This Guitar Puts Fender to Shame - Squier Fender Debut

[@johnnathancordy]

The Squier Debut....poplar body, laurel fretboard, ceramic pickups www.amazon.co.uk/Fender-CollectionTM-Stratocaster%C2%AE-Fingerboard-Pickguard/dp/B0CSLNWTQ8/ref=asc_df_B0CSLNWTQ8/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=691951581960&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2733205823966717797&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007149&hvtargid=pla-2298009611013&psc=1&mcid=ed74c8c61c0e3cceae25be4af1ca31e1&th=1&psc=1&gad_source=1

[@skye7690]

Squire has been out for a long time, i don’t get what’s new about this?

[@TheUlesifah701]

@@skye7690it’s a cheaper affinity basically… I’d highly recommend coughing up another couple hundo and getting a classic vibe or just getting a Jet Js300 for 200$

[@stevelaferney3579]

Satin finish? That’s new.

[@aitken1965]

It ain't the gear. It's the guy. Very tasteful playing.

[@potato9832]

Cept, sometimes it is the gear. Can't play like this on a Barbie guitar.

[@mr.b4444]

It's great to see a guitarist that actually knows how to play and use clean lines and chords as well as distortion to demo this guitar. I've seen many demos of this guitar and most of the players with negative reviews seem to expect the guitar to magically play for them. They can't play unless the frets are a certain size, the tremolo feels a certain way, gobs of distortion, they need to mod it, etc, etc. The sound is mostly in your hands and you've proven that. I ordered one of these in sunburst a month or so ago and it's a wonderful guitar. I play mostly straight ahead jazz with big arch-tops and I also own a Fender Telecaster. I wanted a new toy just to goof around with and this fit the bill. I put a set of 10's on it and it sounds and feels great.

[@IamMusicNerd]

I stayed away from Squier for years, as I have always been partial to USA or MIJ custom guitars. But I will admit, I got a 40th anniversary Squier Tele, and was shocked that I actually preferred the neck over Player series Fenders, and even a few USA Fenders I own. That’s nuts. Whatever Squier has been doing lately seems to be working.

[@predigr]

Just bought a Squier 40th anniversary stratocaster. Just unboxing and looks pretty amazing. My first guitar was a Squier many years ago and this is another thing. Really amazing guitar. My first Squier was pretty bad.

[@antoonhermans8953]

Yep , i first bought the 40 anni vintage strat and i liked the neck that much that i also bought the tele , imo they are just as good as any fender , you only have to swap the anodized pickguard for a plastic one because they kill the brightness of the pu's .

[@pritchettdan]

I got a 40th Anniversary Telecaster by Squier, too. I've been very pleased.

[@daviddalziel884]

Unfortunately I bought a Squier CV 50s Tele direct from Fender and it’s a dud . Needed a new nut which I got fixed locally and they paid for that but the neck pickup is a dog . Be a while before I buy another.

[@nikolaki]

I can't believe Squier did not make a single lefty 40th anniversary model. Fwiw I prefer the neck on my 2013 CV 60s strat to my American Standard strat. In fact that particular CV 60s is just beautiful in every way.

[@jonathanrees6122]

It's clearly made for the beginner, but as such, it's a pretty damn good guitar. I have one, and I have three friends who have one. They all three bought the red on because it's hard to find a red Fender that isn't American made--according to them. The thing I can say about it that you don't say is that the build quality is consistent. I've watched a double dozen of these Debut videos and they all say the exact same things: the neck is smooth and the fret work is exceptional given the price, the sound is what you would expect from ceramics (they're a bit hot, but the tone knobs work and will tame it a bit), and it's just damn fun to play. Another thing I'll say based on my own Debut and what my three friends have said is that the intonation was pretty good. It took me all of 5 min to intonate mine. One of my friends said his was almost spot on out of the box. To say "it's better than crap" is a un understatement. It's no Ultra, but I think you would be lucky to find a guitar that's consistently as good for $120. For the record, I bought it because it was a cheap guitar. I have several American Fenders and a few MIMs. The Debut plays as well as any of them and feels good. It will probably need a set up based on your preferences--I floated my trem--but it plays better than you'd expect even without an real setup outside of a quick tune and stretching the strings. I've had it for over a month and mix it in when I play. So far, it's stayed in tune. That's a win for any beginner guitar.

