Squier Tele Classic Vibe 50s

**sparkhall** · 12-19-2014, 04:04 PM

Arrived today by UPS. rather nervous of buying unseen, but great price from European box shifter. Low cost way to dip my toe in the tele pond.

First impressions: Couldn't be more pleased, really well finished and pretty well set-up out of the box. Butterscotch blond finish nicely transparent over pine with strong grain. I find the neck pretty comfortable. My first maple fretboard, different but not unpleasant. Pretty heavy slab of pine but I like that. Very easy to play and hard to put down! Very glad I wasn't put off by the logo on the headstock.

Remarkably easy to get a nice jazz tone even with the 9's it comes strung with. However need to get some thicker strings on. Probably start off trying some 11's can't decide whether to stick with rounds or go to flats. Play flats on my archtops, but wonder whether the tele will lose some of its clarity.

Thanks to those that offered their tele buying opinions in my earlier thread.

**pkirk** · 12-19-2014, 04:21 PM

congrats. I love my telecaster, in my case a MIM telecaster special. if you are an archtop guy usually, the increased sustain on a tele makes playing it a completely different thing. I have a very light touch, so I don't get any twang unless I dig in.

I always use flat 11s on my tele. let me know if you want a link to hear what it sounds like.

**Wes Fan** · 12-19-2014, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by pkirk

I always use flat 11s on my tele. let me know if you want a link to hear what it sounds like.

I'd like to hear that. Can you post it here?

**docbop** · 12-19-2014, 04:29 PM

Congrat's Tele's are addictive. I'd start with 11's they are a good guage for Fenders and can go 12's if you want more Jazzy thickness. I mainly play roundwounds especially on Fenders get all that chimey goodness.

Enjoy!

**pkirk** · 12-19-2014, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by Wes Fan

I'd like to hear that. Can you post it here?

sure, here's a couple

**Wes Fan** · 12-19-2014, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by pkirk

sure, here's a couple

Thanks! What brand/type of 11s, and what kind of amp? Apologies if you've posted that before in another thread (which I probably read). I find it hard to keep all these posts and threads straight sometimes.

**sparkhall** · 12-19-2014, 05:14 PM

Really nice playing and nice tone. I'm a bit torn on the rounds/flats issue. Might try thicker rounds first as its a novelty for me. Do the TI be bop rounds have a different tone to other rounds?

**pkirk** · 12-19-2014, 05:21 PM

I just use D'adarrio chromes. TI's aren't worth the extra price to me. the first clip is through a clarus/RE, the second through a VHT special 6 with a boatload of reverb and some delay.

**pkirk** · 12-19-2014, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by sparkhall

Really nice playing and nice tone. I'm a bit torn on the rounds/flats issue. Might try thicker rounds first as its a novelty for me. Do the TI be bop rounds have a different tone to other rounds?

Yeah, rounds might be a bit brighter. I'm a fan of Bickert, who has a pretty dark tone, and IIRC he uses flats with an unwound G.

Enjoy your new guitar.

**jazzbow** · 12-19-2014, 06:16 PM

Nice one sparky, glad you've got your Tele. Many years of sonic pleasure await you!

I've got D'Add 12's with some nut work on me Tele.

Did you check out my spiel on the intonation saddles on your first thread? Check out the Kluson harmonic saddles.

**ruger9** · 12-20-2014, 10:33 AM

I've been dying for one of these guitars. I have read nothing but raves about their craftsmanship, playability, and sound. And the price is of course unbelievable. The only thing that has stopped me is the 21 frets.... I'm used to 22 on my American Standard, and not sure if the "missing" 22nd fret would "bother me or not.... what say you?

**0zoro** · 12-20-2014, 11:47 AM

sparkhall, congrat`s! I have recently gone the same route. I put 11 flats on imediately and have not looked back. I have ordered a saddle which will allow for individual adjustment for all strings and will experiment with putting on 12´s in a while. I had been passivley concidering this for several years and happy I took the step, hope you are too.

**sparkhall** · 12-20-2014, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by ruger9

I've been dying for one of these guitars. I have read nothing but raves about their craftsmanship, playability, and sound. And the price is of course unbelievable. The only thing that has stopped me is the 21 frets.... I'm used to 22 on my American Standard, and not sure if the "missing" 22nd fret would "bother me or not.... what say you?

Having generally played either an archtop or a classical I can't say that I have ever been a frequent visitor to 20th fret, never mind the 22nd! so for me it is not an issue. For me the easier access to the higher frets on a tele is somewhat of a novelty.

**ruger9** · 12-20-2014, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by sparkhall

Having generally played either an archtop or a classical I can't say that I have ever been a frequent visitor to 20th fret, never mind the 22nd! so for me it is not an issue. For me the easier access to the higher frets on a tele is somewhat of a novelty.

IDK man.... it's nice to have that high D w/o having to bend up to it.... which of course gives you access to the high E by bending.... if it was a F# or a Dd or something, I wouldn't mind...lol

But that's me coming from a rock background.

**ah.clem** · 12-20-2014, 04:40 PM

Squire "Classic Vibe" Teles - best "sleeper" deal around, IMO. I got the Jazzmaster neck and pup version last year, put on TI Jazz flat 12s. A killer guitar for $200!

**KirkP** · 12-29-2014, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by ah.clem

A killer guitar for $200!

Street price new is about $380.

**Doctor Jeff** · 12-29-2014, 03:19 PM

D'Addario Pure Nickel Regular Lights is what I have on mine. I like the light touch and bendability of the lighter gauge, while the nickel is mellower than chrome and gets that "old school sound" IMO. A nice change from the typical archtop setup.

**ah.clem** · 12-29-2014, 11:56 PM

Hmm. Got mine last December from musiciansfriend.com on sale for $200 with free shipping. For $380 I'd probably be looking for a used MIM Tele. Still, the Jazzmaster neck and pickup sound and play pretty sweet and I think the original Jazzmaster is kinda ugly. Glad I got a deal; Mrs. Clem probably won't believe it.

**Dave70** · 12-30-2014, 12:06 PM

Besides the headstock shape, how's the jazzmaster neck different from a tele neck? (Just curious!)

**ESCC** · 12-30-2014, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by sparkhall

Really nice playing and nice tone. I'm a bit torn on the rounds/flats issue. Might try thicker rounds first as its a novelty for me. Do the TI be bop rounds have a different tone to other rounds?

My $.02, I tried flats on my Tele, didn't care for it I thought it made the guitar too one dimensional, I keep D'Addario EXl 115 coated (11s) on the Tele and Strat, I can get that "Fender" sound and a nice jazz tone when backing down the tone and volume - which the Tele does very well. I string my archtops with TI Swing flats, my 535 semi-hollow and LP with TI Bebops, nice jazz tone but can dig in for a good blues and rock tone, would be great on a Tele, just have never felt a need to switch from the D'Addarios and pay the upcharge.

**SamBooka** · 12-30-2014, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Dave70

Besides the headstock shape, how's the jazzmaster neck different from a tele neck? (Just curious!)

talking out my arse here but .. jm necks are more like a strat.. more rounded at the end where the body meets the neck. On a tele is it more squarish.

this means that tele necks tend to emphasize square wave harmonics (which gives them their twang) while the strat (and jm) necks sound better with sinusoidal harmonics

**mr. beaumont** · 12-30-2014, 03:24 PM

First paragraph...yes.

What it means is Strat and JM necks are interchangable. You can put a strat or JM neck on a tele...but you can't put a tele neck on other F Styles without doing some woodwork.