Squier Affinity J Bass vs Fender USA Jazz
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2024
- Full track demo comparing Chinese Squier J Bass (£200) with Fender American Standard Jazz Bass (£1,200).
My opinion - both basses sound good in the track and would be hard to say one sounds 'better' than the other.
Is the Fender worth 6x the price? For me, yes. The difference in quality is evident in the feel of the neck and the overall finish.
The Squier is still really enjoyable to play and I would recommend for anyone maybe wanting a bass for recording or as a backup.
The track is something I improvised for the Jazz vs P Bass video and recycled here. Basses recorded direct into Cubase, no additional EQ or anything.
Sorry for a the few moments where the autofocus went crazy - I recorded just using my smartphone (Honor 6X) on a selfie stick, taped to a mic stand. Other stuff used: Squier Classic Vibe 50's Telecaster, Roland FP90 digital piano, MacBook/iMovie.
There isn't much difference in sound but there is a big difference in price
How does it feel, is there much difference because I'm thinking of buying one
For me the fender feels noticeably better... has very smooth neck and rolled finger board edges. But others have commented saying they love the feel of the Squier too and I definitely find it very very playable. Price difference between USA models and Squier is massive now. Worth going to a shop and comparing the Affinity model with a vintage modified or classic vibe... I think the higher end Squiers feel really nice.
@@JulesGuitar I agree that rolled finger board edges are nice. Easy to do in about 15 minutes with an x-fine sanding sponge you can get at Home Depot for about $5. You Tube even has a videoruclips.net/video/ZoWp4Ax9zAA/видео.html. Tried this on a Squier VM Jaguar Short Scale. It went from very playable to a much better feel.
@@JulesGuitar but when listening, your performance is more fluid and in time when you play the Squier .... just my opinion ...
Perhaps one take was better than the other, not sure myself, but getting an expensive bass never makes you a better player
Well, thank you for setting the standard on how instruments should be compared. Brilliant!
Milo Rez you're absolutly right. Jules is setting up the standard
Wish all reviews were like this. Simple, straight in, no unnecessary jabber.
I actually think the Squier sounds (very slightly) better here. And the colour is really nice... :-)
The Fender feels nicer, but love the Squier for the colour
@@JulesGuitar - I've changed my mind - on second listen, the Fender does sound more punchy and I'd imagine it would shine more in a band...
i agree, i have heard the fender with its honkiness, classy, yes the Squier its much colorful by some good % the both have very similar spectrum and it is great they don't sound the same. i own one of each , exact situation, Fender fretless Mexico 2019 with Ernie ball flatwounds and the Squier is 2015 Indonesia with D addario Nickel rounds BUT i swaped to a .01uF capacitor on it, and now it has a low end you can feel besides hear, no loss on high end and it only cost a few bucks to start moving air mass. Enjoy.
On the squier i changed the pickups ans potentiometers. Now it worth an usa JB.
@@user-cq9my5ju6k a modified Squier will never be worth a Fender. no matter what you put in it
First I listened to this on a cell phone. No point there. Basically the same sounding. Then I listened to this on my laptop speakers, it was hard to tell still. Finally I plugged in some good headphones with an amp. Finally a difference and the Fender sounds much better. Bigger lows and clearer highs with a little more of a scoop. Great comparison video 👍
What a good test. You might not hear the difference in the sound, but probably there is difference in terms of frequencies and play-ability. That Squier is sweet! I'd definitely make some upgrades on it. Cheers!
it's like driving nails. The problem is not the hammer, it's who is swinging it.
Ikr
That's what she said, lol 👍.
I’m on a bass roll lately and I bought a 96 MIJ Fender P/J bass in fiesta red and also pulled a Squier J Affinity in metallic blue for a crazy bargain! Both basses here sound superb because the guy has the chops!
Fender has a lil bit deeper tone
Great comparison!
Honestly, from a tonal perspective, the gap in sound between the Squier and the Fender MIA could be closed significantly with a pickup swap. With a decent setup, how playable the Squier is could be closed up too...or a $200 Fender neck swap could also do the trick.
