Squier's new 'Classic Vibe' line of Strats, a Tele, and more

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Anybody tried one?

Fender has a factory in China that is turning heads with the best bang for the buck guitars on the market currently.
Accross the board, seasoned players are raving about the overall quality of these $300 guitars, which are still under the radar for most players, but the word is spreading fast.
While they certainly aren't the ultimate in perfection repro's, they are dang close and whomever is in charge of the design and quality control have gotten it right this time.
They have both a 50s and 60s era Strat, a Tele, DuoSonic, and P Bass.
All are looking like real winners that will become sought after.

Ken Lang · From: Simi Valley, Ca

In August I bought two tele's that were the same, color and everything. Squire Vintage Telecaster's. One for L.A. and one for my place in New York. they say "made in China" tho they don't say classic.

For $279 they are all a player could ask for. The guitar in New York plays the same as the one I have here. I couldn't ask for more.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Are these available in Guitar Center, or other 'supermarket' outlets? I haven't seen one yet, but I'm certainly going to try them if I can.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Ken, sounds like you got a better deal than most. That price is what the DuoSonics go for, and if it say's China, I can only assume you got a CV, as I think that factory only makes these models there.
Those Tele bodies are made of pine, instead of ash, as the 'normal' Fender Tele's are. I understand the early Esquires had pine bodies as well, so there is a legitimate precidence for this, and the translucent finish on the CV's let's the grain show thru like it should.
Count yourself as one of many happy campers.

Roger, do a google search (squier classic vibe) for the nearest dealer in your area. I have seen UK dealer ads, but you pay about 200 US dollars more overseas.

Tip - use www.live.com for their 30/30 specials and you'll get a serious discount in price. Seems you just have to wait for one to pop up.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Body...Pine...Basswood.....hhhmmmmmm.

There is a Strat made of alder..

The wood is the ? in these chinatars. I have looked through 100s of imported Fender guitars in my local Guitar Center. Wood ranges from crap to VERY VERY VERY VERY few decent grade necks in these.

I would never just buy one unseen off the net.

Look at them close before you buy!!!

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Bill, I suggest you do your homework on these guitars via the net and see what is being said by veteran players. I'm trying to get my local Fender dealer to bring a bunch in, to try out/pick the purtiest, and because there is the suggestion that some necks are a bit fatter than others, but the consensus by far is that all the necks are awesome.
Those other Fender factorys are not what's happening in China. These guy's are doing it top notch as far as building a quality guitar for a very fair price. Just what Leo intended. So much so, that there is none of the usual whinning that 'it's not made in America'.
If the store here doesn't bring them in, I'll have no problem spending the low $ to get what I'll bet is a keeper off the net.

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

People have been raving about these on the TDPRI (Telecaster Forum) and I would love to try one myself. Unfortunately, for us "foreigners", Fender doesn't allow US dealers to ship overseas and so far I haven't seen any locally...

One thing I just read on the TDPRI is that it seems like the quality control for the CV line has slipped a little lately,- could be an unfortunate coincidence, but it could also be that they're getting a bit sloppy because these guitars have been such a huge hit and kinda 'sold themselves'. It wouldn't be the first time....
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Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

Ron, there's a couple of posts in this thread - mostly concerning the finish but also some disappointment with the pickups.
It's just a couple of posts though, and it doesn't need to indicate a general drop in quality, so I wouldn't read too much into it. But I always worry a bit when less than positive comments start to show up after a line of guitars has been a huge hit for a while - it's just so typical that the manufacturer start to take things for granted and proper quality control gets ignored... (yeah, I know, I'm a cynical old.. Wink

)
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Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

History has not always been kind to the quality issues, even in America.

The PUs are always a personal prefference, but these stock jobs have been praised by many as well who'd thot that swapping would be a standard move on a cheapo. So it typically comes down to what your ear wants. I know that almost no matter how good the stockers are, my friend wouldn't be happy in his head without swapping them w/Van Zandts.

These Strats are being compared to the Mexico Customs that I owned one of once, and go for $7-800, and miss very much, as it was incredible.

