I really like mine but yeah pickups MEH SO SO I never upgraded my pickups from stock but seeing as I'm not rich I have the guitar already and it feels great it's a SQUIRE FENDER Strat but I'm going to finally get a GOOD HUMBUCKER MAYBE SEMOUR OR DE MAZZIO stick that sucker in their then it'll sound better
1 Squire 2004 Bullet (Baltic Blue ,Gets confused as Royal and Sapphire ,Serial puts it as first run of the color) 2 2021 Squire Start Hss Bullet 2 2023 Squire Mustang HH Sonic Yeah i`m a Squire fan Own a 2022 Telecaster Affinity
Hello brother Please tell me which one should I buy for performing on stage. Yamaha PAC 012 Or Fender Squire Sonic Or Fender Squire Affinity. I will use Multieffect FX. For distortion or rock Will play Rock along with melody songs. Please reply ASAP😢
@@vyomaexplorer3630 personally I'd always go for an HSS strat for gigging 😎. That's 3 good choices there. I'd say the Pacifica would be the most reliable but found the least like a strat. The Squier sonics are good but the pickups are not great. I think the affinity has slightly better pickups and hardware, but still not amazing. if you can get a hold of a Jet JS400, I'd say that's the best pick at this price point atm. The Harley Benton ST modern is probably also a very good choice it's packed with features, but I've never tried one. I'd always favour the Jet JS400, imo they've got the best necks, pickups and contours than all of the above. Hope that helps mate - happy guitar hunting 😃👍
Ah Brilliant thank ya kindly mate! You're the only person to mention it (maybe even the only person to notice it 😂). I wondered if it was worth the bother - it is now! Thank you 😀🙏
I own two Bullet Stratocasters one SSS and one HSS. I also own a Sonic Stratocaster SSS. I think they are incredible guitars when set up properly. Some might need upgraded tuners or pickups. Some are ready to gig with as soon as they are set up. My UA-cam channel has several videos of me playing Squiers.
Just got mine at Thoman, I also got the debut from amazon, they are both great guitars, and good prices. Thanks for the review, it's helped me understand the workings and sounds of the Sonic. Also the Debut is routed for humbuckers so a great platform for modding.
“Can you gig it? We can gig it! Can y’all gig it? We can gig it! Can you gig it? We can gig it! Can y’all dig it? We can . . . “ - gotta clip that song in next time. I took the liberty of modding the lyrics in the spirit of modding guitars, lol. 😂😂😂
Ha! Great minds! I actually had this clip in the edit (just the "Can ya dig it" part once) but i took it out 🙈. Was trying to stay strict to the sonic 🦔 references, which might not have been the best idea/angle 😂🙈
I'm waiting on my lime green w/ laurel fretboard to come in tomorrow. Kind of nervous about doing my own setup but hopefully UA-cam won't steer me wrong.
I've got the tahitian coral one. Honestly very impressed with it. The neck is farrrr nicer than any of the bullets I've had. The stock humbucker was a little muddy for me so put a duncan SH5 in it with a white pearl guard and locking tuners. It's one of my go to guitars now. The neck pup is surprisingly good imo
@@stevecassidyguitar The "Bolton" neck is classic though! Do you have an image for a set neck guitar? Sadly, I can't think of anyone famous named "Setnik".
@@RobbieF I noticed Landon Bailey does the same Bolton gag. I wonder who was first 🤔 I'll bet i probably stole it from him 😂🙈 Also can't think of a Set neck gag 🤔 I'll go check more of Landon's vids 😜
Well done Steve! This, again, proves that when you are playing in a band live, it does not matter what kind of guitar you use as long as you are comfortable with it! Have a great weekend🎸🤘🏼🎸👊🏼
Thank ya mate! 😀🙏. Yeah your totally right, comfort and playability is everything for gigs. The Guitar in my IEM's never sounds great anyway 😂👍 (That's the IEM's fault - not the guitars)
I have a bullet Mustang, and she is incredible. I prefer to play it over my more expensive and supposedly better guitars by a mile. I bought one to try after hearing how much cobain would rave about them. He played them because he was a pretty small guy, but I'm 6 foot 1 with hands like shovels and that tiny lightweight thing with its shorter neck and less string tension is like playing easy mode and it's just so much fun. That said, I tried it in dropped B to do some slipknot and even though it held its tune pretty well, the pick-ups just had nowhere enough clarity to take that. She is good enough in standard anyway, and my definite recommendation to any beginner.
Nice! that's a very unique take sir. Common wisdom would suggest that shortscale guitars are recommended for shorter stature humans. Interesting to hear of your experience 😀👍
I'm not really a Strat type person myself which is a strange thing to say because I gigged with one for years. I had a mod done so I could use the neck and bridge pickups together which I thought was the best tone that guitar had to offer so I might just as well have got myself a decent Tele and saved myself the trouble. This seems like a good deal for the price. It must make a difference to some beginner players actually saying "Stratocaster" on the headstock and even though its small "Fender" on the back. When I was a kid in the 70s I used to cut out the Gibson logos from string packets and stick them on the headstock of my cheap SG copy.
Wow! You've really made me think here... 🤔 I wonder if I would still be a strat guy if I wasn't gigging 🤔. Definitely the most versatile Guitar for me for gigging, especially in HSS format. I also love the Neck/Bridge combo, I've got that mod on a few of my strats, and it's a regularly used tone 👍 Love your Gibson mod - Cheap N Cheerful 😂👍
I had to go down the Strat road for gigging because the guitarist in the band before me used a midi gizmo so when I replaced him they wanted me to do that too. The Roland GK midi pickup fitted and worked well on a Strat so that's what I did. Maybe you already have, but when you get around to recording the "Coconut Grove" album to sell at your gigs are you going to maybe pick up a few different guitars during the sessions for different solos and stuff. .
@@Reeldin58 Great stuff - The Midi gear is fun. I have an old GK3 system too. Will have to do a vid on that eventually 😀👍 I don't think we'll ever record an album of covers 😂
@@elmarg7966 Defo! Before I started making YT vids, I had big plans to learn to do the mods myself, but the YT eats up all my spare time, so I get my tech to do it out of Lazyness and stupidity 🙈
@stevecassidyguitar I totally agree with you about humbucker. When I changed squiers original humbucker to Korean Artec and pot to 500k, my squier turned into a metal machine
Love my Sonic's! I wanted a Tom Delonge style Strat and I also had some back pain issues last year. I bought the pink H Hardtail one on sale. Spent £450 on upgrades (Tone Rider Generator, blacked out hardware, Fret dressing etc.) and I've been gigging it exclusively for about 6 months now. Also, bought a red one and did the same for a backup :) I love the neck profiles on them.
Ah good point Re the Rosewood! 😎👍 Did the Bullets always have rosewood? Even in the last few years of production? Fender pretty much stopped using Rosewood for a good few years on most other models
Really enjoy Friday nights and your videos, once again a cracker, agree on the JETs great guitars and a real benchmark for others to get to. John Cordy has done a couple of videos on the Debut which are well worth looking at.
Thank ya kindly mate! 😀🙏 Oh yeah - I've seen thcordy vids, including his upload from today. What an incredible player that man is! 😎👌 One of my favourite players these days (not just a UA-cam Guitarist). Everything sounds great in his hands 😀👌
My SSS is fuckin excellent. Changed the nut for bone; partial fret level, and it plays like a dream. I am changing out the pups, but the originals didn't suck. And, by the way, the sustain is awesome; something I can't explain.
Hey Steve, great vid as always mate. The competition is so fierce with brands like Harley Benton , JET and EART etc. that the humble Squier feels like driftwood in comparison. I still got love for the Squier Classic Vibe series, but those other companies can do the same quality for less now! - Gabe
Thank ya kindly mate! 😀🙏 You're spot on mate - for us guitarists with our finger on the pulse, we know Squiers can't keep up anymore. But these other brands have still not quite made that en mass name for themselves yet. Will be interesting to see where Squier sits in a few more years, as these other brands and newer ones keep churning out even better quality, even higher specs, for even less! 🤯
Jet is all you need. I have played a lot of Squier, Harley Benton Guitars. But also Ibanez, Gibson, Charvel and whatever. I‘ve bought some Jet Guitars and was really surprised. The playability is awesome. Cheers Mate!
