Bought the same Dakota Red model, amazed by the neck and the overall fit & finish. Heard that a lot of people complaint about the pickups (especially the neck being muddy). I dont find them that bad but could be improved overall indeed : a pair of boostrap pickups should do the magic on this beauty and be a quick & cheap upgrade. Thanks for the sharing and great playing !
Got a couple CV50's in recent months...and a CV Baritone...all needed a bit of work (two had 'sitar' issue)....just a bit....but with Lollar/Fralins...they are wonderful...my Fralin pup'd is my favorite of 7 Teles I own...including a few USA/Japanese models. Need to be prepared to do a bit of work...one needed a fret replace (too low). Great buys, fun to pimp out. The HB TE52 I just bought came with a meticulous neck and fret job!
Nice. Yeah, that’s what I’m seeing. The Squiers typically need a little work. But to put it in perspective, I used to send almost any new Fender or Gibson straight to my guy for $150 worth of fretwork. They’ve both improved a fair amount recently, but it honestly used to be SOP, even for very pricey models. Thanks so much for watching.
I just got a used 40th anniversary Tele and love it! I haven't owned a Tele for years, and this one really shows me what I've been missing. It's the satin blonde version, which is fine by me. I don't remember the other one being this heavy, though. But that's ok, I'm used to Les Pauls so it fits right in.
Well Grif, I just Love you video channel!!! Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge of all things Guitar’s and Amps! I look forward to every post! Let’s do lunch😬
Funny, but I got the Squier Tele CV and love it...Buuut the E and B both buzz open. As I'm not yet confident fixing intonation, so far my 'solution' has been to but a thin strip of the foil/paler back you find on new aspirin boles and tuck it into the appropriate nut grooves - and it's actually worked for the past 6 months! Great review as always - thanks!
Nut slotting is one of those things you should really practice a bit before jumping in with both feet. It’s VERY easy to go too deep. That said, if it happens it’s usually not the end of the world. The baking soda/superglue trick can bail you out. In any case, I always recommend actual nut files. I know some hobbyists do the work with hardware store files but it’s almost impossible to do a satisfactory job. Trouble is, unless you have a bunch of guitars to do, it’s cheaper just to have a qualified repairman do it for you. Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Thanks Leonard - actually, I didn't file the grooves down - that's way above my pay grade ;)) but I used the foil/paper strip in each of the two grooves to essentially pad them - I know it's likely it needs more work than that to actually bring it up to snuff, but for now my quick and dirty fix seems to be working - very much appreciate the advice - thanks!
I had the same Tele and it was a mess and I had to send it back. I got the 40th Ann. Jazzmaster and it’s great all the way around. The thing is w/ these Squiers is that the QC can vary a lot, some are really good for the $$, others not so much.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Very true and always better to buy in person if possible, but a lot more variety buying online. As long as the dealer has a good return/exchange policy it’s not too risky.
I bought a 40th stratocaster. Good value for money. 2 main drawbacks, the weight of the body and the fret alloy not hard enough, they crush very quickly.
I’d heard that about the lack of fret hardness. It’s been a long time so I’d more or less forgotten. As for the weight, I haven’t weighed it but this one isn’t heavy. I imagine that varies wildly since I’m sure they use whatever wood they can source for the right price. Thanks so much for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 The one I have is really heavy. SQUIER 40TH ANNIVERSARY STRATOCASTER VINTAGE EDITION SATIN SONIC BLUE. Nyatoh ! I had a Telecater Godin in Laurentian basswood, also very dense, whereas I have Chinese ones in very light basswood. This difference in density on the same type of wood is disconcerting.
Seems ok. I agree with you on the overly bleached-looking maple necks on many Fenders that lack any tint whatsoever. I’m not a fan of a satin guitar or bass. Or car for that matter. My only long term experience with a Squier was a Classic Vibe Jazz Bass. Good instrument (or I just got a decent one) but the hardware tarnished incredibly easily and that was frustrating when I take care of my gear, and despite my best efforts, it looked like I couldn’t be bothered to clean my instrument. I could have replaced all the chrome bits, but that would have been prohibitively expensive compared to the cost of the instrument. I’d be interested if in the long term, Squier chrome bits got any better in their ability to resist uh… patina.
A good point and one that might be difficult to find addressed. Most guitars I buy for review are moved along fairly quickly. It’s the only way I can keep my channel going. My personal stage instruments don’t change often. The point is, I imagine most who review Squiers don’t sweat all over them for hours on end or subject them to much real world use at all. Perhaps pose the question on a forum? Thanks so much for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 You make good points. I suppose my comment about tarnish was likely slightly metaphorical and phrased as a cautionary note, per my experience. I know I’m in the distinct minority as a regularly gigging musician that when I put my instrument away, there isn’t evidence of sweat or fingerprint on it anywhere. I agree that typical owners of Squiers will likely not be as um “fastidious” as I am. But I also see that changing a bit as Squier seems to be moving upmarket and with it, ownership that will be mindful of the short and long term beauty and longevity of the instrument. I too have a handful of favorites and go-tos. For no reason or fault of Squier, I don’t see adding any Squier to my collection anytime soon. But… it is always interesting to see how good budget minded instruments have really become. It’s a different world and marketplace than when I started 30 years ago.
