JAZZMASTER REVIEW #1: Squier Classic Vibe Review & Demo!

[@harry_mair]

Unprompted praise for including timestamps

[@Puisheen]

I always try to remember that

[@dandean2345]

This guitar is great and can play perfectly without upgrades. The vibrato blade is usually rough and clicks with poor tuning. Dismantle trem and file the blade smooth and rounded , a little 3 in 1 Put spring under heel an compress 30 times, reassemble .

[@GingerTaylorMusic]

That "yeah" at the end of the intro made me so happy

[@MisguidedAndMaladjusted]

I just received my Classic Vibe yesterday. It is my first off see guitar and oddly enough, the purchase was made not too long after my discovery of your channel. I love the way this guitar feels in my hands and I am going to begin modding it tomorrow on my day off. I am very grateful for your modding suggestions because I have never attempted any mods on my own. Your channel is absolute gold. thank you for the time you put in to your videos.

[@RichardCorral]

I got a lefty version. I love mine. It's so hard to find lefty offsets.

[@williambartels2427]

I hear ya brother! I’m a lefty too and have that same issue. I might get me one of these babies though.

[@johnm3946]

Trying to get one for my friend and it's gonna be mid March till it comes in.

[@ronrobins3513]

@@rooze8017 mod shop if you got the dough ☺️

[@josephpickard3108]

I've had other Fender lefties from Japan and this is on a par with them. Love mine. Arguably the best guitar I've ever bought. Insane value. Now I just need Puisheen to set it up!

[@jaimetrevino4650]

I'm planning on getting one as well! amazon lol

[@alfred1956]

Growing up in the 90s. Listening to bands like nirvana, sonic youth I fell in love with the look of the jazzmaster, jaguar and when I saw they had a lefthanded version I snatch this baby up. So glad I did because this 400 dollar guitar is worth every penny and more!

[@pmgcls11]

This is the most helpful (and entertaining) review I've ever found. I really like your emphasis on subjectivity, while still summing up the pros and cons of the CV. Extremely underrated channel, keep up the great work :)

[@mattiasjp]

I own a CV Jazzmaster. I bought it to try out the offset thing and see if it was for me. I’ve played guitar for 30 years and owned quite a few different guitars, but never an offset. Sometimes a purchase like that will be a guitar you play and enjoy for a short time, but this has kept being my go-to guitar since I bought it. So much more fun than a strat to me.

[@Puisheen]

Wow that's rad! I'm so glad it worked out for you, and yeah, I just don't find most Strats all that fun. I think there are only four that I've played over the years that I would have wanted to own

[@jfmaddox9]

Mike, your channel is my favorite guitar channel on KZbin. Keep killing it!

[@Puisheen]

OMG JOHN NO WAY THANK YOU

[@jas8012]

Great review! I appreciate the non blues/ heavy metal riffs. Playing style was spot on. Thanks

[@TheUnknownReject]

Can't wait to see his opinion on the Jim Root jazzmaster

[@Puisheen]

Neither can I!

[@giordanorivolta4012]

Jim Root Jazzmaster = no Jazzmaster pickups, no vibrato, no rhythm circuit (even no tone regulation in general), no string behind the bridge...you haven't to wait a video: it's clearly 1000% the anti-Mike Jazzmaster :D

[@Puisheen]

@@giordanorivolta4012 You're correct but like I'm trying to at least look like I'm keeping an open mind over here. Although I do love metal

[@Newfieboy9908]

I'd kinda love to see Mike's opinions on something totally not his thing though, it would be a fun vid

[@Puisheen]

@@Newfieboy9908 Oh we'll get there for SURE

[@grimhasty3597]

A while back I put a fair bit of money into buying a Fender Jaguar and started to regret it thinking I maybe should've got a Fender JM instead. I avoided the Squier models as I really had no experience with them and wasn't sure if they were up to spec (similarly to how Epiphone compare with Gibson nowadays). That said, this video really gave me confidence that I could pick up the Squier JM without needing to spend £1k+ on a Fender model! Thanks as always for the really informative video!

[@ryanboshell6124]

@Grimhasty. I just got one 2 weeks ago. Absolutely my favourite guitar and I own a Fender Strat, and Epiphone Les Paul and a Gibson Les Paul standard!

[@TSFAHTPS]

Looking forward to the series...the intro track was KILLER - the octave/reverb/fuzz sound at the end of it was HUGE!!!

[@Puisheen]

HEY FRIEND I LOVE YOU AND YOUR CONTENT! Thank you, that's all the Fuck, the Loomer, the Flint, and my Whammy up front!

[@davepatterson4774]

I just picked one of these up at a pawn shop here in Seattle for $320. Luckily, the prior owner got it set up decently. I love it! I bought one of the last two J Mascis Jazzmasters still available in the state (@ GC, at least) a couple of months ago and I'm now smitten with the versatility, tones and feel of offsets. I'm having fun switching between the two on various songs and using dropped and alternate tunings. I will say that I prefer the neck of the J Mascis more, but I like differences in the pickups for what they are. The pots suck in both. Next and only upgrades needed, imo. I just happened to stumble upon your channel. Cool beans! Subscribed. Diggin' the tones you're getting. Cheers!

