Fender Squier P Bass

Made in China, 1999, Squier Affinity p-bass. You know the drill. Bode wod of unknown origin (alder?), cream with a whte pickguard. Volume/tone/input.

It has all the features of a p-bass so that means a ten.

I play anything that is asked of me, wether it is rock, salsa, motown, top 40 or blues. I play this through a GK400RB and a 215 BW.

Not noisy. Very good p sound. Mellower than most. I have a Lakland Glaub and it is a little more open and hollow (less focused mids), but that's actually nice with flats. The original pickups do their job if you know how to play. It has a warm/fat sound. Many people comment on own good this sound and are flabbergasted when they see the name on the headstock !

It really sits wll in the mix.

Since I picked this used, I have no idea how it was setup at the factory. But let me tell you that with a little love, this thing ranks very high on playability (and I have/had a lot of basses).

The neck on mine is straight and the fretwork is flawless. I suspect the original owner of having done fretwork and nut leveling on this bass. I like my action low to medium-low and I can get it as low as many higher dollar basses without any sort of fretbuzz.

The finish is a thick poly. The pickguard is really ugly and its cut leaves a lot to be desired.

I have yet to touch the trussrod, even after changing strings (I have to tweak it on my Lakland regularly). All the hardware seem solid except the jack, wich I'll have to change. T'll change the pots to CTS too while I'm at it.

No opinion on this. I'll fix problems myself rather than call Fender for a 10 year old bass.

I've been playing for nearly 15 years now in various bands. I've had a lot of gear and have learned not to look at the headstock when buying a bass. I bought this thing used where it sat, unloved, in a music store, for 150 CAN. It felt right the moment I held it in my hands.

It is a very serviceable p-bass for anyone who is into a mellower vibe. I really think I got a gem since most Squiers I have tried did not sound/play that good: you just have to get the right one by playing as many as you can. I'd put it in the same league as some 800-900$ basses I've tried and owned over the years, it is THAT good.

If it were stolen, I'd try to find another one as good as this one.

i recently purchased a 20th Anniversary
Baltic Blue 2002 Squier P and absolutely love it.
It is a well made Indo P bass.
i rescued it from a punk rocker for a song.
Had no idea it was a 20th when i went to pick it up.
Controls were smashed into the cavity.
Easy fix, i got lucky.
i noticed these Ps are wired different when repairing it.
The film cap is ground to the tone pot (capped to its self).
Not like the average Vol to Tone cap job.
It has a unqiue Low & Treb vibe to it.
The neck is a little fatter than average Ps of the same type.
It has a beautiful rosewood fretboard.
Walnut skunk stripe and one piece hard maple base.
It is an Affinity so i'm guessing either
Alder, Agathis or Basswood for the body material.
It also seems a lil fatter than most affinity Ps.
It has a fat feel like the older Fender Ps has.
The baltic blue is awesome!
The chics love the color...No joke.
Its scarred and scratched but it
has character with its battle scars.

Unbelievable Sustain!
i'm a thumber (James Lee Jamerson style).
So i sent my basses up for that MoTown sound.
This bass can achieve Dug Pinnick rattle lows.
(Think: Life Going By: Kings X Ear Candy)
And it will hold those whole notes beyond the measure.
i was seriously astounded when i played that.

i tested it thru a Behringer BX 4500H,
2-10 Seismic Audio Cab with a 80s Fender BXR w/ 1-15 PylePro.

What else could any bassist want?
This bass is a chill maker on 3 with above rig.
Very surprised.

Very low action. It came in setup so high a MatchBox car
could ride between the strings and fretboard.
i honestly had major doubts when i first saw it.
i actually gapsed inside when i saw it laying in
a trunk of a car with another bass on top of it.
True story... no joke.
After wrenching it, lemon oiling the board,
resetting the neck and securing the neck plate, pick guard and bridge
i decided that i wanted to keep this monster around for a while.
Nice work!

