Review Demo - Squier Contemporary Active Jazz Bass HH
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- #squier #bass #jazzbass
Read the review: bit.ly/SquierCo...
Squier is a longtime maker of budget-friendly instruments for beginners, but pro players have also taken to these basses and guitars as gig-friendly alternatives to their prized vintage axes. Do a quick search on UA-cam and you’ll find many who’ve modified these musical templates to suit their needs or simply celebrated them as value-heavy workhorses. It appears Squier has taken notes on user impressions of their instruments, resulting in their latest line: the Contemporary Series. This reimagining of classic bass and guitar designs gives the original formula a kick in the pants though fresh looks and modern tonal capabilities. One standout offering in the series is called the Contemporary Active Jazz Bass HH.
It’s not often you see a matte finish on a bass, but the decision to dress the ash body and the matching headstock of our test model in this manner was a good move. The white pickguard and maple fretboard provide an aesthetically pleasing contrast, and the black-chrome hardware enhances the eye-catching formula. (The bass is also available in flat white with a black pickguard.)
If you’re wondering what the “HH” stands for in Squier’s latest, your wait is over: humbuckers! Supplanting the conventional single-coil pickups is a pair of SQR ceramic humbuckers for delivering punchy, modern tones devoid of 60-cycle hum. And manipulating the SQR’s magnets is a 9V preamp with treble/bass boost capabilities and a tone control.
When I receive a piece of gear to review, I usually always take it out for a show or two so I can examine how well it functions under typical playing conditions. Unexpectedly, the qualities of this particular bass elicited enough trust that it underwent one of the most extensive and rigorous review processes. At the time this review was written, I had used our test bass for 34 shows, five rehearsals, and one tracking session. So, how did this “economy” bass become a go-to instrument during the time I had it?
Continue reading: bit.ly/SquierCo...
This bass is great, I have an Squier Limited Edition Contemporary Active Jazz Bass. It has a real beautiful tone and a beautiful satin finish, the SQR humbuckers is an extra treat I happen to like them, the preamp sounds great I really like my new bass.
This is my ideal bass. I seriously thought of this same configuration for my five string years ago.
Nothing to do with the bass I'm considering picking up...but man I used to friggin love Blitz the league. I wish they'd remake it already lol.
Fender needs to make MIM or MIJ versions of this with a passive switch so they can demolish any Thunderbirds trying to compete with it.
Pickups are passive, pretty sure. The preamp has active treble and bass that are boost only. Turned down, you have a passive bass. I have the 5 string, and it has me shuffling my herd.
All pickups are passive. What makes bass ones "active" is the pre-amp. Setting the EQ to flat gives you just normal sound anyway. I find a active/passive switch only useful for on-the-fly tone changes or if your battery dies on stage, you just hit the passive switch to keep playing or use no battery and it's a kill switch
@@Wynorrific i know that. Preamps should be optional. There are a few truly active pickups though like some EMG models.
@@PhoenixFlight94 I can agree with that. For me, I either want a 3-band or none at all. I've always found it weird how some only have like a bass or treble boost and then how many only have a treble and bass boost
Curtis Babers So the bass can be played without a battery?
Decent demo. But kind of wish this was played through a more budget friendly combo amp. I mean let's face it, a baseball bat with strings will sound good through that sweet Aguilar Tonehammer amp.
ron bZoom how did you guess my exact rig?
@@naturaljoe7397 I went through an Aguilar crush for a few months. Wanted to upgrade with their pickups, get some of their pedals, and since I had a decent amp already, I was close to getting the Tonehammer preamp. Then the band ended and I sobered up with the whole Aguliar GAS thing. But as a consequence whenever I see anything Aguliar related, I distance myself or risk a relapse. ;)
ron bZoom I was talking about the stringed baseball bat haha
@@naturaljoe7397 Ha! Okay, ya got me!
Look at some video on my channel, I play this bass (the white one...) with a Fender Rumble 40 studio
I have the 5 string version. Has the 4+1 headstock, and came with the black guard installed, and had a white one in the box.
This bass loves overdrive. It's also loud af. I backed the pickups off several turns, and run the bass and treble boost all the way down. Still easily clips the input on my amp. Been running it through a darkglass vintage ultra. It has me selling stuff I said I would keep forever because it just doesnt cut it anymore.
I'm looking to buy that one, the V string version. Have you had any problems with it?
@@portagenial actually, I wouldn't say I've had problems... but there have been a few things that I changed.
Main one is the string tree buttons. They are trash. I also moved the back strap button up about 2.5". Otherwise, the factory setup was good, everything about the bass feels and sounds good.
