Check out some of my music: th-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s.html Or more guitar reviews: th-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNGXHK9wPm1kYNDwFvMLQ7ES.html
I'm in my fifties now, but 30 years ago you could still buy a quality US-made Fender, used and secondhand, from guitar stores in central London for between 350 and 500 UK pounds. The store would throw in a hard case for that price. Perfectly set up and intonated guitars were sold, all my Strats and Teles played perfectly from off the wall and these were used instruments but in great condition. Most of these stores had their products set up and ready to go and would not dare sell an instrument that had issues. Once you've been playing the electric guitar a few years, you are able to spot a duff or defective issue the moment you start playing. Nobody bought online 'cause it didnt exist yet, and there were sales people who'd personally guarantee a guitar, verbally. Satisfied customers would go back time and again to the same store or salesperson. I'd change my Strat or Tele every three of four years for an upgrade or a different finish ! The one drawback of the American Strats of the seventies was that most had the same problem - the G and B strings would need constant tuning !
Basically you happened upon a lemon... Every single classic vibe I have tried so far had absolutely none of these issues and were constructed incredibly well for the price point. Going head to head with some of my U.S Fenders tbh.
Agree as well, and as a professional luthier myself, to be fair I have regularly encountered similar issues with Fender guitars as well. Not as commonly as in less expensive guitars, but for sure they are QC issues not to be necessarily expected on every Squier
$449 in the US. I've been playing Teles (or Tele styles) for 57 years, but 5 strokes have left le quite as a beginner, as my fingers & my brain are having fights with one is telling the others! I'm fine with chords, so it's not THAT drastic! Just no more leads or fills. At 70, I'm learning to learn where my limitations are.
This is the third guitar I've bought in the past month and I took the first 2 back and kept the exact. Guitar you tested here.ive played it a little but not a lot.i don't have the superb ability you have but I can say I absolutely love this guitar.
@@benallmark9671 No, not sticky. Not as silky as my American Standard strat, but it’s not supposed to be, is it? It’s meant to feel like a guitar made then, but not ‘from’ then. Not vintage. Old processes, brand new. The neck, my neck, just feels bright and snappy, and has its own vibe going on. It’s good having guitars that have a different feel from each other. Whatever suits the mood.
@@benallmark9671 In my opinion it's sticky. That's subjective. You can sand down the back of the neck to get a more smooth surface. There are plenty of videos about that on youtube.
@@fabioa.565 I’m with you , I have couple CV’s and ones awesome, not sticky at all and ones so sticky a can barley stand playing it which is a shame because other then that it’s a gem , it’s the jazzmaster with P-90’s.
I bought one used in mint condition for under 300 bucks. I had it set up and worked on by a talented Luthier which cost me under 150. It's a awesome guitar. Sounds great, stays in tune etc. I love it.
Just got one used, it sounds beautiful! It was already set up and had no dead notes or buzzing! I had a harry potter Olivander’s moment when i picked it up at the store, it felt so right. Keeping this one forever
Wise words at the end. Please buy from a local shop where you can test what you are buying. One option with cheaper guitars also is to buy a local second hand one, one which someone has already paid a luthier to setup it great, possibly with a new nut. Most often that luthier cost is not added into the resale price so you are getting a great value with used one,
Ive just bought my second Butterscotch Telecaster Classic Vibe Keith Richards Inspired made in Indonesia, my first one was made in China. My only gripes with the latest one is that it has no Domed Knobs, the saddles are Chrome and needed a set up, luckerly I do this as a paying hobby, but it took a good hour to set the neck relief, the intonation, adjust all the bridge barrels for string height, ive ordered Brass Compensated Saddles, waiting for them to arrive as post is not good. It was a FSR Exclusive to Andertons in Guildford Surrey Uk for amazing price of £299.00, Im very pleased to say it scrubbed up well, and very resonate, so heyho.
I stupidly bought a classic vibe jaguar after hearing good reports about CVs from multiple sources but honestly it is complete junk. The nut is stupid bad (common theme with Squire) and the fret buzz all over the neck is WILD. Moral of the story, it’s still not safe to buy a Squire in 2022…no matter what people tell you!
Basic innotation, action, and truss rod adjustment should be done before testing for buzzing or dead spots. Nut slots can be height filled and filed back down at a more aggressive angle toward the headstock to reduce buzzing and improve nut contact if that issue still persists after proper setup.
I bought one a good few years back. Replaced pickups (Humbucker on neck and hotter vintage on bridge) and used Scotchbrite green abrasive pad on neck. I used it for a 21 date residency theatre show. Never let me down, stayed in tune. Also used it on a lot of sessions. Amazing value.
it has the same problem than mine, the solution is, first to adjust the soul, put small aluminum foils in the slots of the bone only in the last strings, and finally shield the guitar with aluminum or copper foil, especially in the electronics, believeme works
If the nut was the only thing I found wrong with mine, I'd be happy. I had the same nut issue and some frets were not seated properly so I tapped them in and filed the nut slots since they were too high. Mind you, I purchased an unused two year old model for a fraction of the price.
Got mine (butterscotch Tele) a few years ago when Fender launched the Squire Classic Vibe series and picked it up for around $320 with a 20% off coupon through GC. One of the best guitars in my line-up. I've heard there's been issues more recently, but mine was flawless.
Yup, the MIC series…. Awesome telecasters manufactured at the Grand Reward Plant in China (2008 to 2018) Downright IMPECABLE FINISH, which I can’t say about the newer more recent Indonesian runs (I understand production returned to China but quality and attention to finish isn’t what it used to be unfortunately.
I own 2 MICS by the way.. (2016 and 2018) they perfectly hold their own against my other six Fender branded telecaster, but being honest, my absolute “go to guitar” is my beloved fender Baja 50s 2016.
@@elcentinela1000 That happens when demands and productions grows. Then there will be a bigger chance of getting one with bad quality control. It tends to be like this with any company. So the much more expensive guitars will most likely have a tendency to have much better quality control. Maybe also because they're taken even more care for in the production. I don't know from experience myself in that regard though.
@@nym053 On point. If you've worked in manufacturing there is always the pressure from the bean counters to grow production without a commensurate investment in the process. Quality and delivery usually suffers.
Every guitar new or used should be taken to the luthier for setup, frets, and nut dressing. So there should be extra cost or investment when buying a new guitar. People usually thinking of pickup replacement as the first investment, cause I think frets nut and setup are more crucial for the guitar to play in tune and therefore to sound good.
Elmo, Great video. Thanks for posting your unbiased review. I just received my 50s CV and it had the same nut/buzz issue. Additionally, the frets need leveling, and one of the neck screws was stripped out. The guitar has such amazing potential, too bad the quality control is lacking. Unfortunately I’m sending it back… Thanks
I was convinced by the many positive reviews to buy a Squier CV (thinline). It has the same problems with neck bow and nut that you pointed out. I should have watched your video before. A pity because otherwise it sounds good and it looks the part. Also, a shout a out to you: you are one of the few youtubers having the courage to say it when you don't like gear - which should be the whole point of a review. And when you don't shred like a madman (or like Yngwie) you play so good, man!
Love sound of it. It is worth to mention that if you are not experience player and/or guitar tech you should take new guitar to the luthier just to check if everything is Ok. My first two guitars I’ve sent back to the shop because of some neck issues that I didnt notice but luthier found them after quick check.
I bought a CV 50's strat a couple of months ago, online. The nut was awful. The high E would slide off the fretboard super easy, because they cut the slot too close to the edge, and also they started the rounding of the fret too far inward on the fret. The neck was twisted and unfixable, and quite a few screwholes were drilled way off, even worse than a chibson I had. It looked great, but it had numerous issues.
My 2014 cv tele is killer, no issues and punches way above its class, kept it all stock. Interestingly at local guitar shop the cv guitars were all set up better than mim counterparts. Fret sprout and bad setup on mim but the CVs played like butter. But always can get poor qc no matter the brand. Try before you buy as you said
A lot of people say that the old made in china CV are better than the new one made in indonesia, besides the old chines ones were more expensive. I own a strat CV 50 made in china 2015 and it's great.
