I honestly thought the affinity was the Fender player! I rated it the highest. It was obvious that Z was the classic vibe - with its quacky tones, and more classic sounding feel. So surprised.
I also thought that Fender player was the cheapest. That's funny, especially as I just ordered a Fender player. It's currently on it's way from the seller. I have already a Fender Squier Contemporary Strat HSS. It will be interesting to compare those two.
Yup... Me too. I was like hmmmm mex and 50 Both sound good... Close... X sounded so Thin and harsh! Damn ik miss my Old 04 mim... Guess I'll have to go test the 50 and Player Side by Side... Could a Squire actually film The void?
Fed up with all those comparisons videos where at the end one just says "you decide for yourself" without giving one's opinion . You on the contrary give your honest personnel opinion that is the reason I watched the video to start with so a huge thank you! Keep it up I love your way of reviewing products.
I am so, so, so shocked. I thought X was the affinity because it lacked dynamics. Z was the best sounding overall clean for me. I’ll have to get another one of those 50s CVs. By the way, excellent quality videos! Excellent tear down in detail. Thanks for the time stamps as well. Very helpful overall.
Shocked by that. I thought the CV was the affinity as it sounded cheaper. I was considering getting a player based on the fact I had budgeted for a CV. Y’know save an extra month and just get the Fender. But hearing the affinity has made me rethink. Awesome review
It's not just the sound, also the specs, listen to his conclusion. Choosing because of the sound on a video you problably watched on crappy phone speakers is stupid. The Fender is made of the best materials and feels the best. You get what you pay for. Accourding to John Mayer 70% of tone is in the fingers.
Well done blind test. I am not a Fender guy but you kept my interest through the entire demo and that is the 1st time that has ever happened. That alone to me is what makes this comment necessary
Very nice review🤘🏻I Had all Kind of Stratocaster in the last 22 Years, in every Price range. The best I've ever played and play is the Fender Player Strat. I got 2 of them and they beat every Strat I've ever had. the reason is simple, the Player is a USA Strat, exept the Pickups and Tuners/ Stringtree. The rest is from the factory in Corona. That's all.
I put down a deposit for the Classic Vibe 50s around the first week of May. It was hard for me to even find a retailer for the Classic Vibe 50s. They’re currently out of stock everywhere I looked, but the store I ordered from said they should be back in stock sometime around August. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it. I just love how it sounds.
I managed to guess them correctly although there was very little difference in tone between them so the winner here really is the Squier Affinity for holding up against the other two. I could hear the little extra brightness and spank from the heavily glossed neck of the Classic Vibe and a little bit of extra warmth from the Player series which is something I’ve noticed about the Fender made alnico pickups from guitars I’ve owned. I think as ever that the real differences aren’t in the tone of the instruments but the construction and resulting feel and playability of them. Great video, cheers Landon 👍🏼
These sound really good. The Player neck pup is MIGHTY when combined with the TS, while the CV sounds more "Old School", just like it should, and its bridge pup is a real "buzzsaw"! The Affinity is a bit more fuzzy & less well defined than the other 2, but not at all bad for the $$$. I like "sunburst" guitars because no two are exactly alike.
My son has the Player strat with a humbucker in the bridge and I would put that against my American Standard any day. AMAZING VALUE. I have a MIM Standard Strat and I love it but the hardware feels much better on the Player series. Totally agree with your statement about feel. My MIM Strat is the best feeling guitar I’ve ever played.
One reason that I chose the player hss was that the pickups and design were similar to previous year American standard. As this was my first guitar, nice to see what other more experienced players think of it. Thanks
I guessed the Player series right, which is handy, as I own one, but was really impressed how close the Affinty sounded to it. The CV didn't seem to handle breakup quite as well to my ears, which is why I got the Affinity and CV incorrect,(probably due to my price bias !) This makes me extra happy, as I'm being given an Affinity Strat once lockdown is over, which I was going to give to one of my students, but this video is making me think I might keep it for myself. Top vid Landon, cheers from the UK.
I can clearly hear a difference between the x and the others in the tone. Smoother, warmer, less twang. Might be because of the bigger tremolo block makes the spring vibration smaller. I don't know, but I like it.
I bought a right handed Affinity Strat with the intention of putting all the bits onto a lefty body. One of the nicest necks I've ever got my hands on. Guitar is currently on loan to my daughter, so can't be disassembled yet and the project is on hold.
Sound wise they are similar, but it is the build quality that you are paying for. High grade metal that doesn't strip or wear compared to mixed metals that may not last. Still, fantastic value
Great video! Excellently done! I had actually just done this very comparison myself between my very first guitar a Squier Standard strat that I still had and my fender Mexican standard. I love them both slight preference in playability to the Mexican but I prefer the sound of the Squier which sounds a bit more “vintage” possibly since the Mexican pups are slightly hotter as shown here. I do think the Squiers tend to be more period correct in their specs maybe? But honestly thought they all sounded great! Probably come down to budget, feel and head stock snobbery!
i have the china CV strat and MIM classic 50s strat . However, the comparisons are pretty much on par with your findings. The CV is really more warm sounding vs the MIM. At least u managed to pick a favourite haha. Both feel special to me - depending on the mood, songs I'm playing. Either way, can't go wrong with a strat. Great vid
I think if I go for a Fender guitar I'm going to try an Affinity. Everybody says if you get a good one they are hard to beat. Even Ron Thorn thinks the quality for the buck is amazing.
I am pausing the video to comment on the Blind Tone Challenge. I nailed the Affinity as Y, but I reversed the Classic Vibe and the Player at X and Z. I chose the Player as Z because it had the truest, best tone of the three, so I reasoned that it would be the highest-priced guitar. I was pleased to learn that my pick was the Classic because, as I have said in previous comments, my next guitar purchase (after paying off my Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster in Butterscotch Blonde) will be this same guitar (except in Candy Apple Red).
