SAME GUITAR, 4 BUDGETS! (Can you hear the difference?)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 เม.ย. 2024
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In this episode we're looking at 4 different levels of basically the same guitar!
▶TABS AVAILABLE ON PATREON◀
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▶GUITARS◀
Squier Classic Vibe
Fender American Vintage II
Fender Custom Shop Cunetto Relic
Fender 1962 Stratocaster
0:00 Intro Loop
1:13 Contender 1
1:53 Contender 2
2:33 Contender 3
3:35 Contender 4
4:23 Pre-CBS
5:02 Comparisons (tabs on Patreon)
6:03 The mythical early 60's Strat
9:00 $400 vs $60,000 guitar
10:23 $2000 vs $60,000 guitar
12:59 $5,000 vs $60,000 guitar
14:22 Electric Elevation
15:46 Conclusion
Hi, my name is Paul Davids! I am a guitar player, teacher, producer, and overall music enthusiast from the Netherlands! I try to inspire people from all over the world with my videos, here on TH-cam.
If you want to know more about me, check out PaulDavidsGuitar.com or check out my guitar courses at: learnpracticeplay.com and nextlevelplaying.com, and acousticadventure.com
Thank you for watching!
Paul
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The red one sounds amazing! 🙌
I prefer the red one
The red one is better for me.
But what about the red one? that one is the best
You are definitely forgeting about the red one
Agreed! That red one with specific combination of letters is clearly the best. There are frequencies of sound that can be lost when this combination is not ideal.
This man is the definition of the Obi Wan Kenobi for guitars. He is wise and skillful.
Kinda looks like him too
Definitely got the looks.
and a good friend
hello there!
Don’t forget the epic beard
While there is a noticeable difference in tonal clarity between the classic vibe and the vintage '62, these guitars are so close together that i would never be able to tell them apart if you were to blindfold me and play them side by side.
Add to this that all guitars sound somewhat different - he's talking about this 62 guitar that if to bring another 62 Strat would still sound different from its sibling. This 50s & 60s Strat mojo topic is so loaded and apart from being old these guitars are just your other well-worn Strats.
Brother I totally agree. Perhaps with a different sound system than an android phone I could possibly hear some subtle differences. With a band in a bar. No way. If it's gonna get stolen,let it be the Squier.
I own a '61 Strat and in comparison to a friends mid 70's 3 bolt m/n, over heavy log, the mid 70's Strat sounds so much better BUT the neck isn't as good. I've owned my '61 for 50 years but I play my modded Classic Vibe Telecaster most of the time. Not all Pr-CBS Strats are equal (as stated in video).
I think we are splitting hairs here. If you want to play the Squier, play it and enjoy. If you ever played live 99.99 percent of your audience would not know the difference between a Squier and a 1962 Fender.
@@user1337useryup basically. I’ve had about 20 different jaguars over the years including a couple of early models and they sounded pretty much exactly the same as cheaper newer jaguars that I owned. It’s all “tonewood” snake oil BS
The Squier with upgraded electronics and pickups is a great guitar. Doubtful most people would be able to tell the difference in a mix.
Right, in the mix it's not the guitar you hear, it's the whole process: guitar, amp, recording, effects, playing, mixing, producer's opinions etc etc.
No producer will ever shout to a guitar player: hey, where is your rare vintage '62 strat with it's bold history and scratches. Instead, he would perhaps say: hey, maybe we try a strat type sound, LP is too thick/rock/dark etc in this
I hate how it cuts into your hand as they don't sand down the frets. I bought a player series Hella fast after that
Yes, my Squier was the same as far as the frets. Once the ends were sanded down, night and day difference! I also steel wooled some of the laquer off the back of the neck@@innocentrage1
hard to tell the difference live as well
most of pro user cannot even OUT of a mix..
The funniest thing about this video is that during the comparison with the Squier, they literally sounded near identical. So much so that when discussing the guitars the only criticism you could give it was the build quality when the topic of discussion is how they sound. Credit to Squier for building a nice tone machine for the masses.
Guitars all sound relatively identical. Then all Strats will sound even more identical. But my conclusion is also based on recordings I made before in preparation of this video. I looped very short segments of the same licks, or just a simple chord strum and it actually surprised me how different they all sounded. Like I said in the video, I didn't actually expect it. The shorter the segment, the easier to hear the nuances. But true, in the grand scheme of things they sound pretty much identical.
They do not sound even close to identical. A lot of less experienced players think if two instruments have a similar treble content, they sound the same. The money is in the midrange
They sound similar, as Strats do. The important difference is in build quality and in quality control. I have a Squier Affinity Stratocaster, and it's an okay guitar. The Classic Vibe that I also have feels much better. But neither of them come anywhere near my Shijie STE (Strat type of guitar), which is basically on custom shop level. That guitar feels so good, it has ruined other Strats for me.
To be, the closest Guitar to the 62 was the $2000 guitar. Of course I don’t have a personal connection nor was I in the room. If I had to spend the money, I would definitely go for that one. That said, I have a 64 telecaster with a relatively new neck. I am not crazy about the old round radius fretboards, but I am a Gibson person. I prefer a flatter fretboard.
The Squier just sounded cheap. A good set of pick ups could probably improve the town, but I thought they sounded tinny and had really no decent voice. It doesn’t mean they can’t work within a mix or function for someone who is just playing in the bedroom, but I would not trust them on a stage as the only guitar player for the band.
