Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster | Overrated or the Only Tele You Need?

[@JackFossett]

Thanks for watching everyone! If you're in the market, here is a link to the guitar on Sweetwater - shopping through this link helps support my channel! sweetwater.sjv.io/QyvgVP

[@guitareveryone]

Good review. I agree on Fender’s quality control slipping lately. Over the past year I’ve bought the Squier 40th Anniversary Stratocaster and Jazzmaster and the setup has been poor on both. The 40th Anniversary Stratocaster had poor nut filling on the high strings giving a “sitar” like sound and a slightly high fret. The Jazzmaster had an even worse nut with most of the strings binding in the nut and sounding like a sitar and the neck wasn’t even screwed into the body enough. I kept both instruments after contacting the dealer and got a discount and set them up myself. But these issues are unacceptable for the average customer that wants to buy a guitar that they can at least play out of the box. Especially with the higher markup on these instruments. Fender/Squier…..are you listening here???

[@bakkels]

I've got one of the old Chinese ones. A 2013 one I believe, and the fretwork is impeccable on mine. Very much at the same level as my Am Fenders. I agree with you on the tuners: they hold tune really well, but they do fee flimsy when you turn them. They just give off this "be careful when you handle me!" vibe. Pickups? I swapped them, but only because I wanted to have that experience under my belt 😄 I'm on the fence now, and if I'm completely honest: the originals actually might have sounded better, I might put them back in. (I have the Chinese butterscotch blonde version which came with the Tonerider Hot Classics. The white blonde version came with other Tonerider pickups. And I don't know what they put in them nowadays) As for wiring: while I was in there, I also noticed it had the cheap selector switch with the square board, but it works perfectly so far so I don't care.

[@kristofer603]

I've been Playin' mine since 2011...In Dance Halls,Honky tonks,Bars,Cafes,Restaurants,Weddings,Country Clubs etc...I haven't changed a thing on it...Its a Perfectly Fine Tele...no rough edges..no pickup disappointments...no tuning problems...Made in China...I've played more expensive Teles...owned a few...This remains The One I Play and Love the Most.

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

I bought stainless steel frets to put in my oh yes, jumbos

[@ryangunwitch-black]

The pups in mine are so good. Even the neck😂. I got it for less than 300 bucks. They’re amazing.

[@tinydubtheone]

I put some joe strummer pick-ups in mine and it just sounds amazing. Don't get me wrong it was great outta the box but an extra $150 makes it play ( in my opinion ) just as good as an American tele.

[@bikenband]

I have one, been gigging with it in a country band for about 3 years, get compliments on the tone all the time, it’s completely stock. I have Strats, LP’s, Rickenbacker, Gretsch, and this gets played more than all of them. I was excited when I saw this review because you always get the best tones out of whatever guitar you’re playing.

[@lynnyates5973]

I have a 60's Thinline that is my "go to" tele ..the sound is fantastic..its also a beautiful instrument visually..Super stoked to recommend to anyone ..Great video sir !

[@barbmelle3136]

From Leo: The Classic Vibe series from Squier are solid Instruments. I have the Jazzmaster and Strat CV models and they were fine right off the wall, nothing has failed. I like the sounds available from the stock pickups. I bought them 6 or 7 years ago. I am surprised that you saw defects in the tuners and fretwork. Thanks for your review.

[@guilletjean-jacques5107]

pour moi la CV represente ce que Leo Fender a fait en 1950 avec la premiere telecaster , c est a dire une guitare tres bon marché , facilement demontable et reparable ......cet esprit s est perdu avec l envolée des prix des Fender actuelle , et Squier avec la serie CV a gardé cet heritage , et c est poiur cela que j en ais 3 (deux telecaster et une stratocaster) , au diable ce qu il y a marqué sur la tete , la meilleure reponse que j ai pu avoir sur la qualitée des ces guitares , ce sont mes amis guitariste , tous possesseurs de Fender americaine , qui en jouant sur mes CV misent a niveau .....a chaque fois veulent repartir avec , elle est la la meilleure reponse que l on peut donner , j ai 52 ans , j ai eu beacoup de guitares tres cher ......et je suis revenu vers des guitares simple et qui sonnent , la boucle est bouclée .

[@johndaugherty4127]

Dang, I love the whitewash finish on it. Reminds me of my 78 Fender. You make it sound fantastic too.

[@jeremywills9303]

I've got 2 Classic Vibe Teles, a 50s and a 70s thinline. Great value for what they are out of the box. If you do some key upgrades they are fantastic.

[@jayteesgear]

Agreef

[@omarfranco2077]

What are your key upgrades on this one? mine is stock

[@malcolmsansom5026]

I recently went into my local guitar shop expecting to buy 1 of these after reading the reviews, however as soon as I picked it up I knew it wasn't for me then I played it and that just confirmed it wasn't for me, I left somewhat disappointed. Great vid jack keep up the good work 🎸

[@jezmez68]

