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This is my Squier P bass and I love it. 50's style, neck like a baseball bat. Sounds exactly like you'd expect a P to sound with a big hefty thump. Nothing fancy.
It's a good contrast to the 70's style J that I have. That's a Mexican Fender and there's nothing to tell them apart in build, finish or sound quality. I'm sure an expert could point out the differences.
I've used 0000 wire wool to take the glossy finish off both necks. That highly polished finish can be quite grippy on a sweaty palm.
Sounds pretty gnarly with a pick.
out of interest, what makes a desirable looking bass? what would you be looking for say in that pmtonline link vs the ‘gapping blue’ one? why does that look crap to you all? i wouldnt have a clue at this point…..
IDK to be honest, it's a personal thing. For me - in general -
I prefer light coloured pickguards (although a white with a black guard seems to be ok)
I don't like coloured headstocks
A black guitar needs a white guard, although red pearloid / tortoiseshell can also work (I know it's not a bass but eg: https://lifeguitars.co.uk/products/1987-squier-stratocaster-mik-upgrades-cosmetic-modifications-electric-guitar)
I don't really like reds, prefer green/blue and also prefer the more pastel shades - my bass is Surf Green / white, my Jazzmaster copy is a metallic champagne brown/grey. Exception is a Gibson ES335/345/355 that must be cherry red.
And then rules go out the window.... Ceeper's Bronco on the previous page is lovely despite being red(ish)
Sharkattack's is also lovely, but I'd also have said I don't like gold pickguards.
And all this is irrelevant, because I'm an amateur noodler that my wife has allowed to have my guitars on display so visuals are almost as much a factor as how 'good' they are.
must admit i do love pastel colours too, especially that mint green colour you see on a lot of front doors and garages.
sunburst anyone?
something like this would seem good value, but should i avoid the 'jack of all trades master of none' type starter pack and just wait to get the one that i want when it comes up? same with the amp, comes with a rumble 15 but should i hold out for a 25 as recommended?
the comments on it also suggest flimsy lead and strap. buy cheap buy twice?
I like a sunburst. This is the one I have:
Thats a not bad bundle. The Rumble 15 is £120 on its own elsewhere on PMT, £240 for similar Affinity PJs, so unless these are slightly cheaper specced bundle models, looks good. You don't really need a gig bag, but you've got everything to get you started there.
Same pack is £30 dearer at Guitar Guitar btw:
https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/210316367594025--squier-affinity-precision-bass-pj-pack-3-colour-sunburst
That's not a bad starter kit to my mind.
Lead and strap can be replaced easily.
Bass is decent - sell on their own for £230-ish
If you exceed the sound from a 15W bass combi-amp in your house the council will be around in their noise abatement van - if you need bigger then you might want quite a bit bigger (and you can contact chiefgrooveguru for that)
Agreed. I got one of those Affinity PJs, and despite getting other basses since I've kept it, modded it and will probably hang on to it. It's good to play, looks good (mine is black/black which is the best colour ?), and is versatile.
looks promising then.
the same advert is on pmtonline and andertons, so i'll suss out if theres any difference in postage costs. itd be nice to go to nottingham and see guitars in the flesh but i dont think i'll get the chance any time soon.
and yes, i read in the early pages about chiefgrooveguru and barefaced. are they top end amps then? how do they compare to say orange?
EDIT: just seen pmt do indeed do black. hmmmmm...... i prefer a bit of colour, but i also prefer the oak coloured neck. opinions split?
well, first they're not amps. They're cabs, speakers basically that you need an amp 'head' to drive. The Rumble you're considering is a combi-amp with it all in one thing, but at prolevel like Barefaced you can put 'any' amp into the cab(inet) - so you can put an Orange amp into a Barefaced cab.
https://www.gak.co.uk/en/orange-ad-200-bass-head-orange/4893
fascinating, thanks. id always thought a cab was another word for an amp. so likening it to my hifi system then (bear with me) the guitar is like a cd player, plugging into an amp which then plays through a pair of speakers yep? only the guitar amp would be the orange bass head, connected (inside) to the cab (speakers).
looks big money too! pleased i'll just be a bedroom plodder 😀
cheers
Colourways and different fretboard colours.
