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Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 3:21 pm
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Is there somewhere that lists the makes & models & the countries of origin and actually says what they're made of? I HATE guitar salespeople because they're so often uninformed and want you to buy what they want.

If you go to the Squier site and click on a bass, click on the "specifications" button and the body wood is listed there. On most Squier basses, the bodies are made of agathis. Classic Vibe basses are either basswood or agathis.

Ibanez uses agathis or basswood as well for thier budget models. I'm not sure what their Gio line is made of, though.

Basswood is not a terrible wood by any means. it gives you a rounder, thumpier sound than alder, but no growl. It is also quite soft, and will show dings more readily. My biggest beef with basswood is that it does not hold screws well at all! If you are not careful when reattaching the bridge after cleaning, the screw holes will tear out!

Agathis is actually a conifer (like pine) from Africa. It's denser and has very few imperfections, which actually makes it very stable. However, the tone is somewhat less satisfying than what you get with alder or ash.

Make sure to do your research before you go shopping so that you know what you're getting. :)


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Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:24 pm
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I thought that agathis was more close to moho?

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Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 6:55 pm
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BassGodMike wrote:
Agathis is actually a conifer (like pine) from Africa.


Agree with everything except this part ^^...Agathis is from the South East Asia/Pacific region, more like Indonesia (Borneo, Celebes) to Australia/New Zealand region of the world.

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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:20 pm
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i am working musician(bass player) for 15 years..all i can say based on my experience is squier is a big nothing..i call it the official imitation of fender..poor quality..poor pick ups,poor neck,cheap body woods..cheap sound..its a waste..lets not talk about it,its also a waste of time..buy a fender..thats all folks..


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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:38 am
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jeck cruz wrote:
i am working musician(bass player) for 15 years..all i can say based on my experience is squier is a big nothing..i call it the official imitation of fender..poor quality..poor pick ups,poor neck,cheap body woods..cheap sound..its a waste..lets not talk about it,its also a waste of time..buy a fender..thats all folks..

Wow, nice first post.
I may not be a working musician, but IMO the new Squier VM and CV series of basses are exceptionally good. And I am not the only one who thinks that.


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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:53 pm
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That was quite a post, no wonder those of us who speak so highly of Fender are labeled as snobs, or worse. I have strong opinions as to the Fender brand but I bought a VM Modified Jazz. From the first time I played one, I was sold and every time I play it, I like it a little more.

Is it perfect? N0. Does it sound good, oh yeah! Do I want a 50th. Anniversary Jazz Bass? Hell yeah. Am I gonna buy one? Not at the moment.

Until I do buy the Fender Jazz of my dreams, I can live happily with my Squier.

As far as wood, it's made of maple.

Once again, play the beast before you open your pie hole.


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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 2:03 pm
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sorry,i apologize..but in my IMO,start working as a musician and take it seriously..then you will know..i will wait for your opinion no matter how long till you get what i mean..


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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 4:50 pm
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Don't always think you can know someone from a post on the internet. Anyone can be anyone they want to be and hide behind an image that they wish to present, that goes for anyone.

I was a musician who did quite well, if I only had all the guitars and basses from the past 40++ years, I wouldn't lament my compulsive behavior. I've played the classic Fender Precisions and Jazz basses because I bought them new, starting in 1967 when I was in high school, over thge years I've bartered, traded sold and borrowed just about every kind of stringed instrument you can name.

The point is, while not everyone can afford, need or deserve a high end Fender bass, they can find something that brings them satisfaction, isn't that what music is all about?

As far as Squiers, they have come a long way and, what is an obviously awesome star doing slumming in the Squier Forum?


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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:11 pm
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I just got a Squier Affinity J Bass as a Christmas present from my wife and I'm happy as a clam at high tide. It was a package that included a Fender Rumble 15 amp and it's exactly what I was looking for. I'm not a bass player, in fact I'm not really a very good guitarist but I'm having a ball with this bass adding tracks on my Boss Micro BR to some of the old 1960's instrumentals I used to play back in the day. Maybe it isn't the best quality but it is all I needed and I was even able to set it up myself! No complaints here.

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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:15 pm
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jeck cruz wrote:
i am working musician(bass player) for 15 years..all i can say based on my experience is squier is a big nothing..i call it the official imitation of fender..poor quality..poor pick ups,poor neck,cheap body woods..cheap sound..its a waste..lets not talk about it,its also a waste of time..buy a fender..thats all folks..


Congratulations on your 15 year career. I've been playing bass since 1968 and in bands since. Let's see, that's 42 years.

I had EXCLUSIVELY owned Fender USA and MIM basses up until April 2004 when I bought a bass anyone else would call a piece of junk. MADE IN CHINA. Basswood body I guess. Heaviest part of it is the wide Italia strap.