I don't think they sound that much a like at all. The Squier had this wild, springy/phasey quality and a harsh top end, very little bottom and really terrible intonation. Its about what I expect from a budget guitar.
The step up to the American Vintage II was pretty huge. I was impressed by that one. if I didn't already have a '59 Custom Shop that I adore, I would be looking at that one for sure.
Also sound is only part of the equation. Most Squiers are brutally heavy, have awful frets, are buried under a thick, plastic polyurethane finish and feel like you're playing a 2x4 compared to the American made Fenders.
And yeah you can change out parts... but then you just have a $1,000+ Squier. I don't see the point.
I have legit problems making it past your intro loops. 2 minutes in and I got up and played guitar myself. You make me play more. Thank you
Same thing happened to me. I had to rewatch the video to hear the sound difference. I went on auto pilot
i love it when that happens. i watch most of these guys just to steal licks.
😂ahahahah yeah I feel ya man
Cringe asf rude comment
Wrist tendonitis helps on that.
Sucks.
The only things that matter with a guitar are:
1. Stays in tune and well setup/intonated
2. How it feels in your hands (personal preference)
3. Pickups
Well, point 1 covers a lot ...
Perfect
Don't forget the number of strings. If you want a 12 string guitar, then a 6 string guitar won't do.
Every time I watch one of your videos, it makes me pick up my guitar and attempt to make it make the same noises you make, and it’s so awesome to come even a little close. Thanks for the beautiful tones❤️
Same here, then I put it back down when I realize I suck
Get that action lowered at the nut! Don't be stuck with Fender's factory setting!
Paul’s incredible skill is a great reminder that it’s not about the guitar, it’s all about the player.
It's true. There are soo many guitar teachers on TH-cam right now and they are all great highly skilled guitar players but Paul's tasteful melodic playing really manages to stand out somehow.
That’s a really nice compliment
You are right Richard. A great player makes out of a board with six strings a fantastic guitar. A $60'000 Fender is just mentally 30 times better than a $2000 Fender.
I was in a playing room in a high-end shop and while there a well known musician walked in. He sat and played and one of the patrons said "wow...that guitar sounds fantastic!". He handed it to them and said "How does it sound now?". It was a little chippy...but absolutely true.
@Kevin P. probably because (a) he can, and (b) at that level of skill the subtle differences between guitars are highly noticeable to the player.
The cheap one sounded pretty similar and still pretty good. Amazing value in the scheme of things. A bit of EQ and would be hard to tell in a blind test
You can do a lot with EQ but it won't actually change the harmonic content on the minute level. Sometimes one guitar will have the frequencies a bit more spread out for all the harmonics than another and you won't have a very good time if you want to change that with EQ tools. You pretty much only notice in direct comparisons though unless you've heard the comparison enough to have it memorised.
Shhhh🤫 lol
or other pickups...
Yeah I can tell, not to sound like a jackass. I have just always had a beef with squier pickups. It's like audio MSG to me. Squiers can play amazing off the rack and have a lot of life but ripping those pups out and putting in alnico 3s from a place like Monty's would be mandatory to me. That sounds so jerky, I know, but in my quest to figure out why some pickups made me not want to play I learned a lot and started making my own. But a simple set of aftermarket pickups can absolutely transform your playing experience without needing to spend a car down payment on an old guitar.
@j carry nah at a certain point hardware has to be better. I bout a $130 acoustic. I out grew it in less than a year. So after Paul made his video on orangewood I bought one. For what I got it was an amazing bargain. Sadly its about time for new strings. But I leave strings till one breaks
This was a brilliant watch Paul! I honestly could not tell the difference in sound. Though I always appreciate how much better more expensive guitars feel in the hands and how they feel to play. Always thought that around 2000 was the sweet spot but wow that classic vibe strat sounds great for the price. As always your playing is exquisite!
All I know for sure is the tone coming from your fingers is priceless!!
Update/corrections:
I mentioned the nut of the Squier being plastic. Apparently it is made of bone! Interesting, because it surely looks more on the plasticy side, especially compared to the other Strats. Maybe it's different kinds of bone they use? No idea.
I think it might just be factory polished, giving it that sort of look
@@weschilton haha! Lmao best comment
Great video! I think one of the main markets for these guitars are buyers in the ~$800 range, so including a MiM would be great next time around.
IIRC, CV60s has a bone nut, but CV 50s and 70s have a plastic one.
Question is: Is there comparable one in the MiM range?? Vintera, maybe? Do they make them in Fiesta Red? With rosewood boards? 🤔
Great video. The 2k strat sounded absolutely magnificent to me.
Yep. And it's arguably better that the vintage version, which is only $60k because it's a collectible. Doing professional recordings with both will likely not be distinguishable to the listener.
To my ears the 2k was the best sounding of the four. Just a sweet sound.
To my ears the 2k strat was the worst sounding one.
Agree.. that's the one
@@ChristianBurrola It's the most accurate sounding replica-accurate Strat, though, so your ears dislike authenticity.
Wonderful video truly shows your love of the instrument and commitment to playing g them so well. Thank you for the video
Great information! I have my 60s Classic Vibe and live it. Great playing as well. I love your tones
As a Squier owner (and late life beginning guitarist), I’d be interested in seeing @PaulDavids do a video on upgrading the budget guitar with after market hardware. I took a workshop where I learned to do a proper set up on the Squier and it mad a big difference, particularly in stability and holding tune. I’m not ready to spend $60K, or even $2k. But I would be willing to invest a few hundred to see just how much better I could make it.
