Jezyorkshire Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 A while ago i got a squire jazz bass made in china for one of my students and before giving it to him i did a bit of tweaking to get the best out of , truss rod , string height, intonation. This weekend at his home where he has his lesson i thought i would take my fender jazz mia and my Markbass combo and see what differences there were now it had time to settle in a bit. The Squire actually sounded better through a crap 15watt amp than my Fender and through the Markbass combo my fender was just marginally better having a little more complexity to the tone. The neck on the Squire is better as i had to have my fender worked on by a luthier as it had a different relief on each side of the neck and the Squires neck is actually more comfortable towards the headstock. My fender cost £800 with case and the Squire was £125 with a cardboard box, considering the differences, which one would you be happy to get knocked about in the car/van/ pub ? It seems to my ears also that the pickups in both basses are of equal quality, so what am i paying for when i buy a mia fender? cheers, Jez. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 It does make you wonder doesn't it... I pointed out in anoher thread that although I own two US guitars, I currently gig two Far Eastern ones because they're more fun to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Cooke Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I'm perfectly happy with my Squier VMJ... my bass teacher just wishes they did a lefty version... he already has a lefty Fender Jazz, but really likes my Squier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 [quote name='stingrayfan' post='238748' date='Jul 13 2008, 08:48 PM']It does make you wonder doesn't it... I pointed out in anoher thread that although I own two US guitars, I currently gig two Far Eastern ones because they're more fun to play.[/quote] I hate to say it but i think i prefer the feel of my Squire over my Fender and the only reason my Fender sounds better is because i upgraded the PUP's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I used to have a nice walnut matt finish Squier Jazz. Wish I still had it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alun Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 The Squiers do sound fantastic. I have no desire to "upgrade" as mine does everything I want a passive Jazz to do Cheers Alun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Yeah, squier are really stepping their game up as of late, i'm hopefully getting one (or two) soon, a VMJ fretted for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 [quote name='Jezyorkshire' post='238742' date='Jul 13 2008, 08:39 PM']A while ago i got a squire jazz bass made in china for one of my students and before giving it to him i did a bit of tweaking to get the best out of , truss rod , string height, intonation. This weekend at his home where he has his lesson i thought i would take my fender jazz mia and my Markbass combo and see what differences there were now it had time to settle in a bit. The Squire actually sounded better through a crap 15watt amp than my Fender and through the Markbass combo my fender was just marginally better having a little more complexity to the tone. The neck on the Squire is better as i had to have my fender worked on by a luthier as it had a different relief on each side of the neck and the Squires neck is actually more comfortable towards the headstock. My fender cost £800 with case and the Squire was £125 with a cardboard box, considering the differences, which one would you be happy to get knocked about in the car/van/ pub ? It seems to my ears also that the pickups in both basses are of equal quality, so what am i paying for when i buy a mia fender? cheers, Jez.[/quote] I know exactly what you mean! Last year, I bought a cheap Jazz copy made in China and badged here as an 'Extreme'.. Cost £85. Reason was that I'd just traded in my 80's Tokai Jazzsound for a 5 string, so i was really missing that Jazz bass 'thang'.. Anyway, like you I took it home and set it up and lo' and bleedin' behold, it played & sounded brilliant! Well, for £80 it did.. As I got more used to it, I realised that it would benefit from better pick ups, but nevertheless, the quality of the woods and the workmanship is simply unbelievably good for the money! To be honest, I don't know how they do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El_JimBob Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 (edited) [quote name='silverfoxnik' post='238796' date='Jul 13 2008, 10:17 PM']Last year, I bought a cheap Jazz copy made in China and badged here as an 'Extreme'.. Cost £85. Reason was that I'd just traded in my 80's Tokai Jazzsound for a 5 string, so i was really missing that Jazz bass 'thang'..[/quote] I think those were imported by Strings&Things (Ernie Ball distributor).... nice and solid - no frills - like a jazzer should be i guess. Part of the thing with more [i]obscure[/i] brandings, is relying on a quality importer/distributor to cherry pick the best of the bunch. Unlike trash like 'Swift' guitars and basses, for example, which are obviously sold by someone who could care less Chinese production is a bit of a minefield, but it at least pays to have a try sometimes, as you have proved.... Edited July 14, 2008 by El_JimBob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 Maybe you're paying for better materials? My PV millenium AC [£195] sounds fantastic and is incredibly comfy to play - but the fret wear for an 18month old bass is quite worrying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJA Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 [quote name='Jezyorkshire' post='238742' date='Jul 13 2008, 08:39 PM']so what am i paying for when i buy a mia fender?