[@steelhead197]

Ultra? lol

[@Gearhart_Music]

I could watch this dude play forever.

[@cezarsantana]

Same here!

[@atpaulo2009]

Me too!!!

[@BeefNEggs057]

Luckily he puts out like 3 videos an hour so you can

[@potato9832]

I was surprised. Binging reviews of this guitar. He's the best player so far.

[@forrealthoughbruh]

“That’s not a knife, THIS is a knife.” Crocodile Dundee

[@eoinc_Ire]

“Guitarist amputates arm … opening a box “😂

[@stuntkiwi]

"I see you've played knifey spoony before" Simpsons

[@BaronVonSchnarffler]

​Then against all odds goes on to become the most famous guitar finger tapping Hero on the Planet 😂​@@eoinc_Ire

[@atpaulo2009]

Wowwwww😂

[@gramcameron4469]

This IS a Knife !!

[@ThomasHope73]

That was the best Cordy playing I've heard! Top form!

[@darenanderson1960]

“It’s better than crap.” They may want to hire you to help with marketing.

[@GuitarsOK]

Exactly! John does a great service for these companies but, he does it to help the players…not the company. It’s great to see how good/not good some of these brands are

[@Deliquescentinsight]

For me the middle pickup is terrific on a strat, not many players seem to use it, but we have the bright powerful tone combined with a kind of balance twixt bridge/neck tones - really excellent for solos, and yes every Squire I have picked up has impressed me, the 'Classic Vibe' range are just ridiculous value.

[@ejpurkis]

Agreed on the middle pickup. It’s not just a Goldilocks option but has a bite and spank all of its own without the ice pick quality of some bridge pickups. Also, ditto the classic vibes. I have a butterscotch 50s Tele and the Aztec Gold Anniversary Strat - both the Chinese variants. They beat the USA models I own and have owned. They just are so rewarding to play both in sound and feel.

[@strumminronin]

That skinny Strat is surprisingly good, to be fair. The average aftermarket replacement neck ALONE costs more than that entire guitar. At a glance the nut on that is better than my MIM Player Strat! Not gonna do a straight swap though LOL.

[@christopherwatkins9729]

and... Did not know what to expect ? but pleasantly... have just found one of the best demonstrations of a Squier Stratocaster on KZbin ! How could anyone not like the "Action" as seen and played on this guitar and pick-ups were responsive as you flicked through the switches... Action height (?) easily adjusted for an individual's personal taste and was impressed it kept in tune with use of whammy bar... Altogether ???? I liked that guitar and have respect for the Player (The man can Play!) 🤠...

[@johnsmith-nd9yo]

I bought a Squier classic vibe £400 - junk, broken after 1 year. I purchased a Fender Performer Strat £1200 - junk broke after 1 month. I bought a Harley Benton £70 - Its awesome.

[@mobilephone6388]

thats hard to believe lol a harley benton? some sick burnt the back of my throte just typing harley benton

[@johnsmith-nd9yo]

@@mobilephone6388 Try one out, you can send it back if you dont like it. Check out reviews on HB guitars. They have come a long way and Fender/Squier are developing a reputation for poor quality. I hope your throat is ok.

