Squier Classic Vibe 60s Precision

[mcnach]

[quote name='Mister RLP' timestamp='1481988721' post='3196807'] Did you have any trouble putting them in? Are they an exact fit? [/quote]

Well, the pickup covers have the wider 'ears' than Fender/DiMarzio etc types, so you either file the pickguard a bit or get a set of pickup covers with smaller ears. I just got new pickup covers, which I preferred also as I don't like the big lettering (model number) written on the original pickup covers. It's only about £4.

[b]Edit:[/b] these pickups are deeper than most others, but I did not have to remove wood in order to accommodate them.

I put the PBXN pickups in my Mike Dirnt Squier too:


Again, the routing is the small ear type and I was not going to chip away at the wood, so new covers was the thing to do, white in this case:

Edited December 19, 2016 by mcnach

[Marc S]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1482064786' post='3197284']
Well, the pickup covers have the wider 'ears' than Fender/DiMarzio etc types, so you either file the pickguard a bit or get a set of pickup covers with smaller ears. I just got new pickup covers, which I preferred also as I don't like the big lettering (model number) written on the original pickup covers. It's only about £4......
[/quote]

Yes, I picked up a set of pickup covers on ebay too, when I did the upgrade on my Roadworn P bass. The covers were about £4 inc P&P, and fitted exactly - just dropped in, no modding / routing. You still need to rout a slightly deeper channel in the middle of the cavity though. This was really simple to do - it's just to make way for the very deep, larger magnets of the Entswistle pickups....

Mister RLP asks whether the Entwistles are even better than the stock pickups in a Matt Freeman as mcnach says, it is indeed subjective - but I really really like the Entwistles in my CV P and my RW P. I had luthier Dave Dearnaley fit JBXN and PBXN into my Squier CV P, and I was so blown away with the pickups that I had to have the same in my RW P bass. The Entwistles have a huge output for passive pups, and they still seem to produce a vintage Fender sort of sound. I'd say, at the relatively low price they sell for, they're definitely worth a try - as long as you're prepared to rout out that little channel in the centre of your pickup cavity....

I'm surprised that not more BC'ers have cottoned on to Entwistles, especially as they are so cheap, compared with other brands of pickup.....

Edited December 19, 2016 by Marc S

[dannybuoy]

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1481752226' post='3194933']
It's because they've already opened the box as a quality check inspection. It's exactly the same bass from the same batch but you get 15 quid off because it's been opened.
[/quote]

Surprised they would knock money off for that reason - some do this as routine and even give them a setup before they leave the shop. It's too new to be a customer return or old shop demo model though, so I believe them!

[dave_bass5]

I could be wrong but if i recall one of the large USA music changing like GC had some custom Squiers made that only they were selling. Seeing as the wait time for the linked bass is almost a month i wonder if this is one of those, or maybe its just something that not released yet. They don't seem wildly avaible.

I too have one of the red CVP's and its been a really good workhorse bass over the past 7 0r 8 years. I diont use it anymore as i have something better, i really never got to love the fiesta red look, but other than the colour i never had anything got complain about. Saying that it was modded heavily but for no other reason than it was something got do.
Great value basses back then, and although the price has crept up they are still good value IMO.

[Rexel Matador]

After coming across this thread I looked around online and found them in stock in one or two other places. I emailed one shop and they said that they were indeed discontinued and they had received them, IIRC, about six months ago. So I suspect the one in the link above is probably left over from the earlier run, rather than a new line.

[Geek99]

Is white with a black plate particularly characteristic of the 60s ?

[ead]

I was looking at these and contacted one of the shops. The say the supply came from Fender. Here's a pic of the s/n that they sent me:

[attachment=235307:$_12.jpg]

The prefix and everything looks right, but I can't find a reliable source to say whether the first two digits refer to the yob as the shop is saying it's 2015 (which I thought was after they were discontinued).

Can anybody shed any further light?

[mcnach]

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1483620538' post='3208710']
I was looking at these and contacted one of the shops. The say the supply came from Fender. Here's a pic of the s/n that they sent me:

[attachment=235307:$_12.jpg]

The prefix and everything looks right, but I can't find a reliable source to say whether the first two digits refer to the yob as the shop is saying it's 2015 (which I thought was after they were discontinued).

Can anybody shed any further light?
[/quote]

The first two numbers indicate the year indeed. That's a 2011.

edit: I found I had a picture of my 2014 Matt Freeman made in the same factory, as an example:

Edited January 5, 2017 by mcnach

[Mister RLP]

Thanks for the advice re pick ups. Have ordered some Entwistle PBXNs for my Matt Freeman bass. For bass pickup covers would [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KBYYYFW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A30B8VBSCA3EJZ"]these [/url]be a good fit?

[dave_bass5]

One thing i found with my CVP was that although the pcikguard looks pretty standard ive had to either use the covers that came with the bass, if the new pups fit, or file down the cutouts on the pcikguard (and I had 3 different ones on my CVP over the years).
Not saying this is normal, but it was frustrating.

