The good and bad of the Squier 2019 Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster

Build quality...

...is good. Very good, actually.

There is nothing about the guitar that says "cheap" to me. It doesn't creak or squeak. All the screws were put in correct. The neck was installed correct. Fret wire finishing was done correct. All knobs have the right tension. Even the output jack has a nice feel when plugging in a cord to it.

Anything bad?

All I could find that would be considered bad is something only nitpicker Strat players care about.

Acoustic body vibration is minimal.

I label this as a nitpicker thing because this is not something exclusive to Squier Strat guitars, as it also happens with Fenders.

Some Strat players appreciate a body that has a good loud acoustic vibration when you strum chords. They like a resonance when you can literally feel the vibrations on your body while the guitar is being played.

My CV '50s Strat doesn't do that. Sounds great and plays great but is acoustically quiet.

Is the quiet acoustic resonance due to the pine body? No. Some electrics with pine bodies have a loud acoustic resonance, but mine isn't one of them.

Getting an electric that has loud acoustic resonance is luck of the draw and really can't be pointed to any specific tonewood. Some say otherwise but I disagree. And the reason I disagree is because my 1989 Squier II Stratocaster with its plywood body is very resonant. Talk to any wood snob and they'd say plywood has poor resonance. My '89 Squier Strat proves otherwise. So again, it's luck of the draw whether you get that loud acoustic resonance or not.

Does the quieter resonance affect how the guitar sounds? Not in the slightest. My CV '50s rings true just like any other Strat and the quieter resonance isn't a deal-breaker at all.

Verdict: Good.

The 2nd generation Classic Vibe is a genuinely good guitar and holds up to the standard of the CV being the top-of-the-line for Squier electrics.

Published 2019 Dec 17

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