Davout

Quote : 'The body is Alder (I know the Squier CV series are Basswood) and the bass has some weight to it' Some of the CV series are Basswood. I have the Butterscotch Blonde CV '50s P Bass, & it has a Pine body, as has the matching '50s Telecaster guitar. Still plays rather nicely, though. Tony.

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1317226298' post='1388385'] Are these two made in Mexico? [/quote] They are made in China, like the Classic Vibe series. The difference is just a 'Fender' logo rather than 'Squier'. Then, of course, you pay a bit more money for that. Tony.

[quote name='danhkr' timestamp='1317386241' post='1390180'] At below £400, I can't see them being Mexican. The blacktop stuff is cheap, this is even cheaper and bordering on Squier VM/CV series prices. They're also bringing back the 'original' japanese made jaguar bass (around £800), so it'd be interesting to see how this one compares to that at half the price... [/quote] It seems Fender are messing about with the logos. These are [b]'Made in China'[/b] just like the SQUIER Classic Vibe range ! I guess it is a marketing ploy to get the impression that you are getting maybe a higher quality instrument for more money. So maybe they are of Classic Vibe quality, but having the big 'F' logo, they can charge an extra £100 ? Don't get me wrong, I love the CV range, & have three of them already, but at around £300 each, whereas the RRP price for these 'Modern Players' is £526. Check out the reviews in 'Guitarist' mag for Jan 2012. Tony.

I've had this exact model(as pictured) for about eight months now, from when they were first issued in UK. I also have two other Squier Classic Vibe guitar models, so you may guess that I am very pleased with the quality of this series. Let's put it into perspective. You are getting a really good quality build of guitar/bass for around UK£ 300. Mine is reasonably lightweight, well set-up, nice finish & comfortable to play. The tone control works surprisingly well for a 'budget' priced model, & goes from a nice deep mellow P.Bass thump to the ring of the low notes on a piano. Such a nice surprise. I did write a much fuller review of this bass earlier in the year, if you want to look it up. Well worth checking out for a first bass, let alone as a spare. Regards, Tony.

Have Fender got a load of spare parts left in the bin & decided to put them all together in a limited range to make a buck ?? Tony.

A lot of the price difference is set by the Marketing departments according to what they think they can get away with in a certain market. There is also the Exchange Rate consideration too. At present the US dollar is rather overvalued, & during the course of the next few months I would guess that the marketplace will start to correct it. I'm afraid the USA will have to get used to similar economic conditions to the rest of us. That's what Globalisation means; it's a Leveller. Tony.

My brother plays a Tokai SG style bass; an EB3 two pickup version. It has a medium scale & slightly more modern lightweight tuners & there is very little neck dive from it. Admittedly it is rather more expensive than the budget Epiphones, but a lot cheaper than the genuine Gibson article. It is a great, well-playing bass & you can tell the diference in quality. I think he picked his up on Ebay for about £200 secondhand, & I believe they are around £400 new. Tony.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1357287' date='Aug 31 2011, 11:06 AM']This statement doesn't sit well with me. You hear this type of comment very often here on BC. I get what you are alluding to mate, but to state that a single coiled bass (with a singularly voiced sound that is instantly recognisable as such) with nothing more than a treble bleed for tone manipulation as having "a tremendous tonal range" is hyperbole in the extreme - I do take into consideration it's your "honeymoon period" though. I have 2 custom built examples of this style of bass. They are fantastic but I recognise their limits - of course their limits are their strengths. You wouldn't play Fear Factory on a '51 P but in the right settings these basses are king. But however you look at it, they have a distinct single coil tone, what they don't have is a tremendous tonal range... actually they don't have much of a tonal range at all... unless of course your Squire somehow surpasses the one I built for myself and my Shuker. [/quote] If you read Kedo's original message, he states that he wants a Precision Bass & that he hasn't got a lot of money to spend, & already has a Custom Shop Jazz Bass. He invites recommendations from our members, & I simply gave him my honest opinion from my own brief experience. I'm sure he will take everyone elses opinions into consideration too. I realise that the Squier P.Bass has it's limitations compared to other maybe more expensive models, but for the cost involved, which seems to be part of his concerns, it is not at all a bad P.Bass. Tony.

