NBD - Squier CV Late 50's Precision Bass

[classamin]

Hello all! 

Recently purchased one of the new Squier Classic Vibe "Late 50's" P basses online. Took a little bit of a chance, as they're a fairly new model and don't have any real reviews as of yet from what I could tell! The bass arrived today, and I thought I'd come on here to give you my first look conclusions.

 

Straight out of the box, it was immediately apparent how well this bass is made. I'm not even joking, Squier have knocked the ball out of the park. The CV line has always received high praise for quality, in particular the necks (more on that later) but I was more than a little impressed. The white colour is hard to photograph, but looks sublime in person. It's slightly transparent, and I've seen a couple of people compare it to Mary Kay White. I can't make the comparison myself having never owned or seen a MKW in person but this bass is certainly a looker. The gold anodised aluminium pickguard is to a high standard and compliments the colour scheme very well, although I'll probably pick up a black guard at some point incase the need for a change strikes. The glossy neck has a beautiful vintage tint to it, not overbearingly orange like a few other "vintage style" basses I've seen and not pale, fresh maple either. Just nicely in the middle, and the finish itself is of outstanding quality. Not a blemish, ugly mark or any other concerning sight on either the body or the neck. The hardware also is well made, and feels quality. The tuners move freely but with just enough resistance to feel sturdy. The bridge also is well made, and I was pleasantly surprised to see threaded saddles on there too! 

 

Played acoustically, the bass is surprisingly resonant and loud. Always a good sign in my opinion. Plugged in, this bass speaks with typical P bass authority. Very pleasing indeed, and it just has that quality that separates a good P from the rest. Total Fender tones through and through, courtesy of its "Big F" designed alnico split pickup. I can already tell it'll be a joy to play live, and no doubt will sit in a mix beautifully like only a well made P bass can. On the note of playing live, this particular bass is definitely on the sturdier side of things. I don't have an exact weight, but this is certainly not a flyweight by any means. Not hugely heavy either mind, but being a P it balances well on a wide strap and feels perfectly comfortable.

 

Now, in my eyes there is only one minor niggle with this bass. The Neck. It looks absolutely beautiful, from what I can see its a 1 piece maple job with a skunk stripe. It even FEELS great, as I've so often heard of the CV basses. The issue here lies solely with Squier's blurb. They have advertised the bass as having a 1.685" (42.8mm) nut width, which would be in the ballpark of the wider but you would expect of a 50's precision. However, upon checking this with a set of digital calipers the nut width is definitely the standard modern 41.3. not exactly a deal breaker to somebody who wants a great playing bass with some vintage styling (me), just a word of warning to the players looking for a cheap alternative to an AVRI, or the real deal. There seemed to be some confusion when the bass first arrived over where the truss rod would adjust from but I can confidently say it's a headstock adjust.

 

All in all, despite Squiers confusion over what many people would say is a make or break measurement and possibly even a/the deciding factor in buying a bass this is a brilliant bass at any price point. Plays outstandingly, looks absolutely beautiful and sounds every bit as good as you'd expect a good P to sound. They've made a good one here and if you're looking into these, you will not be disappointed! 

[theyellowcar]

Looks amazing. I’ve been intrigued by these but put off by the prospect of a very wide neck so 41mm-ish is interesting. How is the neck profile front to back? Standard P? 

[classamin]

21 minutes ago, theyellowcar said:

Looks amazing. I’ve been intrigued by these but put off by the prospect of a very wide neck so 41mm-ish is interesting. How is the neck profile front to back? Standard P? 

Its very comfortable. Squier themselves have described it as a c shape and it certainly feels on the modern side of things. It's nice and slim but not ridiculously so, it plays quickly while still having enough chunk to fill your hand nice and comfortably. The edges of the fretboard honestly feel like they've been rolled slightly, and the fretwork is top notch!

[BassApprentice]

I've been eyeing these up, even tried one in a shop and it was really cool. 

 

Can't decide if I should wait until something has sold or just utilise the Credit Card 🤔😂

[classamin]

2 hours ago, BassApprentice said:

I've been eyeing these up, even tried one in a shop and it was really cool. 

 

Can't decide if I should wait until something has sold or just utilise the Credit Card 🤔😂

Completely understand you. After some more time spent with it I'm really starting to see that the fuss over the CVs is well founded. ESPECIALLY for the money, this thing is easily on par with, if not better than several Mexican offerings I've tried before including my old Roger Waters P which I absolutely loved. Different beast sure, but gorgeous to play.  I'll also agree with your second point and to be honest, it's taking a lot of willpower to avoid the urge to buy a second one... 👀

[spacecowboy]

I have one of these but in the two tone sunburst, it's made me realise that after so many years of playing and never trying one, a P Bass might be the only bass I need. 

 

As you mentioned the quality is fantastic, it plays brilliantly, and sounds superb.

 

It's made me fall in love with playing bass all over again.

[Bassfinger]

Ooooh, that is pleasant indeed. 

