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Squier VM Jaguar Bass
- Thread starter Essential
- Start date
I'd have to agree with Joe about the pickups. Mine roars and that's pretty rare for a passive instrument. When I picked it up, I tried it out in the store through a GK 800 and several of the sales guys came over to take a look at what I was playing.
How many guys have spent thousands on a sweet vintage bass they wouldn't gig with because they couldn't risk it? If you can sound great on a $300 Squier,and don't have to worry about banging it up,or some idiot jacking it between sets....I know a different set of politics apply to the session world,but that's a world of wory you don't have to deal with anymore.
Basically that's the main reason I got my first Squier - a VM Jazz, because even though I'm currently not a working musician, I was leaving my new '08 MIA Jazz that I paid $1200 for out so that I could just "grab and play". Unfortunately, as I live in a very small apartment, the bass was pretty much in the line of traffic (unavoidably so) and it was getting into too many "accidents" (very minor ones, but still,), so, thinking about the Squier VM Jazz which I knew about and had considered buying months before I got my MIA, I figured, well all the reports on this have been quite good, so I figured this would be a safe alternative to risking my MIA. And, quite frankly, it is decison I do not regret, AAMOF, I was so happy with it, that just last week I did it again and got a new amber VM P bass which I didn't really need. And I am even happier with this one. I can honestly say, I would happily gig with either one of my Squiers with no hesitation, and if something bad were to happen to them, I would be very unhappy about it, but I think I would be much more unhappy if it were to happen to my MA.
Pulled the trigger on one yesterday, should be here Thursday. I won't get to touch her until Friday night due to work scheduling, but I love the look, and after messing around with one in Guitar Center, I enjoyed the feel. Hoping all my electronics come set up right, lol. That's the one area I have had a problem with in buying online.
I love it! I have had plenty of experience with many higher end and value-added basses and have to say that this is one fun cat!
I found a rather light specimen (7.7 lbs). YES! This piece of Agathis is wonderfully light and resonant.
I made this bass my long-term 4 string Precision Bass pinch-hitter.
Since the bass is of a softer wood, I replaced the bridge and strap button screws with #8 stainless steel flat-head phillips-drive screws. They are considerably longer than stock length. The bridge screws are now 1 1/2 inches long. It sounds great!
Solid and light...
I also removed the click-detent washers and rewired it to stacked dual volume/Master tone using an Alpha pot and a Sprague Orange Drop .047uF capacitor. The spare stacked pot will serve as a backup.
As insurance, I reamed out the jackplate and replaced the output jack with a more solid Switchcraft unit and used better star nuts and an oversized tone pot.
This baby is ready for the weekend in Austin.
I found a rather light specimen (7.7 lbs). YES! This piece of Agathis is wonderfully light and resonant.
I made this bass my long-term 4 string Precision Bass pinch-hitter.
Since the bass is of a softer wood, I replaced the bridge and strap button screws with #8 stainless steel flat-head phillips-drive screws. They are considerably longer than stock length. The bridge screws are now 1 1/2 inches long. It sounds great!
Solid and light...
I also removed the click-detent washers and rewired it to stacked dual volume/Master tone using an Alpha pot and a Sprague Orange Drop .047uF capacitor. The spare stacked pot will serve as a backup.
As insurance, I reamed out the jackplate and replaced the output jack with a more solid Switchcraft unit and used better star nuts and an oversized tone pot.
This baby is ready for the weekend in Austin.
Just got mine. Everything on it seems really solid. Haven't done any modding or anything, I'm basically changing the strings and pickguard and calling it a day. If she works out after three or four months, I'll probably snag another and have that set up with all my special mods.
I am getting one of these as soon as I sell my MIJ Jazz special on ebay. That's right, I'm selling an MIJ just to buy this Squier. Gear snobs be damned. I am in love with this bass. ABed it with the MIJ last week at GC. Neck felt thinner and better, pickups sounded better than the Quarter pounders I have. The QPs are clearer... but I love that growl and grit from that hot jazz and the alnico P. Love the stacked knobs.
Not in love with the Jag shape, so when I get more money I'll mate the neck to a nice heavy ash 51 P body from Warmoth and have a really cool looking and sounding cowpoke. I don't care for the finished headstock. Will probably nix it at some point. Love it on my MIJ, but wish this one just had the gold Squier logo and no black.
Not in love with the Jag shape, so when I get more money I'll mate the neck to a nice heavy ash 51 P body from Warmoth and have a really cool looking and sounding cowpoke. I don't care for the finished headstock. Will probably nix it at some point. Love it on my MIJ, but wish this one just had the gold Squier logo and no black.
I finally got my hands on one of these at my local Guitar Center. I've been on the hunt for a lightweight bass, thinking maybe I'd get a Mustang. When these came out, it seemed like a big win: Cool looking, 34" scale, offset lightweight P/J. I don't like the B & B look, but I bet it wouldn't be hard to sell the neck or trade for a MIM Jazz neck...
Unfortunately, the one I tried at the local GC felt really heavy. Heavier than a couple of P and Js that were nearby. Maybe my feel for weighing things is off, but if you're looking for ultra lightweight: Try before you buy.
Other than the weight, the bass played pretty well. The pickups were very hot. I can see this bass being a good candidate for some replacement pups if you're looking for a more mellow tone.
Does anyone know what strings are standard on this bass? Are they Fender strings? The stock string really sucked and I'm not usually picky about strings. I want to make sure never to buy a set!
The rounds that came stock on my American Standard P are actually pretty nice.
