VIDEO SECTIONS: 1. Where is it made, and does that matter? - 1:01 2. Is this guitar still a true classic? - 2:00 3. What does it sound like? - 5:20 4. One Minute Solo! - 9:46 5. Are they still built well? - 11:14 5. Classic Vibe or Player Series? - 15:00 Guitar Link - imp.i114863.net/kjzgxV Enjoy!
I heard the newer version coming out later this year (or maybe it’s the one you have) has a new updated Fender designed pickup that has tighter QA control to ensure it’s more consistent. I would like to know if it is a true copper, cleanly made pickups.
To clarify the last model had Fender design pickups as well and looked well made but I heard Fender redesigned them to be better. I don’t know what was changed or if it is a rumor.
Have you looked at the Fender Vintera Strats before? I know they're not "budget" but compared to an actual vintage they are. I also like the idea of blending modern conveniences with classic tone.
And I thought that the "made in Indonesia" ones were actaually rated higher by everyone lol. I really don't care where it's made, as long as they are quality guitars.
@@sgtmac62 In the Classic Vibe series they are not. The China one's are regarded as better because they used to use flame maple, 'tonerider' pickups and correct woods (alder).
@@render341 the indonesian factory has really stepped up in the last few years, i have a made in indo cv mustang and its my main guitar. flame maple neck, real bone nut, dark laurel fretboard that almost looks like rosewood, fender alnico pickups (i put a duncan jb in the bridge), and even though the body is poplar it's still solid and heavy.
Indonesia as I'm quickly learning, seems to have fretwork issues. Of course not always but anything from Indonesia I've owned needed fretwork and leveling to fix fret buzz issues up and down the neck. Otherwise they are great, and with no other no complaints from me.
Exactly! My favorite color combo too. I like a Hot Rod Red with white pickguard & maple neck. I love roasted maple but somehow, maple makes for a better fretboard for a Strat. I bought a Noventa Jazzmaster with 3 P90s and this exact color combo, but it weighed a ton. I returned it for a Daphne blue Noventa Strat w 2 P90s. If I can get a Mod Shop guitar built, I'll get the Red + maple neck. I'll need to get a HSS or even a HSH config.
I bet them scales sound lovely though Rob. Keep at it! I've been playing for 16 years and would happily add a classic vibe or 3 to my collection as they're great guitars.
I have this exact guitar. Love Fiesta red with the maple board. Has all the classic strat tones you could ever want. Very comfortable to play. Definitely the best bang for your buck!!
Classic Vibe feels like a high end strat to me, the only downsize is the sound of the pickups, but I just installed a Texas Special pickups on mine and it sounds and it feels so great!
@The British Bluesman haha well Mr Electronic Engineer its this magical thing called tolerances of parts used. All the Squier ones read below the 250k they were meant to be. Hope that helps.
@@DeadHandBlues If you are gonna upgrade pickups and wiring why did you even buy the guitar in the first place? Just buy whatever you want your guitar to be.
Unless the posts were located incorrectly, just about any strat style bridge can be made to stay adequately in tune, floating. Some are much easier, though, and require less periodic maintenance.
I had 2 China Strats and 2 50's Teles CV's didn't do it for me, The Indonesian versions definitely superior and now I have a few of them too even the Bullets are great too
I still love my CV 50s Strat (2-tone) and Tele (blonde black guard) from years ago, made in China and still amazing. I’ve been tempted to upgrade sometimes but these are great and if I’m comfortable why bother? I’d love to check out a made in Indonesia to compare.
@@astewart9410 I had a 50s and 60s cv strat but I soldl them because i have Greco and Tokai japanese guitars. The only real thing I like more on the Japanese models are the fat necks ! Especially my Super real 50s strat with its fat v neck. Other than that the cvs are as good ! I still have a cv telecaster custom that is a crazy great tele !!
Hey Darrell. I’m hearing a lot of good things about the IYV guitars, especially the Les Paul copy. They’re cheap, ($182 for the Les Paul copy) but everyone I’ve seen seems to be very impressed. Would love to see a review from you!
Amazon has their Mustang copy available on Amazon right now ($134). They've got quite a buzz on online forums I've found. When Amazon gets some they sell out quick and takes a few months to get more...
I just bought the green les paul copy IYV for $128 and it had scratches on each side of the nut and got refunded half my money, so I only payed $62 and it is a fantastic playable guitar right out of the box. So the next week I bought the IYV strat and not as good, had to level 3 frets file the sharp fret edges sand and polish the frets , do a setup. If you can set up your own guitars they are great for the money.
I bought my Squier Classic Vibe 50s made in China in fiesta red in 2013. 8 years now and it remains my favourite guitar. I do have a proper USA Fender with maple neck and ash body and still I prefer my Squier whenever I am asked to play.
I still think the Yamaha Pacifica is a better guitar...but this video sounds like a modeling amp and anything sounds decent through a modeling amp...A guy just can't trust anything on video anymore, people can fake anything these days...I've seen some really good looking Bigfoots on video
Yeah those guitars are great. Got that fiesta 50s and waiting for the 60s fiesta red. Something about FR with "rosewood" board. Looks killer,also mintgreen pickguard. Going to upgrade it alot,handwired pickups made in Sweden ala SRV,Gotoh NS510 trem,vintage gotoh tuners. Gonna be a killer guitar.
I have a Chinese made ‘50’s CV Stratocaster in white, it’s a forever guitar. I’m not going to let it go, I want to get a 1960’s CV Strat to go with it, preferably in Lake Placid Blue because when I was a kid, we had a Cadillac in the same color.
If you want the same guitar as the old made in China Classic Vibes, look for the Farida F-5050, F-5051, and F-5150. They are made in the same factory that made the old Chinese CVs.
I took the plunge and bought a classic vibe and my results were somewhat different. Having bought and set up many guitars over my 43 years of playing I was hopeful I wouldn't have to do a lot for my $400 bucks. The reality is that I did have too: 1. Straighten the neck (and added a tiny amount of relief) 2. Replace the trem block & saddles (the OEM are junk) 3. Replace the tuners with EZ lock tuners (the original ones were maddening, they constantly would slip tiny bits, even after string & block/trem replacement) 4. Leveled, dressed, crowned and polished the frets, which we're really bad especially in the 1st position 5. The fret ends we're sharp and needed polishing all the way up the neck 6. The bone nut hung up on the low E string, so it needed a bit of filing, in addition to smoothing out and lubing all of the string slots. 7. Out of personal preference I rounded the fretboard ends a little, for a smoother feel Overall: The pickups sound great, classic Fender strat sound The color and body finish are excellent The hardware and electronics work good So new buyer's just be aware that if you pick one of these up either you or your guitar tech may be in for a few fixes & mods, to get not only that classic Fender sound from the Classic Vibe but a few mods to make this feel & play like a truly a "pro" guitar. Would I buy it again 🤔 NO.
@@erebus79 Sorry to hear that for you as well. Personally I've given up on "name brand" guitars. I bought a strat copy from Monoprice with less problems $84. It's a great 👍 guitar in comparison 👌
Depends on the era. Twenty years ago, total garbage. I have a Standard Squire Telecaster with a mirror pickguard. Honestly its decent but could be better. Most new guitars, on par with Korean guitars from the 90s.