[@sunofra7488]

I just got the same claseic vibe a couple weeks and have watched a few of your videos on offset guitars. I never knew how much different they are from other guitars, im loving it. Your work on these videos are appreciated.

[@Puisheen]

[@jessethetodd]

I have this same model and color - absolutely love it and thanks to your setup tips (adding a shim which for me was .75 degree, raising the bridge to the right height to get the break angle better, and stringing with 10s) it sounds and plays great!

[@KristofferPaulsen]

I second this. I had a red one and it was FANTASTIC for the money. Much more accurate, as you say, than many of the more expensive ones.

[@twilliamsusmc]

I picked one up recently and have no complaints. It plays what I play fine and it stays in tune as good as any of my others.

[@ClamsAnonymous]

In 2018 I was on tour with a ska/reggae band, playing bass. The guitar player's old Ampeg amp had some issues, and we happened to be close to Mike and Mike's Guitar Bar, so we took it there to get fixed. I instantly fell in love with the store and it's become my favorite guitar shop, even though I live a few states away. Cut to now, I've just started a job as a repair tech and my disdain for Jazzmasters and Jaguars has completely transformed into a love/obsession, simply by working on them and having to figure out how to make them play and sound great. I am absolutely a testament to how these wonderful guitars are often misunderstood and unfairly considered as "less than" the venerable Strats and Teles that I've loved for so long. This channel has become my favorite place to go to learn and share in the joy of offset guitars. A warm attitude, some great information, honest assessments of the instruments, and some really fucking great guitar playing.

[@Puisheen]

Hey this is super kind, thank you so much!

[@SkullsandTarot]

Just pulled the trigger on one, based on your informative review. You hit all the important bullet points. Thank you for your effort.

[@orionsnebula6198]

Thanks for your information and recommendation for the classic vibe Jazzmaster. I'm playing guitar for about 25 years and own a bunch of Strats and Teles and always loved the looks of Fenders offset guitars. While watching your videos I got into serious GAS and ordered a Classic vibe Jazzmaster in Sunburst. I also ordered a Stew Mac shim....what is freaking expensive because of the shipping to Germany. But it was worth it. It plays great after setting it up like you recommend it in your videos. I still love my Strats but it is a real alternative and for the moment my most played guitar. Thanks for your videos and your great tips.

[@eddieriviello]

Thoroughly enjoyed this review, and I'm excited to check out all the offset reviews you've got in the pipeline! I've been trying to decide on my first offset, so this series will definitely help me out heaps!

[@Puisheen]

Eddie, thank you so much for watching!

[@victorb656]

Just got mine a week ago, largely based off this video. Many decades playing and never a Jazzmaster… Thank you, it’s awesome! Mine (a ridic steal “used/like new” from amz @$320…that was literally New) came decently set up, bridge well up and floating, action comfy and super playable. No shim yet, doesn’t seem nec so far. Swapped out the pickguard yesterday for a gold anodized and BEAUTY. Love it. Setting intonation with such a mobile bridge was surprising (it frickin MOVES) but got the hang and am loving playing it. Love your vibe, presentation, and tone, happy new fan of the channel.

[@MaartenAnna]

Wow, super insightful video on a model I completely overlooked (I went straight to the Strat when I bought my first guitar 2 months ago).

[@vincentribeil3832]

I’m an old bass player who wants to dive into guitar world and compose songs. A friend gave me for a long test his American Vintage '62 Jazzmaster. I absolutely enjoyed. So I am looking for a JM. And the Squier CV looks perfect for the budget I have and for being a first step. Thanks so much for your advice and description. You convinced me in trying one and surely take it home with me after a good setup. Thanks 👍

[@Andreee248]

Did you ever get one? if so how is it?

[@vincentribeil3832]

Sorry, I haven't seen your question. Yes I did. And I'm absolutely in love with this guitar for 1 year and a half. Bought it in a shop, after trying it with a friend who knows guitar better than me. Got it to a luthier for a good setup. And it rules. @Puisheen advices helped me to maintain this setup. The 60 CV Jazzmaster is so damm cool. I played several times with my friend and his AV62, and the CV really makes the jobs. I can assure you. If you looking for it, you won't make a mistake by giving it a go. @@Andreee248

[@dramvids]

I bought a brand new Classic 60s Made In Japan Fender Jazzmaster in candy apple red with matching headstock earlier this year in Byron Bay. Made in 2016 so I'm not sure if it counts as a current model, but it's an absolute joy to play. I'm keeping everything stock.

[@lakelly67]

The right video at the right time for me. I primarily play a tele, but am ready to dive into the offset world. I've been between a Squier CV and something like the Vintera 60's. For the money / quality, this seems like a no brainer. I would also feel much more comfortable modifying a $400 instrument and gaining some knowledge and skills around bridge replacement, shimming, etc. Can't wait for the other videos!!

[@Puisheen]

Lauren thanks for watching! Honestly, I feel like the CV is such an easy choice, and surprisingly good for the cash. Still, either way you go you'll end up with a cool guitar!

