Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass

I bought my first one back in 2006 with the Duncan Design pickups. After a heavy use in my band and in Church, I sold it for whatever reason. I made setups for some friends in my country and I already worked with couple of this one again and of course after my setups, I play them to check them. This bass is well made and very versatile for every kind of music but are strong in the slap and pop. In the couple of this basses that I had fix, I find a common problem. First, the factory setup was horrible and very high action. It's a little hard to set up a low action without have fret buzz especially down the 12 fret or above. This could be a problem for those who has a very hard touch when they play. Not a problem if you light your touch or use a proper technique but they buzz a little bit. Third, they are heavy. First and second issues can be fixed with some setups. Third reason could be an issue especially if you play several hours or have back problems like me. Overall is a nice funky bass.

This is the black body, black pickguard, maple neck with pearl block inlay Jazz Bass by Squier. One of the latest models in their Vintage Modified series. Agathis body with a Poly finish and Alnico magnet pickups. The knobs are volume, volume, tone.

I was excited about Squier%27s new line. I pulled the trigger on it online for $299 and waited until the FedEx truck lit up my driveway.

It looks cool. I like the satin finish neck. The body sustains well when the instrument is played acoustically.

The frets were sharp and the body is very lightweight. I would have much rather paid $349 which is the price tag for the Classic Vibe series and dealt with less shortcomings.

The pickups weren't as aggressive and growly as I had hoped.

Just OK. You can tell right away by playing it that it is a cheap instrument. Setup right out of the box was lackluster. The neck buzzed and fretted out in more than one spot. A new set of strings, a humidity controlled room and a set of allen wrenches fixed it eventually.

This bass has cool factor written all over it. Tonally I wasn%27t in love though, I would highly advise you to check out the Classic Vibe Series Jazz Bass against this.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I had been looking for a good bass for a long time when I found that I loved the sound of a jazz bass. After playing Fenders (even the American Deluxe models) I wondered if I could ever find a jazz bass that didn't feel chunky, had a great slap tone, and didn't have dead spots all over the fretboard. I encountered this Modulus bass used at a local store and paid $1000 for it.

First off, this bass is great looking. It looks a lot like a vintage jazz bass with a cream colored body and red toroise shell pickguard. The bass isn't all old-fashioned, though. Modern features make this bass great, with the Bartolini pickups and carbon fiber neck. The Bartolinis provide a warm, detailed tone perfect for anything from fingerstyle funk to slap. When I turned the bass and amp up all the way, there was still no noise from the electronics! Although this bass is offered with active electronics, I would be afraid of taking away from the natural warmth of the pickups, which have great clarity anyway. Perhaps the most amazing part of this bass is the neck. It is very fast playing. The carbon fiber creates and incredible look, virtually no warping, incredible sustain, no buzz, and absolutely no dead spots! Lastly, the Gotoh tuners keep this bass in tune forever!

The only drawback with this bass is the difficulty of reaching the upper register. While the fingerboard is 21 frets, which is average for any bass, the body sticks out very far at the joint, causing a lot of hand strain once you get to the last few frets.

The construction of this bass is nearly flawless. Each fret is set beautifully. The neck, held on by 4 large bolts, is joined snugly onto the body. The only construction problem I have encountered with this bass is that one of the strap buttons comes loose every once in a while, which I'm sure can easily be fixed.

This bass is great for anyone who likes jazz basses but doesn't want to put up with the buzz, chunky feel, and mediocre sound of a Fender. If you've ever wished you could find a jazz bass with an unbelievable Bartolini tone, great playability, and no fret buzz or dead spots, this is your bass!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I'm disappointed by the finish.
1 - There is a big knot on the body. It looks like a big knob on top of the instrument. It looks awful.
2 - There was too much varnish under the 2nd fret and I had to polish it. I find such faults are not acceptable.
3 - The back of the neck has ditches and it looks like corrugated iron. The difference is almost 1mm deep!! I had never seen this before, even with very cheap bass guitars.

There are a lot of small other faults: the pickups seem to be too wide compared to the space between the strings, the binding is not varnished everywhere, the 1/4" connector is not tight, etc.


UTILIZATION

Once I set the instrument, the ergonomics are perfect and the sound is really good. But the faults on the neck are a pity!

SOUNDS

Good sound for funk. I don't use my effect pedals anymore: they are not required. I plug it directly into the amp with flat EQ settings and the sound is nice. I didn't change the strings.

OVERALL OPINION

Compared with another Jazz bass copy (an old Session), the Squier VM sounds better and I don't regret having bought it. Maybe I was unlucky and got a faulty one. It's a pity and I cannot forgive this. My next instrument won't be a Squier but a Fender.