@@gringogreen4719 Totally agree... I trend to Korean an Indonesian. My experience with Chinese guitars was traumatic. Really bad pickups and fret dressing. I will pass any made in China guitar. Including any Epiphone guitar.
@@AntonioCavicchioni I recommend taking guitars one at a time. Like people. I have Chinese guitars and most are decent to very good. My experience is to buy them from a music store that will service them before you take it home. These tend to be much better than say online. I usually hotrod and upgrade most of my cheaper guitars, so I already know I am going to spend time and money on them. That way I get a custom guitar I don't mind playing hard on. That said, I try to get them as cheap as I can and do as much work as I can by myself. That saves me money and gives me an appreciation of what my luthier does.
@Mark Seymour I am going to be honest and say these companies can produce whatever you ask. If you spec a guitar or any product poorly, they will make that. If you spec it well, the Chinese and Indonesians can make that too. Many of these guitars are poorly speced and made in high enough numbers to turn a profit. Keep in mind the demand from the consumer keeps shifting. So now MORE people are expecting more quality from a lower price point. Before it was just a race to the bottom.
I had a classic vibe strat, but I didn't like it (all of them had horrible frets). The CV tele was pretty good though. Then I got a new player strat for 550€ and it's night and day difference
NOPE !! Buy a used late model Mint Fender MiM standard $300 Mod it with Seymour Duncan SSL5 Bridge pickup $80 Fender Locking Tuners $80... Vastly Superior Instrument for $40 less ✌
Exactly, at that price point I'd rather look at pre-owned player series or even other brands like Ibanez who spoil you for choice at that price category
@@gcardoso71 I have tried the Squier Classic Vibe '60s Telecaster Thinline, and it sounds good. I found a pre-own one for $250, no damage, no scratch, did a bargain, finally, $200 came with a gig-bag.
I bought a Classic vibe 50´s Sherwood green (China). Adjusted the bridge to floating and it stays in tune very well ( three springs). I have a couple Custom shops and I will say that this guitar is a very nice guitar for so less money. Rock on!
I have a Squire Jaguar and it is fantastic. Bought a Squire Bullet Mustang that was made in China and it is 100% garbage. Trading in this piece of junk for a CV Strat in fiesta red. Bought the CV Strat in fiesta red and very happy with it.
I own that exact CV 50s Strat, bought in late 2019 and I can confirm what he says! Just one addition: the frets higher than 15th fret are pretty fine on mine as well. The entire neck has a really decent fretjob. You can't go wrong with this guitar!
I'm quite impressed. In terms of general construction and quality in most aspects this guitar seems very good for the price. Even the pickups, which on budget instruments often tend to sound quite dull and uninteresting, give it a lively and bright sound as you would expect of a Stratocaster with the only glaring down side being the trem. Having said that, changing the way a trem is set up or even replacing it for a higher quality unit is both fairly easy and affordable.
My daughter has a HSS classic vibe 70's she loves. My son has a great classic vibe 60's SSS that is flawless. Hard to imagine a better buy for the dough.
A timely re-review in my opinion. Classic Vibes are a step above other Asian imports, they are almost occupying the space that used to be held by the old Made in Mexico Fender Stratocasters. It feels to me that with this line up Fender focused on the things that guitarists are not going to be able to upgrade, for instance the build, body finish and neck are top notch, while the pick ups and the trem, not so much, but you can definitely live with and are fairly easy and inexpensive to replace. Also the trem can be blocked off to assure better tuning. But with that said, the feel of the guitars in your hands is quite good and exceeds the experience of most "starter" or "good for the price" imports. Fender really knew who they ere building this guitar for; It is most likely going to end up in the hands of a older teen or a twenty something, who is getting their second guitar and ready to make the jump up in quality over the starter Bullet pack they got for Xmas 4 years earlier.
Hey Darrel, with regard to value for money strats, have you checked out Swing guitars? Its a Korean company. I personally own a S-1 series strat and it sounds way better than its price range suggests. Would love to see you review one and tell us what you think!
Agree-ish ... but a few minutes with a damp (new clean) green scrubby and you will be amazed how great the neck feels. You can do it with the neck on, but I would probably take it off to make it easier to avoid getting the dust on other parts of the guitar or accidently scuffing the body around the neck joint. Be gentle, wipe the dust off with a damp cloth frequently so you can stop before taking too much off. You are just trying to scuff up the gloss finish - NOT remove the finish entirely. You can do both the front and back of the neck. I would avoid the headstock - it looks better with the gloss finish left on. I've done this on 3 different guitars and been very happy with the results. On a Fender style maple neck it is hardly visible. I also did it to my Steinberger Spirit which had a high gloss black finish. It is very noticeable on that, so probably not a great move for future re-selling. But I'm still super happy with results for playing.
I just got a 50s classic vibe strat , tobacco burst , maple neck & maple fretboard . Just a beautiful guitar that plays incredibly good and sounds great 👍 I also have a custom shop strat that is my main player but lately I've found myself with the Squier strapped on & plugged in more & more. Love it , awesome guitar 🎸
Those site guitars are worth every bit of money they're charging for them. I've had a couple of the basses and they blow anything in their price range away.
Got mine in February, it is very addicting to play. It plays and sounds great, hard to put down. It was great right out the box after about a quarter turn on the truss rod (due to the winter weather I'm sure). Anyway after that I haven't done anything to it besides play it. I haven't even changed the strings yet! That is very unusual as I always do that right away. They are the gauge I use anyway and they're good Fender strings. This strat is a terrific value and a very nice guitar, mine is flawless and comfortable to play. I stole mine for $399, before they raised the price $30! haha! I was a little skeptical about the tinted gloss neck, but I actually love it, looks and feels great, and I like how it's one piece. Get one and you won't regret it!
"Bridge pickup is exceedingly bright..." Bah, RUclipsrs and their hyperbolic statements. *starts playing position one* Aghhh, holy hell, i can't look or listen to it, it's too bright, give it a college degree allready!
@Carlos Hernandez That's because the pickups are made by Tonerider (if you have a MIC Classic Vibe). In my opinion, that's one of the best decisions Fender made with the CV range.
i have the burst version, its better than any strat ive ever played and im a les paul player but i love this guitar. great sound great fret work and board. unreal for the price
Great job with this one, and the playing examples sound awesome. I remember the classic vibe feeling very solid and well constructed. I got to try a player series strat for the first time last week and it didn’t seem like it was as quality as the classic vibe. Not for the extra money really. But they are both nice anyway. Great to see you revisit this guitar for sure.
I bought one. It was so great I bought another. Then another. Then another. Fiesta Red, Black, White Blonde, and a '70s-style in Vintage White. Love 'em! PS: I never use trem on these or others.
Still think the Fender player series are the sweet spot between price and quality. Got both my strat and tele of those. But for my jazzmaster and thinline tele i went for SQ CV, it’s a really good alternative.
