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

#541
Just ordered a VM P5 in Candy Apple Red. :)

I am thinking of useing one of these pre wired harnesses from Best Bass Gear. Any thoughts on these?

Volume - Tone Prewired with wire lengths for P Bass, using standard pickguard, unless specified otherwise in checkout message.

1 Pickup - 2 knob configuration Contains:- 1 Audio Taper 250K Pot (Noble) - 1 Audio Taper 250K Pot (Noble) w/Capacitor (Sprague Orange Drop .047) - 1 Standard Stero Jack (Switchcraft)

http://www.bestbassgear.com/bass-passive-harness.htm


Shaun
 
#542
The P5 sounds good enough, that most of us don't feel particularly motivated to open the hood.

Still, the stock pickup does sound a little congested, as if it was a bit overwound. I've also noticed that the taper on the volume control is wonky. Most of the action happens in the first quarter turn of the knob.

If nothing else, swapping in a Switchcraft jack is definitely worth the bother. It has no impact on tone, but having a cheap chinese jack explode or go intermittent in the middle of a gig is a major stress inducer. If you're in there with a soldering iron anyway, why not drop in good pots and a known quantity for the tone control cap?

I'm not a big believer in paper/oil caps, and I don't think there's any magic to Noble pots vs CTS or ALPS. However, if the value and/or taper of a pot or cap isn't right, it can have a significant impact on tone.

Others have reported being pleased with cap and pot replacements, and the cost is lower than a pickup swap. If nothing else, it's bound to be more productive than fooling around with black hardware or swapping pick guards.

One thought: The Squier VM P5 is quieter than any other affordable P bass I've sampled. I noticed that Fender used shielded cable in the wiring harness. While I would certainly be up for swapping out the hardware, I wouldn't be in a hurry to replace that with "vintage wire". There's a good chance that the only benefit you'll get from swapping the wires out, is a bunch of unnecessary noise...

I'm waiting for Bassman74's Am Std pickup to arrive. While I have the bass apart to do the wiring, I will almost certainly goof around with pots and caps to see if I can wring any more performance out of it.
 
#544
Not saying that it isn't any good, just to that it seems a little redundant, since you don't really need new wire. The other components are all good, solid stuff.

You can get CTS pots and Mallory caps from many sources. I always like to get a variety of caps, and use clip leads to experiment until I find what I like best. .022, .047, .068 and .1 are popular values, depending on what you're after. I like sozho mustard caps, just because they fit better in tight quarters.
 
#545
Just play it stock for a while. At least give it a try. I've got about 20 gigs on mine and I'm still using the stock strings! Don't assume you'll need to modify something just because the price is low. FWIW, I've got a Roscoe in the TB classifieds right now because of this VMP5. It just kills. Enough so that my Roscoe never gets used. Of course it's all a matter of taste.
 
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#546
Of course I will try it stock first. At the least I will upgrade to a switchcraft jack.
Does the below sound good if I were to upgrade.
Features high quality USA made components for the best in tone and durability. Kit includes: (2) CTS 250k solid shaft pots, Switchcraft 1/4" jack, 4 ft. each black/white poly wire, and .047mfd Orange Drop tone capacitor.
What's the difference between poly wire and cloth?
Shaun
 
#547
Just thought I'd chime in with an update. I bought one of these basses in Oly White right after they came out. I've got black tapewounds on it since day one. I didn't really like the stock strings but the TW strings sound great! Played a number of gigs with the bass, rehearsals, home practices....it's pretty easy to dial in a good sound. I have not bothered modifying anything as the bass just sounds good for what it is and great for what it costs! I think I might have gotten a 15% discount at the time from MF or GC or wherever I bought it (can't think of it at the moment).

The bass is longer and a bit heavier than my #1 (Gibson Era Tobias Growler 5 string) but overall, it's really a great bass for the money. Squier has done a great job with these, IMHO. I use mine with an AKG WMS40 wireless-->TU3-->Tech21 VTBassDI--> Peavey Classic 50/50 power amp (EL84's)-->DIY 1x12 dual ported cab with a Dayton PA310-8 speaker. I've been so satisfied with this setup that I'm considering putting my GB Shuttle 6.0 and footswitch up for sale. I know that amp could get a little louder than my current rig, but not sure it's necessary. I just like what the tube power amp brings to the table :) and in a gigging situation, I can always mic up my cab if I need to or run DI from the Tech21 pedal to PA.
 
#548
I finally dropped the Fender Am Std pickup into my Oly White VMP5 this evening. People have said they see little reason to swap out the stock pickup, and now I agree.

Under the covers, the coils are a little fatter on the Am Std. The wire is visible on the Fender pickup, and wrapped in black tape on the Squier. The heavier wiring on the Squier looks like vintage cloth, an unexpected luxury on a budget OEM pickup.

Plugged in, I was immediately struck by how close they sounded. The Squier is a little darker and smoother, but slightly thinner on the D and G strings. There's also a slight nasal twang that's missing on the Fender, which has a little more detail in the low mids, along with a sweeter, more open top end.

