The CT50 hss in firemist silver got the nod for me. After upgrading all the electronics except the output jack, it's much better than any S-type I've ever seen under $1500.
Great vid, I bought on eBay, a Sterling(Music Man) CT30 SSS Cutlass Charcoal Frost w Laurel Finger Board. + Major upgrades. Fender Yosemite pups, Vintage matching volume tone controls w CTS 500k %10 pots, Gotoh Magnum Lock-Trad 4/2-In-Line Guitar Staggered Tuners, Orange drop caps, Oak Grisby 5 way switch. all threaded parts were treated with thread locker compound, the cavity was shielded with copper foil, dressed frets. It stays in tune and intonation better than any guitar I have owned but It doesn’t look like it has the compensated nut. Any feedback on replacing it with one? I changed the saddles to black ones. I had tried sanding down the tops of the screws for less bite on my hand and wore through the chrome flat part of one of he saddles to revel the copper underneath. 🙄 Lighter by over 1 pound than the clunky Fender HWY 1 I used to have. Wondering if the CT50 neck is interchangeable w the CT30?. The seller said he paid $299.00 new ( i don't know how) and put a bit over $200 in parts. Came with a Fender Gig bag, trem arm and truss rod stick. the trem arm is screw in and that's a bit of a pain vs the snap in. I got a great deal, even after the mods, it was cheaper than the $349.99 their asking new. I got lucky.
Id say the seller easily spent 200 on mods looking at that. Good question on the CT50 neck - i couldt say for sure but i can say the first CT50 neck and the latest gen CT50 neck are VERY different in every single way. So worth bearing that in mind. As for compensated nut, in all the many guitars ive ever played regardless of price ive never once felt the need for it. A well cut nut combined with the guitar being set up to you.... is all anyone needs.
I've tried a CT50 at the store and it's so enjoyable and versatile. But the problem is, I prefer the color on CT30 (cream with white pickguard for HSS and Charcoal for SSS), but I also want to have a big upgrade too 😂. (I'm using a bullet strat and a Harley Benton PRS-shaped)
Good question, i like the dropped copper and i tend to lean toward rosewood or that style neck. But then i seen the firemist HSS with roasted maple and that would be very different for me lol
Hopefully the 2021 line is a slight upgrade from the 2016s! I know it will have the roasted maple neck, so that is nice. Always a mystery what you are going to get in terms of hardware/electrics though - especially with proprietary pickups...
No i havent yet, i tried to get one but they had gone before i could try lol. They seem pretty good and if Larry puts his name behind them, id have quite high expectations
I just ordered the new CT20. Its only 199$. The CT30s are on sale for 199$ too now. The only differences I can find between the 2 are colors and pick ups. And they have purple heart FBs instead of Laurel. But I got the white one with the maple fb. I mainly play bass though 😅
I'm trying to decide between a CT30 SSS, Classic Vibe 50s or a Fender Player strat. Would you still recommend the ct30 in terms of value for money? And is it true that the Indonesian Classic Vibe guitars are that much worse than the Chinese ones? Thanks :)
Hi buddy, i have bought and sold ALOT of squire CV guitars and the models from 2008-2013ish are FAR superior to the newer ones. The CT30 is a better strat type then all of them though and is similar money new. The CT50 is close to Mexican Fender money but in my honest opinion is a much better made guitar. If best value is what you want go for a CT30, if you want a amazing Strat type for abit more, go for the CT50 😁
@@Paul-D Thank you kind sir for the answer. :). I would go for the CT50 but its £100 more than the Player here in Sweden and only one store sells them -.-. And it's more than double the price of the CT30 for some reason while being $500 in the US of A.
Thata fair enough, i suppose theres far less of them available then Mim Fenders also. The CT30 is a great value guitar for sure, i dont think youll be disapointed. I especially like the charcoal one. But if you decide to go classic vibe, really try and find a good condition one from 2008-2013ish as they really are much better.
@@Paul-D Yeah Fenders are plentiful, a CV from that period I have not seen one of so far though. At least you helped me rule out the CV and I have the ct30 and player strat left to decide between. Too bad Brexit wasn't delayed a bit more, I could have ordered a CT50 from you guys for cheaper than a Fender here :D
Damn Brexit has definitely caused problems for that, were slowly seeing all things go up in price. Well, mexican Fender strat isnt a bad choice, but i put the CT30 on a par with them confidently, and with the spare money saved that could go towards more cool gear!
