This wasn’t my experience at all. I got one in the brown, it looks perfect, plays like a dream, maybe the favorite neck I’ve ever played on. I am no connoisseur of pick ups, but my pickups have no significant issues. A buddy who owns a fender telly keeps coming back to play mine, I think he likes my Squier better than his fender! I wonder if this person got a defective one. And he also didn’t do a proper comparison, which makes you wonder his business coloring the review. My $0.02 I really like this guitar.
I really appreciate this level of honesty. Most other reviews make it sound like these guitars are awesome out of the box. If I am buying a modding platform, I want to know that. Big thanks. Keep this level of integrity.
Too bad for you. I got a 40 anniversary Strat and it’s better and I like it more than my American made fender. The Squier 40 anniversaries are great to look at and feel awesome.
THANKS Dylan, After shoulder surgery, left shoulder. can't reach the fret board. Start all over, bought a LP knockoff, surprise, body neck excellent. I come here to learn how to choose the best pots and pickups to build something that has a good sound. Thank you for teaching me every day. john
My only problem is %70 - %80 of buyers *won't be able to make improvements on these guitars*.. That's supposed to be the key reasoning of affordable guitars.. Yes it's also a great springboard for guys like us, but I know more regular folks who just need a guitar they can afford and sounds good in the process.. I absolutely love these videos so much more info
You can always pay someone else to make these upgrades. A cheap guitar + setup + pickups + labor is still cheaper than an American Tele (even some MIM Tele’s) and you basically have a customized guitar. Also you don’t have to do everything at once just start with getting it setup and go from there.
I ordered a brown one from Sweetwater and received it a week ago. Now the prices are back down to $499 and I got one of the demo units for an extra $50 off. I seem to have a couple frets that are just a tad high and wouldn't quite let me get the action down where my Elite is, but it's still great for a $450 guitar. Planning on a fret level and compensated brass saddles. Then probably new pups after that.
Thanks for doing this video. There seem to be surprisingly few for these 40th Anniversary Squiers. I have to say that I LOVE the look of the Vintage models and I’m very tempted to spend the extra money just for the look. Yes, I’m shallow! 🤷♂️
I got the mocha one for looks but I also just really wanted a satin neck. I don’t have a ton of experience, but I finally got to pick up a player tele a few weeks ago, thinking I sorta got burned on this guitar for the price, but the player honestly felt like a piece of shit in comparison. It was set up considerably better, but it just felt cheap. This guitar feels a lot more solid to me. My fret ends are not great and I can’t for the life of me get the neck adjusted how I want it, but I think it’s a decent setup away from being a really nice guitar.
Thanks you that was very helpful - been trying setup the right action and eliminate some buzz but I still love it, and will work to improve it more so now I have a good reference... boom!
Just picked up a 40th anna squer neck (block inlays, c 9.5 Indian Laural, vending gloss) for a partscaster I'm selfishly doing for my 45th bay and I've gotta say the neck is very close to my 90s mij foot flame annaverary tele and 2000 tl -62 Quality is outstanding. I'm prolly a bit of a snob but never thought I'd buy a squier neck but this thing is so good I'm quite proud of it haha.
Hi, so I bought the 40th but blond squire as a project guitar with maple neck. My telecaster seemed good out of the box, but I did check all the frets for level and because there were so many hi and low frets I did a complete fret level myself and re crowned and polished. Then replaced the saddles with the 3 piece brass saddles that you can intonate each string to almost perfect. I did have to file down the bone nut because the first fret action was to high, my file set is for 10s but work just fine for 9s. In a nut shell after neck relief, setting up bridge setting up 1st fret action is a gem!. Like I said it's a project guitar and eventually will be replacing pickups and wiring. If you have a ok Amp set up with digital or physical peddles, this quitar sounds fantastic either way. Ken from Delanco NJ.
I got the Mocha version of this Tele on a Labor Day sale from Fender for $315, and it did not seem to have the same issues. Stays in tune, output jack is strong, and the neck pickup is louder and clearer than I was expecting it to be. I am still tempted to swap them out for a set of vintage Fralins, but other than that it’s a fantastic Tele for the price.
I got one in satin mocha as well, nice guitar but the neck pickup sound doesn’t thrill me. One idea I’ve run across is removing the neck pickup from the tone pot to brighten it up.
Before changing pickups try to change the tone capacitor for 0.0047 oripure o whatever you want. i got one mocha satin and after this cheap mod sounds great. And I changed all the wiring with better quality ones.
Good points Dylan. I looked at this in Blonde vs a Fender Player Tele. The neck pickup sounds like a Recto through the old oversized cabinets without any presence at all😂. The pups in the Player are UHHMAZING! So I will be getting a Player Tele
Seems like this particular model is a good base to work off of. As long as the neck doesn't have anything funky going on everything else can be easily addressed to taste and or if necessary for proper function. I've been tempted to pick up one of these in the blonde color. I really like the double bound body on these. Thanks for sharing your experience.
THANK YOU! 🙏🏼🙏🏼 I have this model and thought it was only me that was experiencing problems! I can already tell I’m gonna learn a lot from this channel, and so I’ve subscribed and gonna go on a binge 😂 thank you!!
they didnt age the hardware with a sander, they did it in a tumbler, im a metal worker and have used this technique to deburr a lot of parts quickly. the marks are unmistakable .
Thanks for taking the time to post this. I really wanted this specific one when they were first announced, which was at $499, it didn't take long and they bumped it to $599 before release. Maybe two years ago that was the price of Fender's player series. I know that's just how it goes today, but $599 gets you within range of a used MIM tele, even if you add $200. If you have to replace the tuners and pickups, it's not worth it IMHO. That Dakota Red is sharp though.
40th anniversary telecaster in sherwood green is 350 euro on Thommann at the moment for Europe. I agree that this colour (dakota red) is one of the nicest ones though.
Just Scooped up the blonde version on Reverb as a "mint" "open box" for $299. We shall see how it turns out. Definitely upgrading all the electronics. But, my point: the prices on these have drastically dropped over the last 6 months. Awesome looking guitars, just hoping the neck will be decent on mine ? 🙏
@@lawnmyster jump on it !! Mine is awesome!! Especially the neck.. the neck pickup is kinda muddy tho. Other than that, it's a hell of a deal for $299.
