why buy fender?

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='mrcrow' post='363401' date='Dec 25 2008, 08:27 PM']i have owned a 'real' fender from usa...the build was not as i would have expected round the neck to body joint
it sounded ok though and was made of tough materials..1998 model
i havent looked closely at a squier but would expect it to be on a par with a usa fender
most owners of any fender iirc are all about changing pups/ splts/ bridge/ tuners/ and god knows what else
[b]so what is the real draw with fenders
they are easy to upgrade[/b]??[/quote]

What's so easy to upgrade on a Fender that can't be upgraded on any bass? Actually, saying that, most basses don't need upgrading as much as Fenders do.

[Marcus]

Hey up !!

Just bought a Squire Classic vibe 60's Jazz (the white one)

I've got to say i'm blown away for a instrument that I got for £239 !

I've owned many Fenders, a number of Custom shops (including a 66 Mark Kendrick Masterbuild) and this piece of Chinese Basswood is AMAZING !!!

The neck feels every bit as good as any Jazz at any price of any vintage i've ever played, the fit & finish is virtually flawless, the fretwork is faultless.

Took it to a gig last night and used it for a couple of songs....... hit the spot !!!!!

Tonally it's big and growly with loads of weight and thump, I've set it up with 45 - 105 DR Fatbeams and it plays as well as anything i've owned (the change of strings made a hell of a difference in fairness)

(Sadowsky's Fodera's, Alembics, you name it)

No i've not had too much Christmas Spirit........ it's just an unbelievable bass at a stupid price !

Can't wait to put it into the hands of some of my Bass player mates..... they'll not believe it

I'll most likely end up swapping the Pickups and wiring..... simply because I have to believe that in producing an instrument of this quality at a price of £239 compromises must have been made in this area......

Regards

Mark

Edited December 27, 2008 by Marcus

[Beedster]

[quote name='Marcus' post='364345' date='Dec 27 2008, 06:16 PM']Hey up !!

Just bought a Squire Classic vibe 60's Jazz (the white one)

I've got to say i'm blown away for a instrument that I got for £239 !

I've owned many Fenders, a number of Custom shops (including a 66 Mark Kendrick Masterbuild) and this piece of Chinese Basswood is AMAZING !!!

The neck feels every bit as good as any Jazz at any price of any vintage i've ever played, the fit & finish is virtually flawless, the fretwork is faultless.

Took it to a gig last night and used it for a couple of songs....... hit the spot !!!!!

Tonally it's big and growly with loads of weight and thump, I've set it up with 45 - 105 DR Fatbeams and it plays as well as anything i've owned (the change of strings made a hell of a difference in fairness)

(Sadowsky's Fodera's, Alembics, you name it)

No i've not had too much Christmas Spirit........ it's just an unbelievable bass at a stupid price !

Can't wait to put it into the hands of some of my Bass player mates..... they'll not believe it

I'll most likely end up swapping the Pickups and wiring..... simply because I have to believe that in producing an instrument of this quality at a price of £239 compromises must have been made in this area......

Regards

Mark[/quote]

Now, I have to say, that makes me want to buy one. Even more so as I'm guessing that these Squires might not be around too long - like previous Fenders/MMs, they could have too negative an impact on the sales of expensive models for the execs to tolerate. Unless, that is, Fender are breaking with tradition and are actually one step ahead of things, in this case, the recession......) .

[saibuster]

Im definitely going to get one (if i wont get fired next month! ).

Does anyone know what's the difference between the Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified?

[johnnylager]

[quote name='saibuster' post='364445' date='Dec 27 2008, 08:45 PM']Im definitely going to get one (if i wont get fired next month! ).

Does anyone know what's the difference between the Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified?[/quote]
Played 'em both at GAK - both nice. Take a trip down to sunny Brighton and give 'em a whirl.

Seems like [url="http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0303075505"]Classic Vibe[/url] - better bridge vs. [url="http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0326702521"]Vintage Modified[/url] - better pups.

[6h5g]

[quote name='budget bassist' post='359369' date='Dec 20 2008, 02:57 AM']Those new classic vibes are brilliant basses, though i think some people prefer a different name on the headstock [/quote]
+1 definately

[bumnote]

Well I bought a 50s P today from Guitar Village , great. Lovely finish, neck and fretwork excellent, dont like the bridge much, prefer the normal bent metal one, and I was prepared to swap out the pickup.

