Thoughts on Squire Basses for Professional Musicians?

[audioglenn]

I've got a bunch of them and have no problem using them at gigs/sessions. If the name is a problem for you, just take the decal off and say it's a custom made bass.

 

[jblmusic1994]

Well Squier basses tend to be inferior. And worse than that, most band leaders, guitarists, and those holding auditions know that a player with a Squier shows that he is not a serious player because a serious player would own a serious instrument. Does Victor Wooten play Squier? No. He plays Fodera. Serious and professional.

My experience is that generally speaking Squier basses on average tend to be inferior. Tonewood is less than optimum as are many other things. However, since I actually own a Squier and play it, let me say that basses are made out of trees and no two trees are alike. The bottom line is that if you start looking, absolute killer "keeper" Squiers exist. Also absolute dead spot dog God awful USA Fenders exist. I've played BOTH kinds.

So what are my thoughts? My thoughts are if you don't have the experience and knowledge to tell a good bass from a bad one, you DO NOT want a Squier. You'll have to try them all and find "the one".

And as for professional and serious musician playing Squier, that means that you MUST be good enough that you can whip out a fender-shaped headstock (which is a plus by the way) that says Squier on it and then have what it takes to DARE anyone to question that. If you have that many hairs on your butt then maybe Squier is for you.

The serious pros I know who gig with Squire (and Ibanez) have what it takes to cut down any other player, they've got hand-picked and hand-tweaked instruments that put any boutique to shame and they've got the attitude (with whatever it takes to back it up) to DARE anyone to question their choice of instrument.

So what you have to ask yourself is are you that serious and professional?

I someone shows up to a band tryout with a First Act bass with Wooten's skill, he is going to get the job.. If a person that's played for 2 months shows up with a Fodera, he won't get the job. A good 80% of the bands I've seen in my local area have one or the other. They either have no musicality and little skill with expensive instruments, or they have excellent musicianship and ****** equipment.

 

[Woodchuck]

Well Squier basses tend to be inferior. And worse than that, most band leaders, guitarists, and those holding auditions know that a player with a Squier shows that he is not a serious player because a serious player would own a serious instrument. Does Victor Wooten play Squier? No. He plays Fodera. Serious and professional.

My experience is that generally speaking Squier basses on average tend to be inferior. Tonewood is less than optimum as are many other things. However, since I actually own a Squier and play it, let me say that basses are made out of trees and no two trees are alike. The bottom line is that if you start looking, absolute killer "keeper" Squiers exist. Also absolute dead spot dog God awful USA Fenders exist. I've played BOTH kinds.

So what are my thoughts? My thoughts are if you don't have the experience and knowledge to tell a good bass from a bad one, you DO NOT want a Squier. You'll have to try them all and find "the one".

And as for professional and serious musician playing Squier, that means that you MUST be good enough that you can whip out a fender-shaped headstock (which is a plus by the way) that says Squier on it and then have what it takes to DARE anyone to question that. If you have that many hairs on your butt then maybe Squier is for you.

The serious pros I know who gig with Squire (and Ibanez) have what it takes to cut down any other player, they've got hand-picked and hand-tweaked instruments that put any boutique to shame and they've got the attitude (with whatever it takes to back it up) to DARE anyone to question their choice of instrument.

So what you have to ask yourself is are you that serious and professional?

 

[Dos Inus]

I learned about 16 years ago, it's not the bass, but the bassist.


I have a squire VM jazz as well as a Fender US standard. Seriously, try them out, in your hands. Close your eyes and don't look at the headstock or the price tag, choose the one with the sound you like, then look at the name. I was amazed at the sound of my VM when playing it at GC, and dare I say it (Dare! Dare!) I actually prefer to grab the VM over the US Standard.

I bet most of us, if completely blinded during an A/B on sound alone, would agree the VM sounds good.

 

[kai_ski]

The current bassist for the beach boys plays one of those 32" scale "baby" Squier precisions from the 80's. I don't think you can get much more pro than that.

 

[Baird6869]

I know a great player that plays a Squier almost always. Same bass for decades.

He is a local dude but is in Honeymoon Suite, plays with Sass Jordan, Alana Myles, Helix, The Guess Who, etc.

Great player and I rarely see him play anything other than his Squier.

Stan Miczek.

 

[kbaxter26]

I learned about 16 years ago, it's not the bass, but the bassist.


I have a squire VM jazz as well as a Fender US standard. Seriously, try them out, in your hands. Close your eyes and don't look at the headstock or the price tag, choose the one with the sound you like, then look at the name. I was amazed at the sound of my VM when playing it at GC, and dare I say it (Dare! Dare!) I actually prefer to grab the VM over the US Standard.

I bet most of us, if completely blinded during an A/B on sound alone, would agree the VM sounds good.

Agree 100% with this statement. Every Saturday I go to HC and Elderly's and play as many Jazz basses as possible. I have yet to find one that is better than my Squier VM 77. Two, both MIM's are close. Just the feel and, oh those Duncan Designed pups. I Love my Squier. That being said...I still want one that says Fender, why 'old school, at 49 all I knew I wanted when I was MUCH younger was a Fender Jazz. Never have owned one. I trust someday I will find a Fender better than my Squier. But, until then I will not spend all that HARD earned cash on something JUST for the name.

 

[Bent77]

I have yet to find one that is better than my Squier VM 77.