For me personally it doesn’t make sense to invest 300-400 bucks in an squirer guitar. Yes it is not a bad guitar, but it’s also not the best quality. Save a few dollars and then buy a second hand Mexico strat and upgrade it or just a second hand USA strat. You cans easily find it under 1000 dollars
As a luthier I would say there is no big difference between squier classic vibe and mexican fenders. wood qulity wise is same as well as hardware on most models. Just pickups mostly. So you can make a better guitar out of it investing some money. Nut, pickups, fretjob, electronics... and you have killer guitar. Question is how much you can do by yourself so its cheaper. Im not saying mexico or usa fenders are low quality but manufacturing standarts today are very similar from brand to brand so its more about end touch for each guitar.
It’s not worth it unfortunately. Selling the Squier and getting a used MIM is the most cost effective upgrade guaranteed.
Cost effective upgrade yes, I agree. But if you want upgrade something to your specific liking its worth to consider. And that mexican fender might serve you for life as it does to many pro musicians. Imo, there is small or sometimes no difference between mexico and USA guitars nowadays. those guitars usually have same spec, hardware, pickups, wood quality. im not talkin about professional series which you cant find in mexico lineup.
Pickups, a good amp, and a guitar that holds tune and plays well, will make a huge difference in how a guitar sounds. I've modded a Japanese Strat and wouldn't trade it for anything.
Where does guitar tone come from?
th-cam.com/video/n02tImce3AE/w-d-xo.html
I would like to have heard more about how they FEEL when you played them. Especially compared to one another. I've found that while we all chase tone (myself included) what really determines how much I enjoy playing a guitar is how it feels, even ahead of how it sounds. If you don't enjoy playing it, you won't.
you can hear everything you need to know about how it feels based on how it sounded in this video
@@doyourownresearch7297 well this is not true for everyone it would seem
Yes. I agree.
Agreed. I personally like personalising guitars and modifying them to suit my needs, so issues with fretwork that can be seen in cheaper models especially for example aren't much of an issue. Other than that, the shape of the body and neck should be the same if not very similar, which means it's only the pickups and electronics that make the difference (Which can be surprisingly cheap by themselves) Save your money peoples
@@adriatic.vineyards Literally no. Not sure how your sense of feel extends through your hearing but most humans don't sense that way. Are you for real? LOL
5 years ago, I've bought a used $150-dollar Strat from a pawnshop. This Strat is 2003 Fender Standard Strat SSS, and Made in Mexico. I have done some modification on it such as changing the pickups to Seymour Duncan SSL-1 (neck, and middle) and SSL-5 (bridge).
Then I also changed the tuning machine to Fender locking tuners, and I've also put on some Graph Tech string tree. The wirings were modified as well to Mojotone solderless wiring harness.
And finally I've also change the saddles to Graph Tech String saver saddles.
Now, I can honestly and proudly say that this Strat is even "better-sounding" (at least to my ears) than the original stock Fender American Standard Strat. My main point about this is, I did not have to spend a FORTUNE to own, play, and experience a good-sounding, original Fender Strat. I've only spent less than $500 for everything....😂😅😊
Mexican strats from that era are highly sought after. Your point is valid but that's hardly starting from the bottom of the barrel ;)
Yes i want to see that video! I would love to see you work out how to modify ans upgrade a squire in pursuit of the sound qualities found in the '62!
Paul makes every guitar sound amazing.
As previously stated, guitars sound like guitars, but the player is the one who will get lost in the minutia. Also, the old adage "it's all in the fingers" comes into play, in this case all your examples sounded awesome. Jack Pearson, one of the most underrated and unknown guitarists, uses Squiers all the time and they sound fantastic. Play what makes you want to play. Excellent video!
Definitely agree with the "all in the fingers" idea. Maybe not "all", but if Clapton, May, Blackmore or anyone else picked these guitars up, they are going to sound like themselves. What we're really not able to see or hear is how hard does he have to try to get what he wants out of each guitar. I could see that coming into play more than the sound of them.
@@Mr44883 I agree, play what makes you want to play.
You said in those three sentences what took me about thirty. LOL. Great job!
Jeff healey used squiers often as well
@@KyleCarrington Yes, but they didn't tell him.😆😆😆
You are a heck of a guitar player and I enjoy this thank you
Your enthusiasm makes this video feel so engaging. I have to sub. Great video.
Yes, I agree, upgrading the Squire to make it more like the '62 would be a great episode.
And thank you for this "Same Guitar" episode, I always love your comparisons, very informative and I always learn something from your viewpoint and perspective.
I'm using a Sunburst Classic Vibe Start as my main guitar and have been for years now. I've thought about swapping the pickups for perhaps something that doesn't hum as much and has a bit more power or mid. However I keep getting sucked back into the "Bell" type tones of the weaker yet beautiful sounding (IMHO) ones that are supposedly designed just the same as the actual 1962 model. But someone else may not feel the same and that's all good. LOL.
Had trouble discerning any significant tonality differences, so I enlisted the help of a spectrum analyzer. After replaying the video a few times and watching the range of frequencies and their amplitude, the guitars were nearly all exactly the same. It is possible that the frequency curve was somewhat smoother, less abruptly scooped between the mids and the lows with the 62, but I have a feeling that you may have played it slightly harder. Another subtle difference I think I've noticed, was that the 62's frequency response appeared somewhat tighter than the others, some of which were a little more all over the place in the lows, but not by much. I used the free SpectrumView on a PC.
