Squier Affinity Jazz Bass VI BKM

I bought this bass as a low cost option in my journey into 6 strings so was not expecting it to be great, I was wrong! The neck is more than worth the buy price on it's own. Carbon reinforced, level frets and no sharp edges. Gloss headstock with satin finish on the back of the neck for faster playing Plays at a nice low action and feels great. The overall finish on the bass is good, OK strings, good output from the pickups with the classic jazz tones. Only area that is a bit weak is the tuners, they seem to stay in tune however tuning is not positive so takes a few goes to get the string in concert. This will not be a gigging instrument as it is a bit heavy so I will not be changing the machine heads however I would if this was my main instrument. If you are thinking about studying 6 string or recording I think this is a great instrument, I can't see anything in the price range that gets anywhere near it for finish , quality or playability. I only wish Squier would consider carbon reinforcement on the 5 string models, that woudl really give Sire a wake up call

I bought this because (i) I was looking to expand my bass from 4 to 6 strings, (ii) I love the sound of the Fender Jazz bass, and (iii) I dislike the idea of a battery going into my instrument. It came in practically perfect condition (one fret has some wood chips still attached but it doesn't bother me visually or sonically to clean it up), knobs and tuners all work perfectly. It was set up pretty low-action, and the strings really don't have much tension, which was surprising!

It feels (naturally) neck-heavy but not prohibitively so, just don't expect it to sit exactly like the 4-string Jazz bass, though it's pretty close! The neck has a comfortable profile, and playing is very relaxed, as long as one's palm is used to these big fretboards. My partner told me it feels lighter than the Les Paul; I disagree.

I removed one star for the sound because I feel like the pickups have a proclivity towards the deep, instead of the bright, but it sounds amazingly close to any Jazz bass, although it has this modern twist to it. And chords with the C-string sound heavenly, clear, and crucially, in tune.

The 6-string trick to learn now is muting with a floating thumb, but even this seems to be going ok so far! I paired it with the Thomann electric bass roadbag which fits it fine. :)