It's ALL about the setup. I have both an Affinity and a Classic Vibe 50s. out of the box, the CV50s was alot better, but once the Affinity was setup right, they are on par. Sure, the Classic Vibe has a fancy lacquered maple neck and real AlNiCo pickups. But the Affinity, with its ceramic single coils, hold up on their own, a beefier sound that distorts alot better. Play enough guitars, and you stop caring about the tier levels, brand name prestige. You just pick one up and if it has that mojo/feel you are looking for, you take it home.
I bought an Affinity Strat early this year. The setup and satin neck were the selling point for me. Mine stays in tune as well as any of my other guitars, and sounds good enough. Perfect workhorse and practice/couch guitar. Plus I can throw it in the car and not have to worry about it when traveling.
I got affinity strat because well cbs headstock is sexy as hell. and I faced the same problem, it WON'T stay in tune. however a graphite vaseline mix fixed 90% of that. I also find the stock pickup to sounds very dark and dull, so I replaced them with wilkinson wvs 60. also slapped in gold hardwares and wilkinson bridge because why not. now it's a perfect guitar for me. it sounds fantastic, it play great, and most importantly it looked gorgeous.
“Mother of toilet seat”…..hilarious Elmo. I agree with what you said about these. I wouldn’t buy any of them either. I’ll be getting a Harley Benton ST Modern Plus lefty soon……well, as soon as they’re back in stock anyway. I’ll remember to use your link as well. I think I’m gonna get my oldest daughter the Jet JS 400 as well. Have you reviewed any of the Sire 7 series guitars yet?
Another great vid Elmo I love the mother of toilet seat bit that was bloody funny!!😂 I don't know why but the sonic sounded the best to me maybe because I'm on a real tight budget and used to the sound of cheaper gear but I thought it sounded the most straty! Cheers Elmo keep them coming!!👍
I'd add Sterling by Music Man to te list, particularly when talking about Classic Vibe level. More features like baked maple necks, good pickups, locking tuners etc.
i love the esthetic of this natural classic vibe and the limited ! with big headstock, and and a "darker/oranger"... more aged varnish at the neck and headstock ! i love ! i need those even if some are betters 😢
@@Hiro.the.God.I’ve never ever seen a fret literally fall out. Even the worst cheese grater frets never did that. He could be telling the truth but for sure is an outlier.
@@alistar3051 after the strings removed (customer wanted new strings) it must have not been pressed into place properly and easily came out leaving a bare slot)
@@alistar3051 Yes it happens all the time with cheap guitars' like he said.... no strings.... the neck relaxes..... not enough pressure to keep the frets in the slot especially when they're not glued in.... most people change the frets is why they don't glue them in. Same principal as not glueing in the nut because they know the customers will change them out on cheap guitars. So there's your daily dose of knowledge to pass on to others.
Based on another video of yours, I bought not one, but two pacificas 112VM (for me and a friend). I play keys for years, but we are both beginners in guitar. We both enjoy them.
Squire are just Fenders entry point guitars, i tried to learn on one and almost gave up until my tutor showed me the high action and twisted neck, yes it was an affinity made in China! Do yourself a favour and forget about the decal on the headstock. Elmo has said which brands and models to buy, but even they can make a few mehh ones. Try before you buy, and be prepared to have a good guitar tech do a full setup to make it even better.
I have an affinity Stratocaster, love it never had tuning issues love the neck plays great had it missed, with tusc nut Wilkinson bridge, schaller tuners and Wilkinson alnico sss pickups. Love it plays better than a classic vibe 👍
I just got back into learning how to play guitar after quitting years ago. I went through several different guitars before settling on the Squier Sonic HSS in Black , with maple fretboard. Many guitars at 200 dollars are pretty much just beginner instruments and the quality is all over the place. Not good. But this particular Squier I have was set up and intonation was done right out of the box. All I had to do was swap the strings and I buffed the frets before installing them. The nut was cut VERY well, and the guitar stays in tune great even using the tremolo. The only con was the 13th fret has some buzzing, annoying but not terrible. Also I will probably have to sand the ends because of minor sprouting. In my opinion it’s a very decent instrument and I think people over react and dis this guitar way too overboard. Edit: the reason I don’t buy Harley Benton guitars is because I live in America and the shipping is over 100 dollars. Making them way expensive here.
Nice comparison video Elmo. The two things I have to say are. I do wish that Squier, and Epiphone for that matter would buy some stain to darken their fingerboards. The three most important things in a guitar are sound, feel and looks. It must have all three. Whilst I appreciate your honest reviews I do wish you wouldn’t stress that they are honest simply because you buy all the gear. Not all sponsored reviews are fake and it’s unfair to suggest they are, even if only by implication.
