Timestamps team: 00:00 Hello! 00:20 Introduction to the Squier Sonic Series and Tele 01:42 Specs and info 04:23 Today’s rig and plan Clean Sounds 05:50 Clean tone reference chords with all pickup options 06:11 Country ballad arpeggios 06:24 Strummed country chords (on all pickups) 06:43 Blues progression 06:54 Ringing open indie pop chords 07:08 Poppy barre chords 07:24 Cowboy chords with tone control test 07:51 Funk rhythm chords 08:04 Surf pop riff Overdrive Sounds 08:22 Fat indie rhythm chords 08:40 Kings Of Leon inspired riff 08:54 Garage rock riff 09:11 Choppy barre chords 09:20 Indie rock barre chords (all pickups) 09:45 Volume control roll-off test 10:05 Poppy indie riff 10:12 Ascending droning indie rock riff 10:25 AC/DC inspired classic rock riff 10:41 Groovy rock riff 10:55 Airbourne inspired rock riff 11:07 Hendrix inspired riff 11:16 Classic rock riff Heavy Overdrive Sounds 11:29 Hard rock riff 11:46 80s rock riff 12:06 Classic hard rock riff 12:24 Hard rock melodic lead (neck/bridge pickups) 12:46 Chunky alt rock chords 12:59 Alternative rock riff 13:14 Green Day inspired punk rock riff 13:27 Pop punk melodic lead riff 13:43 Punk rock power chords 13:57 Less Than Jake inspired punk riff 14:08 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning) 14:24 Modern rock palm-muted power chords (Drop D, all pickups) 14:51 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D) Metal sounds (all in Drop D) 15:08 Metal chugging riff 15:25 Heavy metal lead sound 15:42 Hardcore punk riff 15:56 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang 16:08 Classic metal/sludge riff 16:44 My thoughts 17:44 First impressions out of the box 18:26 Weight 19:00 Build quality and hardware 20:18 Playability and the neck 21:00 Sounds and pickups discussion 24:01 What I don’t like 24:49 What other similar guitars are out there? 26:25 My conclusions on the Sonic Tele and why you should buy it
I must say... The Torino Red model?! Is definitely calling me. My current #1 player is a 2017 Squier Affinity Jazzmaster HH (Alder, Maple, Rosewood). After upgrading it with Grover tuners and roller string trees? Absolutely ACE IMO Thanks for the demo! Cheers!
Thanks, I agree! I usually leave other vids with more questions than when I started, and that's why my own vids often get so long 😅 I try to tell everyone all they might ever need to know about a piece of gear! Cheers and rock on 🤘
Wow. Looking for demos and this man brought the heat. You just played ever genre i've ever heard or liked. I was sitting here deciding between a Dinky JS22 and this Tele. This just sold me on the tele.
Ha ha, thanks! Yeah, I like to try and fit in at least one riff that's going to appeal to everyone who watches... which means long videos, but more guitar playing for me :) Hope you get the chance to try one of these for yourself soon. Cheers and rock on!
I was just gifted one of these for Father’s Day by my lovely daughter and my future son-in-law. My first electric guitar at 63 years old 😊. I’m a beginner, but I can say it’s been a whole lot of fun! Just to provide some additional feedback, my Tele had a significant problem with fret sprout, and the volume knob was really rubbing on the cover plate. My local guitar shop, authorized for Fender repairs, fixed it up in an afternoon. So, they aren’t perfect, but still seem to be great guitars.
This might be the most informative well put to together review on anything ive ever seen . I also like that this isnt sponsored bc you give the truth . Great video and just all the different styles gone thru helps so much . Thank you
As the original concept behind the Fender Telecaster was to mass produce a working mucisian's guitar as a simple, cheap and reliable... tool; it's good to see Fender returning and reviving to this basic idea. I think the Tele is, in my opinion, the most versatile guitar. I don't think there's another guitar where the difference between the two pickups is so pronounced. Other guitars seem to have a narrower sound spectrum compared to a Tele, which often acts like it's two different guitars! Rich, excellent job, as usual.
Thanks a lot Michael, and I totally agree! Sometimes I wonder what Leo Fender would think if he were able to see the prices on some of the new Custom Shop Teles you can buy today... if you can afford them! The Tele was all about being an affordable workhorse, and I really think the Sonic Tele gets that philosophy spot on. And yes, throughout the years I've as many guitars as I could in all varieties, and I always come back to my humble Tele :) P90s do tempt me very often, but there's magic in the simple efficiency and beauty of the Telecaster.
I can't help but think that Harley Benton has caused Squier to up it's game on their lower tier guitars. I see this as a win for beginner guitarists and guitarists on a budget. This guitar sounded much nicer than I expected. Great demo as always.
Thanks Dennis! And I totally agree - I've had that discussion with a few people over the past couple of years. I really do think HB is causing other, more established brands to sit up and take notice, and up their game accordingly. You simply can't rely on a brand name forever, and yes, it's a total win for us players. Brands like Squier and Ibanez really do seem to be pushing the boat out on their new affordable guitars, and everybody wins that way! Cheers for watching as ever :)
@@PhillipHolt-f9r I think it does. I’m sure Fender/Squier watches what the competition is doing, and when they see such consistently excellent cheap guitars coming from the likes of Harley Benton and getting more and more popular, it surely causes them to act to stay ahead of the game.
Clear, to the point and brilliantly presented. Best guitar review I've ever seen on UA-cam, and I've seen a few. Thanks Rich, liked and subbed. And even though I've got two Telecasters already, I just know I'm going to buy one of these. Maybe more than one...
Thanks so much Paul! Really happy you enjoyed my video, and pleased to have you onboard as a sub :) I hope you get to try one of these (or more!) for yourself soon... I've got Fenders and Squier Classic Vibes and a Harley Benton T-type, and the Sonic sits well with all of them. Your collection will be all the richer for one, I'm sure! Enjoy and rock on :)
Great review. Bought the butterscotch version (after watching this!) with the maple neck for £159 and it is superb. Plays better than my 20 year old Mexican Telecaster. Excellent value for money. Thanks 👍
Thanks a lot! Really glad you got one of these and are loving it too... it's crazy what you can get for your money these days, for sure. All the best and happy music making!
Excellent Video. Very Helpful. I am an experienced player but have always loved entry level instruments, and it occurred to me that it is exactly why you said, I am inspired to pick them up, and not worried about getting the odd scratch on them when I bring it to a friends to jam, or leaning it against a wall when I'm done noodling. This is a beautiful colour. I was thinking of the butter scotch, but you may have sold me on this. Thanks again.
telecasters are great! i used have a love/hate relationship with it, but because Troy Van Leeuwen is using a telecaster in QOTSA songs, my love for that guitar is grown enormous! Also Rhett Shull linked me to a Telecaster. thanks for sharing this video.
Yes, Telecasters are the number one for me too! At first I thought they were too boring... then I played one ;) And you're right, so many awesome players have used them over the years. The funny thing is I am currently looking at the Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster! That looks like a fantastic guitar too. So many guitars, so little time ;) Thanks for watching and rock on!
Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed it! Yep, I try and get as many musical styles in as I can on these videos :) And this is a great guitar for playing all of them.
Great detail and enthusiasm, combined with complete honesty and a good, warm, genuine personality who can articulate things very well for everyone! Sorry I feel like I’m reviewing you now 🤣, how did that happen! Good stuff, you deserve more subscribers…so I added one for you 😃 because this is exactly what the pinnacle of guitar reviewing should be! All the best mate!
