Squier Classic Vibe 60s Precision Bass Fiesta Red

[faceman]

So I decided to add a third bass to my collection recently and have ended up with the Squier's 2010 addition to their lineup. I was going to for something cheaper that could be bashed around a little (a gigging bass) and with a different sound to my current one. I purchased this from the great staff at The Bass Gallery in Camden, London, in return for them selling my Musicman SUB on my behalf. I was enjoying the SUB and hope to own a StingRay in the future at some point in the future. The Teal Green wasn't my cup of tea at all. It was at the slightly hefty price of £349, it can be found cheaper online for around £329 I believe.

It came as-was, with no case, strap or anything, but I had the case and strap from my SUB I'm guessing it hadn't been in the shop too long, as these only came out recently and all the wrappings were in tact. It's your standard Precision Bass. Two knobs, one pickup and comes with standard Fender roundwound strings that didn't do much for me. After several days of playing around and being fairly impressed, I splashed out for a pair of D'Addario ECB81 Chromes 45-100 Flatwound strings, at the great expense of £39.99. However, it was all worth it and has made the key difference.

[b]Sound[/b]
It's true what they say about a Precision bass and flatwound strings - a match made in heaven. As soon as I started playing, I knew this was something else. The sound was growly, thick and deep. Exactly what I want my bass to sound like. You can see straight away why all the great groovy records from the 60s and 70s used Precisions to get that tone. I just [b]love[/b] it and I must say, it pretty much kicks the crap out my other bass. Playing along to all the records I love and having that exact tone is just pure bliss. I was going for the Duck Dunn, Jamerson and Bruce Thomas vibe and have certainly got there in one shot. I've no idea how it will stand up live and how well it will cut through. My band and trio are on breaks for Easter but I'll report back in the future. I've plugged it into my Ampeg 15" cabinet through a Little Mark II but it was too close quarters to make any judgement. It sounded...large!

[b]Playability[/b]
I'm used to the 'tree trunk' of my 4003, which is wide and deep, pretty much the same dimensions as a cricket bat. In comparison, it felt wide but thin at the same time. Very nice at first play, and one of the reasons I chose this over the Classic Vibe Jazz. Thanks to the Rickenbacker, I can navigate very easily most bass without problems. It feels extremely comfortable, and the body also for that matter too. It's much lighter than my 4003 but not too light that it affects the tone. The action is rather low and has no loss of clarity around the neck. All in all, it's great to play.

[b]Looks[/b]
It looks pretty fantastic, up there with my blueburst Rickenbacker. It's offically called Fiesta Red but there seems to be a controversy over what colour it actually is. It's rather bright and glossy (the finish me thinks), more than photos would have you believe. The pick guard complements the body very well and the colour was one of the reasons for the extra dosh. It may seem mad to pay extra for the Red over the Sonic Blue but I didn't really want two blue basses. Probably going splash out on Fender chrome bridge/pickup covers for the authentic 60s look. I pulled up the pickguard to look at the state of the wiring and grounding and it all seems to be solid. The soldering seems to be clean and tidy unlike many of the other CV series that I have seen around here. There are some little stains on the first few frets but it doesn't affect how it sounds at all.

[b]Sound Samples[/b]

I've recorded four of my favourite bass lines with this baby - it's simply plugged into GarageBand and recorded along with the songs. They are in the background to act as a reference point. Ignore any mistakes in playing, it should give you a sample of how great it sounds. Slow Dancing is what I play with my acoustic trio so it's a little more busy than the recorded version because we have no guitar.

[b]Do It Again - Steely Dan[/b] - [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/DoItAgain-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url]
[b]Fake Tales of San Francisco - Arctic Monkeys (with pick)[/b] - [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/FakeTalesSanFran-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url]
[b]Slow Dancing In A Burning Room - John Mayer [/b]- [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/SlowDancing-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url]
[b]Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding[/b] - [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/DockOfTheBay-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url]

[b]Conclusions[/b]
For around £300, this has been the most enjoyable bass I have owned so far. Compared to my Rickenbacker, it's easier to play, it's more comfortable and it sounds better. It sounds better off the bat and is a design classic. It's not as unique but with the chrome, I think it'll be pretty snappy. I'd never get rid of my Rickenbacker but I could see it taking a back seat during gigs, simply due to weight and playability. Compared to my first Squier standard, it's a whole other league. It's better than my old MIA Fender Jazz and Precisions I owned in the past, and more fun to play than the SUB.

