Am I being a snob...!?

clarke_111

Hi all, stuck in lockdown as we all are and I’m  gassing for a strat. 

I’m looking at options whilst on a budget-the Classic Vibe series looks like they tick a lot of boxes-price, I love the vintage inspired look/design, the 9.5 radius board (although I would rather they were still rosewood but there we go) and the colour schemes. If they had fender on I’d have snapped one up, but the Squier badge just puts me off even though I know they are good guitars. 

The alternative is the player series-£200 more, they seem great but actually I prefer the more vintage looks of the CV. Then there is the vintera but they are x2 the price and have the rounder radius unless it’s the modified and they are more £ again and I don’t even want the switching option....

Anyone else got one of the new CVs-what are they like? I’m not expecting miracles but do they feel/sound/perform like a real Strat. I’ve previously owned classic series Fender strats and a Tokai (lower ST40 models) from the 80s and found these all fine-no looking for something to compare to a CS Strat or anything... 

Seems like for £350 they are a great shout-if I can get over the bloomin badge-am I just being silly!? 

Roysterdoyster

No....it’ll bug the shit out of you....and you’ll end up buying a Fender as well! 

phil_b

used MIM strat?

Teyeplayer

Having the same battle over a cv jag. 

clarke_111

Haha-true, it may well do... 

Yes a used MIM Strat around that price would be good, esp something from the classic series (60s). Not seen anything at the mo though and I am impatient and see the lure of next day delivery... that is a good shout though 

Nikc

Don't do it you will regret it - if your not buying Fender just get another branded guitar like Tokai for example  

Tone71

I've had a few CV's and as shallow as it is, not having Fender on the headstock annoyed me to the point of getting rid of them. I also didn't like the super thick finish on the neck.

Tokai's are very nice, either that or a MIM will be more pleasing.

aroof

I think you will probably regret it, not because they are not nice guitars ( I had the red Simon Neil one), but because GAS will always return. The combination of 'what if' and GAS would end up with me buying something else.

clarke_111

Pretty conclusive!! I think you are all spot on... I think I’ll just have to keep my eyes peeled for a nice used MIM or Tokai etc Strat, fingers crossed something pops up... or bite the bullet on a vintera and try to sell my Reverend but would rather not spend that much. 

Andy79

I did the same with a J45. However I never did buy one. I got past the logo and am content with a lesser copy. It’s now become a guitar I wouldn’t sell
Buy the best guitar you can is good advice, or it was before the Far East seriously upped their game

TeleMaster

Tone71 said:

I've had a few CV's and as shallow as it is, not having Fender on the headstock annoyed me to the point of getting rid of them. I also didn't like the super thick finish on the neck.

Tokai's are very nice, either that or a MIM will be more pleasing.

I know. I'm the same. There was just a stigma at school of kids having those Squier and Encore starter packs 25 years ago, and I'm afraid I haven't seen enough from Squier to make me think that they have enough to pry me away from the higher end Fender stuff. 

It's a bit like Skoda. They might make good cars now, but too much piss was taken, I couldn't buy one. 

jonnyburgo

It is snobbery but I get it. I had a Fender Japanese Jaguar for about a week A few yes ago, just didn't like anything about it. I recently got a Squier VM Jag which absolutely knocks it's socks off in feel playability and pickups. Nowadays it doesn't bother me what's on he headstock. I also have a Vintage brand Tele which is equal to the 10+ Fender models I've had in the £400-£600 SH price range.

Don't get me wrong I fetishize over vintage Fender and Gibson like the rest of us, but I know it isn't going to make me better and the satisfaction of ownership rings hollow after a while.

clarke_111

Vintage was another brand I considered but didn’t know much about... 

telemaster is spot on-I remember all of these brands having cheap ‘starter’ kits and can’t shake the image... even though Far Eastern guitars have improved no end and I know that... that logo is still an issue I think. 

Philly_Q

I'd be more snobby about buying a cheap Fender as compared with a more expensive Fender - MIM/MIJ versus USA, or USA versus Custom Shop.

But in a perverse way I wouldn't be at all bothered about a guitar with a Squier logo, it's unequivocal - yep, this is a cheap one.

Squier or Custom Shop and nothing inbetween. 

munckee

I just bought a squier j Mascis jazzmaster which doesn’t have a single thing I don’t like about it. Except maybe the pickguard colour!

Sarge

If you're buying it to play you'll not see the logo, if you're buying it to look at however..... 

clarke_111

Sarge said:

If you're buying it to play you'll not see the logo, if you're buying it to look at however..... 

true...

Danny1969

I've got 3 Strats now and none of them are Fender,  none of them cost more than £300 either. Basically a Tokia and 2 partscasters. I've played just about every kind of USA strat, some are great but some are a tad overrated  and a lot of money for what they are. A Strat copy with good pickups and a good setup can be as nice to play as a USA Strat  ... IMHO 

clarke_111

Weirdly I wouldn’t think twice about the J Mascis, that just seems to work for me and I’d have it in an instant if I needed that style. A Jazzmaster/jaguar or bass from Squire would be ok-it’s just the Strat/Tele thing. Totally psychological. I even own and play an old Epi les Paul (90s Korean one) and have no issues with that. 

Tenebrous

100% snobby. I get it, I've been there, but I bought the cheapest of the cheap Squier Bullets & it plays as well as my £1600 Fender Tele. Sure there's concessions in build quality at the super low end, but at the VM/CV level, the concessions are super minor (if not non-existent)

A good guitar is a good guitar. 

Still, a used MIM/Tokai like you said would run you the price of a CV, so if that'd make you THAT much happier, then go for it! At the end of the day, whatever makes you happy & inspires you to play is the best guitar.

Gerz6558

The CV's will feel and sound like a strat, but in this case it doesn't sound like it would be enough to get over the logo on the headstock if you're already thinking about it.

I've been lulled into the old stepping up the Fender product ladder many times. Pay this much more to get A, a little bit more will get you B, a lot more will get you C. Most of the time I've been disappointed by the jump, but I'll no doubt do it again.

I've always found the Mexican Fenders to be a step up over the Squier CV's. Spend £400-£500 and you'll snag a very decent Mexican Fender with the correct logo and no need to upgrade.