Now now, people don't want to have a scientific analysis when we can talk about clarity, fat bottom end and sparkly highs. To my ear they were very very similar. Certainly not thousands of dollars of difference.
OMG, you just committed guitar heresy, lol! But I'm not surprised at your result: they sound very similar.
Yup, kinda tired of this "old guitar mojo" stuff. I don't think any of it is true, and it's only contributed to these guitars becoming totally unreachable to anyone but the richest people on earth.
Yeah I don’t understand why some guitars are so expensive
@@brucerain2106because guitarists are willing to pay it. You can see this in action with the Bad Monkey pedal scenario. Guitarists starting deciding that Bad Monkeys were worth putting up in price, instead of realising that Klons were stupidly overpriced and bringing them down in price. 🤦♂️
Paul you did a great job. I’ve got two Fender Stratocasters, both relatively new but copies of vintage instruments. I found that changing the brands of strings on each resulted in a big difference in tone. So my take on things is to experiment until you find the brand that sounds best on a particular guitar. If the pickups are sounding too bright then lower them and change to a string that gives better mids. My personal favorite strings on a Strat are Elixir Nanoweb 10-46.
I really like how bright and sparkly the Squier sounds. Sure, it doesn't have the same tonal characteristics of the other three, but it's got its own nice thing going.
The Squier strat is the best guitar ever built. I’ve toured with them and cut records with them. They are wonderful. And after shows you can give them to kids in the audience to carry the guitar legacy.
It’s the first guitar I ever bought, I ended up giving it to someone learning to play. Beautiful feel and sound. I think if anyone hears tone difference between all these it’s in the persons head, they sound exactly the same IMO.
A lot of this sound comes down to the amp. But it is important to play all down the fretboard for playability, but that with anything.
@@BuckFu its a beautiful sound because it sounds like an electric guitar.. any hope of tone changes from buying an electric guitar should be put away because if using the same type of pickup (singlecoil or humbucker not model of pickup) they sound identical.. the only change you would ever hear is the moved tone knob.
A Squier with HSH routing is about the perfect project guitar. It can be wired as single coils, dual Humbuckers, HSS, or a pair of P90s. About the ony think you can't do is the Telel bridge pickup, but you can get damn close. I have quick disconnects in all mine so that I can work on the pickguards easier, and to make swapping them easier.
I've long held the opinion that the better Squiers are the closest thing the Fender business make today to Leo's original vision: very affordable, easily maintained guitars that can be professionally gigged and easily maintained.
Guitars are like cars, really - yes, some folks will be so into them they'll want to spend a quarter of a million on a Ferrari Whatevero. Others of us probably will never have the money for that, so a Ford Cortina will be just fine. Some of us even if we had the money for either would still prefer the Cortina. It's all about what you really need and really *want* within your own budget.... I love that Fender provides a Strat for everybody... The law of diminishing returns applies heavily the more you spend on a guitar - the real question is at what point (up to the limit of what you can afford to spend) do you jump off the train because the incremental improvements are no longer worth the price rise to you.
Me, I like a great cheap guitar, but then all my favourite guitar heroes have always been guys who played pawnshop guitars, no-brands, knock-offs and whatever. Link Wray, Johnny Ramone.... Even early on, before the bigtime when the Clash signed to CBS, Mick Jones played a LP Junior because it was cheap.
Where is your next gig I could do with a new Strat 🙂
Definitely upgrade the Squire. I have recently been setting up Squire Telecasters using pre-CBS Style pickups etc. It definitely makes a difference to the sustain and the sound of each note being fuller. I also installed Titanium Bridge baseplate and Titanium Bridge blocks as well. I regret selling it in the end and will be doing it again soon. A big thank you to Paul for his enthusiasm and knowledge of music and guitars.
I'm not really sure why you'd want titanium parts on a guitar. Generally you want increased mass on those sorts of parts, right? What benefit are you claiming from reduced mass?
@@wbfaulk I used Titanium as it seems to my ear to ring and sustain more. This is personal to me. Over the years I have used them all. The only other thing that worked out nicely tonally was a set of Tusk Tailpieces whichhad to oriented Three on the left and three on the right.
Brass works well. I guess to answer your question it is a tonality thing that is not necessarily related to mass, note we are talking abouy my ear here I can't comment on everyone as we are all unique.
could you provide the link you used for the upgrade block? Ive been searching for one to fit my squire but have not had any luck.
@@qwertyfff I believe you are thinking of Tungsten.
*Squier
Paul, you are a true inspiration! Two days after watching your video, I accidentally came across a Squier Strat Fiesta Red that looks exactly like the one you showed, and at an absolutely affordable price, and I just had to jump at the chance and am so happy that I now own one myself. I'm actually a drummer, but the first instrument I ever owned was an acoustic guitar and now I'm back at it with my Squier. I am so happy. Thank you, Sir!
Hey, Paul-- Love your videos! Some play notes; you create music. By far, one of my favourites to listen to. Add that you're from the Netherlands (my family was from the Netherlands), and that's just a bonus! I definitely agree with the idea you're sharing here: it doesn't have to cost a fortune to sound amazing.
Please do the video about modifying the Squire! It would be so cool to see the difference each individual change has to it.
It would be fun to see the work needed to get it closer to the other ones.... both in sound and playability.
The idea is not new (maybe the most common guitar video in YT). But YOUR vision (ear?) makes the difference. So, I think thar'd be great!
gonna chime in on this one and say YES! DO THIS!