[@danielcruz1263]

Killer video man! Whatever you kicked on at 0:52 rocked my socks off. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the J Mascis Signature Squier

[@BrandonKJohnson]

I got the JM in a trade a few months ago. I LOVE IT!!

[@Puisheen]

I believe that would be the Keeley Loomer and a Whammy with the Octave Down!

[@GTdesigner]

I know this comment is old and probably won’t be read, but I played this guitar in a shop today and I’ll be making sure this is the next guitar I own. I played everything in the shop from Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, PRS, Schecter, Gretchen, and any other guitar in arm’s reach. I never understood the term “this guitar spoke to me” until this one. It just felt right. There was one other weirdo between a PRS and a Les Paul that felt good, but this one really jumped out. Thanks for giving me some more info about a rad guitar.

[@chrisgeorge4325]

I have the same Olympic White Classic Vibe Jazzmaster and it has completely blown me away...I cannot fault the finish or quality...the Fender designed Alnico pickups sound stunning...especially that mid position...the Trem is a little clunky on occasion but keeps tune without any problem...also agree the neck pitch and bridge height are wrong...this has obviously been a labour cost cutting measure in the factory...but I think the guitar is a keeper...the offsets are highly underrated and definitely Fender's greatest design ! Great video !

[@rivulus]

This series is going to give me gas.

[@robertbodle2354]

i have this model and i thought i was going crazy because i thought the pickups sounded amazing and i doubted my ears but still was reluctant to swap or "upgrade" the pups. so, the only thing i did was slap a diff nec - lacquer model - and mastery vibrato, and this puppy is set and forget - didn't even need a set up. mike is spot on in his review, imo. cheers.

[@duhwolf]

Just grabbed the lefty on a whim. Brought it to a jam to dial it in and it’s pretty dang versatile. Plays like butter, the neck is nice and sleek. Once I figure out how to dial my pickups the way I like, I think it’ll be a regular!

[@the92project]

Got my Jazzmaster CV 2 days ago and it’s incredible. I own expensive guitars including an LP R9 so I’m not gonna sugar coat how great the guitar is. It’s not perfect out of the box, it did need a good neck condition and the frets were rough. Both easy to fix. The tuners are great, pick ups great, bridge and tremolo great. Truly astonishing how good this is. I’m using 9-46 and I have no problems at all, no need to shim the neck, the action and intonation were perfect out of the box. The guitar stays in tune with moderate trem use. What else can I say. If you are experienced doing set ups just get it.

[@crossbones911]

I bought mine directly from Fender's website and I didnt have to mess with it at all. Action was good, frets were good, nut was good. Very happy with it.

[@bluebooper]

As a lefty, this make and model is my only shot of getting a jazzmaster. So I really appreciate you making this video and giving your detailed thoughts! I'm so relieved to find out you're a proponent of them! Thanks so much 🙂❤️

[@xzatious]

Yes! Thank you for not going the "send me stuff Fender" route. I can't stand those unboxing shill videos. Fender is probably sad though, I bet they had an Acoustasonic in the box all ready to send you.

[@Puisheen]

Get ready for a curve ball: I actually liked the Acoustasonic. Which was both surprising and upsetting for me, trust me

[@RickMcVick]

@@Puisheen I too laughed and chortled at the Acoustisonic. Then I played it and dammit I liked it.

[@Puisheen]

@@RickMcVick I reeeeally wasn't sure when I went to the offices, but they pulled one out and had me play it, and it was such an easy fit. If I had to play acoustic on stage, no brainer

[@ryanwhite5482]

They've done a tele acoustisonic, a strat acoustisonic, maybe next up is an offset acoustisonic? 😬

[@Puisheen]

@@ryanwhite5482 I would honestly not be surprised. Did you see the little Jazzmaster ukes?! LIL BABIESSSS

[@Mr1967flyingv]

Hi Mike, Thanks for this demo. Love your guitar playing!!!

[@sameap]

Thanks Mike for the review, I've got mine Squier JM -made in Indonesia! (c.v. in sonic-blue) since 10 months: played and sounded great right in the store. For my peace of mind replaced bridge and trem for that wonderful Staytrem stuff (UK-made) and Kluson tuners (Japan-made). No need to change the pups: they sound full , clean and twangy in my ears. Yeah, I'm very pleased with this serie of Squier guitars. Best regards from Amsterdam!

[@humberfnukkels9031]

Can you link the tuners and trem u bought?

[@sameap]

@@humberfnukkels9031 Hi, the kluson tuners bought with Thomann-Germany and check the website of Staytrem (UK), good luck!

[@buckdown2464]

Strong recommend for the Kluson Supremes. Straight drop in replacement on a Squier 60s classic vibe, and so silky. Been trying out all kinds of locking tuners on different guitars (hip shot, graph tech, gotoh) and honestly - the straight Kluson Supremes blow all of them away. The 18:1 ratio makes them capable of fine detail and hold tune better than any of my locking tuners Kluson 6 In Line Supreme Series Tuning Machines With Staggered Posts Nickel With Metal Oval Button a.co/d/6E4rYR3

[@buddhamus]

The Jazzmaster has been added to my Want List. I most likely get a Squire CV Jazzmaster so your review and comments were greatly appreciated. Now I just need to figure out if I want a new one or a used one.