So my question is ... get a Squire (vintage vibe or otherwise), get a kit guitar, or a cheaper one (firefly, glarry, et al) ... for a strapped for cash guitar newbie, who is very handy at wood work and wiring, what in your opinion would be the best way to go to get a really well playing instrument to last for a few decades? I would love to see you do an episode of the ultimate cheap guitar build or buy / comparison / DIY ... for a strat type, tele, les paul, gretsch, etc etc etc .... pick a type(s), I am sure you'll kill it !!
It depends how much you want to learn about setups. You will need to learn the basics for any guitar you get, but kits will need a lot more work, with the advantage of allowing you to customize them easier. A Glarry, FF, Squier Bullet or old Affinity might require some adjustments or upgrades, but are great to start learning. New Affinity models seem to have been improved a bit, I think to cath up with the now discontinued Standard models. Classic Vibes usually are good as they are, and are just adjusted to player preference.
I just know that the "Yako" guitar factory in China does excellent work, from my experience. My Chinese 2011 CV 50's Strat has very lightweight Alder and is phenomenally well made and came with a stock/factory perfectly Quartersawn neck(?!). Luck of the draw on that piece of Maple that day. They were only about $299 in 2011.
They look and sound superb. The CV range overall can't be beaten on price and style. I bought the CV FSR 60s Tele Custom Esquire and it's awesome and looks amazing.
LOVE my 3 year old Chinese CV Strat - came set up and in tune from SW for $350; was concerned about my new 50s CV Tele made in Indo but was pleasantly surprised to see excellent construction, a wicked nice Pine ( a 9.1 lb obviously raccoon fed Pine) body and super fast glossy like the Strat neck - a jewel just like the Chinese CV Strat!! These babies play above their pay scale. 🎸 💥Edit: almost a year later - the CV Tele had some fret sprout and the 9th fret actually pulled out - caught an edge. I had it repaired by pros here in hollywood JUST before the warranty expired. 55 point inspection couldn't predict this, Indo made though? Chinese CV Strat is still perfect.. Don't know but the irony is because of the fix needed it's back to a KILLER guitar, just a pleasure to drive - FAST. 🚀
The Indonesians are way more into western music than the Chinese, they also make better instruments than China. They're better than the Mexicans too. The Mexican Fenders have lousy fretwork. I'd take a top of the line Squier over a Mexican fender any day!
Most of the important steps of manufacture are now done by CNC operators and components chosen. The only real difference in the build of a "C" quality guitar like the Classic Vibe series is the QC and what is allowed to get shipped out. The nationality of the workers has little to do with it, but the demands of the factory bosses can corrupt the quality control.
@@toastedphantom3007 Kinda what I thought as well. I might put large size 250 potts in, with neck (Alnico 2) & middle (Alnico 5) connected to tone pott 1 on a 223 cap & for the bridge an Alnico 8 humbucker, with a 500 push/pull pott & a 47nF cap. Just to be different really.
I've sent 4 Fender player Strats back to the dealer, quality control sucks for the price and boy it's increasing in price. Squire seems to be finished better from what I've seen in stores and maybe one day they can move the player series to Asia also.
Truthfully I prefer my upgraded classic vibe, than my stock mexican player. Both are now upgraded 100 percent but the classic vibe was easier on my wallet
@@jakeritchie3805 Like I said, they're good, but I just can't do gloss necks. Also, my comment pertains solely to the maple fretboard versions, I'm not a fan of Pau Ferro.
@@EarthSouthside Interesting, the fit and finish on my Player Series is much better than any Squier I've played. Sounds like either I got lucky or you got unlucky.
@@EarthSouthside I’ve played both and I would rate the player series above the CV but I would not buy either because I own a 60’s Classic Series Strat. That guitar is far superior to the CV when it comes to finish and quality overall.
I have found a lot of quality issues recently with squier, raised frets, sharp fretboard edges, bad finish, exposed glue, etc. The fingerboard edges are very sharp, I prefer a rolled edge. Not a lot of hand work on these instruments. Also the glossy neck is very sticky. Most people take the electronics out and upgrade anyways so not a great value IMO
So my stratocaster story is a long one.. i love how this guitar (sounds) but, i already have a stratocaster in waiting. I was lucky enough this past weekend to find the loaded pickup of this guitar for sale. Brand new, with pictures from the guitar he pulled it from. Im 48 and i grew up on a 80s mix of dance music (think nile Rogers from chic, his 50s stratocaster has played on over 1 billion$us in sales since he started... May have it all together no later than friday im thinking..
In my experience, the Indonesian Squiers are truer to the Fender shapes and profiles than the Chinese variants. I had a 2009 Deluxe Stratocaster (just like the faded Daphne Blue that Darrell reviewed), and it was pretty much identical to the Mexican and USA fenders in body shape and Modern C neck profile. The Chinese Classic Vibes of the time had noticeably thinner necks and slightly different body contours. Looking across multiple brands, I'm far more impressed with the quality and consistency coming out of Indonesia.
Agreed. Mine is just made in Indonesia Bullet & it's feel great than my frenz Bullet made in China. Same goes to my Ibanez from Indonesia is way better than both GIO from China. The construction is great.
I had the same issue with the tremolo causing the guitar to go out of tune. I had much better stability after lubricating the slots on that vintage style string tree. You can use vaseline or chapstick. Also good to check that its aligned correctly looking at the string tree slots VS where the strings go. No issues after that, great guitar!!!
Great run through Darrell....👍..... I got a Classic Vibe 60's fiesta red glossy Mable neck.... upgraded to " gold" hardware....and a Fender bridge.....and luckily just got the Classic Vibe 50's in black...also Mable neck....I have just replaced the Bridge, with a Fender Standard Bridge... fits perfectly 🤗....now I'm awaiting a black pickguard.....no more upgrades...just plug and play.... Amazing Guitars....Both....🎼🎶🎵🎶
I truly believe the squier classic vibe are amazing and modding them is a huge plus change/ upgrade of pickups and wiring harness also tremolo bridge and maybe upgraded tuners and last a great setup and its a working axe guitar
Gotta say the g&l tributes, literally any of them takes it for me at roughly the same price. No stiff trem problems and the tribute pickups are the exact ones used in their higher range guitars. Also cant forget the ptb system, so you get some tone control for the bridge. These do seem cool though, just a personal preference.
There is a zone for weight of a Strat? 7.5 lbs. I guess my MIM strat must be fat. It weighs in just slightly under 12 lbs. 🤦 I guess I gotta start telling here she looks great, that her waste is perfect and her smooth finish and beautiful voicing makes her the perfect one for me.
I bought a modded 2003 Squier standard a few years back. Better tuners, titanium trem, and bone nut for $200. Not sure if the maple neck was replaced too but it plays really nice. Stock pickups are pretty good in these. Couldn’t pass it up at that price.
