Seeking advice: SX vs Squier Affinity vs Squier VM

#21
I just got this Affinity PJ bass in the mail today. Weighs 9 pounds on the dot, no sharp fret ends, no blemishes on the neck or body.

Way better than any SX I have owned. Every SX I bought came with noisy pickups and sharp fret ends.
 

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#24
ejaggers said:
But my VM Jaguar was new, bought on-line, and had the sharpest fret ends I’ve ever seen.
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Maxdusty said:
VM Jaguar I bought some years ago brand new also had abnormally sharp fret ends.
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Fun to hear these stories, the range of QC that occurs. I tried a SS VM jag that blew me away, that neck was butter. Would have bought it then and there, but I just felt like SS was not for me.
 
#25
saurion said:
Hey guys, I just joined after lurking for a long time. Maybe this has been answered before but I couldn't find it anywhere.

Im looking to buy a classic style PJ bass, on a budget. My current shortlist consists of 3 options:

• SX SPJ62 used for $8000-10000 ARS ($190-240 USD)
• Squier Affinity PJ used for $10000-12000 ARS ($240-285 USD)
• Squier Vintage Modified new for $19000-21000 ARS ($450-500 USD)

As you can see, they're quite pricey in my country. A brand new Affinity PJ goes for 15-16k so it makes no sense when put against a VM. There are no used VMs up for sale anywhere. Alternatively, I could buy one of the generic Pbass clone basses that can be found for half of what the SX costs and mod the hell out of it, but the end result will probably still be bad.

Two questions arise:
1) I could borrow some money and go for the brand new VM, but is it worth the huge price gap?
2) Let's say we take the VM out of the question. Between the Affinity and the SX, which one is better quality?

Thanks!

EDIT: I'm eyeing at least half a dozen of each of the three basses I've listed, that's why I put price ranges. All the used ones are in mint (or near mint) condition, with no visible damage, worn frets/fretboard or busted truss rods. Im going to pick my favorite ones and try them out personally before deciding. My question is more oriented to the overall build quality, reliability and longevity of the basses. While they're entry level instruments, it's a huge financial effort for me (especially the VM) to purchase any one of them and I don't want to throw money away if I'm going to have problems in the long run. I know the VMs are better, but since they cost twice as much, are they twice as good?
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I'll chime in I have 3 SX basses that I gig with on a normal basis, no issues they stay in tune I have no dead spots to speak off and I maintain my own setups, no sharp fret ends on any that I purchased Two were used and one was new. All comes down to what feels right in your hands good luck
 
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#27
alanloomis1980 said:
Fun to hear these stories, the range of QC that occurs. I tried a SS VM jag that blew me away, that neck was butter. Would have bought it then and there, but I just felt like SS was not for me.
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Mine wasn't the SS, but was a standard size Jag with that bass boost. I think I may have posted about it here or some other site, that maybe Squier was in a rush to get these out and forgot to file the fret ends. I mean the neck itself was good and the bass was very playable - I did like it until I replaced it with an Ibanez TMB100 as my practice bass later on.

Not the sharpest fret ends I've seen of a bass out of the box though, that honor goes to a Mitchell I saw at Guitar Center. I actually cut my finger on it and was given a band-aid while they wiped my blood off the neck. lol....
 
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#28
saurion said:
Yeah, I'm buying through FB marketplace and mercadolibre (local version of ebay) and i will try out a couple of them before deciding. The VM is the safest bet, but it's also a huge financial effort for me. It's twice as expensive, is it worth it?
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I have an Affinity as well as a VM and a CV.
The VM is closer in quality to the Affinity than the CV.
A little nicer than the Affinity, but not worth twice as much.
I’ve owned 3 Affinity’s and they were all solid basses.
 
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#29
i bought a new short scale vm jaguar a few months back, and it arrived in very playable condition (bought online from zzounds)
intonation was good.. fretwork was good.. no scratchy pots.. if i had to do it again, i would.
 
#30
saurion said:
Hey guys, I just joined after lurking for a long time. Maybe this has been answered before but I couldn't find it anywhere.

