It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:33 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 23 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Classic vibe jazz bass
Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:47 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:03 pm
Posts: 4
Location: South Bay
Any one own a Classic vibe jazz bass ? if so what do you think of it? :D


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:31 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:47 am
Posts: 394
I don't own one, but I've played one. Daamn, the classic vibe and vintage modified are the best basses in their class, no question. They play like many MIM basses I've played. They're also a great platform for modificatons.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:00 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat May 24, 2008 9:14 pm
Posts: 40
+1

I will post some photos of mine, which converted from CV to 62. :)
anubis16 wrote:
I don't own one, but I've played one. Daamn, the classic vibe and vintage modified are the best basses in their class, no question. They play like many MIM basses I've played. They're also a great platform for modificatons.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:55 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:47 am
Posts: 394
Just to add, I'd take, a $350 classic vibe with $250 in upgrades over a $600 MIM standard. MIM's have gotten so damn expensive recently...


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:52 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:03 pm
Posts: 4
Location: South Bay
Yeah I added Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder pick ups and and changed one of the volume controls to a boost or cut other then that it is a great playing bass guitar !!!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:04 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat May 24, 2008 9:14 pm
Posts: 40
anubis16 wrote:
Just to add, I'd take, a $350 classic vibe with $250 in upgrades over a $600 MIM standard. MIM's have gotten so damn expensive recently...


Well.. Anubis.
If you think of money, it's wrong idea.
Squier (look) is Squier when you sell it. how bout it ?
MIM is still MIM.
I love my modified Squier, but
I have only 2 choice to buy Squier and MIM of other. I would go with MIM.
Modify ? doesn't worth for Money. Well..... if you sell separately might be little.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:56 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:47 am
Posts: 394
daahoud wrote:
anubis16 wrote:
Just to add, I'd take, a $350 classic vibe with $250 in upgrades over a $600 MIM standard. MIM's have gotten so damn expensive recently...


Well.. Anubis.
If you think of money, it's wrong idea.
Squier (look) is Squier when you sell it. how bout it ?
MIM is still MIM.
I love my modified Squier, but
I have only 2 choice to buy Squier and MIM of other. I would go with MIM.
Modify ? doesn't worth for Money. Well..... if you sell separately might be little.


That's a valid point: the MIM will definitely resale for more in the long run despite modifications. My point is more that I'd rather be playing a hot rodded vintage vibe than a stock MIM standard.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:30 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat May 24, 2008 9:14 pm
Posts: 40
anubis16 wrote:
daahoud wrote:
anubis16 wrote:
Just to add, I'd take, a $350 classic vibe with $250 in upgrades over a $600 MIM standard. MIM's have gotten so damn expensive recently...


Well.. Anubis.
If you think of money, it's wrong idea.
Squier (look) is Squier when you sell it. how bout it ?
MIM is still MIM.
I love my modified Squier, but
I have only 2 choice to buy Squier and MIM of other. I would go with MIM.
Modify ? doesn't worth for Money. Well..... if you sell separately might be little.


That's a valid point: the MIM will definitely resale for more in the long run despite modifications. My point is more that I'd rather be playing a hot rodded vintage vibe than a stock MIM standard.


Problem is...... even though I don't have resale value, I would buy Classic Vibe AGAIN!!! LOL IT'S SOMETHING!!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:25 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
daahoud wrote:
anubis16 wrote:
Just to add, I'd take, a $350 classic vibe with $250 in upgrades over a $600 MIM standard. MIM's have gotten so damn expensive recently...


Well.. Anubis.
If you think of money, it's wrong idea.
Squier (look) is Squier when you sell it. how bout it ?
MIM is still MIM.
I love my modified Squier, but
I have only 2 choice to buy Squier and MIM of other. I would go with MIM.
Modify ? doesn't worth for Money. Well..... if you sell separately might be little.


First of all. Isn’t there a Squier forum? I’ve been seeing tons of Squier issues on the Fender forum. Wouldn’t the Squier gurus know more about Squier than Fender enthusiasts? That being said…

Anyone who modifies any bass with an eye toward improving the resale is likely falling into a money pit.

I only modify a bass because I like the bass in the first place and the mod will either improve how it sounds or plays because I intend to keep it indefinitely.