I'm sorry once you say that the previous Chinese made is very very good I almost laugh because I've own it and have experience on it, I have no issue with the finishing because it is awesome (yes high gloss too as yours) but I can tell every specific issues that very frustrating. 1st: If you wanna say the guitar is good it must be stays good within a few years but. 2nd: the tuning pegs doesn't even stays good even for a couple month especially when you're using medium/heavy gauge strings (I'm just using 10 - 46 but the tuning pegs cannot handle the tension so the tune is always out) 3rd: The new Indonesian made has different string tree than the Chinese made, yes I'm also own classic vibe 50s as you are but the string tree for a Chinese made is a cheap one it doesn't look like that) 4th: Once you take off the nut you will found that it's not a bone it's just a cheap plastic and doesn't cut very well it's same as yours I can see it clearly from your video almost all strings has the nut width and depth is cutting wrong. 5th: The frets levels very well but it is not crowning and polished very well, in my case I have to crowned and polished each frets and I even removed the high gloss from both fretboard and the back of th3 neck just because I don't like it stucks my playing. 6th: The pickups is good but too bright for a classic/vintage style. 7th: Since you didn't shows the electronics I don't know if the Indonesian made is load with good one but the Chinese made is just load with th3 cheap alpha pots, cheap switch and cheap input jack but the wiring is good and clean. 8th: as you say the bridges was terrible and I do agree. 9th: One thing that you forgot to mention is about the string spacing, vintage style string spacing is 56.5mm but the squier vintage model is 52.5mm so if you guys want to upgrade your classic vibe squier don't buy a vintage bridge for replacement it would not fit on it. btw thank you for the video I've watched a lot of your video and learn many things from it, I'm just sharing my experience as a squier classic vibe 50s users 🙏
My classic vibe is the first thing I bought after my divorce. Definitely had to hardtail it to fix the tuning issue. Its also the only guitar that stays out on a stand all the time because I play it more than anything else.
I just bought a CV 50's strat in fiesta red last month. It shockingly plays and sounds beyond its price range. Really the only weakest link I can find in the guitar is in the tremolo. The spring tension is way too tight. Its the same kind you find in the affinity series squiers. Fortunately you can pickup a vintage style wilkinson trem (with a much larger trem block too) which serves as a direct 1 to 1 replacemnt for the CV series. Also has much nicer springs for you to use it with, and the trem arm is those insert/pull out kind instead of the traditional screw in style. And the whole unit costs less than 20 USD!
I have an Indonesian made squire vintage modified telecaster deluxe which is an excellent guitar. I rate it better than my MIM player Stratocaster. It has fender branded wide range pickups and string saddles.
I have a 60's Classic Vibe gold on gold, a great guitar that plays as good as a Fender MIM Strat, but at half the price when released. The new ones have gone up in price, but nowhere near as much as the new Fender MIM models. I have not played the new classic vibe's, but from what i have heard they are not fitted with the Tonerider pickups which gave the original models a great Strat sound. If you can find an original Classic Vibe, buy one, you will not regret it.
I’ve got a Squier Strat built in February 2012 in Indonesia. Dark blue with a white pick guard rosewood neck. It plays beautifully very bright and twangy all for the low cost of $120.
Darrell! You get a Strat that, maybe for the first time ever, has a tone control for the bridge pickup and then you *don't* play that bridge while going through the full tone sweep? That's what I most wanted to experience from this vid! Missed opportunity!
It's funny how quickly folks forget that the CV 50s Strats were made in Indonesia (by Kort), and this is just a smart return to what put them on our radar originally. The quality of them actually dropped at least at first when they switched to chinese made.
Squier Classic Vibes are amazing guitars...I have way too many of the FSR versions LOL I was lucky and picked up a gold hardware FSR version, looks and play amazing!
VIDEO SECTIONS:
1. Where is it made, and does that matter? - 1:01
2. Is this guitar still a true classic? - 2:00
3. What does it sound like? - 5:20
4. One Minute Solo! - 9:46
5. Are they still built well? - 11:14
5. Classic Vibe or Player Series? - 15:00
Guitar Link - imp.i114863.net/kjzgxV
Enjoy!
Still waiting to any kind of electric guitar as my Consolation Prize..🙏
Really a nice sound.
I heard the newer version coming out later this year (or maybe it’s the one you have) has a new updated Fender designed pickup that has tighter QA control to ensure it’s more consistent. I would like to know if it is a true copper, cleanly made pickups.
To clarify the last model had Fender design pickups as well and looked well made but I heard Fender redesigned them to be better. I don’t know what was changed or if it is a rumor.
Have you looked at the Fender Vintera Strats before? I know they're not "budget" but compared to an actual vintage they are. I also like the idea of blending modern conveniences with classic tone.
And I thought that the "made in Indonesia" ones were actaually rated higher by everyone lol. I really don't care where it's made, as long as they are quality guitars.
They. are. He's backwards on his review. It gets pretty cold in Canada.
@@sgtmac62 In the Classic Vibe series they are not. The China one's are regarded as better because they used to use flame maple, 'tonerider' pickups and correct woods (alder).
@@render341 the indonesian factory has really stepped up in the last few years, i have a made in indo cv mustang and its my main guitar. flame maple neck, real bone nut, dark laurel fretboard that almost looks like rosewood, fender alnico pickups (i put a duncan jb in the bridge), and even though the body is poplar it's still solid and heavy.
@@12xenn45 i think its a 2020 but it might be an early 2021 id have to check the serial
Indonesia as I'm quickly learning, seems to have fretwork issues. Of course not always but anything from Indonesia I've owned needed fretwork and leveling to fix fret buzz issues up and down the neck. Otherwise they are great, and with no other no complaints from me.
My dad bought a 50s Classic Vibe Tele. He loves it.
I love mine, that's for sure. It's got everything a Tele needs, and nothing it doesn't.
@@johncrafton8319 maybe I check it out. He did add the ashtray cover on it for more vintage.
Owned a few of them… great guitars!
Menno- Creepy Vibe
I have one, and its fantastic.
The Classic Vibe Series really was the start of the affordable, quality, import guitar renaissance that we are currently in
True. Squiers used to be a guitar only for beginners or "to just get by" with.
Now I know players who use the Classic Vibe as their main guitars.
My dream guitar since i was a kid is a red strat with a maple neck🎉
Maple neck is best on any guitar i would say ✌✌
I'll second that.😉
Exactly! My favorite color combo too. I like a Hot Rod Red with white pickguard & maple neck. I love roasted maple but somehow, maple makes for a better fretboard for a Strat. I bought a Noventa Jazzmaster with 3 P90s and this exact color combo, but it weighed a ton. I returned it for a Daphne blue Noventa Strat w 2 P90s.
If I can get a Mod Shop guitar built, I'll get the Red + maple neck. I'll need to get a HSS or even a HSH config.
fiesta red or apple candy red 🤙❤
I hear you!
I have a '94 MIA Strat in Candy Apple Red!
I am still waiting to get the Ibanez prestige!
Did you win?
Winner will be drawn on the 15th :)
ME too!
😂😂😂 fingers crossed
@@DarrellBraunGuitar You just had to wait until after Bastille Day, didn't you, Darrell ?!? :-)
I've got the CV 50s in sunburst, I can't play it worth a damn but it sounds sexy as hell when I practice scales
I bet them scales sound lovely though Rob. Keep at it! I've been playing for 16 years and would happily add a classic vibe or 3 to my collection as they're great guitars.
