New bass day...

Got a black Squier Affinity P bass(my second Affinity P, and 5th Squier...) cheap, installed a Squier VM fretless neck(black ebanol), before I even played it, and yup, dead happy, and looks suprisingly good with the black body, fretboard, and the white guard.

Cool! How much did it cost?

170 bucks, a good price for around here.

Wow...that's cheap!

Cheap enough for my needs, a fretless P bass, and a nice new fretted neck for meh build.

no pics, no Squier

Awaiting photographs.

Chowderboots wrote:

Awaiting photographs.

Await no longer buddy! Here they be!

You can see my lovely feet in this one!



Since I took these pics today, I removed the tone knob, and covered the hole with a sticker of a shamrock.
Its now brighter and more agressive.

Nice work, man! I love not having a tone knob...why have one there when you want bright--it just dampens your sound.

That's a really good looking finish. A lot of the time, cheap finishes look cheap, but on there, it looks pretty healthy!

Chowderboots wrote:

Nice work, man! I love not having a tone knob...why have one there when you want bright--it just dampens your sound.

That's a really good looking finish. A lot of the time, cheap finishes look cheap, but on there, it looks pretty healthy!

Exactly, and a fretless is damp enough, without the metal on metal, so, out the tone went, easiest mod ever!

Yeah, the Squier basses are getting better and better, their finish work is now actually pretty high quality, my first Affinity P, has an suprisingly sweet Candy Apple Red metallic, looks beautiful.

Ya I think they've wised up to the fact that a lot of other companies are making entry level basses that are much better that what they used to offer, so they upped their game. Hence, the VM series and raising the quality level on all their instruments.

Bingo, it all started around 2006-7, when Fender got a new head of their bass department, one who actually plays bass for a change.....

Sweet!

Metallic red can look so sick...or so cheesy.

Chowderboots wrote:

Sweet!

Metallic red can look so sick...or so cheesy.

Two words.


Mirror. Pickguard.

YES!!

https://2img.net/h/i190.photobucket.com/albums/z153/Guerra_40/SteveHarris98.jpg

Darkstrike wrote:

Bingo, it all started around 2006-7, when Fender got a new head of their bass department, one who actually plays bass for a change.....

Oh. Is that why Squier basses are so much better than Squier Guitars?

It makes sense...they started making some really cool signature models around that time, right?

Kugelspot wrote:

Darkstrike wrote:

Bingo, it all started around 2006-7, when Fender got a new head of their bass department, one who actually plays bass for a change.....

Oh. Is that why Squier basses are so much better than Squier Guitars?

Yup, and why 08 and newer MIA Standards are the schizz, and why the MIM's now have a maple option, and numerous other awesome bass things.

Uh huh that really does fall neatly together. 'Cos when I started playing, Fender didn't seem to be doing so hot, but since then, they appear to have taken off a bit.

Same with Ibanez. Over the last two years, it seems like they've expanded a lot.

Chowderboots wrote:

YES!!

Just short the maple neck, I could swap my black and maple Jazzes...

[img][/img]

Wow...that's...reflective! Do you plan on putting a Kahler trem on that?

Wait--I just noticed that neither of those Squiers have dots on the fingerboard...arf?

Chowderboots wrote:

Wow...that's...reflective! Do you plan on putting a Kahler trem on that?

Wait--I just noticed that neither of those Squiers have dots on the fingerboard...arf?

Eric's supposed to ask that! But maybe, it would suit it, very well.

And, no dots, beacuse, in the pics, both are fretless.

The red one had a Fender fretless neck, which I swapped back to the stock fretted neck, put the Fender fretless neck on my VM Fretless Squier, and now have the VM's neck on the new one, in the first pic.

Darkstrike wrote:

Eric's supposed to ask that! But maybe, it would suit it, very well.

And, no dots, beacuse, in the pics, both are fretless.

The red one had a Fender fretless neck, which I swapped back to the stock fretted neck, put the Fender fretless neck on my VM Fretless Squier, and now have the VM's neck on the new one, in the first pic.