Bought the 60’s version online for $200+tax. Open box deal. So many issues. Sitar sounds on b string. Rattling on low e string. Frets need leveling and polishing. For a $200 guitar maybe it’s worth it to keep and tinker with but def disappointed out of the box.
I bought mine in 2010 for $359.00 Canadian. A few months later they started to go up and currently are at $579.00. Mine is used as a regular gigging guitar along with my HB Fusion ll. Wonderful instruments, both. I installed a fishman piezo bridge and preamp and it is very versatile. Bear in mind that I bought it in a store and tried it along with others and chose it as the best of the lot. Love it. No issues.
Mine is a 2014 I think and paid about the same amount of money. It's a 50's Vintage Blonde, made in China. I love it, but it's soooo heavy, the body is made of pine. It weighs 10+ pounds. I'm starting to find it pretty heavy, but It plays and sounds fabulous...
Just got a brand new CV '50s Tele in butterscotch with a black guard a few days ago on deal for $270 before tax. Made in Indonesia. Needed a slight truss rod adj to flatten the neck and lowered the g string 5 thousandths. Weighs 7lbs 11ozs. Awesome guitar. Cheers!
Exact same guitar, exact same issue. Bought mine from Sweetwater a few months back and couldn’t figure out why the high e sounded like a sitar when played open. After seeing this I’m gonna reach out to them and see if I can get help getting it fixed. Love the guitar otherwise.
Who ever it was that commented. SWITCH OFF THE EDFECTS. I thought I was the only who can't understand how you can listen to how a guitar SOUNDS. with all that distortion. Makes them all sound the same. Every body does it drives me nuts. We all like to use it, but nit when you trying to hear the sound if the guitar. Does no-one play clean Ecer?
There are some good classic vibes out there. I Played A boat Load of Telecasters & bought a road worn telecaster with Possibly the worst fret Job I have ever Played on Out of the factory I did not want to send it back Because it Resonated with no amp Like no telecaster I Ever played And it only weighed 6.9 pounds And got a great deal on it i Got the frets leveled polished Set up It is now one incredible guitar I'm glad I kept it.
@@benallmark9671 The have a Blond Roadworn Telecaster That only weights 6 pounds 10 oz At sweetwater music. Don't know what color you want I would be all over that one For the fact I don't like heavy guitars I truly believe They sound better they're way more resonant.
EDIT TWO YEARS LATER: Just before Warranty ran out 9th fret almost pulled off so I got it serviced for free at fine place here in L.A. If that happened a couple weeks later I would've been pissed. All I can say is my Chinese made 50s CV Strat never had that problem. I'm still conscious of the fret ends on the Tele but everything positive I say below on original post still stands - it's a beast, heavy, beautiful and faster than F, EZ to play. Original post 2021: 55 point check for my new butterscotch 50's CV Tele from SW came in tune and perfect. $425 It is a perfect match to my Chinese CV 50s Strat before they shifted to Indo. The CV Tele (Indo but seemingly same great quality as the 3 year earlier Chinese CV Strat back when they were $350 and not so well known)) is 9.5 lbs of Pine - I could've picked a lighter one from the ones in stock but I selected a KILLER grain pattern that makes the body look like one piece. I love the fast neck - a little SmithProFormula keeps it like glass - I like the clear coat neck and board. I also like my unfinished necks too - more important is the grind and these CVs are wicked fast and pretty "finished" out of box. Just my 2¢ 🎸
I ran into the same fretbuzz problem as you, until I noticed the CV Tele has a double action trussrod, which is literally the key to adjusting it properly.
I’ve owned three of these and in my experience, the Chinese made versions from 2009-2011 were better quality instruments overall. Those had brass bridge saddles, solid metal dome volume and tone knobs and a crisp feeling pickup selector. They are more period correct having no neck pickup adjustment screws in the pickguard. None of the CV50s Teles I’ve had showed the fret buzz that yours seems to have. You make yours sound MUCH better than mine though!
I got a CV Jaguar. It had clear issues where they had filed down the highest of high frets, but essentially the frets were dog rough, unpolished and unfinished. Mind you, the mex player strat I got was not much better.
The best "cheap" guitar you can find for the money. Great look, great playability, great tone, amazing guitar. Pittiy that here in Brazil they are so expensive. If needed, a few adjustments and it is perfect in every way.
Levando em conta que as fender player estão saindo por 8K, elas voltam a ser convidativas. Especialmente porque, tirando a eletrica, a construção da guitarra e os detalhes vintage não deixam nada a desejar para as fender mex pré player series
These are supposed to be the best Squier has to offer yet many of them have issues. Whereas the Affinity series and cheaper are consistently good guitars. With these issues, unless you get a good one, you're better off with a MIM Fender on sale.
I bought mine in 2015 Fender SQ Classic Vibe Tele 50's BB. It needed the string height lowering when I got it and that is all I've ever had to do apart from change the strings. The finish is immaculate and it plays and sounds as good as any Mexican or USA tele. It's been fault free in the last 7 years and was my go to guitar until I bought my USA FSR Stratocaster last year. I can notice that the string tree is by the G tuner on my guitar and the one in the video is between the D and A string. Great video, thank you Elmo.
I now realise why mines different. It came with brass saddles and the string tree in a different position. mine is the Chinese version and I think you are playing the Indonesian version. My heel plate has Squier and Fender etched on it where I think your version just says Squier. Mine isn't CE marked either.
I've owned a squier affinity and a classic vibe. I absolutely hated the affinity...it never stayed in tune, intonation terrible, pickups thin sounding, and it felt cheap. I absolutely love the classic vibe telecaster... worth every penny above the affinity. It sounds epic, pickups phenomenal. I played it against my core PRS custom 24, Gibson Les Paul, 335, American standard strat, and Chris Robertson, etc. and it's shocking how good the classic vibe sounds in comparison. The pickups are even clearer than my strat pickups which are single coil too... and much clearer than all of my other guitars. They are plenty punchy too for lead playing. The build quality is rock solid... and pickups are perfectly balanced. I don't think you can get a better sounding telecaster no matter what the price... but maybe you get less sharp frets and nitro finish. The poly finish on this guitars doesn't effect resonance on this guitar at all though ..it resonates for days... just as much as any of my nitro guitars. I don't care what the name on the headstock is... If a guitar sounds this phenomenal I'm proud to display the company name on the headstock...who cares that it doesn't say fender... squire deserves high remarks for this one. No reason to spend a penny more for anything else. As long as you don't get a dud... but that can happen with fender, Gibson, and other guitars too...
I’ve got a fender vintera special run of only 50 ,fifties roadworn strats and that thing needed work more than any cheap squier I’ve owned ,the pickups needed swapping from the fat 50’s cos they sucked .they sounded nothing strat like .after I’d sorted it it still wasn’t owt to write home about .so I got rid of it. For over a Grand in British pounds it certainly wasn’t worth what I paid for it ,luckily I got my money back on it .I won’t touch a fender again. I’ve known a few with American strats costing three times the price having QC problems ..
@@craigpimlott204 I actually bought a fender American performer and a professional II telecaster too. The professional II was flawless but I didn't care for the pickups for some reason for clean tones so sold it. I kept the performer which was also flawless... except the fret ends were a bit sharp... so I had them filed down. I absolutely love the tone, feel, and look of the performer in every way. But my classic vibe was really good too. The classic vibe is a bit bright sounding... and I prefer the warmer tone of my performer but both great. Change the classic vibe saddles to brass may resolve this and would cost much less than buying an American telecaster. I just had cash to burn and collect guitars...
Exact same issue with the nut for my b string, just cut a tiny piece of paper and put it between the string and nut and it seems fine now. High e also seems fairly close to the edge of the board, slips off a lot
The bridge pup on mine lost volume when you cut the tone down. So if you wanted full volume on the bridge you had to keep the tone cranked. I finally got tired of it and replaced the pups with some Seymour Duncan La Breas and it fixed the problem and made the guitar sound so much better. But, you're right about the nut; there's not much to work with there. I've had mine professionally setup and I still get a slight buzz on the A string.