Picked this guitar (2020) over the Fender Player based on the sound of the pickups. I've re-wired the thing with a 4-way switch and upgraded the alpha pots with full-sized CTS pots. I screwed up and ordered pots with bigger shafts than my knobs, so I just got a whole new plate, Fender knobs which have more heft. The bigger pots have a better tapering. The sound doesn't drop off halfway down. Kept the pickups. Sounded better to me than the Duncan quarter pounders a friend had in his Telecaster. They sound more like a Telecaster, which is what I wanted. Tuners seem good to me. I keep thinking about buying a set of 18:1 ratio Fender tuners that should drop right in, though. Whenever I have a spare $50 lying around I might do this, but I just put a new set of Stringjoys on it, so I might wait. My neck is great. Glossy AF and no sharp frets. I'll be playing my Les Paul Jr or my MIJ Squier '85 Strat, then pick up this guitar and the neck always makes me say, "Awww yeah." Put brass saddles on mine. Not too much of a difference, but it is a little less bright, which is sweet. Overall with the mods, and the fun of doing the mods, I probably spent less than $100, which was still cheaper than a $700 Player at the time. Got mine for $355 (demo model at Sweetwater). Slapped a red tort pickguard and a Forney Customs silver switch tip on it (no issues with the black plastic tip; this is merely aesthetic). Would love to have a second one, because the body is routed for a humbucker in the neck. Mine is blonde like yours, but a butterscotch one would be cool to make a Macawber-style Tele. And yes, I love that mine is almost 10 lbs. It's a hoss. And yes, I prefer making a guitar and doing all the mods then buying something more expensive that I didn't get to choose exactly what I wanted. You can buy a $1200 Telecaster. Does it play 4x better than a $350 Squier? I would say no. I play in my basement. When I start touring the world and Fender wants to ship me out one of those pricier guitars at no cost to me, I will take it. People who say these are over-hyped either have too much money or need to go back to the basement and learn how to set up a guitar. You can buy a fret finishing tool at StewMac for cheap. Learn to solder.

[@waynebridger4998]

I have one of the early classic vibe Telecasters in butterscotch. Has brass saddle and scratchplate needs removing to adjust neck pickup It sounds great.

[@Baci302]

I love that color with the vintage looking fretboard/neck.

[@paulmeier3462]

Great vid! I couldn't agree more. I have about 10 guitars and my Classic Vibe Tele is the one I mostly reach for. I've moded the hell out of it, repainted it and don't care if it gets scratched, and it just plays and feels great. I had a MIM Tele before that I couldn't get on with at all and much prefer the Classic Vibe, even with the stock pickups, which weren't bad but I just wanted to upgrade them (put a Fender '52 RI in the bridge and a Strat pickup in the neck, which are a great combination). I also have more expensive guitars that I'm nervous to play. I'd recommend a CV to anyone for the prices you can get them for, just put some better pickups in it and you have a guitar that will match anything.

[@jimvandemoter6961]

I bought a Squire Classic Vibe Tele two years ago and I really like it. I did make some changes. First I changed the tuners, then I installed compensated bridge saddles. I did need to dress the fret ends with needle files. For the money it can't be beat.

[@johnperiard9594]

Own the CV 50s tele in butterscotch. Love it! Just bought the 60s cv tele for Xmas!

[@EdVanMeyer]

I bought a CV 3 tone SB tele body and made and Andy Summers Tele from it, it already had the neck humbucker route.

[@brianbutler3318]

There is a huge difference between the Chinese ones (2008-18) and the currently Indonesian ones. Two totally different feeling guitars.

[@jordanpratt3821]

So which one is spose be better.

[@brianbutler3318]

@@jordanpratt3821 Chinese ones!

[@guilletjean-jacques5107]

j ai les deux , une chinoise et une indonesienne ......pas de difference pour moi , elles sonnent toutes exellement bien , je me rapel du temp ou les telecaster japonaise etaient le top , et on disait que les chinoises n etaient pas terrible .......et puis ensuite la production japonaise a ete arreté et comme par magie les chinoises sont devenue exellente .....et il en est de meme maintenant que la production est en indonesie , soit disant les indonesienne ne valent rien comparé aux chinoise .....mais c est faux , et j en ais discuté avec quelqu un de chez Fender .....qui me disait qu il n y avait pas de difference , que c etait dans la tete des gens .....et moi qui ais les deux , je peus vous dire que c est vrai , car chinoise ou indonesienne , ce sont les meme guitares .

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

​@@jordanpratt3821 China version is definitely the better one' look up the specs' Pickups/components vs the Indo one.

[@44Yogo]

I second that! Got two Chinese CV teles, next to Fenders, love them both

[@giabgr]

I have a 2012 model. Plays like a dream - shredder level action. Fretwork is great. Only issue for me is control panel plate and neck plate tarnished after only a few months. I just live with that. Also, replaced the output jack with an electrosocket after a while.

[@georgek2508]

You have the Indo vibe, I have the Chinese 50's vibe Tele. No sharp frets, great pups, brass saddles, bone nut. Does carry some weight and doesn't have ergo body edges or neck joint, just a block of wood. I like it that way. Finish is great, nice player all round and perfect - for me!

[@IanRobertSanders]

I really appreciate this channel and your reviews. Very informative and all the guitars sound great when you play them!! I wish I could play my Squier CV Tele like that!!

[@leftblues]

Nice review! I have an Indonesian made one that is close to perfect and sounds amazing. The only gripe is its a little heavy. It came perfectly set up. No issues with frets or anything. Its my only tele. It holds its own against my American guitars including a 61ri strat which is awesome. I will vouch for the Indonesian version as a terrific guitar.

[@Natural_Order]

I really liked the way my classic vibe strat played out of the box but the pickups were a bit scooped for my taste. Still imo better than the Fender player I got new with stripped adjustment screws and the worst fret edges I ever felt

[@jimmy5634]

I had to work on some of the frets of my Squier Classic Vibe CV 50 Strat. Other than that it’s a great guitar.

[@jarhead3038]

I bought one when they first came out. Still have it. Been playing since 1963 and these are great guitars.