You can not take a bad bass and make it a great bass. You can take a good bass and tweak it some with better/different pickups and a Paper In Oil or Mylar cap but the basic tone is the basic tone. Putting strap locks on it is a good idea for safety. I think upgrading to high mass bridges is ok if you want more sustain but a high mass bridge has yet to have an impact on the basic tone or playability despite all the advertising claims. Some of them allow you to use a wider variety of string gauges though so they aren’t a total loss. Anything else is a waste of money unless something is broken and needs fixing like a bad pot, slipping tuners or a cracked nut.

I'm not knocking Squier, but people buying any bass and immediately throwing dollars at it to make it into the bass they really wanted in the first place rarely is going to have anything close to the desired outcome and you still will yen for the “Holy Grail” whatever that is to you. Find a bass you REALLY LIKE and play it. A little upgrade here and there after you decide you really love it is appropriate. If that bass you really love happens to be a Squier or Fender or whatever it is…then it is all good.

I have two basses I really and truly LOVE. One was made in Korea and one was made in China. Neither are Fenders or Squiers. So, I am not a Fender brand snob and I don't look down on Squier. Yes I have a MIM and a CIJ Fender now. And I'm trying to love them but we are still "just friends."

I also loved my '68 Telecaster Bass I foolishly traded for a new '72 Jazz with the morale to that story being DON'T TRADE OR SELL A BASS YOU LOVE! I’ve bought and sold and traded dozens of MIA CIJ, MIJ and MIM Fenders over the years. It is HARD to find an instrument you really LOVE, but I keep trying.

Just like a PERSON that you really love for a lifetime, a bass you really love JUST HAPPENS and you can’t force it to happen by throwing money at a bass that you think was inadequate or "not good enough for you" in the first place.

This thread reminds me of the most infamous quote during the last USA presidential campaign that went like this. "You can put lipstick on a pig. But it is still a pig."


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:40 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:47 am
Posts: 394
First of all, there is no squier forum that I'm aware of.

Hey, I think I've been a tad misunderstood here. I never suggested that modifying a squier bass would improve its resale value a lot. I'm simply suggesting I would rather have a modified squeir classic vibe bass than a MIM standard for the same cost.

Trust me, I know what you're talking about Brother Dave. I own an American Standard Jazz, and I've played other 'hot rodded' basses that don't hold a flame.

But the fact is that the squier vintage modified is not like other squier basses I have played. Is there a playability difference between the vintage modified and a MIM standard? Absolutely. Is it worth 300 bucks? Not in my opinion. I honestly don't think the MIM standard is worth 600 bucks. Not even close. There are actually some features that I prefer on the vintage modified than the MIM standard. With certain upgrades, I personally feel it is a better bass and a better value than the MIM standard, that's all I'm saying.

Trust me, I know you can't make a good bass out of a mediocre one by just slapping some mods on it. But the gap between high end squier and low end fender is closing.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:53 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
Hi Anubis16, Here is how you get to the Squier Bass Forum. Login. Go to FORUMS HOME. Scroll down past FENDER BASSES, FENDER GUITAR & BASS AMPS, FENDER CUSTOM SHOP, (keep scrolling) FENDER ACOUSTICS, FENDER PICKUPS & ACCESSORIES…you will then see the SQUIER FORUMS heading with one room for Squier Guitars and one for Squier Basses. Voila!

I haven’t misunderstood and wasn’t talking to you specifically, just ranting in general. For about 10 years everyone seems to want to do one mod or another trying to make their bass just like (insert more expensive model here.) I’m saying, find a bass you really love, as you have obviously done and then it is OK make a few mods. My point is that throwing dollars at a bass you are not happy with in the first place and don’t plan to keep maybe forever…is something I would not suggest. Yet I see people doing it all the time. STOP THE MADNESS!

I don’t think all the SQ VM’s are as good as the one you got. You maybe got an extra good one. That happens. Someone else might get one that is not as good which actually happens more often. If you found the right MIM you’d know it and would gladly pay full list to get it.

