Bloody Hell! I am in shock! If we guitarists bought guitars on sound alone, there would absolutely no justification for the outlay for the Custom Shop, but we all know we are daft and there is just something we cannot explain. Well done Squier !
The Squier had a nicer tone in my opinion. The glassy vintage tone really came through on that one. I'm rocking a Chinese CV 50's Butterscotch Tele myself so maybe I'm biased towards the underdogs. Absolutely amazing guitars.
That's crazy! I preferred the sound of the Squier but I thought for sure it was the Fender. I was wrong. Lol. Been looking at the classic vibe 70s strat. Gonna have to pull the trigger and get one now. Great video man.
I thought A sounded slightly better during the blind test. It was slightly brighter and cleaner. I also thought it was the Classic Vibe. I own an older Classic Vibe 60's and a Classic Vibe 50's. I bought the Classic Vibe 60's guitar for $100 from a pawn shop. They didn't know what they had. It was tossed in with Squire Bullets and Affinities. But I recognized the Fender-like headstock. It has a 3-tone sunburst finish with a tortoise shell pick guard. I like the pawn-shop 60's more than the maple necked 50's with surf-green finish that I bought online from a major music instrument store, which had a good sale going. The Classic Vibe strats have superb pickups. Made in Korea.
I had the Squier as my favourite! Crazy. But it tells me that the blind test reveals what your eyes want to hear. Ten times the price might be correct if you sum up the prices of all the components of a custom shop strat, but my ears seem to prefer the affordable components. I got to live with it . . .
another great video. Doing the blindfold listening on my tablet, there's nothing much in it. Guitar B to my ears sounded a bit duller and I would have said that was the squier, but I was wrong. I love squiers. Well done A Strings.
I actually bought the CS played by Adam in this video. It’s an awesome guitar 🤘 I’ve always wanted a CS and with this being a 1963 which is the year I was born, it was meant to be. The journeyman relic is really cool, rosewood board and the neck profile are perfect for me and the hand wound fat ‘60 pick ups just sing. Can’t stop playing it 😎👍
Lucky man ! If i take the CV neck profile as reference (because i know it well), which is very thin in the back, how is the neck profile of your CS ? Rather thick, medium, thin ? Thank you as i look for the same CS you bought but wonder what neck profile/size i will probably get
Great video! Definitely a very small difference in terms of tone. Without doubt, as you mention, the feel and playing experience on the Fender Custom Shop gives you a much 'larger' difference over the Squire, as opposed to the minimal difference in tone. That said, Guitar A was more open and dynamic, while Guitar B sounded more compressed to me, but again, the difference is so small, and no one is going to care about the sound difference on a recording or during a gig.
Exactly what I though - guitar A not compressed enough and guitar B - compressed enough. That's all the difference) But I disagree that difference in compression is small - with my headphones with over 100 db sensetivity I got it very well
The custom shop is what it is and is a first rate guitar .....BUT..... the Classic Vibe Strat more than holds its own and sounds amazing. Put a few more dollars into the Squire and it will go from great to absolutely amazing.
Slight difference between the two on the cleans - problem is they both sound good. When overdriven, who knows 😅. All it really comes down to is how comfortable the neck is and if the guitar inspires you to play… and how deep your pockets are of course 💸
I actually did get it right. I work for an organization in miami called guitars over guns and I’ve been checking out the Squier guitars lately and they play and sound perfect for entry level student 👨🎓 guitars. I’ve even used them at a real gig and they totally 💯 can hang with a regular fender. The differences are so infinitesimal that I’d almost rather leave my vintage fenders at home and just play a new squier. Thx for the video. I’m gonna subscribe now.
I recently discovered your channel and can't stop watching your video tests. Really great and I have to thank you for your valuable work. I would now like to express my thoughts. I hear the Squier classic vibe 60s slightly brighter in the medium / high range than the custom shop, but in my opinion, with a few small tricks the two guitars would get closer together. For example, if I'm not mistaken, the classic vibes make them all come out of the factory with the bridge completely resting on the body, and we all know that this adjustment of the bridge, (in my opinion wrong), makes the sound much more shrill and goes to remove the natural reverb that springs give you when a bridge is locked. Then, the classic vibe 60s come out of the factory with the 009/042 strings, while I guess the custom shop has the 010s. Also, the classic vibes come out of the factory with very low pickups. In my opinion, if you set the classic vibe with the suspension bridge and put 010 strings, the comparison and the result could be surprising. Thanks for your work and greetings from Italy.
There is a difference, undoubtedly, but this video shows how good the Squire CV series really is. They are brilliant value for money and they provide a good platform for upgrading. You can’t go wrong. One day though, I shall have a custom shop Strat and Tele.
