BigBeatNut Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Can anyone give me a rough guide to getting the best deal, in terms of quality, out of a Squier bass ? I've seen postings saying that VM and Classic Vibe ranges are better than older Squiers (Affinity's ? Standards ?) which kind of suggests they're coming from a different factory ... but to be honest I have no idea ... these ranges may be pure marketing terms for all I know. If I want a decent quality cheap precision, which Squier range should I be looking at ? Or if the range is not key to quality, then can anyone give me any clues as to which basses might be worth a look. Also, any clues as to where to find Squiers in London would be useful ... on a visit to Denmark street yesterday I didn't spot that many ... certainly not the classic vibe precision (split pickup one) which seems worth a look. Cheers, Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 The VM and CV Squiers are touted as the two better ranges, due to components and finishes i think. I have a Standard series Jazz and can't fault it construction wise, it feels much more expensive than it actually is and is exceptionally well put together. The finish is a little thick for my liking but it's a very nice looking bass. I was torn between the Antique Burst and the Walnut Satin, eventually choosing the latter. I don't like the Affinity series as they feel a bit cheaper but they still compete with similarly priced basses. Just not [i][/i]that[i][/i] much cheaper than the Standard. I was also told that the pickups are inferior (i never plugged it in because the Standard felt miles better!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PVTele Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Another vote for the Standard Series - I have a Standard Tele that is simply one of the nicest Telecasters I've played, and it sounds just wonderful. I've had it over 6 years now, and it's never let me down - the only thing I've ever had to do is clean the selector switch once, and adjust the truss rod when I'd had it around 6 months. The VM and CV Squiers are usually more specialised instruments, often copying mainstream Fenders of particular eras, or popular mods thereof. Quality is excellent, but, apart from the Duncan Designed pickups some models have, probably not that much better than Standards. Lemmy's right, the Affinity models are noticeably less good: thinner bodies, sometimes inferior wood, cheaper electrics. Having said that, in the right hands I've heard them sound very good indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 i tryed a cv 60's pbass a few weeks ago and was surprised how well it sounded,great value and well made.its the only one i have tryed though so cant help on the others.would definately buy one if i had the cash.am thinking of buying the affinity and upgrading the pups if i can get a secondhand one at a good price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Keep an eye out for a steal, esp at this time of year. A while ago i saw a Standard Jazz in antique burst on ebay for £100 BIN. Nearly pulled the trigger, even though i'd just ordered mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 (edited) Rough guide, my personal opinion, worst at the top: Affinity Standard Artist* Deluxe* CV* VM* *All roughly on par with each other Rough guide mind you, individual models may vary Edited January 5, 2009 by Buzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote name='Buzz' post='370536' date='Jan 5 2009, 12:20 AM']Rough guide, my personal opinion, worst at the top: Affinity Standard Artist* Deluxe* CV* VM* *All roughly on par with each other [b]Rough guide mind you, individual models may vary[/b][/quote] thats why its always best to try several of each type before buying one of them, some vm's could be dogs, and some afinity's could be swans, ya just dont know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Aye, what BassManKev said. That said, there have been a large number of VMJ's owned by people on BC and I've not actually seen a single bad word said against them barring individual shops not setting them up very well, and even then it's only been an action problem. Same goes for the Classic Vibe range. Affinity and standard on the other hand are very much try before you buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeatNut Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 Thanks all, I think I'm getting the picture now. Any clues as to where in london I might be able to try out a few squier precisions, probably standard or VM, side-by-side ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Bolton Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I tried the Classic Vibe 60s P bass at the weekend, and it was a dog. To be honest though, I reckon it was just a bad one, but there were no other places in Glasgow that had one I could compare it to. I've got a Squier Standard Strat that I've had for 6-and-a-bit years now, and it's the best playing Strat I've ever come across. As Kev said, you'll need to try a few to find one that's right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumnote Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote name='jono b' post='371190' date='Jan 5 2009, 06:02 PM']I tried the Classic Vibe 60s P bass at the weekend, and it was a dog.[/quote] Just curious as I fancy one, why did you think it a dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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