I just canceled my order of the Affinity and changed it to the Classic Vibe. I had no idea it sounded like that. Thank you so much for doing the blind tone comparison. This is how reviews should be done.
Top loader vs string through has a definite effect on tone, the top loader will bite a tad more at the expense of some low end. I had a mid 90s all black font mexican that I am 99% sure was the squier series with that sanded off the end of the head stock. Had the cheap narrow shaft closed back tuners, and top load bridge . compared to other mex teles it was lacking in bottom end, about the same amount you lose when kicking in a TS or OD or SD, so in that respect it sounded better through the muddy when driven bugera v5 I had, but I wound up trading it in towards a 96 deluxe mex that I loved. Unfortunately my storage got hit and all of my guitars except my 93 duo sonic and MM BFR JP6 which were safe in a pawn shop, got stolen. Really liked that Tele but it did not hurt quite as bad as losing my 1984 Yamaha sbg2000. Anyway the pickups were certainly not as good in the squier series (a real fender with USA made body and neck assembled and finished in Mexico, but with squier level components), but I think the through body stringing made a huge difference. Top load had extra twang but no balls. It isn't really a Tele if it is a top loader
@@davidwolsky4783 yeah what does jimmy page know? I was half in jest on my real Tele comment. I love my top load duo sonic. But that one Mex Tele I had was lacking in balls either way but the pickup was part of the equation for sure
I’ll talk about it. Dude you couldn’t think of doing anything else on screen for the time of the blind tone test. Even just random pics of the guitars in different lighting or some shit lol. And I’m really not trying to be an a hole or condescending I’m just seriously curious. If your joking I guess we just have a very different sense of humor
Lando27Music the random pics was an example I pulled from my ass not putting any thought into it. I assume though that you put thought into this because everything else in the vid is educational and a good a b c ing of 3 similar guitars. Idk just seems like the air guitar in the background is wasted energy to me. To each his or her own though. Your vid and you can play air guitar in the background of the entire video if you want. And all your vids from now on. Maybe it will be your new thing. If you had a thing to begin with. Idk this is the first time I’ve ever seen a vid of you. Well have a good day. Who am I anyway. I can’t judge your shit. Sorry.
@@paulillingworth90 no apologies! I like all feedback. go watch a few of my videos, and maybe you'll see the humour I try to inject into my stuff :) cheers!
I was actually very surprised how accurately I could hear the differences in a blind sample, great idea man. The gap between the Affinity and Classic Vibe was greater than I had expected honestly. The difference in the Classic Vibe and the Fender was fairly minimal in comparison, but it was there. The clarity and sustain, but both sounded great.
I've noticed they're kind of shaped like a woman. Not only great guitars but pleasing to the eye as well. Before my wife died 6 yrs ago, had mine on its stand in the front room. She said it actually looked good there, & went with her decor.(so I didn't have to move it!)
The Squier Classic Vibe has a cleaner more full tone. It's objectively a more pleasant sound. But the Fender Player has a more raw sound. That raw sound is what I expect and like about the telecaster.
Weird, i found the affinity probably the best on clean very slightly ahead of the Fender, the classic vibe last, but mainly because of the clean tones. On distorted there was little difference imo, possibly the fender had a bit more air in the sound. It's weird how everyone hears it differently. So the difference is mainly in the feel and playing possibly. This seems to be the conclusion on so many of these youtube comparison tests. Great vid!!
I also found the affinity to be best sounding (though in my experience they tend to have really poor fretwork), it had the least bright neck pickup which would be great for a jazzy sound.
I actually liked the Affinity better than the Player series tone. I have a few classic vibes and they are always a good choice for the money. Thanks for the comparisons, great job playing riffs from tunes we all know.
Not gonna lie. My favorite was Y the whole time. Followed by X. But the whole time I was thinking wow... I really do not like Z. Come to find out it's the Fender.
@@zac1002 Yup. The Fender is actually pretty disappointing sound wise. Just saved a bunch of money not getting or lusting after one. The CV is just sounds better. But that gloss neck is crap. But a Scotch-Brite pad can help with that.
Same all the way, Y, X, Z. Y without any doubt at all is clearly the best sounding. I naturally assumed it was the Fender. X was my 2nd fav, although I was thinking with the clarity of Z, one might be able to achieve the X sound by turning the tone a little darker? 🤔
I liked the intimate way the video was shot in your cool practice room. I think you organized your review well, and kept to informative and concise comments. I have seen many reviews in the past 12 months. This, for my tastes, is definitely one of the best. Thanks Landon.
The Affinity was dark and muddy. The Player sounded better but; the classic vibe sounded to have higher output and more of that Tele twang! It sounded the best by far as far as I'm concerned. Sound matters, not a pound!
Top end I meant, more compresses and a lot less upper mids Spike, Best for rock, which is a good thing . No offense to country music or anything of course.. but definitely a Cool cheap axe
Saw one in my local music shop window 18months or so ago,absolutely gorgeous looking guitar-and a steal for around 130 rips..didn't get it tho,mistake because it doesn't sound too bad..After having an evh bumblebee for about 5 years now,i'm a huge fan of satin(to the point of unfinished)necks,can't deal with all that varnish anymore.I think will eventually get hold hold of one these tele's,that's for sure..
I've been beating on guitars since I was 7, I've got 1 more year than you. You're right about the name on the breadstick, but I found the USA Teles had better pups, better bridge etc. Not to knock any one, people should play what they like. Of course an Affinity running through a Digitech RP unit, wouldn't sound too bad.
Mine is excellent. I have had if for two years and it plays and sounds amazing. I have had played for 28 years and It’s more of the player than the guitar 🎸 😉 . A good guitarist can make anything sound good
@@kingsecho3351 I had an old Kay electric when I was around 9 or 10. I still defy anyone from Jimi, to Page to Winter to Vaughn, even the great Lonnie Johnson to make that guitar sound good, much less even make chords on it. The neck resembled an archery bow, not the newer compound bows either. Lol. Think I traded some baseball cards for it...i got cheated! No I understand your point.
Excellent job on the review Landon! As a former Fender factory authorized guitar tech and having owned 6 Fender American made Tele's, you addressed all the questions in my mind. The photos were crystal clear and I'd say the sound portion was done about as fairly as one could expect. My choice in sound was guitar Y (Classic Vibe). Although on one example the Affinity sounded better to me. On two dirt examples the Fender Player sounded best. As far as appearance, the Classic Vibe wins! And for build quality the Fender Player is the clear winner. I would get the Classic Vibe as it looks best, sounds great and is very affordable. But all three guitars held their own considering their price point.
Really above and beyond. The blind sound test really solidified my choice to go for the fender. I didn't want something the level of the affinity and I didn't want a gloss neck. Might go for black tho. Very grateful these are all available lefty. Never used to have to research choices when I started lol. Thanks for this video. The work put in is very appreciated
The CV sounded the best for me all the way through. More clarity and presence without the brittleness in the highs/upper mids on the Player tele. I own a first run 2008 50s CV tele and tbh very few have beat it to my ears and it was solid right out of the box. However, my 2019 Fender Player strat came without the ground soldered and needed quite an extensive setup. I heard it said guitars are made by people and people aren't always consistent whether it's a factory in the US, Mexico, China, or Indonesia. YMMV
@ted mailwitz. Spot on. I have an American strat. The difference over MM is that the finish has been ? through a good quality control, can’t quite explain it but you can feel it. Since guitars are tactile I found the difference in £ worth it. As you said, the CV was finished better than a MM tele though and sounded better. Saved a few quid there, so it’s evened out ! I really don’t care where it’s made, it’s the finished product that counts. BTW, I read someone else had problem with player grounding ?
This channel is the goat for side by side comparison. Keep it this way! It’s efficient, entertaining, and informative. I also liked them in the order Z,Y,X. But I really really want that classic vibe neck.
