This is a good production bass, notice they don't even sell this model anymore they sell the Classic Vibe instead of the Vintage Modified model. It's a good passive jazz bass.
I walked into a music store while walking thru town a couple of weeks ago, saw this bass, played it for about 10 minutes and knew on the spot that I couldn't let it get away. I slapped a deposit on it right away. Hearing you play completely confirmed what I already thought about this bass - ONE BASS TO. RULE THEM ALL!!!!
Lol let me assure you that the block inlays are NOT painted on. I used to think they were as well until one of mine popped out and I had to glue it back in :D
As a bassist for over 35 years I'd say you do a dam good Jaco, I have that bass in my collection also and yes, its not only a Squire, its a fender hands down, I gig mine quite often.
You can’t go wrong with Squier instruments. They deliver that classic Fender sound that is heard on thousands upon thousands of recordings for decades.
Yeah it makes a HUGE difference, I put a badass on my jazz a couple of months back and the sound difference is incredible, it stays in tune longer, the harmonics ring out better, adds a tonne of sustain, more punch
I hadn't been up-to-date with the Squier series for years. I was shocked at how well the vintage modified series was. Bought a VM fretless jazz bass and couldn't be happier with the price attached as well. I can see how with Fender's prices raised (since 2008), they can pull off a lot more on their budget side of things. Good job Fender.
Great to hear the bass played well in an ordinary room on primitive recording equipment. I've got one on order and feel this vid will give me realistic expectations.
It's the best bass. I have a vintage Chinese copy which I'm working on because it was so badly put together. It cost me 100 Euros. But as you say, there's lots of spare material to work with and I know it's going to end up working very well. Thanks for the encouragement. :)
Its hard to justify paying a Grand and more for a USA Fender. Even more difficult to pay $500 for a MIM. Squier delivers the goods. I've dropped Duncan 1/4 pounders in the affiinity series basses and they come to life. Great classic Jazz sound. That don't break the bank.
SixSentSoldiers Agreed fully. I was testing out amps one day with the above bass, and was completely gob-smacked at how awesome it sounded. I bought it ($389 CAD) and A/B'd it with my USA Geddy Lee. Needless to say, the Geddy went back to the store, and $1865 went back into my bank account. Love this bass. I was thinking about upgrading p'ups, but I love how it sounds. The only upgrades I've done is to put a high mass bridge, and some Rotosounds on. Everything else is stock.
Thanks for the great review. It helped me to decide to give it a try. My bass came a few weeks ago, and played well right out of the box. The strings are ok but not great, changed them .... better! I live in the very dry climate of Northern Nevada. The bass comes from Indonesia where it is hot and moist, so it was no surprise that there was considerable "fret sprout" (sharp edges). I took the bass to my luthier and he fixed that, plus leveled the frets to get rid of some buzz in the upper register. The bass plays like butter now. I ordered a Hipshot A style bridge and installed it myself. The extra mass and design of the new bridge added a great sustain, clarity and punch. So I have about $500 into the bass now, but I am a working bass player, and the Squire will stand up to any gig I take it to. I bought it because of some outdoor gigs I play where weather can be a concern. Love the bass!! The soft maple body has a quality of it's own. It is especially punchy. But tone is different too. This is not shy in the upper mids and highs. A low-mid boost around 100HZ helps round out the bottom, I found. If you are looking for a great inexpensive 5 string Fender bass, get one!
I just got one of these today in a 4 string. I just picked it up because it was inexpensive but played pretty nicely. I've kinda gotten used to playing customs, but was impressed by this bass.
Your video and another made my mind up to get this Bass. I'm primarily a Guitarist, but while my band is Bass-less, I needed to replace my Dean Edge 4 (I sold a couple years ago) for writing and recording purposes. I was really unsure of what to go for (Precision, Jazz, P/J mix) but I LOVED the all natural color scheme and black pickguard. Went to Guitar Center about 3 times this week and tried it out each time and fell in love w/it more and more. Finally purchased it earlier today and very glad I did. I was even more impressed w/this Squier than some of the $1, 000+ American Fenders I tried out. I do miss having the 21st fret, but if that's my only 'complaint' then I'm doing great LOL. I definitely recommend this Bass, Squier is really starting to upstage the true Fenders, especially in the Bass department. Thanks for this video and helping me make a great choice! Great playing, BTW!!!
This bassist could make a tissue box with rubber bands for strings sound great, so I can't tell how good that bass is. All joking aside, it's a good little bass. I've got a Squier J that I love... sound wise and feel wise. Thinned out the hurd last year, sold a few off... the Squier is still here.
Owning a Music man active s.u.b. bass..I wanted a Jazz bass too.Your videos are what made me purchase this bass.I couldn't be happier..I have the two best value in basses out there.Plus I have had a lot of fun upgrading this bass with an asure preamp seymour dunken quarter pounder passive pick ups a badass II bridge copper shielding..I even went as far as tinting the headstock darker like your 75 and puting a fender jazz bass decal on it.my next attempt is to put a bullet truss rod nut on it FUN
Just picked one up for $130.00...Dude bought it in 2007 never played it. Made in Indonesia. Not a scratch on it...Love it. I just to set up and some strings.
