Quick demo and Many Thoughts on the Squier Classic Vibe 70’s Jaguar

Рет қаралды 60,387

Күн бұрын

Bit of a different video from me today...
If you’re here just to hear what this guitar sounds like, you only need to listen to the first few minutes for a brief demo.
Demo recorded using my Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp through Harley Benton GPA-400 power amp through a Marshall 1960A cab using a Shure sm57.
After that, if you’re interested, you can go down a bit of a rabbit hole and listen to my thoughts on the Squier Classic Vibe 70’s Jaguar, mainly from a tech’s perspective. I wanted to give my honest thoughts on the guitar, so here they are!
If you don’t want to listen to me waffle on, here are my points summarized:
On the not so good side -
* Needed a fret level straight away
* Nut action was too high and nut was not finished well
* Neck was very poorly shimmed
On the good side -
* Nut is made from bone!
* Pickups sound great! (11.35K bridge, 5.96K neck)
* Bridge is solid!
* Electronics are good!
* Tuners do their job.
* Vibrato unit is solid!
* Neck feels nice.
* Binding and blocks look great!
* Guitar looks and feels amazing!
* All of the things that I didn’t like about the guitar were fixable.
So, those are my initial thoughts on the guitar. Next I will make a video showing how I’ll go about the mods for this guitar (3 way toggle and series/parallel switch), and after that, a more thorough demonstration will be in order!
Thank you all for watching and interacting with my videos, it’s what makes it all worthwhile!
Don’t forget to drop a like, comment and subscribe!
If you’re interested in following my work as a tech, follow my business instagram page @cowanguitars , and be sure to like my business page on fb! / cowanguitarsau
As usual, not all the music played in this video is my own, all rights go to their respective owners!

Пікірлер: 188

@fonchy6098 3 жыл бұрын

THIS IS HOW A REVIEW IS SUPOSED TO BE DONE, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

@alexrcowan 3 жыл бұрын

thanks for the feedback, really glad you liked it!

@CasuallyJapan 4 жыл бұрын

I love the You Know You’re Right cover

@chrisgeorge4325 3 жыл бұрын

The best review of the Classic Vibe Jaguar I've seen by a country mile...keep up the good work !

@christianscazzieri 2 жыл бұрын

REALLY good review, REALLY good. Helpful and informative; a huge "thank you" for sharing this!

@GuitarTomB 5 ай бұрын

Mine did not come with a shim, so I think the shop did that 😱 I went with the 1 degree shim from StewMac and that made it so the break angle was higher and I didn' t have to trim the screw near the low E string. I agree, the nut is definitely not finished well or cut right. Major binding on mine on the low E which is currently affecting tuning stability. I don't have nut files yet, so will have to live with it for now. I did not notice a need to do a fret level on mine, but the fret ends do stick out horribly and I still need to correct that. First mod I did was a treble bleed. I like it simple, so I put on a .22 nF cap and that's it. Second was the shim. Last mod was the series/parallel mod when both pickup selectors are either up or down. My next mod will be full size Audio taper pots because the smaller alphas are a bit too harsh in the quickness of their response and they are somewhat scratchy. After significant playing around with pickup height, I have struggled to keep them from sounding a bit thin. I would like just a bit more bass out of them and haven't been able to dial that in yet. I've considered upgrading to some boutique pickups from The Creamery or similar, but one thing I really like about these pickups is the lack of potting and the random harmonics you get when distorted. To me, it gives them a raw and unrefined quality that I think makes them stand out against other single coils. Really appreciated your review, style, coverage, etc. Nice to see someone cover all the bases and be totally honest with their impressions.

@davetheserious677 5 жыл бұрын

If I hear Quiet played in a gear demo, I know I'll like that gear demo. Nice job man, sounds great.

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Cheers Dave, can't help but play pumpkins riffs with that Op Amp Big Muff reissue on my board!

@bciecko1 4 жыл бұрын

Totally agree, no matter the price point, at the very least, make sure the frets are seated and level. It’s not too much to ask or expect out of a guitar. Good to know you’re keeping yours, that is a testament. Sweet axe.

@123ciroslav 5 жыл бұрын

Finally useful demo of this guitar, looks very cool !

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate! Glad it was useful! And yep it looks killer! 👍

@notplaying2379 3 жыл бұрын

Great honest review. I like Jaguar switching myself, but I do like the look of your toggle mod, so I’m off to watch that next.

@daanvaessen7723 4 жыл бұрын

I have mine for about a month now after ordering it online. Great guitar! it just needed a complete setup by my local guitar shop to have it played well but well worth the investment!

@Riley_Finley 5 жыл бұрын

great video as per usual mate, i was looking into this guitar (one of many sadly) and im glad to hear you like it

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Cheers Riley! Yep I knew I needed one of these since I saw them announced haha. I think they will be a great addition to the Classic Vibe series!