I have this exact guitar. Love Fiesta red with the maple board. Has all the classic strat tones you could ever want. Very comfortable to play. Definitely the best bang for your buck!!
Me too!
How is the neck? It is baseball bat or quite comfortable? Thanks
Nah bro its C@@matthewratcliffe1953
Classic Vibe feels like a high end strat to me, the only downsize is the sound of the pickups, but I just installed a Texas Special pickups on mine and it sounds and it feels so great!
Make sure you also upgrade the wiring. Its a huge blanket on the tone. Its pretty much the only part they cheaped out on.
@@DeadHandBlues I did as well 👍🏻forgot to mention.
My 50s and 60s versions sound great for recording, and live? Forget about it!
@The British Bluesman haha well Mr Electronic Engineer its this magical thing called tolerances of parts used. All the Squier ones read below the 250k they were meant to be. Hope that helps.
@@DeadHandBlues If you are gonna upgrade pickups and wiring why did you even buy the guitar in the first place? Just buy whatever you want your guitar to be.
Squiers have gotten insanely good these last few years.
After lots of research that's why i got mine. Hss & it rocks.
I have the CV 60's strat. Works great for me. Stays in tune great. For got to mention...it's an Indonesia CV.
Unless the posts were located incorrectly, just about any strat style bridge can be made to stay adequately in tune, floating. Some are much easier, though, and require less periodic maintenance.
I had 2 China Strats and 2 50's Teles CV's didn't do it for me, The Indonesian versions definitely superior and now I have a few of them too even the Bullets are great too
I still love my CV 50s Strat (2-tone) and Tele (blonde black guard) from years ago, made in China and still amazing. I’ve been tempted to upgrade sometimes but these are great and if I’m comfortable why bother? I’d love to check out a made in Indonesia to compare.
Keep the Chinese ones. They dont get much better !
@@malcolmhardwick4258 I absolutely will be keeping them, I figure they're lifers around here. I love 'em.
@@astewart9410 I had a 50s and 60s cv strat but I soldl them because i have Greco and Tokai japanese guitars. The only real thing I like more on the Japanese models are the fat necks ! Especially my Super real 50s strat with its fat v neck. Other than that the cvs are as good ! I still have a cv telecaster custom that is a crazy great tele !!
@@malcolmhardwick4258 Those others sound like brilliant machines. And you kept a CV, you're living correctly! Enjoy!
Hey Darrell. I’m hearing a lot of good things about the IYV guitars, especially the Les Paul copy. They’re cheap, ($182 for the Les Paul copy) but everyone I’ve seen seems to be very impressed. Would love to see a review from you!
I bought one before the hype took place, and it is fantastic. I absolutely love it.
Amazon has their Mustang copy available on Amazon right now ($134). They've got quite a buzz on online forums I've found. When Amazon gets some they sell out quick and takes a few months to get more...
Oh no not more cheapos on the market 😊
They're pretty much everywhere. You can get whatever you want with a little searching.
I just bought the green les paul copy IYV for $128 and it had scratches on each side of the nut and got refunded half my money, so I only payed $62 and it is a fantastic playable guitar right out of the box. So the next week I bought the IYV strat and not as good, had to level 3 frets file the sharp fret edges sand and polish the frets , do a setup.
If you can set up your own guitars they are great for the money.
I bought my Squier Classic Vibe 50s made in China in fiesta red in 2013. 8 years now and it remains my favourite guitar. I do have a proper USA Fender with maple neck and ash body and still I prefer my Squier whenever I am asked to play.
Indonesia all the way, Don't support China period.
Indonesia Makes Amazing Guitars
I still think the Yamaha Pacifica is a better guitar...but this video sounds like a modeling amp and anything sounds decent through a modeling amp...A guy just can't trust anything on video anymore, people can fake anything these days...I've seen some really good looking Bigfoots on video
Yeah those guitars are great. Got that fiesta 50s and waiting for the 60s fiesta red. Something about FR with "rosewood" board. Looks killer,also mintgreen pickguard. Going to upgrade it alot,handwired pickups made in Sweden ala SRV,Gotoh NS510 trem,vintage gotoh tuners. Gonna be a killer guitar.
Darrell: You're not going to play this with that much gain...
Bryan Adams: *stares*
I want djent strat
Yeah, tell that to Yngwie.
I have a Chinese made ‘50’s CV Stratocaster in white, it’s a forever guitar. I’m not going to let it go, I want to get a 1960’s CV Strat to go with it, preferably in Lake Placid Blue because when I was a kid, we had a Cadillac in the same color.
If you want the same guitar as the old made in China Classic Vibes, look for the Farida F-5050, F-5051, and F-5150. They are made in the same factory that made the old Chinese CVs.
I took the plunge and bought a classic vibe and my results were somewhat different.
Having bought and set up many guitars over my 43 years of playing I was hopeful I wouldn't have to do a lot for my $400 bucks.
The reality is that I did have too:
1. Straighten the neck (and added a tiny amount of relief)
2. Replace the trem block & saddles (the OEM are junk)
3. Replace the tuners with EZ lock tuners (the original ones were maddening, they constantly would slip tiny bits, even after string & block/trem replacement)
4. Leveled, dressed, crowned and polished the frets, which we're really bad especially in the 1st position
5. The fret ends we're sharp and needed polishing all the way up the neck
6. The bone nut hung up on the low E string, so it needed a bit of filing, in addition to smoothing out and lubing all of the string slots.
7. Out of personal preference I rounded the fretboard ends a little, for a smoother feel
Overall:
The pickups sound great, classic Fender strat sound
The color and body finish are excellent
The hardware and electronics work good
So new buyer's just be aware that if you pick one of these up either you or your guitar tech may be in for a few fixes & mods, to get not only that classic Fender sound from the Classic Vibe but a few mods to make this feel & play like a truly a "pro" guitar.
Would I buy it again 🤔
NO.
I had the exact same problems. I can't recommend them for that reason.
@@erebus79 Sorry to hear that for you as well. Personally I've given up on "name brand" guitars. I bought a strat copy from Monoprice with less problems $84. It's a great 👍 guitar in comparison 👌
I’m sure if David Gilmour played this in concert no one would be able to tell the difference.🙄😂
They look very nice, but importantly they sound like a Strat, I see players using these on their live gigs, value +!
You get what you pay for. Remember that.
Indonesia guitar craftsmanship is waaaayyy better than China.
Depends on the era. Twenty years ago, total garbage. I have a Standard Squire Telecaster with a mirror pickguard. Honestly its decent but could be better. Most new guitars, on par with Korean guitars from the 90s.
@@gringogreen4719 Totally agree... I trend to Korean an Indonesian. My experience with Chinese guitars was traumatic. Really bad pickups and fret dressing. I will pass any made in China guitar. Including any Epiphone guitar.
@@AntonioCavicchioni
I recommend taking guitars one at a time. Like people. I have Chinese guitars and most are decent to very good. My experience is to buy them from a music store that will service them before you take it home. These tend to be much better than say online.
