Fender Squier P Bass

20th aniversary edition

you know the rest

mine came in a package with a gig bag, strap and the most hideous sounding bass amp

mine was made in indonesia, and apparently the timber they use their is better than what they use on basses made in some other countries. as such it sounds slightly better than your average squire.
i play a wide variety of styles, and this doesnt really suit any of them. a really good bass player would be able to get an ok sound out of it.
there is just about no versatility with sound because if the tone is adjusted even slightly it will hiss and buzz.
played through the amp it came with it sounds terrible. it sounds marginally better with a decent amp

the action is impossible to get right, its either massively too high, or it buzzes.
this thing will not stay in tune.
the controls are lose.
the neck and action needs to be adjusted all the time and its a really annoying and fiddley job.

i actually played live with it once, but that was only for a gig at school so it didnt matter.
ive had mine for 3 years and its in pretty good condition, but ive looked after it well and i have a very light touch when i play. i dont think it would stand being mistreated.

never dealt with them.

i recently got my amp fixed at a local music shop and got massively ripped off. im bitter.

ive been playing for a few years. as soon as i can afford it im buying a new bass. this is my only bass but i often borrow other peoples (yahmahas, ibanez, G&L).
if it were stolen, id be so very happy (i think its insured)
please somebody steal it from me.
i have a love-hate relationship with this bass. it is a piece of shit, but its still my first bass and for that reason im fairly attatched to it.
seriously though, dont by a squire, ever. theres better stuff out there for around the same or a little bit more money.

It was made in China in 1999, and i paid a #100 for it second hand from a friend who didnt play it anymore, got a free broken gig bag with it. The reason it gets a six is that is taht its a good general purpose bass for a begiiner. As ive become better and learnt more about guitars and bass ive stopped playing it as it has sevral faults.

The bass produces a constant buzzing unless the tone is set to zero, but as the tone makes no noticable diffrece to the pickups anyway it doesnt matter. The original pickups sounded weak and horrible so i put in new ones that just make it sound horrible.
But the sounds overall if played through a decent amp is ok.

Where shall i start? The voulme and tone nobs fell of straight away. The tuners for the e and a strings are broken, theres buzz on the nut wheres its falling apart (my fault for trying to covert it to a left handed for my sister). The wiring was very shoddy, fell apart and had to be re-soldered. Im not heavy handed with it either. it just seems to be slowly falling apart.

Two more years and this bass will probably be unplayable. Ive used it for practise regualy for a year and a half and very occasionly to gig with, only as a backup when my main one was down. But it can take abuse and still remain at a constant averageness so it gets a seven.

Havent dealt with them.

Ive only been playing two years, i use a cort gb34 as my main bass through a vox t15 for practise alone and with band and a beringer ultrabass 1200 for gigs if i neeed to bring my own amp. If i lost this bass id think about buying a p-bass but only a decent one, not a low end model. The reason i give it a seven overall is that its my first bass and ive got good memories, if id just brought it it would only get a four, save your money and buy something better.

made in China Affinity series,Black P-Bass, 4 strings, Chrome hardware, 1 Split pup,tone &volume. THE standard rock Bass. Finish was OK, I always check and tighten all the screws yes even the neck before even playing it you would be suprised how many screws are loose on even a high price insturment . speaking of price I got this at a yard sale from a chap that moved on to a 5 string Ibanez. He warned me that the sound was iffy but I noticed that the pups were way too far from the strings so I plunked down my $65.00 and took it away ( got leather strap gig bag and stand included...yea!)

Needed a second bass to screw around with and this was in perfect shape no dings or cracks or wear on the neck. OK here goes,,, it sounds awful and bringing the pups up only brought on distortion soooo...... I'm going to put a set of good pups on change the pots and line the cavities with copper to ground it and maybe change out the tuners. Its no big deal really.Why even keep it I hear you moan, and this is the truth the neck is flawless and everything can be fixed but if you have a shit neck then no pup or hard wear swap will make it right . This feels great it just needs a little TLC.

I play with very light pressure due to 34 years of drumming. I'm currently trying to stave off carpel tunnel and this means that I'm very picky with my action. I bring down the action as much as I can and adjust it while playing over a week or so until it plays itself without buzzing. fit and finish was about what I expected just about every thing needed tightening. Has good Paint and as stated the neck is awsome kind of c-shape light poly gloss and fret hight is good crown is nicely ovaled and no fret wire hang- over as so many cheap insturments have. But the seven is for the NECK.

