£399 vs £4299 Bass - Fender Custom Shop vs Squier Classic Vibe!

[@Killstrike6660]

I’m going with the CV on this one, it sounds great to me. The CS does sound good but not $4,000 good.

[@patrickriggenbach3127]

Whats the worth of a better sound? I‘m sure after processing you would hear the difference better…

[@gaborporempovics2415]

@@patrickriggenbach3127 and after a pro setup on the Squier? My Squier CV P bass came with really terrible factory strings. Especially the low E was awful. After some pro class fret leveling/profiling and string change it became a pro instrument. From this point it is only the matter of taste if someone likes its sound or not.

[@blackie75]

Yeah, you're just buying the custom shop as a luxury item because you have the money basically, whereas the squire is for general use, like practice, backup gig instrument, or main gigger that you don't mind knocking around or being stolen etc.

[@cerrinhendricks241]

Actually it's the opposite. Processing would make it even harder to tell the basses apart. The clear difference would be the quality of the DI signal. That being said, I recorded two years ago with a Sire V3 and then this year with a Dingwall NG and I don't outright prefer either. It's definitely not "pay more money, receive a better sounding bass".@@patrickriggenbach3127

[@BD-zg7is]

@@gaborporempovics2415 Couldn't agree more. They feel so good and sound great!

[@abeare9616]

These two can make any old bass sound amazing.

[@custum18]

It's crazy how much better Squier and Epiphone's are than when I started in the 90s. My first Epi LP I replaced the tuners, pots, pickups, and did a fret dress and full setup to get it amazing.

[@toledo2983]

the chinese and asian guitars is better quality than usa! My No. 1 and No. 2 are both cheap asian cort and epiphone guitars. (okay, i admit i only have asian guitars though...

[@mraycgz]

@@toledo2983 ain’t nothing wrong with that. I have a lot of guitars and my absolute favorites are not the Gibson or one of the Fenders I own. If I had to pick three favorites I’d pick my Ibanez Les Paul, my squiere Jazzmaster and my Squiere single coil/humbucker Strat.

[@もりさまー-g8i]

@@toledo2983 Japanese guitars are definitely better than US made ones. I've got two MIJs and they are the best I've ever played.

[@dingushussey4100]

I got one of the Squier P-basses 18 months ago, I was totally blown away with how good it was, I did have to change the back jazz pick up because there was a huge power imbalance in volumes, but the p-bass pick up and overall build and feel is amazing. I have always been a bit of a doubter before because I too had a late 80's Epi SG and it was not great, now I have a couple of MiM 6 strings and I love them.

[@sichuancowboy]

Very true. I needed a bass to record some basic scratch tracks, so I ordered the Squire. It showed up the next day and worked (near) perfectly out of the box. I remember Squires when we were kids. If the only issues were slight intonation and sharp frets, that'd only be 2 of 60 other things wrong with the instrument.

[@splashfizz]

This makes me appreciate my Squier Jaguar Vintage Modified bass all the more! Whenever I play it, I think, "Damn, that's a good sounding bass!" Followed by, "Yes, but it's only a Squier! I need to get something with the Fender logo on it." There's something to be said for just trusting your ears.

[@rear5118]

I just sold my Mexican Fender Jazz bass and will now go for either a Squier CV or a 40th anniversary one

[@cerrinhendricks241]

I played a fake Fender jazz the other day and it was better than most authentic ones haha

[@geoffreycarter3981]

I'd watch anything by these guys. Love the energy and chemistry not to mention the bass skills! If I was in a room with them, I'm afraid to think of what they'd be able to sell me!

