Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Thoughts on Squire Basses for Professional Musicians?
- Thread starter blues_bassist
- Start date
Yep
I sound like me regardless of whether I'm playing my 64P, a Squier P, a Dano Longhorn, or whatever....that's why I don't worry about it so much...play what makes me happy
This,
However, I will say that the wood quality in the neck and body (agathis is not very resonant) especially the woods used to assemble the necks are not "aged" well. For the most part they are pretty "green/raw". This could cause the neck to warp with greater instances, down the road as well as have a higher chance of having dead spots.
With that said, I have modified my share (upwards of 50 or more) of Squier basses (of all makes, models and years) and I can tell you that as long as the pickups and tone circuits are upgraded (insert your fav's here_________) and the necks are "seasoned" (at least a year old or older and the frets have been leveled, crowned, dressed and polished and the fret board edges have been rolled) a Squier bass can and will often sound and play as good, if not better than any "high end" bass on the market and will cost you less than 1/3 of most brands out there.
Now, keep in mind, that all of what I said above would require a decent tech to accomplish. I have also seen a ton basses come through my shop with hack jobs on the frets as well as poorly installed circuits that actually made the instrument worse.
but above all, I agree: "TONE" does come from your fingers. Technique, IMO, is easily 99% of the battle.
Cheers.
However, I will say that the wood quality in the neck and body (agathis is not very resonant) especially the woods used to assemble the necks are not "aged" well. For the most part they are pretty "green/raw". This could cause the neck to warp with greater instances, down the road as well as have a higher chance of having dead spots.
With that said, I have modified my share (upwards of 50 or more) of Squier basses (of all makes, models and years) and I can tell you that as long as the pickups and tone circuits are upgraded (insert your fav's here_________) and the necks are "seasoned" (at least a year old or older and the frets have been leveled, crowned, dressed and polished and the fret board edges have been rolled) a Squier bass can and will often sound and play as good, if not better than any "high end" bass on the market and will cost you less than 1/3 of most brands out there.
Now, keep in mind, that all of what I said above would require a decent tech to accomplish. I have also seen a ton basses come through my shop with hack jobs on the frets as well as poorly installed circuits that actually made the instrument worse.
but above all, I agree: "TONE" does come from your fingers. Technique, IMO, is easily 99% of the battle.
Cheers.
Squier instruments, not Squier pickups.
Re. Omar and Jimmy - I think we have vastly different ideas what the term "name musician" means.
Not true. A crummy bass will still sound crummy, no matter who is playing it. That's why the vast vast vasts majority of pros don't play crummy basses.
Aand again, you're wrong. The studio pro who is my bass tech (has been on over 100 albums since the 80s) can make the Squiers in my local shop sound amazing.
How about opening your mind to the possibility that not everything good needs to be expensive?
To each their own. Jimmie Vaughan is well respected, and Jimmy Pettit (Joe Ely's bassist) is respected as well.
Different strokes for different folks.
I definitely don't agree with this, but you're entitled to your opinion.
People think Danos are crummy instruments...they've always been inexpensive...and yet you hear them on albums by The Who, Led Zeppelin, NRBQ, etc. Same with many other "entry level" type instruments from Harmony, Silvertone, etc.
Yes, they're musicians. But I didn't ask for "musicians", I asked for NAME musicians.
How about you read what I wrote and not add things I didn't say. I never said Squiers were crummy basses. In general, they're decent enough. Leaps and bounds better than what was available 30+ years ago.
The statement "Tone. It's all in the hands", is absolutely not true.
Jimmy Vaughn doesn't play Squier guitars.
Jimmy Pettit isn't a "name player". If he was, you wouldn't have felt the need to toss around Joe Ely's name to identify him.
Who thinks Danos are crummy instruments? Danelectros were widely regarded as good instruments and a great value.
I don't think you understand what I mean when I say "crummy instrument". Try out some of the 60's and 70's Japanese and European imports. Pick up an early 70's Eko violin bass and try to make that sound good. Claypool couldn't do it, so if you're able to get a decent tone out of it, there's a feather in your cap.
I would say Omar and Jimmie are "name" musicians...from magazine covers to GRAMMY awards, I'd say that qualifies. And just because you don't like them, that certainly doesn't mean they aren't musicians. They make pretty decent livings by playing their own music, and sell out reasonable size venues when they play.
But I definitely understand on the Jimmie/pickup think...perhaps doesn't qualify.
So Omars accomplishments as a "name" musician...
Relationship of Command is now seen as one of the most influential rock albums of the decade, receiving accolades such as being ranked 47th in the 50 Greatest Albums of the 21st century in Kerrang!, number 83 on Spin Magazine's 100 Greatest Albums 19852005,[25] as well as number 90 on MTV2's greatest albums ever list
appeared on Later with Jools Holland, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and the Late Show with David Letterman
he and his fellow The Mars Volta bandmates won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Many people believe Danos are junk, so perhaps you're correct and I didn't understand your definition of crummy.
Personally I love Danos...I play my Longhorns regularly.
I'm a professional musician. Or at least, I do it for a living. I hang out with guys that do it for a living...I own a Squire Active J5. I'd take that thing anywhere and play it with anyone and nobody would care. They don't care if have my Sadowsky they don't care if I have my Tobias.
That whole gotta have this / gotta play that schtick is pretty low level attitude. Once you get past a point (and you want to get past it) nobody cares who makes what, all they care about is does it work and does it sound good. Buy it not because YOU like it or not.
The rest is just peer pressure and insecurity.
IMHO
I understood your statement. I used Squier as an example of an often thought to be crummy instrument.
Nice hiding behind ambiguity, though. Really helps to absolve you of anything you say, eh?
I see some of you are just never going to forgive Squier for making a Hello Kitty guitar but no proper Hello Kitty bass. Cause let's face it, Badtz Maru ain't no Hello Kitty.
