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

[steve_rolfeca]

You know the routine. Pics, or it didn't happen! Yeah, I know, it's probably not the most beautious instrument at the moment. What are you going to do with the finish?

Also, when you say throaty mids for days, do you mean it's added sustain (for days), or just more throaty mids?

It's pretty hideous at the moment, because I only roughed in the contours. Rasps, then 80-grit on an orbital sander, straight to some 400-grit that happened to be on the bench, to knock of the fuzz.

Pics here:
NBD (Sort of) Squier Vintage Aerodyne Precision V...

If I paint it, I'm thinking about Olympic White again.

Alternately, I might do a rubbed poly/oil finish over an amber stain. The body is a fairly well-matched 4-piece, with some decent figure in it. Go for a '70's Fender yellowed natural finish look, to match the neck.

There's a little more sustain, but mostly it's as though you took a blanket off it. Louder and more resonant- double stops really sing out. It growls more now, where it used ro be kind of polite.

 

[tedsalt]

Dang, that's pretty drastic. I've finished an unfinished Warmoth neck, but haven't tackled a body. If, after you get where you're headed with that, you can refinish it lightly, while somehow keeping the throaty mids, would be awesome!

 

[steve_rolfeca]

...If, after you get where you're headed with that, you can refinish it lightly, while somehow keeping the throaty mids, would be awesome!

Pretty much any hard-drying thin-film finish ought to work:
- Thin coats of automotive paint or nitro lacquer.
- Wipe-on hard-drying oils like polymerized Tung oil (not Danish oil, which penetrates too deep, and doesn't harden).
- Wipe-on poly or poly/oil combos.
- Violin varnish or French Polish.

The real tone killers are thick, two-part catalyzed polyester finishes- the ones that make the instrument look like they're under glass, and pretty much require a torch or a bench grinder to remove...

 

[tedsalt]

Pretty much any hard-drying thin-film finish ought to work:
- Thin coats of automotive paint or nitro lacquer.
- Wipe-on hard-drying oils like polymerized Tung oil (not Danish oil, which penetrates too deep, and doesn't harden).
- Wipe-on poly or poly/oil combos.
- Violin varnish or French Polish.

The real tone killers are thick, two-part catalyzed polyester finishes- the ones that make the instrument look like they're under glass, and pretty much require a torch or a bench grinder to remove...

Which is I suppose a part the reason I love the tone on my Road Worn Jazz. It's finished using nitro.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Which is I suppose a part the reason I love the tone on my Road Worn Jazz. It's finished using nitro.

I hate the fact that the wear marks on the Road Worn guitars and basses are uniform. Would it have killed them to put a little effort into a linkage that would have randomized the pattern a bit?

Actually, I don't even like the idea of relic'd instruments very much. Seems a little weird to me.

But I've played a few of them, and they still stick in my memory as some of the nicest sounding and feeling Fender basses I've played in years. I liked them enough that if I still played 4-string basses, I'd probably have one. Despite my dislike of the idea!

 

[Fangry]

So I received and installed the Kickass.

On the positive side, it looks - well, badass, and the B string looks a lot healthier on its saddle than the stock bridge:

As expected from Steve's account the .132 Chromes B won't intonate and neither will the .045 G string. The latter will be solved by using the shorter screw from the B saddle - which I will have to find an even shorter one or find a way to shorten one of the long ones. Fun.

Also, the top of the body of the bass doesn't seem to be quite level. The bridge lifts in the treble side front corner enough to fit a Transformers instruction sheet folded once (scientific measurement, I know):

The bridge sits flat on a table, mut not on the bass, and it's not just the ground wire since this occurs with the bridge lying on the body ahead of the wire as well.

Can't really say anything about sound, I've been taking the bridge apart, installing it, setting up, removing the bridge, reinstalling the bridge and setting it up again.

