NBD Squier Debut Series…

[C Stone]

Hey all I thought I’d put this up since this is a new offering from Squier and I’m not sure anyone here has one yet.
Anyway I believe this to be an Amazon exclusive as far as I know and the only place offering them right now at least.
The Squier Debut Series Precision bass

The site description really doesn’t have much spec info other than it’s “Poplar”
I grabbed one as I was curious to see what a $129 bass from Fender/Squier
was all about. It’s been marketed as a beginner bass with free lessons, maybe they are trying to drive people to the “Fender Play” subscription with these basses or trying to get some of the SX Glarry, Harley Benton, Ktaxon market?
IDK but one was delivered today so for anyone interested here is the rundown.

I grabbed the Dakota Red (matte) they currently also have a burst and black, all with matte finishes, first impression it’s very good (for the money) no sharp frets the set-up and action was playable right out of the box and the neck is straight…

The neck feels “almost” unfinished, it’s surely sealed though and the neck feel
is very thin (front to back). The nut is “standard” Jazz width at 1.5” (38mm)
so it’s very much like a P Bass Special.
The open gear tuners work fine so far.
Frets themselves are surprisingly nice.

Quickly measured it seems a standard size P but with a thinner body. The fit and finish is surprisingly good and not just for the price, it seems like it is put together pretty well for a very budget friendly bass, at least my example here.

The bad: strangely enough for a full 34” scale bass the pickups are approx. 1/4” closer to the neck so no Fender/Squier
p bass guards are going to fit without checking under the hood to see if the rout is large enough move them down
a 1/4” to the standard P’s “sweet spot”
A quick overlay of couple other Squier guards looks like all but one of the PG screws line up (I’ll have to see when I pull it apart). The strings are garbage not 7250’s. All-in-all I am flummoxed
at how well this bass is put together at
a price point of $126 US. Serial-CMCA and is “Crafted In China”. Take it easy!

 

[InstantEctobass]

Hey all I thought I’d put this up since this is a new offering from Squier and I’m not sure anyone here has one yet.
Anyway I believe this to be an Amazon exclusive as far as I know and the only place offering them right now at least.
The Squier Debut Series Precision bass

The site description really doesn’t have much spec info other than it’s “Poplar”
I grabbed one as I was curious to see what a $129 bass from Fender/Squier
was all about. It’s been marketed as a beginner bass with free lessons, maybe they are trying to drive people to the “Fender Play” subscription with these basses or trying to get some of the SX Glarry, Harley Benton, Ktaxon market?
IDK but one was delivered today so for anyone interested here is the rundown.
View attachment 5477626
I grabbed the Dakota Red (matte) they currently also have a burst and black, all with matte finishes, first impression it’s very good (for the money) no sharp frets the set-up and action was playable right out of the box and the neck is straight…
View attachment 5477639
The neck feels “almost” unfinished, it’s surely sealed though and the neck feel
is very thin (front to back). The nut is “standard” Jazz width at 1.5” (38mm)
so it’s very much like a P Bass Special.
The open gear tuners work fine so far.
Frets themselves are surprisingly nice.
View attachment 5477647 View attachment 5477646
Quickly measured it seems a standard size P but with a thinner body. The fit and finish is surprisingly good and not just for the price, it seems like it is put together pretty well for a very budget friendly bass, at least my example here.
View attachment 5477651
View attachment 5477656
The bad: strangely enough for a full 34” scale bass the pickups are approx. 1/4” closer to the neck so no Fender/Squier
p bass guards are going to fit without checking under the hood to see if the rout is large enough move them down
a 1/4” to the standard P’s “sweet spot”
A quick overlay of couple other Squier guards looks like all but one of the PG screws line up (I’ll have to see when I pull it apart). The strings are garbage not 7250’s. All-in-all I am flummoxed
at how well this bass is put together at
a price point of $126 US. Serial-CMCA and is “Crafted In China”. Take it easy!

Are you sure about the pickup placement? I checked with a scaled picture and it aligns pretty well...?

EDIT: nevermind I double checked and you're right... what a shady m0ve, FENDER.

 

[Yahboy]

When you mention that neck seem unfinished , it could be a Black Sonic P cover with Satin Red.....

But fretboard wood look nicer than Sonic P Laurel wood, and the maple headstock look less white then the Sonic P .

 

[InstantEctobass]

Look like a Black Sonic P cover with Satin Red ? But fretboard wood look nicer than Sonic P Laurel wood.

I wouldn't judge the laurel on one exemplary. It varies a LOT. Even rosewood is ugly sometimes. That's just the nature of things. That being said, the Sonic P is all Fender Spec, minus the pickup on the Chinese model. But if you replace it, you can also replace the pickguard without any issues.

 

[Yahboy]

I wouldn't judge the laurel on one exemplary. It varies a LOT. Even rosewood is ugly sometimes. That's just the nature of things. That being said, the Sonic P is all Fender Spec, minus the pickup on the Chinese model. But if you replace it, you can also replace the pickguard without any issues.

Sonic P has two production country, China and Indonesia.