Great play and comparison!! I was right. I just sold 60 CS a few months ago and bought 60s CV made by 2013 last month. My two guitars tone are quite different like this comparison. I need money so I sold CS. I don't think I can buy another brand new CS in future. New CS price are too high recently. Unbelievable. Compared to 14 years ago, the price is more than 1.6 times.
Sweet test!. I have a 2021 CV60'S in LPB and I love it! ❤. If i could afford to have the CS i would - strictly as a collector's/investment thing. As far as a player goes I have it already...!
I had it backwards! I thought A’s tone was more focused and clear. Which made me think it was the fancy strat. B sounded springier and more raw to me. I preferred B while listening. For reference I’m a 30+ year guitarist and professional recording engineer. I own a classic vibe 50’s strat too. I’m a little embarrassed lol. I usually guess these kinds of thing correctly. Great video!
I'm a Strat fan and own a few. The CV series definitely punches above its price point. It's only let down a bit by it's bridge really, but an upgrade is easy and cheap enough to do.
I have two Classic Vibe Strats with MIM bridges. For $20 you get a full-sized trem block and Fender-stamped saddles. Plus it’s a drop-in upgrade with no additional drilling or routing. It’s the best upgrade you can make to a Classic Vibe!
Here in Canada an AVRI bridge plate is $35. Fender USA saddles for $30. A brass block for $30 more. It drops right in. A premium upgrade for less than $100.
I had a feeling guitar A was the Squier, tone was a little harsher but not by much...I wouldn't say the other is worth $4k In a full band mix you wouldn't be able to tell. Only the way it plays and maybe stays in tune better. I'm happy with my modded player strat
I actually think it was less harsh in general than the CS. I was surprised by that. I bought a CV 60s Strat on a whim because I am not a fan of the Texas Special pickups on my Mexican Strat for that very reason. I think the CV pickups have good definition without being brittle or harsh. I liked one of the in-between positions better with the CS pickups in this demo, but all the single pickup positions I thought sounded better on the CV.
i found thé B sound more polished , a tiny bit compressed in a good way, so i was thinking it was the Fender . but Price différence IS incredible for a same sounding pickups
Fantastic video...the vibe is not very far from the custom shop...I could not justify spending the extra on it...I'm glad I didn't...bought the classic vibe !
I own a 1962 Stratocaster all original and a 2005 Mexican Stratocaster which was my 2nd guitar. They sound pretty much the same, I changed the pickups on the Mexican Stratocaster to “tex mex” pickups to be fair. Anyways, just ordered a classic vibe. My third model, I have the mustang and jazzmaster. Really like those guitars, they make me play different..but I keep coming back to the Stratocaster. I think I’ll be using the offsets to record stuff.
I picked guitar b because I thought it sounded more balanced but I would buy the squire and just upgrade the pickups because that's all I can afford. And the square didn't seem to affect your playing in any adverse way.
Both have useable tones. I own the Classic Vibe 50s strat and replaced the block with a GFS Brass block because I like a vibrato that stays in tune for surf music. That was the only upgrade. Every guitar can be dialed in right with some eq from a decent amplifier. Let’s put this to rest with the I payed 4 grand for this guitar so it’s $3500 better sounding. I’m sure the pickups have a better taper when rolling off the tone or volume knob or the fretwork is 5% better than the Squier. Spend your money the way you want and play the darn thing. Practice is more important than the subtle details of CTS pots and locking tuners in the end. If Ed Van Halen played a $200 Tagima then everyone would be paying $4 k for those.
Listened to Video through JBL speaker guessed A was Squire but have to say was a guess. Own 5 Squires, Recently changed pickups on strat to 59Fender custom shop, if I'm honest was very little difference. Have been playing for 40yrs, have some high end guitars, Squire r great guitars. Love the video
great stuff the squier sounded crisper , better , i'm going to go for a classic vibe but was it a Chinese or Indonesian made classic vibe ? as they have different pick ups . cheers and how about a Telecaster shoot out the same format 😊
Great comparison. As a Fender fan, I can say that I like the 60s custom shop the most. Warm and balanced in the custom shop. The tone is different. No doubts. However, Squire is a great match and I agree with the other comments: could you tell the difference during a gig ?? 👍🏻
Tenho uma Classic Vibe de 2015 e as madeiras são no padrão clássico e não posso adquirir uma Fender no momento, então fico feliz em ver como minha guitarra pode soar tão bem quanto uma Americana.
I chose guitar b was slightly richer for some things but was impercievable in others . Could have just been caused by minor variations in picking techniques
I was wrong! I looked at which guitar YOU were connecting more with. Seemed to me like you enjoyed playing A more, and therefore, A must be the custom shop one.