Jack Francis · From: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

About 12 years ago Squire was making what they called the Squire "ProTone". I had a fistfull of money and was looking for an American Strat...I went to 4 stores including GC and couldn't find one that lit me up....until, in a smaller store my son brought me one off of the wall and said that I better try this one....THE BEST STRAT I ever played.
$325.00....I bought it and had the store put on an American tremolo...total price $400.00 Very Happy

From what I understand Fender made them stop making that model...let's hope they aren't as quick to stop these new ones. Oh Well

Here is the Harmony Central reviewers thread on these guitars.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Fender/Squier+ProTone+Strat/10/1

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I hear you, Jack.

Back in 1982 Fender UK were marketing the very first Teles, Strats and P-Basses made outside America. That line was the first of the 'Squiers' (confusing at the time because of the existence of the 'Esquire' guitar!) and became known after a year or so as the 'JV Series', but the first few thousand wore a 'spaghetti-type' Fender logo with a tiny 'Squier' logo. In London these were outselling the US products by quite a margin, simply because they were superb! Fender USA had the logos changed to Squier (by Fender) in an effort to balance the sales out a bit!

I had one of the Teles - which remains the best Tele I've ever owned (sadly it was stolen from a theatre in the early-1990s Sad

). The weight was perfect and the tone as good as any Tele out there.

I'm certainly going to investigate this new line, but I'll be hypercritical. If they're anything like as good as those early Squiers there'll be a new guitar in my house!

I'm off to Guitar Center in the morning....
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

Bob Ritter · From: pacfic, wa

I would like to take a look under the hood to see what they have for electronics...I have seen some of those Korean made squire pickups and volume and tone pots and the cheep thin gauge wire they solder them with and I started laughing..CTS pots or original fender pots minimum...Alnico pickups too a must..Ceramic magnets just sound raspy and not warm and full like alnicos...As for neck radius 9.5 or larger a must and true medium jumbos or bigger frets..( true jumbo 6100 or 6105 preferred) Closed tuner or vintage I would prefer vintage ..But sperzel locking tuners would be my top choice...There are some guys in China now days I have heard about that are committed to building a decent electric guitar so this is not a big surprise..But no way pine for a body. Alder or swamp ash only...Althogh my b.bender tele has a maple body no kidding ( weighs a ton and a half) and when a open my case to take it out it just reeks like Mrs Buttlerworth pancake syrup.. Cool

...The bridge is probably made at the same factory that makes wilkinson parts along with the pickups and if that is true then yeah I would say it is a nice guitar for the price indeed....If I would start out looking for a strat or tele to hot rod or upgrade I would want the body preloaded with good electronics and hardware first...ordering a neck from warmoth, usa custom, or all parts is an easy thing to do...All parts is good stuff it is all made in Japan and that is where fender japan gets all there parts from...Mij strat are indeed just as good as USA or better because all parts makes their stuff. Cool

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Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

I'd worry more Rolling Eyes

about the lead paint they use Laughing

Jack Francis · From: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

Lead...It makes the paint MUCH better!!

Quit licking your guitar and you'll be fine!! Laughing

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

I tried a Classic Vibe Strat at a local store recently. What got me was the neck. It felt like a much more expensive guitar neck. And it's got that darker finish, more like a MIM Classic 60s Fender neck. The MIM Classic 60s line is great as well. I got a Tele and it smokes my American Standard. I did put a pair of CS Nocaster pickups in it, but didn't really need to.

If the headstock said Fender instead of Squier, they could charge way more. Smile

Here is one like I played:

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Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I don't know how I'd forgotten this in just a matter of weeks!!!!!

Back in late-September and through October I returned to Britain for a short tour with, among others, my dear old pal guitarist Billy Bremner. Billy's usually a confirmed Tele-player, but I was surprised to see him pull a sort-of Strat out of the case on the first day of rehearsal.

"Try this, Rog", said Billy. Momentarily put off by the 'Squier' logo, I was astonished at the feel of the neck - a dark rosewood and that classic 'C' profile. A perfect action (for me and Billy, anyway) and it was like holding an early-'60s Fender!

It has to have been one of these guitars (Billy's not a great one for obsessing about specs and details - just buys it if he likes it), because he did say it was 'ridiculously cheap'. Billy lives in Stockholm, so I suppose they've found their way to Sweden too.

Billy has added a Hipshot (but has lost the 'crank' that activates the device, so it was out-of-action!). He's also switched pick-ups, but said there hadn't been a huge improvement with the substitution.