@gregwolk5240 5 жыл бұрын

Great review and demo! Definitely has a lot of versatility and sounds awesome. Thanks for the video!

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Cheers Greg! It's super versatile! Been very happy with all the different applications I've found the guitar useful for

@BradleyMcTaggart 5 жыл бұрын

GREAT demo and review bud!

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks as akways Brad! I Appreciate it!

@Molekulasti 2 жыл бұрын

Man, that's a sweet sounding guitar. It has that stringiness of a Strat and growl of a Les Paul.

@s0uldrift3r 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent review! Guitar looks beautiful 👍

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

s0uldrift3r thanks mate! I agree 😁

@Kennyuk77 2 жыл бұрын

Just a great demo, well done

@alexrcowan 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate!

@dknstrkt 5 жыл бұрын

Good writeup, accurate. These offset Squiers are a good solid platform for building a great guitar.

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! And I agree, they are a great start for building a solid guitar

@alancastellon9225 4 жыл бұрын

Buying one soon. Love the guitar

@apexlegendsofficialreal 3 жыл бұрын

did you buy it?

@TommySurfink 3 жыл бұрын

I had a fairly similar experience to you. Got a second hand CV 70s Jaguar and the set-up and nut were pretty atrocious. There was a dinky bit of sandpaper in the neck pocket and the bridge was so low that it just sat on the deck thus not rocking at all. But otherwise the neck felt great and when I plugged her in the sound was amazing! I sorted the neck angle and she's in the workshop right now to get the nut recut. I didn't mind the problems too much as I saw it as a bit of a project which I eventually gonna repaint as well

@heggy_69 4 жыл бұрын

Worth it for the big headstock tho lmao. THE ADDED TONEWOOD MAAAAANNNN

@lancefraijo8585 4 жыл бұрын

Sounds great

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Lance!

@coreycann6751 Жыл бұрын

Just earned another follower🎉

@alexrcowan Жыл бұрын

Thanks Corey! Welcome to the channel!

@guitarguy7847 5 жыл бұрын

Nice sounding guitar! I’d love to to have a jag!

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

It does sound nice! Love playing this one so far. I'm biased but I definitely recommend Jaguars :P

@guitarguy7847 5 жыл бұрын

alexrcowan yeah

@Luckyrider1958 3 ай бұрын

Tho those shims looked lousy done.. shimming a jag neck backwards is a typical luthier tune up move... It's how you drop the string height at the lower end near the pickups , and it minutely increases the break over angle at the bridge . good review! And you're spot on, a little "love" shown to perfect em once you have one, is well worth the effort.

@_Planeview_ 3 жыл бұрын

I had to file my nut slots, file the neck binding (was sticking up past the fret board) loctite every screw and shim the neck quite a bit. It plays great now but was a mess when I first got it in the mail. I also did the series mod so now the off positions on the pick up selectors are both pickups in series.

@pablo9364 4 жыл бұрын

I would have returned it immediately for a good one. Good review and interesting

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

If I didn't have my tools and skillset I would have too! But I thought it was a good opportunity to show that even a bad case of quality control on this specific model will still come out a very solid player with some tlc

@pablo9364 4 жыл бұрын

alexrcowan I see what you mean. I just ordered this same one today. Nice talk I haven’t got your skill set so hopefully all will be ok. 👍

@1200rexer 4 жыл бұрын

i would love to own one of these they have a cool sound

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Everyone needs to at least try a jag in their lifetime imo

@matthewsmith7548 3 жыл бұрын

I've just ordered one of the 60's pink classic vibes, not in stock until July though. I think I'm just going to pay Andertons to do a full set up, which is annoying for a £400 guitar but hopefully it'll be worth it when I finally get it in July!

@angthekeys621 4 жыл бұрын

thanks for the video. I bought this guitar and I had some problem with intonation especially on strings g b e first and second fret. a luthier changed the bridge with a tuneomatic gibson and I changed the strings with the 0.10 now it's better but the action is a little high. the guitar and the intonation are more stable, but the action and the narrow frets make it uncomfortable. Me too i preordered the guitar for the nice looking and i love jaguar sound too, but i reccomend to try before in a shop

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

You may be able to get the action lower with a good shim between the neck and body of the guitar. Check out the stewmac neck shims, they come in 1/4 of a degree, 1/2 a degree and a full degree. One of those should really help you out!

@carlosnava3138 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@monmixer 3 жыл бұрын

thanks, thinking of buying one of these. I have never owned a guitar with a tremolo. I just bend the neck a bit. I shouldn't do that. lol i have some very nice guitars. It has never harmed them though.

