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Post subject: Re: NOT modding your Squier
Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:00 pm
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Rock Star
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Location: North of Pittsburgh
My VM Modified Jazz is a great playing bass, the pickups aren't as strong as my other Jazz basses, my recent purchase of a Squier vintage modified telecaster bass special is going to stay just as it is. The only thing i may do is, lower the Humbucking pickup, it's a beast

Squier has come a long way and the instruments are really good.


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Post subject: Re: NOT modding your Squier
Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:41 pm
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sshankk wrote:
I own a CV Jazz bass and I love it. I perfer it over my MIM Jazz. I love the tone, and the neck is fantastic. I love the pickups I will keep those puppies. The only changes I did was a new pick guard, chrome pick up covers, thumb rest, added F neck plate, added 1960's Fender logo on headstock. "The large Jazz bass logo." This thing looks killer. Natural body and Maple neck. Don't look past theses basses. The price, you can't beat. I recommend not modding their great out of the box, just do your set up and your ready.

Image

How did the replacement pickguard match up? I never considered adding covers a mod, that was just me. I've changed pickguards and put covers on three of my basses.


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Post subject: Re: NOT modding your Squier
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 6:32 am
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The thing about modding a Squier is the same as the thing about modding a Fender. You'll never recover the cost of mods or upgrades in a trade or private sale. So only do them if you want them and plan to keep it indefinitely. If I had any doubt that I was going to keep it then I'd leave it stock. If I knew I was going to keep it for a very long time I'd feel better about a mod or two.

Under no circumstances should you buy a Squier and try to upgrade it to make it "just like a Fender." If a real Fender is what you want, save up and buy a real Fender. Don't mod the Squier to Fender level. You'd be better off to buy a Fender in the first place. I'm often surprised how much money some people spend on mods for Squier basses.


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Post subject: Re: NOT modding your Squier
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 1:52 pm
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Yes to all of the above.


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Post subject: Re: NOT modding your Squier
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 1:04 am
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It was asked if you could use the same pots used in the USA and MIM instruments made by CTS in a Squier. You will almost certainly have to expand the pot holes in the control plate or pickguard because the shaft size on USA/MIM Fenders is 3/8ths inch (close to 9.5mm) while the Asian pot shaft diameter is more like 1/4th inch but probably more accurately expressed as 8mm. You can use a rat file or Dremel for this on pickguards or an auger bit on a drill for metal control plates. Don't overlook that you will also have buy USA style knobs to fit full size solid shaft pots if you use solid shafts. Also some instruments with Asian mini-pots do not have control cavity routing large enough for full sized pots so you have to route the control cavity to accommodate them. I know this is for sure the case on the Fender 51 RI P-Bass and the Fender Sting Artist Series models. If you want to use your stock knobs and avoid going through all this hole expansion and body routing then you really need to stick to split shaft mini-pots. The problem is you'll usually have to order them.

Before changing the pots to USA/MIM spec pots ask yourself, why? If you expect a tonal improvement you will not find one. There is no tonal advantage to doing that. 250k is 250k and 500k is 500k no matter who made it. I admit the CTS pots have a certain feel to them and if that is your reason it is OK, but that is a lot of expense and effort just for the feel. I upgraded one instrument because it had a "razor edge" in the tone pot, which is what I call it when one tiny movement makes a huge tonal change almost like flipping a switch. So I had a valid reason. If I have no real reason and everything operates smoothly and quietly I would just leave it stock.

Some of the posts in this thread make sweeping statements about quality of the entire Squier line lumping everything together. You can't really do that. If you notice the Vintage Modified and Classic Vibe owners seem really happy. That's because these are better quality in the first place. These series cost more than an Affinity or Bullet for a reason. If you stick to Classic Vibe, Vintage Modified or Artist Series Squiers you'll get better wood, hardware and electronics. At every price level though a new Squier will represent a good value for the money. You can not expect Squier pickups at any level to be as good as the USA ones though. Even Fender Japan pickups pale next to USA ones. The two upgrades I'd do first on a passive Squier are a cap swap and a pickup upgrade, but ONLY if I planned on keeping it indefinitely. Lots of Squier owners love theirs for sure. All the cosmetic stuff like pickguard swaps and chrome pickup/bridge covers is OK by me if it makes you happy and you plan to keep it a long time.


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