Good review. I own this bass, and I can't tell you how many people have heard it and the next thing out of their mouths is "that's a Squier?". The quality/tone rivals many MIM and MIA jazz Fenders I have played. Been my #1 go-to Jazz bass for over a year.
I've got one! I put a set of Rotary flat-wound strings on it and now it sound the dogs bollocks. In fact it also sounded very much like a double bass with the flat wounds, but not enough to stop me getting a double bass. If you have this bass, put some flat wounds on it- you won't regret it, and you'll never want round rounds again!
I love this bass. I don't play nearly as adept as you, being primarily a guitarist and songwriter. I did do a few simple cheap mods. I took the pickguard off. Sounds more resonate. I also changed the pots and caps, which really enhanced the tone. If it had vintage finish neck and rounded soft corner neck, like the MIA, some MIM and virtually all custom shop necks, this would be beyond incredible. As it is, I couldn't see selling it.
Great bass!!! I own an 83 J bass that I've had since new and was my main bass. Bought this bad boy two years ago and it has replaced it as my "go to" bass. A truly great bass at a steal of a price! I loved it so much, I bought the sunburst vintage modified as well. I plan on buying the 60's classic vibe next, and maybe the fretless as well. Great product you won't be dissapointed!!!
Thanks for great review man! This is best review of Squier VM 70 Jazz Bass on YT. I bought this bass as my second bass because of your review :) All the best!
When I wanted to get into playing Bass (I started out on guitar, and still at it) I was looking for something good and decent to start with.... This was it. A perfect starter guitar. I got it for about 275 from MF back in 2010. Still got it. Typically, I don't like Fender copies, but the name brand Squire doesn't really bother me here. Its actually built pretty well and plays nicely out of the box. The hardware is not the cheap tinsil metal that you find on many low-end guitars these days. It stays in tune. The pickups aren't bad. It's comfortable to play. Nothing more to say on that. Its great for anyone starting out their bass lines and even for gigging. I'm proud to have it standing up along with my other guitars and I plan on keeping it for a long time. Cheers.
@nowaytooslow Hey there!! Thanks and glad you dig the video!! This is a very versatile bass and for the price you can't beat it. I'm still very impressed by the quality you get for the price. I think you can make this bass as versatile as you need. I've played it one many different style gigs....top 40, recordings, pop, jazz.
My first bass bought used in 1970 was a 1965 J-bass that looked just like these Squier Vintage Modified J-Basses. Another difference was that my 65 J-bass had long stem tuners. These Squier Vintage Modified J-Basses don't have the long stem tuners. To bad, I sold the 65 J-Bass in 1975.
These new Squier's are so much better than previous Squier's. In the past they used plywood bodies. these ones are solid wood the bass in this video is solid maple as is the neck. the only cost cutting I can tell might be the hardware: bridge, machine heads, electrics.. everything else is quality. even the cheaper bridge & machine heads are perfectly decent. the PU's are perfectly fine too.
@pokebass1 You are correct!! Any natural finish bass with multiple body pieces will have visible seams. All old vintage Fenders in natural finish have visible body seams.
These basses are amazing. I have a classic vibe jazz bass and still can't find a bass that plays or sounds better with the exception of this one. The alnico pickups imo make all the difference and are a big factor as to why these models sound so good. Alnico pickups and jazz basses = amazing tone. So yeah get over Squier being on the headstock and grab one of these beauties.
This bass is my main bass now. I love it.. I use it for rock, blues.. sounds and plays great. it'll sound better when I put it through the Peavey TKO 115 I fancy getting.
Thanks a lot for replying! I really respect your abilities as a bass player. The vintage modified squire jazz fretless is a great bass as well. You can really get that Jaco tone!
@gbfendlover Glad you dig the video!! Thanks for checking it out!! I plugged straight into my Mark Bass Little Mark bass head into an Aguilar 112 cabinet, so the tone is pretty much the bass and I always run my amp flat and let my fingers and bass to the tone shaping. That being said....when I use the bass live I do like to use my Aguilar Tone Hammer DI/Pre amp to give the bass some more flexibility. I really love passive basses and they have a great growl that some ctive basses don't have.
Go for some Daddario or DR's, try gauges, 45-65-85-105-125. Start there and you'll be fine. In time just fine tune if you want lighter or heavier. Congrats on the bass!!
Great video ,and yes a great bass. I've owned mine for over a year. Just a couple things I'd like to mention in case someone is put off....You mentioned the binding and block inlays are painted. No. The inlays are decals, which is fairly standard for mid priced guitar companies, black dots as well, and the binding is actually a black phenolic material. I actually had to glue it back down after I nicked it putting in a brass nut. Just wanted to mention that, but it it a great bass. Cheers.
I have an olympic white vintage modified jazz bass with the red tortoise pickguard. I love it,,,it has fender pickups, not the Seymour. It growls like a fender!
yeah this bass is pretty much great for any kind of genre im getting this for metal and i get the sound i like i have looking for, for 2 years! and its sounds great through the cabinet i have!
I bought this bass and do not think I could ever get rid of it since it's so great. I like the bass better than a MIM. I do notice the maple wood makes it sound very bright, so I put DR Lo Riders and a Gotoh 201 bridge on it and it sounds great. I am most likely going to upgrade the pickups to Fralins soon....she's a keeper.