I own three Strats and listened to this through two different sets of Sennheiser cans; the 2000 bucks Strat sounds the best with your playing. Enough bottom without droning, clear trebble without being sharp and full bodied mids.
I get the appeal of the Custom-Shop and the 1962 vintage instrument, but ... here you go.
Gorgeous video sir. Gracias so much.
Such amazing video production! Thank you!👏👍🙌
In my 25 odd years worth of experience buying guitars it usually makes the most sense to buy the next version up from the cheapest, when it comes to fender/ squire. Some of the squires are really pretty good, but the fender versions usually come with basic machinery that doesnt break after a couple of years and are just generally nicer to use. After that, I think a lot of it comes down to showing off/ emperor’s new clothes. Blind testing is essential.
What you say makes a lot of sense! You need something that's good enough. Playable and with good tones. Other than that, it's alot of snobbery and showing off going on.
This is SO true. The difference between a $200 guitar and a $800 guitar is HUGE. Anything above maybe $1500 maximum isn't going to be as drastic improvement as the price tag suggests. Epiphone and Gibson are a great example of this. Huge difference in price but an $800 Epiphone is going to sound and feel amazing in my opinion.
The higher end Squier's are the best value out there, way more guitar for the $$$ than MIM Fender. This is from someone who owns both a MIM Fender and a MIA Fender.
@Cadillac_Mike See the concepts is the same isn't it. The huge leap jn price doesn't always justify or mean a better guitar. I personally love the MIM stuff. For value that's where I'd go at least here in the UK they are great value for money. But I agree.
I've got a couple of good Squires and American Fendes Inc a Custom Shop Tele and whilst I love that, I didn't pay for it! So I don't have the same wrestling with value for money etc. But here jn the UK, £600 for a MIM fender is a bargain for what you get. The Vintera stuff is more expensive but a LOT of guitar for well under 1000 considering the counterparts.
Try a Lentz S type.
I think in terms of how they sounded, the $2000 strat sounded the best. It just had the right amount of clarity and output to the pickups. In the back to back segment, it seemed like the sound got weaker the more expensive the guitar got
Agree !
I have a very similar Vintage II 61 strat, and it really does sound amazing and play beautifully. IMO, anything above it in price is just a matter of preference, not a huge feel or sound difference.
Yea the jump from the 400 Squire to the 2000 Strat was the most noticeable. After that I could barely notice a difference.
@@cfredtmbgthis exactly. I agree with those saying the $2,000 one sounded best, but even if the other Fenders sounded better to me, there’s no way I could live with myself for spending 2.5 or 30(!) times as much for such a marginal difference (that’s really down to pickups more than anything).
That is interesting. I felt the exact opposite. Strange how subjective some things can be. For me the $2000 was disappointing. The 62 was miles above the rest (though I'd never be able to stomach that price) and the $5000 was really good. I felt the Squire and $2000 guitar were behind, but not by much with the squire actually a hair better. Of course, playing them may provide completely different results.
Paul,
I just discovered your channel today, and I must say I am enjoying it immensely, having watched/listened to half a dozen or more episodes. I would absolutely love to see an episode discussing mods to my Squier Strat w/ 2 humbucking pickups that would give a fuller sound.
Keep up the fun and informative work. Kevin
Great Fender Stratocaster comparison video sir!
I'm shocked and stunned at just how little difference there is in the sound of these guitars!
Of course, you would notice more of a difference irl, but I suppose there is only so much clarity you can get from the pickups
You shouldn't be. The electric guitar, in terms of pure function, is essentially a very simple thing when all is said and done. The biggest difference is going to be in how they feel in your hands, which all just comes down to the quality of the materials and how much time human hands have spent on cleaning up imperfections.
The differences between a GREAT guitar and a good guitar is very incremental. In the end I think it's more what inspires me to play than the tones because the tones are so similar in all my Strats (I have 5)
I play in bars using a £30 guitar and amp ..its all in the setting up of the amp/guitar and in the fingers/playing improv and effort :)
I think the AV2 or used CS is the best bet. The responsibility of owing an original would be too much for me. They all sound the same here as he’s such a tasty player.
Great comparison. Just one important thing to add/mention: almost every guitar (same model, year, production run ) in a guitar shop you will find a lot of differences in tone, playability, resonance, definition etc. (same model, same specs...). So when you try any of them, try them all. You might find that rare diamond, that feels, plays and sounds great to your liking - regardless of price.
Well in your hands everything is awesome
Paul Great job, I ended up buying the AMERICAN VINTAGE II 1961 STRATOCASTER in Fiesta red because of your video. That was my budget and i love it.
LOL. Correct. This is the better sounding from all of 4 to my liking. Really next level up.
@@Mozambezi I have played my AMERICAN VINTAGE II 1961 STRATOCASTER in Fiesta red for the past 9 months and I still love it. Thank you
Great job as usual Paul. It's always a pleasure to hear your insight and playing skills.
I found that guitars usually sound very alike when in comparison, but the biggest thing for me is how it feels in the hand. Half the time it’s hard to hear a difference but as soon as you pick up a well made guitar that’s usually more expensive u can tell because the neck feels like BUTTER
This is it, the sound of an electric guitar comes almost all from the pickups. If you want to change that on the Squier it's something like a $100 upgrade. The difference in the more expensive ones is all about playability.
Don't tell that to people who don't have a decent guitar in their budget. Once you go there, you can never go back. The neck of a mexico fender just feels gross now to me
Agree 100% about feel. I play bass, and I tried so many basses before settling on a Warwick. I loved the feel of the neck and fretboard, and how the body was balanced.