Still be sure to try a few models first in whatever store you go, caused you never what you're getting until you put your hands, and ears on 'em.. plus
Just found this interesting comparison. Sound wise X - Player is my choice followed surprisingly by Y - Affinty. Z sounds sharp edged. My pick is the Fender Player... and a Vox Amp. Thanks for sharing!
Noone of them sound like USA Stratocaster just because has plastic coil bobins. It is not the point about material, then about construction of plastic bobbins are usually made, because all of them has distance between coil and magnets, and genuine Fender are always wounded directly over the magnets, so there is no gap and they sounding brighter and stronger, it depending also about number of coil windings, and kind of magnet
Just to say, you’re much better at this than you think you are. Very professionally done on all levels.I’ve played for a looooong time but because of Parkinson’s disease and a destroyed shoulder, I had to stop playing about 12 years ago. I sold a 31 piece collection with every guitar I had wished I had years ago. There are many I miss desperately. But, the good news: Even being under the weather has not kept me from ramping up again.older, has not buried me. I used your reviews to help me decide what to get back to. I’ve been a Strat guy for many years, (do I count the 12 MIA years?) but I’m not sure where I am. So…based on considerations of your reviews, I’m waiting for a 50s CV for today. It does what I need, and if things don’t work out, I’ll be ok. Seems like a nice ax, and you don’t have to be buried in it! Thanks for your help, and keep up the good work. You should have 10 times the subscribers, and you will. Steve
Awesome stuff Lando! I've owned all of them and over the years and back and fourth I've decided to only go for the Fender from now on. All of them are good guitars but the Fender Player series has a neck that just sits perfectly, and the Squiers just can't get that feeling right. The Squiers are awesome in their own way, but there just is something with the Fender neck that I prefer. However, I would like a more gloss finish and some aging on the neck too ;)
Wow for me as this is the first time that I have got the Blind Tone Test Challenge correct! I have a Squier Affinity which I modified with Fender Deluxe Drive pickups.
Well I’ve owned all 3 of these same colour. The affinity was a decent guitar for its price and I only sold it to buy the classic vibe and now I own the player as well. The cv & player have different tones and feel and I’m keeping them both
That's crazy, I liked the CV the best, followed very closely by the Affinity. I know the Player series have Alnico pickups in them now, but curiously they sounded muddier and more like a Ceramic than the Affinity did. Considering many people will swap the pickups and electronics out anyways, I think the CV is the best value. The Player series is $350 more just to get the Fender name on the headstock.
Hi Landon, once again a great review. I liked the player series the best for sound, then the affinity and after that the cv 50s. I would definitely go with the player for all round performance. I would like to look at the affinity though i've been told they do not hold tune well compared to the others and the thicker neck on the affinity doesn't appeal. Keep the reviews coming.
I just picked up a cv50s, and it's really made me start loving guitar again. I will agree that the finish on the neck might be a little bit overkill, but I don't think it really affects the playability at least for me. The one thing that really stood out to me though was the knobs! They look absolutely horrible, the ones on my Affinity JBass and older Yamaha Pacifica are waaa better.
Great review, lots of hard work to show us everything. I love my old Indo baltic blue affinity paid next to nothing and it still sounds better than most strats. Love the light thin body too.
The Affinity sounds the best to my ears! Every single time I watch one of these blind challenges, the Affinity wins! It's warm and clear. The other two were just too harsh sounding to me. That's just crazy! The cheapest one sounds the best!
Ayyyy I got it 😄 I've figured out it's not too hard to pick out the CV because in a head-to-head comparison it's almost always hotter. Then that just left the other two, and it wasn't too difficult to determine which one was a little bit clearer and which one was a little bit muddier
Hey, I love that Chapter list! So cool! Also, the second I heard the 3 neck/middle positions, clean, I knew the first was the fender. It sounded the closest to my HSS Performer.
This tells me that when you spend more money, you're primarily paying for better craftsmanship and components, not so much better sound. It's so common to hear people praise or trash a guitar's tone, but suddenly when it's a blind sound test it's a real challenge to tell the difference between a $250 guitar and a $1000 guitar.
Absolutely. And if you have a good amp and you’re a good player, you can make cheaper guitars sound amazing. You’re mostly paying for craftsmanship, details, features, and long-term durability. But as for sound, it is often a toss-up. The type of pickup makes a big difference. The Classic Vibe uses alnico pickups, so it sounds very similar to a Fender.
Fender Player Series was much better imo. Also while the differencees might not be that huge in the video I suggest playing them first because then you will notice how much better the Mexican strat is. Also people saying Y was the best, well then you just like Vintage sounding single coils more because that is what the CV provides and the Affinity and the Player Strat are more on the modern side. Honestly for vintage you should throw in the Vintera Strat because that is what they provide. For me who likes the modern sound more the CV is like a no-go without modding it up. My take on this (having played them all at one point): The Player is the best and if you go and try them you will realize that too. If you want a more Vintage sounding Strat then go CV or if you have the budget go Vintera (huge upgrade). The Affinity is great for beginners and modding, low cost so if you stop playing or f up modding then you just don't care. I personally sold my Squiers at some point but I kept my MIM Player Strat and didn't mod it at all. The only Strats I would classify as better are the American Performer and the Ultra Strat but I don't have 1200 - 2000 bucks to spend. The Professional doesn't have some features the Performer has and the Original again serves the Vintage spectrum so not comparable to more modern Strats.
affinity are great guitars, just make sure you get the made in Indonesia, the chinese ones aren't as nice. Curiously the classic vibe is made in China and are better but just that model. If you use the neck pickup on the affinity its got a glass tube tone that if you use for soloing you'll fall in love with the guitar. Its also very light so you'll appreciate it after playing a four set gig. Its cheap and you can modify it and don't care if you hit it. You'll be practicing with your affinity just like I do. Last tip, get the sunburst, they're beautiful.