There is a concept in economics known as the Law of Diminishing Returns. You can pay twice as much for one version of an item compared to an item, but it is only 50% better, not twice as good. In this case, you buy something for 1000% of the price but only get perhaps a 250% increase in quality/tone. Hence, diminishing returns for your money.
Great shootout, I thought the two guitars sounded really good though the custom shop was definitely better, more sustain and a well rounded tone. Is it worth ten times the extra money, if you can afford it I would say yes, especially if you are gigging and or recording with it. It comes down to your budget and playing ability as well.
I definitely preferred guitar B over A in the clean demos, but preferred A over B when the amp was driven. Guitar B sounds a lot more open and warm, whereas guitar A sounded compressed and almost lifeless in comparison.
I did guess it… cause I have heard many of these….but truth is, in a song, or band setting, or a recording studio, I doubt anyone can tell… often songs and recordings don’t make each instrument sound like it was recorded…. It needs to be adjusted for the song….from what I can tell….
This was a cool video. Not much different in sound, at least to my ears. This proves that the CV strats can hold up to a custom shop fender. I own the same CV in this video and I have never had a problem with it. I'd say if you wanted to make the CV a little better I'd put fender vintage style tuners on it, put better pots and switch in it and change the pickups. I think there great stock but if your going to use one to gig with I'd consider those upgrades.
Cant believe it I got it wrong again just like the les pauls 😂 thought the cv was guitar b, I love classic vibes, best strats iv had, preferred them to my Mexican and Japanese strats.
At this point the real deal, is the fender is an invest, but not better in sound, but not only as invest, it will last longer in the time, they get old beautifully… and, they fell so cool… the cv sound perfect tho
Came here for the review. Left wondering if he has legs below his knees. This video should be called "Nubs or Not?" Once you see it, you can't unsee it
Great demo Adam . On the question of A or B it’s obvious to me guitar A is Custom shop Better tone depth. Low and highs . Better projection and louder imho, does it hold up to ten times price justification? Defo not, again imho, Marked differences for sure but still not worth £4000 £2- £2.5 k fairer I’d say It’s all very subjective as you say Market forces will prevail always , at the end of the day it’s what you got in your pocket that will decide what you can afford at the time if purchase, Ps can you do a Fender CS v Squier classic vibe series bass guitar comparison?
I thought the Fender was A under the presumption that it would have a more crisp and clear sound (it’s not. a Gibson folks). But well, the Squire is in fact the more untamed tone. It’s a matter of taste I suppose. So... I would have the Squire (I own a Squire Tele CV so I am not objective).
Guitar A was richer. Guitar B was brighter. Both sound great through the same amp. You can make A sound like B and B sound like A with your tone controls. Personally, I like the SOUND of the SQUIRE better in this video. (And I own an FCS 61 Strat reissue). Can't tell which one PLAYS better. Proving conclusively again, that your amp is STILL the LARGEST part of your sound -- (about 55%, IMO). Significantly more important that the guitar's sound (about 40%, IMO -- the other 5% is "effects/everything else"), and a far better investment than spending 10x more on the guitar.
The difference, apart from the price, is the durability. A Squier is a guitar with a nice sound, but whose frets, knobs, and pick-ups switch in less than 10 years must be removed and renewed... If not all of them, at least part of them... But how much should it be worth??? For me that is question...
I bought my Classic Vibe 50s Strat 11 years ago and play it every day. Everything on it works as well as the day it was built, especially the knobs (?) and pickups. Pots and switches are cheap to replace and I’ll do so when they break.
Anche a me è piaciuta più la CV. Comunque la Custom Shop sarà sicuramente superiore in tutto il resto (legni, ponte, meccaniche, finiture etc.). Ho una Telecaster CV 50 e una Strato americana, e sono sempre più tentato di acquistare una Strato CV.
As the audience, I didn't really care which was which. Both sounded like the guitar of the moment was played with skill. I guess if I'm paying audience, I would expect the artist to play what was most comfortable for them to perform with. If the CS was what it takes to deliver that best performance then that is what needs to be made & paid. For me, an expensive CS is a waste of man hours for Fender & a waste of money for me. I don't even have to qualify the Squier with for the money, it's a fine instrument out of the box, regardless of whether I go get it at the LMS or whether someone ships it to me from a warehouse & to my doorstep. I will never own a CS, I just don't have the time to chase a customized order thru a CS authorized dealer.