Totally agree - I'm a Jet convert these days. I know they're not as highly specced as some Harley Bentons, Earts, Solokings with the Stainless steelk frets etc. But man.. Jet have just totally nailed the perfect neck profile (for me anyway 😜)
Years ago it would likely be bad for this much money but now manufacturing is so much better I think there's very few 'bad' guitars & certainly most budget options can be very good with a basic set up.
After hundreds of strats this is the only one I play on. No 'real' Fenders left. I had the bullet, was about the same. And you can always put other pickups in, a bone nut etc.
I'll definatley admit I need to eventually upgrade the PICKUPS FOR SURE but the feel is AUTHENTIC FENDER & SQUIRE. The FEEL LOOKS & SOUND are IMPORTANT TO ME 2 out of 3 but yeah the most important is sound & I'm with you like a lp studio ephi I had was thinner and lighter a plus and this 1 to.the heaviest guitar by far I ever owned was a maple neck & BODY MEXICAN MADE STRAT FENDER WICH I (WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD A FENDER AGAIN SO I WELCOME SQUIRE)LOL
Thank ya mate 🙏 Well, if it helps... the Bullet series has been discontinued and replaced with/revamped as the Sonic Series. Any Bullets you find now will either be New old stock or used. Nothing wrong with the Bullet series, you can find some great used deals on them just now. I do like some of the upgraded features and colours on the sonic series though. I just ordered a Squier "Debut" this morning from Amazon (Prime Day Sale) for About £100! I've heard good things about them so I'm keen to check it out 👍
Thank ya mate! 😀 Especially for the 5 thumbs up! 🤣👍 The Hiss wasn't the guitars fault, I'd recorded the audio too quiet on my interface and had to increase the volume in the video editor 🙈 Totally my bad. It was fine live 😅👍
@@stevecassidyguitar I had squiers in the past and they are great practice guitars, fit for modding guitars but still a bit hissy especially through powerful amps. 5 thumbs up good, 6 thumbs up better!
Very Cool Steve Thankyou. Cool Gig clips. Nice Guitar, sounded great to me with your awesome playing. I own a 2000 Squier Bullet 'Hardtail' SSS Strat. Great little guitar and just fun to play for some reason, maybe lighter weight (or super low cost just 'relaxes' me maybe lol) . I am REALLY interested in The Sonic Series Purple Tele (Esquire?). About $320- Australian, which is almost Free in UK, Europe, USA money .... All the Best. Cheers
Aw mate! You're too kind - Thank ya so much! 😀🙏 I with ya on the purple "Ultra Violet" they call it. I think that's actually quite a rare and hard to find Fender colour, I think they did it on a Hendrix model. So pretty great you gcan get it on a (hopefully) lightweight Sonic and mod it - if you wanted. I'm really tempted to 😁🙈👍
I tried a Sonic Mustang out when I was at Guitar Center a few weeks ago, checking out a variety of offsets. I just could not keep it in tune: action was too high, nut was cut too high, and the intonation wasn't adjusted. If I can't keep it in tune, the "audition" ends and the guitar goes back on the wall. It also seemed REALLY thin in the body, meaning that it might not have as great potential for mods as I'd like. But Squier is kinda our go-to for cheap-but-known guitars here, along with Epiphone, maybe rarely Yamaha Pacifica. We don't have the typical HB offerings (and at a markup through their Reverb store), and I don't think Jet has much of a foothold here at all: mostly from just Europe tubers I see them online.
I wonder if "Guitar Center Guitars" might suffer from similar conditions as "School guitars". 🤔 That would only explain a couple of the issues tho, not the nut of course. They're definitely thinner bodied tho Like you say not the best for mods, Especially for trem blocks, but I know some companies (wilkinson/GFS) do make short blocks to accomodate this scenario. I believe Jets are now slowly starting to creep into the US market (If that's where you are). It will be a while before they can make an impact if any. I think it's been almost 4 years we've had them in the UK.
when you start going on about how dark the bridge pickup is in a HSS, I always want to know if the volume pot is a 500k or a 250k. If you do a shoot out between the squier & the Jet, please can you include a look to see if the pot value being too low is the culprit?
Very good point sir. 😎👍I'll definitely have a look, But i'll probably have more luck finding out online. A lot of times the stamp for the value is hidden under a big gloop of solder. Unless there's another way to tell I don't know about? I've actaully get my other JS400 in with the tech just now getting the mod where the bridge see's 500k and the single coild see 250k via resisitors etc (I have no clue how this works - I'll leave it to the pro's 😜👍)
As you know i have a red debut strat absolutely delighted with it NO issues thinking of getting the Tele version, plus they're doing a p bass ! Try the Tele Steve 👍👍👍
A Tele might be a good shout! Apparently I do too many Strat vids 😂🙈 Specifically HSS strats, I've got about 10 vids incoming 🙈 But I do love em 🤷♂️ But yeah Tele might be a smarter move - Cheers! 😀 👍
What did you not like about the ceramic humbucker? I kind of like the sound of my daughter's DIY Hello Kitty pink Sonic's single humbucker. Mind you I've connected it to my wet / dry rig with 2 x 2x12s.
Yeah there could be a couple of factors at play there 😜👍 Also if you've just got a single HB, there will be less in the circuit - coud be a factor 🤷♂️ But over all the pickups just lacked clarity and didn't have enough treble for me
@@stevecassidyguitar I get the clarity part. That's why I love Dylan's pickups so much ... They are designed for clarity so you can hear every note of your chord. I am considering two of his ceramic humbuckers for the guitar. A Hello Kitty sticker should just fit between the two pickups 🙂
If youcan go to £189 ish - Check out a Jet JS400. They do them in left handed and It's miles better than these Squiers (imo). I rate them closer to Fender Player level. I've did loads of vids on the JS400 - coz... I just luv em! 😀👍
Nice review mate! Totally reminded me of my Sonic Youth 😅. As an unprofessional guitar tinkerer the sonic series (and bullet series before it) are absolutely fantastic. Such great modding platforms. If I needed to give advice to a beginner I would suggest the affinity series or go for Jet or Harley Benton. I currently own a Sonic Mustang and I love it. Modded it and it's my favorite guitar after my affinity starcaster 🎉
@@eertje01 Ok! Checked out the Starcaster Deluxe - Very likely I'll pass. Headstock fail 😜👍 The sunburst maple one does look pretty great tbh. But.. It'sa bit too close in looks to my Fender cherry burst Starcaster. Thanks for the headsup tho! 😀👍
Hold on, I ordered mine and it came today, can’t fit a whammy bar and it’s got less pickups 🤦🏻♂️ what’s going on. Made me chuckle, subbed! Gutted why ended up with a different sonic, why supply a whammy when I can fit it 🤦🏻♂️
Ha! Cheers mate! 😀👍 Did you order the HSS and recieve the Hard Tail single humbucker strat? and they included the trem arm!?! 😂🙈 That's a bummer 😬 But still kinda funny - soz 😜
@@stevecassidyguitarhonestly it’s the equivalent to ordering steak pie and getting vegan! I’m 50 and decided to learn guitar 🤦🏻♂️ I’ve now seen one on Andertons HSS with whammy and rear panel and skunk stripe. Hmm do I keep my mine or send back for this other.
@MaliDaviesPhotography decisions decisions 🤔 I'd always recommend HSS for a beginner. More versatile in terms of tones..On the HT version you'll be able to nail a lot of rock/metal tones 👍 But if you ever find yourself looking for the Hendrix, SRV, Nile Rogers, Knopfler, Clapton, John Mayer, Hank Marvin tones.... Then the 2 single coils are essential imo. I wouldn't worry about the trem too much tho 👍
Have a Sonic Esquire Strat & Esquire Tele, as 1 pup guitars are best. Neck, frets & body are quite good, the fail being the ceramic pup, to be replaced with p90....
