CLICK TO BUY - Fender Player Series Strat: www.zzounds.com/a--3979398/item--FEN0144502?siid=243671 Squier Classic Vibe 50's Stratocaster: www.zzounds.com/a--3979398/item--SQU0374005?siid=262491 Browse ALL GEAR: www.zzounds.com/a--3979398 CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP SIGN UP: kzfaq.info/love/9IULQ7EHJoserChf09I_4wjoin

This review hits the nail on the head: Strat buyers will want to compare the CV against the Player. That's what I did in 2019, over a couple of hours in my local music shop. I'm an experienced gigging guitarist, so whatever I chose would have to be good enough for that purpose. Spoiler: I went for the Squier. I found that the CV 50s (identical to the one in this video) was considerably lighter than the Player, which was a good thing. The trem was locked down, but the claw was screwed in properly, so I think they send them all out like that to save on setup costs. The Squier was less well-screened than the Player, so I lined the cavity with aluminium foil (from the kitchen, stuck down with Pritt-stick) and solved that problem easily. I also swapped the pickguard for a pearloid one, and upgraded the pots and switch, so I can't comment on the longevity of the originals. Setting the trem up, it became apparent that the bridge and saddle quality are definitely budget. It's a toss-up whether I should buy a pricier guitar or upgrade the bridge. It took a while to set up, but I've got used to it. Also, the trem arm is a little wobbly, but a wrap of PTFE tape provides a temporary ongoing fix. Incidentally, at 4:12 the saddles are pressed steel, not pot metal, and most importantly, at 4:40 it is _essential_ to loosen the six bridge screws, otherwise there's a risk of damaging the guitar. On the subject of trem setup, the information at 9:00 isn't quite right. The balance between string tension and trem springs is determined by the strength and number of springs, versus the string tension pulling in the opposite direction. Tightening the trem claw screws only alters the bridge position, not the overall system tension. To change this, you'd need more or fewer springs, or stronger/weaker springs, or a change of string gauge. On my CV 50s I use 9s and have two springs. When I compared the guitars in the shop, I found that the CV fret ends were finished better than the Player, which went in its favour. Also, out of the box both guitars were set up with a low, easy action, as I assume they were in this video. Testament to Indonesian quality control that this didn't come up short against the Mexican factory. Regarding the tone of the guitars, I've long felt that six-screw tremolo bridges sound better than those with two posts. It's definitely a subjective prejudice, but that made me think more highly of the Squier when I compared them. Longer term: I've had the Squier for three years, played most days, but done very few gigs since covid. Even so, the fret wire is showing signs of wear that indicate it's pretty cheap and soft. A sign of cost-cutting that isn't apparent when the guitar's new, and which we must expect to have been applied to every aspect of the production. Is the Squier good enough to gig? Out of the box, just about. It definitely needed screening, and the trem took some getting used to. If I was gigging three times a week I'd look at either the Player or a US model, and maybe have the Squier as a backup. One final comment: while online reviews and posts from people like me are useful, there's no substitute for taking the time to visit a music shop and trying some guitars out until you find the one that suits you.

On the Squire floating tremelo issue, instead of loosening the screws so far out, remove a spring to lessen the amount of screw adjustment. Also, there are springs available that have various amount of tension- so, softer springs could be used or a combination of various springs to get the desired tension. As with most electric solid body guitars, many hardware features can be modified to preference, so the most important factor to a player is the neck. If the guitar plays/feels perfect for you, that's it. The rest can be modified a lot easier than reworking a neck.

I sold my cv Squier and bought a Fender Player Strat - guess why... not because of the headstock logo, but because of the Players better / warmer sound and better metal parts. Especially the Squiers bridge looks a bit cheap compared to the Players bridge.

I’m a Gibson fan but fancied buying a Strat, I bought the Mexico player strat ,same colour as the one in the video last year from Peach guitars for £550 and it’s fantastic, I’ve been playing for over 30 years and it’s the best value and most versatile guitar I’ve had.

I ended up with the Squier CV, because after playing several Fender and Squiers, I really liked the feel of the Squier better. I was still on the fence, when Fender had a huge sale on Squiers, I ended up buying the CV 50s for only 275. Had to do it for that price...and I'm happy that I did!