I usually hotrod and upgrade most of my cheaper guitars, so I already know I am going to spend time and money on them. That way I get a custom guitar I don't mind playing hard on. That said, I try to get them as cheap as I can and do as much work as I can by myself. That saves me money and gives me an appreciation of what my luthier does.
@Mark Seymour
I am going to be honest and say these companies can produce whatever you ask. If you spec a guitar or any product poorly, they will make that. If you spec it well, the Chinese and Indonesians can make that too. Many of these guitars are poorly speced and made in high enough numbers to turn a profit.
Keep in mind the demand from the consumer keeps shifting. So now MORE people are expecting more quality from a lower price point. Before it was just a race to the bottom.
Well thankyou
For $500, you can get a used/pre-own Fender player series.
I had a classic vibe strat, but I didn't like it (all of them had horrible frets). The CV tele was pretty good though. Then I got a new player strat for 550€ and it's night and day difference
NOPE !! Buy a used late model Mint Fender MiM standard $300
Mod it with Seymour Duncan SSL5 Bridge pickup $80
Fender Locking Tuners $80... Vastly Superior Instrument for $40 less ✌
Exactly, at that price point I'd rather look at pre-owned player series or even other brands like Ibanez who spoil you for choice at that price category
@@upcycleelectra8311 Right. For $500 can get a lot of good pre-own/used stuff to do the upgrade.
@@gcardoso71 I have tried the Squier Classic Vibe '60s Telecaster Thinline, and it sounds good. I found a pre-own one for $250, no damage, no scratch, did a bargain, finally, $200 came with a gig-bag.
I bought a Classic vibe 50´s Sherwood green (China). Adjusted the bridge to floating and it stays in tune very well ( three springs). I have a couple Custom shops and I will say that this guitar is a very nice guitar for so less money. Rock on!
if you take out the middle spring in the trem and move the end ones straight and the float it slightly that trem will work great...
I love my 70's hss strat. Thing rocks!
I have a Squire Jaguar and it is fantastic. Bought a Squire Bullet Mustang that was made in China and it is 100% garbage. Trading in this piece of junk for a CV Strat in fiesta red. Bought the CV Strat in fiesta red and very happy with it.
I own that exact CV 50s Strat, bought in late 2019 and I can confirm what he says!
Just one addition: the frets higher than 15th fret are pretty fine on mine as well. The entire neck has a really decent fretjob.
You can't go wrong with this guitar!
My Chinese made Classic Vibe's trem is the best I've ever used. Takes very low pressure to work and stays in tune.
Hey Darrell you should try out the squier contemporary strat special next.
Squier.
i think best strat is the Mexican player 2nd hand and i just bought one for 350£ yeyyyy ❤😂🎉
I have the china 70s classic vibe, and I still love it.
Interesting, I just purchased a PRS SE , and it's also made in Indonesia 🇮🇩...
I'm quite impressed. In terms of general construction and quality in most aspects this guitar seems very good for the price. Even the pickups, which on budget instruments often tend to sound quite dull and uninteresting, give it a lively and bright sound as you would expect of a Stratocaster with the only glaring down side being the trem. Having said that, changing the way a trem is set up or even replacing it for a higher quality unit is both fairly easy and affordable.
My daughter has a HSS classic vibe 70's she loves. My son has a great classic vibe 60's SSS that is flawless. Hard to imagine a better buy for the dough.
My 60's CV was pretty much perfect as well.. I just got new strings and have been playing it
Outrageous value for money
Sire S7
A timely re-review in my opinion.
Classic Vibes are a step above other Asian imports, they are almost occupying the space that used to be held by the old Made in Mexico Fender Stratocasters.
It feels to me that with this line up Fender focused on the things that guitarists are not going to be able to upgrade, for instance the build, body finish and neck are top notch, while the pick ups and the trem, not so much, but you can definitely live with and are fairly easy and inexpensive to replace. Also the trem can be blocked off to assure better tuning.
But with that said, the feel of the guitars in your hands is quite good and exceeds the experience of most "starter" or "good for the price" imports. Fender really knew who they ere building this guitar for; It is most likely going to end up in the hands of a older teen or a twenty something, who is getting their second guitar and ready to make the jump up in quality over the starter Bullet pack they got for Xmas 4 years earlier.
Hey Darrel, with regard to value for money strats, have you checked out Swing guitars? Its a Korean company. I personally own a S-1 series strat and it sounds way better than its price range suggests. Would love to see you review one and tell us what you think!
We all have our preferences. A glossy fingerboard is a no go for me. It's a great looking and sounding guitar though. Good price too.
Agree-ish ... but a few minutes with a damp (new clean) green scrubby and you will be amazed how great the neck feels. You can do it with the neck on, but I would probably take it off to make it easier to avoid getting the dust on other parts of the guitar or accidently scuffing the body around the neck joint. Be gentle, wipe the dust off with a damp cloth frequently so you can stop before taking too much off. You are just trying to scuff up the gloss finish - NOT remove the finish entirely. You can do both the front and back of the neck. I would avoid the headstock - it looks better with the gloss finish left on. I've done this on 3 different guitars and been very happy with the results. On a Fender style maple neck it is hardly visible. I also did it to my Steinberger Spirit which had a high gloss black finish. It is very noticeable on that, so probably not a great move for future re-selling. But I'm still super happy with results for playing.
@@donald-parker
Agree. Also the 9 1/2 radius is a non starter.. strat copies with approx. 12 radius better for me.
C.v. is usually heavy also.
I’m first! I think 🤔
I just scored a 2007 candy apple red Indonesian in flawless condition
👊💥😁
I just got a 50s classic vibe strat , tobacco burst , maple neck & maple fretboard . Just a beautiful guitar that plays incredibly good and sounds great 👍 I also have a custom shop strat that is my main player but lately I've found myself with the Squier strapped on & plugged in more & more. Love it , awesome guitar 🎸
I really feel like indonesia makes really good guitars. The Larry Carlton’s Sire serie guitars have great reputation for instance.
Those site guitars are worth every bit of money they're charging for them. I've had a couple of the basses and they blow anything in their price range away.
Got mine in February, it is very addicting to play. It plays and sounds great, hard to put down. It was great right out the box after about a quarter turn on the truss rod (due to the winter weather I'm sure). Anyway after that I haven't done anything to it besides play it. I haven't even changed the strings yet! That is very unusual as I always do that right away. They are the gauge I use anyway and they're good Fender strings. This strat is a terrific value and a very nice guitar, mine is flawless and comfortable to play. I stole mine for $399, before they raised the price $30! haha! I was a little skeptical about the tinted gloss neck, but I actually love it, looks and feels great, and I like how it's one piece. Get one and you won't regret it!
Yeah their up to $449.00
American now.
I just bought one! Eagerly awaiting delivery from Sweetwater this week! 😁🎸
"Bridge pickup is exceedingly bright..."
Bah, RUclipsrs and their hyperbolic statements.
*starts playing position one*
Aghhh, holy hell, i can't look or listen to it, it's too bright, give it a college degree allready!
Bruuhhh . . . . . .
I have a CV 60's, and the pickups are incredible, alnicoV
Same here. With a bit of gain they sound absolutely amazing.
