$300 to spend: Squier Mike Dirnt or VM PJ?

#41
I have the Dirnt bass, nut is just about 1 5/8" it's light and sounds great. Looks good too! :)
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#44
I vote Mike Dirnt bass, slightly better nut, but the neck finish is the big thing for me - laquer vs the VM P poly. Poly on a neck, not my cup of tea, too plasticy for me. I like to feel the neck.
 
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#45
Another vote to VM PJ .
Dont expect with the Tone of Squier Mike Dirnt, if you want good low, have to swap pickup, if you want MD P vibe, get his Signature Roadworn P .
 
#47
The SX P/J would get my vote. Especially since I've been eyeing the one in CAR.

Both SXs I've bought have been great basses with terrible (IMO) pickups and electronics. But that would be the first thing to go if I bought a VM as well.

From my experience, the quality of SX basses have been at least on par with a Squier VM. The Jaguar style SX I have (Ursa 4) played and sounded better than my MIM Jazz bass. I eventually sold that bass and my Rickenbacker, because they ended up collecting dust. I'll never part with this one, though!

I've also been considering a Xavier P from Guitar Fetish. I've never tried one, but their guitars and basses seem to get a lot of love around here too.
 
#51
I know you said it's just $300 you have to spend, but I'd strongly recommend the Squier CV Matt Freeman Precision bass. It's a thicker precision-style neck and a super well-made bass. Really my only complaint about it was that it was a thicker neck (the 60's CV was a jazz style) and it's gloss....really that's about it. Mine came in great shape, you may be able to find a used one but people tend to hold onto them, they're good basses. Little more money, but you'll probably enjoy it much more.
 
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#53
thespoon said:
How do these basswood bodied Ursas compare to the alder they used until last year?

RE: modding. The Luna I am looking at is mahogany, which I am more familiar with. With my GC discount and free shipping, it would only be about $20 more than the delivered cost of the SX.
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They have Alder models still. My Ursa 1 looks to be Alder. My Ursa 2 in basswood is lighter than the Alder bodied Squier 4 string Jazz I own... a lot depends on the specific wood piece moisture content...
 
#56
I was having the same quandary.

I am a Green Day fan of old, one of the first bands that I noticed in my young teens, so have some attachment to the Mike Dirnt bass.... but the VM PJ comes in Candy Apple Red with black pickguard which matches my Fender P bass ;)

I think you won't regret either choice.

(We are expecting our first son this Summer, and I had the idea to buy him the Mike Dirnt and store it safely until he's 16, so he can say "Oh Green Day are ok, but their first albums were best." Like all the cool kids say about all the bands.)
 
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#58
I A/B'd the Fender and Squier MDB when they first came out, weight and playing comfort on the Squier won hands down, pup tone on the Fender won, but the Squier was darned good.

Just to toss this in: Squier Dimension, I've barely played anything else since I got it a month ago. Range of tones is freakish in a $300 bass.
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#59
AshInAmsterdam said:
(We are expecting our first son this Summer, and I had the idea to buy him the Mike Dirnt and store it safely until he's 16, so he can say "Oh Green Day are ok, but their first albums were best." Like all the cool kids say about all the bands.)
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Not to derail, but I had to laugh, as I've heard so many kids say exactly this.

Coming myself directly from the original punk era, Dookie caught my attention, while I liked it, and the energy... It's undoubtably hijacked directly from what had gone as punk before, add to that; Bill didn't really know how to sing correctly yet, adds a desperation to the songs that makes them feel more original...

But when you move forward to American Idiot, and 21st Century Breakdown, the performance quality improves drastically, Tres' and Mike become a force to be recon'd with, and Bill can finally sing from the diaphragm (very noticeable, especially live).

While still not really true concept albums (Bill's not that smart), they have something many "albums" are missing these days... Songs that are meant to be listened to in the order it was created. Both albums (IMO) succeed in this extremely well.
For me, they are the best two they have done. (Just don't ever expect me to put either of them in the league of "London Calling").
 
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#60
ux4484 said:
For me, they are the best two they have done. (Just don't ever expect me to put either of them in the league of "London Calling").
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I loved American Idiot, also saw them in Milton Keynes (UK) on that tour with Jimmy Eat world and Taking Back Sunday - great show, and also available in the Bullet in a Bible CD/DVD pack which was a nice bonus. There I saw several youngsters in Dookie shirts and thought it was funny they had an album on their shirts that was from before they were born! Still, not really any different to me wearing a Dark Side of the Moon shirt....

21st Century Breakdown though, and latterly uno, dos, tre, have not excited me.
 
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