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Post subject: New Squier Classic Vibe 50s question
Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:59 pm
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Hi Guys,

I'm brand new here. I've been playing for a very long time. Owned various Fenders the whole time. Currently my main bass is a 78 P bass with a very heavy alder body and maple fingerboard. I've got it tweaked to perfection, for me at least.

I have a question. I just bought a new Squier Classic Vibe 50s P bass. It's a nice little bass for surprisingly little money and I think will work out fine once I do a proper set up. But when I bought it, the dealer in Burlington, Ontario didn't include any adjustment tools which I believe are supposed to be included. And in the rush and excitement of buying it I forgot to ask. It's a long drive there and when I called them they said they don't know which tools are used on this bass but bring it in and they'll take a look.

The string saddles are no problem as I have the correct allen keys. But I need to adjust the truss rod. I know how to do it and I always do my own set ups, but I can't tell from looking in the truss rod wrench opening what type of truss rod wrench is used. It looks different from what I'm used to with other basses. It's dark in there and even with reading glasses and a flashlight I can't tell. According to the info I just downloaded, this bass uses a truss rod wrench part # 007-4911-000. but doesn't say what it is (hex wrench, nut driver, etc.) and there is no picture. Can any of you tell me if it is an easy to find hardware store item, what size it is, etc. so I can buy it locally and save myself a long drive and possibly not too informative visit to the dealer?

Thanks.


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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:11 pm
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It's a hex allen key. I got 2 (rod and saddles) in a little bag with my one. (moan at the shop!)

I don't know the size or if it's imperial, metric or what, but I'm sure you can pick up a set in a DIY store.

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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:32 pm
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Thanks Ian. I have every hex allen key known to man so I'll get in there and fiddle about and eventually will find something that works. Could have fooled me as I can't see any hex shape, but then again, my eyes aren't what they used to be. :(

I'll get at it tonight and put on new flat wound strings and get it tweaked. So far, even with the stock strings it sounds pretty nice through my GK MB 150S. Can't wait to see what I get once it's got new strings and a set up.

Anyone else have any comments about this bass? So far, I like it better than a re-issue Fender I tried. There is some single coil pickup noise but not too objectionable with the tone rolled off a bit where I usually would set it. The neck is slimmer than I remember from the re-issue, the fret work is very good, the finish is flawless and even the hardware looks quite adequate. All in all, quite unbelievable for the price.

Thanks again for the help.


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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:38 pm
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I have it and love it. I've saaid some very nice things about it in other posts.

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... hp?t=13573

It's my first bass (I'm a guitar player) but i've really considered flatwounds as I hear they are period correct for this guitar, and I also and not too keen on the bright 'finger drag'.

Can you let me know how it goes with the flatwounds please.

Cheers.

:D

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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:02 pm
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I will do. It may be a couple days before I get done with it. Just got some unexpected visitors so my schedule will be off for a while. I'm putting on Thomastic JF 344 flat wounds. I think they'll suit this bass perfectly.

I'm looking forward to it myself. Once those strings get played in for a few days they sound wonderful.


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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:48 pm
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Well, I got the Classic Vibe up and running yesterday. I put the Thomastic flatwounds on without problems. They sound very good on this bass. It really is much better suited for flats I think.

The truss rod was a bit tricky to adjust. I went through all my allen keys trying to find one to fit. Nothing matched until I found a key from an Ikea furniture project. It fit perfectly. I have no idea what size it is. I've put it in my bass tool kit with the wrenches specifically for my other basses.

I raised the action quite a bit. I could have gone a lot lower but I like the sound better with a higher action, and with the low tension on the Thomastics it's still very easy to play.

The sound is much, much better with the Thomastics. It's sort of closer to a soloed neck pickup on a jazz bass rather than a split coil P bass. Even with flats it's very present. Played with a hard pick and picking closer to the neck between the pickup and neck the sound is very close to the L.A. hit bass sounds from the early 60s. Great for classic rock. Fingerstyle is also very good but just not quite as defined.

This is not a bass for slappers, even with round wounds. Use a J or a Stingray for that. But this bass would be quite suitable for most other things pop wise and even jazz. Not the Marcus Miller or Jaco fusion type stuff but a real jazz bass sound that sits in the mix yet has some clarity.

It's nice and light and balances well and is a breeze to play standing or sitting. I like the neck very much, even better than my 78 P bass. The controls work well with no glitches. The output jack is secure. The tuners work very well as does the bridge. I wouldn't bother changing them. There's plenty of sustain if that's what you like. I put a small amount of foam under the strings at the bridge which doesn't kill sustain but gets rid of the annoying high harmonics. That's my preferred sound. Not a dull thud the way some guys think 60s R and B stuff should sound. The note and needed harmonics are all there--just not the annoying ring.

Anyhow, it's a blast to play and sounds pretty good through my little GK MB 150S and also through a Yorkville XM50C which I keep at home for teaching. I think it'll sound equally good through any good amp.