Took it to a gig tonight with my US Jo Osbourne which is a lovely piece of kit.

The jo stayed on the stand all night. The squier has got a real grunt, and a knockout bottom end. Its equally as good as my CIJ precision, and at that price point Fender have a winner.

I think this stands up in its own right. Im not going to sand off the decal, and im quite happy to say im enjoying playing a squier.

Edited December 28, 2008 by bumnote

[PVTele]

[quote name='bumnote' post='364549' date='Dec 28 2008, 01:06 AM']I think this stands up in its own right. Im not going to sand off the decal, and im quite happy to say im enjoying playing a squier.[/quote]

Good man yerself, bumnote - you tell 'em!

I've been flirting with the idea of a Squier P myself - I'd like a P for blues gigs, and I can't possibly justify an MIA for those occasions. I've not played a recent MIM that's actually quite as good as good examples of recent Squiers.

[Marcus]

Another couple of days on from my purchase and as the new "Zingy" DR's are getting broke in the tone is just getting better and better....... !!

The neck hasn't moved since I set it up (I've had 3 USA 62 Stack-knob re-issues and they all had rubber neck syndrome)

I've got to suspect that as with the legendary inconsistency of Fender basses the squires will be no different, I've maybe just got lucky and found a belter ?

I've always had a snobby phobia of anything made from Basswood...... maybe in the modern world of mass production it's a better alternative to poor quality unseasoned Alder / Ash etc..... Modern production within big companies can't support having wood lying around drying for years. Go to somewhere like Overwater and their drying rooms have had lumps of wood in there for years and years waiting for the right customer / bass combination.

Why do modern Fenders (and lots of other basses) have graphite support rods in the necks ? it's because the wood was a tree a week ago, still soaking wet, as a result won't stay in one place !!

Why do some manufacturers offer chambering to reduce weight ? again (IMHO) it's because good quality properly dried body wood is so rare / expensive and time consuming to produce, they need to use poorer grades of heavey wood.

As far as changing the decal...... that's not something i'd do

Anybody worth impressing wouldn't be fooled.......
For those people who would be fooled..... their opinion wouldn't count.

I guess you're only fooling yourself........ I'd rather impress the hell out of people that I can get such a great tone out of a cheap instrument !

All just my Humble Opinion you understand.....


ATB

Mark

Edited December 28, 2008 by Marcus

[Toadonroll]

I tried one out yesterday (the 70's jazz) and was mightily impressed - an excellent instrument. As everyone has already said a great sound and playability etc.
I had the money and was going to buy it, but the tuning knobs weren't smooth enough! That is the [b]only [/b]reason I didn't buy it. I feel like a bit of a plum really...

Edited December 28, 2008 by Toadonroll

[lee4]

Perhaps if we all say that Squire's are sh*t then the price will drop and we can buy them for peanuts before people catch on that they're really quite good!

[bassmansky]

[quote name='Marcus' post='364345' date='Dec 27 2008, 06:16 PM']Hey up !!

Just bought a Squire Classic vibe 60's Jazz (the white one)

I've got to say i'm blown away for a instrument that I got for £239 !

I've owned many Fenders, a number of Custom shops (including a 66 Mark Kendrick Masterbuild) and this piece of Chinese Basswood is AMAZING !!!

The neck feels every bit as good as any Jazz at any price of any vintage i've ever played, the fit & finish is virtually flawless, the fretwork is faultless.

Took it to a gig last night and used it for a couple of songs....... hit the spot !!!!!

Tonally it's big and growly with loads of weight and thump, I've set it up with 45 - 105 DR Fatbeams and it plays as well as anything i've owned (the change of strings made a hell of a difference in fairness)

(Sadowsky's Fodera's, Alembics, you name it)

No i've not had too much Christmas Spirit........ it's just an unbelievable bass at a stupid price !

Can't wait to put it into the hands of some of my Bass player mates..... they'll not believe it

I'll most likely end up swapping the Pickups and wiring..... simply because I have to believe that in producing an instrument of this quality at a price of £239 compromises must have been made in this area......

Regards

Mark[/quote]do they come with a nice new hardcase as well?tempted to get one tomorrow!