This may be the best comparison video I've ever seen. Completely accurate sounds. I got to try a Player and Classic Vibe with the same amp at a shop. They sound so close to each other, any difference can easily be EQ'd away. The necks are quite different, which is why I bought the Player, but that's totally personal preference. If you like thin, glossy necks, save some money and buy the CV.
Perfect timing! I just picked up a Squire Affinity in a pawn shop. It was SO clean! Looked newer than any guitar on the wall at Guitar Center. I shit you not, there was not even any scratches on the pick guard. Mind-blowing. I figured this had to have come in a nice case. Nope, but it did come with a nicer gig bag by than I've ever seen. Other than having to dress the fret ends a bit(I'm extremely lucky about neck/fret feel) I've done nothing. This thing not only looks great but the pick ups sound fabulous. Especially surprised with the bridge pickup. It has incredible bite but still sounds yummy. If someone gave me a completely blind listen I would assume it was a humbucker. A nice one at that. I didn't have a clue about value, but it was totally willing to pay $150 especially with that nice padded bag. After I got home I realized that's probably what a brand new one costs... so... it's a good thing I somehow got a brand new one AT A PAWN SHOP! Thanks spoiled kid that had no interest at all in learning guitar. lol
Try a 4 or 5 way switch. 4 way gives you both in series that will give more bite. The 5 way will give you both series, & both out of phase (plus the usual standard pup positions).
I was never a Tele guy at all. Bought a CV 50s in Butterscotch about a month ago and am pretty blown away by it. Budget guitars have really come a long way. It's not even really fair to call them that anymore.
Jeremy Wooldridge I wish I was living the lifestyle where a CV is considered “budget”. I think they’re affordable for their quality. But certainly not cheap for a block of wood made (mostly) by machines.
Yeah budget guitars have come a long way. Back in the 80s-90s you had to pay $3-500 for something even playable. If I was able to get at CV in 1989 I may have continued playing in my teens.
@@mauser8515 where I live the cheapest brand new CV 50's costs US$600, that's not what we call a budget guitar around here. There are good Teles for US$200 or 300, so the CVs are not exactly budget for us. But I have one and it's an amazing guitar, better than the 3 Teles MIM I've had, any way you look.
@@monty64 I hear ya, I was speaking of the Affinity Squire. Both have about the same quality of parts. The neck feels a little better on the CV. I'm rebuilding an Affinity and can tell you it is not a very well made guitar. In spite of that, it will play as good as I can make it sound. Cheers man, hope you have or can get a good electric guitar. The Stratocasters are really easy to hold and play for 5-6 hours a day. Thats all it takes to be the next great. Hard work.
I have a butterscotch Affinity that I modded and LOVE. It's become something of a go-to, eclipsing several more highly regarded vintage guitars. I got it on Craigslist for $75. Swapped out the pickups for a set of Bare Knuckle Country Boys, stepped up to 500k pots, and swapped the pot metal saddles for a stainless steel set. AMAZING. I'll swap out the nut at some point, but as is it sounds beautiful. The slimness of the body IS something of an issue. Before my mods, it really lacked that hearty tone you expect from a Telecaster. Even after, the richness of the tone is great, but not optimal. However, I have found that I can reverb/compress that traditional Tele tonality back into it while preserving a classic clean, "hot" Tele sound that stands up to vintage American Teles. And, at under $500. I'm not suggesting this as a way to go, but as more of an appreciation of what Squier's offer, even at their most...uh...budget friendly point.
I play the affinity over 6 years and iam still pretty impressed that this guitar still is in a good condition. I changed the pickups to fender tex mex pickups and the sound is mind blowing. So for the price of 200(euros) you get allot. This guitar is really a workhorse (playing every day at home, rehearsals and shows)
Yep. Got them right. The affinity was easy to spot but I just guessed for the other two. Turns out my favourite was the player, but the CV sounded good as well. CV is pretty high output though, which is weird for a vintage inspired guitar.
When I was looking for a tele, I looked at them all. I ended up with the Affinity. Playing them in person is way different then hearing them in a video Even my guitar tech commented that it sounded more like the 57 than the 57 reissue. I own about 20 guitars as last count. Some very high end, and some lower end. I like finding cheaper guitars that play well, and adding some upgrades like pups, tuners, pots, and wiring. So $200 for a Dean VX, and about $150 in mods, and it sounds, and plays better than some of my $1000 + guitars. Like my tech says, if the neck is good than the guitar is worth upgrading. I didn't have to do any mods to the Tele.
When you get so focused on listening to pick out the diffence between the teles but then you realized that the reviewer is doing air guitar and turns upside down in the background Haha. I love teles. A very detailed review as always.
I've got a 1992 USA Telecaster. 00 paint job, rosewood fretboard (soft C neck), TBX, 6 saddle bridge, I added a 4 way switch in '04, then in 2015 added The 5way Super switch. It gives me bridge/both 1/2 out of phase/both standard (parallel)/both series(like the 4 way)/neck pup selections. I actually liked the sound of guitar Z, in the video, but I prefer the sound of my Tele (even with the original 3 way switch).my old girl is a monster now, she can hang with any guitar, I get almost any tone out of her (except the jazzy/woody tone of a 335). Wouldn't trade her for anything. I first became a Tele fan when I was in a studio in Atlanta GA. Bad habits, had me renting a guitar to use, the thing was new,but kept cutting out, I was getting disgusted. Finally the old man working the board said "We've got an old one in the back, if you'd like to try it." I said sure. He brought out an old blackguard butterscotch Tele with a U neck! He literally blew the dust off It! My bassist (Who wasn't as "under the influence" as I was tuned it up. That thing rang like a bell. I decided then (1986) when I had the $$$ I'd get one! I've had LPs, Strats, etc. Over my life, but I was sold on Teles that day. Bought mine along with an amp(1995) for $1000. She seemed like she'd been built just for me. Of course I tell younger players, get a Squire to start on, they're decent inexpensive guitars, & sound good. If you like a guitar, the name doesn't matter, your equipment doesn't matter, not everyone can afford $10k Marshall stacks, or whatever. Ain't No shame in what you have. Used to be in groups on Facebook & a young person would say "Hey I just bought X guitar & X amp, what do you people think?" Inevitably there's those saying "Man I wouldn't own junk like that, I need ______(some rig that would cost $20k). You should throw that crap away." I hated that, & let it be known. Any way if a Telecaster was good enough for Muddy Waters they're goid enough for me. Another point about Teles, you'll learn to actually play a guitar, IMO. Sorry I've gone on & on. Heading down to my studio, to record a riff I worked up off Smokestack Lightning riff by Hubert Sumlin. Blessings, keep playing.
I always think everything sounds similar but I was surprised at myself because I thought: "hmm, I'd rather avoid X; Y sounds nicer but has some fizz; and Z has the most character" which aligned perfectly with their market value.
" Y " was my favorite Z next and X last . But ... only very subtle differences . Really liked them all . They all had that great Tele tone . I miss my Classic Vibe Buttercsotch Tele . It was a real good one . But now I would go for the Mex player . Still have my affinity .What a great vid you put together here Landon ! Love this kind of in depth highly informative video . Super job ! Very well done video bro . Much enjoyed this !
I've had the Classic Vibe for about 6 years. It's my go-to work horse. I use it for everything. I picked out the Classic Vibe in the tone comparison right away. I love the spank and clarity of the neck pickup, the honk of the middle, and the heat of the bridge. I think it is well worth its weight in salt.
Wow. I thought the Z would be the cheapest one because I thought the plucky attack on it was kind of excessive and it sounded less nuanced, turns out that was the fender. I like the classic vibe one.
Yeah, on the clean tones the Z sounded all a bit too jangley. Although i was lazily listening on the laptop speakers which probably wasn't a fair test :)
I just bought a 50’s Classic Vibe, and this makes me feel better about my purchase. Haha Although I would still be happy with it either way, because I love the way it plays and sounds.