So that gets a hearty recommendation from me. Do try them out at your local music store and post below if you have any questions or if there is anything I have missed.

Edited April 12, 2010 by faceman

[Musicman20]

Thats a cool review....and ive just been learning some Arctic Monkeys for the covers band ive joined..they have some pretty fun lines.

Its a nice looking bass, and I agree with the flatwounds....it just works.

Im tempted to get one of these later in the year as a backup.

[Bobby K]

[quote name='faceman' post='804432' date='Apr 12 2010, 11:54 PM']So I decided to add a third bass to my collection recently and have ended up with the Squier's 2010 addition to their lineup. I was going to for something cheaper that could be bashed around a little (a gigging bass) and with a different sound to my current one. I purchased this from the great staff at The Bass Gallery in Camden, London, in return for them selling my Musicman SUB on my behalf. I was enjoying the SUB and hope to own a StingRay in the future at some point in the future. The Teal Green wasn't my cup of tea at all. It was at the slightly hefty price of £349, it can be found cheaper online for around £329 I believe.

It came as-was, with no case, strap or anything, but I had the case and strap from my SUB I'm guessing it hadn't been in the shop too long, as these only came out recently and all the wrappings were in tact. It's your standard Precision Bass. Two knobs, one pickup and comes with standard Fender roundwound strings that didn't do much for me. After several days of playing around and being fairly impressed, I splashed out for a pair of D'Addario ECB81 Chromes 45-100 Flatwound strings, at the great expense of £39.99. However, it was all worth it and has made the key difference.

[b]Sound[/b]
It's true what they say about a Precision bass and flatwound strings - a match made in heaven. As soon as I started playing, I knew this was something else. The sound was growly, thick and deep. Exactly what I want my bass to sound like. You can see straight away why all the great groovy records from the 60s and 70s used Precisions to get that tone. I just [b]love[/b] it and I must say, it pretty much kicks the crap out my other bass. Playing along to all the records I love and having that exact tone is just pure bliss. I was going for the Duck Dunn, Jamerson and Bruce Thomas vibe and have certainly got there in one shot. I've no idea how it will stand up live and how well it will cut through. My band and trio are on breaks for Easter but I'll report back in the future. I've plugged it into my Ampeg 15" cabinet through a Little Mark II but it was too close quarters to make any judgement. It sounded...large!

[b]Playability[/b]
I'm used to the 'tree trunk' of my 4003, which is wide and deep, pretty much the same dimensions as a cricket bat. In comparison, it felt wide but thin at the same time. Very nice at first play, and one of the reasons I chose this over the Classic Vibe Jazz. Thanks to the Rickenbacker, I can navigate very easily most bass without problems. It feels extremely comfortable, and the body also for that matter too. It's much lighter than my 4003 but not too light that it affects the tone. The action is rather low and has no loss of clarity around the neck. All in all, it's great to play.

[b]Looks[/b]
It looks pretty fantastic, up there with my blueburst Rickenbacker. It's offically called Fiesta Red but there seems to be a controversy over what colour it actually is. It's rather bright and glossy (the finish me thinks), more than photos would have you believe. The pick guard complements the body very well and the colour was one of the reasons for the extra dosh. It may seem mad to pay extra for the Red over the Sonic Blue but I didn't really want two blue basses. Probably going splash out on Fender chrome bridge/pickup covers for the authentic 60s look. I pulled up the pickguard to look at the state of the wiring and grounding and it all seems to be solid. The soldering seems to be clean and tidy unlike many of the other CV series that I have seen around here. There are some little stains on the first few frets but it doesn't affect how it sounds at all.

[b]Sound Samples[/b]

I've recorded four of my favourite bass lines with this baby - it's simply plugged into GarageBand and recorded along with the songs. They are in the background to act as a reference point. Ignore any mistakes in playing, it should give you a sample of how great it sounds. Slow Dancing is what I play with my acoustic trio so it's a little more busy than the recorded version because we have no guitar.

