classamin

Congrats! I took one of these a few months ago (albeit in the VERY fetching white!) and I am now a full blown Squier convert. Hands down one of the best P basses I've played at any price point, sounds killer and looks amazing. Here he is alongside my new CV 70's Jazz bass V, another Squier purchase inspired by the P!

I looked at that P bass, but a previous encounter with that shop put me clean off. Bought an SR5 from them, maple/natural. Photos didn't look too bad, a bit of light scuffing but nothing out of the ordinary. Even phoned up and asked for further details, and the bass was confirmed to be in "good" condition. Upon arrival, it was an absolute dog, full of nasty dings and bashes, and full on cracks in the lacquer. VERY poorly set up too. I've no doubt they've sold many great basses, but that one experience was enough to put me off using them again. Sorry to hear you missed out on that P though, it did look lovely!

That's a bummer, but if it ain't the one it ain't the one! I hope you enjoy your new sunburst when it arrives - though I'm sure you will. Despite a few setbacks regarding grain and finish from what I've seen (I'll admit, it was enough to make me nervous when ordering mine) they really are fantastic basses. Good luck!

It's a P bass, what more can be said? Perfect simplicity, the way God (or Leo Fender at least) intended it. I'm sure it will man! I seem to have come to a disturbing conclusion regarding mine. I bought a Seymour Duncan SPB-4 Steve Harris pickup for mine... And have returned it. This bass is absolutely outstanding, even without taking into account the low price. Even stock it's all the P bass I'd ever need or want. The stock pickup really does sound that good, it's everything you'd expect from a 50's style P and so much more. So far I've used it for mucking about with everything. Country, Rock, Blues, Funk and it does EVERYTHING perfectly. I honestly cannot praise this bass enough. Seriously, it is just that good.

Hoooooo boy... Just when I thought my wallet was safe 😂😅 I'd love to have a sunburst to go with my white blonde! I've been tempted by that idea since I got my one! Gorgeous bass that is, I agree fully about the colour combination!

That's a real shame about the grain. It could honestly be worth returning it and asking for a replacement. Yours seems a little more transparent than mine, but I can say with all honesty the grain visible on my one is as pretty as any I've personally seen. Other than that, I agree fully about your remarks. Beautiful bass for the money and sounds fantastic. I was rather tempted to stick a Seymour Duncan Steve Harris pickup in mine as I have a new one here that I bought with the bass fully intending to do it, but even then I may just end up keeping it as is for now.

It's always a bummer to hear somebody gets a lemon or two. I've owned a pile of basses and there have been lemons in about all of them. The most surprising of these was a MusicMan Stingray 5. Don't get me wrong it was very nice, but nothing on that bass was indicative of it being worth upwards of £2000. Now, with how many people give Musicmans outstanding reviews it's very possible I just got a bit of a bum deal, but it's nevertheless much more disappointing to spend £2000+ on a lemon than under £400. I wouldn't discount the CV line because of a couple of bad experiences. Like every mass manufactured bass, there are bound to be one or two that slip through the veil and this is undoubtedly more common on cheaper instruments with less rigourous QC procedures. But speaking from experience, my latest CV Late 50's P is up there with the very best of them. It was a gamble, bought sight unseen but it has paid off hugely. As I've said before the fretwork is absolutely spot on, and there is not one ugly blemish on the entire bass. If I were to be extremely picky, I filed the edges of the nut down a little to smooth it off and the edge of the anodised guard where it meets the neck could have been done ever so slightly cleaner. But on a bass that cost me only £360, plays and looks beautiful and which I vastly prefer to some £2000+ basses I've owned? I'll take that any day!

I saw somebody reply to this thread concerning the quality of Squier's newest CV offerings. While I've only briefly played one of the older models (a Jazz) years ago, all I can say is that I own the late 50's CV P and it is absolutely fantastic. The body and neck are spot on, the glossy neck finish is absolutely gorgeous and the fret job is absolutely top notch. The hardware is typical Fender quality, functional and well made just a little uninspiring if boutique is your bag. The electronics are nice and get you into familiar territory, the pots feel quality too. I'll admit I prefer a slightly hotter P pickup than whatever is in this bass so I've ordered a replacement Seymour Duncan SPB-4, but there is no doubt in my mind you could buy one, go straight to a gig and still sound great. I obviously can't speak for the rest of the lineup, but from my experience the late 50's P is positively outstanding at this price point. Wipes the floor with any Fender I've personally owned, and a healthy few of the nicer ones I've tried out too.

