Squier Affinity P-bass vs Fender custom shop Pino Palladino P-bass

[jazzpunkrock]

Hi to everyone.
I recorded these two basses for comparison. If we would compare the price of both basses then there is so so so big difference between these two basses. I payed £165.- for new Squier and £2800 for new Fender Pino. But If I gonna compare the sound of both basses then there isn't very big difference. Both basses have the same Thomastik flatwound strings. Recorded through the PreSonus audio interface in to my laptop. No effects.
Squier upgraded with Fender Custom shop '62 pickups.
On the track I didn't mark which one is Fender and which one is Squier just wrote bass number 1 and bass number 2. Could you figure out which one is Fender and which one is Squier?
[url="https://soundcloud.com/henno-kelp/fp-vs-sa"]https://soundcloud.c...o-kelp/fp-vs-sa[/url]

Edited November 2, 2014 by jazzpunkrock

[HowieBass]

Soundwise they're so close I couldn't really choose one over the other; maybe a slight preference for bass number 1. Indicates that when it comes to flatwounds on a P bass that maybe most if not all the tone comes from the pickups and the player. As regards fit, finish and durability I'd expect the Fender to score (you'd certainly hope so based on the price) over the Squier. How do they compare for playability and the neck? Nice chops by the way

[Lozz196]

Bass 1 seems more prominent in the mids, bass 2 more even in the tone throughout. Having had the 62 pickups, they made my Precisions more middy so I`ll guess bass 1 being the Squier.

[JamesBass]

Pino number 2?

[spaners]

ok, I cant tell any difference !!

[The Badderer]

No. 2 seemed to have more presence, i thought your playing on Bass 1 on the 3rd clip was better than Bass 2 on the 3rd clip, there were a couple of untidy fret noises, so I thought No. 1 my have been the Pino due to better playability.... but i preferred the tone of bass number 2 so I'm going to guess No.2 is the Pino.

Makes you wonder thought what you're paying the extra £2k+ for. but as mentioned above, your technique is good so probably does a lot to close the gap. You might find a mid level player with not such tight sounds might get a much nicer sound out of the £2k+ instrument, but you'd be hard pushed at a gig to tell any difference especially if you chuck a couple of pedals into the mix.

When you post about what the playability etc. was like it'd be really interesting to hear your thoughts of the 2 and if the affinity require much more effort to play.

Shows your £2k might be better spent on lessons and a decent amp

Edited November 2, 2014 by The Badderer

[Subbeh]

No.1 Pino would be my guess, both sound very nice though and I'm very interested to find out which is which!

[Funky Dunky]

Number one the Pino? Both good, but the first sounded a little tighter to my lugs.

[PlungerModerno]

Both sound lovely. Well played.

OK... finished listening - way too close to "know". The pickups are clearly comparable. T.I's are blurping deliciously...

Pino #2? Squire with CS pickups #1? That's a guess. Both sounded like well setup P's with flats, played fingerstyle.

Here's a fun comparison of P's 90% of you will have already listened to (but for me and the 10% who haven't):

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoJUz1oajXo&list=UUranFvDA8I4qHg8GweBmDEA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoJUz1oajXo&list=UUranFvDA8I4qHg8GweBmDEA[/url]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMNTN-9SAUQ&list=UUranFvDA8I4qHg8GweBmDEA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMNTN-9SAUQ&list=UUranFvDA8I4qHg8GweBmDEA[/url]

[neepheid]

Not surprised by the similarity in the least. It's not proof absolute (what is in this organic, analogue, subjective area?), but things like this go towards confirming my suspicion that a lot of time spent discussing, analysing, fretting over and dissecting "tone" (and all that catch-all term encompasses) could have been better spent.

Nice playing too.

[miles'tone]

Thanks for taking the time to record this little test, I really enjoyed listening to it

I think both basses sound fantastic but it sounds like bass #1 is easier for you to play so I'm guessing that one is the Pino.

I'm VERY happy to be wrong though!

[Twincam]

Very cool. Although would of liked it if included the stock affinity pickups as well.

[BigRedX]

In isolation I didn't like the sound of either of them on the first two tunes. Bass #2 on the first tune had a particularly nasty clank at the end of some of the notes. In the mix both of them did the job perfectly adequately.

[Conan]

For some reason I can't access Soundcloud from work... but I don't really need to hear the clips, as the comments above add weight to what I already think.

People who buy expensive basses do so because they like the look and feel of them. Or the perceived kudos of owning a "quality" instrument. They don't do it because the bass will sound measurably "better".

Not quite in the same price bracket, but my J&D J bass plays [b][i]nearly[/i][/b] as well and sounds [b][i]nearly[/i][/b] as good as my CIJ Fender Geddy Lee (and any other 'proper' Fender I have played).

