I wouldn't normally buy a bass untried but, after reading many favourable reviews about the Squier VM and CV ranges and needing a back-up instrument on a tight budget, I decided to take a chance. Thouroughly glad I did! The finish is excellent, the pickups deliver the tone I want from a 'Jazz' style bass (and a whole lot more)and the neck has a 'satin' finish which I prefer to the high gloss laquer found on so many other basses. You would have to look very hard to find a comparable bass of this quality for this kind of money. I have a feeling that this bass will be with me for a very long time.