[@bushDid911]

fantastic rendition of cake by the ocean at the beginning there. not buying another bass any time soon but I live for these groovy world class jams between Nathan and Lee! (and the captain and Pete as well)

[@TheNightstalker80]

Kudos to Fender, it's pretty wild to put out an 400 bucks Instrument that plays and sounds almost as good as a 4.000 bucks one. Squier really became more than just a cheap line of instruments for beginners. Fender is really putting a lot more effort and love into it's Squier brand in the past few years, the Instruments are absolutely amazing, I think Fender is really trying to make music more accessible by offering high quality instruments for as little money as possible. Even the cheapest Squier models are pretty decent and can even grow with you as you can swap most parts easily. I own a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Strat, wonderful Instrument as well, it plays great, it looks great and the lighter wood makes it a good guitar for younger players as well! I also own a made in Indonesia Custom Tele from Fender, another amazing Instrument for the price, it's more expensive than a Squier for sure but looking at the specs and quality it's really a steal! The Custom Shop stuff from Fender is awesome, no doubt but it's mostly for people who are really after something individual or special, that's absolutely fine this way! I think it's really good that you do not need several thousand bucks to get an awesome instrument these days.

[@benzakonium]

Loved the direct comparison in this video. Great way of showcasing the tones.

[@lance134679]

This is a great team of presenters, both for their amazing playing, and personalities and rapport. Thanks!

[@jayhova1776]

I’m a drummer and bought my CV 70’s J bass 3 years ago to mess around with. Lately I’ve been entertaining the thought of upgrading to a Fender Players bass. I’ve jammed with my old bass player and he was very surprised at how good the CV was. He’s had American P basses and Warwick’s and was shocked on how little the CV cost. After watching this video, I’ll stop entertaining the idea of upgrading. After some light upgrades to my CV (new strings and sanding the neck), she plays as smooth as my old band mates American P bass and has the that extra punch and clarity from a new set of strings. Thanks Squire/Fender for such a great bass.

[@jayhova1776]

Just an update, I finally had the bass setup by a shop recommended by guitarist friend and wow it’s play some much better.

[@anthonyalgeri5469]

string tension is probably the cheaper strings, but Squier vibe definitely got the classic sound.

[@johncoronado]

I'm not sure whether they mentioned the strings each one has, or if they had matching gauges (do you think they should've been the same?) but that would make a HUGE difference.

[@gaborporempovics2415]

@@johncoronado factory strings on my Squier CV P Bass were quite terrible. Especially the E. It was impossible to set the intonation on that string. I replaced that set after a week with a Thomastik Infeld set. Same gauge. The Thomastik feels softer/looser, sounds better and the intonation is perfect. Actually, it was so different that it took me some days until I was able to play comfortably on it. It made me pluck more precisely, softer, with less effort. So not just string gauges but also different strings can make a huge difference. Basic Fender strings are not so good.

[@ronchorivera]

Damn close. The treble transients on the squire are a little harsh comparatively. But an eye opening video for sure.

[@valleywoodstudio7345]

Nice to see Nathan! We used to bump into each other in the 80s in The Ryde Guitar Centre.

[@TheSuperspyk]

I absolutely adore how the video started off as an excuse to show off the more expensive guitar and everything quickly broke down into disbelief over the squier 😂

[@devinvenne]

I have that classic vibe and I absolutely love it. Plays great, sounds really good for the price, and sits in the mix very well.

[@wufler28]

I'm probably going for a Squier as my first bass. They sound pretty good :)

[@JosephGallagher]

Absolutely do!! I've been with my CV 50's Precision for 11 years now and I have no intentions of putting it down; it is my 4th bass in over 17 years playing, most likely my last (or 2nd to last TBH)

[@wufler28]

@@JosephGallagher i bought the Squier classic vibe 70s precision bass. :)

[@geoffreycarter3981]

Cant go wrong! If you can afford a used MIM bass from the 90's/2000's that'll be a bass you might keep your whole life and it's marginally more money in my opinion.

[@marksr12]

I guess it really comes down to how deep or shallow your pockets are! Shouldn't matter what's on the headstock if it feels good and inspires you to play! Great video and truthful reactions. Nice to see quailty gear at affordable prices. It's a great time to make music!

[@Great-Documentaries]

So the Fender comes pre-damaged? And it only costs about $4K more to have the tuners turn the wrong way and for the body and neck to be damaged? Yeah, I think I'll take the Squier. In fact for that price, I'll take the Precision and the Fretless too. And mustn't forget about the 5 string, and Bass VI. Sheesh, I can get one of every type of bass before I've spent half as much as that pre-damaged Fender.