I trust someday I will find a Fender better than my Squier. But, until then I will not spend all that HARD earned cash on something JUST for the name.

These two statements are why I bought a squier. Played over 50 basses, mostly "name brand" in
six months. And had budgeted enough to buy whatever. Still bought a squier. Maybe a Lakland or Sadowsky but ouch on the price

 

[No Malarky]

I would use a 2x4 with rubberbands stretched on it if it gave me the sound I was looking for.

 

[antonspon]

Phew, what's in a name? I have 2 Rickenbackers, a Gibson and an Ernie Ball MusicMan...all great, as they should be. I also have a Gretsch Electromatic, which is every bit as good sounding and playing as my "professional" basses (actually better than the Gibson, in fact!), and at the moment I find myself GASsing over, of all things, a Peavey Grind bass (because it's so different to the others I have, and it really felt amazing when I tried it)!

If the Squier does what you want it to do, and does it as well as or better than something that costs 5 times as much, then you'd probably be an idiot NOT to buy and use it.

 

[Mastermold]

It's not entirely the bass. The bassist plays a key role too. Squiers are fine for pros.

Great band, thanks for sharing that! (Too bad the bone player didn't know where the camera was)

 

[klejst]

Great instruments. Just played a Squier Jazz bass yesterday, and it was great. If that is the choice your finances would prefer, then go for it.

+1


There are pro's who do use Squier's. Matt Freeman is one that comes to mind who uses a Squier a lot, granted it is also his own sig model

 

[topo morto]

Squier is simply a brand name that has been stuck on a whole bunch of different instruments from a whole bunch of factories over the years with varying levels of quality and QC.

Disliking Squier because of variable quality makes some sense (though is no reason to dislike a good instrument bearing the brand)

Disliking Squier because they are poor quality makes no sense whatsoever.

Disliking Squier because you don't like the word 'Squier' is fine.

Personally what with all these 'pawn shop' things coming into fashion I reckon Squier is a cooler brand than Fender at the moment. The current line of Squiers made in Indonesia are well-made IME/O.

 

[TJBass]

Sand off the headstock decal and design your own, when they ask you what your playing tell them you custom designed every aspect of the bass and spent thousands to get the perfect tone and playability. Then when you rock, they will have no concerns about your abilities!
Invalid Link Removed

 

[Bassman7PM]

I just don't get the trashing of the Squire name. I recently bought an Active Jazz V with Sadowsky Noiseless PUPs and it sounds and plays like a bass three times the cost. One of buddies has a Fender AM Jazz V and was totally blown away by my Squire. I saw Victor Wooten in a clinic last year and Anthony Wellington needed a bass to trade chops with Victor, so I loaned him my Lakland 55-01 stock. In his hands he made my bass sound like a super expensive custom bass. A great player can make almost any bass sound great so why not Squire which IMHO makes some pretty decent basses.

 

[Bassbubble11]

I gig my Squiers ALL the time. Don't know if I'm considered a
professional but I do get paid to play originals so I guess I am
as close to being a pro as I'll ever get.

Squiers can be great instruments. They are like any other bass.
Besides the guy playing the bass is what's important not so much
the bass.

Gigging my VM Jazz with a SSF neck.

Gigging my CV 60's P.

I also gig my VM Jaq as well (seen here with it's siblings).

 

[cfsporn]

If it is okay for me to own the collection I have and never gig, it is perfectly fine for someone with gigs to play a Squire. As long as they like it, and it sounds good, the name on the headstock means nothing.

 

[Commreman]

Here's mine on a pro gig yesterday. It sounds huge with flats and plays very well. BTW, my other basses include an MIA FSR Jazz, a '64 P, you get the picture. Squiers are really good basses, especially for what you pay for them. YMMV, IMHO, etc....

 

[Jookbox]

Well Squier basses tend to be inferior. And worse than that, most band leaders, guitarists, and those holding auditions know that a player with a Squier shows that he is not a serious player because a serious player would own a serious instrument. Does Victor Wooten play Squier? No. He plays Fodera. Serious and professional.

My experience is that generally speaking Squier basses on average tend to be inferior. Tonewood is less than optimum as are many other things. However, since I actually own a Squier and play it, let me say that basses are made out of trees and no two trees are alike. The bottom line is that if you start looking, absolute killer "keeper" Squiers exist. Also absolute dead spot dog God awful USA Fenders exist. I've played BOTH kinds.

So what are my thoughts? My thoughts are if you don't have the experience and knowledge to tell a good bass from a bad one, you DO NOT want a Squier. You'll have to try them all and find "the one".

And as for professional and serious musician playing Squier, that means that you MUST be good enough that you can whip out a fender-shaped headstock (which is a plus by the way) that says Squier on it and then have what it takes to DARE anyone to question that. If you have that many hairs on your butt then maybe Squier is for you.

The serious pros I know who gig with Squire (and Ibanez) have what it takes to cut down any other player, they've got hand-picked and hand-tweaked instruments that put any boutique to shame and they've got the attitude (with whatever it takes to back it up) to DARE anyone to question their choice of instrument.

So what you have to ask yourself is are you that serious and professional?

I'm a noob and so far I see professional Squier players with gig pics. Can we see an example of your setup? I just want to see what a true rockstar plays.

 

[Jookbox]

And why after all these years does a frigging bass forum's spell check underline "Squier" as being misspelled?

The spell check is a feature of your browser. Just right click the word and add to the dictionary.