Squier Paranormal Rascal Bass HH - Sherwood Green Reviews

Short review! It has the look, the feel, and the sound! Is you're thinking about this bass, then absolutely go for it! I hope that this bass gets more attention, so that hopefully squier/fender can make more offset basses with humbuckers (in more finishes too!). Because honestly I'm very pleased with the Sherwood green finish. If I'm ever able to get my hands on the shell pink version, I absolutely would just to have one sit in alternate tuning, and another pretty finish as a bonus. Sadly, I think that finish is limited edition+ on this already limited edition run of instruments. (sorry black sparkle rascal, I already have a nice black satin bass :/).

Longer review: I've been wanting a second bass in my collection for quite a while. I've played for almost a decade so far, but I've started to feel "meh" about my $ p basses that have served me well to learn on, but I could never quite get the sound I want in my head out of them.
In one of my favorite bands, they used to use a wal mkii bass with distortion and it sounds amazing. While that bass is a whole beast in itself (and in the price tag too!), having never played a wal, I assume this feels and sounds nothing like it. But this gets the thick humbucker sound I want!

I like all the pickups, and I'm still experimenting with how they they sit in whatever genre of a song. But because of the easy to understand controls as well as familiar 3 way toggle switch. You can generalize what kinda sounds you'd expect from them, if you're already familiar with any other guitar layout I'd say.

The neck pickup: The nice, deep, warm old school sound. With a nice, fat, juicy low end, decent amount of mids and least amount of highs. I really like this one for some classic pop songs. It sort of reminds me of a upright bass maybe? Either way, I usually like to switch here for more bass, less highs.

Both: The great balance of both. Usually I sit here. Sounds great some heavy, overdriven riffs with the EQ set to 10, or any type of genre with the eq at noon.
Any line sounds buttery smooth with the tone pot set to 0 also.

Bridge pickup: The knockout punch. I reaaaallly enjoy this when need a extra kick and want to have your part stand out, and sounds amazing any type of rock sound. Nice amount of highs without it being too much, great mids and still plenty of low end as well! I also like maxing the EQ with this one too.

I've liked how this bass sounds in everything I've plugged it on to so far. I have a massive trace elliot ah300 smc gp7 amp head, that came with a 4x10 and a 1x15 cab stack for about a $ less than this bass all together. And it absolutely RATTLES the whole side of the house, just at 1 on the master volume, with any bass. And I've been having a lot of fun trying out distortion with it, and feeling all the air being pushed on my back is really satisfying.

Of course, I can't really practice on that when the roommates need to get some sleep. Luckily, my roommate and best bud lets me use his yamaha thr30ii to practice in those situations! Honestly, anything you plug into it sounds awesome. And it's still decently loud enough to rumble the desk it sits on, but it doesn't shake the wall and I can plug my headphones if still feel like I'm being too loud.

I've yet to experience how it handles, and sounds in a live situation. But I've practiced a few times with my band that mainly covers some classic pop, pop punk, and some modern pop, and I've been really pleased to dial in the tones to suit the song! My drummer has a PA system that the singer, guitarist who also sings, and I can plug into. To my ears it sits really well with all of us synchronized, and I'm VERY excited to get the chance to plug in to the other fancy sound systems the sound engineer wizards have in their venues soon! (my drummer/the sound wizards usually adjusts my sound, so I have very little knowledge of these types of sound systems).

Things I would experiment with: there's a couple of mods I've seen done on this bass, but for now I'm plenty happy with how it is and maybe I'll try some out later if I'm feeling motivated to try and learn something new! I've only switched out the roundwounds it came with (the stock roundwounds sound nice!) for some la bella flatwounds, and it's nice and buttery smooth. Might change out the tuners later, but the stock ones so far work okay and atleast hasn't acted dramatic yet.

While I enjoy the distorted sounds I've been able to get, I haven't had any modulation effect to sound any noticeable on it. But I've been just using my guitar pedal board and plugging straight on without using the effects loop, so experimenting with that might change it. I don't really play any songs that use modulation, except for one. Of course you can't get rid of the p bass so I'll just plug that in and not worth about it.

Main reasons I'd assume someone might not want to get this bass: It's decently heavy. My model I bought is 10 lbs. Heavy for most, but I remember having to lug my cello to and from school on my back, while riding a bike. So weight isn't really a deal breaker for me. I think it's at a great solid weight, I don't feel too fatigued playing for longer periods. I think my trap muscles are getting more imbalanced but I think that's unavoidable for any cross body strap sitting on one side of your body.

I enjoy the short scale length, and even my best bud who never picked up bass has been enjoying picking up this instrument has been enjoying playing this. Some may not enjoy the ergonomics, as the bridge is decently high up close to bridge pickup. And the body size definitely makes this bass look like a full size. Which is a pro for me, having a nice weight and not having my short pinky stretch on the frets as much is great! But as I keep saying, maybe a con for some.

I could keep gushing. But it's fun, pretty, sparkly, feels like thunder. I'd definitely get it again, especially since fender hh basses are rare, not as affordable as this, and don't have this beautiful bass Vi body! Of course, thank you sweetwater for making sure this beauty got to me unharmed on my little rock of a hometown!

love everything about this bass.

