LeftyBassist.com

I think most everyone who's tried one has agreed that for sound and playability the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz bass is a real "bang for the buck" winner, but as usual lefties only get one color. I have two and decided to experiment on one for fun and uh, "modify" the look a bit. I transferred all the parts and electronics onto a Vintage White MIM Jazz body I wasn't using, and since the fretboard had some decent birdseye in the grain I did a gloss amber refin to give the grain some pop, along with the headstock face and an old replacement logo I had in the parts bin. Left the back of the neck in the original satin finish.

That neck looks a lot better with the gloss refinish on it.
I've found after having a couple of the VM70s that my only big issue with them is that the neck feels kind of too soft for maple, does changing the finish give it a snappier response?

Just noticed how green-ish those outdoor pics look- this one indoors is a bit blurry but more accurate color-wise....

I know exactly what you mean about the maple on VM70s necks feeling a little soft- not that I've actually had any trouble keeping them straight, but it does feel like the truss rod is carrying a disproportionate amount of the load. The neck on this one already felt stiffer than my other one prior to the refinish, which along with the more pronounced grain pattern was another reason why I chose this one to modify. I don't think the refinish has made any noticeable difference, but I do wonder if the heavier grain pattern in the wood has any influence on the stiffness... might be purely coincidental but I've never had a softness problem with any neck with birdseye in the grain .... maybe one of the wood experts around here knows the answer.