SAME GUITAR, 4 BUDGETS! (Can you hear the difference?)

[@danieljimenez7987]

The red one sounds amazing! 🙌

[@Sheepifyy]

I prefer the red one

[@philippefaure8839]

The red one is better for me.

[@HiltsyAdventure]

But what about the red one? that one is the best

[@SulphuricAtom]

You are definitely forgeting about the red one

[@sidgenocid]

Agreed! That red one with specific combination of letters is clearly the best. There are frequencies of sound that can be lost when this combination is not ideal.

[@PaulDavids]

Update/corrections: I mentioned the nut of the Squier being plastic. Apparently it is made of bone! Interesting, because it surely looks more on the plasticy side, especially compared to the other Strats. Maybe it's different kinds of bone they use? No idea.

[@endmymisery3623]

I think it might just be factory polished, giving it that sort of look

[@ryananthony4840]

@@weschilton haha! Lmao best comment

[@Hickeroar]

Great video! I think one of the main markets for these guitars are buyers in the ~$800 range, so including a MiM would be great next time around.

[@charlesockholmes9764]

IIRC, CV60s has a bone nut, but CV 50s and 70s have a plastic one.

[@schmoemi3386]

Question is: Is there comparable one in the MiM range?? Vintera, maybe? Do they make them in Fiesta Red? With rosewood boards? 🤔

[@Moth_On_Fire]

I have legit problems making it past your intro loops. 2 minutes in and I got up and played guitar myself. You make me play more. Thank you

[@bradgrant4540]

Same thing happened to me. I had to rewatch the video to hear the sound difference. I went on auto pilot

[@davidfellows6250]

i love it when that happens. i watch most of these guys just to steal licks.

[@ry7hym]

😂ahahahah yeah I feel ya man

[@CocoKoi321]

Cringe asf rude comment

[@TheRokkis]

Wrist tendonitis helps on that. Sucks.

[@sigiligus]

The thing is, that $60,000 guitar is not actually a $60,000 guitar. It’s worth that much now for historic value, but it was probably around $350 in its day, around $3000 with inflation. If anything, modern manufacturing should be considerably more reliable and precise than what it was when that model was released.

[@turrrmeric]

The rest of the price is due to rarity, the biggest cost in any collectible item

[@sebastianbecher8927]

Probably the most valuable and relative comment here, very good.

[@nomeansno2335]

Exactly, and that for sure is something that you can`t hear or feel.

[@JethroRose]

$350 in its day? That would be the same price as a muscle car of the era. more like $50 at a guess?

[@asw7696]

@@JethroRose A custom color Fender Stratocaster was listed at $303.97 in the Fender July 1962 price list

[@OperationBlueprint]

The funniest thing about this video is that during the comparison with the Squier, they literally sounded near identical. So much so that when discussing the guitars the only criticism you could give it was the build quality when the topic of discussion is how they sound. Credit to Squier for building a nice tone machine for the masses.

[@PaulDavids]

Guitars all sound relatively identical. Then all Strats will sound even more identical. But my conclusion is also based on recordings I made before in preparation of this video. I looped very short segments of the same licks, or just a simple chord strum and it actually surprised me how different they all sounded. Like I said in the video, I didn't actually expect it. The shorter the segment, the easier to hear the nuances. But true, in the grand scheme of things they sound pretty much identical.

[@twenty3electronics]

They do not sound even close to identical. A lot of less experienced players think if two instruments have a similar treble content, they sound the same. The money is in the midrange

[@nedim_guitar]

They sound similar, as Strats do. The important difference is in build quality and in quality control. I have a Squier Affinity Stratocaster, and it's an okay guitar. The Classic Vibe that I also have feels much better. But neither of them come anywhere near my Shijie STE (Strat type of guitar), which is basically on custom shop level. That guitar feels so good, it has ruined other Strats for me.

[@jimwoodard64]

To be, the closest Guitar to the 62 was the $2000 guitar. Of course I don’t have a personal connection nor was I in the room. If I had to spend the money, I would definitely go for that one. That said, I have a 64 telecaster with a relatively new neck. I am not crazy about the old round radius fretboards, but I am a Gibson person. I prefer a flatter fretboard. The Squier just sounded cheap. A good set of pick ups could probably improve the town, but I thought they sounded tinny and had really no decent voice. It doesn’t mean they can’t work within a mix or function for someone who is just playing in the bedroom, but I would not trust them on a stage as the only guitar player for the band.

[@weschilton]

I don't think they sound that much a like at all. The Squier had this wild, springy/phasey quality and a harsh top end, very little bottom and really terrible intonation. Its about what I expect from a budget guitar. The step up to the American Vintage II was pretty huge. I was impressed by that one. if I didn't already have a '59 Custom Shop that I adore, I would be looking at that one for sure. Also sound is only part of the equation. Most Squiers are brutally heavy, have awful frets, are buried under a thick, plastic polyurethane finish and feel like you're playing a 2x4 compared to the American made Fenders. And yeah you can change out parts... but then you just have a $1,000+ Squier. I don't see the point.

[@emre_7575]

This man is the definition of the Obi Wan Kenobi for guitars. He is wise and skillful.

[@brsssttt]

Kinda looks like him too

[@bertoabarzua5372]

Definitely got the looks.

[@I3acardi]

and a good friend

[@mrvbif147]

hello there!

[@Johan.Dingler]

Don’t forget the epic beard

[@comedykennedys5791]

While there is a noticeable difference in tonal clarity between the classic vibe and the vintage '62, these guitars are so close together that i would never be able to tell them apart if you were to blindfold me and play them side by side.

[@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040]

Add to this that all guitars sound somewhat different - he's talking about this 62 guitar that if to bring another 62 Strat would still sound different from its sibling. This 50s & 60s Strat mojo topic is so loaded and apart from being old these guitars are just your other well-worn Strats.

[@kennethchambers9949]

Brother I totally agree. Perhaps with a different sound system than an android phone I could possibly hear some subtle differences. With a band in a bar. No way. If it's gonna get stolen,let it be the Squier.

[@neilwarden]

I own a '61 Strat and in comparison to a friends mid 70's 3 bolt m/n, over heavy log, the mid 70's Strat sounds so much better BUT the neck isn't as good. I've owned my '61 for 50 years but I play my modded Classic Vibe Telecaster most of the time. Not all Pr-CBS Strats are equal (as stated in video).

[@aa77741]

I think we are splitting hairs here. If you want to play the Squier, play it and enjoy. If you ever played live 99.99 percent of your audience would not know the difference between a Squier and a 1962 Fender.

[@BlindingSun_]

@@user1337useryup basically. I’ve had about 20 different jaguars over the years including a couple of early models and they sounded pretty much exactly the same as cheaper newer jaguars that I owned. It’s all “tonewood” snake oil BS

[@sbrave]

The Squier with upgraded electronics and pickups is a great guitar. Doubtful most people would be able to tell the difference in a mix.

[@pjotrmaster9424]

Right, in the mix it's not the guitar you hear, it's the whole process: guitar, amp, recording, effects, playing, mixing, producer's opinions etc etc. No producer will ever shout to a guitar player: hey, where is your rare vintage '62 strat with it's bold history and scratches. Instead, he would perhaps say: hey, maybe we try a strat type sound, LP is too thick/rock/dark etc in this

[@innocentrage1]

I hate how it cuts into your hand as they don't sand down the frets. I bought a player series Hella fast after that

[@sbrave]

@innocentrage1 Yes, my Squier was the same as far as the frets. Once the ends were sanded down, night and day difference! I also steel wooled some of the laquer off the back of the neck

[@danvalois1]

hard to tell the difference live as well

[@onemaxlight]

most of pro user cannot even OUT of a mix..

[@thewoodster]

Paul’s incredible skill is a great reminder that it’s not about the guitar, it’s all about the player.