Cool video. I'm very interested in the ct30 HSS but have few questions First, I can't find anything about the nut so I'm guessing it's just plastic / synthetic bone right? Do you know the output of the single coils? are they more Vintage style around 6kohm or lower or more Hot? Which resistance are the pots? and lastly, do you know about any p90 sized Humbucker that has a coil tap feature?
The ct30 is plastic. Ct50 is graphtec. I measured output on my ct50 and they were all in the low to mid 5k, so very low output. The ct30 is slightly hotter. And ill look into the p90 question 😃
P90 sized pickup with coil tap: Dimarzio has a few of those. All their soap bar sized pickups that have 2 rows of pole pieces are basically humbuckers underneath, which can be coil tapped. I have a Dimarzio Virtual P90 and the coil tap works really well.
Pardon me, but what happened to your CT30 mod video, it's been removed? I was curious to see what people think needs improving on it. I've been looking at a CT50 or Yamaha Pacifica 612 as a beginner guitar, but money is slim. If I can get a CT30 and make a few mods, locking tuners, I'd prefer that as long as it stays in tune and plays decent. I don't know how the CT30's saddles/tremolo was for staying in tune though. Also wondered if the CT30 was shielded.
RUclips removed it a few weeks back because of copyright. Pain! The ct30 is a very stable guitar as standard, the locking tuners on the CT50 are just a nice little feature and make restringing alot easier. The major difference from the ct30 and 50 is the pickups and also the necks (now being roasted maple on the newer models) but the ct30 is still a great instrument for its price and wouldnt let you down at all.
@@rajeshgumber363 if you search me on reverb youll find it. I owned from new, excellent condition and well set up. If you arent in the UK shipping might make it unrealistic as a deal though.
Nice playing bro! Between the Steeling CT50 and the G&L Legacy tribute which one do you think is better choice, I'm about to get one of those, even I'm considering the CT30, sounds beautiful too.
I really do stand behind the sterlings especially when compared to equivilent squire or mexico fender. But i would say try one first if you can, they are quite different in feel with the neck and even fret size and thats going to be a personal choice.
depends which year production models you get as theyve changed them over time. But, the CT50 is in every way a superior guitar. Just so happens the CT30 is pretty decent too :)
@@zeppo20 again depends on what year. The CT50 here has a vastly different neck to the CT30. On the newest models the neck carves are more similar. Except feel totally different because of the roasted maple on the newer CT50
![Sterling CT30 [] How Good Straight Out The Box??](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lcnPa3VkqrM/mqdefault.jpg)
The CT50 hss in firemist silver got the nod for me. After upgrading all the electronics except the output jack, it's much better than any S-type I've ever seen under $1500.
Great vid,
I bought on eBay, a Sterling(Music Man) CT30 SSS Cutlass Charcoal Frost w Laurel Finger Board. + Major upgrades.
Fender Yosemite pups, Vintage matching volume tone controls w CTS 500k %10 pots, Gotoh Magnum Lock-Trad 4/2-In-Line Guitar Staggered Tuners,
Orange drop caps, Oak Grisby 5 way switch. all threaded parts were treated with thread locker compound, the cavity was shielded with copper foil,
dressed frets. It stays in tune and intonation better than any guitar I have owned but It doesn’t look like it has the compensated nut. Any feedback on replacing it with one? I changed the saddles to black ones. I had tried sanding down the tops of the screws for less bite on my hand and wore through the chrome flat part of one of he saddles to revel the copper underneath. 🙄 Lighter by over 1 pound than the clunky Fender HWY 1 I used to have.
Wondering if the CT50 neck is interchangeable w the CT30?. The seller said he paid $299.00 new ( i don't know how) and put a bit over $200 in parts. Came with a Fender Gig bag, trem arm and truss rod stick. the trem arm is screw in and that's a bit of a pain vs the snap in. I got a great deal, even after the mods, it was cheaper than the $349.99 their asking new. I got lucky.
