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Squier Classic Vibe vs American Professional Stratocaster! - Guitar Tone Comparison!
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- Опубліковано 14 сер 2024
- How close is a Classic Vibe Strat to a Fender? Well, closer than you may think!!
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What do you guys think?
Did you like the tone of the CV or the American Professional better?
Enjoy :)
Hate to say it, but squier’s more clearer so my choice is squier
@@mikkywhalan yeah, it sounded brighter to me. Edit: wrote this before hearing his evaluation. And I'd have to agree with Darrell.
The CV is a great deal and a fantastic guitar but the Fender did sound better. At least through headphones on my computer it did.
@@michaelbrohl1625 I only really listened through my iPad, just listened through headphones, fender won. But for the price the CV is great.
@@mikkywhalan I agree.
I think the Strat sounded great compared to the Strat. But then again the Strat sounds great too.
So..at the end..the strat wins.....lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣
You folks are crazy, any fool could see that the best one is the...STRAT.
You mean the stratocaster right…😂
Yes, the Strat wins
It's worth mentioning that the Squier is a third of the price of the American Professional.
Add locking tuners, new pickups, new wiring harness, and a new trem, and you've got an amazing, fully comparable guitar still at less than half. 👍👍
If you like to mod, then you’ve got 2/3rds headroom to spend. If you don’t, you’ll likely be wishing your Squire was the Fender.
@@Hickeroar Personally, I wouldn't bother with upgrading the tuners or pickups (I like vintage tuners and these alnico pickups sounded fine to me); just the trem, pots, switch and capacitor. It could be turned into a killer Strat for less than $50.
Well, if you wanted to go crazy with mods, then buy the CV, swap in some Texas Specials or some other high-end pickups, change the bridge to a SuperVee Bladerunner, replace all of the switches and pots, orange drop or paper/oil cap for the tone control, a set of Schaller locking tuners and... well, that's about $650 worth of upgrades. Still comes out cheaper than the Fender Pro and would be one kickass Strat.
And given that difference, I would damn well expect the American-made model to be objectively better.
There's one other advantage to the CV: the lack of resale value makes it attractive as a mod platform. My 70s has lockers, a Obsidianwire harness, custom planet tone pickups, and a huge brass block. It's exactly my guitar. I wouldn't dream of doing that to an American strat.
I've done that with a cheap(Glarry?) unbranded Strat style. It's beautiful and I've picked and choose new hardware and electronics as I saw fit. It's light and sounds good and is easy to play. I have about $200 in the guitar(It was a gift) and I have done all of the work myself. My point is that I grasp your meaning.🙂
My CV 50’s is modded with EMG Alnico pickups with a mid-boost.
why do you say lack of resale value? I just sold a Squier bass I bought new a year ago for $230 for $200 in ONE DAY. no resale value? try to get that percentage out of a 1500 fender...
@@joetspaulding You got lucky, trust me. Normally that's not easy, even if the instrument is near mint
I'd do it to even the most expensive custom shop in the world lol
Gotta say, I definitely preferred the Squire. I loved that bright, punchy sound a lot. Darrell, I'd love for you to do a comparison of the Squire CVs 50s, 60s & 70s because I can't decide which one I want to buy.
They all have the same pickups and hardware, with the exception of the 70’s HSS, which has a humbucker in the bridge. The differences are cosmetic
I own a candy apple 60s CV. Love it
I have a Lake Placid blue 60's CV and it is comfortable and that blue is sweet. I went with the 60's because I don't particularly like most maple fretboards and the 60's isn't maple. PF, I think.
get one each.....and you still have spend only halv the money for a fender pro thingmachiggy one
@@evansmith1284 Indian Laurel
Classic vibes are the absolute best bang for the buck when it comes to just guitars in general to me
I've had many Squiers over the years and still do. I've lowered the pickups to balance between them and round out the sound. It's standard practice to lower the pickups on a guitar with hotter pickups, as you have shown us in previous videos.
