Squier 60's Classic Vibe P Bass v Fender Highway 1.

[aceuggy]

I am gassing for a P bass. I currently own and like very much a 60's Classic Vibe Jazz. In your opinion would a Highway 1 P, with the Badass bridge be worth the £220 extra over the 60's Classic Vibe P?

Edited January 17, 2009 by aceuggy

[bassmansky]

tryed both out a few weeks ago ,close call between the two i would say.you are more likely to get a good price for a highway pbass if you decide to sell it later on than you would the squier.thats one thing in the highways favour!both good basses imo.but the highway £220 better????

Edited January 17, 2009 by bassmansky

[simon1964]

[quote name='bassmansky' post='383505' date='Jan 17 2009, 07:23 PM']tryed both out a few weeks ago ,close call between the two i would say.you are more likely to get a good price for a highway pbass if you decide to sell it later on than you would the squier.thats one thing in the highways favour!both good basses imo.but the highway £220 better????[/quote]

+1. The Highway 1 will retain its value better, but you're really paying for the MIA, and the F word on the headstock. Still very good basses mind, and a good price for a MIA Fender.

Have you considered one of the Japanese re-issues? I've got a CIJ 70s reissue, and its as good as any MIA Fender I've played. You could probably pick one of the 60s or 70s reissues up on here used for not much more than the Squier.

[Tee]

Play them all.

Buy the one which feels and sounds right, regardless of cost or resale value.

If none do. Don't buy.

Repeat until bass is found.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Tee

[Soulfinger]

Strictly IMHO: The Classic Squier is a good bass but the HW1 is in a different league. More meat, more punch and an overall richer, fatter sound plus better quality hardware etc.

A used HW1 won´t cost much more than a new Squier and will be a noticeably better bass, as will be a MIJ or CIJ. If you don´t mind a maple fretboard, the MIM 50´s Classic P is excellent for the money as well.

[Jono Bolton]

[quote name='Soulfinger' post='383977' date='Jan 18 2009, 02:01 PM']A used HW1 won´t cost much more than a new Squier and will be a noticeably better bass, as will be a MIJ or CIJ. If you don´t mind a maple fretboard, the MIM 50´s Classic P is excellent for the money as well.[/quote]

+1 I tried the 50s Classic P Bass the other day when I was shopping for a new P Bass and it was the best of all the basses I tried that day, but that's my opinion.

I also tried a Highway 1 and a 60s Vibe Squier and I would say the difference between the two is night and day really. As good as every says the Squier's are, the Highway 1 in my opion was the superior instrument, and by a good deal too. The sound was better, the construction was a better standard, and I much prefer the finish on the Highway 1, the Squier's felt quite cheap and was pretty thickly applied.

[OutToPlayJazz]

I haven't played the 'vibes yet, but every report on them seems to be positively glowing! Even my bro, doctor_of_the_bass has bought the 50's P in lake placid blue and says it's really nice.

I've got the 50's p & the 60's jazz on order so I can choose between them. I think it's going to be the white jazz, to be honest. I have a feeling it's going to sound awesome through the Sadowsky outboard pre

Rich.

[OutToPlayJazz]

In addenum...

I had to go to a local music store today to get some piano music for a pupil & got the chance to play & examine the 'Vibes...

I played the 50's tele-style Precision in lake placid blue & the sonic blue [more familiar] 60's Precision. Wow! What amazing quality! These have "Crafted in China" on the back of the headstock, but the fit and finish is far superior to quite a lot of American made Fenders I've seen. The vintage gloss poly finish on the necks/fingerboard is just simply stunning & the neck fitment on both is excellent, too. The tele-style P had some light earth-hum when not touching the strings, but it is a traditional single coil! The sonic blue P had an amazing sound & excellent shielding. Quiet as a mouse! Anyone worried about the basswood construction on these basses should have no such concerns. These two sound absolutely huge, with the sonic blue P having a really appealing sound. And I don't usually like Precisions!

Wow! Just wow! I'm looking forward to trying the 60's jazz model now!

Rich.

[Stan_da_man]

Nowadays, the Chinese can build basses as well as anyone. I think having MIA on your bass now dosen't necessarily mean it's a better bass. I'd have an MIJ anyday.

[Rayman]

To throw another angle into the ring, I spent some time trying basses in PMT yesterday, I picked up a red MIA Precison and had a noodle on it for a while, yep, nice enough, then saw a nice blue one, picked that up, and though hmm yes, I prefer this blue one. Nice build, nice tone, sold to me if I'd got the cash, and it was Mexican.

I have a Highway One jazz, and it's been my number one for a couple of years. It's seen [i]countless[/i] basses come and go in that time, and it's the only one still here. I can't recommend it more than that really.