I'm by no means a guitar snob or someone who can afford high end guitars,but I always considered Squire a starter or entry level brand,this bass has changed my mind.I have 4 other basses that I paid $400-$950 for so this bass is a helluva a deal to me.I've been playing bass for over 30 yrs & I play in a local country/rock band that does about 75 to 80 gigs a year so I buy my guitars to play not just to collect dust.I mainly play a Dean 5 string fretless but always take another bass as a spare or to change my sound on certain songs.I have stared to pick this bass up on a few more songs just because it's fun to play. I don't regret buying this bass & would buy it again.A Fender re-issue isn't in my budget right now,but this one is.

Sound
The Duncan Design pick ups are pretty hot for just being passive.I am able to coax a wide variety of sounds out of this bass,from the familiar Jazz Bass growl to a Precision tone to an almost Rickenbacker-like tone with a lot of treble & punch.It's all just finding the right combination of p/u volumes & tone control,but it's a very clean sounding bass,even with factory strings.I've read several reviews where people have changed them & gotten a better sound.Slap it,finger it or pick it,it's all good.

Features
There are no special features,it's a straight forward bass guitar.It would have been nice to include a gig bag as another reviewer suggested,but at under $300,I can afford to buy… read more a "real" case for it. All materials & components are tight,solid & work flawlessly out of the box.I really like the maple neck & the body is very solid as well.It has the weight of a much more expensive instrument.Also I wish they had a 5 string version.

Ease of Use
It's a bass guitar,either you know how to play it or you don't.There is no manual,you have two pick up volume controls & a tone control. The reason I gave it a 9 is because like other reviewers,I found the string action to be a little high,but not unplayable.This may discourage a person if they are just learning on this bass,but it's something that can be adjusted.Do it yourself if you know what you doing or most guitar shops in my area will do a complete set-up for $30-$40.

Quality
This is a solid bass,the one I got was pretty much perfect,except one of the tuning keys is a little loose,but it doesn't cause it to go out of tune.Nice finish,very smooth,fret work is good,all knobs tight & smooth.The chrome parts are plated so after a few years of steady gigging they may start to look funky,but that's just a guess.(I plan to take it to most of my gigs,I always take 2 basses.)The binding on the neck is really nice so I wish the "block inlays" weren't just painted on,but hey for under 3 bills...and from the stage it looks like inlays.The quality control seems to be pretty good from the factory.Overall it's a very well made instrument for the money & would be a solid performer for any gigging musician.

Value
For the money,you are not going to find a more solid or better sounding bass.I'd say after getting my hands on it,if I'd paid $400 or more for it I'd still be satisfied.

Manufacturer Support
No problems,but I figure it a division of Fender so I trust the support would be satisfactory.

The Wow Factor
This is a solid bass,the one I got was pretty much perfect,except one of the tuning keys is a little loose,but it doesn't cause it to go out of tune.Nice finish,very smooth,fret work is good,all knobs tight & smooth.The chrome parts are plated so after a few years of steady gigging they may start to look funky,but that's just a guess.(I plan to take it to most of my gigs,I always take 2 basses.)The binding on the neck is really nice so I wish the "block inlays" weren't just painted on,but hey for under 3 bills...and from the stage it looks like inlays.The quality control seems to be pretty good from the factory.Overall it's a very well made instrument for the money & would be a solid performer for any gigging musician.

Musical Background:
Weekend Musician very busy

Musical Style:
country/rock/blues/cajun/Tex-Mex read less