[@ileutur6863]

If you view relicing as damage, you don't get it and this isn't the conversation for you. Buy a new one and zip it

[@michaelgalanos981]

@@ileutur6863 your a fool if you fall for the relicing

[@Aijse]

As a guitarist I bought a bass, to experiment with a bit. Got exactly this squier classic vibe. It is such a good deal if you just want to play the bass and don't want to worry about a serious investment.

[@robertsuggs2510]

Hey guys,,,I have a jazz 64 reissue without the relic and out of the tons of basses I've had (I am 65)it is the sweetest bass of all,,,thank you for the video,,,frm Arkansas USA 🎸🤠

[@petercallear9535]

My son has has a squire Jazz bass similar to that blue one that I bought for him over 10 years ago. It came with brass saddles unlike the one in the vid. After 5 years I changed the pickups for SD 1/4 pounders and put a new cts pots wiring harness in. He's got basses that cost 10x and he still goes back to that and a music man he has.

[@jayhappy2300]

Amazing playing as always. Especially the blindfold bit

[@arrell]

That intro jam is recorded/mixed so perfectly.

[@niclastname]

I'm not a bass player (guitar player), but dude that intro jam was SIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCKKKKK! So much groove I had a stank face the whole time. Loved the riff _and_ the solos over the top. I gotta listen again

[@whatspadethinks]

The early 2008-2011 Squier Classic Vibe's were incredible quality instruments. And I mean the entire line. I bought a 60's CV Strat in early 2009 when the Classic Vibe series wasn't very well known. I had many guitar friends & players try to goof on my CV Strat when I'd first take it out of it's gig bag; as soon as they played it and heard it they flipped 180°. I'm not saying that the Classic Vibe series made today sucks, not at all, but there are differences that used & new buyers should investigate. I bought a 60's CV Jazz Bass made in 2010 that easily sits with my American basses no problem. The CV Jazz Basses made today are nice, but they changed the bridge, fingerboard wood and most importantly, the pickups. It was soon discovered that one of the reasons the early Squier Classic Vibe line sounded so great was that the pickups were made by ToneRider Pickups. The pickups used today are more generic pickups that while serviceable aren't what the old pups were. This video highlights how good the Squier's are, ToneRider Pickups or not. The attraction of the CS bass is the feel; the "to the wood" necks and worn nitro finish just FEEL so much nicer than the Squier's. But what matters, the sound, the tone, they're extremely close. Use a Scotch Brite pad to dull the finish on the CV's neck and the difference becomes even thinner...

[@BassAdvisor]

I had the chance to do an AB with the CV60j and the Vintera counterpart. The vintera sounded a bit better but the Squier felt more solid and comfortable. With some high end pickups on, they are incredible basses.

[@gregedwards69]

Customer shop sounded a little more compressed and organic, or "gooey" if that makes sense. The high end transients, that snap of string against fret when dug in sounded a little smoother on the custom shop. I do wonder how more similar they would sound if they had been strung with exactly the same frets and given an identical setup - that should minimise the difference in in tension feel. I also wonder what the Squier would sound like with a set of identical pickups installed. I reckon it would be a lot, lot closer still and lot, lot cheaper. Budget instruments truly have come of age. It's a great time to be a bassist or guitarist.

[@ipuya]

I have a CV made in china with a beautiful rosewood fretboard and I absolutely love it. It's inca silver with a matching headstock, and the neck is so amazing!

[@alexmasters2531]

Great intro jam! Not a fan of the relic thing but love me a Jazz Bass!. The CV is a great bass.. no real need to spend more, especially if you want to mod it.

[@edgarmatias]

With a sound difference that close, it likely comes down to sample variation on the capacitors. If the capacitor values are not the same for both, you will hear a difference with tone off - which is what we see here. Pretty amazing deal on the Squier.

[@k.peterdingain2499]

That intro was just soooo funky! Very cool guy's.

[@DanielPorter-Jones]

I think you could tell which only because due to the metal guard on the Fender meant the strings were being played slightly higher nearer the neck and the sound was slightly warmer. That said - it is all about the neck - rolled fingerboard and satin neck and that does it.

[@alexsausl]

Thumbs up for that intro jam - awesome ( as always ;-) )! Big thumbs up.