Wow! Just a single p90? I wish i was the kind of player that could eek every tone out of that set up. I "need" at least 4 pickups 😜. But that's it tho mate - pefect mod platforms 😎👍
ooooh! That's a tough one. It's actually been a long time since I've tried a new Pacifica. Generally speraking they have a good rep for QC and consistency. The common wisdom would be to get a Pacifica if you don't wan't any issues/problems and just want to get on with learning the guitar. Personally for me, I'd recommend a Jet JS400. I find these so much more inspiring to play than a Pacifica. But there is a higher chance you could run into a part that needs upgraded here and there Ultimately, if you'r up for a wee tweak like maybe upgrading the saddles, then The JS400 is hard to beat at those prices. I've did a load of Jet vids, you can check out. I rate them as closer to Fender than anything else (imo)
About £400 😜 But nah - there's quite a lot of differences. Especially with the new player 2 series. But almost every part/component of the Fender will be higher quality; Alder body, Better pickups, 22 frets, Better quality hardware, but the most noticeable difference is in the pickups I'd say 👍
Totally agree! I've been thinking about picking up a Squier affinity Starcaster in white - It sufferes from the same problem, but a guy who posts here, stained the neck on his and it looks awesome! Might have to give that a go 😀
I can get the sunburst version of this Sonic HSS on sale right now (20% off) for $160. Or, I could save $40 and grab a Squier Debut Series instead. After having reviewed both, which would be your recommendation? Edit: Also, quick question, do both of them have the same size and shape neck? I've tried out the Sonic and loved the neck shape, and especially loved the thickness
I've not measured the neck profiles with a feeler gauge, but yes they do feel the same in the hand to me 👍 That's a touch choice though mate, as they're so similar. I always favour the HSS configuration, So i'd probably go with that (personally). But I'd end up changing the pickups - but that's a personal preference again. If this will be your first guitar and your ear isn't too fussy yet then the stock pickups will be fine 😃👍 (I've been at this almost 30 years now, my ears are really fussy 😂) It looks like the 2 you are looking at will both have the laurel fretboards, so the only other differences to consider is, gloss vs matt finish (I love the look of the matt on the Debut - but it wont stay that way, So i'd choose the Sonic gloss). Interestingly, the Debut has a nice 3 ply pickguard vs the Sonic's 1 ply. and out of the 2 I tired the debut had the better fret ends - but 1 sample of each isn't enough to say one is better than the other ime. Hope that helps mate - Good luck! Happy Guitar shopping! 😃
Yes indeed mate, I'd pretty much always recommend an HSS strat as a first guitar. It has the moste versatile selection of tones. Which is ideal especially if the player isn't 100% sure what type of music they'd like to play on it. An HSS strat will do a fantastic job of anything you throw at it. Just be mindful, in 2024, guitars at these prices can sometimes need a bit of set up work to make sure yoiu get the best start. If it's difficult or mildly painful to press down on the strings and get a clear sound, it won't be a fun learning experience. You can see exactly what I mean in this vid here... ua-cam.com/video/jWJ5H5LgG6o/v-deo.html I unboxed this new Squier Debut - It was hard to play out of the box and not fun. As soon as I gave it a wee tweak (took 20secs) It was awesome! If you know a Guitarist, (who knows their stuff) I'd have them look over it for you while it's still in the "returns timeframe". This is also a good reason to maybe buy in your local Guitar retailer, you should get better support there, you can even ask them to have thier in house tech give it a once over for you. Hope that helps mate - Enjoy the journey 😃🎸🙏
Just got 1 a week or so ago I don't even use a whammy I've always took them off my strats other than the cheaper pickups and slimmer body it feels like the squire affinity and the fender Mexican made strat I had years ago=FEELS LIKE A FENDER BRAND STRAT I LIKE THE SLINKY FEEL ON THE NECK AS WELL I DONT KNOW IF IT CAME STRAIGHT OUT OF BOX THAT WAY BECAUSE I PICKED IT UP AT A GUITAR CENTER THE TECH COULD OF SET UP THE GUITAR BUT YEAH (ITS A SUPER FUN AND EASY GOOD FEEL TO PLAY ON THE NECK ITS A SQUIRE STRAT).=in my opinion you wont find a better funk and blues guitar than a strat their even good for rock even though your not going to get a deep les paul humbucker sound but you can get some good rock tones just not to deep a sound
Never tried one of those , but I’m not really a Strat type fan , but there’s seems to be some nice budget friendly ones around so maybe I’ll change my mind ( although I do have a Stagg Strat style guitar , which I’m going to strip down to bare wood and mod it out ) As far as notifications, as a long term subscriber, I would like my notifications via carrier pigeon please ,, 👍👍🤠🎸
Oh yeah, there's a plethora of budget strats - They're everywhere these days! Heard good things about the Staggs - I know Rich is a fan 😀👍 Good luck with the mod project 😀👍 🕊️🦅🐦 (Soz - No pigeon emoji) 😂
@@stevecassidyguitar that last les Paul type I bought for 30 quid is a Stagg and it’s my favourite guitar at the moment, ( actually got it for free because I sold the acoustic for £30 😂) might put a set of pro buckers in it, not sure what pickups to go for in the Strat style Stagg , but I’ll get something decent I reckon though , plus good tuners 👍👍🤠🎸
As a beginner I bought a Sonic Mustang HH. Had only two buying criteria, short scale and blue - total noob. Didn't like it much out of the box. Pickups were boring, so out they came. In with a cheap bridge Vanson AL2 57 PAF, and Old Timer Fat Boy HP90 neck pup from Alegree. Strings swapped to Roto Yellow 10s, frets filed and polished, truss rod, saddles and intonation adjusted, neck oiled, pots and caps upgraded to full size. l finally have a guitar worthy of learning on. Never knew it would be that much work and spent about £80 sorting it. Still, we bonded over the experience and I'm loving learning rock and blues on her.
Yeah mate, It would probably help to lower the bass sides a bit 👍 Good shout! But they do generally just sounded a bit more "muffled" - I still have this one here 👍
@stevecassidyguitar Try lowering them. At some point I will block out some time to seriously play about with pickup heights on my guitars. Last week I A/B'd my purple Squier CV 50s tell against my Fender reissue 52 tele. The 52 was warmer whilst the CV50 was airier and thinner sounding. I raised the pickups on the CV 50s and it sounded more like the 52. So there's a rabbit hole waiting for me to lose my mind in. Sometimes though, a pickup is just rubbish and needs to be replaced.
I think the hand tail versions might be worth a punt especially for a beginner but the HB ST's are much better for maybe another £30 you'll get a HB ST DG 👍🤘
@@stevecassidyguitar The new HB ST's look amazing spec but a little bit more money that the Sonic series but the HB ST DG is amazing as close as you could get to Gilmours Strat for less than £200 😏🤣Keep up the great work on the channel mate love your content👍🤘
@@chrisstephens6194 I started off on crap Guitars, but have played for 30 years. Its the difference between driving a shity beat up car over a sports car. But then starting out, the only difference i knew was the price;. i have had a few excellent guitars come and go. I have one guitar that i never take out, one that's a cheaper done up one like it.
@@chrisstephens6194 You deserve to play whatever guitar you want that inspires you to pick it up and play/practice 😀👍 I'm kinda done with Fender, (as far as buying new guitars) but I know that's easy to say when I have a few 😬. If you have to have one - I totally get that. Keep an eye outon the used market, sometimes great bargains to be had with the old MIM standards, or the MIC modern player series, you can pick those up for the same price as the higher end Squiers these days 👍
They look like a great starting point for someone :) Certainly a brilliant foundation for a modder ;) Awesome vid as always sir n hope your keepin well :)
Thank ya kindly sir! 😀🙏 But yeah - Squiers are probably still the best mod platforms, especially if you wanna put Fender (or 3rd party Fender made) parts on em. You've got the best chance of compatibility 😀👍
well afterhavin a crappy prestige ibanez , then a crappy jet 850, ...y could nae give me either one fer xmas...i just put a dimarzio evo2 bridge in me ibanez s420, ive set the intonation on th zeropoint bridge , for some reason dwayne had a fiddle , i got th wound 3 string bridge pieces set way back , seems to have fixed it also lowered the big end pole a bit and dwayne had put th spring tension back to buggery...loosened it again...i think these days if y find a great platform regardless of price y better off building on it than spending thousands , there really is some crap being churned out with big tags.❤
Totally agree regarding modding, rather than buying a more expensive guitar that probably doesn't have "all" the appoinments you'd want anyway. Only great if it's a keeper though. Re-sale is another story
@@stevecassidyguitar i only buy a guitar to play it , not as a wall hanging or an investment, or to add to a collection, i got 6 guitars 5 that dont get played much , all in hard cases, even my old chopped up kramer that got mention in rolling stone in th 80s...its retired and i cut away most of th body with angle grinder in th 80s ...so resale?inah..cant imagine havin a really great guitar JUSTto say i have it.