I swear, Griff, we could give you a 2x4 with a pickup on it and you'd somehow school the rest of us on Blues. I do have a great 1997 Affinity that I still love. My only changes were a pre-loaded pickguard from GFS that I picked up for just over $50. It plays as well as my America Strat and is almost 2 lbs lighter.
I don't know the Fender/Squire story. I hada sqire Strat and it's okay. However the Squire braand says Fender somewhere , even their headstocks of Affities. Why don't Fender jaust call 'em all Fender but with identifying numbers etc. ?
I assume they don’t want them to be confused with the higher priced, Fender branded instruments. Obviously Gibson does the same thing with the way they market Epiphone. PRS, to their credit, puts their logo on the SE line now. Thanks for watching.
I got the lefthanded 50 and it has the worst fret job, one is cut off short an it flubs out every time so I bought some stainless steel Frets and as soon as I can get the money, I will do need files
Ah, that’s too bad. Even when the consistency is decent the duds can sneak through when these factories crank out so many guitars. I hope it works out for you and thanks for watching.
Just according to what i've seen... The Squier cv has a better quality control than the American vintage ii series. The Americans might have a better body, pickups and stuff, but their quality are garbage
From what I’ve seen, with the American Vintage II it’s more about consistency and detail. And yeah, shouldn’t be the case on a $2000 guitar. However, the Vintera II I reviewed awhile back was very nice. Pretty much flawless. Thanks for watching.
I just got this exact guitar for 250$ and it's a steal for the money! It's now my main guitar.
Well that is a great deal. Enjoy it and thanks for watching.
Bought the same Dakota Red model, amazed by the neck and the overall fit & finish. Heard that a lot of people complaint about the pickups (especially the neck being muddy). I dont find them that bad but could be improved overall indeed : a pair of boostrap pickups should do the magic on this beauty and be a quick & cheap upgrade. Thanks for the sharing and great playing !
Thanks so much. Yes, I found the pickups adequate, but agree there’s room for improvement there.
Got a couple CV50's in recent months...and a CV Baritone...all needed a bit of work (two had 'sitar' issue)....just a bit....but with Lollar/Fralins...they are wonderful...my Fralin pup'd is my favorite of 7 Teles I own...including a few USA/Japanese models. Need to be prepared to do a bit of work...one needed a fret replace (too low). Great buys, fun to pimp out. The HB TE52 I just bought came with a meticulous neck and fret job!
Nice. Yeah, that’s what I’m seeing. The Squiers typically need a little work. But to put it in perspective, I used to send almost any new Fender or Gibson straight to my guy for $150 worth of fretwork. They’ve both improved a fair amount recently, but it honestly used to be SOP, even for very pricey models.
Thanks so much for watching.
I just got a used 40th anniversary Tele and love it! I haven't owned a Tele for years, and this one really shows me what I've been missing. It's the satin blonde version, which is fine by me. I don't remember the other one being this heavy, though. But that's ok, I'm used to Les Pauls so it fits right in.
Yes, the Squier weights vary pretty wildly it seems. Glad you’re enjoying yours and thanks for watching.
Well Grif, I just Love you video channel!!!
Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge of all things Guitar’s and Amps! I look forward to every post!
Let’s do lunch😬
Not sure my knowledge is really “vast”, but thanks. Yeah, lunch would be good.
You sure do make that guitar sound good and mellow. Great Vid.
Thank you my friend. I appreciate you watching.
Your efforts are appreciated.
And, that’s a nice looking guitar.
Kinda like the GE Smith signature Tele.
Thanks so much. Yeah, I wasn’t sure about the look at first but it’s kinda cool.
Nice playing!
Thanks so much my friend.
Funny, but I got the Squier Tele CV and love it...Buuut the E and B both buzz open. As I'm not yet confident fixing intonation, so far my 'solution' has been to but a thin strip of the foil/paler back you find on new aspirin boles and tuck it into the appropriate nut grooves - and it's actually worked for the past 6 months! Great review as always - thanks!
Nut slotting is one of those things you should really practice a bit before jumping in with both feet. It’s VERY easy to go too deep. That said, if it happens it’s usually not the end of the world. The baking soda/superglue trick can bail you out. In any case, I always recommend actual nut files. I know some hobbyists do the work with hardware store files but it’s almost impossible to do a satisfactory job. Trouble is, unless you have a bunch of guitars to do, it’s cheaper just to have a qualified repairman do it for you.
Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Thanks Leonard - actually, I didn't file the grooves down - that's way above my pay grade ;)) but I used the foil/paper strip in each of the two grooves to essentially pad them - I know it's likely it needs more work than that to actually bring it up to snuff, but for now my quick and dirty fix seems to be working - very much appreciate the advice - thanks!
