the back edge of the B-string saddle and the backplate
- the height of the saddles relative to the top-load openings on the backplate
- the length of the taper on the string
- on taper-core strings, the distance between the saddle and the start of the windings

Don't forget that saddle height is influenced by the neck angle. If the saddles are too low for a good break angle in top-load mode, a small shim at the base of the heel could be all you need, allowing you to raise the saddles and improve the break angle.

Don't forget that after each adjustment, you need to check that you still have a nice sharp bend at the saddle. This applies to every string, not just the B...
 
#358
Just did a full setup on my buddy's VMP5.

Sanded a bunch of the finish off the back of the neck, same as mine. 320 grit out to 2500. It's still completely sealed in poly, but smoother, faster feeling, and it resonates more strongly against the palm of my hand. This had the same audible effect as on my bass- it sounds a little brighter and more open, as if I had swapped on a newer set of strings.

He wasn't swapping out the tuners, so this time, I taped off a V at the back of the headstock. That way, I didn't have to sand up into that area.

I really recommend this mod. It makes the instrument feel and sound more "expensive".
 
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#359
bassgrooves2 said:
Sounds like a good idea to me. I have a Catvin B5 from the 90s that has top load or string through bridge and I run the B string thru body and it really helps to even out the tone from the b to the other strings.
Ther are a few higher end manufacturers that are already running only the b string as a string through ie Mike Lull.
Click to expand...

So you do get better tone / definition when you run the B string thru body? And you've tried it top loaded? And probably don't have to try X sets of strings to find the right gauge B string that works top loaded?


steve_rolfeca said:
This has been covered ad infinitude on other threads.

Most people report no difference at all when they alternate through-body and top-load across a single instrument.

Yet there's a small group who find a noticeable, even dramatic difference.
Click to expand...

This is probably the small group who are using 5 string basses with a top load / string thru bridge. It is likely that most people who report no difference are testing on standard 4 string basses.

I do understand the importance of having a good witness point at the bridge saddle.

With a big B string (and only on the B string) and a bent plate bridge, string thru body likely does make a big difference in tone and definition.

Although I haven't been able to test it myself (yet), it's not that hard to swap out a bridge, and drill one hole for one ferrule for the B string.
 
#360
I find on my Carvin that there is more definition and even a bit greater tension when going string through vs top load. Before trying string through on the B, it sounded very dull and had almost no sustain, no matter what set or brand of string I was using. After going string through for all strings, I didn't care for the added tension on the other 4 strings and the tone difference between them and the B was still significant. That's when I switched to string through B only and while there is still a difference, it is much less significant.
 

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