I own several premium guitars, as well as one of my latest s, a Fender Player Series Arctic White lefty Stratocaster which gives my 09 USA Fender a run for its money, etc. having said that, I recently found a beautiful mint condition left handed Squier Affinity Tele for 120$ vis OfferUp. With some polishing, light tuning up, and fresh strings, sounds beautiful. I wouldn’t say that you HAVE to buy the more expensive guitars at all. Honestly, I sound identical no matter which of my guitars I play. Great video! I love my Affinty series Tele😊
Great comparison. I picked out the Affinity, but on the other 2, l went back and forth. I have a Squire classic vibe 50s. I LOVE this guitar! When l bought it, l played am American Standard, An American Professional, and the classic vibe 50s. I couldn't get over the tone and feel of the classic vibe, so l bought it. But all 3 are great guitars and anyone could be proud to play any of them.
I haven't played the other 2, but I love my player telecaster. Sounds beautiful and clear to me running through a Marshall. Get whichever sounds nicest to you, not to other people!
Yeh I found it hard to really pick definitively which one I preferred on clean although I did just lean towards the player. But dirty the player was a step above for sure.
Favorite sound for me came in at, "Y" Classic Vibe then "Z" Player then "X" Affinity, but I'm not digging the gloss neck on the Classic Vibe. Really well done Landon, stellar!
Based on blind tone: the affinity was the least pleasing while the others were equal and different. The CV, to my ears, had a bit more bite while the Fender had a wider and deeper sound. Three good guitars.
I have the Affinity lefty.. It has the coolest finger board all swirly burly up and down the whole neck.. The grain on the body is very beautiful! Especially in person.. I had to take some fret edges off using a sand block.. The fit and finish was perfect.. The ceramic pickups are a bit bright and twangy but you can dial it back with the tone 🎛. Love the feel of the neck.. The first one I had to send back to AMS it had loose frets raised frets and sharp frets! Besides that the body wood had gray black moldy looking wood just a very poor specimen.. AMS was amazing they got to me before I sent the other back.. Quick overnight shipping.. They even gave me 30.00 dollars off for the hassle! Great payment plans no hard inquiries and zero interest!! No one beats that.. May I also say Im in no way affiliated with them whatsoever.. American Music Supply rocks though I bought a George Benson style Jazz box as well.. Great review thanks! 👍
Good job Landon great video, nice shots of each guitar. I wasn't able to guess correctly which guitar was which. I did not like the sound of the Affinity and I actually preferred the sound of the classic vibe the best it had a warmer tone that I prefer. The Classic vibe guitars really are a great value and they feel great of all the ones that I have ever played. I do own a Mexican Telecaster that I think for the money is very hard to beat. It comes down to as you say what feels good to you. I will say the parts on the Classic vibe or the Mexican series will probably serve you better over the long run. Thanks again for your time and effort on this.
I had to do a Patsy Cline tribute show a few years ago and that requires a tele. You just can't make a strat sound that way. So I went for the cheapest one I could find, the Squier Affinity. $200 out the door. Since then, I've made a new pickguard (I hate the black plastic), changed the pickups, switched the switch plate around and reversed the tone and volume controls and now I have a much better guitar. Tuners would be the next thing I will change. I thought I'd sell this thing after the show, but I ended up keeping it to have a different sound. And now it's become a decent 2nd ax for playing out with. I've come to the conclusion that you should get an electric guitar for how it plays, you can change almost anything else about it and come a way with the guitar you want to play. If you are like me and don't care what it looks like or what name is on the headstock, go cheap. I have less than $400 in this guitar, and it kicks.
The Squire 50’s all the way. I’ve played that one before. The alnico pickups and the pot metals used gives them a cheaper raunchier quality that vintage Fenders are known for!
I have the Affinity. I have gigged and recorded over 400 songs with it. Wore out the frets, then wore enough troughs that I replaced the neck with a Mighty Mite and am playing again. Who knows how many hours? Just say "many, many". Excellent guitar regardless of price point. Thanks! Excellent review!
I got a Squier affinity, but it was made in China. The strings run through the body, though, and there was no shielding whatsoever in it. My tuning machines were all crooked on it and pretty bad. But I changed them with Kluson locking tuners. It plays lovely and sounds great. I think I will change the switch and potis at some stage. Was thinking about changing the pickups as well, but to be honest they sound just fine, there's nothing wrong with it. So with some work and maybe 40 Euros extra, I turned it into a pretty fine guitar.
I put a fender 50s U shape neck on my Squier classic vibe 50s Tele. And new tuners and saddles as well. The pickups are good on the 2015 made in China ones. Now this thing is playing and sounding as good as a cs!
I have just bought a "Made in Argentina" Newen Tele, so I am checking every video there is on yt about Telecasters. Kudos to your video, one of the most thorough and specific (no bs) ones, covering sound as well as hardware and physical features. AMAZING. MAD PROPS.
I have a affinity from 2011 and it looks different under the pick guard. Mine doesn't have that tunnel cut and the cavity for the neck pick up is tighter. I would share a photo if I could. Great video. I immediately recognized the sound of my lovely affinity from the 3 samples.
I'm a beginner but agree with your choices and why. For me I'd start with the Classic Vibe for affordable quality. I also think you should put one in your hands for feel. Great video.🤘🤘
I got a CV 50’s today. At first I had my eyes on an American Professional, wanting to trade it for one of my other guitars. But I watched several reviews about the CV series and decided to give it a go. And I love it! Only had to adjust the truss rod a bit, but otherwise, it was all good. Love the sound and how it plays. And indeed, the finish looks better than the Players butter scotch finish. I might change the tuners and saddles in the future, maybe the switch and control knobs. This CV is made in Indonesia by the way, not China. I heard the Indonesia made CV’s don’t have the shielding paint inside. Haven’t checked that yet.
Hey Landon, I guessed which was which based on personal past listening experience. I am 54 years old, and have listened to enough Rock to know that a Classic Tele sound has a full robustness un surpassed soul wise. There is a balance between the depth, clarity and chime. I found and had a hunch that the Infinity would sound punchier and yet thin, and I just found that the Player had what i call the "trying too hard to be cool " sound and look. Well I guess it really is and was known to be a Classic before any of us were able to judge them. Personal preference is the key, so, when the Classic was made, there must have been majority vote on what to name this Classic Tele. Thank you, great informative coverage of some great guitars, especially the Classic which is the model of what would change the world forever. Rock On , live long and prosper !!
I did guess them right, and I was pretty confident going in that I would. I do play a Tele through an AC30, so a core familiarity from standing in front of that glorious Voxification of an electric guitar probably made it easier. My observations...the Fender is one touchy guitar. It's just flat out more expressive than the Affinity, I'm guessing the technical reason is the pickups are hotter. This is both good and bad...for a mediocre player it is going to unmask every little thing your hands and fingers are doing...for a really good player it is going to open up possibilities of expressiveness that would be harder to coax out of the Affinity. The Vibe feels somewhere in between, and closer to the Fender than the Affinity. My conclusion: get an Affinity to start with. When you get better, DON'T SELL IT, keep it! Add a Fender Tele. And skip the higher end Vibes - save pennies, and skip the intermediate step. If you are good, you'll appreciate the relatively subtle differences between them. One last thought...this really is the golden age of musical instruments...all three guitars sound fantastic, none of them put a meaningful limit between the artist and the song they're trying to bring to life. It is incredible how high quality even cheap guitars are today!
Same ! I own a USA '52 reissue , and tbh ,the Classic Vibe offers a very similar tone and it looks stunning too. I always fancied building a pine bodied 50's Blackguard Esquire Partscaster. This would be ideal to mod into that for sure.