Agree
Nah, its just your brain making you "feel" that.
your videos are simply amazing!!!! bravo
Paul, this video has been out for a year now and i still sit and watch it over and over again, I bought the AMERICAN VINTAGE II 1961 STRATOCASTER in Fiesta red because I trusted your words. After 9 months I still love it!
Since you have two of the squires upgrading one piece at a time while keeping one original for a control to compare against would be a really cool vid. Especially if you find there’s savings to be had as a roadmap for a beginner to buy low and upgrade instead of buy low then buy an all new instrument later
This would be VERY cool, great suggestion 😎
A listening experiment - cut each part into a separate audio, mix them up and listen blindly and take a minute break of silence between each one. I couldn't tell which is which by then. The difference was apparent only while listening back to back. However for me the feel while playing is very important, so I know what I'd choose to play myself, but when listening to a record I don't really care. :)
Brilliant video thanks
Simply Charismatic and smart, Paul! You also play extremely good. On every note, there is a life!
I got my Squier strat almost a year ago. I've put roughly 400 bucks into it, and it plays like a dream and is exactly what I want! Prolly still doesn't compare to the super high end stuff, but they put out a damn fine instrument for not a lot of cash, and they're a great mod platform for rookies like me, lol. Great video!
I think the $2K one is the best bang for your buck. It felt so close tonally at least to the other Fenders. The Squire was quite thin, but hey - Squires are great for the price. Im so blown away by my 2019 MIM.
Edit: my strat came with added hipshot tuners and a Dimarzio PAF in the bridge for $650. I felt I was lucky!
as long as it make a guitar sound, nobody cares.
nobody listen on spotify and be mad because the guitar section use a $60 guitar that have 0.0001% difference in tone.
it will be processed with ton of effects, eq, and compressor afterward until it was unrecognizeable from the clean sound
your skill matter more than your guitar, owning a $2000 guitar won't makes you suddenly be able to play a super fast and sick riff
Buy the squire and put pickups in it, it'll be 1:1 if not better than the rest. Electric guitar tone is 99% pickups, anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to sell you something, or lying to cope with them having bought something.
I would add that new pickups, electronics, and nut on the Squire could potentially bring that guitar into the same realm as the $2K guitar for 75% of the that cost. Bottom line, it all ultimately comes down to the player to make their instrument sounds good. No substitute for skill and technique. Best Regards.
@@bobclarke8529 nut is more of a playability upgrade
@@jttech44 Respectfully - but not vehemently - disagree. We both know that if you took a set of PUPS from a '62, and stuck them in a Squier, the difference would still be palatable.
The other materials affect what the pickup receives, and they affect the playability, which affects the player.
In a still moment I'm looking, in this instance, at the Squier fretboard vs. the others. HUGE difference in wood choice.
I like building partscasters with a squier body and fender necks with some good pickups and locking tuners pretty cheap too honestly you get the sound and feel on the neck
Hi Paul, I don't know how the guitars were recorded, but could what you hear when playing be different from what we hear? Maybe because we only get the amp sound and you also get the guitars' characteristics mixed in the overall sound?
Great video. I would love to see what hardware upgrades it would take, within reason, to get the Squire close to the '62. Thanks for all your hard work!
I am really interested in how this would turn out, indeed. The best thing is that I have another one that I won't upgrade that I can compare it with along the way. Any suggestions/ideas, feel free to drop them here!
@@PaulDavids Changing the pickups, maybe the pots with the resistors, to the equivalent fenders and a better set of tuning machines would be mostly enough for tone and stability, and in a reasonable price range.
@@PaulDavids Switch out the nut & bridge initially?
@@stevemiell4555 it’s actually a bone nut on the classic vibe. They’re incredible for the money.
@@persianradio wow! You skooled me 😎👍 thanks man
Definitely would love to see what improvements could be made to the Squier to get the sound and feel closer to that of the 62.
Thanks for the information on this interesting topic. 👍
I once bought a squire strat HSS and swapped the pickups for real fender Strat pickups. An enforcer humbucker, Eric Clapton noiseless, and Jeff Beck Hot noiseless single coils. I changed the but to a bone but. Put new pots and selector switch into the guitar. It played and sounded better than both my American Strats and my American Tele. Loved that build.
I have had some of those Cunetto era relics, and I really like them. The two things I think set them apart from vintage guitars, and contemporary Fender Custom Shop relics is that from what I have read was they went by their ears rather than period correct specs when making design choices, and the really nice woods used. My favorite guitars from the Cunetto era are the Nocasters, and they are just like this Stratocasters in that the pickups are really balanced, so they tend to land between the fatness of the original pickups, and the brightness of new pickups. You may think that means they lack something, but actually they end up being very forgiving, and sound great recorded.
On a weird note, I sold all my 50s, 60s, and Custom Shop guitars a long time ago, and recently got back to playing. I found that the prices of these guitars is insane now when they were affordable 20-30 years ago. So, I ended up picking through as many affordable guitars as I could and ended up with two 70s Fenders which sound amazing. I couldn't believe the best bang for your buck guitars I found were the hated CBS era ones that don't appear in this comparison.
Love your works man ❤
I've got to hand it to you, Paul, having followed you here for a few years, your videos really stand out. And I believe it's because of the storytelling, something I truly think a lot of other content creators seem to miss. Kudos!
I'm feeling great about my Squier Classic Vibe 60s purchase right about now.