I love my piece of junk. It is my number 1. I have sold THREE Fenders off that I no longer needed and am now down to ONE Fender bass which is lucky to get ever get played out at all. My son who plays 6 string has explicit instructions that after I am gone he may sell everything but that piece of junk bass I bought for $212 in 2004 because I've never played a bass I enjoyed playing more than that junky bass.

I took the piece of junk and spent a bunch of money on upgrades, and frankly I'm not sure it sounds any better than it did brand new, except for the copper shielding job which really helped quiet the RFI a lot. Well I also upgraded the tone cap.

There is absolutely no sense in taking a $1600 bass to a gig in a bar or playing an outdoor gig where it might rain, when you can get a perfectly playable and decent sounding bass for one-eighth the cost. The only person who will probably know the difference is YOU. Nobody else in the band cares either so long as you can play it and it sounds good. Current band's lead guitarist plays an assortment of instruments from a Gretsch White Falcon to USA Strats to a Squier Strat. I don't care what he is playing as long as he sounds good.

If you feel you MUST have a Fender USA instrument at a gig, it could be because you lack confidence in your skills and expect that a high dollar instrument will make up for your deficiencies. There are other excellent pro-line basses out there. G&L, Musicman, Lakland to name just a few. I really like all those too, but I would lean toward the G&L.

My opinion is that it is the PLAYER not the INSTRUMENT that truly matters. Oh and a NON-Fender bass I paid $113 for on eBay goes to way more gigs as my #2 way often than the last remaining Fender I own does.

Sure I look at Fenders all the time, but I'm waiting on THE ONE. I've had a bunch of mediocre Fenders and one that was absolutely awesome. If I should find THE ONE, I surely wouldn't take it to an outdoor festival gig or to a bar gig. That just isn't a good idea in my book.

If someone finds a Squier they really like, buy it. I wouldn't throw a bunch of dollars at it for a bunch of upgrades like new pups, bridge, tuners or anything like that because when you trade it or sell it you are not going to recover much of anything from the investment in upgrades. BUT $30 for copper shielding supplies and a better cap and maybe better pots would probably be a better idea than throwing 2 or 3 hundred at it for the stuff most people replace. If you don't like the sound of the bass stock, don't buy it. If you buy one you don't like the feel or sound of rationalizing that you are going to put a LQ BAII bridge, new SD pups, Fender tuners, brass nut, better pickguard, etc on it and it will the same as Fender, you are wrong. Just buy a Fender Standard and be done with it. If you don't like it in the first place and see things you want to change, try another model or make.


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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:53 pm
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RIGHT NOW, I'm watching Jackson Browne playing a SKA number on PBS on what looks like a Teisco 1960s Japanese guitar lots of people would have thrown away about 1979.


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Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 11:30 am
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Indeed, here in Costa Rica I do truss rod calibrations, repairs, electronic updates among others and I will say that Standard Squires are really good basses. The materials are really good, the neck and truss rod response is incredible. I think new squiers are the old MIM Fender, I've seen many good players including Squiers on their rigs. i know that there are few reason to underestimate squiers, but in the last two years the quality has improved significantly.

For example I use to play this one:

Image

I sold it out and bought a Fender JB MIA, but for the time that I played it I was more than happy, Indeed I sold it out cuz I was in need of $ for the new one, not for quality reasons.

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Post subject: Re: SQUIER
Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:10 am
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mikecain wrote:
Generally I would avoid buying a Squier Bass at all cost. The only way I would buy one would be if I could pick it up in person and examine it and play it.


I own a made in Indonesia Vintage Modified Jazz Fretless. I paid $279 for it. I have been a Bass player for nearly 40 years. My opinion after 2.5 years of steady use is that this particular bass is of high quality. It has excellent fit and finish, sounds excellent and, quite frankly if it didn't have the Squire name on it I might think it was an American Standard. You can take that to the bank. I previously owned a Gibson EB4L, and presently own a Fender Precision Lyte fretted, a Spector 5 string fretless and this Squire. I have played numerous other basses over the years and recently tried an American standard Jazz very similar to the Squire I own. I like this bass better than any I've played and/or owned except the Standard which felt, played and sounded just like my Squire but cost over 4 times more.


Last edited by tbcass on Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:18 am
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gnosticbass wrote:
A classic try before you buy. Of course thats the case with any big purchase I make. Fender MIA basses that are bad are less frequent then Squires and MIM.


I'm curious. That may be true but tell me, is that a guess or do you have any statistics to back that up?


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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 2:05 pm
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I know this thread is a bit old, but for anyone currently considering a Squier bass (or guitar for that metter) the quality is getting better. The Classic Vibe series and Artist Series rival the fit/finish and playability of many MIM Fenders and I've also noticed more consistent QC with the Vintage Modified and Standard series. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about Epiphones these days. Bottom line, Squiers are good usable and affordable instruments.


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