One thing that rarely gets discussed is that you get more "bling" for your buck on the Squier vs. a Fender MIM. A MIM at almost twice the price will tend to be a more generic looking instrument. Squier's have a lot more character. I think Fender MIM's are absolutely fantastic guitars, but for all but a professional gigging musician, the Squiers are perfect. The best way to level the playing field between a low end and high end guitar is to practice more!
Supposedly the Classic Vibe series is actually modeled on the Squier JV (Japanese Vintage) series guitars from the 1980's produced at FujiGen Gakki. I love my 50's 2 tone CV Strat. Unbelievable bang for your buck.
Phil, apropos of not much, when I started playing in '65, a guitar of the classic vibe level of quality, say a Gretsch Tennessean or a no frill tele retail was about $200.00. Skilled labor payed 2.00/hr. ( I made $1.15 /hr min. wage}So a decent guitar was about a months wages. Today a $400.0 CV or Epi 335 dot retail can be had for about 33 hours pay at $12.00/hr semi skilled labor. Modern life is strange but I'm glad young people, especially, can get their mits on a satisfying instrument for less than a pound of flesh. love your channel . and , i loved those pawn shops on seventh ave. in midtown Manhattan.
Hey Phil, could you do a video on guitar maintenance (cleaning pots, fretboards, common electronics problems etc.). Keep up with the quality content! :)
Good, understandable explanations. I agree. Squier is a solid purchase (and the fact that they cost less makes them even better). I bought a Squier Vintage Modified Strat, from China (about 4 yrs ago) that had rather weak "lipstick" PUs. Replaced them with Tex/Mex PUs that sound way better. The guitar has ALWAYS stayed in tune (I disabled the whammy bar) with only minor corrections/sometimes no corrections, after a couple hours of playing. I've made truss rod adjustments as needed, along the way. I have owned both American and MIM Strats in the past. I enjoy my "budget" Squier just as much.
I just bought a CV Tele a couple of months ago. PERSONALLY I was blown away by the look, feel, and sound of it. I have played MANY higher end Teles that I didn't like as much. (Otherwise I would have bought one of those.) As far as this video was concerned I kinda preferred the sound of the Alnico pickups that are in the CV series guitars, they sound warmer to my ears. Anyway, great video as always Mr. McKnight!!!
This is an excellent video. I have purchased the cv strat as well as cv telecaster. both are really great playing and sounding guitars. I have an American strat as well. While there are some differences you really hit the nail on the head when you say you cannot believe the quality guitar they are making for basically $400.00. Its amazing. Its a great thing because not everyone can afford a $1000 American or more expensive American Pro. I also love your general appreciation for guitars and the great info you put out. Thanks!
Hey Phil, thanks for the very well balanced comparison. FWIW, I have a CV 60's, a MIM/MIA partscaster, and a MIA Standard Strat. I'm hard pressed to feel any real difference between all 3 guitars. I thinks it's just mind boggling how good the CV's are considering their price point.
I think the manufacturing technology has advanced to the point that as long as the pickups and neck are good, the guitars will tend to sound/play similarly.
I purchased a CV strat for 250 with the bridge replaced to an American Fender one and couldn't be happier. I prefer it to my friend's MIM and the 400$ saved is absolutely worth it.
The best guitar I ever played I put together myself. I started with a beautiful Lotus Strat style body (metalic blue fading to black), changed the electronics to Fender Strat mim, installed a mighty mite gold bridge with a brass trem block, a gold switchplate, a new Fender Licenced maple neck, and finished it with gold locking tuners, and a gold roller string tree. It looks awesome, plays awesome, and sounds incredible.
I own a CV tele and I'll tell you first hand it KILLS mim's. I used to work in a music store around the time I bought the tele, so I made sure to play EVERYTHING. Even some of the mia's were threatened by the playability of the CV. Buy one, you won't regret it.
Kill Everyone I second that! I own a CV Strat and a CV tele. The strat is good, but never really stood out. The tele is awesome, I play it all the time.
I own 2 of the White CV tele and 2 of the Blond CV tele. Both are good but I much prefer the White version which uses the Alnico 3 and the Blond uses the Alnico 5 PUPS. These have been my favorite guitars and I also have the MIM verson and a 2014 American standardard tele. CV have been my favorites although I did not much care for the Strat version in the 50's model. If you can pick up one cheap they are good but I'm not paying full price.
This comment most likely be very well received, but.... I was lead vocal/writer for 25 + years, I played guitar as well but not on stage. I played at home when a few buddies came over to mash, camping, parties etc. And I used the guitar, and some piano for writing. I started playing when I was about 12 on a "Chef Ramsey" model acoustic which for 25 bones was pretty good considering it was a guitar and doubled as a cheese grater!! Anyway...I've spent a LOT of time on stages with various bands - classic rock - rock - hard rock (yes, I'm that old) then this new term metal came around, and I was in a few metal bands. So, here's the deal - 99% of people at a bar, or a concert hall, private party etc, do not notice a neck pick up from a bridge pick, and really, I've been around dozens of guitar players and from my personal experience I believe the only people who even talk about neck as opposed to bridge, coil taping, and splitting, as well as the various combinations players can select are players. A LOT of the tone differences are minimal, and of all the laces I've performed at, not one person ever noticed any changes. The obvious changes people noticed were caused by the various pedals. So when I watch videos where guitars are being reviewed, and I listen too the various pick up combinations, I'm usually at a loss to understand why the discussions about the extremely minimal differences, come across as though there was huge noticeable changes when there just isn't! At least as far as I'm hearing there isn't. OK guitar dudes, start rippin my head off!! Jack
I am a guitar player and I totally agree with you. Guitar players discuss caps and resistor makes, Pots years, picks materials, tubes hot/cool bias, speakers, etc etc.... at the end there is only 2 different results... a good tone and a bad tone. Thats the only thing listeners can hear. And sad but true.... listeners care more about great guitar playing than actual players.
@@rikardocarvalho Thanks Ricardo, I just saw your reply. There's hundreds of dollars wasted over these minuscule differences! Take care brother Jack ~'()'~ Canada
I can't compare the 50's CV against it, but I can tell you that it is slightly lighter than my 2006 MIM Standard Strat. Which actually puts the CV 60's almost at the same weight as the American made Strats, oddly enough. Hope that helps.
thank you so much for being a good guy and not attacking your viewers when they say something to you because that Wills easy guitar is a jerk she constantly cusses his viewers out
you're not getting what I'm saying you should be able to go on tand ask a simple question without getting cursed. It's called being human not a piece of scum trash these TH-cam channels are for information and if you have questions you should be able to ask
Jeffrey Haefner was this directed towards the Wills Easy guitar guy or Cameron Benson? Frankly, I always thought that Will guy seemed like an ass who makes a big rant on a forum & says "I'm out of here!" every 6 months or so, but never deletes his account and constantly comes back to see what people are saying... **rolls eyes** I could be wrong, but that was always the impression I got.
Phil you seem to miss the point of the "Classic Vibe" series. The necks are different because the CV's reproduce 50's and 60's necks. Same thing with the tuners and hardware, fretboard thickness etc etc. They ARE NOT meant to be an alternative to a currently made MIM or US Fender. They are what they say they are, "A Classic Vibe". I have a CV 60's Tele (sunburst double binding) and I would take it ANY DAY OF THE WEEK over a 2017 US standard tele. I chose my CV because I personally liked it better. And yes, I could EASILY afford the US version so it wasn't a price issue. The CV was hands down a far better guitar. People are thinking all Squier's are low end like the Affinity series. The Classic Vibes are a different animal all together.
Hey now , affinity is awesome. Anything under that is not so great . Your bullets and Se's. In my book affinity strats are the real entry version of the fender strats. I can play bullets even , they're great for the price. I'd rather a bullet over a first act.
As a consumer it's getting difficult to understand the difference between low, mid, high, and custom priced guitars. I get the more expensive hardware part, as well as the one off vs mass produced, and fretwork. But hand on heart, what separates let's say a $1,000 Indonesian Jackson with quality components and a $2500-$4000 US made ones, and would a local luthier basically be able to get it to that maxed out quality? It's confusing and there's so many people saying this or that is better or worse, but very few explain why it's better/worse. Looking forward to more videos around these subjects. I'm still a bit confused, but you might finally solve that riddle for me :)
other than the obvious parts on the guitar and quality, for example when gibson makes ludicrously expensive guitars, theyre probably remakes of old guitars with a lot of research and attention to detail over a long time, and importing materials that are hard to obtain now. the more expensive guitars arent guarantueed to play better but sometimes companies really have to bring up the price a lot to make up for the cost it took to make it.
John, cost of labor, insurance, variety of taxes is a big chunk of the difference. In most situations, it is less expensive to pay any import tariff. Regarding a local luthier, you would be absorbing all his labor, insurance, taxes for a single item, which is why they would be more expensive.
These are all good replies. Something additional to consider in what may bring the price up but not change the playability are some extra features like binding, or stain vs paint, or inlay type/material, etc... it's like a car. Do the seat heaters make it drive better? No, but they're a nice feature if you have the extra money!
Remember John, what something costs is not always due [directly] to manufacturing costs. Something is "worth" what someone will "pay." It's really that simple. There are those that will pay 100,000+ for a vintage guitar. Others will pay 10,000+ for a hand-made guitar; yet others will pay $399 for a Classic Vibe. They are each "worth" what the person paid for them to the buyer. You can point to this or that, but the real reason 1 sells for 1 amount and another sell for a different amount lies solely in the buyers willingness to pay.
The short answer is that as long as it has a two-way truss rod and no blatant flaws (twisted neck, bridge installed at wrong location, etc), a local luthier should be able to turn just about any CNC-era bolt-on-neck guitar into a world-beater. And there's a good chance he can still do it even if it only has a one-way truss rod, but it's just less of a sure thing. (This all assumes you liked the general feel of the neck shape to begin with, which is mostly a matter of personal preference) And if you're at all handy, some time spent online plus a minor investment in tools will enable you to do such transformations without a luthier's help in most cases.
I own a BEAUTIFUL 04-05 special edition MIM strat and i love it but I’ve played a few of them classic vibe squiers and they are absolutely incredible for the money. Some of the frets needed a bit of shaping and smoothening but other than that they played and sounded incredible for the price. And I’ve came across a ton on Facebook marketplace for around the 200 price point used but barely played. People seem to buy them as a first guitar and lose interest so they sell it for super cheap!
I have been happily in love with my 60s CV Strat for over 9 years. I got one shortly after they came out, when they were 299 new. I've been asked if it's s custom shop Strat, or an AVRI on multiple occasions, then I show them the headstock. Mexico strats have their place as well. They're your basic do-anything kind of guitar, which I think every guitarist needs a generic, for lack of a better word, guitar because they're so versatile. In my experience it really is all about what you're doing with your instrument that decides which you'll prefer. (or maybe you'll be guitar polyamorous like me. )
Have 2 Fenders and 5 Squiers. I love em all! The Squiers like my Vibe. I have no hesitation when it comes to swapping out parts and or modifying "to extreme"whatever changes I want to enact. This is one of my joys in guitar playing andownership... Making this guitar how "I" want it. Pure-breds I am still hesitant doingextensive modes to.
I remember playing a 7.25 nitrocellulose Strat. It's a great feeling mainly a strummer for me. I wish fender would do an Indonesian classic with the nitro and the 7.25 radius fretboard. Just feels like manic in my hands and require a more curved strumming technique. Bring back the 7.25
The CV Series are really good guitars especially for the money, they sound great, stable for gigs and really produce that vintage tone, with a couple of upgrades at minimal cost you can really have a go to axe for little money...... The higher end Squires are all excellent.
I can't wait to order my CV later this week>>1950's or 1960's I still haven't to decided....Thanks for your review...and your fair appraisal of these gems...
I got a 50's classic vibe with the 3 tone burst as my first electric guitar Christmas of 2008 and the guitar still feels amazing after 10 years of playing. Unfortunately, the pots are now full of static and the first 2 switch positions stopped working this past Christmas. I've got my eyes set on the Obsidian Wire blend electronics. Can't wait to get them installed and get back to making those sweet vintage sounds! I like that it isn't a Fender though cause it doesn't make the idea of changing the visuals and electronics feel sacrilegious but it still feels great and plays smooth.
i have had a squier 70's headstock for about 8 years... it has the 2 pole set up on the bridge... it was made in indonesia, probably the cort factory that makes all the ibanez and other high end guitars.. all i have done is fit decent strings, put a hairband around the trem springs to stop them rattling... it plays lovely... i had a mexican... id say if my old mexican was 95% this squier is about 88% very close... more than good enough for the sofa strummer learning you tube riffs
I absolutely love the Classic Vibes, I own many Strats and Teles but one of the upgrades I did on the Strats was to change the sustain block on the Squier Trems, it immediately added more volume, more sustain and better tuning stability...
I got a 2006 MIM. I like it better than the USA standard, but...I had to replace the pickups. I put in two Texas Specials in the bridge and the neck, but left the Ceramc in the middle pickup. Also, replaced the tuners with the Fender locking tuners. Everything else totally stock. Luv it. Lighter than a USA made strat, and a neck I prefer to the Standard USA. Very very pleased.
I bought the Fender Modern Player Tele when it first came out for $399 Cdn, took it back for set up and the store said the neck had a major flaw, ordered another one. When it came in, saw the Vibe 50 Tele and the Vibe 50 Strat, like the green one you have, bought both Squires. I'm a very happy man>>>>>>>>>>
Squier CV is amazing. Most squier guitars are. It doesn't matter if it's a cheap guitar or expensive guitar. If you can play you can play, if not than buying a two thousand dollars guitar won't help. But if you can jam and want a amazing gem for under 500 than the classic vibe is for you. If you just want a guitar for small gigs and the benefits or a more fender like experience get a affinity series. If your just learning and want a cheap Stratocaster to learn on and have a classic iconic fender design than the bullet or se is for you. The mim strats are made daily in high volume, it's the same ol to the people making them, however, the classic vibe is made with extra TLC because it's a higher end product of a cheaper sister company and design to be a very special and iconic experience. So I imagine the CV comes out the factory with more detail and pride into the making of process All these guitars and models serve a purpose. And fender does a great job offering something for everyone
Another classic case of the name on the head stock. The classic Vibe sounds way better than the MIM. He knows it does but just can not give credit where credit is due. It's all in the head bro and you know it.
@Everything The CV pups are reportedly the same as toneriders and artec alnico V's which are excellent pups. I know it's all one's subjective opinion but to my ears the CV sounds better. I'd take alnico magnets over ceramic any day. The duncan designed pups in some of the squire's like the VM's are really good too. A lot of people like them better than the CV pups. The MIM definitely has the better materials as noted in the video - full thickness body, better tuners, better pots/electronics, bridge and saddles made of real steel instead of pot metal. That's where most of the increased price comes and of course the name too. To upgrade those parts would cost the $200 or so difference (think it's higher as the CV is now $349). The CV's and other higher end Squires are really good guitars for the money that are perfectly acceptable out of the box though. I commend Fender for that. What irritates me is Fender has designed the Squires so that most of the up-gradable parts are a direct Fender drop in. Tuner holes, bridge width, block, etc. not the same size. Even the pick guards aren't exact on some squires. You need to either find other brands that make drop-in parts, easy enough but limits selection, or else do a little drilling/routing. Not difficult but annoying that they made it that way in the 1st place.
@Everything The 50's CV has Alnico3 pickups while the 60's has Alnico5. The A3 sounds much more mid biased and a bit muddy compared to the A5. Maybe that's why your comparison sounded so different. I have both. left the 60's as is but swapped the 50's to some handmade S/C and a P90 in the bridge. Sounds beautiful now.
I've always been a guitar snob but had my mind changed by the classic vibe Squiers. I've had American Standards and nearly everything in the Mexican Range. While the finishing on these guitars were fantastic I couldn't vibe with them, hence why I traded them. Right now my go to guitar is a Modern Player Tele plus. From the moment I picked the guitar up I was hooked. It spoke to me in a way the others never. I assume it's made in the same factory as the classic vibe Squiers. I tried a Classic vibe 60's strat at Andertons about a year back and I was blown away. That's why when I tried the modern player Tele I left any snobbery at the door. Really great guitars. Now I want a 60's CV strat.
It does not matter so much these days Squire, Mex, or American, as long as you like it. Lindy Fralin told me in his experience it does not matter how many pieces of wood a guitar is made of. Only if it sounds good with regard to harmonic content and resonance. Just find the guitars that have that magic for you and remind you of why you fell in love with playing guitar.
Bought a brand new CV 50's Strat about 3 months ago and love it. Other than the #4 slot on the nut being too low and having to replace myself was perfect.
Phil keeps getting better and better - absolutely the most no-nonsense, meat and potatoes, honest POV guitar vids on youtube... PETE THORN needs a "Know Your Gear" t-shirt!
I have a Classic Vibe Telecaster, swapped out the neck for a much thicker neck. Plays fantastic and sounds good. Replacing the pots and switch really turn them around to sound as good as the higher end classic series MIM guitars.
CLASSIC VIBES are amazing guitars - the necks are beautiful. If you want a USA strat but cannot afford one - you should get a classic vibe. Next to a USA neck these are the 2nd best fender necks.
You are totally right because I have a MIM Strat with a Lindy Fralyn Hybrid Blues neck SC, Texas Special RWRP middle SC and a Tom Anderson HN2+ Bridge and I have received more compliments than my 2 USA
Great demo! A guy I know is selling a 4 year old CAR CV that's in great condition. I'm very tempted as it feels and plays well. I have 2 MIM Strats, an 1986 MIJ and an 1988 MIK. The Squier is cheap, well made and you can toss it around without too much worry!
It almost sounds like squier's pick-ups are higher output, which some people will like (though I prefer a bit lower output) For me the smaller frets on the classic vibes is what primarily drives me away from the squiers and towards the MIM strats. It also doesn't help that it's harder to find classic vibes/vintage modifieds with unlaqucered necks.
You were talking about the neck size, and width that all depends on your hand 🤚 size. I have smaller hand that’s why I bought the classic Vibe. Some custom shop Strats come with the D baseball type of necks which are great for those persons with large hands and horrible for smaller people. 👍thumbs up for the Classic Vibe,
The CV series is real good stuff . Had CV Strat and Tele's . But recently picked up a brand new Squire Deluxe Strat in metallic pearl . Perfect in every way right out of the box ! Its a more modern approach , 2 point trem bridge , rolled edge finger board , Duncan designed Alnico pick ups , great satin neck . Amazing guitar . Looks , feels , plays and sounds absolutely terriffic ! All that Strat for under 5 bones .
I'm glad you pointed out the difference in necks between the vibes and mim's, which is point that sold me on the mim's I had made the effort to handle customs down to bullets to find sweet spot to suit my wallet. The standard aged cherry with a varnished fret board....proved to be extradionarly bang for buck, workhorse.
Picked up one and replaced the trem block, pickups and electronics. Suppose I could do tuners and nut but it's pretty surprisingly good. Oh, also cleaned up the fret ends.
I have a Classic Vibe 50´s Strat and a Classic Vibe Telecaster BB.Both feel great to play and they Sound really good. The Tele feels a little bit better. I love them.
It's odd, but in the sound demos in this video I actually think I prefer the sound on both of the squire vintage vibe strats over the fender MIMs. Maybe it's the output on the pickups? I'm finding as I get older that I prefer the tonal characteristics of lower output pickups
You need to check out the Vintage Modified Squiers from Indonesia. I can't imagine standard American made or Mexican made strats being any better...........at more than twice the cost. The edges on the fret board are rounded and very comfortable; amazing quality and playability, especially for the price.
Squire Classic Vibes are the Diamonds within the guitar industry. Out of the box there is nothing within the entire market that matches in beauty, quality and mechanics. Make sure to pay attention to first three words of this comment. Only the Classic Vibes within the Squire lineup hold all three factors to the Gold medal Standard. Untouchable, affordable, perfectly calibrated machines!
That's peculiar! I just tested 5 classic vibe squire and rejected all of them. It's not that I reject the models, it's that all 5 were horribly set up, terrible strings and the tremolos were all tightly locked down so I couldn't test them. I spent a lot of time stretching the strings and retuning each of them until they stayed mostly in tune. I would have had to do a fair amount of work to them just to get a feel of if I might want one. Sounds like you've been lucky getting decent cv out of the box
The rosewood test between the strats that classic vibe sounds better. That can be attributed to fender up until recently using ceramic pickups in the made in Mexico series. The classic vibe using alnico magnetic slugs in the classic vibe series. I don’t know when that black MIM strat is. The only upside MIM series strat has on paper over the classic vibe is pots and switch quality. Necks and frets are user interface to the player, you might like the classic vibe neck more. I’d rather have a classic vibe series over the player series strats. I will disclaim that I hate the MIM series strats and that’s why I own the Sterling by MusicMan ct50. Better pickups and better feeling neck, and locking tuners.
It may just be that I spent almost all my time playing squiers but I've actually come to prefer squiers over the Fenders. I've also found the fit to be better and more consistant on the Indonesian Squiers than the mexican Fenders. It's starting to really feel like I'm paying for a name and getting nothing for it 😣
I’d put my Squire Standard against any other strat. Doesn’t quite have that extra *something* that makes the Americans feel and sound the way they do, but nobody with a flat wallet should ever pay an extra $1,000 for that last 10%. And as far as internals you can upgrade easy, but I haven’t ever needed to
Biggest problem i have with the MiM Statndard strat is the price, it aint a $200 difference. i can get a Classic Vibe 60's Strat new for $499 Canadian new id be lucky to swing a Used MIM strat for $600 - a good one with a nice finish is easily in the $650-700 Cad range used and they go for around $800-850 Cad New if im paying that much more for another import strat, id like to see my dollar get a little better value. if im going to spend that.. mine aswell put an extra $200 more and get a USA model.
Phil i have 3 core Prs and 2 American Gibsons plus a American Peavey Nitro 2 but both of my Fenders are Squire classic vibe Tele and Surf Lipstick strat. I love them and can't see spending the money on a 52 reissue or a jeff beck surf green strat. Anything Im missing on Pickup gain can be fixed by the Zvex super hard on. Great work keep it up I love your honesty and presentation!
I think the main things that differentiate the various price points are the quality of the electronics and metal parts (as you noted) and the amount of expert time spent in assembly and "tweaking" the guitar. What I mean by the latter is, does someone make sure the parts fit together well? Do they make subtle adjustments to make the guitar play better? It's my experience that the more a Fender/Squier guitar costs, the more time was spent with it in final assembly. What that means to me is that I can buy a Squier and essentially do the finish work myself and also replace some parts and end up with a guitar that's almost as good as an American-made model. Where it may still fall short is in the fret work and neck shape. Finding inexpensive boat necks or V-shapes is difficult, but the Baja line from Mexico is very nice in that regard.
I personally don’t need to worry about comparisons. I’ve got classic vibe tele and strat and I’m plenty happy with them. I also have a 6120 Gretsch and a Gibson J45, but quality is quality and I’m not a pro. If it plays well and sounds decent, good enough for me. 😂
thanks the best review about this guitars i ever saw (i own a classic vibe 60´s). Do you know if CV´s have really alder wood or is another kind, or another "cheaper" species?
Those guitars are swoon worthy and i love the painted stocks Squire or Fender Strats or Teles American mexi or asian all good, but you are right about the necks my American deluxe neck is sooo comfy.
Those necks on the Classic Vibes, are like Fender used to make them. But with a 9.5 inch radius instead of 7.5, that needed an higher action, because of the 7.5 radius so the notes from "choke off" as you bend the strings. And cut into the skin on your fingertips, so your guitar strings would be caked in bits of dead skin the next day.
My first really good quality electric guitar is an MIM Standard Strat, and it's my favorite out of my entire collection. It just has some kind of magic to it, something I really connect with. The neck on it just fits my hand beautifully, it's so perfect to play. I've picked up TONS of American Strats and nothing has ever come close to feeling as good as that MIM Standard, it's just perfect for me. I've got a Squier VM Jaguar and love that too, it's a great guitar but I've gotta say the Squier Strats and Teles just don't do it for me, there's something about them that just makes them feel like a toy to me.
I own both. I prefer the pickups and tuners on the CV. Everything else on the MIM is better quality - the pots, the selector switch, the metal alloys used in the bridge
Phillip, I love your videos and think they are entertaining and informative/educational. My request is for a comparison between the Squier II's and the Squier MIKs. I know they are no longer made so perhaps a moot point but they both have quite a fan following. Thanks!
I have learned so much about guitars from this channel! Philip is incredibly knowledgeable and informative, although I cringed when I saw him lean the headstock of that MIM against the grill cloth of the Fender amp. The Classic Vibe Strat stacked up quite favorably against, and arguable exceeded the MIM. I see I am not alone in this view, either. Putting aside some minor differences in the quality of the electronics and hardware, IMO the Classic Vibe presents a significantly better value for the money, and actually sounds better than the MIM. The tuners and pickups on the Classic Vibe are just fine, and it has an alder body just like the the $1500 Fender American Professional or a $2000 Elite Strat does. So with a better bridge/block and pots, I think you would have a guitar that rivals the American Standards. Of course, if you wanted to go the extra mile on the Classic Vibe, you could also slap in some Gen 4, Vintage noiseless, Custom 69's, or other higher end pups. Then, for a total investment of around $700-$800, you could have a guitar that would rival the American Professional for about half the cost.
Cool Review. I have an American Strat a Standard Strat MIM and a cv tele. I have to say I like them all and they all play great. There are differences ,sure ...but a good player will sound just as good on a cv Strat say...as on an American in my humble opinion. What I like is that you can get a really great sounding and playing guitar at a pretty reasonable price these days. I think that is awesome for the consumer!
I just bought a Squier Classic Vibes 70s Strat because I am curious about 70s Strats but didn’t want a vintage guitar😊. I’m having a problem with the frets but it sounds different from all of my American and a couple of MIM Strats which are excellent. I’m going to get a Custom Shop 59 Reissue. At this point my MIJ 60s Strat is actually my favorite. It’s as good as the American Strats and costs less than half new. BTW where did you get that Classic Vibes with matching headstock? 👍☮️🌞🎸💕
What I don't like to much about the CV is the thick lacquer finish of the neck. I use the Standard for quite a while now and it's more confortable to me. Anyway I don't understand the Fender sales politics with the Fender brand 2019 Player serie witch are as good as the CV imho. So Fender competes with itself ?
Hi phillip is really enjoy your videos a lot Could you tell me your honest opinion on these strats? Squier standard series strat vs fender MIM STANDARD STRAT VS FENDER PLAYER SERIES STRAT ?? I have a squier standard series strat but really want a real fender ... Just not sure which one ... How does the squier standard series pair up against the mexican standard and player series MIM Thanks for all your help
I have a Squier 50s Classic strat and ihave a Mexico Standard Strat CAR. They both r very good sounded. But the Classic Vibe Strat is a bit harder with sound. I love both.
Classic Vibe 60s lake placid blue 2012, neck twisted closer to the headstock anticlockwise. Do fenders have the same flaw, and how often? The switch is awful even for the pcb type. Fret wire wears out much faster than on cheap Yamaha's, but this one is bearable. Lacker cracked on the edges with frets slightly pushing out underneath. Gloss finish is sticky on the back of the neck. Saddles finish wears down to copper-like colour. Great pickups, fine tuners. Looks great.
Classic vibe pick ups are sweeter than my mom strat I have both.350$ is the price.i can't believe the classic vibe is this good.by the way.the trem stiped out on my 2019 mim strat.the arm won't go in.and the neck on my mim is way wider.i have the awesome 50s CV strat.im in love.pick ups sound so much better.go feel one.you won't believe it.
The thinner rosewood I was told was 60s style , thinner plate. Not cost saving. Which is it? Trying to Know My Gear here. Lol. Also I just finally found one. At a great price used. It came in crazy good condition and Music Go Round set it up intonation, new strings and all. Highly impressed. I still love my MIM FSR gilmour vibe strat ...I just wanted to see what the hype was. Really wanted HSS new one but too many saying they aren't near the quality now. Oh well. I am happy with my choice. Fortunately. 229.00 including in that 229.00 usd is the 60 usd shipping. I think I did good. I looked it up and is a 2015 that's got mighty mite sss black alnico in them and black tone knobs. The pots feel very very nice and I've not yet opened it. I dont need to since everything seems so great. I also hear these are going to be highly sought after since they dont make them anymore. The new ones though, hss etc , what's the deal with their quality any good or am I hearing hate? Thanks.
Appreciate the information about the bridge could use information on what counts the fret work. In other words take your finger and bend a note on the high E string up one full step on every fret from the 10th fret up to the last fret and let us hear if there's any fret noise please, I sincerely feel this is the true test of the guitar as I can fix anything but bad fret work. Thank you.
I liked the sound of the vibe more in the video. I wasn't feeling them when I played them in person, but they weren't setup perfectly either. For a little bit more, I love the special edition mim strats. It's my fav fender strat I've played in store, including the americans.
One thing that rarely gets discussed is that you get more "bling" for your buck on the Squier vs. a Fender MIM. A MIM at almost twice the price will tend to be a more generic looking instrument. Squier's have a lot more character. I think Fender MIM's are absolutely fantastic guitars, but for all but a professional gigging musician, the Squiers are perfect.
The best way to level the playing field between a low end and high end guitar is to practice more!
Supposedly the Classic Vibe series is actually modeled on the Squier JV (Japanese Vintage) series guitars from the 1980's produced at FujiGen Gakki. I love my 50's 2 tone CV Strat. Unbelievable bang for your buck.
I appreciate your time and input for guys like me that have little or no knowledge.
Phil, apropos of not much, when I started playing in '65, a guitar of the classic vibe level of quality, say a Gretsch Tennessean or a no frill tele retail was about $200.00. Skilled labor payed 2.00/hr. ( I made $1.15 /hr min. wage}So a decent guitar was about a months wages. Today a $400.0 CV or Epi 335 dot retail can be had for about 33 hours pay at $12.00/hr semi skilled labor. Modern life is strange but I'm glad young people, especially, can get their mits on a satisfying instrument for less than a pound of flesh. love your channel . and , i loved those pawn shops on seventh ave. in midtown Manhattan.
That was wholesome :)
Hey Phil, could you do a video on guitar maintenance (cleaning pots, fretboards, common electronics problems etc.). Keep up with the quality content! :)
This would be great!
Yes. This please.
Ryan Flannery + 4
awesome vid and yes this would be a cool thing
Good, understandable explanations. I agree. Squier is a solid purchase (and the fact that they cost less makes them even better). I bought a Squier Vintage Modified Strat, from China (about 4 yrs ago) that had rather weak "lipstick" PUs. Replaced them with Tex/Mex PUs that sound way better. The guitar has ALWAYS stayed in tune (I disabled the whammy bar) with only minor corrections/sometimes no corrections, after a couple hours of playing. I've made truss rod adjustments as needed, along the way. I have owned both American and MIM Strats in the past. I enjoy my "budget" Squier just as much.
a guitar with the simplest high quality details such as pick ups, bridge , neck, is so awesome. I'd pay twice the money for it. love your videos Phil.
I just bought a CV Tele a couple of months ago. PERSONALLY I was blown away by the look, feel, and sound of it. I have played MANY higher end Teles that I didn't like as much. (Otherwise I would have bought one of those.) As far as this video was concerned I kinda preferred the sound of the Alnico pickups that are in the CV series guitars, they sound warmer to my ears. Anyway, great video as always Mr. McKnight!!!
Thx Billie Corgan
🤣
This is an excellent video. I have purchased the cv strat as well as cv telecaster. both are really great playing and sounding guitars. I have an American strat as well. While there are some differences you really hit the nail on the head when you say you cannot believe the quality guitar they are making for basically $400.00. Its amazing. Its a great thing because not everyone can afford a $1000 American or more expensive American Pro. I also love your general appreciation for guitars and the great info you put out. Thanks!
always hated the painted headstock. I don't know why I, just do.
The paint will always remind me of the flaws under it)
DT Hellland I feel your pain
I like em, but since they're the only Squiers like that, they kinda scream "I'm a squier."
You have issues 🤦♂️🤦♂️
Chables I’m proud to own a Squire
Hey Phil, thanks for the very well balanced comparison.
FWIW, I have a CV 60's, a MIM/MIA partscaster, and a MIA Standard Strat. I'm hard pressed to feel any real difference between all 3 guitars. I thinks it's just mind boggling how good the CV's are considering their price point.
I think the manufacturing technology has advanced to the point that as long as the pickups and neck are good, the guitars will tend to sound/play similarly.
I purchased a CV strat for 250 with the bridge replaced to an American Fender one and couldn't be happier. I prefer it to my friend's MIM and the 400$ saved is absolutely worth it.
I love my squier 70s vibe tele deluxe. Squiers gave been putting out great equipment for a minute now.
The best guitar I ever played I put together myself.
I started with a beautiful Lotus Strat style body (metalic blue fading to black), changed the electronics to Fender Strat mim, installed a mighty mite gold bridge with a brass trem block, a gold switchplate, a new Fender Licenced maple neck, and finished it with gold locking tuners, and a gold roller string tree.
It looks awesome, plays awesome, and sounds incredible.
can you compare the tele cv and the tele MIM next??
I own a CV tele and I'll tell you first hand it KILLS mim's. I used to work in a music store around the time I bought the tele, so I made sure to play EVERYTHING. Even some of the mia's were threatened by the playability of the CV. Buy one, you won't regret it.
Kill Everyone I second that! I own a CV Strat and a CV tele. The strat is good, but never really stood out. The tele is awesome, I play it all the time.
I own 2 of the White CV tele and 2 of the Blond CV tele. Both are good but I much prefer the White version which uses the Alnico 3 and the Blond uses the Alnico 5 PUPS. These have been my favorite guitars and I also have the MIM verson and a 2014 American standardard tele. CV have been my favorites although I did not much care for the Strat version in the 50's model. If you can pick up one cheap they are good but I'm not paying full price.
Kill Everyone how does it kill the MIM? The differences are pretty much the same as the ones Phil is talking about in the video.
Kill Everyone I bought a CVC Tele and regret it. The pickups sound like paper and the neck is too thin for my taste.
This comment most likely be very well received, but....
I was lead vocal/writer for 25 + years, I played guitar as well but not on stage. I played at home when a few buddies came over to mash, camping, parties etc. And I used the guitar, and some piano for writing.
I started playing when I was about 12 on a "Chef Ramsey" model acoustic which for 25 bones was pretty good considering it was a guitar and doubled as a cheese grater!!
Anyway...I've spent a LOT of time on stages with various bands - classic rock - rock - hard rock (yes, I'm that old) then this new term metal came around, and I was in a few metal bands.
So, here's the deal - 99% of people at a bar, or a concert hall, private party etc, do not notice a neck pick up from a bridge pick, and really, I've been around dozens of guitar players and from my personal experience I believe the only people who even talk about neck as opposed to bridge, coil taping, and splitting, as well as the various combinations players can select are players.
A LOT of the tone differences are minimal, and of all the laces I've performed at, not one person ever noticed any changes.
The obvious changes people noticed were caused by the various pedals.
So when I watch videos where guitars are being reviewed, and I listen too the various pick up combinations, I'm usually at a loss to understand why the discussions about the extremely minimal differences, come across as though there was huge noticeable changes when there just isn't!
At least as far as I'm hearing there isn't.
OK guitar dudes, start rippin my head off!!
Jack
I am a guitar player and I totally agree with you. Guitar players discuss caps and resistor makes, Pots years, picks materials, tubes hot/cool bias, speakers, etc etc.... at the end there is only 2 different results... a good tone and a bad tone. Thats the only thing listeners can hear. And sad but true.... listeners care more about great guitar playing than actual players.
and the wood where it's made off
@@rikardocarvalho Thanks Ricardo, I just saw your reply.
There's hundreds of dollars wasted over these minuscule differences!
Take care brother
Jack ~'()'~
Canada
@@qwerty6789x Trudat!
Jack ~'()'~
I love my 60's CV Squier. It's phenomenally all the guitar that I need. I get tones that I've only dreamed about.
How light is it though ? I heard the 50s are a tad lighter than the 60s
I can't compare the 50's CV against it, but I can tell you that it is slightly lighter than my 2006 MIM Standard Strat. Which actually puts the CV 60's almost at the same weight as the American made Strats, oddly enough. Hope that helps.
I agree, they weigh about the same as an American Strat likely because they're solid bodies.
thank you so much for being a good guy and not attacking your viewers when they say something to you because that Wills easy guitar is a jerk she constantly cusses his viewers out
he was pretty crude but a passionate guy who wanted to make helpful videos. still a sad thing he left.
you're not getting what I'm saying you should be able to go on tand ask a simple question without getting cursed. It's called being human not a piece of scum trash these TH-cam channels are for information and if you have questions you should be able to ask
Jeffrey Haefner was this directed towards the Wills Easy guitar guy or Cameron Benson? Frankly, I always thought that Will guy seemed like an ass who makes a big rant on a forum & says "I'm out of here!" every 6 months or so, but never deletes his account and constantly comes back to see what people are saying... **rolls eyes** I could be wrong, but that was always the impression I got.
Phil you seem to miss the point of the "Classic Vibe" series. The necks are different because the CV's reproduce 50's and 60's necks. Same thing with the tuners and hardware, fretboard thickness etc etc. They ARE NOT meant to be an alternative to a currently made MIM or US Fender. They are what they say they are, "A Classic Vibe".
I have a CV 60's Tele (sunburst double binding) and I would take it ANY DAY OF THE WEEK over a 2017 US standard tele. I chose my CV because I personally liked it better. And yes, I could EASILY afford the US version so it wasn't a price issue. The CV was hands down a far better guitar.
People are thinking all Squier's are low end like the Affinity series. The Classic Vibes are a different animal all together.
Darren Traynor this comment is so on point!
Hey now , affinity is awesome. Anything under that is not so great . Your bullets and Se's. In my book affinity strats are the real entry version of the fender strats. I can play bullets even , they're great for the price. I'd rather a bullet over a first act.
Doesn't he basically say this at 6.26 - "if you are looking for something that feels more like the American Vintage..."
He's a motor mouth for sure!
Love my CV 60's Tele as well! Through a P90 in the neck and vintage voiced broadcaster in duh neck. Munny.
Thanks for unmasking this crazy world of Strat vs. Strat. Your professional opinion is very valuable.
As a consumer it's getting difficult to understand the difference between low, mid, high, and custom priced guitars. I get the more expensive hardware part, as well as the one off vs mass produced, and fretwork.
But hand on heart, what separates let's say a $1,000 Indonesian Jackson with quality components and a $2500-$4000 US made ones, and would a local luthier basically be able to get it to that maxed out quality?