Ha ha, thanks! Great review for me there, I'm stoked ;) And I really appreciate the sub! Keep making music and enjoying, and hopefully see you around in the comments in the future too! Cheers :)
Somehow every day I bump into a video by you that is relevant for me. Needless to say I loved this one as well. Last night I scored a brand new Sonic Strat for £45, it is a new level of the Squiers I had known. Keep up with the great videos. Many thanks ❤️👍😎
Ha ha, thanks! I've made a lot of videos, you see ;) But £45 is an absolute steal for a Sonic Strat! What a deal! I've not seen one for twice that round here... must keep looking. Enjoy yours, and thanks for watching!
He he, thanks Jens! This one's actually surprised me with how nice it is (on top of the blueness, of course)... amazing what you can get for €179 these days. Cheers :)
I just bought the sonic in black. After a bit of tuning, playing was a joy . Felt good and I think the set up was pretty good out of the box. I ran it thru some of my favorite telecaster genre songs. Tone was spot on clean and nice punch with some distortion. I picked up on Amazon for $185 plus tax. Bringing it to just under $200. A fair price for what I believe is a decent guitar. The guitar snobs might not agree, but for my playing and abilities which is intermediate, I'm satisfied. Thank you for posting and showing me a few things I didn't know this little bugger can do. Cheers !
Exactly! A guitar like this would've been totally out of reach to me back when I was starting out... it's incredible what they can do these day! Glad you enjoyed this one Mark, hope you get a chance to try one of these for yourself soon too :)
Yep, totally agree! There are so many great starter guitars out there these days that I would've killed to have had back in the day ;) At least we get to enjoy them now!
I bought my younger daughter a Surf Green Bullet Tele and she's a Ghost fan so it s tuned down to D and I love playing it. It has a nad ass growl and it sounds killer on Ghost and Motley Crue songs.
Thanks for yet another detailed test and review. I absolutely love budget guitars. They are all about attitude so to speak. I was totally drooling over the PRS T-style guitar released yesterday but would I buy it? Certainly not. BTW I think the full thickness bodies start with the Classic Vibe range as far as I know and not the Affinities. I personally like the slimmer body of the Sonic Tele. My back says thank you. The colour is a winner!
Glad you enjoyed this one! I'm with you on the "budget guitars rock" thing... it's amazing what you can get for your money these days for sure There's just something honest and real about a great cheap axe. Which is not to say I don't enjoy the odd more refined guitar too ;) I think you're right about the body thicknesses on the Affinity models, yes. And yes, this color is lovely... Squier have made some great choices on the Sonic Series and I may yet get one or two more at some point. Rock on!
Thanks for the great review 🩵 It was super useful to hear all the possibilities of sound with this Tele, and then hear your very articulate opinions after. I especially loved your description of the color as a Californian blue sky with a single white cloud 🥺 As a Californian, this is so true and makes me want this guitar even more! ☁️
The ringy overtone might come from the g-string behind the nut. You could try to use more winds to get a steeper break angle. Or add another string tree.
Great recommendation! It's amazing to me that there are so many people who play guitar that have no idea how to set one up. There are literally dozens of simple things you can do to improve the playability and sound of any guitar.
Yeah, the 2022 Squier Bullet Telecaster models had 2 string trees from the factory, at least the Chinese made ones. They’ve gone back to the 2021 Bullet series (Indonesia made) design with the new Sonic series, minus the string through body bridge! I have a 2021 model and love the string through body design, but I hate the single string tree on mine! G string does ring, no matter how many winds I put on the tuner. I might add a string tree to that one, that’s really the only thing keeping it from being a perfect guitar!
Got one of these for Christmas. Surf Green finish. Other than a adjustment guitar plays perfect. Neck feels great feels like a Gibson 60's neck Plays great would highly re commend Been playing for over 40 years
I just picked one up and I hadn't even seen or heard one. Gotta say I have 7 guitars and this is the cheapest and I think I like it the most. At least it does what a tele should do and through a range of amps it gives alot of great tones. The neck pickup is a little dull and overall it's got a bit of a muddy sound but a touch of eq really gets is chimming well. I can't wait to mod it. That's why I picked it up.
This really helps me figure out if this guitar is right for me and it is. It sounded good in both Hard Rock as well as just playing it clean. Thanks for a really good review.
Can it chug? Yes it can! I don't see many people bothering with trying out metal tones when reviewing a SS Telecaster. So far it looks like those Sonic models are better built than the Bullet series did.
I have an affinity telecaster deluxe and a harley Benton te-62. Both great guitars but if you are on a tight budget I would go for the harley benton. Better neck profile and full thickness body. My affinity tele deluxe has a bit of neck dive because of the 40mm body.
Interesting points... I'm going to be doing a comparison with the Sonic Tele and my HB TE-62CC soon and am excited to see how big the differences are, if at all. I already know the neck profiles are majorly different. I really hadn't expected the Squier's to be as big as it is!
@@RichWordsMusic looking forward to see that comparison! Ive heard before that the necks on bullets are thicker than affinities. Maybe it's the same with the new Sonic series. The roasted maple on the benton seems to be more stable. On the affinity I needed to 'scotch brite' the skunk stripe a lot because of humidity changes. I could feel the skunk stripe. Little fret sprout because of humidity changes as well. On the benton no such issues yet!
@@eertje01 Yep, it's going to be a good little test, that. On paper, the HB wins I guess - the roasted maple neck is a huge deal at that price. My Affinity Tele had a significantly slimmer neck than this Sonic, for sure, and I've heard about that skunk stripe issue before. Hopefully not going to happen with mine, but with the weather we've got here at the moment it's certainly going to put that to the test (temperature and humidity are all over the place!). I've had my HB about 18 months and it's been rock solid so far...
Excellent review. You say the words 'California' and 'blue' an awful lot but... it doesn't matter. Your enthusiasm and your obvious love of guitar is wonderful. Keep up the good work. Gonna check out your other videos.
Thanks a lot! Yes, on watching it back I did ;) I guess I really like the color! I'm glad you e njoyed the video anyway, though, and hope you like the others you watch :)
I went into my local guitar store today (2/25/2024) to look at a much more expensive guitar from another brand and ended up walking out with a blonde Squier Sonic Tele with the maple neck. I was shocked how good it sounded! I've owned (and still have various) Strats, Gibsons, Epiphones and PRS guitars; never been a fan of Telecasters or maple necks, but after comparing this to other Telecasters on the wall costing 3-4x more, this one came home. It had better volume and tone than the 40th Anniversary Tele, for example, and the frets were just as good. To be honest, the floor demo was good but after A/B comparing with one that was still boxed, that second one was the better choice.
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! And happy new guitar day to you :) I agree, the Sonic Series is a step up over the Bullets in every respect. Enjoy yours!
I feel like the 2021 Indonesia made bullet telecasters were good guitars as well: My main (and only) electric guitar is a 2021 squier bullet tele with the limited edition lake placid blue and 3 ply pick guard. They even had string-thru bridges and no sharp frets like the 2022 China made bullet series with the top-loading bridge did, but at least the 2022 model had 2 string trees so the G string didn’t buzz at the nut.
Just off the top, this is very good review. Because, you dont just play a few cords for a particular style of music and/or try to show off your skill. I genuinely love that you provided timestamps that catagorize certain styles and amp gain stages. This is how it should be done. The reality is the Tele and Strat design isn't a complex fabrication. Its "modular" approach allows for easy upgrades with no woodworking experience required. The frugal design keeps the labor cost down even though the meaning of this is ambiguous, as in, does the added budget headroom go towards bonuses/better pay to employees or does go straight to greedy pockets? Lastly, I see NO cons with the Sonic variants from Squier. These seem like the no "bells and whistles" versions of the Classic Vibe Series. No shame and still well above the game. Thanks bro!
