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Squier VM Jaguar Bass

#361
ok boys and girls, I just got home with my squire jag bass and pulled out my fender jag out of the closet, put them side by side, took all the neck measurements with calipers to nearest tenth.
Here they are (Fender vs Squier):
Neck Shape @ nut to 1st fret: C(Fe) / V(Sq)
Width @ nut: 38.2mm for both
Width @ 1st fret: 40.0mm(Fe) / 39.7mm(Sq)
Width @ 12th fret: 56.7mm(Fe) / 56.6mm(Sq)
Width @ 20th fret: 63.3mm(Fe) / 63.4mm(Sq)
Thickness @ 1st fret: 21.5mm(Fe) / 21.0mm(Sq)
Thickness @ 12th fret: 25.0mm(Fe) / 23.5mm(Sq)
Neck Heel: @ ~15fret(Fe) / between 14th & 15th frets(Sq)
Fretboard: Rosewood Natural(Fe) / Rosewood ebony stained(Sq)
Inlays: Aged Pearl Blocks(Fe) / Fresh Pearl Blocks(Sq)
Neck finish: Glossy aged look (Fe) / Natural unfinished(Sq)
Tuners: MIJ style(Fe) / Mexi style(Sq)

I put them side by side, and both line up flush on top of the other, same headstock shape and pattern, same neck lenght, same body contours and length, same neck pocket and screw alignment, pickguard screw patterns are identical at the lower half, the top half has a varied pattern from both models due to different shaping of the pickguard on the fender, the top has a few extra screws around the top active plate controls. Jack and control knob plates are identically cut out and placed, bridges are identically lined up. the bridge pickups are however differently alligned. the Squier bridge J is a tad bit closer to the pickguard. Also the Squier's pickup screws are black, where the fender's are chrome.
Squier's neck plate is the same as Fender's except it has a Squier logo imprinted into the plate.

Comparing them, I'd say Squier is the more versatile bass. neck is thinner and more comfortable and stays more consistent in thickness than Fender's. The thinness also allows for more flexibility over the fender's stiffy neck. So you can actually bend in the neck a bit more for that slight drop tune kinda like a whammy tremolo immitation. Tone is amazing on the Squier, it's just great all around. Don't get me wrong the Fender is a sweet model as well, but it seems to lack some characteristics of tonallity that it was made for, and quite honestly it's a bit too quiet when running as passive as opposed to the Squier's high output pups and they're all passive. Pretty sweet stuff, just need to drop the action a bit and it's gold! Hope this answers some of your questions regarding comparison of the two and their specs....oh and before I forget Squier has the Mexi style bridge as well, Fender has the MIJ bridge.
 

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#364
johnk_10 said:
on the ones that i've played the body thickness on the squiers is thinner than the CIJ jag. as far as tones, i'm the opposite of you, since i find the CIJ jag to be more versatile.
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You might be right about the difference in thickness, I prefer thinner necks and bodies, and the squire does seem a bit more comfortable to hold. I totally overlooked body thickness. Not something I took notice of when putting them side by side. I'll confirm that later tonight.
 
#365
Ok, so I got the body thickness confirmed finally. Squier measured 40.8mm / Fender measured 42.8. Guess you're right about the thickness. Weight-wise, they're about the same. Both have maple necks, Squier has the thinner one so its neck must be lighter a tad bit from the Fender neck. Squier's thinner agathis body then must have higher density to make up for the volume when compared to the Fender's thicker less dense basswood body. So Squier is less neck heavy and more body heavy vs Fender's higher neck mass and smaller body density. This would explain why Fender seems to neck dive more easily than the Squier. Squier sits very well on a strap, but still not as good as a Fender P-bass.
 
#368
plankspanker13 said:
Went to GC with my 15% off coupon in-tow, intending to start working on re-doing my amplification. After a decade plus with Genz, I am GASing for some MarkBass gear. I love what their combo 1x12 and extension cab sound like as a mini-stack.