The question is how much "nearly" are you prepared to put up with?

Personally, there are other things I would rather spend the extra £2600 on! But I'm sure I'd enjoy playing the Pino mind...

[Jonnyboy Rotten]

I can't really hear the difference in the second comparison but the first and last one, the first one appears to have a warmer, tighter and more muffled tone and the second seems slightly more broadly toned with a little more 'bite'. I prefer bass 1 in the first comparison and bass 2 in the last one (I can't tell the difference in the second comparison!).

[Lw.]

Pretty interesting comparison, I'm not a P player but if I was buying one I'd prefer the tone of #1. Hopefully you'll reveal the results & save me 2k.

One thing I do know for sure is that both would sound worse if I was playing them :-)

[Chiliwailer]

Can't wait to hear this wehn I get home. Just wanted to chip in and say that in my experience, the Squier has a more comfy neck than the Pino.

But boy do the Pino's sound great. Can a loud live tone be compared to a recorded one, me wonders????

[Annoying Twit]

I have to agree with BigRedX. Sound is a subjective thing, but I don't think that either of them sounded wonderful. I'm wildly guessing that it's because I don't really like the sounds of flats on a P. They both sounded better on the blues tracks, possibly because the tone was rolled off more.

If I have to choose then I think that bass nr 2 has a smoother sound. But, there isn't much in it.

[No lust in Jazz]

Nice playing and nice idea for a thread.

I have no clue which bass is which; add to this the vagaries of technique, strings, different amps and cabs, EQ settings, room acoustics other instruments and there's a strong case for a sub £200 gigging bass

Thanks for sharing.

[theyellowcar]

Both extremely well played. The only distinction I could make was bass 2 had a bit more 'clank' perhaps suggesting it was a little tougher to play - having never played a Pino I can't definitively say which is easier to play, so I'm going to sit on the fence

Interested to see the result though.

[darren]

Both rosewood boards?

I liked the sound of both, if I had to pick (guess at) the PF I'd go with #2

[Mornats]

I thought bass 1 had a more uncontrolled bottom end and bass 2 was tighter and more defined. So, looking at the specs of the basses they're both alder bodied and rosewood necks so they should be similar. Pickups in both should be of very good quality (as you upgraded the Squire). So I'd be tempted to say that the Squire is bass 1, having the less defined/controlled sound around the low-end. However, I'm a big fan of Squire's having recently bought an excellent VM jazz which is nice and bright - brighter than the US one I tried it against.

So, my conclusion? It's close. I'd have guessed it was the same bass for most of it. But I'd go for bass 1 to be the Squire after all.

[jazzpunkrock]

Thanks a lot to everyone for your comments and thoughts!! Before I bought this Squier I had chance to play 4 Squiers and this one was the best one. Another three were ok.
[quote][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]When you post about what the playability etc. was like it'd be really interesting to hear your thoughts of the 2 and if the affinity require much more effort to play.[/font][/color]
[/quote] For me there isn't big difference for playability just I like Pinos neck little bit more because of nut width is a bit bigger than Squier has. And Squier definitely don't require much more effort to play. I did also professional setup for Squier. Just basic setup with low action nothing more.
And now ladies and gentleman the truth is: number 1 is Squier Affinity and number 2 is Fender Pino Palladino
[quote][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]No. 2 seemed to have more presence, i thought your playing on Bass 1 on the 3rd clip was better than Bass 2 on the 3rd clip, there were a couple of untidy fret noises, so I thought No. 1 my have been the Pino due to better playability.... but i preferred the tone of bass number 2 so I'm going to guess No.2 is the Pino.[/font][/color]
[/quote] Sorry but my finger technique isn't very solid sometimes I can handle sometimes not and I recorded Fender Pino first and I hadn't warmed up jet.
[quote][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Bass 1 seems more prominent in the mids, bass 2 more even in the tone throughout. Having had the 62 pickups, they made my Precisions more middy so I`ll guess bass 1 being the Squier.[/font][/color][/quote] Yes I am agree that 62 pickups are more middy and Pino is more even.
Need to mention that first song (I Want you back) recorded with foam mute under the strings and tone knob half way on both basses. Second tune recorded(Blues) without foam and tone knob turned full down. Third song (YYZ) recorded without foam and tone knob turned full up.
Yes both has rosewood fingerboard.

Edited November 3, 2014 by jazzpunkrock

[PlungerModerno]

Yay! I guessed right!

Seriously close though. Thanks for the blind test!

[The Badderer]

there was no criticism of your technique intended at all. i thought you did a great job both with recording and playing.