I am a squire fan, got cv 72 and bought this one from my local music store and the classic vibe 50's strat, no problems with any. I think mostly because I got to look them over before I bought. I ordered custom shop twisted tele pu's. Couple mods and you have a high end guitar
I have the Vintage Blonde. No issues out of the box. If you want to upgrade things fine, but there is nothing wrong the stock pots and switch, unless you got defective ones. QC can vary, as with the G tuner. It may be a bit loose or sloppy, but unless it is completely trashed, the worm gears just don't slip. More likely the nut slots need to be filed / dressed properly - very common on most budget, and some not so budget guitars. Pickups are subjective, so pick what you like. But try adjusting the heights a bit before giving up on the stock ones. It did not sound like the same amp and/or guitar pot settings on the demos. The stock sounded very dry and clean, the new pickups demo is into overdrive and has some light delay or reverb, etc. Also, again pickup height changes make a huge difference. The new pickups and electronics DO sound GREAT, but I think the stock parts were not given a fair representation here. I'm not saying they are fantastic, just saying they don't suck - but again, subjective / just my opinion. Neck pockets are not always perfectly smooth, and shimming is an accepted method to get the neck angle right with respect to the saddle heights. That pocket does look a bit uneven though. The aged hardware look, however they did it, is meant to look not like shiny new smooth. It does that. I'm neutral on it; it looks ok. It doesn't smudge or show the smudges as easily as smooth hardware. These are not a "modding platform" guitar, but out of the box guitars need some set up, and likely nut work, etc. You can upgrade things, but these don't "need" it. It is subjective. I agree that guitar should not have left the factory with a bad tuner and sloppy jack. If you get defective stuff, send it back.
The neck pick up was miles away from the strings. Did you raise it to sort out the dull neck pick up? I've got a blonde version of the 40th vintage. It took around 6 full turns of screws raise pick up to c.2mm.
I found the neck pick up in my Squier CV 50 to be trash as well and I replaced it. The Bridge pickup is actually pretty good. The first and finish is very good and the tuners are acceptable. All in all for. $340 it s a very good guitar. I’m calling you out on the “repaired guitar”. Your demo was misleading because you were using overdrive after you changed the pickups. I’m sure your pickups sound much better, but next time demo them clean like you did with the OG’s
Big time improvement. I have griped to Big Box guitar stores about, soon as I buy that, I have to get it fixed. I got a set of free shrugs. No dice. Way to common. I did get a warranty with the instrument, waited 6mo brought it back and got it set-up to playable. Now, am thinking this hot rod job in the video would take the guitar to the next level. Since then, the warranty expired. More ides on the horizon, thank you Dylan.
Man totally better sounding. Your pickups sound great. Got the sherwood green. You sold me. Now my wife. No problem, just gotta be patient. Thanks very much. Great work.
My first Squier Tele. Was on the fence between the CV and the 40th Anniversary and then between the Satin Mocha and satin Dakota Red. Proaudiost@r has the vintage 40s "used" for 299! I just ordered the red one like Dylan's and like so many other instruments I've bought from PAS, it was BRAND NEW- still had the staples in the box and was perfectly wrapped from the factory, never opened. The "new" ones are 319, I think, but save yourself 20 bucks and get a new one anyway. All my tuners work great, but the neck pickup is a bit muddy- not bad with the tone all the way up. The unique color, black binding and smooth neck: gonna add it as a keeper. Now torn between Dylan's pu's and a set of Texas Specials...
What beautiful notes. I purchased this guitar a few weeks ago and I was wondering if it had vintage wiring or is the neck pickup very muddy. I haven't disassembled the plate, but if you have and could answer me I'd be happy. Congrats!
I got a classic vibe through Sweetwater earlier this year, it had issues including a neck that was twisted, also a set up that was way off. The thing is, it got passed by their inspection and it was obviously flawed. I'm no luthier, but the guy I took it to figured it out real quick and suggested I send it back, which I did. Sweetwater was good about the return, but I wonder how closely they look at these import budget guitars. I suspect they sell so many they have a hard time keeping up.
i think much depends on who's hands it went through on what day. ive gotten both good and bad through them. having said that, it is better than sight unseen from somewhere else that never even opened the box.
Hi! I’ve been lucky to find Fishman Fluence Greg Koch Gristle-Tone Signature Tele Set for half the price and also just ordered this tele from guitar Center for $299. How do you think will this tele be good enough platform for these pups?
In Italy this one now 299€ (more or less $300). With few upgrades it gets a great guitar. Probably a lot better than a Player made in Mexico (I have one that's not bad but doesn't worth 800€ for sure). I'm in love with the natural finish of this 40th anniversary. Since I'd like to have a Telecaster custom in my arsenal, I could mod this one with a serious HB at the neck. Worth the trying 😁Nice video ❤👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I recently picked up a squier contemporary strat, which is about $150 less than the 40th anniversary editions. I also got a really nice flamed roasted neck. That kind of blew me away and the rest of the guitar is solid. I have a similar complaint in terms of the pickups but, I kind of expected that going in. Really glad I went for a higher priced Squier because it has solid bones, the finish is nice, and it will be super upgradable going forward. Also this particular model has very interesting wiring.
What kind of neck pick-up would recommend? Did you replace the bridge pick-up also and what did you, if you did put in there? thank you Dylan. Doug from Green Bay, Wi and how much just for the 2 pick-ups? I've had everything changed except the tuners. Pointers and price's please? Thanks, Doug in Green Bay, WI.
I've been thinking about this a lot the last few years because all of my guitars are old and shitty and I have been modifying them. It seems as if these less expensive guitars are basically DIY kits that happen to have throw away parts. A lot of kits I've seen have necks that are sub-par and cost more. The bonus is a beginner can buy a cheap Squire or Epiphone and play it until they can afford to eventually modify it.
