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

I’m going to start by saying I’ve been playing bass for just shy of 40 years. I own over a dozen other basses in varying price ranges, and have built a couple of my own.I got my Debut because in all these years I have never owned a straight up Precision Bass, they’ve always been P/J, J/J or some other pickup configuration.The price was right and other reviews were very favorable. This one will be as well.I was very impressed with the build quality of a bass of this price point. The satin finish is very smooth and the two tone sunburst just looks fantastic. The hardware is of good quality as well. The tuners, while not the greatest, hold the strings in tune and are classically designed. The bridge is adjustable for the string action and intonation. The ceramic pickups are well constructed and deliver a great tone. The controls are the traditional P Bass controls consisting of simple volume and tone. The round wound strings deliver a bright tone and don’t feel too harsh on the fingers.I played this through a Fender Rumble 25 and a 79 Fender Bassman, both amplifiers complimented the tone of this bass.The set up from the factory was impressive. The intonation was pretty much dead on accurate and I only adjusted the string height to my personal preference.The weight of this bass came in at 8lbs 7oz. The weight was balanced and didn’t have the typical neck dive as lighter basses sometimes display. The fretwork is well done and the neck has a very nice feel with the nut at 38mm or 1 1/2 inches.All in all it’s a great bass for a beginner.This is also a great platform for someone looking for a bass to mod.Squier really came through with a very affordable beginner bass. It is an excellent instrument for its price point.I would recommend their Sonic Series or their Affinity Series for a higher grade level of quality, but at this price, they’re may be others (and I have tried them in this price range) but the Squier Debut is the best of them in my opinion.It’s a great beginner bass with the backing of a brand name company and excellent customer service.

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.