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

#1,361
Pic from our first St. Paddy's gig this past Saturday. I swapped the necks on my VMP5 and VMJ5, and couldn't be happier. I swapped bridges last night, so the VMP5 is now wearing a Schaller bridge and the VMJ5 is wearing the Hipshot shown here.
1923417_831347773654493_5398624032922126866_n.jpg
 
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#1,364
NicJimBass said:
Pic from our first St. Paddy's gig this past Saturday. I swapped the necks on my VMP5 and VMJ5, and couldn't be happier. I swapped bridges last night, so the VMP5 is now wearing a Schaller bridge and the VMJ5 is wearing the Hipshot shown here.
View attachment 822080
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Greetings from the North,

Hey NicJimBass thats a great pic. It looks like that was a great time! Got a question about your neck swap. Is there any difference between the VMP5 & VMJ5 necks as in thickness or playability?

Thanks,

Rezdog
 
#1,365
Rezdog said:
Greetings from the North,

Hey NicJimBass thats a great pic. It looks like that was a great time! Got a question about your neck swap. Is there any difference between the VMP5 & VMJ5 necks as in thickness or playability?

Thanks,

Rezdog
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Playability, not that I notice. It feels to my hands that the P neck may be slightly thicker. The Squier website says the P has a "Modern C" shape, as opposed to the J's "C" shape. No idea what it means, but the rest of the specs are identical. I swapped them somewhat based on the looks, but I loved the P neck and the sound of the J, so it made sense.
 
#1,368
pedroims said:
Sweet!! I am waiting for the bass, if I dont like the stock pup then Nordstrand it is.

Did you notice any big difference vs stock?
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I find the Nordstrand louder. It has more clarity and a sweet deep hollow sound. A big difference I found is when I turn the tone knob off. The sound is less sub-bassy than the stock pickups and more growly, which is something I don't know if I like yet.
Well to be honest I turned my P into a PJ and it has some unfinished touches in terms of its electronics. I'm waiting for my bands next studio rehearsal so I can further test it. I will keep you posted on the overall tone and performance of the P pickup.
 
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#1,369
pedroims said:
Sweet!! I am waiting for the bass, if I dont like the stock pup then Nordstrand it is.

Did you notice any big difference vs stock?
Click to expand...

Good call on waiting... I'm really happy with the tone of the stock pickup, as many here are. I threw a Stellartone Tonestyler in mine, and it makes it really versatile.
 
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#1,371
I got it today and feels very good, the neck profile is just right, however, I have a DJ5 and when you compare the B string you can hear and feel the difference, good bass for the $200 I paid for it but doesnt worth to spend one more dollar on upgrades, will keep it as a back up and donate it when I can buy a Lakland P5 or a Stingray.
 
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#1,373
Most problems with low B strings (on any bass, not just a VM Squier) are due to poor configuration/setup.

I haven't seen one of these yet, that didn't need the pickup heights and angle sorted out. The fingerboard radius is close to vintage specs, and it calls for a pretty serious break angle between the two pickup halves.

The improvement after a pro setup is pretty drastic, and the bottom string ends up sounding just as good as an Am Standard Precision V. Not piano-like a la Dingwall, Alembic, etc, but it sits in the mix in a way that's perfectly compatible with the low E of a P-bass.

I also really like what the D'Addario balanced tension sets do for these basses. I put them on my own, and on a couple that I set up for other people. The response has been very positive.
 
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#1,374
steve_rolfeca said:
Most problems with low B strings (on any bass, not just a VM Squier) are due to poor configuration/setup.

I haven't seen one of these yet, that didn't need the pickup heights and angle sorted out. The fingerboard radius is close to vintage specs, and it calls for a pretty serious break angle between the two pickup halves.

The improvement after a pro setup is pretty drastic, and the bottom string ends up sounding just as good as an Am Standard Precision V. Not piano-like a la Dingwall, Alembic, etc, but it sits in the mix in a way that's perfectly compatible with the low E of a P-bass.

I also really like what the D'Addario balanced tension sets do for these basses. I put them on my own, and on a couple that I set up for other people. The response has been very positive.
Click to expand...
Steve,

Did you get your bridge pickup mod completed? How did it turn out?
 
#1,376
Just ordered an Ultra Jazz bridge pickup to turn this bass into a PJ. Hopefully I don't butcher the thing. I own a router and use it a few times a year on projects, but I've never taken it to a bass.

I love the stock P pickup. Hopefully the UJ is a good match. I'm planning on 60s position, or maybe even a little closer to the P pickup.
 
#1,377
Do you find after you've replaced the pick up and pots that the sound is thicker?

What I mean is when I've recorded the signal through my VM p5 it sounds slightly muddy. Did you experience that, is it better overall now? FYI I'm using a decent amp which has no problems with other basses.
 
#1,380
image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg
I think I'm done with mods on this bass....
-Hipshot licensed ultralites
-Hipshot A style bridge
-back of the neck sanded lightly
-Dunlop dual design straplocks
-B/W/B replacement pickguard
-Fender pickup
-new barrel knobs
-CTS pots
-.047 Orange capacitor
-Switchcraft jack
-New Wire
-Fully shielded cavity

Including the purchase price for the bass, I'm in for $675 now.
 
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