Picture of a Fender Squier Affinity Series Precision Bass Rosewood Fretboard (new model)
Posted on 09/01/2012 1:30:44 PM PDT by This Just In
This is a shout-out to all you musicians. Namely, bass players.
We recently purchased a used Fender Precision Squier bass for a aspiring child. Unlike the newer, and cheaper model Squiers, this bass is a little different. It would appear that the saddle, bridge, and tailpiece are made of brass.
The print on the headstock differs from those of newer models. From what we were told, this model is believed to have been made in the 80's, and is suppose to be of higher quality. It would appear that the fingerboard is made of rosewood, with a black body and white pickguard.
The salesman played it for us, and the sound quality's good for a start-up.
Would any of you have ideas on the history? I surfed the net, but couldn't find any info.
Thanks, TJI
Sounds like you got a matt freeman model squire. Much higher quality. Does it look like this??
http://www.fender.com/products/matt-freeman-precision-bass
Saddle and bridge is brass, but tailpiece is gold plate,
Forgot to mention the split-coil pickups.
I have a Fender Jazz bass, 12 years old.
What’s crazy about Fender instruments is that some are made
in India and others are made in the USA.. but they are named
the same. The USA ones cost more due to there being fewer of
them and the superior quality.
The Squier models, in both Bass & Guitar, are good beginner
instruments. It’s a fact that when you learn on an instrument
with a less-than-awesome action, you develop finger & fretting
muscles quickly. Then when you upgrade you are ahead of the curve
because you’ve been working harder at the technique.
On the back of the head there should be indication about where the bass was made.
No. The entire saddle/bridge/tailpiece is made of brass. I believe “Fender Made in USA” is engraved on the hardware. The print on the headstock reads, “ Fender Precision”. You can’t really see the Squier print unless you’re up close and personal.
Unfortunately the guitar is not in my possession. It’s being shipped to our house. Can’t give any more details other than what’s mentioned.
Sadly, I can’t check the serial number or “Made In....” because the bass is being shipped to our residence.
I appreciate the excellent links. Bookmarked.
Squiers are cheap but decent guitars. Far better than the cheap guitars of the 60s and 70s when I started playing music. Generally they are well made and play well. Check out the link posted by OldEarlGray to see where and when it was made. Generally the desirability of Fenders (including Squier) is USA>Japan>Mexico>Korea>Indonesia>China. However I’ve played some from China that were very nice. Really, if it plays and sounds good it doesn’t matter where and when it was made or the name on the headstock.
Picture of a Fender Squier Affinity Series Precision Bass Rosewood Fretboard (new model)
Thanks, Hugin. I believe it was made in Mexico, but I’m not absolutely sure. We were out of state when we purchased it, and the store’s shipping the bass to our residence. We didn’t have time to really examine the guitar thoroughly. We had quickly stopped in to pick up some gear when we saw the bass.
Sound quality was very good, and the overall higher quality in hardware and workmanship is evident compared to the new Squiers I’ve examined.
IIRC there were some guitars made in the early 80s that had “Squier series” in small print under a large Fender logo. They were assembled in Mexico using parts made in the Southern California factory. Those are actually considered to be Fenders, not Squiers. Maybe you got one of those.
My Jackson guitar too. Come and take 'em! ;-)
I spent most of my life playing acoustc but picked up a Fender a few years ago.
I love my Fender. It simply wonderful.
“Maybe you got one of those.”
You may be right. I’m scrolling through the pdf smokingfrog linked, and I have yet to see the model.
There was a used Tele (not Squier). Beautiful white body w/wood grain bleeding through. If the price hadn’t been so steep, I could have purchased it.
I have mine running an emulator and the strings are set so low that they buzz. The emulator removes the buzz and I get a nice clean sound out of it.
I also bought a bag book on how to maintain and modify the guitar set up yourself so i acan really keep this guitar at the settings I like most. Best 8 bucks I have ever spent.
I have my gain set so that if I touch the strings I get useful sound. I can play it by merely tapping the strins rather than picking them. Very, very fast arpegios uaing that technique.
We have a late-80s vintage Squier Jazz Bass, and it was made in Korea. It plays ok, but the pickups could be hotter. Other than that, it’s a decent instrument.
We also own an SX fretless bass. Anyone else have any experience with those? They seem like a great value for the price, and no-one has heard of them, it seems. The only complaint about that one is that the fingerboard isn’t entirely flat, so the strings buzz at a couple locations.
I did a little online research. Those guitars I was thinking of were made in the early 90s, not the 80s. They had a black Fender logo rather than gold, and are often called “black label Fenders”, though not all Fenders with black logos from that series. Details here...
“The guitars from that very “Squier Series” are official and genuine Fender guitars like any mexican made Fender guitar regardless, and if you have a mexican made Fender Telecaster, Stratocaster or Precision Bass with a black label and a serial number beginning with MN3, MN4, MN5, MN6, MN7 or MN8, you have a genuine Fender guitar – with or without a small “Squier Series” label.”
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