Great review, I own a Bullet from 2019 and can attest that the main body thickness is measured by my digital calipers to be 40mm. The tuners are square boxy in shape. The guitar does go out of tune and needs to be readjusted often. Mine has a rosewood fretboard, which was standard, the Sonics seem all to come with pained maple necks, which for me seems like a "stripper" version. Colors are nice.
I just got one. Great adjustment, intonation and nice set up out of the box. The colour is pretty, the guitar sounds wonderful, for the money there is not mistake. Loved it.
I have both a bullet & squiersonic mustang and the difference between them is significant to say the least. 1. New colors (like mentioned in this video, found only in custom shop guitars) hence slightly costlier. 2. Tuners are new and different (no screwholes in the back of headstock) , and slightly better. 3. Neck is fabulous, much smoother & refined than the bullet series. More choices of maple color fretboard combinations. No fret buzz. Intonation much better & issues easier to fix. 4. Quality of bridge is better. 5. Better paint job. Laquer finish is smoother & colors look much better. 6. Lesser perceived noise in single coil pick ups. Upon opening pick guard, pick up looks like a newer version and labelled (neck-bridge) in a different way. 7. As a result of all these, my squiersonic mustang definitely looks and plays better than the bullet, which im soon gonna sell at half price.
That's great to hear because I want another Squier Mustang So How does the neck on the Sonic compare to the Bullet ? Thicker or the same? And the body, is it about the same thickness? Hope you don't mind, I don't live near a store where I can check it out in person. 👍👍👍 Thank you.
Excellent review! Straight to the point and you answered all of my questions. I have a couple Squier Bullets, great practice guitars for my needs. I was curious about the Newer Sonic Series. I may get one, just because of the color lol.
Nice review, I think it's more of orange creamsicle but it looks great! ProAudioStar has a few Sterling CT50s (probably old/remaining stock) for ~$350...but that return policy is not very consumer friendly.
I own both. Poplar is a good tonewood for the buck. I upgraded a Bullet Strat to an Anico V prewired pg gig grade. My "Mike Rutherford". 😆 Hardtail sustain. Great guitars to share at my former open stage. Laurel fretboards are porous. Use oil sparingly. Doesn't really need conditioning (much). Indonesian builds are historically good.
I like the color too. Very nice. I just realized that 2024 will be the 70th anniversary of the Strat. I wonder what special editions Fender and Squier are cooking up. Will we be able to resist?😉
The only Sonic vs. Bullet that I have to compare is my Sonic Mustang SS and my Bullet Mustang-90. If I'm completely honest, I like the Bullet Mustang-90 better. It was obviously originally an HH, but I put P90s in it and it's just a terrific instrument. The Sonic isn't bad, it's actually quite nice, I just connect better with the Bullet. Also, as a man with a bit of a belly, I appreciate the contour cutouts of the Bullet. The Sonic Mustang doesn't have any, it's flat on both sides.
Even between the Strats I did feel a noticeable difference. The neck feels a sharper on the edges and rougher on the Bullet. The plastics feel a bit better quality of the Sonics. The pickups are a lot better on Sonics, especially the humbucker.
Exact same loaded pickguards as the Affinity , probably save cost this way. They won’t tell you that or else you wouldn’t bother with the Affinity and just buy a Sonic unless you like a bigger headstock.