I had the same Tele and it was a mess and I had to send it back. I got the 40th Ann. Jazzmaster and it’s great all the way around. The thing is w/ these Squiers is that the QC can vary a lot, some are really good for the $$, others not so much.
It’ll probably be that way for quite awhile with these super high volume, lower priced guitars. Luck of the draw.
Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Very true and always better to buy in person if possible, but a lot more variety buying online. As long as the dealer has a good return/exchange policy it’s not too risky.
I bought a 40th stratocaster. Good value for money. 2 main drawbacks, the weight of the body and the fret alloy not hard enough, they crush very quickly.
I’d heard that about the lack of fret hardness. It’s been a long time so I’d more or less forgotten. As for the weight, I haven’t weighed it but this one isn’t heavy. I imagine that varies wildly since I’m sure they use whatever wood they can source for the right price.
Thanks so much for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 The one I have is really heavy. SQUIER 40TH ANNIVERSARY STRATOCASTER VINTAGE EDITION SATIN SONIC BLUE. Nyatoh !
I had a Telecater Godin in Laurentian basswood, also very dense, whereas I have Chinese ones in very light basswood. This difference in density on the same type of wood is disconcerting.
Yep, high volume, mass production. Clearly they can’t afford to sort for lighter weight, so it’ll be luck of the draw. Glad the JM worked out.
Nice demo Leonard, if it has short comings your playing took care of that !
Thanks so much.
cant go wrong with a classic vibe tele 👍
They so seem a great value.
Thanks for watching.
Seems ok. I agree with you on the overly bleached-looking maple necks on many Fenders that lack any tint whatsoever. I’m not a fan of a satin guitar or bass. Or car for that matter. My only long term experience with a Squier was a Classic Vibe Jazz Bass. Good instrument (or I just got a decent one) but the hardware tarnished incredibly easily and that was frustrating when I take care of my gear, and despite my best efforts, it looked like I couldn’t be bothered to clean my instrument. I could have replaced all the chrome bits, but that would have been prohibitively expensive compared to the cost of the instrument. I’d be interested if in the long term, Squier chrome bits got any better in their ability to resist uh… patina.
A good point and one that might be difficult to find addressed. Most guitars I buy for review are moved along fairly quickly. It’s the only way I can keep my channel going. My personal stage instruments don’t change often. The point is, I imagine most who review Squiers don’t sweat all over them for hours on end or subject them to much real world use at all. Perhaps pose the question on a forum?
Thanks so much for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 You make good points. I suppose my comment about tarnish was likely slightly metaphorical and phrased as a cautionary note, per my experience. I know I’m in the distinct minority as a regularly gigging musician that when I put my instrument away, there isn’t evidence of sweat or fingerprint on it anywhere. I agree that typical owners of Squiers will likely not be as um “fastidious” as I am. But I also see that changing a bit as Squier seems to be moving upmarket and with it, ownership that will be mindful of the short and long term beauty and longevity of the instrument. I too have a handful of favorites and go-tos. For no reason or fault of Squier, I don’t see adding any Squier to my collection anytime soon. But… it is always interesting to see how good budget minded instruments have really become. It’s a different world and marketplace than when I started 30 years ago.
I swear, Griff, we could give you a 2x4 with a pickup on it and you'd somehow school the rest of us on Blues. I do have a great 1997 Affinity that I still love. My only changes were a pre-loaded pickguard from GFS that I picked up for just over $50. It plays as well as my America Strat and is almost 2 lbs lighter.
That’s great. I imagine the pickups were a big upgrade.
Great test.
Thanks. I appreciate you watching my channel.
I don't know the Fender/Squire story. I hada sqire Strat and it's okay. However the Squire braand says Fender somewhere , even their headstocks of Affities. Why don't Fender jaust call 'em all Fender but with identifying numbers etc. ?
I assume they don’t want them to be confused with the higher priced, Fender branded instruments. Obviously Gibson does the same thing with the way they market Epiphone. PRS, to their credit, puts their logo on the SE line now. Thanks for watching.
I got the lefthanded 50 and it has the worst fret job, one is cut off short an it flubs out every time so I bought some stainless steel Frets and as soon as I can get the money, I will do need files
Ah, that’s too bad. Even when the consistency is decent the duds can sneak through when these factories crank out so many guitars. I hope it works out for you and thanks for watching.
Is it. Better than newen telecaster rosewood
No, not better. Just different. Thanks for watching.
Jack Pearson wood
Funny enough, I heard Jack’s aren’t even the better Squiers, but the cheaper Bullet models!
Thanks for watching.
Just according to what i've seen... The Squier cv has a better quality control than the American vintage ii series. The Americans might have a better body, pickups and stuff, but their quality are garbage
From what I’ve seen, with the American Vintage II it’s more about consistency and detail. And yeah, shouldn’t be the case on a $2000 guitar. However, the Vintera II I reviewed awhile back was very nice. Pretty much flawless.
Thanks for watching.