If you get this bass, you wont be mad about it unless you go into it thinking you're getting a $2500 bass for less than $450.
@@Curtybob I just ordered a used 2018 model today. I’ve seen a lot of good decent reviews about this bass. The seller says that everything in terms of performance is in great condition. So I hope I don’t need any major replacements.
I found 1 of these used it is a very awesome bass I love it very versatile I use for my e and dropped d tunings havent had any problems finding the sounds I'm looking for. Had to set it up and touch up the frets and the nut after that plays fantastic
I just bought one of these for 300 bucks, I'm beyond happy
I have the 5 string version. It's a really nice bass. It's fairly heavy but not a problem
Just got one of these on black Friday for 280 and I love it!!
saw this in a guitar shop had to try it out instantly went into an orange amp... that combo was perfect 512.16$ for the bass and 187.13$ for the orange 25 wat bass amp
wow no one cares
@@whatskraken3886 you cared enough to write a comment
@@whatskraken3886 I care
@@jacobputnam5508 you dating or some shit?
That's an awesome demo! Thanks so much. I've ordered one of these kinda blindly two days ago, never tested, and without hearing a demo until now. Can't wait for it to arrive, your demo sounds like it's an awesome choice 😊 I found an awesome deal at my local dealer for € 379,- brand new (Euro to Dollar = 1:1 rn, but US-brands are more expensive in Europe, so you can probably find one even cheaper in North America?)
Awesome awesome instrument, Fender did a great job here!!!!
That bass sounds great!
Currently in guitar center playing one lol ..awesome bass!
How about clasic vibe jazz bass?compare to this
So no one in production caught that the G string was out of tune???
drove me nuts
Same...
I don't understand everyone's concern about the possibility of their battery dying on stage with active instruments....I've had batteries last years in active instruments, if that worried change battery before gig!....
Same. My battery NEVER died on stage.
I hope to get one, put it in my little collection of basses.
About the best sounding J Bass I've ever heard. I'd rather have it than a P or PJ bass because of the HH.
Comparing with your Sadowsky Metro Express review.... both basses sound surprisingly similar. Maybe not too fenderish, but these Contemporary basses sound really good. Maybe a good option to mod and make them a/p with a high end preamp.
"Jaco plays like Jaco" 💯 great vid!
What is a good uograde replacemnt for those SQR pick ups?
Fishmann Fluence. Bartolini mk1.
Don't sleep on Squire...good basses
Great Review man!! Good job!!! (Sounds excelente)
Interesting tone for a jazz bass. Upgrade the pickups, and your good to go for under $600.
Yeah, really! I'd change the pickups to EMG, put in an EMG preamp, change the pickguard to black, change out the neck and body for Warmoth's, replace the tuners with Schaller's, put on a set of Dunlop straplocks, and put on a set of Tomastik strings. Other than that, it's perfect as it is. 😳
Eric J , why upgrade the pickups? It sounds very good already.
@@Below-Average_Joe Exactly. Why rip apart a bass that already sounds amazing. I have a five string version, and I wouldn't change a thing but the strings. A set of D'Addario Chrome (flatwounds) are going on.
Are those sized humbuckers available by other companies? I'd consider getting one of these if I knew I could swap them easily if I didn't like it stock.
Needs a pearloid pickguard
Great as always, thanks!!
Nice clean sounding bass
you guys have a picture of Nergal on your youtube channel art. Is there a rundown of Behemoth coming up?
I was thinking of buying that bass, I went for an sx jazz for €300 and I'm glad I did, sxjb75, the passive pick ups are quality, apart from the action being a bit sketchy it's a joy to play and it looks class, i'm not officially endorsing it or anything, but it's worth investigating other basses than this squier active jazz contemporary which sounds a bit ceap for the price
Baught this cause i loved my 5 string peavey with similar active pickups and love the shit out of it. Barely any adjustments made and came out the gate ripping. 4.99/5... Always so nervous about squire sound....never again..touche squire
nice sounding piece of art
bro it looks like a metal machine i kinda want it
Take off that pickguard... It's totally Metal!!
That is a very beautiful Bass.
Indeed
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If he leans on it gonna vibrate to hell . Still very cool
Good set up play anything
Don’t need to pay 5k .
That's deep bro!
Sounds kick ass
Nice & fat like a P-bass. This may be one of my fav J basses, along w the PJ models...Only the bridge pup is more powerful on this one. Are these stacked HH pups?
bflo1000 you need to lower the bridge p’up or raise the neck p’ups to make the signals even when you pan back and forth
@@ethanlancaster76 Thanks.
bflo1000 no problem mate! Just something I learned some years back when I had the same problem and I actually thought it was the just the difference in the pickups output levels and did some research. Usually the bridge pickup is going to need to be a little higher because the strings are further away from the magnets than the neck pickup. Just adjust your pickups so they have the same amount of output when you go back and forth between them.
