Sguier Vintage Modified
- Thread starter coachc55
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Obsessive Compulsive
New member
Re: Sguier Vintage Modified
Any plywood guitar would fall short compared to an MIM Strat.
Any plywood guitar would fall short compared to an MIM Strat.
JOLLY
Super Simonologist
FuseG4
Our Neighbor Totoro
Re: Sguier Vintage Modified
The VM are basswood.
Squier VMs have pretty soft basswood and screw holes strip easily, and generally they aren't put together with much care so if you're OCD about craftsmanship and like to work on your own guitar and mod it the Fender will be a lot nicer.
The pickups on both are not great, but I like duncan designed better than fender ceramic.
The necks on MIM have nicer feeling finishes, the satin finish is pretty smooth. The squier gloss finish is OK but looks a little flat, they go to town with yellow tint, and feels a little sticky compared to the upper end MIM gloss finishes. The MIM C shape seems to have a little more shoulder to it, little more chunk.
The Fender would be my choice but I would have to upgrade the pickups.
If I had to keep the guitar stock for a while I would actually take the VM because of the duncan designed pickups.
The VM are basswood.
Squier VMs have pretty soft basswood and screw holes strip easily, and generally they aren't put together with much care so if you're OCD about craftsmanship and like to work on your own guitar and mod it the Fender will be a lot nicer.
The pickups on both are not great, but I like duncan designed better than fender ceramic.
The necks on MIM have nicer feeling finishes, the satin finish is pretty smooth. The squier gloss finish is OK but looks a little flat, they go to town with yellow tint, and feels a little sticky compared to the upper end MIM gloss finishes. The MIM C shape seems to have a little more shoulder to it, little more chunk.
The Fender would be my choice but I would have to upgrade the pickups.
If I had to keep the guitar stock for a while I would actually take the VM because of the duncan designed pickups.
Silence Kid
New member
Re: Sguier Vintage Modified
I think very few Squiers since the 80s are laminate? Anyway, I have two VM Squiers and the gap between them in quality is noticeable:
-VM 70s Jazz Bass: GREAT instrument; three piece solid maple body (and I've seen two piece in stores as well.) Borderline amazing construction, fit, quality; it's equal to or better than any MIM Jazz Bass. Beautiful inlays and bound neck, and the neck shaping is wonderful; a soft V toward the nut and flatter toward the bridge which is a compliment to my play-style (sometimes I wrap my thumb on the lower frets, but it moves solidly behind the neck for higher frets.) These either have Duncan Designed or Fender Alnico pickups.
This is the perfect bass for me.
-VM Jazzmaster: A bit more... Eh. The basswood body isn't mod friendly as far as stripping screws and chunks of the cavity possibly cracking; also dings easily as proven by the previous owner. The stock vibrato was garbage; you need to replace it with a US AV vibrato, minimum. The stock bridge is cheaper than any other regular stock Jazzmaster bridge as well, and in that respect is a bit of an embarrassment; a US or even Japanese Jazzmaster bridge CAN be set up trouble-free, but I can see how the Squier unit can create a negative perception of that bridge in general.
On top of that, the shaping of the body and neck pocket is less skilled than the (near perfect) VM Bass; there are gaps/irregularities. The wood on the neck has irregularities and stains as well, not found on the Jazz Bass. On the plus side, the Duncan Designed pickups sound great (even if they're different spec. than the pickups they're modeled on,) the neck still feels comfortable, and they're not goofy-spec like say a Mexican Classic Player. They're for sure a better deal than an MIJ guitar but... You will NEED to replace the vibrato and bridge with a stock US model at a minimum (that's not really different from recent MIJs come to think of it.)
(I purchased the Jazzmaster modded, removed some previous mods and modded further...)
I think very few Squiers since the 80s are laminate? Anyway, I have two VM Squiers and the gap between them in quality is noticeable:
-VM 70s Jazz Bass: GREAT instrument; three piece solid maple body (and I've seen two piece in stores as well.) Borderline amazing construction, fit, quality; it's equal to or better than any MIM Jazz Bass. Beautiful inlays and bound neck, and the neck shaping is wonderful; a soft V toward the nut and flatter toward the bridge which is a compliment to my play-style (sometimes I wrap my thumb on the lower frets, but it moves solidly behind the neck for higher frets.) These either have Duncan Designed or Fender Alnico pickups.
This is the perfect bass for me.
-VM Jazzmaster: A bit more... Eh. The basswood body isn't mod friendly as far as stripping screws and chunks of the cavity possibly cracking; also dings easily as proven by the previous owner. The stock vibrato was garbage; you need to replace it with a US AV vibrato, minimum. The stock bridge is cheaper than any other regular stock Jazzmaster bridge as well, and in that respect is a bit of an embarrassment; a US or even Japanese Jazzmaster bridge CAN be set up trouble-free, but I can see how the Squier unit can create a negative perception of that bridge in general.
On top of that, the shaping of the body and neck pocket is less skilled than the (near perfect) VM Bass; there are gaps/irregularities. The wood on the neck has irregularities and stains as well, not found on the Jazz Bass. On the plus side, the Duncan Designed pickups sound great (even if they're different spec. than the pickups they're modeled on,) the neck still feels comfortable, and they're not goofy-spec like say a Mexican Classic Player. They're for sure a better deal than an MIJ guitar but... You will NEED to replace the vibrato and bridge with a stock US model at a minimum (that's not really different from recent MIJs come to think of it.)
