Rabea & Pete Stratocaster Blindfold Shootout!

[@stoneysdead689]

If Chappers were here he'd be like "That's a classic vibe, it's a burst finish, made in Indonesia, and the guy who strung it had tuna on rye for lunch." and he'd be right.

[@karlpron]

@@johntate5050 Even though I don't agree with you on Chapper's playing abilities, you still made my day with that vision :D

[@steffenbrix]

Haha

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Pro tip: it's fixed

[@rmp5s]

Hahaha...hilarious because it's only barely an exaggeration...lol Dude's a freak!!

[@rmp5s]

​@@Joe-mz6dc Oh stop. lol

[@marcinwyc]

Captain: starts relocating guitars Blindfolded Chappers: Hercules Shoksafe Guitar Stand

[@memusicguitar]

LMAO!!!!!

[@SlickWilly79]

😂

[@El-Scorcho]

We need a Les Paul version of this! Epiphone 50s, Epiphone Inspired by Gibson 1959, Gibson 50s Standard, Custom Shop R9!

[@didamnesia3575]

@@El-Scorcho yes, definitely

[@TheTruth70777]

Waiting for this Capt!

[@trevorD1156]

They've done it with rob. It was really pointless because rob recognized the Gibson smell immediately, and the terrible Epiphone pickups.

[@LuizOliver777]

YES

[@jaredcopeland5233]

Tele would win 😂

[@chico1367]

That's always a good episode when Rabea is here

[@ChorusHunter]

I think they'd have given all the guitars to Rabea first and then to Pete in a different order, so they wouldn't have influenced each other in the decisions.

[@emil8446]

Excellent point.

[@BuddyBlues]

I wonder if Rob watches blindfold challenges he’s not in from a throne being fed grapes laughing and saying “peasants”

[@davidyoung8875]

what?

[@alefranci7]

Rob wins the blindfold challenge just by listening blindfolded to the youtube video. In mute.

[@greysuit17]

You mean throne.

[@idrilelladan6692]

Yes, nice picture 😂

[@evilutionltd]

@@greysuit17 game of throwns 🤣

[@Alex-mj5dv]

I still think Rabea is the most versatile player to come through Andertons - can literally play anything, any style, and always bloody well. It’s why he was a natural for Sounds Like!

[@Patrick-k8o6s]

I have to agree. If there is any newer player I would love to play like it’s Rabea and Chris Buck. The future is in good hands.

[@robertclarkguitar]

Yes. Both very emotive. However , Buck seems to play the same but beautiful solos on every song because of that same lick he loves which i get hooked a while on licks myself but never have i heard someone play so repetitive but delicious. If that makes sense. Lol. Plus i love those squiers from Japan too. Hahah ​@Patrick-k8o6s

[@robertclarkguitar]

​@@Patrick-k8o6sand love to have a revstar

[@robertclarkguitar]

PS again..lol I mean both positive they are outstanding. I prefer Rabea due to his ambient side I am huge ambient style rather atmospheric blues I call it like gilmours Marooned lol

[@bryancollins6796]

The AV II, in my opinion, had the best sound. Clear, but not harsh. The Squier was competitive, surprisingly. It shows its value.

[@tims1348]

I totally agree, I want a set of those AV II pups

[@Ck1ngH1m]

Same. American sounded the best to me.

[@metallixro]

All these blindfolded shootout videos are constantly teaching us that experienced players, the ones that have played many instruments over many years, can tell the expensive instruments from the cheap instruments, but also that the difference between them is less than the price difference.

[@karlpron]

Great playing by both. It's like a supergroup when Pete and Rabea are together.

[@vladzubac5360]

the winner in this whole video is the American Vintage, guitar #1. Sounded the most liquidy and squishy of all. Custom shop sounded muffled and somehow rigid, even though quality might be better overall...

[@runwin3]

I have been very impressed by the AVRI line. If you find the right one in store and get a good setup, it’s a great value for that pure classic Strat tone, and I always love a nitro finish.

[@tonywardell3574]

I agree, tho that’s influenced by the great playing Rabea did for that one

[@ughitstom]

that squier honestly sounded REALLY good

[@runwin3]

Yes I was impressed. And they weren’t allowed to touch the tone knob either.

[@schaerfentiefe1967]

Yes. I would prefer it to the Mexican Vintera II Strat.

[@bardsamok9221]

I think Pete's playing has a lot to do with it, but yeah not too bad.

[@ughitstom]

@ nah just the tone is good, if he played it on a different guitar it would sound different, but the guitar itself sounds real good

[@hoganshideout]

I love these videos. Here is a twist you could add, take four different level guitars like this and have one of your technicians give all of them a perfect setup including cleaning up fret ends if necessary, and string them with the same strings and then see if the guys can tell a difference. No more feeling for sharp fret ends to help figure things out.

[@Kryogenikz15]

It never ceases to amaze me how well Rabea, Rob, and Pete play blindfolded. They sound so good even without one of their senses. Well done, lads!

[@elevenAD]

There are all kick ass players!

[@Patrick-k8o6s]

The AV ii is the nicest sounding. Bright but not harsh. Clear and ringing. Great with the gain.

[@EventHorizonPrdctns]

I freakin love how right off the bat the first one sounds like they were each playing a different guitar.

[@markweaver8529]

The American Strat sounded the nicest And rabea is next level

[@MikeB_UK]

I love watching the Captains face as some cool licks are being played. He nearly always has this downturned grimace as he's moving his head to the music! So funny! These blindfold tests are so much fun. Rabea's playing is just epic.

[@declanludick3022]

Mabey Rabea and Matt can do one more sounds like for old times sake????

[@youreallygotmenow4855]

The've got Digital John and Ben Elmer doing the "Sound Like..." series now, so I don't think Rabea and Matt will do that. It'd be very cool if they did though.

[@Patrick-k8o6s]

Rabea is incredibly versatile. He could play anything and make it sound fantastic. Different genres are no problem. Fantastic player.

[@Tenetchurch]

I'm not sure how many get the reference but when Bea, Pete, and Lee and together it truly reminds me of Jeremy, Richard, and the Hampster and it brings me a lot of joy. Great Vide Mates.

[@AllanGildea]

Same!

[@dinadams]

Lee’s pen makes a fantastic scribbling noise, proper Eminem Stan vibes.

[@-chrisburke]

The return of the king 👑

[@kahlen109]

I love seeing the ear of a musician in action, like when Rabea heard the flatter B string playing that chord, it was sensational.

[@djrea4815]

I like how this video just devolved into 3 grown men jacking off some strats at the end 😂

[@Sandman-cr6zn]

This. My thoughts in the ending were that the image of Lee and Pete wacking the guitar necks to check how slippery they are will be in my head 😂

[@lesliestevenson5261]

Brilliant. Great work folks. Loved it. They're all lovely

[@acousticglue]

they can feel the stickers on guard!!

[@mike42356]

28:35 "can I try number 2 again?" That's what I was waiting for! Well done, Pete!

[@PhreddCrintt]

Two amazing guitarists. Superb - both of you.

[@maidenthe80sla]

Tone wise the American Vintage II, then the Squier Classic Vibe came in 2nd place for my tastes.

[@ToddTheJoker]

This just reiterates my hankering for a American Vintage II 60s strat, the pickups sounded so good on that guitar! I do own three Vintera strats though(one Vintera II 70s strat and two Vintera 60s strats, one of which is a roadworn with nitro) and I love those guitars to bits! Cannot go wrong with whatever you choose! IF I could afford it I would have a Custom Shop too! Thanks guys...so much fun to watch these videos! also that Tone King amp sounded great!

[@benallmark9671]

Well put Todd I feel the same and also am a fan of the vintera line.

[@En_A_B]

They all sound great! Proving that the most important thing to a good electric guitar tone is the amplifier. But of course that the tone is not the only thing that matters on a guitar…

[@Riverking1]

Love how Cap is watching their hands as they play. Thats a true guitar player for you.

[@MichaelIrons-d5v]

fab guys nicely done, loved the vid cap.

[@MichaelIrons-d5v]

thank guys.

[@DeadBoyJJ]

To me, number 1 sounded the best. Better than the custom shop. There was a clarity the others just didn't have.

[@BigJasquach]

Oooft the finish on the Squier!

[@4vinylsound]

I love at the end of the video where you got 2 guys stroking four guitars and then saying it's a bit warm.

[@davedavem]

Great challenge! Totally agree with Pete on the Squier Strat being the most stratty. It's like a caricature of a strat, or it delivers what you imagine a strat sounds like. Fender have basically nailed the range.

[@vitkrivanek9378]

These two have proven that they truly don’t need eyes to play :) Incredible!

[@christopherbuck7679]

The USA sounded the best to my ears, very quacky in that 4th position, always sounds magic between the 10th and 15th frets. Bea’s playing helps too.

[@a.j.garrett9639]

Oh I'm looking forward to this. I love these two guys playing in a love stratocasters so how could this video go wrong. Thanks Captain.

[@Gene_Cali]

This is better than any magic show! Thanks Andertons!

[@mark.guitar]

I'm outraged! No outro jam by these two. I feel robbed of my conserve.

[@thegaindane]

Love these blindfold challenges 😍

[@markwhitelaw7192]

I'd love to see one of these blindfold videos with Es style guitars if there isn't one yet! They're so fun!

[@MidoriMae]

My first guitar was a knock off strat back in the day. Did own an American strat but somewhere in my brain I felt it was too precious to gig. Many years has gone by and I finally feel like I actually have an opinion and taste in guitars now. Recently I was shopping for a student's guitar and tried an affinity strat. I was blown away. There was nothing lacking from it that would hinder actual playing at all. Super comfortable. Tone is subjective and I won't expect my student to tell the difference. So effectively, it's literally the perfect beginner's guitar. It even had a flamey neck albeit not on the spec sheet. Just a lucky example.

[@morgopolo]

That Squier is actually my favourite of the four. Sounds terrific!

[@enzocarniel6008]

Need to have a made in Japan fender in that mix. That would be interesting

[@FastRuffneck]

The Custom Shop tone is another level 💚

[@borismarcinov6092]

very entertaining these blidfold videos :D

[@runwin3]

I think Rabea touched on something about the Custom Shop that I rarely hear anyone mention when discussing Custom Shops. He mentioned the matter of the tone being “choked.” Sure, you can dial in just about any tone on just about any guitar, but the connection you feel in the room between your playing and the tone that is being produced with a CS is generally more evident than with a regular production model. I’m not saying it’s not possible with a production model, but I think that little bit of extra nuance is what pushes people to pay double for only that extra 5% of tone and feel. It also doesn’t necessarily come through on recordings- you honestly just have to experience the difference yourself and possess the ability to play well at all volumes and all levels of pick and finger attack.

[@matthewcollis-long5233]

These are all great sounding guitars in the hands of these fine players, however the Squier, the Vintera and the American ‘60s all sound a little “generic” in comparison to the Custom Shop, which just has bags of personality in Pete & Rabea’s hands. It’s also the best colour ever for a Strat. Lovely video.

[@cordia]

34:44 just a few guys sitting around stroking guitar necks, what a time to be alive.

[@g-woonk]

🔥🔥 I can't wait for the new ULTRA II !!!

[@troyharkcom6441]

Damn this was a good video. Cheers yall!

[@fuglbird]

After playing guitars at 97 db every day it's a miracle that they can hear anything at all!

[@nooredinalmasri8817]

I see blindfold...I click!

[@andywhite3777]

Is that only on Anderton’s videos??😂

[@killacoiler1707]

What is a bit unfair about this test is that the MIM and American production model necks are all made in the same factory. The Squier and Custom shop necks are the only models that are made in different plants. The main difference between them is the quality of the hardware and pickups. Fender America has spent countless hours and dollars building up the manufacturing quality of their Mexican production facility to meet Fender quality standards that is virtually indistinguishable between American and Mexican manufacture as far as basic construction. Then there are the made in Japan models that are by far the best bang for your buck in my opinion. The MIJ does not offer the same range of vintage inspired models but are excellently spec’d out, phenomenal playing, and great sounding instruments.

[@DennisFeinsteinCEO]

The pickup change between the American and Squire was immediately apparent... The Classic Vibes are still a GREAT value for the money 🫡

[@wyattsmith6694]

That AV II just…it was thick as molasses, but without sacrificing any clarity. Sounds absolutely brilliant. Honestly though, the only one that I wouldn’t buy would be the Custom Shop, just because I like the AV II better for less money

[@ThatBaritoneGuitarGuy]

I generally find Classic Vibe is on-par with Mexican Fender. That is why Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified have been my tour/session guitars for years.

[@IAmTello]

Rabea & Pete's shoe game is on point

[@Jesseddoes]

I’m mostly here to be amazed by two incredible guitarists

[@jamiej21]

The Squier classic vibe is amazingly good

[@wingedtoast7495]

lees face when bea plays is somewhere between delight and a reaction to pete dropping his guts, honestly could be either

[@TrickyTrav967]

Thanks for the validation. I've long held the opinion that the Squier Classic Vibe guitars beat anything that is Mexican save the limited edition artist guitars.

[@AllanGildea]

What players! Great stuff, cheers guys. Personally liked the look and sound of the Squire best.

[@RobCabreraCh]

I was listening with my phone screen off when that classic vibe started playing. I have a classic vibe 50s, I instantly recognized the sound as the one my guitar makes. I thought, if that is not the classic vibe, I don’t know anything! I was right, thankfully

[@HenryofEngland]

Got my birch green player 2 strat on Saturday from these guys ... its fecking awesome

[@franzjosef5136]

Haha, for the last days I played the Riff at 24:55 and couldnt remember where it came from. Thanks for clarifying!

[@theSonicboom100]

What song is it??? I can't figure it out. It is all over my head...

[@franzjosef5136]

@@theSonicboom100 Its called "Pick a part thats new" :)

[@ralphrudon298]

I think you should have put in a G&L Legacy as well.