@@stevecassidyguitar Haha. No. I mean, you gave a great review (I recently bought the sunburst from Amazon) but I kind of meant the beginners or amateurs who bought the guitar for a first guitar and love/hate it is usually what sells me. I used to play and stopped for years because my rotator cuffs are frayed. I had a wild hare up my ass one day and bought the guitar so I can start playing again and the guitar feels great! I have no problem with frets or action but I get what you're saying about the deeper tone. I dig it for blues. But nobody told me I would forget how to play if I stopped playing for years! I am gonna use the free three months of lessons I got with purchase. Sorry for the long reply but that you for the review and showing us what it sounds like LIVE. I will never get as good as you but it was nice to see a cheap guitar in action!
I received mine yesterday. Packed unprofessional. Tremolo bar was loose in the box. Rear strap button was almost off. And on top of it, it was made in China, when the pic showed Indonesia. Fender lost my respect completely.
Wow! 😬 Where did you buy it from? I'm the last person to defend Fender, but it sounds like possibly false advertising on the retailer and they've maybe been into the box? 🤔 I've been pretty much done with Fender for a couple of years now. I'll still buy Squier and used Fender if there's a bargain to be had though. I'd highly recommend checking out Jet guitars 😎👍 If you want (arguably) better quality than Fender player series at Squier affinity prices 😎👍
Buy cheap buy twice, the name alone gives you a clue as to which market these are aimed at. Another item to gather dust under the bed. I am biased, i tried to learn on a very bad Squire, they do make some good ones but finding one is easier said that done just like anything from Fender.
The colours are a bit of a giveaway too - Although I have been very tempted by the "Ultra Voilet" (purple) one. I'd have to change the neck on it though... and the tuners, and pickups.. and trem... Ach I'll just leave it 😂
@@stevecassidyguitar These are just Squires attempt to compete with other brands entry level models, and best avoided. Why waste money that you won't get back trying to turn them into a decent guitar. As much as like Ibanez, their Gio models are more miss than hit and are also a waste of money.
I us the Line 6 HX Stomp XL - Can't remember which amp model though - soz 😬 But yeah It's sounds decent, but didn't cut through as well in the band setting. Could probably fix that with EQ though 👍
I own two Bullet Stratocasters one SSS and one HSS. I also own a Sonic Stratocaster SSS. I think they are incredible guitars when set up properly. Some might need upgraded tuners or pickups. Some are ready to gig with as soon as they are set up. My UA-cam channel has several videos of me playing Squiers.
Definitely gigable guitars - but if agree on upgrading some parts to improve durability/reliability - and I'd definitely want to change the pickups on this HSS sonic strat 🤓👍
I’m guessing that the HSS on the Sonic Strat is about the same as the HSS on the Bullet. I didn’t like the tone of my HSS Bullet Strat. The MojoTone loaded pickguard was the right choice for mine but it wasn’t cheap. I would only make this mod on a guitar I plan to keep.
@@pmrparts I'm not sure mate - Never had both at once to A/B them. But the Sonic ones were not very... "inspiring" 😜 Definitely one of the weakest parts of these guitars
Anyone checked out a Squier Sonic Yet? Or a Bullet? 🫳⌨⬇
Apologies for the noise/hiss - Had some audio issues - My fault 🙈
I really like mine but yeah pickups MEH SO SO I never upgraded my pickups from stock but seeing as I'm not rich I have the guitar already and it feels great it's a SQUIRE FENDER Strat but I'm going to finally get a GOOD HUMBUCKER MAYBE SEMOUR OR DE MAZZIO stick that sucker in their then it'll sound better
1 Squire 2004 Bullet (Baltic Blue ,Gets confused as Royal and Sapphire ,Serial puts it as first run of the color)
2 2021 Squire Start Hss Bullet
2 2023 Squire Mustang HH Sonic
Yeah i`m a Squire fan Own a 2022 Telecaster Affinity
@@ShaneLarocque Awesome 😃👍 That's a tidy Squier collection mate 😎👌
Hello brother
Please tell me which one should I buy for performing on stage.
Yamaha PAC 012
Or
Fender Squire Sonic
Or
Fender Squire Affinity.
I will use Multieffect FX.
For distortion or rock
Will play Rock along with melody songs.
Please reply ASAP😢
@@vyomaexplorer3630 personally I'd always go for an HSS strat for gigging 😎. That's 3 good choices there. I'd say the Pacifica would be the most reliable but found the least like a strat. The Squier sonics are good but the pickups are not great. I think the affinity has slightly better pickups and hardware, but still not amazing. if you can get a hold of a Jet JS400, I'd say that's the best pick at this price point atm. The Harley Benton ST modern is probably also a very good choice it's packed with features, but I've never tried one. I'd always favour the Jet JS400, imo they've got the best necks, pickups and contours than all of the above.
Hope that helps mate - happy guitar hunting 😃👍
Honestly, i loved the sonic music in the background! Great video as always, keep it up Steve! Much love from Greece
Ah Brilliant thank ya kindly mate! You're the only person to mention it (maybe even the only person to notice it 😂). I wondered if it was worth the bother - it is now! Thank you 😀🙏
I own two Bullet Stratocasters one SSS and one HSS. I also own a Sonic Stratocaster SSS. I think they are incredible guitars when set up properly. Some might need upgraded tuners or pickups. Some are ready to gig with as soon as they are set up. My UA-cam channel has several videos of me playing Squiers.
Just got mine at Thoman, I also got the debut from amazon, they are both great guitars, and good prices. Thanks for the review, it's helped me understand the workings and sounds of the Sonic. Also the Debut is routed for humbuckers so a great platform for modding.
Thanks for the reminder about the Debut Routing - that will save me taking the pickguard off for the full review 😂👍
Cheers mate! 😀👍
“Can you gig it? We can gig it! Can y’all gig it? We can gig it! Can you gig it? We can gig it! Can y’all dig it? We can . . . “ - gotta clip that song in next time. I took the liberty of modding the lyrics in the spirit of modding guitars, lol. 😂😂😂
Ha! Great minds! I actually had this clip in the edit (just the "Can ya dig it" part once) but i took it out 🙈. Was trying to stay strict to the sonic 🦔 references, which might not have been the best idea/angle 😂🙈
I'm waiting on my lime green w/ laurel fretboard to come in tomorrow. Kind of nervous about doing my own setup but hopefully UA-cam won't steer me wrong.
Nice never seen the lime green one before -jut googled it - Very cool! I love really bold striking colours 😎👍
Funny and great review. I'm interested in buying one now.
Thank ya kindly mate 😀🙏
Thanks for the review, as beginner I'm gonna probably buy this guitar ^^
BTW this band 5:14 sounds pretty good 🤩
Cheers mate! It's a good choice for starting 😀👍
I've got the tahitian coral one. Honestly very impressed with it. The neck is farrrr nicer than any of the bullets I've had. The stock humbucker was a little muddy for me so put a duncan SH5 in it with a white pearl guard and locking tuners. It's one of my go to guitars now. The neck pup is surprisingly good imo
Also, my frets were great out the box and was set up perfectly for me. Although I'm sure the guys are merchant city music do a set up
Another great example of how Squiers can be great mod platforms - Good on ya mate 😀👍
Excellent production on the video as always. I spat my coffee out when the Michael Bolton pic came up. Top Bants 😂
Ha Cheers mate! 😂👍
I think i've overused that Bolton pic in too many vids now 😂🙈
@@stevecassidyguitar The "Bolton" neck is classic though! Do you have an image for a set neck guitar? Sadly, I can't think of anyone famous named "Setnik".
‘Sigue Sigue Setnek’? 😇…………I’ll get my coat.
@@RobbieF I noticed Landon Bailey does the same Bolton gag. I wonder who was first 🤔 I'll bet i probably stole it from him 😂🙈
Also can't think of a Set neck gag 🤔 I'll go check more of Landon's vids 😜
Well done Steve! This, again, proves that when you are playing in a band live, it does not matter what kind of guitar you use as long as you are comfortable with it! Have a great weekend🎸🤘🏼🎸👊🏼
Thank ya mate! 😀🙏.