You can pull off a Custom Shop level Fender-like with Warmoth body and neck ($600-1000 depending on how fancy you want the woods) and $350 or so in mid-tier hardware and electronics. I think you'd get a lot of bank for the buck out of Dylan's pickups, and maybe get an elite instrument around $1000 so long as you can do your own finish and soldering.
Sorry I didn't watch the whole thing from launch: That Pedal Show was starting a live stream at the exact same time, and well, live gets priority. Little did I know Mick and Dan would proceed to do over two hours of awesomeness. Just circling back to this sweet vid.
Just order a similar, newer version with white pickguard, same color and it’s really beautiful, BUT. As I looked at the neck, one of the neckscrews wasn’t properly in and it looked like being a bit off the Center of the hole. The Neckplat also looks slightly asymmetrical to the body. I tried screwing it in and heard a little cracking noise. What would you suggest me to do? Return it or keep and just forget about the QC issue. I’m happy with my old squier tele deluxe which I just use as often as my USA pro II strat.
J ais fais le choix pour toutes mes guitares de n acheter que des squier CV et pas des Fender , car dans mon esprit j allais modifié dessuite ces guitare , électronique mojotone USA , micro dimarzio twang king et chopper , chevalet 3 pontet laiton compensé gotoh/Wilkinson , et j ai mis aussi une plaque 3 plis perloid , je n' ais pas eu besoin de changer les tuners qui sont très bon .
I’m a big fan of Squiers. You gotta understand that QC on all these just isn’t consistent. It’s hard when you’re a newb and get a Squier. My first one sucked as did my next 2. Then I started learning how to fix things and everything I’ve needed to do to a Squier has been a really easy fix now.
I have this guitar (Vintage Mocha) and I totally agree with the neck tone being just... I dunno, kinda dull most of the time. Though I personally got lucky and found it's very good at staying in tune - it's also so smooth and comfortable to play. I'm next considering swapping out the ashtray bridge.
This video was a tipping point to me buying this exact model Telecaster, played a couple, one I just couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to modding this simplistic machine. Question though, after you modded this guitar what amp were you playing it though in the video in front of your RV?
Neck pocket on my gold version was worse has a big drill hole. I agree the neck pick up was no good. Still deciding what I am going to replace it with.
Nice review, good audio and video, thank you. Bought one of these in Vintage Blonde, MF was letting them go for three Benjamins. Fret work and the neck were very good, great tint on the neck. Pickup tone is that of a Classic Vibe, same pickups, good enough for me these days. Setup well enough to gig out of the box, maybe with a neck tweak. However, the finish on it had excessive dark wood grain and dark knots showing through the finish all over the body. Literally a dozen or more knots front and back. It was just poorly done, messy, distracting. The Samick factory shouldn't have let it pass. Disappointing, so decided to return it. MF was very understanding and gave a full refund, return shipping and all, kudos to them. Not sure if I'll try another sight unseen. Cool guitars, but apparently quality control may vary. Maybe the red ones never have that issue?
Hi I have the gold series 40th anniversary telecaster, would your flat pickups fit, they soud good? Also did you have to drill new holes for the Wilkinson tuners, do you remember which ones you used? Guessing they would fit the gold series telecaster, 40th anniversary!
After you put your pickups in the tone setting was different? It sounded like a much better starting point than you're first sound demo. The first one was such a dry lifeless setting while the second was more edge of breakup. Im sure your pickups are better but it wasn't a fair comparison man.
I’m just curious what it would have sounded like with the exact same settings on your amp or whatever you used. I have a few squiers and I agree the neck pickups are trash but with a good amp setting they are at least usable.
Neck pickups on a Tele seem harder to get right, but I think the stock was ok. Not great, like the Flat 6 was, but at least usable. Maybe the difference is more pronounced in person.
So it's a nice neck and a body. New tuners, electronics, pickups, and it's good. Are those bridge saddles un-compensated? Is the Classic Vibe neck as nice, fret-wise, as this one was?
Those pickups are fantastic sounding Dylan what set of yours did you use? I have a set of deluxe drive from fender I am putting in my Mexican tele but they seem cheap with no metal backing plate would drop some coin on those, I will shoot you an email
I bought this, the cocoa brown one. Added Fralin Blues Special. No complaints & it sounds awesome. Maybe total costs is $650! The Fralins are da truth!! But I wonder if the Tele platform just so simple that a few cheap mods can make a spectacular guitar outta any Tele? Why ever pay $2,000? I don’t know?
You didn't even have the settings the same for the different electronics and pickups lol. You had the replacement stuff set right to where the breakup occurs which is sweet spot and settings for the squier parts weren't given the same tone settings as the aftermarket parts.
Dylan plays more enthusiastically when his pickups are installed. And typically doesn't play the same riffs for before and after. Makes A/B comparison difficult.
@@allanflippin2453 It's not like there wasn't some decent articulation out of the Squier stuff for a decently priced rig. It sounded like he wasn't even running it through the same setup it was so different. It came off as one of those bad weight loss things where they use better lighting and even a better camera for the "AFTER" pics.
@@DylanTalksTone You should be running the guitar before and after through the same setup in the same environment so people can decide on their own. You do you though, homie.
I’ll probably put a direct AB on the website product page, but I didn’t have my other amp with me. The people that know my stuff… know. The people that nitpick RUclips videos aren’t really my people so it’s no thing. We have a ton of videos w our tele pickups AB tested. I just make the videos I want to make. ;)
I got one of the last of the cream colored ones when Amazon reduced them out to 250. I have a gaggle of teles and its in my top 3. Def the nicest of the Squires I own. My pots did NOT look like that. They were very small. That is weird. Also, I forgot about the output jack. Mine was ratf**ked from the beginning too. The metal... flat thingy? inside the output jack, like a cleat? That broke. I have Don Mare a3 in the the neck and his Hayride in the bridge now.
😂 i have the red one. Even after a proper setup a lot of string buzz on the B&G strings with a proper setup. So there are problems with the nut and the saddle and yes the neck pickup is crap. So by the time you deal with a nut and some saddle work by a luthier it's a much more expensive guitar find me up to just get rid of mine and same thing about the g-string tuner with mine as well it's loose
Wild. My gold 40th Tele had a bum tuner on the G too. What are the odds. Luckily mine will stay in tune when it's under tension, but if you back it off there is a ton of play. Other than that it has been great. I love the guitar.
