Classic vibe 50's telecaster?

Bflat · #1 10-15-2011, 08:56 PM

Hi,

I have seen this guitar and thought it was quite good for a squire. Has anyone had one for a while? I am wondering how things hold up. You know, like switches, jack, tuners, etc.....

Any input woud be helpful.

Thanks

mr. beaumont · #2 10-15-2011, 09:32 PM

I think I'm one of the few telecaster afficionados that's completely unimpressed with the classic vibe line. Everything about em feels cheap to me.

A used mexican "standard" will be just as cheap if not cheaper, and is a much better guitar imho.

cosmic gumbo · #3 10-16-2011, 03:13 AM

I agree with Mr B, get a broken in fender for the the same price. Plus, for some reason a NEW fender MIM ash tele is only $100 more than the squier, and $50 less than a standard MIM tele... what a deal. It's hard to resist...must control myself...

used fender tele/ebay-sold $265..... new squier 50s classic vibe-$350....... new fender ash tele-$450

Tom Karol · #4 10-16-2011, 09:40 AM

Actually, I've been thinking of getting a Classic Vibe Telecaster Thinline as an all purpose backup. I've already got a pair of really great pickups with high quality pots, cap, and jack ready to install, so I'd be hoping I wouldn't need to upgrade too much else (bridge, tuners?). All I'd be looking for is one that plays well - electronics are irrelevant. I do like the natural mahogany finish and the 9.5 inch radius, but not the 1 5/8 inch nut width. Either maple or rosewood fingerboard is OK. But I'm in no hurry, and used would be fine.

Atticus · #5 10-16-2011, 10:31 AM

I have the CV Thinline and rather like it. The tone is pretty bright, but it plays well. If you're planing on replacing the electronics, I think it's a great option. If you're going with stock, it's still good, but it's not going to come anywhere near the traditional warm archtop sound.

mje · #6 10-16-2011, 03:49 PM

I bought a cosmetic second tele with maple neck and cream finish from guitarfetish.com for $130 (usually $160) ... and it's much better than the Squire I bought for my nephew. Check 'em out.

Atticus · #7 10-18-2011, 06:45 AM

Oh, and Tom- out of curiosity, what are the electronics you're going to put on the Tele? I've been looking at upgrading mine, and I've yet to find anything that really suits me.

Tom Karol · #8 10-18-2011, 07:31 AM

I recently replaced a pair of broken(?) pickups in my Hamer T-51 with a pair of Bill Lawrence (Wilde) L280TN/L290TL pickups (only $100 for the pair), and I really like them in this guitar. But I had my old pickups checked out and re-potted, and I really liked them too. They are a Harmonic Design Vintage Plus set (almost $200 for the pair). I have a couple of CTS 500k pots and a Sprague 'Orange Drop' .022uf cap (these are the mfg's recommendation) ready to mate with them. But I've only got 1 'Tele'!

peejay · #9 10-18-2011, 12:26 PM

Can't speak about the Tele, but I bought a CV50s Strat for £240 uk about 18 months ago. Superb build quality, sounds great - it has Alnico 3 pickups as opposed to the CV60s Alnico 5s, and stays in tune. You can get a pretty fair jazz tone from the neck pickup. The glossy thin maple neck and fretboard needs some getting used to but you either like it or you don't. Common complaints I've read about these guitars are that the whammy bar is pretty flimsy and I can't argue with that, and the frets are are a bit soft and wear quickly - but I've not had a problem. Certainly worth what I paid for it new and if you can get it cheaper used then go for it !

Silence · #10 10-18-2011, 02:44 PM

I had the CV Tele when they first came out. After a month or two, I replaced the bridge with a Callaham brass saddle bridge, put in a graph tech nut, and replaced the guts (minus the pickups; I thought they sounded pretty good) with a mojo music pre wired tele kit. The guitar was fine before those mods, but they definitely took it to another level.

The only thing I really didn't enjoy about the guitar was the poly finish on the neck. It was just too thick for my taste. Other than that, it's a great guitar. I would try and get it ordered through a small music shop though. For some reason, every model I ordered through Guitar Center and MF had MAJOR issues. The frets were uneven, horrible nut work, intonation was garbage, etc... When I ordered it from a mom & pop shop, the guitar came in perfect condition. Everything was done professionally and that was right out of the box with no setups done outside of the factory. Maybe it was a coincidence, but that was my experience.

Tom Karol · #11 10-24-2011, 03:02 PM

I've been aware of GFS for some time - used to be in my town, now still only 20 minutes down the road. I can get their Tele Thinline clone plus a 'vintage brown' hardshell case and a replacement pickguard (to match my pickups) for under $250! I like the specs better though it doesn't come in natural mahogany. I have a jack, pickups, pots, and a tone cap already. So all I could possibly have to also replace would be switch, bridge, nut, and/or tuners. I have never seen or heard one, so I don't know if they're OK or crap. But it's pretty darn tempting!

Tom Karol · #12 10-25-2011, 08:09 AM

After sleeping on it, I think I'll just keep my extra pickups etc. in a drawer for now - save them for if/when emergency electronic surgery is ever needed again.