[quote name='Donnyboy' post='1354572' date='Aug 28 2011, 05:53 PM']Interesting stuff- to me anyway! Someone once told me that Fiesta Red was actually Salmon Pink( I think Fiesta Red sounds sexier ). I've still got the original green cardboard box for mine & it's got Fiesta Red written on it . I've heard that with age the Red can turn a bit Pinky , but I haven't noticed with mine - it's still vibrant - although the neck has mellowed into a lovely honey'd colour - from memory( not reliable) it was almost white new[/quote] Hi Donny, Fiesta Red was always the official Fender name for this colour. Salmon Pink was other peoples' description of this famous colour when they were not familiar with the actual Fender name. Even Hank Marvin described his first Fender Strat as being 'Flamingo Pink' at the time he first acquired it, but he wouldn't have known the correct Fender term. I guess it is possible for certain paint colours to fade when exposed to the air & bright sunlight over many years, & probably with the Nitro-celulose lacquer they used in the fifties/sixties, which thins & wears away easier than the Polyurethane varnishes they use these days. But who keeps their guitar/Bass out in the open air & bright sunlight. They are normally kept protected in a hardcase or gig-bag, & certainly indoors. The old style lacquers on the Maple necks have certainly faded to a honey colour over the years, & modern 'Vintage-style' instruments are deliberately varnished with tinted varnish to emulate that aged look. Tony.

If you want a relatively reasonable priced P. Bass that is good quality & plays well. check out the [b]Squier 'Classic Vibe' series[/b]. I have recently bought the '50s model in Butterscotch Blonde in this range & it is really nice, & for a bass with one pickup & a tone & volume control it has a tremendous tonal range. There is also a '60s model too. They are in the £300 range, but of course prices vary according to which retailer's website you visit. Tony.

[quote name='Linus27' post='1351517' date='Aug 25 2011, 04:52 PM']Anyone else struggle with the standard Fender colours for their American standard Jazz and Precisions? I mean, for what is really the top of the line before going into the re-issue and specials, the choice is so limited and not very exciting. Black, Olympic White, Candy Cola, Blizzard Pearl, Charcoal Frost and Sunburst. Most are just block colours and pretty uninspiring to. They could at least have a natural option.[/quote] Fender do change the colour options every two/three years, so your favourite may come back in due course. There are other, maybe traditional colours offered in other trhan the 'Standard' series. The Vintage Reissues tend to have the more traditional colours from the early days of Fender. Tony.

[quote name='Cygnus x-1' post='1353111' date='Aug 26 2011, 10:02 PM']Probably a dumb question but, I've never been sure if fiesta red is or was a colour option in it's own right or a darker other red that had faded with age. Maybe someone will tell me.[/quote] Hi Cygnus, Yes, Fiesta Red was one of the original colour options in the late '50s / early '60s. That was the colour of Hank Marvin's original Strat, that is reputed to be the first Strat ever imported into the UK. I actually saw them in music store windows in 1962, & that was the colour, brand new. There was also a colour called Dakota Red, but that was a much darker shade, more like a Fire Engine Red, & definitely Red without a hint of Pink. Tony.

