Secret new Classic Vibe Squier Strats and Teles July 2019

Why are these secret? At the time of this writing they're not listed on Fender's web site, and neither Guitar Center nor Musician's Friend even has them either. [Edit: Some of these are now at Guitar Center, links have been updated!] But I found them. These are brand spankin' new CV models, and arguably the best Squier Strats and Teles I've seen in years, if not ever.

Let's check these out. You can click on each guitar to see the price. Shockingly, all of them use standard pricing. No gouging! Very cool.

The first is the one seen above, Fiesta Red, which I'm assuming to be a '50s model. This is the darling of the lot and I'll explain why in a moment.

Next up is another '50s, Sunburst:

Another '50s in Tele flavor, Butterscotch Blonde (and yes, A PROPER LEFTY EXISTS!):

Now we move on to the '60s models, first with Sunburst (proper lefty model for this one too!)

And then Candy Apple Red:

And then the darling of the '60s models, Lake Placid Blue:

The '50s Fiesta Red is what you want

I have been saying for YEARS that Squier needs to release a Fiesta Red Strat. The last one they had was a Simon Neil signature model and there hasn't been one since... until now.

There is something else on the '50s models that's very easy to miss but is such a nice touch:

Circle shape string tree.

Squier didn't have to do this. The guitar would have been great even without it, but they did it anyway.

On the '60s models you see the standard plain "wing" string tree, but '50s models get the circle, which perfectly matches up with the tuner posts and tuner buttons. Given how curvy and round everything is on a Strat, the more roundy you get, the better. This is better.

However, the '60s model now gets Lake Placid Blue. And damn, does it look nice.

If these are the replacement Squier CV Strat and Tele models...

Well done, Squier. Looks like you finally got it right this time - at least where appearance is concerned. The logo treatment is just right (it finally doesn't look cheap), the colors are just right, and overall look is spot-on.

Published 2019 Jul 3