The classic vibe baritone is in a top 4 guitar rotation for me, I picked played with one of these red boys today and it looks FREAKIN UNREAL in person. Throw some seymour duncan hot rails in there and you have a player and a looker. I'll probs scoop this guy up too at some point
The "Ageing" appears to be done by using some sort of media blasting similar to sandblasting... A DA would never be able to reach the tight areas. The affected surfaces will likely "rust" a little over time.
It's a Tele thing.. Missing the barrel switch. At least on my Squire.. I gotta say the I am suprised at how nice the neck is on my 2020 Squire special run. For a cheap guitar they can have a neck that is real playable. I noticed the grain orientation isn't great on my maple neck with a maple cap but it's nice feeling.. Satin finish.
Hi I have the gold series 40th anniversary telecaster that I just got, just wondering if your flat 6 pickups would fit the pickguard ok? Also just wondering what tuners you used and if you had to drill new holes or if they fit OK? I already did a similar mod to the electronics as I had the rewire kit from Stew Mac that comes with the 4 way switch, new pots and caps. Thanks!
@@DylanTalksTone Ok thanks for the quick reply, do you have the ones you used in the video in stock as those sound really good. Also do you remember if the tuners fit well or did you need to drill new holes, thanks!
I missed it. Rats! The body finish looks almost plastic; is it painted, or is that a laminate I see? I prefer a maple neck, and am not wild about the OEM bridge, as I'd prefer individual string saddles. The new pups deff sing!
Played this exact model. The neck is gorgeous and the colorway is cool. The nut width was my only issue, but that’s personal preference. It felt narrow in open position. The neck pickup is an issue I find with most Squiers. Just muddy as usual.
How do you like those Wilkinson tuners? I bought some for one of my Teles and liked them, they seem to do the job and are sturdy. Plus the ones I bought were 18:1 ratio, which I like better. But id love to hear what you think of those vintage style ones you used.
I have the Squier 60s Vibe Thinline Tele... needed to straighten out the neck, tuners not so great so I bought new set. I upgraded the barrel saddles to compensated because I wasn't getting the best intonation out of them. Pick ups were really dull. Even just getting a cheap $50 set of "vintage" pickups off amazon upgraded the sound completely. I figured I'd try the series mod with the push/pull tone pot. Has Dylan ever covered the series mod for a tele?
Sweetwater has been missing the ball lately. Recently got an Ibanez with rusty frets. And I’ve seen a bunch of RUclipsrs who’ve ordered from Sweetwater talk about missed quality control issues.
I like your red one better than the other 40th anniversary models with gold hardware. However, at this price point I think I'd lean toward the butterscotch 50's Classic Vibe. Thanks for the review.
Had a Classic vibe 60"s thinline Tele I also thought the neck pickup was horrible. Didn't feel like dumping any money into a $400 dollar guitar so I traded it off.
I TRUST your honest opinions. just continue to offer unbiased Top Quality advise to keep us coming back. I watch you to learn just Honest facts. Which Amp and pedals at the end?? Please list in the - gear used list - its important for us on our side of the Table. Good Tone. Rockers use Tele's too - so some good screaming notes are good to hear too. I'm a Georgia man too. I plan to send a message to that GA address with possible gear venture. I'm in Houston Now. Respectfully, leafstone1001
I think you should pull those pickups apart and see how they got the resistance/output right but the tone all wrong. Squiers often get the tone pretty good but the output all wrong!
I have this exact guitar, ive been wanting to switch the neck PU to a p90 variant (a90 by porter pickups) because of the size of the pickup id assume id need to carve a bigger pocket so i think ill send it to a luthier, maybe new pots too, any thoughts Mr Dylan? edit- just saw your p90s on your website those look cool too.
This wasn’t my experience at all. I got one in the brown, it looks perfect, plays like a dream, maybe the favorite neck I’ve ever played on. I am no connoisseur of pick ups, but my pickups have no significant issues. A buddy who owns a fender telly keeps coming back to play mine, I think he likes my Squier better than his fender! I wonder if this person got a defective one. And he also didn’t do a proper comparison, which makes you wonder his business coloring the review. My $0.02
I really like this guitar.
I really appreciate this level of honesty. Most other reviews make it sound like these guitars are awesome out of the box. If I am buying a modding platform, I want to know that.
Big thanks. Keep this level of integrity.
That's why I bought the Affinity after buying a NON WORKING CLASSIC VIBE ! GUTS ARE GARBAGE HIDDEN INSIDE.
Too bad for you. I got a 40 anniversary Strat and it’s better and I like it more than my American made fender. The Squier 40 anniversaries are great to look at and feel awesome.
Squiers make excellent modding guitars that can be turned into a one-of-a-kind favorite.
Fact!
I like a positive opinion of a great guitar.these are a great little guitar that the average person can afford.thank you for your positive evaluation
THANKS Dylan, After shoulder surgery, left shoulder. can't reach the fret board. Start all over, bought a LP knockoff, surprise, body neck excellent. I come here to learn how to choose the best pots and pickups to build something that has a good sound. Thank you for teaching me every day. john
My only problem is %70 - %80 of buyers *won't be able to make improvements on these guitars*.. That's supposed to be the key reasoning of affordable guitars.. Yes it's also a great springboard for guys like us, but I know more regular folks who just need a guitar they can afford and sounds good in the process.. I absolutely love these videos so much more info
You can always pay someone else to make these upgrades. A cheap guitar + setup + pickups + labor is still cheaper than an American Tele (even some MIM Tele’s) and you basically have a customized guitar. Also you don’t have to do everything at once just start with getting it setup and go from there.
@@martianmurrayit ain't rocketbacker science .
just rotate the jack a quarter turn, one of the prongs is pressing against the body blocking your instrument cable.
Zero issues with mine. Love it!