Progress on the amp will have to wait. I was so taken with the Jaguar, which was perfectly set up, and sounded awesome. This is a perfect "beater gig" bass for me, although my JB2s still see most live action.
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That's exactly it - for 300 dollars you really can't go far wrong. And this bass is really nice enough to be your main bass on top of it. But it is a great beater bass where you aren't out much if anything happens. Seems to me it will last for years, it's like everyone is saying, the thing looks great, and plays and sounds great, I went to GC over my lunch today just to play one, it was better than expected especially for the price tag.

Is it a 62 Precision? No, but it's not 5 or 10 grand either. But I think it could give any bass a run that costs 2 or 3 times as much. These are the real deal and a great deal.
 
#369
drnknmstr said:
My rants were about the self-confidence issues. I'm just it's not the only thing that is effected in terms of name and brand recognition. I think those things can matter deeply.

Regardless, I'm gonna buy one as a backup to my Nordy. I saw the Jag at GC and fell in love!
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Personally I couldn't care less what the gear snobs think. If they can afford to spend 10 grand for that 62 mint precision and want to do it, more power to them. I can get a great sound for 300 bucks, and if someone steals it or it gets totalled, I can replace it tomorrow, which you can't do with the 62 precision so easily. If some drunk spills beer on it, at most I'm out 300 bucks. And if it makes them feel better about themselves to run others down, well that says more about them than me, in my opinion.
 
#370
This thing is the best 300 dollar bass I've ever seen. I checked the frets, no sprouts, looked as good as any bass I've seen (and better than some that cost twice as much). I'm seriously thinking of buying it. I have a few others I like, but this one is good enough, and cheap enough, that it really is almost a no-brainer.
 
#371
drnknmstr said:
it's not the only thing that is effected in terms of name and brand recognition. I think those things can matter deeply.
Click to expand...

Look at what happened to Peavey. In the mid-90's, they began to witness a change in their brand association among consumers, due to better QC and innovative products. The Axcelerator bass of 1994 was the pioneer of mid-priced active basses, and opened the door for many of the nice instruments that we see in the $400-800US price range today.

These days, Peavey USA products enjoy a good name. Squier is going through a similar transition. Their products of the last few years have been eye-openingly, game-changingly great. If anything, the only brand that seems to have stagnated, in terms of recognition and reputation, would be Ibanez, IMHO.
 
#375
LilloEsquilo said:
This thing is the best 300 dollar bass I've ever seen. I checked the frets, no sprouts, looked as good as any bass I've seen (and better than some that cost twice as much). I'm seriously thinking of buying it. I have a few others I like, but this one is good enough, and cheap enough, that it really is almost a no-brainer.
Click to expand...

After reading all the reviews, I'm thinking of getting one of these, probably after Christmas (depends on how the finances are looking).

What do people think of the stock bridge? Good enough, or worth replacing with a BA II or something?
 
#376
invader3k said:
After reading all the reviews, I'm thinking of getting one of these, probably after Christmas (depends on how the finances are looking).

What do people think of the stock bridge? Good enough, or worth replacing with a BA II or something?
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Still waiting on some feedback on BAII on this bass. The general consensus seems to be that it may be too heavy of a bridge, and may effect the sound to its detriment. I think a lot depends on what you're using it for. If you do a lot of slapping and popping, BAII may well be a no-brainer. If you play classic rock, you might want to hold off. The current bridge is the same as on MIM Fenders, I believe. BAII does look damn good on virtually everything though.
 
#378
C.Linton said:
Just my opinion, but I think BA II's are overrated, and the stock bridge on the Squiers is perfectly fine.
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I think the standard bridges would be fine if only the saddles weren't as prone to unwanted movement; I'd love to find a bridge with similar mass to te stock Fender but with grooves for the saddle height screws. I have a BAII on one bass and it's nice and easy to adjust but it may change the sound too much.
 

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