It's a proven battle ax!
It's A Tank! Would Trust It In Any Situation.

n/a

i've been trying to play rock and roll for about 30 years.
i'm not a "i'm gonna keep a bass for a lifetime" kinda player.
i'm a bass slut...i dig all types of 4 string basses.
Owned 67 Fender Mustang, 77 Fender P, 75 Ripper, 60s Teiscos,
Vintage Kay Basses ,Lots of Vin Roadstar II basses
the list goes on and on...
i felt a need to write about this
20th Anniversary P because of it's truly unique character.
i've owned possibly 4 or 5 Squiers and this one blew my mind.
If Squier says it's an Anniversary model or a
Limited Edition model take it to the bank, they mean it.
Because once they're gone they are really
hard to find but very much worth the search.

If lost or misplaced i'd search for another one.
Fender really did make these different from the rest.

I have the Squier starter bass, and it's seen me through my first three years of playing (yeah, I'm pretty skint). I can't complain, it does everything I need it to, I don't know that much about basses either so I can't say that much. I'd only say the sound isn't that great and when you pick up a better quality bass you suddenly realise how bad your own is, but it's really quite decent for it's price.

It's good because you can play pretty much any type of music with it. I play in a band, again, no one style it's very mixed up, and playing through a live gig set-up it doesn't sound bad at all! It's also great for staying in tune, I hardly ever have to tune it unless I have been carrying it around a lot or banged it.

It came in very good condition when it was new, but I've three times had to go and get the pick-ups and the lead contact repaired, it's had the plate on the front of the body replaced and the varnish chips off easily if you knock it by mistake. I've also had to do a lot of my own tinkering, raising the pick-ups, and lowering the strings closer to the fretboard. The volume and tone knobs are always falling off as well, I have actually lost the volume one now because it came off at a gig and I never found it again.

It's very reliable, I have hardly ever needed back-up, only time was when the lead contact died.

I've only ever gotten it repaired at my local guitar dealer which wasn't where I bought it, so I can't comment on this one.

The reason I'm reviewing this is because I was browsing this site looking at other basses, the reason being now that I've been playing for 3 years I'm looking to upgrade to something a bit more decent in a higher price range. As a starter bass it was good, and it wasn't pricey at all, I learnt to play on it and I suppose you get what you pay for. I wouldn't get another one of these, but I'd recommend it to beginners.

Made in 1983, s/n sq=====,Beautiful sunburst finish,wbw pickguard. It's a p bass.

This is one of the nicest sounding Precisions I've ever played.Beautiful growl and deep resonant bass sound. Wonderful mids and highs.

One of the nicest Precisions I've had in my hands. Plays and feels like a vintage P bass,come to think of it I guess it is. Very good quality construction,not even a shim in the neck.

Typical durability.

Haven't dealt with them.

I've been playing for 40 years.Most of that time I've had a 1975 Jazz bass. Always wanted a Precision,started looking around and researching and found out about these mij Squiers,about a week after I came across this bass and a Traynor amp going for a song.I could'nt be more pleased. The gent who owned this bass kept it in awesome shape and did'nt play a whole lot so this bass is almost like new.Like I say this bass sounds and plays as good as any Precision I've come across.

20 Frets, Made in China, Solid body.
Just one pickup, the classic split P-Bass you know and love.
One tone knob, one volume knob.
I actually haven't replaced anything and am reviewing it as purchased (new).
The set-up is, put kindly, simple. Very no-frills.
This is not the bass you buy for bells and whistles, but you would at least expect what's there to be high quality. It's impossible to eliminate fret-buzz and have a reasonable string height. The neck doesn't have "dead" spots, but some frets toward the middle of the neck are certainly "wounded."
Overall: certainly not good, but not unplayable if you take good care of it.

My experience with this instrument ranges from effectless, jazz/blues playing to effects-heavy prog/punk/hard rock.
I've played this through everything from little, crappy Crate and Peavey combos through a mid-range tube-preamp, SS amp Tubeworks (pre-Genz Benz). She was quiet on all settings. The only way to describe her sound is to tell you that she sounds like a p-bass. This instrument is a blank canvas, just with a bit of a duller sound than her legitimate sisters.
Overall, she sounds exactly as she should, but in a lower price bracket.