 

[nathank333]

probably covered in the previous 90 pages of thread regarding other mods, couldn't come up with it on a quick search though, anyway . . . anyone try and drop one of these american standard necks in one? I have the oly white vm p5, and love it. scale, #frets, dimensions, all seem to line up.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

PS i know that there is very minimal benefit to just swapping out the neck, clearly the first place to mod one of these basses would be the pickup i imagine. So i don't really want to hear the discussion of total cost in versus benefit of the sum parts.

 

[MartinB]

clearly the first place to mod one of these basses would be the pickup i imagine. So i don't really want to hear the discussion of total cost in versus benefit of the sum parts.

You'd think, but there's been a lot of positive comments about the stock pickups, and a few people who've upgraded and didn't feel it made much difference.

 

[Rocksolid]

Been playing my VMP5 through my newly acquired Quilter Bassblock 800. It sounds freaking sweet through it. Really impressed. Beautifully matched!

 

[steve_rolfeca]

probably covered in the previous 90 pages of thread regarding other mods, couldn't come up with it on a quick search though, anyway . . . anyone try and drop one of these american standard necks in one? I have the oly white vm p5, and love it. scale, #frets, dimensions, all seem to line up.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

PS i know that there is very minimal benefit to just swapping out the neck, clearly the first place to mod one of these basses would be the pickup i imagine. So i don't really want to hear the discussion of total cost in versus benefit of the sum parts.

Don't jump to the conclusion that the Fender neck will fit perfectly, without carefully measuring the heel outline, the "deck height" between the back of the heel and the top of the frets, etc. There are various P5 profiles out there between Fender, Squier and Warmoth.

I know you said you don't want to got there, but everybody should consider some cost factors when looking at a big-buck neck swap:

• The pickguard, pots, jack, wiring, pickup, paint, bridge and tuners on a late model Am Std Precision V are all higher quality than the same parts on the Squier.
• Plus, there's the snob value and historic significance of the Fender decal on the headstock.
• There's also the easy resale and low long-term depreciation that comes with owning an iconic brand.

I love the Squier. I think it's the best budget P5 out there, and with a bit of TLC it can rival much more expensive instruments.

But there are some real bargains out there on used Fenders. If already know that you'll be tempted to do a ton of mods to the Squier, then you might be barking up the wrong tree.

If you do a wiring upgrade, pickup, bridge and tuners on your Squier, and then throw a $450 used Fender neck on it as well, your investment could end up perilously close to $900, plus hours of your valuable time. After doing all that work, you'll be lucky to recoup half your cash investment if you ever flip it. And if you're reading this article on TB, then we all know that you're going to flip it at some point...

If you can find a used Am Std P5 for around $900, the depreciation is pretty much all done. Keep it pristine, and it will be worth at least what you paid for it a decade from now. If you already prefer the hardware, neck profile, etc., anyway? I say buy it, and save yourself a ton of work.


Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, and assuming that the Fender neck fits, then it's worth considering.

There are a number of potential benefits to that 2012 Am Std neck. It will give you a rosewood fingerboard. It also has carbon reinforcements under the fingerboard.

Popular opinion amongst the luthiers I know, is that there's no universal cure for dead spots, but C-F reinforcements go a long way toward eliminating them:

• Carbon doesn't add a noticeable amount of weight, so it doesn't throw off hanging balance the way steel does.
• It has a fibrous internal structure, and although the tap tone is higher pitched than maple, it sounds much closer to wood than metal.
• Carbon is stiffer than a steel rod of the same size, so it does more to broaden the Q of the neck and reduce unwanted resonances.

IME, the fretwork is comparable between the two.

The Fender has a more comfortable finish on the back, although the lumpy gloss on the Squier neck can easily be fixed.

The Fender neck also has a different profile. A lot of us prefer the size and soft-V profile of the Squier, but you may not.

Which brings us back to four questions that only you can answer:

• Do you prefer rosewood?
• Does your VMP5 have a dead spot?
• Do you like the existing neck profile?
• Are you comfortable with the idea of thinning and smoothing the finish on the Squier neck?

 

[steve_rolfeca]

By the way, my "Aerodyne job" on the VMP5 came out better than expected. Looking at it straight-on, it's hard to tell that the body shape has even been changed.