Perfect summary!!
For the price I'd rather go for a Squire Classic Vibe or even a MIM fender
If I had to pick one bass it would be a Precision..
By the time you've bought the neck, bought the pickups, paid for the setup and sorted out all the fitting you're probably pretty close to the cost of a usa fender. I upgraded a mim precision bass a while back, and although it sounded better, it definitely didn't have the same feel as a usa quality instrument. Also there's the issue of if you do the upgrades, if they're not done perfectly sometimes it's worse than when it started!
@@renhoek3851 Fender style pickups will fit in nearly any Squier/Fender bass unless it's a completely different pickup rout (like trying to fit a p into a jazz cavity). Learning to do decent setups and soldering basic V-T tone circuits isn't too hard with a little effort and some reading. Even then, upgrading pots is not really much of a gain unless they are scratchy/defective...in which case the pickup swap is soldering a couple of leads.
MiM is definitely one route to go, but the Squier CVs and VMs are surprisingly close (if not identical in BQ) to the MiMs these days. YMMV, but you can most assuredly get on-par with a MIA Fender for a little cash and some elbow grease :)
The fender sounds more even across high and low notes. That‘s something that is often overlooked but makes a big difference in all musical situations. That fact alone is worth the price difference for me.
My heart says the American sounds better, my wallet says the Squier does. 🤔
wat does d heart say
You got facts 🤣
My eyes say the squier tol
same shit
YES.
Makes me so happy i bought my squier jazz bass👍.
Finest compare video i saw in a long time. Congrats and thanks dude! Rock on!
The best vídeo, I got all the information that Iwas loking for... thank you!!
Yesssss! I love this video. Thank you, it’s about time.
The fender sounds fantastic but I like the way the squire cuts through ! Both are great ! With that said I would use the fender because it is a “little bit” better and that does make a huge difference in a professional environment !
I was thinking that, the Squire is cleaner, not as rich but the MIA does sound a bit muddy in comparison. A particular amp and its settings would make a huge difference.
Why can’t all reviewers do it like you.
I love the Vintage basses, but also I love the Squier ones cause you can do a lot of things with them talking about mods, Vintage ones better not to mess with.
Same strings + same amp + same bassist = 99% same sound
.
The biggest difference is probably how they feel when you’re playing them
@@DevinLatulippe exactly
I actually slightly prefer the sound of the Squier. The main takeaway from this video though is that a good bass player can make anything sound great. Best comparison video I've ever seen btw. Solid pocket playing across all tones and techniques, and identical handwork on both basses. Bravo.
the Fender is a bit more defined. I bet a relatively inexpensive pickup swap would remedy that. The Vintage Modified and Classic Vibes are easily comparable to MIM Fenders.
I recently bought a Squire (PJ) bass...now is among my favorite basses, and I’m recording 80% on my productions
On the squier i changed the pickups ans potentiometers. Now it worth an usa JB.
@@user-cq9my5ju6k So what did you change exactly? Maybe we can cite your work for our own improvement.
The squire sounds brighter.
maby the string are new
But brighter means also thinner!!!
No new Squire can reach the Sound and Punch of an US!!
It's SQUIER why does every mfer spell this wrong?
Martin J. BOMBSQUAD I’ve tried quitter a few USA and not all are good, I had an Affinity with Duncan Design pickups and that thing sounded sweet and had a lot of “ punch”
YES, felt the same.
I think,it doesnt matter,if you are play a US or.a Squire,because we play all playin bass mainly for the Crowed or in the Studio.The People in the Crowed are no interrestet what bass we play!
Only the Music counts for them.
The only important thing is the
Smoothness and feeling,when you playin,and of course Our Fingers!!!🤟🙂
I could listen to that all day! :) Oh, btw, I can't tell the difference - I was to busy keeping beat and enjoying the vamp - very tasty. You knew right where to break it up and release the tension - love it
Man not gonna lie; I actually really like that bridge pickup with no tone on the affinity
Me too! I'm glad someone else picked up on that tone. It was amazing.