Very detailed review! I hope your channel grows, you deserve it! As a budget Tele lover, I got one of these in Butterscotch, because I really liked the colour! Nice guitar,. decent quality. Harley Benton or Jet are better value, but this is a good guitar overall. Funny what you said about the neck feeling not so slim, mine feels slim in my (not so big hands). Keep it up, cheers!
I have one in the beautiful red with black pick guard....my favorite colors. A chunky neck (and a flat radius) are deal breakers for me with my short fingers. I, too, was surprised to hear this gentleman with bigger hands than mine call the neck chunky. There is probably not another neck out there that is going to be any more comfortable for me than this one. I'm having trouble now, after a couple of weeks, with the high E string sounding "dead." I'll take it back to my guitar guy who did my minor set up originally and see what he can do, and then I'll probably have him install a tusk nut in a few weeks. Overall I'm very happy with it as a 72 year old hack living room strummer.
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! And happy new guitar day to you! The Squier 40th guitars all look incredible - I've been so close to ordering a couple of them recently (they were on sale over here, some for under €300!) but I want to play a couple more in person first...
@@RichWordsMusic Totally a Rolling Stones guitar now complete with lips sticker and removal of the low e string! Best fun I have had playing in a long time :)
Hi there! Well, I think both of these guitars are great quality for the price, so it depends on your personal taste. Do you prefer the shape and looks of the Telecaster or the Pacifica? And what about the sounds? Telecaster and Stratocaster type guitars sound quite different. If you can, I would really recommend you test both for yourself in person first. (And also test the Squier Sonic Stratocaster if you can too, as this is more similar to the Pacifica in terms of shape and pickup type!) Hope this helps :)
Thanks Peter, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I do try and get at least a riff in for almost every musical taste if I can, and I am happy you found that useful!
Thanks Charles, glad you found my video useful and I hope you end up loving the Sonic you try too! they are simply fantastic guitars for the money. All the best and rock on!
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed the video, and cheers for the sub too! :) And I hope you find a Sonic Tele that works as well for you as this one is doing for me! Good luck!
I think you could be right, and I’m already planning some mods to this guitar! I’m also wondering about which cheaper options are best for this… you can get Fender sets for €80, but I am not sure if that is already too much for this guitar… or is it?! The great cheap options I have experience with are Wilkinson and Toneriders.
I played a few new squires last week, they all played and sounded nice but boy did they need some oil on the fretboards. And they come in blue so that’s nice.
Blue is best, you know it! Hmm, I've noticed that a lot with Squiers (and Mexican Fenders) over the past few years... the laurel boards they use can be incredibly dry. The one on this guitar is actually one of the best I've played in that regard, but it will be getting a good oilin' too! Did you also find the necks pretty chunky on these? I was really surprised at how big this one was after reading the "slim and inviting" description on the Fender website. Not a bad thing of course, as I love a slightly chunkier neck!
@@RichWordsMusic yea not overly chunky but definitely not thin, especially compared with my wizard 3 on the jem jr. They were quite comfortable just god awful dry.
@@PooNinja OK, so it's not just mine then. Ha ha, that seems to be a Fender/Squier issue everywhere, then - I think worst I ever tried was a €999 Vintera model. That neck was like sandpaper!
@@RichWordsMusic oooh I played a Ventura… I think that was the brand, anyway it felt like a neck blank that hadn’t been shaped, or maybe it was originally a 2X4 with a fretboard glued to it! It was under 200USD but it was not worth picking up at any price except as a project for a new Luither?
@@PooNinja Ha ha, a Hacksaw Jim Duggan signature maybe? (I've been watching some WWE again recently, for my sins!). That sounds like something not even a motivated newbie luthier would want have to deal with...
The metallic sound that you heard was the G string above the nut. It usually needs to be wound many more times around the tuner. I actually think it could benefit from a second string tree.
It’s basically the previous year’s Squier Bullet Telecaster, but with more color options. I believe the neck, or at least the headstock print, is the exact same. They’ve been made in both Indonesia and China, and the build differs between the two factories, with the Indonesia made ones usually having one string tree, a string through body bridge, and better frets, where the China ones have two string trees (better) but a top loader bridge, which is less faithful to the higher end Fender models. It looks like they’ve done away with the string through design from the Indonesia Bullet series: 2021 was likely the last year for those, unfortunately.
In a couple of years time, this Sonic Tele is going to be incredible value... used, for the young, new, guitar player. Though, a brand, spanking, new one, is already extremely good value. According to Fender, over 95%, approximately, of people give up playing during the first two years. That's a sobering thought. Rather sad actually. Even if the statistics are off by a substantial margin. Anyway, I was one of them, someone who lost heart. I never really got my guitar in tune properly, and that means one can't get even one chord to sound musical. Many, far too many years of regret and frustration, have now been swept aside, thanks to the humble, but rather fantastic digital tuner! A few years later and I now 'master' four chords!
Love that blue is your color! That guitar has a lot of positives, I especially like the description of the neck size. The squire J Masces had a real nice medium feeling neck also, I wonder if it’s the same size?
There's just something special about a blue guitar that gets me :) And I totally agree - this guitar really exceeded my expectations, and I was very happy to find the neck was significantly thicker than I thought it would be when I ordered it too. I've never played the Mascis Tele, but I would LOVE to try it one day... and hey, that is one seriously beautiful blue guitar ;) Cheers and rock on!
Excellent video, thanks for this. I'm looking to get back in to playing (it's been over 25 years since I last played) and want to get a new guitar and really fancy a Telecaster on a tight budget. I do love the Cali blue, but keep lusting after a butterscotch :D
Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching! Yep, it's a tough choice. I love the traditional butterscotch Tele look too, but in the end wanted something a bit more summery ;) Hope you manage to try one of these soon!
@@RichWordsMusic Well, my Butterscotch tele arrived and oh man it's so nice. The setup isn't all that bad either considering it's straight out of the factory. The problem now is my youngest wants to take up playing, and he's VERY much liking the Cali Blue... Doh :D
Thanks a lot Samuel! Good question: for me, the Black Spirit 200 I use here is ideal, but the great thing is, with a Tele you'll be able to go into any amp and sound great. Of course, Fender-type amps are going to be an amazing combo as well!
Good question! Well, I haven't played a TE-20, but I have a TE-62 (the next model up) which I directly compared to the Sonic Tele here: ua-cam.com/video/zU9cFXS32To/v-deo.html I believe the HB TE models all have a similar neck shape, and if that's true, you'll (like me!) prefer the Squier for its chunkier profile :) Hope that helps!
Thank you Rich for this review. I am for pull the trigger in this model in red Torino, but I have a question, is a good guitar for Blues/Rock and roll from 50's and 60's? Thanks again.
Hey there, glad you enjoyed the video! And yes, the Sonic Tele is going to be great for those kinds of tones. It's a fantastic guitar for more classic genres of music too :) Hope you manage to get your hands on one soon!