@@simonbartrum446 thank you for the response! yes, in terms of price value i'm still more inclined on the affinity (specially cause it's not going to leave my room)
I didn't see it before, great work. I currently have a yamaha Pacifica 012 and I am torn for what to get as my second guitar. I am torn between ( Squier Strat Classic Vibe, Fender Player Strat, Squier Tele Classic Vibe, Fender Player Tele ) , I really can not decide. And another contestants are the CORT G290 FAT and the Yamaha Revstar RS420 😅 Any help ? 🤔
honestly? although I've been playing for over a quarter of a century ... I haven't guessed one!! I listened to everything again, but nothing to do, I can't identify them. they all seem equally valid. congratulations on the test
Hey Landon, guess I’m late to the party by about three years. My favourite sounds came from the CV. It sounded like a horse just wanting to be let loose to run. Good thing, I just got a steal on a 1950s CV (half price Canadian and in very nice shape). Yippie Skippy. Love your videos.
@@landonbailey I seen it...it's funny to me how many people prob. don't get that one because the blue on all the ads for it looks like electric blue...its so much softer blue in reality.
Great demo again Landon ! Had to listen through a couple of times and liked Y -Affinity the best ! I normally prefer gloss necks but a recent CV Tele I played I found to be too sticky . The Affinity neck looks super rough and the Player less so . I have an American Strat -HSS and an Ibanez Roadstar both with decent gloss necks but fancy a SSS style Strat so even although I liked the Affinity tones might be best going for the Player -maybe second hand 👍
@@landonbailey cheers from chilly Scotland! TBH I’ve been looking at Telecasters in an effort to try to improve my rhythm playing but found I preferred a G and L to the Classic Vibe but was still bummed that the Purple Teles had sold out at Andertons . A local store has a nice looking Player Strat second hand though so that’s why I’ve watched your Strat demo and deep dive . The demo comparing three Tele v Strat tones did my head in !! Your videos really seem to catch the ideas of what most people want to see and hear about guitars ! Congrats and all the best from the land of lockdown ☹️🏴
Listening to other reviews and this one, I find the quack of the Squire Vibe much more fendery than the fender player series. The biggest let down on the Squire Vibe is a lightweight trem system that goes out of tune really easy, tall narrow frets, and the gloss neck as mentioned. Biggest bug to me on the Vibe is the tall narrow frets which will probably wear quicker. I wish they had put medium jumbo frets on it, like the Vibe series as I really like the tone and you cant grumble at the price.. The player series is great but for me doesn't have the quack of fender with those Alnico 5 hot pickups. I would want to put some fat 50's pickups on it which would be something I could do later, or splash out on a £800 Fender. Thats just a personal thing as I like the clean sound as well as the driven sound. Decisions, decisions......My wallet is crying.
Great video. I'm looking at a Strat for my next axe. Now im leaning towards a Player. The quality just seems better and its worth the price to get Fender Strat tones without any mods. I was fooled by the tone of the Afinity and the Player but I think that's because of the cheesy speakers on my android pad.
I listened through good headphones and I couldn’t hear much difference, at least not enough to complain about the less expensive guitars. If anything I felt the Squier CV was superior. The other two sounded very similar.
For a change I got the challenge correct. The key for me was the Neck/Dirty tone. Big difference between the 3 was the deterioration of the clarity amongst the last two (Y&Z). You could really tell the difference. All in all they sounded pretty good and any of them would work. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for this review @Landon. I'm just starting out and the blind test really helps me get an unbiased idea of how they compare. Are you able to do something similar with the Yamaha 112v vs the Fender Player vs Squier CV?
I'm getting older (63) and I want a G&L (Tribute) but my playing isn't worthy. I played (around) on them in a store. I was humbled. I am barely worthy of spending Squier Bullet money. I thought these all sounded the same "Clean" but with the pedal CV50 was my favorite by far. Affinity 2nd, Player's didn't win one round! So, staying in tune, getting a good set up and keeping it, etc. are what is important if the sound is this close to my ears. Great video! Thanks!
Full disclosure, I play a hss player. Found the clean tones on x right away. Also id the affinity. I am not as familiar with over drive tones, so was not sure btw classic vibe and player... Nice video!
Hi, thank you for the review, that's really cool. I have a Squier mini and I would like to buy a Squier 50's. Is the neck the same ? I need a small one but I would like to upgrade the guitar if possible. I play a lot of 50s - 60s music style. Do you have an advice, please ?
I wasn't trying to guess, but was listening to determined which tone I preferred. I liked the Affinity in positions 1 and 2, and the Classic Vibe in 3,4, and 5.
I have an Affinity and got the tone test spot on. The Fender sounds warmer imo, the Affinity is a bit 'scratchy' and hasn't got as much mid or low-end. The Classic Vibe definitely has the classic rich tone. I think the Player and CV are both good guitars - they provide different tones, not one particularly 'better' than the other.
Well . . . I guessed the Fender correct. I guessed the other way around on the affinity and classic vibe cause I was thinking I was hearing ceramic pickups on guitar Z
You are probably the smartest person here dude. I guessed exactly the same way. Because the classic vibe sounded a little cheaper, i thought it was the affinity.
