uk_lefty Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 I've read very good things about the Squier classic vibe series. So when I was looking for an electric guitar I got a classic vibe tele second hand off tinternet. Needless to say I'm OK with it but it hasn't blown my socks off. Granted I've miniscule experience with electric guitars but I've got good experience with basses from Westfield through MIM and MIJ Fenders to USA Stingrays. I had heard so much good stuff about the classic vibe series I was somehow expecting more. The natural finish body just looks pants, the feel is a bit glossy and sticky, the sound is good enough... What am I missing? It's making me think twice about the vintage modified basses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 My bands guitarists both have excellent and expensive taste in guitars. They were impressed by it, one of them wants to go and buy one! Obviously my lack of knowledge, or comparison to my more expensive basses, is evident! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 1 hour ago, uk_lefty said: My bands guitarists both have excellent and expensive taste in guitars. They were impressed by it, one of them wants to go and buy one! Obviously my lack of knowledge, or comparison to my more expensive basses, is evident! Cant you sell it to them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 56 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: Cant you sell it to them? They're right handed, so unlikely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 I know a couple of very good guitarists, who own the natural Telecaster version and say great things about them. I own a Classic Vibe Stratocaster. It's a beautiful thing, it's put together very well and the back of the neck is matt. Here's picture. Can anybody tell what colour it is? I think it's seafoam green but I'm not sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 24 minutes ago, gjones said: I know a couple of very good guitarists, who own the natural Telecaster version and say great things about them. I own a Classic Vibe Stratocaster. It's a beautiful thing, it's put together very well and the back of the neck is matt. Here's picture. Can anybody tell what colour it is? I think it's seafoam green but I'm not sure? That looks very much like Sonic blue in that picture. Seafoam green is a much darker, the second darkest compared to sherwood green (I almost bought a sherwood green strat when a shop was closing out). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: That looks very much like Sonic blue in that picture. Seafoam green is a much darker, the second darkest compared to sherwood green (I almost bought a sherwood green strat when a shop was closing out). I used to have a sonic blue strat but this one is a very pale green. Edited January 26, 2020 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 1 minute ago, gjones said: I used to have a sonic blue strat but this one is a very pale green. Well, I am pretty sure that they didn't do a seafoam green in the original classic vibes, and if they did, it is very green. Trouble is that fenders colours change quite a bit. Here is seafoam green: https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-guitars/stratocaster/fender-vintera-50s-strat-sea-foam-green And here is sonic blue: https://www.andertons.co.uk/fender-american-performer-mustang-rw-satin-sbl Maybe it is a bad colour cast on the picture looks closer to sonic blue than seafoam green. I always thought sonic blue was green anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 13 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: Well, I am pretty sure that they didn't do a seafoam green in the original classic vibes, and if they did, it is very green. Trouble is that fenders colours change quite a bit. Here is seafoam green: https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-guitars/stratocaster/fender-vintera-50s-strat-sea-foam-green And here is sonic blue: https://www.andertons.co.uk/fender-american-performer-mustang-rw-satin-sbl Maybe it is a bad colour cast on the picture looks closer to sonic blue than seafoam green. I always thought sonic blue was green anyway. This is very informative. It appears that mine is the sea foam FSR version, from 2013. http://www.alston-family.co.uk/CVs/indexcv.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 Ignoring the colour for now which I am not sure we could agree on - are you really sure that is a classic vibe? I just sold my classic vibe PBass and in common with all other originals they have really yellow stained necks and yellowy cream pickup covers and volume / tone knobs, unless the new ones are different? Also the necks are heavily varnished, rather than matt, unless yours has been modified. I know a lot of people complained about that. Like that one you linked to up there - yours doesn't have that at all, your pickups and knobs are actually whiter than the pick gaurd material. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 (edited) @gjones that Strat looks to be the same colour as my CV P bass, which is Sonic Blue. I'm not sure whether it's a Classic Vibe for certain - but I would guess that they may have released a Strat in the same colour, during the 1st runs of Classic Vibe instruments. I played a CV Strat in Sunburst, and though I'm no guitarist (I dabble a bit, occasionally) it seemed a well put-together, nicely finished guitar, and felt very comfortable to play IMO. My CV Precision is absolutely lovely. I need to thin the P bass herd, and I'm not selling that one. It's my first choice when I need a Precision. Super comfortable neck, quite lightweight, lovely construction quality & finish, and great sound. I previously had a Fiesta Red CV Precision, and foolishly sold it. That was among the slightly later batch of Classic Vibes, and still great quality, though my 2009 CV is a tad nicer still. Those early China made CV's are really superb. The newer Indonesian made CV's are pretty good instruments, but I've played a few now, and they're not in the same league as the earlier China made CV's. Construction of the Indonesian CV's is good, but the finish is not quite as nice, they don't seem quite as good quality and just don't "feel" quite as nice to play. The few I've tried in