electric nate Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I played a Modern Player Tele in Dawsons in Manchester the other day. I've always LOVED tele/51p basses, the shape, the simplicity, always thought it was a bass that matched my own ethos as a player. The finish was exquisite, perhaps a little annoying if you prefer a smooth matte neck rather than a gloss one, but I can't fault it's application and quality. Anyway, the point is, these really do LOOK the proverbial canine's testes in person. However, for me it just didn't FEEL right. I know when i've got to have an instrument because it just sort of comes alive in my hands somehow, it resonates right, the notes translate perfectly from my brain to the fretboard and that just didn't happen for me with this. It felt essentially just like an inert piece of wood, a tool, a thing, an object. I WANTED to love it so much, I wanted to look cool with my 2 shiny humbuckers and tele headstock, I wanted to thunder along monstrously on the exquisite maple fretboard but it just didn't tickle my pickle as an instrument. It seems kind of mean to say, but it felt a bit like a model rather than the real deal. To me the modern player tele is like a souvenir samurai sword, it looks great as an ornament but it just isn't going to hold up in a real swordfight. Maybe the quality is variable and I played a "duff" one? Maybe someone else will pick it up and want to marry it and start a family with it instantly, I don't know, but it wasn't for me. Tis a gorgeous bass but not gorgeous enough to make me cheat on my aerodyne jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Are they made in the same Factory as the Chinese Squiers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 So as posted earlier these are just rebranded Squiers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Alsatian Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I've had mine for a week now - I bought a Butterscotch one for £401 from Andertons (although I paid £385 through loyalty points), so I can offer my initial impressions. The body is Alder (I know the Squier CV series are Basswood) and the bass has some weight to it - weighs the same as my Ray35. The default strings are Fender 105-45, which sounded nice with the bass, but I had a set of Ernie Ball Group 3 flats, which I've put on instead. I can't fault the finish on the body - consistent and a good job all around. Shows the grain of the wood nicely and it looks to be a nice piece of wood under the finish. The neck and fretboard have a glossy finish, which might not be to everyone's tastes, but I like the feel of them. Again, they've done a good job with the finish, and the neck fits well. The only 'rough' bits were the slots in the nut, but the strings hide it and the functionality isn't impaired and the bevelled cut on the thick single-ply scratchplate (black) looks a little rough in places but nothing that bothers me. Hardware feels solid - tuners do what they're supposed to (they're plain-backed - no Fender stamp on them) and hold the bass in tune. The knobs are chrome metal dome and operate smoothly - no cracking when operating the two volumes and the master tone. The bridge looks to be the same brass heavy mass unit from the Classic Vibe series. Soundwise, both humbuckers are even in output and the main surprise was from the bridge pickup. I was expecting it to sound thin with being so close to the bridge, but it actually sounds rather full. Still a bit of mud from it, but you can sharpen things up by playing directly over it - I was worried this might be an unusable pickup in that position, but I'm rather taken by it. The neck pickup is lovely and thick - not as muddy as the Epiphone EB-0 I had. It produces the expected neck pickup sounds, so plenty of late-60s character in there. Together, the bridge and neck pickup give you a thick sound with a bit more definition than if you just used the neck, but you can still hear the characteristics and body of the neck pickup. You can roll off a bit of either pickup to noticeably change the sound of the bass, so it's definitely more versatile than just having the neck pickup. I haven't played any of the Classic Vibe basses, (although I've owned a VM P-bass, which was great), so I can't say how the overall quality compares. Is it a rebadged Squier? I don't know, but I would still have paid £400 for it if it was a Squier. I do know that China are putting out some great instruments at the moment - I recently had an ESP LTD Vintage 204 PJ, which I sold to put towards this and it played and felt great (on the 'get another one day!' list). I wouldn't flinch at buying another Chinese-made Fender (or Squier). It gets a thumbs-up from me. Pics, then: [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/707/fendertelebass003.jpg/"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/847/fendertelebass004.jpg/"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/407/fendertelebass005.jpg/"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/862/fendertelebass006.jpg/"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/408/fendertelebass007.jpg/"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/9/fendertelebass008.jpg/"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/818/fendertelebass009.jpg/"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/641/fendertelebass010.jpg/"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/249/fendertelebass011.jpg/"][/url] [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/fendertelebass012.jpg/"][/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merello Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Looks smart as mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus x-1 Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 [quote name='Cygnus x-1' timestamp='1323796664' post='1467222'] Played the Mod player Jazz today....very impressed, sound and build quality were excellent.....infact I put first dibs on the shops first sunburst one when it arrives, hopefully in the next few days. Pretty hot pickups and punchy tone. [/quote] ........Picked it up this morning, have only played it in the shop but Very impressed, beautifully made, being Made in China doesn't bother me, I remember when they laughed at Jap stuff inc Fenders. If you had a few mint Jap Fenders under your bed you'd certainly have the last laugh..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Love your new bass, Green Alsatian, very cool looking indeed. Nice review as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Does anyone know if the neck profile on the Tele is a full fat "c" as on the original, or a flattened "c" as on the Squier TB. Seems impossible to find out online, but essential to me to know before I get one. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 [quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1324569969' post='1475750'] So as posted earlier these are just rebranded Squiers? [/quote] Not rebranded as you can't get this spec as a Squier. I'd guess made in same factory as Squier though. Doubt Fender would admit to it as it would demean the brand. But if it sells do they care? They may be adapting to a changing market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davout Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 [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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davout Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangodown87 Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 yeah theyre nice looking things! but probably not my cup of tea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightSix Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Davout' timestamp='1325489597' post='1483530'] 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] Pine is actually one of the most resonant woods for musical instruments - it can be a little soft though and dent easily. Don't knock Pine, physically or verbally Edited January 2, 2012 by StraightSix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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