Bought my Squier Strat (made in Japan) over 30 years ago... it's still the one I play the most of all the guitars I own and I've got Gibson L/P , PRS and a Fender USA Tele hanging on the wall in my studio.
If (god forbid) I had a fire, it's the one I'd grab because It's irreplaceable.
TBH it's been modded over the years... Evans pups, new pots and switch, shielding, so it's quieter for recording, but I just love this guitar for how it plays and feels... and that's what matters.
Think I preferred the tonality of the American professional over the CV, but that's just personal taste.
Japan Sqier are now collector and no comparable to the current production. Keep it safe ! :)
I've got a 1983 Japanese Squier Strat and I love it too. But then again it does have 'stock' Fender hardware (inc Fender stamped saddles) and, we're 99% sure, Fender pickups so it came 'pre-upgraded' as it were. Totally get why its your irreplaceable fave. My Squier along with my now very battered '92 US Strat Plus are the only electrics I play/use these days. Everything else, just like you, sits unused in its case.
I have an 86 Squier MIJ, just great quality. I changed the pups 30 years ago to Fender custom shop jobs to replace the ceramics. Blocked off the trem, but other than that it’s original. Wouldn’t sell it.
yup, I have an 84 squier. awesome guitar.
The classic vibe has a bone nut per Sweetwater specs. Good video!
yep and the cheaper fenders have plastic
I don't know if there was a true "winner", but there definitely wasn't a "loser," so, for me, considering the cost, I'd go with the Squier, because that's the way my wallet rolls. lol :)
Great video Darrell. I have a vintage modified 70s Squier and love it. A well respected luthier in my area said “just leave it as it is”. No need to upgrade if you’re not a professional musician. Duncan Designed pickups sound great. Love the guitar.
The brightness may partially be due to the maple fretboard of the CV. Some say that dosent make a difference but I believe it does
the pickups are different. you can't even begin to put into play the woods when the pickup specs are quite different.
It does indeed.
I have a CV 60. It plays like a dream. I changed the tuners for locking ones, just for quickness of string changes, and plan changing trem for a modern 2 screw one. Apart from that, its all good.
I own a 2021 60s Squier Classic Vibe Strat the new way they make them and I absolutely love everything about it. Even the color (Lake Placid Blue) looks awesome. I dont need a more costly Strat, this Squier Strat kills.
Well, that was unexpected. I had thought that the Fender would win out in terms of sound quality but in most of the positions I found the Classic Vibe was brighter and had a livelier tone with the exception of the position 1 sound which is where I really preferred the Fender. There are areas where I think the Fender wins such as the trem design, the tuner quality and the quality of woods (visually speaking) along with having the rosewood fingerboard and a neck finish that looks like it is less likely to create extra finish when you want to slide your hand up the neck. Do I think that those features are worth the price difference? No way. There are some Squire models I think that are more competitive with the Fender (matching most of the features) but this one is doing a pretty good job as it is.
When it comes to pickups, while I love the sound of the Classic Vibe Squier, the Fender has a much more balanced sound.
As someone commented already, the Squier is a third of the price of that Fender. A V-Mod bridge pickup might cost, what, up to $50 used? Then a good switch (Oak Grisby for $15) and pots (cts ~$25 for the whole guitar) and maybe better caps and with less than $100 that will be on par with that Fender tonewise
Never had the strat cv but have 4-5 of the telescope both 50&60 styles. Couldn’t ask for a more solid platform to mod on!
Exact same boat as me. I only preferred the Fender in position 1. It's nice seeing these sort of comparisons. My first "good" American made instrument was a 1994 American Standard Jazz Bass. When I bought a new bass in 2019, it was a MiM Fender Player Jaguar (just the PJ, not with the true Jag switches) and the modern bass was at least the equal to my old bass out of the box as far as build quality, tone, etc. guitars have come a very long way in 25 years. I love to think a kid starting out could walk into a music store and walk out with a guitar that they could afford and will last a lifetime.