Good job showing finger style and slap on this bass. Thank you for being honest about the pickup spacing. I would prefer the 70's spacing, but the style and quality are there. Great Review!
@ZONEGX Hi Zone, thanks for checking out my video!! The bass is great!! Actually all of the Squier Vintage Modified basses seem to be "higher end" Squiers...if there really is a thing...haha!! They are built to sound great, play great, and they are ready for gigs, recordings, etc....I think the reason there is the skepticism is because of the price, a giggable, recordable, bass for $300 or less is kind of unheard of. Bottom line, they are great basses for beginners all the way to pro players.
Awesome Review. Thanks. I just bought this same bass, a 2006 Indonesia made for $225 delivered from a seller on reverb.com. I'm mostly a guitar player. I had to adjust (tighten) the truss rod as the neck had a decent bow to it. In my opinion, The action on this bass could be a lil better, I had adjusted the action lower, to where it won't buzz. But I still would like a little better action. So Overall I give this bass an 8+. A steal for $225. A very beautiful bass indeed.
Great vid! , and because of this video and other countless positive reviews i have read online, I went out and purchased this bass ! After a quick truss rod setup and some intonation setup , this bass not only sounds awesome but plays awesome! Cheers to Squire!
Bass sounds great I'm waiting on mine to arrive...candy apple red..I'm a fender man....3 five strings fender and now I'll have three 4 strings. You sound great bro👍
I don't know how old your bass is (considering this is a 6 year old post) but the examples I've seen, including my own (circa 2014) Squier VM 70's bass, have REAL block inlays, dots and bindings. The blocks and bindings appear to be of the same black synthetic material. There's also a real WOOD inlay on the back of the neck. Excellent craftsmanship, especially for the money. I don't know if these "not real" claims are just a myth or perhaps Fender has more recently upped their game with the Squier division. Edit: ah, I just noticed your edit saying your blocks are inlaid. Anyway Steve, I forgot to say that I agree with you that this is an awesome bass and I've heard some gigging bassists are gigging with it because they get the sound they want out of it and are not as afraid of losing or damaging it since it doesn't cost that much.
I actually bought a set of these Duncan Design pickups from one of these basses and put it on my squire affinity and it sounds really nice. I guy was selling them on CraigsList for $20
@asshazard Hey Bro!! Thanks for checking out the video!! This is a review for the basic Vintage Modified Jazz, I'd love to get my hands on a 77 VM Jazz. Maybe I'll gt one of thoses from Fender next!!! They look awesome!!!
As you can see I have the very same bass and love it. I tested the Fender and the Squier at the store and could not justify the extra 400 bucks to go with the Fender.
Good review - I also believe it's great value for the money. I just got my VM 70's jazz bass about two months ago- before I bought it I played the VM jazz bass and then I played the Fender MIA Jazz bass back to back into the same amp - same eq settings everything and I could not hear or feel that much of a difference. At least not to justify the $600+ difference in price. My only comment on the bass is it lacked the uumph when playing live so I have just placed an order for the Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pickups. Hope to have them in a week or two. I fully expected to upgrade the pickups as one thing manufactures will do is put in cheaper electronics in order to keep the price down. All in all a great bass and great value for your dollar. - my two cents
@TheRecode Thanks so much!! These basses definitely vary in weight, they're not the lightest but definitely manageable. Between this bass and the Sterling, two different animals. Music Man 1 pickup, VM Jazz 2 pickups. I think the Jazz will be more versatile, but if you're looking for the Music Man sound the sterling is awesome!!
Go play them both. Have a friend play them both. All depends on what you feel/hear. Good looks are also important, because if you find one that fits you right, you'll WANT to pick it up and practice all the time.
man thank you! i found this bass at GC tonight and i played it AMAZING the sound is crisp the body is well balanced the wood work is beautiful and the pickups i love them... this is the bass ive been looking for! thank you Steve and also can you put up vids on how to so slap bass?
Thanks heaps for you vid mate. Im an intermediate playand my affinity i have given to my son. I was looking at the highway 1 but was unsure if the extra money would make any difference with my bedroom playing. I found an ad for these and have found your vid a great help. I belive i will get one!!!!!
got one of these basses used sweetest neck sounds great plays great beautiful paint job can't believe how heavy. And may I just say great bass playing mr reviewer
i purchased one of these guitars and i will say that the "off the shelf" setup is pretty horrible, in my opinion. The action is tendon busting BUT i lowered the saddles, adjusted the truss and put on some rotosound RS 66LA extra light gauge (85, 65, 50, 30) swing bass strings and the transformation was astounding. the action is amazing and its now like playing on air. The guitar itself realy is nice for the price. if your looking for the jaco sound at a cheap price get it NOW! ;) great vid too
@TheMusicOnMax I do believe the extra charge is probably for the natural finish. As long as both bodies are maple I believe they would pretty much be similar
Steve, Squier has a newer version out, with what they call Fender-designed pups, and the neck is high-gloss (although it doesn't have the usual stickiness) so it matches the body better, which is even better than this version. The pups are a tad hotter, a bit more low-end to boot. Worth trading up for. Or if you can get your hands on one and compare it to this one, it might be a handy video. Cheers.
nerkoids I definitely need to get my hands on the newer Squiers for sure!! They really have brought the Squier line way up in terms of quality!! Thanks for the heads up!!
