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NBD - Squire VM Jazz content plus - which colour pickguard? Now with pics!

Mornats

By Mornats,
in Bass Guitars

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Mornats Experienced

Mornats

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I sold my lovely Dean Hillsboro today (shame to let it go but a MM pickup isn't for me it seems) so had to cheer myself up somehow.

So, having seen a couple of bands play with jass basses I decided that I had a jazz bass sized gap in my life. I've had contemporary jazzes with soapbars, P/J jazz shaped basses but never a proper jazz. So that had to change.

I popped down to my local PMT in Bristol (great shop, great guys in there) and tried a few basses out. I'd shortlisted it t a VM jazz and a Jaguar special - both Squires. They only had a Troy Sanders Squire Jaguar in and I didn't like that. The tone just didn't stand out for me. It seemed quite lost. Nice bass otherwise, especially for the price.

So I tried a CAR Squire VM Jazz. Oh my, it was lovely! It played just right for me. It wasn't too heavy, nicely balanced and substantial, but not heavy. (I weighed it just now actually and it's 8lbs 9oz). The sound is just classic jazz bass of course.

So having played it I asked if I could compare it with an American Standard Jazz, just to set a benchmark. Bear in mind that the Squire was £246 and the US one was £1150. The US one was lighter. Build quality flawless where the Squire was "merely" excellent. It would take a nit-picker to list any differences really. The US jazz had custom shop pickups and sounded more refined and mellower and "just nice" in that "hell yeah, that's just nice" kind of way. I mean that as a big compliment by the way. The Squire though just sounded right. It played right, it felt right and it sounded right. There just wasn't £900 worth of difference between the two. I'm not knocking the US model, it's a mighty fine bass, it's just that the Squire really felt like my kinda bass.

I tried a natural ash Squire VM too as I quite fancied that as the finish but it was way heavier than the CAR one. I estimate 10 - 11lbs based on my experience with my Tanglewaters.

So I ended up buying the CAR one and I'm well happy with it. I've always rated the Squires quite highly and you just can't knock them for this price.

So here's a pic and I'll upload more once I get it out in daylight tomorrow hopefully:

[attachment=172695:10681707_10152311342886555_1617797028_n.jpg]

Now, here's a question... black isn't my favourite colour as a pickguard. Anyone got any pics of a CAR jazz with a maple fretboard with black inlays with a pickguard that's an interesting colour? Let's see 'em!

Edited by Mornats
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discreet Grand Master

discreet

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CAR, black pg and maple with black blocks looks the business, imo. :) The problem you have is matching the black blocks with an alternative pickguard. Anything other than black will look a bit out of place. You may get away with a dark tort, but of course CAR and tort don't go together either... again in my very humble opinion... I'd live with it for a bit and see if you can get on with it. Nice bass!

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Mornats Experienced

Mornats

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More pics! It's got a really nice subtle grain on the fretboard which is just lovely and not what I expected on a cheap bass. I love it :)

[url="https://flic.kr/p/pqWQR6"][/url]

[url="https://flic.kr/p/pqEBQz"][/url]

[url="https://flic.kr/p/pqVm5C"][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/p9t42n][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/poV2HU][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/poV3uy][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pqEF7p][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/p9sDfW][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/p9rSyT][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/p9sbDw][/url]

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Mornats Experienced

Mornats

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I do love this bass! Unbelievable value.

I was trying to be good. I was down to 3 basses for around 3 hours before I realised that what was missing in my life was a nice jazz bass.

The neck is just superb, so nice and slim yet still somewhat substantial so that it feels right, and bassy.

I may put some upgraded pickups in at some point (and a KiOgan harness thing which seems to be highly recommended) but at the moment I like the sound as it is. Plenty of time for that though as this one is staying for a long time I think.

I actually really like the black pickguard now. If anything, I'd keep the black and maybe try and get one with some graphic on it. First thing that comes to mind is the yellow on black Nirvana smiley face...

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Valhalalf Contributor

Valhalalf

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I am a huge fan of the Squire VM range and have owned and gigged a natural jazz V for over three years now. Never had any issues with it and plays beautifully. In that time I've owned several other basses which I gig with for a while, but for some reason I just keep going back to the Squier.

I had an impulse buy and picked one of the FSR 4 string models up the other month.

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Mornats Experienced

Mornats

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1411939820' post='2564213']
If you like the way it looks and sounds maybe live with it for a bit before making any decisions..? :)
[/quote]

Aye, spot on there again. I'm actually very happy with the sound and I'm only thinking about upgrading the pickups based on other people saying they would/should upgrade them. I'm not listening with my ears! If I do feel like I want to upgrade them then Entwistle pickups get a good write up on here. Anyway, that can wait.

I was thinking of changing the pickguard to give the bass a more unique look. I've always thought that Fenders (and by their relation, Squires too) were the bass equivalent to a silver Ford Mondeo - every other one looks the same as the rest. However, I do think this particular colour scheme is a little different to most Fenders anyway. I may play around with pickguards still but I'd keep the original one. I'm liking it more and more each day :)

Did you do any mods to yours Valhalalf? Thinking of doing any?

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Paul S Grand Master

Paul S

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[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1412001746' post='2564726']
I was thinking of changing the pickguard to give the bass a more unique look.
[/quote]

Have you tried it with no pickguard at all? If the routing is neat and paint finish ok, that might work. Most of the VM fretless seem to end up without one. You'll have the screw holes but they don't notice from more than 3 yards away.

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