Sorry, but the Duncan Design pickups in the older Vintage Modified Squiers sound much better than the Fender Design, IMO. The Duncans are thicker sounding, with more volume and growl. An overall bigger sounding pup.
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Wait what? That's a Fender Squire??
- Thread starter dmas81
- Start date
wmhill
Inactive
- Aug 20, 2012
- 4,054
- 17,209
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Brendanbassix:
No need to get worked up! This is not a personal slam on Fender owners.
I'm suggesting that people who buy MIA fenders over Squiers quantify the real differences and make educated judgements on relative value. IMHO opinion, the differences don't justify the price differential, the balance is attributable to brand loyalty, i.e. The decal. YMMV. This is not some radical statement, people regularly pay a huge premium for a fashionable name, if not, companies like Gucci, Ralph Lauren, and Armani would not be able to sell products identical to their lower cost clones for extortionate prices. If you have the extra cash to pay a logo premium, by all means go for a branded Fender. If you are looking for a very well made, great playing bass with 90% of the utility for 30% of the price, buy a Squier.
No need to get worked up! This is not a personal slam on Fender owners.
I'm suggesting that people who buy MIA fenders over Squiers quantify the real differences and make educated judgements on relative value. IMHO opinion, the differences don't justify the price differential, the balance is attributable to brand loyalty, i.e. The decal. YMMV. This is not some radical statement, people regularly pay a huge premium for a fashionable name, if not, companies like Gucci, Ralph Lauren, and Armani would not be able to sell products identical to their lower cost clones for extortionate prices. If you have the extra cash to pay a logo premium, by all means go for a branded Fender. If you are looking for a very well made, great playing bass with 90% of the utility for 30% of the price, buy a Squier.
Not SKWYRE...it's SKWYER. It ends in "R", not "E".
I actually know somebody who has last name Skwire, so I might have to ask this person if there's any family relation to budget basses
Look Im not going to respond to that because Im above that and respect that other peoples opinions don't have to be the same as mine. I just think talkbass would be a more productive place if it weren't for all the brand bashing back and forth. Im sick of all the threads where both sides have to defend their personal preferences by talking down the other brand. If your happy with your bass play it but don't tell me I've wasted my money or that its not a "good enough" bass.
Wow, sounds like you found a great one. Not yet found a squire that would out tone a Musicman or Cirrus, but when you find the sound that matches the tone in your head, it's often not the most expensive bass. Mine comes from a T-40.
The way to think of Squire and Fender these days is like this:
-You can still get the super-cheap affinity squire's that you remember from the 90's and early 00's.
-General increases in quality mean that the top level squire's (CV's some of the VM's) are on-average about the level of the previous generation of MIM's.
-The MIM's have moved up in quality, variety and price to fill the void left by the departure of MIK and MIJ Fenders
-Fender USA models have increased in quality and price a bit across the board.
$500? Did you get two for that price? I've got a 70 and a 77 and paid $600. Congratulations! Great basses. Please share how you were able to get a hold of Fender on the spot at night for such great customer service. Is there a special Squier hotline?
Can we get back to the price on this? A $500 Squier VM? A Fender-Squier? A Fender Modified Squier? What part of this is made-up?
Thats my baby. Actually my second one, I had one of the duncan designed ones and it was killer. Sold it for reasons, but I'm never letting this one go, been eyeying the Matt Freeman or the classic vibe 50's lately. Can't go wrong with Squier.
MIA Standard Jazz bass new $1399. Squier VM 70 Jazz bass new $299. 78.67% difference in price. Four Squiers for the price of 1 MIA plus $203 left over to buy four nice gig bags. That's what I've done and how I justify it to anyone who cares to criticize my choice in basses.
If people are paying $500 for these really good instruments I feel bad that they got ripped off.
If people are paying $500 for these really good instruments I feel bad that they got ripped off.
Do they make a Squier bound and blocked 70's style jazz? All I've seen are the ones with natural finish and black markers. Another thing I like about the Squier over MIM is that the Squier seems to be slightly lighter with less tendency to neck dive. Not sure that's backed up by specs, but felt that way recently A/B'ing an MIM Jazz and Squier VM at GC. Are the Squier bodies basswood? The fretwork looked marginally better on the MIM, but no fret sprout or anything like that on the Squier. The MIM frets just looked more polished. If nothing else, they are fantastic upgrade platforms for bass tinkerers and Frankenmodders, and you'll still come in with a great bass for for less than an MIA. The diffence in resale value is huge, of course, but if you paid $300 upfront, that shouldn't be a big consideration.
Go to Squier's site and check it out. They have a VM 77 with a bound maple neck with block white Pearloid inlays. Very nice! Put some correct Jazz knobs on it and replace the Strat one's it comes with. Great bass!
Every time someone calls a Squier a "Squire" another guitard is born.
Seriously though, grats on the new bass. I have the amber Squier VM P that sort of matches that VM J bass; it doesn't have the blocked neck though. If it did, I'd buy the J too just to have the matched set.
Seriously though, grats on the new bass. I have the amber Squier VM P that sort of matches that VM J bass; it doesn't have the blocked neck though. If it did, I'd buy the J too just to have the matched set.
come on guys this doesn't need to be another MIA vs squiers thread there are hundreds of those already.
What are the pickups they are using in the VMs are they alnicos or ceramic? and yeah the bodies are very light but i don't think they are basswood. The VM squier teles use some type of pine I think maybe it's the same?
What are the pickups they are using in the VMs are they alnicos or ceramic? and yeah the bodies are very light but i don't think they are basswood. The VM squier teles use some type of pine I think maybe it's the same?
D
Fender people, Squier people, come together!
There are plenty of us who have both and play both regularly. The bashing from both ends gets a bit old. There are excellent instruments at every point along the price curve, and that's a GOOD thing
Right now my personal preference is for VM Squiers, but that doesn't mean I have any hate for MIAs. They're just not a good cost/value proposition for *me*.
Are Squiers as well made as MIAs? Nope. As some MIMS? My experience says yes, but that's not the point. The VMs and CVs are just the ones that grab me and say "take me home and play me forever".
There are plenty of us who have both and play both regularly. The bashing from both ends gets a bit old. There are excellent instruments at every point along the price curve, and that's a GOOD thing
Right now my personal preference is for VM Squiers, but that doesn't mean I have any hate for MIAs. They're just not a good cost/value proposition for *me*.
Are Squiers as well made as MIAs? Nope. As some MIMS? My experience says yes, but that's not the point. The VMs and CVs are just the ones that grab me and say "take me home and play me forever".