I'd have to agree with you on this one. This bass just oozes quality and class in a way that no Fender has ever done in my hands. I prefer it very much to the Player series I've tried, my old Roger Waters P, and even a lot of more "upmarket" offerings from the big F I've had the chance to try out. I'd wholeheartedly recommend it. I thought my wallet would be perfectly safe, but after sleeping on Squier for so long I'm dying to try out some of their other CV models. As I think I've mentioned before, there is also an overwhelming urge to get a matching sunburst one of these for some gentle modifications.. It's really outstanding. The fretwork on this bass is as good as any I've seen at any price point. I used to think you could do no better than Yamaha for a mid priced workhorse, but this totally blows that away in comparison. The edges of the fretboard feel ever so slightly rolled, not in the over the top way that Sire seems to do them from what I've seen but certainly comfortably worn in feeling.

I'm much about such the same as this right now. I still stand by my ruling, my Ric is and always will be my number one. But there's a beautiful simplicity in a good P you just don't get with any other bass and I'm loving it! I've tried a spate of Ps before and just never found the right one but this really is an extraordinary P. Massive kudos to Squier for this one!

Completely understand you. After some more time spent with it I'm really starting to see that the fuss over the CVs is well founded. ESPECIALLY for the money, this thing is easily on par with, if not better than several Mexican offerings I've tried before including my old Roger Waters P which I absolutely loved. Different beast sure, but gorgeous to play. I'll also agree with your second point and to be honest, it's taking a lot of willpower to avoid the urge to buy a second one... 👀

Its very comfortable. Squier themselves have described it as a c shape and it certainly feels on the modern side of things. It's nice and slim but not ridiculously so, it plays quickly while still having enough chunk to fill your hand nice and comfortably. The edges of the fretboard honestly feel like they've been rolled slightly, and the fretwork is top notch!

Hello all! Recently purchased one of the new Squier Classic Vibe "Late 50's" P basses online. Took a little bit of a chance, as they're a fairly new model and don't have any real reviews as of yet from what I could tell! The bass arrived today, and I thought I'd come on here to give you my first look conclusions. Straight out of the box, it was immediately apparent how well this bass is made. I'm not even joking, Squier have knocked the ball out of the park. The CV line has always received high praise for quality, in particular the necks (more on that later) but I was more than a little impressed. The white colour is hard to photograph, but looks sublime in person. It's slightly transparent, and I've seen a couple of people compare it to Mary Kay White. I can't make the comparison myself having never owned or seen a MKW in person but this bass is certainly a looker. The gold anodised aluminium pickguard is to a high standard and compliments the colour scheme very well, although I'll probably pick up a black guard at some point incase the need for a change strikes. The glossy neck has a beautiful vintage tint to it, not overbearingly orange like a few other "vintage style" basses I've seen and not pale, fresh maple either. Just nicely in the middle, and the finish itself is of outstanding quality. Not a blemish, ugly mark or any other concerning sight on either the body or the neck. The hardware also is well made, and feels quality. The tuners move freely but with just enough resistance to feel sturdy. The bridge also is well made, and I was pleasantly surprised to see threaded saddles on there too! Played acoustically, the bass is surprisingly resonant and loud. Always a good sign in my opinion. Plugged in, this bass speaks with typical P bass authority. Very pleasing indeed, and it just has that quality that separates a good P from the rest. Total Fender tones through and through, courtesy of its "Big F" designed alnico split pickup. I can already tell it'll be a joy to play live, and no doubt will sit in a mix beautifully like only a well made P bass can. On the note of playing live, this particular bass is definitely on the sturdier side of things. I don't have an exact weight, but this is certainly not a flyweight by any means. Not hugely heavy either mind, but being a P it balances well on a wide strap and feels perfectly comfortable. Now, in my eyes there is only one minor niggle with this bass. The Neck. It looks absolutely beautiful, from what I can see its a 1 piece maple job with a skunk stripe. It even FEELS great, as I've so often heard of the CV basses. The issue here lies solely with Squier's blurb. They have advertised the bass as having a 1.685" (42.8mm) nut width, which would be in the ballpark of the wider but you would expect of a 50's precision. However, upon checking this with a set of digital calipers the nut width is definitely the standard modern 41.3. not exactly a deal breaker to somebody who wants a great playing bass with some vintage styling (me), just a word of warning to the players looking for a cheap alternative to an AVRI, or the real deal. There seemed to be some confusion when the bass first arrived over where the truss rod would adjust from but I can confidently say it's a headstock adjust. All in all, despite Squiers confusion over what many people would say is a make or break measurement and possibly even a/the deciding factor in buying a bass this is a brilliant bass at any price point. Plays outstandingly, looks absolutely beautiful and sounds every bit as good as you'd expect a good P to sound. They've made a good one here and if you're looking into these, you will not be disappointed!

