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Why does everyone hate Squire's????
- Thread starter JP Bassman
- Start date
This may be a deliberate secret I'm letting out that a few of us know. The first Squiers, circa '86, made in Japan, were consistently good. I had had this theory, at the time there were a number of MIJ produced Fender clones (Tokai, Fernandez), and the first Squiers were Fender's response to the competition. I traded a much more expensive Ibanez for one, and had nothing but good results live and in the studio. I demonstrated to a salesperson how much more balls it had than, say, an aria Pro II. My best friend (guitar player) has one from the same series, lets me use it, good tone, good neck.
Yes, later versions (korean, for ex) were laminated crap.
The new Malaysian Squiers look and feel well made, but I don't have enough experience with one to judge (yet).
Hey, I'm old enough to remember everybody dissing CBS-owned Fenders!
Yes, later versions (korean, for ex) were laminated crap.
The new Malaysian Squiers look and feel well made, but I don't have enough experience with one to judge (yet).
Hey, I'm old enough to remember everybody dissing CBS-owned Fenders!
i love the VM jazz in blonde finish. $310 new CAN. frigging beauty neck and sounds great.
the one i played yesterday was even a two piece body very nice grain and such. perfect fretwork. actually, i enjoyed the sound of the affinity jazz better and it was only $210! but the VM comes in the blonde...
i grabbed a few MIA fenders off the wall and they had horrendous fretwork. there you go. i would buy it in a heartbeat and i am going to.
i could care less what people see me play; i have been taking flak for 25 years for playing a $300 vantage bass. then the same people have a fit when i plug into their $3000 rigs and sound better than they do. that's my barometer baby...
the one i played yesterday was even a two piece body very nice grain and such. perfect fretwork. actually, i enjoyed the sound of the affinity jazz better and it was only $210! but the VM comes in the blonde...
i grabbed a few MIA fenders off the wall and they had horrendous fretwork. there you go. i would buy it in a heartbeat and i am going to.
i could care less what people see me play; i have been taking flak for 25 years for playing a $300 vantage bass. then the same people have a fit when i plug into their $3000 rigs and sound better than they do. that's my barometer baby...
Play a Sq VM TB P bass ....all the hate will leave you as this axe creates pure Thunder!!
(I am selling the Tele neck off of it- putting VM J neck on it)
[btw.I have 3 Squiers & 2 Fenders]
(I am selling the Tele neck off of it- putting VM J neck on it)
[btw.I have 3 Squiers & 2 Fenders]
That's hardly the "first" Squiers. Squier guitars started being produced in 1982 (JV Series), and the SQ series started in late 83. They were "well into it" by 1986.
But I do agree that they were very well built in the 80's, ESPECIALLY the JV Series (which were basically vintage reissues with MIA pickups).
NBD!
Yesterday;
Felt like spring today. I dragged my bike through the snow and took a ride. On my way to PA I stopped by my favorite music shop to see if they had any new inventory. I played with almost every bass in the shop. Most needed a decent setup. I hate that, hard to tell if you like it or not when they buzz all over. Satisfied my Classic Vibe 60s P is still the bomb, and by far the best feeling/sounding bass, I put my jacket on and headed for the door. Wait a minute, there was a jazz bass sitting in the corner. The owner hadn't put it on the rack yet. It was a Squier Vintage Modified, fretted maple. I picked it up. Wow, it felt good. Setup was OK. I tuned it up, grabbed a cord and plugged it in. WOW. I think this is going to be my next bass. The range of tones was super, and pups were awesome. The frets felt great. I had a REALLY fun time fiddling around. The owner was pretty firm on his price, he's usually the least expensive by far, but says he has no trouble selling the VM Jazz's, can't keep them in stock.
I had been eying the Classic Vibe Jazz, but I played through an amp twice and the tone simply didn't do it for me.
I couldn't stop thinking about the bass. My Classic Vibe is scheduled to go into the shop on Friday to have a couple issues sorted out. I can't imagine being w/o a bass, and band night is Friday (excuses excuses). I'd just sold my Fender Special Deluxe, and the price I got for it covered the cost of both Squiers with a few bucks left over for beer. I drove back to the shop and purchased the VM Jazz.
I messed around on it last night and this AM before taking the kids to the bus stop. Both kids were humming whatever I was free styling on the walk to the bus stop.
I literally picked up every bass in the shop, once again. For the second time in a row, a Squier one me over. Squiers are damn nice, and the price doesn't hurt. A lot of the other basses have sharp frets, an instant turn off. Why buy something new for a wad of cash that needs obvious work? The Thunderbirds had serious neck dive. I've owned Ibanez, ESP, Fender and frequently play a USA Peavey Cirrus. I dunno who could hate a decent Squier. They're just as nice as basses costing twice the money or more. I watched a $1000 (list price) ESP sell on Ebay yesterday for next to nothing. I went to the shop to look at one up close. Wound up paying a few bucks more for for the Squier.
No pics, no bass....check out the cousins;
Yesterday;
Felt like spring today. I dragged my bike through the snow and took a ride. On my way to PA I stopped by my favorite music shop to see if they had any new inventory. I played with almost every bass in the shop. Most needed a decent setup. I hate that, hard to tell if you like it or not when they buzz all over. Satisfied my Classic Vibe 60s P is still the bomb, and by far the best feeling/sounding bass, I put my jacket on and headed for the door. Wait a minute, there was a jazz bass sitting in the corner. The owner hadn't put it on the rack yet. It was a Squier Vintage Modified, fretted maple. I picked it up. Wow, it felt good. Setup was OK. I tuned it up, grabbed a cord and plugged it in. WOW. I think this is going to be my next bass. The range of tones was super, and pups were awesome. The frets felt great. I had a REALLY fun time fiddling around. The owner was pretty firm on his price, he's usually the least expensive by far, but says he has no trouble selling the VM Jazz's, can't keep them in stock.
