Squier '77 Vintage Modified Jazz Bass - Amber Reviews

I have held-off writing this review until after playing it on a lot of gigs, and after comparing it to my '78 American Jazz that I bought new in 1979.

WOW! It plays like a dream. Slightly more Low E and A "oomph" than the '78, and weighs a LOT less. I had not had a maple neck bass before this, and certainly not one with white pearloid inlays. I feel I missed the proverbial boat on that issue...I should have bought one long ago. It is a fast neck, and the feel is wonderful to the touch. It is slightly top-heavy, but that can be addressed with a strap that "sticks" to my shoulder. I am not exactly sure what the body wood is, but it is light enough to play very long evenings without fatigue. AND I have people tell me how beautiful this bass is almost every gig I play.

You can't beat the value of this bass or its heritage.

I love this bass! It is everything that I have read in hundreds of reviews all over the web. I"m sure that you"ve read them too and you can trust that what you"ve read is true. The build quality and sound quality is way above many others that cost twice as much. Plus, it can be easily upgraded and modified! This one came very well set up and basically ready to play right of the box with virtually no tweaks needed. Not to mention that there were no QC issues at all. I was reluctant to buy a Squier since I"m a bit of a brand snob. But a 50yr bass veteran repeatedly stressed that the Squier Vintage Modified was every bit as good as a MIM Fender Jazz at half the price. I"m glad I took his advice!

My Jazz Bass blew me away. Looks & sounds great. I may upgrade bidge & pickups in a yr or 2 but it sounds great as is.

I went back next forth between a 4.5 and a 5 start rating because I always think there is room for improvement. What pushed me to 5 stars is the price. I cannot believe what a great bass this is. I had a 1975 Jass bass back in the 80's until the neck twisted on me. I always like that bass and had been keeping my eye out for another. Fast forward to Carolina Rebellion this year (2017) and the experience music tent. The look alone made me pick it and play it. I was immediately blown away by the feel of the neck as I picked it up. It felt like an American made neck to me. I kept checking the headstock as I was playing because I just could not believe it was a Squier. I would this bass against basses twice the price any day. What made me buy it from sweet water was the gallery so I could choose the exact bass I wanted along with the 55 point inspection. You cannot beat this value.

Purchased last March.

Replaced the knobs with standard JB knobs and put flat wounds on it. I usually do a set-up when I have gear shipped to me, but I found it wasn't necessary, good work Sweetwater! Stays in tune, in fact the "cheap" tuners don't feel cheap- I'm genuinely surprised by the hardware coming out of the Indonesian factory, and feel that the craftsmanship gap between Fender and Squire is becoming narrower.

I bought this to retire my aging and valuable 72' Fender JB. I wasn't sure if I would be able to gig with it, but after putting Seymour Duncan Antiquity II pickups in the bridge and neck, I now bring it to every gig, and play it on most songs in the set aside from a few that I use a Ricky on.

If you enjoy doing a little modification (replace pots, pickups,wiring) you will end up with a gig-worthy instrument that can hang with the Fender gang. Shoutout to my sales engineer Nate Edwards.

Got mine last year, a lefty that I flipped over to right hand. Removed pickguard. Found it heavy and figured it would help to strip off the finish (it's natural butterscotch, or was), so 3 days of heat gun later, I had it down to the bare wood all over. It's lighter and it's incredibly clear sounding now. These particular ones have great necks and have a superb growl if you are playing rock. I like this bass as much as my 66 P bass - it's less punchy but has incredible character for a new bass, with beautifully detailed highs and excellent low end tone.

After agonizing over what to buy for my first bass, I finally bought this one. It has amazing versatility that really surprised me. I have had the bass for two weeks now, and I can tell you that the construction is built to last. Sweetwater sets it up for you so it's ready to jam right out of the box. This bass feels great(lightweight and perfect fret size), and sounds great(deep creamy lows to clear highs and punchy mids). I think that this is definitely better than the 70's in both appearance and sound. Don't worry about damage during shipping because mine made it all the way to Portugal in perfect condition. I am really happy that I chose this bass, and Sweetwater is the best! Thanks.

I can't believe how nice this bass is!
It sounds great,plays great and looks great! I brought it to a jam session and other bass players loved it too! Hard to believe it's so affordable!

I just purchased this bass and can't believe how much bass you get for $300.00. I was a little hesitant knowing the bass was made in Indonesia but I pulled the trigger regardless. In my opinion Fender China instruments are some of the worst stuff Fender has put out. Anyway, this bass came from Sweetwater in 2 days. Expertly checked out by Sweetwater staff, I was blown away with fit and finish on this one. Electronics surprised the heck out of me. Quiet and on the money dials. Great Fender jazz sound. Setup was perfect from Sweetwater. Set to exactly where I play my Fenders. I assumed before it got here I would be dropping it off for a fret dress. I assumed wrong on this one. It's a VERY NICE neck indeed. It does have a great vintage feel to it overall. I did replace the bridge (nothing wrong with the factory one) with a Gotoh bridge and man what a difference in sustain. A very nice upgrade! Sure, it's not an American or even a Mex but it's so much bass for $300.00. This one should be the flagship for Squier!