[@Iver-pr1wo]

I bought one of these just after Christmas, TOTALLY LOVE IT! I have sense put the Fender trem on it, and Mastery bridge. I never thought I would love ANY guitar as much as my Korina Explorer, but I love this one just as much, totally different sound to it, PERFECT for Surf guitar. I TOTALLY RECAMEND IT! Great review, Thank you!

[@jordanebacher]

Do you think that putting in the mastery bridge was worth it? (I'm thinking about picking up one of these jazzmasters)

[@danielevanrodriguez9956]

Thank you for this video, this series, and for STARTING with the CVJM! After getting a new Squier Bass VI earlier this year, I became addicted to this line of offsets and now have a little family unit with the matching Classic Vibe Jag and Jazzmaster. I’ve got them setup and upgraded all the same way: StewMac 1 Degree angled neck shim, NOS AVRI ‘62 pickups, Fender AmPro bridge with the 9.5 radius, post stabilizers, and updated narrow spacing, Classic Player trem (I’m not a heavy trem user so I was happy to save a little coin while still getting the vintage look and button lock), and a Mastery MST string tree. I think you nailed it when you said this is the JM to get over some of the MIM models - in my opinion the fact that the “blueprint” of this guitar is vintage-spec where you’d want it for upgrade purposes is a feature, not a bug. After the upgrades and a little bit of nut work and fretboard care, my CV’s have completely satisfied my offset lust outside of a Thin Skin AO, Johnny Marr Jag, or MIJ Hybrid 60’s (AKA unobtainium in the USA).

[@Puisheen]

Yeah, I always recommend these over MIM for modding. They're just great basic guitars! Love everything you said

[@jackmalcic2949]

Been following you on Instagram for years, this is my first time seeing a KZbin video of yours. I really enjoyed hearing you talk about this guitar, I've been tempted by the Classic Vibe / Vintage Modified Jazzmasters for a long time. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on more guitars in the future!

[@Puisheen]

Thank you Jack!

[@tituschalk]

Really just discovering this channel and watching it all back - and I can safely you are a wonderful, generous dude and I’m so grateful for what you do. Many thanks!

[@wrxguyusa]

Bought a new 2022 Squier Classic Vibe and found the neck was already pitched, the bridge was up, and it was strung with 10s. Setup-wise, string height was exactly to Fender's spec and intonation was right on. Electronics, fretwork, and the vibrato were the only things that makes me aware that it is a budget product. Easy things to remedy.

[@henryhester1897]

GREAT REVIEW! I’m about to go on a journey with 2011 Jazzmaster vintage modified Custom Sunburst with maple neck (yes, with Strat input and concentric knobs). $225. To be honest the Maple neck like my past favorite Fenders really sold me. I’m doing a Bixby vibrato (for dumb fun really) Wilkinson humbuckers, Mustang bridge along with some black components. I’ll play it stock while waiting for China to come through and then take it to a luthier here in San Diego for transformation. Thank you for your series on offsets.

[@maxy-m6d]

I want this as my first guitar, i’ve currently been playing a vintage washburn electric bass for a year, but i really want a guitar, and the jazz master has been my dream guitar

[@fleshbhones]

This series is after my heart...

[@telecasterbear]

Well Mikey, old pal, I have done it. I pulled the trigger on a Squier Classic Vibe Jazzmaster. My band mate was interested in a guitar with a variety of sounds, and a tremolo. I shall take delivery next week and follow your brilliant set up steps. Then I will see if he likes it and give it to him. Shhhhhhhhh.

[@rafaelcabralwilliams]

I juat recieved my very first jazzmaster, of course a classic vibe Squier, now I'm having so much fun setting it up, working the frets, the fretboard, adjusting every single aspect of it, also I'm definitly upgrading towards a AVRI tremolo and a bone nut.

[@mrjdsummers]

This is going to be a great series. I’m excited to see more.

[@Puisheen]

Thank you for watching!

[@duanefogle1666]

I'M 69YR.OLD, HAVE SEVERAL EXPENSIVE GUITARS ACCUMULATED OVER MY 55 YEARS OF PLAYING. 2-5K RANGE. A HUGE "HOWEVER;" I MUST LIQUIDATE, AND RETURN TO A MORE PRACTICAL LIFESTYLE: "COMFORT ZONE!!" THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE IN YOUR SUBSCRIBED CHANNEL, YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THE ABSOLUTE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, MY FRIEND...A SUPER GUITAR THAT IS LIGHT, COMFORTABLE IN EVERY WAY. LOW INVESTMENT WITH ALL THE GUITAR I NEED..

[@redielg]

I love mine. But +1 on them requiring a set up. I got those neck shims from stew mac and plastic sleeves to stop the bridge from rocking. The fret ends were the worst. Kept slicing up my fingers.