[@martinmclaughlin488]

Bought a squire strat 100 pound bundle amp gig bag strap in 1994. Still got it sounds brilliant. Recently had it setup by a great tech plays and sounds fantastic. The neck is as nice if not better than my player strat. Cheap sometimes is all you need. 30 years old and still love it

[@ludlow555]

Jesus… I would have sworn it was a Custom Shop at the beginning. And here I’ve been drooling over Eric Johnson models. 😂

[@MrKenrwi]

We for so long have always felt that cheap means low quality. Well it does in some cases in others it doesn’t. I bought one of these just because I wanted to see for myself. Other than sharp fret ends and scratchy unpolished frets which I corrected myself easily, it turned out to be a delight. It’s light, sounds great in my opinion of course and looks very cool to boot. So get one for the price it’s a really a good player strat!

[@jaymelynnmcintyre8574]

Yeah I bought the red mat debut it's really good I've gigged with it a few times now

[@seanhayes8542]

No one is going to mention the murder weapon used to open the box?!?

[@GuitarJawn]

If you have been around long enough, that isn't anything to worry about

[@tier5958]

😂

[@garrickhanson]

​@@GuitarJawn Yeah, we were all worried the first time we saw it, but we got used to it pretty quickly. As far as I know, John has never sliced through himself or any guitars.

[@bluwng]

I saw it.

[@yodajazzcat]

JNC is a murderer?? There goes his KZbin channel! 😢

[@stevanez5108]

Your playing is off the scale beautiful.

[@rexdarvog]

My first act was a red metallic Squier Strat made by Affinity, it's a great piece of equipment for being a budget instrument. The guitar sounds great after I modified the electronics, stays in tune well, and it developed a patina over the years of playing where the clear coat on the neck turned a subtle amber and the white guard faded into a cream color.

[@robertpurdy4452]

I've got a 2009 lefty Squier Affinity series Strat that after doing some mods is one of my best instruments regardless of price.

[@rexdarvog]

@@robertpurdy4452 Nice, mine is a 2010 that has an alder body, maple/rosewood neck. I only did simple mods myself, I changed the volume potentiometer with a 1 meg mini pot for electronics and installed five springs into the bridge. It's a mighty fine instrument even with using stock pickups.

[@jasondorsey7110]

​@@rexdarvogAlder body? They were using basswood at that point, and now they use poplar

[@rexdarvog]

@@jasondorsey7110 According to Fender's Serial Lookup tool, we are both wrong. The body is made from Agathis, which is similar to Alder bodies and is used as a cheap substitute. At least it isn't basswood.

[@robertalexander6637]

I have a Squire made in 1980 and set up by Merv Cargill the great guitar tech of his day. I was testing a amp out in a music shop playing this guitar when a well known muso approached me and said could he play my guitar . I gave it to him and only playing a few chords he said this is as good as my old strat . I have heard from a lot of players over the years that have said Squires are good value properly set up and old squires are sort after.

[@user-sn3cs2hd8r]

Thank you for making this video - so many young guitars think you need a 1500-2000 guitar to sound good and write music. Just not so.

[@pinkcricketer1921]

Mine had six sharp fret ends. Tens minutes of removing high metal they were fine. Tuning stability was my only issue, so I replaced the machine heads with Fender locking tuners, in black. I'm steering for towards a blackout look, so I went with black tuners, and replaced the string tree with a black roller type. I also swapped out the ceramic pickups with Fender Tex-Mex (Alnico V). Now it is gig worthy.

[@Dan-of-NJ]

In my experience, any new guitar, even an obscenely expenseive one, will need a setup out of the box to really assess it's playability and sound. This includes neck adjustment, pickup adjustment, string replacement, bridge adjustment, etc.

[@MariJu1ce]

Atleast to set it up to the player’s personal preferences

[@smokingtarheel3003]

The man can really play and so musical. Tone for days.

[@tbone2451]

Man ! You are one fine player!!!!

[@christopherjbutler]

Hey John, I assume that is the "Squier Debut Series?" They sell for $119 on the US Amazon site..

[@johngrasso1483]

He’s got the the Eric Johnson “Manhattan” tone nailed.