It's confusing and there's so many people saying this or that is better or worse, but very few explain why it's better/worse.
Looking forward to more videos around these subjects. I'm still a bit confused, but you might finally solve that riddle for me :)
other than the obvious parts on the guitar and quality, for example when gibson makes ludicrously expensive guitars, theyre probably remakes of old guitars with a lot of research and attention to detail over a long time, and importing materials that are hard to obtain now. the more expensive guitars arent guarantueed to play better but sometimes companies really have to bring up the price a lot to make up for the cost it took to make it.
John, cost of labor, insurance, variety of taxes is a big chunk of the difference. In most situations, it is less expensive to pay any import tariff. Regarding a local luthier, you would be absorbing all his labor, insurance, taxes for a single item, which is why they would be more expensive.
These are all good replies. Something additional to consider in what may bring the price up but not change the playability are some extra features like binding, or stain vs paint, or inlay type/material, etc... it's like a car. Do the seat heaters make it drive better? No, but they're a nice feature if you have the extra money!
Remember John, what something costs is not always due [directly] to manufacturing costs. Something is "worth" what someone will "pay." It's really that simple. There are those that will pay 100,000+ for a vintage guitar. Others will pay 10,000+ for a hand-made guitar; yet others will pay $399 for a Classic Vibe. They are each "worth" what the person paid for them to the buyer. You can point to this or that, but the real reason 1 sells for 1 amount and another sell for a different amount lies solely in the buyers willingness to pay.
The short answer is that as long as it has a two-way truss rod and no blatant flaws (twisted neck, bridge installed at wrong location, etc), a local luthier should be able to turn just about any CNC-era bolt-on-neck guitar into a world-beater. And there's a good chance he can still do it even if it only has a one-way truss rod, but it's just less of a sure thing. (This all assumes you liked the general feel of the neck shape to begin with, which is mostly a matter of personal preference)
And if you're at all handy, some time spent online plus a minor investment in tools will enable you to do such transformations without a luthier's help in most cases.
I own a BEAUTIFUL 04-05 special edition MIM strat and i love it but I’ve played a few of them classic vibe squiers and they are absolutely incredible for the money. Some of the frets needed a bit of shaping and smoothening but other than that they played and sounded incredible for the price. And I’ve came across a ton on Facebook marketplace for around the 200 price point used but barely played. People seem to buy them as a first guitar and lose interest so they sell it for super cheap!
I have been happily in love with my 60s CV Strat for over 9 years. I got one shortly after they came out, when they were 299 new.
I've been asked if it's s custom shop Strat, or an AVRI on multiple occasions, then I show them the headstock.
Mexico strats have their place as well. They're your basic do-anything kind of guitar, which I think every guitarist needs a generic, for lack of a better word, guitar because they're so versatile.
In my experience it really is all about what you're doing with your instrument that decides which you'll prefer. (or maybe you'll be guitar polyamorous like me. )
Have 2 Fenders and 5 Squiers. I love em all! The Squiers like my Vibe. I have no hesitation when it comes to swapping out parts and or modifying "to extreme"whatever changes I want to enact. This is one of my joys in guitar playing andownership... Making this guitar how "I" want it. Pure-breds I am still hesitant doingextensive modes to.
Love your reviews, can't get enough of them, keep 'm coming!
I remember playing a 7.25 nitrocellulose Strat. It's a great feeling mainly a strummer for me. I wish fender would do an Indonesian classic with the nitro and the 7.25 radius fretboard. Just feels like manic in my hands and require a more curved strumming technique. Bring back the 7.25
The CV Series are really good guitars especially for the money, they sound great, stable for gigs and really produce that vintage tone, with a couple of upgrades at minimal cost you can really have a go to axe for little money...... The higher end Squires are all excellent.
What upgraded have/would you make to it?
Glad you made this video, these are the two strats I have been looking at
I can't wait to order my CV later this week>>1950's or 1960's I still haven't to decided....Thanks for your review...and your fair appraisal of these gems...
I got a 50's classic vibe with the 3 tone burst as my first electric guitar Christmas of 2008 and the guitar still feels amazing after 10 years of playing. Unfortunately, the pots are now full of static and the first 2 switch positions stopped working this past Christmas. I've got my eyes set on the Obsidian Wire blend electronics. Can't wait to get them installed and get back to making those sweet vintage sounds! I like that it isn't a Fender though cause it doesn't make the idea of changing the visuals and electronics feel sacrilegious but it still feels great and plays smooth.
It's not easy comparing Squier and Fender and getting as few dislikes as you do Phil, great comparison!
i have had a squier 70's headstock for about 8 years... it has the 2 pole set up on the bridge... it was made in indonesia, probably the cort factory that makes all the ibanez and other high end guitars.. all i have done is fit decent strings, put a hairband around the trem springs to stop them rattling... it plays lovely... i had a mexican... id say if my old mexican was 95% this squier is about 88% very close... more than good enough for the sofa strummer learning you tube riffs
I absolutely love the Classic Vibes, I own many Strats and Teles but one of the upgrades I did on the Strats was to change the sustain block on the Squier Trems, it immediately added more volume, more sustain and better tuning stability...
Keeping this in mind...
I got a 2006 MIM. I like it better than the USA standard, but...I had to replace the pickups. I put in two Texas Specials in the bridge and the neck, but left the Ceramc in the middle pickup. Also, replaced the tuners with the Fender locking tuners. Everything else totally stock. Luv it. Lighter than a USA made strat, and a neck I prefer to the Standard USA. Very very pleased.
I bought the Fender Modern Player Tele when it first came out for $399 Cdn, took it back for set up and the store said the neck had a major flaw, ordered another one. When it came in, saw the Vibe 50 Tele and the Vibe 50 Strat, like the green one you have, bought both Squires. I'm a very happy man>>>>>>>>>>
Squier CV is amazing. Most squier guitars are. It doesn't matter if it's a cheap guitar or expensive guitar. If you can play you can play, if not than buying a two thousand dollars guitar won't help. But if you can jam and want a amazing gem for under 500 than the classic vibe is for you. If you just want a guitar for small gigs and the benefits or a more fender like experience get a affinity series. If your just learning and want a cheap Stratocaster to learn on and have a classic iconic fender design than the bullet or se is for you. The mim strats are made daily in high volume, it's the same ol to the people making them, however, the classic vibe is made with extra TLC because it's a higher end product of a cheaper sister company and design to be a very special and iconic experience. So I imagine the CV comes out the factory with more detail and pride into the making of process
All these guitars and models serve a purpose. And fender does a great job offering something for everyone
Another classic case of the name on the head stock. The classic Vibe sounds way better than the MIM. He knows it does but just can not give credit where credit is due. It's all in the head bro and you know it.
@Everything The CV pups are reportedly the same as toneriders and artec alnico V's which are excellent pups. I know it's all one's subjective opinion but to my ears the CV sounds better. I'd take alnico magnets over ceramic any day. The duncan designed pups in some of the squire's like the VM's are really good too. A lot of people like them better than the CV pups. The MIM definitely has the better materials as noted in the video - full thickness body, better tuners, better pots/electronics, bridge and saddles made of real steel instead of pot metal. That's where most of the increased price comes and of course the name too. To upgrade those parts would cost the $200 or so difference (think it's higher as the CV is now $349). The CV's and other higher end Squires are really good guitars for the money that are perfectly acceptable out of the box though. I commend Fender for that.
What irritates me is Fender has designed the Squires so that most of the up-gradable parts are a direct Fender drop in. Tuner holes, bridge width, block, etc. not the same size. Even the pick guards aren't exact on some squires. You need to either find other brands that make drop-in parts, easy enough but limits selection, or else do a little drilling/routing. Not difficult but annoying that they made it that way in the 1st place.
@Everything The 50's CV has Alnico3 pickups while the 60's has Alnico5. The A3 sounds much more mid biased and a bit muddy compared to the A5. Maybe that's why your comparison sounded so different.
