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Trying to decide which bass to get next

SoulRebel26

SoulRebel26

Guest
Jul 14, 2013
1
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#1
Hi guys and gals,

I am 16 years old, and have been playing since 13. I still have my first and only bass, a Squier P Bass. I am working again this summer, and will have a few hundred bucks to spend by the end. I definitely want a jazz bass, as I am a huge Rush/Geddy Lee fan, and like the tone Geddy has and the aesthetics of the J bass. I'm wondering if it is worth it to buy a good MIM j bass, or if it would suit my needs to buy a Squier modified vintage j bass. I'm in love with the black block inlays, and a maple fretboard would be a necessity for my next bass. Should I stay on the cheaper side and stick with Squier, or should I go for a MIM or MIJ, with the legit "Fender" label I've always wanted on my neck?
 
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#5
If the labels important I would go with the Fender. If not and you want to save a bit of bread
then their is absolutely no reason not to consider a Squier either a classic vibe or vintage modified.
Can't speak about the affinity series. Don't believe I have ever tried one.
 
#6
BazzTard said:
you know the answer.

While some Squiers are fantastic value,they are not better than an MIM Fender imho. Do you really think Fender can make a $300 instrument the same quality as their $900 instrument? If they could,they'd just duplicate the Squier and whack a Fender label on it
Click to expand...

With respect, I once had a Classic Vibe Jazz that was easily the equal of it's MIM counterparts. Maybe it was the Luck of the Draw or a Diamond in the Rough, but for whatever reason it kicked it something fierce. It made me stop using the "…for the price I paid" suffix as I found it to be a disservice to that beastly thing.

Call me kooky, but I've seen plenty of examples where sticker-cost does not equate to my personal sense of "playing satisfaction". There are winners and losers on many levels and categories…the trick is to find that "winner", make it yours and love it as best you can.
 
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#7
Malak the Mad said:
With respect, I once had a Classic Vibe Jazz that was easily the equal of it's MIM counterparts. Maybe it was the Luck of the Draw or a Diamond in the Rough, but for whatever reason it kicked it something fierce. It made me stop using the "…for the price I paid" suffix as I found it to be a disservice to that beastly thing.

Call me kooky, but I've seen plenty of examples where sticker-cost does not equate to my personal sense of "playing satisfaction". There are winners and losers on many levels and categories…the trick is to find that "winner", make it yours and love it as best you can.
Click to expand...
I totally agree. I've owned many basses over a forty something year period, at different price points
and my Squier CV 60's Pbass is one of the best. Hard to believe I only paid 200.00 for it.
 
#8
with respect Malak, you had a Squier that was better than any MIMs YOU tried. Just as you found a great Squier, there are great MIMs that rival MIAs.
It's a pointless excercise. I nearly bought a Squier,but then thought for $300 more I can have a real Fender. With much better resale value.
 
#9
BazzTard said:
with respect Malak, you had a Squier that was better than any MIMs YOU tried. Just as you found a great Squier, there are great MIMs that rival MIAs.
It's a pointless excercise. I nearly bought a Squier,but then thought for $300 more I can have a real Fender. With much better resale value.
Click to expand...

What I found was a great instrument, regardless of the label or the cost. Was it better than EVERY Mexican-made bass I've ever tried? Nope! That's why I said "….easily the equal of it's MIM counterparts".

Besides…and this is no slam at SoulRebel26…he's sixteen years old. Somehow I doubt "resale value" is his chief criteria. I'll even go as far as to hazard a guess that "looks great", "sounds awesome" and "something to love because I got it with my own, hard-earned dough" (y'know…all that "earning one's own sense of self-respect at an early age" stuff) are a bit higher up in his queue.