[Marcus]

[quote name='bassmansky' post='364813' date='Dec 28 2008, 01:51 PM']do they come with a nice new hardcase as well?tempted to get one tomorrow![/quote]

No mate..... they come with a nice cardboard box

[bumnote]

[quote name='Marcus' post='364959' date='Dec 28 2008, 05:07 PM']No mate..... they come with a nice cardboard box [/quote]

and in my case it was an ibanez box with an instruction manual and a 4 ft lead you wouldnt use to strangle the guitar player.

Edited December 28, 2008 by bumnote

[bumnote]

[quote name='Toadonroll' post='364772' date='Dec 28 2008, 12:51 PM']I tried one out yesterday (the 70's jazz) and was mightily impressed - an excellent instrument. As everyone has already said a great sound and playability etc.
I had the money and was going to buy it, but the tuning knobs weren't smooth enough! That is the [b]only [/b]reason I didn't buy it. I feel like a bit of a plum really... [/quote]

Im surprised at that, one of the things i noticed that the knobs on mine are nice and smooth, just like the metal shaft ones [cts?] I got from guitar parts resource

[bassmansky]

[quote name='Marcus' post='364959' date='Dec 28 2008, 05:07 PM']No mate..... they come with a nice cardboard box [/quote]
wont get one now then!

[fede162162]

very impressed with the Precision sonic blue! it sounds better than the mij.

the other to squier are no at the same level than the fender...but they fight well!

[Marcus]

Little update on my 60's vibe....

used it for a full rehearsal set last night....

The neck is really sticky.... think i'll need to get the wet & dry out....

The pickups are also a little prone to feedback (very small rehearsal room and loud band) and a bit too polite for this particular musical situation. Looking on the Wizard site I think i'll go for a set of Hammers for a darker dirtier, more agressive sound.

ATB

Mark

[Boneless]

[mode Italian Brotherhood ON]
Toh, guarda chi si vede, fede207987259872359872378234
[mode OFF]

I must say, Squiers (but not only Squiers, lots of other Chinese/Far Eastern Fender copies) are faring quite well lately.
A beginner, today, can spend very little and get a much better quality bass than what you used to get even only 10 years ago (I remember starting with a Samick bass, which was absolutely AWFUL).
An SX bass, or Chinese Eko bass, or a Tokai bass will play nicely, and won't let you necessarily feel like playing a cheap bass.

There are some issues, though.
First of all, how the bass sounds when playing in the upper part of the neck (from the 8th fret onwards), especially on the E string, cheap necks tend to kill the note's vibrations a bit too much (and you can hear it a bit in the video as well). Intonation starts to get weird.
Then there's the feeling, I usually notice that on cheap basses there is an overall "cheap" vibe to it (of course, I know it's just obvious, but still...), and I'm not just talking about the wood selection (as in aesthetically pleasing) but also the finishes.
Usually the pickups aren't that good, although they are pretty decent.
This said, I play with an Eko bass (MM copy). It pleases me in (nearly) every way (it sounds a bit too muffled after the 6th-7th fret on the E string, it seems like I can't achieve a low action, cheap tuners which won't keep the tuning for too long, plastic nut, etc. but still plays great, better than many more expensive basses), it has undergone a pickup change (Seymour Duncan/Basslines SMB-4a), and it plays just great, cuts through the mix, tight on the lows and jangly on the treble, great with a pick, and it only costs about £100 (you can buy it in Italy for about €120-130). I have also recorded with it successfully. I just got a Peavey T-40 because I felt I needed a more "fat" bass for some songs, but, minor issues aside, that Eko bass has been one of my best buys. And the problem is, I have found these issues in expensive basses as well

[clash33]

Got my Classic Vibe Jazz - what a nice bit of kit - love the neck - love the look - Happy man

[thewalruswaspaul]

I think the more appropriate question with regards to this thread is "Why buy MIM Fender" , obviously a Squier will not be as good as a 1k USA Fender but from what other people have said , the classic vibe series seems to be on par with the MIM Fenders

[Tee]

Here's Mike Watt playing a Squier

[clash33]

[quote name='thewalruswaspaul' post='382045' date='Jan 16 2009, 09:02 AM']I think the more appropriate question with regards to this thread is "Why buy MIM Fender" , obviously a Squier will not be as good as a 1k USA Fender but from what other people have said , the classic vibe series seems to be on par with the MIM Fenders[/quote]

I think that's right, and would I want to take my 1K+ new Jazz out gigging - I'm using my Jazz as my No. 1 bass now it's a nice bit of kit, looks good too.