Upgrading a Squier or saving up for a Fender.

[Bassistent]

I want to buy a Fender Marcus Miller signature 5 string but I don't have that much money right now and income is close to non existant. So should I buy a Squier 5 string and upgrade it or save up money and eventualy buy the Fender, what would you guys do?

 

[EdO.]

Why do you automatically assume that if you get the Squier that it will require upgrades? Way too many people seem to think that just because it's an "inexpensive" bass that it's somehow lacking. Changing pickups will make it sound somewhat different (maybe) but better? Highly subjective. Different strings often have a much more dramatic change in tone than pickups do.

You really should give it a chance before you just assume different pickups will somehow be an improvement. Unless you know in advance exactly what improvement you're going for and exactly which pickup will do that a lot of folks spend a lot of money chasing their tails looking for some magical sound they can't define in their own minds and thus have a difficult time ever finding to their satisfaction.

Bridges - the Fender-style bent metal bridge has been the standard for 70+ years and it works quite well, obviously. Unlikely you'll see much improvement (if any) in sustain etc going to a high mass type bridge, and depending on the Squier model it may well come with a high mass anyway. Undoubtedly some will come along here and argue that point, however anything gained there will be incremental at best.

Tuners I can see a bit more. Generally stock Fender/Squier tuners will give great service life and hold tune just fine. Going to a finer gear ratio tuner will make things a bit easier to get just exactly right but again the gain IME is small and incremental at best. Where is your Point of Diminishing Returns investment wise?

I play large places/gigs rotating between two bone stock Squier P's (a Matt Freeman and a Vintage Modified PJ) and a Fender P I paid 5X more for and tonally/looks wise/playability wise no one knows the difference, myself included. These days the Squiers, Epiphones, Sires etc of the world are perfectly good working mans instruments in stock form and just because they're "inexpensive" doesn't somehow necessarily mean they're "cheap". Give it a chance before you just start throwing money at one. Or just save up and get the one you think you want and save yourself the headaches and frustration of chasing some poorly defined thing you think you hear in your head but somehow just can't quite find.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, I'd like to know if the OP currently has a bass.
If so, what is it?

 

[Bassistent]

So Anyway, I'd like to know if the OP currently has a bass.
If so, what is it?

I have an ibanez gsr 180

 

[Bassistent]

Why do you automatically assume that if you get the Squier that it will require upgrades? Way too many people seem to think that just because it's an "inexpensive" bass that it's somehow lacking. Changing pickups will make it sound somewhat different (maybe) but better? Highly subjective. Different strings often have a much more dramatic change in tone than pickups do.

You really should give it a chance before you just assume different pickups will somehow be an improvement. Unless you know in advance exactly what improvement you're going for and exactly which pickup will do that a lot of folks spend a lot of money chasing their tails looking for some magical sound they can't define in their own minds and thus have a difficult time ever finding to their satisfaction.

Bridges - the Fender-style bent metal bridge has been the standard for 70+ years and it works quite well, obviously. Unlikely you'll see much improvement (if any) in sustain etc going to a high mass type bridge, and depending on the Squier model it may well come with a high mass anyway. Undoubtedly some will come along here and argue that point, however anything gained there will be incremental at best.

Tuners I can see a bit more. Generally stock Fender/Squier tuners will give great service life and hold tune just fine. Going to a finer gear ratio tuner will make things a bit easier to get just exactly right but again the gain IME is small and incremental at best. Where is your Point of Diminishing Returns investment wise?

I play large places/gigs rotating between two bone stock Squier P's (a Matt Freeman and a Vintage Modified PJ) and a Fender P I paid 5X more for and tonally/looks wise/playability wise no one knows the difference, myself included. These days the Squiers, Epiphones, Sires etc of the world are perfectly good working mans instruments in stock form and just because they're "inexpensive" doesn't somehow necessarily mean they're "cheap". Give it a chance before you just start throwing money at one. Or just save up and get the one you think you want and save yourself the headaches and frustration of chasing some poorly defined thing you think you hear in your head but somehow just can't quite find.

This is realy great insight. Ill try the Squier in store and if i like it ill by it. If not I will save up money and buy the Fender.

 

[MovingPitchers]

I have a Squier Classic Vibe Strat...no upgrades other than better strings lol.

It sounds fantastic.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

I have an ibanez gsr 180

So it looks like you're playing a 4 and want to move to a 5. A Squier 5 would be a good choice.
Just remember if you get to play one in a music store, it might not be setup very well... and a good setup makes a world of difference.
I've seen lots of good players gigging with a Squier. They're a lot of bass for the money.
Good Luck with your decision.

 

[Bassistent]

So it looks like you're playing a 4 and want to move to a 5. A Squier 5 would be a good choice.
Just remember if you get to play one in a music store, it might not be setup very well... and a good setup makes a world of difference.
I've seen lots of good players gigging with a Squier. They're a lot of bass for the money.
Good Luck with your decision.

