New Squier Paranormal Rascal bass

[ilan]

The 3 lipstick tube pickups of the Fender model from 10 years ago now replaced with two Tele Bass MkII "wide range humbuckers" in the Squier version, the cool Guild bridge/tailpiece is replaced with a Mustang unit and there is a standard pickup selector switch instead of a lever. $450-500 street.

I liked the old Rascal a lot - a 30" bass that unlike Mustangs/Musicmasters/Broncos doesn't feel like a toy, and has the nut exactly where your hand remembers it from years of playing 34" Fenders.

[Dave W]

I'm surprised b/c the original Rascal wasn't a sales success.

The Guild bridge was leftover stock from Fender's mid-90s Guild reissue Starfire.

[morrow]

A Rascal was sitting in the rack of our local Fender dealer and being a Dano nut I found the three lipstick pickups intriguing. It was eventually marked down and disappeared out the door.
I probably should have snagged it but I was thinking I was a bit crowded with basses. Now they seem to fetch a premium.
Not as interested in the humbuckers , but if I see one on the rack , I’ll try it out.

[ilan]

I'm surprised b/c the original Rascal wasn't a sales success.

Shorties have made a comeback since then.

[morrow]

The bridge on the original Rascal is placed quite a distance into the body , so it doesn’t really feel like a short shortscale … one reason I hesitated.

[Pilgrim]

I see those older Rascals used going for $600-$1000 on Ebay.  I like the look.

[ilan]

The bridge on the original Rascal is placed quite a distance into the body , so it doesn’t really feel like a short shortscale … one reason I hesitated.

It's a 4-string Bass VI. Same body, scale length, and bridge placement.

[Dave W]

I bought a Rascal when they were first issued. After the initial honeymoon, I decided that the tone wasn't what I was looking for. Sold it locally.

But Ilan is right, it didn't feel like a short scale. Not just the bridge placement, the body shape and the way it hangs contributed too.

[Chris P.]

That was exactly my conclusion after reviewing it. It feels like a long scale. I liked the sound of the middle lipstick. I have to Musicmasters, so I put a Seymour Duncan Lipstick for Strat in one of mine and I like the tone. More 'mini P' with all the tone and play advantages of a short scale. The one with the normal pickup sounds much more mellow and woody.

For people who don't know. The original Rascal started life as a one of a kind Custom Shop bass. It had the DeArmond (a short time sold as Squier(*)) Starfire bridge, VI body, three lipsticks, a Coronado headstock and nice inlays. Some years later it went into production as a Mexican model. The new one is changed by having a Mustang bridge and WR humbuckers.


(*) This puzzles me for years. I used to own and play a DeArmond Starfire a lot. Nineties, big humbuckers, but nothing like the current reissues. Still a nice bass. One day I got a Fender brochure and this bass (and some DeArmond guitars) were branded as Squier. I've never seen one in real life and I'm wondering if they ever saw the light of day.

[Chris P.]

They might have....

https://reverb.com/p/squier-series-24-starfire

[Alanko]

There was a Squier S73 Guild/SG shaped guitar as well.

The knob placement on that Squier Starfire is a mess.

[ilan]

That's a bit weird seeing the Squier logo on a guitar like this. But for the blue flame edition I'll let it slide.