@GregDixson 4 жыл бұрын

despite the negs, I Know You're Right & Pumpkins sounded spot on :)

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks man! I appreciate it!

@Jonathan-py9xr 4 ай бұрын

Good review … would like the see how you put in a three way switch

@toddwilliamson8557 2 жыл бұрын

Folks dont seem to know this but Fender does make a bridge that is modern spaced, its called the American Pro Jag/Jazzmaster Bridge and is narrower string spacing than the Mustang bridge, so you dont have to buy a mastery or staytrem, there are options.

@manifestgtr 4 жыл бұрын

All the negatives you mentioned are the things that make these models so good for me. I set up and repair guitars for a living so to me, I’m getting a LOT of guitar for a low price. All of these things....fret dressing, nut refinement, shimming...they’re all things I do to basically every guitar I buy anyway. So it’s kind of a “no lose” situation for people like me. That doesn’t mean I don’t understand the opposite point of view though. If you have to bring your new $400 to some dick like me and drop another $200 to get it right, I can see where that would be frustrating.

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

That's the thing isn't it, I'm also a guitar tech so these problems aren't a huge deal for me. But people like us are in the minority and most people don't have the tools and knowledge to correct these flaws by themselves. So with that in mind I feel like I have to talk about the negatives from the point of view of the majority, who if they get the same guitar which is unlucky enough to have the same flaws, will most likely have to shell out the extra cash to get the guitar where it needs to be! But yes I have absolutely no regrets buying this guitar, as you say, you get a hell of a lot of bang for your buck! Honestly, even spending the money to fix the flaws still gives you a bargain of a guitar!

@neilyoung5029 4 жыл бұрын

All true.....but I’ve had no guitar (other than my Rickenbacker twenty five years ago), that’s required zero work. Higher end I’ve spent less on basic setups but I’ve always had to take it to be done.....I guess here that work would cost me around £150 with the FSR one I’ve chosen costing me £369.....so sub £550 if that all needs doing.....Jap Jags and JMs always need a new bridge, a setup, neck work, nut work and some fret dressing.....All in all still a bargain I think but clearly made to tighter timescales in higher numbers. Great video. 😊

@MickeyDs14 3 жыл бұрын

Totally agree! I’m not a tech, but I have a Mexican Tele that is my pride and joy. It’s a great guitar, but I just ordered a new pickup guard because the plastic one it came with is slightly bent up and there’s a pick stuck behind it. Does it suck to have to pay $50 for an aluminum pick guard? Yeah. Does the guitar still sound beautiful? Absolutely. I feel like every guitar should be personalized a little bit anyway. I just ordered this jaguar and I can’t wait for it to get here. I’m not looking forward to paying the money to fix it up, but it’s still worth it.

@LennySugiono 4 жыл бұрын

pumpkins ??? hell yeah

@seanhershey3390 3 жыл бұрын

mine just arrived today... maybe a bridge pickup swap in the future .. but its kinda great.

@royrush2492 4 жыл бұрын

I have the same exact issue with one I just bought. The nut was poorly finished, and strings way too high. Fret's have very sharp ends as well. Four out of six strings sound like a Sitar from poorly cut nut slots. The treble side of the bridge is against the body and the string height is still at 7/32. I shimmed the neck with a .75 degree shim which helped a bit. Very disappointed for all the work it needs at this price point. I had a cheaper Squier Jazzmaster that was almost perfect out of the box. Thanks for the honest video.

@MastaPlays 5 жыл бұрын

Nice demo!

@slumdogjay 3 жыл бұрын

Heard quite a few reviews on this guitar that have said they need a set up before playable. Nut and frets seem to be the most common issue.

@brandtanderson930 3 жыл бұрын

Great review...I am in the market for one.....you said you had the surf green and sunburst models as well.....did they also have the problems with popped/non-level frets and nut probs?

@brettpotts8 3 жыл бұрын

What is the song that you were playing at the beginning? I really like it, and nice demo btw

@malcolmhardwick4258 2 жыл бұрын

I bought a Harley benton telecaster for 90 euros and other than frets needing final polishing the frets were like 95% perfect !

@alexrcowan 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah there are some real gems among the Harley Benton range I hear!

@malcolmhardwick4258 2 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan Actually i have had about 5 or 6 HB guitars/basses and was well impressed for the little money that they cost !

@CLaw-tb5gg 4 жыл бұрын

I got one a couple of weeks ago. It's absolutely bloody fantastic. Complete steal for the price. Squiers are shockingly good these days. The only negatives I could mention are kind of intrinsic to Jaguars rather than caused by cheapness (for instance it can get pretty shrill on the neck with the tone wide open, and I've never understood the rocking bridge - I've wrapped the posts in duct tape so it doesn't move).

