Squier P, 40mm nut width, with KiOgon loom and Wilkinson pickup - *WITHDRAWN* £140 Bromley

[Paolo85]

This is a great bass for the price for somebody who, like me, could not care less about scratches, dings and marks. Of these, this bass has plenty. Everything else is great. This bass has outlived a modern Squier Affinity PJ, an old Squier Affinity made in Indonesia and even a Squier Classic Vibe. I am selling it now after I have put together a bitsa with similar characteristics and Fender neck with Hipshot ultralight tuners. To be clear, the reason the bitsa wins is just that it's lighter.

This bass is a Squier Crafted In China in 2008. I am not sure they went by the name Affinity. I bough it here last year and has been owned by Basschatters since at least 2017.

Based on the research I have made, these would actally have rosewood fretboard and alder body, which apparently at the time was cheap to source locally in China. It certainly feels sturdier than my poplar basses, but don't hang your purchase to this info.
It weighs 4.2kg according to my bathroom scale. Feels much lighter than a 4.2kg Classic Vibe I had due to its great balance.This is helped by the tuners, which, believe me or not, weigh one gram less than Hipshot Licensed Ultralight. That's not the only good thing about the tuners. I can play this bass, leave it overnight, pick it up the next evening and it's still in tune, or mostly in tune. It had never happened to me with basses in this price range. This is also helped by a stable neck. Originally lacquered, I have sanded it a bit but I would not say all the way down to a satin. Let's say thin and non-sticky lacquer.
The tuners have one downside: two of them rattled. The problem is mostly solved (with masking tape inside the casing on the back, you don't see it), although very occasionally I can still hear a rattle, which does not get amplified though.
The neck shape is in between a J and a P. 40mm nut width. Not skinny back to front but not as chunky as say a Harley Benton JB75 either. Feels extremely nice. Frets are small, which to me gives it a bit of a fretless feeling and help not overdoing it with the fretting. Fretwork is good and allows for low action. In fact, for what cheap basses are concerned I only had an Ibanez once with equivalent fretwork. All others were not as good.
I have replaced the pickup it came with (a Wilkinson ceramic) with a Wilkinson alnico which sounds great. I have installed it with a KiOgon loom. For people not too familiar with it, it means that
- you can replace the pickup with just a screwdriver, no need to solder
- the quality of the electronics is extremely high and well above the price point here
The bridge, a bit battered, comes from a Squier Affinity PJ. Not really an upgrade but saddles in the stock one had become hard to move.
It has a mirror pickguard which I understand that, much like the knobs, it was not stock.

Strings are GHS Precision flats 45-95. They are dead but you may like dead flats.

Pickup from Bromley (20min train from Victoria, with Oyster). I could meet in central London although I am not there regularly. 
 

Edited April 25, 2023 by Paolo85

[silverfoxnik]

This used to be mine for about 5 years, and before that, it belonged to @TheGreek.

 

It was always a really comfortable bass to play and it sounded pretty good too. Not as aggressive sounding as some P Basses, but a really nice, usable tone. 

 

I imagine that it's considerably better in every respect now, given  the very sensible upgrades you've done @Paolo85...

 

And I still think that the mirrored scratchplate and tone knobs look cool... 😁

 

So, taking all of that into account, at this price, I'd say someone's going to get an absolute bargain here! 

 

GLWTS 😊

[Paolo85]

Thanks @silverfoxnik ! Good memory of buying this from you. Very nice chat with a very nice person, and came home with a great bass.

Too bad I always reach for the lightest P (and that i get GAS, buy a lot, so I need to sell at a similar pace!)

[TheGreek]

I remember it vaguely,  I bought it to cover that P tone and even though I'm not normally a fan of P basses this certainly did what I wanted it to.

IIRC I did have a lot of basses at the time. 

[silverfoxnik]

5 hours ago, TheGreek said:

I remember it vaguely,  I bought it to cover that P tone and even though I'm not normally a fan of P basses this certainly did what I wanted it to.

IIRC I did have a lot of basses at the time. 

You did, some very nice ones too, Mick including that fabulous Veillette-Citron if I'm not mistaken? 

[iconic]

Nice neck profile on those last Chinese Affinitys back then, fast for a P, I've a 2002 Aniversary Chinese Affinity, cheap but lovely old bus, with a ridiculously low action. 

 

That'll make someone a good, solid, gig worthy bass. 

[TheGreek]

IIRC this isn't the Affinity model.  I don't think I've ever owned one. 

I remember being pleasantly surprised by the quality of this. I don't remember any issues with how this played...in fact it came with a nice low action. 

I would have this back if I didn't have too many basses already. 

[Paolo85]

True, the name "Affinity" is not on the headstock. However, the neck looks very very similar to this Affinity on sale here

From the 40mm nut width to the shape of the tuners and, from what I can see from pictures, the light gloss and the general shape of the neck.

 

As mentioned here, I was very very close to buy thay one, which appeared to be like mine but lighter. Unfortubately at that moment I was experimenting with "gear abstinence"

 

 

 

 

[Paolo85]

Btw do you happen to know in what way these were different from Affinities? Thanks!

[iconic]

On 17/04/2023 at 16:22, TheGreek said:

IIRC this isn't the Affinity model.  I don't think I've ever owned one. 

I remember being pleasantly surprised by the quality of this. I don't remember any issues with how this played...in fact it came with a nice low action. 

I would have this back if I didn't have too many basses already. 

As far as I know, if no Affinity decal on head stock, it would of come with a bass starter pack, but same bass😎

 

Closed tuners, thin body. 

[Paolo85]

I have just removed the option to post, for now at least

[Paolo85]

Maybe I'll cling to this a little bit more...