I ordered a brown one from Sweetwater and received it a week ago. Now the prices are back down to $499 and I got one of the demo units for an extra $50 off. I seem to have a couple frets that are just a tad high and wouldn't quite let me get the action down where my Elite is, but it's still great for a $450 guitar. Planning on a fret level and compensated brass saddles. Then probably new pups after that.
Thanks for doing this video. There seem to be surprisingly few for these 40th Anniversary Squiers. I have to say that I LOVE the look of the Vintage models and I’m very tempted to spend the extra money just for the look. Yes, I’m shallow! 🤷♂️
I got the mocha one for looks but I also just really wanted a satin neck. I don’t have a ton of experience, but I finally got to pick up a player tele a few weeks ago, thinking I sorta got burned on this guitar for the price, but the player honestly felt like a piece of shit in comparison. It was set up considerably better, but it just felt cheap. This guitar feels a lot more solid to me. My fret ends are not great and I can’t for the life of me get the neck adjusted how I want it, but I think it’s a decent setup away from being a really nice guitar.
Thanks you that was very helpful - been trying setup the right action and eliminate some buzz but I still love it, and will work to improve it more so now I have a good reference... boom!
Just picked up a 40th anna squer neck (block inlays, c 9.5 Indian Laural, vending gloss) for a partscaster I'm selfishly doing for my 45th bay and I've gotta say the neck is very close to my 90s mij foot flame annaverary tele and 2000 tl -62
Quality is outstanding.
I'm prolly a bit of a snob but never thought I'd buy a squier neck but this thing is so good I'm quite proud of it haha.
Hi, so I bought the 40th but blond squire as a project guitar with maple neck. My telecaster seemed good out of the box, but I did check all the frets for level and because there were so many hi and low frets I did a complete fret level myself and re crowned and polished. Then replaced the saddles with the 3 piece brass saddles that you can intonate each string to almost perfect. I did have to file down the bone nut because the first fret action was to high, my file set is for 10s but work just fine for 9s. In a nut shell after neck relief, setting up bridge setting up 1st fret action is a gem!. Like I said it's a project guitar and eventually will be replacing pickups and wiring. If you have a ok Amp set up with digital or physical peddles, this quitar sounds fantastic either way. Ken from Delanco NJ.
Wow, how sad is that?! and for the 40th Anniversary?!
Thanks Dylan! you are awesome, bro. Rock on...
I got the Mocha version of this Tele on a Labor Day sale from Fender for $315, and it did not seem to have the same issues. Stays in tune, output jack is strong, and the neck pickup is louder and clearer than I was expecting it to be. I am still tempted to swap them out for a set of vintage Fralins, but other than that it’s a fantastic Tele for the price.
I played a few of em at GC and I agree w you. Each one was different. Great woods and feel but INCONSISTENT
I got one in satin mocha as well, nice guitar but the neck pickup sound doesn’t thrill me. One idea I’ve run across is removing the neck pickup from the tone pot to brighten it up.
Before changing pickups try to change the tone capacitor for 0.0047 oripure o whatever you want. i got one mocha satin and after this cheap mod sounds great.
And I changed all the wiring with better quality ones.
The same happens with Fender Mexico
This guitar is around 400 bucks and lindy fralin set 250....
I have a 40th and i have had no issues with it. It's become my favorite electric.
Good points Dylan. I looked at this in Blonde vs a Fender Player Tele. The neck pickup sounds like a Recto through the old oversized cabinets without any presence at all😂. The pups in the Player are UHHMAZING! So I will be getting a Player Tele
Seems like this particular model is a good base to work off of. As long as the neck doesn't have anything funky going on everything else can be easily addressed to taste and or if necessary for proper function. I've been tempted to pick up one of these in the blonde color. I really like the double bound body on these. Thanks for sharing your experience.
ME TOO.
THANK YOU! 🙏🏼🙏🏼 I have this model and thought it was only me that was experiencing problems! I can already tell I’m gonna learn a lot from this channel, and so I’ve subscribed and gonna go on a binge 😂 thank you!!
It did sound much better with your pick ups, however the first demo was played clean and the last on verge of break up☝️
That would be very disingenuous on his part if he did that, but it did sound that way
they didnt age the hardware with a sander, they did it in a tumbler, im a metal worker and have used this technique to deburr a lot of parts quickly.
the marks are unmistakable .
Same with many Fender Road Worn parts. Definitely tumbled.
Thanks for taking the time to post this. I really wanted this specific one when they were first announced, which was at $499, it didn't take long and they bumped it to $599 before release. Maybe two years ago that was the price of Fender's player series. I know that's just how it goes today, but $599 gets you within range of a used MIM tele, even if you add $200. If you have to replace the tuners and pickups, it's not worth it IMHO. That Dakota Red is sharp though.
same here. prices seem to be coming down on reverb, so i’m more intrigued now lol
40th anniversary telecaster in sherwood green is 350 euro on Thommann at the moment for Europe. I agree that this colour (dakota red) is one of the nicest ones though.
Just Scooped up the blonde version on Reverb as a "mint" "open box" for $299. We shall see how it turns out. Definitely upgrading all the electronics. But, my point: the prices on these have drastically dropped over the last 6 months. Awesome looking guitars, just hoping the neck will be decent on mine ? 🙏
$299 at Sweetwater right now. Brand new.
@@lawnmyster jump on it !! Mine is awesome!! Especially the neck.. the neck pickup is kinda muddy tho. Other than that, it's a hell of a deal for $299.
Thank you for your honest review Dylan, it is much appreciated.
I just got one of these off ebay blemished, but I only paid $330 for it. Same color. Can't wait to play it.
I bought a Squier Classic Vibe 60`s Tele, perfect from day one, feels & sounds fantastic.
I am a squire fan, got cv 72 and bought this one from my local music store and the classic vibe 50's strat, no problems with any. I think mostly because I got to look them over before I bought. I ordered custom shop twisted tele pu's. Couple mods and you have a high end guitar
*Squier
Wow. Sounds so much better after getting the Dylan treatment.
