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Squier VM: "Natural 70" vs "black 77"

sotua

sotua

Sep 20, 2004
1,657
1,344
Somewhere in time
#1
Hi,

I'm buying one of these basses, sight unseen, and without the opportunity to return them (I'm saving 50% by having a friend bring it over from the USA - but at the cost of warranty and all that, if I don't like it I have to suck it up or sell it locally).

I've so far researched all posts around here, looked at a gazillion videos in youtube, and both seem very impressive. Solid tone, capable of a good snarl, versatile. My tone needs are pretty much rock and a bit of funk (currently in a cover band with stuff from STP, RHCP, Rush, Faith No More, Spin doctors, 90s rock mostly). I use nickel roundwounds (DR Sunbeams) so that there's the bite but also warmth.

What I would like to hear is opinions from people who have actually heard-played both of them as to their differences. Specs-wise it's just the body wood and the finish, but I've heard all kinds of tones from the videos. The natural one looks prettier on the stock photos, the black one looks prettier on video (it looks like the natural wood doesn't look really good under the finish, kind of dull? I don't know).

So, that. Please help! My friend is leaving soon so I have to give him very detailed instructions of what to get - he's a drummer, after all ;)
 
#4
sotua said:
Hi,

. The natural one looks prettier on the stock photos, the black one looks prettier on video (it looks like the natural wood doesn't look really good under the finish, kind of dull? I don't know).
Click to expand...

I would disagree with that , at least if mine is any indication. The wood grain on mine, while not outrageously deep, is very nice. Very pretty. Overall, IMO, a gorgeous bass.
As to your primary question I have no definitive answer, as I have never played the black one, but I assume they are pretty much the same as the only real differences are in the cosmetics, and the body wood, which I really doubt makes them substantially different as far as tone goes. I'd say they are about the same, you should probably just get whichever one appeals to you the most visually.
 
#6
C.Linton said:
I would disagree with, at least if mine is any indication. The wood grain on mine, while not outrageously deep, is very nice. Very pretty. Overall, IMO, a gorgeous bass.
As to your primary question I have no definitive answer, as I have never played the black one, but I assume they are pretty much the same as the only real differences are in the cosmetics, and the body wood, which I really doubt makes them substantially differentas far as tone goes. I'd say they are about the same, you should probably just get whichever one appeals to you the most visually.
Click to expand...

Thank you! This is good information, as I said, I only have youtube videos to go by or the squier stock photos, and I suspect the youtube videos don't make it justice.
 
#7
Ok I own and owned a few of the Natural ones and I really like them actually.

I love the look of the black ones and the are supposedly made from soft maple as well but they all feel lighter then the natural ones. The natural ones feels like I'm playing a mids 70 northern heavy ash bass. The blacks ones dont, they are nice but just don't feel like a 70's J bass.
 
#8
Just bought a natural/ natural VM Squire Jazz. Did my homework. It did need set up badly and took a couple of truss rod adjustments over a few days but now I love it. Plays great, sounds great and even looks cool..... I spent 296.79 out the door at GC. If you live close to a GC the extanded warranty even covers ACCIDENTS and will give you a new bass OR a gift card usable toward anything in the store. Wanna upgrade later they will let you trade up during the warranty. seriously cool but 60 bucks extra...
 
#9
I used to own the natural one. I shopped around a lot to find one that I thought had nice grain. IMO, if you are going to buy "sight unseen", I would opt for the black '77. I sold the natural one to a friend, once the black '77 came out... Really though, they are both dead sexy. I can see myself snapping up another natural '70 one day if the right one comes along.
 
#10
basswave said:
Ok I own and owned a few of the Natural ones and I really like them actually.

I love the look of the black ones and the are supposedly made from soft maple as well but they all feel lighter then the natural ones. The natural ones feels like I'm playing a mids 70 northern heavy ash bass. The blacks ones dont, they are nice but just don't feel like a 70's J bass.
Click to expand...

Nope, agathis on the black one.
 
#12
C.Linton said:
I would disagree with that , at least if mine is any indication. The wood grain on mine, while not outrageously deep, is very nice. Very pretty. Overall, IMO, a gorgeous bass...
Click to expand...

i always thought this was a really great example of just how great the wood can look in the natural basses. i miss this thing :crying:
 

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#18
I've played both, back to back in at least one case, through the same amp, with identical settings and...I can't say that I noticed much of a difference in sound between the two. Really, they both sounded and played like solid J basses. My ear is not good enough to tell you there was a difference in tone between one and the other, because of different body woods or strings or whatever.

IMO, the natural maple looks nicer than the black '77. I don't like the pearl blocks on the '77 maple fingerboard, so that pretty much does it for me. Again, sound-wise they're pretty much the same, so I think your choice comes down to aesthetics.
 
#20
I've played them both...well, I've played 3 or 4 of the natural ones and only one of the black '77s. Bear in mind I'm more of a P guy, but I do love and appreciate a good Jazz.

My personal preference was for the black. I can't really tell you why. I didn't play them back to back, but spread out over a couple of years and different parts of the country.

I liked the natural ones I played but the black one I played haunted my dreams for a few days. It may have been the setup, the strings it came with, I don't know. I don't recall the sound being vastly different from one model to the other, and I actually prefer the looks of the natural one, but the black one I played just felt great. I kept kicking around the idea of snagging it.
 

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