Who’s playing a squire?

[tb-player]

Squier Classic Vibe Jaguar here w/ Resolite tuners, Badass II bridge and Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups. It’s my “do stuff to it” bass. It’s also my bass to play when I don’t want to bring one of my nicer basses to an outdoor gig. It plays and sounds as good as many basses twice it’s price.

 

[droo46]

There is little or no appreciable difference between a high end Squier and a MIM.

Case in point:

 

[jd56hawk]

Thinking of buying a Squire bass for a second bass back up
The price is certainly right
Is it really just a beginner bass?
Or should I just spend the extra bucks and buy a made in Mexico bass?
Opinions?

First, even if some people consider them beginner basses, a good one can really get the job done...that's why some professionals play them without batting an eye.
Second, I have to say thanks.
I was going to suggest the Squier Classic Vibe in Inca Silver...one on Ebay for a month or two for $469.99. Good shape with just a tiny chip or two and some buckle rash.
However, after checking Reverb I just found this one and bought it!
I've been wanting this since I sold mine four or five years ago...slightly damaged in a fire...and I've been looking for just the right one for quite some time. The thing is, some of them go for $600 plus!
There's no doubt in my mind it's the best Jazz bass Squier's ever made, as good or better than most fender MIMs, and I have to agree with those that say they stopped making this one and the James Johnston Jazz because they were too good.
I almost bought the one on ebay and came close to buying the JJ Jazz on Guitar Center's online site, but patience is definitely a virtue and I think I really lucked out with this one...it's listed as excellent and I have to believe the seller's telling the truth.
Did I need this bass? Not at all, I already have ten basses, but I'll tell you right now, if I have to start selling basses, this one won't be going anywhere.
Do I regret spending this kind of money, the same price for a new one? No, I probably would've spent $100 more.
Was I considering a Fender MIM?
Haven't even bothered to check them out at their current prices. No way in the world I'd pay $1,000 plus for the better MIMs. As for the Player series, they're not bad, but I've yet to play one that's anywhere near as nice as this, and I've tried out nine or ten.
So, thanks again and I hope you get one as good as this.

 

[NOVAX]

 

[pcake]

all squiers are not the same.

that being said, i own three squiers currently (unless i forgot one) - a bronco (it's an affinity, the bottom of the squier line, but i still love it), the mini precision (also bottom of the line, and i like it but it needed some work) and my squier classic vibe jazz bass is my current favorite bass - maybe my alltime fave bass that i've owned. the classic vibe line is a high end squier, and both my husband's and mine have nicer finishes and build quality than my MiM fender mustang. neither of our classic vibe jazz basses needed any work at all.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Thinking of buying a Squire bass for a second bass back up
The price is certainly right
Is it really just a beginner bass?
Or should I just spend the extra bucks and buy a made in Mexico bass?
Opinions?

A 400 dollar Squire, with fret work, a set up, and fralins, is still going to be a 3 to 4 piece body of low quality wood, that plays nice.

A player series with fralins, will be about the same price, and be a 2 piece body of good wood, that plays nice.

 

[elgranluis]

I have a small collection of fenders, rickenbacker a, Gibson’s, and musicimans. imho opinion , the best modern production basses available are the squiers vm and cv.

 

[alack]

I own three, a VM J, VM P and a SS Jag. All three play and sound great. They all remain stock. None of them required any fretwork, only basic setup that I can manage myself.

Recently I did make one change. The P and J swapped necks. Now I have a light weight, great sounding P with a smooth and comfy J neck. She’s my #1 and I am probably done buying basses.

 

[Volker Kirstein]

I gig with a Squier Badtz Maru Bronco (w/flats) and a Squier Mini P (w/rounds). Both sound great, and do what they're supposed to.

 

[RobD_BritBass]

I bought a Squier CV 60s P a few weeks ago for £180 used. It's a lovely bass, in great condition, actually needed less setting up than I thought it might, I spent some time on the fretboard, which is actually a much nicer dark colour than a lot of the orange laurel/pau ferro boards I've seen, polished up the frets, replaced the bridge with a wilkinson F style (best budget bridge out there in my opinion) and spent a decent amount of time on getting the action just right and it plays brilliantly. Is it as nice as my Lakland or other more expensive basses? No, is it far off after putting a little bit of love into it? definitely not.

I think if you go into buying one expecting to need to do a little bit more setup work than with more expensive basses then you're unlikely to be disappointed, if you're expecting playing perfection straight out of the box then it might not be quite for you. Having said that, I've tried out a few £1k-£1.5k basses that felt like they needed almost as much work doing to them so it can be a lottery either way.