As some have alluded I'm old enough to have owned an American Telecaster Butterscotch Blonde My Micawber ( A person who is poor but eternally optimistic, believing that "something will turn up",). Telecasters are the ultimate guitar there beauty is highly adaptable or interchangeable parts. Leo was a genius and made perhaps the best mass produced guitar that ever existed. Oh and my all American made guitar had issues as described in your video. Living breathing slabs of wood that are not perfect that part is upto us as players to work out. This Squire will be around for a very long time and from time to time will let us down. That's part of musicianship. Love your channel bud. Cheers Doug 😎
My cv strat had a poorly cut nut, low e string was too high and lots of buzzing, £40 later sorted via luthier, id factor that in to any future purchases
It's a shame to see that people seem to be having issues with the new Indonesian CVs. I have a 2017 "Crafted in China" CV and it's pretty much a perfect guitar. The only thing I had to do to it was install a 4-way switch (a mandatory mod on all Teles IMO). It has super low action, the pickups sound great, and it's about average weight for a Tele. I've never weighed it, but I don't think it feels heavy when I pick it up. Intonation is not a problem with the 3-saddle bridge, either. I have a set of compensated saddles that I was going to use, but the intonation was dead-on out of the box (it had been inspected and set up by Sweetwater), so I kept the stock saddles on there. I switched from 9s to 10s and at worst, the low and high E strings are just slightly sharp at the 12th fret, but not enough that I can hear it, and I have pretty good pitch. I'm a luthier/tech, so things like replacing or filing a nut, or leveling frets isn't a major concern for me, but if you don't know how to do it, or can't have it done cheaply, you might want to seek out a used, Chinese CV or try before you buy, as Elmo said. Just about every online retailer will take returns without a hassle (thought it is a hassle to have ship a guitar back and hope the next on is better).
A lot of people say that the old made in china CV are better than the new one made in indonesia, besides the old chines ones were more expensive. I own a strat CV 50 made in china 2015 and it's great.
I’ve had one of these a few years and it’s great but the pickups were so low output so I chucked a Seymour Duncan in the bridge and it goes hard. Kept the original neck pick up just for the different feel.
I have 4 Squiers Classic Vibes (jazzmaster, telecaster, stratocaster and esquire) and all of them hade same issue wit high E strin (sitar sound), but that was easy fix. And all of them had rough frets that needed to be polished.
@@MrVule33 I had and sold Gibson Les Paul that is still my favorite. Sold it because it suffered from a severe sitar sound that 5 local repairmen could not correct. I tried to ignore it but couldn't take it anymore.
Hi this was over years my main guitar. Got it from a good friend to my 50th annyversary. Arctic White. Ugly. So I painted this cool instrument SURF GREEN. What a beauty. I repaced both PUs, one after another.Such a guitar should be very sturdy. Mine is: I had my guitars & basses on the wall. One day, a guitar crashed at the floor. Holy *************!! Well, I had to tune one string. That's.No damage of my beautyful painting, nothing to complain. When ever I check an amp, I take this therfore. Folks! Attach your instruments and take care, that the guitar are better attached than mine! Was is more to say? very tight tuners, wonderful maple fretboard, about the sound: go in your basement room and crank it up until the amp begins to burn.
Well your problem just solved mine, thank you. I have a new Epiphone LPClassic, lowest 3 strings did that buzz. Paid a music store setup guy for strings, setup. It stays in tune, buzz is less, still buzzes. Sent back, they tweaked the truss rod, still buzzes. I'll make them install a new quality nut next.
I bought a MIC version in Feb 2020. I took it to my local tech guy who checked it over. The only thing he did was replace the pots. I’ve noticed the CV maple necks move a lot requiring a little more in the way of truss rod adjusting, but it doesn’t take much, 1/4 turn here and there and all is right with the world. The only real issue for me is the weight. Its pretty hefty, but you so aptly demonstrated it sounds fantastic!
I have a squier strat (from one of those beginner kits), and it has that SAME buzzing issue on the low E string. I took it to a luthier to get it setup properly, as he noted it wasn't too bad but it could use improvement (truss rod, string action, general playability). I'll see what it's like when I get it back. Also, I bought it online like a moron instead of going in store. As a beginner, probably not the best idea...
I bought one which had a serious issue . One neck screw , when checked , was loose as a result of being over tightened and stripped . When the neck was taken off the offending screw hole had a strip of bamboo placed in the hole in order to try and tighten it . The hole had to be drilled out and a strip of hardwood glued in prior to re- screwing the neck back on . I should have returned the guitar but found it more convenient to repair the issue. The nut on the guitar was similarly poorly prepared as demonstrated in this video . I replaced it . If you are in the market for this guitar I would advise you to check it out carefully in a guitar shop . Do not buy it online.
Looks like similar Telecasters go for about $250 in the states, but that model may have some perceived uniqueness so they may charge more. Lots of nut problems and some string resonance with that one. I don't think many of us have nut files to fix these things. Here's a general question. Will many nut problems be solved by the use of a zero fret nut? They have been mass manufacturing these Telecasters since the 1950s. Look at the improvements in other stuff since then. I would think you would not expect those types of problems since they may have made millions of these by now. Excellent Review.
Ya this is the first electric guitar I’ve bought and I hate it. I play a lot of acoustic but trying to record this electric is terrible it has a ton of issues
I have a Squire Telecaster and the B string is LOUD. If you accidentally hit it while soloing you can hear it across the street. The nigh E has the opposite problem. After watching this, I’m guessing it’s the nut.
Great demo, as always. I have a Fender Player Tele that I really love, but it came with fret issues as well, so someone in Fender's QC isn't doing their due diligence. I also think they moved the production of the Classic Vibe teles from their original factory in China a while back; for a time, there were two models, one in butterscotch with Alnico V pups and one in white blonde with Alnico III pups, and some investigative forum-goers actually determined the pickups were made by Tonerider. Those earlier models are practically legendary now for rivaling their U.S.-made counterparts. Hate to see that the newer models are a bit more of a mixed bag.
I'd buy an older MIM Tele before I'd buy a newer one....the fret workmanship was better... I just bought a Brad Paisley Equire and found some of the worst fret ends I've ever seen on a Fender. A couple of days ago I went to Guitarcenter to look at Fenders and Squiers to look at the fret work. Some were decent and some were absolutely awful. The best was a Squier with neck binding....
I just bought one of these used in white blond with the brass saddles made in china for $300 and the thing is flawless. I guess it comes down to quality control
Thank you again for another splendid video. The "Try before you buy" advice is so important. I was lucky enough to pick up a second hand Fender Baja Telecaster in a local London guitar shop for three hundred quid. It's still one of the best guitars I've ever played. Not quite the one guitar to rule them all, but it's a close run thing.
Just buy it from Sweetwater. Anything you don’t like WILL get taken care of quickly, whatever it takes. BTW, my Squier CV 50’s Strat cost me $379 two months ago.
2nd classic vibe and will say that the fit and finish is superb, compared to my old one the finish isn't so thick but this particular one was only 7.3lbs so for me was really lightweight, I'm getting some adhesive lead weights to bulk it up a bit . Everything else is superb on mine
Seems like there have been a lot more QC issues since they moved production from China to Indonesia with the CV series. I've got one of the Chinese CV Teles from a few years back, and I was lucky to have no issues with mine. I always take my guitars into a luthier after I purchase them (and about once a year) for basic set up and maintenance. I think of it like taking care of a car. Intonation is inherently tougher with the vintage tele bridge. Many swear by it though as necessary for that tele tone. But if you're not playing country, swapping it with a Gotoh Modern tele bridge/saddles will solve the intonation issues, albeit, while sacrificing some of that chime. But they aren't using brass saddles now anyway. I recently got the Gotoh bridge as well as a Tusq XL nut & string trees, and I also upgraded the pots and electronics with an Obsidianwire 4-way panel/switch. Those will definitely make the most out of this guitar. The pickups, neck and body are immaculate as is.
