A Squier Jaguar vintage modified bass.....P/J pickups, color matching headstock, stack-knobs and white pearloid inlays on the neck.
WOW! And it's $299 at Sam Ash and other online vendors. THAT is a tempting price.
There is MUCH to like here.... http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0327900506
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Electric%20Basses/SquierJaguar.jpg)
Dayum - that is nice. Squier has been producing some decent basses in the last few years, I've got two of the "Vibe" series and they're great. Might have to go down to the music shop and give this one a quick demo ......
I've been tracking comments about the vintage modified series basses on Talkbass...they definitely have a following, I've laid hands on a couple and been very tempted. There's a natural finish Jazz bass in that series that really talks to me...but this Jag is singing. And unlike the $700+ price tag and reputation for RF problems that the Fender Jag carries, this one is priced so that I wouldn't mind adding some shielding if needed.
I am really liking that black/tort look. at that price i may have to go check one out. Cheap enough that i will probably do what i have wanted to do but resisted - add another j pup near the neck without killing the price of one of my j or p basses.. JPJ IMHO would be the perfect fender. bodies are still basswood aren't they. may be a neck diver...
And it solves my biggest complaint about the Jags.......................to many knobs and switches !
Agathis Body. This is what the original should have looked like. Can't believe they've used stack knobs. Way cool!
The VM White Jazz is kick-ass bass, period, Squier or otherwise. I've played four or five off-the shelf and they all sounded and played killer. If that Jag has the same neck, it's a winner.
Almost like Squier are taking their lead from SX.
I've been contemplating one of these for nearly a year now.
(http://www.rondomusic.net/photos/bass/ursa4rn3ts1.jpg)
(http://www.rondomusic.net/photos/bass/ursa4rnpbu1.jpg)
SX's are way cooler, even with the ibanezoid headstocks.
Oooo... I like that icy blue... 8) 8) 8)
Needs a matching head to round-out the picture...
Not to hijack the thread but I HIGHLY reccoemnd SX basses ! Almost 1/2 the cost of many Squiers these are great basses for those on a tight budget, just starting, need a back up or a mod platform. I have a SX '75J bass and it is killer ! Beautiful ash body maple neck with block inlay, I think I paid 159.00 for it. So far the only thing I did was put a Dimarzio J pup in the neck position. Down the road I may put a 3 ply guard on her change out the tuners and bridge, pots etc, but honestly you don't need to do any of that these basses are fine right out of the box, a quick set up, put on your favorite strings and you are good to go! This bass plays far better than any '70s Fender I have ever owned, fit and finish are excellent considering the price point. If you ever have a problem Kurt at Rondo is excellent to work with. They also carry a Beatle bass under the Douglas name for $149 it is a nice little bass (sure plays better than my '65 Hofner.) Here are some pics of my SX '75J(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/SX75J002.jpg)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/SX75J003.jpg)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/SX75J005.jpg)
The SX line gets a lot of love from those who like inexpensive basses...and so does the whole Squier VM line.
I think that today's budget instruments are leagues better than the stuff from Japan in the 60's and 70's.
Way better entry level stuff than when I started in the early '70s my "first" bass a rented Kingston what a POS ! I bought one off ebay a few years ago to complete my "early years" collection, just as bad as I remembered it.(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/100_2451.jpg)
Squier also offers these newbies. The P-bass has a classic look about it, while the J-bass has block inlays and looks very classy indeed.
http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0326802520
http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0327702506
Quote from: godofthunder on August 04, 2010, 09:38:57 AM
Way better entry level stuff than when I started in the early '70s my "first" bass a rented Kingston what a POS ! I bought one off ebay a few years ago to complete my "early years" collection, just as bad as I remembered it.
My first storebought bass was a Kent like this one, bought new in '63. Cost $70, around $480 in today's dollars. POS, no trussrod, babana neck. I had no problem resisting buying this one, but it's nice to have a picture.