Thanks Rich for this two videos about this telly! ; ) ... great performance of this beauty guitar.... i'm totalle decided to buy this one... except for the last doubt in my mind, I really liked the version with the fretboard in maple too!!! ...I never have one with maple fretboard and I want to try, but this california blue version is fantastic!!... do you have any final thought about this point? thank you in advance.... I let you know my final decision ; )
No problem... and video number three is coming soon as well ;) Hmm, that's a good question. I think that if you get the chance, you should try a maple fingerboard at a local store... find a Tele-type as similar as possible to this (like the Sonic Teles in Black and Butterscotch Blonde finishes), and then you will know more! Me personally, I have always preferred the darker (i.e. rosewood!) boards, but this is a 100% personal thing and at the end of the day I believe it is more about looks than sounds. And for me personally, the looks really influence my inspiration levels to play more guitar... and this is why I bought the California Blue one ;) I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any more questions, and I look forward to hearing which one you choose finally! Cheers and rock on :)
Seems to be a good one, thanks for another epic and detailed tone demo, awesome job there. Seems Squier had to do something to fight back the outbreak of budget brands with HB in the front. Do you think the Sonic range is just a re-named Bullet series, or is there really noticeable step up? I have a bullet Mustang and despite the epic tones I can get out of it, the build quality is sloppy...
Yes, it's a really good one - I'm really happy with it, especially for the price :) And yes, surely the competition from brands like HB has made Squier up their game. I feel like the Sonic range is a step up, somehow. Definitely in colors, and also in things like the pickups. Funny you should mention the Mustang, because I've sort of been on the lookout for a Bullet Mustang for a while, but the ones I've tried in stores have never impressed me. They kind of feel like toys, if you know what I mean? We should both definitely try the Sonic Mustangs and see if they're better!
Bummer to hear about the nexk pickup being a bit lacking. This always seems to be the biggest drawback on the cheaper Squier Telecasters until you get to the Classic Vibe. They always sound a bit dull and muddy. Was hoping they would fix that with the Sonic series.
Yep, it's a shame. Raising the pickup might help a bit, but I think it's like you say... cheap Tele neck pickups are a problem. I swapped the one out on my Mexican Fender Tele (for a wide range humbucker, actually!).
Ha ha, yes, I loved especially their earlier records! They have such an amazing energy. I snuck my versions of The Bucket and Red Morning Light into this one :)
Honestly, if someone is looking for a great affordable guitar, I’d just go to Firefly, JS22 (apart from fret edges, it’s really good!), or pick up a HSS Squier Strat. If someone is looking for a Tele specifically, definitely just listen to people like Rich here and others, I have a metal based style!😂
Ha ha, agreed! I'm yet to try a Firefly and have heard great things... one day! Can't ever go wrong with an HSS Strat though. Cleans, metal and everything in between on those ;)
@@RichWordsMusic too true! I have an all black with maple fretboard HSS Strat and it’s my main guitar! I absolutely love it! It plays so smoothly and the humbucker adds a ton of variety. Get yourself a vintage pedal or tube amp and you can have anything from metal to vintage blues!
Good value guitar. I didn't rate the neck pup - muddy and fluffy for me. The bridge pup was very good though. I don't like white scratch plates but that is subjective but if that was black it would be nicer for me. Very good demo - thanks.
Yes, it's great value for money, I agree. I have tried raising the neck pickup for a bit more bite and output, but it hasn't really made much of a difference! Still, most of the time I'm on the bridge anyway, and this bridge pickup is fantastic fun. I'd love a black plate too, and might swap it out one day. Thanks for watching!
Timestamps team:
00:00 Hello!
00:20 Introduction to the Squier Sonic Series and Tele
01:42 Specs and info
04:23 Today’s rig and plan
Clean Sounds
05:50 Clean tone reference chords with all pickup options
06:11 Country ballad arpeggios
06:24 Strummed country chords (on all pickups)
06:43 Blues progression
06:54 Ringing open indie pop chords
07:08 Poppy barre chords
07:24 Cowboy chords with tone control test
07:51 Funk rhythm chords
08:04 Surf pop riff
Overdrive Sounds
08:22 Fat indie rhythm chords
08:40 Kings Of Leon inspired riff
08:54 Garage rock riff
09:11 Choppy barre chords
09:20 Indie rock barre chords (all pickups)
09:45 Volume control roll-off test
10:05 Poppy indie riff
10:12 Ascending droning indie rock riff
10:25 AC/DC inspired classic rock riff
10:41 Groovy rock riff
10:55 Airbourne inspired rock riff
11:07 Hendrix inspired riff
11:16 Classic rock riff
Heavy Overdrive Sounds
11:29 Hard rock riff
11:46 80s rock riff
12:06 Classic hard rock riff
12:24 Hard rock melodic lead (neck/bridge pickups)
12:46 Chunky alt rock chords
12:59 Alternative rock riff
13:14 Green Day inspired punk rock riff
13:27 Pop punk melodic lead riff
13:43 Punk rock power chords
13:57 Less Than Jake inspired punk riff
14:08 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)
14:24 Modern rock palm-muted power chords (Drop D, all pickups)
14:51 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D)
Metal sounds (all in Drop D)
15:08 Metal chugging riff
15:25 Heavy metal lead sound
15:42 Hardcore punk riff
15:56 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang
16:08 Classic metal/sludge riff
16:44 My thoughts
17:44 First impressions out of the box
18:26 Weight
19:00 Build quality and hardware
20:18 Playability and the neck
21:00 Sounds and pickups discussion
24:01 What I don’t like
24:49 What other similar guitars are out there?
26:25 My conclusions on the Sonic Tele and why you should buy it
Hats off to you typing all of this
I must say...
The Torino Red model?!
Is definitely calling me.
My current #1 player is a 2017 Squier Affinity Jazzmaster HH (Alder, Maple, Rosewood).
After upgrading it with Grover tuners and roller string trees?
Absolutely ACE IMO
Thanks for the demo!
Cheers!
Thanks! Do
You think this neck is too thick for smaller/younger hands?
I have never in my life seen a guitar review that showcases so much actual guitar playing, props to you for playing in so many styles
Oh, thanks so much! I do always try and get at least a riff in there for everyone watching if I can :)
All guitar reviews should be like this!!
Thanks, I agree! I usually leave other vids with more questions than when I started, and that's why my own vids often get so long 😅 I try to tell everyone all they might ever need to know about a piece of gear! Cheers and rock on 🤘
Wish more people would play demos like this really shows off the versatility of the guitar!❤
Thanks so much! Really glad you enjoyed it. I do always try and play in as many styles as I can for precisely that reason :)
I couldn't agree more! Thanks a lot for this 💕🤗
Wow. Looking for demos and this man brought the heat. You just played ever genre i've ever heard or liked. I was sitting here deciding between a Dinky JS22 and this Tele. This just sold me on the tele.
Ha ha, thanks! Yeah, I like to try and fit in at least one riff that's going to appeal to everyone who watches... which means long videos, but more guitar playing for me :) Hope you get the chance to try one of these for yourself soon. Cheers and rock on!
I was just gifted one of these for Father’s Day by my lovely daughter and my future son-in-law. My first electric guitar at 63 years old 😊. I’m a beginner, but I can say it’s been a whole lot of fun! Just to provide some additional feedback, my Tele had a significant problem with fret sprout, and the volume knob was really rubbing on the cover plate. My local guitar shop, authorized for Fender repairs, fixed it up in an afternoon. So, they aren’t perfect, but still seem to be great guitars.