I picked up a used Squier JB at Guitar Center online for $150 shipped, a black model with white pickguard. (I think it was made in Taiwan?) I've played guitar for 25 years but not bass, decided to give it a try. The fret edges were a little rough, so I cleaned them up really quick with a fret file and rounded the edges of the neck slightly, (they already felt pretty comfortable to me) The pickup height needed adjusted, I swapped the bridge with a Fender Highmass, and put a real 3-ply pickguard on it... it's a shockingly good bass in my opinion now, I went back to a guitar store and played an American Standard JB, other than the setup being completely whacked I couldn't tell the difference in feel to my Squier. The comparison video was pretty cool, it was hard to tell a difference when the tone wasn't rolled on all the way. I'm still not sure if I want to change pickups or not, might try changing the tone pot first. Either way, even with the upgrades, I am still a good $800 less than an American JB. And I love playing it!
I can hear the difference in the pickups, I prefer the Fender's, they sound a little beefier. The Fender looks like it has a high mass bridge, too, which would help with the sustain. That said, I own an Affinity J bass and am quite happy with it.
Well said. The sound is not better by $1000, that's for sure. Only thing negative I've encountered with Squiers is the cloverleaf part of the tuners - I've had a few loosen and rattle. Replaced them with used Fender Mex parts bought online for cheap $$.
Same thing here with a rattling tuner... minor issue but annoying nonetheless
On the squier i changed the pickups and potentiometers. Now it worth an usa JB.
Fantasic comparison and well played!
Thanks so much. Will buy a Squier. Thanks for giving me confidence bout it. I wasnt whether to buy it or not.
I bought the exact same Squier bass because of the colour and the price!
Wish I could play it this well, practice makes perfect, right?
I honestly can't tell the difference,which is why a couple of days ago i went out and picked up a squire J bass.
Sounds excellent,plays excellent,and for the money,i really think you're paying for the brand name, because the Squire i have is just as good as any fender I've played
Both bass are made by fender so might have slight differences on components but it’s also likely depend on the person. I always say that !!! 😃 well in my experience I’ve own a fender deluxe edition that I bought used 5yrs ago for $1200 and the sound is wow! Then I had some financial difficulties I was forced to sell it. Then guess what that I bought couple month later because I needed a bass. I was able to save some cash and bought the trbx 305 for $500 brand new! Till now people are just blown away how such a cheap bass have a rich sound! I’m a big fan of fender and Yamaha btw. 😃
I listened to this with my eyes closed at first, and only opened my eyes to see which bass I preferred without looking at the headstock. Surprised at the end that I liked the Squier more.
Thanks!! Nice comparison. I feel the Fender more like “accurate”, I don’t know maybe Rounded to my ears.
Fender has a slightly nicer sound - stressing "slightly" here since in many examples the difference was near enough negligible.
Anyone else think the squier sounded like it slapped a whole lot better?
Excellent comparison btw thanks
On the squier i changed the pickups ans potentiometers. Now it worth an usa JB.
@@user-cq9my5ju6k no it's not
@@SirZanZa
Manga sucks and so do you.
Great video - seems like the American sounds better... but it's also in the feel of the guitar. The Squire guitars have gotten much better.
Absolutely perfect comparison video. RUclips should take notes!
I like the Squier sound.
lovely playing as well,,,cheers JUDES!
The Squier line has come a really long way. Especially the Classic Vibe line.
I’m getting the idea that Squier will become their entry line, and chief competitor to Sterling (Music Man).
If you’re not paying $ 1,500 for the Fender name on the headstock, you will be playing Squier.
I like the Squier sound more!
There is much difference in colour!
Didn't know the Squier came in pink! Mine is in Slick Silver and I love it so far. A little micro shifting is needed for those first few frets but it's no dealbreaker.
I know this was a couple years ago, but the Squier affinitys got rehauled in 2021. The 2019 versions came in the silver you have. The 2021 came in Charcoal, Burgendy(the pink), and sunburst.
