"Vintage Modified" vs. "Classic Vibe"

[The Birdman]

I have a VM 70s fretted Jazz and a CV 50s P. It comes down to what instrument "speaks to you" in the shop. Doesn't matter if it's a VM or a CV. The VMs are not quite as nicely finished as the CV, IMHO, but either are good instruments. Play 'em and make your choice!

Roger

 

[The Birdman]

I remember going to the music store to get a bass and being amazed by all the choices. I played as many as time allowed and really liked a very expensive bass, but couldn't afford it, so I bought a really inexpensive bass that sounded pretty good. Each day I played it, I kept wishing I could afford the really expensive bass. To quiet these thoughts, I kept telling myself how awesome my bass sounded (poor grammar) in comparison to the other, more expensive basses. I even managed to find other bassists who agreed with me (we spent alot of time talking about the awesomeness of our instruments). Then one day, the stars aligned and the bass I really wanted went on sale! Without a second thought, I traded in my less expensive bass, purchased my more expensive bass, then went back to the bass clubhouse to show off. On the way, many fine ladies saw my awesome instrument and immediately became groupies. Went I got to the clubhouse, I could not resist the urge to trash everybodies basses. They felt bad and wanted to kick me out, but I said, "what are you so mad about? You to could save your money and get the bass of your dreams!" They thought about it, then did exactly that!

About 3 weeks later, we ran into this group of guys who had even more awesome instruments than we did. The girls that were with us, stopped hanging out with us. We asked this new group what was so special about their instruments. They replied "they are custom built. You can find them at a place called boutique, if you can afford it". We all walked away feeling pretty bad about ourselves, until we started pumping ourselves up about how awesome our instruments really are, compared to those "boutique" basses. each of us went home, and even though we kept meeting regularly, we each secretly started saving money so we could get a boutique bass and rub it in the faces of those who don't have one.

This is SO funny!!!!!

Play what you like and like what you play!!!!

Roger

 

[dakpluto]

As others have said, try them all as every bass is different, but by far I'd say CV is just about the best value on basses as a whole right now. The quality for the price is just fantastic right now.

 

[Link Ramone]

I'd been playing guitar exclusively for several years when I recently returned to bass. I wanted to pick up a decent but affordable bass to get my fingers back in shape before plunking down big cash for high-end one. Based on recommendations from members here I narrowed the field to VM and CV, ultimately getting a VM P. Just "felt" right to me. $240 out the door. What blows me away is that it's superior in tone and playability to many of the $500-$800 basses I played back in the day. Bang for the buck has come a long way over the years.

Bottom line is I don't think you can go wrong either way.

 

[king_biscuit]

To reply to several of the above posts: Sure the American Fenders are nicer than the CVs, but not THAT much nicer. My CV 50s is light, has a straight neck that hasn't moved at all, has a great sounding alnico pickup, and the tuners are fine. I haven't done anything to it except set it up, and it plays and sounds as good as my recent American Fenders. I can't imagine a screw falling out of a tuner, but if it did, I know right where the blue loctite is

 

[BassClef 2010]

I really love the feel of CV necks but my Fretless VM is my main go-to bass now.

 

[godblender]

Can someone explain what the difference is, if there is in fact a difference, in neck profile between the CV and VM Jazz? I have a VM Jazz and the neck is very thin (front to back). Is the CV a bit chunkier like say, the American Standard series? I've read through a bunch of threads and while people mention the differences between these two series I've only seen vague references to possible differences in the necks....besides the finish.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bigmoosepi]

I remember going to the music store to get a bass and being amazed by all the choices. I played as many as time allowed and really liked a very expensive bass, but couldn't afford it, so I bought a really inexpensive bass that sounded pretty good. Each day I played it, I kept wishing I could afford the really expensive bass. To quiet these thoughts, I kept telling myself how awesome my bass sounded (poor grammar) in comparison to the other, more expensive basses. I even managed to find other bassists who agreed with me (we spent alot of time talking about the awesomeness of our instruments). Then one day, the stars aligned and the bass I really wanted went on sale! Without a second thought, I traded in my less expensive bass, purchased my more expensive bass, then went back to the bass clubhouse to show off. On the way, many fine ladies saw my awesome instrument and immediately became groupies. Went I got to the clubhouse, I could not resist the urge to trash everybodies basses. They felt bad and wanted to kick me out, but I said, "what are you so mad about? You to could save your money and get the bass of your dreams!" They thought about it, then did exactly that!