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Yep, I don't doubt there are really good CV's. I'd suggest swapping the pots for 500K if the pickups are too shrill. And yes the rocking bridge idea is good on paper, doesn't always work as it should and rock back to zero if it doesn't like something about the setup of the guitar and string gauge.

@CLaw-tb5gg 4 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan I suspect some of the savings are made off not paying as much attention to QC, so they may be a lot more variable in quality than Fenders. I'm really happy with mine though. Another negative I didn't mention initially was I've noticed that on the bursts, the wood can be pretty ugly: my one has some big knot or burl or whatever you'd call it in pretty much the last place you'd want it (where your arm rests, in the bit above the trem) but eh, not a big deal really.

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Charles Carr you’ve hit the nail on the head I think. No way quality control would be as good as Fender USA. And yes I imagine another way they save money and pass that on to the customer is wood selection. Sometimes they use bodies made up of 3 or 4 pieces, and as you say have more “flaws” in them. And yep you’re right again, it’s purely a cosmetic thing so as long as you like the guitar it’s no big deal

@CLaw-tb5gg 4 жыл бұрын

alexrcowan Yeah, it’s pretty obviously a three-piece body.

@valley_robot 6 ай бұрын

got mine a week ago , im still doing work on it , the tuners suck , the nut was cut way too high, the bridge was all over the place , the neck was not shimmed , the trem knocks the whole thing out of tune , random wires were soldered to screws etc , ive had squiers for years , this was the worst one ive ever had , pain in the arse guitar , but and its a big but , i love it , it sounds ace , and it looks bad ass

@alexrcowan 6 ай бұрын

Yeah the QA on these things varies wildly. I’ve worked on quite a few now and they always have something different going on. A shame, because all the pieces are there for this guitar to be a standout at its price point if a few more minutes were spent on the final touches at factory

@gabrielebortoluzzi1269 3 жыл бұрын

Do the metal pieces on the single coils work in hum cancelling?

@zackpalmer2654 5 жыл бұрын

Nice informative video. I got one of these and wanted to replace the pickguard with a mint green one, do you know which aftermarket pickguards fit this model?

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Zack! Check out Neagle Luthier on Reverb, he makes top notch quality guards, I'm fairly sure he even makes a classic vibe jag guard in mint

@freezetheatlantic 2 жыл бұрын

I got the exact same model - ordered online recently (spring 2021) - either QC has improved due to customer feedback or you were unlucky with the instance. Frets were all level, no sprout or sharp edges. I've not had the neck off yet, but it looks like no shim out of the factory (the gap is tight) - but it does need it, as the bridge is flush to the body and the action isn't going any lower than 2mm on the low E at the 12th without changing the neck angle. The neck is perfectly straight, no relief. I'd agree that the nut is cut a little high - it could be about half a mm lower, especially on the E and the A. The only other thing I've had which I haven't fixed yet - the earth connection to the bridge is bad. Suspect it has come off the thimble? I've wrapped a thin piece of wire round the bridge post and the volume pot stem and taped it to the pick guard temporarily until I get round to taking the guitar apart to sort the neck etc. Oh yeah, the fingerboard was quite dry - I used F-One to give it a nice dark shine.

@alexrcowan 2 жыл бұрын

That’s lucky that you’ve got a good one structurally! I’ve had about 7 come through my shop and have all had the sandpaper shim, nut problems and issues with fretwork. But in saying that, I still think they’re a hell of a lot of guitar after some tlc even factoring in luthier/tech costs. Yes it’s possible the wire is loose from the thimble, thankfully that’s a very easy fix!

@freezetheatlantic 2 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan wow, maybe the dealer did a set up job on mine? Like I suspect that they don’t come from the factory with the bridge flush to the scratch plate. Is this ‘good guitar but needs TLC’ common for Classic Vibes in general?

@joegalea3652 Жыл бұрын

I can understand, just how you feel . I believe , that no one has to do all that work , on an instrument just to make it play . My fret work was ok ,but the rest of it , was a disgrace. Even the pickups , i could not adjust the hight. They went down ok BUT NOT UP . Then I realised . There was no springs underneath to push them up . I don’t know just what fender is trying to do . ARE THEY SELLING THESE GUITARS , AS A FUN GUITAR ?? IS IT PART OF THE FUN TOO SPEND NEARLY 2DAYS TRYING TO GET IT TO PLAY ?? I think , it would make more sense, if fender sells these guitars as a kit . To me , that would make MOR SENSE . 🎸🎸

@HeiTheDarkReaper 4 жыл бұрын

I enjoy working on guitars and stuff but at the same time i enjoy just being able to play. From what you’re saying it seems more cost and time efficient to just buy a nicer guitar out of the box like the player or vintera series.