Great comparison video Landon. I liked the tones from the Player the most , followed by the Classic Vibe . To me , the Affinity sounds like a generic Strat copy . As you said , it comes down to how they feel in the hand and what your preferences are and budget. If I could only afford the Affinity, I would still pick that over other brands Strat style guitars.
I think the Squire line gets better the higher the price point. To clarify, Affinity models have the lightest satin finish, necks and pickups are okay. The the Standard line is a little more buffed out in terms of fit and finish. The the CV line has the most attention to details in terms of fit and finish, as well as hardware. Just my opinion, but I had a Japanese and and American Squire in around 1980. Back then, they were not as well finished as the American versions. I think the differences are slight and minor with the modern ones. That said, I have a 2015 mic CV Telecaster that I'm pretty happy with.
in the blind tone test, i switched the CV with the Fender, and guitar Y was obviously the Affinity, it just sounded cheaper, warmer because of the ceramic pickups
Yes! Got em right. Y had muddier note definition, so it’s the Affinity. I just liked X Better than Z, so I figured it was tbe Fender. All in all… all extremely similar.
My guess was: x: fender playerr y:classic vibe z:affinity. I was wrong lol. But i really appreciate the section when you showed us electronics and pu’s so we could clearly know what to expect before we buy it.
I did not get them right, BUT, in my mind it was Squier, Player and USA Strat haha. So I was 100% convinced that guitar Z was obviously the USA Strat... says a lot about me but also about the quality of the CV Squier. Also, to my surprise, I liked the Affinity more than the Player. So for me it's; NR1 - Classic Vibe. NR2 - Affinity. NR3 - Player. Great video, thanks for making it! Have a blessed day!
I honestly thought the affinity was the Fender player! I rated it the highest. It was obvious that Z was the classic vibe - with its quacky tones, and more classic sounding feel. So surprised.
I also rated Y the best
I also thought that Fender player was the cheapest. That's funny, especially as I just ordered a Fender player. It's currently on it's way from the seller. I have already a Fender Squier Contemporary Strat HSS. It will be interesting to compare those two.
Yup... Me too.
I was like hmmmm mex and 50 Both sound good... Close... X sounded so Thin and harsh!
Damn ik miss my Old 04 mim... Guess I'll have to go test the 50 and Player Side by Side... Could a Squire actually film The void?
Me too, i have the affinity i the sound is similar at the player, i hear my affinity all the time, i think the guy is wrong XD, good video
Guitar Y was my favourite, it had the best balance midrange grit and smoothness.
I agree
Yeah agreed, it had more mids than the others .
+1
It's crazy! The cheapest of the 3 sounds the warmest and clearest!
I thought guitar Y was player, Z was classic vibe and X was affinity
I thought the Affinity was the Fender. Sounded the best to me.
Me too. I thought Y was the Fender.
Affinity is made by Fender.
@@CoolGuy-ux5wx It's made by Squier which is a sub-brand of Fender
@@Имбирнаяпеченька-ю6ь interesting. I thought it counts as a fender guitar.
@@CoolGuy-ux5wx squier is its own brand. Fender is parent company. Squiers are cheaper mostly because of labour and material costs.
Fed up with all those comparisons videos where at the end one just says "you decide for yourself" without giving one's opinion . You on the contrary give your honest personnel opinion that is the reason I watched the video to start with so a huge thank you! Keep it up I love your way of reviewing products.
💯
I am so, so, so shocked. I thought X was the affinity because it lacked dynamics. Z was the best sounding overall clean for me. I’ll have to get another one of those 50s CVs.
By the way, excellent quality videos! Excellent tear down in detail. Thanks for the time stamps as well. Very helpful overall.
Shocked by that. I thought the CV was the affinity as it sounded cheaper. I was considering getting a player based on the fact I had budgeted for a CV. Y’know save an extra month and just get the Fender. But hearing the affinity has made me rethink. Awesome review
What did you go for?
It's not just the sound, also the specs, listen to his conclusion. Choosing because of the sound on a video you problably watched on crappy phone speakers is stupid. The Fender is made of the best materials and feels the best. You get what you pay for. Accourding to John Mayer 70% of tone is in the fingers.
@@UmVtCg i listened on high level studio monitors and the affinity sounded better
the affinity isnt very playable tho
@@blue.phoenix why is that?
Classic Vibe 50's looks the best.
Heck yeah! The neck in particular is gorgeous, in my opinion. That’s why I decided to buy one. And because it sounded incredible.
No its got thick gloopy orange finish
17:02 I think the CV has the nicest wood grain. The Affinity looks too yellow and the Fender looks more like brown paint.
Wow - I did really well. Every single one wrong. Oh well, I prefer Telecasters anyway ;-)
heh lol ;)
cant really choose between teles and strats so i guess i’ll get both
@@antuny9269 Then you'll be two thirds of the way to the Holy Trinity of Strat, Tele and Les Paul :-)
Tele Gang whoooo!!
I have all three though: Les Paul, Strat, and Tele. I love them all.
I love the Classic Vibe stuff! I have a P and J bass and absolutely love them!
Love your unique styled videos Landon! Its so clear the effort you put in
I appreciate that!
Well done blind test. I am not a Fender guy but you kept my interest through the entire demo and that is the 1st time that has ever happened. That alone to me is what makes this comment necessary
Nailed it! The Player sounds much more nuanced
Feels better and is made better and out of better materials too.
Did you guess them right?
Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster:
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Amazon (US) amzn.to/3e2OYnI
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2ZEjf7h
Thomann: bit.ly/3gxwehY
Squier Classic Vibe 50s Stratocaster:
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/meZBa
Amazon (US) amzn.to/2ZGNvOQ
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/3dho9f6
Thomann: bit.ly/2NUvwii
Fender Player Stratocaster:
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/16RJm
Amazon (US) amzn.to/2BuvSsQ
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2Yjpwpr
Amazon (UK) amzn.to/2RmzRfP
Thomann bit.ly/2NW8Xtv
Timestamps:
0:00 - Hello
0:18 - Intro
2:08 - Blind Tone Challenge
2:29 - Clean Tones
6:24 - Dirt Tones
11:55 - Challenge Results
12:41 - Parts Walkthrough
12:50 - Weight
13:20 - Pickup Resistance
14:35 - Headstock & Tuners
14:52 - Neck and Bodies
15:49 - Body & Hardware
16:24 - Inside the Pickguard
16:49 - Gallery
18:08 - Summary - My Top Pick
21:00 - Goodbye
I own a player HSS, and an American Professional... that Affinity surprised me, I picked it as the player. I got Z correct.
Favorite is the Fender! Love Teles and Strats! Made in Mexico/USA/Japan. All great! Squiers can be made playable for sure. Peace.
Very nice review🤘🏻I Had all Kind of Stratocaster in the last 22 Years, in every Price range. The best I've ever played and play is the Fender Player Strat. I got 2 of them and they beat every Strat I've ever had. the reason is simple, the Player is a USA Strat, exept the Pickups and Tuners/ Stringtree. The rest is from the factory in Corona. That's all.
got em all right. Could mainly tell by the balance in the tone and the harmonic richness.
I put down a deposit for the Classic Vibe 50s around the first week of May. It was hard for me to even find a retailer for the Classic Vibe 50s. They’re currently out of stock everywhere I looked, but the store I ordered from said they should be back in stock sometime around August. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it. I just love how it sounds.
I managed to guess them correctly although there was very little difference in tone between them so the winner here really is the Squier Affinity for holding up against the other two. I could hear the little extra brightness and spank from the heavily glossed neck of the Classic Vibe and a little bit of extra warmth from the Player series which is something I’ve noticed about the Fender made alnico pickups from guitars I’ve owned. I think as ever that the real differences aren’t in the tone of the instruments but the construction and resulting feel and playability of them. Great video, cheers Landon 👍🏼
These sound really good. The Player neck pup is MIGHTY when combined with the TS, while the CV sounds more "Old School", just like it should, and its bridge pup is a real "buzzsaw"! The Affinity is a bit more fuzzy & less well defined than the other 2, but not at all bad for the $$$.
I like "sunburst" guitars because no two are exactly alike.
My son has the Player strat with a humbucker in the bridge and I would put that against my American Standard any day. AMAZING VALUE. I have a MIM Standard Strat and I love it but the hardware feels much better on the Player series. Totally agree with your statement about feel. My MIM Strat is the best feeling guitar I’ve ever played.
One reason that I chose the player hss was that the pickups and design were similar to previous year American standard. As this was my first guitar, nice to see what other more experienced players think of it. Thanks
Hey, never saw this video, the comparison is great. P.S. I like stratocasters...
Cool, thanks!
I guessed the Player series right, which is handy, as I own one, but was really impressed how close the Affinty sounded to it. The CV didn't seem to handle breakup quite as well to my ears, which is why I got the Affinity and CV incorrect,(probably due to my price bias !) This makes me extra happy, as I'm being given an Affinity Strat once lockdown is over, which I was going to give to one of my students, but this video is making me think I might keep it for myself. Top vid Landon, cheers from the UK.
hey thanks!
Great video, Landon. I love affordable Fenders and Squiers and this will really help viewers determine the differences. Keep it up!
I can clearly hear a difference between the x and the others in the tone. Smoother, warmer, less twang. Might be because of the bigger tremolo block makes the spring vibration smaller. I don't know, but I like it.
I bought a right handed Affinity Strat with the intention of putting all the bits onto a lefty body. One of the nicest necks I've ever got my hands on. Guitar is currently on loan to my daughter, so can't be disassembled yet and the project is on hold.
Still a great watch the 2nd time around. I really enjoy your comparison vids, Landon.
Awesome! Thank you!
I can't tell the difference between the tones of the Affinity and the Player. They're identical.
I got the fender player one right, but mixed up the two squiers, wow, interesting, the affinity actually sounded better to me than the classic vibe
Let's be totally honest, they were very similar, on the blind test I thought the player sounded the worst! Squier are definitely better value.
neck /middle: player>
bridge: squier>
Sound wise they are similar, but it is the build quality that you are paying for. High grade metal that doesn't strip or wear compared to mixed metals that may not last. Still, fantastic value
I think the Fender had the best sound, that being said, I own the 60’s CV Strat and the 50’s CV Tele 😆 ✌🏼
Great video! Excellently done!
I had actually just done this very comparison myself between my very first guitar a Squier Standard strat that I still had and my fender Mexican standard. I love them both slight preference in playability to the Mexican but I prefer the sound of the Squier which sounds a bit more “vintage” possibly since the Mexican pups are slightly hotter as shown here. I do think the Squiers tend to be more period correct in their specs maybe? But honestly thought they all sounded great! Probably come down to budget, feel and head stock snobbery!
i have the china CV strat and MIM classic 50s strat . However, the comparisons are pretty much on par with your findings. The CV is really more warm sounding vs the MIM. At least u managed to pick a favourite haha. Both feel special to me - depending on the mood, songs I'm playing. Either way, can't go wrong with a strat. Great vid
cheers!
I think if I go for a Fender guitar I'm going to try an Affinity. Everybody says if you get a good one they are hard to beat. Even Ron Thorn thinks the quality for the buck is amazing.
NAILED IT! Bridge position dirty is how figured it out! My first guitar was an affinity in baltic blue. Awesome video!
Cool, thanks!
Landon Bailey Keep the videos coming! You make me want to grab another Vox amp!