You will need to sit down and fix the action, but it feels okay after a bit of work.
My knobs and output constantly came loose. Not very impressed with the hardware.
Overall, this bass requires maintaining. Expect to spend extra time with this bass, but it's worth it.
Grading this one is tough. I give its maximum potential an eight, but its factory settings a four. I'm splitting the difference and giving it a six.

This thing needs constant adjustment and fixing. She's cheap and you will probably end up seeing that. For example, the ground wire is an uninsulated hunk of chicken wire and BROKE INSIDE OF MY BASS THROUGH NORMAL USE. I brought it to a friend to re-soldier it and it's been fine since then, but this is not a reliable bass. Have a back-up instrument and be ready to sink time and money into this puppy.

I didn't deal with Fender support. I got it fixed on my own through a friend.

This bass is an entry level model. This is a fantastic first bass and great to learn on. It is unforgiving and will teach anyone new to playing bass to handle their instrument's set-up, how to do their own tinkering work, and how to get a good sound out of a cheap instrument. This bass lands exactly where it should for the price range, but that's not saying much.
Overall, this bass is a lot of work, but a good way to get started if you're broke.

Fender Squier P-Bass Affinity series, made in Indonesia. Standard P-bass configuration. Maple neck with skunk stripe, rosewood fretboard. Light weight body probably basswood. The whole bass weighs about the same as my LP Studio guitar! Thick blue probably polyurethane finish. Single ply cream pickguard. Neck is a bit wider compared to a Jazz bass but it plays fine.

Standard config: 6.5 for sound. After upgrade(Seymour Duncan SPB-2 with 1 decent volume pot) and a new set of Rotosound Swingbass 045 a solid 8. MUCH better all around, more bass, more definition especially with the volume pot turned down. Ballsy P-bass sound that covers all the classic blues/rock ground. Good sustain. 1 pickup 1 volume seems limited but there's a lot you can do with the position of your right hand fingers and the pick.
The original electronics sound a bit woolly especially with the volume turned down. Small cheap pots.

I got it used. The neck was bowed so i had to use the trussrod. 1/4 turn a day keeps the bass doctor away! The bolt is made of brass so it seems, soft material so be careful out there with the Allen key. I got a decent action also thanks to Gary Willis' informative site. Highly recommended. I couldn't get it perfect though, there's still some rattle above the 12th fret.
The tuners have some play, i tried to fasten the bolts at the back but this didn't help. Tuning is not entirely rock solid but i can live with it.

I already wrote about the tuners, they're not rock solid. I had no trouble with the other hardware so far. Finish: it's a used bass, it's a bit scratched here and there but not all the way through the finish. I'm a guitar player, i don't know if i'll ever gig as a bass player but i wouldn't hesitate to take this P-bass to a gig.

Fender had a web site. Lots of helpful info online. Actually i should write about Seymour Duncan's manual provided with the SPB-2 pickup: even i could mount it on the P-bass!

I have 25+ years of guitar experience. I wanted a bass (again) to fool around with. In the past i've had a Peavy T-40(heavy MF!) and a Yamaha BB-1100S(great allround bass). After upgrades and a new set of Rotosound Swingbass 045's (VERY important) it sounds fine to me. Good old fashioned supportive bass playing in the classic blues/rock vein is a breeze with this P-bass. I took it to a rehearsal room, with the original electronics. An experienced bass player tried it and liked it. For the price you can't go wrong. With a bit of work and extra investment i took it from a good beginner's bass to a gig worthy instrument. Price paid was inclusive gigbag and strap!

Made in Korea 1990, " S " serial number, so made at the Samick plant.
Torino red finished PLYWOOD! body, high gloss maple neck, rosewood fretboard. Standard hardware.
Split P pickup, 1 vol, 1 tone.