I just noticed that you put the double-J pickup right up by the P pickup and I guessed it was either to have it in that "sweet spot" or to make sure you had enough room for a 7410.

Uh huh...righto. The strings look like they're spaced really close at the bridge on that red bass. There's lots of room on either side of the E and G string on the fretboard, but they seem to line up between the P pickup's pole pieces pretty well.

Chowderboots wrote:

Darkstrike wrote:

Eric's supposed to ask that! But maybe, it would suit it, very well.

And, no dots, beacuse, in the pics, both are fretless.

The red one had a Fender fretless neck, which I swapped back to the stock fretted neck, put the Fender fretless neck on my VM Fretless Squier, and now have the VM's neck on the new one, in the first pic.

I just noticed that you put the double-J pickup right up by the P pickup and I guessed it was either to have it in that "sweet spot" or to make sure you had enough room for a 7410.

Uh huh...righto. The strings look like they're spaced really close at the bridge on that red bass. There's lots of room on either side of the E and G string on the fretboard, but they seem to line up between the P pickup's pole pieces pretty well.

I was aiming at a more Stingray grind, putting that pickup there, but yeah, there is room for a Kahler, a project for later on. Oh, I made that pickup myself, by combining two Jazz pickups!

Thats the one downside with these cheap Squiers, **** bridges, the saddles aren't chunky enough, so they're closed in, a little tighter spacing than they should be, my VM fretless, and both the Affinitys are like this, all the more reason for Kahlers!

Mhmm I like how you're thinkin', man.

Aah yeah. That bridge just looks a little...bottom of the barrel.

All they need really is chunkier saddles, so the strings would space out more.

They're at 19mm, which feels fine, but the pole pieces are made to suit 20mm spacing.

Uh huh that must be pretty uncomfortable, I think.

Chowderboots wrote:

Uh huh that must be pretty uncomfortable, I think.

You mean 20mm?

Darkstrike wrote:

You mean 20mm?

Having the bridge spacing so narrow at 19mm.

Chowderboots wrote:

Darkstrike wrote:

You mean 20mm?

Having the bridge spacing so narrow at 19mm.

19 is standard on more basses than 20.

Wow! Pretty basses, Bill!

And I figured I'd let somebody else ask you about the Kahler. Just so I don't hog the privilege.

EricHaven wrote:

Wow! Pretty basses, Bill!

And I figured I'd let somebody else ask you about the Kahler. Just so I don't hog the privilege.

I'm suprised people like them, usually Fender(and similar), are dirty topics around here.

As for the trem, the red fretted one maybe, but the black fretless, no, kinda two different tools that have a similar purpose, don't really need both.

^ Not really. I've played some really nice fenders. What really annoys me is the fanboys who think Fender is the greatest company on earth and that no other company can possibly come close. If you keep an open mind about other brands and models, and still like Fenders, good for you. No arguing over taste. Also, you used a Squier, and as a rule of thumb, the more expensive the Fender the more overpriced it is:

$3000 CS- should be 1500
$1400 MIA- should be $900-1000
$500 MIM- Should be $400
300 VM Squier- Spot on

Kugelspot wrote:

^ Not really. I've played some really nice fenders. What really annoys me is the fanboys who think Fender is the greatest company on earth and that no other company can possibly come close. If you keep an open mind about other brands and models, and still like Fenders, good for you. No arguing over taste. Also, you used a Squier, and as a rule of thumb, the more expensive the Fender the more overpriced it is:

$3000 CS- should be 1500
$1400 MIA- should be $900-1000
$500 MIM- Should be $400
300 VM Squier- Spot on

I don't worry much about what other bassists like, some guys just like a passive P, plain and simple, I don't see a problem with knowing what you like, and sticking to it(IMO, you don't need a wild hi-fi machine to play smokey blues etc, but then, if you want, there's nothing stopping you), but I've more than once here, and on the old BTF seen Fender players called, fools, retards, closeminded loosers, and more, what was that Eric always said about no bashing and ridicule? Or is it just no anti-trem bashing?