[@pfzt]

It's true. There are soo many guitar teachers on KZbin right now and they are all great highly skilled guitar players but Paul's tasteful melodic playing really manages to stand out somehow.

[@jejuislandtrekker8113]

That’s a really nice compliment

[@alloriginaltone]

I was in a playing room in a high-end shop and while there a well known musician walked in. He sat and played and one of the patrons said "wow...that guitar sounds fantastic!". He handed it to them and said "How does it sound now?". It was a little chippy...but absolutely true.

[@thewoodster]

@Kevin P. probably because (a) he can, and (b) at that level of skill the subtle differences between guitars are highly noticeable to the player.

[@kymcha]

This hits the nail on the head doesn't it? If SRV was alive today and did a concert with a squire then there would be a LOT of people in the audience going home thinking "well I have that $400 POS myself so I'll just keep playing that until I sound ½ as good as SRV".

[@XedraRocks]

Had trouble discerning any significant tonality differences, so I enlisted the help of a spectrum analyzer. After replaying the video a few times and watching the range of frequencies and their amplitude, the guitars were nearly all exactly the same. It is possible that the frequency curve was somewhat smoother, less abruptly scooped between the mids and the lows with the 62, but I have a feeling that you may have played it slightly harder. Another subtle difference I think I've noticed, was that the 62's frequency response appeared somewhat tighter than the others, some of which were a little more all over the place in the lows, but not by much. I used the free SpectrumView on a PC.

[@CJZM7777]

Now now, people don't want to have a scientific analysis when we can talk about clarity, fat bottom end and sparkly highs. To my ear they were very very similar. Certainly not thousands of dollars of difference.

[@donkeninitz4590]

OMG, you just committed guitar heresy, lol! But I'm not surprised at your result: they sound very similar.

[@KEVBOYMUSIC]

Yup, kinda tired of this "old guitar mojo" stuff. I don't think any of it is true, and it's only contributed to these guitars becoming totally unreachable to anyone but the richest people on earth.

[@brucerain2106]

Yeah I don’t understand why some guitars are so expensive

[@muzerino]

@@brucerain2106because guitarists are willing to pay it. You can see this in action with the Bad Monkey pedal scenario. Guitarists starting deciding that Bad Monkeys were worth putting up in price, instead of realising that Klons were stupidly overpriced and bringing them down in price. 🤦‍♂️

[@iandodd7828]

As a Squier owner (and late life beginning guitarist), I’d be interested in seeing @PaulDavids do a video on upgrading the budget guitar with after market hardware. I took a workshop where I learned to do a proper set up on the Squier and it mad a big difference, particularly in stability and holding tune. I’m not ready to spend $60K, or even $2k. But I would be willing to invest a few hundred to see just how much better I could make it.

[@mihneagimbis4409]

For me personally it doesn’t make sense to invest 300-400 bucks in an squirer guitar. Yes it is not a bad guitar, but it’s also not the best quality. Save a few dollars and then buy a second hand Mexico strat and upgrade it or just a second hand USA strat. You cans easily find it under 1000 dollars

[@domizidor]

As a luthier I would say there is no big difference between squier classic vibe and mexican fenders. wood qulity wise is same as well as hardware on most models. Just pickups mostly. So you can make a better guitar out of it investing some money. Nut, pickups, fretjob, electronics... and you have killer guitar. Question is how much you can do by yourself so its cheaper. Im not saying mexico or usa fenders are low quality but manufacturing standarts today are very similar from brand to brand so its more about end touch for each guitar.

[@severalsmoothstones8717]

It’s not worth it unfortunately. Selling the Squier and getting a used MIM is the most cost effective upgrade guaranteed.

[@domizidor]

Cost effective upgrade yes, I agree. But if you want upgrade something to your specific liking its worth to consider. And that mexican fender might serve you for life as it does to many pro musicians. Imo, there is small or sometimes no difference between mexico and USA guitars nowadays. those guitars usually have same spec, hardware, pickups, wood quality. im not talkin about professional series which you cant find in mexico lineup.

[@ManCrew]

Pickups, a good amp, and a guitar that holds tune and plays well, will make a huge difference in how a guitar sounds. I've modded a Japanese Strat and wouldn't trade it for anything. Where does guitar tone come from? kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGGVpXyjmMpmd6c

[@grenenthomas8115]

I had a 1962 Fiesta Red. I bought it in 1962. It was magic.

[@creeksc]

Definitely upgrade the Squire. I have recently been setting up Squire Telecasters using pre-CBS Style pickups etc. It definitely makes a difference to the sustain and the sound of each note being fuller. I also installed Titanium Bridge baseplate and Titanium Bridge blocks as well. I regret selling it in the end and will be doing it again soon. A big thank you to Paul for his enthusiasm and knowledge of music and guitars.

[@wbfaulk]

I'm not really sure why you'd want titanium parts on a guitar. Generally you want increased mass on those sorts of parts, right? What benefit are you claiming from reduced mass?

[@creeksc]

@@wbfaulk I used Titanium as it seems to my ear to ring and sustain more. This is personal to me. Over the years I have used them all. The only other thing that worked out nicely tonally was a set of Tusk Tailpieces whichhad to oriented Three on the left and three on the right. Brass works well. I guess to answer your question it is a tonality thing that is not necessarily related to mass, note we are talking abouy my ear here I can't comment on everyone as we are all unique.

[@lilbubblewrap8701]

could you provide the link you used for the upgrade block? Ive been searching for one to fit my squire but have not had any luck.

[@drdomestos]

@@qwaszx2 I believe you are thinking of Tungsten.

[@jaymze44]

*Squier

[@pigxstix]

I would like to have heard more about how they FEEL when you played them. Especially compared to one another. I've found that while we all chase tone (myself included) what really determines how much I enjoy playing a guitar is how it feels, even ahead of how it sounds. If you don't enjoy playing it, you won't.

[@adriatic.vineyards]

you can hear everything you need to know about how it feels based on how it sounded in this video

[@adriatic.vineyards]

@@doyourownresearch7297 well this is not true for everyone it would seem

[@benanderson5379]

Yes. I agree.

[@zekesguitars]

Agreed. I personally like personalising guitars and modifying them to suit my needs, so issues with fretwork that can be seen in cheaper models especially for example aren't much of an issue. Other than that, the shape of the body and neck should be the same if not very similar, which means it's only the pickups and electronics that make the difference (Which can be surprisingly cheap by themselves) Save your money peoples

[@pigxstix]

@@adriatic.vineyards Literally no. Not sure how your sense of feel extends through your hearing but most humans don't sense that way. Are you for real? LOL

[@JRQTV]

The Squier strat is the best guitar ever built. I’ve toured with them and cut records with them. They are wonderful. And after shows you can give them to kids in the audience to carry the guitar legacy.

[@BuckFu]

It’s the first guitar I ever bought, I ended up giving it to someone learning to play. Beautiful feel and sound. I think if anyone hears tone difference between all these it’s in the persons head, they sound exactly the same IMO. A lot of this sound comes down to the amp. But it is important to play all down the fretboard for playability, but that with anything.

[@asd123-gv4cr]

@@BuckFu its a beautiful sound because it sounds like an electric guitar.. any hope of tone changes from buying an electric guitar should be put away because if using the same type of pickup (singlecoil or humbucker not model of pickup) they sound identical.. the only change you would ever hear is the moved tone knob.

[@josh6466]

A Squier with HSH routing is about the perfect project guitar. It can be wired as single coils, dual Humbuckers, HSS, or a pair of P90s. About the ony think you can't do is the Telel bridge pickup, but you can get damn close. I have quick disconnects in all mine so that I can work on the pickguards easier, and to make swapping them easier.