I picked up a 50's classic vibe new for about $420 CDN. Unbelievable value, great guitar.
gahangore111: Nice addition to
the family!! Question: why did you
prefer the 50's vibe to the 60's?
What made you choose the 50's
over the 60's? Was the 60's vibe
even a consideration at all?
Thanks in advance, Norman in
Montreal, CANADA.
good choice....:-)
@@norman2999 i didn't really think about the 60's at the time, but now that I've looked into it more the maple fretboard on the 50's would have clinched it for me. I'm a sucker for maple fretboards and this one plays so well.
@@gahangore111 : Thanks a lot for
your answer!! I find they sound very
different. It'd be nice to have both!!!!
Take care, be safe, Norman.
Darrell, this is one of the best, most honest, comparison I've encountered on the internet- period. Thank you very, very much.
Man, that Classic Vibe Strat really holds it own against the American Professional model. I think if I was blindfolded, I honestly wouldn't have been able to tell a difference tone wise! Great demo as always Darrell! Keep up the fantastic work.
I have the classic vibe tele, love it. All my other strats and teles are Mexican made. Love them too. One Japanese tele, great guitar. My contention is that a good guitarist can make a shoe box and rubber bands sound good. Good vid. Thank you
That's nuts. I play Stratocasters in position 5 about 95% of the time. That Squier sounded better to me than the American Pro.
I own a USA Strat, and a couple of Mexicans, and they're beautifully made instruments, but my Squier Jaguar is awfully nice, too.
@Јаков Лазовић I bought the Jaguar Squier on a whim (which I never do), and frankly, it was a little shocking. It's an absolutely beautiful instrument that plays and sounds great. I replaced the trem unit with a Fender one because I wanted the "lock" feature. I didn't need it. The factory trem was fine. My uncle, who was a working musician in the 60's and 70's recently saw it on my wall, pulled it down and marveled at it. He said it played better than some of the actual vintage Fenders he played back in the day. Anyway, I highly recommend the Jaguar.
That said, there's a reason everyone and his brother plays a Strat. I have never owned a Squier Strat, but the ones that I have seen/played seemed really good. You cannot beat a Stratocaster for versatility and upgradeability, IMO.
If you can, go to a store and try both. If you have smaller hands, or just like a shorter scale length, go with the Jag. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with a Strat.
Love your reviews! Always fair and balanced in a way I can rely on to refer to when I'm looking at guitars! Plus you always have interesting comparisons that try things I have wanted to try but for some reason or another I have not! Great insights, keep it up!!!
Great video, Darrell! I’ve played for many years. I own a ‘57 Classic Vibe reissue with locking tuners and lace sensor pickups. This thing plays and sound great. I would definitely gig with it. I can’t justify the additional cost of the American Fender.
For my ear... squier cv is more "original strat-tone" that we're all familiar with. It's all about Sound not the price :)
Wow, the classic vibe really holds its own for a fraction of the price. Solid playing technique certainly helps even the playing field though! ;-)
Darrell, do you find the Fender sets up easier? Neck more stable and requires fewer truss rod adjustments as the seasons change?
I scored my 60s classic Vibe for 190 bucks I plan on some upgrades, but for now don't fix it if it ain't broke. I absolutely love my classic vibe. I own about 15 electric guitars and it has become one my favorite guitars to play out of my collection.
For the hobbyist/amateur band member you can’t go wrong with the Squier CV. Great value for the money. I have a CV Tele and it’s a great sounding and playing guitar. I do use an EQ pedal on my board to round out the tone.
When the playability and price (and appearance?) are so good, adjusting the tone with some new pickups is still MILES cheaper than buying an American Pro. I put Seymours in my Squier CV Tele (thinline!) and it’s a dream for me, for half the price.
You can tell, just a slight difference. The American sounds warmer, slightly better-but not by a whole lot! The Classic Vibe is one of the best deals in guitars to be had. I bought a Classic Vibe Thin line. I put Hipshot locking tuners on it, and a Wilkinson steel bridge with brass compensated saddle and I can't put that sucker down..(lol) My Classic Vibe sounds and plays great! Thanks for the video.