[@benjaminherreralizana3937]

really interested in this guitar, however I don't see myself being able to set it up without having to spend some extra buck more (I have no tools at all, live in a students apartment in another country). Would you say then it still is worth it, or rather get something that guaranteed won't need a setup out of the box (if that even exist at that price point)

[@redielg]

@@benjaminherreralizana3937 all you need is a screwdriver and some sand paper or a file for the fret ends. Great guitar for the price. You can upgrade/modify the crap out of me one day when you get your own place and income.

[@benjaminherreralizana3937]

@@redielg appreciate your answer!

[@redielg]

@@benjaminherreralizana3937 hell yeah man. Hope you get one.

[@greymurdock2]

The jazzmaster chose me 12 years ago when I played it for the first time. My favorite guitar to this day. I could barely afford it and got a discount. So happy I still have after all the guitars I’ve gone through

[@daysofbeingwildmx]

I'd love to see a video on the CV Jaguar. Great content as always, thank you for your insight

[@major_organ]

this is what i've been waiting for! as an offset lover, it's great to get your opinion and hear what you have to say! can't wait for more in the series!

[@Puisheen]

Avery thank you so much for watching!

[@paulstaffordcook8799]

Great and knowledgeable review, thanks for uploading 👍

[@rabbamonkey]

Great review but just note that the upgrade to a Mastery bridge and vibrato pretty much equates to the same cost of the CV Jazzmaster itself! in the UK at least

[@AlinFlorida]

Thank you, Mike, for your detailed review! Last June ('23) I found a new CV JM in the color I wanted, which was on sale. I'm very happy with it. And the neck didn't need to be shimmed! (Phew!) The bridge sits fairly high off the body, so there is lots of break angle and the factory strings (9s) play just fine- even when played hard. Perhaps, they are shimming all of the JM necks in the Indonesian factory now? It did need some work, though. The neck was a mess- (very) dry fretboard, dull frets with sharp ends, and some were high. Nothing I couldn't fix. The pickups are pretty quiet- not much 60 cycle hum. It turns out that the body cavity was painted with black shielding paint. I still lined the cavity with copper foil, but it didn't make any difference. So what mods did I make? Descendant vibrato, which fixed the tuning stability problems after deep dives. Also, the original whammy bar arrangement was driving me nuts. The Descendant's bar goes on and off easily (with no wear) and is adjustable without removing the assembly. I got a set of thimble sleeves to keep the bridge from shifting out of place. It works fine now (and still rocks)- no need to upgrade. (Ordered them from FuzzHugger on Reverb.) A drop of blue Locktite on the bridge pins. A set of 11-54 strings. They just sound better. (Yes, I could have fiddled with my amp's settings, instead. But I didn't.) It's a great guitar now and I love it! Again, thank you, Mike, for your insight, guidance and recommendations. PS- That bit you were playing beginning at 8:30 into the video was fantastic! I'll be watching it again in slo-mo to make up the tabs... unless you have them posted somewhere?

[@jasonb2022]

I tried a CV mustang, and the neck was really great and played great too. So I picked up the CV Jaguar and gotta say I'm happy with it as well!

[@automaticfantastic]

the sandpaper and coffee exercise blew my mind.

[@Puisheen]

I want to do a whole video on that. There was also an exercise with supplied music tracks, one plaintive and the other grating. Absolutely wrecked me how different the taste was between them

[@stevelogan1699]

What a fabulous review: uniquely well-informed, impassioned and impartial. I thought the demo sections superb. Loved the playing which I found strongly reminiscent-probably via many shared influences-of James Dean Bradfield, who also plays Jazzmasters pretty often. Thank you!

[@chubbypapaya]

took some scotch-brite to the neck on mine to remove a bit of the gloss. the neck is now 100% perfect and I love it. rest of the guitar is great too. there are some issues with the wiring, but that's what you get for buying a floor model at guitar center. even the most minimal set-up on this thing made it play beautifully. can't recommend it enough. she my sweet little thing, she my pride and joy.

[@paulantoni1046]

SOLD / my gf got this for me as a gift 💝 🎸 I LOVE this guitar , very little setup adjustments needed. Stays in tune. Strings don’t pop out. No frizz/buzzing. BUT , I did round the neck/fretboard edges and shave/file some sharp frets. Not a problem. I also strongly recommend this guitar. Its my first offset (I play telecasters mostly). Thanks also for your other tips and tricks with offsets / you ROCK 🪨!!

[@JustinWoo]