[@petestaint8312]

Why spend 4k when you can get the same sound from Squire? Their quality is superb. 👍

[@JosephGallagher]

Back in 2011 when I was looking for a passive bass after being fed up with actives for years I came across Ed Friedman's (The Bass Whisperer) comparison video of the CVs against his personal basses of the same year/specs. Even in 360p quality I could hear the CVs being ASTONISHINGLY close to the old, custom shop, or reissue versions; needless to say I was sold and 11 years later I play and own exclusively a Squier CV 50's Precision in butterscotch blonde. Need no other

[@JosephGallagher]

In case anybody of y'all wanna hear it look up my band: Monte Meteoro Everything we've recorded and released has been on that bass

[@MrJambot]

I just got my CV 70s Jazz properly set-up and it's ridiculously good for a £300 bass guitar.

[@kevinstone9638]

I just bought my first Jazz bass and it was a Daphne Blue. Thanks for this video.

[@liamwilson42]

The Custom Shop Jazz has certainly more output and better sound than the Squier , the build and finish will be much better , but the Squier for £400 quid is tremendous value. If I had £4 grand to spare I'd go for the Custom Shop but sadly it's hard tomes in the land of plenty

[@W4TSKY]

Was that Cake by the Ocean in the beginning? Sounded awesome!

[@neilhennig3900]

Great demonstration of the law of diminishing returns! Sure the Custom shop is "better", but for most musicians playing bar gigs, etc., the difference wouldn't be noticeable to the average audience member... And the quality and consistency of the CV basses by Squier is actually very good these days- same with Epiphone, Sire, etc. (We live in a happy time to be a musician on a budget)

[@hamishsummers8585]

Genuinely two of my favourite people on KZbin

[@bobbiemiles-foremaniii8747]

The custom shop does sound noticeably better. But I feel like if you had a good clean pre amp you could shape the squier to be about the same

[@lptomtom]

"Noticeably better"? As we can see from the blindfold test that difference in sound is barely noticeable as it is!

[@andreslikesbeans2185]

@@lptomtom the custom shop deals way better with the low end. It’s rich and full but it doesn’t lose its tone. In my opinion it’s the bass notes that give away the price difference.

[@ronaldvanas9492]

@@andreslikesbeans2185 fair enough, although put on better strings, and obvs good cables and a good setup and I feel like it wouldnt sound too different actually

[@jeff1407]

I wouldn’t say noticeably better. A little richer in harmonics. Pickup swap would take care of that.

[@bassinblue]

@@andreslikesbeans2185 As a mixing engineer, I can make that classic vibe sound like the custom shop with VERY little adjustments. Point is, if you're doing studio work, it actually doesn't matter.

[@Kyle-fv2dy]

You guys are so awesome! Love the intro jams. What was that song? Thanks & keep up the good work!

[@3rdsmite766]

recently bought myself a brand new second hand cv 60 squire. man I don't regret it

[@TheFunkym4n]

Soundwise the differences are so subtle between both. I bet in a mix would be almost impossible to be sure which one is sounding.

[@Hajimodo]

Agreed. The audience won't be able to tell a difference.

[@kzm4275]

@@Hajimodo Yes, but what about the 3-4 bass players that will be in the audience and see the Squier logo instead? We all know that 80-90% of the price is in the Fender logo 🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@ellocalcrew613]

I feel like the CS stuff is for the fans of the history of bass guitars and really admire the hand built aspects that go into instruments . Myself for example , absolutely LOVE relic finishes , as well as the idea of 1 guy or gal who's put in their time mastering building instruments , which justifies the price . You're also supporting built in America products , and that's a whole other conversation but it matters . If you're someone who's chasing a sound , plays live and potentially doesn't have all the money in the world , or can't cough up 14x the price for a custom built , a Squier will easily do the job , and you can go out and still buy a very high quality amp and even some pedals with what you'd save and that whole package would become just as good sounding . I also wouldn't be afraid to really play the hell out of a cheaper bass .

[@NintenDub]

But you would be afraid to play the absolute hell out of a 5000$ instrument. This makes no sense

[@ellocalcrew613]

@@NintenDub Nah , I got a 3.2k bass coming in soon and I can't wait to play the hell out of that thing . Not everyone thinks the same though . A lot of touring metal / rock musicians purposely keep nice stuff for recording and medium quality stuff on tour in case something happens to it .