Even among a group of MIA instruments of the identical model made at about the same time there will be things that make just a few of them different and you might or might not find one that stands out from the rest…if you don’t find it keep looking. It is out there. If they all seem pretty much the same, move on to more basses. I visit the two major stores in Charlotte at least twice monthly to check out new arrivals. I go to guitar shows, some very far away. I play every bass that appeals to me. I’ve owned enough basses to stock a really good music shop (really I’ve lost count) and out of all those basses and all the rest I’ve tried that were for sale….I found three and only three of them that I really loved right away. I still have two of them. I figure that is roughly about 1 out of every 150 played since I’m pretty sure I’ve gone way over 400 different basses owned or demoed. The moral to that is this: Don’t buy the first bass you play. Try as many as you can get your hands on and then decide. One should jump out at you as clearly superior to its sisters.

I agree with that last part 100%. Not to mention the gap Fender Japan vs MIM might have actually been crossed. The 50’s series MIM Fender P-basses are AWESOME though and make it more of a horserace.


Last edited by brotherdave on Sat Aug 08, 2009 2:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 6:23 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:47 am
Posts: 394
Oopse, I totally missed the squier section of the forum.

I can't really say I dissagree wtih anything you have said. I spent about six months looking at basses before I picked up my MIA. I had my heart set on two different basses before I took home the one I currently own. I agree, it is more important to get the bass you want rather than modify one you don't like as much or get a 'better' bass because it has 'better' features.

I wouldn't say there isn't value in modifications. I have done some mods on mine, mostly electronic mods. I have to say that it has opened up different possibilities and taken my dream bass and adjusted it to fit my needs better.

As for the squier bass, because of the nature of the manufacturing you HAVE to try out the model. There are many vintage modified basses that are crap, and some that are quite good. I'd say that the gap between the 'good' squier basses and the 'mediocure' MIM basses is not as great as it used to be.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 6:27 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:47 am
Posts: 394
And for the record, I agree that there are many mods out there that a lot of people do that people rave about and in reality make the instrument marginally better. I've heard SO many people but badass bridges on every bass they own, claiming it turns a lump of coal into a diamond. Hi-Mass bridges are usually an improvement, but mostly in sustain, and not always worth say 80 bucks.

As for pickups I think it can really be a worthwhile modification. This doesn't necessarely mean you get the hi-end uber deluxe pickups, but rather because it can really shape the sound to make it sound how YOU want it.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:54 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2008 9:42 am
Posts: 65
I think the Squier Classic Vibe basses are great. I've gotten over my squier snobbery to realize that as far as basses go, if you were to put one of these in my hand and trade it off with a MIM, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. These basses play great and sound great, and unfortunatly unlike my American models, I'd not be afraid to modify it, if for nothing more than the experience of doing so. I know a great player who has gotten one of these, and a classic vibe strat, modded the heck out of them, if even cosmetically, and enjoys them.

If I were in the market for a bass right now, I'd jump on one of these.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:50 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2007 10:50 am
Posts: 102
Brother Dave, thank you for articulating what i have been thinking for quite awhile now. Most of the time, I keep my mouth shut, because i think, "most of these posters are probably teenagers who don't have the benefit of experience to justify some of the comments they are making". But I really stretches me every time I read a post about how "someone made their $400 bass sound as good as a $2000 bass".

I am a Fender fanatic. I love its tone, its weight, the sheer audacity it exudes as I strut across the stage. I own a VM P Bass that I appreciate for what it is. But when it is time to bring my "A Game" I pull out my Fender.

PURELY MY OPINION, (along with the thousand of others who rely on the Fender Brand), but there is no comparison between a MIM and a Squier, nor is there a comparison between the MIM and the MIA. yes they may be machined in the same places, or assembled in the same places, but they are not the same. That is like saying that an Infiniti Q45 is just a dressed up Honda Accord (if you think they are the same, you have never driven an Infiniti).

Playing a MIA bass is on a whole another level, from fit to finish. If Fender had as many "quality control issues" as I hear about on these boards, they would have shut down a long time ago. I believe that most of the grousing is an attempt to divert that intense desire to own the real thing when you can't afford it. A friend of mine was really badmouthing Fender, talking about they were overhyped, over priced, and really didn't sound that good... until he bought one (5 String MIA Jazz). When I asked what changed, he said, "I finally played one and fell in love".

This may not be your experience, but please don't rob us of ours. After all, this is a forum hosted by Fender, for Fender instruments. We have an expectation of bias towards the worlds greatest instruments!


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 23 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Mr. Nylon and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: