I Played A Classic Vibe & a 64 AVRI Tele Today

[Lef T]

I've been thinking of getting a Tele and checked out a store
that had a left handed sunburst 64 AVRI Tele in stock.
This is Canada,so prices are in Canadian.
AVRI was $2499 marked down to $1999,because it had a bit if a ding on the back.
Plugged it into a Mark V Mesa combo.
It was ok...but not two grand ok.
For fun I grabbed a Classic Vibe Butterscotch Tele with maple neck.
It was $549.
I thought I'd see what the difference would be between the low end and higher end Telecaster.
I couldn't believe it.
The CV sounded great,and had no problems with frets,intonation,basically a ready to play guitar.
It sounded better to me than the AVRI.
The bridge pickup sounded nice and full as did the middle and neck pickup.
I am an old dog and have always played USA guitars,but I gotta say for $549
you get a really,really nice guitar that you could go out and gig with right away.
I learned something today for sure.
When all was said and done,I plugged my Strat in to the Mark V and I was home.
No Tele for me today.
I think I'm a confirmed Strat player.

 

[Caribou]

The CV teles are nice for sure. I bought one in 2014 and it's a lot of fun to play-- I regularly pass over more expensive US-made guitars to play it....Can't say I ever expected that, but it's been a blast to plug this thing in and shake the walls.

 

[songtalk]

I just bought my son a used CV 50 tele in butterscotch and I love it! (He does too )

The pickups sound really clear and full. Classic tele tone.

The bridge intonated. The nut is cut well. It's got a crappy 3 way switch but it works and I'll leave it til it breaks because I paid 200 bucks for this thing and all I did to it was put my usual 0.001 uF treble bleed in it so can use my volume and tone knobs in creative and interesting ways.

The neck is thin and I prefer fat, but it's a really nice feeling neck.

Body only weighs 7.75 lbs and it's a very pretty well matched 4 piece swamp ash body.

I may get another one.

 

[TheoDog]

The Aquiers tend to have hotter pickups. Aside from the nice fit and finish, I wonder how much of your A/B suprise was due to a stronger output.
I gig a Chinese Fender and Indonesian Squier, so I fully support the low cost workhorse mentality.

 

[Turi]

I wonder how much of your A/B suprise was due to a stronger output.

Good question - but does it make a difference in the end? Asides from $1400~ obviously, lol.

 

[Lef T]

The Aquiers tend to have hotter pickups. Aside from the nice fit and finish, I wonder how much of your A/B suprise was due to a stronger output.
I gig a Chinese Fender and Indonesian Squier, so I fully support the low cost workhorse mentality.

I'm not sure how much of it had to do with stronger output,but if I would have to pick one of the two based on
the sound on all three pickup positions,I would pick the CV.
The neck and action on the CV seemed easier to play also.
The CV had a more open sound,maybe closer to my Strat than the AVRI

 

[peskypesky]

There's a reason I have 7 Squiers, including a CV Strat. They are really nice guitars for little coin.

here's one of my favorite CV Tele demos….Australian guitar maestro James Ryan

 

[Rock Johnson]

The CV Teles are great. I don't think of mine as a Squier, it's just a Tele.

The Squier J. Mascis Jazzmasters are pretty awesome, too.

 

[fretless]

I just bought my son a used CV 50 tele in butterscotch and I love it! (He does too )

The pickups sound really clear and full. Classic tele tone.

The bridge intonated. The nut is cut well. It's got a crappy 3 way switch but it works and I'll leave it til it breaks because I paid 200 bucks for this thing and all I did to it was put my usual 0.001 uF treble bleed in it so can use my volume and tone knobs in creative and interesting ways.

The neck is thin and I prefer fat, but it's a really nice feeling neck.

Body only weighs 7.75 lbs and it's a very pretty well matched 4 piece swamp ash body.

I may get another one.

Those bodies look like ash but they're actually pine (which is a good thing). Just like some of the original Tele's back in the day.

 

[Ilduce]

I've been saving for a CV 50's Tele for a while now, every time I get close something happens that sets me back. Things are looking good this time and hopefully I'll be able to pick one up in the next few weeks. I'm pretty stoked!