If you just lower the pickup height on a CV, you will get pretty same sound as on Am Pro.
Excellent comparison, love this channel for this, it helps everyone, amateur player-intermediate-professional
Great vid again!
While sound preference is subjective, I prefer the warmer sound from the fender.
Awesome I liked the American better. Now let’s see the tele comparison!
I'm tele guy but each time I hear a strat I'm like I need one of those
4:50 I thought you were about to play Tifa's theme from FFVII lol. Great vid! Makes me want to pick up a classic vibe strat to be honest :)
Here's my go to budget mods for any Squier: Gotoh locking tuners, Wilkinson bridge with steel block, CTS pots, CRL/Oak Grigsby super switch, Switchcraft jack, GraphTech TUSQ or bone nut, Seymour Duncan SSL or GuitarFetish FitsStrat pickups set. And copper/aluminium shielding tape for good measure.
Classic vibe Squiers all come with bone nuts, just sayin'. But a bone nut helps the Affinity and Bullet Squiers.
@@sjlBoise54 Yeah, Classic Vibe comes with bone nuts
Great comparison. I just picked up the Gold 40th Anniversary Squier Strat, and they even put a bone nut on it! Can't beat them for the price, as you have pointed out!
How good is that bone nut setup ? I'd rather have a well cut cheap plastic nut than a incorrect cut bone one
Aha! I'm first in! Thanks for the video, DB!...Pretty cheap to replace the pots and switch and output jack on the Squier, and Fender standard tuners are only about $45. Along with a bone nut, that can really bring the Squier up to par. Even the Affinity series had come a long way.
If you are on a budget, a Classic Vibe plus a Fender Deluxe Reverb for about the same money as an American Professional is very tempting.
I just bought mine yesterday, CV 70's. I'm blown away!
So many dead notes on the Squier. Sounded like the action was too low with fret buzz and fretting out especially on the low strings without even bending. Fix that up and it will sound much better.
I have an 80s squire strat and I adore it, it's now my main guitar when I never thought anything would replace my jaguar, but it's soooo smooth and sweet. 🕺
I have a Squire Classic Vibe 50s Stratocaster coming in fiesta red. It will be interesting to compare it to my 2011 American Standard in Olympic White.
I play my squire classic vibe Jaguar more than any other guitar. It has 65 pickups in it tho. But it has such a great range of sounds.
Classic vibe sounded like it is the choice in a band mix. Fender's more for recording or isolated situations. Most players aspire to being in a band mix as often as possible. Being a neck pickup addict, I found the Squire more articulate and you can't get that to happen with the tone control if it's not there to begin with. I would take a "Skotchbrite" green pad to the back of the neck 1st thing if I bought one. Or even some 220 grit paper, followed by the green pad. I always mask off a stinger transition at each end and then go for the satin finish.
You described it perfectly! Something with the Squier sounded better to my ears. I play in a band 9 times out of 10 and it felt like it would sit in a mix better
Great video, thanks ! You've just demonstrated, and this is true for most brands and guitar kind, that the differences between high and low prices are absolutely no longer justified. For the price of a single Fender ultra you have 5 Squire CV ... Why on earth buying a Fender then ?
Play them each and let your hands decide :) If you're unable to tell a difference between them, or don't think the difference justifies the cost difference, then Squier it is!
Excellent review, Darrell. Thanks. I'm currently looking at getting a CV, and was also drawn to the new Fender Player series. So.... with a CV at £320 and a Player at £895 I think you've made my mind up for me!! Ta.
Nothing like a vibe 50 or 60 fender strat. Beautiful sound. An for the Price you can't go wrong
I have a classic vibe and a Mexican strat. I have to say, the classic vibe is phenomenal for the price, but playing both back to back, there’s no question the Mexican one is more guitar
I agree i have a cv strat and a mexican tele.Both nice but the tele is better.