[b]Do It Again - Steely Dan[/b] - [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/DoItAgain-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url]
[b]Fake Tales of San Francisco - Arctic Monkeys (with pick)[/b] - [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/FakeTalesSanFran-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url]
[b]Slow Dancing In A Burnign Room - John Mayer [/b]- [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/SlowDancing-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url]
[b]Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding[/b] - [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionBass/DockOfTheBay-CVPrecision.mp3"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1480908/PrecisionB...CVPrecision.mp3[/url]

[b]Conclusions[/b]
For around £300, this has been the most enjoyable bass I have owned so far. Compared to my Rickenbacker, it's easier to play, it's more comfortable and it sounds better. It sounds better off the bat and is a design classic. It's not as unique but with the chrome, I think it'll be pretty snappy. I'd never get rid of my Rickenbacker but I could see it taking a back seat during gigs, simply due to weight and playability. Compared to my first Squier standard, it's a whole other league. It's better than my old MIA Fender Jazz and Precisions I owned in the past, and more fun to play than the SUB.

So that gets a hearty recommendation from me. Do try them out at your local music store and post below if you have any questions or if there is anything I have missed.[/quote]

Nice one Faceman

I think I'm gonna purchase one of these

[Musicman20]

PS Glad to see some Futurama DVDs....

[Soloshchenko]

Great review mate and I'm glad you like the bass. I've got the same model in blue and I can't leave it alone!

[faceman]

Thanks guys, you are right they've got some great lines. Florescent Adolescent rings a bell as well as a few others. They tend to really drive the songs along, in the same way Pete Quaife of the Kinks did!

Nice spot on the Futurama DVDs, you get a nice little glimpse into my small DVD and larger music collection on these photos. Brownie points if you can spot any other particular albums or movies?

[Waterboarder]

Nice review, I've got a Sonic Blue one.
Agree about the strings, they are really heavy on the frets too!
Just one question - I was looking at getting some DA Chromes for it but saw that they only do them in Long Scale so didnt think they'd fit. Is that the ones you have?

[Conan]

Nice review Seb! It sounds good too - particularly on the Redding track.

[rasher80]

if only they made this in lefty! (it's going to be my epitaph)

Great review BTW

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Waterboarder' post='804581' date='Apr 13 2010, 09:28 AM']Nice review, I've got a Sonic Blue one.
Agree about the strings, they are really heavy on the frets too!
Just one question - I was looking at getting some DA Chromes for it but saw that they only do them in Long Scale so didnt think they'd fit. Is that the ones you have?[/quote]
Chromes are available in short, medium, long, and super long scales.

For a Squier P bass you need long scale.

[Grand Wazoo]

Hi there dude, congratulation on your bass, I have bought the very same bass, (actually to be precise), I have bought all 3 of the Classic Vibe ones: the Jazz, the 50's Precision and this one in the same colour as yours, officially this is Fiesta Red, but I like to call it Salmon Pink, to me that is the colour in real life despite what it looks like in pics.

I agree with everything you say about playablilty, sound, neck feel and action. But I am a restless so and so, and I have carried out some minor improvement modifications to all 3 of them. Having hanged around for most of my life with between bands, music workshops and repair gurus I have come to learn that the heart of the sound in a Fender electric bass (or any copy of it) comes not only from the wood but mainly the pickups, the wiring, the pots and even the capacitors.

So the first thing I do, is open the control cavity and remove the squier pots, the wires and the pickup and I use period correct vintage cloth covered waxed wirings, I use CTS original Fender replacement 250k Audio pots, an original Switchkraft 1/4" input jack socket and a Sprague Orange Drop .047mfd 100volt capacitor. This whole kit is available for sale on ebay at the link below:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WIRING-KIT-FOR-FENDER-PRECISION-BASS-HIGH-QUALITY_W0QQitemZ350336113545QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item5191a8db89"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WIRING-KIT-FOR-FENDE...=item5191a8db89[/url]

see pics below:





I have tried lots of pickups but if you really want to go for the vintage 60's sound there's none better than Seymour Duncan Vintage SPB-1 details below:

[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/basslines/vintage-1/spb1_vintage_fo/"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/bass...pb1_vintage_fo/[/url]



application
Vintage-correct pickup that's great for country, pop, blues, and classic rock.

description
A faithful reproduction of Leo Fender's 1957 dual coil pickup design. Same hand-fabricated forbon bobbins. Same plain enamel wire. Same hand ground, sand-cast magnets. Same great "warm 'n woody" tone. Comes with waxed cloth hookup cable and non-logo covers.