[@jonnybeck6723]

Nice playing... I have the older one (CV '50's) with the brass saddles and the string retainer betwixt 3rd & 4th tuners... The one piece neck (w/ skunk) is a joy with fret edges perfect and the pine body in natural finish is lovely... Does yours seem a wee bit smaller all around? Wish you could check out mine. Cheerios

[@czechplastik]

I think you hit the nail on the head with these guitars. I've tried a few Classic Vibes, buying into the hype, but they've always fallen down in the same places. Pickups, weight, tuners, electronics and fretwork. I find the materials, especially metals, are pretty cheap feeling. My MIM, MIJ and USA guitars are superior. You're right about the price not being linear. The good thing is, if budget is limiting, you can still get a solid Telecaster but the custom shop beating comments you see all over the show are pretty wide of the mark.

[@thehonestguitarist6543]

Afew hundred you'll never get back when you sell. Been there....

[@Keaneo]

This comment is spot on 👍...although the fretwork on mine was flawless

[@PhillipHolt-f9r]

I think they're pushing a lot more classic vibes down the pike with the sonic series even though prices are the same.

[@thehonestguitarist6543]

Not worth it with upgrades. Go used Mexican Player. Better guitar by light years. It's a business not a charity. Cheap pays twice. 😆

[@jhrdrake7205]

@@thehonestguitarist6543 Had a Fender Pro 2 and a Squier CV, sold the Fender Pro 2 kept the CV, never changed a thing on it either. In no universe is the Pro 2 $1200 better than the Squier imo. I actually prefer the CV tone as it is a bit fatter than the pro 2. A tele is simple, paying a ton of money for one is overkill.

[@bryancollins6796]

I've got the 60s CV Tele. Upgrade the bridge and wiring harness like I did and swap out the pickups. You get a great gig guitar that plays and sounds fabulous.

[@theuserthatishere]

might as well get a used american for lil more?

[@graemero5532]

I'm a G&L guy, but I agree Jack, the Squier Classic Vibe tele's could be very good guitars with a couple of hundred quid spent on them. Bone nut, bridge saddles, tuners, pickups & pots. Plus modding guitars gives you a connection to them.

[@guilletjean-jacques5107]

j en ais deux ; une CV50 et une CV 60 , j ai mis sur elles une electronique mojotone USA , un chevalet wilkinson by gotoh , une paire de micros dimarzio twang king sur la CV 50 et une paire de Fender nocaster sur le CV 60 , le prix total de ces deux guitares ne depasse pas 1500 euros , c est meme pas le prix d une Fender americaine , et ces deux guitares sonnent comme dans un reve , je ne penses meme pas a acheter autre chose , c est inutile , j ai meme une CV52 stratocaster , j ai aussi mis une electronique mojotone usa , j ai changé le vibrato pour mettre un Vega trem , j ai mis des mecanique vintage a verouillage , et me reste a changer les micros pour un set de Fender Eric Johnson signature je penses ... et ca sera fini pour moi , j aurais 3 guitares de qualité pro pour 2600 euros prix des guitares comprise . Evidement c est un choix personnel que d avoir fait cela , j avais le budget pour me payer des Fender americaine , mais avec ces 3 guitares j ai 3 guitares unique dont j ai choisi moi meme les composants , et ca ca n a pas de prix .

[@graemero5532]

@@guilletjean-jacques5107 J'espère que vos mods fonctionneront pour le mieux. Je fais une chose similaire avec trois USA G&L Asats. J'aime ces guitares pour leur qualité de fabrication, leur sillet en os, leur manche sculpté et leur chevalet à six sillets. On peut les acheter d'occasion à très bas prix car ils ne portent pas le nom Fender/Gibson. Tout ce que je veux changer, ce sont les micros donc j'aurai trois guitares avec leur propre son. Un avec Dynasonics, un avec des humbuckers à large gamme Cunife et un avec des bobines d'agrafes Alnico 5 p90. 😉 I hope this makes sense, I used google translater 😉

[@satyadasgumbyji8956]

Why not just do the same with a $200 Squire & save yourself $250 from the start?! You gonna say for the fukn wood & labor??? Just buy a damn block of wood & start from scratch!😅 WTF?!!! If you can't gig with a CV, you ain't a real mofo to begin with! SMGDMFH!

[@graemero5532]

@@satyadasgumbyji8956 Why not just do the same with a $200 Squire & save yourself $250 from the start? I prefer the G&L neck carve, hardware & finish. I cannot be bothered to buy a block of wood & start from scratch. You should not use bad language on youtube comments, I could be a child after all, and it makes you appear like a silly little keyboard warrior. Have a nice day 😉

[@satyadasgumbyji8956]

​@@graemero5532If you let your kids on one of these things they call a "phone" these days, bad language should be the very least of your concerns, friend!😅 Is straight up child abuse!

[@jimholloway9949]

I have a 2015 CV Tele made in China. Great neck, superb fretwork.

[@bumblefritz]

My Classic Vibe 60's Custom Tele has been worked hard since getting it in 2010. Only maintenence was a slight neck adjustment once a couple of years ago. Unbelievable guitar with many years still ahead of it.

[@ChaosHornet]

Excellent modding platforms, the classic vibes.

[@repoman5581]

Ive had 2 50s cv teles and have been more than happy with both

[@themanalligator4813]

The Classic vibe series is a great modding platform. Add in a proper setup & you've got yourself a great guitar.

[@jimmy5634]

I own a CV 50 Tele and Strat, both of which I bought from Sweetwater. The Tele came in with absolutely no issues. In fact, minus the cheap tuners, I would put it up against any Tele I’ve ever owned in build quality. The stock bridge pup was quite good, but the neck was a bit lacking. I swapped out the pickups for fun, but I’ve seriously considered putting the OG bridge back in. The Strat came in with an electronics issue. Switching positions, there were two “dead spots”. Sweetwater replaced it immediately. In fact they sent me a replacement so fast I still hadn’t shipped the OG back. The second Strat needed a wee bit of fret work on three of the lower frets and I took care of it. Outside of that I think the rest of the build is very good. Once again, the tuners are cheap and so is the bridge. They do work acceptably though. I like the pickups as they have that 50’s vibe I was hoping for. I will not swap them out. I’ve also owned several other Strats, American, Japanese and Mexican for comparison sake. Look folks, for $400, these are great guitars and if you have any issues, Sweetwater’s policies will do you right.