I like the blurry Joe Cocker impression you did! I guess I have rock and roll ears because I couldn't tell much difference in the three...speaks well for the Affinity
Call me crazy but I LOVE all the "negatives" of the affinity! I love the narrower thinner neck (short fingers) and i love the thinner (lighter) body. Mine actually came with the knobs with set screws even though there are split shaft pots underneath but they are full size, not the dime ones. This is actually my favorite guitar, and I own 12 including a CS Gibson LP, and a USA G&L. That neck just feels the best to me.
Thanks so much. This is such a great shootout because I'm heading over to Guitar Center right now! I did correctly identify the Player in the tone test. Clean is the best way to tell in my opinion. Actually, this review makes me realize that buying the cheapest one would not be the end of the world. I love how you showed the internal hardware and were pleasantly surprised at the Affinity's build quality. I tend to like a flat bridge so I can comfortably rest the side of my palm on it and not get poked by sharp metal posts. The Affinity beats the 50s in that respect. The finish on the neck is a great feature to point out, too. Bottom line, the Player wins in every respect. Buy it if you can afford it!
I had a Classic Vibe Starcaster and it was a nice machine. Classic Vibes are good quality, I think they have similar quality as south of the border Fenders.
The classic vibe sounded the best to me i love telly's and have owned many if i owned the player i would upgrade the pups but still a great guitar 😊👌great review 👍
I guessed the Affinity due to the Ceramic pups, but got the CV mixed up with the Player. They all sounded pretty close to each other. I own a CV Jaguar Bass & a Squier CV Esquire & love the tone & feel. Plan on going for the CV Tele due to the Pine body, string thru, Alnico pups & half the price of the Player.
The blind test gave me anxiety. I have a Player Series in the mail and the whole time, I was saying to myself "Please let guitar Z be mine and not guitar Y". So glad I made the right choice for myself!
I have a 2020 squire infinity. They are now string thru, with full thickness body. The neck is really nice. Ceramic pups, dime pots and cheap switch. Replaced all electronics ,pups, and tuning machines. It sounds and plays amazing.
I bought a fender modern player on a whim 3 or 4 years ago. Although it's not a direct comparison due to it having 3 pups it's a wonderful playing an sounding guitar. The 1 piece maple neck and pine body make it more resonant than any guitar I've ever played in my 55 years of playing. Even with the 3 pups and phase switch every setting is still very tele sounding. The quality of the build is totally equal to my classic American fenders. Unfortunately after this last year I would only buy an American or possibly mim product.
I've owned over 20 guitars, US and Mexican Fenders, Musicmans, Hohners, Yamahas etc and, I've just picked one of these Affinitys up. What can I say, it's simply fantastic, superb quality....amazing action, proper tele twang on the bridge and warm on the neck pups, beautiful finish, keeper. Mine is an Indonesia 2018 built tele. Beinf the Affinity its slightly thinner not a bad thing makes its lighter. Comfortable to play standing and lovely when sitting which surprised me. Obviously butterscotch, maple neck with black pick guard is THE classic combination.
In the blind test, I preferred the sound of guitar Y, which I thought would be the Fender, because it had more definition and clarity in the overall sound. So I assumed guitar Y would be the most expensive one. I was delighted to find it was the Squier Classic Vibe, because I have one... it's cool, but I would like to change out the tuners and the pots (tuners are very inprecise - one fraction of a turn equals a high rate of change of string tension and it's hard to get it to the right place - and the pots have a high amount of drag)
I bought the Squier Classic Vibe 50s and am happy with it. I thought it was a good balance between quality and price. Thanks for your videos. I enjoy your dry humor also.
classic vibe all the way for me. both looks and the blind tone test. i didn't know which one it was but i just constantly liked y guitar best (x the least, i was sure it was the affinity).
I bought a Classic Vibe 3 years ago, best sounding Tele in the store...played it against American made Fenders priced 2x as much. I could tell right off in the beginning, gravitated to guitar Y. To each his own, I know a bit heavier than some higher priced Tele's - but love the classic tuners, look and sound.
I like the butterscotch tele the best.
I'll have to go back and re-watch, I don't remember seeing any :P
You should lick them.
I think a taste comparison would be helpful.
Robert Baker has joined the chat! 🤣
We have a silly goose here!
Robert Baker agreed but the white blond super clean too
I just canceled my order of the Affinity and changed it to the Classic Vibe. I had no idea it sounded like that. Thank you so much for doing the blind tone comparison. This is how reviews should be done.
I think you’ll like the CV!
@@landonbailey That was a good call. It's so much more versatile than I expected. All it needs now is some love and sandpaper.
Top loader vs string through has a definite effect on tone, the top loader will bite a tad more at the expense of some low end. I had a mid 90s all black font mexican that I am 99% sure was the squier series with that sanded off the end of the head stock. Had the cheap narrow shaft closed back tuners, and top load bridge . compared to other mex teles it was lacking in bottom end, about the same amount you lose when kicking in a TS or OD or SD, so in that respect it sounded better through the muddy when driven bugera v5 I had, but I wound up trading it in towards a 96 deluxe mex that I loved. Unfortunately my storage got hit and all of my guitars except my 93 duo sonic and MM BFR JP6 which were safe in a pawn shop, got stolen. Really liked that Tele but it did not hurt quite as bad as losing my 1984 Yamaha sbg2000.
Anyway the pickups were certainly not as good in the squier series (a real fender with USA made body and neck assembled and finished in Mexico, but with squier level components), but I think the through body stringing made a huge difference. Top load had extra twang but no balls. It isn't really a Tele if it is a top loader
@@k.h.1587 Someone should probably let Jimmy Page know that his is not a "real" Tele.
@@davidwolsky4783 yeah what does jimmy page know?
I was half in jest on my real Tele comment.
I love my top load duo sonic.
But that one Mex Tele I had was lacking in balls either way but the pickup was part of the equation for sure
Is no one gunna talk about him air guitaring during the blind test lmaooo
nope 😝👌
I’ll talk about it. Dude you couldn’t think of doing anything else on screen for the time of the blind tone test. Even just random pics of the guitars in different lighting or some shit lol. And I’m really not trying to be an a hole or condescending I’m just seriously curious. If your joking I guess we just have a very different sense of humor
@@paulillingworth90 random pics is what everyone else would do. welcome to Lando27music. I don't make regular stuff :)
Lando27Music the random pics was an example I pulled from my ass not putting any thought into it. I assume though that you put thought into this because everything else in the vid is educational and a good a b c ing of 3 similar guitars. Idk just seems like the air guitar in the background is wasted energy to me. To each his or her own though. Your vid and you can play air guitar in the background of the entire video if you want. And all your vids from now on. Maybe it will be your new thing. If you had a thing to begin with. Idk this is the first time I’ve ever seen a vid of you. Well have a good day. Who am I anyway. I can’t judge your shit. Sorry.
@@paulillingworth90 no apologies! I like all feedback. go watch a few of my videos, and maybe you'll see the humour I try to inject into my stuff :) cheers!
The Player Tele definitely had the brightest and best tone to these ears.
I agree, sounds close between them all clean, but the clarity of the player fender really comes out in distortion
Vibe had better depth
I was actually very surprised how accurately I could hear the differences in a blind sample, great idea man. The gap between the Affinity and Classic Vibe was greater than I had expected honestly. The difference in the Classic Vibe and the Fender was fairly minimal in comparison, but it was there. The clarity and sustain, but both sounded great.
We are Tele guys, that’s for sure. I don’t get tired of looking at em.
it took me a few years to figure out I was a Tele guy. I've now accepted it. lol :P
so true ,hahah
😆
I've noticed they're kind of shaped like a woman. Not only great guitars but pleasing to the eye as well. Before my wife died 6 yrs ago, had mine on its stand in the front room. She said it actually looked good there, & went with her decor.(so I didn't have to move it!)
@@bluesingmusic3443 I'm more of a blues on e kinda guy
Squier Classic Vibe, the Y. Sounded best on every setting to me.