Yeah your totally right, comfort and playability is everything for gigs. The Guitar in my IEM's never sounds great anyway 😂👍
(That's the IEM's fault - not the guitars)
I have a bullet Mustang, and she is incredible. I prefer to play it over my more expensive and supposedly better guitars by a mile. I bought one to try after hearing how much cobain would rave about them. He played them because he was a pretty small guy, but I'm 6 foot 1 with hands like shovels and that tiny lightweight thing with its shorter neck and less string tension is like playing easy mode and it's just so much fun. That said, I tried it in dropped B to do some slipknot and even though it held its tune pretty well, the pick-ups just had nowhere enough clarity to take that. She is good enough in standard anyway, and my definite recommendation to any beginner.
Nice! that's a very unique take sir. Common wisdom would suggest that shortscale guitars are recommended for shorter stature humans. Interesting to hear of your experience 😀👍
I'm not really a Strat type person myself which is a strange thing to say because I gigged with one for years. I had a mod done so I could use the neck and bridge pickups together which I thought was the best tone that guitar had to offer so I might just as well have got myself a decent Tele and saved myself the trouble. This seems like a good deal for the price. It must make a difference to some beginner players actually saying "Stratocaster" on the headstock and even though its small "Fender" on the back. When I was a kid in the 70s I used to cut out the Gibson logos from string packets and stick them on the headstock of my cheap SG copy.
Wow! You've really made me think here... 🤔 I wonder if I would still be a strat guy if I wasn't gigging 🤔.
Definitely the most versatile Guitar for me for gigging, especially in HSS format. I also love the Neck/Bridge combo, I've got that mod on a few of my strats, and it's a regularly used tone 👍
Love your Gibson mod - Cheap N Cheerful 😂👍
I had to go down the Strat road for gigging because the guitarist in the band before me used a midi gizmo so when I replaced him they wanted me to do that too. The Roland GK midi pickup fitted and worked well on a Strat so that's what I did. Maybe you already have, but when you get around to recording the "Coconut Grove" album to sell at your gigs are you going to maybe pick up a few different guitars during the sessions for different solos and stuff.
.
@@Reeldin58 Great stuff - The Midi gear is fun. I have an old GK3 system too. Will have to do a vid on that eventually 😀👍
I don't think we'll ever record an album of covers 😂
I have Squire Bullet HSS. I changed electronics and pickups. It is now good enough to keep it.
Oh yeah - Awesome mod platforms these - Good on ya mate 😀👌
@stevecassidyguitar not only that. It is good platform to do mods yourself and learn. I did all mods myself, wiring, soldering.
@@elmarg7966 Defo! Before I started making YT vids, I had big plans to learn to do the mods myself, but the YT eats up all my spare time, so I get my tech to do it out of Lazyness and stupidity 🙈
@stevecassidyguitar I totally agree with you about humbucker. When I changed squiers original humbucker to Korean Artec and pot to 500k, my squier turned into a metal machine
@@elmarg7966 The Artec stuff is great - Nice job mate!
Love my Sonic's! I wanted a Tom Delonge style Strat and I also had some back pain issues last year. I bought the pink H Hardtail one on sale. Spent £450 on upgrades (Tone Rider Generator, blacked out hardware, Fret dressing etc.) and I've been gigging it exclusively for about 6 months now. Also, bought a red one and did the same for a backup :) I love the neck profiles on them.
Brilliant mate! That's the way to do it! Mods all the way - I'll bet it's nice & light too - Nailed it 😎👌
@@stevecassidyguitar 6 lb 13 oz :)
@@MrCurtyWurty Ideal! 😎👌
I measured the bullet strat I own and body is 42mm thick. Bullet strats also had rosewood fretboards and 2 string trees.
Ah good point Re the Rosewood! 😎👍 Did the Bullets always have rosewood? Even in the last few years of production? Fender pretty much stopped using Rosewood for a good few years on most other models
Really enjoy Friday nights and your videos, once again a cracker, agree on the JETs great guitars and a real benchmark for others to get to. John Cordy has done a couple of videos on the Debut which are well worth looking at.
Thank ya kindly mate! 😀🙏
Oh yeah - I've seen thcordy vids, including his upload from today. What an incredible player that man is! 😎👌 One of my favourite players these days (not just a UA-cam Guitarist). Everything sounds great in his hands 😀👌
you and the band sounded great at that gig. Ive been eyein up the same debut squier as well.. lol great minds
Thank ya mate! 😀🙏
I need to purge some guitars before i can get anything else in atm tho 😂🙈
Love the opening 😂
Thank ya mate! 😀
Great video. Good point about the slimmer Squier body and reduced weight, I wonder if the slimmer trem block affects sustain?
Thank ya mate! 😀🙏 Great point Re the trem block - Someone smart needs to do this test 🤓👍
Seems like it just falls a bit short, especially with the alternatives that are available on the market these days. Good video gent 👍
what do you think will be better at the same price
@@QuickBeat I've heard good things about the Harley Benton Strat and Tele copies at this price. On paper at very least, the specs are better 👍
My SSS is fuckin excellent. Changed the nut for bone; partial fret level, and it plays like a dream. I am changing out the pups, but the originals didn't suck. And, by the way, the sustain is awesome; something I can't explain.
Nice one mate! Apologies for the delayed response. Your comment hit the filters
Hey Steve, great vid as always mate. The competition is so fierce with brands like Harley Benton , JET and EART etc. that the humble Squier feels like driftwood in comparison.
I still got love for the Squier Classic Vibe series, but those other companies can do the same quality for less now!
- Gabe
Thank ya kindly mate! 😀🙏
You're spot on mate - for us guitarists with our finger on the pulse, we know Squiers can't keep up anymore.
But these other brands have still not quite made that en mass name for themselves yet.
Will be interesting to see where Squier sits in a few more years, as these other brands and newer ones keep churning out even better quality, even higher specs, for even less! 🤯
@@stevecassidyguitar Fingers crossed Squier up their game as I think they are still capable of it. :)
@@GabrielNacu Agreed! They can still make great stuff - But they'll likely increase the prices too 😬
Got to say it didn't sound too bad in a live setting and it looks pretty good as well 😄
Cheers mate! Totally, it's not too bad at all. It comes in some more fun colours too. There's a nice purple one I like🤩👍
Jet is all you need. I have played a lot of Squier, Harley Benton Guitars. But also Ibanez, Gibson, Charvel and whatever. I‘ve bought some Jet Guitars and was really surprised. The playability is awesome. Cheers Mate!
Totally agree - I'm a Jet convert these days. I know they're not as highly specced as some Harley Bentons, Earts, Solokings with the Stainless steelk frets etc. But man.. Jet have just totally nailed the perfect neck profile (for me anyway 😜)
@@stevecassidyguitar True words. Thx for your great work mate!
Years ago it would likely be bad for this much money but now manufacturing is so much better I think there's very few 'bad' guitars & certainly most budget options can be very good with a basic set up.
Great point well made sir 😎👍
After hundreds of strats this is the only one I play on. No 'real' Fenders left. I had the bullet, was about the same. And you can always put other pickups in, a bone nut etc.
Definitely mate - Excellent mod platforms 😀👍
What a fantastic video 33have a wonderful weekend Steve ❤😊
Thank you kindly sir! 🙏 Hope you have a great weekend too 😀👍
Bolton Neck with Michael Bolton photo is Epic😅❤
Ha! Cheers mate 😁👍
NIce band!!!