[@MrEdwardmarlowe]

I've long held the opinion that the better Squiers are the closest thing the Fender business make today to Leo's original vision: very affordable, easily maintained guitars that can be professionally gigged and easily maintained. Guitars are like cars, really - yes, some folks will be so into them they'll want to spend a quarter of a million on a Ferrari Whatevero. Others of us probably will never have the money for that, so a Ford Cortina will be just fine. Some of us even if we had the money for either would still prefer the Cortina. It's all about what you really need and really *want* within your own budget.... I love that Fender provides a Strat for everybody... The law of diminishing returns applies heavily the more you spend on a guitar - the real question is at what point (up to the limit of what you can afford to spend) do you jump off the train because the incremental improvements are no longer worth the price rise to you. Me, I like a great cheap guitar, but then all my favourite guitar heroes have always been guys who played pawnshop guitars, no-brands, knock-offs and whatever. Link Wray, Johnny Ramone.... Even early on, before the bigtime when the Clash signed to CBS, Mick Jones played a LP Junior because it was cheap.

[@BenGenderson]

Where is your next gig I could do with a new Strat 🙂

[@_InTheBin]

Paul, you are a true inspiration! Two days after watching your video, I accidentally came across a Squier Strat Fiesta Red that looks exactly like the one you showed, and at an absolutely affordable price, and I just had to jump at the chance and am so happy that I now own one myself. I'm actually a drummer, but the first instrument I ever owned was an acoustic guitar and now I'm back at it with my Squier. I am so happy. Thank you, Sir!

[@DWLImages]

Yes, I agree, upgrading the Squire to make it more like the '62 would be a great episode. And thank you for this "Same Guitar" episode, I always love your comparisons, very informative and I always learn something from your viewpoint and perspective.

[@friguy4444]

I'm using a Sunburst Classic Vibe Start as my main guitar and have been for years now. I've thought about swapping the pickups for perhaps something that doesn't hum as much and has a bit more power or mid. However I keep getting sucked back into the "Bell" type tones of the weaker yet beautiful sounding (IMHO) ones that are supposedly designed just the same as the actual 1962 model. But someone else may not feel the same and that's all good. LOL.

[@rickywriterone9640]

Great video. The 2k strat sounded absolutely magnificent to me.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Yep. And it's arguably better that the vintage version, which is only $60k because it's a collectible. Doing professional recordings with both will likely not be distinguishable to the listener.

[@thingnumbertwo2]

To my ears the 2k was the best sounding of the four. Just a sweet sound.

[@ChristianBurrola]

To my ears the 2k strat was the worst sounding one.

[@adriennelee1520]

Agree.. that's the one

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@ChristianBurrola It's the most accurate sounding replica-accurate Strat, though, so your ears dislike authenticity.

[@Superdelphinus]

In my 25 odd years worth of experience buying guitars it usually makes the most sense to buy the next version up from the cheapest, when it comes to fender/ squire. Some of the squires are really pretty good, but the fender versions usually come with basic machinery that doesnt break after a couple of years and are just generally nicer to use. After that, I think a lot of it comes down to showing off/ emperor’s new clothes. Blind testing is essential.

[@magnusjohansson295]

What you say makes a lot of sense! You need something that's good enough. Playable and with good tones. Other than that, it's alot of snobbery and showing off going on.

[@AvACyberSecurity]

This is SO true. The difference between a $200 guitar and a $800 guitar is HUGE. Anything above maybe $1500 maximum isn't going to be as drastic improvement as the price tag suggests. Epiphone and Gibson are a great example of this. Huge difference in price but an $800 Epiphone is going to sound and feel amazing in my opinion.

[@mikesteelheart]

The higher end Squier's are the best value out there, way more guitar for the $$$ than MIM Fender. This is from someone who owns both a MIM Fender and a MIA Fender.

[@AvACyberSecurity]

@Cadillac_Mike See the concepts is the same isn't it. The huge leap jn price doesn't always justify or mean a better guitar. I personally love the MIM stuff. For value that's where I'd go at least here in the UK they are great value for money. But I agree. I've got a couple of good Squires and American Fendes Inc a Custom Shop Tele and whilst I love that, I didn't pay for it! So I don't have the same wrestling with value for money etc. But here jn the UK, £600 for a MIM fender is a bargain for what you get. The Vintera stuff is more expensive but a LOT of guitar for well under 1000 considering the counterparts.

[@wfrobinette]

Try a Lentz S type.

[@abstracyellow1766]

9:00 I hear how pitch stays straighter at attack on $60k than a bit shaky on $400 one. Also, there's some high mid freq bump at around 2khz on $400, which to me isn't a big deal. Staying in straighter pitch on all the frets are super important for me.

[@vapor9699]

As previously stated, guitars sound like guitars, but the player is the one who will get lost in the minutia. Also, the old adage "it's all in the fingers" comes into play, in this case all your examples sounded awesome. Jack Pearson, one of the most underrated and unknown guitarists, uses Squiers all the time and they sound fantastic. Play what makes you want to play. Excellent video!

[@Mr44883]

Definitely agree with the "all in the fingers" idea. Maybe not "all", but if Clapton, May, Blackmore or anyone else picked these guitars up, they are going to sound like themselves. What we're really not able to see or hear is how hard does he have to try to get what he wants out of each guitar. I could see that coming into play more than the sound of them.

[@jimperdue6166]

@@Mr44883 I agree, play what makes you want to play.

[@friguy4444]

You said in those three sentences what took me about thirty. LOL. Great job!

[@KyleCarrington]

Jeff healey used squiers often as well

[@Mr44883]

@@KyleCarrington Yes, but they didn't tell him.😆😆😆

[@TheOKellys]

For me, how it fits in my hand does make my American Pro II sound better than my other strat and other guitars. But in the hands of a master like this...it's fascinating to see just how little difference there is in tone. To my ear, it was really subtle. Noticeable but subtle. Great vid.

[@A_Noid]

The american professional series i/ii has fantastic necks, agreed.

[@IrishTrekkie]

All sound great but I’d say feel improves in hand when you are cruising at 7knots ;) 2 great channels collide in my feed.

[@TheOKellys]

@@IrishTrekkie lol, thanks. I'll be sharing more of my guitar journey on the channel coming up. Paul is definitely a huge inspiration in my musical evolution.

[@lnugent1000]

I love my pro II

[@brucechavez9535]

5 years ago, I've bought a used $150-dollar Strat from a pawnshop. This Strat is 2003 Fender Standard Strat SSS, and Made in Mexico. I have done some modification on it such as changing the pickups to Seymour Duncan SSL-1 (neck, and middle) and SSL-5 (bridge). Then I also changed the tuning machine to Fender locking tuners, and I've also put on some Graph Tech string tree. The wirings were modified as well to Mojotone solderless wiring harness. And finally I've also change the saddles to Graph Tech String saver saddles. Now, I can honestly and proudly say that this Strat is even "better-sounding" (at least to my ears) than the original stock Fender American Standard Strat. My main point about this is, I did not have to spend a FORTUNE to own, play, and experience a good-sounding, original Fender Strat. I've only spent less than $500 for everything....😂😅😊

[@adriatic.vineyards]

Mexican strats from that era are highly sought after. Your point is valid but that's hardly starting from the bottom of the barrel ;)

[@Stoicbushman]

The guitar you now have, and love is everything but an original Fender Strat

[@Lightgrenadez7777]

@@Stoicbushman this was my thought. it basically isn't the strat you first bought, the only thing left is the knobs and body shape.

[@joeargyle]

You could swap the body for a 2x4 and it would still sound the same. The tone of an electric guitar is pretty much all about the pickups used and their position in relation to the bridge. Construction materials play a part in the feel and possibly the sustain but in terms of tone materials matter very little.

[@jounih2628]

Great comparison. Just one important thing to add/mention: almost every guitar (same model, year, production run ) in a guitar shop you will find a lot of differences in tone, playability, resonance, definition etc. (same model, same specs...). So when you try any of them, try them all. You might find that rare diamond, that feels, plays and sounds great to your liking - regardless of price.