@davidmarshall6998 4 жыл бұрын

I considered the player jag but they've taken everything quirky about the Jaguar away. If you want the proper Fender Jaguar you're looking at the Vintera. The Squier was £325 new. The Player was £539 and the Vintera was £850. It's not perfect and like of the lesser brands the quality control may not be as consistent, but so far the Squier is on a par (quality-wise) with my MiM strat. Last time I looked at Squier they weren't even close (2000ish). If money wasn't an object I'd take the Vintera, but it is and I'd rather take the Squier than the Player - I'd go for an HSS Player Strat before the Player Jaguar, I reckon.

@Terry3Gs 5 жыл бұрын

Nice job on this !! I didnt know they where making these in black !!

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Terry's GG&G thanks Terry! I reckon the black looks killer!

@Terry3Gs 5 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan well only color I seen them show of these are the 2 tone/3 tone burst.

@MegaBrebis 4 жыл бұрын

Nice detailed review. What's your opinion now? I'm hesitating between that one and the Fender Player Series one with a HB in the bridge. Thank you.

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks man. I still think they are hit and miss. If you find one in store and it plays well and has no obvious issues I'd go for that. Otherwise the player series, especially if you actually want a humbucker in the bridge

@Iggxzy 3 жыл бұрын

Been thinking about switching to Jaguars or any maybe another short scale guitar, seems like only Fender has a decent variety of these type of guitars. My hand is broad but my fingers aren't really the longest so I feel this could be a natural fit for me. It's a really insightfull review and I appreciate your comments because I have been wondering about the quality of the Squiers, whether they will be enough or I should look for maybe the Player series or even American made instruments. Do you have any thoughts about that?

@alexrcowan 3 жыл бұрын

It depends on your budget, and how keen you are on offsets. If you’re just dipping your toe in the water, I think these cv jags or mustangs are a great starting point. Despite a couple of flaws which you may or may not get (which could happen on any guitar, whether it be a Squier from Asia or an American Fender), these jags have a lot of bang for buck. You could pick one of these up, and if you aren’t happy with how it plays, get all of the issues ironed out by a good tech/luthier, and you’d still have cash left over that you would otherwise spend on higher end instruments (which may still require a proper setup anyway). So yeah I think if you are trying out a short scale for the first time, these cv range squiers are hard to look past

@drearynonsense203 4 жыл бұрын

What amp settings are you using? I love the distorted sound

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Face Yours my usual kind of amp settings were used on the mesa preamp: vol - 3 master - 3, treble - 9, bass - 4, middle - 10, reverb - 2. No graphic eq or bright switch or anything like that. I did add a little bit of presence on the power amp. Then I I’m pretty sure I added a boss Ds2 in front of that for the distortion

@oscgalba 4 жыл бұрын

Do you think I could change the neck of this one for a fender 60s jazzmaster mim?

@FlaviusB.PowerbottomIII 4 жыл бұрын

You forgot to mention the bridge. The posts have to be wrapped in electrical tape to keep it from moving. I got one too and it has the exact same issues.

@keesketsers5866 4 жыл бұрын

The bridge is supposed to move, that was how it was designed by Leo Fender. The tremolo rocks the bridge forwards and backwards instead of pulling the strings over the bridge and wearing them out.

@FlaviusB.PowerbottomIII 4 жыл бұрын

@@keesketsers5866I'm sure you're right, its designed that way. Still theres way too much space between the bridge post and the size of the hole its in. Mine moved every time I would strum a song or bend too much. It literally would be at a diagonal after a few minutes. It's a very poor design. I wrapped each post with two wrappings of electrical tape. Problem solved. Lol

@chrisgeorge4325 3 жыл бұрын

Alex, any chance you could review the Classic Vibe Jazzmaster in the same way ?

@liramarielandes7929 4 жыл бұрын

Hi, this was super helpful for me, but I'm wondering how you deal with the sinking factor? I have this guitar and the stock mustang bridge has started sinking with play. I know that the staytrem has its own solution, but short of getting one of those, I'm wondering if you've ever sussed this out yourself with this or another offset? Thanks so much, love your content :)

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Lira, thanks for the kind words, I'm very glad my videos are useful for you! This is a common occurrence on these bridges, what you can do is use either some blue loctite (or some clear nail polish if you cant get any) and apply them to the threads of the bridge posts. First have more thread exposed than you need to apply a very small amount to the threads, then adjust the bridge lower to where you need it to be. after that vibrations shouldn't shake the adjustments loose and the bridge shouldn't sink

@liramarielandes7929 4 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan Genius! Thanks so much :)

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Lira Marie Landes no problem, glad to help

@PhotoTrekr 2 жыл бұрын

If I'd found that sandpaper shim on the neck, I would have been horrified too.