I have a squier contemporary HH FR (licensed). I upgraded to locking tuners (the fender ones don’t align so I had to drill holes) and threw in a TB-4 and it’s a very fun guitar. Probably gets the most play.
Really love that classic vibe strat! Although Fenders Affinity series are pretty solid guitars. I picked up an Affinity telecaster about a month and a half ago that I haven't been able to put down. With a little bit of work they feel and play great! I'll still take my jet over an Affinity stratocaster though.
I bought the Olympic white affinity that more aged white and it has less fret sprout than the mexican fender I got rid of. Unfortunately they didn't have the sonic Olympic white that's actually Olympic white.
I just recently did a comparison between my cv70 strat against a new prs se ce24 satin. Im at the point that im about done trying to defend squier/fender any more. The quality for the price just isnt there nowadays. I can get the prs that is more attractive, has better electronics, better hardware, and better fit/finish. The cv and the ce24 were within $10 of each other, but the prs blows the squier out of the water, all the way around.
Good review video. Thank you Elmo ! - Please stop saying "guitar for beginners". There are professional musicians who play Squier Stratocasters too. There are Multi-platinum music albums which the guitar player uses a SQUIER. - With a very good guitar setup you can have an inexpensive guitar just as good, or BETTER, than a very expensive Fender Strat. Never judge a guitar by the brand name on the headstock.
Contemporary is the best Squier but it wasn’t demoed, something to consider in the future. Whammy bar test are not objective it is a system and the entire system has to be set for usage even then the laws of physics will never allow perfection on a non locking trem.
Hello Elmo! 27 minutes in my head was only one question.............. What is in your left pocket?????? To my old ears they did not sound "stratty" sound. Many years ago i bought used strat SX. It has pickups alnico ? which sound is awesome. It will win whammy test becouse of screw witch connect wiggle hell to body of guitar. Who the hell plays wiggle wiggle on strat. It is not Ibanez. I play on Floyd Rose and strings from the begining - they stretch to certain limits. Did You stretch the strings? May be it is a test of strings? Yours truly Vladimir.
How much extra does one pay for these guitars simply because they are Fender products? Maybe, the corporate heads command that the manufacturers have a minimum quality from the factories, but it's just what they need to sell the product. It sure seems like there are a lot of cheaper "No-Name" guitars sold that are just as good (or better) and often for less money. Looks like Elmo thought the same. Thanks Elmo.
Thank you! I really like this video. I'm a loner, no gigging and no jamming. 11 year guitar obsession.obsession Very relative info to buying a guitar. My takeaway is, stick to Squires, Epiphones or any other beginner guitar that pleases you. They're obviously terrific. DO NOT own a bottom feeder amplifier!! Get a Katana or a Spark 40/50, etc. You too can sound like this.
I have one with the alder body, got it for $270 dollars, changed the pickups , pots , bridge now it’s as good as any high quality guitar and that’s why I believe Fender stopped making them, they realized with a few upgrades an alder body Squire would be as good as their high dollar Strat without spending a lot of money
You don't need a cheap pos. You can get American fenders used for less than the cheap junk. They last forever. Infinitely repairable. Parts galore. Why do people buy garbage?
Check out some GREAT cheap alternatives: th-cam.com/video/IeLoR9h178s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=f0_QtJ5zxLDcL1a-
70's Classic Vibe was 220eur in mint condition (used)
It's ALL about the setup. I have both an Affinity and a Classic Vibe 50s. out of the box, the CV50s was alot better, but once the Affinity was setup right, they are on par. Sure, the Classic Vibe has a fancy lacquered maple neck and real AlNiCo pickups. But the Affinity, with its ceramic single coils, hold up on their own, a beefier sound that distorts alot better.
Play enough guitars, and you stop caring about the tier levels, brand name prestige. You just pick one up and if it has that mojo/feel you are looking for, you take it home.
I bought an Affinity Strat early this year. The setup and satin neck were the selling point for me. Mine stays in tune as well as any of my other guitars, and sounds good enough. Perfect workhorse and practice/couch guitar. Plus I can throw it in the car and not have to worry about it when traveling.
I got affinity strat because well cbs headstock is sexy as hell. and I faced the same problem, it WON'T stay in tune. however a graphite vaseline mix fixed 90% of that. I also find the stock pickup to sounds very dark and dull, so I replaced them with wilkinson wvs 60. also slapped in gold hardwares and wilkinson bridge because why not. now it's a perfect guitar for me. it sounds fantastic, it play great, and most importantly it looked gorgeous.