Thank ya kindly mate! 😃🙏
I'll definatley admit I need to eventually upgrade the PICKUPS FOR SURE but the feel is AUTHENTIC FENDER & SQUIRE. The FEEL LOOKS & SOUND are IMPORTANT TO ME 2 out of 3 but yeah the most important is sound & I'm with you like a lp studio ephi I had was thinner and lighter a plus and this 1 to.the heaviest guitar by far I ever owned was a maple neck & BODY MEXICAN MADE STRAT FENDER WICH I (WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD A FENDER AGAIN SO I WELCOME SQUIRE)LOL
GREAT VID im really confused choosing the sonic or the bullet series
Thank ya mate 🙏 Well, if it helps... the Bullet series has been discontinued and replaced with/revamped as the Sonic Series. Any Bullets you find now will either be New old stock or used. Nothing wrong with the Bullet series, you can find some great used deals on them just now. I do like some of the upgraded features and colours on the sonic series though. I just ordered a Squier "Debut" this morning from Amazon (Prime Day Sale) for About £100! I've heard good things about them so I'm keen to check it out 👍
I’ve got a soft spot for entry level squiers
Have you tried the Debut yet? 😀I'm starting to get the GAS 🙈
Surely you need something more special than that for No 200 tho? 😀
Great review - I clicked thumbs up 5 times 🙂
ps: I always found squiers a little bit too hissy on stage
Thank ya mate! 😀 Especially for the 5 thumbs up! 🤣👍
The Hiss wasn't the guitars fault, I'd recorded the audio too quiet on my interface and had to increase the volume in the video editor 🙈 Totally my bad. It was fine live 😅👍
@@stevecassidyguitar I had squiers in the past and they are great practice guitars, fit for modding guitars but still a bit hissy especially through powerful amps.
5 thumbs up good, 6 thumbs up better!
Very Cool Steve Thankyou. Cool Gig clips. Nice Guitar, sounded great to me with your awesome playing. I own a 2000 Squier Bullet 'Hardtail' SSS Strat. Great little guitar and just fun to play for some reason, maybe lighter weight (or super low cost just 'relaxes' me maybe lol) . I am REALLY interested in The Sonic Series Purple Tele (Esquire?). About $320- Australian, which is almost Free in UK, Europe, USA money .... All the Best. Cheers
Aw mate! You're too kind - Thank ya so much! 😀🙏
I with ya on the purple "Ultra Violet" they call it. I think that's actually quite a rare and hard to find Fender colour, I think they did it on a Hendrix model. So pretty great you gcan get it on a (hopefully) lightweight Sonic and mod it - if you wanted. I'm really tempted to 😁🙈👍
it better come in that metallic blue they do that looks exactly like Metal Sonic's finish
Ah yeah! Like the old Bullet Mustang? Or the old Showmaster/Stagemasters? 😎👌
I tried a Sonic Mustang out when I was at Guitar Center a few weeks ago, checking out a variety of offsets. I just could not keep it in tune: action was too high, nut was cut too high, and the intonation wasn't adjusted. If I can't keep it in tune, the "audition" ends and the guitar goes back on the wall. It also seemed REALLY thin in the body, meaning that it might not have as great potential for mods as I'd like.
But Squier is kinda our go-to for cheap-but-known guitars here, along with Epiphone, maybe rarely Yamaha Pacifica. We don't have the typical HB offerings (and at a markup through their Reverb store), and I don't think Jet has much of a foothold here at all: mostly from just Europe tubers I see them online.
I wonder if "Guitar Center Guitars" might suffer from similar conditions as "School guitars". 🤔 That would only explain a couple of the issues tho, not the nut of course.
They're definitely thinner bodied tho Like you say not the best for mods, Especially for trem blocks, but I know some companies (wilkinson/GFS) do make short blocks to accomodate this scenario.
I believe Jets are now slowly starting to creep into the US market (If that's where you are). It will be a while before they can make an impact if any. I think it's been almost 4 years we've had them in the UK.
when you start going on about how dark the bridge pickup is in a HSS, I always want to know if the volume pot is a 500k or a 250k. If you do a shoot out between the squier & the Jet, please can you include a look to see if the pot value being too low is the culprit?
Very good point sir. 😎👍I'll definitely have a look, But i'll probably have more luck finding out online. A lot of times the stamp for the value is hidden under a big gloop of solder. Unless there's another way to tell I don't know about?
I've actaully get my other JS400 in with the tech just now getting the mod where the bridge see's 500k and the single coild see 250k via resisitors etc (I have no clue how this works - I'll leave it to the pro's 😜👍)
As you know i have a red debut strat absolutely delighted with it NO issues thinking of getting the Tele version, plus they're doing a p bass ! Try the Tele Steve 👍👍👍
A Tele might be a good shout! Apparently I do too many Strat vids 😂🙈 Specifically HSS strats, I've got about 10 vids incoming 🙈 But I do love em 🤷♂️
But yeah Tele might be a smarter move - Cheers! 😀 👍
Great video...... please review sqoe sest 600 strat guitar
Thank ya kindly mate. I know the brand - I'll keep an eye out for a deal on one - cheers mate 😀👍
@@stevecassidyguitar 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🎉🎉
What did you not like about the ceramic humbucker? I kind of like the sound of my daughter's DIY Hello Kitty pink Sonic's single humbucker. Mind you I've connected it to my wet / dry rig with 2 x 2x12s.
Yeah there could be a couple of factors at play there 😜👍
Also if you've just got a single HB, there will be less in the circuit - coud be a factor 🤷♂️
But over all the pickups just lacked clarity and didn't have enough treble for me
@@stevecassidyguitar I get the clarity part. That's why I love Dylan's pickups so much ... They are designed for clarity so you can hear every note of your chord. I am considering two of his ceramic humbuckers for the guitar. A Hello Kitty sticker should just fit between the two pickups 🙂
Very nice Guitar 🎸
It's a great wee strat - They have it in much cooler colours than this too 😜👍
It's a very difficult to find a similar price ranged left-handed guitar
If youcan go to £189 ish - Check out a Jet JS400. They do them in left handed and It's miles better than these Squiers (imo). I rate them closer to Fender Player level. I've did loads of vids on the JS400 - coz... I just luv em! 😀👍
Random idea,
Try flipping the layout of your strings on a regular right handed guitar,
It might work honestly.
Nice review mate! Totally reminded me of my Sonic Youth 😅.
As an unprofessional guitar tinkerer the sonic series (and bullet series before it) are absolutely fantastic. Such great modding platforms. If I needed to give advice to a beginner I would suggest the affinity series or go for Jet or Harley Benton.
I currently own a Sonic Mustang and I love it. Modded it and it's my favorite guitar after my affinity starcaster 🎉
Ha! Cheers mate! 😀🙏
100% agree Re the mod platforms - Perfect for it 😎👌
I'm still hunting for a white affinity Starcaster 😁🙈
Haha I won't sell it!
Squier is about to release the affinity starcaster deluxe, not sure if you got that news yet? Pretty cool as well 🤘
@@eertje01 I did not know about that! Must google now! 😀
@@eertje01 Ok! Checked out the Starcaster Deluxe - Very likely I'll pass. Headstock fail 😜👍 The sunburst maple one does look pretty great tbh. But.. It'sa bit too close in looks to my Fender cherry burst Starcaster.
Thanks for the headsup tho! 😀👍
@@stevecassidyguitar yeah I like the og affinity better. But for a budget Tom delonge starcaster it's perfect🤘
I wish they made all the blue models with maple fret board necks.
100% Agree mate! 😃👍 And I'd include the purple "ultraviolet" ones too 😎👌
Hold on, I ordered mine and it came today, can’t fit a whammy bar and it’s got less pickups 🤦🏻♂️ what’s going on. Made me chuckle, subbed! Gutted why ended up with a different sonic, why supply a whammy when I can fit it 🤦🏻♂️
Ha! Cheers mate! 😀👍
Did you order the HSS and recieve the Hard Tail single humbucker strat? and they included the trem arm!?! 😂🙈
That's a bummer 😬 But still kinda funny - soz 😜
@@stevecassidyguitarhonestly it’s the equivalent to ordering steak pie and getting vegan! I’m 50 and decided to learn guitar 🤦🏻♂️ I’ve now seen one on Andertons HSS with whammy and rear panel and skunk stripe. Hmm do I keep my mine or send back for this other.
@MaliDaviesPhotography decisions decisions 🤔
I'd always recommend HSS for a beginner. More versatile in terms of tones..On the HT version you'll be able to nail a lot of rock/metal tones 👍 But if you ever find yourself looking for the Hendrix, SRV, Nile Rogers, Knopfler, Clapton, John Mayer, Hank Marvin tones.... Then the 2 single coils are essential imo.
I wouldn't worry about the trem too much tho 👍
@@stevecassidyguitarthanks Steve, good advice, and yup it’s going back for a swopsies! Cheers
Ah my weekly instalment of my Scottish guitar Jesus 🎉
😂😂🤣 HA! I Lol'd! 😂👌
Jesus was a Ginger ? ❤😂
@@willistaylor4077 Oh yeah, I'm sure he was Scottish too. Remember that time he turned water into Irn Bru?