 

The CV's are, on average, extremely well finished, and the very best of them are as well constructed as anything with a Fender badge from any factory.  Indeed, it kind of makes a mockery of Fenders own pricing when a subsidiary is making instruments this good.

 

Thats a lot of quality instrument for very sensible money.   I can feel my wallet twitching...

 

I must agree with the quality of the CV fretwork. My 50s CV has a wonderful fret set up, perfectly finished ends, incredibly even, the first bass ever that ive not needed to do even a very minor fret dress job on.   Indeed, it kicks my US made precision in the vegetables and steals its lunch money!

Edited November 14, 2021 by Bassfinger

[EJWW]

5 hours ago, spacecowboy said:

I have one of these but in the two tone sunburst, it's made me realise that after so many years of playing and never trying one, a P Bass might be the only bass I need. 

 

As you mentioned the quality is fantastic, it plays brilliantly, and sounds superb.

 

It's made me fall in love with playing bass all over again.

This has got to be the ultimate endorsement of a bass 🙂

[classamin]

11 hours ago, spacecowboy said:

I have one of these but in the two tone sunburst, it's made me realise that after so many years of playing and never trying one, a P Bass might be the only bass I need. 

 

As you mentioned the quality is fantastic, it plays brilliantly, and sounds superb.

 

It's made me fall in love with playing bass all over again.

I'm much about such the same as this right now. I still stand by my ruling, my Ric is and always will be my number one. But there's a beautiful simplicity in a good P you just don't get with any other bass and I'm loving it! I've tried a spate of Ps before and just never found the right one but this really is an extraordinary P. Massive kudos to Squier for this one!

[classamin]

8 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

Ooooh, that is pleasant indeed. 

 

The CV's are, on average, extremely well finished, and the very best of them are as well constructed as anything with a Fender badge from any factory.  Indeed, it kind of makes a mockery of Fenders own pricing when a subsidiary is making instruments this good.

 

Thats a lot of quality instrument for very sensible money.   I can feel my wallet twitching...

 

I must agree with the quality of the CV fretwork. My 50s CV has a wonderful fret set up, perfectly finished ends, incredibly even, the first bass ever that ive not needed to do even a very minor fret dress job on.   Indeed, it kicks my US made precision in the vegetables and steals its lunch money!

I'd have to agree with you on this one. This bass just oozes quality and class in a way that no Fender has ever done in my hands. I prefer it very much to the Player series I've tried, my old Roger Waters P, and even a lot of more "upmarket" offerings from the big F I've had the chance to try out. 

 

I'd wholeheartedly recommend it. I thought my wallet would be perfectly safe, but after sleeping on Squier for so long I'm dying to try out some of their other CV models. As I think I've mentioned before, there is also an overwhelming urge to get a matching sunburst one of these for some gentle modifications.. 

 

It's really outstanding. The fretwork on this bass is as good as any I've seen at any price point. I used to think you could do no better than Yamaha for a mid priced workhorse, but this totally blows that away in comparison. The edges of the fretboard feel ever so slightly rolled, not in the over the top way that Sire seems to do them from what I've seen but certainly comfortably worn in feeling. 

[borntohang]

Just picked one up as well but you've pretty much covered my comments. I was torn between the sunburst and white as although I generally dislike sunburst I've been after a '59 with anodized, a la Michael League, for ages. I went for white in the end as I felt there were more options for changing pickguard out in the future but am second-guessing myself now as the transparent finish shows some not particularly attractive dark wood under the upper counter of the body. This isn't a shadow in the pic below - it's the grain.

 

It's a real shame because the rest of the bass is gorgeous. The neck is really nicely done and it sounds incredible - it's that grindy P bass sound I've been after in my head for years and I don't even have to try that hard to get it. It's good enough that I would consider swapping the body out at a later date, but I'm loathe to do that on a brand new bass rather than just returning it and getting something I'll be happy with. I'm going to leave it sat up in my living room where I can see it to percolate for a bit longer and see if it's a dealbreaker.

 

[Bassfinger]

Aye, the light blonde finish is a bit translucent.  The grain looks pretty good on my 50's CV with the same finish. but a bit different on yours.

[classamin]

34 minutes ago, borntohang said:

Just picked one up as well but you've pretty much covered my comments. I was torn between the sunburst and white as although I generally dislike sunburst I've been after a '59 with anodized, a la Michael League, for ages. I went for white in the end as I felt there were more options for changing pickguard out in the future but am second-guessing myself now as the transparent finish shows some not particularly attractive dark wood under the upper counter of the body. This isn't a shadow in the pic below - it's the grain.

 

It's a real shame because the rest of the bass is gorgeous. The neck is really nicely done and it sounds incredible - it's that grindy P bass sound I've been after in my head for years and I don't even have to try that hard to get it. It's good enough that I would consider swapping the body out at a later date, but I'm loathe to do that on a brand new bass rather than just returning it and getting something I'll be happy with. I'm going to leave it sat up in my living room where I can see it to percolate for a bit longer and see if it's a dealbreaker.