As for pricing, I generally find they're worth what people will pay for them, but for me, I agree, I wouldn't pay current prices for an American Standard, or a MIM Standard, but then there's a MIA like this...

and certain other models, which, IMO, are worth their weight in gold.

^ Ya, that roscoe. You've got me on that one. I played the 5er once, and it really was worth the money (I still want one). Sound was great, versatility was amazing for a passive bass. Has 22 frets (one of my biggest pet peeves is 20 fret basses. Its probably the only thing I hate about my Kramer). The only thing I didn't like was the neck, which was so big I couldn't even get my hand around it. It was like a tree trunk or something. The neck on that 4 string doesn't look so bad though.

BTW, have you ever thought about putting a trem on it?

Kugelspot wrote:

^ Ya, that roscoe. You've got me on that one. I played the 5er once, and it really was worth the money (I still want one). Sound was great, versatility was amazing for a passive bass. Has 22 frets (one of my biggest pet peeves is 20 fret basses. Its probably the only thing I hate about my Kramer). The only thing I didn't like was the neck, which was so big I couldn't even get my hand around it. It was like a tree trunk or something. The neck on that 4 string doesn't look so bad though.

BTW, have you ever thought about putting a trem on it?

Yup, 22 frets is a big bonus for me too, love them, the four string has a Jazz neck, but its aysmmetrical, makes it a little more comy to wrap around.

I have thought of a trem, but the thing is literally the perfect 4 string for me, and I'd feel uncomfortable messing with it.

That Roscoe is a sick bass.

What's wrong with being close-minded over close-mindedness?

Chowderboots wrote:

That Roscoe is a sick bass.

Truly is, I'm lucky to own such a beast, was well worth the time and money.

Chowderboots wrote:

What's wrong with being close-minded over close-mindedness?

Similar to dividing by zero.



But seriously, really, this place was ment to be zero tolerance of that crap, not juat a place to change the target.

Darkstrike wrote:

Truly is, I'm lucky to own such a beast, was well worth the time and money.

It's good to know that those instruments really exist.

Darkstrike wrote:

Similar to dividing by zero.



But seriously, really, this place was ment to be zero tolerance of that crap, not juat a place to change the target.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Darkstrike wrote:

....and more, what was that Eric always said about no bashing and ridicule? Or is it just no anti-trem bashing?

I'm glad you brought this up, Bill.

Let me clarify to everyone here, in no uncertain terms, what this means. My anti-bashing clause is for any and all bass and non-bass topics on this page. Period. But if I recall correctly, I think the original....(ahem) point about Fenders was that there is a group of folks who have lauded the Fender name simply because of the name.

Now, I recognize that folks have strong opinions about many different things. I have them myself. But personally, I don't give a rats arse what any players uses, likes to use, dislikes to use, etc., etc., etc., because this goes right back to one of the cornerstones of my personal philosophy. That it is up the individual player to decide for themselves what they like to use. Now yes, this is my own view, so I don't expect everyone to share that view. BUT, this board is my house, and I do expect that anyone who wants to be a part of this place to play it cool while they are here. Again, opinions are fine. Bashing is not.

I mean, sure. I've said in the past that I don't find Fenders to be all that and a cup of tea, but so what? I'm also not about to jump on anyone for loving Fenders, because if that's what they like, then that's what they like. Bill, you love your Fenders, Martin has his Jacksons, Mike has his Jacksons and T-Birds, and to be totally honest, I don't really care for any of these. You guys all know I'm a Yamaha guy, and it's perfectly fine if you guys don't care for Yamaha's. Honestly, it won't hurt me. Because the fact that everyone here has what they love to play on is the only important factor. I could care less if you play a broomstick nailed to a 2 x 4. If that works for you, then bravo!

The bottom line is simple. Play what you enjoy, and let others play what they enjoy.

right on about the "play what you have", don't worry about the name thing....

and yes I now am a proud owner of a black 89 Kramer Forum3 with the Spector setup bridge/pre/pups.

sounds very different and is exciting to "hear" the big difference. ( for now )

So can I enjoy and own more than Jackson stuff??....well....yes