[@123Ir0nman]

I think in terms of how they sounded, the $2000 strat sounded the best. It just had the right amount of clarity and output to the pickups. In the back to back segment, it seemed like the sound got weaker the more expensive the guitar got

[@TheAsrgrant]

Agree !

[@cfredtmbg]

I have a very similar Vintage II 61 strat, and it really does sound amazing and play beautifully. IMO, anything above it in price is just a matter of preference, not a huge feel or sound difference.

[@ktvindicare]

Yea the jump from the 400 Squire to the 2000 Strat was the most noticeable. After that I could barely notice a difference.

[@gitpho]

@@cfredtmbgthis exactly. I agree with those saying the $2,000 one sounded best, but even if the other Fenders sounded better to me, there’s no way I could live with myself for spending 2.5 or 30(!) times as much for such a marginal difference (that’s really down to pickups more than anything).

[@scubagib6438]

That is interesting. I felt the exact opposite. Strange how subjective some things can be. For me the $2000 was disappointing. The 62 was miles above the rest (though I'd never be able to stomach that price) and the $5000 was really good. I felt the Squire and $2000 guitar were behind, but not by much with the squire actually a hair better. Of course, playing them may provide completely different results.

[@ElDami]

I signed up for Electric Elevation yesterday. All I can say is that the first lesson already surpassed my expectations. Amazing job, Paul, thank you very much for it!

[@PaulDavids]

Woohoo thanks man! 😊

[@jejuislandtrekker8113]

Me too. All set signed up!

[@QuickSticks8771]

All I know for sure is the tone coming from your fingers is priceless!!

[@ianschneider9430]

Please do the video about modifying the Squire! It would be so cool to see the difference each individual change has to it.

[@deselfbuisert]

It would be fun to see the work needed to get it closer to the other ones.... both in sound and playability.

[@leof777]

The idea is not new (maybe the most common guitar video in YT). But YOUR vision (ear?) makes the difference. So, I think thar'd be great!

[@Teh_Zig]

gonna chime in on this one and say YES! DO THIS!

[@rockinredneck57]

With a good Squire, no mods are needed. Spend $120 on the guitar, put strings on it, and play it.

[@bear1084]

I got my Squier strat almost a year ago. I've put roughly 400 bucks into it, and it plays like a dream and is exactly what I want! Prolly still doesn't compare to the super high end stuff, but they put out a damn fine instrument for not a lot of cash, and they're a great mod platform for rookies like me, lol. Great video!

[@ryuZaki_Of_The_Taint]

Since you have two of the squires upgrading one piece at a time while keeping one original for a control to compare against would be a really cool vid. Especially if you find there’s savings to be had as a roadmap for a beginner to buy low and upgrade instead of buy low then buy an all new instrument later

[@cookieinthewoods]

This would be VERY cool, great suggestion 😎

[@GuitarGodhood]

Thanks to your quality recording gear, I can hear the difference between every single one. Perfect video!

[@dragons_red]

The only things that matter with a guitar are: 1. Stays in tune and well setup/intonated 2. How it feels in your hands (personal preference) 3. Pickups

[@dmitripogosian5084]

Well, point 1 covers a lot ...

[@getulioprates]

Perfect

[@karmicselling4252]

Don't forget the number of strings. If you want a 12 string guitar, then a 6 string guitar won't do.

[@casual35]

Finally. Someone with sense.

[@ernielamprell6765]

Just take the first one of the rack.

[@martinlouden9005]

I'm shocked and stunned at just how little difference there is in the sound of these guitars!

[@mr.coolio4321]

Of course, you would notice more of a difference irl, but I suppose there is only so much clarity you can get from the pickups

[@masterbeaver]

You shouldn't be. The electric guitar, in terms of pure function, is essentially a very simple thing when all is said and done. The biggest difference is going to be in how they feel in your hands, which all just comes down to the quality of the materials and how much time human hands have spent on cleaning up imperfections.

[@mikedr1549]

The differences between a GREAT guitar and a good guitar is very incremental. In the end I think it's more what inspires me to play than the tones because the tones are so similar in all my Strats (I have 5)

[@MrGarydaverocks]

I play in bars using a £30 guitar and amp ..its all in the setting up of the amp/guitar and in the fingers/playing improv and effort :)

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

I think the AV2 or used CS is the best bet. The responsibility of owing an original would be too much for me. They all sound the same here as he’s such a tasty player.

[@zachhanlon6430]

I found that guitars usually sound very alike when in comparison, but the biggest thing for me is how it feels in the hand. Half the time it’s hard to hear a difference but as soon as you pick up a well made guitar that’s usually more expensive u can tell because the neck feels like BUTTER

[@MrRegularguy19]

This is it, the sound of an electric guitar comes almost all from the pickups. If you want to change that on the Squier it's something like a $100 upgrade. The difference in the more expensive ones is all about playability.

[@TheKlaun9]

Don't tell that to people who don't have a decent guitar in their budget. Once you go there, you can never go back. The neck of a mexico fender just feels gross now to me

[@SquidzitAce]

Agree 100% about feel. I play bass, and I tried so many basses before settling on a Warwick. I loved the feel of the neck and fretboard, and how the body was balanced.

[@Spaceman-jo5mz]

Agree

[@capawesome3d988]

Nah, its just your brain making you "feel" that.

[@Omido.official]

Squier and change pickups. Didn’t do it yet but seems the smartest move to get a great sounding guitar tbh

[@kleetusvandam]

Great video. I would love to see what hardware upgrades it would take, within reason, to get the Squire close to the '62. Thanks for all your hard work!

[@PaulDavids]

I am really interested in how this would turn out, indeed. The best thing is that I have another one that I won't upgrade that I can compare it with along the way. Any suggestions/ideas, feel free to drop them here!

[@fredssouza2]

@@PaulDavids Changing the pickups, maybe the pots with the resistors, to the equivalent fenders and a better set of tuning machines would be mostly enough for tone and stability, and in a reasonable price range.

[@stevemiell4555]

@@PaulDavids Switch out the nut & bridge initially?

[@persianradio]

@@stevemiell4555 it’s actually a bone nut on the classic vibe. They’re incredible for the money.

[@stevemiell4555]

@@persianradio wow! You skooled me 😎👍 thanks man

[@flightmaster9875]

Every time I watch one of your videos, it makes me pick up my guitar and attempt to make it make the same noises you make, and it’s so awesome to come even a little close. Thanks for the beautiful tones❤️

[@xaphan8581]

Same here, then I put it back down when I realize I suck

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Get that action lowered at the nut! Don't be stuck with Fender's factory setting!

[@zloboslav_]

A listening experiment - cut each part into a separate audio, mix them up and listen blindly and take a minute break of silence between each one. I couldn't tell which is which by then. The difference was apparent only while listening back to back. However for me the feel while playing is very important, so I know what I'd choose to play myself, but when listening to a record I don't really care. :)

[@jimmy5634]

I own the 50’s Classic Vibe in Fiesta Red. A few of the frets needed to have the edges smoothed out which I did myself. Outside of that the build was very good. Excellent guitar.

[@MichaelEMJAYARE]

I think the $2K one is the best bang for your buck. It felt so close tonally at least to the other Fenders. The Squire was quite thin, but hey - Squires are great for the price. Im so blown away by my 2019 MIM. Edit: my strat came with added hipshot tuners and a Dimarzio PAF in the bridge for $650. I felt I was lucky!

[@jensenraylight8011]

as long as it make a guitar sound, nobody cares. nobody listen on spotify and be mad because the guitar section use a $60 guitar that have 0.0001% difference in tone. it will be processed with ton of effects, eq, and compressor afterward until it was unrecognizeable from the clean sound your skill matter more than your guitar, owning a $2000 guitar won't makes you suddenly be able to play a super fast and sick riff

[@jttech44]

Buy the squire and put pickups in it, it'll be 1:1 if not better than the rest. Electric guitar tone is 99% pickups, anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to sell you something, or lying to cope with them having bought something.