Id say the seller easily spent 200 on mods looking at that. Good question on the CT50 neck - i couldt say for sure but i can say the first CT50 neck and the latest gen CT50 neck are VERY different in every single way. So worth bearing that in mind.
As for compensated nut, in all the many guitars ive ever played regardless of price ive never once felt the need for it. A well cut nut combined with the guitar being set up to you.... is all anyone needs.
I've tried a CT50 at the store and it's so enjoyable and versatile. But the problem is, I prefer the color on CT30 (cream with white pickguard for HSS and Charcoal for SSS), but I also want to have a big upgrade too 😂. (I'm using a bullet strat and a Harley Benton PRS-shaped)
I am looking for a roasted maple CT50 HSS from the new series, however they are hard to find here in europe. Would love a full review of one of those
I cant wait to get my hands on one for sure! Hopefully in the spring time. Theres quite alot on the horizon for the channel atm 😁
@@Paul-D exciting man ! Good luck
What's your favorite look from the 2021 line? I'm planning to grab a dropped copper HSS!
Good question, i like the dropped copper and i tend to lean toward rosewood or that style neck. But then i seen the firemist HSS with roasted maple and that would be very different for me lol
Firemist silver was my runner up, haha!
Cant wait to get hold of them anyway. Too often the old ones are better and im hoping thats not the case haha
Hopefully the 2021 line is a slight upgrade from the 2016s! I know it will have the roasted maple neck, so that is nice. Always a mystery what you are going to get in terms of hardware/electrics though - especially with proprietary pickups...
Nice video, man ! Since you are a fan of S type guitars, is there any chance you tried Sire Larry Carlton S7 guitars ?
No i havent yet, i tried to get one but they had gone before i could try lol. They seem pretty good and if Larry puts his name behind them, id have quite high expectations
I just ordered the new CT20. Its only 199$. The CT30s are on sale for 199$ too now. The only differences I can find between the 2 are colors and pick ups. And they have purple heart FBs instead of Laurel. But I got the white one with the maple fb. I mainly play bass though 😅
in a funny twist, im actually looking at a sterling Bass guitar and mainly play guitar haha
I'm trying to decide between a CT30 SSS, Classic Vibe 50s or a Fender Player strat. Would you still recommend the ct30 in terms of value for money? And is it true that the Indonesian Classic Vibe guitars are that much worse than the Chinese ones? Thanks :)
Hi buddy, i have bought and sold ALOT of squire CV guitars and the models from 2008-2013ish are FAR superior to the newer ones.
The CT30 is a better strat type then all of them though and is similar money new.
The CT50 is close to Mexican Fender money but in my honest opinion is a much better made guitar.
If best value is what you want go for a CT30, if you want a amazing Strat type for abit more, go for the CT50 😁
@@Paul-D Thank you kind sir for the answer. :). I would go for the CT50 but its £100 more than the Player here in Sweden and only one store sells them -.-. And it's more than double the price of the CT30 for some reason while being $500 in the US of A.
Thata fair enough, i suppose theres far less of them available then Mim Fenders also.
The CT30 is a great value guitar for sure, i dont think youll be disapointed. I especially like the charcoal one.
But if you decide to go classic vibe, really try and find a good condition one from 2008-2013ish as they really are much better.
@@Paul-D Yeah Fenders are plentiful, a CV from that period I have not seen one of so far though. At least you helped me rule out the CV and I have the ct30 and player strat left to decide between. Too bad Brexit wasn't delayed a bit more, I could have ordered a CT50 from you guys for cheaper than a Fender here :D
Damn Brexit has definitely caused problems for that, were slowly seeing all things go up in price.
Well, mexican Fender strat isnt a bad choice, but i put the CT30 on a par with them confidently, and with the spare money saved that could go towards more cool gear!
Ct50XHSS Cutlass Plus just got released, it supposedly has improved, stronger pickups. The demos and reviews so far sound really good
That slipped my radar ill have to check it out thanks 😊
@@Paul-D Looking forward to another review 😁
You mentioned a 'workshop approved' version, can you clarify what that is?