[@easter_sunday]

I upgraded the pots in my Squier to 300k's and put a TV Jones pickup in the neck. Love it!

[@jordanpratt3821]

I have a classic vibe jaguar. It plays, and sounds great. No fret problems, buzzing or anything. Downsides are it weighs a ton, and just feels cheap (for lack of a more in depth assessment)

[@theuserthatishere]

cheap sappy woods, feels cheap? you get what you pay for!

[@mairenared]

I have a Chinese made Butterscotch Blonde CV Tele which I bought off a friend back in 2016. I originally bought it as a spare to back up my 2002 MIM Strat but it kind of grew on me. I kept it in open G for those Keith Richards moments but lately I've been listening to a lot of Roy Buchanan and have also been playing it in standard tuning. It looks superb with a nice grained pine body and a flamed maple neck and it sounds fine with the original pickups. I dont have a problem with the weight as I also play a '56 Gold Top with P90 pickups. I gather the new ones are now made in Indonesia and I have not tried one to see how they compare with the older Chinese ones but either way these are great value guitars.

[@jimmy5634]

The Indonesian ones are very good. I have a Strat and a Tele.

[@rickroberts9182]

I have a 2010 CV that I bought new for $359. Cdn. It was so far above the other tele's that I tried that I had to buy it. It had three brass barrel saddles but I swapped the bridge for a fishman piezo with preamp. I use this guitar at all gigs along with my HB Fusion ll. They retail for $570 currently. 👍

[@kevinjenner9502]

That’s from the sought after original series (2008-2019) with the CGS serial no prefix. C (China) G (Grand Reward) S (Squier)

[@rickroberts9182]

@@kevinjenner9502 that's correct. It was made in China and I HAD to buy it. I went into the store to buy a studio mic and just tried a couple of cheap Squiers out of curiosity and they were boat paddles. Then I tried this CV and couldn't put it back. Great instrument.

[@kentuckywindage222]

I have a 50's Classic Vibe Tele natural from this series and a Classic Vibe 50's Strat. I have a lot of internal damage and shrapnel. The Strat is a resonating machine. Against my body playing certain chords and riffs it soothes the pain. Effortless to play. The Tele was great stock but I changed pickups and electronics. From the get-go it played like butter. It now, kid you not, sounds like a 2000 to 3000 dollar guitar. If I'm hurting/having issues I pick up the Strat over my Martin D35 for the vibration through that light contoured body. It also has a beautiful sound coming from it plugged or unplugged for a solid. Lot's of higher dollar guitar's have issues with something. Like most thing's playability and or sound is subjective but for the money these Classic Vibe are not bad. Our eye's fool us sometimes. Headstock means a lot to most. Nothing wrong with that as per resale value usually is better. I would love to have an American but right now I play for me, have since 7 years old and my Squire Classic Vibe 50's do a bang up job in my opinion. I think that is it, satisfying your own personal itch.

[@rickroberts9182]

@@kentuckywindage222 I have a 1973 American Strat and it has beautiful resonance and sustain. You can feel the vibration right to your spine when strumming and has a great sound without an amp. I play it while watching t.v. to keep my chops up and my 70 year old hands limber.

[@Stefaon]

I came back to the electric guitar because I buy one. I fall in love whith it. When I was young, a beginner guitar for this price range was a piece of * This one have really good sound, fretting job, setting, for a good price. It's probably not the best one, but for budget point of view, it's surely one of the best. So I buy a squier classic vibe 70s Jaguar and it clearly the worst guitar I ever buy. I think Squier know how to make a telecaster, but I'm not sure for the other models.

[@Dreyno]

I bought one in 2012 and the fit and finish was impeccable. The only change I made was a new jack socket (one with the screws). Fretwork was perfect, finish was blemish free, setup was low and buzz free. Could not fault it and if I’d spent 3x as much I couldn’t have expected better. I like the stock pickups. Neck is a bit hotter than vintage but noting the volume knob doesn’t tame. Neck is slim for a Tele but perfectly comfortable in spite of that. Tuners look lightweight but feel fine and stay in tune well. Bridge is decent. Saddles are fine. The jack socket was the only thing not up to scratch. So 10 bucks and 10 minutes and it was perfect. I don’t know what the later ones were like but the early ones were great guitars at any price.

[@jhall6926]

❤heck i got a 2015 grand rewards blackguard classic vibe squier....heavy as hell,...play it pick up my other guitars, put em back, play it on stage never had a issue, love mine, great neck and frets paid 4 bills...a keeper....

[@coreycallahan7443]

I’ve heard the same comments about QC on the frets from people who were reviewing the Fender Player Telecaster and they retail for $899. As someone who has only been playing for a couple of years and doesn’t gig, just play because I enjoy it, I can’t justify spending $1300-$2400 on a guitar for my purposes. The CV series of guitars give me all that I currently need and more. If it needs some filing and polishing on the frets I can either do it myself or pay to have it done. Same thing if I want to solder in new pickups or change the machine heads and I’ll still be way below the price of an American Standard. The CV’s are great guitars and there is a lot of bang for your buck. Maybe in 5-10 years my skills will be worthy of throwing down a couple grand on a new or even used U.S. Fender but right now my CV does it for me.

