The instruments built by Squier are best known for its affordable price and in ensuring the products capabilities will go beyond what you’ve paid for. The models of guitars and basses Squier offers are basically proportioned to the design, look and feel of Fender models, which obviously what made their versions sought after.
For a budding bassist, the Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass together with the Affinity Series Precision Bass PJ are good start up bass on a minimum budget. This bass guitars are graded as entry level, assembled using decent parts and capable of delivering a quality of sound suited for a beginner. This two bass guitars are sold with the same price, yet different in a lot ways. Like on the body shape, neck profile, pick-ups configuration and controls.
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- Crafted in alder coated with a polyurethane finish in a variety of solid colors and sunburst finish
- Neck is slim C-profile constructed in maple
- 20 medium jumbo frets rosewood fingerboard with inlay dots as guide
- Open-Gear tuning machine heads in chrome finish
- Standard adjustable 4-saddle bridge
- 2 Standard Single-Coil Jazz Bass pick-ups placed on the neck and bridge controlled by separate volume knobs for each pick-ups and a master tone
Body and Neck: The J-bass body is crafted in alder coated with a polyurethane finish in a variety of solid colors and also in sunburst protected by a 3-ply pickguard players can choose from. Its alder body is medium weight to heavy, boosting clear full bodied sound with good sustain, fatty mids, excellent lows and rarely harsh. J-bass body contour has slanting lines making it look longer and bigger on the base portion compared to a P-bass.
Neck is slim C-profile constructed in maple overlaid by 20 medium jumbo frets in rosewood fingerboard with inlay dots as guide. This narrow and more rounder shape neck mimics the 1960’s Fender Jazz Bass neck, designed to appeal for jazz players. Currently the Affinity series fretboard is only available in rosewood.
Pick-ups: Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass has two Standard Single-Coil Jazz Bass pick-ups placed on the neck and bridge controlled by separate volume knobs for each pick-ups and a master tone. This pick-ups are hot and loud. Having a slight buzz on the sound in contrast to split single-coil of a P-bass with hum canceling properties.
Hardware: Standard adjustable 4-saddle bridge are installed and Open-Gear tuning machine heads in chrome to hold the strings, keeping its intonation and in pitch.
Final Thoughts: Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass is one of the best if not the best beginner bass guitar on the market today. The body tonewood and wood used to build the neck is very acceptable to closely mimic the feel, sound and playability of its expensive cousin in Fender.
Pick-ups on the bass can produce decent tones and if not enough, it can be easily modified by replacing it with alnico V pick-ups. Bridge has no issues to get the job done, but the tuning keys is more to be replace because its gear ratio is not the finest. Rating this bass overall for a beginner to jump-start amongst it peers on the same category, this is an excellent choice for an entry level bass guitar.
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