 

[songtalk]

Those bodies look like ash but they're actually pine (which is a good thing). Just like some of the original Tele's back in the day.

You are correct. The BSB comes with artec alnico Vs (tonerider hot classics) and the white comes with artec alnico IIIs (tonerider hot vintage).

They are actually slightly different guitars.

Edit: actually it appears that it's just the pickups that differ and the body is pine. I agree that pine works great and is "legit" by old 50s fender standards.

I could have sworn one was many pieces of ash and one was pine, but maybe I'm making that memory up lol

The alnico Vs sound a bit more articulate in the pine, to me.

 

[metropolis_4]

The last time I went to buy a Tele, I walked into the store intending to buy either an American Standard, or an American Custom. I played every Tele in the store, and ended up walking out with a CV Custom. It just felt and sounded better to me than any of the American Tele's.

 

[Torren61]

You know, there was a thread a guy started who was asking if he should buy one expensive guitar or a couple cheaper guitars and I said buy a PRS SE single cut or Santana and a Classic Vibe Fender. I happen to know from personal experience that the SE guitars are an amazing deal for the money and can hang with most guitars costing twice the price and I posted that the CVs are reviewed as being as good or better than the USA models. Someone quoted me and said something like "If it's on the internet, it must be true." Looks like he was right. It WAS posted on the internet and it IS true. I kinda don't think he meant that, though.

I want one.

 

[monty]

I dig my US stuff too and am not going to get into comparing, but you get a ton of bang for your buck with Squier.

 

[Salfordlad]

The CV series is without a doubt proof that you can get a quality Tele or Strat made in China. I have a BSB 50's Tele which is the lightest and best sounding Tele I've owned, a CVC Tele which is just as good in it's own way and a Simon Niel CV Strat that holds its own against my four fender Strats both MIA and MIM. I also owned a CV 50's Strat. I actually enjoy the Squier logo on the headstock just to show the cork sniffers how full of it they are. Good wood, pickups, hardware and finishes. No brainer IMO.

 

[HayekFan]

I just bought my son a used CV 50 tele in butterscotch and I love it! (He does too )

The pickups sound really clear and full. Classic tele tone.

The bridge intonated. The nut is cut well. It's got a crappy 3 way switch but it works and I'll leave it til it breaks because I paid 200 bucks for this thing and all I did to it was put my usual 0.001 uF treble bleed in it so can use my volume and tone knobs in creative and interesting ways.

The neck is thin and I prefer fat, but it's a really nice feeling neck.

Body only weighs 7.75 lbs and it's a very pretty well matched 4 piece swamp ash body.

I may get another one.

When you say thin, do you mean thin like a modern C, or thin like getting into pointy shredder territory?

 

[songtalk]

When you say thin, do you mean thin like a modern C, or thin like getting into pointy shredder territory?

Modern C with a 1.65" wide nut. It's thin.

 

[HayekFan]

Modern C with a 1.65" wide nut. It's thin.

Any chance you have calipers and could measure the thickness at the first fret?

My Squier CVC comes in just a smidge over .81" thick.

Also, how are your frets? My CVC's were wide but low (until I got it refretted), but my CV '60s strat has fairly tall medium jumbos.

 

[Lef T]

How do the frets hold up on the Classic Vibe?
Are the tuners good quality?
I've been thinking about the CV since I played it today.
How in the world can they make a great sounding and playing Fender
so cheap.
Ok..cheap labor...cheap parts,but man I think I'm going to dream about that guitar
tonight.
I still can't believe what a great guitar it was.
I really wouldn't change a thing on it.
Am I missing something here?
Maybe I need to get over my Made In China thing.

 

[songtalk]

Any chance you have calipers and could measure the thickness at the first fret?

My Squier CVC comes in just a smidge over .81" thick.

Also, how are your frets? My CVC's were wide but low (until I got it refretted), but my CV '60s strat has fairly tall medium jumbos.

The frets are wide and low. The neck is probably around .81-.83" no calipers sadly. It feels sturdy though. Not the bendiest tele neck I've owned.