@Carlos Hernandez
That's because the pickups are made by Tonerider (if you have a MIC Classic Vibe). In my opinion, that's one of the best decisions Fender made with the CV range.
@@anthonystark5412 new models are not Tonerider
@@bluwng
I believe that's the case, which is why I specifically pointed out the MIC Classic Vibes.
i have the burst version, its better than any strat ive ever played and im a les paul player but i love this guitar. great sound great fret work and board. unreal for the price
Great job with this one, and the playing examples sound awesome. I remember the classic vibe feeling very solid and well constructed. I got to try a player series strat for the first time last week and it didn’t seem like it was as quality as the classic vibe. Not for the extra money really. But they are both nice anyway. Great to see you revisit this guitar for sure.
I bought one. It was so great I bought another. Then another. Then another. Fiesta Red, Black, White Blonde, and a '70s-style in Vintage White. Love 'em! PS: I never use trem on these or others.
always loved the classic vibes. great guitars for the money for sure.
I’ve played the CV a couple of times, and was more impressed with it than any Mexican Strat that I’ve played
The Classic Vibes are rock solid guitars. I have a couple Chinese CVs and I play them just as much as my $1000+ guitars, at home and live.
Still think the Fender player series are the sweet spot between price and quality. Got both my strat and tele of those. But for my jazzmaster and thinline tele i went for SQ CV, it’s a really good alternative.
Just got a 60’s classic vibe strat a week ago and i love it, so so playable
Hi.Can you please tell me if it is worth to buy the squier strat standart version or the floyd rose version.Your choice would mean a lot to me.☺️☺️
So my question is ... get a Squire (vintage vibe or otherwise), get a kit guitar, or a cheaper one (firefly, glarry, et al) ... for a strapped for cash guitar newbie, who is very handy at wood work and wiring, what in your opinion would be the best way to go to get a really well playing instrument to last for a few decades? I would love to see you do an episode of the ultimate cheap guitar build or buy / comparison / DIY ... for a strat type, tele, les paul, gretsch, etc etc etc .... pick a type(s), I am sure you'll kill it !!
It depends how much you want to learn about setups. You will need to learn the basics for any guitar you get, but kits will need a lot more work, with the advantage of allowing you to customize them easier. A Glarry, FF, Squier Bullet or old Affinity might require some adjustments or upgrades, but are great to start learning. New Affinity models seem to have been improved a bit, I think to cath up with the now discontinued Standard models. Classic Vibes usually are good as they are, and are just adjusted to player preference.
I just know that the "Yako" guitar factory in China does excellent work, from my experience. My Chinese 2011 CV 50's Strat has very lightweight Alder and is phenomenally well made and came with a stock/factory perfectly Quartersawn neck(?!). Luck of the draw on that piece of Maple that day. They were only about $299 in 2011.
They look and sound superb. The CV range overall can't be beaten on price and style. I bought the CV FSR 60s Tele Custom Esquire and it's awesome and looks amazing.
LOVE my 3 year old Chinese CV Strat - came set up and in tune from SW for $350; was concerned about my new 50s CV Tele made in Indo but was pleasantly surprised to see excellent construction, a wicked nice Pine ( a 9.1 lb obviously raccoon fed Pine) body and super fast glossy like the Strat neck - a jewel just like the Chinese CV Strat!! These babies play above their pay scale. 🎸
💥Edit: almost a year later - the CV Tele had some fret sprout and the 9th fret actually pulled out - caught an edge. I had it repaired by pros here in hollywood JUST before the warranty expired. 55 point inspection couldn't predict this, Indo made though? Chinese CV Strat is still perfect.. Don't know but the irony is because of the fix needed it's back to a KILLER guitar, just a pleasure to drive - FAST. 🚀
This guitar shines brighter than my future
And yours look shinier than mine
The Indonesians are way more into western music than the Chinese, they also make better instruments than China. They're better than the Mexicans too. The Mexican Fenders have lousy fretwork. I'd take a top of the line Squier over a Mexican fender any day!
Most of the important steps of manufacture are now done by CNC operators and components chosen.
The only real difference in the build of a "C" quality guitar like the Classic Vibe series is the QC and what is allowed to get shipped out.
The nationality of the workers has little to do with it, but the demands of the factory bosses can corrupt the quality control.
Why didn't you show the electronics? What kinda pots, caps, soldering, etc.?
because they suck and he didnt wanna anger the Fender company :)
Because they barely matter aside from electrical values and pot taper
@@toastedphantom3007 Precisely, that way I know what value pots & caps to use on my next partscaster. ;-)
@@MaartenAnna well that changes things. I'm willing to bet they're 47nF polyester caps and 250k logarythmic pots.
@@toastedphantom3007 Kinda what I thought as well. I might put large size 250 potts in, with neck (Alnico 2) & middle (Alnico 5) connected to tone pott 1 on a 223 cap & for the bridge an Alnico 8 humbucker, with a 500 push/pull pott & a 47nF cap. Just to be different really.
Another great video Darrell! Cheers from Indonesia.
I've sent 4 Fender player Strats back to the dealer, quality control sucks for the price and boy it's increasing in price. Squire seems to be finished better from what I've seen in stores and maybe one day they can move the player series to Asia also.
@ 09:33 I don't know why you WOULDN'T play with a "ton of gain" on that guitar - the bridge pup sounds like it loves gain.
I'd really love to know more about the working conditions in these overseas plants. They sure do keep the cost down.
No worse than amazon
Overpriced for what you get.
They're good, but for me the Player Series is the best bang for buck.
Agreed
Truthfully I prefer my upgraded classic vibe, than my stock mexican player. Both are now upgraded 100 percent but the classic vibe was easier on my wallet
@@jakeritchie3805 Like I said, they're good, but I just can't do gloss necks. Also, my comment pertains solely to the maple fretboard versions, I'm not a fan of Pau Ferro.
@@EarthSouthside Interesting, the fit and finish on my Player Series is much better than any Squier I've played. Sounds like either I got lucky or you got unlucky.
@@EarthSouthside
I’ve played both and I would rate the player series above the CV but I would not buy either because I own a 60’s Classic Series Strat. That guitar is far superior to the CV when it comes to finish and quality overall.
Ive had some chinese models, one of them was a strat in aztec gold. it looked and played unlike anything i have ever played.
I have found a lot of quality issues recently with squier, raised frets, sharp fretboard edges, bad finish, exposed glue, etc. The fingerboard edges are very sharp, I prefer a rolled edge. Not a lot of hand work on these instruments. Also the glossy neck is very sticky. Most people take the electronics out and upgrade anyways so not a great value IMO
So my stratocaster story is a long one.. i love how this guitar (sounds) but, i already have a stratocaster in waiting. I was lucky enough this past weekend to find the loaded pickup of this guitar for sale. Brand new, with pictures from the guitar he pulled it from. Im 48 and i grew up on a 80s mix of dance music (think nile Rogers from chic, his 50s stratocaster has played on over 1 billion$us in sales since he started...
May have it all together no later than friday im thinking..