It’s hard to put into words isn’t it? Like they’re both great quality, but there’s something more balanced and more finely finished with the Mexican. Little details that unmistakingly sets them apart. Is it twice better (at twice the price)? Maybe not, but unmistakingly better
Squiers are mostly praised by people who can't afford Fenders. MiM Players (entry level Fenders) are much better than CVs in any possible way.
@@DavidRFIT I mostly agree. I’d say for a beginner, the squier thinner neck will be more enjoyable. And if you’re on a budget they will give you the most bang fir your buck. But if money isn’t too tight, the MiM is definitely a worthwhile upgrade
@@DavidRFIT I can afford American Fenders. I have a high end custom shop Les Paul too. But the guitar I have taken on stage the last ten years? A Chinese Fender modern player tele I got new for $399. Bone stock. So, like, you're kinda wrong, man.
I prefer the slightly "glassier" (to my ear anyway) tone of the classic Vibe. But I am a huge Buddy Holly fan so that 50s Strat chimey, glassy sound pleases my ears.
Me too! I play almost always through the bridge pickup, straight into a vintage tube amp, with nothing else and nothing in between.
I have a 2013 CV stratocaster in Fiesta red...added tex mex pickups and gold hardware...bet it sounds as good as the American Professional now
Man Squier is killing it . Played an Affinity series Jazzmaster at the local guitar shop - super sweet .
few years ago most guitar under 500 were horrible. But now? There are so many great guitars to choose in that range. I envy those who start learning guitar now.
Man… despite the fact that it’s labelled and been said over and over again for some reason it was stuck in my head that the Fender was a Player series… after listening to the demos I think I’d happily just pick up a used CV and drop in whatever pickups I like. Add some lube to the trem hinge screws and it should be good to go.
the US pro definitely sounds more defined in the lower frequency.. but that squier is worth every cent it costs, and more!
i have never seen an uneven movement from you.even your smile is beautiful.we are proud.
Sorry, Darrell, I totally disagree. I think the CV had treble tone when it needed to, and mellow tone when needed. The CV's p'ups were more balanced, and, to be honest, sounded more like a Strat tone than the 'Pro's' did. SOLD!!
no
@@ULOVEKYLE I agree. Squier too bright for me. The Fender had greater depth of tone.
Well I suppose at the end of the day it’s personal opinion, I prefer a brighter and high treble strat, from personal experience, I’ve had American standards but always ended up selling them Bcus I couldn’t get the tone I was aiming for and I always kept going back to my CV so really it’s personal preference really
I agree with Gordon. Singles coils are meant to be bright. And plus, it’s far better to have brightness and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Plus, single coils are very easy to eq with the amp itself especially with a band eq pedal. With an eq pedal, you can make a single coil sound like a humbucker. But you can’t make a humbucker sound like a single coil.
My fav strat since I bought it in 2011. Finish is unbelievable well done and the pups are also cool. Put in SSL1's and couldn't be happier...
America Professional II goes costs around $2,500 to $3000 in Australia. A 50s Classic Vibe costs around $700. Some of us prefer how the Squier CVs play and pickups are not overly expensive to replace. I am a huge Fender fan but sometimes "American" Fenders are overrated.
More than the guitars, I loved the clean riffs you played Daryll. Thanks for the rundown bhai...
Fender definitely have differing levels of value.
I bought a player strat in 2019. And just got a mod shop strat a couple months ago.
I was blown away at the increased quality of the mod shop guitar. And at more than double the price, it makes sense.
I’ve also played 400.00 squires that melted my face. But they still didn’t feel at comfortable in the hands as the mod shop. Out of the case, that guitar became a constant companion. Even to the point it’s replaced my Schecter, a constant companion, and the guitar i played most live since 2012.
I can’t say enough about the mod shop.