First off, love your t-shirt! Was a big TNG fan as a kid then got kinda bullied out of it, and have rediscovered my love of the series through my wife, who is an even bigger Trek fan than I was as a youngling. Second - I got a Squier JM off the strength of this video, and your recommendations. I tried more than 30 in every Guitar Center and Sam Ash I ran across. The quality and condition of the various CV JMs was VERY variable, and a lot depended upon how they were treated by customers and how well humidified the store was. I finally found one that just felt perfect on a 4th of July sale. I brought it home, shimmed the neck .5 degrees, and threw 11 gauge flats on it. Was having a really hard time with the action until I did a little truss rod adjustment and then it was playing a lot better. I will probably tweak it more in the coming days - it just got a lot hotter and more humid where I live so I imagine the guitar will tweak and be weird and get strange and I'll need to tweak it more. Intonation has been fairly easy. I think the shim may have helped stop the strings from hitting the intonation screws. I got obsessed with JMs when I realized that Robert Smith, my musical hero, played one on many of his early recordings in the 80s, albums that inform my entire artistic aesthetic across poetry, music, and film. So of course I had to own one. After having owned LP and S style guitars, the JM stands alone sonically. Its pickups don't sound like a pair of strat single coils, and they're miles away from LP style buckers. It brings out a more experimental style in my composition and playing that makes me take more risks, play with more chorus and delay effects, and generally be a big weirdo. I don't think it's going to be the first guitar I reach for, but I think it's the one I'll reach for when I'm stumped when writing a track, or I just need something different to shake me out of a rut. I feel like I'm going to have to either treat the nut or replace the trem sooner than later though, because I'm really enjoying playing with it, and really NOT enjoying how badly it goes out of tune.

[@randyabrown]

I just bought a CV from Sweetwater and it's now my favorite guitar. I have Tele, Strat, Ibanez RG, and a few acoustics. The CV is great in all 4 pickup selections for my style of playing, which is clean rhythm and lead. I love the bright tones for surf music.

[@onesh777]

Thank you so much! Glad i found your channel! cheers from Indonesia

[@curtissgulash1005]

Sweet guitar. Sweet demo. Love the color of your kitchen!

[@Puisheen]

Lol thank you!

[@goosegaskins]

Thanks for doing this series! You’re so personable and affable, I know I’m going to love this journey! Right now, I’m deciding between the CV Jazzy, the the J Mascis Jazzy, and the CV Mustang. I’m hoping you review the latter two!

[@Puisheen]

Goose thank you, too kind!

[@ericwalters5382]

This guy takes verbosity to another level. I'll never be as enamored with the sound of his voice as he is.

[@dylanclay5267]

Loving this series so far and looking forward to more!

[@Puisheen]

Thank you, Dylan!

[@jackgreenwood1817]

Great review Mike. I owned one of the earliest Vintage Modified Jazzmasters in Sonic Blue. It was a great guitar, astonishing for the price really. I used it in the guitar shop to demo a few different compressor pedals, with no intention of buying a guitar. It impressed me so much that I left the shop with it, and left behind all the compressors. Looking forward to the rest of the series, and finally seeing you really play some Jaguars :)

[@Puisheen]

I've a black VM VI that I adore, and I've owned/worked on quite a few of the VMs. Very good!

[@daltonp4304]

Got a lefty Squire jazzmaster,had it a year now and just gets better over time.

[@lokelosk]

I went to a music store to buy a Tele Classic Vibe and went home with a Jazzmaster Classic Vibe lol Since then, I changed the tremolo system to a proper Fender (the lock button is useful for alternative tuning, and the spring seems better), and the nut to a GraphTech one (the original wasn't cut very well, and the tools to fix it were 10x more expensive than a new nut). Now the guitar plays great! However, I'm having a hard time to find neck shims in Europe. The StewMac ones that I found were either too expensive or totally sold out, and I don't want to have to import them from the US due to taxes.

[@Puisheen]

I love that. Teles are the other Fender model I love, but the JM always wins out. As for shims, I'm sure a luthier could fashion one for you?

[@lokelosk]

A luthier probably could, but the shim is not really a necessity for now. The guitar is very stable with 10s, just the action is a little too high for my taste. The shim can wait a little longer until I find one at a good price.

[@Puisheen]

@@lokelosk If your action is high, then the shim does indeed seem a necessity that's its purpose

[@lokelosk]

@@Puisheen It's not that high to warrant a shim at a "high cost", at least for now. It is already my most playable (and comfortable) guitar. Don't get me wrong though, I will shim it one way or another, but it can wait a little longer. If I were a professional musician, then it would have already made a trip to the luthier.

[@Puisheen]

@@lokelosk Just shove a business card in there and be done with it. There's no reason to leave your action high

[@thomashajek7544]

I don’t know why it took so long for me to stumble on to your channel but good (great) things come to those who wait I am told. I am a KZbin guitar junkie and you sir are a standout. I am also a (left handed) Offset fan. I have several USA Fender Jazzmasters and one MIJ but I always wanted to try a Squier but thought I would be disappointed. After watching your incredibly entertaining video I am going to bite the Bullet (pun sort of intended) and get one of these. Thanks so much for the video Mike. Now I am going to watch the rest of your videos and see how much more money you are going to make me spend.

[@Puisheen]

Thomas this is lovely! The Squiers are really great, truly. Lol that pun

[@mwa1254]

Wow man, love the lick you play at the start of this video. Having owned a mid 90’s fender MIJ. This sounds hawwwt!

[@SD_Marc]

Thanks, glad to hear this review. Looking forward to the series.

[@gae7081]

This channel is pure gold!

[@dakielster]

This may be the greatest, most professional, fair, and viewer friendly review of anything I have ever seen. Thank you for the care you put into this. I wish this kind of quality was the standard for all reviews.