(I purchased the Jazzmaster modded, removed some previous mods and modded further...)
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Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Sguier Vintage Modified
I prefer the Classic Vibe for a stock instrument, the MIM is better if you want to mod. I've played many CVs that were in fact better then some of the MIMs I've played, but the MIMs have easier interchangeable parts and I prefer the necks on them as well as the woods. There is also the issue of the CVs having shallower bodies than normal.
I prefer the Classic Vibe for a stock instrument, the MIM is better if you want to mod. I've played many CVs that were in fact better then some of the MIMs I've played, but the MIMs have easier interchangeable parts and I prefer the necks on them as well as the woods. There is also the issue of the CVs having shallower bodies than normal.
Kac
Hootersologist
Re: Sguier Vintage Modified
I gotta agree with most of what is said here. I like the necks on MIM's better (after i go through and play several and find the one I really like anyway...)
I would choose MIM over the Squier because i feel like its a better base to start with as far as woods and craftsmanship, since I would be changing out electronics anyway.
I gotta agree with most of what is said here. I like the necks on MIM's better (after i go through and play several and find the one I really like anyway...)
I would choose MIM over the Squier because i feel like its a better base to start with as far as woods and craftsmanship, since I would be changing out electronics anyway.
Silence Kid
New member
Silence Kid
New member
Re: Sguier Vintage Modified
It's a Rose Picasso; degaussed Alnico 5 , 10k twelve pole humbucker meant to approximate a Fender WRHB. It's quite bright & fairly low output, very unique sounding but still within the 'Fender' camp. Full disclosure, it does not match well with a neck Jazzmaster pickup; even a vintage Jazzmaster neck can overpower the standard Jazzmaster bridge pickup with ease (hence a lot of Duncan Jazzmaster sets use a bridge pickup with greatly increased output... Or for that matter, the VM stock pickups which are modeled on an SD 'Vintage' neck model but a 'hot' bridge model per Evan Skopp.) So I might switch it to the neck position one of these days, or buy another Picasso to go in the neck with it.
https://www.rosepickups.com/new-products/picasso-humbucker-for-jazzmaster
It's a Rose Picasso; degaussed Alnico 5 , 10k twelve pole humbucker meant to approximate a Fender WRHB. It's quite bright & fairly low output, very unique sounding but still within the 'Fender' camp. Full disclosure, it does not match well with a neck Jazzmaster pickup; even a vintage Jazzmaster neck can overpower the standard Jazzmaster bridge pickup with ease (hence a lot of Duncan Jazzmaster sets use a bridge pickup with greatly increased output... Or for that matter, the VM stock pickups which are modeled on an SD 'Vintage' neck model but a 'hot' bridge model per Evan Skopp.) So I might switch it to the neck position one of these days, or buy another Picasso to go in the neck with it.
https://www.rosepickups.com/new-products/picasso-humbucker-for-jazzmaster
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Synapsys
New member
Re: Sguier Vintage Modified
Cool info, thank!
I have one too, currently under modfifications, loaded with a SJM-1 set. Absolutely no complaints about the tone I get, very vintage-y. Still I have to find alternatives for the bridge and tailpiece, the only parts that don't render the guitar flawless.
Here's a stock photo of mine:
Cool info, thank!
I have one too, currently under modfifications, loaded with a SJM-1 set. Absolutely no complaints about the tone I get, very vintage-y. Still I have to find alternatives for the bridge and tailpiece, the only parts that don't render the guitar flawless.
Here's a stock photo of mine:
Silence Kid
New member
Re: Sguier Vintage Modified
Nice- Still a very big fan of these. The neck is just great as far as construction and feel. I'm actually thinking about swapping my Duncan SJM Hot set into the above guitar.
Nice- Still a very big fan of these. The neck is just great as far as construction and feel. I'm actually thinking about swapping my Duncan SJM Hot set into the above guitar.
Re: Sguier Vintage Modified
Many years back, I decided I wanted to add a tele to the stable. But, figuring it def wouldnt be a main, player, I didnt want to spend a whole heap, so I set out to find the most tele at the best price.. Tried bunches of diff ones. And suprisingly, the two I narrowed down to, was the Squier Vintage modified and the Fender Baja (i think). I liked the Texas special pups in the Fender, but being a tone searcher, I liked the pup layout of the VM and all and for half the price, was a no brianer. So, got the VM, and even though the stock pups were duncan designed, I swapped em out for some others and couldnt have been happier.
Many years back, I decided I wanted to add a tele to the stable. But, figuring it def wouldnt be a main, player, I didnt want to spend a whole heap, so I set out to find the most tele at the best price.. Tried bunches of diff ones. And suprisingly, the two I narrowed down to, was the Squier Vintage modified and the Fender Baja (i think). I liked the Texas special pups in the Fender, but being a tone searcher, I liked the pup layout of the VM and all and for half the price, was a no brianer. So, got the VM, and even though the stock pups were duncan designed, I swapped em out for some others and couldnt have been happier.
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