Everyone says the pickups are better, which it seems like it. Hard to tell in the videos. I’m going to buy the hard tail and mod it. Definitely making it a string through body like the fender noventa
So I have 3 of these Sonics now, 2 strats blue and black, wanted the black for the maple fretboard and will mod it along with the blonde telecaster, very comfortable playing guitars, light and sound good to me at least as I am a hobby player at best
I think the Sonics are the same specs as the last gen Bullet, just rebadged as a Sonic. When the name change happened, there were a couple of school mass shootings. The Bullet product is targeting the beginner's market, which more often than not are "children". As we all know, legal & marketing departments are going to avoid negative connotations and any connections to negative events. Mom & Dad are most likely buying this guitar for their child. That's my theory on it pretty much. What I have is a 2005 Bullet. Specs are different for the fretboard, mine is a pre Rosewood ban guitar, so it has the Rosewood fretboard & not the Indian Laurel. The Body is Basswood for that generation of Bullet, so another difference would be mine is not Poplar. I do have the SSS HT version of a Bullet Strat. Let's see, what else do I know of that is different ? The 2005 has a gloss poly finish, not the matte finish. That said, the gloss also yellows over time & being 18+ years old, there's a slight yellowish brown gloss poly tint to the neck. I couldn't say mine has the same tuners. I believe some of the 2005 Bullets had the hex shaped covers (Samick) factory & not the round sealed tuners that perhaps the Indonesian CORT factory produced. I have an IC = Indonesian CORT. Where mine differs, a prior owner, replaced the tuners with the Fender Retail, laser etched tuners. They are pretty much the same tuners the Fender Player MiM's have on them for non-locking tuners. To be fair, these tuners are no better than the tuners on my 2016 Affinity which also has the Rosewood fretboard. The Rosewood ban was 2017, All my Squier guitars are 2016 & earlier. I do have a 2017 Epiphone LP that has Rosewood that was 1st week 2017 build, it's a Rosewood fretboard run out on inventory before Epiphone ceased to spec Rosewood fretboards for the LP version that I have. Anyway, for tuners, mine say Fender on them, I'd like to think that is better, but I really can't tell the difference between them & any other Chinese guitar. Those would be the Monoprice Telecasters that were under $ 100. And this is the information I have to share for anyone running across an older Bullet vs Sonic. I prefer the gloss finish of my 2005 Bullet to the matte poly of the Affinity. I think in time the Affinity may disappear as well. All depends upon how the Sonic sells vs the Affinity. The Affinity get the gold label, Bullet & Sonics are the black label Squiers. Also Bullet & Sonic have hard tail bridge plates vs Tremolo models, the Affinity is a Tremolo bridge only.
@@1997Ghost I'd say the Sonic, Bullet & Affinity are the same neck & finish, same Poplar body dimensions & polyurethane finish, even the pickups & tuners. The difference lies in the magic of a black label decal vs gold label decal.
I just bought this same exact guitar today. Mine says its got black nickel hardware, will see. The color grew on me too. I wanted what you did Maple neck with small head and satin finish HSS pickups Made in Indonesia I'll be putting a Floyd Rose nut on it, and my locking blick giving me the functionality of a Floyd Rose with a standard bridge. Can't wait to get my hands on it.
I’ve got a Bullet Mustang HH and a Sonic Mustang SS. I think the frets are slightly better on the Sonic and the bridge is definitely better but there’s not much in it.
I just purchased the Tihitian Coral Strat. And I'm super happy about the Feel and sound. More importantly yes I fell for it due to the Unique colour it has. And in different light environments it looks like a different color each time. It's amazing that way. ❤ And this review has just made my point of everything I've experienced in the last few days.
i would buy it for the same reason...color(in my case surf green) and maple board.All the rest can change in due time in favor of way better parts if it needs to and frankly these types of guitars just need a new nut and tuners(and of course a setup) and they ll serve you as good as anything although i would mod the living crap out of it,reradiusing the board to 12 inches,installing stainless steel frets,new nut,tuners..the works....and i think thats the beauty of guitars in this price range.You can do whatever you want with it without dreading something happening to them.....i would still prefer 50 bucks off though from their asking price although i have to say the cool colors they offer for this line compensate for that(this color is killer too by the way and not common) but i ll probably buy one of them second hand.
Id say the sonic took the place of the affinity. Fit and finish are great. As an owner of multiple affinities and mim strats. The Bullets feel alot cheaper. I picked up a sonic P and was not let down. Great fretwork and a solid feeling body at 8.8lbs
Having bought and sold a number of Squire Strats over the years, i have had good and bad samples. The worst by far was a Chinese made Affinity, it was so bad that i returned it the same day for a refund. The best was a Gold on Gold classic vibe, apart from some setup tweaks it played very well out of the box, and it is the only one that i have kept. Th original made in Japan samples are now collectors items with prices to match. Would i buy this one, probably not, i have far too many budget guitars to justify another one.
@@renodavid Yes i was in my then local guitar shop when the delivery had just arrived, they had just been allocated two of them, and i bought the one still in a sealed box. I also have the CBS era Gold on Gold Strat that they sold at a loss, i inherted it from a good friend when he passed away, it is well used but he insisted that i kept it as it is and not have it refinshed, it is one of the heaviest Strats i have ever played. The Squire can still hold it's own against the CBS one, but for playing the CBS feels special despite it's age.