I have the Vintage Blonde. No issues out of the box. If you want to upgrade things fine, but there is nothing wrong the stock pots and switch, unless you got defective ones. QC can vary, as with the G tuner. It may be a bit loose or sloppy, but unless it is completely trashed, the worm gears just don't slip. More likely the nut slots need to be filed / dressed properly - very common on most budget, and some not so budget guitars. Pickups are subjective, so pick what you like. But try adjusting the heights a bit before giving up on the stock ones.
It did not sound like the same amp and/or guitar pot settings on the demos. The stock sounded very dry and clean, the new pickups demo is into overdrive and has some light delay or reverb, etc. Also, again pickup height changes make a huge difference.
The new pickups and electronics DO sound GREAT, but I think the stock parts were not given a fair representation here. I'm not saying they are fantastic, just saying they don't suck - but again, subjective / just my opinion.
Neck pockets are not always perfectly smooth, and shimming is an accepted method to get the neck angle right with respect to the saddle heights. That pocket does look a bit uneven though.
The aged hardware look, however they did it, is meant to look not like shiny new smooth. It does that. I'm neutral on it; it looks ok. It doesn't smudge or show the smudges as easily as smooth hardware.
These are not a "modding platform" guitar, but out of the box guitars need some set up, and likely nut work, etc. You can upgrade things, but these don't "need" it. It is subjective.
I agree that guitar should not have left the factory with a bad tuner and sloppy jack. If you get defective stuff, send it back.
The neck pick up was miles away from the strings. Did you raise it to sort out the dull neck pick up?
I've got a blonde version of the 40th vintage.
It took around 6 full turns of screws raise pick up to c.2mm.
Saying hello to Leslie's foot starting about 11:30 :D
Funny thing, my g tuner was loose too. Good video
I found the neck pick up in my Squier CV 50 to be trash as well and I replaced it.
The Bridge pickup is actually pretty good.
The first and finish is very good and the tuners are acceptable.
All in all for. $340 it s a very good guitar.
I’m calling you out on the “repaired guitar”. Your demo was misleading because you were using overdrive after you changed the pickups.
I’m sure your pickups sound much better, but next time demo them clean like you did with the OG’s
Big time improvement. I have griped to Big Box guitar stores about, soon as I buy that, I have to get it fixed. I got a set of free shrugs. No dice. Way to common. I did get a warranty with the instrument, waited 6mo brought it back and got it set-up to playable. Now, am thinking this hot rod job in the video would take the guitar to the next level. Since then, the warranty expired. More ides on the horizon, thank you Dylan.
Unlucky . Mine is spot on. I've played for 40 years.
Man totally better sounding. Your pickups sound great. Got the sherwood green. You sold me. Now my wife. No problem, just gotta be patient. Thanks very much. Great work.
My first Squier Tele. Was on the fence between the CV and the 40th Anniversary and then between the Satin Mocha and satin Dakota Red. Proaudiost@r has the vintage 40s "used" for 299! I just ordered the red one like Dylan's and like so many other instruments I've bought from PAS, it was BRAND NEW- still had the staples in the box and was perfectly wrapped from the factory, never opened. The "new" ones are 319, I think, but save yourself 20 bucks and get a new one anyway. All my tuners work great, but the neck pickup is a bit muddy- not bad with the tone all the way up. The unique color, black binding and smooth neck: gonna add it as a keeper. Now torn between Dylan's pu's and a set of Texas Specials...
What beautiful notes. I purchased this guitar a few weeks ago and I was wondering if it had vintage wiring or is the neck pickup very muddy.
I haven't disassembled the plate, but if you have and could answer me I'd be happy.
Congrats!
I got a classic vibe through Sweetwater earlier this year, it had issues including a neck that was twisted, also a set up that was way off. The thing is, it got passed by their inspection and it was obviously flawed. I'm no luthier, but the guy I took it to figured it out real quick and suggested I send it back, which I did. Sweetwater was good about the return, but I wonder how closely they look at these import budget guitars. I suspect they sell so many they have a hard time keeping up.
i think much depends on who's hands it went through on what day. ive gotten both good and bad through them. having said that, it is better than sight unseen from somewhere else that never even opened the box.
See Phil McKnight's vid on this very subject at sweetwater.
Neck twisted? That is a true inspection miss. Do they claim their inspection includes a set up? They didn’t in the past.
Hi! I’ve been lucky to find Fishman Fluence Greg Koch Gristle-Tone Signature Tele Set for half the price and also just ordered this tele from guitar Center for $299. How do you think will this tele be good enough platform for these pups?
In Italy this one now 299€ (more or less $300). With few upgrades it gets a great guitar. Probably a lot better than a Player made in Mexico (I have one that's not bad but doesn't worth 800€ for sure). I'm in love with the natural finish of this 40th anniversary. Since I'd like to have a Telecaster custom in my arsenal, I could mod this one with a serious HB at the neck. Worth the trying 😁Nice video ❤👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
A guy had one of these on facebook, had exactly the same chord input problem.
I recently picked up a squier contemporary strat, which is about $150 less than the 40th anniversary editions. I also got a really nice flamed roasted neck. That kind of blew me away and the rest of the guitar is solid.
I have a similar complaint in terms of the pickups but, I kind of expected that going in. Really glad I went for a higher priced Squier because it has solid bones, the finish is nice, and it will be super upgradable going forward. Also this particular model has very interesting wiring.
What kind of neck pick-up would recommend? Did you replace the bridge pick-up also and what did you, if you did put in there? thank you Dylan. Doug from Green Bay, Wi and how much just for the 2 pick-ups? I've had everything changed except the tuners. Pointers and price's please? Thanks, Doug in Green Bay, WI.
I've been thinking about this a lot the last few years because all of my guitars are old and shitty and I have been modifying them.
It seems as if these less expensive guitars are basically DIY kits that happen to have throw away parts. A lot of kits I've seen have necks that are sub-par and cost more. The bonus is a beginner can buy a cheap Squire or Epiphone and play it until they can afford to eventually modify it.
You can pull off a Custom Shop level Fender-like with Warmoth body and neck ($600-1000 depending on how fancy you want the woods) and $350 or so in mid-tier hardware and electronics. I think you'd get a lot of bank for the buck out of Dylan's pickups, and maybe get an elite instrument around $1000 so long as you can do your own finish and soldering.
