Squier Paranormal Jazz Bass '54 - Black with Gold Anodized Pickguard Review

Nothing to complain about!

I know what I wanted, and then I saw this bass. Caught my eye, then I played it. Exceeded my expectations. I want call out Mitch. He is always helpful and I normally track him down. Great guy and knows what he is talking about.

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Great Bass

Just purchased this Paranormal Bass 54, from Sweetwater. I was amazed at the Quality of this Squier Paranormal Bass guitar the fit and finish are outstanding. You would be hard pressed to find a better bass at this price range. One great playing bass and the sound is all Jazz Bass, you will love it. One thing I would like to note the Squier Paranormal Bass sounds Good right out… read more of the box. And looks great. The pickups sound great the tuners work fine. NO NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING ON THIS PARANORMAL BASS. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS BASS YOU WON'T LIKE ANYTHING. ONE OF THE BEST PURCHASES I HAVE MADE IN BASS GUITAR. Donald Quaglia

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My New Paranormal

Of all my bases, I get the most compliments on this one. Some flatwounds and low action, it feels good to play. I don't think I could find a better bass anywhere near this price.

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Need a jazz bass? Here it is.

First thing first, shout-out to my rep Kyle Malone for always being on point with everything I need as far as information and making the transaction as smooth as possible. He's been there for multiple purchases at this point and I can't wait to convince the wife that I need more gear to work with him again! Now onto the bass. Out of the box this thing played like a dream and needed… read more nothing done to it all all besides just a little bit of tuning. I'm not far from Sweetwater and in a very similar climate so you may have a different experience on that front. The neck is about as thin as your average jazz bass when it comes to but width, but a little chunkier front to back is that makes sense. Build quality is tight and clean, solid tuners, strap buttons, knobs, etc. Some people may want a heavier bridge but it's fine as far as I'm concerned. The tone? Oh yeah. It's there. I bought it with full intention on having to change the pickups but I see no need. I'm a Gallien Krueger junkie, and I've run it through both my actual GK 1001rb with a Hartke HD410 and my Line 6 Helix on the GK emulator with no cab and both sound incredible. It thumps, it punches, it growls, it does anything you want a jazz bass to do and I've played a lot of them. O could confidently turn away from a player series jazz, a Geddy Lee, or even an old American Standard any day. Don't let the looks fool you, this thing is all jazz bass. In my band I play a fully tricked out Kiesel Vanquish 6 string and I've even considered getting another one of these to set up for drop A just for something different. It's that good. Don't let brand snobbery hold you back. Order one and see for yourself!

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Grab one while you can

I've been kicking myself since last year when I didn't get the Paranormal when it was out, so when it became available this year, I got one right away. She gets great reviews, and some say she is the best bass Squier has produced. So does she live up to the hype? She does. This is one fantastic bass. To start the build quality is spot on. This comes from the Fender factory in… read more China, and like my Squier Affinity Jaguar H from the same plant, the fit and finish is great. The neck is not glossy, it is a light satin finish, as is the fingerboard. The frets are not pokey at all, you can run your hands down the sides of the neck until the 16th fret or so before you feel the fret wires, and even then there is nothing sharp, you can just tell the frets are there. The body is a comfortable Jazz shape, everything fits tight and there's no gaps. The pickguard is gorgeous in person, it's textured and a deeper gold than the pictures show. It's also thicker than I was expecting. Impressed by it. The controls are great, dual concentric stacked knobs, a tone and volume for each pickup. The tonal possibilities are are huge. I can't comment on the pickups, I swapped out the Squier pickups for a set of Seymour Duncan Apollo Jazz pickups, which Sweetwater took care for me and did a wonderful job installing. The Apollos sound great and have a fantastic growl. I really like them. The tuners are good. I pick it up to play every night, and when I check it's in tune, haven't had to adjust it in a couple weeks. Playability is stellar. The neck has a light satin finish, which I much prefer over gloss, and the fretboard is a dream. How can you beat a maple fretboard? The setup was spot on, thanks Sweetwater for doing that. This is just a great bass. I have a Fender player jazz which I have up for sale as I no longer pley it since I have the Paranormal. The quality of the Paranormal is right up there with the Player. This is my new go to bass. If you're in the market for a jazz, check it out.

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