I have the same guitar - best neck of any I've ever played, including American Strat. Perfect fret job. Incredibly great low action. None of those problems. Wish my Strat had as good a neck and as good an action.
Compré la mía en 2022 y la tuve que llevar al luthier por problemas de buzz. El mastil esta ligeramente desviado y no se puede bajar mucho las cuerdas. Aún así me parece buena guitarra.
I found one in the 7.5 pound range with a beautiful body. Bought it for the body lol. Have a satin Fender tele neck laying around I'm going put on with a mini humbucker in the neck and a seymour duncan vintage stack in the bridge with new wiring. After those mods I think it's going to be right up there with my higher end guitars.
Us price 429.99 i believe. New ones have cool bone nut but the string retainer is in the wrong location. New ones have more era correct knobs. Mine is a 2015 i got beat up from my brother but is a great player, does the tele sound and has a gorgeous flamed maple neck and a nice heavy pine body with brass saddles. The intonation is very very close if not correct which is hard with the 3 saddle set up. I like the darker tint the new ones have on the neck. I got mine strung up with 9s which is my favorite. I had to give it a personalized set up and get the radius back in the saddles and straighten the neck. Polished the metals best i could with microfiber towel. Was played hard and not taken care of until now that it is mine. I traded him my cv jaguar because it wasn't as good with hard rock as the tele plus i wanted a 50s cv tele since 2018. I got a new 50s strat in 2018 and it was a close call between it and the tele.
Thank you for this demo .mine has no problem of sillet or other. It sounds perfect. On the other hand I had to change the pickard which had a real problem of frying as if the plastic was irradiated!!? The handle is perfect. This guitar is as powerful as an American
I avoided a PRS SE for the reported bad nut, got an Ibanez at half the price, no problem there. The nut is something that's really annoying to work on, so they should really get that right.
Seems to be issues at the Indonesian factory or the QC has been dropped on the Classic Vibe series. My 2014 Blonde CV tele from the Chinese Factory was flawless when I bought it and still sounds awesome. The neck was great and has great flame maple. Really sad to see the issue this one had and it clearly passed QC
Expect to have to setup any new guitar. They don’t know how you play or what you want. Violin players learn how to do a setup before playing anything. Guitar players should too.
@@tcarbonimusic I took it to my friend who builds guitars,he looked at it but could not do much with it,I sold mine,nice guitar but to close to the edge,Ijust bought an Epi 59,nice guitar but heavy.
@@MrPolevaulter need your advice,I bought the Epi 59,everthing about it is good except for the weight,is that a deal breaker?,have you tried the new Sire line,thanks.
I have one from about 12 years ago when they were made in China. Only difference is mine has brass saddles and alnico 3 pickups. It was great out of the box. I just took all the gloss off the neck with a sanding brick. Couldn't stand the stickiness.
I agree that evry guitar is an individual :-) The nut sounds like a problem that needs to be fixed. However, in my experience, tuning issues can also come from new strings not being fully streched yet; the interval problem is often fixed simply by lowering the string and tuning it up again (assuming the intonation is correct). I just ordered a CV white blonde and excited to see if I get a good or less good one, but I can return it if I like. Gear4 Music has a great return policy. I plan mod it into an Esquire.
Just bought a second hand Danish Pete one from eBay. I think I have the same issue with the nut causing that out of tune problem. Other than that it’s great. Got a mint green pickguard coming as the White is a bit too white for me.
Seems to me you got a dud. I’ve had four classic vibes of different flavors and they’ve all been excellent. Just FYI: the intonation issue has nothing to do with the nut. It’s the non-compensated barrel bridge saddles. It’s a vintage spec. I replaced them with Wilkinson compensated brass saddles.
Purchased mine for $645 in Australia. Buzzing on the EAD strings. - Went back to fender - neck was bowed! Being swapped under warranty. Fingers crossed :)
Has anyone had an issue with the bridge high e screw coming unscrewed? I’ve had mine for 3 days and it’s come unscrewed twice. It’s a hell of a guitar just that issue. Help please someone
I've been thinking of getting this guitar for a while and have decided I'll still be getting one. My feeling here is that you got a shoddy guitar but a decent one will be well worth the price. Will buy in store tho
Guitar around 450€ A decent pre-filed nut between 10-20€, 40 if you really splurge an get a compensating one. A set of compensated saddles (the "out of tune" A string is because of the uncompensated saddles, so very much an issue of basic design, rather than build quality) will run you anywhere between 15 and 60€ on the cheaper end of things. I have my issues with Squier, but I have often found that with a few very cheap mods, and a decent setup job, you can get a guitar that easily beats anything Fender Mexico has to offer.
I have the same guitar, but I don't know why, the neck pick up is not fixed on the pickguard, but on the body (there is no visible screw, like with the original Fender). And I haven't thoses issues. Maybe they have make some adjustement on this model ? Of course I have to change strings and set the neck a little, but like with every guitar. I buy it on 2017, it was made in China.
I own one and probably gonna try and find a really good fender sticker to put over the squier logo.. i just know that if it said fender on it everyone would not know the difference and would absolutely compliment it
I bought a Classic vibe Tele many years ago chinese production it was better no particular problems. Now they have chanced country of production and many people say the quality it's worst. I put Seymour Duncan quarter pound pickups with coil tap and now It's a beast. I recommend.
Check out some of my music: th-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s.html
Or more guitar reviews: th-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNGXHK9wPm1kYNDwFvMLQ7ES.html
I'll do that. 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
I'm in my fifties now, but 30 years ago you could still buy a quality US-made Fender, used and secondhand, from guitar stores in central London for between 350 and 500 UK pounds. The store would throw in a hard case for that price.
Perfectly set up and intonated guitars were sold, all my Strats and Teles played perfectly from off the wall and these were used instruments but in great condition. Most of these stores had their products set up and ready to go and would not dare sell an instrument that had issues. Once you've been playing the electric guitar a few years, you are able to spot a duff or defective issue the moment you start playing.
Nobody bought online 'cause it didnt exist yet, and there were sales people who'd personally guarantee a guitar, verbally. Satisfied customers would go back time and again to the same store or salesperson. I'd change my Strat or Tele every three of four years for an upgrade or a different finish !
The one drawback of the American Strats of the seventies was that most had the same problem - the G and B strings would need constant tuning !
Basically you happened upon a lemon... Every single classic vibe I have tried so far had absolutely none of these issues and were constructed incredibly well for the price point. Going head to head with some of my U.S Fenders tbh.
Agreed. My Indonesian model was perfect right out of the box. This is the first stock boxed model having no issues.
Agree as well, and as a professional luthier myself, to be fair I have regularly encountered similar issues with Fender guitars as well. Not as commonly as in less expensive guitars, but for sure they are QC issues not to be necessarily expected on every Squier
Who is he ? _ I've heard squire classic vibe is a top guitar but the guy giving the review ? Never heard of him
$449 in the US. I've been playing Teles (or Tele styles) for 57 years, but 5 strokes have left le quite as a beginner, as my fingers & my brain are having fights with one is telling the others! I'm fine with chords, so it's not THAT drastic! Just no more leads or fills. At 70, I'm learning to learn where my limitations are.
This is the third guitar I've bought in the past month and I took the first 2 back and kept the exact. Guitar you tested here.ive played it a little but not a lot.i don't have the superb ability you have but I can say I absolutely love this guitar.
God bless you
I bought one, and I love it. Worth every cent. The neck in particular feels great. No regrets.
Cool!
It’s not sticky ?
@@benallmark9671 No, not sticky. Not as silky as my American Standard strat, but it’s not supposed to be, is it? It’s meant to feel like a guitar made then, but not ‘from’ then. Not vintage. Old processes, brand new. The neck, my neck, just feels bright and snappy, and has its own vibe going on. It’s good having guitars that have a different feel from each other.
Whatever suits the mood.
@@benallmark9671 In my opinion it's sticky. That's subjective. You can sand down the back of the neck to get a more smooth surface. There are plenty of videos about that on youtube.