[@andrewg8791]

I love my Squier VM Jazzer, I've had it for 7-8 years having bought one as soon as I could afford it. Mine is from the series that had rosewood fretboards and feels and plays great. I love the guitar, it's all I want from a Jazzer and isn't far off a friends AVRI which was 5 times the price! I changed out the bridge for a Mustang unit and put in a Japanese vibrato, the latter mainly for the aesthetics. Otherwise it's stock. Oh, and I totally agree with your setup recommendations, I learnt that via trial and error with another offset. Having owned a Fender Japan reissue in the mid-80's I feel the Squier compares favourably. The FJ model was better from a build and timber perspective, and was a great player, but it just didn't sound like the real deal with the Strat-style pickups under the covers. I enjoyed your review, Cheers.

[@StratBurst92]

Squire once had a reputation as a junk guitar. That has all changed now as their QC is pretty good. My friend has a a vintage vibe 50s strat and it has held up well. I just ordered a Squire Jaguar .for my favorite surf tunes.

[@JoystickDivision]

I wish I found this video when all the other reviews were done too, so I could binge them all. Recent subscriber here, I'm awaiting the arrival of my own Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster and I've been spending every waking moment just trying to know as much as I can about these guitars.

[@findlaybrown7015]

Yes! I got a squire classic vibe jaguar and it’s a beast, little set up and it plays beautifully! Was sceptical at first as I have fender tele already but I’m so glad I made the purchase! Big fan of your work! The fender jaguar video intro you done defo made me want one! Haha

[@Puisheen]

No way, thank you! Glad it worked out for you!

[@eyebrowpalacetv]

You sold me on the classic vibe, thanks so much for this!

[@LouBanga47]

You and Chris Stapleton have convinced me to get a Jazzmaster. I can’t wait to finally hit an F chord at will.

[@marcomelillo4590]

Big thumbs up for the format and always polite tone. Tons of informations as usual. I would appreciate a mention on guitar weight, this is based on my experience with some vintage modified Squiers which were nice but sometimes so heavy. No experience for me up to now with classic vibe. Thanks again!!

[@Puisheen]

If I owned a scale I would be all over that! This one was light, much lighter than Pancake for sure. I'll track down a scale eventually!

[@davitofarito]

I bought one of these last summer. Mostly very happy with it. I haven't changed any parts. All I've done is bend the short end of the trem arm to eliminate any play when in use, and put some thicker foam under the pups. The only thing I don't like about these guitars is the laurel fretboard. I don't like the looks of it, the smell of it, but my main beef is that this wood seems to be much more susceptible than rosewood to expanding and shrinking due to humidity. The frets felt fine when I bought it, but now have a wicked case of winter fret sprout. So bad that I would say it's unplayable at the moment. It is still under warranty so I'll be taking it in for the issue this week.

[@Puisheen]

I haven't noticed laurel being more susceptible to this than any other, but this is surely the worst time of year for sprout. If it helps, I always recommend keeping boards hydrated (a bit of oil sparingly) and stored in a case when not in use.

[@davitofarito]

Well all I can say is between electrics, acoustics, and basses I have about 18 instruments with rosewood boards, and only 1 of them (2014 Gibson SG standard) has a bit of a winter fret sprout issue. But it's minor enough to be able to live with, and nowhere as bad as the Jazzmaster. But as I say everything else about the guitar is great, so I will just take it back while it's still under warrantee and let the store deal with it.

[@greasymonkeyguitars9292]

Not a CV, but I love my VM Jaguar. It sounds great as is, all I've done was get a replacement trem arm (used, didn't come with one) and a $20 Mustang 9.5" radius bridge and it's great. I may clean up the frets just a bit, but it's been a blast to play. I do find myself playing more riff based and chord stuff on my Jag and I think it's really helped tighten up my rhythm playing. And I dig the 24" scale, but a Squier FSR Shell Pink Jazzy from MF would be great to add to the arsenal too!

[@Puisheen]

Love my VM Bass VI!

[@TheRedSwallowCG]

I have the CME exclusive purple with Gold pick guard. love it! It sucked and was completely unplayable out of the box and took me about two months to figure out how to make it playable but, now it works and plays great! I love it! And have been converted to offsets. My next offset is going to be the Music Man Mariposa. You should definitely do a review on that guitar! That would be fantastic!

[@kimrosez]

Recently got one and loving it. When i started playing about 17 years ago i never would've thought something like this, at this price and with a lefthanded version would be possible. As a lefty it's either a €1000 and up jazz (and not even all true jazzmaster spec) or this, nothing inbetween in price so i pulled the trigger when i saw it for €350. I'm going to make a shim from balsawood, see if it doesn't compress too much. AVRI trem (righthanded one and use the squier collet and arm that i bent a bit, smooth bend arm later) and jazzmaster bridge (to make it more..err..jazzmaster). I also smoothed the fretboard and fretwire edges a bit, comfy. Then over time i'll upgrade some more things but it's a good guitar as is if you set it up well. The pickups are very decent. Nothing 'essential' is missing so you can take your time to throw in some nice things. So for people curious about offsets...sure...but also for offset geeks to scratch that 'project' and 'ah new guitar' itch without breaking the bank. Also...i really did believe it was a bone nut. LAL.

