Squier Classic Vibe Precision Bass '50s Reviews

4.3/5.0 based on 2 customer reviews

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Customer Reviews

Kyle Earnhart
from Fort Wayne, IN
June 14, 2011Music Background:
Pro Musician

Excellent bass for the money!

I had been interested in this bass for awhile and was thrilled when it was finally offered with the butterscotch blonde finish. I saw that Sweetwater had two in stock and decided to go check them out. They were nice enough to bring both of them up from the warehouse so I could choose which one I liked better. Both played good out of the box and had a decent sound. I was sold. I made my choice and took my prize home. With a little setting up (truss rod, string height adj.), it was good to go. The build quality on the bass is outstanding and is on par or better than the entry level Fenders. Fret installation is very good. Hardware is much better than expected for a bass in this price range. I thought the shielded paint in the pickup and control cavities was a nice touch. The neck-to-body fit is about the best I've seen. Because of the lone single-coil pickup, this is not the most versatile bass out there and I was aware of that going in. It does however have a great fundamental tone with plenty of low end. I set all of my amp's EQ's flat at 12 o'clock and turn the treble up on the bass enough to get a little "bite" and leave it be for the rest of the show. I get compliments on my tone all the time. To sum up, this bass is well worth the money and then some. I highly recommend it.

gary
from Gardnerville, NV USA
April 29, 2012Music Background:
30 years +. Semi-Pro. Country. Classic Rock. Experimental. Worship.

Nice Value

I had one of Fender's Japanese Ash-bodied '51 reissues several years ago, but it got away from me. This instrument gave me the chance to recapture much of the look-n-feel, with a lower pricetag.

The 4-piece Pine body is pretty, but MUCH heavier than the Japanese Ash version. Frets are vintage thin, and the ends are smoothed quite nicely. Neck is fat and round, but the fretboard radius is much flatter and more modern than the old style. Nut is full 1-5/8 width, and bridge has 2-1/2 string spacing.

It's nice to have 4 separate brass saddles in the bridge, for individual string intonation. However, a couple of the saddles buzzed against each other, due to their very close proximity. I'll just wedge some dampening material between them to stop the buzz.

As-expected, the single coil picks up 60-cycle hum, and per my memory, it sounds a little bit thinner than the Japanese reissue that I had several years back. But without having the chance to A-B test them side-by-side, I can't really say for sure...

I won't be using this bass for my LONG gigs (where comfort and light weight are paramount). But whenever I'm feeling nostalgic, and want to give a nod to Leo, I'll whip out my new Squier Classic Vibe P-Bass for sure!