[@sferguson1130]

I love my CV Tele. It’s way more resonant acoustically, than a lot of much higher end models I’ve tried at my local store. It weighs 7.4lbs. Upgrades include… -GOTOH brass compensated 3 barrel saddles -dome style knobs -triple string tree from Joe Glaser -full fret dress done myself and tweaked my nut a bit for my G string that was binding. -rolled fingerboard edges -sanded down the back of my neck and treated with boiled linseed oil. Glides like butter on a hot griddle. I plan to swap to most likely the Custom Shop Nocaster pups, and swap in some Kluson Supreme 18:1 w/ staggered posts . I don’t mind the extra money invested, because I’m not concerned with resale value. I still have stock stuff, so I can always bring back to stock if need be, but I have no need to sell, because I really dig it, and it’s not so much money that it would change circumstances, if I was in a financial pinch

[@mikehickey6256]

I recently picked one of these up. Its my first non American tele and I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised. I was just looking for a carcass I could gut and mod and I was intrigued by the pine body. I'm still going to end up modding it, but as it is it's a really good guitar for the price. I have an American pro 2 tele also and it's obviously a superior guitar in every aspect, but with the pro 2 as reference I be happy with the cv as my every day player.

[@jhrdrake7205]

I got a pro 2 and sent it back and kept the CV, for me in no universe was it better in every aspect it was actually way worse. Pooled lacquer on the fretboard, bad frets, uneven wood pieces glued together and very thin sound compared to the CV. My CV is the guitar I grab first and I have Gibsons, Fenders, Guilds etc. I just love it.

[@indianastanoutdoorschannel7129]

It is a great guitar. I pick it up over my American Deluxe HHS strat. I changed the bridge out for a Certano B & G palm bender and it is a ton of fun. Being a Squire, when I first got it, I did need to spend some time setting the neck relief, intonation, and string height. I wouldn't get one with the expectation that it will be great out of the box without some adjustments.

[@DennisAlvarezMusic]

Hi Jack, I always enjoy your content. I bought a pair of Classic Vibe pickups. From a Chinese made C. V. Tele, to upgrade my grandson's Harley Benton T style guitar. I put them on my Fender American Standard Tele that had a set of Fralins. Blues Special bridge/ 2% overwound neck. With a no load tone pot for when I want a clearer, brighter neck p/u.. The C. V. p/u's actually compared nicely. Except that they didn't have the power that I get from the Fralins. I've played a Chinese C. V. Tele in a music store and it played and sounded beautiful.

[@klovig1]

My CV Tele has the same fret issues as yours with some rough frets and the high E string getting caught under the fret 6:04

[@kjguitarman]

Nice review. Love the opening song you played. It sounds like the American made Tele.

[@sprintbass]

I have an affinity telecaster..but I found the 50s vibe pickups and will install them soon I'm hoping..

[@th_guitar]

Love the white blonde and maple combo. This is a winner

[@StevieZero]

My main tele is an Arctic white affinity ive modded the phuk out of with TexMex pickups, fender locking tuners, brass bridge saddles, bone nut,graphtec string trees and i kept the Korean Alpha pots and electrics as they're really decent...As good as any American Fender,,,I know this as i have pedigree Fenders...It wasn't when I got it though...

[@sirbaronvoncount4147]

I started playing in the 80s and got back into it when the first classic vibes came out. I was astounded at what I got for under $300 Canadian. Wasn’t perfect (pickups not great) but on par with a MIJ I bought in the 80s (for $900) whose bridge fell apart in a year. (Locking tremolo with fine tuners on the bridge)

[@DAVIDDIGS]

Hey Jack! Great review of the Squier 60s Vibe Telecaster. While I don’t own that guitar, I do have the Squier CV Jaguar and Mustang guitars. They were the right price for me since I had never played offset guitars prior to owning them.

[@growapair3880]

I was just at the guitar shop two days ago and I picked up this guitar and it felt almost like my USA performer not exactly but very close the neck felt fantastic just like my USA telecaster feels to me I was amazed on how closely it was to my USA feel I didn't plug it in though but it played and sounded great unplugged! Lol" I definitely would buy this guitar the Stratocaster classic vibe I played there was just as impressive to me also in my opinion they are great guitars for the cheap price definitely the electronics can always be changed out if it's needed

[@steveg.3022]

I have a CV50s Tele and a CV60s Strat. Got them both used at sweet deals. I did setups on each and filed some fret ends. I had to replace the 5-way switch on the Strat. I’m an advanced beginner level player, so these are perfect for me.

[@donyoung7874]

I've been happy with my 50's Classic Vibe Tele.

[@Chrismayo1981]

I have a CV 60’s strat and it rivals my MIJ and kills the MIM I’ve had. It hangs with the Americans I’ve owned too. Not just in playability but the Alnico pickups aren’t lacking a thing.

[@TheStratfanatic]

I use them as a mod platform. Have 2 which I changed a lot of parts on. The frets needed dressing and I polished them. I put in better tuners, wiring and pickups and brass saddles. Oh and electro socket output jack. One has tone Hatch pups in it thats the blonde and the Mary Kay has Seymour Duncan Antiquity pups. They punch way above the dollars invested...they both setup and intonate excellently.

[@lazvt8469]

To compare with my USA/Japanese Tele's...I got two CV50's (both Indonesian). One heavy pine...the other nice weighted ash (Purple Danish Pete from Andertons). Not perfect, disliked the neck pup and gloss finish....but with some minor TLC, brass saddles, tuners (hit/miss), disconnect tone pot from neck, and add in Fralin or Lollars...WOW. Can't get enough of these two beauts of Asian persuasion. [Truth about fret catching on edge on one of mine...weird and first of MANY guitars I've owned...and...first fret was too low....in shop now being replaced. ]. Great used market, even for lefties like me. Nice review as always...thanks Jack!

