FenderSquier Debut Series Precision Bass Guitar, Beginner Guitar, with 2-Year Warranty, Includes Free Lessons, Black with Matte Finish

After purchasing the Squier Debut Stratocaster for my son, I decided to roll the dice on the Squier Debut P-Bass to see if I got as lucky.Out of the box I expected sharp/overhanging frets and issues with the action. I expected janky tuning keys. To my delight the frets were perfect. Just like with the Strat. And that same matte finish on the relatively thin neck (which I love) and the black matte body make for a great playing experience. Upon my first bit of play time with the bass the action, actually, doesn't seem too bad. And those tuning keys seem just right to me, in my limited time (so far) with this bass.I can't say anything definitive, at this point, regarding the action, tuning retention, or tuning accuracy but I'm going to put this bass through setup and, if there's any glaring issues, I'll revisit this review. If 2 months have gone by and you don't see an edit, it's because I didn't find any issues and my review stands at 5 stars.This bass reminds me of my first bass guitar, an Epiphone Accu-Bass (which was just a Fender P-Bass clone). This Squier weighs noticeably less. Functionally, it's no different than a Fender Precision, though you may want to upgrade the pickups and pots at some point in the future (if it's necessary is debatable, unless you're a professional, in which case why are you buying a budget line bass guitar?) The neck profile is just right for my shorter fingers, and I feel like it would be a perfect bass for someone new to the craft.The price point? I can't see how this can be beat.My only advice would be to avoid the bundles you might see on offer with this bass. They are easy to fall for but, in my opinion, not worth the extra money. I know because, in my own excitement, I opted for a bundle which (supposedly) includes an Amp, Gig bag, strap, guitar cord, yada, yada, yada.I got a gig bag (Fender branded, so that's neat) for an electric guitar. The bass will not fit. Fortunately, my son is in need of a decent gig bag for the previously mentioned Strat so that's cool, I guess.The 'amp' is about the size of a bedside alarm clock. And it sounds like a bedside alarm clock too. It does have a headphone jack, which is how I will likely use it, but headphone 'amps' are all over amazon (plug them into your bass, plug headphones into them or Bluetooth) and they are relatively inexpensive.The strap just never showed upThe guitar cord, a Fender branded cord, was the only truly useful item, for me, that bundle.I really feel like you can just source better items on your own and I wish I had done that myself.

I’ve been playing guitar for about 20 years and finally decided to start recording my own material. I wanted to pickup a cheap bass just to record some tracks and ended up really enjoying this bass!! I’ve heard people complaining about the quality, but at this price point it really is a great value. I didn’t have to make too many changes out of the box, so far I just changed the strings and cleaned up the frets a little and slightly had to adjust the truss rod. Seems durable, doesn’t feel cheap in the hands. I’ve read some complaints about the paint/finish being dull, I don’t mind it. It’s a nice matte looking finish, there were just the smallest tiny lil imperfections in the paint job but I paid less than $200 for a bass so I am not complaining. I picked up the sun-burst myself. I think this bass is a great starter for a beginner or just a guitarist looking to noodle on a bass for recording purposes or just in general. I knew I wanted a budget bass guitar, but I wanted a name I could trust. Im not a rich man (yeah we can go into the whole “but you’re rich in family and friends and it’s all about your perspective in life” but I’m talking about financially rich) so if I want new guitars and equipment, I try to stay on a budget so I can still feed my family and pay my bills AND also enjoy being a musician, Squier/Fender makes that possible (props to Amazon letting people do payments now!! I can afford mid-range and high-end Squiers now lol). My thing is if you can make cheap equipment sound like pro gear, your skills are pretty good and it doesn’t matter if you don’t have that $3k PRS or that USA made Jackson King V you had to sell your kidney for! This bass serves its function well! Just get it, you’ll be happy. I’m slappin’ da bass all day (…..had to do it….you would too)!

At the -very- least, this bass body alone is well worth the price. The MIM Fender (alder) equivalent body goes for $250.I bought this for just the body, but it's a pretty playable, simple bass--just takes some setup. The neck on mine came bowed backwards, but the truss rod adjusted well enough so it actually has pretty decent action. The frets could use some edging, but seem good-to-go otherwise, and I was surprised the intonation was already taken care of.The pickup sounds good, but it's pretty weak--easily replaceable (for about the same cost as this whole bass), and not an issue until you get a gig. Sounds good and weak is certainly better than loud but sounds bad.If you're someone who likes to work on your bass/to modify a low-end bass to make it play like a higher-end Fender (with tool marks, and maybe a little actual damage that the pros don't leave), this deal is hard to beat. If you're someone who wants a "try out the bass" bass, this deal is hard to beat ... just make sure you get the thing set up well before you decide on what you think of The Bass. A well set up bass make a lot more difference than a higher level of finishing, or even higher quality, as far as getting a good playing experience.--I caught some talk online about these ... the PU is a few millimeters neckward compared to standard Fender, but there's room in the existing rout to move it so a standard replacement pickguard will fit. Just be sure to carefully mark the depth of the PU mounting screws on your drill bit, or you may drill through the back. The pickguard screw holes don't all line up, so you'll also have to drill a few of those. It's probably a 15 to 30 minute job, depending upon experience and how precise/painstaking you want to be. The neck pocket is standard, so that's an easy replacement.I converted mine to 32" scale with a medium scale Jaguar neck. The original bridge holes show, but not so much if you mark or stain them the color of the top. So, on top of the above, if you're someone who'd like to convert a 34" scale PBass to a 32", this deal is hard to beat.