@@fabioa.565 I’m with you , I have couple CV’s and ones awesome, not sticky at all and ones so sticky a can barley stand playing it which is a shame because other then that it’s a gem , it’s the jazzmaster with P-90’s.
I bought one used in mint condition for under 300 bucks. I had it set up and worked on by a talented Luthier which cost me under 150. It's a awesome guitar. Sounds great, stays in tune etc. I love it.
Just got one used, it sounds beautiful! It was already set up and had no dead notes or buzzing! I had a harry potter Olivander’s moment when i picked it up at the store, it felt so right. Keeping this one forever
that's pretty funny...lol ..Elmo had the same thing but his was one of the wands that blew up when he touched it
Wise words at the end. Please buy from a local shop where you can test what you are buying. One option with cheaper guitars also is to buy a local second hand one, one which someone has already paid a luthier to setup it great, possibly with a new nut. Most often that luthier cost is not added into the resale price so you are getting a great value with used one,
Unfortunately local shops are too lazy to stock lefties.
True.
@@shanewalton8888 Oh no. My local guitar shop is definitely quite the conservative. Not a lefty at all.
Agreed, that is the one drawback with buying online, you can't get to play or assess the guitar, which is so important.
Ive just bought my second Butterscotch Telecaster Classic Vibe Keith Richards Inspired made in Indonesia, my first one was made in China. My only gripes with the latest one is that it has no Domed Knobs, the saddles are Chrome and needed a set up, luckerly I do this as a paying hobby, but it took a good hour to set the neck relief, the intonation, adjust all the bridge barrels for string height, ive ordered Brass Compensated Saddles, waiting for them to arrive as post is not good. It was a FSR Exclusive to Andertons in Guildford Surrey Uk for amazing price of £299.00, Im very pleased to say it scrubbed up well, and very resonate, so heyho.
I stupidly bought a classic vibe jaguar after hearing good reports about CVs from multiple sources but honestly it is complete junk. The nut is stupid bad (common theme with Squire) and the fret buzz all over the neck is WILD. Moral of the story, it’s still not safe to buy a Squire in 2022…no matter what people tell you!
Basic innotation, action, and truss rod adjustment should be done before testing for buzzing or dead spots. Nut slots can be height filled and filed back down at a more aggressive angle toward the headstock to reduce buzzing and improve nut contact if that issue still persists after proper setup.
Usually nuts are high so you can file to preference. This is the first I’ve heard about this issue with CV.
@reddottx I've only ever had a nut height issue 1 time w/ a Fender international tele. I've never had an issue with the squier CV's either haha
I bought one a good few years back. Replaced pickups (Humbucker on neck and hotter vintage on bridge) and used Scotchbrite green abrasive pad on neck. I used it for a 21 date residency theatre show. Never let me down, stayed in tune. Also used it on a lot of sessions. Amazing value.
to fit the humbucker on the neck, did u just have to modify or replace the pickguard?
I have one of these from a few years ago - fitted a Wilkinson Compensated Bridge unit and now it intonates virtually perfectly.
it has the same problem than mine, the solution is, first to adjust the soul, put small aluminum foils in the slots of the bone only in the last strings, and finally shield the guitar with aluminum or copper foil, especially in the electronics, believeme works
my squir 5os p bass has the same nut issue cut to deep i had to shim it
If the nut was the only thing I found wrong with mine, I'd be happy. I had the same nut issue and some frets were not seated properly so I tapped them in and filed the nut slots since they were too high. Mind you, I purchased an unused two year old model for a fraction of the price.
I've had my MIC CV 50s Tele and Strat for years and absolutely love them. My main axes.
Got mine (butterscotch Tele) a few years ago when Fender launched the Squire Classic Vibe series and picked it up for around $320 with a 20% off coupon through GC. One of the best guitars in my line-up. I've heard there's been issues more recently, but mine was flawless.
Yup, the MIC series…. Awesome telecasters manufactured at the Grand Reward Plant in China (2008 to 2018) Downright IMPECABLE FINISH, which I can’t say about the newer more recent Indonesian runs (I understand production returned to China but quality and attention to finish isn’t what it used to be unfortunately.
I own 2 MICS by the way.. (2016 and 2018) they perfectly hold their own against my other six Fender branded telecaster, but being honest, my absolute “go to guitar” is my beloved fender Baja 50s 2016.
@@elcentinela1000 That happens when demands and productions grows. Then there will be a bigger chance of getting one with bad quality control. It tends to be like this with any company. So the much more expensive guitars will most likely have a tendency to have much better quality control. Maybe also because they're taken even more care for in the production. I don't know from experience myself in that regard though.
@@nym053 On point. If you've worked in manufacturing there is always the pressure from the bean counters to grow production without a commensurate investment in the process. Quality and delivery usually suffers.
Every guitar new or used should be taken to the luthier for setup, frets, and nut dressing. So there should be extra cost or investment when buying a new guitar. People usually thinking of pickup replacement as the first investment, cause I think frets nut and setup are more crucial for the guitar to play in tune and therefore to sound good.
learn to set them up yourself
Elmo, Great video. Thanks for posting your unbiased review. I just received my 50s CV and it had the same nut/buzz issue. Additionally, the frets need leveling, and one of the neck screws was stripped out. The guitar has such amazing potential, too bad the quality control is lacking. Unfortunately I’m sending it back… Thanks
I was convinced by the many positive reviews to buy a Squier CV (thinline). It has the same problems with neck bow and nut that you pointed out. I should have watched your video before. A pity because otherwise it sounds good and it looks the part. Also, a shout a out to you: you are one of the few youtubers having the courage to say it when you don't like gear - which should be the whole point of a review. And when you don't shred like a madman (or like Yngwie) you play so good, man!
Thanks :)
Love sound of it. It is worth to mention that if you are not experience player and/or guitar tech you should take new guitar to the luthier just to check if everything is Ok. My first two guitars I’ve sent back to the shop because of some neck issues that I didnt notice but luthier found them after quick check.
I bought a CV 50's strat a couple of months ago, online. The nut was awful. The high E would slide off the fretboard super easy, because they cut the slot too close to the edge, and also they started the rounding of the fret too far inward on the fret. The neck was twisted and unfixable, and quite a few screwholes were drilled way off, even worse than a chibson I had. It looked great, but it had numerous issues.
Yeah, I’m a lefty. I put the brass saddles and locking tuners and then worked on nut a little bit.
Fore Pete's sake, when you test a guitar switch off the freaking effects.
I😮 thought same thing
Personally I thought it was a great review & showed what a versatile guitar it is. If you want clean / twang that was at minute 13.
A bit of a show off!
Yeah! How dare you play the guitar with the effects you would use regularly to see if you enjoy the guitar for your play style!
Start your own channel and do what you want. Complain elsewhere
My 2014 cv tele is killer, no issues and punches way above its class, kept it all stock. Interestingly at local guitar shop the cv guitars were all set up better than mim counterparts. Fret sprout and bad setup on mim but the CVs played like butter. But always can get poor qc no matter the brand. Try before you buy as you said
A lot of people say that the old made in china CV are better than the new one made in indonesia, besides the old chines ones were more expensive. I own a strat CV 50 made in china 2015 and it's great.
have a 2014 also no issues
Bought the 60’s version online for $200+tax. Open box deal. So many issues. Sitar sounds on b string. Rattling on low e string. Frets need leveling and polishing. For a $200 guitar maybe it’s worth it to keep and tinker with but def disappointed out of the box.
I bought the Strat version and sold it after 1 year because the pick ups were too brittle . Very nice review .
Tex Mex pickups can be bought for $79 US. Great upgrade for a squire or mim.
Thanks!
I got one, put a Dimarzio super distortion for tele in the bridge and this guitar out performs most. I have no problem having it my go to.
Where I live (pop 329), there are no shops within 100 miles, I'm disabled and cannot drive any longer. So I have to order online!