Pretty much indistinguishable. Which still brings up the question, what's wrong with the "Custom Shop" (which I always have to put in parentheses) if they sell you guitars that don't sound one bit better than a cheapo made in China? Sure, "playability" (which means basically just how much completion of the guitar was skipped nowadays to have the same amount of workers pushing out more guitars) is one thing, but if I pay a premium for a guitar I don't only expect it to be a finished guitar and not the "some assembly, repairs and upgrades required" standard they sell to the plebs but also something that can be easily distinguished by tonal superiority. Now we all know that there is a lot of variables involved, and no 2 strats sound and behave entirely the same or do they? So this may or may not be just some coincidence, right? Maybe yes, but maybe it's just a very solid manifestation of the reason why I put "Custom Shop" in parentheses: The "Custom Shop" is only a real custom shop if you pay something beyond $12,000 (last time I checked years ago) to get an individual guitar just made for you from Fender, everything else is just the same mass production on the same kind of lines as the ordinary stuff made in Corona, Ensenada or Shenzen, there is just more completion and a little checking involved, and of course sticking a few "Custom Shop" labels onto the product, plus some cheap paper/cardboard stuff trying to convince you that you got something special. If you pay a lot more than what you pay for such a "Custom Shop" guitar for chumps, you get a "masterbuilt" guitar, (allegedly) made by somebody who actually knows how to make a complete guitar, which is still a series of guitars and not one of a kind. How much do those stick out of the masses? Yeah, there are other videos about that, proving that they can sound a bit bigger, better or more appropriate, but they don't have to...because they are frigging Stratocasters, besides the Telecaster the epitome of industrial guitar mass production with reproducibility of results woven into their DNA. So it's all a big pipe dream, which is absolutely not about the hunt for tone and all about monetizing your urge for a guitar that had all the needed jobs done in the factory, then your urge for status, nimbus and all that other stuff you and I can't hear.
Customs are art, at the end you are making a good invest, but if you are more interested in the sound, a classic vibes with upgrades are unbeatable. Good quality pickups, bridge … ready to rock
Amazing but the 'cheaper' Squier CV has more 'definition' imho. Indeed subjective but price wise... that's the point and the hype with 'expensive guitars' not worth it.
Listening on my phone guitar A sounded better to me..I thought it was the custom...I think I could do it better with the 50 's maple fingerboard comparison...because I have got one of those..
Bloody Hell! I am in shock! If we guitarists bought guitars on sound alone, there would absolutely no justification for the outlay for the Custom Shop, but we all know we are daft and there is just something we cannot explain. Well done Squier !
Wow I went for the squire. Great test.
That makes us 2😂
I have discovered the Classic Vibes. They are great!
The Squier had a nicer tone in my opinion. The glassy vintage tone really came through on that one.
I'm rocking a Chinese CV 50's Butterscotch Tele myself so maybe I'm biased towards the underdogs. Absolutely amazing guitars.
Totally agree 👌
Was genuinely surprised to see the squire was guitar A. Both sounded good to me but I liked A a little better.
That's crazy! I preferred the sound of the Squier but I thought for sure it was the Fender. I was wrong. Lol. Been looking at the classic vibe 70s strat. Gonna have to pull the trigger and get one now. Great video man.
So, I got my 70's Classic Vibe Strat (Olympic White w/ tortoise shell pickguard) and I love it! She's my go-to axe now.
I thought A sounded slightly better during the blind test. It was slightly brighter and cleaner. I also thought it was the Classic Vibe. I own an older Classic Vibe 60's and a Classic Vibe 50's. I bought the Classic Vibe 60's guitar for $100 from a pawn shop. They didn't know what they had. It was tossed in with Squire Bullets and Affinities. But I recognized the Fender-like headstock. It has a 3-tone sunburst finish with a tortoise shell pick guard. I like the pawn-shop 60's more than the maple necked 50's with surf-green finish that I bought online from a major music instrument store, which had a good sale going.
The Classic Vibe strats have superb pickups. Made in Korea.
What a great find, just shows they're always worth a look.
I thought the same. Sounded more lively and exciting. I thought guitar b sounded a bit flat. I had it pinned for sure as the cheap one
I’m happy with my Fender Performer. I’m still a learner with a nice guitar 😌
I had the Squier as my favourite! Crazy. But it tells me that the blind test reveals what your eyes want to hear. Ten times the price might be correct if you sum up the prices of all the components of a custom shop strat, but my ears seem to prefer the affordable components. I got to live with it . . .
another great video. Doing the blindfold listening on my tablet, there's nothing much in it. Guitar B to my ears sounded a bit duller and I would have said that was the squier, but I was wrong. I love squiers. Well done A Strings.
I got i wrong too 😮
Guys, there isn't that much more coming from Custom Shop. This is surprisingly amazing
I actually bought the CS played by Adam in this video. It’s an awesome guitar 🤘 I’ve always wanted a CS and with this being a 1963 which is the year I was born, it was meant to be. The journeyman relic is really cool, rosewood board and the neck profile are perfect for me and the hand wound fat ‘60 pick ups just sing. Can’t stop playing it 😎👍
Lucky man ! If i take the CV neck profile as reference (because i know it well), which is very thin in the back, how is the neck profile of your CS ? Rather thick, medium, thin ?