Don't have an exact weight yet, but it's right around 8lb even:

(EDIT: it's actually 7lb, 14 oz.)

 

[bassnyc1]

By the way, my "Aerodyne job" on the VMP5 came out better than expected. Looking at it straight-on, it's hard to tell that the body shape has even been changed.

Don't have an exact weight yet, but it's right around 8lb even:

View attachment 2780762

Looks great! I thought Fender Aerodyne basses have body binding?

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Looks great! I thought Fender Aerodyne basses have body binding?

Not when I make them...

For various reasons, I wasn't looking to do a bound body:

• I was focused on weight reduction, not on a particular look.
• Squared-off corners are less comfortable.
• Binding a heavily tapered shape is a chore- although it doesn't show in this photo, I re-shaped the top and back all along the bass side, and also on the lower horn.
• I wanted a natural oil finish, and I wouldn't know what colour to use for binding.
• The Aerodyne jazz body is back-routed. On a front-routed body like the VMP5, I think that a tort pickguard is enough ornamentation.

 

[bassnyc1]

Thanks for the info. Like I said, looks great!

 

[Tobiasfin]

Seems like the few VMPV's that are left are well sought after; same prices at LA Music: Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass V

 

[steve_rolfeca]

It's a great little bass.

Now that I've got mine set up just the way I like it, I'm in a bit of a quandary.

On Friday night, I took the VMP5 to a big gig, just for the heck of it. Six hours including sound check.

I have a beautiful Dingwall ABZ-5. It's my #1, and if it was a girl, I'd marry it. The ABZ looks and feels the way I imagine a bass would if it was designed by Ferrari. Plus, it has a B string that's so articulate, it puts all kinds of exotic instruments to shame.

The darker tone of the VMP5 threw FOH for a loop at first- she has a preset EQ curve that she always uses with my ABZ. From my end, the Squier didn't feel as slick as the Dingwall either.

However, it was just as comfortable hanging on my shoulders, and once she got FOH dialed in, the $@&!! sound gal liked the P-bass tone better.

Now she wants me to bring it every month!

This is like a horrible echo of my college days. I desperately wanted something exotic, like a Rick or an Alembic, but local bandleaders all loved my '64 P-bass...

 

[steve_rolfeca]

So I received and installed the Kickass.

View attachment 2774669

Can't really say anything about sound, I've been taking the bridge apart, installing it, setting up, removing the bridge, reinstalling the bridge and setting it up again.

Love the look of the black pick guard with the red body and large chrome bridge.

The pickup heights look like they might be a little off, though. You have to angle them up in the middle quite a bit, in order to match the 9.5" fingerboard radius.

Looks like it might also be a little too low on the treble side.

I set mine up to exact Fender specs- 1/8" below the B string, gradually tightening up to 3/32" under the G. You have to watch your action height, as it has a more drastic effect on the pickup height than you might expect.

I actually fudge the action height on the E string a hair, lowering it to better match the flat profile of the pickup under the B, E and A strings.

I think you'll find that your A string sounds better balanced once you get them spot-on. Even a 1/16th of an inch can cost you some volume and character.

 

[Rocksolid]

I might take my VMP5 in for a proper set up by my Tech before the dozen shows I have up to Christmas starts. It won't get all the work. But it will get used and o want to set how much better it can be.

 

[nathank333]

Don't jump to the conclusion that the Fender neck will fit perfectly, without carefully measuring the heel outline, the "deck height" between the back of the heel and the top of the frets, etc. There are various P5 profiles out there between Fender, Squier and Warmoth.

I know you said you don't want to got there, but everybody should consider some cost factors when looking at a big-buck neck swap:

• The pickguard, pots, jack, wiring, pickup, paint, bridge and tuners on a late model Am Std Precision V are all higher quality than the same parts on the Squier.
• Plus, there's the snob value and historic significance of the Fender decal on the headstock.
• There's also the easy resale and low long-term depreciation that comes with owning an iconic brand.

I love the Squier. I think it's the best budget P5 out there, and with a bit of TLC it can rival much more expensive instruments.

