stonevibe Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 (edited) I just bought myself a Squier Classic Vibe Bass Vi and made a little setup 'How To' article on my blog that may help a few people out. Great little instrument and pretty solid all around. It could be upgraded with new hardware, but it isn't actually needed. Therefore, if you are on a tight budget this may help you out a bit. They suffer from intonation issues from the factory and this fixes those problems nicely. Hope it helps out a few people, as I really enjoy it as an instrument and it is a lot of fun to play. How to Set Up a Squier Bass VI Edited July 16, 2023 by stonevibe 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 Good v. well presented article 👍 I got the Fender 24-100 set for mine, again about 20 quid, so similar to the Newtone ones... I've not actually got round to fitting them yet as I've been having too much fun messing about with the guitar as it stands 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dankology Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 I think mine is an older model but it needed the Newtone strings, a Staytrem bridge, a lot of truss rod tweaking and a significant neck shim before it would intonate properly and not choke out in various places. I've heard of a lot of variation - from VIs that played and tuned right out of the box to ones that needed a bit of DIY hackery all the way through to ones that needed the deeper bridge for intonation. Mine was a cheap impulse purchase (and it appears the Staytrem was cheaper then too) but it has gone from being little more than a toy to a gigging instrument. If you can achieve that for less cash I'm thrilled but I think there may be some dogs out there that require more significant work. I'm sure I read in Guitar World that they were the best selling bass last year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 Some have strung these with a lighter set and tuned as a "baritone guitar" too. I've got a Gretsch Vl that's set up like that (A to A) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonevibe Posted July 16, 2023 Author Share Posted July 16, 2023 Apparently, these new Classic Vibe models have a better break angle for the neck slot and they also list a bone nut, plus that Mustang bridge. Compared to the earlier models, they are better in terms of being easier to get set up without having to shim, change the bridge etc I found the Newtone strings made intonation a breeze and fixed that flappy low E of the standard factory strings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dankology Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 So you're saying I can buy one that not only sets up easily but is purple... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 5 minutes ago, Dankology said: So you're saying I can buy one that not only sets up easily but is purple... A win-win, provided you like purple... I only got the clownburst one as it was a whole 50 quid cheaper when I got mine !.. black would've been my preference, but in real life I actually like the TSB now, plus it's pretty much what the majority of the 60s originals seemed to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dankology Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 Mine is white with a garish faux tortoise shell scratchplate. Was thinking white on white might look quite classy but slightly wary of falling down a rabbit hole of slightly incompatible aftermarket plates. I also pondered stripping it completely and getting it finished like Elvis Costello's Jazzmaster but the paint looks to be about an inch thick and I bet the wood beneath is not pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 3 minutes ago, Dankology said: Mine is white with a garish faux tortoise shell scratchplate. Was thinking white on white might look quite classy but slightly wary of falling down a rabbit hole of slightly incompatible aftermarket plates. I also pondered stripping it completely and getting it finished like Elvis Costello's Jazzmaster but the paint looks to be about an inch thick and I bet the wood beneath is not pretty. There's a bloke on ebay who does scratchplates precisely to your template if req. I can't recall his ebay ID but he's been mentioned many times on BC so easy to find out no doubt. I imagine stripping the body would be a bit of a nightmare tbh, and as you say the wood's probably not that great, and bound to be lots of joins too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonevibe Posted July 16, 2023 Author Share Posted July 16, 2023 It looks like the newer Classic Vibe models are a little easier to set up and have nicer hardware than previous models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted July 18, 2023 Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) On 16/07/2023 at 12:35, Waddo Soqable said: There's a bloke on ebay who does scratchplates precisely to your template if req. I can't recall his ebay ID but he's been mentioned many times on BC so easy to find out no doubt. I imagine stripping the body would be a bit of a nightmare tbh, and as you say the wood's probably not that great, and bound to be lots of joins too. https://www.gig.ink/?fbclid=PAAaZByJVJigcFk4HY4QH8Pd8RIB9M3r0pEgiS0L5VaHEQzT3BKO8D5hCPdFk @Dankologyif you want a custom made pickguard/ assurance it will fit... I've had a few bits from Gig Ink. He's a member on here too I think. He's excellent and very reasonably priced. Band logo on a mirror pickguard for a left handed US Stingray? Not a problem. Edited July 18, 2023 by uk_lefty 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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