Thank you as i look for the same CS you bought but wonder what neck profile/size i will probably get
I actually got it right! Yeah it was really close.
I got it right in terms of which was which, but oddly enough, I kinda preferred the Squier sound.
Great video! Definitely a very small difference in terms of tone. Without doubt, as you mention, the feel and playing experience on the Fender Custom Shop gives you a much 'larger' difference over the Squire, as opposed to the minimal difference in tone. That said, Guitar A was more open and dynamic, while Guitar B sounded more compressed to me, but again, the difference is so small, and no one is going to care about the sound difference on a recording or during a gig.
Exactly what I though - guitar A not compressed enough and guitar B - compressed enough. That's all the difference) But I disagree that difference in compression is small - with my headphones with over 100 db sensetivity I got it very well
maybe thé sound ingeenier will bé happier with thé fender pickups
The custom shop is what it is and is a first rate guitar .....BUT..... the Classic Vibe Strat more than holds its own and sounds amazing. Put a few more dollars into the Squire and it will go from great to absolutely amazing.
I did like the tone on the CV even though it was a bit muddy, didn't have quite as much strat spank as the customshop.
Still want a player.
OMG , i chose the Squire as the Custom Shop 😮 and you still have the plastic over the Squire pickups 😮 I’ve wasted ££££££
same, but i'm popping tex mex into my squire, already have them so why not.
Did Fender take his legs for doing this shootout? 😳
Slight difference between the two on the cleans - problem is they both sound good. When overdriven, who knows 😅. All it really comes down to is how comfortable the neck is and if the guitar inspires you to play… and how deep your pockets are of course 💸
I own classic vibe and fender vintera bass guitars, they are both very nice instruments.
I think the Custom Shop sounds better. However, I just bought a CV 50's and it plays beautifully. It's got a 100% Strat sound.
😂 genuinely thought guitar A was the 4 grand fender, I love classic vibes 👌
I actually did get it right. I work for an organization in miami called guitars over guns and I’ve been checking out the Squier guitars lately and they play and sound perfect for entry level student 👨🎓 guitars. I’ve even used them at a real gig and they totally 💯 can hang with a regular fender. The differences are so infinitesimal that I’d almost rather leave my vintage fenders at home and just play a new squier. Thx for the video. I’m gonna subscribe now.
I'll keep my guitars and my GUNS. 😉
I recently discovered your channel and can't stop watching your video tests. Really great and I have to thank you for your valuable work. I would now like to express my thoughts. I hear the Squier classic vibe 60s slightly brighter in the medium / high range than the custom shop, but in my opinion, with a few small tricks the two guitars would get closer together. For example, if I'm not mistaken, the classic vibes make them all come out of the factory with the bridge completely resting on the body, and we all know that this adjustment of the bridge, (in my opinion wrong), makes the sound much more shrill and goes to remove the natural reverb that springs give you when a bridge is locked. Then, the classic vibe 60s come out of the factory with the 009/042 strings, while I guess the custom shop has the 010s. Also, the classic vibes come out of the factory with very low pickups. In my opinion, if you set the classic vibe with the suspension bridge and put 010 strings, the comparison and the result could be surprising. Thanks for your work and greetings from Italy.
I got this wrong 😎 Superb tones from the Squier!!
Got them right and the CV sounded better... especially for the cost.
Great video. To my ears, position 3 was better on the Squier. Position 1 and 5 sounded better on the Fender but not $2k-$3k better.
There is a difference, undoubtedly, but this video shows how good the Squire CV series really is. They are brilliant value for money and they provide a good platform for upgrading. You can’t go wrong. One day though, I shall have a custom shop Strat and Tele.
Price, lol.
Great play and comparison!! I was right. I just sold 60 CS a few months ago and bought 60s CV made by 2013 last month. My two guitars tone are quite different like this comparison. I need money so I sold CS. I don't think I can buy another brand new CS in future. New CS price are too high recently. Unbelievable. Compared to 14 years ago, the price is more than 1.6 times.
I was tottaly wrong...OMG. I was completely convinced of the opposite. Both are amazing . Excelent Video. Thank you very much
Sweet test!. I have a 2021 CV60'S in LPB and I love it! ❤. If i could afford to have the CS i would - strictly as a collector's/investment thing. As far as a player goes I have it already...!
I was thinking A to be Fender as it sounded more detailed to my ear.
I knew right off the bat. I own a 50's and a 60s CV. I have a mim also. I have owned USA strats in the past. I play my
50s squier the most.
The fender sounded suppressed and much more quiet. The Squier was just raw and filthy. Just how I like it.
I had it backwards! I thought A’s tone was more focused and clear. Which made me think it was the fancy strat. B sounded springier and more raw to me. I preferred B while listening.