[@xetexuk12]

Hear ya, fellow lefty! Lefties unite!!

[@Puisheen]

Kim, this is so insightful! It really does bother me how limited and expensive the selection for Lefties still is to this day, it feels like - as with so many things - we should be past this by now! And wow, you went all-in on that thing, I love hearing about the extra work you did to make the thing work for you!

[@kimrosez]

@@Puisheen Just stupid i didn't go for one sooner really ;) I love tinkering but i can take my time with 'upgrades' as it doesn't 'need' it, just a good setup/checkup/smoothing the neck for comfort. But yes...the world needs more lefty jazzmasters and jaguars indeeed !

[@claytoncampbell7541]

Pretty rare to see every question you've got answered. What a spectacular review this is! 🍻

[@Puisheen]

Thank you Clayton!

[@evelyntelevision]

Wow, great timing! I found this channel because I picked one of these up just a week ago. I wasn't even looking for a jazzmaster at the time, even though I've always wanted one, but it's in mint condition and was being sold for half half of retail price, so I had to grab it, since I figured worst case scenario I could sell it and break even, if not make some profit. But now I'm debating whether I want to hold on to it or not. I'm an absolute Fender fan, and I've wanted a Jazzmaster forever, but they're definitely a strange beast and I don't know if I can justify keeping it since I try not to have too many guitars at once, and don't see myself using it as much as my other guitars. Mostly I'm still trying to figure out what the pickups want out of my amp to really sing. I'm biased towards keeping it for the ergonomics alone, since I sit down when I'm playing most of the time. Watching this channel has definitely been a big help in learning how to love and deal with all the idiosyncrasies of the instrument.

[@Puisheen]

Oh wow that sounds like a great deal, I would have jumped on it as well. I find the Jazzmaster extremely comfortable as well, especially the way it hangs on a strap compared with other instruments. Anyway, I hope I can be of some help!

[@mcfontaine]

Really going to love these reviews Mike.

[@Chris-yj2di]

What drew me into the classic vibe series? They offer left handed models :D

[@lesharrison3739]

I’m not sure how I have never found your channel before. Love this. I just bought my first offset, J. Mascis. I love it and am impressed with your channel. Thanks!

[@user-ok2jm5hf3o]

Those demos you played are so inspiring!!

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

I got it a week ago same colour, I put in a tusq and shimmed the neck, but I was still having problems with the bridge. In the comments of an online guitar guy that uses a Jazzmaster quite often, I asked him if he had at anytime suffered with his. He had and he recommended the staytrem, as did many. There was one guy though that said I should visit your channel and so I did and it still has the original bridge on and it functions perfectly fine now. There is most assuredly a learning curve to them, just like the bigsbys that I have used all my long life. I resisted buying Fenders as I was put off at any early age by constantly turning the volume on and off whilst playing or bursting my fingers on the middle pick up. Two years ago though I relented and bought a Squire Strat and after messing about for a long time managed to set the trem to float. Since then I have bought two Telecasters and I am currently making one from scratch, after making a partscaster one. Many thanks for all your help, it has been invaluable. Like deployed 👍 😎🎙🎸✅

[@Wolf_K]

Today the guitarist - of all levels - has so much choice it’s almost unfathomable to someone who got into guitars in the early 90s. In the 90s my choice was either vintage or Japanese Mustangs, Jaguars, Jazzmasters, as they were really the only guitars I liked from the get-go. Vintage had started getting more expensive and Japanese were an “order in” choice only. Today a kid can walk into a store and buy anything he wants at any price point. A great thing for music and people as a whole.

[@SolidMoses]

First of all, best wishes on your new endeavor with the review series Mike. I bet many people waited for this since your're an offset guitar expert :D As for the video, very detailed and intuitive. When you get the chance, do the jaguar CV 70 cause my current dilemma is between those two.

[@OlegUstimenko]

both are great! (but both need a setup to be great)

[@Puisheen]

I love those, and next time I see one I'll definitely feature that. I want a white one to get my Roland S Howard vibes on

[@nostro1001]

@@Puisheen Now you're talking. RIP Rowland. Saw him play so many times in many guises in Melbourne.

[@Puisheen]

@@nostro1001 Such an immense talent!

[@brandonrodrigues8088]

Yo! I just went out and bought a Daphne Blue Squire Jazzmaster half an hour ago , at my local guitar center 🎸 I’m so excited driving home 🏡 rn , I spent the better part of last night stayed up late watching all your videos on offset guitars and I jus wanna say thank you so much big dog ! Couldn’t be more stoked , I’ll get the Jaguar 🐆 next ! Love your good attitude and great personality, keep up the lovely content

[@martinbeaudry9475]

As a true offset lover and a lefty on a budget, I almost had no choice but to buy the CV jazzmaster... and I absolutely don't regret my choice even if the model I wanted for real was a Jaguar... Maybe next time Squier.!!!

[@Puisheen]

I wish guitar companies would more readily and affordably accommodate my left handed friends like yourself! As far as a choice goes, the CV is an especially good option for lefties and I'm so glad it worked out. Fingers crossed for a Jag!