Squier Affinity PJ bass

MartinBush

In my long-running quest to get a bass I've been doing a fair bit of web-based window shopping.

As I have been trying to save to buy one, and my budget will be at the lower end, I have in my sights the Squier Bronco which I know a few on here rate quite highly (for a cheap bass).

I wondered what people thought of the Squier Affinity PJ basses. Are they any good? For about £50 more than the Bronco I can get a full sized bass which, to me, looks the part. Question is, are they OK?

I've picked that model out as it seems to incorporate some of the best of both worlds for someone on a tight budget.

Funkfingers

The current Squier Affinity P Bass is like the curate's egg - good and bad in parts. 

IMO, it is wiser to buy a pre-owned Squier Standard or Vintage Modified series bass guitar. Similar money should land you a Yamaha RBX, Ibanez/Soundgear SR(X) or an S.U.B. 'Ray 34.

The current Affinity model only seems be offered with the PJ pickup pairing. If you must buy one like this, choose black. That way, the empty LJ pickup cavity will not show at a distance.

Ultimately, you have to test drive these 
basses to see how they suit your hands and ears.

MartinBush

Good advice @Funkfingers thanks.

On the subject of second hand, I find I struggle to pick out good priced ones second hand (talking ebay here rather than those offered on the forum). I find I usually gravitate to Squier, Epiphone, Gretsch when doing research based on looks (I'm never going to be good enough to appreciate a bass beyond the budget stuff) but the S.U.B. 'Ray 34 is going on my list.

ICBM

They're OK, but like all PJ basses they sound best with the J pickup turned off . But at the price they are, it's hard to complain that you're getting an extra pickup you'll never (or very rarely) use.

It's probably worth mentioning that you can get the proper Jazz version for about the same price if you do like that type of sound.

MartinBush

Interesting. 

I'm not sure I have a sound in mind for myself other than playing the right notes on my own recordings. I admire the Motown sound which I'm led to believe is a Precision sound. I've also played a Jazz, which I liked, but that was a Fender and therefore out of my range.

ICBM

The big problem with a PJ - at least most of them - is that the P pickup is so much louder and punchier than the J, so the best sound by far is the P pickup, and introducing any amount of the J weakens the tone and (because it's a single coil, whereas the P is humbucking) adds noise. I've really never understood why they're so popular, unless the J pickup is a much hotter and preferably hum-cancelling one, which are rarely found on stock PJs.

A real Jazz is better because the pickups are properly balanced - not as loud as a P, but you can then just turn the amp up a bit - and are a RWRP pair so they're hum-cancelling in the both-pickups setting, which is usually thought to be the definitive sound on a Jazz.

That said, if you like the Motown sound then a P would be the first choice - you don't have to use the other pickup.

MartinBush

Cheers. Something to think about for me clearly.

I also wonder why they have stuck in an extra pickup - possibly to shift excess stock of pickups of basses that have slowed down sales wise?

ICBM

MartinBush said:

I also wonder why they have stuck in an extra pickup - possibly to shift excess stock of pickups of basses that have slowed down sales wise?

Unlikely - it probably costs more to fit them in labour cost than the actual manufacturing cost of the pickup. I would guess it's because most of the non-Fender competition make PJs not straight Ps, and the logic is that the extra pickup will be seen as a selling point. Most people who haven't played one and found why it isn't really a useful addition won't know that.

phil_b

Jeremiah

I bought a Squier Affinity PJ about 2 years ago. I compared it to a few other cheap basses including an Ibanez that didn't cost much more.

I'd say the Ibanez was better in the build quality and hardware, but I was put off by (the same thing that puts me off so many guitars...) that the volume knob is too close to the bridge and I would keep knocking it when playing.

So I ended up with the Squier but I'd say the Ibanez is probably a better bass.

wraub

I have a 2017 Affinity PJ. It's not perfect, but it's startlingly good, especially for the price I paid used.

I like the J pickup, it adds a nice grindy clank to the darker P pickup, and if I don't like it I just turn the J down for P bass things.

stratman3142

ICBM said:

The big problem with a PJ - at least most of them - is that the P pickup is so much louder and punchier than the J, so the best sound by far is the P pickup, and introducing any amount of the J weakens the tone and (because it's a single coil, whereas the P is humbucking) adds noise. I've really never understood why they're so popular, unless the J pickup is a much hotter and preferably hum-cancelling one, which are rarely found on stock PJs...

I know what you mean, which might apply if you're a 'proper' bass player using it for gigs.

I'm a guitarist and just use my Squier Vintage Modified PJ for bass parts when home recording. I almost always use the P pickup on its own. I occasionally use the J pickup for that Jaco type sound. In my DAW, I adjust the compression, drive and EQ to specifically suit the pickup I'm using (either P or J) and the sound I want.  

It's not a big problem that the J pickup isn't hum-cancelling for home recording. But one day I might change the pickups.

ICBM

stratman3142 said:

I know what you mean, which might apply if you're a 'proper' bass player using it for gigs. 

I'm a guitarist and just use my Squier Vintage Modified PJ for bass parts when home recording. I almost always use the P pickup on its own. I occasionally use the J pickup for that Jaco type sound. In my DAW, I adjust the compression, drive and EQ to specifically suit the pickup I'm using (either P or J) and the sound I want.  

It's not a big problem that the J pickup isn't hum-cancelling for home recording. But one day I might change the pickups.

Yes, I can see that will work if you can set the rest of the rig specifically for each pickup - just as you would if you were switching from an actual P bass to a J bass.

Another option is to switch the P pickup to parallel instead of series, if you prefer the more J-like sounds - it then becomes much more like a J front pickup. (But still hum-cancelling.) You can do that with a mini-switch or a push-pull if you want both options.

Funkfingers

stratman3142 said:

Squier Vintage Modified PJ

I have one of those, currently fitted with EMG-GZR pickups. In this (passive, high impedance) set, the J pickup is a dual coil, noise-cancelling affair of increased output to better match the P pickup.

I find that these pickups manage to hint at the Jazz Bass "honk/notch" sound if the J pickup is partially blended in against the full output of the P pickup. Unfortunately, this never sounds as good as a proper JJ pair.

Since what the J pickup brings to the combination is a mid range notch filtering effect, it might be wiser to use one P pickup plus an active semi-parametric mid EQ control to achieve the same overall effect.

The longer I think about this topic, the more the John East P-Retro wiring harness appeals to me.

Jeremiah

Also, forgot to say that the Squier Affinity has a satin neck finish, which I prefer to the gloss finish on the other basses I tried and the more expensive Squiers.

MartinBush

Thanks all for the feedback so far.

Having watched what I consider to be an unbiased YouTube review of the Bronco I am edging away from that. I like the price and size, but believe I can get a fair bit more for not much more money.

I have to say that I find the Squier/ Fender product range bewildering these days. From what I can find, if I just want a regular spec Precision I need to go up to the Classic Vibe range, otherwise I have to go with a PJ style one. Is that right or is just the retailers I'm looking at?

MartinBush

After much faffing and research I've ordered a Bronco.

Why?

Well I guess I'm not good enough to really get much out of anything but a decent budget bass at the moment. One mediocre review put me off the Bronco for a bit, but having considered what's been said on here, and considering cash and skill are in short supply for me at the moment, I took the plunge and PMT are hopefully sending me one over.

I will report back elsewhere on how I get on with it.