For reference I’m a 30+ year guitarist and professional recording engineer. I own a classic vibe 50’s strat too. I’m a little embarrassed lol. I usually guess these kinds of thing correctly. Great video!
I'm a Strat fan and own a few. The CV series definitely punches above its price point. It's only let down a bit by it's bridge really, but an upgrade is easy and cheap enough to do.
It looks like a MIM bridge...Is it worse than the MIM you see all over aftermarket?? I like the MIM bridge...I have it in 3 builds..
I have two Classic Vibe Strats with MIM bridges. For $20 you get a full-sized trem block and Fender-stamped saddles. Plus it’s a drop-in upgrade with no additional drilling or routing. It’s the best upgrade you can make to a Classic Vibe!
Here in Canada an AVRI bridge plate is $35. Fender USA saddles for $30. A brass block for $30 more. It drops right in. A premium upgrade for less than $100.
@@DenMan24Fan I was asking if it came stock with a MIM bridge because it looks just like it in all the pics/videos I've seen?
and a SsL-1 upgrade too?...
I had a feeling guitar A was the Squier, tone was a little harsher but not by much...I wouldn't say the other is worth $4k In a full band mix you wouldn't be able to tell. Only the way it plays and maybe stays in tune better. I'm happy with my modded player strat
I actually think it was less harsh in general than the CS. I was surprised by that. I bought a CV 60s Strat on a whim because I am not a fan of the Texas Special pickups on my Mexican Strat for that very reason. I think the CV pickups have good definition without being brittle or harsh. I liked one of the in-between positions better with the CS pickups in this demo, but all the single pickup positions I thought sounded better on the CV.
i found thé B sound more polished , a tiny bit compressed in a good way, so i was thinking it was the Fender . but Price différence IS incredible for a same sounding pickups
I actually thought the Squier had a nicer tone.
Fantastic video...the vibe is not very far from the custom shop...I could not justify spending the extra on it...I'm glad I didn't...bought the classic vibe !
Always love the Classic Vibe. Might getting the CV 70s soon...
I bought the 70s vintage white fsr CV superb guitar my favourite
I love my 60' classic vibe. :-)
I own a 1962 Stratocaster all original and a 2005 Mexican Stratocaster which was my 2nd guitar. They sound pretty much the same, I changed the pickups on the Mexican Stratocaster to “tex mex” pickups to be fair.
Anyways, just ordered a classic vibe. My third model, I have the mustang and jazzmaster. Really like those guitars, they make me play different..but I keep coming back to the Stratocaster.
I think I’ll be using the offsets to record stuff.
You guys need to add a link to the guitars to your shop you are talking about
I picked guitar b because I thought it sounded more balanced but I would buy the squire and just upgrade the pickups because that's all I can afford. And the square didn't seem to affect your playing in any adverse way.
I have a cs 59 Aztec gold strat rosewood..love it..have had cv squires even gigged overmy Eric Clapton strat for a few gigs…
Both have useable tones. I own the Classic Vibe 50s strat and replaced the block with a GFS Brass block because I like a vibrato that stays in tune for surf music. That was the only upgrade. Every guitar can be dialed in right with some eq from a decent amplifier. Let’s put this to rest with the I payed 4 grand for this guitar so it’s $3500 better sounding. I’m sure the pickups have a better taper when rolling off the tone or volume knob or the fretwork is 5% better than the Squier. Spend your money the way you want and play the darn thing. Practice is more important than the subtle details of CTS pots and locking tuners in the end. If Ed Van Halen played a $200 Tagima then everyone would be paying $4 k for those.
Agreed 👍🏻
Guitar A was my choice of the custom but its the classic vibe lmao, nice. i got cheap ears it seems
Listened to Video through JBL speaker guessed A was Squire but have to say was a guess. Own 5 Squires, Recently changed pickups on strat to 59Fender custom shop, if I'm honest was very little difference. Have been playing for 40yrs, have some high end guitars, Squire r great guitars. Love the video
Wow wow. I picked guitar a for custom shop because it sounded so much better to my ear. I’m glad to own the squier now!!
A has an unpleasant harshness in it. B sounded full bodied, round, mellow
Blimey, I got it right. The Fender had greater depth of tone. I would find the Squier quite tiring over a period.
Awesome video. ..I guess you make me save tons of money... and I'm very well with my 3 "classic vibe"
If you guys previously thought CV was highly overrated, now you realize which model one was overrated. Love that CV. Cheers.
great stuff the squier sounded crisper , better , i'm going to go for a classic vibe but was it a Chinese or Indonesian made classic vibe ? as they have different pick ups .
cheers and how about a Telecaster shoot out the same format 😊
Great comparison.
As a Fender fan, I can say that I like the 60s custom shop the most.