As with all entry level basses you could gig with them up until a point but this one is so Poor of sound that I would rather play a string Tub then play this out live. It looks the part but needs some real goods to pull it off. strap buttons are for the birds I never keep them on ever, I always use a straplock system of some sort and tis a fool who depends without it.

Fender is full of the most freindly people in this buisness and even though I have not delt with them for this bass I have had many encounters for various Amps and my other strat and a nagging small PA problem that they fixed for free I might add that as long as your cival I can't see why they wouldn't bend over backwards to help

Been playing Drums 34 yrs. Bass 25 yrs (Arco also) Guitar 18 yrs, Project studio owner 20 years (Can you say Reel to Reel) I've taught in private school for 8 yrs and private lessons for the same, I own way too much gear but for this review I'm playing through a SWR 4004 and a 65 vintage fender bassman with a JBL k145.15" and an ampeg 1-15 cab I go direct through an avalon M5 into a motu 2408 Into a mac G4 running motu digital performer with a full comlement of Waves and T-racks plug ins.
I like the neck on this bass and thats it for $65.00 I'd do it again as I said, any insturment needs something and this is a pup not bad if you ask me. Just one thing more, if I had a dime for every upgrade that I've made I'd be rich. I feel that if you want the best and DON'T want to change anything your just compromising yourself and contouring to someone else's best, not yours. Don't be afraid to pull out the wrenches and get your hands dirty those of us who know this wind up with the real peach insturments and give the industry something to shoot for. now excused me I 've got a Octava 319 mic that I'm Modifying as per June 05 Recording mag.

I have a late 90's, early 2000's Squier Affinity P-bass. I bought this to use for marching band since I figured I wouldn't mind if it got rained on or frozen in the snow or roasted in the sun. It has turned out to be quite a handy and good sounding bass. It was already dinged up when I got it, and it is solidly built, but some of the hardware is kind of cheap (the G tuner worm gear wobbles a little and the volume pot is begining to go, but I think I'll replace it eventually). I modded mine with an on/off switch so I can click it off quickly and I sheilded the insides with copper foil, which completely removed the buzzing problem (it's quieter than my mexican Fender Jazz Bass). Everything else is pretty much stock and your usual P-bass affair.

I play a variety of music; jazz band/marching band at school, stuff from The Who and Hendrix to blues standards and stuff inbetween. For jazz, I use our school's really nice Hartke 3500 with a 1x15 cab. For rock, I;ve used everything from a Fender Bassman 200 to an Ampeg SS140C guitar head thorugh a Kustom CTS 1x15 to a Kustom K200 with Crate 4x10's and 1x15's to a 350 watt PA amplifier with two 2x15 cabs and two 1x15 EV reflex folded horn speakers at the same time. The amp colors the tone heavily, but on each amp, I;ve noticed that there sometimes is a lack of clairity on the open low E through the third fret G; a different p/u would change that i'm sure, but i don't mind, I have three other basses to choose from if it bothers me. Clean, it can be very warm and smooth or bright and snappy, it can really respond to an amp setting change. I once used mine overdriven with a Tubescreamer through the above mentioned 350 watt PA amp when our band played "My Generation" by The Who outdoors (great for the bass solo and inducing feedback while our two guitarists smashed their guitars; that was a fun day). When overdriven, it can loose it's low end through a medium-small combo amp, but through a massive one like that with a graphic EQ, you can crank the sub bass to compensate and it sounds very cool.

When I got mine, it had a hodge-podge of strings on it, so I put on a new set of GHS 45-105 gauge strings and it greatly improved. My friend I bought it from didn't know how to set up guitars, so the action was really high, so I adjusted and it plays perfectly. Also, the first three frets had a lot of wear so I reshaped them with a fret crowning file and it helped a lot. The wood quality is actually very good for a budget instrument and the cavities are very well routed. My complaints are the cheapish tuners (which i'm probably going to replace eventually) and the nut; the plastic must be too soft because it seems to be wearing down gradually. Also, it's a thin body so it can be neck heavy.

It's been thorugh cold rain and hot sun, falling over on the ground, getting near smashed on concrete, and hours of playing, and it still works great.

Never dealt, I mod/repair it myself.

I've been playing guitar for 9 years and bass for 6, so i could safely say i'm experienced i think. This bass has served me well despite the life it has lived. I bought it to be a beater bass, i want to keep my two Jazz basses and my violin bass in good shape, so this one sees a lot of playing time in less than ideal playing conditions. If you plan on really playing out with these though, i'd reccomend updating some of the hardware along the way.