The difference really is in the bridge pickup but even still it's close enough. That's the only weakness I've noticed and it's in all of the Squier Js I've owned and in this video as well.
In some cases the Fender sounds brighter over the Squier, then in other, the Squier over the Fender. Besides that, not much of a difference.
I really like your playing style. Great review. No garble chit chat. Thanks
Great demo Jaco once said it's all in your hands
fender sounds a bit better to me, a bit more bass and is nicier to hear, but certainly not a £1000 difference like someone said before
On the squier i changed the pickups ans potentiometers. Now it worth an usa JB.
difference is night and day imo but to my surprise i wouldn’t say either better or worse? tone is in the fingers and the gear only provides the range of noises that your fingers can access.
Squier sounds legit! Great playing! Solid work. 👏🏼 👏🏼
Nice playing and review, love it!
great review thank you so much!
Well played!! Fender sounds a bit more controlled and consistent, like there's a tiny bit of compression on. And soundwise a bit more body in de lower mids. Tiny differences though. And of course there will be a difference in resales value.
Just bought the squire pj bass but yet to hear it. This video helped me realise it was a good choice (although a slightly different model)
They don't sound much different. Good job, Squire! :)
Great comparison video! Sounds like the strings are newer on the squier when slapped.
Hey I'm looking at one of these for my daughter. I plug up a $1150 jazz bass with new strings and the $349 bass sounded better.
The difference in tone is *dramatic*, but that is not to say that the AmStd is necessarily *better*, it's just *different*, and might be better *for you*. However, individual instruments can and do vary. What's good about this video is that it shows how good an Affinity series bass really can be. The tone of this Affinity is absolutely usable in any setting. Don't forget that you have all the world of EQ and compression to tighten up or just alter your tone, too. And I say this as someone who has never and never would buy anything that wasn't top shelf. American Deluxe or better, for me. My first bass was a brand new 1992 Fender Jazz Bass Plus V Ash, Fender's top of the line bass at that time. I now play a 2000 Ernie Bass Music Man StingRay and a 2003 Warwick Custom Shop Corvette Proline. But, I didn't pick up bass until I was 25, so I could afford to buy pro grade instruments. I still advise people to buy a used, pro instrument if they can, in preference to a cheaper model, but rest assured, if all you can afford is a Squire Affinity, you will still be capable of great tone, with enough practice, and you will worry a lot less than I do about instrument thieves... :D
I liked Squier JB, the sound of Fender is a bit better, I didn't find such a big difference in them as in price ... I would buy this Squier quietly
Squier burgundy is beautiful
Very cool comparison, thanks!!!
I like the look of that Squire 👍, I've never seen an affinity in that color not even used. I have the classic vibe 60's and I really like it, we have a cool ised shop in town so i get to try a variety of Fenders from Japan, Mexico and USA and i tell you I'm more impressed with the classic vibe and non USA basses 🤷♂️. I had a Japanese P Bass in the mid 90's and that felt better than the USA's i tried back then as well.
I bought the Squier by Fender on sale for $299 and then later proceeded to buy a vintage 1974 Fender neck for two grand on ebay. I swapped the necks. Then I chance upon a 63' Fender Jazz body at a steal price of 1.2 grand on reverb and made the purchase, and swapped the bodies up. I then sold the Squier parts on Reverb and Ebay and made $100 out of the sale. I feel that I have done good.
Excellent demo, cheers
On a squier i changed the pickups and potentiometers. Now it worth an usa JB.
Certainly not a £1000 difference.
Maybe not for the sound. But definitely for the FEEL.
On the squier i changed the pickups ans potentiometers. Now it worth an usa JB.
@@Guitarisforgrins just smoothen the neck and fret ends, easy fix.
As you say very little difference, it’s all in the fit and finish.
in such good hands any bass sounds good
Fender's got the better-rounded tone, but Squire (by Fender lol) is right there.
The Squier wins. They sounded nearly identical until the slap style example.