[size=4][size=3]Years ago, way back in the early '60s, when the 'Shadows' became famous & thrilled the teenage generation, Fiesta Red Strats became the 'Got to have' guitars in the UK. Fender were not exporting to the UK originally, as there were Govt. trade restrictions at the time. The Selmer, & Jennings Musical Industries companies caught on to the demand & began to import Fender guitars in smallish numbers, but most of the guitars & basses Fender sent were Sunburst & Olympic White models. To satisfy the demand for Red, it is rumoured that they had many of these guitars re-sprayed in what turned out to be a very Pinkish shade of Red, about the colour of Blackpool candy rock. You can still see this shade on original vintage examples from the early sixties. Having said that, Fender Japan did not exist at the time, so these were USA made guitars. It is also very possible that Fender may have been over-spraying many guitars where a mistake had been made on a colour which was transparent, like Sunburst or Natural. Tony.[/size][/size]

Note that these Mustangs were designed as 'Student' basses & are short scale. Tony.

My brother, who plays bass in my band, has been playing Tokai EB3 style bass for the past few years. He says it's a medium scale bass, & he loves it. Unlike most of these styles of bass, it has a set of lighter weight tuners instead of the usual Elephant-ear ones found on Gibsons & Epis. This has the effect of lessening the headstock tipping effect. He likes the Tokai so much that he has grabbed another one, secondhand, from Ebay. It sounds pretty good to me too for the style of music we play, mainly '60s. It's not exactly a modern slap-style bass & he doesn't play that way anyway, but it has bottom end thump. Tony.

[quote name='janmaat' post='1336702' date='Aug 11 2011, 05:00 PM']is it true that while squire basses sound good, squire guitars sound crap? i was under that impression.[/quote] While being a 'Part-time amateur' bass player, I am mainly a guitarist in a gigging semi-pro band. I must take issue about Squier (not Squire) guitars. There have been many series of Squier guitars & basses from the early '80s right up to the present time, & many places of manufacture. Like most other guitar makers, their ranges have varied in quality from the best to pretty poor from time to time. Squier made a good start with the JV (Japan Vintage) series in the early eighties, which,at the time, were said to be better in quality than what was being made in the USA by their owners, Fender ! Thus, they are very collectable & expensive these days. The current basic budget Squiers, known as the 'Affinity' series are a cheap & chearful range aimed at beginners & are priced accordingly. The good news is that the recent 'Classic Vibe' series of guitars & basses are definitely in the 'JV series' style & quality, & should not be dismissed out of hand as mere Squiers. These are serious Fender-style instruments that sound good & are worth a lot more than their cost. I have two guitars & a bass from this range & would recommend them to anyone; Pro or Amateur. Check out various videos on YouTube to hear how they sound. Tony.

Hi Gary, I agree about the Roland Bass Cube range. My brother who plays bass in my band has used a Roland Bass Cube 100 for many years, & has only recently upgraded to a Peavey Max 160 head with an Ampeg 1 x 15" cab. The Roland was plenty powerful enough for the small & medium clubs & pubs that we play, & compact enough to transport easily. He still keeps the Roland for home use & practise. I myself, although a guitar player, have a bass guitar & use the superb little Roland Bass Cube 30 at home. Great versatile amps at reasonable prices. Tony.

[quote name='mcnach' post='1314748' date='Jul 24 2011, 01:55 PM']It is a cracking bass. I always thought that a tiny whimsy pickup alone in the middle of the bass just looked too unlikely to work well... but it does, and the Squier is really well made. Since I put Chromes on mine it's one of the basses I pick the most at home. I prefer the sound to a split coil P-bass too. AND today it gets the thumb-rest on! I was dragging my feet because I love the way it looks as it is, but I need that little maple thumbrest at the stingray pickup (or 'pup' if ficelles is reading ) to feel entirely comfortable.[/quote] I too thought that maybe that small single coil would be a bit wimpy, but was so surprised how it actually performed. I haven't had the chance to try it at gig volumes yet, but I assume it only gets better. If it's anything like how guitar pickups perform, you get the best tones from the lower-powered ones, as the weaker magnets exert less pull on the strings & so the strings vibrate more freely & give you better tone, harmonics & sustain. It has always confused me as to why people seem to want more & more powerful pickups these days. If you want more Gain, get it from the pre-amp, or pedals in your amplification. Tony.