 

[rantbot]

I would advise against Squire basses. If you want an affordable but decent bass, get a Squier instead.

 

[Deleted member 261632]

Main Bass is FrankenSquier. The next one will be as well, excellent modding platforms.

 

[andare]

Depends, are we talking about Squier Affinity, Classic Vibe or Vintage Modified?
Affinity's are beginner basses and are hit or miss but when modded they can be decent players.

I play Fenders, Squiers, Peavey's Yamaha's, parts basses ect. They all have thier place in my stable I'd offer up this, (generalizations of course), and there are hit and misses with most brands but in my opinion and experience (as far as Squiers go) for quality fit & finish are as follows...best/worst.

1. Squier Matt Freeman China
2. Squier CV, VM Crafted in China
3. Squier Standard (various)
4. Squier Vintage Modified Indo
5. Squier Classic Vibe Indonesia
6. Squier Affinity China/Indonesia

I keep seeing this opinion that the new made in Indonesia Classic Vibes are just rebranded Vintage Modifieds and inferior to the earlier Classic Vibes made in China. Now apparently they are even worse than the Vintage Modifieds.

What exactly do you base your opinions on?

I'm not necessarily disagreeing but you really need to be specific here because when people say an instrument is better than another sometimes they mean it feels more solid (quantify that), sometimes they like the neck carve better (entirely subjective), sometimes it's the weight or the type of saddles or the fretboard wood or the presence of shielding or the edges of the fretboard or the frets or the EQ profile of the pickups etc.
Some of these have to do with playing comfort, some with aesthetics. More importantly, some of these issues are deal breakers and some are easy fixes.

"Better than" and "worse than" are meaningless without specifics.

 

[andare]

A 400 dollar Squire, with fret work, a set up, and fralins, is still going to be a 3 to 4 piece body of low quality wood, that plays nice.

A player series with fralins, will be about the same price, and be a 2 piece body of good wood, that plays nice.

My recent experience with Squier Affinity (own a Bronco and a Mini P), Classic Vibes (did tech work of friends guitars and bass, cjihese5 and Indonesians) and Fender Player (own a P): the Player is a bit better but the QC is horrible especially for the price. Sharp fret ends, fret sprout, misaligned nut and bridge.

 

[groovecraver]

Proudly playing my modded Squier! It always seems to find its way to the gig bag with a second higher end bass. I have ended up staying with the my Squier, for most performances because it’s hard to put it down!!

 

[PrairieThunder13]

Well, they seem to be popular all over, even with a number of professionals i know. I decided to give squier a shot first when i needed a precision bass for a small string of rnb gigs, then again when i tried a bass vi in a store and thought it was too cool and had to have it, then again when i took one of their tele bass copies for a spin. All i have to say about that experience is that it involves three critical neck issues and three pawn shop dumps. Each one twisted and/or bent outside of the range of adjustment of the truss rod within five years of ownership, and two within two years. In hindsight, i can't say i'm surprized considering the amount of grain runout in each of those necks. They played great in the store, though, and to be fair i only use flats, so it may have just been too much tension for them. I suppose i've been unlucky considering the number of happy players out there, but that's enough to put me out of the squier game.

edit: the precision bass developed a gnarly ski jump, but in the first 5 frets did sound absurdly good for those shows - i will attest to that

 

[scuzzy]

I have a classic vibe and a vintage modified. Both very nice basses, solid builds, great looks. No where near my best instruments and I wouldn't want either to be my primary instrument. But still solid performers.

 

[Chickenwheels]

To answer the thread title: I used to jam on a JV Precision back in the mid-90s. So I guess no.

 

[Energy]

Left: Squier CV 60s FSR Sonic Blue with gold hardware
Right: Squier CV 70s body, Fender Mex 70s neck, hardware upgrades

Both are fun to play. Build quality is on par with Fender Mex.

 

[C Stone]

I keep seeing this opinion that the new made in Indonesia Classic Vibes are just rebranded Vintage Modifieds and inferior to the earlier Classic Vibes made in China.

That is an excellent way to put it and I agree 100% they feel like rebranded VM's probably why the VM line has been discontinued.

I said: "in my opinion and experience (as far as Squiers go) for quality, fit & finish are as follows...best/worst." because I remember them or still own them, the only one I have't played is the James Johnston Squier so I left it off my list.