It sounds like a P should. I fitted D`Addario chromes on it, the (original!) factory strings where eaten by rust. Now it sounds to my liking, and i must say that the feel of flatwound is so much better on the fingers...
When i play this bass, i play different then when i use my J, the instrument itself sorta "orders" me how to play it.
Despite it has a PLYWOOD body, this bass sounds very warm, and it punches right through the band, no adjustments on my amp, every control 12 o` clock, perfect!
It`s a bit noisy in front of a PC monitor, but on stage it is silent.
Because it has just one (very good!) sound, so not much diversity, i give this a...

I bought it second hand on internet, with a terrible bowed neck, with a hump in the middle, rusted strings, dirty all over.....

A total make-over saved the bass` life, i had to do a lot of work on the neck, but now it`s back in full force, and i am very happy with the result.

So because of this I can`t give an opinion

The bass is already 17 years old, so i would say it proved itself on reliability, even the original crappy pots work silently, and are never sprayed with contact cleaner!
The former users didn`t care for the instrument, when i looked at the state this bass was in...
After adjusting the neck it setted after a while, and now it stays ok.
The finish has some dings from normal use, and will stand surely another 17 years, the hardware will too.
I would trust every gig without a backup, solid as solid can be.

Never contacted, no opinion

I`ve been playing for over 25 years, had cheap to very pricey instruments. I totally dig this kind of cheap worn instruments, and to patch them up. My challenge is that no matter what price, when you adjust it properly, every bass can sound good, it`s mostly in your fingers.
I love the gloss finished neck, i hate all the modern "silky" necks, mostly they are poorly finished, and some spots aren`t finished at all!
This instrument has already a lot of playing miles, feels really broken in, and it doesn`t break the bank.

The Squier Modified P bass is one of 3 new basses with Duncan special pickups...
Here is what Fender says.....
"The most popular electric bass of all time! The Precision Bass is considered by many to be the rock ???n??? roll bass; truly a workhorse of an instrument. Squier???s great new Vintage Modified Precision Bass offers the stripped-down and straight-ahead tone heard on countless recordings since the dawn of rock.
Features include an Olympic White-finished agathis body, one-piece maple neck with 20-fret rosewood fingerboard, three-ply Black/White/Black pickguard, thunderous Duncan Designed??? split single-coil pickups, chrome hardware and machine heads, and four-saddle chrome bridge."
Price was $259.00

The sound from this bass was very very good the pickups are whisper
quiet.
I tried this through a Trace Elliot bass combo amp with one 15"/ a Berringer Ultrabass 3000 with a Peavey 1810 cab (18" black widow and 2 10" scorpions, also a Rogue practice amp and a personal headset practice amp.
It has the Fender P-bass mid punch but I was very impressed with the clean but full sound of the Duncan hum cancelling pickups.
I have been playing bass 30 years and have owned every type of Fender bass made, both USA and the "other" catagory Fenders (Squier and MIM's) this sounds about as good as anything Fender I have ever played or owned.
I play live and in the studio anything from Hank Williams Sr. to Aerosmith..
Works equally well live or recording again sounds SUPER in my opinion
(I am talking Apples to Apples here Fender basses), personal preference in other Mfgr. of basses is not the forum or focus for this review.