Just found your TH-cam Channel and subscribed after watching the compelling video. I must say I really enjoyed your playing and wish I played as well as you do. The sound from each guitar was pretty similar, however I’m listening on my iPad via headphones. I can hear some subtle differences and do feel the 62 sounds pretty great. Being and older guy, I recently started playing again after about a 30 yr absence. I started playing when I was about 13 yrs old or so until about 25 yrs old. Played in bands, using a Marshall half stack and a Strat copy, and a Gibson LP. I was always chasing the tone. Now I’m more into the feel of a guitar and the sound. It’s difficult for me to spend 2k on guitar and I must say, I was considering a Squier Strat and after your wonderful video, I’m all in…! By the way, we’re you using any type of fuzz or distortion? Either way, the sound was great…! Thanks….✌️
I signed up for Electric Elevation yesterday. All I can say is that the first lesson already surpassed my expectations. Amazing job, Paul, thank you very much for it!
Woohoo thanks man! 😊
Me too. All set signed up!
For me, how it fits in my hand does make my American Pro II sound better than my other strat and other guitars. But in the hands of a master like this...it's fascinating to see just how little difference there is in tone. To my ear, it was really subtle. Noticeable but subtle. Great vid.
The american professional series i/ii has fantastic necks, agreed.
All sound great but I’d say feel improves in hand when you are cruising at 7knots ;) 2 great channels collide in my feed.
@@IrishTrekkie lol, thanks. I'll be sharing more of my guitar journey on the channel coming up. Paul is definitely a huge inspiration in my musical evolution.
I love my pro II
I would’ve loved to hear melodies in the parlance of the time of the original ‘62 Strat. Also, I’d imagine the playability of the Squire vs the others had its own set of differences!
i love them all , nice video bro
Paul, you can make any guitar good. Thank you for sharing this video.
I am of the mind, if it sounds good, it is good. The feeling of the guitar in my hands is more important than the name on the headstock. This was not always the case for me. My favorite guitar for the last year has been my J Mascis Squier Jazzmaster, leaving my USA strat and Gibson Les Paul hanging on the wall.
Waiting for snob, elitists comments....
I agree! the sound is the the eq, amp, and speaker .. what matters is how it feels in the hand!
I also got the J Mascis Jazzmaster, in 2020 - and its my favorite .
I agree! Pickups can be changed easily. Bridges can be changed. The wood? Pff lol
The way it feels to play and the way it looks are way more important!
Epiphone sg g400 pro for me! Feel is a huge part!
I played a chinese bullet strat from the 90s for years. I upgraded to a second hand american standard a few years ago. The set up, the frets, and the pickups were better but they similar enough. They both were fun to play. There are good and bad guitars in each price range.
I love my mex 70's classic, and I'd love to have more time to play it
I've recently really found myself digging how a stratocaster plays. Somewhere along the way I got convinced that a thinner neck profile and flatter radius was going to be better for my playing; but having a more girthy neck and more radius on the board really does feel great to play. I'm going to be picking one up soon definitely.
In technical terms it's less radius but I'm sure you get it lol.
damn. i can usually hear differences between things in this sort of video, but these were a lot closer than i expected, to the point that i barely heard anything most of the time. i believe it, though - you can get a lot of guitar for your money these days!
Shows how important the amp is too
No you can't.
@@DKinMN ?
Mexican strats were 400 dollars less than a decade ago. They are now 900 and finding one without screwed up fret work or some other serious playability issue is a chore to say the least.
very much doubt u can hear the difference.
Nothin more chill and cool looking than a strat, ol reliable. might have to get one for my next guitar
The 62 is very special wow the hype is real. Your custom shop one is great too... but just something magical about the real vintage one
Oh man! What excellent editing on the switching between the guitars when playing the part. So difficult to do a "correct" shoot-out when it comes to guitar, unless you use a pre-recorded loop, and you just nailed it!!! My quick two cents, from many years in the studio, each instrument has its own mystique that is relevant and appropriate for the specific end goal (song). An 80s heavy metal band's guitarist gave their best performance on our "vintage" 1986 Jackson Randy Rhoads while a younger punk kid laughed and picked up a Japanese Fender Mustang--tried a few guitars but with those we got the best performance out of them! Same holds true for microphones!!! And other gear too!!! Paul, you LOVE that 62 and it shows during the first part of the video where you're just playing and not trying to shoot out the different guitars. When you picked up that 62 everything changed, from your body language to the way your pick attack changed, plus that 10% boost, at least, in the expressiveness of your playing. Would be very interesting what you'd think if you did not know which guitar you were playing. Excellent stuff!
I was thinking about writing about those differences in the body language while playing each guitar but you stole my words. I´m 100% positive that it would be very easy with just a bit of make up and narrative to mix dates, looks and data about those guitars and fool most of those so called "guitar-experts". Especially in a blindfold test to avoid eye-spotting those tiny details giving up the truth for any average guitar connoiseur ...The way you attack and hold the pick is so critical and at the same time underestimated in these comparatives that any scientifical value is lacking at all. And that universal trend of never talking about or measuring the electrical parameters of all the pickups involved in each sound clip is the definite LOCK to any possible clarification about the real differences in sound between similar guitars. And before any Myth-Eater makes the blares of doom sound over my head...yes, I belong to a team at the university, studying, designing and building electric guitars from scratch...absolutely everything but the strings, frets, tuning pegs and electronics. So we design and calculate our own pickups, wind them with our own custom-build winder and build bodies, fretboards and necks with an also custom made CNC...We have tried so many uncommon woods and materials, copper gauges, wire turns, alnicos...and so on. Well, that´s only to state that we know a little bit about the matter...though still learning, making mistakes ...and having FUN!!!