[@RNC_GSP_1969]

I would add that new pickups, electronics, and nut on the Squire could potentially bring that guitar into the same realm as the $2K guitar for 75% of the that cost. Bottom line, it all ultimately comes down to the player to make their instrument sounds good. No substitute for skill and technique. Best Regards.

[@jttech44]

@@RNC_GSP_1969 nut is more of a playability upgrade

[@daveeverhart5834]

@@jttech44 Respectfully - but not vehemently - disagree. We both know that if you took a set of PUPS from a '62, and stuck them in a Squier, the difference would still be palatable. The other materials affect what the pickup receives, and they affect the playability, which affects the player. In a still moment I'm looking, in this instance, at the Squier fretboard vs. the others. HUGE difference in wood choice.

[@Quelandoris]

Definitely think i can hear the difference between the Squier and the Fenders. The Squier's tonal range was a little more thin and much less impactful on the low-mids. That said i couldn't notice any difference between the three fenders that couldn't be chalked up to minute differences in how you were playing. That said, the Squier still sounds fantastic and with a cheap upgrade to the pots would probably sound as good as the 2k.

[@CptSlow89]

And thats cuz of the pickups mostly. Put better pickups and voila. But finishing is much better on Fender.

[@mallninja9805]

@@CptSlow89 Maybe not even swap, adjust the pickup height a little and voila.

[@Healcraft]

@@mallninja9805 yeah people just need to watch 1 video on pickup height and realize how much difference it makes

[@KoaCharvel]

I am of the mind, if it sounds good, it is good. The feeling of the guitar in my hands is more important than the name on the headstock. This was not always the case for me. My favorite guitar for the last year has been my J Mascis Squier Jazzmaster, leaving my USA strat and Gibson Les Paul hanging on the wall.

[@vlasov18]

Waiting for snob, elitists comments....

[@martyshwaartz971]

I agree! the sound is the the eq, amp, and speaker .. what matters is how it feels in the hand!

[@Joormode]

I also got the J Mascis Jazzmaster, in 2020 - and its my favorite .

[@mrcoatsworth429]

I agree! Pickups can be changed easily. Bridges can be changed. The wood? Pff lol The way it feels to play and the way it looks are way more important!

[@Gristle111]

Epiphone sg g400 pro for me! Feel is a huge part!

[@TheExiledTexan]

I really like how bright and sparkly the Squier sounds. Sure, it doesn't have the same tonal characteristics of the other three, but it's got its own nice thing going.

[@curtvona4891]

Paul makes every guitar sound amazing.

[@Glicksman1]

In 1995 I bought a 1962 SB Strat at a guitar show for $3,500 with the original case. I went there particularly looking for one that had been beat up and that had been played a lot, a sure sign of an excellent sounding instrument. I sure found one. This one was well-worn in all the right (and wrong) places and had even been reglued together when it had split apart lengthways below the bridge from, as the story went, a "fall" from second story window when the girlfriend of its new owner took some umbrage at him buying it instead of new shoes for her. As well as I could see, everything was as original to it when it left the factory, except the strings, so I plugged it into a Blackface Deluxe Reverb that the seller had at his table for such purposes. After only a few minutes my friend who was listening looked at me and nodded with a great smile. I agreed and took it home. It has been my number one ever since. I call it "Lazarus" (this is all a long time before Joe Bonamassa named a guitar the same) owing to its resurrection after its near-death so long ago. The body has since then been properly re-glued, the bridge saddles, which rusted out, replaced by Callaham's clever vintage-style aged ones and that is all. The "Fender" decal on the headstock has been flaking away since I bought it and little of it remains. I have other Strats including an amazing 2005 White-Blonde Eric Johnson and a Dakota Red 50th Anniversary with Lace Sensors. They are great guitars, for sure, but Lazarus is the tops. I've never played any guitar with as much mojo and pure, rich tone at every pickup switch position (3-way of course) or one so easy and satisfying to play. It's almost telepathic and tuned in to me whenever I pick it up. I seems to purr when I hold it. So, as far as vintage Strats are concerned, in my experience the '62s are by far the best. Why? Lots of reasons I'm sure, some of which you said, but I really don't care why. I'm just grateful to have mine.

[@philf4086]

Yes, your 5K Strat sounds great. I believe that the 2K Strat should do everything you need. The 60K guitar sounds great too, as expected.

[@dieterjosef]

The 60k guitar has it's price due to collector's hype. They are good, but they were mass manufacturered in a factory. What should be he hidden ingredient that you couldn't add today?

[@ludomirsteinbruck9376]

​@@dieterjosef Exactly

[@pubbiehive]

@@dieterjosef i think what makes a lot of old guitars sound good I that they're crappy in a specific way. Of course the build quality overall was better before they started to mass produce strats but I also imagine vintage 1962 tech being sort of bad in specific ways that are hard to replicate today.

[@jimbean6500]

What makes the old guitar built differently and “better”, is that the electronics were left over military parts that were of very high quality, and cannot be replicated exactly, the wood was also from old growth trees wood that no longer exists, wood that is very hard, it’s also uniquely light weight sometimes, they were also made with human hands not computers, so you’d sometimes get a guitar made by a true master craftsman, with the wood and electronics that gave an amazing vintage guitar. There are vintage guitars that are duds and guitars that sound like they were built by gods hands, a lot of variance back then.

[@jimbean6500]

And yes there is hype, but also a small group of men that own an incredible number of these instruments they have hoarded them and made them scarce.

[@patvidal8932]

.In my Clasic Vibe I installed a Fender vintage style bridge with a Bigger Block that they sell nowadays, a Korean neck from 1996 50 anniversary edition , Golden Logo and Texmex pups,SOUNDS AMAZING, and in my ROAD WORN 60 that has the ORIGINAL BRIDGE I put Toneriders PURE VINTAGE Pups, and through my TWIN REVERB and my BLUES DELUXE with the EMINENCE WIZARD speaker I´m DONE.UPGRADE, UPGRADE IS THE ANSWER. Greetings from CHILE

[@ukphonebook]

I own an all original, Sonic Blue over Sunburst late '62 Strat (veneer board) as well as a Custom Shop '59 in Fiesta Red. It's definitely more about the feel than the sound (both sound incredible). The '62 feels like a comfortable glove and just seems to play more 'in tune'. Both are perfectly set up, but the '62 can be put away for months yet will always be still bang in tune when you take it out of the case.

[@zoeyjoziee8885]

You’re just mad cause you ain’t got an All Original, Sonic Blue over Sunburst late ‘62 Strat

[@billlittle4247]

Obviously not a gigging musician. A collector that's it

[@thorstenfriedrich]

in my ears they all sound really close. A small turn on the Bass/Middle/Treble Knobs will make them sound even closer. It‘s more about the quality of the build, the feeling and the vibe. In this terms the 2.000$ Strat does it for me.

[@paul_davids63]

Dm let 👆👆let talk I got something special for you🎊💯

[@DCWofdag]

A Squier is what it is, but let’s not forget that George Harrison played one, so in the right hands they can still do the business. Your playing transcended each model, making them all sound great regardless of vintage or cost.

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

You can get a sound as nice as s fender strat on a squier, the only issue with them is for me the necks feel bad to play on and you can see they are cheaper, worse wood. The bodies also feel plasticky

[@anotheryoutubed]

@@Ukraineaissance2014 What are you talking about? Wood is wood. Maple is maple. The necks on my Squires feel the exact same as the necks on my Fenders do.

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

@@anotheryoutubed if you think all wood is equivalent you armt qualified to give an opinion.