The neck and finish is where the bass fell FLAT on it's face!
It came from the music store set up unusually high, I really did not think too much of this because I ALWAYS set up my own basses and intonation myself, I prefer the action low fast and smooth, I carry another stage bass for Slapping/Funk & Popping styles set up differently.
This bass has the worst neck I have ever owned!!! the first 2 frets are low causing excessive buzz the next 3 are pretty high and 7 through 12 have a bad bow buzzing again...
the final frets were also high!!! I prefer to keep S's on Supermans chest not on my ax's neck, no adjustment of the truss rod could straighten this out.
I then removed the neck released most of the tention on the truss rod
got out the masking tape and my fret files and a straight edge,and reworked the frets.
4 frets at different points on the neck required dressing them down to about 1/2 or more of their normal height!! (this should be unheard of in this day and age of automated production)!!
After an afternoon of filing, re-crowning and polishing the neck was at least playable.
The bow in the 8th through 12th frets was still there but significantly better, there just was no way to make it perfect without totally removing the frets and planing the rosewood fretboard. Tuners have a little play but hold tune ok, Bridge is typical light and should be changed out for a bit more resonance but is ok..
Body finish is ok.. Olimpic White no blems in the finish and highly glossy, but you can see the lines in the wood where the 3 pieces of the body are put together when held in the light at an angle.( this should have been filled and sanded better)but something has to give at this price.(eventually I'm pulling the frets filling with wood and turning the stock neck into a Fretless)
I ordered a Mighty Mite Maple neck and am now finishing it with the 2 step high gloss Nitrocellous Laquer to show the classic amber look of vintage Fender necks (Guitar reranch.com)the bass is worth keeping for the sound and light weight comfort.
I also put on a 3 ply Tort-White-Black pickguard, Full dress kit with chrome Ash tray and pickup cover and thumb rest, also a custom set of knurled knobs with Mother of Pearl tops, (all above accys. available on EbAy)

Typical Fender and Duncan, bass should last for decades.

Usually Great caring people who have been helpfull to me when I needed them, I should have sent this bass back to them but then they would have had it for a month ot two.

I love the sound and playing comfort, A real Eye catcher with the mods.
I'd replace it if stolen.
I checked out the neck on one of the Mod 70's Jazz basses later in the same store I bought this from and found some of the same problems with that neck (but not NEARLY as bad).
On the other hand I have an Affinity Chrome Red Squire Jazz bass I keep at our practice site that has the BEST neck I have EVER played!! Too bad it is noisy and sounds like crap.

I would just check yours over closely before you buy, some music stores like the one I bought mine from only offer store credit on returns.. hence the file job..

Standard Precision bass features, with rosewood fingerboard and 3-ply b/w/b pickguard. No suprises whatsoever in this regard, except for the quality of the Duncan-designed pickup. It has every feature you would ever want, assuming you wanted a P-Bass in the first place.

I bought a set of Fender Stainless flatwounds with it, slapped them on, and it sounds great. Relatively bright with the tone up, warmer with it rolled down. I'm using it through a Fender Rumble 100, and while it may not have the most idiosyncratic or uniquely unusual sound, I bet I could make it work in 95% of the playing situations you could think of (maybe not slap funk, but certainly fingerstyle). Everything gets a little spicier when I send it through a Tech-21 progrannable pre-amp pedal, and it fattens up considerably through a vintage model or roars w/distortion as I like it.

The neck was well adjusted, the nut was cut well, the intonation was right on, but the action at the bridge was not set up up well. Of course, if I had to pick one thing to not have been done right from the factory, that would be it. And since I was putting on a new set of strings, I would have probably had to do that to my liking anyway. Of course, if I didn't have allen wrenches at home, it would have been a problem since nothing (and I mean literally nothing) came with the bass at all. The fretwork was ( and I don't use this word lightly) awesome. Sliding your hand up the neck is a smooth as a babys bottom, and it put Mexi-P basses in the store to shame. Also, the frets seem smaller, like vintage frets, and this suits me just fine. The pickups could use some foam (or springs) underneath them. I can't quite get them as close to the strings as I want. The hardware seems standard, but relatively heavy-duty.

I could be wrong, but I think this bass will last. The finish is well applied and glossy, the strap buttons seem solid, and the hardware does not seem cheap at all. I feel like it's dependable, and I would use it on a gig without a back-up (although I might keep another in the trunk of my care, so as not to tempt fate).