"I hadn't purchased a bass or guitar in over a decade, and I was seeking a standout 'customer service' experience. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. After three months of searching for the perfect bass for Christmas, I stumbled upon the Squier Paranormal Rascal Bass, a fusion of various '60s bass elements.

In essence, this bass is a unique beast in its own right. With a distinct sound setting it apart from other basses, it boasts a short scale and a jazz bass neck width, coupled with exceptional hardware and outstanding humbuckers. The impeccable Green Finish adds to its allure, offering a vintage feel and a midbass sound vibe that truly growls!

For those seeking a classic sound with the added punch of humbuckers, this bass might just be the perfect fit. And to top it off, the cherry on the cake is Sweetwater's exceptional customer service."

It is not to often that something gets released that just nails it. Fender did it with this bass. In a world of active basses, fender released a new great passive bass. It sounds great with effects (like perfect shoegaze or ambient bass). It plays wonderfully. The neck is narrow like a jazz bass but short scale like a mustang bass. I get the squire paranormal line is about taking risks, but I think this is like the meteora guitar. Fender caught lightning in bottle. This is their fourth great bass (P-Bass, Mustang, and of course the Jazz Bass being the other three). It is just simple and perfect but different than any other bass they did before. It's fender nailing the humbucker bass, on a squire. Best value bass in their lineup. As good as my American Mustang bass.

This is a great bass. Fit and finish are fine, the Mustang bridge is solid, tuners are adequate. Like many basses it would benefit from lightweight Hipshots but with a good strap neck dive is not an issue. I wouldn't label it as a short scale. It does have a 30" neck and is very playable, great neck, but the Bass VI body is the same size as a 34" P or J. Short scale players may find this an adjustment.

If that's okay with you, go for it because the pickups sound amazing. These are some of the best sounding pickups in the Fender line. All three positions on the switch sound great. The neck pickup has a little grit to it, the bridge pickup is punchy with a full tone, and blended it's a nice mellow tone. The mustang bridge is easy to find the sweet spot for palm muting. The bass really punches above it's weight. It's not hype.

I don't know who is in charge of the Squire line these days. But that have really stepped up their game. This bass is solid. Well made, plays great right out of the box, has really clean warm tones. Just buttery. Thats all I can say. One of the best sounding and playing bass I have ever purchased.

I bought this on a whim to add a short scale to my arsenal. it showed up quickly, as usual, and played decently out of the box.
I did a quick setup, only adjusting the intonation on 2 strings. Everything else was setup just fine.
My first impression was how the 3 pickup positions were ALL usable, with each having a completely different character. The bridge pickup alone is gritty and full sounding. The neck pickup is fat and warm in all the right ways, without sounding muddy. And the mid position, with both on, retains the tone of both pickups equally, and has become my "stock" setting.
I played this bass out, live, a couple days later with my originals only band and was pleasantly surprised by its versatility, and lack of having to adjust my amp if I switched pickups...all settings sound equal, no drop off of volume wherever the selector was set. I use a variety of amps, depending on the venue. The inaugural show was an Agui;ar TH350 into an Ampeg pf115he at a small, private event, outside. Towards the end of the show, a neighbor showed up to tell me he had heard my bass lines, and was super curious what I was playing! (he is a drummer in another band in the area)
Another point that I really like is the fact that this is a short scale bass in a full scale format...No special case required. It's the same, overall, length as my standard Jazz basses! The positioning of the bridge, moved forward as it is, puts my right hand in MY perfect playing position regardless of if I'm using a pick or fingers.
This thing punches WAAAAY above its price point. It has immediately jumped into my "GoTo" lineup for shows AND studio work.
I plan to try some Labella flats on it shortly to see how that sounds, as I plan to use this mostly for pick playing.

So, if you're on the fence, I'd say grab one when you can.
It's an great bass on a budget!

The sounds out of this thing are just amazing. Been using it for classic rock and it fits right in with that 70's growl. Fit and finish was great out of the box, and so far its holding a tune well. The neck gets a bit sticky for me with the high gloss finish, and I find the strumming position to be a bit odd. This is my first short scale, and while the frets are fine my strumming hand tends to drift back while playing - just going to take some getting used to. It's worth it.

The green sparkle paint job is something you get on a much more expensive bass. Heavy compared to Mustang and other true short scale basses. This is a full body bass that has a 30 inch scale so not ideal for smaller players who need a small bass. The neck pick up is so far forward that i could never play over it as is such a cramped playing position for me. The strings seemed to have more tension unlike the floppy stings I'Ve experienced on Mustang basses. The passive pickups seemed to have a lot of output , simple controls so no need for a lot of fiddling with knobs

This bass is unique and super cool, fit and finish are great and better than many basses double it price. It matches perfect next to my 98' Strat. The hummbuckers do buzz quite a bit but sound nice, even though it's ergonomically awkward at times and doesn't fit in most cases(won't fit in my gator hard shell case) it's a great bass. However it's heavy, I mean heavier than any other bass I own! The plastic on the pick guard was applied under the knobs, so you have to take off the knobs to fully remove it(kinda annoying) and I did need to adjust the truss rod, but that could have been because the A hole at FedEx clearly walked across the "fragile" package(as seen in pic) all and all a pretty cool bass.