Hi there!
Man, there is a huge difference between the entry-level instruments of today and the no-name pieces of junk that were around when I started playing. I recently picked up a Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar bass as a gift for somebody, and it is a very nice instrument for the price, and does all of the basic stuff that a bass guitar should do.
I know that some of you may sniff at Squier products as they are entry level Fender models, but they have a track record of providing very good instruments for the money.
This one was made by the fine folks in Indonesia, and is finishing a tasteful 3-tone sunburst. The poly finish is even and there is no orange peel (or fish eyes).
The offset-waist body of this one appears to be made of 5 pieces of basswood. You will also get basswood on the crimson basses, and agathis on the black ones. They installed a 3-ply pickguard, which is classy for a guitar in this price range.
It is loaded with a split single-coil Precision Bass pickup at the bridge and a single-coil pickup Jazz Bass pickup at the bridge. There is an active bass boost circuit, so there is a battery box routed into the back. The knobs control: neck pickup volume, bridge pickup volume, boost circuit, and master tone.
The 34-inch scale maple neck has a rosewood fretboard with 20 medium-jumbo frets set into it. It has a 9.5-inch fingerboard radius and a 1.5-inch nut and a true C shape. The matte poly finish on the neck feels smooth and fast.
The components of this bass work well together. With the PJ pickups and the active bass circuit, I was able to get a variety of thumpy and growly tones that cover all genres for me. I tried the single-humbucker model as well, and was unable to get a natural tone out of it. Stick with the PJ model (I have always been a fan of PJ basses, by the way).
The neck is fast and I was able to dial in a low action, and the body is well-balanced with no neck dive. This bass weighs in at a little less than 9 pounds, which is easy on the back.
There are a few shortcomings, however, which I attribute to the low price point. The tuners and bridge are cheap, and the saddles move around a lot when I am playing. My other gripe is that this bass was delivered to me with very sharp fret edges. It was a recent production bass, so I cannot blame it on fret sprout on an old inventory instrument. It took a lot of filing to make it pleasant to play.
But, you get what you pay for, and this bass was a stone cold bargain. You will find that the most attractive feature of the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Special is its price, with a list price $329.99 of and a street price of $174.99.
If you are looking for an entry-level bass or a second bass to take your anger out on, this is the one.
Mahalo!
A playable bass for 175 bucks is great news for entry-level guys. I still dig my Squier 51 P, although it's probably not ever going to be in heavy rotation.
ReplyDelete"... to take your anger out on." I like the way you phrase things. :-) Straightforward, to the point, yet entertaining. Nice.
ReplyDeleteA question for you, if you can answer...I'm seriously considering buying one of these as a P-bass replacement and stringing it with flats. Does the front P pickup on its own sound close enough to a Precision to be viable? I love Jazz necks but the P bass necks are a bit too chunky...this looks like a nice inexpensive halfway house. Thanks! Pete
ReplyDeleteI think it does a pretty good P Bass sound on the bridge pickup. Thanks for checking in!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think is a better bass to learn on, this or a Yamaha RBX-170?
ReplyDeleteI think either one would be about the same to learn on. But, it is important that it have a good set-up to make it play as well as it can. Nothing is more discouraging to a a learner as having a poorly set up instrument that is miserable to play.
ReplyDeleteActive bass booster circuit means that pickups are both passive and an external circuit provide a boost for low freqs?
ReplyDeleteCan you swap in non-active pups in this baby I'm not that familiar with the active crap haha.
ReplyDeleteive put a usa pbass pickup and an entwistle jbxn in mine sounds thumpy!!!
ReplyDeleteI found a used one of these at Guitar Center and decided to make a refinishing project out of it. I also upgraded tuning pegs, bridge and strings. Now it looks very vintage with a nitro cullulose finish on neck and body and has much better hardware. It sounds and plays great. Super cool for cheap!
ReplyDeleteI put Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders on my 4 string and my 5 string Squier VM Jaguar bass special. I kept the original electronics and added new Fender Vintage Himass bridges to both. I swapped the cheap strings for some DR Hibeams. They look and sound awesome. These are two of my favorite instruments even though I own a few high end basses. I always find myself playing these Squier Jags. At some point I will add Audere preamps to both and complete the modifications.
ReplyDeleteThey are nice!
DeleteThank you for sharing this information, Its has help me to know more about Volume Booster Pc
ReplyDelete