I bought mine in 2010 for $359.00 Canadian. A few months later they started to go up and currently are at $579.00. Mine is used as a regular gigging guitar along with my HB Fusion ll. Wonderful instruments, both. I installed a fishman piezo bridge and preamp and it is very versatile. Bear in mind that I bought it in a store and tried it along with others and chose it as the best of the lot. Love it. No issues.
Mine is a 2014 I think and paid about the same amount of money. It's a 50's Vintage Blonde, made in China. I love it, but it's soooo heavy, the body is made of pine. It weighs 10+ pounds. I'm starting to find it pretty heavy, but It plays and sounds fabulous...
@@davidbergewaytogo yeah, mine weighs in like 1970s Les Paul!
Just got a brand new CV '50s Tele in butterscotch with a black guard a few days ago on deal for $270 before tax. Made in Indonesia. Needed a slight truss rod adj to flatten the neck and lowered the g string 5 thousandths. Weighs 7lbs 11ozs. Awesome guitar. Cheers!
Exact same guitar, exact same issue. Bought mine from Sweetwater a few months back and couldn’t figure out why the high e sounded like a sitar when played open. After seeing this I’m gonna reach out to them and see if I can get help getting it fixed. Love the guitar otherwise.
Who ever it was that commented. SWITCH OFF THE EDFECTS. I thought I was the only who can't understand how you can listen to how a guitar SOUNDS. with all that distortion. Makes them all sound the same. Every body does it drives me nuts. We all like to use it, but nit when you trying to hear the sound if the guitar. Does no-one play clean Ecer?
There are some good classic vibes out there. I Played A boat Load of Telecasters & bought a road worn telecaster with Possibly the worst fret Job I have ever Played on Out of the factory I did not want to send it back Because it Resonated with no amp Like no telecaster I Ever played And it only weighed 6.9 pounds And got a great deal on it i Got the frets leveled polished Set up It is now one incredible guitar I'm glad I kept it.
I got a CV Esquire that resonates like crazy.
Waiting on mine ,can’t wait , you’ve got even more excited. Supposedly it won’t be in until August though which sucks
@@benallmark9671 The have a Blond Roadworn Telecaster That only weights 6 pounds 10 oz At sweetwater music. Don't know what color you want I would be all over that one For the fact I don't like heavy guitars I truly believe They sound better they're way more resonant.
EDIT TWO YEARS LATER: Just before Warranty ran out 9th fret almost pulled off so I got it serviced for free at fine place here in L.A. If that happened a couple weeks later I would've been pissed. All I can say is my Chinese made 50s CV Strat never had that problem. I'm still conscious of the fret ends on the Tele but everything positive I say below on original post still stands - it's a beast, heavy, beautiful and faster than F, EZ to play. Original post 2021: 55 point check for my new butterscotch 50's CV Tele from SW came in tune and perfect. $425 It is a perfect match to my Chinese CV 50s Strat before they shifted to Indo. The CV Tele (Indo but seemingly same great quality as the 3 year earlier Chinese CV Strat back when they were $350 and not so well known)) is 9.5 lbs of Pine - I could've picked a lighter one from the ones in stock but I selected a KILLER grain pattern that makes the body look like one piece. I love the fast neck - a little SmithProFormula keeps it like glass - I like the clear coat neck and board. I also like my unfinished necks too - more important is the grind and these CVs are wicked fast and pretty "finished" out of box. Just my 2¢ 🎸
I ran into the same fretbuzz problem as you, until I noticed the CV Tele has a double action trussrod, which is literally the key to adjusting it properly.
Yes same here. The truss rod was too low. No buzz fret afterwards.
I’ve owned three of these and in my experience, the Chinese made versions from 2009-2011 were better quality instruments overall. Those had brass bridge saddles, solid metal dome volume and tone knobs and a crisp feeling pickup selector. They are more period correct having no neck pickup adjustment screws in the pickguard. None of the CV50s Teles I’ve had showed the fret buzz that yours seems to have. You make yours sound MUCH better than mine though!
Cheers!
Save a little more if can and get ur self a made in Mexico, with a spliter and a 4 way selecter,that should be nice
I got a CV Jaguar. It had clear issues where they had filed down the highest of high frets, but essentially the frets were dog rough, unpolished and unfinished. Mind you, the mex player strat I got was not much better.
The best "cheap" guitar you can find for the money. Great look, great playability, great tone, amazing guitar. Pittiy that here in Brazil they are so expensive. If needed, a few adjustments and it is perfect in every way.
Levando em conta que as fender player estão saindo por 8K, elas voltam a ser convidativas. Especialmente porque, tirando a eletrica, a construção da guitarra e os detalhes vintage não deixam nada a desejar para as fender mex pré player series
Hard disagree. The sterling ct50 is twice this guitar.
I have the same issues with the nut on mine
These are supposed to be the best Squier has to offer yet many of them have issues. Whereas the Affinity series and cheaper are consistently good guitars. With these issues, unless you get a good one, you're better off with a MIM Fender on sale.
I bought mine in 2015 Fender SQ Classic Vibe Tele 50's BB. It needed the string height lowering when I got it and that is all I've ever had to do apart from change the strings. The finish is immaculate and it plays and sounds as good as any Mexican or USA tele. It's been fault free in the last 7 years and was my go to guitar until I bought my USA FSR Stratocaster last year. I can notice that the string tree is by the G tuner on my guitar and the one in the video is between the D and A string. Great video, thank you Elmo.
I now realise why mines different. It came with brass saddles and the string tree in a different position. mine is the Chinese version and I think you are playing the Indonesian version. My heel plate has Squier and Fender etched on it where I think your version just says Squier. Mine isn't CE marked either.
Cheers!
I've owned a squier affinity and a classic vibe. I absolutely hated the affinity...it never stayed in tune, intonation terrible, pickups thin sounding, and it felt cheap. I absolutely love the classic vibe telecaster... worth every penny above the affinity. It sounds epic, pickups phenomenal. I played it against my core PRS custom 24, Gibson Les Paul, 335, American standard strat, and Chris Robertson, etc. and it's shocking how good the classic vibe sounds in comparison. The pickups are even clearer than my strat pickups which are single coil too... and much clearer than all of my other guitars. They are plenty punchy too for lead playing. The build quality is rock solid... and pickups are perfectly balanced. I don't think you can get a better sounding telecaster no matter what the price... but maybe you get less sharp frets and nitro finish. The poly finish on this guitars doesn't effect resonance on this guitar at all though ..it resonates for days... just as much as any of my nitro guitars. I don't care what the name on the headstock is... If a guitar sounds this phenomenal I'm proud to display the company name on the headstock...who cares that it doesn't say fender... squire deserves high remarks for this one. No reason to spend a penny more for anything else. As long as you don't get a dud... but that can happen with fender, Gibson, and other guitars too...
It does say Fender on the headstock though. Just with very small letters written under 'Squier' hehe 😋
@@nym053 yep... it's the same guitar just constructed in Asia with different pickups... but it's a phenomenal guitar...
@@thadlogan51 hehe yes, but was just teasing you. I figured that you knew as much 😄❤
I’ve got a fender vintera special run of only 50 ,fifties roadworn strats and that thing needed work more than any cheap squier I’ve owned ,the pickups needed swapping from the fat 50’s cos they sucked .they sounded nothing strat like .after I’d sorted it it still wasn’t owt to write home about .so I got rid of it. For over a Grand in British pounds it certainly wasn’t worth what I paid for it ,luckily I got my money back on it .I won’t touch a fender again. I’ve known a few with American strats costing three times the price having QC problems ..
@@craigpimlott204 I actually bought a fender American performer and a professional II telecaster too. The professional II was flawless but I didn't care for the pickups for some reason for clean tones so sold it. I kept the performer which was also flawless... except the fret ends were a bit sharp... so I had them filed down. I absolutely love the tone, feel, and look of the performer in every way. But my classic vibe was really good too. The classic vibe is a bit bright sounding... and I prefer the warmer tone of my performer but both great. Change the classic vibe saddles to brass may resolve this and would cost much less than buying an American telecaster. I just had cash to burn and collect guitars...