What makes a guitar/Bass look classy is really in the eye of the beholder, so you can only be happy with your choice. Personally I think that Black only looks good with either Black or White. If I had to choose , I would go for a nice Brown Tortoiseshell scratchplate on a Natural wood finished body. Now that is classy ! Check out the old Fender 'Hot Rod' P.Bass range from around year 2000. They did a Natural & a transparent Orange version, both with Torty scratchplates, & they were gorgeous with the Ash grain showing through the lacguer. I know, cos I had one. Tony.

[quote name='Linus27' post='1314310' date='Jul 23 2011, 10:55 PM']I played one of these in Andertons today and oh my, it sounded awsome through the MarkBass rig set flat. The tone control worked really well giving deep thumpy bass up to bright twangy top end. It also felt and played really nice. I was very tempted. I also tried one of the Squire Jaguar specials, the one with the 4 dials and man was that utterly horrible. Sounded awful and felt horrid. Not for me.[/quote] Hi Linus, I've not tried the Jaguar Special Bass or any of the VM models. I've only stuck to the 'Classic Vibe' range. I have a Strat & Tele in the CV range , so I new the good quality already. This '50s P.Bass is certainly a quality gigging instrument, & I can't put it down at the moment, although my instrument in the band is Guitar. I use it through a little Roland Bass Cube 30 combo at home & it tiickles me Pink everytime I play it. I am very tempted by the Squier CV '60s P.Bass in Fiesta Red with Torty scratchplate too, which reminds me of the late great Jet Harris, who was the first bass player of the 'Shadows' way back in the early '60s. He also was the first bass player to use a Fender P. Bass in the UK. Tony.

I recently bought the Squier Classic Vibe '50s P. Bass in Butterscotch Blonde, & found it to be superb for around £300. You can read my extensive review on it in a previous thread. It only has the one single coil, but what it puts out is real quality. This 'Classic vibe' series is really the cream of the crop of the Squier range. I would guess however that the new Jaguar Bass could possibly be a little more versatile, with it's combination of P & J pickups. Depends how much you want to spend. Tony.

I think they are what's called Medium Jumbo frets. Get some flatwound strrings. They will reduce fret wear. Tony.

My brother, who plays bass in my band, went over to a short/medium scale ? bass a couple of years ago. He first tried the Epi EBO, & not quite happy with that, he found the Tokai SG bass. He was so happy with that, that he has even bought a second one as a spare. It is the Tokai equivalent of the famed Gibson EB3 (two pickup model) & I believe it has a 30" scale. I think they are around £399 brandnew, but he managed to get both of his second hand off Ebay for considerably less. It is quite a versatile bass & has rather lightweight modern tuners, rather than the large weighty elephant ear variety on the Epis & Gibsons. This helps to lessen the head-heavy tipping action so common with SG style instruments. Tokais seem to have a bit more quality finishing & precision than the usual budget equivalents. He also has an Epi Viola bass which is a nice cheap & cheerful very lightweight option for a couple of hundred quid, which he uses for home practise. Tony.

I don't know whether I'll get to play my new Bass in anger at a live gig. My brother is the bass player in my band & he has a bit more experience & skill in that direction at the moment. I get to play it at home thru' a little Roland Cube30 bass combo, which I have to say is a superb little amp with all the variations of tone & modelling that I could need, & it certainly belts it out when needed (when the neighbours are out). I don't think I've played it above 50% volume yet, but it still shakes the room. When I first bought the Squier Bass, I didn't expect too much, tonewise from its simple set-up. A single-coil pickup & a tone & volume, but I was pleasantly surprised by the breadth on offer from that simple tone pot. It was a lot broader than many more expensive instruments I've tried. I like my guitars simple, so that I don't have to turn too many knobs & switches while performing live. This budget-priced bass will take you from Rock to Jazz to Funk to Pop with just a twist of that knob. Tony.