[@LRHutch]

Nice video and playing man. I've been playing on Squiers for 40 years. Their Classic Vibe series guitars are the best of them. Decent alnico pickups and hardware. Most of them I've had to do some work on the necks like a fret level, adjust the relief, set the action and intonation polish and file the edges. Other than that you can install better hardware and electronics. The thing is that you can spend around $450 for one of these do the work or even pay someone another $200 to do it for you and end up with a $900 quality guitar. The con is that when you do all this, the Squier will still only be worth a used Squier price on the market.

[@jonalexander8935]

Smooth move on the quick tune DURING the intro jam! Impressive skills as usual J...

[@peterb2245]

Agreed!- blink and ya missed it.

[@robertlevasseur8896]

Playing cheap guitars through modelers tells me almost nothing about the guitar

[@edwardsavage9782]

He plays clean further into the video

[@mikerobo2112]

True mate,and amps also.

[@a.j.garrett9639]

Fully agree. I've seen guys play these just through amps naked and let me tell you, they don't sound that great. Throw a bunch of effects on them and run them through a pricey modeler like you're saying and you'd almost think the pick ups are quality. That opening intro did not accurately tell us how the guitar sounds. It showed us how the signal sounds run through effects.

[@RichardCramer-tq9nu]

I purchased a Squier Baritone +/-1.5 years ago. I tried to order thru Sweetwater and they kept pushing the delivery date out. After 4 months I gave up and it was delivered via Amazon in 5 days. I have zero complaints with it. The set up was high but easily fixed. Perfect for what I wanted/needed for home recording. Squier doesn't get the credit they deserve.

[@davidwoods358]

I think the tones are quite nice on this one. The semi flat finish looks good too.

[@soup1809]

Out of everybody ive learned guitar from on youtube, you are by far my favourite player

[@ManfredElsingBielefeld]

wonderful playing!Thx

[@EdVanMeyer]

Bought a Squier Bullet cheap and it is so resonant.

[@krzysztofwaclawski9002]

Love the music, what would you call that style? Can you recomend some resources to practising similar scales?

[@KozmykJ]

I bought two Squiers recently and I'm quite happy with them. Yes, they needed a bit of a setup and one had slightly rough frets ends but basically sound. Compared to the horror story I'd had just previously with two broken Epiphone Rivieras and a Sheraton with lacerating fret ends, they have been a dream. That's two F type offsets that I can cross off my bucket list. I like 'em, they've got their own characters for sure. Before that, my only Squire has been my Baritone P90 Tele and that's a goodun' too.

[@HatRock]

That guitar for that price is an excellent platform for a project. I would probably convert it to fixed bridge and install some really good pickups and electronics I'm sure it would be a truly workhorse specially to bring to jams where you don't want to take out and wear your expensive gear.

[@nickrouse8426]

Fender puts Fender to shame...AGAIN!

[@christopheraaron8299]

I got the Debut Strat in the two tone sunburst. I like it, but the electronics left a lot to be desired, so I put a loaded pickguard (white pearl) with single coil size hot rails in it. Also put in a cheap set of locking tuners I had and a roller tree. Very pleased with it after the upgrades.

[@JayceAllanGuitar]

I've done a few videos on my channel featuring this guitar. The first was an unboxing. I got the red one. Mine needed to be intonated. String height was a tad high also, but sounded fine. My pickups were a bit thin sounding. One person commenting on that video actually accused me of getting rich from pushing cheap guitars on KZbin and said that I was "destroying beginner player's dreams". So there's that. That person said I should be reviewing the Yamaha Pacifica. So I bought one, and found that for $100 more, the Pacifica wasn't any better or worse than the Debut (but did sound better, of course it also has a humbucker). That video opened a huge can of worms and people got upset that I dared compare the Debut to the Pacifica (are Yamaha players in a cult like PRS players! LOL). So then I upgraded the Debut. I put a synthetic bone nut, steel trem block, new bridge/trem, and new Alnico pickups. In a side by side test, none of the "upgrades" made any improvement at all. The Alnico pickups didn't necessarily sound "better" they just sounded different. It is amazing the mythology around guitars, that only USA made guitars north of $2000 are "good" guitars, yet China is churning out low cost guitars on CNC machines that looks and sound every bit as good as higher priced guitars. Then you get the folks that say "you'll never get your money back when you go to sell it". The funniest thing is, after watching your video, you make that guitar sound amazing, so people will believe YOU when you say that the Debut is a good guitar, but because I'm a mediocre player, they don't believe me when I say it's a good guitar. Guitar players listen more with their eyes than their ears. Great video.