(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/VOX/10_1_B.jpg)
I've owned around a dozen SX's which I relicked and sold after doing a thorough setup. Never had a problem with ANY of their necks and I kept a P bass for 18 months before stupidly selling it that didn't need any adjustment during that time. I can't say that for the nine or so Squiers I own now, 4 have necks that can't be straightened. They're from 3 different countries. I do think Squier QC is better now, I was able to get a good setup on an Affinity recently.
Anyone who can do a minor setup might consider buying an SX. They recently changed the old headstocks because you could easily reshape them to resemble a Fender. I think my Brice Tbird was made in the same factory, got the last one Kurt brought in.
I haven't taken any pics of my SX since I finished the mods but here is one of the back from when I first bought it 2nd hand for $100.
Great bass. This one is Alder and has a P/J setup. To be honest I wish it was just a P but at that price I cant complain. I put a Tort guard, Brierley custom vintage pups and a set of tuners and a string tree from a MIJ Fender P I had lying around (the bits not the bass).
(http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/Freuds_cat/SX%20Sunburst/SX-Sun317.jpg)
As GOT mentioned way too many switches and (noisy glitches) in the Fender Jag AND neck diver galore. How is the balance on the Squier?
i bought an sx jazz with the old fenderish head stock right before the switch. however, mine had a twist in the neck and completely whack electrics. rondo has a great return policy so no harm done. i would still like a pre ursa p bass. though.
I wish this was pre Ursa :o pretty cool imho. http://www.rondomusic.com/product3651.html
Rondo was selling Pre Ursa pearl inlay necks last week for $59.
http://www.rondomusic.com/product3642.html
I played one of these today, all I can say for a $300 bass it is pretty darn nice ! Love the cleaned up electronics and the P/J setup over the J/J of the original Fender.The only thing I don't care for is the sanding sealer finish on the back of the neck, but that's nit picking. I might go back and get it ;)
Quote from: godofthunder on September 04, 2010, 09:43:45 AM
The only thing I don't care for is the sanding sealer finish on the back of the neck, but that's nit picking. I might go back and get it ;)
Easily fixed in 2 minutes with 0000 steel wool and some elbow grease. Shines it right up.
Sanding sealer? It's just matte polyurethane.
Quote from: godofthunder on September 04, 2010, 09:43:45 AM
I played one of these today, all I can say for a $300 bass it is pretty darn nice ! Love the cleaned up electronics and the P/J setup over the J/J of the original Fender.The only thing I don't care for is the sanding sealer finish on the back of the neck, but that's nit picking. I might go back and get it ;)
Yup, steel wool or a Scotch-Brite pad.
I think I'm going to wonder over to GC tomorrow and see if they have one these. I'm not thrilled with the agathis body body but for $300 it's a great staring point. I can make a body for about $30, out of African Mahogany, and easily upgrade the electronics. Seling off the old stuff would offset some the cost of upgrades.
I've been doing some background reading on agathis, and it doesn't sound like an inferior wood for instruments. There are plenty of people who don't like mahogany, for that matter. I suppose it's all personal preference. For me, the fact that agathis is a relatively light wood is a real plus, as long as it doesn't lead to neck dive.
Maybe the agathis thing goes back to all of the agathis packing that I've dealt with over the years from asian markets. The stuff has been the pine of the orient for decades and it was used extensively for packaging and crating. It smells horrible and I guess I still associate it with being trash wood.
Besides, making a new body is fun! ;) I can make it out of anything - poplar, alder, ash - as long as it's painted the body blank is easy enough to come up.
The name agathis apparently covers a wide range of woods from low grade packing and crating lumber to a well regarded New Zealand tree also called kauri. We don't really know what type these bodies are. No doubt they're inexpensive but probably not junk grade either.
A lot of Indonesian built guitars use the local variety of Agathis from that region. I know that a lot of Yamaha Pacifica guitars are proudly labeled Agathis. My experience is its a pretty decent tone wood. Somewher between Alder and Basswood imo.
If it sounds good, holds up well and helps keep the cost down on entry level guitars, I don't see a problem.
Like i said the stuff had to be plentiful to be used in the quantities I saw it used in. From what I can tell it is not really used as crating material any longer. Some of Fenders most sought after vintage guitars were made out of white, sugar, pine and you couldn't get any cheaper than that back in the day.