In my experience, the Indonesian Squiers are truer to the Fender shapes and profiles than the Chinese variants. I had a 2009 Deluxe Stratocaster (just like the faded Daphne Blue that Darrell reviewed), and it was pretty much identical to the Mexican and USA fenders in body shape and Modern C neck profile. The Chinese Classic Vibes of the time had noticeably thinner necks and slightly different body contours. Looking across multiple brands, I'm far more impressed with the quality and consistency coming out of Indonesia.
Very keen observations there. Biggest complaint on the china cv's was how thin the necks were. Hoping my indonesian one has a thicker neck.
Agreed. Mine is just made in Indonesia Bullet & it's feel great than my frenz Bullet made in China. Same goes to my Ibanez from Indonesia is way better than both GIO from China. The construction is great.
Drives me crazy dudes get hung up on the Squier name on the headstock. Fenders are great, I myself consider Squier to be an affordable Fender model.
What's more beautiful than a red strat?
A white one!
Would this be better than the vintage icon v6 ?
I had the same issue with the tremolo causing the guitar to go out of tune. I had much better stability after lubricating the slots on that vintage style string tree. You can use vaseline or chapstick. Also good to check that its aligned correctly looking at the string tree slots VS where the strings go. No issues after that, great guitar!!!
Great run through Darrell....👍.....
I got a Classic Vibe 60's fiesta red glossy Mable neck.... upgraded to " gold" hardware....and a Fender bridge.....and luckily just got the Classic Vibe 50's in black...also Mable neck....I have just replaced the Bridge, with a Fender Standard Bridge... fits perfectly 🤗....now I'm awaiting a black pickguard.....no more upgrades...just plug and play.... Amazing Guitars....Both....🎼🎶🎵🎶
I truly believe the squier classic vibe are amazing and modding them is a huge plus change/ upgrade of pickups and wiring harness also tremolo bridge and maybe upgraded tuners and last a great setup and its a working axe guitar
Waiting for the ibanez guitar 🎸
Gotta say the g&l tributes, literally any of them takes it for me at roughly the same price. No stiff trem problems and the tribute pickups are the exact ones used in their higher range guitars. Also cant forget the ptb system, so you get some tone control for the bridge. These do seem cool though, just a personal preference.
There is a zone for weight of a Strat? 7.5 lbs.
I guess my MIM strat must be fat. It weighs in just slightly under 12 lbs. 🤦
I guess I gotta start telling here she looks great, that her waste is perfect and her smooth finish and beautiful voicing makes her the perfect one for me.
I bought a modded 2003 Squier standard a few years back.
Better tuners, titanium trem, and bone nut for $200.
Not sure if the maple neck was replaced too but it plays really nice. Stock pickups are pretty good in these.
Couldn’t pass it up at that price.
AMAZING! please do this with the Tele :D
I'm sorry once you say that the previous Chinese made is very very good I almost laugh because I've own it and have experience on it, I have no issue with the finishing because it is awesome (yes high gloss too as yours) but I can tell every specific issues that very frustrating.
1st: If you wanna say the guitar is good it must be stays good within a few years but.
2nd: the tuning pegs doesn't even stays good even for a couple month especially when you're using medium/heavy gauge strings (I'm just using 10 - 46 but the tuning pegs cannot handle the tension so the tune is always out)
3rd: The new Indonesian made has different string tree than the Chinese made, yes I'm also own classic vibe 50s as you are but the string tree for a Chinese made is a cheap one it doesn't look like that)
4th: Once you take off the nut you will found that it's not a bone it's just a cheap plastic and doesn't cut very well it's same as yours I can see it clearly from your video almost all strings has the nut width and depth is cutting wrong.
5th: The frets levels very well but it is not crowning and polished very well, in my case I have to crowned and polished each frets and I even removed the high gloss from both fretboard and the back of th3 neck just because I don't like it stucks my playing.
6th: The pickups is good but too bright for a classic/vintage style.
7th: Since you didn't shows the electronics I don't know if the Indonesian made is load with good one but the Chinese made is just load with th3 cheap alpha pots, cheap switch and cheap input jack but the wiring is good and clean.
8th: as you say the bridges was terrible and I do agree.
9th: One thing that you forgot to mention is about the string spacing, vintage style string spacing is 56.5mm but the squier vintage model is 52.5mm so if you guys want to upgrade your classic vibe squier don't buy a vintage bridge for replacement it would not fit on it.
btw thank you for the video I've watched a lot of your video and learn many things from it, I'm just sharing my experience as a squier classic vibe 50s users 🙏
Been eyeing these for years, but as always, the lefty’s get 1 color. You can only have so many sunburst or black strats, I have 2 of each.
Same....but I bought the sunburst and am currently about to paint it sonic blue. Hate being so limited as a lefty.
sounds great, the gloss makes my eyes stick together when blinking though.
My classic vibe is the first thing I bought after my divorce. Definitely had to hardtail it to fix the tuning issue. Its also the only guitar that stays out on a stand all the time because I play it more than anything else.
With a mint pickguard and parchment/creme pickups/knobs/trembar tip this thing would look like a $1k+ guitar.
I just bought a CV 50's strat in fiesta red last month. It shockingly plays and sounds beyond its price range. Really the only weakest link I can find in the guitar is in the tremolo. The spring tension is way too tight. Its the same kind you find in the affinity series squiers. Fortunately you can pickup a vintage style wilkinson trem (with a much larger trem block too) which serves as a direct 1 to 1 replacemnt for the CV series. Also has much nicer springs for you to use it with, and the trem arm is those insert/pull out kind instead of the traditional screw in style. And the whole unit costs less than 20 USD!
Where did you get the Wilkinson at?
I just got one. I LOVED IT!!! It is a blonde white (something like that), it is a little pinky...well nothing is perfect, still love it!!
I have an Indonesian made squire vintage modified telecaster deluxe which is an excellent guitar. I rate it better than my MIM player Stratocaster. It has fender branded wide range pickups and string saddles.
I have a 60's Classic Vibe gold on gold, a great guitar that plays as good as
a Fender MIM Strat, but at half the price when released.
The new ones have gone up in price, but nowhere near as much as the
new Fender MIM models.
I have not played the new classic vibe's, but from what i have heard they are
not fitted with the Tonerider pickups which gave the original models a great
Strat sound.
If you can find an original Classic Vibe, buy one, you will not regret it.
I’ve got a Squier Strat built in February 2012 in Indonesia. Dark blue with a white pick guard rosewood neck. It plays beautifully very bright and twangy all for the low cost of $120.
Darrell! You get a Strat that, maybe for the first time ever, has a tone control for the bridge pickup and then you *don't* play that bridge while going through the full tone sweep? That's what I most wanted to experience from this vid! Missed opportunity!
It's funny how quickly folks forget that the CV 50s Strats were made in Indonesia (by Kort), and this is just a smart return to what put them on our radar originally. The quality of them actually dropped at least at first when they switched to chinese made.
What amp is he playing through?
Squier Classic Vibes are amazing guitars...I have way too many of the FSR versions LOL I was lucky and picked up a gold hardware FSR version, looks and play amazing!