[@bassnsax]

They get quite close to each other (from an "in the mix" perspective). The Custom Shop gets a bit more definition and warmth, where the Classic Vibe has crispness and sizzle. However, I'm willing to bet that the Custom Shop feels just phenomenal (along with the better quality woods & components and hand-built quality)! I've got a Classic Vibe P-Bass, didn't care for the neck finish, sanded it off by hand (a rather long and arduous task), then put on about 2 coats of a satin finish polyurethane + stain, and it feels pretty great!

[@Reportageandart]

It’s not just about the sound is it… the CS has things like wood and build quality. It’s more of an investment. But for everyday jamming around the CV does a good job, albeit with some TLC

[@Bobby-wn5yr]

“Buying a bass at this price point isn’t about sound, it’s about quality of the finish” …. Relic’d.

[@FGg503]

I would save close on £4K and go for the Squire Classic Vibe! Leaves me plenty of money to buy a few more guitars AND I'll have enough left for a raft of beers!

[@chrisbassman3936]

Well after about 4 years of breaking in the wood, my cv 60s is resonate tip of headstock to back of body and sustains for a good minute. Of course I would love a 64 reissue but not in my reach. I got some genuine fender parts (62 tort pickguard, rest,covers,60s bridge, and 60s tuners). Mine needed some fretwork and I still haven't had time to have it checked for frets poping out but they are playable. I also put on some fender flats. Great bass, sounds and feels good even compared the neck shape to a 61 fender reissue and it was spot on.

[@jieelyuu]

The difference was pretty obviously, probably because I am listing to this on a pair of studio monitors. The Fender one has the "bite" or the "attack" while the Squier one sounds "soft." Personally I like the Fender one better.

[@jieelyuu]

Well now after watching them swapping the basses, I just realized the difference was from the players not the basses. The Squier one does sound incredible!

[@ClauGutierrezY]

To me MOSTLY at this point is about comfort. You can make it up for a Squier lack of power headroom from the deck, but what you pay for in a most expensive instrument is the care of the details in the crafting. They don't only sound massive, they feel so comfortable as well.

[@davidschrader3257]

Amazing improvization by Nathan at the start of the vid...well done!

[@jeff1407]

A few tweaks on the amp and they would sound identical. Has more to do with fit finish and feel. I’m buying the squire all day long and modding to taste.

[@Pandamasque]

I'm not really a bassist, but what I'm hearing in this video is that the CS sounds way more articulate and clear with the tone off. I wonder if CV can match that with the tone on 2 or thereabouts. Conversely with tone on full, CS provides more of the fundamental note, while CV gives you more of that high end rattle. As for the tension. Are the strings exactly the same and same age? If so, I'd say the perceived slinky feel is a psychological side-effect of the Custom Shop's sanded neck. I own a JB Classic Vibe '60, play and record it sometimes. Amazing value for money. But the back of the neck was rather sticky so I de-glossed the finish immediately with some fine grit sandpaper. Also, I was surprised to learn how thin the finish was on the neck. I barely touched it still and went through to the wood in a couple of spots, so be careful.

[@doctoribanez]

Squire was my first guitar . I have been thinking about getting another just because

[@bernardjharmsen304]

Squiers are fantastic value, no doubt. But they will require more maintenance. eg, input jacks become sloppy, tuners become imprecise. Cheaper components as a result of cutting costs of manufacture.

[@RussellCatchpole]

Great vid ❤ I think with the same strings and replacing the Squire tone pot with an original Fender, there would be nothing to choose in the tone between them. I’ve just bought 2nd hand Squire CV 70s (Indonesian) & absolutely love it.

[@mindovermatt]

Bought that CV 60s Jazz in Daphne blue too. A late night impulse buy, but haven't regretted one bit. Looks great, feels great, sounds great. Only (minor) complaint is the Indian laurel fretboard looked a little dry and cloudy at first. Such a great bargain.

[@soulstart89]

Man I must say I miss Nathan and Lee doing bass videos. I wonder why Nathan doesn’t do it anymore.