Also the pickups in this bass are active ceramic Humbuckers made by Squire and are actually surprisingly very good for stock pickups. If you really want to upgrade them though you can get some Aguilar pickups and an onboard preamp, either the OB-2 or OB-3 and you will have a great sounding bass that you will be quite pleased with for live performance and studio recording. For a couple hundred bucks you could have the same pickups and electronics as boutique basses that cost more than my car lol
@@ethanlancaster76 These Sq pups sound pretty darn good.
The black one its only in 5 strings?????
Is this bass good for hip hop, r&b, jazz, and metal? Trying to find an inexpensive bass that can play all four.
yes
Sweeet!
trastea o me parece a mi?
Holy string buzz!
I attempted to demo the 5-string version, but..........it was set up (or rather not set up all) so poorly that it was impossible to play. The strings were bottomed out against the fret board!!!! That can be dealt with, but I was completely turned off by how heavy the thing was. Back issues ahead. Hopefully Squier (Fender) addresses this issue sooner than later.
Why do bass reviews never have a guy playing thru an actual live rig along with a drummer and guitarist so we can hear what it would sound like in an actually useful situation instead of some dude noodling away doing stuff that I think sounds like crap on a 200 dollar bass or a 4000 dollar bass. I use my basses to play songs along with other musicians in front of other people.......let's hear basses demoed in the situation for which they were made!
Best comment yet. Bass demoes would be a lot more helpful when shown in the proper context, a band setting vs. solo noodling in a quiet room.
Hi do you guys feel a roasted neck neck would make a big difference I'm to bass sweetwater has their exclusive in this bass but with roasted neck just was wondering
Will standard jazz pickups fit if I wanted to make it a true jazz bass?
Why would you want to do that?? buy jazz bass
@@bassguyification Yeah he's right. Squier has plenty of more conventional Jazz basses in both 4 and 5 string. This particular model is clearly going for something more modern/contemporary. If you want old school Jazz, you have plenty of options that won't require routing for mods nor will require taking out a loan. See for yourself: shop.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-basses/
Why not, you can still put j set on it, just j set can’t full up the space!
How much does this bass weigh.
Around ten pounds
pretty interesting but apparently heavy as ****
I have one and indeed Is heavy af
The Active V I just picked up is a battle axe. About 12 pounds I think.
@@iamalpharius9483 I bought black V and it weighs about 9.5lb. I was quite surprised (and delighted!), and it is a very comfortable guitar. A white 4 which was hanging next to it in the shop was shockingly heavy, much more than the 5er!
so do you guys think the 5 string is lighter?
For 400 bucks I'd go for a used SR500
Hhhnhxxo
good for you
I found 1 of these used got it for 235$ well worth it really awesome bass
If you like the bland, boring Ibanez tone...
Try out the Ibanez Mikro 5-string bass. It’s about $200. It’s a great short-scale bass for the price. I played one and it’s pretty cool.
Don't play Enter Sandman😂😂😂😂
I compared this with my player jazz bass and it think this bass Is like a mix of a p bass and a j bass
I absolutely loath the finish. Shame because this is a great mod platform.
What's the problem?
longdongbongchong I hate satin black finishes. They always end up super beat up for some reason. Just my experience.
It also comes in white and blue.
That's the point it's easier for relicing
Miado
Don't play Enter sand man... and Smoke on the water too.
These are just some cheap weak ceramic pickups,.....they sound nasaly and horrible.
This bass requires a pickup upgrade before it it even comes out of the box.
Flat paint?Not my thing.
I actually like it
don’t care, didn’t ask. plus you’re white
Please stop trying to be funny...
Please stop having this guy review bass’s. He’s a really poor player...
It's about the bass...Not the player. I think Steve's a pretty cool guy.
bflo1000 you’re exactly right! They should just plug in the bass and set it on the ground! It would sound a lot better than Steve’s playing!
@@cucumbermelon6166 He plays well enough for me to get the gist of how this bass sounds. I've never bought a bass going by how good the player on the vid was...BTW we ALL can't be "master players"...
bflo1000 a poor player can make a fodera sounds like a squier, while a good player can make a squirt sound like a fodera.
@@cucumbermelon6166 That's true....But I liked the way this bass sounds regardless.
Sounds like a jazz made outta Styrofoam haha