The necks are all made of maple on a Squier. The colour differences are on the actual fingerboard/fretboard. The darker ones are pau ferro, a modern hypoallergenic and sustainable alternative to the traditional rosewood. They tend to be unfinished and require occasional treatment with lemon oil.
The lighter coloured ones are maple, usually a layer of maple bonded onto the neck. They tend to be finished with a polymer/ varnish and are thus easier to keep clean. I prefer maple aesthetically and it looks awesome on the reds, blues, greens and blacks.
There’s a world of bullshizzle out there with folk thinking the fretboard finish makes a difference to the tone. I’m sceptical, and simply love maple.
(Gear4Music do that pack in Lakeland blue)
This is my Fender Jazz in dark midnight with maple. 
I think maple works on some but generally prefer rosewood / pau ferro
Here's mine (OK, stock photo). I wanted the Fender American Performer, v. similar colour but a nicer finish - but couldn't justify based on my ability. One day, perhaps
nice guitars, and yeah im starting to get an idea of what colours i like now the more i look at them. i think my perfect combo so far would be that pastel green above, with a maple fretboard/head.
(Gear4Music do that pack in Lakeland blue)
i can see a cheaper squier sonic starter pack in california blue on that site, but cant see the above?
thanks
EDIT: found the right colour, just need to find it in a P starter pack now 🙂
Can't find it for you in a starter pack, but you can get it. It's 'old' stock so to speak - Fender/Squier cycle colours from time to time, and i don't think they have it in their current line but vaguely remember it fairly recently. Not Affinity series, but perfectly good Squier. I suggest get it bought...... distance selling means you can send it back in the meantime if you do find a starter kit (but pretty sure you won't). Maybe call them and ask if they'll do the same starter pack deal but swap basses out for you - worst is they'll say no.
https://www.soundpad.co.uk/guitar/bass-guitars/squier-fsr-sonic-precision-bass-surf-green?gQT=0
it's even got the Maple neck
If you can stretch to Fender pricing there's other options. What will you get for £500 more..... better materials in the body and neck maybe, maybe a nicer finish - the satin of the Mustang is beautiful, I haven't looked at P or J basses for a while, definitely better hardware and of course the name.
Back to my pics - that's one regret. I started during lockdown and bought an Ibanez on looks on line and instantly it was wrong for me. Persisted for a while but didn't love it, then one day on a whim went into Andertons that had opened up again (so must be maybe 21 now), talked to them about why it was wrong and they put a short scale in my hands - the Fender one above. But I couldn't justify what was about £900 at the time, but they told me they could get a Squier on order and so i went for that. No probs with the Squier, but I could have afforded the Fender - it was just after lockdown and I'd barely spent anything for a year - I couldn't justify it to myself.
It would have been worth it, I've played it practically every day since, even if just for a couple of mins between Teams calls when WFH.
Not saying you should stretch to the Fender, but maybe you should stretch to the Fender......
Your analogy to the CD player is correct but this bit sounds a bit confused, maybe just the wording
only the guitar amp would be the orange bass head, connected (inside) to the cab (speakers).
The amp, often called an amp head or just a head usually sits on top of the cab and is connected to the cab with a speaker cable which usually plugs in the back of the cab.
Yep, possibly my bad phrasing or using jargon - Orange head into a Barefaced cab means plugging the head into the cab, it's not 'installed'
Usually just sits on top (is that why it's a 'head'?)
eg:
Fender head into Barefaced cabs
[gap between posts is because all this talk saw me away for a brief Saturday morning 15 minute Rage (Against the Machine) session at head shaking volume through the headphone amp. Do I *need* a second bass that I can keep in Drop D, for such moments? My wife might end up Killing in the Name of household finances]
yeah i dont think i can really justify fender pricing at this point, pretty sure itll be a squier precision.