I liked the sound of the pickups on the Squier so much more.

The one thing I think you should have made clear is that not all the squiers are going to have that trem issue. This was one assembler trying to get something past the inspector at the end of the day. I’ve seen US strats where they drilled in the screws at such a bad angle that they came through the pickup cavities. As someone who works at a music store I’m sure you’re aware QC is all over the place with Fender and Squier. Yeah you’re probably more than likely to find an issue with a squier but as someone who worked in a music store myself I’ve seen more issues back in the day with our MIM stock. You’re definitely paying some name brand tax on the player series though in this particular comparison. Other than that I think your presentation was on point.

Really informative. I play a lot of squires and they get the job done for me. I do modify though. But I like to see how they perform next to a fender. Thanks!

I already recently bought a Fender player series in all white for £599 and its outstanding for the price, I love the satin neck and the finish overall is great as is the superb sound. The only thing Im going to change is to replace the string tree with the roller string tree. A nice cheap modification but a good one I think. I have to say I think the Squier is excellent value for money and its a very nice guitar. and not all will have the same flaws you found. it sounds nice and I had no qualms in buying my son a 3/4 size Squier mini strat for his first guitar and that one has great sounds and a satin neck costing me the mini price of £130. You can be fairly confident buying a squier. So if you want a cheap Fender then a Squier is definitely worth it.

I really enjoyed watching the video. I have a Classic Vibe 50s Tele and aside from sounding a little thin, I absolutely love it as does anyone who plays it. I’m surprised that the spring tension screws were drilled in an angle like that. I hope that’s not a design flaw, thank you for pointing that out. I’m also happy to hear both those strays side by side like that but I did notice the MIM sounded a little more clear at times. And did you send the Squire back?

I have a Squier Strat Affinity Series and upgraded to a Fender Tex-Mex pickup set and installed Fender Schaller Locking Tuners. Obviously, the upgrades were equivalent to the cost of the Affinity itself, but I still saved myself a few hundred dollars overall. Honestly, it sounds and plays better than the stock Player Series MIMs I've played over the years. If you put some effort into these guitars, you will get have a quality instrument in your hands. On that note, Mike Rutherford (Genesis) toured with a $200 Squier Bullet (albeit with noiseless pickups), so anything possible.

I bought my Squier Classic Vibe 50's Strat 12 years ago ($279.00) and have never felt a need for another one. Mine came with Tonerider pickups which sound amazing. I did have to do a fret job on the Squier. It had some high frets and some fret sprout. I've gigged many times with it and it always gets the job done. I do like the Player series and I am tempted but trying to hold off a GAS attack!

I have a Classic Vibe 60's Strat in candy apple red and love it. Like you said, the Squier neck is so comfortable and and easy to play and the pickups sound great. Great comparison video.

I bought a Player Strat a couple of years ago and it was absolutely unplayable due to tuning instability. I added locking tuners, a real bone nut, plus a pro setup and now it holds tuning better than any other guitar I own. I can't stress enough how much the bone nut improved tuning. It got me into a Gilmour vibe, which of course includes lot's of bending, and it just stays in tune no matter what I do. The only bad part is the body is now full of toothpicks because over 50% of the screw holes were stripped from the factory. They need to hand tighten the screws or use an electric tool with only a fraction of the torque. 😆

I've been around the block a few times. I've owned several, all Made in US and just recently MIM (road worn). Price was just one of my deciding factors of my MIM. The screws on the claw of the Squire should not have gone out like that but from a practical point, I don't know anyone who leaves the back cover on. Nice review!

Great review! That's a killer lick at 13:27

I've had several CV 50s Strats and Teles. I settled on the Player Strat though because of the neck finish and feel, the better quality switch and pots and the two-point vibrato mount. That being said, the CV 50s Strats sound great, are lighter and have those wonderful string-through slotted tuners which are easily my favourite turners (no sharp string ends to poke your fingers and scratch your gig bag).

I like the player series , great value, the classic vibe is great too. Hard choice, I’m hooked on the Strat with floating tremolo. Never used it much before but since listening to Jeff Beck it’s so much fun. Zzounds is really great for good buys, I’m on my second guitar from them, bought a PRs silver sky se stone blue then an affinity Strat hh in artic white, the affinity was great out of the box , perfect for what I liked, all I had to do is tune it. Thanks for the great review. They help a lot in making decisions. Great job guys.