I had been eying the Classic Vibe Jazz, but I played through an amp twice and the tone simply didn't do it for me.
I couldn't stop thinking about the bass. My Classic Vibe is scheduled to go into the shop on Friday to have a couple issues sorted out. I can't imagine being w/o a bass, and band night is Friday (excuses excuses). I'd just sold my Fender Special Deluxe, and the price I got for it covered the cost of both Squiers with a few bucks left over for beer. I drove back to the shop and purchased the VM Jazz.
I messed around on it last night and this AM before taking the kids to the bus stop. Both kids were humming whatever I was free styling on the walk to the bus stop.I literally picked up every bass in the shop, once again. For the second time in a row, a Squier one me over. Squiers are damn nice, and the price doesn't hurt. A lot of the other basses have sharp frets, an instant turn off. Why buy something new for a wad of cash that needs obvious work? The Thunderbirds had serious neck dive. I've owned Ibanez, ESP, Fender and frequently play a USA Peavey Cirrus. I dunno who could hate a decent Squier. They're just as nice as basses costing twice the money or more. I watched a $1000 (list price) ESP sell on Ebay yesterday for next to nothing. I went to the shop to look at one up close. Wound up paying a few bucks more for for the Squier.
No pics, no bass....check out the cousins;
- Oct 4, 2005
- 82
- 6
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Ashdown Amps & Cabs, S.I.T Strings, and ESP Power Cords
I have a Squier Deluxe Active Jazz 5 and this thing is amazing. I also own or have owned a 2 Yamaha TRB 5's, Lakland Joe Osborne, 55-02, SX and Douglass basses. My Squier can stand up to any bass in the $1000 -$1500 range! My only gripe is that it is a little heavy for me. But I was told to suck it up!
For the same reason it is also safe to assume that some people dislike SX, Turser, Epiphone and the like. You cannot go three feet in a thread about any of the aforementioned brands without someone chiming in that they are junk. And it is usually someone who has never even handled that brand. Or that played that brand in a shop and the instrument was set up poorly, damaged or in need of repair.
Do a search here for that brand name, read for about 5 minutes and you might just see what I am saying.
I have also seen musicians being ridiculed while out and about because of what is written on the headstock, and heard dozens more stories of similar prejudice here.
But lets be clear that most of the time a guy who owns brand X will be the first one to bash brand X1 or brand Y. Again, all one needs do is search for a brand, and take 5 minutes to read.
And then there are the guys who try out or buy a higher end bass and they just flat out play bad, or just do not like the sound/feel of said bass. So, they must naturally come here and bash the tar out of anyone who likes what they do not. Even to the point of making excuses like the electronics are poor, or (my favorite BTW) the binding on a Rickenbacker hurts their arm/wrist.
If that was the case every bound instrument would do so and no one would play them. Can't someone just admit it is either not for them or their technique stinks? In the case of a Rick or any bound bass, I have no issue with the binding.
But then I also, almost never have bashed any brand. And if I have it has been specifics I did not like, not trashing the brand.
This then I think is the larger issue. It is far bigger than "I dislike Squier"
i've got a squier jazzbass, from 96, and i really love it. It is not my main bass, but she still has the best neck i ever played, and a really good jazzbass tone.
And you bought it?
But that is a 5 minute fix. And for what a guy pays for a Squier if that was all that was wrong....
that would be 1982!
The great JV series!
Well if i was to go buy any bass now to gig it would be a CV P fo' sure. If i needed to sell off my 73 tele or my almost all USA MIM P and start over. I would buy CV or VM squiers without a doubt.
I had my Squier P California Series... was my 1st bass.
I guess I was lucky to get this particular one, because the neck felt so great! The body was REAL WOOD, not plywood. Finishing was ok but the first thing I noticed right out of the box were the crappy bridge and the tuners.
The sound was ok but it already came with that scratchy noise in both pots. I was happy with it but all of a sudden it just decided that it wouldn't keep in tune anymore, so I upgraded it with schaller tuners and one of those schaller roller bridges and from then on the tuning problem was solved. But I had to take it to the shop to adjust the truss rod about EVERY MONTH. I said that the neck felt great, and indeed it did, but just kept bowing...
Then I decided to do a final upgrade and got new pickups (seymour's p quarterpounder), changed the electronics (CTS, orang drop, switchcraft) and sure made a difference!!!
Conclusion: I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. But had to tweak it a lot to get it to my taste! Sold it a few months after the last mod.
I guess I was lucky to get this particular one, because the neck felt so great! The body was REAL WOOD, not plywood. Finishing was ok but the first thing I noticed right out of the box were the crappy bridge and the tuners.
The sound was ok but it already came with that scratchy noise in both pots. I was happy with it but all of a sudden it just decided that it wouldn't keep in tune anymore, so I upgraded it with schaller tuners and one of those schaller roller bridges and from then on the tuning problem was solved. But I had to take it to the shop to adjust the truss rod about EVERY MONTH. I said that the neck felt great, and indeed it did, but just kept bowing...
Then I decided to do a final upgrade and got new pickups (seymour's p quarterpounder), changed the electronics (CTS, orang drop, switchcraft) and sure made a difference!!!
Conclusion: I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. But had to tweak it a lot to get it to my taste! Sold it a few months after the last mod.