I suggest get it bought…… distance selling means you can send it back in the meantime if you do find a starter kit (but pretty sure you won’t). Maybe call them and ask if they’ll do the same starter pack deal but swap basses out for you – worst is they’ll say no.
you mean call soundpad? or pmt/andertons to ask? im not toooooo precious about the green, any nice pastel colour with a maple neck would do i suppose (altho that green is probably my favourite pastel colour). and you recommend getting a sonic in better colours than an all black affinity say? looks over quality at this stage?
and thanks for the barefaced/bass head confirmation, yes id understood it wrong. so a bass head sits on top of a cab, which is purely a speaker, and is pretty much pro-level. and the rumble 15/25 etc is a mix of both.
cheers
as it's old stock/limited edition colour, you might not find it elsewhere and if you're buying mail order then doesn't make a huge difference where it comes from. Some LGSs may be better than others, of course. You could call around and ask if anyone has one, or do some googling (Ipswich has one too, apparently) - and then ask for a similar deal to the starter kit, which they'll probably do. Bit like the LBS, if you buy guitar and amp they might be able to give you the lead and tuner gratis, etc.
https://www.music-world-ipswich.co.uk/products/guitars/fsr-squier-sonic-precision-bass-surf-green/
If not fixed on colour then Affinity > Sonic, not necessarily in quality of hardware but the Affinity PJ in the starter pack has more of it - twin pickups (bridge and neck) and therefore extra controls for them but both are adequate starters in terms of learning to play. There's a school of thought for beginners that less is more, do you want to be arsing about trying to dial in the perfect mix of neck and bridge tones or actually learning to play?
Maple/ Rosewood neck is very much the equivalent of SRAM vs Shimano of the guitar world. Neither is better, you just prefer one to another. Or don’t really care. Personally I think it depends on the colour scheme.
Given that your mate has offered to lend you everything for now, I wouldn’t worry about those starter packs, just put a bit more money towards a better bass. It’s very similar to the bike world. A bit more money at the bottom end makes a big difference, less so as you go up the price ranges. Fender are the Santa Cruz of the guitar world. (I have three, plus a COMBO amp, but that’s my issue). Other brands are just as good but without the name or marketing/ sponsorship budget.
I’ve bought basses online and been very happy with them but as an absolute beginner, I think it’s very important to take time to go to a shop. Like I said earlier, I went in to buy that very same starter pack you’ve posted. I tried it along with two other basses and felt the neck was a bit fat for me. The Cort was too narrow, but the Yamaha felt just right. I know it can be difficult to find time, but getting it right will make the learning process easier.
and thanks for the barefaced/bass head confirmation, yes id understood it wrong. so a bass head sits on top of a cab, which is purely a speaker,
broadly yes - except it's not just a bass thing, it's how most higher level guitar set ups work......an amplifier (head) into a cab (or cabs).
You'll have different types for bass and 6 string (which confusingly are frequently just called electric or electric guitar or guitar but a bass is an electric guitar too!) which deal with the different frequencies, and as well as amps and cabs for bass vs electric, within both of those there are different types - solid state vs valve/tube amps, size of cabs, open vs closed back......all of which offer different sound characteristics. Some pro players use the same over and over, others use different set ups at different times (when recording mainly, no one generally wants the faff of switching around amps and cabs between songs when playing live!)
and (BF) is pretty much pro-level.
so to speak - but lots of non-pro but very good players like having good kit, just as some of us like riding £4k carbon bikes.
and the rumble 15/25 etc is a mix of both.
Yep. Head and speaker in the same box (trying to avoid saying cabinet). Often called practice amps as generally more portable and not as loud - ymmv. To note - if you have a 65W practice amp you need to play it loud to make it work properly so don't necessarily think bigger is better unless you live in a soundproofed house with neighbours a mile distant.
More often these are solid state although you can get combo valve amps, and also with modern electronics, some enable various types of amps (and effects*) to be 'modelled' in to a single package (that headphone amp has two types plus three effects, I think). Often called modelling amps. Again, good fun (I have a Roland Cube) but you can waste so much time fiddling with settings instead of actually playing.