I completely agree; I thought for sure Y was going to be the Fender, yet the Classic Vibe Squier wins the day.
@@nicholas_james clearly the price does not reflect to sound guality, but will every SQ sound as good. Hard to say.
Can't agree more~
The Squier Classic Vibe has a cleaner more full tone. It's objectively a more pleasant sound. But the Fender Player has a more raw sound. That raw sound is what I expect and like about the telecaster.
I second that. The fender player sounded hotter but the classic sounded like an old worn vintage.
My favorite was the classic vibe. It sounded the best to me and I love the vintage looks.
👍🎸
Weird, i found the affinity probably the best on clean very slightly ahead of the Fender, the classic vibe last, but mainly because of the clean tones. On distorted there was little difference imo, possibly the fender had a bit more air in the sound. It's weird how everyone hears it differently. So the difference is mainly in the feel and playing possibly. This seems to be the conclusion on so many of these youtube comparison tests. Great vid!!
I also found the affinity to be best sounding (though in my experience they tend to have really poor fretwork), it had the least bright neck pickup which would be great for a jazzy sound.
Did you listen with good headphones or through decent speakers? There were very clear differences.
I wonder if the extra shielding helped with better clean tone on the affinity 🤔
I actually liked the Affinity better than the Player series tone. I have a few classic vibes and they are always a good choice for the money. Thanks for the comparisons, great job playing riffs from tunes we all know.
the CVs are great.
Not gonna lie. My favorite was Y the whole time. Followed by X. But the whole time I was thinking wow... I really do not like Z. Come to find out it's the Fender.
same!!! HAHA. I ranked them 1) Y, 2) X, and Worst by far) Z. According to that I assumed it was X = CV, Y = Fender Player, Z = Affinity. 😂😂😂 OOPS
@@zac1002
Yup. The Fender is actually pretty disappointing sound wise. Just saved a bunch of money not getting or lusting after one. The CV is just sounds better. But that gloss neck is crap. But a Scotch-Brite pad can help with that.
Same all the way, Y, X, Z.
Y without any doubt at all is clearly the best sounding. I naturally assumed it was the Fender.
X was my 2nd fav, although I was thinking with the clarity of Z, one might be able to achieve the X sound by turning the tone a little darker? 🤔
Zush exactly, everybody saying that CVs are well finished, but that truss rod insert defect is awfull
I was def surprised. I felt the same way.
I liked the intimate way the video was shot in your cool practice room. I think you organized your review well, and kept to informative and concise comments. I have seen many reviews in the past 12 months. This, for my tastes, is definitely one of the best. Thanks Landon.
thanks appreciate that!
The Affinity was dark and muddy. The Player sounded better but; the classic vibe sounded to have higher output and more of that Tele twang! It sounded the best by far as far as I'm concerned. Sound matters, not a pound!
They have really nice pickups. I have the 60s custom and sounds awesome too
I wouldn’t say best by far but I would agree with the rest
Lalairu I just put a humbucker in the neck of mine ☺
@@malcolmhardwick4258 I am saving for doing so! I already bought the new pickups, but I still want to install a 6 saddle bridge
Well, weight does affect the tone quite a bit....soooo..oo.oo
Wow the guitar X-Affinity model-honestly sounded the best everytime! If I ever get this guitar I can also look forward to a great price 👍🏽
Rock on!
To me it sounds kinda blurry. But that's just my personal taste, I prefer a clearer sound
The affinity sounds mellower in the top
Top end I meant, more compresses and a lot less upper mids Spike, Best for rock, which is a good thing . No offense to country music or anything of course.. but definitely a Cool cheap axe
Saw one in my local music shop window 18months or so ago,absolutely gorgeous looking guitar-and a steal for around 130 rips..didn't get it tho,mistake because it doesn't sound too bad..After having an evh bumblebee for about 5 years now,i'm a huge fan of satin(to the point of unfinished)necks,can't deal with all that varnish anymore.I think will eventually get hold hold of one these tele's,that's for sure..
I've been playing Telecasters for 55 years, and I'm pretty sure my next one will be an Affinity! Play the guitar, not the headstock!
truly, i had a stratocaster classic vibe for ten years, a very cool guitar...now i own a player serie .....far more better !!!
I've been beating on guitars since I was 7, I've got 1 more year than you. You're right about the name on the breadstick, but I found the USA Teles had better pups, better bridge etc. Not to knock any one, people should play what they like. Of course an Affinity running through a Digitech RP unit, wouldn't sound too bad.
affinity has shitty electronics and tuners and the overall feel lacks compared to MIM, MIM plays like butter
Mine is excellent. I have had if for two years and it plays and sounds amazing. I have had played for 28 years and It’s more of the player than the guitar 🎸 😉 . A good guitarist can make anything sound good
@@kingsecho3351 I had an old Kay electric when I was around 9 or 10. I still defy anyone from Jimi, to Page to Winter to Vaughn, even the great Lonnie Johnson to make that guitar sound good, much less even make chords on it. The neck resembled an archery bow, not the newer compound bows either. Lol. Think I traded some baseball cards for it...i got cheated! No I understand your point.
Excellent job on the review Landon! As a former Fender factory authorized guitar tech and having owned 6 Fender American made Tele's, you addressed all the questions in my mind. The photos were crystal clear and I'd say the sound portion was done about as fairly as one could expect. My choice in sound was guitar Y (Classic Vibe). Although on one example the Affinity sounded better to me. On two dirt examples the Fender Player sounded best. As far as appearance, the Classic Vibe wins! And for build quality the Fender Player is the clear winner. I would get the Classic Vibe as it looks best, sounds great and is very affordable. But all three guitars held their own considering their price point.
hey thanks! ya the Classic Vibe has been getting the most attention from people commenting. great value if you can find one that isn't 9 lbs!
I had the Fender right .Clean is where the differences
Mate you are bloody well spot on
Really above and beyond. The blind sound test really solidified my choice to go for the fender. I didn't want something the level of the affinity and I didn't want a gloss neck. Might go for black tho. Very grateful these are all available lefty. Never used to have to research choices when I started lol. Thanks for this video. The work put in is very appreciated
Squire Affinty, guitar x was my favourite
Wow from the blind test I was expecting guitar Y to be the most expensive one
And ladies and gentlemen, this is how a review/comparison video should be done! Great work.
Thank you kindly!
The CV sounded the best for me all the way through. More clarity and presence without the brittleness in the highs/upper mids on the Player tele. I own a first run 2008 50s CV tele and tbh very few have beat it to my ears and it was solid right out of the box. However, my 2019 Fender Player strat came without the ground soldered and needed quite an extensive setup. I heard it said guitars are made by people and people aren't always consistent whether it's a factory in the US, Mexico, China, or Indonesia. YMMV
@ted mailwitz. Spot on. I have an American strat. The difference over MM is that the finish has been ? through a good quality control, can’t quite explain it but you can feel it. Since guitars are tactile I found the difference in £ worth it. As you said, the CV was finished better than a MM tele though and sounded better. Saved a few quid there, so it’s evened out ! I really don’t care where it’s made, it’s the finished product that counts. BTW, I read someone else had problem with player grounding ?
I loved when he played just in the blind test. Nice surprise
Can’t get the stink off
This channel is the goat for side by side comparison. Keep it this way! It’s efficient, entertaining, and informative. I also liked them in the order Z,Y,X. But I really really want that classic vibe neck.
I appreciate that!
This may be the best comparison video I've ever seen. Completely accurate sounds. I got to try a Player and Classic Vibe with the same amp at a shop. They sound so close to each other, any difference can easily be EQ'd away. The necks are quite different, which is why I bought the Player, but that's totally personal preference. If you like thin, glossy necks, save some money and buy the CV.
Cool, thanks!
I love the shots of all three lined up together side-by-side!