[@jhrdrake7205]

@@anotheryoutubed Yup I have a classic vibe Tele, got a Pro 2 Tele and sent it back, no way $1300 better than the Squier. I actually like the Squier better. All of this stuff is just cork sniffing. Cheap guitars are great or can be made great very easily with a few upgrades these days. This is a great thing!

[@ryangunwitch-black]

The Classic Vibe series is way better than it should be. I’m really picky about Strats but for Teles they’re more than acceptable. Mine plays and sounds great.

[@danielgriffith3633]

Built a few gtrs over the years. Took a squire (2" thick body), added Kluson tuners, Strat bridge saddles, CTS pots, all cloth covered wiring, 3-way switch and Fender Pure vintage '65 pickups (all fender parts)...Can't be that far off right ?

[@soyounoat]

Old wood often has a richness that comes with time. Differences in pickups, materials and age accounts for some tonal difference.. Other than that, a Strat is a Strat to me. The best one I ever touched was a Squier "Made in Japan" Strat circa 1984. The neck wood was sublime and excellent, and the guitar felt like a living thing feeding back into my fingers. The owner paid $50 US for it.

[@mcneish75]

I’ve got an aria that cost me £40 seconded hand. Put new pots in it and got it set up (£80 in total) plays 100 times better than when I first got it. Great video as usual!

[@DennisAlvarezMusic]

I changed out the bridge on my Classic Vibe 60's Strat for a Wilkinson bridge with a steel block. It made the tone deeper. And it cost me (at the time) $35 for the upgrade.

[@colevosburyofficial]

The difference, I've found, is more in how they feel when you play them and the rest follows. I'm left-handed, 10 years ago I found a '64 left-handed strat at Gruhn's in Nashville. It was $15,000 so I had to leave it behind but I truly could not believe the difference from all the other strats I have played. Simply incomparable. I'll never forget that guitar and the 2 hours we spent together.

[@thelivingroomstudios]

Oh man! What excellent editing on the switching between the guitars when playing the part. So difficult to do a "correct" shoot-out when it comes to guitar, unless you use a pre-recorded loop, and you just nailed it!!! My quick two cents, from many years in the studio, each instrument has its own mystique that is relevant and appropriate for the specific end goal (song). An 80s heavy metal band's guitarist gave their best performance on our "vintage" 1986 Jackson Randy Rhoads while a younger punk kid laughed and picked up a Japanese Fender Mustang--tried a few guitars but with those we got the best performance out of them! Same holds true for microphones!!! And other gear too!!! Paul, you LOVE that 62 and it shows during the first part of the video where you're just playing and not trying to shoot out the different guitars. When you picked up that 62 everything changed, from your body language to the way your pick attack changed, plus that 10% boost, at least, in the expressiveness of your playing. Would be very interesting what you'd think if you did not know which guitar you were playing. Excellent stuff!

[@felipelotas5609]

I was thinking about writing about those differences in the body language while playing each guitar but you stole my words. I´m 100% positive that it would be very easy with just a bit of make up and narrative to mix dates, looks and data about those guitars and fool most of those so called "guitar-experts". Especially in a blindfold test to avoid eye-spotting those tiny details giving up the truth for any average guitar connoiseur ...The way you attack and hold the pick is so critical and at the same time underestimated in these comparatives that any scientifical value is lacking at all. And that universal trend of never talking about or measuring the electrical parameters of all the pickups involved in each sound clip is the definite LOCK to any possible clarification about the real differences in sound between similar guitars. And before any Myth-Eater makes the blares of doom sound over my head...yes, I belong to a team at the university, studying, designing and building electric guitars from scratch...absolutely everything but the strings, frets, tuning pegs and electronics. So we design and calculate our own pickups, wind them with our own custom-build winder and build bodies, fretboards and necks with an also custom made CNC...We have tried so many uncommon woods and materials, copper gauges, wire turns, alnicos...and so on. Well, that´s only to state that we know a little bit about the matter...though still learning, making mistakes ...and having FUN!!!

[@thelivingroomstudios]

@@felipelotas5609 excellent point about the electronics!!! So many variables!!! Perhaps not in the scope of a 2023 KZbin video, you know what I mean . . . Also, so sorry to steal your words by the way😎😘

[@latemnf]

I've recently really found myself digging how a stratocaster plays. Somewhere along the way I got convinced that a thinner neck profile and flatter radius was going to be better for my playing; but having a more girthy neck and more radius on the board really does feel great to play. I'm going to be picking one up soon definitely. In technical terms it's less radius but I'm sure you get it lol.

[@RudyVisuals]

This was a brilliant watch Paul! I honestly could not tell the difference in sound. Though I always appreciate how much better more expensive guitars feel in the hands and how they feel to play. Always thought that around 2000 was the sweet spot but wow that classic vibe strat sounds great for the price. As always your playing is exquisite!

[@rhov233]

Generally I think well used guitars feel better to play.

[@SOTOALEX2935]

I like building partscasters with a squier body and fender necks with some good pickups and locking tuners pretty cheap too honestly you get the sound and feel on the neck

[@waynehughes8297]

Definitely would love to see what improvements could be made to the Squier to get the sound and feel closer to that of the 62. Thanks for the information on this interesting topic. 👍

[@ericklein5927]

I'm into playability. The comfort of the fretting is important to me more than the overall. You can always upgrade certain parts to make it sound better. But the feel of the neck matters the most to me.

[@BigHeinen]

I would love to see 'your take' on what is required to start with the $400 Squire and bring it up to par with the $5k guitar.

[@MPNNag]

Paul, this video has been out for a year now and i still sit and watch it over and over again, I bought the AMERICAN VINTAGE II 1961 STRATOCASTER in Fiesta red because I trusted your words. After 9 months I still love it!

[@danibee535]

damn. i can usually hear differences between things in this sort of video, but these were a lot closer than i expected, to the point that i barely heard anything most of the time. i believe it, though - you can get a lot of guitar for your money these days!

[@mattb3214]

Shows how important the amp is too

[@DKinMN]

No you can't.

[@danibee535]

@@DKinMN ?

[@jackdunn4463]

Mexican strats were 400 dollars less than a decade ago. They are now 900 and finding one without screwed up fret work or some other serious playability issue is a chore to say the least.

[@eddievandriver2273]

very much doubt u can hear the difference.

[@rogergamon]

Great video Paul. As others have suggested, might it be possible to post as a blind test? My guess is that none of us would reliably be able to identify whether or not a clip was from the expensive versus cheap strat!

[@Law0fRevenge]

Exactly what I thought, I even closed my eyes on the back-to-back comparison, and my thoughts the entire time were "yup, that's a strat". I can somewhat hear a small difference in the Squier but only barely. But I can totally imagine the Squier wouldn't stay in tune as well as the others, or having a somewhat "meh" intonation with it being built from cheaper materials with a less thorough QA.

[@rogergamon]

@@Law0fRevenge Yes I find this really interesting. I tend to think that there might not be any tonal differences - even if there were, it might be possible to change with tone knob or amp settings? Also, what is a great strat sound? I'm not sure there is a definitive benchmark? And in a mix some of the beefiness might get rolled off anyway? I think intonation can be sorted on a squier strat without much problem. I think you're right in terms of gigging (although Mike Rutherford of Genesis is now using a Bullet Strat on tour!) - but in a studio/for home use I'm not convinced that the extra cost of an American strat would yield better results. Fascinating stuff - thanks for your reply.

[@Nhokc35]

Your playing is an absolute masterclass on simplicity. You can do more with 2 strings than I can do with all 6

[@yuihirasawa7548]

He can do more with 2 than I can do with 8

[@CarlosRodriguez-ew2qg]

@@yuihirasawa7548 You guys really should practice more often ._.