@Random909 3 жыл бұрын

What are your thoughts on narrow tall frets for sliding?

@jamesparker8529 4 жыл бұрын

Maybe I got the good one, because mine is amazing. Better than any American or Mexican fender. Just needed to raise the bridge up a little and it played great. The neck has a little bit of figuring, looks like quilting, bit not sure. Mine came with a treble bleed from the factory, but ceramic not alnico pickups. Also holds tune really well. My only complaint is that there is a small imperfection un the binding near the neck pickup.

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that's why I say its best to play one first haha. It's funny though, another tech here in Melbourne had one come through and reported that it had the exact same problems that I encountered. So I wonder how widespread the quality issues are on this range

@SamFisherTV 5 жыл бұрын

Hi Alex ! I have a question for you ! I would like to get a new Mustang and to customize it. I was wondering if it was possible to put 3 pickups on it (like a Strat, but with a humbucker Seymour Duncan SH4 for the bridge), and if you found a lot of difference betwen a classic Mustang from Fender and Mustang from Squier ? I never tried the last one in store, but just want to know your advices about it ! Thank you very much and keep your passion, it's good to see ! :)

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Hi! You would have to route a new cavity for a middle pickup but its definitely possible to make a 3 pickup stang (Look up Fender Cyclone II on google). I have found the differences between the Squier and Fender mustangs I have played to be many. Since my Fender’s are ’69 Reissues they have traditional vintage style frets and 7.25” radii while the Squier’s I have played generally have modern medium jumbo frets. Neck profile and bodies feel different, and electronics vary. Whether one is better than the other is entirely subjective, and comes down to the instrument on an individual level and depends on things like what they cost and what you look for in an instrument. If you were to get a mustang just to have fun doing some mods like adding a pickup and a Humbucker, I would go with a squier VM or CV Mustang rather than a Fender, unless money is no object and you are having the mods professionally installed. You may even decide a Fender Cyclone II is a good start and find one of the second hand! Hope this helps!

@SamFisherTV 5 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan Thank you very much Alex ! Keep going ! I will check this out.

@sylvestersmetanka4224 3 жыл бұрын

Hey , Is there like a different colour of wood in the neck. Cuz your looks kind of darker (and better in my opinion) then on the photos.

@rocklobster590 3 жыл бұрын

indian laurel is wildly inconsistent

@richardx4456 3 жыл бұрын

You should teach us how to play guitar!

@alexrcowan 3 жыл бұрын

Haha I feel like I still have a lot to learn myself before teaching. I could probably teach some nirvana stuff though!

@bradfuller84 4 жыл бұрын

Hello! Is there any difference between this and the vintage modified jaguar?

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Brad Fuller there’s a few differences ie the body on the CV is made of poplar while the VM is basswood. Aesthetically obviously the necks are different since the CV has binding and blocks. Also the frets are different sizes. The pickups are different, although whether the CV’s are better than the VM’s are entirely subjective. They also have a different bridge. I do think the CV jags is superior, however with a proper setup the VM’s is perfectly adequate. Having said all that, these models will probably be the closest jaguar models in feel to one another! They have the same scale, fingerboard radius, vibrato system, and I’m fairly sure the same but width (off the top of my head)

@marceloaguileravillegas4607 3 жыл бұрын

I have the exact same guitar but mine is noisy. I don't know why. I have already checked the jack and pots, and nothing seems to be an issue. What could it be?

@jacobbrown5336 4 жыл бұрын

I have the exact guitar and also put a stew mac neck shim. After watching this I think my frets need to be leveled and crowned sadly. Keep getting fret buzz. So my action is uncomfortably high to prevent it.

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Ah that's a shame, yeah defs get the frets looked at. The difference in playability was night and day after I did a fret level and dress of mine

@googlehome469 3 жыл бұрын

I just wonder how you can tell how hot the pickups are by testing the resistance in them? I thought the output in henneries would be the go?

@alexrcowan 3 жыл бұрын

There's many things that come into play, magnets, wire gauge, wiring pattern. Resistance will give you a rough general idea in relation to other pickups with similar construction but different resistance readings if that makes sense

@kevinmyers3357 4 жыл бұрын

I want to buy one but i don't want to have to do all the work to get it playable

@triatonia5973 3 жыл бұрын

I have this guitar and I have had to do no work on it i don’t know if I got l lucky but there really was nothing I had to do

@Sammyjpg 3 жыл бұрын

can you help me out? if you do a big bend on the guitar will the strings come out of the bridge?