From LeoM. Good demo and comparison. I never saw that claw screw angle problem before on Squiers, It is a shame that it was passed through quality control. I would probably just bend the claw to get the clearance. . Generally the Classic vibe series is really good. I like the sound of the Classic vibe alnico pickups, they sound a lot better than the cheaper ones that have a ceramic magnet glued to the bottom of the iron slugs on the cheap models.

Couldn't hear hardly any discernible difference between the two. Upon your discovery of the Squier Classic Vibe tremolo problem I took out my newly purchased CV Strat in Lake Placid Blue, and I tried the trem, and yes it was tightened to the point where it would not move thereby eliminating the usual out of tune problems. Then I opened the rear cover and saw the trem claw/bar was well below the flush line with the body of the back of the guitar so no problem there. Obviously, the person who did the assembly line install on the one you have drilled the screw holes at the wrong angle, and yes they covered it up by tightening it all the way. A redrill would solve the problem, but we don't buy new guitars to have to do functional redo's. Great video. Thanks for sharing.

Pickups in that squire sound lovely

Love my mim strat over my squire. Thanks for the vid. Peace!

Great comparison and review. Big help in making a buying decision. Thanks!

EXCELLENT! a very well done comparison I can see you have spent lots of time doing this, thanks very much for showing us. cheers from NZ. say I loved the backing track what was it?

I bought a Player Plus Meteora several months ago, the build quality is excellent. I got the silver burst, it looks amazing and plays great. A Player Plus SSS Strat is at the top of my want list.

Great video. It would be cool if you'd make a how-to setup a strat video since you explain things so well.

Thanks for your great video . I have a Squier CV 60 and on playability issues I prefer it to Fender MIM strat . Although I would prefer that the Squier had larger frets . Its not easy for me to play frets 19,20 and 21

With my headphones and KZfaq the Squier sounded okay. It definitely sounded different from the Fender, but not terrible. At this point I wouldn't expect to see those factory defects that were on the Squier. Definitely on the $200, but not up there around $500. Nice one, guys!

I have several of both. Yes, the Fender Player Series is a cut above, but not twice the cost. Then again, nothing wrong with getting both to feed the GAS.

Really enjoyed this review , you certainly crammed in a lot . Question , with all new stock , how much time do you spend upon each guitar for inspection and playability reasons ? Did you send the Squier back ?

That jam you did was super cool! Subbed.

I’ve had multiples of each. Once you fix the problems with the CVs and set them up properly the performance is quite similar. The Players have better hardware and electronics so likely will be more durable in the long-term. You can get a great guitar with the CV much cheaper.

The better build quality on the Player Series did not surprise me. What did however, was that I preferred the sound of the Squier. Great video.

Squier all the way here ! Just love gloss necks so much more than satin. Also agree on the unique, special feel of that Squier neck which I just could not find on the MIM Strats and I played and compared at least 50 Fenders MIM at the store over the course of a few weeks - like you said, just can't figure it out why, but that Squier neck is insanely good and comfy. For 400 $, if you need to, you can upgrade pickups, have the shop fix the screws, upgrade the bridge components or bridge if so desired and then you have the best feeling neck with your totally personal touch modded config still less than the Fender :-) BTW, the Squier has a BONE nut, but you need to replace the string guard for a roller or graphtec... I actually got a Squire like this in Daphne Blue for 300$ used and modded it to the max with the Fender TEXAS SPECIAL loaded pickguard (269 $), GraphTec Ferra-Glide saddles - it's insane how good this feels and plays. To me - the Fender MIM lacks the luster of and quality of an american Fender PRO II or Eric Johnson Model but is too much money to justify for MODD platform 🙂 As far as getting guitars with a flaw, Fender, Gibson, Squier etc.. I've seen it all and there appears to be no QC that could catch em all. But when you buy a new Squier, the shop will take it back usually no questions asked (like Thoman here in Europe).

