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Squier VM Jaguar - Short Scale vs Regular Scale

M

mtl777

Sep 12, 2011
7
0
#1
Hey guys, I am a guitarist and have never owned a bass. I need to record bass lines for my song and would now like to use a real bass rather than a synth triggering bass samples that I used to do before. Based on what I've read on this forum, I have pretty much decided on buying a Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar as my first bass. I will be using it only for recording, not live for now.

I'm seeing that there's a short scale (30") and a regular scale (34") version of the VM Jaguar. What's the difference in their sound? Is there a big difference? Which one sounds better and which one would you recommend for my intended use (recording)? Being a guitarist and a beginner at bass, I would prefer the short scale as it's probably more easy to play, but I'm wondering if I'm sacrificing sound quality for playability.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
 
#4
Another review I saw said that the SS model has "Squier standard" pups while the regular scale model has "Duncan designed" pups. Their pups are different then.

The review also said that the J pup of the SS is rather lackluster. If I replace the J pup of the SS with a better pup like a DiMarzio Area J, would the SS now stand up to the regular scale model?

Would you advise buying the SS and replacing its J pup, or just buy the regular scale model and not have to replace the J pup? And BTW, is the J pup of the regular scale model good and does not need to be replaced?

Thanks again!
 
#5
They have different pups.

While i AM a fan of shortscales... the 34" is gig-worthy out of the box, while i wasn't impressed with the 30". In fact i just saw a band with a bass player playing the 34" VM Jag, and it sounded fantastic!!

On the other hand... i wouldn't really want to gig the shorty Jag without a pickup replacement. At LEAST a J replacement.

YMMV, of course. The 30" Jag is a GREAT platform for modding though. I was looking at one a couple months ago, and i ended up opting for an SX shortscale Jag, and i'm happy i did ;)
 
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#6
The pickups on the original VM Jaguar are really good. Never tried the short scale, so I can't comment on those.

And the neck on the VM Jaguar is really nice and fast, probably the fastest neck I have played even though it had some bad fret buzzing at some spots, that's the only complaint I have of mine...
 
#7
Having owned both I'll say that the regular one with the neck blocks is superior. The ss is fine especially for the price, but the pickups and tuning keys are of cheaper quality. The j pickup is weak. If you crank both, you get a nice blend. If you're planning to record some j-heavy funk disco kind of stuff you're going to want a new bridge pu. Anything else and you're fine.
 
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#8
IME, the short scale VM Jags that I've played all had mediocre pickups, and they sounded rather weak and flat.

IME, the standard scale, original VM Jags that I've played all had very solid pickups, and they sounded quite good.

Unless you're stuck on the scale length, the $299 you would spend on the full size VM Jaguar is probably less than you would spend on the shorty with some pickup upgrades (and I would replace both, not just the bridge J...but that's me).

This is not to say that you couldn't find a short scale Jag that sounded great - there are many Jag SS owners on TB that love their basses, so some of them must sound good.

Also, don't let the 34" scale intimidate you. If you have the chance to play a standard scale next to a shorty, you can better decide for yourself which one really fits you (and your playing needs).
 
#9
Cool! Thanks everyone! Advice well taken and really appreciated. I went to GC yesterday and got me a new VM Jag 34". Woo-hoo! The reviews are right. It sounds great! A real steal for the price.

I found out that there are actually three versions: VM Jag 34" with Duncan designed pups for $299, VM Jag 34" with Squier pups for $199, and VM Jag SS with Squier pups for $169. I bought the one with Duncan designed pups. It's the best. The other two were meh in comparison. To anyone wanting to buy a VM Jag, make sure to get the 34" with Duncan designed pups and two concentric volume/tone pots (the cheaper versions have four separate pots). I believe it comes in only one color - black. The additional $ is worth it, and I don't see the need to change the pups. The only thing is the action, which is a bit high, but that can be easily fixed with a setup. Which brings me to my next question:

Do you guys setup your bass yourself or do you take it to an expert? Is it easy to do? Could you please give me a link to good instructions for setting up a bass?

Thanks again!
 
#10
I purchased a longscale jaguar a month ago, the vm with the stacked volume/tone knobs & duncan pickups! Its one hot bass, great tone,great sound,low action, beautiful maple neck, well balanced,etc. I cant believe it was only $300. A steal for sure!
 
#11
I wish that there were a 4-hole Jaguar Bass control plate available, as I am one of those funny souls who wants to put standard J-style controls on his passive black VM Jag. Might have to post this in the SS Jag Club thread, and see if there are any takers, but that would involve complete control-plate swaps, and not everyone is handy with a soldering iron.
 
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#12
plankspanker13 said:
I wish that there were a 4-hole Jaguar Bass control plate available, as I am one of those funny souls who wants to put standard J-style controls on his passive black VM Jag. Might have to post this in the SS Jag Club thread, and see if there are any takers, but that would involve complete control-plate swaps, and not everyone is handy with a soldering iron.
Click to expand...

Just a thought...couldn't you remove the concentric pots, replace them with minis, and drill a new hole in your existing control plate? It looks like you might have just enough room to add another pot once you ditch the stacked knobs. That way you could run a V/V/T setup using your stock plate.

I'm not so sure that the shorty Jag control plate would be a direct swap on the full scale Jag. The control plates look similar, but are they really the same?

Don't mean to hijack the thread - just pointing something out.
 
#14
Brendan5 said:
Having owned both I'll say that the regular one with the neck blocks is superior. The ss is fine especially for the price, but the pickups and tuning keys are of cheaper quality. The j pickup is weak. If you crank both, you get a nice blend. If you're planning to record some j-heavy funk disco kind of stuff you're going to want a new bridge pu. Anything else and you're fine.
Click to expand...

+1, the other option that was mentioned in the Jag SS club thread would be to raise the J pup and drop the P pup till they match. I'm just going to replace mine, but I have to wait for Christmas to get them. :(
 

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