Fender Vintera II vs Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI

[Iffymiffy]

Anybody has hands-on experience/advice on both the Vintera II and Squier Bass VI?

I never even thought about a Bass VI before but a recent encounter got the gears in my mind turning …

A bit of a back story but:

I went to a shop to check a ridiculous killer deal on a MIJ Jazz Bass, but after a bit of noodling I remembered why I never owned a bass for more than a few months.

I never got along with how big they feel and truthfully I am not interested in playing like a proper bassist. I dont want to learn plucking or finger techniques etc, I just want to play very simple lines with extra low end.

So then when I was about to leave I spotted a Classic Vibe Bass VI in Lake Placid Blue with matching headstock. I have never tried a Bass VI before so I thought, alright since I am here why not?

Setup was ridiculously high off the fretboard and the closeness off the strings threw me off, but I was quite surprised by it!

The low strings were great for simple bass lines, whilst I could jump to partial chords on the high strings, and the scale length and feel was comfortable for me. I think it barely weighed much more than my heaviest Jazzmaster.

So here I am SERIOUSLY considering pulling the trigger on a Bass VI and I can either get the Classic Vibe or I can blind order a Vintera II for the equivalent of USD750 extra.

I can’t feel a Vintera in person as there aren’t any available near me, but based on looks I prefer the unbound fretboard and Fiesta Red.

I already have a spare Mastery Bridge + Trem if that would negate any of the differences, but I am more concerned if there are some things on the Squier that might need serious luthier work to fix, like not QC issues but actual issues with Squiers take on the Bass VI.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[BMWRider]

I have played both the CV and the Vintera, and bought a LPB Vintera last month. I was going to buy a CV, but when I found this Vintera I couldn't pass it up. There was nothing really wrong with the CV, but I'm one of those players who doesn't like to modify their guitars (beyond adding straplocks). Either one plays well, so it's more of a matter of what you would like to do with it. As always, YMMV.

Good luck with whichever instrument you choose!

[ainm]

The few Vintera II’s I’ve heard sound superb. Can’t offer an opinion on quality and what they feel and play like as I’ve not had one in hand yet, but I’m sold on what I’ve heard people do with them.

[Quitter]

Hi. I'm probably too late to make. Difference but maybe someone will benefit from my opinion. My band mates has a vintage bass VI with an A neck. It's a blast to play and really bridges the neither bass nor guitar concept. I owned Squier for a year and did several mods (bridge humbucker, slider and plate , vibrato). No amount of mods can fix the neck radius. The vintera I have now is very close to the vintage example. The Squier suffer from having an enormous string spacing and I could never get it set up properly. The vintera was aces our of the box. Your experience will vary but Vintera has been an inspiring instrument that I keep picking up to write with and the Squier was a fun project. A lot of people will rage about how they saved money but it's money well spent !

[mattygbass]

Hi. I'm probably too late to make. Difference but maybe someone will benefit from my opinion. My band mates has a vintage bass VI with an A neck. It's a blast to play and really bridges the neither bass nor guitar concept. I owned Squier for a year and did several mods (bridge humbucker, slider and plate , vibrato). No amount of mods can fix the neck radius. The vintera I have now is very close to the vintage example. The Squier suffer from having an enormous string spacing and I could never get it set up properly. The vintera was aces our of the box. Your experience will vary but Vintera has been an inspiring instrument that I keep picking up to write with and the Squier was a fun project. A lot of people will rage about how they saved money but it's money well spent !

I bought one of the new Vintera’s as well in fiesta red. It’s such a beautiful instrument. I’m really impressed with the build quality. Mine came with higher action than I like, and the bridge ground wasn’t making contact with the thimble, but those are super easy fixes. Other than that, it’s flawless. The finish and fretwork is perfect. The routs are crisp,and the wiring was super tidy. I was happy to see that the pickups have the cloth covered leads. Also, the rosewood is gorgeous.

[F15hface]

I don't own either, but did play a Vintera today and it felt much nicer than the Squier it was next to.

[Rob]

One of my bandmates had a Squier and eventually sold it, thinking he didn't like the Bass VI after all. Then he played a vintage model, and said it felt like a completely different instrument. Inspired to get back in the Bass VI, he recently picked up a Vintera, which is slightly skinnier at the nut and has the 7.25" radius. It's not the same as the old ones, but it's definitely a step in that direction, and a noticeable improvement over the Squier offering.