Its well out of date now. But at the time it was the modded versions of new guitars
Cool video. I'm very interested in the ct30 HSS but have few questions
First, I can't find anything about the nut so I'm guessing it's just plastic / synthetic bone right?
Do you know the output of the single coils? are they more Vintage style around 6kohm or lower or more Hot?
Which resistance are the pots?
and lastly, do you know about any p90 sized Humbucker that has a coil tap feature?
The ct30 is plastic. Ct50 is graphtec. I measured output on my ct50 and they were all in the low to mid 5k, so very low output. The ct30 is slightly hotter. And ill look into the p90 question 😃
@@Paul-D wow thanks you helped me a lot ✌️
P90 sized pickup with coil tap: Dimarzio has a few of those. All their soap bar sized pickups that have 2 rows of pole pieces are basically humbuckers underneath, which can be coil tapped. I have a Dimarzio Virtual P90 and the coil tap works really well.
@ thanks but i need it the other way Humbucker sized but p90 inside
and when its a humbucker its most liklie coil split and not tap ;)
@@TatePictures I see. Well, you can look for a stacked (hum cancelling) humbucker sized p90. Those should have 2 coil tapable coils.
Pardon me, but what happened to your CT30 mod video, it's been removed? I was curious to see what people think needs improving on it. I've been looking at a CT50 or Yamaha Pacifica 612 as a beginner guitar, but money is slim. If I can get a CT30 and make a few mods, locking tuners, I'd prefer that as long as it stays in tune and plays decent. I don't know how the CT30's saddles/tremolo was for staying in tune though. Also wondered if the CT30 was shielded.
RUclips removed it a few weeks back because of copyright. Pain! The ct30 is a very stable guitar as standard, the locking tuners on the CT50 are just a nice little feature and make restringing alot easier. The major difference from the ct30 and 50 is the pickups and also the necks (now being roasted maple on the newer models) but the ct30 is still a great instrument for its price and wouldnt let you down at all.
@@Paul-D Thanks :) .
We're can I get a bridge block upgrade for a ct50?
Not sure without experimenting with some common upgrades. In fairness though i didnt feel it was needed on ct50
Wanted to buy ct30 how the pickup ,tremelosaddle ,electronic compare to ct50
The ct50 is superior in all those ways. But the Ct30 is still a great guitar. I have this ct50 up for sale as of today if your interested!
@@rajeshgumber363 if you search me on reverb youll find it. I owned from new, excellent condition and well set up. If you arent in the UK shipping might make it unrealistic as a deal though.
Nice playing bro!
Between the Steeling CT50 and the G&L Legacy tribute which one do you think is better choice, I'm about to get one of those, even I'm considering the CT30, sounds beautiful too.
I havent tried a G&L yet which is really bad! I am trying to get hold of one so i know for sure.
@@Paul-D thanks for the reply. Subscribed
I really do stand behind the sterlings especially when compared to equivilent squire or mexico fender. But i would say try one first if you can, they are quite different in feel with the neck and even fret size and thats going to be a personal choice.
@@Paul-D Thanks, I appreciate your help
Are the same wood and build?
depends which year production models you get as theyve changed them over time. But, the CT50 is in every way a superior guitar. Just so happens the CT30 is pretty decent too :)
@@Paul-D
I think, to buy a ct30 to mod with a floyd rose, and the ct50 HSS leave as it is. What about the neck? is the same prophile?
@@zeppo20 again depends on what year. The CT50 here has a vastly different neck to the CT30. On the newest models the neck carves are more similar. Except feel totally different because of the roasted maple on the newer CT50
@@Paul-D Ok, I sold my MM Axis I thing the ct50 neck is similar.
I heard all the hype about the Sterling Cutlass till i went to a guitar center fender sguier blows it away 😎🎸
Would the ct30 hss be a godd first guitar?
Absolutely yes it would. Will take you a longggg way as a first guitar 😁
@@Paul-D Nice! Thank you
CT30 mod video?
What happened?????
RUclips removed it for something i played that was copyright :(
That sucks!
IS there anyway you could re-post something like that minus the music?
I'd be really interested in seeing the whole modding adventure!
Just found a vintage sunburst for $140, happy day
bargain!
@@Paul-D still can't believe it
Its nice when it happens 🤘