[@paulbateman81]

I’ve owned a 2009 classic vibe tele for about 12 years. I love it. The tuners are great quality the frets were great from when I got it. Original owner never touched them apparently. The pickups are just amazing. I heard they changed them over the years. I use mine to play hard rock and it’s got serious balls. The neck pickup is the weakest spot tho as mentioned. It’s ok just not that good.

[@ois-jy9kl]

I've tried one in 2018 and another one a few weeks ago ... still its a great value and uaually well done... I've hown about 30 guitars in my life and these guitars are a great value 👍

[@astewart9410]

I still loooove my 2015/16 MiC 50s CV Tele. So much so I got the 50s MiC 50s Strat to go with it. Absolute bang for your buck.

[@gregrose6915]

So the guitar you reviewed has a Fender Patent Pen. bridge. Squires from the factory don't have anything stamped on the bridge plate. Where the saddles changed too? Great guitar, great review

[@Chichesterfrotesque1001]

I bought a squier classic vibe.tele, Chinese with pine body ,I started swapping things out ,all that's left is the strap buttons and the body and even that I hollowed out under the pick guard (smugglers tele style)and refinished it in nitro.

[@grantbaker371]

Jack. I like your playing there. Your into sounded so much like Steely Dan 'Chain lightning' . I like it

[@anthonycashero7605]

Got a 40th anniversary telecaster last year. Great price on the doorbuster sale. Put T.V. Jones Starwood pickups in and mojotone wire harness. So sounds nice. Yes, they are comfortable playing. Good upgrade project.

[@davidfox9642]

I am a classic vibe owner. I agree with you almost 100% the fret work on mine was sheen. Smooth no rough edges. I would highly recommend this guitar especially.. Price. It should just as good as a much higher priced guitar. Love it. Reliable b no tuner issues a at all.

[@theuserthatishere]

mine has rough frets, needs a pro polish.

[@davidfox9642]

I wouldn't mind doing that if I'd would have needed to the price I'd pay my shop too so that is still worth the price and would still be well under a pro shop or even an American model. Any how I guess I got lucky in the percentage that I didn't need anything done to it. The only thing I possibly considered was changing our pickups. But then. I might as well just paid to get American. But anyway I am quite pleased with one I got.

[@JohnWDGTandTele]

I have to agree with your review. I purchased a classic vibe telecaster earlier this year, and have had similar issues, as well. Shortly after I bought it, the volume pot went bad so I replaced the whole electronic assembly with a 920D assembly which works great. Then I purchased Wilkinson compensating saddles. I also have done some work to my frets, such as polishing, filing, etc. I agree with what you say about the weight of the guitar as mine is at least 8 pounds. Also,I may end up replacing the tuners as well, because I agree with what you said about them feeling kind of cheap. They work… but, one of them is harder to turn. I like the vintage Kluson style and may stick with that style, but just get a better brand. The pick ups do sound really nice. Lastly, I think it is entirely subjective to each individual as to if they think it is better than a custom shop model. As a classic vibe owner, I would have to say that the custom shop is probably much nicer. But, that’s OK because at least I was able to get a telecaster and I don’t mind upgrading the parts. It’s a great value for the money.

[@JohnWDGTandTele]

Update to my previous post: I actually had to take back my 50s Classic Vibe Telecaster because the frets were so bad. Fender has a 2 year warranty, so I got a brand new identical Tele. This meant I (and the store I got it from) had to switch out the same parts that I changed on the original guitar. The replacement was A LOT better. All in all, if you can try it out in person and even have someone with a lot of knowledge come with you, it can be a great purchase. Just be patient and be willing to walk away from the occasional turd 💩 guitars when it’s the only one they have in the shop.

[@denbodg9311]

I’m a Strat guy, Telecasters aren’t my thing, & I’ve had a couple in the past. I do like to tinker though. I had a CV 60’s Strat for a while & agree with everything you said about them. Yesterday coincidentally I saw a used CV 50’s Tele’ like yours but Butterscotch at a bargain price & snapped it up. Not arrived yet, but I’ll be interested to see if it matches your review.

[@bobcole612]

I have a CV 60’s Thinline I got a few weeks ago. So far I really like it, the frets are really well done, nicely finished fret ends and no sprout so far. Agree, the tuners could be better, but that’s an easy fix. Would be a good deal at $600, it’s a great deal at $450.

[@jimmy5634]

I bought mine new for $379 😮

[@michaelpond6386]

I own several, I’ve modded them with Seymour Duncan quarter pound tele pickups, and gotoh locking tuners. I replaced the pots with CTS and a four way switch. Every bit as nice as my MIM Tele.

[@rf9606]

Yes they are good, bought mine years ago from sweetwater and it was a demo but looks new !

[@jhrdrake7205]

Whatever the case may be for others I play this the most of all my guitars and I have Gibsons, Guilds, Fenders etc. I just love it. I got a really really good one with perfect frets, I purchased a Pro 2 after I got the CV and the pro 2 was way worse. Sent it right back.