@@michaelmenkesOZSKIB Soooo true, Michael. My Warmoth strat build
from 2012 would cost 3K or 4K today in any decent custom shop.
Is the neck puckup route wide enough for a P90?
i really enjoyed this video 🤩
thank you so much ‼️
Dylan 😎🎸
Sorry I didn't watch the whole thing from launch: That Pedal Show was starting a live stream at the exact same time, and well, live gets priority. Little did I know Mick and Dan would proceed to do over two hours of awesomeness. Just circling back to this sweet vid.
wow nice sound now!... witch pickup did you go for?😊
Just order a similar, newer version with white pickguard, same color and it’s really beautiful, BUT.
As I looked at the neck, one of the neckscrews wasn’t properly in and it looked like being a bit off the Center of the hole. The Neckplat also looks slightly asymmetrical to the body. I tried screwing it in and heard a little cracking noise.
What would you suggest me to do? Return it or keep and just forget about the QC issue.
I’m happy with my old squier tele deluxe which I just use as often as my USA pro II strat.
I got the 40th anniversary Jazz Master a few months ago. I have put it in the line of guitars needing repairs. Maybe Ill get to it next month.
How hard would it be to make every three saddle Tele bridge string thru, AND top loader??
Would it cost them more that 50 cents a bridge?
J ais fais le choix pour toutes mes guitares de n acheter que des squier CV et pas des Fender , car dans mon esprit j allais modifié dessuite ces guitare , électronique mojotone USA , micro dimarzio twang king et chopper , chevalet 3 pontet laiton compensé gotoh/Wilkinson , et j ai mis aussi une plaque 3 plis perloid , je n' ais pas eu besoin de changer les tuners qui sont très bon .
well my guitar ear is basically non existent and i love how the satin mocha looks so i will probably get it anyways
Found one foe 299 used. I'm really considering it. The color look amazing!
I’m a big fan of Squiers. You gotta understand that QC on all these just isn’t consistent. It’s hard when you’re a newb and get a Squier. My first one sucked as did my next 2. Then I started learning how to fix things and everything I’ve needed to do to a Squier has been a really easy fix now.
Sounds great Dylan!
I have this guitar (Vintage Mocha) and I totally agree with the neck tone being just... I dunno, kinda dull most of the time. Though I personally got lucky and found it's very good at staying in tune - it's also so smooth and comfortable to play. I'm next considering swapping out the ashtray bridge.
This video was a tipping point to me buying this exact model Telecaster, played a couple, one I just couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to modding this simplistic machine. Question though, after you modded this guitar what amp were you playing it though in the video in front of your RV?
I have this guitar. It's amazing. My favorite guitar. And I play it stock.
Neck pocket on my gold version was worse has a big drill hole. I agree the neck pick up was no good. Still deciding what I am going to replace it with.
Thanks. Very useful review.
Nice review, good audio and video, thank you. Bought one of these in Vintage Blonde, MF was letting them go for three Benjamins. Fret work and the neck were very good, great tint on the neck. Pickup tone is that of a Classic Vibe, same pickups, good enough for me these days. Setup well enough to gig out of the box, maybe with a neck tweak. However, the finish on it had excessive dark wood grain and dark knots showing through the finish all over the body. Literally a dozen or more knots front and back. It was just poorly done, messy, distracting. The Samick factory shouldn't have let it pass. Disappointing, so decided to return it. MF was very understanding and gave a full refund, return shipping and all, kudos to them. Not sure if I'll try another sight unseen. Cool guitars, but apparently quality control may vary. Maybe the red ones never have that issue?
Hi I have the gold series 40th anniversary telecaster, would your flat pickups fit, they soud good? Also did you have to drill new holes for the Wilkinson tuners, do you remember which ones you used? Guessing they would fit the gold series telecaster, 40th anniversary!
What is rhe neck pickup cover made of. Is it brass or something that effects the tone?
After you put your pickups in the tone setting was different? It sounded like a much better starting point than you're first sound demo. The first one was such a dry lifeless setting while the second was more edge of breakup. Im sure your pickups are better but it wasn't a fair comparison man.
The old pickups just weren’t inspiring to play. The neck pickup was just dead. It wouldn’t really break right. Of course it’s not a fair comparison….
I’m just curious what it would have sounded like with the exact same settings on your amp or whatever you used. I have a few squiers and I agree the neck pickups are trash but with a good amp setting they are at least usable.
Honestly the better amp bro ga put the flaws in the pickup the delta is much bigger w a better amp
Neck pickups on a Tele seem harder to get right, but I think the stock was ok. Not great, like the Flat 6 was, but at least usable. Maybe the difference is more pronounced in person.
So it's a nice neck and a body. New tuners, electronics, pickups, and it's good.
Are those bridge saddles un-compensated?
Is the Classic Vibe neck as nice, fret-wise, as this one was?
Those pickups are fantastic sounding Dylan what set of yours did you use? I have a set of deluxe drive from fender I am putting in my Mexican tele but they seem cheap with no metal backing plate would drop some coin on those, I will shoot you an email
I bought this, the cocoa brown one. Added Fralin Blues Special. No complaints & it sounds awesome. Maybe total costs is $650! The Fralins are da truth!! But I wonder if the Tele platform just so simple that a few cheap mods can make a spectacular guitar outta any Tele? Why ever pay $2,000? I don’t know?
You didn't even have the settings the same for the different electronics and pickups lol. You had the replacement stuff set right to where the breakup occurs which is sweet spot and settings for the squier parts weren't given the same tone settings as the aftermarket parts.
Dylan plays more enthusiastically when his pickups are installed. And typically doesn't play the same riffs for before and after. Makes A/B comparison difficult.
@@allanflippin2453 It's not like there wasn't some decent articulation out of the Squier stuff for a decently priced rig. It sounded like he wasn't even running it through the same setup it was so different. It came off as one of those bad weight loss things where they use better lighting and even a better camera for the "AFTER" pics.