There are two things I don't like about the pickup. First--there is too much single coil noise. Unavoidable I guess but I think I'll switch it out for a hum free model--maybe Lindy Fralin or Seymour Duncan. The noise is about on par with a J bass with one pickup soloed. Too much for recording or quiet cocktail jazz gigs I think. Probably fine for flat out rock and blues gigs where it wouldn't be noticed. Also the very low bass, say below A on the E string sounds a bit choked. I think a better pickup will fix that too.

But for $299 plus taxes it's a pretty good deal. I think they'll sell boat loads of them.


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Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:58 am
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Glad it's working out for you!

Keep us updated with any further mods won't you?

Cheers!

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Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:44 pm
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Sounds like Ian has helped you, so congrats on the purchase man!

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Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:05 pm
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Ian certainly did help. All in all I'm pleased with the bass. Played it again for about an hour today and discovered it sounds best played with a light touch. Otherwise it can get a bit harsh. Probably because of the small, single polepiece per string. Again, that's the nature of that pickup. I kind of think a Quarter Pounder would have less of the harshness. However a lot of guys are going to like that sound of the stock pickup.

But it sure is fun to play. The T.I. strings are starting to get played in and sound even better. I had to back off on the truss rod a touch today. The new strings have less tension than the stock rounds so I had no relief at all after it sitting overnight.

I'll keep everyone updated if I make any major changes to it. Thanks for listening and the suggestions guys.


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Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 6:49 pm
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The only thing we need left to do is to view pix of the bass then my friend! :D

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'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:16 pm
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I promise I'll get some pictures up soon. I have to dig up the digital camera and get my wife to take the pictures because of my limited technical abilities. Right now it just looks like the bass in the Squier ad but I can include some nice background in it-maybe my cat. Or my old Fender P. I'll see what creative ideas I can come up with.

Also, here's an update. I got a reply from Pete at Vintage Vibe Guitars. He makes some nice custom wound pickups that a lot of guys rave about. I told him what I'm looking for and he said he can do one for me with exactly what I want--lower noise and a fat, warm sound with a little less bite on the top. I'll probably order it next week. Don't know how long he'll take but he's wound pickups for these basses before. His prices are excellent. Something like $85 for the single coil 51P pickup. If his pickups are as good as others say and it's true that he can wind you a pickup based on the description of the sound you want (which others have commented on) I'll be very happy. I'll keep you all informed.

So far I'm still digging the bass a lot. I haven't touched any of my others since I got the Squier. The flatwounds are sounding warmer the more hours I get in on them.

Again, thanks everyone and I'll keep you informed.


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Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:24 pm
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Another news flash. I ordered the pickup from Pete at Vintge Vibe Guitars last night and got a reply this morning confirming my specifications and that he's start on it immediately and notify me as soon as he ships it. He gave me a few options so I went with the two wire cloth covered leads and the .25 diameter AlNiCo pole pieces. I'll report when I get it and instal it. Pete's a great guy to deal with, by the way. Answers all your questions and replies promptly. The price was $84 plus shipping. Great price.


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Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:09 pm
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I'm getting excited. Pete at Vintage Vibe Guitars emailed me that the pickup has been shipped and I should have it in 10 business days. I'll let you guys know what I think as soon as I wire it in. :D


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Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:27 pm
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I really like this bass. Played one a few days ago at my local GC and kept coming back to it over the Fenders I was also trying. The chunky neck felt great the fit and finish surprisingly good, just nothing I could find wrong with it. The pickup noise might be the only issue, and for less than $100 that's easy to fix. Nicely done Squier!


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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:29 pm
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Well, I did it--I installed the custom pickup from Pete Biltoft at Vintage Vibe Guitars. Wow! Big difference. The stock pickup is by no means bad, in fact it's quite good. But the new one is amazing. Way bigger sound. More bass but not at all boomy. More output than the stock one by quite a margin. I left the settings on my amp, a GK MB150S, exactly where they were before changing the pickup and there's a noticeable improvement. I had to cut the volume a lot and bass a tad to compensate. Yet the mids are all there and there's plenty of top end if you need it. Every note has more character and definition. It's nicely balanced across the strings and up the neck.

I lowered the new pickup quite a bit from where the old one was and it's still way hotter. It almost sounds like there's a preamp in it now. It blows the needle off my tuner. And my Thomastic flatwounds, which were just getting broken in, now sound bright and new again so I'll have to play them a lot more. It's a very big sound but there's not too much of anything for my tastes. I'm very happy with the big improvement in sound. The noise is less too. Still some, but easy to get rid of by cutting back on the tone control, which I don't need up full anyhow.

I really recommend Pete at Vintage Vibe Guitars if you want a pickup upgrade on this or any other bass. His service is excellent, he does exactly what he promises and his product is superb and all at very fair prices. I've been a Seymour Duncan fan for a long time, but Pete can really deliver too.

I still haven't found my digital camera but I'll do it and get some pictures up soon, I promise.

I'm going to have a lot of fun with this bass. And for $300 plus $85 for the pickup. What a deal!


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