I thought to myself that, much as I dislike Strats - mainly because that middle p/u interferes with my right hand - I wouldn't mind buying one just for that super neck!

Now - if ONLY they did a Tele with a rosewood neck....

Cool

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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Thanks, Ron.

I just had an email from a good friend of mine who reliably informed me that the large headstock deems this to be an earlier guitar.

Sorry for my error.

Still - my opinion stands! The neck on Billy's guitar is to die for! It'll teach me to ignore a headstock logo from now on and examine all instruments come-what-may!

I'm still going to Guitar Center tomorrow (not today) and I'll check everything out with an open mind.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Why the H*** can't Fender just make them right and have done with it? All this 'custom shop' and 'relic' stuff is nonsense - back in 1962 Fender guitars were at an all-time high in terms of quality, weight and playability - those were the days!

I know not every one was great then, but these days it's a lottery! I'd never buy one on-line for that reason.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

Slightly off topic, but I just bought this Squier Strat used for $90 on eBay and modified it for bottleneck slide (and to make David Lindley jealous - MOTS galore! Laughing

).
String spacing at the nut is too narrow for me, but there's plenty of space outside of the strings so I'll have a new nut with wider spacing made for it.

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"Play to express, not to impress"
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Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Steve Ahola · From: Concord, California

Although this thread is a year and a half old I thought I would chip in with my recent experiences with the Squire Classic Vibe guitars.

I had been bugging my local GC to get in some of the Classic Vibe 50's teles (AKA the pinecaster) and when I came in to check them out it was absolutely amazing. I already have 6 Fender teles of various vintages but none of them have the low action of this guitar. Even with the action set that low you don't have strings choking out when you bend them, which indicates that this neck is very level.

They have a QC card tied around one of the tuners which show the clearances on the 1st and 6th strings at the 1st and 6th frets. The one on mine showed 0.5mm for both strings at the first fret and 1.2mm for both at the sixth fret. Pretty amazing.

It suspect that they are using a very sophisticated computerized process for leveling the fretboards as well as the frets; they seem to have this down to a very exact science.

Did I just happen to get lucky? I very rarely buy guitars sight unseen but Sam Ash had the CV '60's Tele Custom in stock (for everyone else it was on a lengthy backorder). I told them how picky I was about guitars but their return policy sounded pretty good so what the heck I gave it a shot.

Damn- when the Tele Custom arrived it was set up almost as well as the 50's model (the clearances at the 6th fret were a little bit higher). This is one of the new models that just came out and like the Tele Customs made in the 60's it has a double bound body and two single coil pickups. None of my teles play as smoothly as these two guitars, especially with their medium-jumbo frets (they do not try to recreate the old guitars, but just capture the vibe of them, sometimes with the mods a lot of people would do to them).

As for the electronics, the pickups on the 50's model have Alnico 3 polepieces, just like the '51 NoCaster pickups. The sound is very close to the NoCasters- I would probably leave them in there if I didn't already have a set of NoCasters looking for a guitar. (I think of the Alnico 3 bridge pickups being like a fist in a velvet glove- not sharp and ice picky like Alnico 5 bridge pickups can be.) I haven't looked at the electronics in the control section yet but for the price I really don't mind changing the pot or switch. (I will be installing a 4 way tele switch so I might just wire that up on a new control plate.)

While I like the stock pickups on the 50's model I really can't work with the sound of the Alnico 5 bridge pickup on the 60's Custom (my own taste- YMMV) so I plan to replace them with a set of Antiquity I's that I have in another guitar. Most of my teles have Alnico 3 pickups so the Alnico 2 in the Antiquities will give that guitar a little more bite.

One good thing about the Classic Vibe Squires: their parts are interchangeable with American Fenders (with Mexican guitars have often had their own dimensions which weren't quite the same).

In closing I think that over the past 10 or 15 years the Squire line has been very innovative, while their more expensive siblings often keep putting out the same old same old. These are the first two Chinese guitars that I have bought, although I have been similarly impressed with the PRS SE guitars made in Korea. I think if the US vendors provide exact specs to the new factories in China and Korea using CAM techniques, the results can be very impressive. (Many US vendors just order the guitars very generically- "we want 10,000 each of strat copies in sunburst, white and black"- evidently being more concerned with appearance than performance.)

Steve Ahola
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Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

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