@@stevecassidyguitar 😄😄❤️
But I can't believe.Can we get this beautiful vintage tone by a squier guitar ????🤔🤔
I didn't love the pickups on this one personally. For me, I think this would be a good mod platform to make upgrades (pickups/hardware etc) 👍
Waiting for the fax from your butler. Connected the phone line and loaded fresh roll of paper.
😂👌 He told me he sent it last night, so it should be with you by wednesday at the latest 😜👍
Have a Sonic Esquire Strat & Esquire Tele, as 1 pup guitars are best. Neck, frets & body are quite good, the fail being the ceramic pup, to be replaced with p90....
Wow! Just a single p90? I wish i was the kind of player that could eek every tone out of that set up. I "need" at least 4 pickups 😜.
But that's it tho mate - pefect mod platforms 😎👍
Should I get this or yamaha Pacifica 012 as a beginner??
ooooh! That's a tough one. It's actually been a long time since I've tried a new Pacifica. Generally speraking they have a good rep for QC and consistency. The common wisdom would be to get a Pacifica if you don't wan't any issues/problems and just want to get on with learning the guitar.
Personally for me, I'd recommend a Jet JS400. I find these so much more inspiring to play than a Pacifica. But there is a higher chance you could run into a part that needs upgraded here and there Ultimately, if you'r up for a wee tweak like maybe upgrading the saddles, then The JS400 is hard to beat at those prices.
I've did a load of Jet vids, you can check out. I rate them as closer to Fender than anything else (imo)
I see it comes with a Albino Maple neck...😳
Not bad actually.🤔
Yeah It's the pale one. Not sure what the "rosewood" variant is - probably laurel or pau ferro i'd guess.
If i want to change the pickups from a hss to a hsh can i just change it or do i need to use a router to make room for a humbucker?
I just checked under the pickguard mate - It's routed for HSH so you're all good 😀👍
Thank you
What would the difference be between this series and the player series?
About £400 😜
But nah - there's quite a lot of differences. Especially with the new player 2 series. But almost every part/component of the Fender will be higher quality; Alder body, Better pickups, 22 frets, Better quality hardware, but the most noticeable difference is in the pickups I'd say 👍
Nice guitars and very well priced, the only thing that puts me off is those anaemic pale necks
Totally agree! I've been thinking about picking up a Squier affinity Starcaster in white - It sufferes from the same problem, but a guy who posts here, stained the neck on his and it looks awesome! Might have to give that a go 😀
I can get the sunburst version of this Sonic HSS on sale right now (20% off) for $160. Or, I could save $40 and grab a Squier Debut Series instead. After having reviewed both, which would be your recommendation?
Edit: Also, quick question, do both of them have the same size and shape neck? I've tried out the Sonic and loved the neck shape, and especially loved the thickness
I've not measured the neck profiles with a feeler gauge, but yes they do feel the same in the hand to me 👍
That's a touch choice though mate, as they're so similar.
I always favour the HSS configuration, So i'd probably go with that (personally). But I'd end up changing the pickups - but that's a personal preference again. If this will be your first guitar and your ear isn't too fussy yet then the stock pickups will be fine 😃👍 (I've been at this almost 30 years now, my ears are really fussy 😂)
It looks like the 2 you are looking at will both have the laurel fretboards, so the only other differences to consider is, gloss vs matt finish (I love the look of the matt on the Debut - but it wont stay that way, So i'd choose the Sonic gloss). Interestingly, the Debut has a nice 3 ply pickguard vs the Sonic's 1 ply.
and out of the 2 I tired the debut had the better fret ends - but 1 sample of each isn't enough to say one is better than the other ime.
Hope that helps mate - Good luck! Happy Guitar shopping! 😃
@@stevecassidyguitar thanks for the reply!
@@SnarlyCharly 🙏
Hey as a person who will be learning using this guitar is the HSS a good start?
Yes indeed mate, I'd pretty much always recommend an HSS strat as a first guitar. It has the moste versatile selection of tones. Which is ideal especially if the player isn't 100% sure what type of music they'd like to play on it. An HSS strat will do a fantastic job of anything you throw at it.
Just be mindful, in 2024, guitars at these prices can sometimes need a bit of set up work to make sure yoiu get the best start. If it's difficult or mildly painful to press down on the strings and get a clear sound, it won't be a fun learning experience.
You can see exactly what I mean in this vid here...
ua-cam.com/video/jWJ5H5LgG6o/v-deo.html
I unboxed this new Squier Debut - It was hard to play out of the box and not fun. As soon as I gave it a wee tweak (took 20secs) It was awesome!
If you know a Guitarist, (who knows their stuff) I'd have them look over it for you while it's still in the "returns timeframe". This is also a good reason to maybe buy in your local Guitar retailer, you should get better support there, you can even ask them to have thier in house tech give it a once over for you.
Hope that helps mate - Enjoy the journey 😃🎸🙏
I haven't upgraded to fax yet, can you do morse code telegram?
Ha! 😆👍
Apologies Clair, your comment ended up in the "Held for review" section probably because of "Telegram" 😂🙈.
Just seen it now - soz👍
@@stevecassidyguitar Haha no worries
Just got 1 a week or so ago I don't even use a whammy I've always took them off my strats other than the cheaper pickups and slimmer body it feels like the squire affinity and the fender Mexican made strat I had years ago=FEELS LIKE A FENDER BRAND STRAT I LIKE THE SLINKY FEEL ON THE NECK AS WELL I DONT KNOW IF IT CAME STRAIGHT OUT OF BOX THAT WAY BECAUSE I PICKED IT UP AT A GUITAR CENTER THE TECH COULD OF SET UP THE GUITAR BUT YEAH (ITS A SUPER FUN AND EASY GOOD FEEL TO PLAY ON THE NECK ITS A SQUIRE STRAT).=in my opinion you wont find a better funk and blues guitar than a strat their even good for rock even though your not going to get a deep les paul humbucker sound but you can get some good rock tones just not to deep a sound
Totally agree = Strats are super versatile (Especially HSS) 😎👍
hahahaha!! Mayer and Pete! lol
😜
Never tried one of those , but I’m not really a Strat type fan , but there’s seems to be some nice budget friendly ones around so maybe I’ll change my mind ( although I do have a Stagg Strat style guitar , which I’m going to strip down to bare wood and mod it out )
As far as notifications, as a long term subscriber, I would like my notifications via carrier pigeon please ,, 👍👍🤠🎸
Oh yeah, there's a plethora of budget strats - They're everywhere these days!
Heard good things about the Staggs - I know Rich is a fan 😀👍
Good luck with the mod project 😀👍
🕊️🦅🐦 (Soz - No pigeon emoji) 😂
@@stevecassidyguitar that last les Paul type I bought for 30 quid is a Stagg and it’s my favourite guitar at the moment, ( actually got it for free because I sold the acoustic for £30 😂) might put a set of pro buckers in it, not sure what pickups to go for in the Strat style Stagg , but I’ll get something decent I reckon though , plus good tuners 👍👍🤠🎸
@@c.h.fieldsports9876 You always get the best deals mate! 😂👌Is the Stagg HSS by any chance?
@@stevecassidyguitar no mate, it’s a 3 single pickup type
As a beginner I bought a Sonic Mustang HH. Had only two buying criteria, short scale and blue - total noob. Didn't like it much out of the box. Pickups were boring, so out they came. In with a cheap bridge Vanson AL2 57 PAF, and Old Timer Fat Boy HP90 neck pup from Alegree. Strings swapped to Roto Yellow 10s, frets filed and polished, truss rod, saddles and intonation adjusted, neck oiled, pots and caps upgraded to full size. l finally have a guitar worthy of learning on. Never knew it would be that much work and spent about £80 sorting it. Still, we bonded over the experience and I'm loving learning rock and blues on her.
That's pretty great you were able to find a blue short scale, and not for too much money either - Congrats! Sounds like a job well done mate 😎👍 Enjoy!
Bassiest, that sounds like you should tweak the pickup heights on the bass side.
Yeah mate, It would probably help to lower the bass sides a bit 👍 Good shout!