 

That's a real shame about the grain. It could honestly be worth returning it and asking for a replacement. Yours seems a little more transparent than mine, but I can say with all honesty the grain visible on my one is as pretty as any I've personally seen. Other than that, I agree fully about your remarks. Beautiful bass for the money and sounds fantastic. I was rather tempted to stick a Seymour Duncan Steve Harris pickup in mine as I have a new one here that I bought with the bass fully intending to do it, but even then I may just end up keeping it as is for now. 

[borntohang]

I will say they've nailed the anodised aluminium finally! Nicely gold but not overly orange or brassy like the early Mascis JM's.

[spacecowboy]

 

Any excuse to post these again!! The two tone sunburst finish and gold pickguard look absolutely tremendous together! 

[Geek99]

That is indeed a Mary Kay finish - very hard to do well 

[classamin]

20 minutes ago, spacecowboy said:

 

Any excuse to post these again!! The two tone sunburst finish and gold pickguard look absolutely tremendous together! 

Hoooooo boy... Just when I thought my wallet was safe 😂😅 I'd love to have a sunburst to go with my white blonde! I've been tempted by that idea since I got my one! Gorgeous bass that is, I agree fully about the colour combination!

[Bassfinger]

I love it. It looks classy in a muted, don't-need-to-show-off kind of way. If plays even half as tidy as it looks it'll be a belter.

 

I tend to work on the basis that one can never have too many PB's, and I think you may have just decided my next birthday present!

[classamin]

On 21/11/2021 at 08:51, Bassfinger said:

I love it. It looks classy in a muted, don't-need-to-show-off kind of way. If plays even half as tidy as it looks it'll be a belter.

 

I tend to work on the basis that one can never have too many PB's, and I think you may have just decided my next birthday present!

It's a P bass, what more can be said? Perfect simplicity, the way God (or Leo Fender at least) intended it. I'm sure it will man! 

 

I seem to have come to a disturbing conclusion regarding mine. I bought a Seymour Duncan SPB-4 Steve Harris pickup for mine... And have returned it. This bass is absolutely outstanding, even without taking into account the low price. Even stock it's all the P bass I'd ever need or want. The stock pickup really does sound that good, it's everything you'd expect from a 50's style P and so much more. So far I've used it for mucking about with everything. Country, Rock, Blues, Funk and it does EVERYTHING perfectly. 

 

I honestly cannot praise this bass enough. Seriously, it is just that good.

[borntohang]

Decided after much pondering that the grain is going to irritate me too much, and more importantly that I'm just not enough of a fan of white to make it work, so unfortunately this one is winging it's way back north to Glasgow. Hopefully a sunburst one will be back down in a few days! 

[neepheid]

2 hours ago, classamin said:

It's a P bass, what more can be said? Perfect simplicity, the way God (or Leo Fender at least) intended it. I'm sure it will man! 

 

I seem to have come to a disturbing conclusion regarding mine. I bought a Seymour Duncan SPB-4 Steve Harris pickup for mine... And have returned it. This bass is absolutely outstanding, even without taking into account the low price. Even stock it's all the P bass I'd ever need or want. The stock pickup really does sound that good, it's everything you'd expect from a 50's style P and so much more. So far I've used it for mucking about with everything. Country, Rock, Blues, Funk and it does EVERYTHING perfectly. 

 

I honestly cannot praise this bass enough. Seriously, it is just that good.

 

Ha!  Sorry, I was thinking of another thread

 

Glad you're enjoying your bass, they do look good.

[Bassfinger]

8 hours ago, borntohang said:

Decided after much pondering that the grain is going to irritate me too much, and more importantly that I'm just not enough of a fan of white to make it work, so unfortunately this one is winging it's way back north to Glasgow. Hopefully a sunburst one will be back down in a few days! 

I think you did the right thing. The light blonde finish is actually nice, but the grain on yours was really unfortunate and would've  bugged you for all time and spoiled your enjoyment,

[classamin]

17 hours ago, borntohang said:

Decided after much pondering that the grain is going to irritate me too much, and more importantly that I'm just not enough of a fan of white to make it work, so unfortunately this one is winging it's way back north to Glasgow. Hopefully a sunburst one will be back down in a few days! 

That's a bummer, but if it ain't the one it ain't the one! I hope you enjoy your new sunburst when it arrives - though I'm sure you will. Despite a few setbacks regarding grain and finish from what I've seen (I'll admit, it was enough to make me nervous when ordering mine) they really are fantastic basses. Good luck!

[borntohang]

It's a stupid thing for sure but I figure if I'm not happy two days into the honeymoon it's probably not happening. Was a really close decision though as it sounded incredible and hope the replacement is just as good.

 

My main touring bass for the last three or four years has been a CV 60s Jazz from the first run and that's great too. I'm glad they seem to have got over the teething problems from the Indonesian models; my only remaining reservation with the new ones was laurel boards so I was very happy when they started to make maple ones.