Never owned a squire but did buy three player series telecaster's all of which were returned due to poor build quality and faulty components. Ended up keeping a performer series telecaster instead. Nice honest review.

great vid. I've had the squier cv 50's for a year now, and it's great to play. The neck feels great, the pus sound great. The bridge is cheap, but acceptable. Compared to my fender mim classic 60s: surprisingly good but the classic 60s is definitely better (should compare with current vintera series I guess, but costed me back in 2015-16 as a current player model)

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO to make the Squier Classic Vibe neck into a Satin finish is take some steel wool and go over the back of the neck with it. Takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Another option is to take some mineral spirits and put in just a splash of boiled linseed oil and wet sand the back of the neck with a 1200 grit sandpaper. Just make sure you use boiled linseed oil and not regular linseed oil and all you need is just a splash of it with the mineral spirits. Takes about 20 minutes.

The necks on those classic vibes are pretty awesome at least the aged gloss maple ones. I agree that jacked up trem spring screw isn’t good but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was part of the work instructions to lock those bridges down because of tuning issues and less experienced players squier is marketed towards. I don’t know if they locked it down to hide the screw or if it just happened ?

Best overall value (bang for the buck) , in my opinion, is the classic vibe 60s Strat. Great sound and playability at a price point that makes it easy to upgrade, if you want to.

I got the Squier for $50 at a pawn shop. I honestly haven't played it much so far, I dismantled it in prep for a different finish, so I'll let ya know whenever I put it back together, lol. Thanks for the demo, it was informative.

Just bought a Player Strat, lovely in polar white, manufactured January 2024. Can't find any flaws, and it's a joy to play it, it's got a vibe. Sighting the neck it is a perfect fair curve, frets are polished and well done, tuners and bridge are fine, these supposedly newly designed Alnico 5 pickups are outstanding. Incredible bang for the buck. I also have a 40th anniversary Squier strat, which differs from the classic vibe series only in cosmetics, apparently. It was a lesser guitar until I put in a fishman fluence loaded pickguard in it, and now they are both excellent. Roughly the same total cost.

In terms of the Clean Tone, I loved the Spankiness of the Classic Vibe Strat pickups. ❤️🎸👍

Honest and well structured comparison. Respect!

Great video! I have a Squier Affinity Stratocaster and it has satin neck and a two point tremolo that actually floats and the back plate fits right so though less expensive I think it may be better than the Classic Vibe. I like the ceramic pickups on mine and only thing that it really might need upgrading is the nut.

I have that exact fender Strat in tidepool blue, it’s my favorite guitar of all my guitars. Up until a couple years it was around $649 which I think was a great price and I got it from a shop so I got to choose one with really nice patterns in the neck wood and it came with a professional set up. Can’t believe they jumped to $849 though

Love my mex strat all the same, can’t go wrong with some good electronics, no issues with the springs and bridge assembly whatsoever

I love my player strat. I had a pro setup and had a bone nut put on it. A great price with zero complaints

Perfect timing dude 😎 well done 👍

On my 50s cv red . All I did was chance loom pots wiring , a complete set( but not pickups ) and steel tremolo block and quality bridge, stainless string blocks it’s great

Straighten out the springs on the CV Strat and that will loosen the tension a bit so you can screw in the clamp screws to get the bridge float you want and just maybe there will be enough clearance to mount the back plate properly. Then again might not make enough difference to fix the problem.

Owned both and still own the player series. Was really impressed with the CV 50’s but after a few months a few frets lifted and the high E was getting stuck under the frets. Sent it back and got the 50’s Tele as a replacement haven’t had any issues with it in 2 years and after putting in better electronics I actually prefer it to the player series now and it still come out cheaper with $120 spent in upgrades.

I just purchased a CV Tele Esquire from CME. Double bound, Lake Placid Blue, perfectly set up. Amazing guitar. Single pickup guitars is where it’s at!

They both sound really good. Good jam.

I love my Classic Vibe, mine doesn't have the trem locked down tight, and the screws are parallel, so no getting in the way of the cover. I did have to add a little spring under the the whammy bar, though, so it wouldn't flop around. I don't use it much, so could have left the bar off, I suppose. My guess, is the spring was lost when it was being set up before shipping it to me. A little service they do if a guitar costs more than $300.