I am pausing the video to comment on the Blind Tone Challenge. I nailed the Affinity as Y, but I reversed the Classic Vibe and the Player at X and Z. I chose the Player as Z because it had the truest, best tone of the three, so I reasoned that it would be the highest-priced guitar. I was pleased to learn that my pick was the Classic because, as I have said in previous comments, my next guitar purchase (after paying off my Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster in Butterscotch Blonde) will be this same guitar (except in Candy Apple Red).
So great video!. I've been looking at these three guitars actually. And I am happy that I passed the blind test perfectly😁 Thank you for the video. .
Glad I could help! thanks so much!
I liked Z because it sounded the fullest, but I never expected to be the Classic Vibe... huh, I guess I know what I’m buying.
Still be sure to try a few models first in whatever store you go, caused you never what you're getting until you put your hands, and ears on 'em.. plus
the fact that affinity has the cbs head is a win for me😂
I was right with all, Player was the sweetest to my ears
Just found this interesting comparison. Sound wise X - Player is my choice followed surprisingly by Y - Affinty. Z sounds sharp edged. My pick is the Fender Player... and a Vox Amp. Thanks for sharing!
Noone of them sound like USA Stratocaster just because has plastic coil bobins. It is not the point about material, then about construction of plastic bobbins are usually made, because all of them has distance between coil and magnets, and genuine Fender are always wounded directly over the magnets, so there is no gap and they sounding brighter and stronger, it depending also about number of coil windings, and kind of magnet
Just to say, you’re much better at this than you think you are. Very professionally done on all levels.I’ve played for a looooong time but because of Parkinson’s disease and a destroyed shoulder, I had to stop playing about 12 years ago. I sold a 31 piece collection with every guitar I had wished I had years ago. There are many I miss desperately. But, the good news: Even being under the weather has not kept me from ramping up again.older, has not buried me. I used your reviews to help me decide what to get back to. I’ve been a Strat guy for many years, (do I count the 12 MIA years?) but I’m not sure where I am. So…based on considerations of your reviews, I’m waiting for a 50s CV for today. It does what I need, and if things don’t work out, I’ll be ok. Seems like a nice ax, and you don’t have to be buried in it!
Thanks for your help, and keep up the good work. You should have 10 times the subscribers, and you will.
Steve
PS I HATE the name “Squier”, but I’m sucking it up-old school!
cheers!
Awesome stuff Lando!
I've owned all of them and over the years and back and fourth I've decided to only go for the Fender from now on.
All of them are good guitars but the Fender Player series has a neck that just sits perfectly, and the Squiers just can't get that feeling right.
The Squiers are awesome in their own way, but there just is something with the Fender neck that I prefer. However, I would like a more gloss finish and some aging on the neck too ;)
it's all about the neck 👍🎸
Good video thanks, they sound different but I didn't think one was better in all positions.
Wow for me as this is the first time that I have got the Blind Tone Test Challenge correct!
I have a Squier Affinity which I modified with Fender Deluxe Drive pickups.
Well done!
Well I’ve owned all 3 of these same colour. The affinity was a decent guitar for its price and I only sold it to buy the classic vibe and now I own the player as well. The cv & player have different tones and feel and I’m keeping them both
I played them all before deciding.
I went with the VM 70'S SQUIER.
Swap out bridge saddles and you're there!
Got the Affinity correct, but I thought the Classic Vibe was the Fender because of more resonance/overtones to my ears.
That's crazy, I liked the CV the best, followed very closely by the Affinity. I know the Player series have Alnico pickups in them now, but curiously they sounded muddier and more like a Ceramic than the Affinity did.
Considering many people will swap the pickups and electronics out anyways, I think the CV is the best value. The Player series is $350 more just to get the Fender name on the headstock.
Hi Landon, once again a great review. I liked the player series the best for sound, then the affinity and after that the cv 50s. I would definitely go with the player for all round performance. I would like to look at the affinity though i've been told they do not hold tune well compared to the others and the thicker neck on the affinity doesn't appeal. Keep the reviews coming.
I just picked up a cv50s, and it's really made me start loving guitar again. I will agree that the finish on the neck might be a little bit overkill, but I don't think it really affects the playability at least for me. The one thing that really stood out to me though was the knobs! They look absolutely horrible, the ones on my Affinity JBass and older Yamaha Pacifica are waaa better.
Great review, lots of hard work to show us everything. I love my old Indo baltic blue affinity paid next to nothing and it still sounds better than most strats. Love the light thin body too.
The Affinity sounds the best to my ears! Every single time I watch one of these blind challenges, the Affinity wins! It's warm and clear. The other two were just too harsh sounding to me. That's just crazy! The cheapest one sounds the best!
Best comparison on TH-cam till now
wait what's the best one now?
Ayyyy I got it 😄
I've figured out it's not too hard to pick out the CV because in a head-to-head comparison it's almost always hotter. Then that just left the other two, and it wasn't too difficult to determine which one was a little bit clearer and which one was a little bit muddier
Hey, I love that Chapter list! So cool!
Also, the second I heard the 3 neck/middle positions, clean, I knew the first was the fender. It sounded the closest to my HSS Performer.
Cool, thanks!
Wow. That was the hardest to tell the difference of any of these shoot outs I've seen. Hardly anything in it with all 3.
It's clear that a lot of work went into this video -- thank you so much for doing this comparison
Cheers!
This tells me that when you spend more money, you're primarily paying for better craftsmanship and components, not so much better sound. It's so common to hear people praise or trash a guitar's tone, but suddenly when it's a blind sound test it's a real challenge to tell the difference between a $250 guitar and a $1000 guitar.