The American strat did have a fuller sound, but it’s supposed to. Now the CV didn’t sound bad at all. I like the sound of the CV because it has that strat quack that I love. I would change the pots and selected switch and go with it. Besides I would buy a used CV for less than $300 and have money to upgrade. I prefer the CV over the American strat. Great comparison
I have a Indonesian squier standard stratocaster 22 frets, alnico pups. In my opinion better than the classic vibe and sometimes I think I'm actually playing a USA FENDER. However I also have a squier bullet strat 21 frets which I have actually installed a classic vibe fully loaded scratch plate. And I must say it is amazing that upgrading that one thing has made this Chinese bullet strat sound like a real deal stratocaster. Obviously there are quality differences but getting back to the the squier standard stratocaster with the 2 point tremolo I am gob smacked it is phenomenal and better than some USA Strats that I have played. I guess I just got lucky and picked up one that was quality controlled from Indonesia. But the classic vibe is a brilliant guitar for the money all the same. Good on you Darren for letting people know that it's not always about the price. And a seasoned player will have no regrets with a classic vibe. I just prefer the 2 point trem, therefore I am stating that the squier standard stratocaster for me is the ultimate squier. Thanks mate.
I also have an Indonesian Squier Standard Strat, two point trem; great guitar. It plays really well and the fit and finish is really nice. I bought it used at a ridiculously low price. Consequently I have no desire to buy a CV. In fact I bought a second brand new Standard for alternate tuning. Second one is Chinese built, the fit and finish is not quite as good, but it plays equally well.
I appreciate this video as I just recently got the squier fiesta red. Loved the look but loved it even more when I played it.
WELL, that was a good comparison. I would have liked for you to mention the listed nut widths vs your measurements for the nut widths, SO I will dock you a point there. And WELL, a mention of the difference of the trems being 2 point vs 6 point would have been helpful too (because some of us are watching this video on our phones), SO that would have been helpful.
I bought an Player Strat new, but on sale for US$539 last year SO, I feel like I got close to an American Player for just over a Classic Vibe price and WELL, sometimes people get lucky. SO, I’m not going to buy either one, but WELL it is always nice to hear an expert’s opinion.
SO, keep up the good work work and… WELL, prepare for winter!
Classic Vibe is an awesome value. Can’t be beat!
The Classic Vibe has a thinner sound, but has more quack in positions 2&4. Using a Nobels ODR fattens it right up when I need it.
I'd say that the pickups in the Fender sound way better, not so much that you'd notice in a bar gig, but if you're recording, you will. Two other things to mention about that the Sienna Sunburst in the American Professional it's an ash body and has a treble bleed on the volume pot. I have one hanging on my wall, mainly used for recording and love it. I also have some cheap Strat Shapes Objects that have an unrefined sound with ceramic pickups that work great at times.
I would love to see you comparing Sterling's vs Music Man's Majesty!
I may be a contrarian here. I think the Fender sounded much more polished than the CV. Don't get me wrong, the CV is what I am going to buy due to overall value. I hear a marked difference. Both tones are nice. The CV is more high frequency heavy and the Fender is nicely balanced timbre. The lower quality electronics are mostly responsible, but the neck style certain impacts the trebly snappiness. I am going to get a maple neck on my CV. So sum it up: liked the American Pro by a wide margin, liked the CV as the winner in value for a non-professional playing guitarist. At this price I can get two CV guitars for the price of one American Pro. Hmm, maybe a CV Strat and another Squier Tele?
My 2020 Sqiier CV 50s Strat has a bone nut. Pickups sound gr8 high or lowered. Trem system works gr8 an she stays in tune even using the trem a good bit ;)
Mine is about 6.5 lbs. The one piece maple neck is nice and the fretwork is jam up !
I made a Gilmour clone with mine . Black guard and bobbed trem arm ;)
Yep. Making a "poor mans" Black Strat also.
I actually prefer the tone of the Squier in this case! It's closer to the Fender Player series as far as I heard from other comparisons, so it's not specific Squier, but still ;)
That squire doesn't have a plastic nut unless you replaced it with one? I have a 2022 CV 60 they come stock with a Bone nut
Bought a CV 60’s Tele a few months ago, made in Indonesia. Fabulous quality and sounds great. £329 incredible value.