Perfect timing! I just picked up a Squire Affinity in a pawn shop. It was SO clean! Looked newer than any guitar on the wall at Guitar Center. I shit you not, there was not even any scratches on the pick guard. Mind-blowing. I figured this had to have come in a nice case. Nope, but it did come with a nicer gig bag by than I've ever seen. Other than having to dress the fret ends a bit(I'm extremely lucky about neck/fret feel) I've done nothing. This thing not only looks great but the pick ups sound fabulous. Especially surprised with the bridge pickup. It has incredible bite but still sounds yummy. If someone gave me a completely blind listen I would assume it was a humbucker. A nice one at that. I didn't have a clue about value, but it was totally willing to pay $150 especially with that nice padded bag. After I got home I realized that's probably what a brand new one costs... so... it's a good thing I somehow got a brand new one AT A PAWN SHOP! Thanks spoiled kid that had no interest at all in learning guitar. lol
Try a 4 or 5 way switch. 4 way gives you both in series that will give more bite. The 5 way will give you both series, & both out of phase (plus the usual standard pup positions).
I was never a Tele guy at all. Bought a CV 50s in Butterscotch about a month ago and am pretty blown away by it. Budget guitars have really come a long way. It's not even really fair to call them that anymore.
Jeremy Wooldridge I wish I was living the lifestyle where a CV is considered “budget”. I think they’re affordable for their quality. But certainly not cheap for a block of wood made (mostly) by machines.
Stop wishing and get to work. The Squire is $222 right now. That's cheap as F
Yeah budget guitars have come a long way. Back in the 80s-90s you had to pay $3-500 for something even playable. If I was able to get at CV in 1989 I may have continued playing in my teens.
@@mauser8515 where I live the cheapest brand new CV 50's costs US$600, that's not what we call a budget guitar around here. There are good Teles for US$200 or 300, so the CVs are not exactly budget for us. But I have one and it's an amazing guitar, better than the 3 Teles MIM I've had, any way you look.
@@monty64 I hear ya, I was speaking of the Affinity Squire. Both have about the same quality of parts. The neck feels a little better on the CV. I'm rebuilding an Affinity and can tell you it is not a very well made guitar. In spite of that, it will play as good as I can make it sound. Cheers man, hope you have or can get a good electric guitar. The Stratocasters are really easy to hold and play for 5-6 hours a day. Thats all it takes to be the next great. Hard work.
I have a butterscotch Affinity that I modded and LOVE. It's become something of a go-to, eclipsing several more highly regarded vintage guitars. I got it on Craigslist for $75. Swapped out the pickups for a set of Bare Knuckle Country Boys, stepped up to 500k pots, and swapped the pot metal saddles for a stainless steel set. AMAZING. I'll swap out the nut at some point, but as is it sounds beautiful.
The slimness of the body IS something of an issue. Before my mods, it really lacked that hearty tone you expect from a Telecaster. Even after, the richness of the tone is great, but not optimal. However, I have found that I can reverb/compress that traditional Tele tonality back into it while preserving a classic clean, "hot" Tele sound that stands up to vintage American Teles. And, at under $500.
I'm not suggesting this as a way to go, but as more of an appreciation of what Squier's offer, even at their most...uh...budget friendly point.
I play the affinity over 6 years and iam still pretty impressed that this guitar still is in a good condition. I changed the pickups to fender tex mex pickups and the sound is mind blowing. So for the price of 200(euros) you get allot. This guitar is really a workhorse (playing every day at home, rehearsals and shows)
oh whoah.... the blind tone was such a nice addition to the vid... turns out I liked how the affinity sounds more than the player series.
Yep. Got them right. The affinity was easy to spot but I just guessed for the other two. Turns out my favourite was the player, but the CV sounded good as well. CV is pretty high output though, which is weird for a vintage inspired guitar.
Alnico 5 on cv
When I was looking for a tele, I looked at them all.
I ended up with the Affinity. Playing them in person is way different then hearing them in a video Even my guitar tech commented that it sounded more like the 57 than the 57 reissue.
I own about 20 guitars as last count. Some very high end, and some lower end. I like finding cheaper guitars that play well, and adding some upgrades like pups, tuners, pots, and wiring. So $200 for a Dean VX, and about $150 in mods, and it sounds, and plays better than some of my $1000 + guitars. Like my tech says, if the neck is good than the guitar is worth upgrading. I didn't have to do any mods to the Tele.
it's all about the neck! I have a $70 Monoprice Strat clone with an amazing neck. I made a video about it last year
I agree completely, if a cheaper one feels and plays better you can always upgrade parts.
When you get so focused on listening to pick out the diffence between the teles but then you realized that the reviewer is doing air guitar and turns upside down in the background Haha. I love teles. A very detailed review as always.
Misdirection for the win!
I've got a 1992 USA Telecaster. 00 paint job, rosewood fretboard (soft C neck), TBX, 6 saddle bridge, I added a 4 way switch in '04, then in 2015 added The 5way Super switch. It gives me bridge/both 1/2 out of phase/both standard (parallel)/both series(like the 4 way)/neck pup selections.
I actually liked the sound of guitar Z, in the video, but I prefer the sound of my Tele (even with the original 3 way switch).my old girl is a monster now, she can hang with any guitar, I get almost any tone out of her (except the jazzy/woody tone of a 335). Wouldn't trade her for anything.
I first became a Tele fan when I was in a studio in Atlanta GA. Bad habits, had me renting a guitar to use, the thing was new,but kept cutting out, I was getting disgusted. Finally the old man working the board said "We've got an old one in the back, if you'd like to try it." I said sure. He brought out an old blackguard butterscotch Tele with a U neck! He literally blew the dust off It! My bassist (Who wasn't as "under the influence" as I was tuned it up. That thing rang like a bell. I decided then (1986) when I had the $$$ I'd get one! I've had LPs, Strats, etc. Over my life, but I was sold on Teles that day. Bought mine along with an amp(1995) for $1000. She seemed like she'd been built just for me. Of course I tell younger players, get a Squire to start on, they're decent inexpensive guitars, & sound good. If you like a guitar, the name doesn't matter, your equipment doesn't matter, not everyone can afford $10k Marshall stacks, or whatever. Ain't No shame in what you have. Used to be in groups on Facebook & a young person would say "Hey I just bought X guitar & X amp, what do you people think?" Inevitably there's those saying "Man I wouldn't own junk like that, I need ______(some rig that would cost $20k). You should throw that crap away." I hated that, & let it be known. Any way if a Telecaster was good enough for Muddy Waters they're goid enough for me. Another point about Teles, you'll learn to actually play a guitar, IMO. Sorry I've gone on & on. Heading down to my studio, to record a riff I worked up off Smokestack Lightning riff by Hubert Sumlin. Blessings, keep playing.
Long ass boring story. What's your point.
I always think everything sounds similar but I was surprised at myself because I thought: "hmm, I'd rather avoid X; Y sounds nicer but has some fizz; and Z has the most character" which aligned perfectly with their market value.
" Y " was my favorite Z next and X last . But ... only very subtle differences . Really liked them all . They all had that great Tele tone . I miss my Classic Vibe Buttercsotch Tele . It was a real good one . But now I would go for the Mex player . Still have my affinity .What a great vid you put together here Landon ! Love this kind of in depth highly informative video . Super job ! Very well done video bro . Much enjoyed this !
thanks!
@@landonbailey Mine also...
I've had the Classic Vibe for about 6 years. It's my go-to work horse. I use it for everything. I picked out the Classic Vibe in the tone comparison right away. I love the spank and clarity of the neck pickup, the honk of the middle, and the heat of the bridge. I think it is well worth its weight in salt.
Wow. I thought the Z would be the cheapest one because I thought the plucky attack on it was kind of excessive and it sounded less nuanced, turns out that was the fender. I like the classic vibe one.