Finally I was not a fan of the tort pickguard so I've sourced a faithful replacement as you can see in the pics below:

[faceman]

[quote name='Waterboarder' post='804581' date='Apr 13 2010, 09:28 AM']Nice review, I've got a Sonic Blue one.
Agree about the strings, they are really heavy on the frets too!
Just one question - I was looking at getting some DA Chromes for it but saw that they only do them in Long Scale so didnt think they'd fit. Is that the ones you have?[/quote]

As Dave said, that's right you want long scale. Short and Medium are for basses with 30" and other shorter-than-usual basses! I did snip them a little, as to not have too much wire around the tuners.

[Waterboarder]

Thanks for the info chaps.
I dont mean to hyjack the thread and go off topic, its confusing in that I was sold some Roto Jazz flats by my local guitar shop but when I tried to fit them I found them too long (ie, if I did try to put them on the fat part of the string would be round the tuning peg). It was only then that I noticed they were LS.
The DA flats were recommended so found them for a good price on hotrox, but they only do LS on there.
Thats cool though if thats what I need...

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Waterboarder' post='804699' date='Apr 13 2010, 11:27 AM']Thanks for the info chaps.
I dont mean to hyjack the thread and go off topic, its confusing in that I was sold some Roto Jazz flats by my local guitar shop but when I tried to fit them I found them too long (ie, if I did try to put them on the fat part of the string would be round the tuning peg). It was only then that I noticed they were LS.
The DA flats were recommended so found them for a good price on hotrox, but they only do LS on there.
Thats cool though if thats what I need...[/quote]
I don't really know about the Rotos but with Chromes you shouldn't have a problem (in my experience) unless you try stringing through the body (which you can't do with the Squier anyway). Maybe the Rotos were extra long.

[faceman]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='804628' date='Apr 13 2010, 10:15 AM']Hi there dude, congratulation on your bass, I have bought the very same bass, (actually to be precise), I have bought all 3 of the Classic Vibe ones: the Jazz, the 50's Precision and this one in the same colour as yours, officially this is Fiesta Red, but I like to call it Salmon Pink, to me that is the colour in real life despite what it looks like in pics.

I agree with everything you say about playablilty, sound, neck feel and action. But I am a restless so and so, and I have carried out some minor improvement modifications to all 3 of them. Having hanged around for most of my life with between bands, music workshops and repair gurus I have come to learn that the heart of the sound in a Fender electric bass (or any copy of it) comes not only from the wood but mainly the pickups, the wiring, the pots and even the capacitors.[/quote]

Thanks for the extras dude, this could be the definitive thread on these basses for future buyers. How much of a difference to the tone have the upgraded electronics made? Judging by the recordings, I'm pretty happy with how it sounds now. I'm only interested in a superficial changes

[OutToPlayJazz]

Nice review - And great sound samples, too.

Another win for the Classic Vibe series!

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='faceman' post='804944' date='Apr 13 2010, 03:09 PM']Thanks for the extras dude, this could be the definitive thread on these basses for future buyers. How much of a difference to the tone have the upgraded electronics made? Judging by the recordings, I'm pretty happy with how it sounds now. I'm only interested in a superficial changes [/quote]

Put it this way the modifications to the wiring and the pickups have rendered it very difficult for a purist to tell apart from a vintage Precision if he was to listen to both blindfolded.

Main difference is the increase in range, the mids are more pronounced and the tone control is really progressive, you really do get a different tone at every point in the tone control from min to max. The sound of the Seymour Duncan is sublime.

[warwickhunt]

Can I ask a favour?

Those folks who own one of these CV P basses; what is the weight of your bass? I know that they are going to be somewhere between 8 - 10lb but I wondered what the actual 'average' weight was coming in at. Likely going to have to buy one blind so it gives an indication as to what to expect.

Cheers

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='808143' date='Apr 16 2010, 10:42 AM']Can I ask a favour?

Those folks who own one of these CV P basses; what is the weight of your bass? I know that they are going to be somewhere between 8 - 10lb but I wondered what the actual 'average' weight was coming in at. Likely going to have to buy one blind so it gives an indication as to what to expect.

Cheers[/quote]

I'll put it on the scale when i get home and report.

[lee4]

That is a beautiful bass.The sound samples are the best ad for this instrument.
Just need to save my pennies!