[@darwinsaye]

Hi Jack. Whenever I see a video about judging the Classic Vibe Teles, the first thing I look for is whether the one being used in the demo has the neck pickup height adjustment screws in the pickguard. This is an indicator that this is one of the newer made in Indonesia models. There is sometimes a bit of a dispute between people about this vs the pre-2019 made in China version. I think a lot of people who argue for the Indonesia model actually just have some anti-China bias, unrelated to the actual quality of the guitars. Here is some information that I’ve gathered since I got my made in China model right before they moved production to Indonesia. The China model has full size potentiometers vs minis on the newer ones. It has full body shielding. It has brass saddles vs steel, and it has the era-accurate body mounted neck pickup vs the pickguard mounted one. Also the pickups on the China model were made by ToneRider pickups, whereas now they are “made by Fender” and it’s harder to get any details on them. I only mention this because when someone wants to do a video about whether the Classic Vibe hype is justified, it’s important to note, that the hype originally began over the *China* models. So if anyone is using a newer model to review and see if they live up to the reputation, they may be doing a bit of apples and oranges comparison. Now, full disclaimer, I’ve never played an Indonesia model myself so I can’t speak to how good or not good they are. But I have seen “tear-down” demos on each where they open them up and look at the pots etc., so that’s where I’ve learned about the differences of the new ones from the older ones. Anyway, I just wanted to point these things out so you would be aware that the guitar you are demoing might not actually be representative of the version that people tend to rave about. 🙂

[@ScragNath]

I have been playing a Squier Telecaster 'John 5' signature for years, excellent guitar modded heavily for that John 5 sound. Heaviest guitar I own (and I have a lot of guitars).

[@telecasterguitarslinger]

I have one in Butterscotch and after getting it home that’s when you find the faults one by one. lol The first thing I found was stiff tuners. So those will need replacing. The neck pickup cover was loose. So I took it back and they fixed it that. Then I got it home again and the neck pickup was microphonic. So I had that wax potted. The saddles were changed out to brass compensated. Then the volume pot went scratchy so that had to be replaced. It is heavy at close to 10 pounds. I had considered getting a routing done under the pickguard but the extra expense didn’t seem to justify it. But other than that it’s a great guitar !! 🤪.

[@gbmoney]

Great insight…I just picked up a black one from a Pawn Shop for $150 in great condition and frets are pretty sharp. I was going to ask what to do. I was thinking about a fret file and taping the edges but I’m a little scared 😬as it sounds amazing! Thoughts??

[@Grungebob_Squaredance]

I like the vintage modified series that came before the classic vibe.

[@ryangunwitch-black]

At first I thought the neck was kind of dark but I have tone knobs on my amps and pedals. Even without tweaking, I’ve grown to like that neck pup. The mid position is really great. And that bridge sounds so good. My frets are good and great after a little bit of filing. Sanded the back of the neck a bit and it feels really good. It holds tune great, the machine heads feel fine compared to my other guitars and if I had to use this guitar forever, I would be fine. Of course it’s not a Custom Shop but it’s so much better than the price indicates. And I got mine “used” for under $300. Still had the plastic on the pick guard and neck pup. Can’t complain.

[@marquisdecarabas1312]

I have a classic vibe 50s tele from the older made in china line. Bought it for around 225€ used but like new. I love this guitar. I dont know if you need "more"...i think i dont. The colour is the see through white but this older china ones dont have this artic white...it is more of a yellowish white...looks very vintage with the replaced one ply white pickguard. The neck has a little bit satin feel to it so i dont stick on it that much like on my cv 60s tele...realy good feeling but i dont know if this was a mod by the previous owner. Only upgrade i would think about for the future are electronics for the last 1-2% to the 100%. But it would not be necessary. Btw: this is my first tele so i cant compare it to lets say a vintera ore usa model. But I play guitar since around 20 years and i dont see the need to upgrade to a model 4 times ore more the price of this one. ❤

[@cheezyridr]

i just bought a tele from firefly for $150. it has locking tuners, bone nut, stainless frets, rosewood board, roasted maple neck. it looks nice, plays fantastic, and sounds pretty good too. did i mention it was $150?

[@danielkongmusic]

Thank you for the great video Jack, really nice tones and playing. My college dormitory music club bought a classic vibe strat and tele and we've had mixed experiences with them. Our tele is a bit too heavy (wish I could have gotten the chance to pick out one but we did a corporate order using college funding so we had to buy them sight-unseen). The hardware seems to wear out and rust really really quickly. Granted we have a lot of players using them but the wear is a little excessive. Tuners are not the best. In our experience, the pickups do sound nice but they have an unpleasant harshness and muddiness when turned to full (the strat especially). The simple fix is really to run the guitar volume a little bit lower which seems to help the sound relax a lot more. Quality Control does seem to be all over the place. In my part of Asia, where we have better access to Japanese brands, FGN is a much better bet for similar money. If I was in North America/UK, I feel that the G&L Tributes are WAY better than what Squier is offering.

[@JackFossett]

That was exactly my experience with the Stratocaster. It was a further cry from higher end stratocasters than the telecaster is. But thats a very apt description of the pickups. MIJ Fenders are almost always worlds better than anything in their relative price range. I have an MIJ 60s Stratocaster thats superb.

[@arjanbohm5697]

I have a Chinese made Squier cv 50s Tele, from the last production year 2018 when they made them in the Farida company. Totally clean, 100% correct Tele from craftsmanship and sound. Pickups are tone riders and my Tele is incomparable with the one in this test from Jack. Did you also test the Chinese CV series, Jack?

[@brianbutler3318]

Yes there is a huge difference between the Chinese ones (2008-18) and the currently Indonesian ones. Two totally different feeling guitars.

[@Remu-]

I was gonna come comment about this as well! I also have one of the older Chinese ones from 2015, butterscotch blonde with the brass saddles and Tonerider pickups. I heard somewhere that the white model always came with lesser pickups than the butterscotch did. Mine's awesome all around but it's heavy as hell.

[@shanewalton8888]

I was going to order one of these in lefty Purple from Andertons, but it took them 2 years to get an order in from Fender. Couldn't wait. lol

[@MrShanebizzle]

Excellent video bro! Thanks!