My affinity had some fret issues. I would recommend Checking out Darrel Braun Guitar for his video on how to deal with fret issues
This might be the most informative well put to together review on anything ive ever seen . I also like that this isnt sponsored bc you give the truth . Great video and just all the different styles gone thru helps so much . Thank you
As the original concept behind the Fender Telecaster was to mass produce a working mucisian's guitar as a simple, cheap and reliable... tool; it's good to see Fender returning and reviving to this basic idea. I think the Tele is, in my opinion, the most versatile guitar. I don't think there's another guitar where the difference between the two pickups is so pronounced. Other guitars seem to have a narrower sound spectrum compared to a Tele, which often acts like it's two different guitars! Rich, excellent job, as usual.
Thanks a lot Michael, and I totally agree! Sometimes I wonder what Leo Fender would think if he were able to see the prices on some of the new Custom Shop Teles you can buy today... if you can afford them! The Tele was all about being an affordable workhorse, and I really think the Sonic Tele gets that philosophy spot on. And yes, throughout the years I've as many guitars as I could in all varieties, and I always come back to my humble Tele :) P90s do tempt me very often, but there's magic in the simple efficiency and beauty of the Telecaster.
I can't help but think that Harley Benton has caused Squier to up it's game on their lower tier guitars. I see this as a win for beginner guitarists and guitarists on a budget. This guitar sounded much nicer than I expected. Great demo as always.
Thanks Dennis! And I totally agree - I've had that discussion with a few people over the past couple of years. I really do think HB is causing other, more established brands to sit up and take notice, and up their game accordingly. You simply can't rely on a brand name forever, and yes, it's a total win for us players. Brands like Squier and Ibanez really do seem to be pushing the boat out on their new affordable guitars, and everybody wins that way! Cheers for watching as ever :)
This doesn't make aquire is upping the game.
@@PhillipHolt-f9r I think it does. I’m sure Fender/Squier watches what the competition is doing, and when they see such consistently excellent cheap guitars coming from the likes of Harley Benton and getting more and more popular, it surely causes them to act to stay ahead of the game.
Clear, to the point and brilliantly presented. Best guitar review I've ever seen on UA-cam, and I've seen a few. Thanks Rich, liked and subbed. And even though I've got two Telecasters already, I just know I'm going to buy one of these. Maybe more than one...
Thanks so much Paul! Really happy you enjoyed my video, and pleased to have you onboard as a sub :) I hope you get to try one of these (or more!) for yourself soon... I've got Fenders and Squier Classic Vibes and a Harley Benton T-type, and the Sonic sits well with all of them. Your collection will be all the richer for one, I'm sure! Enjoy and rock on :)
Great review. Bought the butterscotch version (after watching this!) with the maple neck for £159 and it is superb. Plays better than my 20 year old Mexican Telecaster. Excellent value for money. Thanks 👍
Thanks a lot! Really glad you got one of these and are loving it too... it's crazy what you can get for your money these days, for sure. All the best and happy music making!
Excellent Video. Very Helpful. I am an experienced player but have always loved entry level instruments, and it occurred to me that it is exactly why you said, I am inspired to pick them up, and not worried about getting the odd scratch on them when I bring it to a friends to jam, or leaning it against a wall when I'm done noodling. This is a beautiful colour. I was thinking of the butter scotch, but you may have sold me on this. Thanks again.
Okay this is the best guitar review i have ever watched in my life. You are a legend man!!
Oh wow, happy you enjoyed it, and thanks so much for the kind words! Hope you get to try one of these Sonic Teles soon :)
telecasters are great! i used have a love/hate relationship with it, but because Troy Van Leeuwen is using a telecaster in QOTSA songs, my love for that guitar is grown enormous! Also Rhett Shull linked me to a Telecaster. thanks for sharing this video.
Yes, Telecasters are the number one for me too! At first I thought they were too boring... then I played one ;) And you're right, so many awesome players have used them over the years. The funny thing is I am currently looking at the Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster! That looks like a fantastic guitar too. So many guitars, so little time ;) Thanks for watching and rock on!
I feel like I just had 20 guitar lessons! You really have a lot of styles down. That guitar looks beautiful and sounds great!
Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed it! Yep, I try and get as many musical styles in as I can on these videos :) And this is a great guitar for playing all of them.
I love your playing! It sounds great! Thank you for not just playing generic blues riffs
Thanks a lot! There's already more than enough generic blues riffs about on UA-cam without me playing them too ;) Cheers and rock on!
Great detail and enthusiasm, combined with complete honesty and a good, warm, genuine personality who can articulate things very well for everyone! Sorry I feel like I’m reviewing you now 🤣, how did that happen! Good stuff, you deserve more subscribers…so I added one for you 😃 because this is exactly what the pinnacle of guitar reviewing should be! All the best mate!
Ha ha, thanks! Great review for me there, I'm stoked ;) And I really appreciate the sub! Keep making music and enjoying, and hopefully see you around in the comments in the future too! Cheers :)
Somehow every day I bump into a video by you that is relevant for me. Needless to say I loved this one as well. Last night I scored a brand new Sonic Strat for £45, it is a new level of the Squiers I had known. Keep up with the great videos. Many thanks ❤️👍😎
Ha ha, thanks! I've made a lot of videos, you see ;) But £45 is an absolute steal for a Sonic Strat! What a deal! I've not seen one for twice that round here... must keep looking. Enjoy yours, and thanks for watching!
Just convinced this is what I need - thanks to this brilliant demo.
Thanks so much and you got a new subscriber.
Thanks so much Steve, really glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for subbing too! I hope you manage to get your hands on a Sonic Tele soon :)
You really put some effort on the video, much appreciated.
I did indeed (these guitars deserve it even though they're Squier's cheapest!), glad you liked it and thanks for watching :)
I love that it’s lighter. Standing with a tele for a while can be a pain. I was shocked just how similar that are too. Unbadged fender basically
Yes, totally agree - they've got a lot right with the Sonic Series!
Always great to see you with a blue guitar, Rich! Glad to see you are quite pleased with it!
He he, thanks Jens! This one's actually surprised me with how nice it is (on top of the blueness, of course)... amazing what you can get for €179 these days. Cheers :)
I just bought the sonic in black. After a bit of tuning, playing was a joy . Felt good and I think the set up was pretty good out of the box. I ran it thru some of my favorite telecaster genre songs. Tone was spot on clean and nice punch with some distortion. I picked up on Amazon for $185 plus tax. Bringing it to just under $200. A fair price for what I believe is a decent guitar. The guitar snobs might not agree, but for my playing and abilities which is intermediate, I'm satisfied. Thank you for posting and showing me a few things I didn't know this little bugger can do. Cheers !
Great and full demo of this guitar, with a very good playing ! Thanks !
Thanks a lot, I'm happy you enjoyed it! Cheers and rock on :)
It's a joke these days just how good a guitar you can buy for such a tiny amount of money...Great review many thanks....
Exactly! A guitar like this would've been totally out of reach to me back when I was starting out... it's incredible what they can do these day! Glad you enjoyed this one Mark, hope you get a chance to try one of these for yourself soon too :)
Wish I could get this guitar when I started playing, would have been in heaven. ❤️🎸.
Yep, totally agree! There are so many great starter guitars out there these days that I would've killed to have had back in the day ;) At least we get to enjoy them now!
This video is seriously making me want this little beast.
I'm still loving this guitar! Can heartily recommend if you're on the fence ;)
Thanks mate, considering one of these and I'm super tempted 😂
Ha ha, try one at a store if you can... they are really good guitars and a lot of fun!
@@RichWordsMusic just did and i couldnt choose between the tele and the HH sonic mustang haha
Another great video, Rich. I appreciate the detail and all the different tones you run through.