The Fender, IMHO, has a slight edge in sound...the slap tone difference is where the Fender really shines. But the difference in price, again IMHO, is not justified. Change the pick-ups and hardware on the Squier, delete the name from the headstock and go into the studio.
Why i cant find live footage of squier players?
@@marchangel7462 Rocco Palladino.
Interesting video. I have a sire v3 second generation, does stainless steel strings have a brighter punch and “zing” to them compared to nickel? And what type of strings did you use on this video, stainless steel or nickel?
I liked the Squire.
Звук в руках, а не в инструменте! Исполнитель создаёт звук, а не инструмент! Thanks 👍
I really like your video, I also have the same bass as your burghundy squier
Well, pretty similar! I'll go for the Squier, much cheaper!
There's a difference but it's so slight that blind folded I'm sure they're interchangeable. If you're a pro or you just have the budget well I guess you'll get the Fender. But for everyone else the Squier is simply the best bang for the buck. With the money you save you can buy a descent amp that will make a difference in your sound.
It would be interesting to see/hear the two recorded like this BUT so you didn't know which was being played at any one time. I'll bet most ears wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a mix.
obvious difference in the slap part..but not worth the price difference for my needs for talent :P
The American does sound deeper/rounder than the Squier but for some reason the later sounded better when slapping.
Yes, the American sounds just slightly better, at least to my ears, but there's no way anyone would be able to tell which bass was used on a recording or listening live. For the money, the Squier is the CLEAR winner, and it's not even close. Plus, the burgundy mist is ultra cool. A matching headstock would have been even cooler.
Based on this video, I could not tell the difference. However, I did own an American Special Jazz Bass and now own an American Standard Jazz Bass. The American Standard was more expensive and had a sturdier bridge. When played side by sided the Standard Jazz bass had clearly better tone.
Currently have a black squier affinity with a custom light blue pearl pickguard, love it but thinking about upgrading to a fender player series because it does sound crisp, but the slap on your squier sounds sooo good
A few people have commented on the slap sound on the squier, I think it's the strings that make the difference for slap more than the bass.
I tried a squire jazz and fender player jazz today, and would definitely choose the squire over the player jazz bass. The sound was definitely better. Seems strange but that is true....😳
They both sound the same
When I watched the video, the image froze for some reason, and I thought you were playing the same bass all the time. Seriously, there is no significant difference, Squier sounds just a little brighter, especially on slap.
On the squier i changed the pickups ans potentiometers. Now it worth an usa JB.
I have a squier affinity j bass and its a realy nice bass... But i prefer my yamaha bb series.
Both sound so, so similar
I own a £2000 Fender Elite Precision and frankly I prefer my Squiers for playability. The trick is to play the bass in the shop before you buy.
OMG the difference is minute. I wonder what would happen if you used a top end Squier like a Vintage Modified or a Classic Vibe?
What year is that Squier? I don't think I've seen one in that colour besides a custom one I saw once.
The USA one definitely sounds deeper. Got a more complete tone. Trying to pick up one of the Squires
How come you didn’t play jazz on them? I mean it is a jazz bass.
Could you mod the squire to sound better like the fender, maybe like the pickups and bridge or nut..?
Squier jazz sounds good on the recording. Did you ever play live with squier? How does it cut through mix?
I've never played live with squier but I have with the Fender and found it doesn't cut that well. I have a Fender Jazz 24, which has maple top and active pre, so much brighter sound that I preper for live.
And with a couple of upgrades, the Squier will give its American brother a run for its money! Tuners and bridge to start with.
thanks. cool groove!
Maybe sounds the same, but take in on the road and see which one last longer!
Well, I own 3 Squiers at this time and the oldest was purchased new in '07, (deluxe active jazz bass V). It's been gigged since the day of purchase and still looks and sounds amazing. Probably because I take good care of my gear and I carry them in MONO cases...
Nice. i like the second song
Nice! Can u tell what strings are u using in the squier? Also whats the year of production
It's a 2013 model and still had the original strings at the time of recording.
I hear ABSOLUTELY no difference, That’s why I love Squire VM’s.