"Love At First Sight !!!"
Sound:
The Duncan Design pick ups are pretty hot for just being passive.I am able to coax a wide variety of sounds out of this bass,from the familiar Jazz Bass growl to a Precision to an almost Rickenbacker-like tone with a lot of treble & punch.It's all just finding the right combination of p/u volumes & tone control,but it's a very clean sounding bass,even with factory strings.I've read several reviews where people have changed them & gotten a better sound.(I probably will as well I love DR strings.)I play through an SWR Working Pro 15 & have been able to find a sound I like pretty easily.Slap it,finger it or pick it,it's all good.
Feature:
There are no special features,it's a straight forward bass guitar.It would have been nice to include a gig bag as another reviewer suggested,but at under $300,I can afford to buy a "real" case for it.
All materials & components are tight,solid & work flawlessly out of the box.I really like the maple neck & the body is very solid as well.It has the weight of a much more expensive instrument.I wish they had a 5 string version.
Ease of Use:
I found the string action to be a little high,but not unplayable.This may discourage a person if they are just learning on this bass,but it's something that can be adjusted.Do it yourself if you know what you doing or most guitar shops in my area will do a complete set-up for $30-$40.
It's a basic instrument,2 pickup volumes & a tone control.Plug it in & find your sound.
Quality:
This is a solid bass,the one I got was pretty much perfect,except one of the tuning keys is a little loose,but it doesn't cause it to go out of tune.Nice finish,very smooth,fret work is good,all knobs tight & smooth.The chrome parts are plated so after a few years of steady gigging they may start to look funky,but that's just a guess.(I plan to take it to most of my gigs,I always take 2 basses.)The binding on the neck is really nice so I wish the "block inlays" weren't just painted on,but hey for under 3 bills...and from the stage it looks like inlays.The quality control seems to be pretty good from the factory.Overall it's a very well made instrument for the money & would be a solid performer for any gigging musician.
Manufacturer Support:
I haven't had to deal with that,but it's a division Fender......
Value:
This bass is superior to other in the same price range from my comparison shopping both on-line & hands on.It's well worth the money,I wouldn't be disappointed if I'd paid $100 more.
The Wow Factor:
It was love at first sight for me when I saw this in a catalog late last year & once I saw the price I knew I had to have it.I like natural finish guitars with maple necks,so this looked like my dream girl.When I brought it to it's first gig,all my band makes thought it was beautiful instrument & couldn't believe the price.I really like the weight of it,solid but not too heavy.It has the weight of a much more expensive instrument.
I also own a Rickenbacker 4003,Dean Edge Fretless 5 string,Peavey Foundation 5 string & a Washburn XB-600 6 string.
It makes a nice addition to my "BASS ARSENAL"
Overall:
I'm by no means a guitar snob or someone who can afford a lot of high end guitars,but I always considered Squire a starter or entry level brand,this bass has changed my mind.I have 4 other basses that I paid $400-$1,000 for,so this bass is a helluva a deal to me.I've been playing bass for over 30 yrs. I play in a local country/rock/cajun/Tex-Mex band that does about 75 to 100 gigs a year, so I buy my guitars to play not just to collect dust.I mainly play a Dean 5 string fretless but always take another bass as a spare or to change my sound on certain songs.I have stared to pick this bass up on a few more songs just because it's fun to play.I always liked the 70's Jazz Bass,but the real deal is way too expensive & even the Fender re-issue is a little out of my price range,so this is a dream come true for me.
I don't regret buying this bass & would buy it again.
Thanks for your vote. Can you specify what about this review did or did not help you?