Squier Vintage Modified Series?

Had a strat, love my current VM Jazzmaster. Great bang for the buck if you aren'y hung up on the brand name on the headstock.....

 

I have the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass and it seems like a decent enough axe for the price...

 

from what I've read over at TDPRI, the classic vibes have better QC than the Vintage Modifieds.

 

Just ordered a surf green VM Surf Strat. For $263 (15% off @ GC), I figured why not? Looks cool and sounded decent in the clips I've heard. Should be here near the end of the week. I've already thought about swapping the neck for a maple one and upgrading the bridge and pots. I'm hoping the lipstick tubes are decent enough.

If I like it, I might get one of the Telecaster Specials with the Jazzmaster neck and pickup in white. I LOVE my J Mascis JM, so if it has any of that mojo, I'll dig it. I like that it also has a basswood body.

Squier is making some really interesting guitars right now, and very solid quality.

 

You cant beat them for VFM, I've got the tele thinline and its pretty amazing for the price I paid for it..its now my main go to guitar and I prefer it to my more expensive PRS's

 

If you can, please post your impressions. I’m quite curious about this new Squier surf strat. I’d like to try out some lipstick pickups. I’ve got a strat that I could put some lipsticks in. Not sure which ones to try (Duncan? GFS?). If I were to get the Duncans, that’s 3 x $70 each = $210. Then again, this new Squier is only $300. Plus it comes in the very cool surf green color.

Because of this new surf strat I’ve been reading around about the Vintage Modified Squier series. General impressions seem to be that they are just OK, not super. Whereas the Classic Vibe series seems to be universally loved.

 

I just played a couple of the Vintage Modified Telecaster Specials with the Jazzmaster neck and pickup, and I have to say that they're definitely on-par with the Classic Vibe models. The necks feel similar, and the tones are also very comparable. Fit and finish looks to be very close. Frets were super smooth and the action was spot-on. A real joy to play. The only flaw that I noticed was a crack in the finish on the neck joint, which seems to be common with these early ones.

My Surf Strat will be in tomorrow, and I'm getting a white VM Tele Special (and maybe a really sweet white/gold CV '50s Strat with an insane quartersawn maple neck) this weekend. I'll definitely post my impressions.

It's crazy how much I dig these guitars, considering I have a Historic Les Paul and an American Standard Strat already.

 

I had the Tele Thinline...loved it. I did put Texas Specials in it. One of the nicest playing guitars I've had.

 

I did, too. That was the guitar that sold me on these. I was gonna swap the neck for this solid rosewood Musikraft that I had, but ended up selling it to get an amp. I still think of getting another one. I thought it sounded pretty damn close to the '69 reissue MIM, especially with warmer pickups.

 

Thanks for the impressions. A year or two ago I decided to get a Tele. I played everything from Squier CV to Fender MIM to Fender MIA. I preferred various things about the MIM standard over the CV. But found relatively little difference between the MIM and MIA. Others find a huge difference, I know. So I haven't yet talked myself into getting a Squier. But this surf strat may be what does it. It's either I get one of these or I put some lipstick pickups of some sort into my MIM standard strat. I look forward to your impressions. Enjoy it!

 

Ok, the VM Surf Strat is here!!!

I've only had a brief chance to play around with it after unboxing it. Initial impressions are VERY GOOD!!!! Wonderful neck with nicely finished edges, needs a good fret dressing/polishing, though. Was tuned down a step, and action is about where I like it (medium). Trem is set flush. No flaws that I have found anywhere. I took the pickguard protection off, and there is another layer as well as plastic on the lipstick tubes that can only be removed by taking the pickguard off. I'll get around to that tomorrow when I set it up, but I appreciate the levels they went to for protection.

I plugged it into my DRRI and Signa Drive for a little bit, and it was actually better than expected!!!! Played very nicely with overdrive, and the neck pickup was especially good. All the classic Strat tones are there, and they sound excellent.

Will report back this weekend after some time tweaking and playing, but I honestly am blown away by the quality (in all aspects) of this $263 new guitar.

 

Ooooh, that looks very nice. Glad that you like it. Between the lipstick pickups, the surf green color, and the low price this guitar is very tempting. Can you try to talk me out of it? Is there a significant difference in sound versus more regular pickups?

At $263 it's hard to pass up. I could wait for a sale at one of the online places and get it for around the same prioce. But if I do buy this one I'm thinking of supporting our only decent local shop. I've never bought anything there other than strings and such. With local sales tax it would be closer to $320. Not that I need a new guitar at all. Still thinking about it...

 

It's still a great deal at $320. I would put the quality of this guitar on-par with the majority of MIM Strats out there, but with a spec you can only get with these Vintage Modified models.

The deal sealer for me is the fact that these are good-sounding, gigging guitars. These are not just something that might feel nice to play at home, but can't really hang in a live situation (tuning stability, tone, etc). You can certainly upgrade the pickups, bridge, electronics, etc, but you really don't NEED to!

Did I do a good job of talking you out of it?

 

Yeah, thanks for helping talk me out of it. Ahem.

I stopped by my local shop today to see if they had one. Nope. But I did play one of the Squier 60's Classic Vibe strats. I got to tell you, that is an amazing guitar for the price. I quite like my MIM standard strat. If, as you say, this surf strat is as well made as the MIM or the Classic Vibe I'm going to have a hard time walking away from it. It's amazing how nice the cheap guitars are these days.