It is hard to believe an excellent bass that looks and plays this good came right of the box at a bargain price. No buzzing frets, no flaws, well built, and sounds better than the original! I toured with a "real" 77 jazz bass in 1980 and that bass, now worth well into 4 figures, did not sound or play as good as this one. I waited three months to write this review to make sure nothing would mess up. Playing mostly heavy slap and pop technique, I play harder than most and this bass takes it all. Some of my "expensive" basses can not compete with this bass. Thru any size amp to direct into the board, it sounds "vintage" great. The action required no tweaking out of the box, intonation was right on. Some players might want to slightly lower the top two strings, but it was setup just right for me. I've been playing for over 40 years, having owned over 100 basses and this is by far the best deal ever. I currently own several basses over the $1K price tag and would part with most of them. No one is getting this one! It's a keeper and for anyone regardless of age, playing ability, style, professional or amateur, you will not be disappointed. And yes, it took me a few years to even consider buying a Squire - The only regret I have is I should have bought this bass sooner! Great Sweetwater service!!! Thank you Aaron!! Sweetwater had this bass in my hands in three days (over 1000 miles) with standard shipping, and haven't put it down since. If your a bass player, do yourself a favor and check this bass out!

I got thiss to have as a backup for my Fender Jaguar and I am amazed to admit I like this one better. Maybe it is because I always enjoyed the Fender Jazz Bass I had before. That says alot because that means this bass looks, feels & reminds me of my previous Fender that cost almost 3 times as much. Overall this is a steal and I recommend it for anyone especially beginners because once you get better at playing this bass will still be compatible even with experienced [layers. You better get one before they change their mind on the price.

I was looking for a bass guitar for under $200. After 5 weeks of research I decided it was worth to spend an additional $100 and not have to ever upgrade to a more advanced bass. I read and watched on youtube dozens of reviews and this one was the winner. Earl Davis, from the Maxproud Channel, a bass player who collects bass guitars, ranks the Squire '77 Vintage Mod Jazz Bass at his favorite. It has exceeded my expectations. It sounds great, easy to play, 7 1/2 pounds, and it looks like a much more expensive bass. A work of art that looks like the Fender Marcus Miller plays.

I cannot find a bad review about this bass and I really did try. It seems Fender has upped the ante on their line of Squier level basses. Was completely shocked to see a Squier getting better reviews than some standard Precision or Jazz basses. Sure the tone is slightly different but as far as I"m concerned, the similarities in playability are so minute that only a seasoned pro would really know the difference. You could go with Yamaha, Fodera, Lakland, Ernie Ball, or even Ibanez which are all good basses in their own right but something about the way this bass looks and feels connects on an unexpected level.

If you need a gig ready bass, get this. If you are learning to play, get this. If you want a practice bass so your nicer bass can sit, get this. If you like Fender and want to give their Squier brand a shot again, get this.

So, I agree with the others here. It"s not the best out there but at this price and quality, you"re not going to regret purchasing this.

I just received this bass from Sweetwater. The photos and weight of the bass I purchased are dead on!
I like everyone else am apprehensive about mail order music. Sweetwater is well ahead in the online sales game and I am glad I found them. Fret work is of critical importance on a bass and the one I landed has excellent workmanship. Absolutely no buyers remorse here! Highly Recommended.

First a word on the service I recieved. I ordered on a Friday and by Monday it arrived. Took it home and had some intonation problems at the 7th(?) fret as well as some damage to the nut. I got in touch with my salesman Jim Watson. He got me started on the return/exchange process and I sent it back the week before Xmas. A replacement arrived the Monday before Xmas! Can't ask for more than that. I've ordered several times from SW and this was the first issue with anything I've had,and it was resolved right away.
Very playable bass,has all the Jazz bass tones available w/the stock p/u's,although I may do the Dimarzio swap eventually. Fit and finish was on point. VERY happy w/my purchase!

My main instrument is guitar... And I have an extensive high-end collection... but every now and then I get an opportunity to play bass in a band... I wanted something that looked great and I really love the old Jazz basses… I looked at this for about a year before I bought it… I actually belong in two bands now... One on guitar one on bass.. so it was finally time to pull the trigger as I said I was looking for something that looks great and had a good sound and had the excellent play ability of an old JB... But I didn't want to start a high-end case collection. This guitar turned out to be perfect... the Pearl block inlays really pop... And the darker Amber natural finish is just beautiful with the black pickguard which I will probably change to a pearl black... The playability is classic jazz bass... Don't feel a difference between this and the fender models same great Jazz neck same great jazz bass action... Without breaking my wallet... As others have mentioned stays in tune and the sound is absolutely excellent. I took off a half a star because the pickups are slightly microphonic at times but for $ it's a small complaint really small one... excellent for a student or intermediate player at home... If you want to get with it you'll probably want to eventually change the pick ups to something better… but I have been gigging with mine as is out of the box and it works great. If you would like a little fancy bling gorgeous finish and a good playable jazz bass for just a little money this is the one you want

I've never been a 'wood-sniffer'. If I need a guitar and it sounds good to my ear, no ergonomic and decent hardware, I'll buy it. I' played a Fender Jazz in my local shop. It was great, but truthfully, I couldn't tell the difference in playability or sound. And I don't believe 99.9% of us COULD tell the difference.

This Squier is as every bit as good as the up-scale Fenders. Playing it is a joy, it holds tuning, great action, and sounds great to me. If you want a classic bass for a great price, this is it. If you really need mother-of-pearl, and a name on a headstock, they sell plenty of that here.
BTW, did I mention it's friggin' GORGEOUS!

Frets are very good no sharp edges,set up with low action,pickups sound better than american made ,played one for 20 years. No hissing noise at all even when you turn one of the volumes down lower than other one.The original bass had a lot of ground noise.Intonation set perfectly. Played on two gigs so far,looks better than picture and sounds great.Could not believe how well made this instrument is.Only thing I could see wrong was volumes are not as responsive as american made.