“Mother of toilet seat”…..hilarious Elmo. I agree with what you said about these. I wouldn’t buy any of them either. I’ll be getting a Harley Benton ST Modern Plus lefty soon……well, as soon as they’re back in stock anyway. I’ll remember to use your link as well. I think I’m gonna get my oldest daughter the Jet JS 400 as well. Have you reviewed any of the Sire 7 series guitars yet?
I appreciate this brief review.
Another great vid Elmo I love the mother of toilet seat bit that was bloody funny!!😂
I don't know why but the sonic sounded the best to me maybe because I'm on a real tight budget and used to the sound of cheaper gear but I thought it sounded the most straty! Cheers Elmo keep them coming!!👍
I'd add Sterling by Music Man to te list, particularly when talking about Classic Vibe level. More features like baked maple necks, good pickups, locking tuners etc.
Thanks Elmo. Do you have any recommendations for mods to improve tuning stability?
i love the esthetic of this natural classic vibe and the limited ! with big headstock, and and a "darker/oranger"... more aged varnish at the neck and headstock ! i love ! i need those even if some are betters 😢
I've got a squire Strat from 2017 and a partscaster Strat, great sound and always altered and adjusted by me for my personal taste.
Very interesting Elmo… Thanks for the video always appreciated 🙏✌️❤️😎🎸🎼🎶🎵
Glad you enjoyed it
Love watching the whammy torture tests.
Man, those Sonics are hit and miss. I literally witnessed a whole fret fall out at my local music store.
I doubt that 😂 that is very unbelievable.
@@Hiro.the.God.I’ve never ever seen a fret literally fall out. Even the worst cheese grater frets never did that. He could be telling the truth but for sure is an outlier.
i dont believe any of that
@@alistar3051 after the strings removed (customer wanted new strings) it must have not been pressed into place properly and easily came out leaving a bare slot)
@@alistar3051
Yes it happens all the time with cheap guitars' like he said.... no strings.... the neck relaxes..... not enough pressure to keep the frets in the slot especially when they're not glued in.... most people change the frets is why they don't glue them in.
Same principal as not glueing in the nut because they know the customers will change them out on cheap guitars.
So there's your daily dose of knowledge to pass on to others.
Based on another video of yours, I bought not one, but two pacificas 112VM (for me and a friend). I play keys for years, but we are both beginners in guitar. We both enjoy them.
Squire are just Fenders entry point guitars, i tried to learn on one and almost gave up
until my tutor showed me the high action and twisted neck, yes it was an affinity made in China!
Do yourself a favour and forget about the decal on the headstock.
Elmo has said which brands and models to buy, but even they can make a few mehh ones.
Try before you buy, and be prepared to have a good guitar tech do a full setup to make it
even better.
I have an affinity Stratocaster, love it never had tuning issues love the neck plays great had it missed, with tusc nut Wilkinson bridge, schaller tuners and Wilkinson alnico sss pickups. Love it plays better than a classic vibe 👍
I just got back into learning how to play guitar after quitting years ago. I went through several different guitars before settling on the Squier Sonic HSS in Black , with maple fretboard. Many guitars at 200 dollars are pretty much just beginner instruments and the quality is all over the place. Not good. But this particular Squier I have was set up and intonation was done right out of the box. All I had to do was swap the strings and I buffed the frets before installing them. The nut was cut VERY well, and the guitar stays in tune great even using the tremolo. The only con was the 13th fret has some buzzing, annoying but not terrible. Also I will probably have to sand the ends because of minor sprouting. In my opinion it’s a very decent instrument and I think people over react and dis this guitar way too overboard. Edit: the reason I don’t buy Harley Benton guitars is because I live in America and the shipping is over 100 dollars. Making them way expensive here.
Nice comparison video Elmo. The two things I have to say are. I do wish that Squier, and Epiphone for that matter would buy some stain to darken their fingerboards. The three most important things in a guitar are sound, feel and looks. It must have all three.
Whilst I appreciate your honest reviews I do wish you wouldn’t stress that they are honest simply because you buy all the gear. Not all sponsored reviews are fake and it’s unfair to suggest they are, even if only by implication.
I have a squier contemporary HH FR (licensed). I upgraded to locking tuners (the fender ones don’t align so I had to drill holes) and threw in a TB-4 and it’s a very fun guitar. Probably gets the most play.
Liked the 70’s one .
Really love that classic vibe strat! Although Fenders Affinity series are pretty solid guitars. I picked up an Affinity telecaster about a month and a half ago that I haven't been able to put down. With a little bit of work they feel and play great! I'll still take my jet over an Affinity stratocaster though.
I'm changing my mind about the CV
Why don't they make one with a hardtail bridge, then I would consider buying one.