Few Sonic P i been handle and setup are made in indonesia, the stock ceramic pickups cover has Fender standard, fit nicely on any Fender/Squier P pickguard.

White maple

 

[InstantEctobass]

Sonic P has two production country, China and Indonesia.

Few Sonic P i been handle and setup are made in indonesia, the stock ceramic pickups cover has Fender standard, fit nicely on any Fender/Squier P pickguard.

White maple

View attachment 5477703

Yes I know, that's why I only spoke about the Chinese counterparts having the big ears pickup and different pickguard but you can replace them easily.

 

[Yahboy]

I wouldn't judge the laurel on one exemplary. It varies a LOT. Even rosewood is ugly sometimes. That's just the nature of things. That being said, the Sonic P is all Fender Spec, minus the pickup on the Chinese model. But if you replace it, you can also replace the pickguard without any issues.

Hmmm..... she has laurel wood too....

 

[C Stone]

Are you sure about the pickup placement? I checked with a scaled picture and it aligns pretty well...?

EDIT: nevermind I double checked and you're right... what a shady m0ve, FENDER.

Yea PU’s 1/4” closer to the neck but I haven’t check the route to see if I can
lower it, if I can it would solve the pick guard replacement dilemma, stay tuned.

 

[InstantEctobass]

Yea PU’s 1/4” closer to the neck but I haven’t check the route to see if I can
lower it, if I can it would solve the pick guard replacement dilemma, stay tuned.

I also realised that the pots don't have the same placement.

 

[C Stone]

I also realised that the pots don't have the same placement.

Yes they are but u have to pull them off anyway to replace the guard, no biggie.

 

[InstantEctobass]

Yes they are but u have to pull them off anyway to replace the guard, no biggie.

Yes but is the routing underneath compatible with a "standard" pickguard

 

[C Stone]

It’s like the ‘96 or ‘97 to I think 2001 Squier P bass special where the pick guard is slightly different pattern with an extra pg hole, the neck pocket was also a little different and the PU’s routs
were smaller, need to be slightly shaved to fit or swap more standard pick-ups…

 

[C Stone]

Yes but is the routing underneath compatible with a "standard" pickguard

We’ll have to see, I’ll check later today.

 

[JRA]

congratulations on your new instrument, C --- what a bargain --- and it looks good, too!

The bad: strangely enough for a full 34” scale bass the pickups are approx. 1/4” closer to the neck so no Fender/Squier p bass guards are going to fit without checking under the hood to see if the rout is large enough move them down a 1/4” to the standard P’s “sweet spot”

i wonder what that's all about? can't wait until you can report back about those routings --- it would be a shame if another FSO brand/model deprived us of pickguard swaps!

 

[J Wilson]

From what I've read, this is a move by FMIC to get into the 'hundred-dollar market' on Amazon and some retailers, their in-house 'Chibson' to fight in that end of the market. And admittedly, the spec and components and woodwork are built to that price. Amazing you can get something that'll tune up and play at that stocking stuffer price point, and probably a boon to parents of teenagers that are on to something else a week after you bought it for them.

 

[MartinB]

Quickly measured it seems a standard size P but with a thinner body

Thanks for the info! Are we talking thinner than a normal Squier P (examples I have are 41mm and 43mm), or just thinner than a vintage Fender?

It’s like the ‘96 or ‘97 to I think 2001 Squier P bass special where the pick guard is slightly different pattern with an extra pg hole, the neck pocket was also a little different and the PU’s routs
were smaller, need to be slightly shaved to fit or swap more standard pick-ups…

Ah, the ironically-named "Standard" series

 

[C Stone]

congratulations on your new instrument, C --- what a bargain --- and it looks good, too!


i wonder what that's all about? can't wait until you can report back about those routings --- it would be a shame if another FSO brand/model deprived us of pickguard swaps!

Right! Shoot IDK just maybe they had a whole bunch of Sonic P bodies with the wrong rout lol, then they decided to go this way or maybe it keeps them from being parted out as mod projects. I’ll take pics when I am in there today.

 

[C Stone]

Thanks for the info! Are we talking thinner than a normal Squier P (examples I have are 41mm and 43mm), or just thinner than a vintage Fender?

Ah, the ironically-named "Standard" series

Yes that’s the one haha, don’t get me started I don’t think anything on that was “standard” on that one. I ended up painting that 14 hole PG and added a fretless neck that I eventually finally fit.

Don’t have calipers but along the lines of some of the (I think) older affinities that were thinner bodied, my CV’s are full thickness and I did measure some of my Squiers while back but can’t find the info

 

[Plucky The Bassist]

$129 is PRETTY great, even for a marginally tolerable bass. Body and hardware alone would be worth it for me if it's solid.

The pickup placement is a concern IMO, but I wonder if it's enough to make any difference tonally.

 

[InstantEctobass]

$129 is PRETTY great, even for a marginally tolerable bass. Body and hardware alone would be worth it for me if it's solid.

The pickup placement is a concern IMO, but I wonder if it's enough to make any difference tonally.

It will make a tonal difference, slighty but yes. There are Prodipe P-style basses with a pickup that's slighty off the standard position, and I can hear they sound different.