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed this one too! They're really not bad at all, these Sonics...
@@RichWordsMusic should the price point make a beginner guitarist wary though? Might they need more setup than is practical?
I bought my younger daughter a Surf Green Bullet Tele and she's a Ghost fan so it s tuned down to D and I love playing it. It has a nad ass growl and it sounds killer on Ghost and Motley Crue songs.
Yes, Teles are surprisingly good for heavier stuff and hard rock as well! They're such versatile guitars... I love mine :) Rock on!
Excellent and thorough review thank you.
Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed it!
The very best review! Thank you for showing us so many different types of play. I'm going to pick this up as my knockaround.
Awesome, enjoy! It's a perfect guitar for that... cheers for watching and the kind words about the video :)
Thanks for yet another detailed test and review. I absolutely love budget guitars. They are all about attitude so to speak. I was totally drooling over the PRS T-style guitar released yesterday but would I buy it? Certainly not. BTW I think the full thickness bodies start with the Classic Vibe range as far as I know and not the Affinities. I personally like the slimmer body of the Sonic Tele. My back says thank you. The colour is a winner!
Glad you enjoyed this one! I'm with you on the "budget guitars rock" thing... it's amazing what you can get for your money these days for sure There's just something honest and real about a great cheap axe. Which is not to say I don't enjoy the odd more refined guitar too ;) I think you're right about the body thicknesses on the Affinity models, yes. And yes, this color is lovely... Squier have made some great choices on the Sonic Series and I may yet get one or two more at some point. Rock on!
Thanks for the great review 🩵 It was super useful to hear all the possibilities of sound with this Tele, and then hear your very articulate opinions after. I especially loved your description of the color as a Californian blue sky with a single white cloud 🥺 As a Californian, this is so true and makes me want this guitar even more! ☁️
The ringy overtone might come from the g-string behind the nut. You could try to use more winds to get a steeper break angle. Or add another string tree.
Great recommendation! It's amazing to me that there are so many people who play guitar that have no idea how to set one up. There are literally dozens of simple things you can do to improve the playability and sound of any guitar.
Yeah, the 2022 Squier Bullet Telecaster models had 2 string trees from the factory, at least the Chinese made ones. They’ve gone back to the 2021 Bullet series (Indonesia made) design with the new Sonic series, minus the string through body bridge! I have a 2021 model and love the string through body design, but I hate the single string tree on mine! G string does ring, no matter how many winds I put on the tuner. I might add a string tree to that one, that’s really the only thing keeping it from being a perfect guitar!
Got one of these for Christmas. Surf Green finish. Other than a adjustment guitar plays perfect. Neck feels great feels like a Gibson 60's neck
Plays great would highly re commend
Been playing for over 40 years
I just picked one up and I hadn't even seen or heard one. Gotta say I have 7 guitars and this is the cheapest and I think I like it the most. At least it does what a tele should do and through a range of amps it gives alot of great tones. The neck pickup is a little dull and overall it's got a bit of a muddy sound but a touch of eq really gets is chimming well. I can't wait to mod it. That's why I picked it up.
Is it routed for a neck humbucker?
8:22… you just sold me on this guitar from that little riff alone!
Awesome! The Tele is such a good choice for biting indie rock riffs like that... enjoy yours and happy new guitar day when you get it!
This really helps me figure out if this guitar is right for me and it is. It sounded good in both Hard Rock as well as just playing it clean. Thanks for a really good review.
No problem, glad you found the video helpful! You can play pretty much anything on this Tele :)
Can it chug? Yes it can! I don't see many people bothering with trying out metal tones when reviewing a SS Telecaster. So far it looks like those Sonic models are better built than the Bullet series did.
I just picked up the exact same guitar today, I can’t wait to play it
Awesome, hope you are enjoying it! Happy new guitar day :)
I have an affinity telecaster deluxe and a harley Benton te-62. Both great guitars but if you are on a tight budget I would go for the harley benton. Better neck profile and full thickness body. My affinity tele deluxe has a bit of neck dive because of the 40mm body.
Interesting points... I'm going to be doing a comparison with the Sonic Tele and my HB TE-62CC soon and am excited to see how big the differences are, if at all. I already know the neck profiles are majorly different. I really hadn't expected the Squier's to be as big as it is!
@@RichWordsMusic looking forward to see that comparison! Ive heard before that the necks on bullets are thicker than affinities. Maybe it's the same with the new Sonic series. The roasted maple on the benton seems to be more stable. On the affinity I needed to 'scotch brite' the skunk stripe a lot because of humidity changes. I could feel the skunk stripe. Little fret sprout because of humidity changes as well. On the benton no such issues yet!
@@eertje01 Yep, it's going to be a good little test, that. On paper, the HB wins I guess - the roasted maple neck is a huge deal at that price. My Affinity Tele had a significantly slimmer neck than this Sonic, for sure, and I've heard about that skunk stripe issue before. Hopefully not going to happen with mine, but with the weather we've got here at the moment it's certainly going to put that to the test (temperature and humidity are all over the place!). I've had my HB about 18 months and it's been rock solid so far...
Brilliant review. I picked up my Torino Red version ... It's my first electric, and I'm loving it!
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it and enjoy your new Sonic Tele! They are great guitars :)
The best review on UA-cam. Very detail bro
Very good deep dive! Thanks!
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent review. You say the words 'California' and 'blue' an awful lot but... it doesn't matter. Your enthusiasm and your obvious love of guitar is wonderful. Keep up the good work. Gonna check out your other videos.
Thanks a lot! Yes, on watching it back I did ;) I guess I really like the color! I'm glad you e njoyed the video anyway, though, and hope you like the others you watch :)
@@RichWordsMusic I got the charcoal frost model. Great guitar 🎸
I went into my local guitar store today (2/25/2024) to look at a much more expensive guitar from another brand and ended up walking out with a blonde Squier Sonic Tele with the maple neck. I was shocked how good it sounded! I've owned (and still have various) Strats, Gibsons, Epiphones and PRS guitars; never been a fan of Telecasters or maple necks, but after comparing this to other Telecasters on the wall costing 3-4x more, this one came home. It had better volume and tone than the 40th Anniversary Tele, for example, and the frets were just as good. To be honest, the floor demo was good but after A/B comparing with one that was still boxed, that second one was the better choice.
Great review, very thorough! Just bought this model today, it is better made than previous bullets.
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! And happy new guitar day to you :) I agree, the Sonic Series is a step up over the Bullets in every respect. Enjoy yours!
I feel like the 2021 Indonesia made bullet telecasters were good guitars as well: My main (and only) electric guitar is a 2021 squier bullet tele with the limited edition lake placid blue and 3 ply pick guard. They even had string-thru bridges and no sharp frets like the 2022 China made bullet series with the top-loading bridge did, but at least the 2022 model had 2 string trees so the G string didn’t buzz at the nut.
amazing and one of the best reviews for guitar !
Thanks so much! Really glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! You could make any guitar sound amazing!! 👍🏻
Thanks a lot! This guitar certainly makes it easy :)
best review of guitar ive seen a while
Thanks a lot, I'm very happy you enjoyed it!
What a fucking great demo Dude! Congratulations 🎉!
Hey, thanks a lot! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Just off the top, this is very good review. Because, you dont just play a few cords for a particular style of music and/or try to show off your skill. I genuinely love that you provided timestamps that catagorize certain styles and amp gain stages. This is how it should be done.