@alexrcowan 3 жыл бұрын

I would look at shimming the neck and raising the bridge to get more downward pressure on the saddles from your strings. Other than that you can look at increasing your string gauge sizes

@desiolle2874 4 жыл бұрын

I loved this demo man...problem is, I'm not technically minded with guitars and the poor aspects of the guitar put me right off...I realize I might get a good one but since, like yourself, I have to pre order it, it seems pretty risky to me...if the frets need work and that's say $200 then the total cost of the rig is around a grand...that's a Player series Jag money...do you rate them?...would appreciate your input... Thanks again

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah its a roll of the dice. That said you could also get unlucky and order a lemon of a player series jag (probably a lot less likely!). I haven't played a player series jag, but I loved the Jazzmaster! so if you want piece of mind you might be better off saving up for a player series

@desiolle2874 4 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan thanks man...ended up buying an older Mexican Strat on a whim anyways...we'll see how that goes for a start...appreciate your content and reply...good day sir

@Tcoldsteel Жыл бұрын

I have exactly the same jag, no issues with the frets but whoever cut the nut must have been having an off day as the low e string nearly hangs of the fretboard.

@Wabin22 5 жыл бұрын

I'm not a fan of the block inlays, but it looks really well on this black Jag :) How would you really compare it to your Japanese one? The reason I'm asking is because I do own a Japanese Jag which I'm thinking of selling just because I need some money, but I would love to pick up a new Jag to replace it with (if I decide to sell it) without breaking the bank.

@davidmc8478 4 жыл бұрын

What’s about the screws on the bridge sinking into the wood, do you get that problem?

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

No I didn't get that problem with this guitar, but it's common. I would use some loctite on the threads of the bridge making sure the posts are at the correct height and you should be good to go!

@MarioKazooie 5 жыл бұрын

I just bought one and it came with (I think) .09s, would you recommend using 10s or go straight into 11? thanks!

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Mario Felix it depends on your preferences man. For me 10’s feel too light (remember the shorter scale will make 10’s feel somewhat like what 9’s would feel like on a standard scale guitar) so I like 11’s as a minimum.

@MarioKazooie 5 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan thanks for the answer, I ended up using 11s and it sounds great!

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Mario Felix no problem mate, happy playing! 🎸

@alancastellon9225 4 жыл бұрын

They need 11s everyone who uses jags say that right away

@evitative462 4 жыл бұрын

What are your thoughts on routing one of these for humbuckers? I love the looks of it and want to turn it into a KC jag. Haven't seen any other Jags in the price range I like the looks of that come with stock humbuckers.

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

evitative go for it! I’m currently modding one of these for a customer to have single coil sized humbuckers, but full sized would also look sick!

@d0rkthr0n39 4 жыл бұрын

Look into the Jagmasters. They are basically the Cobain Jaguars made by Squier.

@michaelworse6034 3 жыл бұрын

@@d0rkthr0n39 Jagstang !

@hustlinc3540 Жыл бұрын

what is the neck shape like?

@liecron 4 жыл бұрын

i would of sent it back,soon as i found the neck was shimmend

@sukiakazuki1281 3 жыл бұрын

How Do you achive this Sound? My squier always Sound realy Bad

@smokepeddler 4 жыл бұрын

Wish i could get a hard tail version. I hate trem bridges

@f.p.6176 3 жыл бұрын

I bought one in surf green, it's a real beauty. But I don't like the neck, it is very sticky and the pick ups are very microphonic, tuners could be better also. I have a collection of mostly high end guitars and when it's hanging on the wall between the others you'd think it's a 1000$. guitar. At least that's what my friends that know nothing of guitars thought.

@alexrcowan 3 жыл бұрын

Yes thick poly seems to be very common on squier necks and low to mid range fenders, you can fix that though so not a deal breaker. The microphonic pickups are an odd one, the ones I've come across have been very good and handled gain well

@ballguitars90 4 жыл бұрын

What was that surfer riff i know that song

@reset8140 4 жыл бұрын

The Ventures - Walk, Don't Run :)

@iagobroxado 5 жыл бұрын

Is it true the tuner "buttons" are chromed plastic? Thanks for the review, very detailed.

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Iago B it’s possible, very difficult to tell. It’s certainly chromed something. The buttons are cold to the touch like metal, but they’re also not magnetic. So they could just be cheap chromed zinc or something like that. I don’t feel like hacking them open to know for sure. Could be plastic, could be metal. Either way the point is they are more than solid enough for this guitar and do their job well I feel :) that said locking tuners could always be a cool upgrade, especially staggered ones haha!

@jamesparker8529 4 жыл бұрын

I'm a bit late, but I have one and they are metal

@alexh.6362 5 жыл бұрын

Where can I get one?

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

I got mine from my local music shop. Best to check online or ring your local stores to see if they have them in stock

@TheNeonRabbit 3 жыл бұрын

A brand new guitar out of the box needing a complete fret level, recrown and polish is inexcusable. I would have sent it right back and told 'em to try again. Yea, I can fix it but I shouldn't have to.

