it's true they seem to have improved their quality a lot lately. but i guess my point was, we as players should abide by pragmatism not brand loyalty.
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What makes a Squier not a Fender?
- Thread starter blopazone
- Start date
it's true they seem to have improved their quality a lot lately. but i guess my point was, we as players should abide by pragmatism not brand loyalty.
whoop sorry just go to jump on this, basswood & agathis are the same, aren't they?
(the quality or otherwise basswood is another argument entirely - FWIW i think it works fine)
and yes, the CV jazz is a great bass! loving mine.
No, basswood and agathis are not the same. And, Chewiem, can you tell us what you feel is wrong with agathis?
I'm beginning to think it's the name on the headstock. I had a "real" Fender P back in 80's. I'm broke now, sold all my gear a year or so ago and recently bought what I could afford--a Squier Affinity P.
No real difference in sound between my "real" P and the Affinity. The STOCK Affinity, by the way.
The Affinity's body is made of alder. Neck maple, rosewood fretboard. Ditto my old P.
Finish--no problem.
Details: (frets, neck, tuners--all excellent.) The Affinity no joke stays in tune for several weeks at a time.
Maybe I lucked out with the Affinity I got. But from here, I'm not seeing much of a difference at all.
No real difference in sound between my "real" P and the Affinity. The STOCK Affinity, by the way.
The Affinity's body is made of alder. Neck maple, rosewood fretboard. Ditto my old P.
Finish--no problem.
Details: (frets, neck, tuners--all excellent.) The Affinity no joke stays in tune for several weeks at a time.
Maybe I lucked out with the Affinity I got. But from here, I'm not seeing much of a difference at all.
I have a really nice Squier Affinity V Jazz. Some it had to do with the detailed setup from the dealer. But mostly, its a great bass for the money. Feels like a solid Fender to me.
Hmmm. I earlier bought a Squier and later a far-superior MIM Fender.
Quality of the Squier is uniformly poor: the tone pot is all but useless, so you can't adjust the character of the sound much; it's hard to set the intonation on the cheap bridge. Upgraded the pickup through Mr. S. Duncan but that doesn't change the rest of it.
So the lesson is that the quality of components on an inexpensive rig really does matter, and therefore the extra value (for most of us) in upgrading to a good mid-range rig is far less a cost distance, than say the distance from a mid-range to a high-end rig.
Quality of the Squier is uniformly poor: the tone pot is all but useless, so you can't adjust the character of the sound much; it's hard to set the intonation on the cheap bridge. Upgraded the pickup through Mr. S. Duncan but that doesn't change the rest of it.
So the lesson is that the quality of components on an inexpensive rig really does matter, and therefore the extra value (for most of us) in upgrading to a good mid-range rig is far less a cost distance, than say the distance from a mid-range to a high-end rig.
How is it harder to intonate a Squier bridge than a USA Fender bridge? In both cases it's a screw with a spring around it.
Maybe not much difference between MIM and Squier, but the MIA necks have graphite stiffening bars, which the others do not. Squiers and MIM's and MIJ's can be really nice indeed, but I'm telling you, the MIA necks are magic, they really are. And the hardware is generally nicer. Electronics are debatable, but gimme that neck......
I often hear people reference the wood quality, but I wonder how many have actually looked or worked with the wood. Many Fender owners would be disappointed to find out the High quality alder body is actually 7 pieces glued together with a veneer over the front and back. Even several of the sunburst, and yes even the MIA's. I think people envision bug ridden mystery wood when it comes to Squier and super resonant alder when it comes to Fender. My mind was changed when I started working with raw bodies. In my experience there's not alot of difference under the poly, unless you are talking different wood types. Even then the difference is debatable. Most of the tuners on the newer squiers are on par with MIM, and often interchangeable. The pickups in the newer squiers are also good. The only weak link IMHO are the pots. Most of the upgrades that people do on the new models are not needed, but just wanted. I bet those same people would make the same upgrades to their MIM if they had bought them instead. The old rules of Squier do not really apply anymore. In the the end you should pick a bass that sounds and feels great to you, regardless of what the headstock decal says.
I have a Squier P and a Fender P, both MIM. They are '97 and '94 respectively. The Fender has better tuning keys. The rosewood is a little less porous to my eyes. That is about it as for differences. I'm trying to convince myself the Fender SHOULD be better, but I gravitate to the Squier. Haven't tried the newer ones, but in my experience with these, anyone who inherently believes Fender must be better could be in for a surprise.
Fender specs definitely don't give the full story. I compared the
American Series P Bass specs to the American Standard P Bass specs
and there is no indication that the tuners are different -- but I know
they are. The American Standard uses newer, lightweight tuners.
But I agree with your implication that Squiers are great basses for the money.
