Huge Hands Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 In 2008, I had been on this forum for a while, and saw a Squier Precision 5 on Marketplace. I decided to buy it and if memory serves, made a rather large detour on my way back from a work trip to get it. The bass was in very good condition, but was an awful metallic green with white scratchplate. My intention was for this to be my first attempt at "modding" a guitar, and had grand ideas of stripping it, painting it, etc etc. To me, the pickups felt a bit weak, so got in touch with Andy at Wizard pickups who, after a couple of attempts, made me a set of lovely J pups (these early Squier P5s had two Jazz pickups in a P body, not P/J). I stuck some LaBella flats on it, and with these new pickups, did a lot of gigs (a lot for me). Over time, I fell in love with this bass, and its cricket bat sized neck. I then started to worry that if I messed around with it, and stripped the paint etc, I might ruin it, as I am no woodworker or Luthier! Therefore, I decided to buy a twin of it. I wasn't intending to, but ended up with an almost identical one in the same awful green metallic. I stripped that one, had the body routed (by a mate) for a P-pickup at the neck and a battery cavity at the back. It ended up black with a pearl pickguard. It looked really good, but have never managed to feel the mojo the original one had. I have also had an issue with the G string on it being quiet, but I have tried various strings and moving the pickups but it is always the same, so it never really gets played. I also found that after I had stripped it, the green metallic look had actually grown on me and the minute I saw it gone, I wished I hadn't done it! Fast forward a few years around 2015, a few of my pro mates were raving about the new Sire V7s as a quality budget instrument so I saw one come up on here and bagged it. It has been my main bass ever since. As I wasn't playing the Squier, I took pity on a young teenage son of a friend who was trying to play bass with his mates and was attempting do so with a homemade bass his grandad had tried to build "Brian May style", but was pretty much unplayable. I offered him a temp loan of my green P5. I figured he would get sick of the huge neck and give it back in a month or so once he'd found something better......but didn't! All the time he had it, I would see old pics of me playing it and the memories of those gigs would come flooding back and would miss it, mainly for the nostalgia aspect, I wasn't so sure about for the playing of it. Fast forward almost 10 years, and a week ago he messaged me to say he was moving out of his mum's and didn't have the space for it in his new place, so did I want it back? So, it appeared at a band rehearsal (minus the E String?) via his mother. Yesterday, I put a spare E string on it and took it to my weekly concert band rehearsal, thinking I'd start playing it and it would remind me not to think of things with rose-coloured spectacles on and I'd jump straight back on my Sire. However, wow! It was like having an old glove fit in my hands! The neck is still relatively straight (whereas the one I modded rarely stays still). Yes, it needs a bit of adjustment to string height for my preference but not a lot, and the lovely mellowness of those Wizard pups was sublime. I am resisting the urge to use terms such as butter but I really enjoyed playing it again and did the whole rehearsal with it. I don't think the kid is a smoker (his mother will kill him if he is) but the white scratchplate has now yellowed nicely in a vintage way, and that green is still growing on me massively as a different look. I'm o happy to have my old partner back. It will now be a struggle to choose between the Sire and this. I think I prefer the radiused board of the Sire, but the huge string spacing and feel of the Squier. I sure there are people out there scoffing with their expensive Wals and Overwaters (lots of other various boutique names are available) but these were all I could afford or justify at the time, (and still can!) Just thought I would share...... I'm one happy boy! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusoe Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 Pitchers! We needs pitchers! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huge Hands Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 54 minutes ago, Crusoe said: Pitchers! We needs pitchers! What's that you say? Oh, go on then! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huge Hands Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 I went for the gratuitous sofa shot, as that is how everyone seems to do them! If you click on my profile, the wallpaper image is taken from around 2012 with it on the right next to its modded brother in the middle. My Squier JV 4 string (which I also still have) is on the left. The stands from my 1960s Premier Jazz kit are in the background too 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.