I don't know about the CV's but my VM 70'S Strat by Squier is every bit as good a player as my nephews MIM Fender. To the point of my not even considering " upgrading" from my VM.
Good video
Thanks!
They both sound great to me. What I'd be interested in, if you could do it, is a comparison between the classic vibe and a Fender American Standard. I have a 2000 lefthanded model and I'm considering the classic vibe 60s as a second instrument. What do you think?
Hope everyone is having a great day today
I like maple fret board, Squier sounds better to my ear. Few upgrades on the trem or lock it and will stay bin tune.
The Squire had a brighter, cleaner 70's sound .. Beautiful
I like the sound of the Classic Vibe better - so sue me! I'd swap the pickups for Rio Grande Muy Grande or Tallboys, though.
ill take the vibe, i have one in burst it weighs 9 lbs even nice and heavy and i like that. position 2 and 4 is where i play mine. love the maple fretboard
Excellent video and comparison. Looking to get a CV to compliment my American Deluxe HSS from 2005. Great guitar but not really that classic Fender sound because of the SCN noiseless pickups. Missing that bright chime.
Always complete and honest. Thank you Darrel.
Got my 50s CV from Fdnder direct on sale for $259. Best deal in history.
IMHO, the squire sounded more like a ‘Strat’. ‘Balanced’ and ‘sweet’ are rarely adjectives I use to describe classic fender tones. And that’s a good thing…..for me. Having said that, I can see where the am pro is prob much less fussy about getting even string tone (I guess that’s what he meant by ‘balanced’). For me, The ‘bright’, ‘brash’ sound is what makes a strat a strat. My 80’s Japan strat is very finicky about finding it’s sweet spot. I’d love to be able to ‘borrow’ an am pro for a week or two. I might wind up being converted..😊. They both sounded great, IMO.
It's real easy to hear the tone difference, especially in position 4. The Fender has a lot more "range" in the tone. But considering the price difference, the Vibe did not sound too inferior. It still sounded "good", just not quite as "full bodied". Neither are Bad guitars. It's all about what you need vs. what you can afford.
You can replace the electronics
I've been hearing that the frets on the squier wear out quickly?
One thing that you might check for us Darrell is how the neck pocket was routed in the Classic Vibe? Reason being, a lot of people will use the Classic Vibe as a modding platform (which I agree, it does make a solid one) but for example, I have an old Squier that I really liked, but the frets finally wore out, and a new fret job was more than the guitar, so I tried a warmoth neck (which have always worked great for me) and the neck pocket in the Squier was just unusable. It wasn't deep enough and the screw holes were slightly off center. I think it'd be great to see if the Classic Vibes have remedied that and a new Fender Roasted Maple neck would fit for example!
That can be a reason to get an actual Fender versus the Classic Vibe if you plan to keep it and play it the rest of your life
Thanks Derrel! You do a solid and fair review of these instruments. A believe a person could by a guitar based on your results
I actually preferred the Classic Vibe on tone. I just wish it had the two point trem
It's like buying stock when you find a"value" like a CV 50's Strat or Tele. I bought a couple years ago when they were Chinese (tho the new Indo made aren't bad either!) and $350 - and look! They are now $450! Yay me! For recording at home they are my go-to little BEASTS. 🎸
On my cheap computer speakers, they sound very similar.
I play bass, but I bought a CV 50s Strat as my first electric. Paid 125.00 USD. Was played like 5 times before, no nicks or scratches. With a little EQing, I get some really nice tones. Bought some allparts classic tuners that match apple to apples. Helps keep it in tune .
Definitely brighter and punchier tone on all positions with the Classic Vibe and there are times when that would be a good thing. Still, very classic Fender sound from the CV as well as the AP. The one thing I noticed is a noticeable lack of sustain on the CV. The American Professional rang on quite nicely. In the end I was very impressed with the CV. I have a MIM HSS that I like on all points better than the 80s American Standard I used to own. Long live the Strat! Thanks for making this video.