Warm and balanced in the custom shop.
The tone is different. No doubts.
However, Squire is a great match and I agree with the other comments:
could you tell the difference during a gig ??
👍🏻
WOW preferred the Squier before answer revealed. Spend the cash on a nice amp with a good size speaker instead, along with a secret weapon pedal.
Tenho uma Classic Vibe de 2015 e as madeiras são no padrão clássico e não posso adquirir uma Fender no momento, então fico feliz em ver como minha guitarra pode soar tão bem quanto uma Americana.
I liked sound "A" and I thought it was a Fender Custom Shop guitar. And fortunately I have a Squier Classic Vibe already. Haha.
I chose guitar b was slightly richer for some things but was impercievable in others . Could have just been caused by minor variations in picking techniques
I was wrong! I looked at which guitar YOU were connecting more with. Seemed to me like you enjoyed playing A more, and therefore, A must be the custom shop one.
No better/worse difference in tone to my ear.
for me
bass to middle range sound : both are really good
high : guitar B ,got much more vintage ,vivid
Guitar B sounds "sloppy"...before i saw the result....WOW..i thought for sure guitar A was the $$$$...goes to show...thanks - great vid!
There is a concept in economics known as the Law of Diminishing Returns. You can pay twice as much for one version of an item compared to an item, but it is only 50% better, not twice as good. In this case, you buy something for 1000% of the price but only get perhaps a 250% increase in quality/tone. Hence, diminishing returns for your money.
Great shootout, I thought the two guitars sounded really good though the custom shop was definitely better, more sustain and a well rounded tone. Is it worth ten times the extra money, if you can afford it I would say yes, especially if you are gigging and or recording with it. It comes down to your budget and playing ability as well.
I was sure CS was the guitar A. Wow, I liked CV more then!
I did end up liking guitar b better than guitar a, however, they were both super similar and I loved every tone on both
while blind testing I couldn't hear much of a difference, but once revealed I could. CS sounded better to me (no bias)
I definitely preferred guitar B over A in the clean demos, but preferred A over B when the amp was driven.
Guitar B sounds a lot more open and warm, whereas guitar A sounded compressed and almost lifeless in comparison.
Same. Preferred B for clean and A for overdriven.
I guessed it correctly but would rather buy the squire and upgrade its pickups. The end.
So glad i liked guitar A better because im picking up my candy apple red 60s next week! 😁
The bridge pickup on CV sounds better to me.
I did guess it… cause I have heard many of these….but truth is, in a song, or band setting, or a recording studio, I doubt anyone can tell… often songs and recordings don’t make each instrument sound like it was recorded…. It needs to be adjusted for the song….from what I can tell….
This was a cool video. Not much different in sound, at least to my ears. This proves that the CV strats can hold up to a custom shop fender. I own the same CV in this video and I have never had a problem with it. I'd say if you wanted to make the CV a little better I'd put fender vintage style tuners on it, put better pots and switch in it and change the pickups. I think there great stock but if your going to use one to gig with I'd consider those upgrades.
Cant believe it I got it wrong again just like the les pauls 😂 thought the cv was guitar b, I love classic vibes, best strats iv had, preferred them to my Mexican and Japanese strats.
Grand Merci
At this point the real deal, is the fender is an invest, but not better in sound, but not only as invest, it will last longer in the time, they get old beautifully… and, they fell so cool… the cv sound perfect tho
EQ and Effects Box makes the differences mute. 😎
CS has more balanced sound but CV also great.
The minimal difference in tone can literally be the cause of a mic being moved by a hair.
Came here for the review. Left wondering if he has legs below his knees. This video should be called "Nubs or Not?" Once you see it, you can't unsee it
I’d be happy with either....did one feel ten times better to play?
yes thats the difference I have a squire and a cs....no comparison...the feel is worth the money
Great demo Adam . On the question of A or B it’s obvious to me guitar A is Custom shop
Better tone depth. Low and highs . Better projection and louder imho, does it hold up to ten times price justification?
Defo not, again imho,
Marked differences for sure but still not worth £4000
£2- £2.5 k fairer I’d say
It’s all very subjective as you say
Market forces will prevail always , at the end of the day it’s what you got in your pocket that will decide what you can afford at the time if purchase,
Ps can you do a Fender CS v Squier classic vibe series bass guitar comparison?
Custom shop was B not A
guitar A was a little bit muddy guitar B was clean and bright a pickup swap with guitar A and it will be hard to tell the difference
I thought the Fender was A under the presumption that it would have a more crisp and clear sound (it’s not. a Gibson folks). But well, the Squire is in fact the more untamed tone. It’s a matter of taste I suppose. So... I would have the Squire (I own a Squire Tele CV so I am not objective).