@@felipelotas5609 excellent point about the electronics!!! So many variables!!! Perhaps not in the scope of a 2023 TH-cam video, you know what I mean . . . Also, so sorry to steal your words by the way😎😘
Would love to see that Squier upgrade video!
to me its the custom shop, specially at around 5:57, the strings sound precise and clear. great guitars!
I really thought the squire had cleaner tones and clearer notes to my ears. Great video!
I don't normally watch the same channel alot but you Mr David's keep me coming back. You really touch on a lot of points I think of myself. Great videos, thank you.
Probably the best Strat video I have seen. You are a superb player. I think your skills make the Squire sound better than a lot of expensive guitars. The "62 is amazing. Your custom shop is right there with it. I would love to hear a High End Silver Sky against the "62.
I cange the Pickup from my squier classic vibe with fender Texas mex and the Sound was be great..
I love the tone of the custom shop the best. Any idea what pickups are in it? Or what puckups come closest to that tone? I was thinking custom shop fat 50s but im not sure.
I would love to see 'your take' on what is required to start with the $400 Squire and bring it up to par with the $5k guitar.
A Squier is what it is, but let’s not forget that George Harrison played one, so in the right hands they can still do the business. Your playing transcended each model, making them all sound great regardless of vintage or cost.
You can get a sound as nice as s fender strat on a squier, the only issue with them is for me the necks feel bad to play on and you can see they are cheaper, worse wood. The bodies also feel plasticky
@@Ukraineaissance2014 What are you talking about? Wood is wood. Maple is maple. The necks on my Squires feel the exact same as the necks on my Fenders do.
@@anotheryoutube4635 if you think all wood is equivalent you armt qualified to give an opinion.
@@anotheryoutube4635 Yup I have a classic vibe Tele, got a Pro 2 Tele and sent it back, no way $1300 better than the Squier. I actually like the Squier better. All of this stuff is just cork sniffing. Cheap guitars are great or can be made great very easily with a few upgrades these days. This is a great thing!
The Classic Vibe series is way better than it should be. I’m really picky about Strats but for Teles they’re more than acceptable. Mine plays and sounds great.
Great video Paul, as always! The guitar I think sound the best is the one of these YOU pick in a BLIND test when performed for you by an other musician 😊
My feeling is that both physical and mental feel bias the impression of the guitars. If I were to play on a -62, knowing the history (and the price), I would certainly love it, and praise it no matter how it sounded in an unbiased world. The brain is a deceiving beast. 🙈
I am doing his electric elevation course it and he is great 👍
Old wood often has a richness that comes with time. Differences in pickups, materials and age accounts for some tonal difference.. Other than that, a Strat is a Strat to me. The best one I ever touched was a Squier "Made in Japan" Strat circa 1984. The neck wood was sublime and excellent, and the guitar felt like a living thing feeding back into my fingers. The owner paid $50 US for it.
I changed out the bridge on my Classic Vibe 60's Strat for a Wilkinson bridge with a steel block. It made the tone deeper. And it cost me (at the time) $35 for the upgrade.
that vintage 2 '61 strat is like my dream guitar, hope to one day get one
I have a Starcaster thats (StarCaster) looks just like the Squire and the rest in the line up. It sounds amazing and neck feels great. Under 7 lbs too. I have American and Mexican Strats also. Makes my head spin wondering why I’m paying so much chasing tone.
I'm into playability. The comfort of the fretting is important to me more than the overall. You can always upgrade certain parts to make it sound better. But the feel of the neck matters the most to me.
I thought the Squier had a bit of the “sitar” sound flaw but I only noticed it once. Other than than that I thought all 4 sounded very close . In a blind sound test where each was played in a mix with drums, bass, keys and vocals I doubt most people could tell one from the other . At least, I couldn’t. Great video. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I would love a squire classic vibe strat jazzmaster, those squires starts with P90s looks great, I wish I could afford one.
The tone on that ‘62 is amazing. I never played one but I can imagine it feels as good as it sounds.
The custom relic sounds really nice too.
Definitely think i can hear the difference between the Squier and the Fenders. The Squier's tonal range was a little more thin and much less impactful on the low-mids. That said i couldn't notice any difference between the three fenders that couldn't be chalked up to minute differences in how you were playing. That said, the Squier still sounds fantastic and with a cheap upgrade to the pots would probably sound as good as the 2k.
And thats cuz of the pickups mostly. Put better pickups and voila.
But finishing is much better on Fender.
@@CptSlow89 Maybe not even swap, adjust the pickup height a little and voila.
@@mallninja9805 yeah people just need to watch 1 video on pickup height and realize how much difference it makes
in my ears they all sound really close. A small turn on the Bass/Middle/Treble Knobs will make them sound even closer. It‘s more about the quality of the build, the feeling and the vibe. In this terms the 2.000$ Strat does it for me.
Dm let 👆👆let talk I got something special for you🎊💯
My son suprised me with a 60's CV lake placid blue....gotta say, I love it! They have come a long way with this guitar!
Hey! Great content! Super pleased with what you do and the quality that you deliver it with. I find myself having a knee-jerk reaction to this video. I want to see you blindfolded and having someone else hand you those guitars randomly and you give your thoughts on them. Thanks again for what you do.