But there are some real bargains out there on used Fenders. If already know that you'll be tempted to do a ton of mods to the Squier, then you might be barking up the wrong tree.

If you do a wiring upgrade, pickup, bridge and tuners on your Squier, and then throw a $450 used Fender neck on it as well, your investment could end up perilously close to $900, plus hours of your valuable time. After doing all that work, you'll be lucky to recoup half your cash investment if you ever flip it. And if you're reading this article on TB, then we all know that you're going to flip it at some point...

If you can find a used Am Std P5 for around $900, the depreciation is pretty much all done. Keep it pristine, and it will be worth at least what you paid for it a decade from now. If you already prefer the hardware, neck profile, etc., anyway? I say buy it, and save yourself a ton of work.


Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, and assuming that the Fender neck fits, then it's worth considering.

There are a number of potential benefits to that 2012 Am Std neck. It will give you a rosewood fingerboard. It also has carbon reinforcements under the fingerboard.

Popular opinion amongst the luthiers I know, is that there's no universal cure for dead spots, but C-F reinforcements go a long way toward eliminating them:

• Carbon doesn't add a noticeable amount of weight, so it doesn't throw off hanging balance the way steel does.
• It has a fibrous internal structure, and although the tap tone is higher pitched than maple, it sounds much closer to wood than metal.
• Carbon is stiffer than a steel rod of the same size, so it does more to broaden the Q of the neck and reduce unwanted resonances.

IME, the fretwork is comparable between the two.

The Fender has a more comfortable finish on the back, although the lumpy gloss on the Squier neck can easily be fixed.

The Fender neck also has a different profile. A lot of us prefer the size and soft-V profile of the Squier, but you may not.

Which brings us back to four questions that only you can answer:

• Do you prefer rosewood?
• Does your VMP5 have a dead spot?
• Do you like the existing neck profile?
• Are you comfortable with the idea of thinning and smoothing the finish on the Squier neck?

@steve_rolfeca, great way to lay out the real reasons and risks in attempting a neck swap.
So i'm not really a gear hound and at times lack the verbage for these discussions, but to answer your questions 1)for this bass i would prefer rosewood, both look and feel/tone. 2) no dead spot that i can find on the vm p5. 3) i like the existing neck profile, but it feels plasticky, and i don't think it has the brightness that a good maple neck gets due to how heavily sealed it seems, but i reiterate, i really like the neck on my vm p5, it is wildly impressive in the context of price paid. 4) definitely comfortable with the idea of thinning/smoothing/modding.

i bought the vm p5 shortly after they came out because i'd wanted a relatively budget precision 5er for a while, and at the time it seemed there wasn't really one available (now i think there's a ton, or at least variants) After sending one (which was truly horrible eg string retainer screwed in all crooked, missing 1 screw from the pickguard) back to guitarcenter, i got one that with just my home set up definitely did the job. I would only consider the neck swap if it came down to opening up the neck pocket on the body a bit resulting in a tighter fit, but it the situation were a loose fit requiring shimming etc, i think i'd pass. my motivation is really in doing a project, in order to have a p5 of my chosen hardware, color combo, pick up, etc. even knowing that the end product may not be worth (to anyone other than me) more than the sum of it's parts. But truthfully, if the thing came together nicely, it could be right in the ballpark. i've heard that those american standard tuners are heavy too, so possibly better off replacing those with hipshots or maybe older fender deluxes. here we go . . .
$220 this is what i've already got in the bass + $450 fender amstd neck + $100 5 string p-pickup (+/- 30, maybe nordstrand, bart, bill lawrence, fender,) $150 gold tuners + $30 an allparts gold high mass bridge i found on a clearance table (center three holes line up, outer 2 will need a little drillin and fillin) + $30 other gold hardware (string retainers, knobs, screws, strapbuttons)= . . . . . $980.
So i know that's an expensive undertaking and i can find a fender p5 for $900 without even that much patience, but what can i say? i maybe want a project to work on more than just another bass to play right now. And again, the thing really hinges on how that neck would fit in there. Not to mention, i would still also then have some squier parts to either resell and recoup (nominally) a little something, or use for future project fodder. more background, i did a defret on my old squier precision V from the 90s, the one with the soap bars, and then i found a killer deal on a pair of sd nyc 5 soapbars that fit the body, and truthfully, it came out awesome (although still could use one little additional mod).
So anyway, i've been happily playing my vm p5 as a secondary for the last couple of years, but yeah it doesn't seem to make it out to many gigs when my american deluxe jazz is the primary (not many gigs absolutely require a p for me) but i do like the idea of assembling a truly worthy precision 5er-- all to my specs, that could then maybe be the counterpart to my jazz. long reply . . . i know.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