N/A

I've been playing over 20 years, have owned eveything from Music Man to Rickenbackers, various Fenders (although never a P-Bass), a Gibson, and a couple of Ibanez's. What was I searching for that I could never find? The sound of flatwound strings (yes, d'oh, I am aware of the irony). For the record, I presently own a custom J-Bass w/Ken Smith pups & Bartolini electronics, and a Danelectro Longhorn. This bass may not be made of the fanciest wood, or have the most modern electronics, but I can get what I want out of it. I love the white finish & the rosewood fingerboard, and my favorite feature is that this is the same type of bass used by Dee Dee Ramone & Sid Vicious as well as James Jamerson and Duck Dunn. In other words, as much as any bass can, it really does do it all. The price tag was the icing on the cake.

Precision replica, made in china.
Mine is red and it is the entry level one (affinity series).

Everything is basic, tuners, bridge are ok. I've been lucky, I have it since 2001 and playability is so fair that I decided to upgrade pickup with a vintage split coil from Kent Armstrong 65$ with real AlNiCo magnets for each poles.

Stock pickup sucks (1 beefy ceramic magnet at the back of each coils) but you get what you pay for.

As explained,I upgraded the pickup with something similar to a US Fender. It really worth the $65. I play with a Fender BXR200H with a BXR210 Cabinet. Nobody believes it is a beginner bass.

Setup was so-so out of the box. I had it adjusted and restringed (DR Hibeam) by a pro a couple of times. I have apparently been lucky to get one that can be tuned almost as low action as a US one. I have a Japanese Fender Geddy Lee Jazz-Bass that matches any US made Fender and my Squier is really close. The non laminated white pick guard looks a bit cheap, I applied black "mac-tack" on it and it now looks like the guy from Cold Play P-Bass.

I used it live, finish is still good, for the rest, even a 10 000 Alembic or wathever custom shop bass needs to be adjusted when restringed and a back up is essential, I've seen a bass string failure only once in my life but I still remember the face of the guy limited to play on 3 strings...

Never deal with them but they have no Email adress on the whole Fender Website!!!

I have been playing bass for around 22 years. But more seriously in the last 5 years. I play in one coverband (rock alternative 80-90?s and actual) and one original band (we recently record our first demo) we are gigging regularly.

As explained,I upgraded the pickup with something similar to a US Fender Which I recommend, It really worth the $65. I play with a Fender BXR200H with a BXR210 Cabinet. Nobody believes it is a beginner bass. I own a Japanese Fender Geddy Lee Jazz-Bass that matches any US made Fender and my Squier is really close as far as playability. The sound is different since it is a P-Bass. Played with a pick, I'm not sure if a real connaisseur would make a difference sound wise with a Fender Precision US.

I do not regret my decision to invest on a pickup and a Fender Hardcase. If it would be stolen, I would shop for a Sunburst Mike Dirnt Fender Precision, and since it is made in Mexico, I would analyse the sound of its Pickup and upgrade it if necessary.

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.

The sticker on the back of the headstock says "Fender. 50 Years of excellence", so it was 1996. Made in China. 20 frets. 2 pots, a passive P-Type pickup. In a word, a usual P-Bass. Arctic White with a white shell. As for the wood, I'm not sure. Bought it used from a friend in 2002, for the equivalent of ~$190. It has all the features I need, but I don't need much.

I play various styles, but Precision has always been a rock bass rather than a jazz one. No one ever spit on me for trying to play jazz on it, though. The sound is OK for almost everything I play. I've played it through a Fender Bassman and Peavey's Basic and Bandit. One little flaw is there's no sustain on the low G note (E-string 3rd fret). Dunno why. A bit humming at times, but not much enough to annoy. The sound rather depends on fingers, I think. I can get almost any sound I want out of this bass. I didn't expect it to sound like an expensive one, but I was surprised that it sounded good enough anyway.

Don't know about the factory settings, since I bought it used. I have customized it to suit me, and I'm quite happy. Some complain the pickups are too close to the strings, but I think it's more often a problem of one's playing technique - I play quite softly, so it's all right with me. No flaws noticed. Looks good on me :)

I have been using it for a year and a half live and in studios in various situations, and nothing has ever got broken. The hardware is reliable. The finish is a bit worn out already, but when we have worn a thing for 6 years, it has a right to wear out, so no problem. The strap buttons are solid. There's a change in the neck behaviour during a change of season (in early winter and in spring), but with no need to readjust the rod - it's still playable. I haven't tried to bang it against a wall, so I won't say 'rock solid' - but I do rely on it.