[@bluesysamurainao4557]

You both are really amazing performance. You both said basses sound was similar. Good job squier CV. I had owned CS and CV on stratocaster. In case of my guitars, CS was absolutely amazing.

[@davidharding200]

I think the custom shop is immediately discernible. But…the difference is pretty minor, at least through headphones. And price difference… astonishing 😮

[@cityslickerbass]

I love these comparisons. Great job!

[@64jazz]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 THAT was an Absolutely Fantastic review/comparison guys! Thank You so much for that; I've never in my life heard a Squier sound that incredibly good, Unbelievable! I've had 2 Squires in my life both Vintage Modified one 4 string and one 5 string; the 4 string sounded really good and I should have kept it, the 5 I didn't get on with that one so much; But this Squier HERE has me thinking about getting another one ... IF I could possibly get one like that in a 5 string.🤷🏾‍♂️ Thanks again guys, that was Great! 👊🏾

[@wordofmike]

Love that squier colour

[@pensnut08]

I think the Squire Vintage Modifieds are better than the CV. Just my opinion. I replaced the PUPs in mine with SD Quarter Pound PUPs. In this comparison I think the Relic CS PUPs sound better, but you could easily get the Squire there for a lot less than £3900 LOL Love this comparison!!! And it's NOT a slap fest!! Thank you!

[@bodhisattva3774]

Actually, when they started making Fenders the plant was in Fullerton, CA. They are now made in Corona, CA.

[@NintenDub]

Yea and g & l is in Fullerton. They make the Fullerton guitar there

[@LuckyJack99]

Always a great vid with you lads on the bass !!!

[@rasher009]

I'm assuming that the CS has been fully set up to the minutest detail prior to leaving the FCS and the CV has never been properly set up yet and is still straight from the box. It would be very interesting to hear these two in a couple of years time after being gigged constantly, unmodded, and then both set up really well and directly compared again. I bet it would be even closer.

[@ChuckNicholsonTRM]

The fretwork/setup was the biggest tell between the two. The sound of the string against frets immediately gives the Squier away in this video. Otherwise it sounds pretty damn good, yet slightly thinner. I really wonder what it would sound like with the exact same electronics as the CS.

[@DanielGarcia-tl6lj]

Just got myself a squire CV 60s and it’s amazing

[@binheiss]

I have 4 Fender Precision and 3 Squier Precision Classic Vibes - IMHO is Squier a fantastic brand for this budget.

[@stinkyninja1898]

these 2 are alot of fun to watch, been at it for awhile Im a fan at this point

[@gordonhodgson8403]

Cake by the ocean. What a treat to pop out to on bass

[@oscarsantos2608]

I played a fender player and then a squire last week and was just blown away by the squire and how good it sounded, the fender player to me just had a no good tone... Definitely nothing to be embarrassed about playing a squire!😎

[@FarrinD12]

Dang that opening jam! So nice!

[@ianchisholm9260]

What strings were on each Bass ?.. I thought the Squire had a little bit more “ top” to its sound .. love watching you guys !!…

[@Lukcv88]

DNCE - Cake by the ocean (The intro song)

[@DandamanV]

Real testament to the quality of the CV Jazz that they're close. You're not getting 10x the bass by going custom shop!

[@maccrazy7335]

Just wanna send ahead that I am not a jazz bass fan but in all sound categories I prefered the Squire. Listening on Austrian Audio headphones...

[@YourCompanyNameCouldBeHere]

I hope Squier fixed their QC. I had a bunch of 70’s CV P-basses that had a broken truss rod. I still love that brand tho

[@tonycampbell9626]

The Squier does not have the same eleactricons as the custom shop. Strings may be different also which make the Squier a contender. Update the pickups and a great preamp and it brings you to the price point of the CS or close to it without wasting away your retirement.

