Fender Squier Affinity P-Bass Reviews 4

A few years ago my brother talked me into buying a bass guitar. Now, mind you, before that happened I had never seriously considered playing a musical instrument(imitations of Tom Cruise in Risky Business aside). Those who know what I am talking about know that that could not have been a pretty sight. This is not to say that I did not love music. I grew up rocking out to Van Halen, Judas Priest, and Ozzy (way before he became a dottering buffoon dad on that TV show). Then I moved on to the more "sophisticated" sounds of Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and the like. And now in my "golden years", I can be found most days happily wallowing in the heavy vibes of Staind,Three Doors Down, and Seether. And just when I was beginning to lament that there were no more good rock bands on the horizon, I caught wind of the Lostprophets, 12 Stones and Strata... which brings me back to why I let my brother talk me into buying a bass. I love music and he needed someone to practice with in between his band's weekly jams. Besides, I figured, there were only 4 strings, how hard could it be? Since he is a Fender man he steered me towards the Squier P-Bass and $300 bucks later (guitar, amp, case, strap, tuner and how-to video)I was a bass player.

The Squier P-Bass is, in my opinion, the best beginners bass on the market. I have played it now for several years and in the last year I have started shopping for my 'next step' guitar. Now mind you, I found some unbelievably fine sounding guitars out there. MusicMan, Spector, and even a used $3000 Lakland, to name a few. But, since my mom's dream of me becoming a rich and famous doctor fell through about the time I dropped out of college to "find myself", I am limited to the workingman's price range. But, the surprising thing I discovered was, there are many $500 guitars out there that don't sound all that much better than my Squier. I admit, I did replace the factory pickups with Bartolini's last year but the better pickups just revealed what a solid little bass this Squier really is for the peanut fare I payed for it. The highs are clear and piano-like, the mids stand out with a little snarl, and the low end makes the old lady next door call the police on a regular basis. What more could you want for an under $200 guitar?

It is really unfair to criticize any aspect of a guitar that costs less than $200. But if I had to name one thing I didn't like about my Squier, it was the tuxedo look (black body, white pickguard). Now, I know that is a classic look but it just didn't do it for me. The better I got, the more it bugged me. So, I shopped around and found it was not possible to find a 14 hole replacement pickguard in anything but white, unless I wanted a custom made for about 70 bucks. So, I did what any other aesthetically offended yet financially challenged musician would do... I spray painted it black. I sleep much better now.

For a budget priced guitar, this little Squier is amazingly well made. The fit and finish of the parts is without flaw. The mechanics work perfectly and have never given me a single problem. The volume and tone pots still work like new and the keys still hold their tune for weeks on end. In comparison, a friend of mine paid the same price I did for his Peavy and it has been in the shop for repairs more often than not. After 3 years of play (some of that by wannabe bassists who think physical abuse produces sweet music) this bass still plays like new.

Biggest bang for the buck. Bar none.

I love fat bottoms rated this unit 5 on 2004-10-07.

I bought this guitar from a shop in basildon for £160

It is an excellent bass for a beginner. The neck finish is really smooth, the frets are nice, if ure gonna learn to play bass but don't wanna cash out this guitar aint a bad choice, the sound is good, good for pick style as it has a pick guard.

I dont like this bass because it will fall apart easily, mine has had its odd bang but it doesnt work and i have had to re-solder it many times, it only has 20 frets which is a bummer. The sounds are a bit limited as well.

the quality as i said is cool but its lastability is shit, mine is dented and it hasnt been banged barely at all.

Great bass if u dont wanna cash out and want something that will last a year, but thats its limits, get a dean if u have the extra cash coz its worth the investment i played one in store and it is excellent

Ant rated this unit 3 on 2003-05-22.

I bought my Squire P-Bass from Gilbert's Guitar in Barrie, Ontario. I got it as my first bass when I was just learning how to play, I payed about $150 American for it.