[@ey870]

Problem is John - you make anything sound great

[@rogergraves5467]

Is this the debut series I’m seeing on Amazon?

[@seanzinger]

Man, you should do more playing without the tracks. It was amazing to see what you come up with on the fly like that. Holy poop.

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

As long as it does what it says on the tin.

[@icarusi]

I got the Bullet Squier hard tail after seeing Jack Pearson using a Bullet. Also got that feedback sustain he does, and at low vols, with a EH Crayon. Tried some Tube Screamers but the Crayon did it at lower volume.

[@dailey3drevolve]

Beautiful playing, John Nathan. I really like the satin black finish, on those new Squiers.

[@rafaelzengo5534]

I have a Squier vintage modified 70s Stratocaster and I play along with a fender crafted in japan Stratocaster, and to me they’re equivalent apart from inherent little differences.

[@coelhoph]

I think I've fallen in love with that mate finish.

[@jaysmoreymusic]

My first guitar nearly 33 years ago was a Squier Strat. Still have it. A few years ago I got an American Pro Strat. In many ways, it felt and played the same. I prefer my Indonesian Nick Johnston HSS to my AmPro. Tomorrow, I'll be receiving an Eart. I'd like to see Fender's American shop start innovating (while maintaining the classic vibe) to show a massive step up from Squier and MiM guitars. SS frets would be a nice starting point.

[@ianbarnes1406]

Good luck with the Eart. I have bought 2 of their headless guitars and they are fantastic

[@lazvt8469]

My NJ HSS is quite impressive. Pups are too modern for me. Gonna get Fralin to sell me something more traditional .

[@jamesprice6381]

Mine is MAGNIFICENT Has a Eric Johnson looking body like his 57, Plays PHENOMINALLY, The string line up is so perfect i cant blv my eyes, the REVERSE wound middle means i can STAY on pos (2) mostly for clean, n pos (2) is AWSM w/drive pedals n NO buzz! when you are outdoors LIVE U KNOW IT!

[@johngal56]

I have a Squier Affinity Strat which I've used live on several occasions and it's a great guitar. Love your playing, awesome stuff.

[@truthray2885]

That's gonna be their new pitch - "It's better than crap!" I just got mine. I think I'm really going to like it. BTW, you're quite fleet on that fretboard - wow!

[@mr.bluenotedoobop]

I don’t doubt that Fender makes no real money on these but it gets beginners even more recognized with the brand to hopefully turn them into “Fender” branded instruments in the future.

[@AuntAlnico4]

😂they Make 50% on it still, that's the Average shop mark up any how.

[@AuntAlnico4]

😂they Make 50% on it still, that's the Average shop mark up any how.

[@gorgon9786]

Well if Fender did let the ordinary masses just go to every other low cost brands,.. Of Fender make money on selling them Squiers!..

[@jeromewagschal9485]

Excellent video 🙂🙂 thank you so much 🙂🙂 This is the best video of the Debut Stratocaster I've seen so far because it covers different musical genres AND because you've installed the whammy bar 😁😁😁 It always amazes me how people who test strats ( regardless of model and price ) simply leave the whammy bar away as if it was something dirty... If my guitar has a tremolo you can be sure I'll use it even if it's a really simple one like this one... Thanks again 👍👍👍

[@abject_fail]

For $120 that's impressive

[@stevelaferney3579]

What’s with the nail trimmer?