[GilmourD]

One of my bandmates had a Squier and eventually sold it, thinking he didn't like the Bass VI after all. Then he played a vintage model, and said it felt like a completely different instrument. Inspired to get back in the Bass VI, he recently picked up a Vintera, which is slightly skinnier at the nut and has the 7.25" radius. It's not the same as the old ones, but it's definitely a step in that direction, and a noticeable improvement over the Squier offering.

Is he able to put in words what he felt were the differences between the Squier, Vintera, and actual vintage?

[Rob]

Is he able to put in words what he felt were the differences between the Squier, Vintera, and actual vintage?

EDIT: He can, and he did! See the previous reply from Quitter -- that's him. For more on my take...

Here are the listed differences in spec:

BODY
Squier CV: Poplar
Vintera II: Alder
Vintage: Alder

FRETBOARD MATERIAL
Squier CV: Laurel
Vintera II: Rosewood
Vintage: Rosewood

FRETBOARD RADIUS
Squier CV: 9.5"
Vintera II: 7.25"
Vintage: 7.25"

FRET SIZE
Squier CV: narrow/taller
Vintera II: wider/taller
Vintage: wider/shorter

TRUSS ROD ACCESS
Squier CV: Head
Vintera II: Heel
Vintage: Heel

The Vintera is definitely more faithful to the originals than the Squier, but this is the part that made the biggest difference for me:

NECK WIDTH AT NUT
Squier CV: 1.685"
Vintera II: 1.65"
Vintage: 1.5"

I don't know why they decided to keep the Vintera necks so much wider than the originals. To me, the Vintera still feels too big. The fret height might also be a factor -- I'm not a fan of the current preference for tall frets.

However, my bandmate (Quitter, above) disagrees. For him, all the other stuff made a bigger combined difference than the neck width, and he thinks the Vintera feels more like the vintage Bass VI we have in the band.

Your mileage may vary.

[GilmourD]

Is he able to put in words what he felt were the differences between the Squier, Vintera, and actual vintage?

EDIT: He can, and he did! See the previous reply from Quitter -- that's him. For more on my take...

Here are the listed differences in spec:

BODY
Squier CV: Poplar
Vintera II: Alder
Vintage: Alder

FRETBOARD MATERIAL
Squier CV: Laurel
Vintera II: Rosewood
Vintage: Rosewood

FRETBOARD RADIUS
Squier CV: 9.5"
Vintera II: 7.25"
Vintage: 7.25"

FRET SIZE
Squier CV: narrow/taller
Vintera II: wider/taller
Vintage: wider/shorter

TRUSS ROD ACCESS
Squier CV: Head
Vintera II: Heel
Vintage: Heel

The Vintera is definitely more faithful to the originals than the Squier, but this is the part that made the biggest difference for me:

NECK WIDTH AT NUT
Squier CV: 1.685"
Vintera II: 1.65"
Vintage: 1.5"

I don't know why they decided to keep the Vintera necks so much wider than the originals. To me, the Vintera still feels too big. The fret height might also be a factor -- I'm not a fan of the current preference for tall frets.

However, my bandmate (Quitter, above) disagrees. For him, all the other stuff made a bigger combined difference than the neck width, and he thinks the Vintera feels more like the vintage Bass VI we have in the band.

Your mileage may vary.

Wait... A BASS VI with a 1.5" nut width? I need to see pics of this! That's narrow even for a regular guitar!

[MattK]

Yeah that's the standard VI spec from the originals. When I put together my cheap VI I used a Jazz neck with a 1.5" nut, it's fantastic to play and I'm disappointed by wider reissues.

[Rob]

Wait... A BASS VI with a 1.5" nut width? I need to see pics of this! That's narrow even for a regular guitar!

Correct, that's narrower than a lot of guitars (including all my B-neck Fenders). But as MattK pointed out, it's the same as a standard Jazz Bass or any other A-neck instrument.

Quitter is a Precision Bass guy that prefers chunky B-necks. The Vintera is by far the closest of the lot to a standard B-width P-bass neck, so that's probably a big part of why the Vintera VI feels great for him.

For me, I'm a Jazz Bass guy that prefers thinner A-necks, so the jump up to the Vintera's neck width is just a touch too much for what my hands are used to.

[GilmourD]

Interesting. I would imagine the string spacing would be cramped.

[mattygbass]

Interesting. I would imagine the string spacing would be cramped.

I agree, I don’t even like 1.5” on jazz basses. It still feels cramped to me with only 4 strings. Never mind 6 strings thick bass strings. I think I would hate that.

[Dr Tony Balls]

I'm of the opinion that 1.5" is correct for a Jazz Bass and that 1.685" feels just fine on my Squier Bass VI.