But you are right about one thing, it is a pointless exercise. So, why don't we simply agree to disagree, ja?
peace-sign-smiley-emoticon.gif


@SoulRebel26; From what you've described in your initial post, it sounds like a Squier Vintage Modified '70s Jazz would fit your budget and esthetic tastes. Also, there are a great number of extremely positive reviews for them, so odds are good that you could score a gem. And if you decide you wanna start tinkering with hardware and electronics, they're a pretty damn good platform to do it on without risking a ton of money. (I'm not talking "resale value", but more like "not trashing a $1000+ instrument")

Unfortunately…and please, if someone knows differently, let me know…the '70s J doesn't come in black with maple and black blocks. However, you could go two possible, alternate routes…the Invalid Link Removed emulates the look of Geddy's #1 bass…

Geddy-Lee-Ethan-Miller1.jpg


…or you could get a little more obscure and go for a Invalid Link Removed that harkens to his #2.

15065.jpg
 
#10
One thing to be aware of is the pickup position of the bridge pickup on Jazz basses. There is a pretty noticeable difference between the 70's position (closer to the bridge) than the standard position (further from the bridge). The 70's position is what Geddy and his signature basses have. Sound-wise the 70's position has a little more midrange bite.

As you will be comparing a number of Jazz basses it is worth knowing that this basic difference exists and can't really be changed by swapping pickups or other adjustments.
 
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#11
DigitalMan said:
One thing to be aware of is the pickup position of the bridge pickup on Jazz basses. There is a pretty noticeable difference between the 70's position (closer to the bridge) than the standard position (further from the bridge). The 70's position is what Geddy and his signature basses have. Sound-wise the 70's position has a little more midrange bite.

As you will be comparing a number of Jazz basses it is worth knowing that this basic difference exists and can't really be changed by swapping pickups or other adjustments.
Click to expand...

What he said! :thumbsup:

EDIT: To further expand upon my <ahem> utterly loquacious response… :rolleyes:

Yes, pickup placement can impact the overall sonic palette of a Jazz bass. That being said, a decent J will still be "snarly", "growly" and several other adjectives that escape my mind right now.

One way I've been able to squeeze a bit more aggressive tones out of an instrument is to pick the right strings. This, by the way, is also the easiest, if not cheapest, way to alter a bass' sound. I recently tried my first set of Rotosounds (Geddy's string of choice) and was quite impressed. But if I want to kick the ballsiness up a notch, I'll turn to D'Addario FlexSteels or my personal favorite, Ernie Ball Cobalts.

These are just some examples and your mileage may vary, but to quote a particular European bassist, "Sound starts at the strings".
 
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#16
GDUBS said:
My favorite thing about this thread is hearing that the OP is 16 and a huge rush fan!!!!
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Totally agree!!! I was having a conversation yesterday, with my band mates, about how some young people today aren't fortunate enough to know what music used to be like. Its almost refreshing to hear of a young adult that knows who Rush is, nonetheless members of the band.
Keep it up!!
 
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#17
Unless you are in immediate need, which you do not seem to be, figure out your budget, and then start looking used. Start playing different basses until you find one that speaks to you. Hopefully you can find a keeper.

New basses are pretty, but like cars, you pay a lot more for the fact that it is new.
 
#20
SoulRebel26 said:
Hi guys and gals,

I am 16 years old, and have been playing since 13. I still have my first and only bass, a Squier P Bass. I am working again this summer, and will have a few hundred bucks to spend by the end. I definitely want a jazz bass, as I am a huge Rush/Geddy Lee fan, and like the tone Geddy has and the aesthetics of the J bass. I'm wondering if it is worth it to buy a good MIM j bass, or if it would suit my needs to buy a Squier modified vintage j bass. I'm in love with the black block inlays, and a maple fretboard would be a necessity for my next bass. Should I stay on the cheaper side and stick with Squier, or should I go for a MIM or MIJ, with the legit "Fender" label I've always wanted on my neck?
Click to expand...

i often get accused of being a gear snob for saying this. But Id rather pay the same price for a used mim fender than a new Squier, the prices of new fenders has gone up considerably over the years but the used prices haven't changed much. I remember when mim fenders Were half the price new. You should be able to find a used mim fender online for around $300 in decent condition. Less than that Is a steal if the bass is in good shape.

there are fans of squiers, who prefer new squires over used fenders. Im just not one of them. Fenders hold up pretty well if they are taken care of. It's defiently one of the few brands I don't mind buying used.
 

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