[@JammoJay]

This vid proves, 100%, that the amp is more important than the guitar in terms of tone. Because that Squier, albeit not as good as the others, still sounds absolutely awesome! If you had 2-3k for a budget for a rig, at least 60% of that should be amp

[@neverenoughstrats]

Loved the video! Looks like the Custom Shop is a '59, cuz of the brown claydots. Wondering if it has a '59 esquire neckshape. That would be easy to detect in comparison with the 60s C neckshapes of the other ones. Still 🙌 for Pete and Rabea!

[@MrLph427]

It’s a pleasure to just listen/watch to some lighthearted banter, makes a change compared to the rest of my algorithmic diet……….

[@XIII1013]

the facial expression of captain lee when rabea strummed the first distortion note of the first guitar, i felt that personally

[@chrisegg7936]

in my limited experience, fender REALLY nailed the pickups in the AVII line. My 57 blonde ash strat isn't the nicest guitar I've ever played. There are some minor fit and finish issues and despite it being nitro lacquer, it was sprayed so heavy that even after 18 months of playing it pretty hard, it still feels really thick and plastic-y (I'm aware it's not an aged nitro like a road worn or custom shop might be(and I know about the undercoat don't @ me!)). But the sound is absolutely perfect. It's exactly what I wanted out of an old (pretend old), low-output, chimey strat with a maple neck and fretboard. I'd never dream of changing the pickups on it even though I'm always itching to swap things around and try new stuff in my guitars.

[@ryangreenhow]

What a couple of show-offs! :P

[@yodhanhunter]

Watching the Captain’s facial expressions is half the fun. He can react to what they are saying and they will never know.

[@13jcarey]

These guys play guitar blindfolded better than I’d play with four sets of eyes

[@maJastoL]

And two pairs of hands

[@chrisk7150]

25:17 That didn't sound like stereophonics. I think it was "feel the pain" by Dinosaur Jr.

[@azorbet]

Thank you for saving me from a huge headache! I knew I’d heard that song in Guitar Hero, but I just couldn’t track it down.

[@ninomarevicmusic]

@@azorbeti also heard Dinosaur Jr 😅

[@Siebenstein83]

No, Lee was right. Pick a part that‘s new is the song.

[@JimDewdGuitars]

So impressive to not hit any bad notes while playing blindfolded.

[@Professional.Bro.777]

I hit plenty bad notes while looking at my fingers as they move!

[@nishanthreghunath8845]

Oh goodness, Petes playing is soo soo soo straty!!! dont get me wrong, bea is a phenomenal player, and is one of my biggest influences, but Pete and a single coil pup guitar is something else!

[@sgtpilko5428]

Sound wise I preferred the classic vibe

[@FransJCMartins]

Should’ve taken the stickers off the pickguards 😂

[@bigjackjones]

You guys should try a few blindfolded jam series, would be really interested to see where it goes when each player has to go purely by ear (maybe they already do?!). I'd find it hard not watching what was going on.

[@timnotbrianmay]

I REALLY LIKE that' THEY CAN TELL, What THEY'RE PLAYING, NOT ONLY BY THE SOUND, BUT.... BY THE FEEL.. BUT, for ME, STRATS ARE STRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!! There ARE DIFFERENCES, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU PLAY THEM, BUT... They're STILL STRATS!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Kevin.Gassner]

Love these Videos ❤

[@davidturner7863]

Probably sounds made, but can you do a blindfold challenge with the same range of guitars? To see how different each one may be? Blindfolded. Just a thought.....

[@ILoveHellas]

Conclusion - Get the Squier and you are just fine.

[@jackturvey6153]

Enjoying the neck rubbing action at the end 😂

[@BOSSenjoyer]

Good video. That Squier sounded the most vintage, the point of using real single coils.

[@romestant]

the vintage II american went up 300 pounds during the making of this video. 1699 -> 1999

[@ibastratepi]

You know what they say about brightness, it's easier to take it out than add it in. Classic Vibe did great, methinks.

[@schaerfentiefe1967]

I noticed in many YT videos that thoese Custom Shop Strats always sound a little muffled and dark. Not sure if this is a good thing... I really preferred the sound of the American Vintage II and surprisingly the sound of the Squier!

[@reddottx]

Really liked having both guys on. Becomes more like guys just sitting around talking guitars rather than this is better or worse…

[@rdhorsey9081]

More Rabea!

[@fento9]

Great video!!!

[@imonahorse]

Some feedback if I may? The first thing I took from this video was that I wanted whatever that overdrive pedal was. You've included all sorts of super helpful links in the description, but not a link to the pedals used. I'm not that lazy that I won't go and find it on your website, but plenty of people are! Great video, love listening to Rabea play strats.

[@whiskersb5296]

Thank you Lee for asking what choked out pickups means.

[@FrostlordTheWizard]

That Vintera gave both other Fenders run for their money at least when it comes to sound. It sounded much more like a 60's one should. And Squire also sounded really good and came close 2nd for me.