@@Barbarapape Ohhhh, very nice - TWO gold Strats. Both of them together must be a lovely sight. I didn’t know they made a Gold on Gold Strat back in the CBS days. The stars had to be aligned perfectly for you to be in the shop right when they delivered the gold Squiers!👍
@@renodavid Yeah i was very lucky to visit the shop on the day they had a delivery, i called back a week later and the other one had sold a few days after. Re the two side by side do look good at a distance, the CBS one is well used and realy needs a respray and the gold hardware replating, but i have to keep to my friends request to keep it original, at least it is play worn and not a "Relic" which i can't stand.
@@Barbarapape Yeah, you probably don’t want to mess with the old one. I wonder if it would help if you took it in and had it cleaned up and maybe lightly restored? Nothing crazy. It might be nice to freshen it up a little bit. Just a thought. I wouldn’t mind getting a new guitar with the finish a little distressed (it would be nice not to worry about every little ding) but some of them are ridiculous. I’m certainly much too cheap to pay extra for one though.😝 Actually, I sort of did, because my 40th Anniversary Squier has the “aged” hardware, which I like.😉
I just start watching. In 2016 Idid performances with a Bullet. So, if this is even better, great! Got so dissapointed with the Harley Bentons. 4 in a row with uneven frets and a lot more.
Hey man, I am a beginner that wants to get his first guitar and I would like a hss configuration so I would HONESLTY like to know if this guitar is any good and if you would recommend it or not (p.s I want a versatile guitar to play multiple genres on but I mainly would be looking to play grunge, alternative metal, metal, rock and shoegaze on my first guitar so if you could take that into account before you give me an answer I would appreciate that) I would also like to know how well the guitar stays in tune and if the guitar has suffered from any fret sprout now that you have had it for a couple months please and thank you
If you are just learning a Squier Sonic is a great guitar to start with. Mine had no fret sprout. That will depend on the climate the guitar is in... I would suggest an HSS config definitely for versatility.
Could you advice me? I'm really not sure if I should shoose HT or Trem and should I go fo HSS instead of SSS in terms of actual noise reduction? Cuz I'm not such metal guy.
Hardtail 100%. Tremolo on a cheap guitar is adding one more factor that can make you go out of tune. I thought the humbuckers on the Sonic series were really good while the single coils were decent.
I am seriously considering buting a cheap THIN body strat to substitute my normal one😂 (just the body) and strip the paint. I really want a smaller /lighter strat... Or maybe i should just keep hunting for Japanese Junior on a color i like
Without even holding one, I felt this was just another rebranding of the Bullet. These Sonics are just keeping the tremolo system since all the Bullets are hard tails now.
Great review, I own a Bullet from 2019 and can attest that the main body thickness is measured by my digital calipers to be 40mm. The tuners are square boxy in shape. The guitar does go out of tune and needs to be readjusted often. Mine has a rosewood fretboard, which was standard, the Sonics seem all to come with pained maple necks, which for me seems like a "stripper" version. Colors are nice.
I always appreciate your honest opinion and reviews
Keep them coming, great job
Great analysis! Thank you so much!
I just got one. Great adjustment, intonation and nice set up out of the box. The colour is pretty, the guitar sounds wonderful, for the money there is not mistake. Loved it.
Thanks for the nice thorough look at the new Squier Sonic Stratocaster, Joe! I like the color too-Enjoy it! New Guitar Day is always a good day---LOL!
I have both a bullet & squiersonic mustang and the difference between them is significant to say the least.
1. New colors (like mentioned in this video, found only in custom shop guitars) hence slightly costlier.
2. Tuners are new and different (no screwholes in the back of headstock) , and slightly better.
3. Neck is fabulous, much smoother & refined than the bullet series. More choices of maple color fretboard combinations. No fret buzz. Intonation much better & issues easier to fix.
4. Quality of bridge is better.
5. Better paint job. Laquer finish is smoother & colors look much better.
6. Lesser perceived noise in single coil pick ups. Upon opening pick guard, pick up looks like a newer version and labelled (neck-bridge) in a different way.
