Squier has expanded its ever-popular and long-running Classic Vibe series with 10 new models that once more dive into the Fender archive in search of inspiration and present us with vintage-inspired instruments with an approachable price tag.
This fresh drop includes some familiar faces. There are the Stratocasters, including a ‘50s hardtail Strat in Shell Pink or Surf Green, and a hardtail ‘70s HSS Strat in Vintage White or Mocha.
There are some very sweet Telecasters, including a Custom Telecaster SH with Bigsby that’s offered in Aztec Gold or Lake Placid Blue, a Telecaster Bass in Vintage White or Mocha, and – technically speaking a Tele – there is the Esquire Custom, doubling up on the pickups and all dressed up in Candy Apple Red or Sherwood Green.
The offset guitars have not been forgotten. You can get the ‘60s Jazzmaster in Tahitian Coral, Olympic White, 3-Color Sunburst or Sonic Blue, and there’s a short 24” scale cult-classic Duo-Sonic available in Desert Sand with that single-ply gold anodized aluminium pickguard, or in Lake Placid Blue with a classic white ‘guard. Both come with a humbucker at the bridge and single-coil at the neck.
Okay, what about the bass guitars? There are four in total, with the aforementioned Tele Bass joined by four and five-string variants of the Active ‘70s Jazz Bass, the five presented in Sienna Sunburst and Ocean Turquoise, the former in Ocean Turquoise and Mocha.
Note: the Classic Vibe series still includes a passive option. The Classic Vibe ‘60s Jazz Bass rounds out the drop in Daphne Blue and Tahitian Coral.
These Classic Vibe models look the part. Not all Squier guitars are created equally. You have the Affinity Series, for many the archetypical beginner electric guitar. You have the Paranormal Series, where hybrid builds are put together from various different models, creating something totally whackadoodle but brilliant.
But as the name suggests, the Classic Vibe series is a little like Squier’s version of the Fender Vintera lineup, and are a great opportunity for young players to get their hands on something appreciably informed by golden era guitar design.
Across the board, you’ve got Fender Designed electric guitar pickups, approachable C-profile necks and 9.5” radius fingerboards, Narrow Tall frets, bone nuts, vintage-style tuners. Although the Classic Vibe models are aren’t relic’d, when you pick them up you’ll notice that the tint on the neck’s gloss urethane lacquer is a deep Simpsons yellow, as though these have been played in smoke-filled clubs. The rest of the aging you will have to do yourself.
Where to start with a collection like this? The Custom Esquire certainly catches the eye with that double-binding on the body and those solid-colour paintjobs. It has a three-saddle Tele-style bridge with steel saddles, a pair of single-coils and three-way switching.
Typical of these Squier Classic Vibes, the body is poplar, and we have laurel standing in for rosewood on the fingerboards. You can get the regular Classic Vibe Esquire with the unbound body and the more typical single-pickup configuration.
The Duo-Sonic HS is a little powerhouse. With that bridge humbucker, we’ve got to assume that this is a more rock-friendly proposition than the usual dual single-coil version. Just add fuzz. It has a six-saddle hard-tail bridge with bent-steel saddles. The Desert Sand model has a maple fingerboard, the Lake Placid Blue has laurel; it’s a toss of the coin as to which has more mojo.
Speaking of which, the ‘60s Telecaster Custom SH with Bigsby makes a persuasive case for being pick of the litter. Both finish options look great with those 3-ply parchment ‘guards and the double binding, and with its floating bridge with Mustang saddles and Bigsby B50 vibrato, and a humbucker/single-coil paring, it has the potential to be a hard-working instrument for the full range of blues, rock, jazz, pop, indie and country.
The Telecaster Bass is all about simplicity. You have one Wide Range humbucker, volume, tone, and a four-saddle vintage-style bridge with threaded steel saddles.
The Classic Vibe series was never meant to be forensically accurate to the original Fender designs but nonetheless this release shows how these instruments have evolved over the years.
Take the basses. The ‘60s Jazz Bass shares the hardware of the Tele Bass, expanding your tone options with two Fender Designed single-coils, while the ‘70s Jazz Basses introduce HiMass bridges to boost sustain, plus active electronics and block inlays.
It is also a reminder of how timeless these instruments are, like the ‘60s Jazzmaster, here presented with its dual over-sized single-coils served by the Rhythm/Lead circuit, plus three-way pickup selector, volume and tone.
It has the vintage-style six-saddle bridge with non-locking floating vibrato – perfectly fit for purpose on an instrument at this price, but as with the original Jazzmasters, this too would make a good candidate for modding.
Note the different headstock on the ‘50s Strat HT and its ‘70s HSS variant, the latter with the larger profile. These touches have made the Classic Vibe series a pretty big deal ever since its launch in 2008.
Prices on these Classic Vibe models top out at £479/$524 street for the electric guitars, £509/$556 street for the basses. For more details, head over to Fender.