Ok so about a year ago i went shopping for this bass ended up getting an ibanez Tmb 310 Talman bass, which is Ibanez version of a vintage 60s bass,now a year later,I finally got my Cm 70s,and honestly you get SO much more for less money from ibanez,stack knobs, not 1 preamp but 3 preamps inside its active electronics,let aline real square inlays and resl binding,now i will say the craftmanship on the squire IS better,as i had to change a lot if hardware on the tmb, longer screws,new tuners etc. Dont get me wrong I LOVE my Vm70s,id like to actually see a video made comparing the 2 ,because they are very similar,yet still different both got the vintage style tones down perfectly
You are good at slapping! Just to let everybody know who's wondering, you don't really have to change the strings or pickups, but they do generally make it better. But I got this exact bass about four months ago, haven't changed a thing, and it still contains that sweet, thick, bass-ish sound as it did when I first got it out of it's box. So very optional to modify it, it's recommended, but I don't think that big of a difference anyways. Your welcome. ;)
Got mine new in white as a factory 2nd. $210. Love it. Been playing it live a lot and it plays like a dream. Not sure why it was a 2nd, as I can't find anything wrong with it.
@805oxnard805 Thanks bro!! Not to throw a wrench in your decision...but I just received a VM Jaguar that is pretty darn sweet too!! Same Squier quality!! These are amazing basses for the price!!! Thanks for checking out the video!!
@94Rudro Congrats on the new bass!!! I definitely think putting some new strings on the bass will make a HUGE difference!! I'm not the biggest fan of the stock strings. I like DR or Daddario strings, very consistent. Also, make sure the bass is set up to your playing style. Hope this helps!!
@bcarman14 Hey man!! Thanks for checking out the video!! I would for sure recommend this bass for punk or anything else. I would also check out the Squier Jaguar since it has a P-bass pickup, pretty killer too. Either way you can't go wrong!!
Great review! Thanks so much. I've got the Squier Deluxe Jazz Bass Active V 5-String which is surprisingly a very nice bass. It has a Basswood body, Maple neck with Ebonol fretboard and of course...active pups. Have to check the Vintage Modified out. It seems thicker, ballsier sounding, more natural, kinda like that.
Very good review. I have had in excess of two dozen Fender basses. I currently play a Squier Vintage Modified 70's P bass and the same bass you reviewed above in white. I have found the Squiers to be every bit as good as any of the Fender basses I have owned including an original '58 P-bass. I do change-out the pickups, but not because the factory pickups are not good. I just prefer Dimarzios on my P and J basses.
The precision would probably be the best option for punk, I play punk and I have some trouble playing with a jazz bass mostly because of the action of the bass
I have one of these. The neck is amazing! I've had an American Standard Jazz Bass and I bet that if you did a blindfold test then it would be interesting to see what would happen. I hate the bridge though, going to put a Babicz in I think. It cost me £246!
@FinestxGB Haha!! Thanks! I love skating, I was never too good but just love the feeling of urethane wheels cruising on concrete!!! Now I have my dog pull me on my Longboard, sidewalk surfing at its best!!
@theishing1 Thanks so much and I'm truly happy that this review has helped!! I know from my own experience, I prefer the VM Jazz over the MIM Jazz. I'm sure you will find people on the other side of the fence also. All I know is that the VM Jazz is "gig ready" right out of the box with no modifications. If you can, get the basses on gigs/rehearsals/recording sessions, that will give you your answer. Hope this helps bro!!
I believe the only difference is body material. The black one is made out of a fancy sounding material that's really "basswood" and this one is made from soft maple.
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This is a good production bass, notice they don't even sell this model anymore they sell the Classic Vibe instead of the Vintage Modified model. It's a good passive jazz bass.
I walked into a music store while walking thru town a couple of weeks ago, saw this bass, played it for about 10 minutes and knew on the spot that I couldn't let it get away. I slapped a deposit on it right away. Hearing you play completely confirmed what I already thought about this bass - ONE BASS TO. RULE THEM ALL!!!!
Lol let me assure you that the block inlays are NOT painted on. I used to think they were as well until one of mine popped out and I had to glue it back in :D
As a bassist for over 35 years I'd say you do
a dam good Jaco, I have that bass in my collection
also and yes, its not only a Squire, its a fender hands down,
I gig mine quite often.
You can’t go wrong with Squier instruments. They deliver that classic Fender sound that is heard on thousands upon thousands of recordings for decades.
Yeah it makes a HUGE difference, I put a badass on my jazz a couple of months back and the sound difference is incredible, it stays in tune longer, the harmonics ring out better, adds a tonne of sustain, more punch
The independent shirt makes you trust worthy
Thanks my friend and they still make the best trucks ever!!!!
This is weirdly true
The Bass Hang my fat ass Broke many Indy king pins back in the day 😂
This is how a bass review should be. I'm gonna get the Squier Vintage Modified 5-string jazz
I hadn't been up-to-date with the Squier series for years. I was shocked at how well the vintage modified series was. Bought a VM fretless jazz bass and couldn't be happier with the price attached as well. I can see how with Fender's prices raised (since 2008), they can pull off a lot more on their budget side of things. Good job Fender.
Great to hear the bass played well in an ordinary room on primitive recording equipment. I've got one on order and feel this vid will give me realistic expectations.
