Squier P, 40mm nut width, with KiOgon loom and Wilkinson pickup ON HOLD - SOLD
£140
Bromley

Paolo85 · June 23, 2023

Right, my Squier P is back for sale as part of an effort to fund most of the purchase of a new fretless through sales. I put it for sale in April, then decided to keep it. But now it may have to go.

In the link below you find plenty of detail and comments from two previous owners

Here is the original advert:

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This is a great bass for the price for somebody who, like me, could not care less about scratches, dings and marks. Of these, this bass has plenty. Everything else is great. This bass has outlived a modern Squier Affinity PJ, an old Squier Affinity made in Indonesia and even a Squier Classic Vibe. I am selling it now after I have put together a bitsa with similar characteristics and Fender neck with Hipshot ultralight tuners. To be clear, the reason the bitsa wins is just that it's lighter.

This bass is a Squier Crafted In China in 2008. I am not sure they went by the name Affinity. I bough it here last year and has been owned by Basschatters since at least 2017.

Based on the research I have made, these would actally have rosewood fretboard and alder body, which apparently at the time was cheap to source locally in China. It certainly feels sturdier than my poplar basses, but don't hang your purchase to this info.
It weighs 4.2kg according to my bathroom scale. Feels much lighter than a 4.2kg Classic Vibe I had due to its great balance.This is helped by the tuners, which, believe me or not, weigh one gram less than Hipshot Licensed Ultralight. That's not the only good thing about the tuners. I can play this bass, leave it overnight, pick it up the next evening and it's still in tune, or mostly in tune. It had never happened to me with basses in this price range. This is also helped by a stable neck. Originally lacquered, I have sanded it a bit but I would not say all the way down to a satin. Let's say thin and non-sticky lacquer.
The tuners have one downside: two of them rattled. The problem is mostly solved (with masking tape inside the casing on the back, you don't see it), although very occasionally I can still hear a rattle, which does not get amplified though. (EDIT: be aware that this may depend on your strings and your touch)
The neck shape is in between a J and a P. 40mm nut width. Not skinny back to front but not as chunky as say a Harley Benton JB75 either. Feels extremely nice. Frets are small, which to me gives it a bit of a fretless feeling and help not overdoing it with the fretting. Fretwork is good and allows for low action. In fact, for what cheap basses are concerned I only had an Ibanez once with equivalent fretwork. All others were not as good.
I have replaced the pickup it came with (a Wilkinson ceramic) with a Wilkinson alnico which sounds great. I have installed it with a KiOgon loom. For people not too familiar with it, it means that
- you can replace the pickup with just a screwdriver, no need to solder
- the quality of the electronics is extremely high and well above the price point here
The bridge, a bit battered, comes from a Squier Affinity PJ. Not really an upgrade but saddles in the stock one had become hard to move.
It has a mirror pickguard which I understand that, much like the knobs, it was not stock.

(EDIT Strings are old D'Addario nickels.)