The P-Bass puts out a great sound, and it seems to work perfectly for the style of music I play (punk), although I've seen it being used for almost all styles of music. It's not a flashy, exotic looking guitar, but it sounds great, is inexpensive, and has held up great for me, even after many failed attempts at swingin' it around Poison style. Also, i find that the shape of the P-Bass' neck feels perfect in my hand.

The guitar seems to be heavy, after playing for a while, my shoulder starts to hurt, and I'm sometimes left with a bruise after playing for a long time. Also, I don't like the angle of the input, as it causes my patch cord to stick straight out and get in the way of my hand if I'm playing with a pick. This has caused me to break a few pick guards after hitting the patch cord. A Strat style input would fix this.

The guitar appears to be of excellent quality and construction. It has been hurled into countless walls, ceilings, and floors, with out flinching. The guitar sounds as good, and plays as well as it did when i bought it.

The P-Bass is an excellent guitar for any beginer because of its low cost, and a good choice for all but the most advanced players, because it only offers one form of tone adjustment. It is built to superior quality, sounds great, and feels on par with bass' such as Godin's when playing. A great all around bass, and fun to play. Value=5/5 Quality=6/5

Brian rated this unit 5 on 2003-01-05.

I got my Squier P-Bass at Mundt Music in Longview, TX (good store; not a place that'll jack you all about). I got it as my 16th birthday present on April 5, 2002, and it was $229.99.

I like the quality I got, especially for such a low price.It has two knobs (volume and cleanliness of signal), which simplifies things greatly. It isn't too heavy, and the short scale length makes it easy for someone with short arms (present!) to play. It was even tuned perfectly when I got it. In fact, it actually has the perfect sound (when using a clean signal) to play most songs by such bass-heavy bands as Primus and older Metallica.

The neck is a bit too wide for someone with short fingers. The tuning is rather quick to decay with even gentle playing; I had already detuned it with my simplistic playing after only about twelve weeks. Naturally, since learning to really play, I give it more of a workout, and I tend to have to give it a tune-up about once a week. The stock top nut WILL break down if you're not really careful, so I suggest getting a new one (not made by Fender).

I wish they could've used a better method of attaching the neck than with screws, but it's held up pretty well sofar (knock wood). All in all, it is a very good instrument, nearly on the same level as its name-brand counterparts, the Fender Jazz and Precision Bass.

I really like this bass, and recommend it to anyone just starting out or on a tight budget.

satanic brassiere with a penis rated this unit 4 on 2002-09-02.

Acquired April 5, 2002, at Mundt Music in Longview, Texas; $229.99

The Affinity P-Bass is a good, solid bass with a very good sound. This is a good instrument for beginners, and also plays very well into grunge, indie rock, punk, and alternative music, among several others. This may not be a flashy, intimidating bass, but it'll kick the living hell out of some pretty big venues from my experience. The standard, four-string type is probably the best sort of bass, because it has less excess crap loading it down. As a performance instrument, it is very good; it has a good, rich sound, it's low-cost, and it can sound good with most kinds of music.

The weight can be somewhat cumbersome. Typically, after playing for the length of the average song, my entire frame is stressed and I often have a large red line over my shoulder and back from the strap. Furthermore, the strings are a bit too far apart for players with short fingers. I, for one, have short, fat fingers, which is prohibitive both in playing six-string due to constantly hitting more strings than desired, and for this bass, since I sometimes have trouble reaching all the way across the fingerboard.

This particular form of bass is well-put-together and solid. I would say the sound quality is quite excellent, and it is a good guitar all-around.

I like it, but it's not for everyone.

Bob the Phantom rated this unit 4 on 2002-08-02.

I got this bass guitar by ordering it online from www.musiciansfriend.com. I bought this bass because it was cheap and It looked good and my friend told me to buy it.

I like it because it is cheap for it is quality. It gives out a nice sound.

I don't like this bass because you can't adjust it very good, you only have volume control and tone control.

This bass guitar was made by Fender and most things made by Fender is great.

This is a great bass and anyone who wants to buy a bass thats is affordable yet great in quality I suggest buying this bass. Anyone can buy this not just beginners.

Chris rated this unit 4 on 2002-02-06.

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