[@Vivi_9]

@@CarlosRodriguez-ew2qg no u

[@yuihirasawa7548]

@@CarlosRodriguez-ew2qg I was mostly joking ofc I can do more with 8 strings

[@JohnnyPippinger]

I have dilema between CV 60 and Vintera 60 ii. The quality of materials is a huge difference. Everything on Vintera feels incomparably better. But I like more rounded (not that sharp) neck on Classic Vibe 60. Also the tone feel more straty, fuller/louder on CV. I don't know if it's only about pick ups, but I wish the tone would be like this on Vintera. Is there any advice or trick to make me stick with the Vintera? 😂

[@lukaszskalikow2094]

Paul, you really know how to describe sound using words. Have you considered making some tutorial for all beginners out there who don't fully get the meaning and differences between ""bright tone" "light tone" "dark tone" "glass" "clarity" "definition" "thick bottom end" "muddy" etc? :)

[@glennhecker4422]

That would be a good idea, and very helpful! Case in point: lately, I find reviewers in guitar magazines using the word "chewy" a lot in describing the overdrive tone of an amp or pedal, and I have NO IDEA what they mean. What am I supposed to hear in my head when I see that adjective? I draw a blank.

[@jeffreygroesser1009]

Great job as usual Paul. It's always a pleasure to hear your insight and playing skills.

[@asdfasdfadfasdf2979]

amazing how they managed to keep the sound perfectly identical over all those years

[@joshundrwd]

It's almost as if 3 of them were built on an assembly line, and 1 of them was built by hand to be an exact replica of one of the ones that was built on an assembly line ;) I say this as someone whose favorite guitar is a fiesta red California Series Strat from 1997. It was built on an assembly line and sounds exactly the same as these four :D

[@thelovacluka]

actually, it would be hard to change it, because if you have the same pickup configuration and materials in 60s an today, it's the same sound. you would need to deliberately want to change it.

[@BollocksUtwat]

Its not like there's some voodoo magic inside single coils. A single coil is a single coil. As long as its not hot wound it'll sound very similar. Also Paul is mixing it and recording it with the same gear in the same room. That cuts down a lot on the differences you'd hear between different people's guitars in their recordings.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

A 1962 never had switch positions 2 and 4. :^)

[@bryantcochran5065]

Love this comparison. It points out how you can get the desired sounds regardless of year made. Today we can even get accurate reproductions of pickups, switches and even capacitors. That makes it very easy to build whatever year guitar model/brand you prefer. I'm building a 60 strat and a 59 les paul now with reproduction pickups, switches, caps and wire. They will scope very close to originals. (I know because I've done it before)

[@kirkmorgan4558]

Would love to see a video on what modiciations you think could take the Squier up a notch in tonality. I have a Midnight Wine MIM strat that I changed out the pickups, pots, jack on and it sounds much better. Never really considered the bridge, nut, or tuners though. I also have a new semi-hollow I'm thinking about doing the same thing with since buying a Gibson is no small feat haha. Thanks Paul, love your videos...I've learned a lot!

[@zamfearmagic]

For the money savings they all sounded so close. A few modes to the squire or a player series. Save money so you can have more guitars 🎸

[@ingotaraske6996]

I did the same to a MIM Tele, it sounded a bit thin out of the box. upgraded pickups (twice), exchanged the hardware, classic bridge, tried some different strings. The result isn’t as balanced as a 2000 € AM Original, more raw overall, but the sound has more depth and sustain now. The cool thing is that with a MIM you are not shy to try new parts. I love this guitar because it’s unique and adjustable to me developing as a guitarist. My AM Original I would never touch..

[@youareliedtobythemedia]

Add high quality locking tuners.

[@ingotaraske6996]

@@youareliedtobythemedia I used Fender vintage tuners. What’s the difference to locking tuners, in sound?

[@youareliedtobythemedia]

@@ingotaraske6996 it doesn't change the sound at all. locking tuners are just great at keeping your guitar in tune

[@MPNNag]

Paul Great job, I ended up buying the AMERICAN VINTAGE II 1961 STRATOCASTER in Fiesta red because of your video. That was my budget and i love it.

[@Mozambezi]

LOL. Correct. This is the better sounding from all of 4 to my liking. Really next level up.

[@MPNNag]

@@Mozambezi I have played my AMERICAN VINTAGE II 1961 STRATOCASTER in Fiesta red for the past 9 months and I still love it. Thank you

[@grahamreddel5682]

Paul you did a great job. I’ve got two Fender Stratocasters, both relatively new but copies of vintage instruments. I found that changing the brands of strings on each resulted in a big difference in tone. So my take on things is to experiment until you find the brand that sounds best on a particular guitar. If the pickups are sounding too bright then lower them and change to a string that gives better mids. My personal favorite strings on a Strat are Elixir Nanoweb 10-46.

[@compucorder64]

I first learned electric guitar on a 90s MIJ 1960s reissue Strat. But over time moved over to playing classical guitar. I've come back to it, after a long time away. Initially starting with a 335, then a Vintera Telecaster. I went back to try a Strat again recently, and picked up a Squier Classic Vibe 50s Strat. It was decent sounding enough, especially on the neck pickup, to get me back into Strats. So I bought a matching Vintera 60s Strat, in matching Seafoam for my 60s Vintera Vintage Modified Telecaster. That did show up the shortcomings in the Squier CV Strat. But, I did still like the 50s vibe, so I picked up a pre-loaded Fender pickguard with the Pure '59 pickups, changed the tuners to fender, upgraded the nut - and I like it quite a lot. I prefer the Vintera 60s, but I think I slightly prefer 60s and Rosewood necks anyway. But the 50s with the Pure Vintage has that nice light shimmery surfy sound, a little bit like that American Vintage you played - and it takes cleaned up Pedal Pawn fuzz, with the volume rolled back, on the neck pickup very well. I might do the bridge at some point later.

[@PNWGuitar]

You know it might be silly to say but the more years I play, the less I feel like I need higher end hear. I have guitars from all proce ranges, honestly as Long as it holds tune and sounds good to you and is built well (which most now are) you can play and record and gig with no issue. Boss katana and a Squire? If gig with that

[@TheHesseJames]

I have a 79 Euro Harley Benton Strat which sounds absolutely excellent! And it plays very well. And yes, I had to fiddle with the set up, which took like 20 minutes.

[@Crabfather]

Couldn't agree more! My favourite guitar is a vm squier, there's something really special about it. Like any guitar, they just don't feel quite right from New until they have worn into your hands. The bridge started to rust out on me, and I swapped out the bridge pickup and that's the most work that will ever be done on it.

[@ChunkTheShredder]

Occasionally I see Paul do something on his guitar that I can actually do! Like…tuning it, I can do that! We aren’t that different!

[@oceancrosby4578]

Cool Sir Foord, I kind of feel the same. I can tune a guitar and play lead notes in the BB King box, "we" that's me and Paul are not that different.

[@mrredritehand]

Squier sounded like it held its own. This reminds me of a 'wine tasting'. Love the Cunetto Paul!

[@SebBrosig]

not so much wine tasting as 'cork sniffing'

[@Patrick-k8o6s]

I have a 2013 mim Strat. I have changed the pickups to the Fender Tex/Mex pickups. Locking tuners just to make string changes easier. Sounds great. Paid $399.00 for it then . MIM Strats are now about $1000.00 in Canada. I am now looking to buy 1961 Vintage II . In Canada they are $3100.00 Prices are getting out of control.

[@Gazdatronik]

Leo went out of his way to engineer out all the artistry that was part of making guitars, to be able to make a consistent, useful product using 12 dollars worth of materials. Case in point, he put out a damn good recipe. My "Strat" is a gifted stock "Indiana" branded Stratocaster clone from 2003-ish, nothing special at all except for a good setup. I think it came out of the SX factory in Korea. It is universally loved by everybody that has touched it. It has influenced several of them to swap out the necks from maple to rosewood. But I credit it back to Leo, who didn't care about minutiae, his goal was to make the best guitars to use as tools. To Leo, Tonewoods didn't exist. It was just a shape that worked, as long as the wood was good. All guitars follow the same rule, some are great and some are terrible.