The one I bought had the nut issue for B and E string. The neck was out too.
Exact same issue with the nut for my b string, just cut a tiny piece of paper and put it between the string and nut and it seems fine now. High e also seems fairly close to the edge of the board, slips off a lot
Did you do anything about the high e string problem or are you playing it the way it is?
@@tcarbonimusic just living with it for now. Not sure what can be done about that other than replacing the nut
I had buzzing problems with my USA strat
The bridge pup on mine lost volume when you cut the tone down. So if you wanted full volume on the bridge you had to keep the tone cranked. I finally got tired of it and replaced the pups with some Seymour Duncan La Breas and it fixed the problem and made the guitar sound so much better. But, you're right about the nut; there's not much to work with there. I've had mine professionally setup and I still get a slight buzz on the A string.
As some have alluded I'm old enough to have owned an American Telecaster Butterscotch Blonde My Micawber ( A person who is poor but eternally optimistic, believing that "something will turn up",).
Telecasters are the ultimate guitar there beauty is highly adaptable or interchangeable parts. Leo was a genius and made perhaps the best mass produced guitar that ever existed. Oh and my all American made guitar had issues as described in your video. Living breathing slabs of wood that are not perfect that part is upto us as players to work out. This Squire will be around for a very long time and from time to time will let us down. That's part of musicianship. Love your channel bud.
Cheers
Doug 😎
Cheers!
My cv strat had a poorly cut nut, low e string was too high and lots of buzzing, £40 later sorted via luthier, id factor that in to any future purchases
It's a shame to see that people seem to be having issues with the new Indonesian CVs. I have a 2017 "Crafted in China" CV and it's pretty much a perfect guitar. The only thing I had to do to it was install a 4-way switch (a mandatory mod on all Teles IMO). It has super low action, the pickups sound great, and it's about average weight for a Tele. I've never weighed it, but I don't think it feels heavy when I pick it up. Intonation is not a problem with the 3-saddle bridge, either. I have a set of compensated saddles that I was going to use, but the intonation was dead-on out of the box (it had been inspected and set up by Sweetwater), so I kept the stock saddles on there. I switched from 9s to 10s and at worst, the low and high E strings are just slightly sharp at the 12th fret, but not enough that I can hear it, and I have pretty good pitch.
I'm a luthier/tech, so things like replacing or filing a nut, or leveling frets isn't a major concern for me, but if you don't know how to do it, or can't have it done cheaply, you might want to seek out a used, Chinese CV or try before you buy, as Elmo said. Just about every online retailer will take returns without a hassle (thought it is a hassle to have ship a guitar back and hope the next on is better).
A lot of people say that the old made in china CV are better than the new one made in indonesia, besides the old chines ones were more expensive. I own a strat CV 50 made in china 2015 and it's great.
I’ve had one of these a few years and it’s great but the pickups were so low output so I chucked a Seymour Duncan in the bridge and it goes hard. Kept the original neck pick up just for the different feel.
Just buy in a local shop. If there are issues they should sort them. I'll never buy a guitar online again.
I have 4 Squiers Classic Vibes (jazzmaster, telecaster, stratocaster and esquire) and all of them hade same issue wit high E strin (sitar sound), but that was easy fix. And all of them had rough frets that needed to be polished.
How did you fix the sitar sound?
@@Uptown59 hi, I filed/cleaned the nut. All of them need nut adjustment, cut so hight.
@@MrVule33 I had and sold Gibson Les Paul that is still my favorite. Sold it because it suffered from a severe sitar sound that 5 local repairmen could not correct. I tried to ignore it but couldn't take it anymore.
Hi this was over years my main guitar. Got it from a good friend to my 50th annyversary. Arctic White. Ugly. So I painted this cool instrument SURF GREEN. What a beauty. I repaced both PUs, one after another.Such a guitar should be very sturdy. Mine is: I had my guitars & basses on the wall. One day, a guitar crashed at the floor. Holy *************!! Well, I had to tune one string. That's.No damage of my beautyful painting, nothing to complain. When ever I check an amp, I take this therfore.
Folks! Attach your instruments and take care, that the guitar are better attached than mine!
Was is more to say? very tight tuners, wonderful maple fretboard, about the sound: go in your basement room and crank it up until the amp begins to burn.
On mine a left handed, I change the tuners and the bridge ,works great
Well your problem just solved mine, thank you. I have a new Epiphone LPClassic, lowest 3 strings did that buzz. Paid a music store setup guy for strings, setup. It stays in tune, buzz is less, still buzzes. Sent back, they tweaked the truss rod, still buzzes. I'll make them install a new quality nut next.
I bought a MIC version in Feb 2020. I took it to my local tech guy who checked it over. The only thing he did was replace the pots. I’ve noticed the CV maple necks move a lot requiring a little more in the way of truss rod adjusting, but it doesn’t take much, 1/4 turn here and there and all is right with the world. The only real issue for me is the weight. Its pretty hefty, but you so aptly demonstrated it sounds fantastic!
I have a squier strat (from one of those beginner kits), and it has that SAME buzzing issue on the low E string. I took it to a luthier to get it setup properly, as he noted it wasn't too bad but it could use improvement (truss rod, string action, general playability). I'll see what it's like when I get it back. Also, I bought it online like a moron instead of going in store. As a beginner, probably not the best idea...
How is it now? any mods? upgrades?
at 6:00 how didyou fix the "crooked" neck?
Adjusted the truss rod.
I set the action on mine, switch singles into the fender noiseless 5th gen, sounds amazing, tune amazing, no problem at all after setup...
Would be nice if you would have played one or two tunes kind of shitty so I could tell what it would sound like if I would play it.
I bought one which had a serious issue . One neck screw , when checked , was loose as a result of being over tightened and stripped . When the neck was taken off the offending screw hole had a strip of bamboo placed in the hole in order to try and tighten it . The hole had to be drilled out and a strip of hardwood glued in prior to re- screwing the neck back on . I should have returned the guitar but found it more convenient to repair the issue. The nut on the guitar was similarly poorly prepared as demonstrated in this video . I replaced it . If you are in the market for this guitar I would advise you to check it out carefully in a guitar shop . Do not buy it online.
Looks like similar Telecasters go for about $250 in the states, but that model may have some perceived uniqueness so they may charge more. Lots of nut problems and some string resonance with that one. I don't think many of us have nut files to fix these things. Here's a general question. Will many nut problems be solved by the use of a zero fret nut? They have been mass manufacturing these Telecasters since the 1950s. Look at the improvements in other stuff since then. I would think you would not expect those types of problems since they may have made millions of these by now. Excellent Review.
Thanks!
Ya this is the first electric guitar I’ve bought and I hate it. I play a lot of acoustic but trying to record this electric is terrible it has a ton of issues
I have a Squire Telecaster and the B string is LOUD. If you accidentally hit it while soloing you can hear it across the street. The nigh E has the opposite problem. After watching this, I’m guessing it’s the nut.
Great demo, as always. I have a Fender Player Tele that I really love, but it came with fret issues as well, so someone in Fender's QC isn't doing their due diligence. I also think they moved the production of the Classic Vibe teles from their original factory in China a while back; for a time, there were two models, one in butterscotch with Alnico V pups and one in white blonde with Alnico III pups, and some investigative forum-goers actually determined the pickups were made by Tonerider. Those earlier models are practically legendary now for rivaling their U.S.-made counterparts. Hate to see that the newer models are a bit more of a mixed bag.
Thanks!
I'd buy an older MIM Tele before I'd buy a newer one....the fret workmanship was better... I just bought a Brad Paisley Equire and found some of the worst fret ends I've ever seen on a Fender. A couple of days ago I went to Guitarcenter to look at Fenders and Squiers to look at the fret work. Some were decent and some were absolutely awful. The best was a Squier with neck binding....
I just bought one of these used in white blond with the brass saddles made in china for $300 and the thing is flawless. I guess it comes down to quality control
Thank you again for another splendid video. The "Try before you buy" advice is so important. I was lucky enough to pick up a second hand Fender Baja Telecaster in a local London guitar shop for three hundred quid. It's still one of the best guitars I've ever played. Not quite the one guitar to rule them all, but it's a close run thing.