A basic Precision bass with the usual split-coil pickup. Mine is an attractive blue colour, three-ply white pickguard, big-head open-gear tuners, rosewood fretboard with skunk stripe, and white Strat-style plastic volume and tone knobs. (I recently switched the knobs for flat-head knurled chromed aluminum ones, which I personally prefer, but the old ones were fine.) It was made in Mexico in 1998, probably at the same Ensendada factory that now makes the Mexican Fender-branded guitars and basses. So if I bought this same instrument today, it would have a Fender logo rather than Squier.

Does the job. The pickup is nothing remarkable, but you'll get the fundamental P Bass sound out of it. If you're not careful with your EQ, it can sound a little harsh. A better pickup would probably improve that. I'm a drummer by trade, but when one of our bass players has needed a backup instrument, or we've brought someone else in to play who didn't have a bass handy, it's been good for gigs in front of crowds small and large, including an outdoor show at the Word Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver a few years ago. For your basic classic rock sounds, it works. Nothing complicated, and with talented fingers and a good amp (it's been through a GK/JBL setup, an old Ampeg combo, and DI'ed into a PA), it'll get your booty shakin'. Probably not ideal for a studio setting, since the pickup can be a bit noisy, but in a pinch it would work there too.

Very nicely put together, with good action and fretwork. I changed the strings for thicker roundwounds recently, so the intonation is now a bit off and the A string buzzes a little when played open (though the pickups don't seem to bring that through to the amp), but that's nothing a proper setup job wouldn't fix. The pickup was well positioned, the paint job is nice, and the neck is quite fabulous if you like the thick-n-chunky P Bass style. I particularly like the neck finish, which is much more natural and "grainy" than the slick neck on my Squier Strat guitar.

Generally, it's taken some punishment. It's been schlepped around with a ton of other gear in my station wagon, protected only by a gig bag. My kids have played around with and dropped it, and cranked a tuner until one of the strings broke (not easy on a bass). At gigs it's been banged around. Like other P Basses, it's essentially a plank, and it takes a licking. However, the thin washers that held the tone and volume pots in place cracked a few months ago, so the knobs felt loose. I got free replacements from a local music store, screwed them in, and it's been fine since. So there are some cheap components that could wear badly over time.

Never called Fender -- the problem I mentioned above with the pot knob washers was well after the warranty ran out. One advantage is that, since it's a P Bass, parts are everywhere, so I was able to fix the difficulty myself with one trip to the store, a few minutes with a screwdriver to pry off the old knobs, and no money spent. So third-party support and repairs are easy to come by, or you could learn to do them yourself. This is not a complicated instrument to fix.

I played classical guitar when I was a kid, forgot everything in high school, took up the drums at 18, and have been playing those professionally for 15 years, mostly classic rock for corporate parties, weddings, etc.. I have a Strat and silverface Fender Princeton and this P Bass with old Ampeg G-410 combo to play on the the side or as backup instruments for the band, and have been learning some piano with my six-year-old daughter more recently.

With a better pickup, this bass could probably be the main instrument for a serious professional who wants a P Bass. As it is, it's just fine for what it needs to do.

I think we all know what a P-bass looks like, so I'll skip the small talk.

Mine is the Squier 20th Anniversary Edition however.

It isn't the best sounding bass, but for all intents and purposes for me anyway, it works. I'm a guitarist, and I sometimes indulge in a bass, it does what it needs to. Very muddy sound though.

The bass is great I really have no complaints with it, in this category at least.

I dropped this bass a while ago directlly on the tuners, I picked it back up and it was still in tune. The strap constantlly falls off the buttons. If I ever were to use this live I would duct tape the strap on.

N/A

It's a quality bass for someone whose main instrument isn't the bass.

Features as per every review below. Not really worth rating as P basses are P basses are P basses

Need to replace my knackered P bass active, not much money, so tried a Squier through the shops Laney amp. Lovely amp, really does nothing to flatter the sound.

I need a bass with a range of tones from muddy growl to bright and clear. This bass isn't it. No way Jose.

Noisy, thin and weak. Little or no punch when popping. Bends get cut short, making a honking, quacking sound. Pup microphonic. More noise from the plectrum attack than the strings ( not quite, but hopefully you'll get what I mean )

Tone pot interesting as an ornament. Sod all use for anything else.

Decided within 30 seconds the sound wasn't for me, but noodled anyways as I had time to kill :)

In the interests of fairness, it was well set up. Action fine, fretwork fine. Some buzzes, nothing major, on the E
Tuners in name only. One particularly pleasant descending pop run had the G string down somewhere near F. Tune it up, play with a pick, fine, pop it, flat again.
Pots didn't feel right. Like the tuners, the action of the pot varied across its rotation. Vol pot felt off centre. Intonation OK across the range of the neck.
Hardware looked OK, but the strap pegs don't inspire.