7. As a result of all these, my squiersonic mustang definitely looks and plays better than the bullet, which im soon gonna sell at half price.
That's great to hear because I want another Squier Mustang So How does the neck on the Sonic compare to the Bullet ? Thicker or the same?
And the body, is it about the same thickness? Hope you don't mind, I don't live near a store where I can check it out in person. 👍👍👍 Thank you.
Great analysis! Thank you so much!
Excellent review! Straight to the point and you answered all of my questions. I have a couple Squier Bullets, great practice guitars for my needs. I was curious about the Newer Sonic Series. I may get one, just because of the color lol.
Came in to say this. Thanks, A.J.
And I, too, like the color with maple board and smaller headstock, and may eventually bite.
Nice review, I think it's more of orange creamsicle but it looks great! ProAudioStar has a few Sterling CT50s (probably old/remaining stock) for ~$350...but that return policy is not very consumer friendly.
I own both. Poplar is a good tonewood for the buck. I upgraded a Bullet Strat to an Anico V prewired pg gig grade. My "Mike Rutherford". 😆 Hardtail sustain. Great guitars to share at my former open stage. Laurel fretboards are porous. Use oil sparingly. Doesn't really need conditioning (much). Indonesian builds are historically good.
I like the color too. Very nice. I just realized that 2024 will be the 70th anniversary of the Strat. I wonder what special editions Fender and Squier are cooking up. Will we be able to resist?😉
They are. The one I saw was the seafoam green body.
Thanks for the great review. I’m convinced to buy one now.
The only Sonic vs. Bullet that I have to compare is my Sonic Mustang SS and my Bullet Mustang-90. If I'm completely honest, I like the Bullet Mustang-90 better. It was obviously originally an HH, but I put P90s in it and it's just a terrific instrument. The Sonic isn't bad, it's actually quite nice, I just connect better with the Bullet. Also, as a man with a bit of a belly, I appreciate the contour cutouts of the Bullet. The Sonic Mustang doesn't have any, it's flat on both sides.
Even between the Strats I did feel a noticeable difference. The neck feels a sharper on the edges and rougher on the Bullet. The plastics feel a bit better quality of the Sonics. The pickups are a lot better on Sonics, especially the humbucker.
Exact same loaded pickguards as the Affinity , probably save cost this way. They won’t tell you that or else you wouldn’t bother with the Affinity and just buy a Sonic unless you like a bigger headstock.
Everyone says the pickups are better, which it seems like it. Hard to tell in the videos. I’m going to buy the hard tail and mod it. Definitely making it a string through body like the fender noventa
I have the same..but its black..and i absolutly love it
So I have 3 of these Sonics now, 2 strats blue and black, wanted the black for the maple fretboard and will mod it along with the blonde telecaster, very comfortable playing guitars, light and sound good to me at least as I am a hobby player at best
Looks like an Affinity with a good looking headstock.
An Affinity looks like a Fender with a cheap looking neck.
Just recently got my sonic telecaster in scrambled egg yellow, Love it.
Making me hungry!
I think the Sonics are the same specs as the last gen Bullet, just rebadged as a Sonic. When the name change happened, there were a couple of school mass shootings. The Bullet product is targeting the beginner's market, which more often than not are "children". As we all know, legal & marketing departments are going to avoid negative connotations and any connections to negative events. Mom & Dad are most likely buying this guitar for their child. That's my theory on it pretty much.
What I have is a 2005 Bullet. Specs are different for the fretboard, mine is a pre Rosewood ban guitar, so it has the Rosewood fretboard & not the Indian Laurel. The Body is Basswood for that generation of Bullet, so another difference would be mine is not Poplar. I do have the SSS HT version of a Bullet Strat. Let's see, what else do I know of that is different ? The 2005 has a gloss poly finish, not the matte finish. That said, the gloss also yellows over time & being 18+ years old, there's a slight yellowish brown gloss poly tint to the neck.
