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Improve Your Bottom Line: Squier Vintage Modified Basses
By: Scott Fisher - George's Music
Lately, it seems like the price of things keeps going up while the quality goes down. But bass players arent feeling the pinch quite as badly these days because theyre getting help from some old friends the folks at Fender.For the past year
or so probably in some secret underground lab at their headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ Fender has been reversing the inflation trend by producing consistently better basses at lower prices. You heard right; BETTER basses at LOWER prices. And
at the forefront of this movement is the Fender Squier Vintage Modified Series. If you havent heard about these basses yet, youre in for a treat.The Vintage Modified Series comes in three distinct versions; the Precision Bass,
the Jazz Bass and the Jaguar Bass. All models are 4-string. (For bassists who just
have to have that low B, check out the Squier Deluxe 5-String. Its got Duncan Designed pickups, active EQ, and an Ebanol fretboard. One cool design feature the body is slightly larger than a
regular Jazz Bass to help balance the larger head stock needed for 5 tuners.)Anyway, back to the business at hand. The Vintage Modified line offers some great options that let you get the bass you want without emptying your bank account
- Rosewood or Maple fretboards (available on Precision & Jazz Models)
- Cool Block Inlays (available on Jazz & Jaguar Models)
- Duncan Designed Pickups (all three models!)
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Choice of Pickup Configurations
- The Jaguar offers the classic PJ layout or a Single High-Output Humbucker at the bridge (with an active 3-band EQ!)
- Left-Handed or Fretless* (available on Jazz models only)
- They even offer a short-scale Jaguar model!
Ive personally played four of these basses in-house The Jaguar Special, The Jaguar HB, the Deluxe Jazz and the Fretless Jazz Bass. Every one of them played great right out of the box given a few set-up tweaks here and there for personal
preference. There isnt one of them that I wouldnt feel comfortable playing onstage.To sum up: If youre a pro, the Vintage Modified Series is an inexpensive way to have a serviceable spare bass (or two) around in case your American Jazz IV
is in the shop or if youre gigging in places where your Marcus Miller Signature might get knocked over! If youre an intermediate player or a hobbyist, this Series is a great way to expand your collection of different basses for different
situations without breaking the bank. And if youre just starting out, well, I only wish I could have gotten a bass at this quality for this low a price when I was starting out!Stop into a Georges Music location near you and check out the
Squier Vintage Modified Bass Series today. Youll find they will improve your bottom line both sonically and financially.
* A note for fretless fans The Fretless Jazz model comes in Sunburst without the pick guard and looks incredibly similar to Jacos famous Fender Jazz. (without the dings, dents and worn
finish, of course) It has an active EQ. The lined fretboard is Ebanol a composite material that wears like iron, so you can feel free to use round wound strings to get maximum MWAH with minimum fretboard wear.
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