[@rafaelaparicio9682]

Can't deny the coolness of the custom shops, but being a bit rational about it tells one that it's just a status piece. It does sound good of course, but it's mostly about the looks. I'd rather have a bunch of modded squiers or similar range instruments givving me a range of sounds. Now, if I had 4200 quid to burn on instruments I'd get three to six costing roughly between 1500 and 500 where i find the sweet spot is. Professional instruments with good feel, sound and reliability. That's enough to make music. Shopping list would be, in order of preference: - jazz bass style bass - stingray style bass 5 string - p bass style bass - a fretless probably a J style one - short scale bass, probably mustang style - something quirky such as a UBass, a semihollow, an acoustic, a six string, an eight string, a ric, a bass VI... depending on what I felt i needed at the moment. - something else of the quirky list... - - - - - - - a guitar, maybe 😂

[@AyyMustBeDamani]

Do you guys have plans on checking out the walrus badwater? Just got one and I’ve been loving it

[@__tay__6074]

Buy the Squire and put some better pick ups in...Viola! Sounds as good and still around 3800 quid cheaper

[@cacaman17]

U guys sound amazing!! Do yall record music?

[@chrisess2581]

Classic vibe all the way. Well done Squier!

[@Z3r0.L0g1x]

I have a feeling the strings are the difference. The Fender has a more wide bouncy vibe to it. You can tell at the end of the squire and the beginning of the fender. Either it's the pick-ups that are better or it's the strings.

[@joeltudor521966]

As Far as I know the Fender Jazz Bass era (formerly named Fender De Luxe model) started in 1960/61 & upon '62 & it was provided with the 2 stacked knobs (4 controls total) on the iconic knife shaped cromed control plate, 1 volume & 1 tone control for each pickup. The first model ever produced seems to be in Olympic White finish (matching headstock finish came on later as an option), rosewood fingerboard with round clay dot inlays and a tortoise pickguard. Cheers!

[@BARTFUNKBASS]

Great video guys!

[@soarornor]

Squier is putting out some stellar instruments these days. I bought several recently and was amazed at the quality. Every one I got was nice out of the box. Beautiful designs and finishes. Great color choices. Nothing seemed cheap or compromised. They play outstandingly well. I own a real 1969 Fender Jazz Bass that I bought new. All those Squier Basses easily held their own alongside it. The people crafting those guitars in China deserve a standing ovation. Fender is doing a great job striving for a real level of quality and achieving it.

[@soulstart89]

Interesting you say this. I would love to know how the pick ups differ compared to your 69 fender original?

[@soarornor]

@@soulstart89 Well, I don’t know just how I’d quantify that, but what I’m saying is that these Squier bass guitars did not in any way feel insufficient in the sonic department. They all have their own character but these Basses did not feel like cheap imitation Fenders. Not at all. They sound good amplified (can’t speak for high amplification like with a band though because I haven’t done that) and they sound good in a mix. Lately I’ve been playing and recording Roland V-Drums and then creating bass parts and those Squier Basses sound as good as anything I have. I might have got lucky. But I rather think that Fender is getting a lot of quality out of their crafters and it shows. All fit and finish, frets, tuners and electronics I have had no issues with. I bought a Fender Vintera Precision at the same time I bought the Squiers and it’s a beautiful bass, but the Squiers hold their own with that too. I really don’t know how Fender delivers that kind of quality so inexpensively but they do. The current crop of Squier instruments are damn good.

[@soulstart89]

@@soarornor thanks for the run down. I did mean how they differ sonically.

[@stevedavis8329]

the second guy was right about the tone. the squier pickups sound to me a little more "bitey" than the custom shop and that was the only thing I could hear.

[@gaborporempovics2415]

The custom shop had a more defined, detailed sound. But it might be that the Squier would sound just as good with a better set of strings. Factory strings on Squiers are not so nice. Based on this test I placed an order for a Squier CV 60 Jass Bass! :)

[@Basstank]

Damn, did I mention before that I love your videos? You guys are awesome, keep up your great work! ❤️👍

[@bradhienzachary]

Cheap guitars and bass have defiantly improved! I believe the speaker is what affects the tone the most! It’s just a vibrating string! If the pickups aren’t noisy and the bass is not hard play has a good feel what can go wrong. Oh staying in tune would be good too!

[@modelcitizen1977]

I’d definitely save up the scratch for an original before laying out that much for a relic.

[@robertp457]

He said an original would cost £10k and an original, being such an old instrument, may have some issues related to its age.