[@caleshtcincredibles]

There is a reason Jack Pearson one of the top guitarists only uses Squire guitars .....lovely playing here .

[@tmo7734]

Nice playing. Nice sound. Thank you.

[@spillemusicstudios8515]

This is sick. and it's even got a satin neck out of the box. putting classic vibes to shame there

[@skye7690]

Now that’s a box opener!

[@GerryBlue]

That guitar collection is well protected

[@StratBurst92]

I really like mine and I have an American Standard & a American Pro II. Did an intonation and a new set of Ernie Ball slinky 9s and good to go.

[@robertprady885]

Squire will never replace a real strat

[@rockingstar3534]

Anyone knows how to get the tone at 2:00?

[@joaomq85]

That can be shame to you, but shame to me is the ridiculous salary paid here in Brazil, so Squier is the only way to have a fender at affordable cost, and its sound is amazing!

[@nickmizell1141]

Amazing playing!!

[@oengland28]

Nice playing on that intro

[@JTMP12]

And today a new video from John “Dundee” Cordy

[@rayerscarpensael2300]

Man you are fluent as hell, impressive, didn t care about guitars from china, stayed for the soloing.

[@coltrane1966]

I bought a Squire Affinity for £220, and it's actually nicer than the two Fender USA strats I had, which were worth about £2500 each. I feel a bit ripped off by Fender, it's like your literally just paying for the 'Fender' logo on the headstock. I sold the two Fenders and definitely keeping the Squire.

[@aldito7586]

Nice playing!

[@warthogA10]

I have a matching set of squier affinity strat and tele in Olympic white and they're fantastic. Definitely get spring inserts for the trem, .. and these factory trem systems aren't designed for dive bombing or soaring.

[@tommylarsson2025]

Very nice playing! Have a Squier silver series 98 MIJ that are great. Keep it up !

[@AndrewAHayes]

I have seen different ones online with sharp fets (not sprouted) massive high action, strings binding in the nut, the volume running out at 4 and uneven frets all over the fretboard.

[@TheBbtlegit]

If you can play you can make any guitar sound great. Hes living proof.

[@jimgray774]

Hey man great show

[@allanmakela3011]

Very nice playing,flows,without a ton of excess,pretty impressive

[@BradMiller007]

John can make anything sound great. It’s all in the fingers as the end of the day. Mike Rutherford played a cheap Squier for all the Genesis reunion show. But said.

[@jasondorsey7110]

That guy has some amazing basses from the likes of rickenbacker and microfrets, so the squier can't be too bad if he'd settle for them

[@albionvideo]

The cherry on the parfait was when you retuned the G string, by feel, in the middle of a fast solo line. Reminded me of when Barack Obama caught a fly during a TV interview without missing a beat of his response.

[@richardelg4412]

Sweet playing bra!🤙

[@jimjim7008]

You just shredded the guitar to pieces with this crocodile dundee knife of yours haha

[@jakollee]

That is what she said (4:30).

[@timemachineeddie1146]

Amazing Bloke. You are the man. Thanks for sharing.

[@Strato13]

This guitar sounds perfectly fine, ever very good! Of course your playing knocks it out of the ballpark, too. I can't believe some KZbinr referred to this guitar as a "Toy" and claimed the Yamaha Pacifica was way way way better..Some people just don't know what they're talking about. These days, most guitars, if not all, are of a good to great quality even for budgets guitars. My go-to guitar right now is my Squier Sonic Stratocaster (I replaced the bridge/neck p/ups with Dimarzio HS-4 p/ups) had it set up by my favorite luthier and it is every bit as good as my more pricey guitars. But the neck is the highlight of it, since it's very very lightly coated to a satin type finish, practically bare. All my guitars are left-handed-made-oriented, so if Squier offered this for left handed players, I'd definitely grab one.