Although a little late in posting, just wanted to share a very positive experience with dudewheresmybass. I had originally posted a pedal for sale on Facebook, a Morley Fuzz Wah and the man himself commented. I explained why I wanted rid, and what I planned on getting afterwards. Barely 5 minutes later, it transpired that he had the pedal I was after and offered a straight swap. The deal was made, and we posted out our pedals on the same day. He provided very prompt proof of postage, and our pedals arrived on the same day as the other too. 10/10 very good experience, easy to deal with and provides all relevant information. If anybody has any thought of dealing with the dude, you will not be disappointed!

Evening all. I have just taken the plunge into my latest foray of 5 string tomfoolery, and purchased myself a Yamaha BB235 in black. Bass is pending arrival, so I haven't had a chance to give it a go and see what I make of them yet but I'm willing to give them a chance (I may love the stock pickups!) As I've read the stock pickups are quite decent on their own, and that the YGD designed pickups in these entry level basses are generally a cut above the usual fare you'd expect to find in an entry level bass. However, there's a good chance I may not like them as I tend to take a liking to more modern, aggressive sounding pickups, such as the Seymour Duncan SPB-3. Which leads me to my request for recommendations... Which 5 string P/J sets are available that would fit the bill of a modern sounding, fairly hot P/J? I've seen that Seymour Duncan offers a quarter pound P bass and J bass bridge pickup separately and I'm especially interested in these, I used to have a quarter pound in an old fender P I had years ago but have no experience on how they handle a low B, and have no idea how good/bad the 1/4lb J bass bridge pickup is. Anybody use/has used the quarter pound P/J 5 string sets on here willing to give a wee review? Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated too, I've seen there are offerings from Nordstrand, EMG and Aguilar to name a few, would any of these cover the general thing I'm aiming for? Cheers!

Thanks all. I think I'm just gonna leave it, sounds a lot more complicated than the deal's worth. Thanks for all your quick and helpful replies! Certainly helped me realise the complexities of importing guitars!

Hello everyone. I've got a few questions about concerns of mine regarding importing an instrument from the USA to Scotland. Basically, the deal is a good one. I will be swapping my Trace Elliot head for a nice 5 string LTD by ESP bass. The only concerns of mine are... Seeing as no actual money is being exchanged, if the value of the instrument is around £250 and at an estimate shipping is an extra £150, how much am I likely to pay in import taxes/duties? Also, what is the general idea of CITES regulations regarding the rosewood fretboard? Is this likely to be more hassle for a better deal than I'd find in the UK, than the better deal is worth?

Thanks man! I'm due to try this out at next band practice so will see what happens from there on. How would you rate these as value for money against their peers?

Thanks for the price guide dude! I've always been weirdly intrigued by these, it's just good timing that one should show up now!

Evening/morning all (depending upon what time you read this). I have been offered a Rockbass Streamer. It's a model I haven't seen before, and from what I can tell it's an earlier model (one piece high-mass style bridge, "Rockbass" logo on headstock with the warwick logo on the truss rod cover instead of the "W" logo on the headstock. It's a single MEC pickup, with 2x controls (volume and tone, I'd assume) and a strat type input jack on the front. Translucent red finish. Guy knows absolutely nothing about basses, and said it's been lying for quite some time in the back of a wardrobe. Any idea what these were worth when they first came out, and what a reasonable offer would be for one? Cheers in advance! Michael

I was in fact looking at the CTM30 not too long ago, but decided I need more watts hence the purchase of the ABM. I never realised they only ever made 50 of the limited edition combos, 25 2x10s and 25 1x15s. Score!

Yeah, I'll agree with that one. Switching between my P and my Rick usually needs a minor tweak, especially when using either pickup solo'd. Using both pickups together produces a fairly nice sound, even when used with an EQ set for a P bass. But, then again sometimes utilizing the pre-set EQ shape can help massively for this too. If EQ fiddles are needed, the only saving grace is that I find the Ashdown easier to set than the Trace with its simpler EQ. As I mentioned before, the Trace sound is always unmistakably Trace, and sounds good no matter what but the Ashdown does tend to need a bit of a tweak depending on which bass is put through it!

I must admit, between the Ashdown and Trace there isn't much in it. Both have insanely musical EQ sections. I suspect you'd do better with the Ashdown if you're used to a GP7 Trace head, as that's what the ABM series up to the latest EVO4 has. 3 knobs for bass, mid and treble, with 2 sliders between each section for fine tuning. These sliders are also MEGA sensitive, you can sculpt about any tone you'd be able to get out of a Trace. In saying that, Ashdown for me just doesn't have that mojo that makes trace gear unmistakably trace. It has it's own mojo, and its awesome but as said before it does the whole "vintage" thing a lot better. If you're a guy who likes his P basses, and want a fairly SVT-esque growl without the weight while having an almost trace sound while on clean, the Ashdown would be your thing through and through. For tweakers and tone sculptors, who want that 80s/90s Brit bass tone, the Trace will be your friend. It also makes Rickenbackers sound as beautiful as they look 😁