shops, also seem a little heavier. I didn't take scales with me to check the weight (lol) but they did seem heavier.... Like I say though, they are pretty good instruments - just not as good as the Chinese CV's I really wish I'd bought that Sunburst Strat I tried.... and I really really wish I'd kept my Fiesta Red CV Precision EDIT: Re the glossy finish on the necks - I used a super fine abrasive cloth on my CV P bass neck. It has made the finish feel more smooth, and "quicker" / less likely to be "sticky" when I'm sweating, whilst retaining its' appearance i.e. I haven't taken much off the surface of the finish EDIT2: - Apologies @uk_lefty - I meant to ask whether your CV was a Chinese or Indonesian one? Edited January 27, 2020 by Marc S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, Marc S said: @gjones that Strat looks to be the same colour as my CV P bass, which is Sonic Blue. I'm not sure whether it's a Classic Vibe for certain - but I would guess that they may have released a Strat in the same colour, during the 1st runs of Classic Vibe instruments. I played a CV Strat in Sunburst, and though I'm no guitarist (I dabble a bit, occasionally) it seemed a well put-together, nicely finished guitar, and felt very comfortable to play IMO. My CV Precision is absolutely lovely. I need to thin the P bass herd, and I'm not selling that one. It's my first choice when I need a Precision. Super comfortable neck, quite lightweight, lovely construction quality & finish, and great sound. I previously had a Fiesta Red CV Precision, and foolishly sold it. That was among the slightly later batch of Classic Vibes, and still great quality, though my 2009 CV is a tad nicer still. Those early China made CV's are really superb. The newer Indonesian made CV's are pretty good instruments, but I've played a few now, and they're not in the same league as the earlier China made CV's. Construction of the Indonesian CV's is good, but the finish is not quite as nice, they don't seem quite as good quality and just don't "feel" quite as nice to play. The few I've tried in shops, also seem a little heavier. I didn't take scales with me to check the weight (lol) but they did seem heavier.... Like I say though, they are pretty good instruments - just not as good as the Chinese CV's I really wish I'd bought that Sunburst Strat I tried.... and I really really wish I'd kept my Fiesta Red CV Precision EDIT: Re the glossy finish on the necks - I used a super fine abrasive cloth on my CV P bass neck. It has made the finish feel more smooth, and "quicker" / less likely to be "sticky" when I'm sweating, whilst retaining its' appearance i.e. I haven't taken much off the surface of the finish EDIT2: - Apologies @uk_lefty - I meant to ask whether your CV was a Chinese or Indonesian one? On 26/01/2020 at 19:04, Woodinblack said: Ignoring the colour for now which I am not sure we could agree on - are you really sure that is a classic vibe? I just sold my classic vibe PBass and in common with all other originals they have really yellow stained necks and yellowy cream pickup covers and volume / tone knobs, unless the new ones are different? Also the necks are heavily varnished, rather than matt, unless yours has been modified. I know a lot of people complained about that. Like that one you linked to up there - yours doesn't have that at all, your pickups and knobs are actually whiter than the pick gaurd material. I think I've found it. It was sold to me as a CV Strat but reading up about them, they started manufacturing them in 2009 and mine is a 2007. I do believe it's a Daphne Blue Deluxe, like one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Squier-Deluxe-Stratocaster-Fingerboard-Daphne/dp/B001MW7WV0?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duc08-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B001MW7WV0 Edited January 27, 2020 by gjones 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinB Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Those Deluxe strats have a great reputation as well. I was very tempted by a pearl white metallic one, but I ended up getting a Classic Vibe 60s - an older Chinese one in burgundy mist metallic, which is really more of a lilac, but still looks boss: I actually really like the gloss neck... but then there's very little danger of anyone asking me to play guitar live, so I don't need to worry whether it might be sticky 😆 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 I also almost picked up a burgundy mist one at some point as Gak were kicking them out cheap, but couldn't get with the non maple neck for some reason at the time. Regret it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 11 hours ago, MartinB said: Those Deluxe strats have a great reputation as well. I was very tempted by a pearl white metallic one, but I ended up getting a Classic Vibe 60s - an older Chinese one in burgundy mist metallic, which is really more of a lilac, but still looks boss: I actually really like the gloss neck... but then there's very little danger of anyone asking me to play guitar live, so I don't need to worry whether it might be sticky 😆 @@MartinB - I saw these were on offer some time back Most of the other CV guitars had sold, and a few retailers had some of these left - they must have been a less popular colour But as you also think - the colour is superb IMO. I was so tempted at the time, and when the offer ended, I was kicking myself I bought myself a rather nice second-hand blue MIM Strat .... and there's not much chance of me being asked to play that live either - so you are not alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 (edited) On 26/01/2020 at 17:38, gjones said: I know a couple of very good guitarists, who own the natural Telecaster version and say great things about them. I own a Classic Vibe Stratocaster. It's a beautiful thing, it's put together very well and the back of the neck is matt. Here's picture. Can anybody tell what colour it is? I think it's seafoam green but I'm not sure? Daphne Blue? Re. Squier VM basses - for the money, I think they're ace! Really solid & reliable...and pretty! Use mine every week at open mic. Edited January 28, 2020 by Teebs 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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