@steve_rolfeca, great way to lay out the real reasons and risks in attempting a neck swap.
So i'm not really a gear hound and at times lack the verbage for these discussions, but to answer your questions 1)for this bass i would prefer rosewood, both look and feel/tone. 2) no dead spot that i can find on the vm p5. 3) i like the existing neck profile, but it feels plasticky, and i don't think it has the brightness that a good maple neck gets due to how heavily sealed it seems, but i reiterate, i really like the neck on my vm p5, it is wildly impressive in the context of price paid. 4) definitely comfortable with the idea of thinning/smoothing/modding.

i bought the vm p5 shortly after they came out because i'd wanted a relatively budget precision 5er for a while, and at the time it seemed there wasn't really one available (now i think there's a ton, or at least variants) After sending one (which was truly horrible eg string retainer screwed in all crooked, missing 1 screw from the pickguard) back to guitarcenter, i got one that with just my home set up definitely did the job. I would only consider the neck swap if it came down to opening up the neck pocket on the body a bit resulting in a tighter fit, but it the situation were a loose fit requiring shimming etc, i think i'd pass. my motivation is really in doing a project, in order to have a p5 of my chosen hardware, color combo, pick up, etc. even knowing that the end product may not be worth (to anyone other than me) more than the sum of it's parts. But truthfully, if the thing came together nicely, it could be right in the ballpark. i've heard that those american standard tuners are heavy too, so possibly better off replacing those with hipshots or maybe older fender deluxes. here we go . . .
$220 this is what i've already got in the bass + $450 fender amstd neck + $100 5 string p-pickup (+/- 30, maybe nordstrand, bart, bill lawrence, fender,) $150 gold tuners + $30 an allparts gold high mass bridge i found on a clearance table (center three holes line up, outer 2 will need a little drillin and fillin) + $30 other gold hardware (string retainers, knobs, screws, strapbuttons)= . . . . . $980.
So i know that's an expensive undertaking and i can find a fender p5 for $900 without even that much patience, but what can i say? i maybe want a project to work on more than just another bass to play right now. And again, the thing really hinges on how that neck would fit in there. Not to mention, i would still also then have some squier parts to either resell and recoup (nominally) a little something, or use for future project fodder. more background, i did a defret on my old squier precision V from the 90s, the one with the soap bars, and then i found a killer deal on a pair of sd nyc 5 soapbars that fit the body, and truthfully, it came out awesome (although still could use one little additional mod).
So anyway, i've been happily playing my vm p5 as a secondary for the last couple of years, but yeah it doesn't seem to make it out to many gigs when my american deluxe jazz is the primary (not many gigs absolutely require a p for me) but i do like the idea of assembling a truly worthy precision 5er-- all to my specs, that could then maybe be the counterpart to my jazz. long reply . . . i know.

That all makes sense.

If you have money and understand the risks, why not.

I wonder what the return policy would be on the Am Standard neck from Stratosphere? If shipping is reasonable, it would be nice to have it in hand before you made a final decision.

Cutting back the finish on the back of the Squier neck is a breeze, if you decide to skip the Fender neck. You just need to take your time, and stop often to make sure that you're not rubbing through the finish, at least until you get up to 800 grit or finer.

Stripping the body was the worst part of my project. After that, it was all play, and quite enjoyable.