Will it stand live playing?, in -my- hands?, nah. The nut looks like it would need replacing after a couple of string changes, the tuners do not inspire. Strap buttons appear to be capable of being replaced :)

Bridge OK.

I wouldn't buy this bass.

Never dealt with them

Playing bass for over twenty years. Currently have a Fender Precision that has stood up well, but really needs replacing as I have hammered it into submission, plus, I just want a new cheap bass!

I would not buy one of these, preferring a Vintage or Yamaha instead.

I compared this to a Vintage P bass, which looked better finished ( still shyte strap pegs ), played better, sounded better, stayed in tune and had pots that did something useful, and a Yamaha RBX270.

I am torn between the Vintage and Yamaha. Both are similar in price, both are wholly superior in my opinion. Suggest trying them yourself.

There are good cheap basses out there folks, this isn't one of them. When finances improve, Mr.fender will claw more cash from me for a new USA P bass. Until then, he'll have to wait.

Try before you buy. If you are a beginner, take along a mate who knows basses, or get a number demonstrated to you through a clean sounding amp.

Made in 1999, 20 frets, volume and tone controls, passive pickups

This bass doesn't have a very good sound. In fact, it sounds like pure crap. It feedbacks extremely easy, it is very noisy, and it can not or will not produce any form of a bright sound.

The action from the factory was nothing shy of horrible. The pickups were also very poorly adjusted. I took it to a guitar shop and had the neck adjusted, and action lowered, and it still is nothing but work to fret. The neck has a huge twist as it goes up, so it will buzz in some places, and not in others. The control nobs are loose, and my pick guard broke with a very minor amount of pressure applied. I have played other squires, and found that mine must be the worste in the world

This piece of crap is actually very relaible. It will give you the same shitty sound for years and years to come. The finish cracks easily, and dulls quickly. I believe the strap buttons are the most solid piece of hardware on the instrument. Truss rod never needs to be adjusted, because it never does any good. It is durable though. I have dropped it severl times, and it playes no crappier.

N/A

I have been playing for about 2 years, and even I can see the true low quality of this bass. I keep wandering if the people who posted before me have ever played any other bass. I have played one worse in my lifetime, and it didnt even have a name. Overall, it sucks!

just a normal squier p-bass. the paint is kinda crappy. but i like the SRV/tommy shannon look so i want it to come off. neck is nice. i got mine for christmas but it was 100 bucks brand new. amazing deal.

i play in a classic rock/blues band and its great. i would prefer a bigger sound but its pretty good. i have a used fender BXR100 amp i am using. i can tweak the tone quite a bit with that amp so i dont have many problems with it. i just wish it had a bigger sound and i could get brighter like a Jazz bass

beautiful to play. i absolutely love the action. the finish sucks tho.

every gig ive used this bass on and every gig others have used it on we have used it without a backup and its perfect. no problems. its been dropped a lot. thrown around in the back of pickups and lots of crap. the only thing is that the pickguard broke around the jack. after many practices with lots of duct tape involved to keep the cord in, my dad made a replica of the section out of metal. its perfect now.

never had to deal with them

ive only been playing about 5 years but i play alot. if it were stolen or lost i would buy something better like a fender jazz bass but if i only had 100 dollars to spend. i would head straight to the squier p-basses.

I believe this is a late 90's bass from Korea. I think the body is alder under a sunburst finish.
Volume/Tone/Input...it's a P. I find it hard to justify less than 10 given that it is what it is. But oh well.

Very nice sound; classic. I've converted it to fretless and it's great! Also changed the pups to Basslines which makes a huge difference especially as a fretless w/ flatwounds. Great sound overall.

I bought this bass used from a music store and as with all stringed instruments I buy, I had to set it up to my liking.
The finish was pretty weak. Thin finish and paint...I couldn't care less.

Solid bass, reliable, it will last a long time. I would depend on it for anything.

N/A

Been playing on/off for 14 years and have and have been through numerous guitars/basses/amps.
I wouldn't go looking for a Squier but I definitely wouldn't rule them out against Essex, for ex. Great classic P feel and sound and vibe. Like any other lower end bass, you have to weed out the bad ones.
Love the tobacco sunburst finish albeit a cheap one.
I don't think it's a great beginner bass on account of it's thick neck but it's great backup or for noodling around on and modding for the more experienced player.