[@jbharr]

I'm curious why you didn't include a Mexican Strat between that $400 Squier and the $2000 American Strat. Also very curious about the steps you would take to upgrade the Squire to try to match the qualities of the '62. It looks like you have an extra Squier available for the project. Would love to see a video on that.

[@gerdpfeil]

well that's quite obvious anyway, to upgrade the Squier you just have to replace the body, the neck, the pickups and the hardware (well, you can probably keep the jack plate and the strap buttons). ;)

[@asd123-gv4cr]

@@gerdpfeil no.. you dont have to change the pickups they literally sound identical from each other.

[@odourboy]

Agreed. Recently got a LE Player Strat with Fat '50s pups and satin roasted maple neck and it's a f'n killer guitar!

[@benhoward7006]

Probably the best Strat video I have seen. You are a superb player. I think your skills make the Squire sound better than a lot of expensive guitars. The "62 is amazing. Your custom shop is right there with it. I would love to hear a High End Silver Sky against the "62.

[@63ah1275]

A friend of mine had a '74 CBS Strat, and it was AMAZING!

[@dmks2146]

As an audio engineer I'd love a comparison between your custom and the squier with the same pickups, pickup height and strings.

[@paulneedham9885]

Thats exactly what I was thinking. On an Electric those contribute more to the sound than anything else. They are not Acoustics. It wouldnt cost 59600 to change the pickups lol

[@aaronandries91]

Would love to see that Squier upgrade video!

[@samuelswayze]

Would be great if you could show us some empirical EQ data of the tones being output by each guitar. Also, direct comparisons of different tonal areas, like a bass, mid, treble directly compared to each other.

[@maynardburger]

It's almost impossible to do. How the guitar is being played has to be exactly replicated with each guitar to have any proper direct comparison, and nobody is really capable of that. You'd only get a very rough idea, except they're all super close already, so the differences wouldn't be able to stand out.

[@TheKlaun9]

I'm really interested to know your background / reason for this particular request. I've never heard anyone consider those factors before, most value their ears more than some data that's very hard to interpret. Are you an expert in those things? If so, please share more why it's important / what you can learn from that / what to look for. Or is it just day dreaming about how to quantify sound (which is completely fine I guess)?

[@DJClassicAuto]

I think that if I took those four samples from around the 11:40 mark, isolated each, and made a recording of each of them 30 or 40 times and randomly mixed them up and played them with a black screen, there isn't a person on this planet that could pick out the 62 a statistically significant number of times. Random chance will have you be right about 25% of the time, so, if the difference is real, a person should be able to get it right more often than wrong. It would be interesting to see this tried.

[@countzero1972]

Surprisingly. the Squier sounded VERY close to all the rest. They all sounded similarly amazing. The deal breaker with cheap guitars is usually the short lifespan and inconsistent neck bows and electronic malfunctions. Not to say the QC for more expensive models isn't terrible in some cases as well... The Crafted in China Squiers prior to Indonesian move were said to be of Mexican Quality or better. The Indo ones, esp with the pandemic, have been said to be very very spotty with the QC

[@tredogzs]

Spotty craftsmanship is found in America... NOT asia' China and beyond has sooo much more experience and manufacturing capability! Its insane the quality and difference compared to the overpriced american garbage.

[@darkiee69]

Give the American vintage 60 years and it'll sound just like the '62 fender, when the pots got a bit of dirt on them and the capacitors have gotten old. I think the American Vintage sounds like what the pre CBS guitars sounded when they were new. Clean out the pots and change the caps on the '62 and they'll sound the same.

[@400_billion_suns]

Agreed, except you’d also want to re-pot the pickups on the old one. I think that’s actually where a lot of the “vintage” pickup sound comes from. The old wax potting breaks down and the windings aren’t held as well, causing the pickups to be a bit more microphonic with other frequency-dependent interactions.

[@mattofthemountain]

There’s definitely something special about that ‘62. Notes seemed to just come out of it easier. It sounded like it had life in it.

[@bass2564]

3:58 5:38 That's not life, it's fret buzz.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@bass2564 They all buzz. It's what you live with to have good action.

[@jessefrazier6305]

I own several squire classic vibe guitars. They are awesome. Especially after a few minor tweaks.

[@endmymisery3623]

A Squire to Fire video would be great, I'd be interested in if the hardware change can make it sound like a true 62

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Try an American Original 60s Strat first if you can..they are the biz!

[@AmbroseChan]

It would be awesome to have you try changing the parts in the $400 guitar and see if it makes the sound better! Great video, Paul! Your content is always so informative, relaxing and entertaining! Thank you for your generosity in inspiring us with your wonderful music playing!

[@ChrisRash]

Upgrade the Squire and do another comparison.

[@lancegibson9317]

I find it hard to believe that an original 62 strat, sound the same as when it was new. Time affects all. I do think that it is special and rare, and it is hard not to get caught up in that. I love your enthusiasm. Play on!

[@enteecee.]

I've always wondered that about vintage guitars. Wood is always a living breathing material, even under finishes. The simple process of aging can change many properties in wood - that's why we carefully kiln dry to to specific measurements and use penetrating or non-penetrating finishes of various sorts. That's not even to mention that trees are grown and harvested very differently now. Different conditions produce slightly different wood even int he same species. It used to be much easier to get wood that had the tight straight grain of a tree given its own time to mature in a natural forest. Structure and even chemical composition change when a tree is hurried along on a plantation. Not usually enough to affect characteristics that matter to most woodworking, but tone is such a strange and subtle thing.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@enteecee. What effect can wood have on electromagnetism?

[@Chrome262]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver exactly. Wood has little or no effect, now if he said, "I wonder how over 50 years has changed the pickups".

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@Chrome262 The only thing is that maybe one type of wood creates different sustain times for string vibration compared to another type--all hardware and electronics being the same. But when you're playing eighth notes at 120 BPM, sustain ain't matter!

[@enteecee.]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver Yeah, I guess my thinking there was more specifically about acoustics. Though I think wood does contribute a bit to tone and sustain in electrics, it's positively minute compared to the role of pickups and even string material, gauge, and tuning (tightness). Yeah, I could well have said what you suggest; "I wonder how over 50 years has changed the pickups". Resin, wax, ribbons, and particularly copper do change over time, and if anyone's done the long-term real-world studies to show how, I haven't seen them.

[@fulgor9393]

I have a Clapton signature strat which I love, but rather than lugging it to our holiday house all the time, I’m planning to get a squire strat to play and leave there. So thanks for the comparison, I suspected as much, but it’s great to see and hear someone saying it. It’s not that different. Thanks a lot !

[@simondavid2519]

Please do a video of modifying the Squier to make it as close as the ‘61 ! That would be awesome :) As always, great video !

[@damiancoetzee8440]

Yes please. If you can do a video that explains what it will take to get the 400 guitar to the 62 strat,that will be awesome.

[@darkiee69]

2-400 dollar and it should get close to the American vintage. That's as close as it will get if you can't find old pots and caps to switch over. But they have to be used ones.

[@notrachelk]

I would’ve loved to hear melodies in the parlance of the time of the original ‘62 Strat. Also, I’d imagine the playability of the Squire vs the others had its own set of differences!

[@maninthebox01]

The 60s classic vibe series of the squier Stratocaster is a bone nut and alnico v pickups wound as a vintage pickup. Alder body as the vintage has and s style saddles just as the vintage, neck is also as the vintage, the difference of your hearing is selective not physical wave differences.

[@benallmark9671]

Do you have a CV Squire ?

[@maninthebox01]

@benallmark9671 I do have a classic vibe, it's one of the best Squier guitars made