I have both. left the 60's as is but swapped the 50's to some handmade S/C and a P90 in the bridge. Sounds beautiful now.
You pulled the little monkey right out of the tree with that one. I could not agree with you more. It makes perfect sense.
I've always been a guitar snob but had my mind changed by the classic vibe Squiers. I've had American Standards and nearly everything in the Mexican Range. While the finishing on these guitars were fantastic I couldn't vibe with them, hence why I traded them. Right now my go to guitar is a Modern Player Tele plus. From the moment I picked the guitar up I was hooked. It spoke to me in a way the others never. I assume it's made in the same factory as the classic vibe Squiers. I tried a Classic vibe 60's strat at Andertons about a year back and I was blown away. That's why when I tried the modern player Tele I left any snobbery at the door. Really great guitars. Now I want a 60's CV strat.
I love my MIM 2015 Fender Strat Standard HSH. Because of recent import tax it is 20% more valuable!
I really, really, really love the necks of classic vibes.
It does not matter so much these days Squire, Mex, or American, as long as you like it. Lindy Fralin told me in his experience it does not matter how many pieces of wood a guitar is made of. Only if it sounds good with regard to harmonic content and resonance. Just find the guitars that have that magic for you and remind you of why you fell in love with playing guitar.
I was just thinking that there wasn't a comparison between these models. I have a MIM Standard and love it tremendously. Thanks for the comparison!
Bought a brand new CV 50's Strat about 3 months ago and love it. Other than the #4 slot on the nut being too low and having to replace myself was perfect.
Phil keeps getting better and better - absolutely the most no-nonsense, meat and potatoes, honest POV guitar vids on youtube...
PETE THORN needs a "Know Your Gear" t-shirt!
I have a Classic Vibe Telecaster, swapped out the neck for a much thicker neck. Plays fantastic and sounds good. Replacing the pots and switch really turn them around to sound as good as the higher end classic series MIM guitars.
CLASSIC VIBES are amazing guitars - the necks are beautiful. If you want a USA strat but cannot afford one - you should get a classic vibe. Next to a USA neck these are the 2nd best fender necks.
Which one would you recommend? Like the 50s,60s or 70s?
@@hermnnsingh1538 any
You are totally right because I have a MIM Strat with a Lindy Fralyn Hybrid Blues neck SC, Texas Special RWRP middle SC and a Tom Anderson HN2+ Bridge and I have received more compliments than my 2 USA
Great demo! A guy I know is selling a 4 year old CAR CV that's in great condition. I'm very tempted as it feels and plays well. I have 2 MIM Strats, an 1986 MIJ and an 1988 MIK. The Squier is cheap, well made and you can toss it around without too much worry!
It almost sounds like squier's pick-ups are higher output, which some people will like (though I prefer a bit lower output)
For me the smaller frets on the classic vibes is what primarily drives me away from the squiers and towards the MIM strats. It also doesn't help that it's harder to find classic vibes/vintage modifieds with unlaqucered necks.
Phil, always dig the videos, I like the realistic look you have on these. Much more of a straight shooter than some other reviewers. Keep it up man!
You were talking about the neck size, and width that all depends on your hand 🤚 size. I have smaller hand that’s why I bought the classic Vibe. Some custom shop Strats come with the D baseball type of necks which are great for those persons with large hands and horrible for smaller people. 👍thumbs up for the Classic Vibe,
The CV series is real good stuff . Had CV Strat and Tele's . But recently picked up a brand new Squire Deluxe Strat in metallic pearl . Perfect in every way right out of the box !
Its a more modern approach , 2 point trem bridge , rolled edge finger board , Duncan designed Alnico pick ups , great satin neck . Amazing guitar . Looks , feels , plays and sounds absolutely terriffic ! All that Strat for under 5 bones .
Love mine. Best Guitars I have ever played. And prefered it to ALL the Fender Stratocasters I have played including American
I'm glad you pointed out the difference in necks between the vibes and mim's, which is point that sold me on the mim's
I had made the effort to handle customs down to bullets to find sweet spot to suit my wallet.
The standard aged cherry with a varnished fret board....proved to be extradionarly bang for buck, workhorse.
Thanks!
Thank you Joshua. That was very kind of you. Have a great weekend!
Thank you Phil. It's the least I could do, I've gotten far more than $5 worth of info, tips, advice, etc. from you. Keep it up!
Picked up one and replaced the trem block, pickups and electronics. Suppose I could do tuners and nut but it's pretty surprisingly good. Oh, also cleaned up the fret ends.
Thanks for reviewing guitars instead of always showing gibson custom shop guitars that average ccant afford. Cheers
I have a Classic Vibe 50´s Strat and a Classic Vibe Telecaster BB.Both feel great to play and they Sound really good. The Tele feels a little bit better. I love them.
I love the CV Strat, especially the rounded edges!
It's odd, but in the sound demos in this video I actually think I prefer the sound on both of the squire vintage vibe strats over the fender MIMs. Maybe it's the output on the pickups? I'm finding as I get older that I prefer the tonal characteristics of lower output pickups
You need to check out the Vintage Modified Squiers from Indonesia. I can't imagine standard American made or Mexican made strats being any better...........at more than twice the cost. The edges on the fret board are rounded and very comfortable; amazing quality and playability, especially for the price.
Squire Classic Vibes are the Diamonds within the guitar industry. Out of the box there is nothing within the entire market that matches in beauty, quality and mechanics. Make sure to pay attention to first three words of this comment. Only the Classic Vibes within the Squire lineup hold all three factors to the Gold medal Standard. Untouchable, affordable, perfectly calibrated machines!
That's peculiar! I just tested 5 classic vibe squire and rejected all of them. It's not that I reject the models, it's that all 5 were horribly set up, terrible strings and the tremolos were all tightly locked down so I couldn't test them. I spent a lot of time stretching the strings and retuning each of them until they stayed mostly in tune. I would have had to do a fair amount of work to them just to get a feel of if I might want one. Sounds like you've been lucky getting decent cv out of the box
I really love the thick tone of the CV60s strat!
The rosewood test between the strats that classic vibe sounds better. That can be attributed to fender up until recently using ceramic pickups in the made in Mexico series. The classic vibe using alnico magnetic slugs in the classic vibe series. I don’t know when that black MIM strat is. The only upside MIM series strat has on paper over the classic vibe is pots and switch quality. Necks and frets are user interface to the player, you might like the classic vibe neck more. I’d rather have a classic vibe series over the player series strats. I will disclaim that I hate the MIM series strats and that’s why I own the Sterling by MusicMan ct50. Better pickups and better feeling neck, and locking tuners.
I LOVE THAT GREEN HEADSTOCK!
It may just be that I spent almost all my time playing squiers but I've actually come to prefer squiers over the Fenders. I've also found the fit to be better and more consistant on the Indonesian Squiers than the mexican Fenders. It's starting to really feel like I'm paying for a name and getting nothing for it 😣
I have an indonesia Squier bullet. It has never given me issues, but maybe I don't know any better since I've never tried any other strat.
I’d put my Squire Standard against any other strat. Doesn’t quite have that extra *something* that makes the Americans feel and sound the way they do, but nobody with a flat wallet should ever pay an extra $1,000 for that last 10%. And as far as internals you can upgrade easy, but I haven’t ever needed to
Biggest problem i have with the MiM Statndard strat is the price, it aint a $200 difference.
i can get a Classic Vibe 60's Strat new for $499 Canadian new
id be lucky to swing a Used MIM strat for $600 - a good one with a nice finish is easily in the $650-700 Cad range used
and they go for around $800-850 Cad New
if im paying that much more for another import strat, id like to see my dollar get a little better value.
if im going to spend that.. mine aswell put an extra $200 more and get a USA model.
You can fidget a good sound out of ceramic single coils. Nothing wrong with them. All a matter of taste.