[@DerpRulesAll]

Thumbnail: 'this guitar puts Fender to shame' Also thumbnail: 'Squier by Fender'

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Now thats a knife . I have the same guitar , heavy as cement but very good quality . Cool . 🎸✊

[@bluwng]

I never and mean ever liked black Strats but for some reason I think that one looks good.

[@dcamnc1]

Yeah this matte is the only black strat I’ve ever liked the looks of; I don’t care for gloss black guitars.

[@christopherjbutler]

It looks almost charcoal metallic on camera in that lighting.. I dig it too.

[@LeftEarth2]

_Debut Collection is the same as the previous Bullet models._ The name changed but the build quality is the same. LMFAO 😂 Save your money for a Classic Vibe. 👍

[@ale_etcetera]

Well yes but this one is 120 bucks , the bullets were around 199 or so

[@yellowcat1310]

i got one. the black satin is sweet. so smooth. i did just a tad of setup on the bridge saddles, tuned it up and it is a good guitar. not perfect, but 120 bucks. i have a fret down around the 16th that is a tad high. i'll take it down when i put some new strings on it. till then i'll live with that little buzz . i'm sure it has small pots, pickups maybe could be better. maybe i'll mod it along the way but i like it when i play black magic woman. santana, but i like Peter Green's way better. it'll do. it's a sweet guitar.

[@We_Are_they]

I have the same model. I like it. Everything was set up well. No sharp frets. I’m more comfortable playing cheap light weight guitars. Only problem was one of the wires on the jack came off. Bad soldering I guess. I jerryrigged it by stripping the wire and wrapping it around the post and used some electrical tape. Slight pain in the neck but it works. So yeah I paid 120 dollars for a decent Strat and got a lesson in wiring!

[@christopheraaron8299]

It's not the same as the Bullet. It has a thinner body and a much lighter paint job. It also has cheaper electronics than a Bullet had.

[@ranman58635]

I'm learning to play lie this finally after 30 year's.

[@matthewotremba9230]

Just sprayed a strat that i weight relieved Same finish A favorite

[@matthewotremba9230]

Awww jeeez Not another unboxing of the newest .... GUY STARTS PLAYING ! Holy Crap

[@GuyTravis-f1j]

Is there a telecaster verging forthcoming?

[@Wadey1960CS]

As you know i have a few Squier Classic Vibe's, they are GREAT guitars and easily upgradable, at a cost effective level if you want a little more out of it. Thanks for the video John!

[@bluwng]

I had a very nice CV Strat I didn’t upgrade anything it was good and pickups were excellent. Why are people programmed and yes it is programming, to believe you need to upgrade a guitar under a certain price point?

[@Wadey1960CS]

@@bluwngPersonally, I think it’s not a need at all, but rather more a want or preference per the user. You do you Boo! ✌🏻

[@christopherjbutler]