They do, the Squier Sonic Strat has a traditional hardtail and the paranormal strat-o-sonic has a more Gibson style wrapround tailpiece.
@@Cracktopus. Thanks.
@@Cracktopus. Coundn't find one in a lefty model.
First thing I do with a strat is block the trem! I like the neck and body style but I hate that trem!
I have a sonic and it is a great guitar , give the guitar a setup and perhaps in the future a pickup upcrade!
Nice and honest review Elmo. Squier wake up...if you still can.
What about theses Squiers compared with Jet JS 400?
Top man elmo..👏👏👏
I bought the Olympic white affinity that more aged white and it has less fret sprout than the mexican fender I got rid of. Unfortunately they didn't have the sonic Olympic white that's actually Olympic white.
Why not toss in the Debut Strat and make a half dozen?
I just recently did a comparison between my cv70 strat against a new prs se ce24 satin.
Im at the point that im about done trying to defend squier/fender any more. The quality for the price just isnt there nowadays. I can get the prs that is more attractive, has better electronics, better hardware, and better fit/finish. The cv and the ce24 were within $10 of each other, but the prs blows the squier out of the water, all the way around.
Another great video.
Which websites do you use when buying used music gear, and normal music gear in general?
I live in Europe.
The first three... skipp em! The last two will do the job after sum love!
Good review video. Thank you Elmo ! - Please stop saying "guitar for beginners". There are professional musicians who play Squier Stratocasters too. There are Multi-platinum music albums
which the guitar player uses a SQUIER. - With a very good guitar setup you can have an inexpensive guitar just as good, or BETTER, than a very expensive Fender Strat.
Never judge a guitar by the brand name on the headstock.
Hi I have question can you test out the Laney foundry amp because it looks very nice and am considering it
Maybe at some point. Not in the near future though.
@@MrPolevaulter thank you so much
Contemporary is the best Squier but it wasn’t demoed, something to consider in the future. Whammy bar test are not objective it is a system and the entire system has to be set for usage even then the laws of physics will never allow perfection on a non locking trem.
@23.55 it will gives the Jazzmaster's harmonics on this string lol ! a nut issue ?
Worst thing on Affinitys and Sonic are pickups, they sound thin and muddy on clean, you can easily hear it with decent headphones.
The best one is your mahogany custom. Just saying.❤
How do you see the cheapest ”real” Fender Strato, Player series compared to Squier Classic Vibes?
Hey Elmo ;)
Hello Elmo! 27 minutes in my head was only one question.............. What is in your left pocket?????? To my old ears they did not sound "stratty" sound. Many years ago i bought used strat SX. It has pickups alnico ? which sound is awesome. It will win whammy test becouse of screw witch connect wiggle hell to body of guitar. Who the hell plays wiggle wiggle on strat. It is not Ibanez. I play on Floyd Rose and strings from the begining - they stretch to certain limits. Did You stretch the strings? May be it is a test of strings? Yours truly Vladimir.
How much extra does one pay for these guitars simply because they are Fender products? Maybe, the corporate heads command that the manufacturers have a minimum quality from the factories, but it's just what they need to sell the product. It sure seems like there are a lot of cheaper "No-Name" guitars sold that are just as good (or better) and often for less money. Looks like Elmo thought the same. Thanks Elmo.
Thank you! I really like this video. I'm a loner, no gigging and no jamming. 11 year guitar obsession.obsession Very relative info to buying a guitar. My takeaway is, stick to Squires, Epiphones or any other beginner guitar that pleases you. They're obviously terrific. DO NOT own a bottom feeder amplifier!! Get a Katana or a Spark 40/50, etc. You too can sound like this.
Older classic vibe had alder body, now all have poplar. Don't spend your money on squiers.
I have one with the alder body, got it for $270 dollars, changed the pickups , pots , bridge now it’s as good as any high quality guitar and that’s why I believe Fender stopped making them, they realized with a few upgrades an alder body Squire would be as good as their high dollar Strat without spending a lot of money
What's wrong with poplar?
....the Player II
Freinds dont let freinds buy Squiers. Smart buyers prefer Sires. An Eart wouldn't hurt. You'll be set with a Jet.
You don't need a cheap pos. You can get American fenders used for less than the cheap junk. They last forever. Infinitely repairable. Parts galore. Why do people buy garbage?
You really can't get used American Fender guitars for $200. That's just not true because if you could I'd already have one.
I know someone who sold 7 USA made fenders 4 teles...3 starts for $50.00 each back in 2015.
I reported it to the cops and still didn't get them back.
jets seem far better than these. Price/value rage is bad. Jet 380 has locking tuners and full size tremblock for the CV price. I wouldn't buy these.