Sometime in the 90’s, I think the label “Squier” developed a bit of a stigma about it. Engineered by Fender initially to be a brand of less expensive, yet Fender-quality instruments, by the late 90’s the Squier seemed to be considered “the beginner’s guitar”. This inaccurate mentality is not helped by their recent packages under the slogan “stop dreaming, start playing” - another implication that Squier instruments are aimed only at beginning / aspiring musicians.
It is tragically unfortunate that thousands and thousands of musicians and aspiringmusicians alike view Squier instruments as simply the beginners’ instrument. The tragedy is that this leads to hundreds of great-quality guitars and basses being daily overlooked because the name “Squier” adorns their headstock.
I am speaking specifically of Squier basses, because I’m not an electric guitar player. I don’t know what the quality is like as far as their guitars go, though I did at one point own one. But their basses, however, I do know a lot about. And I can sum up this article in one sentence: I believe that Squier basses are well-constructed, professional-level instruments.
A little info on me… I am a professional touring musician, as both a vocalist and a bass guitarist. I have been playing bass for eleven years, and have no plans to ever stop.
I am both a Fender owner and a Squier owner, and I use both frequently brands. I also own basses by a few other brands that I have come to love. I use my Fender Jazz Bass and my Squier Precision Bass about equally, and love them both. In fact, I recently did a recording session, tracking an album with a band I play with. I played my Squier P Bass on nine of the ten songs we tracked, with no preamp… simply relying on the 60’s re-creation pickups to do the job through the amp. And the sound I got is punchy, vintage and modern. This bass is the Squire Classic Vibe Precision Bass, and it’s the perfect rock bass.
To be able to understand that Squier is not simply the "beginners’ bass", as many consider it to be, you have to know a little bit of the history. First off, you have to know that Fender did not start the Squier company, but simply came to acquire it in 1965. Before that time, the name Squier had been well-known in the creation of musical instruments, particularly the violin.
Fender didn’t "start" Squier at all. And there’s another possible misconception…
It is extremely possible that instrument consumers, retailers, and the general public think that the name Squier is derived from the word “squire”, which is a noun that has a few different definitions.
One of the definitions of this word is: “a young nobleman acting as an attendant to a knight before becoming a knight himself.”
This is a problem for people buying basses… because this definition of the similar word “squire" could lead people to think that Squier musical instruments are for aspiring musicians that have not yet become musicians, in the same manner as knight attendants who have not yet become knights.
This mis-conception is tragic, because it leads people astray. The name brand Squier has nothing to do with the word “squire”, at all! Squier, is someone’s last name.
Named for instrument pioneer V.C. Squire, Squier was an instrument company with a legacy all of its own, long before Fender ever came to acquire it.
With this knowledge, we can step back from the stigma attached to the name, and all the slogans that suggest these are beginner basses, and take a look at these instruments for what they really are: Fender-quality products.
Basses are always gonna be a little bit hit and miss. Sometimes, one bass will come set up not as well as another one of the exact same model. I find this to be a common trend with some Squier models, but even more so with Mexican Fenders.
The Mexican Fenders, i have found, are less commonly the glorified Fender-quality than the American Fenders, or even the Squiers. I own and have played Squier basses that are far better basses than the Mexican Fenders I have owned and played.
None the less, the proof lies within actually picking a bass up and trying it out. And if you’ll pick up one of the models I’m about to recommend, I don’t think any of them will let you down.
Squier hosts a variety of basses, featuring 16 Precision Bass models, 14 Jazz Bass models, 6 Jaguar bass models, 2 Mustang Bass models, 2 Telecaster Bass models, and a couple other miscellaneous basses.
There are some, though, that in my opinion stand out above the rest, and I would like to give you my official Rumblin’ Man recommendation of these particular basses.
I highly recommend the following Squier basses, as professional-level quality instruments that are usable by musicians of all skill levels, for gigs and recording sessions of all types:
Squier 60’s Classic Vibe Precision Bass
I own this P bass, and it is my go-to bass when I need the precision bass sound. It delivers the goods, and has that 60’s vibe to it, with the vintage-tinted gloss-maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and basswood body. Other features include an ash-tray bridge guard and traditional 60’s-style thumb rest.
The Classic Vibe series came out in 2008, and issues a few bass models that, I believe, are competitive in quality with the original models. See for yourself in a video comparison by the Bass Whisperer by clicking here.
Squier Affinity Five-String Jazz Bass
The Affinity Series is Squier’s entry-level series of basses, using the less expensive parts, and is mostly aimed at beginners. However, I recently picked up the Affinity Five-String Jazz Bass, and was blown away.
The resonance of the low end in the sound of the bass amazed me. It really had a great sound to it. Additionally, the build quality seemed great, especially for a $200 or so bass!! I dare say it was one of the best-built five-string basses I’ve ever picked up.
Matt Freeman Signature Precision Bass
This may be the most popular Squier bass, and rightfully so. It is extremely well built, and on par with Fender’s great P-basses. Several professional touring artists have chosen Squier to be the brand to make their signature basses, and Matt Freeman is one of them.
This 60’s-style Precision Bass captures the magic of a wonderful bass for rock music, and is modeled after an old Fender that Matt is known for touring with. You can’t go wrong with a basswood body finished in Black or Vintage White, vintage-tint gloss fast-action maple neck, 20-fret maple Fingerboard with modern 9.5” radius, HiMass™ bridge with four brass barrel saddles and a three-ply black-white-black pickguard.
Squier Deluxe Jazz Bass IV Active
This is an active jazz bass with a three-band EQ. Need I even say more??
Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass 70’s
This is a very popular popular bass. Played by pro and aspiring players alike, I have had the privelledge of trying out this bass a couple different times… and it is AWESOME. Delivers a great jazz bass experience, and also comes in a version for lefties. Specks? A black-bound 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 20 medium jumbo frets and stylish black block inlays, three-ply black pickguard, four-saddle bridge, knurled chrome control knobs, and open-gear tuners.
Squier Vintage Modified Cabronita Precision Bass
The latest in Precision Bass intervention. As a p-bass lover, I hope for the opporunity to try out and quite possibly own one of these badboys. There’s a Fender version for around $599, and the Squier version costs less at an impressively low $299… and the Squier, from what I’ve researched, seems to be very well on par with the Fender version. The Cabronita Precision has an old-school 50’s precision (or tele bass) body shape and amazing neck, sporting a neat little 1-ply pick guard. Instead of the general split-coil pickup, Fender chose the single powerful Fideli’Tron humbucking bass pickup for this precision model… and I really look forward to playing one.
I hope that this article has brought you, the reader, some understanding as to the fact that the Squier Basses are high-quality instruments, an in my opinion, professional grade. If you want a great affordable bass, go pick up or order any of the above mentioned… I am confident they won’t let you down.
Source: http://rumblinman.tumblr.com/post/63696971511/squier-basses-professional-or-consumer-my-insight