[Mister RLP]

Ok. That's useful to know. Thanks for the tip off.

[blue]

The classic vibe series is awesome. Especially those MIJ.

Blue

[Mister RLP]

I have a bit of gas for a USA precision but there is very little to fault with my Matt Freeman. Excellent build. Good weight. Plays well. It's a keeper.

[Rexel Matador]

[quote name='Mister RLP' timestamp='1483703819' post='3209354']
I have a bit of gas for a USA precision but there is very little to fault with my Matt Freeman. Excellent build. Good weight. Plays well. It's a keeper.
[/quote]

Why on earth did they discontinue the Matt Freeman? I've never heard a bad word about them. Is it because Rancid aren't quite as popular as they once were?

[thegummy]

[quote name='Rexel Matador' timestamp='1483710563' post='3209439']
Why on earth did they discontinue the Matt Freeman? I've never heard a bad word about them. Is it because Rancid aren't quite as popular as they once were?
[/quote]

Do people actually buy signature basses/guitars because they like the artist?

[LewisK1975]

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1483715991' post='3209503']
Do people actually buy signature basses/guitars because they like the artist?
[/quote]

Isn't that the idea?

[Mister RLP]

I had no idea who Matt Freeman/Rancid were. I got the bass as it was the best in the price range. As a back up. Now it is my only bass.

[mcnach]

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1483715991' post='3209503']
Do people actually buy signature basses/guitars because they like the artist?
[/quote]

I guess some do.

I have two (three?) signature instruments... but I didn't choose them because of the link to the artist:

1) Fender Stratocaster Richie Sambora - well, I wanted a Stratocaster with a Floyd Rose and a proper humbucker at the bridge... it was the only Stratocaster I could find like that at the time! I do like Richie Sambora but it played no part on my decision. I don't play any Bon Jovi on guitar.

2) Squier Mike Dirnt Precision - I had no idea he was the guy from Green Day. I just liked the bass, like a 51 Precision but with a split coil pickup. It was very light, comfortable and sounded good.

3) Squier Matt Freeman Precision - not a great fan of Rancid although I like some of their stuff... but it is a gorgeous Precision with that cream body and lacquered dark maple neck...

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Mister RLP' timestamp='1483719449' post='3209559']
I had no idea who Matt Freeman/Rancid were. I got the bass as it was the best in the price range. As a back up. Now it is my only bass.
[/quote]

Same. Although i didnt buy one, a MF would have been much more preferable to the CVP i did buy, purely for cosmetic reasons though.

[Mister RLP]

And I got it online. All the basses I tried before I bought them I sold.

[thegummy]

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1483717455' post='3209536']
Isn't that the idea?
[/quote]

Maybe that is the idea, I dunno.

For me personally, it's just a model name. Like Les Paul.

One good thing about sig basses though, I heard about the Pino Palladino model, decided to find out who he was and not only found my favourite bass player but my favourite album I've found in many years

[Rexel Matador]

This is all very interesting and is pretty much the reason I asked. It seems like the love for Matt Freeman's signature bass only slightly crosses over with the love for the man himself and his ouevre. It's just a consistently great and affordable precision bass, hence why I'm mystified that it's no longer available. So good that it's a threat to the Mexican standard?

And I remember reading another thread (possibly here, or possibly over on Talkbass) when it first came out. Someone questioned what was even so "signature" about it. It's just a p bass, isn't it?

(For the record I think he's wonderful. Rancid are hit and miss but Freeman always brings it.)

Edited January 6, 2017 by Rexel Matador

[mcnach]

[quote name='Rexel Matador' timestamp='1483737926' post='3209799']
This is all very interesting and is pretty much the reason I asked. It seems like the love for Matt Freeman's signature bass only slightly crosses over with the love for the man himself and his ouevre. It's just a consistently great and affordable precision bass, hence why I'm mystified that it's no longer available. So good that it's a threat to the Mexican standard?

And I remember reading another thread (possibly here, or possibly over on Talkbass) when it first came out. Someone questioned what was even so "signature" about it. It's just a p bass, isn't it?

(For the record I think he's wonderful. Rancid are hit and miss but Freeman always brings it.)
[/quote]


Yeah, I don't think it's more signature than the fiesta red was a 'Palladino' signature (they didn't sell it as a signature, but it could have been just like the Freeman was only about it being cream/black/maple.)

They also discontinued the CV sonic blue... and brought in the red one... then that one was discontinued. I think they just like to change the finishes, I don't know.

[prowla]

North of £400 for a Squier doesn't make sense to me.

[thegummy]

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1483906063' post='3211050']
North of £400 for a Squier doesn't make sense to me.
[/quote]

I wouldn't buy one but it makes sense to me. A MiM Standard is 600 quid.