Any difference I could hear can easily be explained away by the fretboard wood. Outside of that, maybe the mid's in the AP, ,but not $1400 better :) I own a 60's Squire. It's GREAT!! I also have two American made Fender's and would value $500 - $750 more for American made. As for the neck, well a bit of steel wool fixed that :)
That might well be why the Squier sounded glassier than the American (the lacquered maple neck is far more reflective than the softer sound of the un-lacquered rosewood).
I have a classic vibe strat and a player plus strat... I have modified my claasic vibe with better pickups vs the original... Both guitars sound great...my Squier has a more dynamic sound though as the Player Plus has noisless pickups which is less dynamic...
Overall I like the tone of the CV & it's arguably a bit different than the standard but...keep this in mind.
After I bought my CV (exactly like the one Darrell presented here) I was so discouraged by the overall workmanship.
The bad: The setup was awful, the low E tuning machine wouldn't hold a tune, the neck needed adjustment, the block/tremolo Fender used was not any better than you'd find on a Glarry (less than a $100 guitar) lastly the fretting was uneven in the 1st position quite badly and the strings we're crap.
Okay now the good:
After replacing the tuners (with vintage style locking tuners), leveled and crowned the frets, set the neck, replaced the block & bridge, tightened the 1/4 output jack, added some D'Addario NYXL strings, set the string and new saddles height and lastly the intonation and now I have a very playable Fender that sounds good.
Overall cost was $120ish. Overall time, way to much! to get it dialed in to my liking.
My 2 cents: if your going to buy the CV, be prepared for what appears to be a wide variation in factory set ups! If I'd paid to have this work done it could of easily hit the $250 price mark, so keep this in mind. You may get one from the factory like Darrell that's reasonably set up with no issues and then you may not. If you know your way around setting guitars up, no worries. If you don't consider the cost of having a guitar tech, setting it up for you. You'll still be way under the cost of a standard.
One thing that seems to be getting lost (IMHO) is; Darrell's Squire is a Classic Vibe 50s model, not a CV 60s, or CV 70s. And each model attempts to get *The Vibe* of that era, one of which is the sound of the PUPS of said era. Anywho, I couldn't tell the difference *IN Sound* between the CV & the Fender Strat, except the CV seemed to be a tad louder. And I'm fairly sure that can be 'corrected' by that Vol Control Knob thingy. /s 😜 (ditto for any 'brightness issue' w/ the tone control). Oh, in the interest of full disclosure, I own a Squire Classic Vibe 50s & have since 2012 and I luvs it! I play that Strat more than any of my other 5 & all my Eleven (11) guitars put together, including my American Strat & my '86 MIJ Fender Strat beauty. [Rock On! 👍]
When ya get down to it at this level it's all about the letters on the headstock, that will decide ya.
There are Classic Vibes and Classic Vibes .. my Chinese Classic Vibe Tele is a brilliant guitar - but my Indonesian Classic Vibe Strat is decent at best. I like it but I had to polish the frets myself and the action is a little higher than I'd like. The build quality is a little iffy with one or two wonky screws for example. The Tele though is at least as good as some US Fenders I've had.
i would never get a guitar with 2 screws on the trem, it will lift over time like mine did, cant believe they went with 2 on the top model!
I agree, its a bad design. Thats why I stick with vintage type stuff
Greggo isn’t tucking on in with the two screw trem? C’mon mate!
Im done with those as well . I figure if Jimi an Stevie didnt need it then neither do I ;)
I prefer them I think they stay In tune much better.
I don't understand your comment, are you talking about troubles with a two point trem system? I have a 1/2 dozen guitars with two point trems, one I bought in '90 and the newest is about 10 years old, never had any problem. To the best of my memory, they were not marketed until the late 80's, so yeah, the musicians that died before then did not use them