Squier Vintage Modified P-Bass

[_tom_]

I can now actually afford a cheaper bass guitar for recording and general tw@tting around on, maybe if I get any good I can get into a gigging band with it as nobody wants guitarists! Are the Squier Vintage Modified series good for this and are they built well enough to gig with? It's this one I have in mind as it looks very nice :D

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0326800505

thoughts/comments/other suggestions? I'm tied to the fender styles as I really don't like the look of any other bass guitars other than thunderbirds! The type of music I'll be playing is just standard rock and punk rock (after listening to Rancid I need to learn Maxwell Murder)!

Playing wise are all bass guitars gonna feel pretty much the same to start with in terms of strings feeling massive and really far apart with a huge neck?

Could also do with some suggestions for an amp that won't sound like a tin can, probably stick to combo for now if possible. How about the Ampeg BA115 100w?

[CmdChicken]

My friend has gigged a Squier VM Jazz Bass a few times, they are well put together and sound great for the price.

[_tom_]

Having read some reviews I think I'm leaning towards the Epiphone Thunderbird IV now! Have read a few reviews of the Squier and some say it has cheap hardware etc. Gigged my Epiphone LP many times and never been let down. I've always been more of a Gibson man than Fender as well, just worried it won't have enough twang/punch in the sound whilst still sounding thick. Are they comfortable for sitting down with?

Also I'm not sure if I'm cool enough to pull off the looks of a thunderbird  :lol: :oops:

[Ted 'N' Leo]

My brother has both the Thunderbird and a Squier VM (the fretless Jazz bass though, not the P-Bass)

He HATES the Thunderbird and loves the Squier. Says he can't get on with the neck heaviness and just prefers the sound and feel off the Jazz Bass.

They're very different basses though, as usual, try before you buy.

[SG Thrasher]

Thunder bird is definitely a try-before-you-buy. The neck dive on that thing is ridiculous.

[_tom_]

haha fair enough. I'll probaly leave the t-bird then as I wouldn't want neck dive as basses already feel quite cumbersome! Gonna have a go on both a P and a J bass if possible as apparently the J has a slightly narrower neck which would be nice, but I don't particularly want a thinner/funkier tone!

[AndyR]

I reckon you're gonna need to try before you buy as well.

I've not tried the Squiers, but I've heard of folk who love them.

One thing I could possibly add: I think I'd head for a Jazz rather than a Precision. I use a Variax bass, which feels a bit like a Precision to handle, but obviously it's got a whole bunch of "basses" inside. Out of all the models on board, it seems that the most flexible sounding bass for me is the Jazz, closely followed by Rickenbacker (mebbe). A Precision does a nice ploddy thump, very well, but not much else as far as I can tell. The Jazz does that plod, and it growls and bounces and does a whole load of other stuff as well.

Other models do other stuff better, but for a blues/rock bass, that can do pop/country etc as well (I'm sure it can funk too, just not in my hands!) - I think I'd choose a Jazz if I was only getting one bass.

I've never actually played a Jazz, but I also understand the neck is less of a culture-shock for us 6-stringers when we first try to play the, er, "easier" instrument :lol:

EDIT: Ah... you posted while I was musing... :D

[bucketshred]

I'll stick my Oar in.

A mate of mine as a TB and it sounds great. Massive and great for rock but thats about it.

A friend of mine also has the Green Day Mike Dirnt Squier Bass. I'm prety sure this is close to what you are looking at. It's a better looking bass, better playing and better sounding than the TB. Plus there is nothing cooler than a P-Bass

I've been looking at cheap basses too and the VM caught my eye too!

Paddy

[AndyR]

Yeah, I've just checked out my Variax manual - we have a Thunderbird on board, and I have used it. It's one of the "Thump" models, and yes I've found it behaves very much like Bucketshred says.

Interestingly, the other Thump model (they come in "similar" pairs on the Variax bass) is an EB-2. Stick a shortscale bass neck on a 335 guitar body... that's an EB-2. Sounds quite similar to the Thunderbird but with a certain something extra (look at pictures of and listen to early Jethro Tull - Glenn Cornick played one with them).

Funnily enough, I've been looking at cheap basses as well, and Squier VMs showed up on the radar :lol:

[_tom_]

hmm so you reckon the Jazz can get a good rock tone as well then? All the clips I can find of it on youtube seem to be doing a load of twangy slap bass which I have no interest in at all :lol:

[bucketshred]

Tom, yes. But get a P-Bass, they're cooler!

Paddy

[AndyR]

:o  Listen to Led Zeppelin :lol:

I'm with Paddy though - the P-bass does look cooler and more "rock"...

Still, get a pipe and a tweed jacket, you'd look very hip with a Jazz round your neck.

OR... look at basses that have a Jazz pickup by the bridge and a split precision pickup as well. I played an Aria Cat II for years with this config - best of both worlds, that particular bass looked a bit Duran Duran though :lol:

[Philly Q]

I don't claim to be able to play it, but my bass has a P-J pickup configuration like the one below.  Best of both worlds.

I don't know if there's a Squier equivalent, but there certainly was a Mexican version a few years ago.

[AndyR]

I don't claim to be able to play it, but my bass has a P-J pickup configuration like the one below.  Best of both worlds.

I don't know if there's a Squier equivalent, but there certainly was a Mexican version a few years ago.

Yep, that's the kinda thing you want Tom - no need to get the pipe and slippers or a crazy 80s hairdo either :lol:

[38thBeatle]

I'll chip in too Tom and agree with the suggestions that you have a go. If it were me I'd look at either a P or J or indeed the P with additional J pickup. I don't think you'd have any trouble getting a rich tone out of the J if you went for one of them - the neck is easier on the hands but I have a preference for P basses as I have had mine for donkeys years and it suits me fine.

As for amps, I would look for a good used Trace combo. They tend to be consistently good in my experience though I don't know if they are still up to the standard of the old ones but I have never known them to be unreliable. The bass player in my band has one and it is light (ish) and has plenty of oomph. I can't recall the model off hand but may be able to find out. I have a combo bass amp which is a Peavey and I have had it for years though these days I only do a few bass gigs per year. My combo is a 1 x 15 and has enough punch to keep up with a band though it weighs a fair bit.