About 3 weeks later, we ran into this group of guys who had even more awesome instruments than we did. The girls that were with us, stopped hanging out with us. We asked this new group what was so special about their instruments. They replied "they are custom built. You can find them at a place called boutique, if you can afford it". We all walked away feeling pretty bad about ourselves, until we started pumping ourselves up about how awesome our instruments really are, compared to those "boutique" basses. each of us went home, and even though we kept meeting regularly, we each secretly started saving money so we could get a boutique bass and rub it in the faces of those who don't have one.

This describes the attitude of almost every TBer.

 

[gurensan]

This describes the attitude of almost every TBer.

Not quite, not me! I've owned some pretty expensive basses in the past (Tobias, Warwick [yeah, mid-priced], vintage Fenders). Inexpensive customs sharing the coolest features of the two basses below are on my GAS list, but currently only have two Squiers.

Which brings me on-topic!

I have a VM Precision TB (the Telecaster Bass with a humbucker copy) and a CV 60's Precision.

The CV has a better build quality and sounds $%&* fantastic with the stock pup. I'd hold that sucker up against the best-sounding 60's basses - it's that growly. Not all of them sound like that, but mine does, which is 100% why I actually dropped $300 on it used. It is every inch a P-Bass and kills my old fretless '78. The finish is flawless and it's holding its setup with an iron grip. I've adjusted *nothing*.

The TB sounds more like a T-Bass (that's my new word, love it) than I can really convey. I compared it A/B against a '74 and had the owner of the '74 play the same riff on both. The Squier is hotter and somewhat harsher than the original, but likely as the pickup ages it'll mellow out like the '74 has and maybe even sound identical to it. The pickup is hot enough to fart out the input on an SVT without even having to dig in so much so that I have to use the "active" attenuators on amp inputs. The build quality is not as good as the CV. The finish is rippled near the jack and the neck wood has a swirl in the grain that's actually kinda scary, requiring me to have to adjust the truss rod every couple of months regardless of weather. The neck shape is P width but somewhat thinner - this is NOT a 70's T-Bass! I actually *love* the modern-C shape neck on this bass; I just wish it was a little more stable. Graphite rods would have cemented this neck as my favorite of all time, but alas, it's a 1-piece and if I want to replace it only B. Hefner makes one that will fit because it's got the original P/T-Bass square heel.

Both neck joints are rock solid. Yay CNC. The CV is heavier than the VMTB due to the TB having a basswood body.

Both are pretty awesome and overall I'm crazy happy with both.

That's all I got to add.

 

[danmar]

we each secretly started saving money so we could get a boutique bass and rub it in the faces of those who don't have one.

A slice of real life!

 

[Muddslide]

Classic Vibe all the way. Quality-wise you can't beat them. Better than the MIM Fenders for sure. With a pot change/pickup change you can have a bass very close to a MIA Fender. Even without that they're still very very nice.

Personally, I feel that with a change in pups and electronics "you can have a bass very close to a MIA Fender" in an MIM as well.

I also think it's dicey to generalize say ALL of one brand/model/etc. are "better" than others.

However, I do agree that MIM quality varies a lot. I've happened to have been lucky with the ones I've owned.

Also, I gotta say, every single CV I have played has really surprised me with its quality. The only reason I don't have a CV 60s is because the neck was too thin for me. I came SO close to buying a CV 50s last weekend. MAN, that was a nice instrument in every way. But I just didn't want the single coil pup as much as a split coil P.

I haven't played as many VMs. I played a couple of VM Jazzes that really impressed me, and several years back I played a few VM Tele-basses (with the mudbucker) and I thought those were fun, but I didn't care for the necks. Too unfinished feeling for me. Felt like balsa wood.

As for Squier Affinitys, there again, you can find some sweet ones and some dogs. I've played some that more than impressed me. Last weekend while shopping for a NBD I tried one of the new Affinity P/Js and it sounded pretty good, but it had THE worst case of sharp fret ends I have ever felt on any electric guitar or bass. It was literally like running my hand over a coarse cheese grater. That's not too difficult to fix up, but it was so bad it never should have left the factory in that shape.

At the same time, those new Affinity P/Js get a lot of good reviews too, so hand-shredding fret ends must not be a universal problem for them.