Phil i have 3 core Prs and 2 American Gibsons plus a American Peavey Nitro 2 but both of my Fenders are Squire classic vibe Tele and Surf Lipstick strat. I love them and can't see spending the money on a 52 reissue or a jeff beck surf green strat. Anything Im missing on Pickup gain can be fixed by the Zvex super hard on. Great work keep it up I love your honesty and presentation!
I think the main things that differentiate the various price points are the quality of the electronics and metal parts (as you noted) and the amount of expert time spent in assembly and "tweaking" the guitar. What I mean by the latter is, does someone make sure the parts fit together well? Do they make subtle adjustments to make the guitar play better? It's my experience that the more a Fender/Squier guitar costs, the more time was spent with it in final assembly. What that means to me is that I can buy a Squier and essentially do the finish work myself and also replace some parts and end up with a guitar that's almost as good as an American-made model. Where it may still fall short is in the fret work and neck shape. Finding inexpensive boat necks or V-shapes is difficult, but the Baja line from Mexico is very nice in that regard.
I personally don’t need to worry about comparisons. I’ve got classic vibe tele and strat and I’m plenty happy with them.
I also have a 6120 Gretsch and a Gibson J45, but quality is quality and I’m not a pro. If it plays well and sounds decent, good enough for me. 😂
The CV Strats sound so good because they use the British pickup maker called Tone Riders. Amazing pickups!
thanks the best review about this guitars i ever saw (i own a classic vibe 60´s). Do you know if CV´s have really alder wood or is another kind, or another "cheaper" species?
Those guitars are swoon worthy and i love the painted stocks Squire or Fender Strats or Teles American mexi or asian all good, but you are right about the necks my American deluxe neck is sooo comfy.
Great review again, greatings from Belgium.
Those necks on the Classic Vibes, are like Fender used to make them. But with a 9.5 inch radius instead of 7.5, that needed an higher action, because of the 7.5 radius so the notes from "choke off" as you bend the strings. And cut into the skin on your fingertips, so your guitar strings would be caked in bits of dead skin the next day.
My first really good quality electric guitar is an MIM Standard Strat, and it's my favorite out of my entire collection. It just has some kind of magic to it, something I really connect with. The neck on it just fits my hand beautifully, it's so perfect to play. I've picked up TONS of American Strats and nothing has ever come close to feeling as good as that MIM Standard, it's just perfect for me. I've got a Squier VM Jaguar and love that too, it's a great guitar but I've gotta say the Squier Strats and Teles just don't do it for me, there's something about them that just makes them feel like a toy to me.
I own both. I prefer the pickups and tuners on the CV. Everything else on the MIM is better quality - the pots, the selector switch, the metal alloys used in the bridge
Phillip, I love your videos and think they are entertaining and informative/educational. My request is for a comparison between the Squier II's and the Squier MIKs. I know they are no longer made so perhaps a moot point but they both have quite a fan following.
Thanks!
I have learned so much about guitars from this channel! Philip is incredibly knowledgeable and informative, although I cringed when I saw him lean the headstock of that MIM against the grill cloth of the Fender amp. The Classic Vibe Strat stacked up quite favorably against, and arguable exceeded the MIM. I see I am not alone in this view, either. Putting aside some minor differences in the quality of the electronics and hardware, IMO the Classic Vibe presents a significantly better value for the money, and actually sounds better than the MIM. The tuners and pickups on the Classic Vibe are just fine, and it has an alder body just like the the $1500 Fender American Professional or a $2000 Elite Strat does. So with a better bridge/block and pots, I think you would have a guitar that rivals the American Standards. Of course, if you wanted to go the extra mile on the Classic Vibe, you could also slap in some Gen 4, Vintage noiseless, Custom 69's, or other higher end pups. Then, for a total investment of around $700-$800, you could have a guitar that would rival the American Professional for about half the cost.
man this is exactly the video i needed. MIM it is!
Cool Review. I have an American Strat a Standard Strat MIM and a cv tele. I have to say I like them all and they all play great. There are differences ,sure ...but a good player will sound just as good on a cv Strat say...as on an American in my humble opinion. What I like is that you can get a really great sounding and playing guitar at a pretty reasonable price these days. I think that is awesome for the consumer!
Just ordered that guitar cant wait for it to get here!!!
Another great strat video! Keep em coming Phillip!
Great video. Lots of great info. Thank you for making the video.
I just bought a Squier Classic Vibes 70s Strat because I am curious about 70s Strats but didn’t want a vintage guitar😊. I’m having a problem with the frets but it sounds different from all of my American and a couple of MIM Strats which are excellent. I’m going to get a Custom Shop 59 Reissue. At this point my MIJ 60s Strat is actually my favorite. It’s as good as the American Strats and costs less than half new. BTW where did you get that Classic Vibes with matching headstock? 👍☮️🌞🎸💕
What I don't like to much about the CV is the thick lacquer finish of the neck. I use the Standard for quite a while now and it's more confortable to me. Anyway I don't understand the Fender sales politics with the Fender brand 2019 Player serie witch are as good as the CV imho. So Fender competes with itself ?
Just found a Sherwood Green Classic Vibe the other day by chance at my local shop and picked it up for a sweet deal.
Hi phillip is really enjoy your videos a lot
Could you tell me your honest opinion on these strats?
Squier standard series strat vs fender MIM STANDARD STRAT VS FENDER PLAYER SERIES STRAT ??
I have a squier standard series strat but really want a real fender ... Just not sure which one ... How does the squier standard series pair up against the mexican standard and player series MIM
Thanks for all your help
I have a Squier 50s Classic strat and ihave a Mexico Standard Strat CAR.
They both r very good sounded.
But the Classic Vibe Strat is a bit harder with sound.
I love both.
Classic Vibe 60s lake placid blue 2012, neck twisted closer to the headstock anticlockwise. Do fenders have the same flaw, and how often? The switch is awful even for the pcb type. Fret wire wears out much faster than on cheap Yamaha's, but this one is bearable. Lacker cracked on the edges with frets slightly pushing out underneath. Gloss finish is sticky on the back of the neck. Saddles finish wears down to copper-like colour. Great pickups, fine tuners. Looks great.
Always enjoy you videos, thanks again.
Classic vibe pick ups are sweeter than my mom strat I have both.350$ is the price.i can't believe the classic vibe is this good.by the way.the trem stiped out on my 2019 mim strat.the arm won't go in.and the neck on my mim is way wider.i have the awesome 50s CV strat.im in love.pick ups sound so much better.go feel one.you won't believe it.
The thinner rosewood I was told was 60s style , thinner plate. Not cost saving. Which is it? Trying to Know My Gear here. Lol. Also I just finally found one. At a great price used. It came in crazy good condition and Music Go Round set it up intonation, new strings and all. Highly impressed. I still love my MIM FSR gilmour vibe strat ...I just wanted to see what the hype was. Really wanted HSS new one but too many saying they aren't near the quality now. Oh well. I am happy with my choice. Fortunately. 229.00 including in that 229.00 usd is the 60 usd shipping. I think I did good. I looked it up and is a 2015 that's got mighty mite sss black alnico in them and black tone knobs. The pots feel very very nice and I've not yet opened it. I dont need to since everything seems so great. I also hear these are going to be highly sought after since they dont make them anymore. The new ones though, hss etc , what's the deal with their quality any good or am I hearing hate? Thanks.
I love your channel awsome info and it inspires.me to keep on picking
Appreciate the information about the bridge could use information on what counts the fret work. In other words take your finger and bend a note on the high E string up one full step on every fret from the 10th fret up to the last fret and let us hear if there's any fret noise please,
I sincerely feel this is the true test of the guitar as I can fix anything but bad fret work. Thank you.
That is a beautiful guitar ( blue / greenish/turquoise guitar)😱.
I liked the sound of the vibe more in the video. I wasn't feeling them when I played them in person, but they weren't setup perfectly either. For a little bit more, I love the special edition mim strats. It's my fav fender strat I've played in store, including the americans.
I thought the Classic vibe sounded way better !