* and that's a real rabbit hole. As well as what the amp and cab sound like, most guitarists don't send the signal from the guitar to the amp, it goes through one or more effects pedals on the way that take the electronic signal and perform all sorts of sophisti****ery with it to give a modified sound. Look at the guitarists thread on here and marvel at their pedal board obsession. Most of the signature guitar sounds you recognise are only partly the guitar - if you can find a BBC documentary Lenny Kaye - On Guitar** it delves into this or there's loads on youtube. Or ask a guitarist friend (but block out most of the day for the answer)
Fortunately bassists in general have less in the way of offering, but there are bass pedals too and likewise, Joy Division / New Order wouldn't sound like they did without Peter Hook's chorus pedal. http://www.effectsbay.com/2017/02/peter-hook-talking-gear/
** was part of a series of three, not currently on iPlayer but you can find versions on line - was also Stewart Copeland - On Drums, and Tina Weymouth - On Bass, all of which are worth a watch.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002700
well ive seen a few examples of pastel green/maple/affinity on google, but not been able to find any in stock.
i rang pmtonline at nottingham to ask about stock and theyve only got black. they did say tho that theyve got a slightly more expensive green bass, an Ibanez TMB-100 Talman at £239.
i asked about starter packs and they stated that the starter packs are set, the ibanez wouldnt be part of one, and quoted another £145 for a rumble amp, £12 for a cable etc, so didnt look like they were trying to entice me in by giving any freebies.
tbh, even tho they stated that the ibanez was more expensive, i still liked the look of the squier sonic green/maple better.
so...... at present im torn between going for the cheaper sonic that looks better (to me anyway) vs a better affinity in a colour that im not toooo fussed about. gut feeling is quality should beat looks but obviously theres a balancing act. ideally ill find a pastel affinity with a maple fretboard, just not green. unless i try to find one with a rosewood fretboard. ho hum, decisions decisions.....the search continues 🙂
Another reason to tempt you into going into a shop - colours in stock photos are often very different in the flesh. Particularly greens and blues, even moreso with pastely greens and blues. At your stage, you want a guitar that makes you want to pick it up and play it, wandering round a shop and picking out one that has that certain something will help you do that.
Seriously, go to a shop or shops and get a feel of what works best for you. Unless you know exactly what you want, buying online is going to be a massive lottery.
I will echo what others have said about going into a shop and getting a feel for different instruments. When I started I played for years on Fender type basses simply because that's what the players who inspired me used. As the years went on I got into vintage Gibson basses with narrower fretboards which I personally find much easier to play. Now, the Fender necks didn't put me off playing but I think I could have advanced at a quicker rate if I had been playing something narrower from the start.
Aside from the debatable sonic differences, laquered maple boards can also feel different under your fingers to rosewood type boards.
Hi to the the fellow bass players on here (new, learning or seasoned old hands...)
Had to share this as really made me smile today. Scott and Ian's sheer delight in covered these bass gems is infectious. Disco might not be your thing but some great bass moments here...
Big switcheroonie of gear for me over the Xmas period.
Having packed in my gigging rock covers band of 15 years I decided to sell a bass to fund getting a 5 string and spending some proper time learning to play it. Sold my Cort A4 Plus and picked up a Mark Bass Gloxy MV5 in the Andertons sale.
I also sold off my big gig amp and cabs (Mesa Boogie BB750 Big Block and 2 x Barefacd Big Baby 2 cabs - sorry Alex) and headed off to Bass Direct in Leamington Spa to look at some smaller replacements. Came home with a full GR Bass set up.
Who knew that carbon fibre had made it into the bass cab world! My Barefaced cabs were pretty light but the GR Bass AT212 cab I bought is a one finger lift at 21lbs. And it is a 2x12 cab (My 1 x12 Barefaced cabs were about 32lbs each). And I picked up a GR Bass 800 head as well.
update. off to see my mates quiver of bass guitars on friday, one of which is fender precision, so thatll give me a feel for a squier P.
mate of a mate has offered me a squier P in 'tobacco burst' for £50, 'logo'ed up as a fender'. i asked if it had been modded (see, im learning) and he told me 'just the head'.
not sure what that means really, or the condition of the guitar either, but he'll send me some pics tomorrow he says.