But they do generally just sounded a bit more "muffled" - I still have this one here 👍
@stevecassidyguitar Try lowering them. At some point I will block out some time to seriously play about with pickup heights on my guitars.
Last week I A/B'd my purple Squier CV 50s tell against my Fender reissue 52 tele.
The 52 was warmer whilst the CV50 was airier and thinner sounding. I raised the pickups on the CV 50s and it sounded more like the 52.
So there's a rabbit hole waiting for me to lose my mind in.
Sometimes though, a pickup is just rubbish and needs to be replaced.
I think the hand tail versions might be worth a punt especially for a beginner but the HB ST's are much better for maybe another £30 you'll get a HB ST DG 👍🤘
Hard tail is a good shout for beginners 😎👍 Harley Benton/Jet also very worthy contenders at this price.
@@stevecassidyguitar The new HB ST's look amazing spec but a little bit more money that the Sonic series but the HB ST DG is amazing as close as you could get to Gilmours Strat for less than £200 😏🤣Keep up the great work on the channel mate love your content👍🤘
I would hate to get rid of my bullet for a sonic because they are so similar.
You don't have to do any of that mate 😀 If you love your Bullet - stick with it 😀👍
Great video again, Steve. Not everyone can afford expensive guitars, these are great reviews.
Thank ya kindly mate! 😀🙏 I certainly can't 😂👍
Most people including me aren't good enough for an expensive guitar. But I still lust after a real fender even though it won't make any difference ❤
@@chrisstephens6194 I started off on crap Guitars, but have played for 30 years. Its the difference between driving a shity beat up car over a sports car. But then starting out, the only difference i knew was the price;. i have had a few excellent guitars come and go. I have one guitar that i never take out, one that's a cheaper done up one like it.
@@chrisstephens6194 You deserve to play whatever guitar you want that inspires you to pick it up and play/practice 😀👍
I'm kinda done with Fender, (as far as buying new guitars) but I know that's easy to say when I have a few 😬. If you have to have one - I totally get that.
Keep an eye outon the used market, sometimes great bargains to be had with the old MIM standards, or the MIC modern player series, you can pick those up for the same price as the higher end Squiers these days 👍
Hello Steve 🎸
Hey Muggs! Thanks for helping the Algo 😀🙏
*Now I'm waiting they launch Squier Tails*
Ha! 😂👍 I bet they would sell well - Would be flying off the shelves! 😜👍
Runs 'rings' around other guitars at that price.... (Sorry) 😅
Yeaaahs!! 😂👍 No-one mentioned anything about the Sonic references I put so much work into 🙈👍
Squier Debut is better in my opinion!🙂
You might be right! 😀
Now I'll have to try both! 🙈😂
They look like a great starting point for someone :)
Certainly a brilliant foundation for a modder ;)
Awesome vid as always sir n hope your keepin well :)
Thank ya kindly sir! 😀🙏
But yeah - Squiers are probably still the best mod platforms, especially if you wanna put Fender (or 3rd party Fender made) parts on em. You've got the best chance of compatibility 😀👍
Just because a guitar is "cheap" it does not mean it does not play well. Eddie Van Halen used to play a "Frankenstrat" made from cheap parts.
Spot on, I have no complaints about the playability of this one 😀👍
well afterhavin a crappy prestige ibanez , then a crappy jet 850, ...y could nae give me either one fer xmas...i just put a dimarzio evo2 bridge in me ibanez s420, ive set the intonation on th zeropoint bridge , for some reason dwayne had a fiddle , i got th wound 3 string bridge pieces set way back , seems to have fixed it also lowered the big end pole a bit and dwayne had put th spring tension back to buggery...loosened it again...i think these days if y find a great platform regardless of price y better off building on it than spending thousands , there really is some crap being churned out with big tags.❤
Totally agree regarding modding, rather than buying a more expensive guitar that probably doesn't have "all" the appoinments you'd want anyway.
Only great if it's a keeper though. Re-sale is another story
@@stevecassidyguitar i only buy a guitar to play it , not as a wall hanging or an investment, or to add to a collection, i got 6 guitars 5 that dont get played much , all in hard cases, even my old chopped up kramer that got mention in rolling stone in th 80s...its retired and i cut away most of th body with angle grinder in th 80s ...so resale?inah..cant imagine havin a really great guitar JUSTto say i have it.
Review a Donner. I dare you.
I'd love to! It's one of the "affordable" Brands I'm quite keen to check out 😃👍
The true reviews are the comments.
Agreed 👍 My review is all lies 👹 Just "Based on a True story" 😜
@@stevecassidyguitar Haha. No. I mean, you gave a great review (I recently bought the sunburst from Amazon) but I kind of meant the beginners or amateurs who bought the guitar for a first guitar and love/hate it is usually what sells me. I used to play and stopped for years because my rotator cuffs are frayed. I had a wild hare up my ass one day and bought the guitar so I can start playing again and the guitar feels great! I have no problem with frets or action but I get what you're saying about the deeper tone. I dig it for blues. But nobody told me I would forget how to play if I stopped playing for years! I am gonna use the free three months of lessons I got with purchase. Sorry for the long reply but that you for the review and showing us what it sounds like LIVE. I will never get as good as you but it was nice to see a cheap guitar in action!
I received mine yesterday. Packed unprofessional. Tremolo bar was loose in the box. Rear strap button was almost off. And on top of it, it was made in China, when the pic showed Indonesia. Fender lost my respect completely.
Wow! 😬 Where did you buy it from?
I'm the last person to defend Fender, but it sounds like possibly false advertising on the retailer and they've maybe been into the box? 🤔
I've been pretty much done with Fender for a couple of years now. I'll still buy Squier and used Fender if there's a bargain to be had though.
I'd highly recommend checking out Jet guitars 😎👍 If you want (arguably) better quality than Fender player series at Squier affinity prices 😎👍
A used ine cheap and upgrade it. You'll have a nice guitar on the cheap.
That's the way aha aha - I Like it! 😀👍
Yes you can make great music on a cheap guitar and you can make cheap music on an expendive guitar.
Nice one! Love it 😀👍
Seems it’s a true raw beginner guitar. Shame about the fret end being a tad sharp. That’s annoying and for a beginner.. awfully off putting.
Yeah not ideal 🫤 It could be the common fretboard wood shrinkage, but I still had to mention it anyway 👍
Buy cheap buy twice, the name alone gives you a clue as to which market these are aimed at.
Another item to gather dust under the bed.
I am biased, i tried to learn on a very bad Squire, they do make some good ones but finding one
is easier said that done just like anything from Fender.
The colours are a bit of a giveaway too - Although I have been very tempted by the "Ultra Voilet" (purple) one. I'd have to change the neck on it though... and the tuners, and pickups.. and trem... Ach I'll just leave it 😂
@@stevecassidyguitar These are just Squires attempt to compete with other brands
entry level models, and best avoided.
Why waste money that you won't get back trying to turn them into a decent guitar.
As much as like Ibanez, their Gio models are more miss than hit and are also a waste
of money.
@Micky500 Not for me they don't i have tried them and they just don't say buy me.
Debyou
Ha! Cheers mate 🤣👌
Amazing what a cheap guitar sounds like thru a good amp.
I us the Line 6 HX Stomp XL - Can't remember which amp model though - soz 😬
But yeah It's sounds decent, but didn't cut through as well in the band setting. Could probably fix that with EQ though 👍
I own two Bullet Stratocasters one SSS and one HSS. I also own a Sonic Stratocaster SSS. I think they are incredible guitars when set up properly. Some might need upgraded tuners or pickups. Some are ready to gig with as soon as they are set up. My UA-cam channel has several videos of me playing Squiers.
Definitely gigable guitars - but if agree on upgrading some parts to improve durability/reliability - and I'd definitely want to change the pickups on this HSS sonic strat 🤓👍
I’m guessing that the HSS on the Sonic Strat is about the same as the HSS on the Bullet. I didn’t like the tone of my HSS Bullet Strat. The MojoTone loaded pickguard was the right choice for mine but it wasn’t cheap. I would only make this mod on a guitar I plan to keep.
@@pmrparts I'm not sure mate - Never had both at once to A/B them. But the Sonic ones were not very... "inspiring" 😜
Definitely one of the weakest parts of these guitars