It's the best bass. I have a vintage Chinese copy which I'm working on because it was so badly put together. It cost me 100 Euros. But as you say, there's lots of spare material to work with and I know it's going to end up working very well. Thanks for the encouragement. :)
Its hard to justify paying a Grand and more for a USA Fender. Even more difficult to pay $500 for a MIM. Squier delivers the goods. I've dropped Duncan 1/4 pounders in the affiinity series basses and they come to life. Great classic Jazz sound. That don't break the bank.
SixSentSoldiers Agreed fully. I was testing out amps one day with the above bass, and was completely gob-smacked at how awesome it sounded. I bought it ($389 CAD) and A/B'd it with my USA Geddy Lee. Needless to say, the Geddy went back to the store, and $1865 went back into my bank account. Love this bass. I was thinking about upgrading p'ups, but I love how it sounds. The only upgrades I've done is to put a high mass bridge, and some Rotosounds on. Everything else is stock.
Thanks for the great review. It helped me to decide to give it a try. My bass came a few weeks ago, and played well right out of the box. The strings are ok but not great, changed them .... better! I live in the very dry climate of Northern Nevada. The bass comes from Indonesia where it is hot and moist, so it was no surprise that there was considerable "fret sprout" (sharp edges). I took the bass to my luthier and he fixed that, plus leveled the frets to get rid of some buzz in the upper register. The bass plays like butter now. I ordered a Hipshot A style bridge and installed it myself. The extra mass and design of the new bridge added a great sustain, clarity and punch. So I have about $500 into the bass now, but I am a working bass player, and the Squire will stand up to any gig I take it to. I bought it because of some outdoor gigs I play where weather can be a concern. Love the bass!! The soft maple body has a quality of it's own. It is especially punchy. But tone is different too. This is not shy in the upper mids and highs. A low-mid boost around 100HZ helps round out the bottom, I found. If you are looking for a great inexpensive 5 string Fender bass, get one!
Sweet!! And stoked you like the bass. It's a true workhorse!!!! Thanks!!
Thanks for the great post. Helpful ideas here.
I knew he was gonna be a good bass player when I saw the Jaco Pastorius book on the stand :P
Got this about a year ago, put Rotosound Swings on it. I use it for Pop Punk and Alternative and it works PERFECT. Best bass I've owned.
I just got one of these today in a 4 string. I just picked it up because it was inexpensive but played pretty nicely. I've kinda gotten used to playing customs, but was impressed by this bass.
Very in depth review by a REAL bassist. I was hesitant about the Squier name...not anymore.
Not to mention the look of this one is hands down the best. Something about a natural finish to me. Rather than paint
Your video and another made my mind up to get this Bass. I'm primarily a Guitarist, but while my band is Bass-less, I needed to replace my Dean Edge 4 (I sold a couple years ago) for writing and recording purposes. I was really unsure of what to go for (Precision, Jazz, P/J mix) but I LOVED the all natural color scheme and black pickguard. Went to Guitar Center about 3 times this week and tried it out each time and fell in love w/it more and more. Finally purchased it earlier today and very glad I did. I was even more impressed w/this Squier than some of the $1, 000+ American Fenders I tried out. I do miss having the 21st fret, but if that's my only 'complaint' then I'm doing great LOL. I definitely recommend this Bass, Squier is really starting to upstage the true Fenders, especially in the Bass department. Thanks for this video and helping me make a great choice! Great playing, BTW!!!
Thanks guys!! Great instrument.
Also, the blocks on the neck are inlays not printed, I will fix that in my review.
This bassist could make a tissue box with rubber bands for strings sound great, so I can't tell how good that bass is. All joking aside, it's a good little bass. I've got a Squier J that I love... sound wise and feel wise. Thinned out the hurd last year, sold a few off... the Squier is still here.
still have mine from 10 years ago.
slaps fantastic and very bright!
chords sounds great as well!
Owning a Music man active s.u.b. bass..I wanted a Jazz bass too.Your videos are what made me purchase this bass.I couldn't be happier..I have the two best value in basses out there.Plus I have had a lot of fun upgrading this bass with an asure preamp seymour dunken quarter pounder passive pick ups a badass II bridge copper shielding..I even went as far as tinting the headstock darker like your 75 and puting a fender jazz bass decal on it.my next attempt is to put a bullet truss rod nut on it FUN
Just picked one up for $130.00...Dude bought it in 2007 never played it. Made in Indonesia. Not a scratch on it...Love it. I just to set up and some strings.
Incredibly great instrument for the price,bought two in the past 3 months,the same as yours and a fretless one. Great review.
THANKS I FEEL LIKE I KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT THIS BASS. YOU REALLY SHOWED IN YOUR PLAYING HOW VERSATILE THIS BASS IS I LOVE THE JACO STYLE EXAMPLE.
Good review. I own this bass, and I can't tell you how many people have heard it and the next thing out of their mouths is "that's a Squier?". The quality/tone rivals many MIM and MIA jazz Fenders I have played. Been my #1 go-to Jazz bass for over a year.
I've got one! I put a set of Rotary flat-wound strings on it and now it sound the dogs bollocks. In fact it also sounded very much like a double bass with the flat wounds, but not enough to stop me getting a double bass. If you have this bass, put some flat wounds on it- you won't regret it, and you'll never want round rounds again!