The reality is the Tele and Strat design isn't a complex fabrication. Its "modular" approach allows for easy upgrades with no woodworking experience required. The frugal design keeps the labor cost down even though the meaning of this is ambiguous, as in, does the added budget headroom go towards bonuses/better pay to employees or does go straight to greedy pockets?
Lastly, I see NO cons with the Sonic variants from Squier. These seem like the no "bells and whistles" versions of the Classic Vibe Series. No shame and still well above the game. Thanks bro!
Very detailed review! I hope your channel grows, you deserve it! As a budget Tele lover, I got one of these in Butterscotch, because I really liked the colour! Nice guitar,. decent quality. Harley Benton or Jet are better value, but this is a good guitar overall. Funny what you said about the neck feeling not so slim, mine feels slim in my (not so big hands). Keep it up, cheers!
I have one in the beautiful red with black pick guard....my favorite colors. A chunky neck (and a flat radius) are deal breakers for me with my short fingers. I, too, was surprised to hear this gentleman with bigger hands than mine call the neck chunky. There is probably not another neck out there that is going to be any more comfortable for me than this one. I'm having trouble now, after a couple of weeks, with the high E string sounding "dead." I'll take it back to my guitar guy who did my minor set up originally and see what he can do, and then I'll probably have him install a tusk nut in a few weeks. Overall I'm very happy with it as a 72 year old hack living room strummer.
Just got mine (but in Black, as I'm really really old and am in a Black stage of playing!!!). Can't agree more and this review is excellent. Thanks.
Great demo and beautiful guitar, i have just bought a Squier 40th, amazing low budget instrument
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! And happy new guitar day to you! The Squier 40th guitars all look incredible - I've been so close to ordering a couple of them recently (they were on sale over here, some for under €300!) but I want to play a couple more in person first...
I bought one just to leave in open G tuning. I love it!
Oh yes, it'd be amazing for that! I need to give mine a try in some open tunings too. Cheers for the inspiration, and enjoy yours!
@@RichWordsMusic Totally a Rolling Stones guitar now complete with lips sticker and removal of the low e string! Best fun I have had playing in a long time :)
Sir, I am a beginner. I am confused about the Yamaha Pac012 or Squier Sonic Telecaster. Tell me, please. Which one should I go for?
Hi there! Well, I think both of these guitars are great quality for the price, so it depends on your personal taste. Do you prefer the shape and looks of the Telecaster or the Pacifica? And what about the sounds? Telecaster and Stratocaster type guitars sound quite different. If you can, I would really recommend you test both for yourself in person first. (And also test the Squier Sonic Stratocaster if you can too, as this is more similar to the Pacifica in terms of shape and pickup type!) Hope this helps :)
Great review and the different tones you used also helps if someone is going to buy one of these online and cannot try one in a shop.
Thanks Peter, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I do try and get at least a riff in for almost every musical taste if I can, and I am happy you found that useful!
I believe your demonstration sold me on buying and trying out the Telecaster Sonic for myself. Thank You….….👍
Thanks Charles, glad you found my video useful and I hope you end up loving the Sonic you try too! they are simply fantastic guitars for the money. All the best and rock on!
Great video! I think I’ll pull the trigger after watching your video and get one. You’ve gained another subscriber! Thanks
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed the video, and cheers for the sub too! :) And I hope you find a Sonic Tele that works as well for you as this one is doing for me! Good luck!
Another great review Rich! As for the low output neck pickup, the simple fix is just raise it up a bit. It's a easy fix most people don't think about.
Thanks Sean! And yes, you're totally right: that is an easy fix, and I hadn't thought about it ;) Something to try this weekend methinks! Cheers :)
Raising the neck PU won't increase the output enough to be decent.
@@alafenetre81 I’ve since tried it and like you say, it’s helped a little bit, but it’s not a massive improvement.
Changing the ceramic pickups for even budget Alnico ones would make this *roar*!
What cheap alnico pickups would you recomend? I have a Tagima Strat Model wich needs a pickups upgrade
I think you could be right, and I’m already planning some mods to this guitar!
I’m also wondering about which cheaper options are best for this… you can get Fender sets for €80, but I am not sure if that is already too much for this guitar… or is it?! The great cheap options I have experience with are Wilkinson and Toneriders.
Great video - very informative and thorough. Classy.
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it!
Great demo!
Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed it!
The best review seen. Thanks!
Thanks so much, really glad you enjoyed it!
I have stat exact guitar - excellent sound, great colour, amazing value.
My thoughts exactly - glad you are enjoying yours as well!
what a honest review 👍
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I always say exactly what I think in my videos.
I played a few new squires last week, they all played and sounded nice but boy did they need some oil on the fretboards.
And they come in blue so that’s nice.
Blue is best, you know it! Hmm, I've noticed that a lot with Squiers (and Mexican Fenders) over the past few years... the laurel boards they use can be incredibly dry. The one on this guitar is actually one of the best I've played in that regard, but it will be getting a good oilin' too! Did you also find the necks pretty chunky on these? I was really surprised at how big this one was after reading the "slim and inviting" description on the Fender website. Not a bad thing of course, as I love a slightly chunkier neck!
@@RichWordsMusic yea not overly chunky but definitely not thin, especially compared with my wizard 3 on the jem jr. They were quite comfortable just god awful dry.
@@PooNinja OK, so it's not just mine then. Ha ha, that seems to be a Fender/Squier issue everywhere, then - I think worst I ever tried was a €999 Vintera model. That neck was like sandpaper!
@@RichWordsMusic oooh I played a Ventura… I think that was the brand, anyway it felt like a neck blank that hadn’t been shaped, or maybe it was originally a 2X4 with a fretboard glued to it! It was under 200USD but it was not worth picking up at any price except as a project for a new Luither?
@@PooNinja Ha ha, a Hacksaw Jim Duggan signature maybe? (I've been watching some WWE again recently, for my sins!). That sounds like something not even a motivated newbie luthier would want have to deal with...
Sounds good 👍
I totally agree - I think Squier knocked it out of the park with the Sonic Series (at least, with all the onces I've been able to try so far!)...
Great review
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it!
The metallic sound that you heard was the G string above the nut. It usually needs to be wound many more times around the tuner. I actually think it could benefit from a second string tree.
Purchased this guitar thanks to this video. “Butterscotch blonde” thank you for this demo
Oh wow, awesome! Happy new guitar day - I really hope you're enjoying yours as much as I am mine. Rock on!
It’s basically the previous year’s Squier Bullet Telecaster, but with more color options. I believe the neck, or at least the headstock print, is the exact same. They’ve been made in both Indonesia and China, and the build differs between the two factories, with the Indonesia made ones usually having one string tree, a string through body bridge, and better frets, where the China ones have two string trees (better) but a top loader bridge, which is less faithful to the higher end Fender models. It looks like they’ve done away with the string through design from the Indonesia Bullet series: 2021 was likely the last year for those, unfortunately.
I’m buying this model and adding the noiseless 4 pickups!
A perfect modding platform lighter than the slab teles
Very cool! That will make for an even more awesome guitar, I think.
In a couple of years time, this Sonic Tele is going to be incredible value... used, for the young, new, guitar player. Though, a brand, spanking, new one, is already extremely good value. According to Fender, over 95%, approximately, of people give up playing during the first two years. That's a sobering thought. Rather sad actually. Even if the statistics are off by a substantial margin. Anyway, I was one of them, someone who lost heart. I never really got my guitar in tune properly, and that means one can't get even one chord to sound musical. Many, far too many years of regret and frustration, have now been swept aside, thanks to the humble, but rather fantastic digital tuner! A few years later and I now 'master' four chords!