Im looking to buy a classic style PJ bass, on a budget. My current shortlist consists of 3 options:

• SX SPJ62 used for $8000-10000 ARS ($190-240 USD)
• Squier Affinity PJ used for $10000-12000 ARS ($240-285 USD)
• Squier Vintage Modified new for $19000-21000 ARS ($450-500 USD)

As you can see, they're quite pricey in my country. A brand new Affinity PJ goes for 15-16k so it makes no sense when put against a VM. There are no used VMs up for sale anywhere. Alternatively, I could buy one of the generic Pbass clone basses that can be found for half of what the SX costs and mod the hell out of it, but the end result will probably still be bad.

Two questions arise:
1) I could borrow some money and go for the brand new VM, but is it worth the huge price gap?
2) Let's say we take the VM out of the question. Between the Affinity and the SX, which one is better quality?

Thanks!

EDIT: I'm eyeing at least half a dozen of each of the three basses I've listed, that's why I put price ranges. All the used ones are in mint (or near mint) condition, with no visible damage, worn frets/fretboard or busted truss rods. Im going to pick my favorite ones and try them out personally before deciding. My question is more oriented to the overall build quality, reliability and longevity of the basses. While they're entry level instruments, it's a huge financial effort for me (especially the VM) to purchase any one of them and I don't want to throw money away if I'm going to have problems in the long run. I know the VMs are better, but since they cost twice as much, are they twice as good?
Click to expand...

If it were me, I would throw out all those choices and get a Sire V3 PJ bass. Right in line with your budget, and better than all the other choices.
 
#34
Wesley R said:
Please take this as kindly advice from someone who has screwed up their financial life more than once: avoid the debt.
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There's some sense to this but it all depends on the person.

OP, this is a tough call. First thing is that if you're going to buy an Affinity, you absolutely have to see it in person and check it out. You can sense the majority opinion here; with Affinity, you should be a bit careful. It will also be the majority opinion here that the VM basses are going to be more consistent and they're good value.

Is there any way you can save $$ like crazy for the next 4-6 months and buy the VM without going into debt? Do you have a bass right now?

Do you have a guitar tech near you that you trust and that will do good work for less than big $$?
 
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#36
I have two SX basses that I really like. I bought both used and played each one before purchasing. I also have a SS Jag VM that I bought new online after extensive research. The Jag VM is a disappointment. It sounds good when played at home by itself, but with my band in a gig situation it sounded terrible. Nothing I adjusted on either the bass or the amp got me the sound I always want.

I have not played an Affinity bass, but did play an Affinity Strat guitar. That guitar was so bad that since then I have completely avoided the Affinity line. I agree with the others here who suggest you play before you buy. I believe there are good and bad basses in all price ranges and to be safe you must try the specific unit you are considering.

Thump on,

One_Dude

​
 
#37
saurion said:
I'm eyeing at least half a dozen of each of the three basses I've listed, that's why I put price ranges. I guess it wasn't clear enough so I'm gonna edit the OP. I've already discarded all the obviously worn/damaged ones and I'm only looking to buy mint (or near mint) condition (except the VMs, which I can only find brand new). So truss rods and worn frets shouldn't be an issue.

It's true that buying new gives me a warranty, but at the same time the VMs are twice as expensive as the SXs and Affinitys. Is it twice the bass?
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I picked up a VM 70’S Jazz in the store and was amazed enough to buy one the next day. Really nice thin gloss neck and binding! It stays in tune, looks and plays great. Love everything about that bass:thumbsup: Especially the sound with DR Pure Blues.

I have zero experience with SX. I have Affinity exposure but, in a telecaster guitar. Again, pleasantly surprised by fit, finish and quality. I gave it a thorough setup and it plays great. The only downside to it is that it falls out of tune easily but, that might just be a thing with guitars in general. I don’t know.

My 2¢, save a few more bucks and get the VM but, I know that’s not always appealing.
 
#39
you live in Argentina, best would be to wait for an already modded SX, unlike our fellow americans we get the "lawsuit" version, so thats a plus, I have one and (other than a fret work) the instrument is awesome.
Also, if you want to go the squire route, consider the jaguar vm, I've seen plenty on sale and you can get them for around 16000 ars.

Good luck!
 
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