I love this bass. I don't play nearly as adept as you, being primarily a guitarist and songwriter. I did do a few simple cheap mods. I took the pickguard off. Sounds more resonate. I also changed the pots and caps, which really enhanced the tone. If it had vintage finish neck and rounded soft corner neck, like the MIA, some MIM and virtually all custom shop necks, this would be beyond incredible. As it is, I couldn't see selling it.
Great bass!!! I own an 83 J bass that I've had since new and was my main bass. Bought this bad boy two years ago and it has replaced it as my "go to" bass. A truly great bass at a steal of a price! I loved it so much, I bought the sunburst vintage modified as well. I plan on buying the 60's classic vibe next, and maybe the fretless as well. Great product you won't be dissapointed!!!
I've since bought the 60s classic vibe precison, and a PJ bass as well. For the price, they are really good basses.
Thanks for great review man! This is best review of Squier VM 70 Jazz Bass on YT. I bought this bass as my second bass because of your review :)
All the best!
When I wanted to get into playing Bass (I started out on guitar, and still at it) I was looking for something good and decent to start with.... This was it. A perfect starter guitar. I got it for about 275 from MF back in 2010. Still got it. Typically, I don't like Fender copies, but the name brand Squire doesn't really bother me here. Its actually built pretty well and plays nicely out of the box. The hardware is not the cheap tinsil metal that you find on many low-end guitars these days. It stays in tune. The pickups aren't bad. It's comfortable to play. Nothing more to say on that. Its great for anyone starting out their bass lines and even for gigging. I'm proud to have it standing up along with my other guitars and I plan on keeping it for a long time. Cheers.
I have the 4 and 5 string versions. The 5 has become my main workhorse and has paid for itself way over than what I paid for it. great basses.
Was so surprised with how well the pick ups sounded on this bass, above traditional squire standards for sure
Your Melting my mind with those riffs!!
I’ve just got the classic vibe version of this it has a darker neck looks great.
@nowaytooslow Hey there!! Thanks and glad you dig the video!! This is a very versatile bass and for the price you can't beat it. I'm still very impressed by the quality you get for the price. I think you can make this bass as versatile as you need. I've played it one many different style gigs....top 40, recordings, pop, jazz.
I bought the bass, can't believe I can get such fantastic sound with the price I paid. Great review man.. Thanks
My first bass bought used in 1970 was a 1965 J-bass that looked just like these Squier Vintage Modified J-Basses. Another difference was that my 65 J-bass had long stem tuners. These Squier Vintage Modified J-Basses don't have the long stem tuners. To bad, I sold the 65 J-Bass in 1975.
These new Squier's are so much better than previous Squier's. In the past they used plywood bodies. these ones are solid wood the bass in this video is solid maple as is the neck. the only cost cutting I can tell might be the hardware: bridge, machine heads, electrics.. everything else is quality. even the cheaper bridge & machine heads are perfectly decent. the PU's are perfectly fine too.
Best bass I own is one of these. It's the best bass I've ever played.
Also I had one of those basses and recommend it greatly esp for the price. I want to get another one soon.
@pokebass1 You are correct!! Any natural finish bass with multiple body pieces will have visible seams. All old vintage Fenders in natural finish have visible body seams.
These basses are amazing. I have a classic vibe jazz bass and still can't find a bass that plays or sounds better with the exception of this one. The alnico pickups imo make all the difference and are a big factor as to why these models sound so good. Alnico pickups and jazz basses = amazing tone. So yeah get over Squier being on the headstock and grab one of these beauties.
This bass is my main bass now. I love it.. I use it for rock, blues.. sounds and plays great. it'll sound better when I put it through the Peavey TKO 115 I fancy getting.
Thanks a lot for replying! I really respect your abilities as a bass player. The vintage modified squire jazz fretless is a great bass as well. You can really get that Jaco tone!
@gbfendlover Glad you dig the video!! Thanks for checking it out!! I plugged straight into my Mark Bass Little Mark bass head into an Aguilar 112 cabinet, so the tone is pretty much the bass and I always run my amp flat and let my fingers and bass to the tone shaping. That being said....when I use the bass live I do like to use my Aguilar Tone Hammer DI/Pre amp to give the bass some more flexibility. I really love passive basses and they have a great growl that some ctive basses don't have.
Go for some Daddario or DR's, try gauges, 45-65-85-105-125. Start there and you'll be fine. In time just fine tune if you want lighter or heavier. Congrats on the bass!!
Great video ,and yes a great bass. I've owned mine for over a year. Just a couple things I'd like to mention in case someone is put off....You mentioned the binding and block inlays are painted.
No. The inlays are decals, which is fairly standard for mid priced guitar companies, black dots as well, and the binding is actually a black phenolic material. I actually had to glue it back down after I nicked it putting in a brass nut. Just wanted to mention that, but it it a great bass.
Cheers.
I have an olympic white vintage modified jazz bass with the red tortoise pickguard. I love it,,,it has fender pickups, not the Seymour. It growls like a fender!
yeah this bass is pretty much great for any kind of genre im getting this for metal and i get the sound i like i have looking for, for 2 years! and its sounds great through the cabinet i have!