Thanks

 

[Tom Winter]

This is realy great insight. Ill try the Squier in store and if i like it ill by it. If not I will save up money and buy the Fender.

Unless you just want the brand, Reverb has a lot of basses someone built out of good parts that are reasonably priced. I bought a MIM Jazz, but if i had it to do over, i would find a cool build, or a nice used Fender Player.

 

[HRS]

I want to buy a Fender Marcus Miller signature 5 string but I don't have that much money right now and income is close to non existant. So should I buy a Squier 5 string and upgrade it or save up money and eventualy buy the Fender, what would you guys do?

I would save for that which I really wanted

 

[bigthemat]

The MM is not a typical jazz bass. Is there something about that model you are wanting to get, like the passive/active switch?

My two main players are squiers, and I get tons of compliments on them, mainly the looks because I refinished them both haha. My squier vm jazz has been my main axe for almost 12 years now and it's better than ever playability wise. I'm a big fan of squiers. Now, if you are wanting active circuitry, there are some squier models that have that, but it's not a hard upgrade to get like a john east retro preamp that is just a new control plate with the preamp and what not.

 

[logdrum]

To get to close to a MM - EMG JX5 and at least a BTS, that's 300, but you really want a 3 band like a BQS and relocating your output jack.

If you get some other systems it will cost more.

A cheaper way is get a stock squier and use a Sadowsky Preamp Pedal

 

[BrassedOn]

For me, I’ve had my best luck first buying used and cheap to fill a role (e.g., a fiver or semihollow) and saving up for the dream axe second, which I sometimes discover I’ll never need. Play now, enjoy now, grow now…sell later. A quality name brand used instrument at a reasonable price would likely keep its value better than the identical new axe at new price. I bought a used Ibanez fretless 5 and sold it for a good profit toward my next bass, minus cost of fresh strings and my own setup.

Yet the MM price SEEMS relatively “within reach” if I’m working and gigging, but I’m suspecting not really.

So in that situation, I’d buy a used Squier or any good quality less expensive 5, do no upgrades but have a good set up and good strings. See if a 5 actuality vibes with me and seems useful or necessary in music me play.

And by playing that I’ll have an idea of what I like and don’t like (neck, pup, tuners, etc) to inform my next purchase. And meanwhile save up specifically when that MM comes up used near me. Or maybe another nonartist Jazz.

 

[Maxi Funkl]

I have owned 2 Squire's Modified both Jazz Bass & Tele. Sold the bass never bonded with the 5 string neck.
I still own the Thin-line Tele

I still own 2 Fender's Jazz Bass & Strat Modified both.
But if you have Squire money and want the Marcus Miller sound for that price I'd Get a Sire V3 or V5 new or a Used 2nd Gen V7.

 

[mikewalker]

If I was going to buy any Squier 5-string, it would be this one: For Sale/Trade - Squier Dimension V in very nice condition

(no affiliation)

 

[Lesfunk]

Not trying to muddy the waters here, but the SIRE V3 series basses are very impressive and cop that Marcus tone at the approximate $500 price range.

 

[themickster]

I want to buy a Fender Marcus Miller signature 5 string but I don't have that much money right now and income is close to non existant. So should I buy a Squier 5 string and upgrade it or save up money and eventualy buy the Fender, what would you guys do?

Squier and keep it as is. I own an Encore Strat; a guitarist I know likes it more than his Fender.

 

[micguy]

It's all about the neck. If the Squier is straight*, has good, level frets, and doesn't have any pronounced dead spots, then mod it to be your heart's content. If the neck is warped, or the frets are in bad shape, or it has a pronounced dead spot, leave it on the wall. This goes for any bass, really.

*the risk with any new purchase is you don' t know long term how stable the neck will be over time.

 

[Crackle]

Save up for a Fender. I can tell you I recently got a Squier 40th Anniversary Precision Bass, Gold Edition and it is not good. The neck pocket has tons of overspray and is very uneven, bridge screws are driven in at angles, bad ground connection to the bridge, and more. I mean the bass looks awesome and the neck feels great but under the hood it's disastrous. All QC issues.

 

[Isaac_James]

Not trying to muddy the waters here, but the SIRE V3 series basses are very impressive and cop that Marcus tone at the approximate $500 price range.

You beat me to it, I was also going to recommend Sire as the basses they make are known to be excellent bang for your buck, and also designed in collaboration with Marcus himself. His name's on the headstock of most (if not all?) of their basses.

Fender basses do have that very iconic look but if you are willing to look beyond that, Sire is a great option if an affordable, well made jazz bass is what you're after.

That's not to say Squier and Fender are bad instruments, but you will end up paying extra just for the name Fender on the headstock.