Guitar A was richer. Guitar B was brighter. Both sound great through the same amp. You can make A sound like B and B sound like A with your tone controls. Personally, I like the SOUND of the SQUIRE better in this video. (And I own an FCS 61 Strat reissue). Can't tell which one PLAYS better.
Proving conclusively again, that your amp is STILL the LARGEST part of your sound -- (about 55%, IMO). Significantly more important that the guitar's sound (about 40%, IMO -- the other 5% is "effects/everything else"), and a far better investment than spending 10x more on the guitar.
Best comment I’ve read.
Nothing in it , crazy 😮
Give me a bunch of squiers and the extra cash to improve them over a custom shop any day!!
The difference, apart from the price, is the durability. A Squier is a guitar with a nice sound, but whose frets, knobs, and pick-ups switch in less than 10 years must be removed and renewed... If not all of them, at least part of them... But how much should it be worth??? For me that is question...
I bought my Classic Vibe 50s Strat 11 years ago and play it every day. Everything on it works as well as the day it was built, especially the knobs (?) and pickups. Pots and switches are cheap to replace and I’ll do so when they break.
I clearly decided for the custom shop as the classic vibe's pickups sound too harsh for my ears.
Incredibile, la Classic vive con maggiore attacco e chiarezza nei suoni, la custom shop mi ha deluso....un suono più pulito ma troppo ovattato.
Nei suoni overdrive per me la squier è addirittura superiore....
Anche a me è piaciuta più la CV. Comunque la Custom Shop sarà sicuramente superiore in tutto il resto (legni, ponte, meccaniche, finiture etc.). Ho una Telecaster CV 50 e una Strato americana, e sono sempre più tentato di acquistare una Strato CV.
As the audience, I didn't really care which was which. Both sounded like the guitar of the moment was played with skill. I guess if I'm paying audience, I would expect the artist to play what was most comfortable for them to perform with. If the CS was what it takes to deliver that best performance then that is what needs to be made & paid. For me, an expensive CS is a waste of man hours for Fender & a waste of money for me. I don't even have to qualify the Squier with for the money, it's a fine instrument out of the box, regardless of whether I go get it at the LMS or whether someone ships it to me from a warehouse & to my doorstep. I will never own a CS, I just don't have the time to chase a customized order thru a CS authorized dealer.
My ear probably is not good but the A guitar seemed better to me
Pretty much indistinguishable. Which still brings up the question, what's wrong with the "Custom Shop" (which I always have to put in parentheses) if they sell you guitars that don't sound one bit better than a cheapo made in China? Sure, "playability" (which means basically just how much completion of the guitar was skipped nowadays to have the same amount of workers pushing out more guitars) is one thing, but if I pay a premium for a guitar I don't only expect it to be a finished guitar and not the "some assembly, repairs and upgrades required" standard they sell to the plebs but also something that can be easily distinguished by tonal superiority.
Now we all know that there is a lot of variables involved, and no 2 strats sound and behave entirely the same or do they? So this may or may not be just some coincidence, right? Maybe yes, but maybe it's just a very solid manifestation of the reason why I put "Custom Shop" in parentheses: The "Custom Shop" is only a real custom shop if you pay something beyond $12,000 (last time I checked years ago) to get an individual guitar just made for you from Fender, everything else is just the same mass production on the same kind of lines as the ordinary stuff made in Corona, Ensenada or Shenzen, there is just more completion and a little checking involved, and of course sticking a few "Custom Shop" labels onto the product, plus some cheap paper/cardboard stuff trying to convince you that you got something special. If you pay a lot more than what you pay for such a "Custom Shop" guitar for chumps, you get a "masterbuilt" guitar, (allegedly) made by somebody who actually knows how to make a complete guitar, which is still a series of guitars and not one of a kind. How much do those stick out of the masses? Yeah, there are other videos about that, proving that they can sound a bit bigger, better or more appropriate, but they don't have to...because they are frigging Stratocasters, besides the Telecaster the epitome of industrial guitar mass production with reproducibility of results woven into their DNA.
So it's all a big pipe dream, which is absolutely not about the hunt for tone and all about monetizing your urge for a guitar that had all the needed jobs done in the factory, then your urge for status, nimbus and all that other stuff you and I can't hear.
Customs are art, at the end you are making a good invest, but if you are more interested in the sound, a classic vibes with upgrades are unbeatable. Good quality pickups, bridge … ready to rock
I thought A was the custom shop!
Amazing but the 'cheaper' Squier CV has more 'definition' imho. Indeed subjective but price wise... that's the point and the hype with 'expensive guitars' not worth it.
That was cool..
squier sounds 10 times better not so subdued sound
Cv nailed to me
Listening on my phone guitar A sounded better to me..I thought it was the custom...I think I could do it better with the 50 's maple fingerboard comparison...because I have got one of those..