Absolutely. And if you have a good amp and you’re a good player, you can make cheaper guitars sound amazing. You’re mostly paying for craftsmanship, details, features, and long-term durability. But as for sound, it is often a toss-up. The type of pickup makes a big difference. The Classic Vibe uses alnico pickups, so it sounds very similar to a Fender.
Even the selector sounds differently!😁😁😁
I thought the x= player, y= affinity, z= classic vibe... My choice: 1 player, 2 affinity, 3 classic vibe
Fender Player Series was much better imo. Also while the differencees might not be that huge in the video I suggest playing them first because then you will notice how much better the Mexican strat is. Also people saying Y was the best, well then you just like Vintage sounding single coils more because that is what the CV provides and the Affinity and the Player Strat are more on the modern side. Honestly for vintage you should throw in the Vintera Strat because that is what they provide. For me who likes the modern sound more the CV is like a no-go without modding it up.
My take on this (having played them all at one point): The Player is the best and if you go and try them you will realize that too. If you want a more Vintage sounding Strat then go CV or if you have the budget go Vintera (huge upgrade). The Affinity is great for beginners and modding, low cost so if you stop playing or f up modding then you just don't care.
I personally sold my Squiers at some point but I kept my MIM Player Strat and didn't mod it at all. The only Strats I would classify as better are the American Performer and the Ultra Strat but I don't have 1200 - 2000 bucks to spend. The Professional doesn't have some features the Performer has and the Original again serves the Vintage spectrum so not comparable to more modern Strats.
It sounds like we pretty much share the same views! thanks for the feedback
Spoiler alert...... I am surprised Z is what is. It was my least favorite of the blind clean tones, Y sounded amazing.
Same. Y sounded amazing on many pieces. I think he's gotten a really good affinity.
I wanted an affinity so I was saving up for it but now I think I prefer the classic vibe lol might keep saving some more
The affinity are excellent value for money, you can always upgrade the pickups later on.
affinity are great guitars, just make sure you get the made in Indonesia, the chinese ones aren't as nice. Curiously the classic vibe is made in China and are better but just that model. If you use the neck pickup on the affinity its got a glass tube tone that if you use for soloing you'll fall in love with the guitar. Its also very light so you'll appreciate it after playing a four set gig. Its cheap and you can modify it and don't care if you hit it. You'll be practicing with your affinity just like I do. Last tip, get the sunburst, they're beautiful.
@@arjnoro1 all the affinitys i see in my country are chinese ones :( is it true that they tend to go out of tune very easily?
@@simonbartrum446 thank you for the response! yes, in terms of price value i'm still more inclined on the affinity (specially cause it's not going to leave my room)
@@arjnoro1 I have the indonesian sunburst with black pick guard, love that thing.
Wow, I liked the affinity best with classic vibe in 2nd place
I didn't see it before, great work.
I currently have a yamaha Pacifica 012 and I am torn for what to get as my second guitar.
I am torn between ( Squier Strat Classic Vibe, Fender Player Strat, Squier Tele Classic Vibe, Fender Player Tele ) , I really can not decide.
And another contestants are the CORT G290 FAT and the Yamaha Revstar RS420 😅
Any help ? 🤔
Thanks for keeping these guitar videos coming Landon, I really enjoy them (even if there were no Teles in this one).
honestly? although I've been playing for over a quarter of a century ... I haven't guessed one!! I listened to everything again, but nothing to do, I can't identify them. they all seem equally valid. congratulations on the test
Rock on!
Hey Landon, guess I’m late to the party by about three years. My favourite sounds came from the CV. It sounded like a horse just wanting to be let loose to run. Good thing, I just got a steal on a 1950s CV (half price Canadian and in very nice shape). Yippie Skippy. Love your videos.
I have the Player HSS model...it's absolutely beautiful and plays like a dream. Thanks Landon, I made my decision to purchase it after your review.
Good choice! I had a Lake Placid Blue HSS Standard Strat! It was great. look on my channel for videos with it
@@landonbailey I seen it...it's funny to me how many people prob. don't get that one because the blue on all the ads for it looks like electric blue...its so much softer blue in reality.
Great demo again Landon ! Had to listen through a couple of times and liked Y -Affinity the best ! I normally prefer gloss necks but a recent CV Tele I played I found to be too sticky . The Affinity neck looks super rough and the Player less so . I have an American Strat -HSS and an Ibanez Roadstar both with decent gloss necks but fancy a SSS style Strat so even although I liked the Affinity tones might be best going for the Player -maybe second hand 👍
Thanks for sharing!
@@landonbailey cheers from chilly Scotland! TBH I’ve been looking at Telecasters in an effort to try to improve my rhythm playing but found I preferred a G and L to the Classic Vibe but was still bummed that the Purple Teles had sold out at Andertons . A local store has a nice looking Player Strat second hand though so that’s why I’ve watched your Strat demo and deep dive . The demo comparing three Tele v Strat tones did my head in !! Your videos really seem to catch the ideas of what most people want to see and hear about guitars ! Congrats and all the best from the land of lockdown ☹️🏴
It's a small thing , but THANK YOU for saying 'zed'! 'Zee' is for me what styrofoam is for you :-)
I did not get them correct... any of them. But my favorite turned out to be the Classic Vibe. Which is a good thing as that's what I have!
Listening to other reviews and this one, I find the quack of the Squire Vibe much more fendery than the fender player series. The biggest let down on the Squire Vibe is a lightweight trem system that goes out of tune really easy, tall narrow frets, and the gloss neck as mentioned. Biggest bug to me on the Vibe is the tall narrow frets which will probably wear quicker. I wish they had put medium jumbo frets on it, like the Vibe series as I really like the tone and you cant grumble at the price.. The player series is great but for me doesn't have the quack of fender with those Alnico 5 hot pickups. I would want to put some fat 50's pickups on it which would be something I could do later, or splash out on a £800 Fender. Thats just a personal thing as I like the clean sound as well as the driven sound. Decisions, decisions......My wallet is crying.
i got the affinity wright.. and reversed the other two. The Vibe sounds nice..
