Squier raises the price on Classic Vibe Stratocasters
Well, it was fun while it lasted.
One of the best things about the new second generation Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster was that the price was actually lower than the previous generation...
...but not anymore. As of January 2020, the price went right back to the old, higher price.
Yeah, that's sad.
One of the big reasons I even bought a new Squier CV Strat was because of the lower price tag. I personally felt that at $349.99, you were legitimately getting what you paid for. But at $399.99, that's just a hard sell. It was that higher price that kept me from buying one originally.
Learning how to fix your guitar is becoming more important
All guitars wear out with normal play, and that's normal.
With Squier, it used to be that you played one for a while, and when it wore out, you just traded it out and got another one because they were affordable.
But $400 is not affordable. That is right on the edge of lower mid-tier territory, pricewise.
This being true, if you don't know how to repair your guitar, my advice is you'd better start learning if you want to avoid re-buying guitars in the future.
Working on the bridge hardware and electronics is easy. It's the neck where things can get tricky.
I recommend looking up YouTube videos on the following subjects:
- Leveling frets
- Crowning frets
- Installing a shim in a guitar neck (to adjust pitch angle)
- Installing a guitar nut
I may at some point release my own videos or a book on these topics, because I can assure you that it is totally worth spending 50 to 100 bucks on basic tools to save yourself from spending hundreds on replacement guitars later.
In fact, what I would recommend is buying yourself a dirt cheap Strat clone to practice basic guitar repair skills on. Learn how to install a nut, level frets, smooth edges, install a nut, and so on. Take the whole guitar apart and learn it all.
This will be a very good way to spend your time, because in the long run it will save you a lot of cash. You'll be able to fix your existing guitars and be able to extend the life of them by years if not decades.
Published 2020 Jan 21