Just buy it from Sweetwater.
Anything you don’t like WILL get taken care of quickly, whatever it takes.
BTW, my Squier CV 50’s Strat cost me $379 two months ago.
2nd classic vibe and will say that the fit and finish is superb, compared to my old one the finish isn't so thick but this particular one was only 7.3lbs so for me was really lightweight, I'm getting some adhesive lead weights to bulk it up a bit . Everything else is superb on mine
Seems like there have been a lot more QC issues since they moved production from China to Indonesia with the CV series. I've got one of the Chinese CV Teles from a few years back, and I was lucky to have no issues with mine. I always take my guitars into a luthier after I purchase them (and about once a year) for basic set up and maintenance. I think of it like taking care of a car. Intonation is inherently tougher with the vintage tele bridge. Many swear by it though as necessary for that tele tone. But if you're not playing country, swapping it with a Gotoh Modern tele bridge/saddles will solve the intonation issues, albeit, while sacrificing some of that chime. But they aren't using brass saddles now anyway. I recently got the Gotoh bridge as well as a Tusq XL nut & string trees, and I also upgraded the pots and electronics with an Obsidianwire 4-way panel/switch. Those will definitely make the most out of this guitar. The pickups, neck and body are immaculate as is.
I got mine from China, with none of these, easy to fix issues! Somebody is being a drama king here!
Just a pretentious snob
I have the same guitar - best neck of any I've ever played, including American Strat. Perfect fret job. Incredibly great low action. None of those problems. Wish my Strat had as good a neck and as good an action.
Compré la mía en 2022 y la tuve que llevar al luthier por problemas de buzz. El mastil esta ligeramente desviado y no se puede bajar mucho las cuerdas. Aún así me parece buena guitarra.
I found one in the 7.5 pound range with a beautiful body. Bought it for the body lol. Have a satin Fender tele neck laying around I'm going put on with a mini humbucker in the neck and a seymour duncan vintage stack in the bridge with new wiring. After those mods I think it's going to be right up there with my higher end guitars.
Us price 429.99 i believe. New ones have cool bone nut but the string retainer is in the wrong location. New ones have more era correct knobs. Mine is a 2015 i got beat up from my brother but is a great player, does the tele sound and has a gorgeous flamed maple neck and a nice heavy pine body with brass saddles. The intonation is very very close if not correct which is hard with the 3 saddle set up. I like the darker tint the new ones have on the neck. I got mine strung up with 9s which is my favorite. I had to give it a personalized set up and get the radius back in the saddles and straighten the neck. Polished the metals best i could with microfiber towel. Was played hard and not taken care of until now that it is mine. I traded him my cv jaguar because it wasn't as good with hard rock as the tele plus i wanted a 50s cv tele since 2018. I got a new 50s strat in 2018 and it was a close call between it and the tele.
Thank you for this demo .mine has no problem of sillet or other. It sounds perfect. On the other hand I had to change the pickard which had a real problem of frying as if the plastic was irradiated!!? The handle is perfect. This guitar is as powerful as an American
I avoided a PRS SE for the reported bad nut, got an Ibanez at half the price, no problem there. The nut is something that's really annoying to work on, so they should really get that right.
Yep. One of the most important bits on a guitar.
Seems to be issues at the Indonesian factory or the QC has been dropped on the Classic Vibe series. My 2014 Blonde CV tele from the Chinese Factory was flawless when I bought it and still sounds awesome. The neck was great and has great flame maple. Really sad to see the issue this one had and it clearly passed QC
Expect to have to setup any new guitar. They don’t know how you play or what you want. Violin players learn how to do a setup before playing anything. Guitar players should too.
I had one,the high e string was too close to the edge, string kept sliding off
I have the same problem. Mine is not so severe and I have been playing with it as is. How did you fix the problem?
@@tcarbonimusic I took it to my friend who builds guitars,he looked at it but could not do much with it,I sold mine,nice guitar but to close to the edge,Ijust bought an Epi 59,nice guitar but heavy.
Sorry to hear.
@@MrPolevaulter need your advice,I bought the Epi 59,everthing about it is good except for the weight,is that a deal breaker?,have you tried the new Sire line,thanks.
@@matthewstearle7395 Depends on how heavy. Are you going to gig with it? If not, you'll probably manage.
I have one from about 12 years ago when they were made in China. Only difference is mine has brass saddles and alnico 3 pickups. It was great out of the box. I just took all the gloss off the neck with a sanding brick. Couldn't stand the stickiness.
I agree that evry guitar is an individual :-) The nut sounds like a problem that needs to be fixed. However, in my experience, tuning issues can also come from new strings not being fully streched yet; the interval problem is often fixed simply by lowering the string and tuning it up again (assuming the intonation is correct). I just ordered a CV white blonde and excited to see if I get a good or less good one, but I can return it if I like. Gear4 Music has a great return policy. I plan mod it into an Esquire.
so , was is good???
Just bought a second hand Danish Pete one from eBay. I think I have the same issue with the nut causing that out of tune problem. Other than that it’s great. Got a mint green pickguard coming as the White is a bit too white for me.
I like the echo it makes. Do you have to pay extra for that?
Seems to me you got a dud. I’ve had four classic vibes of different flavors and they’ve all been excellent.
Just FYI: the intonation issue has nothing to do with the nut. It’s the non-compensated barrel bridge saddles. It’s a vintage spec. I replaced them with Wilkinson compensated brass saddles.
Purchased mine for $645 in Australia. Buzzing on the EAD strings. - Went back to fender - neck was bowed! Being swapped under warranty. Fingers crossed :)
bought 2 classic vibes (strato) same issues
Has anyone had an issue with the bridge high e screw coming unscrewed? I’ve had mine for 3 days and it’s come unscrewed twice. It’s a hell of a guitar just that issue. Help please someone
Haven't had that issue.
How does it compare with the harley benton te 52?
how does a 'bad' nut affect a note on the second fret?
Might screw up how it stays in tune. Also, you're bound to play open strings on occasion.
I've been thinking of getting this guitar for a while and have decided I'll still be getting one. My feeling here is that you got a shoddy guitar but a decent one will be well worth the price. Will buy in store tho
I think that's the case yeah.
My one was flawless, lowered the action easily and it plays great!
They are lovely that is no lie. I prefer it to my Fender SRV signature strat.
Unfortunately I had similar QC issues as Elmo. Sent it back…
Guitar around 450€
A decent pre-filed nut between 10-20€, 40 if you really splurge an get a compensating one.
A set of compensated saddles (the "out of tune" A string is because of the uncompensated saddles, so very much an issue of basic design, rather than build quality) will run you anywhere between 15 and 60€ on the cheaper end of things.
I have my issues with Squier, but I have often found that with a few very cheap mods, and a decent setup job, you can get a guitar that easily beats anything Fender Mexico has to offer.
I have the same guitar, but I don't know why, the neck pick up is not fixed on the pickguard, but on the body (there is no visible screw, like with the original Fender).
And I haven't thoses issues. Maybe they have make some adjustement on this model ?
Of course I have to change strings and set the neck a little, but like with every guitar.
I buy it on 2017, it was made in China.
I own one and probably gonna try and find a really good fender sticker to put over the squier logo.. i just know that if it said fender on it everyone would not know the difference and would absolutely compliment it
Yeah the nut was the only issue with my indo CV jag.Fretting an a chord pulls it right out of tune.Just need to get it to my guy.
I bought a tele CV custom. It's good for upgrades but not as good as i expected. It's quite heavy and the pickups are quite bad.
that's the best guitar review I've seen. brutally honest and I loled a lot.
Thanks!
I bought a Classic vibe Tele many years ago chinese production it was better no particular problems.
Now they have chanced country of production and many people say the quality it's worst.
I put Seymour Duncan quarter pound pickups with coil tap and now It's a beast. I recommend.
I own this guitar since a year. I also got some issuses. But kept it after i have fixed all problems