I bought this bass and do not think I could ever get rid of it since it's so great. I like the bass better than a MIM. I do notice the maple wood makes it sound very bright, so I put DR Lo Riders and a Gotoh 201 bridge on it and it sounds great. I am most likely going to upgrade the pickups to Fralins soon....she's a keeper.
I've had the bass for about 10 months now. I love it! It sounds and plays great. It's heavy. Get a good strap!
Good job showing finger style and slap on this bass.
Thank you for being honest about the pickup spacing. I would prefer the 70's spacing, but the style and quality are there.
Great Review!
@ZONEGX Hi Zone, thanks for checking out my video!! The bass is great!! Actually all of the Squier Vintage Modified basses seem to be "higher end" Squiers...if there really is a thing...haha!! They are built to sound great, play great, and they are ready for gigs, recordings, etc....I think the reason there is the skepticism is because of the price, a giggable, recordable, bass for $300 or less is kind of unheard of.
Bottom line, they are great basses for beginners all the way to pro players.
Squire has really stepped its game up.
Awesome Review. Thanks. I just bought this same bass, a 2006 Indonesia made for $225 delivered from a seller on reverb.com. I'm mostly a guitar player. I had to adjust (tighten) the truss rod as the neck had a decent bow to it.
In my opinion, The action on this bass could be a lil better, I had adjusted the action lower, to where it won't buzz. But I still would like a little better action. So Overall I give this bass an 8+. A steal for $225. A very beautiful bass indeed.
just ordered this bad boy. Can't wait to get my hands on it! superb playing by the way!
Great vid! , and because of this video and other countless positive reviews i have read online, I went out and purchased this bass ! After a quick truss rod setup and some intonation setup , this bass not only sounds awesome but plays awesome! Cheers to Squire!
Bass sounds great I'm waiting on mine to arrive...candy apple red..I'm a fender man....3 five strings fender and now I'll have three 4 strings.
You sound great bro👍
I don't know how old your bass is (considering this is a 6 year old post) but the examples I've seen, including my own (circa 2014) Squier VM 70's bass, have REAL block inlays, dots and bindings. The blocks and bindings appear to be of the same black synthetic material. There's also a real WOOD inlay on the back of the neck. Excellent craftsmanship, especially for the money. I don't know if these "not real" claims are just a myth or perhaps Fender has more recently upped their game with the Squier division.
Edit: ah, I just noticed your edit saying your blocks are inlaid. Anyway Steve, I forgot to say that I agree with you that this is an awesome bass and I've heard some gigging bassists are gigging with it because they get the sound they want out of it and are not as afraid of losing or damaging it since it doesn't cost that much.
I actually bought a set of these Duncan Design pickups from one of these basses and put it on my squire affinity and it sounds really nice. I guy was selling them on CraigsList for $20
@asshazard Hey Bro!! Thanks for checking out the video!! This is a review for the basic Vintage Modified Jazz, I'd love to get my hands on a 77 VM Jazz. Maybe I'll gt one of thoses from Fender next!!! They look awesome!!!
@geetar4yerears Thanks for clearing that up!! Fender is dong a great job with these Squiers!! Thanks again for checking out the video!!!!
As you can see I have the very same bass and love it. I tested the Fender and the Squier at the store and could not justify the extra 400 bucks to go with the Fender.
That bass sounds rad.
Good review - I also believe it's great value for the money. I just got my VM 70's jazz bass about two months ago- before I bought it I played the VM jazz bass and then I played the Fender MIA Jazz bass back to back into the same amp - same eq settings everything and I could not hear or feel that much of a difference. At least not to justify the $600+ difference in price.
My only comment on the bass is it lacked the uumph when playing live so I have just placed an order for the Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pickups. Hope to have them in a week or two. I fully expected to upgrade the pickups as one thing manufactures will do is put in cheaper electronics in order to keep the price down. All in all a great bass and great value for your dollar. - my two cents
i must own this divinely given creation!
@TheRecode Thanks so much!! These basses definitely vary in weight, they're not the lightest but definitely manageable. Between this bass and the Sterling, two different animals. Music Man 1 pickup, VM Jazz 2 pickups. I think the Jazz will be more versatile, but if you're looking for the Music Man sound the sterling is awesome!!
Go play them both. Have a friend play them both. All depends on what you feel/hear. Good looks are also important, because if you find one that fits you right, you'll WANT to pick it up and practice all the time.
man thank you! i found this bass at GC tonight and i played it AMAZING the sound is crisp the body is well balanced the wood work is beautiful and the pickups i love them... this is the bass ive been looking for! thank you Steve
and also can you put up vids on how to so slap bass?
I was looking for a bass and this video made me buy this one! It is fantastic! Thank you for making this video!!!
A good starter bass and good for pro's alike. The nut is the same width as a Strat.
This is a very nice bass and it is also my favorite of the squier series but that particular one is nice.