Never needed any.

I've been playing bass on and off for 5 years, and guitar for 11 years. If it were stolen or lost, not sure I would buy exactly the same one again. The thing is, there are Squiers and Squiers. This specimen is a good one, but people say there are bad ones also. I like almost everything about mine. A lucky combination of the price and the quality. Sometimes I miss a Jazz Pickup, but well, maybe next time :)

spartanic equiped, but enough:
- strat shape (white pickguard, creamywhite solidbody)
- 4 strings
- 2split-single-coil (passive electronics)
- 1volume poti
- 1 tone poti
- classical bridge

first, it depends on the amp. you can play with a 2500? bass an cheap amp and it will sound like shit,...
...or you play a squier with an warwick-amp and it will sound warm and good.
if you don't like anyparts of the bass, you can replace them!!
the mail thing is that the body and neck ist good. and that's what it is!

the setup wasn't ideal!
i corrected the strings to the best (lower) level. now i can tap faster and the strings don't touch the frets.
when i slap i recognise that the string are too low, but this sound also grooves.

this bass is still OK. of course it has several wounds, but so it seems to be more authentic.
i think i can believe in my bass and can play without backup-bass.

the finish of the neck could be a little more better.

i gonna shit on the warranty, because everything ist still OK!

i bought the SQ P-bass as a starter set. it's my first bassguitar, but i play E-guitare for a very long time (12 years and i played 20 hours a week at least), because i wanted to improof my musical horizont.
now i slap or i play with pick or finger for 4 hours a day.

course i dream of a warwick corvette, but it' s better if you can play a cheap bass very well, than you have got an expensive bass and you're unable to play.

i found out that most of the musicians (not the professional ones), who say that an instrument is garbage, are the most terrible guitarists, i've ever heard. for those guys, a small whistle would be the best instument. maybe they hear also a difference between the different types of plastic that is used.

i think, that i would buy it again, because of its fair price and the offered quality.

it is a 4 string peice of shit if you ask me. but almost all squier guitars are

ive had one for about 3 years and ive played for about 5. At first i thought it was good because i didnt know what was good. Now i realize. it is a peice of crap. its sounds horrible with the crappy linup of pickups. to much feedback. the bridge is worthless.

well it looks ok until you hear it then it looks like it sounds. it doesnt look stunning but it is ok looking

i swear if i dropped it it would shatter into a million peices. it is very very very unreliable 3 of my friends who have had squiers have broke them, from the crappiest reasons and 2 of them were the squire p bass.

hhaha ur funny

if you dont already own a squire p bass do not ever ever ever buy one unless you wqnt a guitar to smash for fun on stage or something which is what i will be doing with my p bass peice of crap. DONT GET THIS> IF YOU HAVE IT ALREADY,DUMP IT, SMASH IT, PEE ON IT FOR ALL I CARE.

2001 Squier P Bass, made in China. It is blue with a white pickgaurd. I love the colour and stratocaster/precision look! It came with a cable and tools, has one passive split-single coil stock pickup, maple neck, and alder body. Looks more expensive than it is :-)

Typically I play guitar. Have been playing for 7 years. Decided to pick up a bass to keep things interesting. Compared to the low-end Ibanez and Washburn basses, this one smoked. It sounds great, you would never know it was cheap. The pickup's are surprisingly quite and clean. The bass has a very versatile tone that is FULL. I play this bass through a digitech preamp and use it for recording at my little home studio. This bass provides me with more than i needed, and definitely more than I paid for.

The action is excellent, there is no rattle from the strings. The finish is flawless and the fit seems to be alright. No problems that I have noticed.

I only use this bass at home. I gig with a six string guitar.

Have not had to deal with them. But I must say that www.fenderplayersclub.com has been helpful for picking up some good bass tips. It's nice that they provide this free community for the musicians that have purchased their gear.

