OutToPlayJazz Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 (edited) The Squier "Pete Wentz" signature Precision is possibly the most un-precision like precision I've ever played. I guess that's why I like it! For those of you not in the know, Mr.Wentz plays for an American band called "Fall Out Boy", which involves some quite harmless pop music, but quite a lot of jumping around on stage for no apparent reason - Am I being too reserved & British here? It has a jazz bass neck (ie., thinner & faster than the standard precision item) in natural satin maple and a Seymour Duncan-designed twin pickup set which gives decent output across all four strings. Having tried and been a little underwhelmed by the SD design jazz pickups in the Squier Vintage Modified 70's jazz bass, the P-style double pickup in the Wentz bass is a revelation. Truly growly, but with strong, even tone. Sounds exactly how you'd want a passive bass to sound - ie., not making you wish you'd brought an active bass out with you! The bass is light and balances well on the knee, and there's no reason it won't perform equally well on the strap. The jazz neck is, I believe *correct me if I'm wrong!*, the same model as used on the VMJ. Even for a jazz neck, this is ultra fast & very comfortable in the hand, feeling as though it would be just as comfortable after two straight hours of playing on stage. Playing quite hard and vigourous finger stlye, the bass is both fast and reassured, and you often forget that you're not playing a much more expensive instrument! This seems to be something that Squier are getting very good at these days. The current range of Squier basses never seems to feel cheap or built down to a price as such. Slap style playing also sounds great on the Wentz, with more of a bass frequency thump than you'd get on a jazz. Overall, the sound is very well balanced. The bass was tested first briefly through a 35w Kustom keyboard amp, and then later on an old Trace Elliott Boxer 65 at one of my schools. There's really very little to say about the control set on this instrument - It only has one control, a single volume pot. The tone frequency really doesn't need moving at all, as the bass sounds so good, anyway! As for the looks, this is going to be a Marmite bass of sorts... The all black gloss body with the red tort-style pickguard is very fetching, as is the maple neck. But the huge "bat/heart" graphic on the edge of the body is just too much! It would be nice if Squier could offer this as an option, the same as you're often able to delete badges on certain car brands! The same goes for the bat/diamond decal at the 12th fret on the fingerboard. Thankfully, this one is a little more subtle on the eye! All in all, this is a great value for money bass which packs a serious punch & mixes it with simple ease of playing. The one I ordered for a pupil really impressed me & the other one I have on hold for someone else may even make it into my own collection for a while. If only I could delete that bloody red bat-heart graphic! Edited December 21, 2007 by OutToPlayJazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeh Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 (edited) Good review Im very tempted to buy the Mike Dirnt Squier atm and this review isnt helping the GAS. You see to hear alot of good things about the Squiers of today. Edited December 21, 2007 by mikeh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hit&Run Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 I agree about Squiers: [color="#0000FF"]"you often forget that you're not playing a much more expensive instrument! This seems to be something that Squier are getting very good at these days. The current range of Squier basses never seems to feel cheap or built down to a price as such"[/color]: I've bought 2 Squier basses in the last year, and I may get another! OTPJ: How much did you fork out for the Wentz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien1080 Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 (edited) i know im not OTPJ but if you use www.froogle.co.uk you can get them for 179.99 i think! Edited December 23, 2007 by Damien1080 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted December 23, 2007 Author Share Posted December 23, 2007 Yes, I think it was around that. I ordered it through a friend's shop on this occasion & it came to something like £195 inc. carriage. But as Damien says, you can get them cheaper if you shop around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 Thanks for a great review OTPJ. You got me seriously thinking about one of these to take along to open mic nights so my MIA copy of this (w/o the hideous bat thing) doesn't get bo*****'d. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDM Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 You know, I bet fender had the non FOB fan in mind when they designed the bass..... If you think about it, the stupid bat decal is on the forearm contour, which would be covered by your elbow/forearm if you were playing with your fingers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien1080 Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 here just to back up the original review, Brought the bass blind which i never normally do and my god its a good'un! will post longer later but basicly its ace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifeq Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 maybe easy option- put in this place other sticker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neptunehealer Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 [quote name='fifeq' post='121246' date='Jan 16 2008, 12:42 AM']maybe easy option- put in this place other sticker?[/quote] I am getting a bit of GAS about this bass as it's very cheap and seems like it's lightweight and got a good tone. This seems to be getting the nod over an expensive fender jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Bolton Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 It wasn't until just now that I realised the Squier PW has that stupid Clandestine Industries logo as an octave marker too! Even if you put some stickers on the body you've still got it on the neck too I understand that that's what makes it a signature one, and FOB fans'll love it, but I must admit it's more than a little annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twentyhertz Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I would just go for two strips of black gaffer tape on the body and not worry too much about the neck marker :-) Or just get the Vintage Modified Precision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookys6stringbass Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 (edited) God dammit that is one great sounding bass !!!!! well I was out an about this morning and thought i'd have a look at some basses as i've been thinking of getting a decent cheapish bass for away / sh*t venue gigs so I wouldn't be worrying about my bass getting swiped. Now i'm not a big Fender fan but I thought i'd give the Squiers a go. I had a good play on the VM JAZZ bass which really shocked me as it sounded, really really good!!! So much so that I was going to buy it there and then! Now when I walked into the shop I noticed the Pete wentz bass , but thought it was a kids bass with that funkin big red bat thing on it. So when I was asked I if I wanted to play anything else I was about to say no when my little girl (3) told me to have ago on the 'one with the batty on'.... so I couldn't say no. That's when I started noticing the jazz neck and the one pot .mmmm interesting I thought, plugged it in and was shocked at the sound this bass produces as OUT TOPLAYJAZZ said [i]'the Wentz bass is a revelation. Truly growly, but with strong, even tone. Sounds exactly how you'd want a passive bass to sound - ie., not making you wish you'd brought an active bass out with you!'[/i] That's me hooked - I've found my away bass quite by accident.. thanks to my little girl.. Edited October 22, 2009 by hookys6stringbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 [quote name='hookys6stringbass' post='633283' date='Oct 22 2009, 11:19 AM']I was about to say no when my little girl (3) told me to have ago on the 'one with the batty on'....[/quote] You do realise you're going to get known as the 'batty boy' whenever you play it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookys6stringbass Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 [quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='633439' date='Oct 22 2009, 02:08 PM']You do realise you're going to get known as the 'batty boy' whenever you play it? [/quote] Bugger! I didn't think of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allihts Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 OTPJ, I never would have had you down as a fall out boy fan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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