Thanks heaps for you vid mate. Im an intermediate playand my affinity i have given to my son. I was looking at the highway 1 but was unsure if the extra money would make any difference with my bedroom playing. I found an ad for these and have found your vid a great help. I belive i will get one!!!!!
got one of these basses used sweetest neck sounds great plays great beautiful paint job can't believe how heavy. And may I just say great bass playing mr reviewer
i purchased one of these guitars and i will say that the "off the shelf" setup is pretty horrible, in my opinion. The action is tendon busting BUT i lowered the saddles, adjusted the truss and put on some rotosound RS 66LA extra light gauge (85, 65, 50, 30) swing bass strings and the transformation was astounding. the action is amazing and its now like playing on air. The guitar itself realy is nice for the price. if your looking for the jaco sound at a cheap price get it NOW! ;) great vid too
I have this exact bass and freakin love it!! I play it through an ampeg and get great high and low tones out of it
@John Barry Thanks and glad you dig the bass!!
I bought one recently.. awesome bass.. why buy a Fender when these play so well and sound so good..
@TheMusicOnMax I do believe the extra charge is probably for the natural finish. As long as both bodies are maple I believe they would pretty much be similar
Steve, Squier has a newer version out, with what they call Fender-designed pups, and the neck is high-gloss (although it doesn't have the usual stickiness) so it matches the body better, which is even better than this version. The pups are a tad hotter, a bit more low-end to boot. Worth trading up for. Or if you can get your hands on one and compare it to this one, it might be a handy video.
Cheers.
nerkoids I definitely need to get my hands on the newer Squiers for sure!! They really have brought the Squier line way up in terms of quality!! Thanks for the heads up!!
I`ve bought the latest version as u say...
Thanks for the review, sounds great! And I love seeing your Seagull acoustic in the background...looks just like mine!
Ok so about a year ago i went shopping for this bass ended up getting an ibanez Tmb 310 Talman bass, which is Ibanez version of a vintage 60s bass,now a year later,I finally got my Cm 70s,and honestly you get SO much more for less money from ibanez,stack knobs, not 1 preamp but 3 preamps inside its active electronics,let aline real square inlays and resl binding,now i will say the craftmanship on the squire IS better,as i had to change a lot if hardware on the tmb, longer screws,new tuners etc. Dont get me wrong I LOVE my Vm70s,id like to actually see a video made comparing the 2 ,because they are very similar,yet still different both got the vintage style tones down perfectly
You are good at slapping! Just to let everybody know who's wondering, you don't really have to change the strings or pickups, but they do generally make it better. But I got this exact bass about four months ago, haven't changed a thing, and it still contains that sweet, thick, bass-ish sound as it did when I first got it out of it's box. So very optional to modify it, it's recommended, but I don't think that big of a difference anyways. Your welcome. ;)
Got mine new in white as a factory 2nd. $210. Love it. Been playing it live a lot and it plays like a dream. Not sure why it was a 2nd, as I can't find anything wrong with it.
@805oxnard805 Thanks bro!! Not to throw a wrench in your decision...but I just received a VM Jaguar that is pretty darn sweet too!! Same Squier quality!! These are amazing basses for the price!!! Thanks for checking out the video!!
@94Rudro Congrats on the new bass!!! I definitely think putting some new strings on the bass will make a HUGE difference!! I'm not the biggest fan of the stock strings. I like DR or Daddario strings, very consistent. Also, make sure the bass is set up to your playing style. Hope this helps!!
@bcarman14 Hey man!! Thanks for checking out the video!! I would for sure recommend this bass for punk or anything else. I would also check out the Squier Jaguar since it has a P-bass pickup, pretty killer too. Either way you can't go wrong!!
Great review! Thanks so much. I've got the Squier Deluxe Jazz Bass Active V 5-String which is surprisingly a very nice bass. It has a Basswood body, Maple neck with Ebonol fretboard and of course...active pups. Have to check the Vintage Modified out. It seems thicker, ballsier sounding, more natural, kinda like that.
Insightful review. The bass sounds good, but then again, you'd make rubber bands stretched across a plank sound great.
Very good review. I have had in excess of two dozen Fender basses. I currently play a Squier Vintage Modified 70's P bass and the same bass you reviewed above in white. I have found the Squiers to be every bit as good as any of the Fender basses I have owned including an original '58 P-bass. I do change-out the pickups, but not because the factory pickups are not good. I just prefer Dimarzios on my P and J basses.
The precision would probably be the best option for punk, I play punk and I have some trouble playing with a jazz bass mostly because of the action of the bass
I can't wait to get this(left handed though) $350 seems like a steal from what I've heard about it and what it looks like.
I have one of these. The neck is amazing! I've had an American Standard Jazz Bass and I bet that if you did a blindfold test then it would be interesting to see what would happen. I hate the bridge though, going to put a Babicz in I think. It cost me £246!
@FinestxGB Haha!! Thanks! I love skating, I was never too good but just love the feeling of urethane wheels cruising on concrete!!! Now I have my dog pull me on my Longboard, sidewalk surfing at its best!!
Great review (and chops!). I already ordered one but now I'm really looking forward to when it arrives in the shop.
@theishing1 Thanks so much and I'm truly happy that this review has helped!! I know from my own experience, I prefer the VM Jazz over the MIM Jazz. I'm sure you will find people on the other side of the fence also. All I know is that the VM Jazz is "gig ready" right out of the box with no modifications. If you can, get the basses on gigs/rehearsals/recording sessions, that will give you your answer. Hope this helps bro!!
I was looking at this for my next bass, you just convinced me, thank you so very much for a great review.
I believe the only difference is body material. The black one is made out of a fancy sounding material that's really "basswood" and this one is made from soft maple.