Unfortunately, the one I tried at the local GC felt really heavy. Heavier than a couple of P and Js that were nearby. Maybe my feel for weighing things is off, but if you're looking for ultra lightweight: Try before you buy.
Other than the weight, the bass played pretty well. The pickups were very hot. I can see this bass being a good candidate for some replacement pups if you're looking for a more mellow tone.
Does anyone know what strings are standard on this bass? Are they Fender strings? The stock string really sucked and I'm not usually picky about strings. I want to make sure never to buy a set!
The rounds that came stock on my American Standard P are actually pretty nice.
I finally got my hands on one of these at my local Guitar Center. I've been on the hunt for a lightweight bass, thinking maybe I'd get a Mustang. When these came out, it seemed like a big win: Cool looking, 34" scale, offset lightweight P/J. I don't like the B & B look, but I bet it wouldn't be hard to sell the neck or trade for a MIM Jazz neck...
Unfortunately, the one I tried at the local GC felt really heavy. Heavier than a couple of P and Js that were nearby. Maybe my feel for weighing things is off, but if you're looking for ultra lightweight: Try before you buy.
Other than the weight, the bass played pretty well. The pickups were very hot. I can see this bass being a good candidate for some replacement pups if you're looking for a more mellow tone.
Does anyone know what strings are standard on this bass? Are they Fender strings? The stock string really sucked and I'm not usually picky about strings. I want to make sure never to buy a set!
I've posted about these strings in the STRINGS section on TB.
But the 7250 NPS Fender strings are from a conglomerate of producers - even fender's own string winders in Mexico.
You just got (maybe) some of the nastier sets that are so-called 'Fender".
The 7250 NPSs I got on my Jaguar are so nice that I've left them there. The OTHER 7250s I've gotten this past year on new Fender & Squier basses are all over the board for quality and sound and only lived long enough to get the bass home and replace them with Elixir Nanos.
The weight on my Jaguar is exactly 8lbs, and that's 2ounces less than my SR500. Go figger!
Thanks for the info. 8 lbs. would probably work for me. I have two guitars that weigh in at 8 lbs. and unless I've had a really bad day, that's not too heavy. My P Bass is 8 lbs 10 oz. and some days, it's just a little too heavy.
Maybe I need to do more pushups... I'd bet the VM I tried was more around 9 lbs, but estimating weight just by picking things up is darn near impossible.Interesting about the strings. The ones on the Squier I tried felt, well, like the grooves in between the windings were deeper than they should be. Not smooth, you know?
Been there with some of those cloned 7250s.
Some are pure junk - others are only half junk. But then again, one set out of four was really great. I swear I can see the core on one set through the windings.
In fact I was just playing my Toby Keith songbook with those exact strings and they sounded g o o d !
Some are pure junk - others are only half junk. But then again, one set out of four was really great. I swear I can see the core on one set through the windings.
In fact I was just playing my Toby Keith songbook with those exact strings and they sounded g o o d !
Does anyone know how this bass compares with the Squier P-Bass Special? Also, is the neck on the Jag a J or P?
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
The neck is no thinner that any other Jazz bass. I don't know how these rumors get started - but it is the same.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
wrong.
the two that i tried at GC were thinner than a standard USA RI jazz bass (or any vintage jazz bass). it was about the same size as the CIJ jag neck (also very thin). the VM 77 jazz bass has a very small one on it too.
I've got a VM Jazz & and another Deluxe and another VM Jag and another RI right here and they all have the same neck dimensions.
The RI is going out the door right now - practice is over - but they are exactly the same dimensions.
I don't care what you tried at GC - you are wrong.
JAZZ necks as measured right here and with my calipers are:::
TOP NUT = 1.5"
STRING WIDTH at top nut = 1.212"
12th FRET WIRE = 2.225"
STRING WIDTH at 12th FRET WIRE= 1.780"
That's every stinking JAZZ neck in the place at the moment.
Now comes a few C/Ps from the Official Fender Site and then some GC specs too:::
Here's the Victor Bailey ::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the Reggie Hamilton::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the Geddy Lee::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the AV '75 Jazz::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the American Standard Jazz::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass '77::: 1.5"
Show me where I am wrong.
The RI is going out the door right now - practice is over - but they are exactly the same dimensions.
I don't care what you tried at GC - you are wrong.
JAZZ necks as measured right here and with my calipers are:::
TOP NUT = 1.5"
STRING WIDTH at top nut = 1.212"
12th FRET WIRE = 2.225"
STRING WIDTH at 12th FRET WIRE= 1.780"
That's every stinking JAZZ neck in the place at the moment.
Now comes a few C/Ps from the Official Fender Site and then some GC specs too:::
Here's the Victor Bailey ::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the Reggie Hamilton::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the Geddy Lee::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the AV '75 Jazz::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the American Standard Jazz::: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Here's the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass '77::: 1.5"
Show me where I am wrong.
The only difference I could detect between the Squier Jaguar neck and the Fender Standard Jazz neck was the finish.
The Jazz had a glossy type finish vs. the satin finish on the Jaguar.
Maybe that's what makes people think one is thicker than the other?
The Jazz had a glossy type finish vs. the satin finish on the Jaguar.
Maybe that's what makes people think one is thicker than the other?
What's the neck dive like? I have an SX jag that isn't made of nice light agathis and, while it's an absolute joy to play sitting down, it has neck dive from hell. It's still a huge problem even using a really wide "high-friction" strap.
Does the lighter body or some subtle difference in design give the squire good balance?
Does the lighter body or some subtle difference in design give the squire good balance?