These differences are very subtle, and it was hard to decide which one to keep. I could change my mind tomorrow, but at the moment I'm leaning toward the Fender. This is based partly on something I like about the upper register, and partly because I like the industrial look of the matte-finished pickup covers.

Better? Maybe. Worth an extra 70-odd dollars? Only you can decide.
 
#549
I agree that the difference between the american and squier pickup is not night and day. Maybe i'm a purist but i have appreciated the improvememt in the lows and highs from the U.S. Version. I sold my american pickup because i was curious to try the other options on the market. Steve, give the pickup some times, i'm sure you'll appreciate it more and more.
 
#550
steve_rolfeca said:
I finally dropped the Fender Am Std pickup into my Oly White VMP5 this evening. People have said they see little reason to swap out the stock pickup, and now I agree.

Under the covers, the coils are a little fatter on the Am Std. The wire is visible on the Fender pickup, and wrapped in black tape on the Squier. The heavier wiring on the Squier looks like vintage cloth, an unexpected luxury on a budget OEM pickup.

Plugged in, I was immediately struck by how close they sounded. The Squier is a little darker and smoother, but slightly thinner on the D and G strings. There's also a slight nasal twang that's missing on the Fender, which has a little more detail in the low mids, along with a sweeter, more open top end.

These differences are very subtle, and it was hard to decide which one to keep. I could change my mind tomorrow, but at the moment I'm leaning toward the Fender. This is based partly on something I like about the upper register, and partly because I like the industrial look of the matte-finished pickup covers.

Better? Maybe. Worth an extra 70-odd dollars? Only you can decide.
Click to expand...

You descriptions sounds about right as I compare my VMP5 to my 2010 American Standard P4. Both have the stock pups, but VMP5 is a little harsh with the tone wide open. I changed the cap which helped quit a bit, but it still has more of a "clank" to the high end. Also worth noting that my P4 has a rosewood board which softens the attack somewhat. I still can't get over the value for the money with the VMP5! It's a great instrument and I have no problem whatsoever playing along side my Sadowsky.
 
#551
Played with the Am Std pickup some more this morning, and found that I needed to adjust the bass side a little closer to even out the B string. With that corrected, it definitely has a little more beef in the low end compared to the OEM pickup.

Guys who run the tone control backed off all the time might not notice this or even care, but the top end is still where I hear the most prominent improvement.

With the OEM pickup there's a sort of honk in the upper mids, and the top end doesn't really do justice to a fresh set of nickel rounds. In comparison, the Am Std sounds both sweeter and more open. It's still not quite up there with my personal gold standard in a Precision pickup (Fender 4-string Am Vintage '62), but it's real close, and even at full pop, it's less than half the price of a Nordstrand P5.

Like I said, not a massive difference over stock, but certainly noticeable. Me likey.
 
#552
steve_rolfeca said:
Played with the Am Std pickup some more this morning, and found that I needed to adjust the bass side a little closer to even out the B string. With that corrected, it definitely has a little more beef in the low end compared to the OEM pickup.

Guys who run the tone control backed off all the time might not notice this or even care, but the top end is still where I hear the most prominent improvement.

With the OEM pickup there's a sort of honk in the upper mids, and the top end doesn't really do justice to a fresh set of nickel rounds. In comparison, the Am Std sounds both sweeter and more open. It's still not quite up there with my personal gold standard in a Precision pickup (Fender 4-string Am Vintage '62), but it's real close, and even at full pop, it's less than half the price of a Nordstrand P5.

Like I said, not a massive difference over stock, but certainly noticeable. Me likey.
Click to expand...


You're no helping... :smug:
 
#554
lgrankin said:
You're no helping... :smug:
Click to expand...
Feeling a little GASsy?

Beano.jpeg
 
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#558
johnnybass01 said:
I have sit down with both of them back to back ,I ended up buying the squier. To me the squier just felt better.I have since upgraded mine with hipshot tuners and an ABM bridge and now it is is monster. The only difference I could hear between the american standard was that the pickup is slightly smoother . but I have seen american standard pickups for about seventy five bucks on eBay.so you could slap one in. Tuners just helped with the balance for me anyway . the bridge helped with the sustain and also its a toploader so string changes are easier.I have my eye on the Aguilar p5 pickup for my current one and will be addind a second p5 in olimpic white ,I plan on the same mods but will run one with flats.
Click to expand...

You routed your body to fit the Aguilar P5 pickup?

Are the magnets out of alignment with the strings? I think it´s made with 19 mm spacing at the bridge!
 
#559
The aguilar ag-5p-60cl version is for 18mm spacing.I havent secured one yet im making a new pickguard for mine out of light ply with curly maple veneer .once its done I am still debating over pickups I always like the sound of a reverse p configuration. And since im making a new guard im not limited on pickups .opens up a lot of options for me .from what ive heard the aggie sounds real good. But so do the delanos. I will narrow it down once I finish my pickguard. I also toyed with the idea of the emg40 p5 cause its already a reversed p in a soapbar shell.
 

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