Yeah, on the clean tones the Z sounded all a bit too jangley. Although i was lazily listening on the laptop speakers which probably wasn't a fair test :)
Dude same
The classic vibe was hands down the nicest sound and sadly I felt like x and z were very close and couldn't make up my mind which was the affinity.
I just bought a 50’s Classic Vibe, and this makes me feel better about my purchase. Haha Although I would still be happy with it either way, because I love the way it plays and sounds.
I really liked the Classic Vibe best. I actually thought it was the Player Series.
My favs
1-X
2-Z
3-Y
Same as my choices. At least we two have something in common. hahahah
@@kernjames i love you
I own several premium guitars, as well as one of my latest s, a Fender Player Series Arctic White lefty Stratocaster which gives my 09 USA Fender a run for its money, etc. having said that, I recently found a beautiful mint condition left handed Squier Affinity Tele for 120$ vis OfferUp. With some polishing, light tuning up, and fresh strings, sounds beautiful. I wouldn’t say that you HAVE to buy the more expensive guitars at all. Honestly, I sound identical no matter which of my guitars I play. Great video! I love my Affinty series Tele😊
Great comparison. I picked out the Affinity, but on the other 2, l went back and forth. I have a Squire classic vibe 50s. I LOVE this guitar! When l bought it, l played am American Standard, An American Professional, and the classic vibe 50s. I couldn't get over the tone and feel of the classic vibe, so l bought it. But all 3 are great guitars and anyone could be proud to play any of them.
hey thanks!
I haven't played the other 2, but I love my player telecaster. Sounds beautiful and clear to me running through a Marshall. Get whichever sounds nicest to you, not to other people!
Absolutely top notch review. I wasn't sold on spending the extra money on the Fender until I saw this.
Right on! For me it’s the neck. pickups can be swapped out :)
For what it's worth, I thought the Classic Vibe sounded best "clean" and the Player Tele best dirty.
I like hearing all feedback! 🎸👍
I agree!
Yeh I found it hard to really pick definitively which one I preferred on clean although I did just lean towards the player. But dirty the player was a step above for sure.
I recently got to play a real 1952 Telecaster a few days ago. Such an incredible instrument.
Favorite sound for me came in at, "Y" Classic Vibe then "Z" Player then "X" Affinity, but I'm not digging the gloss neck on the Classic Vibe. Really well done Landon, stellar!
This video showed up 3 years later in my suggested video, 3 years too late. The comparison was extremely well done, very thorough. Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Based on blind tone: the affinity was the least pleasing while the others were equal and different. The CV, to my ears, had a bit more bite while the Fender had a wider and deeper sound. Three good guitars.
Radiohead's "Just", oh how I love it!
I always try to add some Radiohead riffs :)
I have the Affinity lefty.. It has the coolest finger board all swirly burly up and down the whole neck.. The grain on the body is very beautiful! Especially in person.. I had to take some fret edges off using a sand block.. The fit and finish was perfect.. The ceramic pickups are a bit bright and twangy but you can dial it back with the tone 🎛. Love the feel of the neck.. The first one I had to send back to AMS it had loose frets raised frets and sharp frets! Besides that the body wood had gray black moldy looking wood just a very poor specimen.. AMS was amazing they got to me before I sent the other back.. Quick overnight shipping.. They even gave me 30.00 dollars off for the hassle! Great payment plans no hard inquiries and zero interest!! No one beats that.. May I also say Im in no way affiliated with them whatsoever.. American Music Supply rocks though I bought a George Benson style Jazz box as well.. Great review thanks! 👍
This is an excellent review of the three guitars. Best I've seen.
hey thanks! I've also done individual demos of each to check out
The technical air guitar playing is Just amazing!!
I’ve been playing since I got my Fender acoustic in 1972. I love my Affinity Tele in Butterscotch. Simple man simple pleasures.
Good job Landon great video, nice shots of each guitar. I wasn't able to guess correctly which guitar was which. I did not like the sound of the Affinity and I actually preferred the sound of the classic vibe the best it had a warmer tone that I prefer. The Classic vibe guitars really are a great value and they feel great of all the ones that I have ever played. I do own a Mexican Telecaster that I think for the money is very hard to beat. It comes down to as you say what feels good to you. I will say the parts on the Classic vibe or the Mexican series will probably serve you better over the long run. Thanks again for your time and effort on this.
hey thanks Ruben!
I had to do a Patsy Cline tribute show a few years ago and that requires a tele. You just can't make a strat sound that way. So I went for the cheapest one I could find, the Squier Affinity. $200 out the door. Since then, I've made a new pickguard (I hate the black plastic), changed the pickups, switched the switch plate around and reversed the tone and volume controls and now I have a much better guitar. Tuners would be the next thing I will change. I thought I'd sell this thing after the show, but I ended up keeping it to have a different sound. And now it's become a decent 2nd ax for playing out with.
I've come to the conclusion that you should get an electric guitar for how it plays, you can change almost anything else about it and come a way with the guitar you want to play. If you are like me and don't care what it looks like or what name is on the headstock, go cheap. I have less than $400 in this guitar, and it kicks.
I was liking Y with Z very close behind . I felt X was very muddy,to my ears.
Splitting Y and Z wasn't easy but i was feeling Y.
The Squire 50’s all the way. I’ve played that one before. The alnico pickups and the pot metals used gives them a cheaper raunchier quality that vintage Fenders are known for!
Shop: "Which of them do you want?"
Me: "Yes."
Your camera is amazing, its crazy how crisp the image is.
oh thanks, has a lot to do with the lightning
I have the Affinity. I have gigged and recorded over 400 songs with it. Wore out the frets, then wore enough troughs that I replaced the neck with a Mighty Mite and am playing again. Who knows how many hours? Just say "many, many". Excellent guitar regardless of price point. Thanks! Excellent review!
ah wow! and thanks!
I got a Squier affinity, but it was made in China. The strings run through the body, though, and there was no shielding whatsoever in it. My tuning machines were all crooked on it and pretty bad. But I changed them with Kluson locking tuners. It plays lovely and sounds great. I think I will change the switch and potis at some stage. Was thinking about changing the pickups as well, but to be honest they sound just fine, there's nothing wrong with it. So with some work and maybe 40 Euros extra, I turned it into a pretty fine guitar.
I put a fender 50s U shape neck on my Squier classic vibe 50s Tele. And new tuners and saddles as well. The pickups are good on the 2015 made in China ones. Now this thing is playing and sounding as good as a cs!
I have just bought a "Made in Argentina" Newen Tele, so I am checking every video there is on yt about Telecasters.
Kudos to your video, one of the most thorough and specific (no bs) ones, covering sound as well as hardware and physical features.
AMAZING. MAD PROPS.
I have a affinity from 2011 and it looks different under the pick guard. Mine doesn't have that tunnel cut and the cavity for the neck pick up is tighter. I would share a photo if I could.
Great video. I immediately recognized the sound of my lovely affinity from the 3 samples.
Interesting!
I'm a beginner but agree with your choices and why. For me I'd start with the Classic Vibe for affordable quality. I also think you should put one in your hands for feel. Great video.🤘🤘
👍🎸
I got a CV 50’s today. At first I had my eyes on an American Professional, wanting to trade it for one of my other guitars. But I watched several reviews about the CV series and decided to give it a go. And I love it! Only had to adjust the truss rod a bit, but otherwise, it was all good. Love the sound and how it plays. And indeed, the finish looks better than the Players butter scotch finish. I might change the tuners and saddles in the future, maybe the switch and control knobs. This CV is made in Indonesia by the way, not China. I heard the Indonesia made CV’s don’t have the shielding paint inside. Haven’t checked that yet.
just ordered a Classic Vibe - can't wait to play it! Your video really helped me to decide, so thank you.
Have fun!