[/quote] the status of "top of the range", (and some US fender features eg. graphite rods in the neck, strings through the body- but it's arguable whether they actually make much of a difference). see Veblen goods- [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 [quote name='SJA' post='238966' date='Jul 14 2008, 10:16 AM']see Veblen goods- [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good[/url][/quote] I'd never heard of that term before, thank you. Perfectly describes the Warwick marketting strategy Also works for Apple and the IPod and Macs (there being better and cheaper products out there, but people still insist on paying more for Apple stuff). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 [quote name='peted' post='239026' date='Jul 14 2008, 11:30 AM']I'd never heard of that term before, thank you. Perfectly describes the Warwick marketting strategy [/quote] And Stella Artois, of course - which actually tends to cost about the same as other lagers, but is marketed as being expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 [quote name='tauzero' post='239040' date='Jul 14 2008, 11:47 AM']And Stella Artois, of course - which actually tends to cost about the same as other lagers, but is marketed as being expensive.[/quote] ..and tastes like earwax (so I'm told ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 (edited) [quote name='peted' post='239026' date='Jul 14 2008, 11:30 AM']I'd never heard of that term before, thank you. Perfectly describes the Warwick marketting strategy Also works for Apple and the IPod and Macs (there being better and cheaper products out there, but people still insist on paying more for Apple stuff).[/quote] Not sure I agree with that. Just bought an iMac after usings PCs for 15 years and the iMac is better built, faster, quieter and the software is in a different league to anything I've ever used on a PC. Yes, I could have bought a top notch PC for half the price with Vista, but sometimes you do get what you pay for. Edited July 14, 2008 by stingrayfan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennifer Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 [quote name='peted' post='239026' date='Jul 14 2008, 11:30 AM']I'd never heard of that term before, thank you. Perfectly describes the Warwick marketting strategy Also works for Apple and the IPod and Macs (there being better and cheaper products out there, but people still insist on paying more for Apple stuff).[/quote] Is slightly different - not wanting to get into a mac/pc debate, but a lot of the cost must go towards the constant development of the in-house OSX operating system, which in turn gives you the ability to run all of the wonderful Mac only apps like Final Cut, Logic, Shake, etc... The components used may be the similar but the implementation different enough that the end result to the user is quite different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbatts2000 Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 [quote name='stingrayfan' post='239107' date='Jul 14 2008, 01:03 PM']Not sure I agree with that. Just bought an iMac after usings PCs for 15 years and the iMac is better built, faster, quieter and the software is in a different league to anything I've ever used on a PC. Yes, I could have bought a top notch PC for half the price with Vista, but sometimes you do get what you pay for.[/quote] Uh-oh - let's not start a 'PC v Mac' argument. I've seen them before on forums and they ain't pretty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 its threads like these that make me never even want to consider paying the cash for a US jazz/precision bass, although my squier jazz i used to own wasnt all that, but it only had a factory setup... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan_da_man Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 Proof that US basses are not the best - I've always thought with Fender you were just paying for the name. There of plenty of basses under £500 that can easily blow a £1k bass out the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I found this an interesting thread as I am looking into buying a jazz bass and have been wondering whether it was worth paying the extra for a real Fender, or whether the Squier was up to the mark. I'd like to ask BudgetBassist (as he's in my neck of the woods) if he knows a local music shop that he trusts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Cooke Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 the Squier is up to the mark... the only drawback with it is that it has the Squier Logo... some people can't get past that fact... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Dubya Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Are you guys talking about the standard Squier Jazz bass here, or one of the vintage modified? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 [quote name='Paul Cooke' post='240397' date='Jul 15 2008, 09:31 PM']the Squier is up to the mark... the only drawback with it is that it has the Squier Logo... some people can't get past that fact...[/quote] such a true statement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlbbb Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I'm very happy with my Squier Deluxe Jazz V. Very happy. It makes the sound I want and I love playing it. I see no need to even consider another bass, let alone a "brand" bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Odd that someone has used the Veblen goods comparison with Warwick... I'd have thought that by now someone might have expanded the debate out from Squire v Fender to Squire type basses (i.e. cheap BO Fender style basses) to Sadowsky and Lakland! Not wishing to alienate myself from all of the aforementioned companies fans but surely that is a more direct reference to Veblen goods Did anyone hear the sound of a can of worms being opened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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