[@kevinjenner9502]

While the thinner neck and sometimes excessive weight are an issue, the original Classic Vibe series with the serial number prefix CGS (2008-2019) is where the cult status originated.

[@petertheobald5898]

Great" no nonsense" demo , showing all that is required to help in ones decision on a possible aquisition?!!!!🎸👍✌

[@davidcarson7936]

Have 3 classic vibe teles, 1 classic vibe strat . Changed pickups in strat for custom shop 59s and the electrics... have some high end guitars..... what im trying to say is Squire classic vibe are great guitars

[@stevesmith3990]

I just got a Ltd edition FSR Thinline one, vert pleased with it.

[@timnewman1172]

Never owned one, but they play nice. My reccomendation is one for every Telecaster with a 3 saddle bridge, put brass compensating saddles on it... it will intonate much easier and sounds less brittle. Also, my biggest hate on Telecasters is the placement of the pickup switch! I do like Bill Kirchen and many of the older Tele players and reverse the control plate, keeping the volume pot to the front. Once you get used to it, you'll never go back!

[@mikehickey6256]

I have a pro 2 and a C.V. and while the C.V. is a fun little guitar for the money it's not even in the same class as the pro 2. Ive played teles for 35 years and I think the pro 2 is the best production tele Fender's ever made. It does everything well including face melting rock my strats and Les Paul can't touch.

[@pasteye1671]

I have a 50s Classic Vibe, a Vintera and a MIM Player tele. I love them all. They each have a different personality, tone and feel. I would have difficulty recommending any one over the others, but I can say this: if cost is the deciding factor, go for a CV; if, you are a name snob, go for the MIM Fender Player; if period accuracy is important, stick to the Vintera. I don't care about the size of pots (if the volume reduces when I turn it it's doing its job, etc). Do the tuners bring the strings in tune and hold it? Then fine. They are all eminently playable and surely that is the most important thing here. Does the neck feel good? Buy it.

[@HarveyMorrill]

the squier is pretty good, but i just purchased a Donner thin line with humbuckers, $90 with a gigbag, this guitar is as good as Mexican and some American models, great fret work no sharp frets, flawless finish, 6lbs, safty tuners. this guitar is scary good.

[@mikedwiles]

After playing a butterscotch Fender AVRI tele, I was really jonesing for a butterscotch tele. I was too slow on pulling the trigger on that one. Decided to order one of the CVs from Sweetwater in 2019. My son did too. While my son's was prettier and made in Indonesia, mine was a lot lighter and made in China. Mine weight 7.0 lbs. His weighs 8.5 lbs. I got lucky with mine i guess. The only thing mine needed in the past 5 years was a slight neck adjustment. While I love the style of tuners, I agree with you that they feel flimsy, kinda like an old guitar that you tolerate because it is old. I want to keep the style. But, get a better quality tuner. After owning it a few years, I plan to keep it. While owning this guitar, I have sold a Player Series tele and an American Deluxe. Currently only have two teles: the CV and a Contemporary.

[@johnadams5357]

I have an American standard Strat which I love. I thought I should have a Tele so I bought the 50s classic vibe. I know most people love them, but the truth is I've never really bonded with mine. I don't know what it is, maybe the neck. I pick it up every now and again but I just can't connect with it. I. just keep it as a back up to my Strat when I go on gigs.

[@frankpaparo3045]

Jack I have a cv 50's strat In That color and a 72 thinline tele, I think the obsession with these guitars is yeah the price but the feel and sounds you are getting for 1/3 of the cost. Who wouldn't fall in love with these

[@oldasrocks9121]

The pine body teles can be very heavy, ask for the weight before you buy, get as close to 7 pounds as you can. The bridge pickup needs a full steel base plate, that will bring it around. All the current CVs I've bought with maple fingerboards, basses and guitars, have had fret lift. I do live about 8 bus stops ftom the SF Bay and I'm always sopped in which def contributes but I'd have to guess the frets aren't glued in at the factory. I have highly adjusted expectations for budget instruments and a good collection of luthier/tech tools but gluing 19 frets back in ti my 40th Anniversary Strat was perhaps too far. Its great now so there is that.

[@A14b19]

I changed all strat 50s pots wire switch to original speck parts changed bridge saddles block steel and what a difference. Tele upgrade switches wireing to original fender speck now to 4 way switch all pickups original on both and I have two great guitars only thing is cooler on tele , blonde prefers two tone

[@callumgordon1668]

Have got a Classic Vibe Baritone Tele I got because I wanted a baritone without breaking the bank. Hard to directly compare to my US or MIM Fenders because it’s a different beast, but it appears well built and finished, looks great and plays well. As good as some of my branded US guitars and the best of my ‘lower cost’ ones. I live in the U.K. so I’m probably not as fussed about where guitars are built. Horses for courses.

[@loopdawgg]

I have a 2019. put fender pure vintage pickups in it (flat poles) a 4 way switch and comp. saddles, locking tuner. its awesome. I also have an american original 50s tele and it is better with more presence, but the neck is not for everyone.

[@federicoitto]

I needed a second electric to go with my 2009 Highway One Strat. I went to the store to buy a CV Tele because of all the hype and left with a MIM player. The pots on the CV were scratchy, it felt really heavy i didn’t like the neck feel & really orange tint on it and in general it just felt too plasticky. That made it not even worth modding for me since I didn’t like the guitar in itself. Found a MIM Player I liked and decided buy that instead, really happy with it. I feel like it’s better made than my entry level american strat.

[@seanzinger]

I had one of the 50s style made in Indonesia 2021 and it was over 9 pounds! Sounded fine and played fine. Just can’t do with the weight. I agree the pickups sound pretty good. If the weight was better it’s a great deal for sure.