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Post subject: Help with knowing value - I have Serial number
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:54 am
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My son is interested in learning the bass guitar and wants one for Christmas. I found one in a thrift store, but when I came home and googled- the prices are all over the place so I don't know if it's deal or not.

It's a Fender Squier SN IC0021297 Standard Series P Bass Special

No amp included. It was priced at $110.

Is that a good deal? :) They seem to run new online just above that price range.

Thanks!!


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Post subject: Re: Help with knowing value - I have Serial number
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:41 am
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Or anything you can tell me about the guitar would be great. :) Is it new? Vintage?


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Post subject: Re: Help with knowing value - I have Serial number
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 3:17 pm
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That's a pretty Fair deal that's a basic price for some Squiers I wouldn't say you got ripped off at all new standard squiers would be about 129.99


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Post subject: Re: Help with knowing value - I have Serial number
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 3:48 pm
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jackiehav wrote:
Or anything you can tell me about the guitar would be great. :) Is it new? Vintage?


Ok jackiehav, I checked Guitar Dater Project and didn't realize they don't do Squiers, at least not yet. Just email Fender's Consumer Relations, and ask the politely for "all information" on your Squier and include your serial number. If it's in their database, they'll be more than happy to tell you what they know.

E-mail: consumerrelations@fender.com

Brand new Squier Basses start at $150 with most of them in the $300 range. If your bass is in A-1 Excellent condition, then $110 is about right.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/squier#pageName=category-page&N=500257+201995&Nao=0&recsPerPage=40&v=g&Ns=pLH&profileCountryCode=US&profileCurrencyCode=USD

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Post subject: Re: Help with knowing value - I have Serial number
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:29 pm
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The serial given goes way back to 2000, it was built by Cort Indonesia and this model has been discontinued for a while. So it is not as common as it was 10 to 14 years ago. This Squier model follows the Fender formula for an early passive P-Bass Special born in the mid 80's having both a Precision neck pickup and a Jazz bridge pickup with volume/volume/tone controls like a Jazz Bass along with a Jazz Bass profile neck. On some of the Squier P-Bass Specials I recall that the headstock is painted to match the body which is a nice touch. The necks are maple with 20 frets on a rosewood fretboard. The bodies are agathis, not alder. I'm not crazy about agathis as a tone wood personally as I have an agathis bass that is just OK The electronics are passive, meaning no battery required. I prefer passive instruments UNLESS the specific situation dictates a tone I can only get with an active bass. I have not touched my active bass in over a year.

This is a STANDARD which means it is superior to the Affinity series and will have better wood, hardware and electronics than an Affinity. Standards cost more than Affinity models.

If this instrument is mint then that price is fair for where I live. Squier has made some real improvements in the past few years, however a Squier made by Cort is usually a pretty good one. Cort is probably the biggest guitar maker in the free world right now turning out not just Squier but also Ibanez, Epiphone and other brands under contract. The new Squiers and Fenders coming out of mainland China seem superior to the Cort built Squiers to me though. But those new Chinese ones cost way more than $110.

Buying new is safer because of the warranty and possibility of an exchange. Buying used is cheaper.

If you buy it I'd have someone who knows about them look it over to make sure it is ok before giving it as a gift. One advantage to buying new is you can exchange it if it isn't right and you really can't do that with a thrift store purchase. I'd only buy it with the understanding I can return it within 7 days for a refund if a problem is found. For a beginner that would be a good bass to start off with if you can live without a warranty and return/exchange privileges.


Last edited by brotherdave on Fri Nov 21, 2014 8:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Help with knowing value - I have Serial number
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2014 9:07 am
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Thank you for all the information! I haven't bought it yet. I'll see if I can bring someone with me who can look it over.

So hard to know whether to get this nice Fender one vs a cheap off-brand student type "kit".

But, I appreciate the information on it and to know it's not priced out of range


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Post subject: Re: Help with knowing value - I have Serial number
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2014 8:27 pm
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jackiehav wrote:
Thank you for all the information! I haven't bought it yet. I'll see if I can bring someone with me who can look it over.

So hard to know whether to get this nice Fender one vs a cheap off-brand student type "kit".

But, I appreciate the information on it and to know it's not priced out of range


The "kit" approach may seem like a good deal but the included items are not very durable. The amps in most kids are barely usable for practice and are almost instantly outgrown. Stick to a Fender or Squier instrument and even used it is hard to go wrong. But I wouldn't buy one in a kit. I'd buy the amp and instrument separately. The items in the kits are the cheapest ones available. While a kit is better than nothing, it is probably the last thing I'd recommend. The bass you are looking at coupled with a decent cable, well padded gig bag case, clip on electronic tuner, strap and amp like the Fender Rumble V3 40 watt one is going to run you about $400. You can get a smaller amp, but it will just be outgrown faster and small bass amps are hard to sell used and they won't give you much for one in a trade for a bigger amp either. I'd skip the feeble kit amp completely as that will save you money in the long run.


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Post subject: Re: Help with knowing value - I have Serial number
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 5:29 pm
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Thanks, again! That's what I figured and has been our general approach to our kids' instruments. (We've had 5 kids playing 8 different instruments thus far.) We like to do name-brand, reasonably priced instruments over off-brand or something bought online. But, I don't know electric guitars! :)


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