So I just started getting into guitar and im diggin the gloss the neck and fretboard. But I wonder if that affects the sound. Does the gloss make the sound a lil darker? Idk but I like how they both sound!👍

The trem and the lacquer issue is just on this one you had. Normally the trem is just as it should be and on the Squiers I had there were not lacquer issues at all. The only thing that has to be upgraded on every Squier strat is the trem block, which is too narrow and hence too light and makes the strings vibrate a bit different, like a hollowbody guitar. The pickups are a matter of taste, so if you don't like the sound, you can exchange them. But this applies to the player strat too.

... nice video ... I own/owned both of them and in my opinion the player is definitily a step up in built quality, feel and sound although you can also find very good sounding examples in the classic vibe series ... but I actually sold my classic vibe and kept my fender player strat :)

I have a HSS player series strat first thing I didn’t like were the pickups ,I thought they were a bit dead ,I swapped them out for Seymour Duncan’s and it plays and sounds much much better now .That is the only downfall of buying guitars online without playing. A lesson learnt .

LOVE THIS VIDEO !! Just bought the Tidepool / Maple . Love the guitar. (the only concern was the bridge was floating to much) Watched your easy fix. :o) I'm a drummer wanting to learn something new. THANKS

fair, honest and objective...imo...thank you sir!

Great review mate but totally different guitars at totally different price points. Loved you taking them apart but I would never do that to a new guitar myself. Have you covered the Gibson LP Tribute yet?

Until christone Kingfish was given his own signature fender he played the Fender player series stratocasters stock so if there good enough for him they are good enough for anyone

I've owned 2 Fender player series Strats and recently I sold my Fender. Decided to buy a Harley Benton CST 24 but which is built beautifully. Only issue I have is the weight of it. It's very heavy. So I decided to buy a Jet JS300 strat style guitar 🎸 and the finish is way better than the Fender. Roasted maple neck the frets are finished off better and the nice cut out at the bottom of the body near the neck is a bonus. This is by far the best feeling and playing guitar that I've owned. It's amazing. It's quarter the price of the Fender and after owning 2 player series Strats it's better in my opinion.

Cool video, I like a harley benton tele style guitar with dual humbuckers.Easy to play and rocks for two hundred bucks. I also have an sg special and an lp special but the sg sucks tone. The lp special has a very dull bridge pickup sound but I like the neck sound.Different strokes for different folks. I wanna try a single p90 tele next !

Honestly, I have fenders from all over, Japan, US, Korea, Mexico and I’ve owned tons of Squiers over the years. There were some Squiers I had that just sucked and I still own the ones that are phenomenal. Same with Fender. I think people should just try out what they want and go from there. everyone’s taste and feel is different

The classic vibe is as good as the original designs. Its abiut as raw as it gets.

Great video, I really enjoyed it.

Holy cow, I just bought the Squier CV 50's and while it plays beautifully and has the 100% Strat feel and sound, but mine weighs 9lbs 3 ozs.

Very tasty playing and great comparative demo 👍☺

That was a great review. Best I’ve see on KZfaq. Well, which one would I choose. I would go with the Squire. Just more bang for the buck. Yes, there was a blame, but don’t let me go into my issues with Made in USA guitars. The only reason I would go with the MIM model is it’s nice having the Fender logo on the head stock , but why spend double for that. Yep, the Squire is fine with me.

Cv squier 70's natural....great guitar, got the shiny stuff off the neck, new wires, switches, pots, tex mex pickups changed back to original pickups and blocked off whammy.

Quality control can happen anywhere, I've got the Fender player ,exactly the same one on the video and the Fret ends were terrible. But my 50s classic Vibe tele is perfect.

Love the colour of the Squier neck but the gloss back can get a little sticky which can be a downer. The Classic Vibe 50s model has a pine body just as the early Strat models. The Mexican factory definately has higher quality control but if budget is a concern and you check the guitar thoroughly before buying I think there's some serious value in the Squiers...although without a doubt resale value will definately take a hit over the Player series if you ever decide to sell...no clear winner but either way it's a Strat so win win!

I have a MIM Strat and a 90s Korean Squier. The Squier has Custom Shop 1965 pickups, bone nut, American Strat bridge and block, CTS 250k pots, Grigsby switch, and Fender locking tuners. Even with all the upgrades I still have about $500 in the guitar. I'll let y'all guess which one gets the most playing time. The Squiers are perfect for modding. Both have maple fretboards which I prefer.

