Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster HSS review – old-school vibes meets modern playability
$449/£419, fender.com
If you’re reading this, there’s a fair chance that your first guitar was a Squier – if it wasn’t, you probably looked covetously at the brand as you plugged away with your Guitar-Shaped Object catalogue instrument as a legitimate first rung on the Fender ladder.
READ MORE: Fender Player II Stratocaster HSS review – the only Strat you’ll ever need?
In recent years, however, Squier has become more than just an entry-level option. Certainly as the prices of Mexican Fender guitars have crept upwards, more gigging players are happy to stick with Squiers as backup or even primary instruments. It certainly doesn’t help that the guitars themselves have got better and better – the vintage-inspired Classic Vibe range being an especially fertile ground for quality instruments at bargain prices. Some would even whisper that the CVs are punching at a similar level to Fender’s entry-level Player instruments (at least until that range was recently overhauled), but at a much more affordable price tag.
Another great thing about Squier is that their humble price point frees up Fender to try things that it might not with a guitar that’s duking it out at the cut-throat $500-$1,000 price point. It’s the spirit that brought the fantastic 40th Anniversary models, and follows suit with this latest limited-run 60s Strat – while Squier claims it (along with the two Telecasters in the range) are inspired by modded guitars of the 60s, there’s a fair dollop of ‘Fender Japan’s golden era’ about these too.
What’s the difference between this and a regular Classic Vibe Stratocaster?
The biggest thing that sets this guitar apart from the regular CV crowd is the presence of a bridge humbucker – it’s the only HSS Classic Vibe Strat currently available (joining the excellent but very different Sonic Strat as the HSS Squier options). It’s also a very different looking humbucker to a traditional HSS Strat – a nickel covered Alnico unit as opposed to the usual open-coil affair.
Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster HSS. Image: Adam Gasson
Other than that, well that Sienna Sunburst finish is extremely CBS-era – especially when paired with a very complimentary tortie pickguard and laurel fretboard. It’s a unique finish in the Squier range and you’ll only find it in the Player Plus or AmPro II ranges elsewhere.
What is the Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe 60’s Stratocaster HSS like to play?
Beyond these changes, it’s effectively a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster and that is absolutely no bad thing at all. While the looks and the sounds of the CV range tends towards vintage vibes, the playability and feel is rooted firmly in modern crowd-pleasing.
It features a modernised, comfortable and slim “C” shaped neck, along with narrow tall frets and a 9.5” fingerboard. The modern dimensions coupled with the vintage-tint gloss neck finish results in an incredibly smooth ride across the octaves. The vintage tremolo system also works a treat, providing both subtle vibrato and heavy pitch bending with aplomb.
How Does the Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe 60’s Stratocaster HSS Sound?
The feel is very up to date then, but the sounds – as mentioned – are much more well, classic. In neck and middle position the Fender-designed Alnico pickups offer a fantastic gateway to those quintessential Stratocaster tones – neck pickup in particular is spanky and crystal clean in all the ways you want it.
Headstock of the Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster HSS. Image: Adam Gasson
They’re not the most strident Strat pickups I’ve ever played, however, and that contrast is felt when set against the beefy charms of that bridge humbucker. As you turn the gain up they lose some of that clarity and sparkle, and sound a little thin compared to some. The humbucker offers no such issues, though, giving plenty of grit and girth, but these are still vintage sounds – don’t expect to go full death metal here. Do I miss the Strat bridge pickup? A little, though I would imagine a coil-split would push this guitar a little above what most people would be prepared to pay for a Squier guitar.
Should I buy the Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster HSS?
If you want your Strat to have some tweaked vintage vibes and raunchy old-school sounds, this is a perfect addition to the Classic Vibe range. It’s also a timely reminder that some of the most interesting ‘Fender’ guitars don’t have the name on the headstock, and that there are some seriously great guitars available from Fender’s budget range.
Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster HSS
If you want to keep it Squier the Sonic Stratocaster HSS is a serious value play and comes in some cool colours. If your budget stretches a little further, Fender’s brand new Player II Stratocaster HSS offers some serious player-centric upgrades that will make a big difference. If you’re looking beyond Fender, the venerable Yamaha Pacifica 112V remains a great budget option.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