I couldn't say mine has the same tuners. I believe some of the 2005 Bullets had the hex shaped covers (Samick) factory & not the round sealed tuners that perhaps the Indonesian CORT factory produced. I have an IC = Indonesian CORT. Where mine differs, a prior owner, replaced the tuners with the Fender Retail, laser etched tuners. They are pretty much the same tuners the Fender Player MiM's have on them for non-locking tuners. To be fair, these tuners are no better than the tuners on my 2016 Affinity which also has the Rosewood fretboard. The Rosewood ban was 2017, All my Squier guitars are 2016 & earlier. I do have a 2017 Epiphone LP that has Rosewood that was 1st week 2017 build, it's a Rosewood fretboard run out on inventory before Epiphone ceased to spec Rosewood fretboards for the LP version that I have. Anyway, for tuners, mine say Fender on them, I'd like to think that is better, but I really can't tell the difference between them & any other Chinese guitar. Those would be the Monoprice Telecasters that were under $ 100.
And this is the information I have to share for anyone running across an older Bullet vs Sonic. I prefer the gloss finish of my 2005 Bullet to the matte poly of the Affinity. I think in time the Affinity may disappear as well. All depends upon how the Sonic sells vs the Affinity. The Affinity get the gold label, Bullet & Sonics are the black label Squiers. Also Bullet & Sonic have hard tail bridge plates vs Tremolo models, the Affinity is a Tremolo bridge only.
they aren't the same. especially for the mustangs.
@@1997Ghost I'd say the Sonic, Bullet & Affinity are the same neck & finish, same Poplar body dimensions & polyurethane finish, even the pickups & tuners. The difference lies in the magic of a black label decal vs gold label decal.
Thanks for sharing. I would say the frets are are thin and small. Baby frets.
I just bought this same exact guitar today. Mine says its got black nickel hardware, will see. The color grew on me too. I wanted what you did
Maple neck with small head and satin finish
HSS pickups
Made in Indonesia
I'll be putting a Floyd Rose nut on it, and my locking blick giving me the functionality of a Floyd Rose with a standard bridge. Can't wait to get my hands on it.
i got one in lime green. So far pretty epic. Only problem is some cracks in the finish on the neck pocket but thats why they're 200$ lol.
Great review Ive been thinking about these and the new 12 string Jazzmaster. Squier did a good job this year.
I’ve got a Bullet Mustang HH and a Sonic Mustang SS. I think the frets are slightly better on the Sonic and the bridge is definitely better but there’s not much in it.
I just purchased the Tihitian Coral Strat. And I'm super happy about the Feel and sound.
More importantly yes I fell for it due to the Unique colour it has. And in different light environments it looks like a different color each time. It's amazing that way. ❤
And this review has just made my point of everything I've experienced in the last few days.
i would buy it for the same reason...color(in my case surf green) and maple board.All the rest can change in due time in favor of way better parts if it needs to and frankly these types of guitars just need a new nut and tuners(and of course a setup) and they ll serve you as good as anything although i would mod the living crap out of it,reradiusing the board to 12 inches,installing stainless steel frets,new nut,tuners..the works....and i think thats the beauty of guitars in this price range.You can do whatever you want with it without dreading something happening to them.....i would still prefer 50 bucks off though from their asking price although i have to say the cool colors they offer for this line compensate for that(this color is killer too by the way and not common) but i ll probably buy one of them second hand.
Id say the sonic took the place of the affinity. Fit and finish are great. As an owner of multiple affinities and mim strats. The Bullets feel alot cheaper. I picked up a sonic P and was not let down. Great fretwork and a solid feeling body at 8.8lbs
No bullsh*t review, just cut to the chase, I like that. Thanks!
Sweet playing!
Nice demo!!! 👍😎🎸 Excellent sound and color.
Having bought and sold a number of Squire Strats over the years, i have had good and bad samples.
The worst by far was a Chinese made Affinity, it was so bad that i returned it the same day for a refund.
The best was a Gold on Gold classic vibe, apart from some setup tweaks it played very well out of the
box, and it is the only one that i have kept.
Th original made in Japan samples are now collectors items with prices to match.
Would i buy this one, probably not, i have far too many budget guitars to justify another one.
Is the gold Strat a 60th anniversary model? They looked fantastic.
@@renodavid Yes i was in my then local guitar shop when the delivery had just arrived,
they had just been allocated two of them, and i bought the one still in a sealed box.
I also have the CBS era Gold on Gold Strat that they sold at a loss, i inherted it from a good
friend when he passed away, it is well used but he insisted that i kept it as it is and not have it
refinshed, it is one of the heaviest Strats i have ever played.