I went for a CV60s strat. It has the best neck ever. And that beautiful sunburst finish, really is high quality for the price. The pick-ups are nice and bright, giving the classic strat sound. It also sounds great with my BD2, TS9 and wah going full throttle on it.

My players series strat is my primary guitar. It sounds like gold

CTS = Chicago Telephone services, i think. Just in case anyone was wondering. I have a left handed MiM Strat in Tiodepool, it's a 2017. I have a 50's CV Squire Tele and they are pretty much the same in terms of electronics, budget, Pot's, switch besides that the husk of the Guitar is great, they usually are. What always put's me off Squire's and this was no exception, the crappy pot metal Trem block, instant replacement for a full size steel or Brass one. Besides that i don't have a problem concurring with your review. Thanks for taking the time.

I picked up a player series Stratocaster from guitar center on sale .....less than $700 for one of their exclusive plus too in dark blue. Great guitar so far.....wish it came with a big bag

I believe all those squire in that range are shipped without a floating trem system. But screwed in flush would have been nice.

The 8 PG screws is period correct for 50s specs. The CV 60s and 70s Strats have 11 screw PG mounting.

Thanks a lot I have a history of playing knockoff 80s strats because I love how they sound but this video was very helpful fingers crossed I win the Lp😂

I think that even though there are some good quality things about the CV Squier, it's the little details that make it lose out to a MIM Fender in the long run. Sure you could upgrade everything on a Squier but is it worth it in the end? Probably not. If you want a Strat that you are going to be satisfied with for the long haul I'd recommend going for at least a Mexican Strat. If you don't mind upgrading after a year or two buy a Squier.

I agonised over this one for a liong time. I love the pickups on the CV. I plumped for the player, which is nice with a lovely trem. Im not a natural strat guy so the neck radius and buzzy g bothered me. Add to that the magnetic pull of the pups and I was fiddling for a while. Finally got there but the CV had a more traditional strat spank to her. The player alnico 5s are a nice tone but not something Id say is classic. Still, the build quality is good. Worth 200 quid more..maybe not.

Loving my CV 60's Strat. Someday maybe will get the real Fender

I’m interested in a Classic Vibe 60’s Telecaster and a Paranormal Telecaster.

I’ve heard these classic vibes are an insane value for the money

I picked up the player series in tidepool with maple neck, it sits alongside my deluxe players series, and my Jimmie Vaughn signature, 3 totally different strats

Really great video!! If the wood is indeed the same then I will do squier and change pick ups and tuners or not....they are great instruments these days !!

I have a CV60s Strat. Its nice. I thinned the thick finish on the neck. Iy was way too sticky. A good Squier Strat is the discontinued Deluxe Strat. It had hotter Duncan designed pickups and a super satin neck. Im always waiting for one to come across Reverb.

Always wanted a Strat. I wanted the LPB CV 60 Squier, but it was unavailable. So I went for the Player. I like it. Cometic mods to be done 😁

Hears a tip. If the trem is too tight after unscrewing the claw take a spring out.

For someone who's budget conscious I'd say it's a good idea to buy a more expensive squire around the 250-300 price point to get a good guitar. Of course the fender is amazing but I own an affinity strat from squire and it does everything I want with near to no issues.

What about setting trem spring tension against string tension to keep bridge in tune after using trem arm ?.

I enjoyed this video!

My 2010 Classic Vibe (first Chinese series), is still like new (except the frets which are a little flatter). I love this guitar! Strangely, it's the one I play the most and that I've kept the longest. I'm currently hesitating to replace it with an American Professional, but I don't know if, for me, the extra €1500 will be visible (heard)...

great vid, so I bought a used (from a pawn shop) Charvel Jackson 275 deluxe for $300....thing shreds

Great video!!!!

I've only just bought my first ever strat (I'm a gibson guy and have been for years) player series H/S/S in capri orange. On unboxing it was dreadful. Set up was so bad I had to send it back. No way an inexperienced player could have sorted it. Next one is sweet. Plays nice and is lightweight too. Not sure I'll get another anytime soon, but its okay for the price so far.

Great playing BTW!