Great video. I'm looking at a Strat for my next axe. Now im leaning towards a Player. The quality just seems better and its worth the price to get Fender Strat tones without any mods. I was fooled by the tone of the Afinity and the Player but I think that's because of the cheesy speakers on my android pad.
I listened through good headphones and I couldn’t hear much difference, at least not enough to complain about the less expensive guitars.
If anything I felt the Squier CV was superior.
The other two sounded very similar.
For a change I got the challenge correct. The key for me was the Neck/Dirty tone. Big difference between the 3 was the deterioration of the clarity amongst the last two (Y&Z). You could really tell the difference. All in all they sounded pretty good and any of them would work. Thanks for sharing.
Z (Classic vibe) was my favorite on the blind test.
I thought that guitar y was classic vibe and Z was Affinity. I'm astonished in the clean sound part the affinity seems more clear
Thanks so much for this review @Landon. I'm just starting out and the blind test really helps me get an unbiased idea of how they compare. Are you able to do something similar with the Yamaha 112v vs the Fender Player vs Squier CV?
Squier has come a long way. My first guitar was a Squier Strat in the 90s and it was garbage. Just got a Squier Jazz bass and it’s great
I'm getting older (63) and I want a G&L (Tribute) but my playing isn't worthy. I played (around) on them in a store. I was humbled. I am barely worthy of spending Squier Bullet money. I thought these all sounded the same "Clean" but with the pedal CV50 was my favorite by far. Affinity 2nd, Player's didn't win one round! So, staying in tune, getting a good set up and keeping it, etc. are what is important if the sound is this close to my ears. Great video! Thanks!
Full disclosure, I play a hss player. Found the clean tones on x right away. Also id the affinity. I am not as familiar with over drive tones, so was not sure btw classic vibe and player... Nice video!
Hi, thank you for the review, that's really cool. I have a Squier mini and I would like to buy a Squier 50's. Is the neck the same ? I need a small one but I would like to upgrade the guitar if possible. I play a lot of 50s - 60s music style. Do you have an advice, please ?
hey there! the CV is a full scale neck. Maybe check out this comparison for reference th-cam.com/video/2w7mHcKoBlM/w-d-xo.html
I have a strat classic vibe and i loved sounds very decent and the materials are good
I wasn't trying to guess, but was listening to determined which tone I preferred. I liked the Affinity in positions 1 and 2, and the Classic Vibe in 3,4, and 5.
awesome comparison video. I chose Z the classic vibe. I own a CV jaguar & Tele......Strat now on the way
I have an Affinity and got the tone test spot on. The Fender sounds warmer imo, the Affinity is a bit 'scratchy' and hasn't got as much mid or low-end. The Classic Vibe definitely has the classic rich tone. I think the Player and CV are both good guitars - they provide different tones, not one particularly 'better' than the other.
Well . . . I guessed the Fender correct. I guessed the other way around on the affinity and classic vibe cause I was thinking I was hearing ceramic pickups on guitar Z
You are probably the smartest person here dude. I guessed exactly the same way. Because the classic vibe sounded a little cheaper, i thought it was the affinity.
Yeah the Fender was so easy to pick out, the others are good but X was the stand out easily.
Awesome review. I chose the Affinity, by a margin of one point, over the Player. I only liked the Classic best on one setting. I'm surprised.
For me Affinity had the tones.. I have a Tele player,... find it quite scratchy & noisy.. hope you’re well man, cool video
Great comparison video Landon. I liked the tones from the Player the most , followed by the Classic Vibe . To me , the Affinity sounds like a generic Strat copy . As you said , it comes down to how they feel in the hand and what your preferences are and budget. If I could only afford the Affinity, I would still pick that over other brands Strat style guitars.
I think the Squire line gets better the higher the price point. To clarify, Affinity models have the lightest satin finish, necks and pickups are okay. The the Standard line is a little more buffed out in terms of fit and finish. The the CV line has the most attention to details in terms of fit and finish, as well as hardware. Just my opinion, but I had a Japanese and and American Squire in around 1980. Back then, they were not as well finished as the American versions. I think the differences are slight and minor with the modern ones. That said, I have a 2015 mic CV Telecaster that I'm pretty happy with.
in the blind tone test, i switched the CV with the Fender, and guitar Y was obviously the Affinity, it just sounded cheaper, warmer because of the ceramic pickups
🎸👍
Yes! Got em right.
Y had muddier note definition, so it’s the Affinity.
I just liked X Better than Z, so I figured it was tbe Fender.
All in all… all extremely similar.
Fender player definitely, getting my one soon already have the player precision bass well pleased with it.
My guess was: x: fender playerr y:classic vibe z:affinity. I was wrong lol. But i really appreciate the section when you showed us electronics and pu’s so we could clearly know what to expect before we buy it.
Give me the classic vibe any day All day.
what about when you go to sleep?
Got the player and classic vibe mixed up, I'm shocked! That squier sou is amazing!
I did not get them right, BUT, in my mind it was Squier, Player and USA Strat haha. So I was 100% convinced that guitar Z was obviously the USA Strat... says a lot about me but also about the quality of the CV Squier. Also, to my surprise, I liked the Affinity more than the Player. So for me it's; NR1 - Classic Vibe. NR2 - Affinity. NR3 - Player. Great video, thanks for making it! Have a blessed day!