These comments are funny
@@DylanTalksTone You should be running the guitar before and after through the same setup in the same environment so people can decide on their own. You do you though, homie.
I’ll probably put a direct AB on the website product page, but I didn’t have my other amp with me. The people that know my stuff… know. The people that nitpick RUclips videos aren’t really my people so it’s no thing. We have a ton of videos w our tele pickups AB tested. I just make the videos I want to make. ;)
Great videography on the vid BTW!
Will the neck pickup cover fit on aftermarket pickups...your pickups as well??
I got one of the last of the cream colored ones when Amazon reduced them out to 250. I have a gaggle of teles and its in my top 3. Def the nicest of the Squires I own. My pots did NOT look like that. They were very small. That is weird. Also, I forgot about the output jack. Mine was ratf**ked from the beginning too. The metal... flat thingy? inside the output jack, like a cleat? That broke.
I have Don Mare a3 in the the neck and his Hayride in the bridge now.
😂 i have the red one. Even after a proper setup a lot of string buzz on the B&G strings with a proper setup. So there are problems with the nut and the saddle and yes the neck pickup is crap. So by the time you deal with a nut and some saddle work by a luthier it's a much more expensive guitar find me up to just get rid of mine and same thing about the g-string tuner with mine as well it's loose
Wild. My gold 40th Tele had a bum tuner on the G too. What are the odds. Luckily mine will stay in tune when it's under tension, but if you back it off there is a ton of play.
Other than that it has been great. I love the guitar.
The classic vibe baritone is in a top 4 guitar rotation for me, I picked played with one of these red boys today and it looks FREAKIN UNREAL in person. Throw some seymour duncan hot rails in there and you have a player and a looker. I'll probs scoop this guy up too at some point
The "Ageing" appears to be done by using some sort of media blasting similar to sandblasting... A DA would never be able to reach the tight areas. The affected surfaces will likely "rust" a little over time.
I agree. After I look at it, that would make more sense.
It's a Tele thing.. Missing the barrel switch. At least on my Squire.. I gotta say the I am suprised at how nice the neck is on my 2020 Squire special run. For a cheap guitar they can have a neck that is real playable. I noticed the grain orientation isn't great on my maple neck with a maple cap but it's nice feeling.. Satin finish.
Hi I have the gold series 40th anniversary telecaster that I just got, just wondering if your flat 6 pickups would fit the pickguard ok? Also just wondering what tuners you used and if you had to drill new holes or if they fit OK? I already did a similar mod to the electronics as I had the rewire kit from Stew Mac that comes with the 4 way switch, new pots and caps. Thanks!
Yes for sure
@@DylanTalksTone Ok thanks for the quick reply, do you have the ones you used in the video in stock as those sound really good. Also do you remember if the tuners fit well or did you need to drill new holes, thanks!
We do yes. And I used Kluson Tuners
Did you ever find a buyer for this project
I missed it. Rats! The body finish looks almost plastic; is it painted, or is that a laminate I see? I prefer a maple neck, and am not wild about the OEM bridge, as I'd prefer individual string saddles. The new pups deff sing!
Played this exact model. The neck is gorgeous and the colorway is cool. The nut width was my only issue, but that’s personal preference. It felt narrow in open position.
The neck pickup is an issue I find with most Squiers. Just muddy as usual.
I’d buy that guitar to get that pickguard. Make an aluminium blackguard with it
I was talking about when you first played it. You said that the neck pick up muddy but didn't you lower it a little bit or raise it before the change?
Lol no … never touched it. It was pretty much perfect height
How do you like those Wilkinson tuners? I bought some for one of my Teles and liked them, they seem to do the job and are sturdy. Plus the ones I bought were 18:1 ratio, which I like better. But id love to hear what you think of those vintage style ones you used.
Ive used some of the Wilkinson bass bridges with brass saddles and they are pretty good .
Nayatoha bodywood?
I have the Squier 60s Vibe Thinline Tele... needed to straighten out the neck, tuners not so great so I bought new set. I upgraded the barrel saddles to compensated because I wasn't getting the best intonation out of them. Pick ups were really dull. Even just getting a cheap $50 set of "vintage" pickups off amazon upgraded the sound completely. I figured I'd try the series mod with the push/pull tone pot. Has Dylan ever covered the series mod for a tele?
The birds were mimicking you, fighting back with song!
Good playin bro.!
Sweetwater has been missing the ball lately. Recently got an Ibanez with rusty frets. And I’ve seen a bunch of RUclipsrs who’ve ordered from Sweetwater talk about missed quality control issues.
those tall narrow fret
12 radius ?
for the mpl neck ?
or the vintage spec
¿
I like your red one better than the other 40th anniversary models with gold hardware.
However, at this price point I think I'd lean toward the butterscotch 50's Classic Vibe.
Thanks for the review.
Had a Classic vibe 60"s thinline Tele I also thought the neck pickup was horrible. Didn't feel like dumping any money into a $400 dollar guitar so I traded it off.
Great vid and it looks good just needed positive attention
I'm waiting on your first knife review... 👍
It’s coming on the other channel
I TRUST your honest opinions. just continue to offer unbiased Top Quality advise to keep us coming back. I watch you to learn just Honest facts. Which Amp and pedals at the end?? Please list in the - gear used list - its important for us on our side of the Table. Good Tone. Rockers use Tele's too - so some good screaming notes are good to hear too. I'm a Georgia man too. I plan to send a message to that GA address with possible gear venture. I'm in Houston Now. Respectfully, leafstone1001
I think you should pull those pickups apart and see how they got the resistance/output right but the tone all wrong. Squiers often get the tone pretty good but the output all wrong!
I have this exact guitar, ive been wanting to switch the neck PU to a p90 variant (a90 by porter pickups) because of the size of the pickup id assume id need to carve a bigger pocket so i think ill send it to a luthier, maybe new pots too, any thoughts Mr Dylan?
edit- just saw your p90s on your website those look cool too.
Excellent review
My new truck had a defective set of tires, the water pump leaked, the brakes were dragging……….but the seat position was great.
Beautiful looking guitar though.