What is it?
There have been plenty of big Fender releases to shout about this year, but perhaps the most wide-reaching launch occurred when the Big F unveiled its Standard series – a range of cheap electric guitars that reduced the gap between Fender and its affordable offshoot, Squier, to an all-time low.
It prompted quiet chatter over what the future of Squier would look like in the face of Fender’s unending commitment to cater to all price points, but now we have an answer: the future looks strong indeed.
Doubling down on its Squier name, the firm rolled out a comprehensive collection for its class of 2025 Classic Vibe series, treating its top-of-the-range lineup to Bigsby-loaded Telecasters, hardtail Stratocasters and something I’ve been waiting for for some time now: a Duo-Sonic HS.
It is, for me, the highlight inclusion in the drop. With an infinitely more versatile and usable HS setup – as opposed to the SS model that populated the Player range a while back – and all the trimmings of a top-end offset, it is positioned to become a hugely desirable Classic Vibe model, and no doubt a future classic.
But for all its good looks and irresistible offset charm, is the Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic just a pretty face, or does it have the horsepower to go with it? Expectations were high for this one, but, spoiler alert: yes it does.
Specs
- Launch price: $419.99/£419.99/€499
- Made: Indonesia
- Type: Six-string electric guitar
- Body: Poplar
- Neck: Maple / "C" Shape
- Fingerboard: Maple, 9.5" radius
- Scale length: 24" / 609mm
- Nut/width: Bone / 42mm
- Frets: 21
- Hardware: Vintage-style tuners, six-saddle hardtail bridge
- String spacing at bridge: 53mm
- Electrics: HS – Fender-designed Alnico Single-Coil, Fender-designed Alnico Humbucker, Master Volume, Master Tone, Three-Position Pickup Selector
- Weight: 6.43lb/2.92kg
- Left-handed options: N/A
- Finishes: Desert Sand, Lake Placid Blue
- Cases: Not included
- Contact: Squier
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★☆
My experience with the Duo-Sonic gets off to a slightly rocky start when, taking it out of the box, the high E string appears to be… er,.missing. A few seconds later, I located it: it's slipped off the fretboard and pinned itself underneath some loose frets, which look as though they haven't been seated to full capacity. It's easy enough to pull it back into place, but gaps (even this small) between the fret wire and the fingerboard are, of course, a bit of a bother.
With the string in place, I set about tuning up the guitar, which, again, throws up another early issue. The G string performs the classic pinch at the nut – which means keeping it in tune at the start is a bit of a mission. Fortunately I don't need a nut file for this one as a touch of lubricant seemed to do the job.
Initial tuning niggles aside, it's otherwise really solid. The anodized pickguard holds everything together really nicely, and all the switches and control knobs have a premium heft to them.
Aeshetically, the stunning Desert Sand finish is spot on with no issues, and the neck has a delightful gloss finish that gives it the vibe of a far pricier instrument. It certainly lives up to the Classic Vibe heritage, even with a few idiosyncratic issues to boot.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★☆
I’ve played Mustangs and have had immense joy in doing so, but the Duo-Sonic slightly pips it for me.
With the string in place and the nut behaving itself, I finally get to experience the Duo-Sonic for what it is: a damn good guitar, and a joy to play. There’s just something about Fender offsets – especially short-scale ones – just make them immensely comfortable and effortless to play. The Duo-Sonic also has some unique ergonomics that make it unlike any other Fender offset, namely the Mustang, which this model is so often related to.
I’ve played shortscales and offsets including the closely-related Mustang and have had immense joy in doing so, but the Duo-Sonic slightly pips it for me. The body is more conventional in its dimensions and has a far more subtle offset, and as a Strat player, the ever-so-slightly diminished approach feels more natural.
The smaller sized body and shorter 24” scale length, along with the 9.5” radius, means this practically plays itself. That setup obviously lends itself to performing better at certain musical styles – it’s a bit more of a tighter squeeze, so you won’t be shredding on this thing – but anyone buying a Duo-Sonic knows that.
Having said that, it’s certainly not anti-lead, with a comfortably speedy neck profile that can facilitate faster playing if required. I’m technically a lead guitar in the band I play for, and it does a bang-up job on everything from atmospheric slide solos to upper fret runs. The 10-42 strings move and bent like butter – a testament to the setup and the spec sheet – and since I taking delivery of the Duo-Sonic, I find myself reaching for it in favor of my more premium Strat.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★☆
I was pleased to see Squier go down the HS route with this new Duo-Sonic, and I was even more pleased when I first heard the Fender-designed alnico pickups in action. The neck single-coil is snappy but full, decidedly ‘Mustang-y’ in flavor and nicely responsive to the tone control when more mellow, wooly tones are required.
The humbucker, likewise, is equally impressive, and I can’t help but feel that this section of the review would read a lot differently had Squier instead opted for an anaemic lead single-coil.
For the price of the Classic Vibe line, the pickups are punching above their weight
As it happens, the humbucker has a nice rounded character that punches but doesn’t harshly pierce, and is both impressively dynamic when played clean, and tight and clear when fed some gain. Yes, there are more 'expensive' sounding pickup options available, and one of the big appeals of Squier's CV range is their mod-friendly platform, but for the price of the Classic Vibe line, these are punching above their weight.
Ignoring electronics, the guitar passes the unplugged test impeccably. Probably thanks to its lightweight spec and downsized format, the guitar is immensely resonant unplugged, with a nice wood-y character that makes everything sound better, even the loosest-of-loose blues rhythm rags.
Verdict
There were a few bumps in the road early on, but by the time this Duo-Sonic got settled it quickly exceeded the lofty expectations I had for it. The HS configuration makes this infinitely more usable and playable, and helps to some serious heavy lifting when it comes to delivering top-tier tones that can live up to the drop-dead-gorgeous good looks of the Duo-Sonic.
It’s very much a case of “what you see is what you get”, but in this case what you see is a guitar that looks a million dollars, and one that doesn’t sound too far off
Simply put, it’s very much a case of “what you see is what you get”, but in this case what you see is a guitar that looks a million dollars, and one that doesn’t sound too far off. $419 is really good value indeed. Now, if Fender could reintroduce the Duo-Sonic to the Player II line, that would be great…
Guitar World verdict: An excellent addition to the Classic Vibe line that will undoubtedly please fans of Fender's oddball Duo-Sonic offset model. A solid, great-sounding player that looks a million dollars and doesn't sound too far off.
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality |
Largely good, but some problematic fret and nut issues on the review model |
★★★★☆ |
Playability |
Practically plays itself, short-scale, lovely neck profile and finish |
★★★★☆ |
Sounds |
HS pickup combination works superbly, both sound very tidy |
★★★★☆ |
Overall |
Looks absolutely stunning, plays like a dream, and sounds pretty solid, too |
★★★★☆ |