£50 might be worth a gamble, but i spose its dead money if i dont particularly like it, or its tatty or whatever, and that £50 could go towards a new one.
I suspect he just means he’s added a Fender sticker to the headstock. There’s not much else on the head to be “modded” to be fair. (Smiley face)
50 quid is a fair gamble imho. If it plugs in and plays it’ll be fine to learn on, some folk spend more than that on strings
As for “tatty” have you seen what fender charge for faux “roadworn” versions from their “Custom Shop”?
hes just sent me a few pics. says it was like that when he bought it.
wotcha reckon?
Ask what strings are on it. Difficult to tell from the photos, but look to me like flatwounds. If they are, it wouldn’t be a great choice to learn on. It’s £20-30 swap to round wounds but may also need a set up to compensate and then it starts to add up.
Are you on FB? What comes up in your area if you search for 'Squier bass'?
Ask what strings are on it. Difficult to tell from the photos, but look to me like flatwounds. If they are, it wouldn’t be a great choice to learn on. It’s £20-30 swap to round wounds but may also need a set up to compensate and then it starts to add up.
ive asked and am awaiting a reply.
Are you on FB? What comes up in your area if you search for ‘Squier bass’?
nothing of any interest anywhere near.
thanks
i asked about the strings, and also whether it was a sonic or affinity squier. the answer ive just received is "Looking at pickups id say affinity.
Strings are roundwound"
even so cheap id prefer an affinity, as im told the cheaper sonics lose their tuning a bit easier, so can any squier experts confirm that it is indeed an affinity?
thanks
IANASE but I'd be surprised if Squier can do Sonic pricing on twin pick ups, Doesn't automatically make it an Affinity either, but more likely. Also not sure it's not classified as a PJ rather than a P, but even Fender's naming goes a bit flaky.....is it a PJ, or a P with PJ pickups.....
Looks like this but different headstock colour, unless the photos are misleading.
But honestly, I think you're overthinking a bit at £50. It takes seconds to retune with a decent tuner, or there's tricks to tuning it that can help, and in any case the only time retuning is a PITA would be if you're gigging and then retuning every song would be a pain. But if you get to that stage (ooh, accidental pun) then you can either get better machine heads, get a spare, upgrade, and pay some hairy roadie to retune it for you.
£50 might be worth a gamble, but i spose its dead money if i dont particularly like it, or its tatty or whatever, and that £50 could go towards a new one.
You'll always be able to move on a squire stickered as a fender on Gumtree / Facebook Marketplace. Just be 100% honest in the description.
lovely, thanks, ill let him know ill take it.
just been round my mates to get a feel for a fender precision to see how the weight and size feels and its fine. hes lent me a small fender amp, lead and tuner, so im good to go when i get the guitar.
thanks
YAY!
Well, I just adjusted my truss rod for the first time and nothing snapped or exploded and the action feels lovely.
Feeling like a very accomplished big grown-up boy right now.
It's one of those bottle testers where once you've done it successfully it seems ridiculously straightforward. From there you'll be setting up the intonation like a pro, eliminating fret buzz, lowering the action and generally becoming an avid amateur luthier!
Intonation is a whole 'nother can of worms, I've got a 5 string LTD that 'feels' amazing' but the E-string (Ie the string you probably use the most) just sounds tinny and muted and thin and rubbish, next job is to work out why.
Anyone got any of the Sterling Stingray clones? I've got money burning a hole in my pocket and an eye on the black body\pickguard and maple fingerboard Sub Ray4.
I wouldn't have bothered with a Ray4, I was kind of saving with an eye on a Ray34 or even a used US Stingray, but that black and maple is calling to me.
Are they any good? Or best avoided?