Like I said before. I've been playing guitar for 7 years; just started playing bass...many guitarists think if they can play guitar they can naturally play bass, but bass-playing is different and highly under-rated. This guitar is great for learning bass techniques as it plays well...and it sounds good for me to use for recording. My only complaint is that i wish it had a neck pickup for a more versatile sound...but I love the single coil it does have, it gives it a very raw, natural sound...but in a good way.

I would definitely buy another squier bass... infact I am so impressed with the company that the next guitar I buy will be fender (i would not buy a squier guitar because I've always dreamed about owning an authentic Fender Telecaster).

This is your typical Squire P-Bass, candy-apple red with maple fingerboard/neck. It has one tone and one volume pot and a thick yet crude pick cover (good for a place to put your thumb when it's not resting on the top half of the split single-coil pickup). Rates a 7--it is a P-bass and has all the features of one.

I play all sorts of pop: pop goes the weasle, pop goes the sarcasm, pop goes the music. It's fine for me and my song writing partner of 20 years. Actually, I quite like the sound and the fact that it's very easy to get that sound--a punchy, growl that reminds me a pack of wolves hitting the ground after falling off a cliff. I play it though a Zoom 808b and like what comes out of it and into what ever I am using to traslate the electromagnetic waves into sound waves--Traynor Bass Master YBA-1 into 2 15" Peavy Scorpions speakers, a 60 Watt RMS Garnet Deputy with an 18" speaker (and this is supposed to be a guitar amp!), the Zoom 808B, my Berhinger V-Amp 1.0, or my M-Audio Omni I/O into the computer--but I gotta watch those levels. So far I have received nothing but compliments about the sound this bass--even from people with the real things dating back to the early 70s. Unsure about recording on the hard drive--the first time I ran it direct to the Omni's pres and, well, it was hot enough for tape but way too much for digital. Have set up some compression on the Zoom and am looking forward to trying again (I usually avoid any effect that restricts the sound). My only complaint is that the pots are filthy buggers that crackle and spit when I adjust them (or kill the sound entirely). Will replace as soon as I remember to take the beast into the shop. I give it an 8 cause nothing is perfect--even for the price.

Average to good for finish, action and 'fit'. The neck is as stright was it will go. Believe me I tried--every time I crank the truss rod, it immediately loosens itself up to where it was before. Thus, the action's 1/16" higher than I'd like, so what! I kind of like fighting with some of my instruments. I actually consider guitars and basses to develop more character the more I drop them on hard, concrete-like surfaces (but you wont't catch me doing that on purpose with my G&L S-500 or my Godin Multitac nylon). The score of 6 reflects the fact that it is average-to-good in these categories.

It's surrived, unscathed, dives onto concrete flooring from hights in excess of 4 feet. I think it can survive more abuse. Have giged without a back up--it's a bass, come on. The neck is not willing to be tightened. Who cares about the finish--these things just fade with time. Besides the prettiness of an instrument rarely has much to do with it's playability or sound. It's only important for marketing and, God knows, there's too much emphasis on such crap in western society as it is.

Never contacted them. Don't much care for large corporations, anyway.

I've been playing electric stringed instruments for close to 30 years. Bass for 17 of them. If it was stolen I'd probably think about buying and drinking a case of beer--but with the cost of beer in Canada that would be close to 1/5th of the cost of the thing to begin with. Therefore, I'd probaly save the $20 for a better, 5-stinged fretless custom--unless there's some company smart enough to make stock basses with a Fishman Powerbridge type set-up to go with the traditional pick-ups (why is it that all the good ideas don't come from the corporations?). However, I do like the simplicity and sound of a P-bass so I might get another one. In reference to the last guiding question in this cateory, yes there is something I'd like to share: the prices of musical instruments, on the whole, are outrageously over priced. But then major corporations like CBS, General Foods, and the Moronic Bush Family, Inc. wouldn't be able to afford all their research into mind control (i.e., advertising/marketing).