[faceman]

Thanks lee4, I always look for sound samples when I'm trying to buy a bass so thought it would be helpful. I've just weighed mine on the bathroom scales it is comes out at 8.8lbs, so it's about that.

The temptation to replace the electronics at £120 is growing. I've found a mate who is excellent at soldering too and will do it for free

[cameltoe]

How'd you find the D'addario Chromes?

I've been meaning to do much more experimenting with strings, as I do like warmth of nickel but do find them a bit zingy from time to time.

Definitely more growl to your sound than with roundwounds. What's the tension like on them compared to roundwounds?

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='808243' date='Apr 16 2010, 11:47 AM']I'll put it on the scale when i get home and report.[/quote]

[quote name='faceman' post='808443' date='Apr 16 2010, 02:22 PM']I've just weighed mine on the bathroom scales it is comes out at 8.8lbs, so it's about that.[/quote]

Cheers lads.

[HarryPotter]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='804628' date='Apr 13 2010, 10:15 AM']Hi there dude, congratulation on your bass, I have bought the very same bass, (actually to be precise), I have bought all 3 of the Classic Vibe ones: the Jazz, the 50's Precision and this one in the same colour as yours, officially this is Fiesta Red, but I like to call it Salmon Pink, to me that is the colour in real life despite what it looks like in pics.

I agree with everything you say about playablilty, sound, neck feel and action. But I am a restless so and so, and I have carried out some minor improvement modifications to all 3 of them. Having hanged around for most of my life with between bands, music workshops and repair gurus I have come to learn that the heart of the sound in a Fender electric bass (or any copy of it) comes not only from the wood but mainly the pickups, the wiring, the pots and even the capacitors.

So the first thing I do, is open the control cavity and remove the squier pots, the wires and the pickup and I use period correct vintage cloth covered waxed wirings, I use CTS original Fender replacement 250k Audio pots, an original Switchkraft 1/4" input jack socket and a Sprague Orange Drop .047mfd 100volt capacitor. This whole kit is available for sale on ebay at the link below:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WIRING-KIT-FOR-FENDER-PRECISION-BASS-HIGH-QUALITY_W0QQitemZ350336113545QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item5191a8db89"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WIRING-KIT-FOR-FENDE...=item5191a8db89[/url]

I have tried lots of pickups but if you really want to go for the vintage 60's sound there's none better than Seymour Duncan Vintage SPB-1 details below:

[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/basslines/vintage-1/spb1_vintage_fo/"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/bass...pb1_vintage_fo/[/url]



application
Vintage-correct pickup that's great for country, pop, blues, and classic rock.

description
A faithful reproduction of Leo Fender's 1957 dual coil pickup design. Same hand-fabricated forbon bobbins. Same plain enamel wire. Same hand ground, sand-cast magnets. Same great "warm 'n woody" tone. Comes with waxed cloth hookup cable and non-logo covers.[/quote]

That's interesting - I tried one of these side by side with a (good) current American Standard. I prefered the CV for feel but it was noticeable that the bass lacked definition on the E string, setup may have helped but to be honest it looked pretty good to me, also the strings didn't line up between the pole pieces properly.

Did you find these problems pre mod and if so did the mods rectify this?

For the money it's simply a stunning bass though.

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='HarryPotter' post='808842' date='Apr 16 2010, 07:57 PM']That's interesting - I tried one of these side by side with a (good) current American Standard. I prefered the CV for feel but it was noticeable that the bass lacked definition on the E string, setup may have helped but to be honest it looked pretty good to me, also the strings didn't line up between the pole pieces properly.

Did you find these problems pre mod and if so did the mods rectify this?

For the money it's simply a stunning bass though.[/quote]

No I didn't find that problem with the pole piece not lining up with the strings but I did complain from day one about the poor pickup sound.

You are right: for the money, the CV Squiers are superb instruments, which are only being let down by what's under the pickguard. i.e. Cheap wiring, dreadful pickups and pots. Truthfully, it doesn't take a lot of cash to upgrade them. Whereas I feel sorry for that bloke who spent a lot of money trying to upgrade a Flea Bass only to find out he ended up with a turd he just couldn't polish, on the other end, every penny spent on these Squier is paid back in sound, feel and overall enjoyment.

And mark my words: [b]25 years from now these will be as sought after as the 1985 JV series[/b]. Hell! We already know they beat the Fender MIM gear hands down on quality, necks and finish!!