Love that blue is your color! That guitar has a lot of positives, I especially like the description of the neck size. The squire J Masces had a real nice medium feeling neck also, I wonder if it’s the same size?
There's just something special about a blue guitar that gets me :) And I totally agree - this guitar really exceeded my expectations, and I was very happy to find the neck was significantly thicker than I thought it would be when I ordered it too. I've never played the Mascis Tele, but I would LOVE to try it one day... and hey, that is one seriously beautiful blue guitar ;) Cheers and rock on!
Are there some modern Squiers that have the same body width as the Fender model?
Yep, the more expensive ones like the Classic Vibes will.
Excellent video, thanks for this. I'm looking to get back in to playing (it's been over 25 years since I last played) and want to get a new guitar and really fancy a Telecaster on a tight budget. I do love the Cali blue, but keep lusting after a butterscotch :D
Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching! Yep, it's a tough choice. I love the traditional butterscotch Tele look too, but in the end wanted something a bit more summery ;) Hope you manage to try one of these soon!
@@RichWordsMusic Well, my Butterscotch tele arrived and oh man it's so nice. The setup isn't all that bad either considering it's straight out of the factory. The problem now is my youngest wants to take up playing, and he's VERY much liking the Cali Blue... Doh :D
you truly a Master! what amplifier would you recommend for this guitar mate? thank you
Thanks a lot Samuel! Good question: for me, the Black Spirit 200 I use here is ideal, but the great thing is, with a Tele you'll be able to go into any amp and sound great. Of course, Fender-type amps are going to be an amazing combo as well!
lovely! will take it into account.Thanks again!@@RichWordsMusic
How does the neck profile compare to Harley Benton TE-20? Chunkier necks are much more comfortable for my large-ish hands.
Good question! Well, I haven't played a TE-20, but I have a TE-62 (the next model up) which I directly compared to the Sonic Tele here: ua-cam.com/video/zU9cFXS32To/v-deo.html
I believe the HB TE models all have a similar neck shape, and if that's true, you'll (like me!) prefer the Squier for its chunkier profile :) Hope that helps!
This is a quality review
Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Rich for this review. I am for pull the trigger in this model in red Torino, but I have a question, is a good guitar for Blues/Rock and roll from 50's and 60's? Thanks again.
Hey there, glad you enjoyed the video! And yes, the Sonic Tele is going to be great for those kinds of tones. It's a fantastic guitar for more classic genres of music too :) Hope you manage to get your hands on one soon!
Thanks Rich for this two videos about this telly! ; ) ... great performance of this beauty guitar.... i'm totalle decided to buy this one... except for the last doubt in my mind, I really liked the version with the fretboard in maple too!!! ...I never have one with maple fretboard and I want to try, but this california blue version is fantastic!!... do you have any final thought about this point? thank you in advance.... I let you know my final decision ; )
No problem... and video number three is coming soon as well ;) Hmm, that's a good question. I think that if you get the chance, you should try a maple fingerboard at a local store... find a Tele-type as similar as possible to this (like the Sonic Teles in Black and Butterscotch Blonde finishes), and then you will know more! Me personally, I have always preferred the darker (i.e. rosewood!) boards, but this is a 100% personal thing and at the end of the day I believe it is more about looks than sounds. And for me personally, the looks really influence my inspiration levels to play more guitar... and this is why I bought the California Blue one ;) I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any more questions, and I look forward to hearing which one you choose finally! Cheers and rock on :)
Seems to be a good one, thanks for another epic and detailed tone demo, awesome job there. Seems Squier had to do something to fight back the outbreak of budget brands with HB in the front. Do you think the Sonic range is just a re-named Bullet series, or is there really noticeable step up? I have a bullet Mustang and despite the epic tones I can get out of it, the build quality is sloppy...
Yes, it's a really good one - I'm really happy with it, especially for the price :) And yes, surely the competition from brands like HB has made Squier up their game. I feel like the Sonic range is a step up, somehow. Definitely in colors, and also in things like the pickups. Funny you should mention the Mustang, because I've sort of been on the lookout for a Bullet Mustang for a while, but the ones I've tried in stores have never impressed me. They kind of feel like toys, if you know what I mean? We should both definitely try the Sonic Mustangs and see if they're better!
Great demo! Nicely done! But, how do you stop the hum when not in the middle position?
Use Buzz Kill tape in the cavity and a noise gate.
Is the sonic a replacement for the bullet, thanks.
Yes, the Sonic Series has replaced the Bullet Series 👍
@@RichWordsMusic sorry, you did say in your video, apologies, thank you.
The colours are definitely the best part
Yeah, it’s great how they gave us a bunch of modern and fun finish options with this lineup. I can’t help it, I want a pink Mustang next 😎
Bummer to hear about the nexk pickup being a bit lacking. This always seems to be the biggest drawback on the cheaper Squier Telecasters until you get to the Classic Vibe. They always sound a bit dull and muddy. Was hoping they would fix that with the Sonic series.
Yep, it's a shame. Raising the pickup might help a bit, but I think it's like you say... cheap Tele neck pickups are a problem. I swapped the one out on my Mexican Fender Tele (for a wide range humbucker, actually!).
You are awesome! Thanks a lot!!
Thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying my vids!
i have both the affinty tele 2016 rose wood finger board and the classic vibe is on the way 60s tele
Are you a kings of leon fan? 😅 I think I heard some songs?
Ha ha, yes, I loved especially their earlier records! They have such an amazing energy. I snuck my versions of The Bucket and Red Morning Light into this one :)
@@RichWordsMusic I knew it! 😂
Great video Thank you
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it!
Question: Sonic or new Affinity?
Good question: from the ones I have played, I would pick the Sonic! But I recommend you try both if you can, and pick the one that works best for you.
@@RichWordsMusic I chose Sonic. It requires slight adjustment and shielding, but it sounds very nice and quite comfortable.
Great job --- I'm subscribing.
I read somewhere same pickup as infinity
Je m’abonne : ça c’est une revue exhaustive de la guitare ! Merci👍🏼🙏🏻🍒
Thanks so much! I am really happy you enjoyed the video, and cheers for subscribing too 🤘 Rock on!
Honestly, if someone is looking for a great affordable guitar, I’d just go to Firefly, JS22 (apart from fret edges, it’s really good!), or pick up a HSS Squier Strat. If someone is looking for a Tele specifically, definitely just listen to people like Rich here and others, I have a metal based style!😂
Ha ha, agreed! I'm yet to try a Firefly and have heard great things... one day! Can't ever go wrong with an HSS Strat though. Cleans, metal and everything in between on those ;)
@@RichWordsMusic too true! I have an all black with maple fretboard HSS Strat and it’s my main guitar! I absolutely love it! It plays so smoothly and the humbucker adds a ton of variety. Get yourself a vintage pedal or tube amp and you can have anything from metal to vintage blues!
Good value guitar. I didn't rate the neck pup - muddy and fluffy for me. The bridge pup was very good though. I don't like white scratch plates but that is subjective but if that was black it would be nicer for me. Very good demo - thanks.
Yes, it's great value for money, I agree. I have tried raising the neck pickup for a bit more bite and output, but it hasn't really made much of a difference! Still, most of the time I'm on the bridge anyway, and this bridge pickup is fantastic fun. I'd love a black plate too, and might swap it out one day. Thanks for watching!
I am struggling what should i get what do you think which one is better the affinity or sonic?