The Squire can still hold it's own against the CBS one, but for playing the CBS feels special
despite it's age.
@@Barbarapape Ohhhh, very nice - TWO gold Strats. Both of them together must be a lovely sight. I didn’t know they made a Gold on Gold Strat back in the CBS days. The stars had to be aligned perfectly for you to be in the shop right when they delivered the gold Squiers!👍
@@renodavid Yeah i was very lucky to visit the shop on the day they had a delivery,
i called back a week later and the other one had sold a few days after.
Re the two side by side do look good at a distance, the CBS one is well used and realy
needs a respray and the gold hardware replating, but i have to keep to my friends request
to keep it original, at least it is play worn and not a "Relic" which i can't stand.
@@Barbarapape Yeah, you probably don’t want to mess with the old one. I wonder if it would help if you took it in and had it cleaned up and maybe lightly restored? Nothing crazy. It might be nice to freshen it up a little bit. Just a thought.
I wouldn’t mind getting a new guitar with the finish a little distressed (it would be nice not to worry about every little ding) but some of them are ridiculous. I’m certainly much too cheap to pay extra for one though.😝 Actually, I sort of did, because my 40th Anniversary Squier has the “aged” hardware, which I like.😉
I just start watching. In 2016 Idid performances with a Bullet. So, if this is even better, great! Got so dissapointed with the Harley Bentons. 4 in a row with uneven frets and a lot more.
I'm sorry I still like my bullet strat.
Maybe you got a great one? Its all down to individual parts combining to be special!
Bullet squire just is better
@@ic3berg339Its objectively not specs wise, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Nice, is this Garageband you're using on your phone?
No- I don't use garageband app.
Hey man, I am a beginner that wants to get his first guitar and I would like a hss configuration so I would HONESLTY like to know if this guitar is any good and if you would recommend it or not (p.s I want a versatile guitar to play multiple genres on but I mainly would be looking to play grunge, alternative metal, metal, rock and shoegaze on my first guitar so if you could take that into account before you give me an answer I would appreciate that) I would also like to know how well the guitar stays in tune and if the guitar has suffered from any fret sprout now that you have had it for a couple months please and thank you
If you are just learning a Squier Sonic is a great guitar to start with. Mine had no fret sprout. That will depend on the climate the guitar is in... I would suggest an HSS config definitely for versatility.
Kurt Cobain Jaguar-not JagStang- is SUPER! Amazing guitar
Could you advice me? I'm really not sure if I should shoose HT or Trem and should I go fo HSS instead of SSS in terms of actual noise reduction? Cuz I'm not such metal guy.
If you want better tuning stability and are not a "metal" player- I would recommend a HT with SSS config.
@@AJgeartalk Appreciated!
Hardtail 100%. Tremolo on a cheap guitar is adding one more factor that can make you go out of tune. I thought the humbuckers on the Sonic series were really good while the single coils were decent.
I am seriously considering buting a cheap THIN body strat to substitute my normal one😂 (just the body) and strip the paint.
I really want a smaller /lighter strat... Or maybe i should just keep hunting for Japanese Junior on a color i like
Difference between squier affinity FMT hss and this one?? and which is better?
Please, I would like to ask you whether I should buy a Squier Bullet Stratocaster or a Squier Sonic Stratocaster.
Whichever is "cheaper"- both are basically the same guitars.
Hey I need a guitar with comfortable height of string, what guitar did u recommend?
String height are adjustable on most guitars like any squier strat for an example
The nut width is wider than affinity
frets are miles better
Squier Affinity is better???
How do you think the Monoprice comoares to Squier buget guitars?
I think the Squier Bullets/Sonics IMHO have better feeling necks and stock pickups.
@@AJgeartalk Totally agree, and the Squier may feel a little lighter.
The quality control is not there for jet and Monoprice
what pedals (or emulators) do you use for this video?
No pedals. Just my Spark 40 digital amp.
thank you!
@@AJgeartalk
How about the frets. Are they Medio jumbo?
In the video.
need better colors
Without even holding one, I felt this was just another rebranding of the Bullet. These Sonics are just keeping the tremolo system since all the Bullets are hard tails now.
Correct !
There are some hardtail sonics. I personally prefer a hardtail over a cheap trem.
bullets and sonics were/are available as hardtail or tremolo!