 

[ii7-V7]

I own both. The Classic Vibes are clearly better. I like the two VM's that I have. But they simply aren't in the same class as the CV. It's like twice the instrument for less than $100.

 

[static0verdrive]

I've got the VM fretless (MII, I put a high-mass bridge on it) and the James Johnston jazz (MIC CV with high-mass already on it). I love them both but if I had to choose I think the CV is nicer out-of-the-box. $410 CAD though - the VM was only $330.

 

[gln1955]

Also, I gotta say, every single CV I have played has really surprised me with its quality. The only reason I don't have a CV 60s is because the neck was too thin for me. I came SO close to buying a CV 50s last weekend. MAN, that was a nice instrument in every way. But I just didn't want the single coil pup as much as a split coil P.

I have a CV 50's P and could never warm up to the single coil. I ended up routing it out for a split coil and made a pick guard to accommodate the mod. Other than that, its an impressive instrument. A bit of apple to oranges, but it almost measures up to my 2006 MIM Jazz quality-wise, but not quite.

 

[BazzTard]

Classic Vibe all the way. Quality-wise you can't beat them. Better than the MIM Fenders for sure. With a pot change/pickup change you can have a bass very close to a MIA Fender. Even without that they're still very very nice.

I dunno my 2013 MIM P is pretty darn tootin good.

And you are kidding yourself that a Squier with new pups and pots is even remotely close to an MIA,seriously you are way off the mark. High mass bridge,much better tuners,better finish, rolled fingerboard, better quality all round. You can only get so close to a $3000 bass with a $300 one.

 

[bopeuph]

I was actually going to build my own version of the Jaco Tribute bass from parts, and was telling a friend who's both a great bassist and great luthier. He told me to look at the VM fretless jazz before I dive into it. Heard it, checked out the posts here...and I think he just saved a starving musician $1,000.

 

[Tad]

I don't own any CV's. I have played some nice ones.

I do own three VM's, a maple 70's VM Jazz, a fretless VM Jazz, and a VM PJ. I like them all.

I played and picked each of them out. Took them home, did a setup.

The only thing that is not stock on any of them is the strings. Like I said, I picked each of them because I liked them as they were.

I would recommend that you play any that you can find of the models that you are considering and then pick the one you like the best.

 

[primal]

You know, today I tried out a MIA Fender P-Bass and a Squier CV 60s P-Bass. Honestly, I prefered the way the Squier felt. I didn't get a chance to compare tone, but even if the Squier sounded like crap you could still upgrade the electronics and still be several hundred bucks ahead over the Fender.

 

[Malak the Mad]

And you are kidding yourself that a Squier with new pups and pots is even remotely close to an MIA,seriously you are way off the mark. High mass bridge,much better tuners,better finish, rolled fingerboard, better quality all round. You can only get so close to a $3000 bass with a $300 one.

Pound for pound, all this is probably true. However, one of the "Great Ironies of Life" is that a $3000 bass that doesn't feel "RIGHT" in someone's hands may only feel worth $300 to them. The inverse is true as well. Someone can spend enormous amounts of money to find that "RIGHT" instrument, but ultimately, they may only find it in some lowly $300 budget piece. There are no absolutes in life...no absolutely superior instrument as there is no absolutely singular standard for what feels and sounds "RIGHT". People are too diverse to allow it.

But to get back on topic; I haven't had as many opportunities to try many CV's as VM's by about a 7:1 ratio. They're a bit "thin on the ground" wherever I go. That being said, in my experience, the CV's I've owned/sampled have usually been of better quality than the majority of the VM's I've tried out. However, I've encountered a couple of VM's that have equaled said CV's. Ironically, the one VM I best remember still hasn't moved from my local Guitar Center. Go fig!

 

[TheAnalogKid]

But to get back on topic; I haven't had as many opportunities to try many CV's as VM's by about a 7:1 ratio. They're a bit "thin on the ground" wherever I go. That being said, in my experience, the CV's I've owned/sampled have usually been of better quality than the majority of the VM's I've tried out. However, I've encountered a couple of VM's that have equaled said CV's. Ironically, the one VM I best remember still hasn't moved from my local Guitar Center. Go fig!

Yah, I see many VM Squiers at GC, but no CVs. I have to go to independent/local shops to find the latest-and-greatest CV/Matt Freeman/James Johnston sigs. Plenty to be had there.