@@bluwng In my case, I bought the last Classic Vibe 60's Strat Sam Ash had in stock before Christmas 2022. I figured out when I perfomed my first full setup on it that t had an issue with the neck where the relief on the treble side, if set to say, 4 thousandths, meant the bass side was at nearly 9 or 10 thousandths.. It could have been worse if it was the other way, of course. I kept it because I loved the way it played and sounded, and since Fender will not issue replacement necks under their warranty, they only will replace the guitar and they have to destroy the old one (this is not a joke, I confirmed this with both a local factory authorized Squier repair shop and Fender customer service) And that would have meant waiting quite a while and spinning the crapshoot wheel again. If that neck was as good as the one they originally had on the sales floor (was sold by the time I noticed the issue with my neck) I would have not done any upgrades at all. The guitar was EXACTLY what I wanted in a traditional six screw Alnico 5 glassy sounding traditional strat.. However, considering the steal discount I got the guitar for brand new, and considering the fact that I have been wanting to try out a Warmoth neck for about 25 years, I snagged an in-stock Warmoth Modern/Vintage construction neck. The pictures of the neck confirmed that it HAPPENED to be a quartersawn maple neck with a DARK perfectly straight grained rosewood fingerboard.. both of those options would have been another 70 bucks if I was speccing a neck from scratch.. I now have a phenomenal sounding strat, with a perfectly even neck, with stainless steel narrow tall frets, a 10 to 16" radius (which I was worried about, but it was an in-stock neck at a price I could not pass up.. And it turns out that I love it as much as any 9.5" or 10" radius neck if not more) a quartersawn piece of stable maple with a gorgeous rosewood fretboard, a graphtech nut, and a proper level and polish done by my local luthier/guitar tech, Larry Fitzgerald: (he worked under John Suhr at Rudys on 48th street back in the day, and took over John's spot there when he started his company and moved to CA) Larry said without irony that this guitar is as good or better than anything coming out of the Fender Custom shop for six screw 60's style strat. It now has taken over the spot in my heart that my number one, 1990 American Standard Strat used to occupy as my favorite. That 1990 came to me with a custom John Buscarino handmade quilted maple slab firngerboard on hard rock maple neck, and an EMG S series loaded pickguard. I put Sperzels on it and ultimately a Gotoh NS510T trem. It is a phenomenal guitar for gigging and using as a general purpose do everything guitar that worked great with my old Roland GP100 / Mesa 50/50 live rig... But this Squier sounds finally like the real Strat I was always missing, and plays better than any Strat I have ever had my hands on. The Classic Vibe series is a perfect launching point if you have SOMETHING about the guitar you want to upgrade.. In my case, for about a total of 650 bucks, plus the cost of the level and polish / setup, I have a guitar that I FAR prefer to the American top of the line Fenders I tried out exhaustively around Christmas of 2022. (and with 22 frets which I prefer)

[@malcolmevans2437]

Yes, can we have the link for the guitar please

[@donald-parker]

I love Squiers. If you can find one with "good bones" (weight and balance you like, neck feel you like), the low cost makes them perfect candidates for you to learn your basic guitar maintenance skills on (dress fret ends, level frets, do a set up, etc) becasue if you make mistakes while you learn, its not as bad as trying to learn on a $$$$$ guitar. And they are great mod platforms (new tuners, PU, etc). Now, I know you will never recoup the investment of upgraded parts on a resale, but if you love it, and want to keep it to play, you can easily end up this something punching well above its weight for much less cost than purchasing a new higher end Fender.

[@kevinkerfoot9102]

Where did you get that knife?

[@jackprice7828]

Sounds very decent. Judging from how you are performing your legatos it look you are comfortable with the action?

[@Aries_Alpha]

I picked up a Squier 40th anniversary gold edition strat in sienna sunburst in new condition for a great price and it's a great guitar, bone nut, Alnico 5 pickups, the switch is really nice and the C-shaped neck is a delight to play, the nut was also cut perfectly and I decked the trem as I'm not that kind of player. Vintage tuners seem to hold tune well so far and It also has a bound fretboard and the frets are polished and finished beautifully the previous owner may have polished the frets. I was expecting to have to mod a few things on it but I'm not going to bother after receiving it I was more than happy with it. Came in about £200 cheaper than a player series Fender.

[@christopherjbutler]

The CV Strat series are all great, at least from the 2022 year range when I got my CV 60s strat.. The tuners (and the trem, possibly) are actually Gotoh OEMs, from what I understand, and they are great, not just for the money either. Alnico 5 pickups that sound like a proper 60's ish strat, with a full thickness body, as opposed to the thinner Bullet or Affinity series, or the Debut series that John is reviewing here. Thin body means your choices for upgrading to a new trem and block are limited. A standard trem block will extend slightly past the bottom surface of the guitar, certainly enough that you won't be able to put the trem cavity cover back on.