Fender Squier Debut Series Precision Bass Guitar, Beginner Guitar, with 2-Year Warranty, Includes Free Lessons, Dakota Red 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)!

This review by my hubby, who plays bass.Summary: This is an amazing bass and a fantastic value. It has worth to the new bassist and the veteran alike. I’m thrilled with it.For the new bassist: This is an outstanding bass for a person wanting to explore the instrument. The price is amazingly low and the quality high. It is a very sturdy instrument, well made and very playable. The single pickup Precision Bass (P Bass) design is a classic...simple and easy to understand. The neck is very comfortable and the sound is true.I’d only suggest two things for the new bassist. First, when it arrives you may want to have a “set up”. If that term is new to you, don’t worry. It merely means making small mechanical adjustments (using Allen wrenches, included with the bass) which make it more playable. You can search and find out to do a bass setup. Better, have a bass player show you how to do it. It will make your playing more enjoyable.Second, consider buying a new set of strings. The strings felt cheap and “gritty” to me... a decent set of bass strings will run you about $30 and will be worth it.This is a marvelous intro bass. And it’s way more in addition to this.For the experienced bassist: I’ve been playing a while but wanted a P Bass platform to get the PB sound I was looking for. I was startled to see these released via Amazon in May 2024. I was very skeptical at this price point, yet owning two MIM Fender Jazz Basses, I was intrigued. Plus, I really wanted a P Bass body but a J Bass neck...which is exactly what the Debut Series has.A couple of bass buddies whom I respect each bought one and raved about it out of the box. For $130, that was enough for me, so I ordered one.And I’m thrilled.I’ve played it nearly 20 hours now and have played in public as part of our church’s worship team. It is super comfortable to play, clearly the equal of either of my $800 JB’s. And the sound! A genuine P Bass! Listening to it on a full sound system, I was astounded to get that sound from a $130 bass. Not a single one of my bandmates suspected my bass was this inexpensive. Instead, they commented on how good it sounded in our mix. Further, several knowledgeable musicians who heard it commented on its clarity and how it added to our overall sound.Details.... I did several things but not much to modify this bass out of the box. First, I got rid of the stock strings...they felt really cheap. I replaced them with a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. Man, did that work. Flats on a P Bass is a classic set up and there is a reason it is so well regarded over the decades.Second, I heard some 60Hz hum when I first got it, so I opened up the cavity and did a full shielding with copper tape, all soldered to ground. Hum fully eliminated. Silent when unplucked, even with volume and tone knobs turned wide open.I have not messed with any other hardware. The pickups work just fine for me. The tuners are fine...smooth and hold the strings in tune, rock solid. I had zero fret issues. . I did a full set up when I got it. The neck was flat, so I had to loosen the truss rod a little over one full turn to get to my preferred 0.3mm relief. The saddles were very close to true...I only tweaked them about a quarter turn each. Great action, zero fret buzz. Intonation was spot on out of the box, I didn’t touch that.So, I got my desired P Bass-J Neck for $120 plus a new set of strings. I’ve played it for hours and it balances perfectly and the neck is a joy to play. I’m thrilled and amazed.