[@Uygkuyfkutfkytfkutfv]

@@robertp457 May!? It definitely would. The only reason to buy an original is the provenance/resell factor. I’d have a Dale Wilson masterbuilt any day of the week.

[@dtales77]

For sure if you have 20 grand

[@johnsilver8059]

You can get a Fender custom shop new old stock (NOS) meaning that it looks brand new. Those cost less than the relic version.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

The "thumb rest" is actually for the fingertips because jazz players in the 60's would often play the strings with their thumb, which is also why the "ashtray" and pickup cover wouldn't be "play inhibitors" to them - they played closer to the neck than is normal today. To be honest, I'd expect someone who's supposed to know about instruments to have a bit more knowledge about these things and why they were designed and built the way they are.

[@ibanezmnm]

Squier sounds so great. Wow! I’m looking for some nice MIM , but I’m not sure now… you can get great instrument, often even better than MIM, for half of the price! Btw Custom looks and sounds fantastic but over 4K gbp is way to much for everyone

[@jmccaintx]

Really enjoy these guys' playing.

[@liohrt]

A lot of comments focus on a "10 times better" or stuff like about the sound or subtle differences of tones... Unfortunately, it's mostly not a sound issue, even for production models like the actual pro 2. It's a matter of specs, confort, details or THE exact specs that you decide. Buying a squier or even an usa fender pro is always a compromise: not the pickups you want, not the color you hoped, not the neck profile,... And unfortunately probably not the 100% perfect instrument with zero flaws (most common is poor fret leveling). When you buy an instrument, you get a lot for few money, and that's when you want to improve that things start to get complicated: if you want even a tiny improvement, it's directly a huge difference in price. Is it worth it? Probably not... The real question is: what do you absolutely want? If you want everything perfect, then you don't have the choice Ps: and yes even if i play with an expensive factory instrument and that i'm totally happy with it, prices these days are going completely crazt

[@am2p.]

I got a 60s classic vibe fairly recently, but I’m not sure if I’d consider it a good or bad purchase. I got it with a big 50% discount (total $240, normal price being $480) directly from fender’s online store. And the price is mainly the reason I’ll be keeping it (despite it coming with scratches so deep some parts of the blue paint layer were completely gone). This bass is acceptable in the sub $250 range, but no where near comparable to the basses in its regular price point of $480. Just based on personal experience, a bass like a sire v3 ($400 or less, new) or an Ibanez sr300 ($350 new) have substantially better quality than the classic vibe jazz bass I got. Without even plugging it in, the tuners were a clear sign that the bass used super cheap parts when compared to other brands I’ve tried/owned in that price point. Ultimately, if you want a good and cheap jazz bass in the sub $500 range, I’d say get a 60/70s classic vibe only if you’re getting it with a huge discount, other wise just buy a Sire V3 and use the money you saved to get yourself a nice strap or something similar, or better yet, go on Thomann Music’s website, and pay the full $500 (shipping included in the price) to get a better quality Sire V7. These are just my experiences, I wonder if anyone has similar experiences or some input/counter to my ideas above. Also, I know I can’t expect custom shop levels of quality with an instrument valued a bit under $500, but when other companies can offer significantly better quality instruments in that price range, a company the size of fender/squier should also be able to. Sorry for sharing my experience and then turning it into a rant

[@barclaybass2327]

Your experience is basically the opposite of nearly everyone else's as far as these basses are concerned.

[@am2p.]

@@barclaybass2327 After a quick look at the other comments, you seem to have a valid point as most people seem to like the bass. I may have ranted for too long, but i guess my point was that the classic vibe is a great instrument (my younger self would have been incredibly excited to have one of these), and I may have just been unlucky and the specific one I got was a dud/lemon (multiple deep scratches in paint, multiple scratches on metal plates, gaps in neck binding, sharp fret edges). But ultimately if someone wants a jazz bass, they’re willing to pay a similar price, and they don’t care for the name on the headstock, just buy a Sire Marcus Miller V series bass. I guess that’s what I was trying to get across when I first wrote the comment. Now that I’m not as annoyed as when I first wrote my comment, I realize I probably just got a dud or maybe a b-stock instrument, which I’m perfectly fine with considering what I paid.