Great video Landon. Thanks for taking the time to do this ! Even with the new Player II series, they STILL won't put a bone nut on them.
Hey Landon, I guessed which was which based on personal past listening experience. I am 54 years old, and have listened to enough Rock to know that a Classic Tele sound has a full robustness un surpassed soul wise. There is a balance between the depth, clarity and chime. I found and had a hunch that the Infinity would sound punchier and yet thin, and I just found that the Player had what i call the "trying too hard to be cool " sound and look. Well I guess it really is and was known to be a Classic before any of us were able to judge them.
Personal preference is the key, so, when the Classic was made, there must have been majority vote on what to name this Classic Tele. Thank you, great informative coverage of some great guitars, especially the Classic which is the model of what would change the world forever. Rock On , live long and prosper !!
I did guess them right, and I was pretty confident going in that I would. I do play a Tele through an AC30, so a core familiarity from standing in front of that glorious Voxification of an electric guitar probably made it easier. My observations...the Fender is one touchy guitar. It's just flat out more expressive than the Affinity, I'm guessing the technical reason is the pickups are hotter. This is both good and bad...for a mediocre player it is going to unmask every little thing your hands and fingers are doing...for a really good player it is going to open up possibilities of expressiveness that would be harder to coax out of the Affinity. The Vibe feels somewhere in between, and closer to the Fender than the Affinity.
My conclusion: get an Affinity to start with. When you get better, DON'T SELL IT, keep it! Add a Fender Tele. And skip the higher end Vibes - save pennies, and skip the intermediate step. If you are good, you'll appreciate the relatively subtle differences between them.
One last thought...this really is the golden age of musical instruments...all three guitars sound fantastic, none of them put a meaningful limit between the artist and the song they're trying to bring to life. It is incredible how high quality even cheap guitars are today!
going off the blind test alone i liked the classic vibe the best. that was a surprise
:)
Same ! I own a USA '52 reissue , and tbh ,the Classic Vibe offers a very similar tone and it looks stunning too. I always fancied building a pine bodied 50's Blackguard Esquire Partscaster. This would be ideal to mod into that for sure.
Agreed, my ears enjoyed the classic vibe tones. That said, it’s all subjective, play what you can afford and how you want etc.
I like the blurry Joe Cocker impression you did! I guess I have rock and roll ears because I couldn't tell much difference in the three...speaks well for the Affinity
Call me crazy but I LOVE all the "negatives" of the affinity! I love the narrower thinner neck (short fingers) and i love the thinner (lighter) body. Mine actually came with the knobs with set screws even though there are split shaft pots underneath but they are full size, not the dime ones. This is actually my favorite guitar, and I own 12 including a CS Gibson LP, and a USA G&L. That neck just feels the best to me.
Thanks so much. This is such a great shootout because I'm heading over to Guitar Center right now! I did correctly identify the Player in the tone test. Clean is the best way to tell in my opinion. Actually, this review makes me realize that buying the cheapest one would not be the end of the world. I love how you showed the internal hardware and were pleasantly surprised at the Affinity's build quality. I tend to like a flat bridge so I can comfortably rest the side of my palm on it and not get poked by sharp metal posts. The Affinity beats the 50s in that respect. The finish on the neck is a great feature to point out, too. Bottom line, the Player wins in every respect. Buy it if you can afford it!
I had a Classic Vibe Starcaster and it was a nice machine. Classic Vibes are good quality, I think they have similar quality as south of the border Fenders.
The classic vibe sounded the best to me i love telly's and have owned many if i owned the player i would upgrade the pups but still a great guitar 😊👌great review 👍
cheers!
I guessed the Affinity due to the Ceramic pups, but got the CV mixed up with the Player. They all sounded pretty close to each other. I own a CV Jaguar Bass & a Squier CV Esquire & love the tone & feel. Plan on going for the CV Tele due to the Pine body, string thru, Alnico pups & half the price of the Player.
The blurred background with you doing the air guitar even with the strap on your shoulder is the most awesome part of the video, no doubt! Hahaha!
Rock on!
2:35 cool that you traveled to Australia for that part
The blind test gave me anxiety. I have a Player Series in the mail and the whole time, I was saying to myself "Please let guitar Z be mine and not guitar Y". So glad I made the right choice for myself!
tone is all personal. you'll always make the right choice for yourself :)
Only one I got right was the affinity, the CV really surprised me. Just picked up a CV Jazzmaster myself and the tones are immense
I have a 2020 squire infinity. They are now string thru, with full thickness body.
The neck is really nice.
Ceramic pups, dime pots and cheap switch.
Replaced all electronics ,pups, and tuning machines.
It sounds and plays amazing.
I bought a fender modern player on a whim 3 or 4 years ago. Although it's not a direct comparison due to it having 3 pups it's a wonderful playing an sounding guitar. The 1 piece maple neck and pine body make it more resonant than any guitar I've ever played in my 55 years of playing. Even with the 3 pups and phase switch every setting is still very tele sounding. The quality of the build is totally equal to my classic American fenders. Unfortunately after this last year I would only buy an American or possibly mim product.
Guitar X’s clean tones = something interesting/good sounding that I don't exactly have already.
Great video. 👍👍👍
I've owned over 20 guitars, US and Mexican Fenders, Musicmans, Hohners, Yamahas etc and, I've just picked one of these Affinitys up. What can I say, it's simply fantastic, superb quality....amazing action, proper tele twang on the bridge and warm on the neck pups, beautiful finish, keeper. Mine is an Indonesia 2018 built tele. Beinf the Affinity its slightly thinner not a bad thing makes its lighter. Comfortable to play standing and lovely when sitting which surprised me.
Obviously butterscotch, maple neck with black pick guard is THE classic combination.
Indonesian Squiers do seem to be the best from recent years.
Fantastic comparison. Subscribed❕
Also: Very first video I’ve watched.
hey thanks! welcome 👍🎸
In the blind test, I preferred the sound of guitar Y, which I thought would be the Fender, because it had more definition and clarity in the overall sound. So I assumed guitar Y would be the most expensive one. I was delighted to find it was the Squier Classic Vibe, because I have one... it's cool, but I would like to change out the tuners and the pots (tuners are very inprecise - one fraction of a turn equals a high rate of change of string tension and it's hard to get it to the right place - and the pots have a high amount of drag)
I bought the Squier Classic Vibe 50s and am happy with it. I thought it was a good balance between quality and price. Thanks for your videos. I enjoy your dry humor also.
Great to hear!
Thank you! This video was exactly what I was after. So helpful to see them all side by side.
Glad it was helpful!
I love how affinity's fretboard, because affinity's had rolled edge, feels very nice
ya it's a slight roll which I was surprised to see!
My Affinity’s fretboard is an absolute joy to play... it’s a star of a guitar
Thanks for using Rush's Fly By Night in your demo! Loved it!
it was rough, but no prob!
today im gonna buy a telecaster and this is the best comparison video i've ever ever seen :) thank you so much ....
Glad I could help!
Thanks Landon I believe this is the best video you have ever done, especially the neck size that was the best I've ever watched, really enjoyed it..
Glad you enjoyed it!
I just saw those 3 teles at Guitar Center!!! Same color!!!
I had the affinity right. Output on the classic vibe seemed high so thought it was the player
👍🎸
classic vibe all the way for me. both looks and the blind tone test. i didn't know which one it was but i just constantly liked y guitar best (x the least, i was sure it was the affinity).
The 2020 classic vibe now has the Fender style volume and tune knobs with set screws.
I bought a Classic Vibe 3 years ago, best sounding Tele in the store...played it against American made Fenders priced 2x as much. I could tell right off in the beginning, gravitated to guitar Y. To each his own, I know a bit heavier than some higher priced Tele's - but love the classic tuners, look and sound.
nice! great value in that model
Best comparison video I've seen. I especially appreciate the blind tone test. The air guitar in the background made it all the better!
🎸👍