@EyecareBacklog1 4 жыл бұрын

Andertons give their guitars a set up before posting in the UK, which should take care of the cons in this video. Thanks for posting!

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

No problems, glad the video was helpful!

@MegaBrebis 4 жыл бұрын

I doubt they would level the frets etc.

@theSoursop 4 жыл бұрын

can a humbucker pickups fit into this guitar?

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately not, however its a fairly straightforward task for your local tech or luthier to rout the guitar to accommodate humbuckers

@theSoursop 4 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan gonna go for routing then. Thanks mate

@para9mm 5 жыл бұрын

is it worth to buy this and change the pickups over the kurt cobain jaguar?

@alexrcowan 5 жыл бұрын

Depends, if you're trying to make a KC spec Jaguar with the same pickups and hardware, and you're gonna pay to have them installed, it might be worth just getting the KC Jag since all that stuff will add up. If you just want a jaguar with blocks and binding that is equipped with humbuckers, then the CV Jag could definitely be worth it!

@melvinvandengroenendael9004 5 жыл бұрын

I also have this guitar. I have replaced the pickups for seymour duncan hot rails. fucking nice sound.

@shadowhunter2846 4 жыл бұрын

which song did you played after You know youre right ?

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

Can Müller Quiet by Smashing Pumpkins 👍

@shadowhunter2846 4 жыл бұрын

thanks 🙏

@savanaviolenta 4 жыл бұрын

Not surprised, it's Squier in the end of the day. Never came across a perfectly made Squier guitar. All I have stumbled across were poorly built with lots of dings and scratches right out of the factory .

@smokepeddler 4 жыл бұрын

I have come accross plenty of Squires that play perfect and even have nicer necks than MIM fenders. SK late 90s squires, and 80s japanese are really good.

@josepinto23 4 жыл бұрын

Great looking guitar, but...

@repoman5581 11 ай бұрын

Doesnt matter how cheap they are... no guitar should NEED anything for it to play well... we dont buy a guitar cheaply inregards that we will have to spend more on it... companies forget that... cheap wood, cheap parts, still have to play and sound pretty good.. they should say... you will need to spend 400 hundred more before its playable.. they know this... JET GUITARS are taking them by storm... our local shop said they have sold over 30 jet strats recently... and I see that Squier are reailsing if they dont do something, no one will buy suire anymore.... PS. I do have a squier silver sparkle on the way from thomann... a B stock one, so I know they will check it before sending it... looked so good in the shops here

@sukiakazuki1281 3 жыл бұрын

Wie kriegst du den Sound hin? Meine squier sind immer voll scheiße

@void0094 5 жыл бұрын

I dont know if I should buy a good amp and this jag with some pedals or just a vintera jazzmaster.

@geometricturtle5222 5 жыл бұрын

Trust me buy this and a good amp and pedals. You will have a much better sound. Also what amp are you planning to get?

@void0094 4 жыл бұрын

@@geometricturtle5222 i've got a blackstar 10 ae anniversary for 300 bucks used. New they costed 550.

@fender1000100 3 жыл бұрын

24mm nut surely thats a typo and should be 42mm???

@alexrcowan 3 жыл бұрын

PROJECT DX yep 42mm sorry, was a typo. Happens to the best of us

@void0094 4 жыл бұрын

Cool guitars but if I want to fix everything it will cost as much as a Fender vintera jag.

@MegaBrebis 4 жыл бұрын

I don't think so.

@translateslowly 2 жыл бұрын

I just got one myself and so far I'm pretty frustrated. The nut is complete trash. Low E is cut too close to the edge so right off the bat I need a new nut. 4 frets have popped up. 4! I've only seen that before on a 60 year old harmony. I absolutely HATE the struggle switch so much I put tape over it so I can't use it. The pickups are weak as hell and need to go. I got this kind of cheap but by the time I sink more money and time into it I might have a good guitar. I've picked up bullets that were better right out of the box. No sand paper in the neck pocket but I did see another review that found the same. What the hell is up with that?

@johntoland3520 2 жыл бұрын

Now I'm afraid to buy one......thanks

@alexrcowan 2 жыл бұрын

I wouldn’t be afraid to buy one. They’re great guitars and QC has improved since I made this video. If you can, just try one before you buy or be prepared to do a little setup work.

@johntoland3520 2 жыл бұрын

@@alexrcowan I understand, thank you....do I need to change bridge, what do you recommend?

@jimmymc10021 4 жыл бұрын

The price this would cost to fix up for a NON TECH player just makes it not worth it.

@alexrcowan 4 жыл бұрын

You're potentially right, depends what state the CV is in when you buy it. The other alternative is to buy them secondhand, I've already seen a few come on the market here in Australia