Squier 40th anniversary Jazzmaster (impressions on p. 8)

[redchapterjubilee]

I was an early buyer on both the VM and CV JM’s. The VM had finish and electronics issues. It was also $275 (got a little taken off the top by calling musicians friend for the order). The CV had neck issues that required luthier work. That guitar was $429 10 years after the VMJM. Two years after the CV this new line is $200 more. The quality won’t be $200 more. The blocks and binding and gold hardware or matching headstock doesn’t make up the $200 more. Of course, since all other guitars raced up on value it’s still a relative bargain against a used Japanese guitar. To me, that’s maybe a $50-$100 upcharge. If this was FSR in limited numbers maybe that would account for so of that, but Fender hasn’t been limited about its numbers with the “limited” CV finishes. Pink and surf green were supposed to limited but two years later are still widely available.

[bessieboporbach]

One can enjoy playing a junk guitar. One can enjoy the looks of a junk guitar. One can gig a junk guitar. One can mod and feel pride in one's mods to a junk guitar.

It's worth noting that a bone stock VMJM was my number one for 7 years. 20 something gigs, 3 albums.

I've just wrapped up a whole sweeping set of upgrades (notably not the pickups). I like it very much, but I'm very aware that it's a dog of a guitar with fundamental flaws that are bone deep due to poor timber and poor carving.

A lot of my bitterness toward current Squiers stems from my feeling of being taken in by the "grassroots" hype for them in places like this forum and YouTube. There is so much sunk cost self-justification going on. "Just shim the neck! Loctite the bridge screws! Replace the pots and switches! Then replace the neck! And the body! And all the hardware!" The constant insistence that they play as well as MIMs, they hold up to wear as well, they're a better deal. I played my CVJM every day for two & 1/2 years because it's what I had. But I knew from day 1 that I had made a mistake buying it.

I'm not saying there aren't good ones. My sister-in-law has a VM Strat, made in India. I've spent some time with a VM Jag. Both guitars made me as happy as a pig in shit to play.

But the quality difference in terms of materials alone between the most expensive current Squier and the cheapest current Fender is vast. My favorite example is simply this: drop your phone edge-first on the belly of a new Squier, and then on a MIM, and compare the results. I have. My MIM looks pristine. My Squier has a convenient snack tray.

[DavidG]

One can enjoy playing a junk guitar. One can enjoy the looks of a junk guitar. One can gig a junk guitar. One can mod and feel pride in one's mods to a junk guitar.

It's worth noting that a bone stock VMJM was my number one for 7 years. 20 something gigs, 3 albums.

I've just wrapped up a whole sweeping set of upgrades (notably not the pickups). I like it very much, but I'm very aware that it's a dog of a guitar with fundamental flaws that are bone deep due to poor timber and poor carving.

A lot of my bitterness toward current Squiers stems from my feeling of being taken in by the "grassroots" hype for them in places like this forum and YouTube. There is so much sunk cost self-justification going on. "Just shim the neck! Loctite the bridge screws! Replace the pots and switches! Then replace the neck! And the body! And all the hardware!" The constant insistence that they play as well as MIMs, they hold up to wear as well, they're a better deal. I played my CVJM every day for two & 1/2 years because it's what I had. But I knew from day 1 that I had made a mistake buying it.

I'm not saying there aren't good ones. My sister-in-law has a VM Strat, made in India. I've spent some time with a VM Jag. Both guitars made me as happy as a pig in shit to play.

But the quality difference in terms of materials alone between the most expensive current Squier and the cheapest current Fender is vast. My favorite example is simply this: drop your phone edge-first on the belly of a new Squier, and then on a MIM, and compare the results. I have. My MIM looks pristine. My Squier has a convenient snack tray.

I'm currently sitting in my house with a Squier CV bass vi, a Vintera jag and jazzmaster, and an American Original strat. The difference between the Vinteras and American original is fairly obvious. The differences between the Squier and Vinteras are really difficult to observe or feel.

The fretboard edges on the vinteras are really sharp, not so on the Squier. Vinteras are pao ferro boards, the Squier is laurel (tie?). Bodies are alder on the Vintera which is fair enough. Switches feel nice and solid on both. The bridge I would say is better on the Squier, more of a solid mustang type. The trems on the Vinteras are those screw-in arms, feel pretty cheap and squeak like hell when using the arm. The Squiers trem is the push-in and feels pretty good....doesn't look as good obviously.

I wouldn't hang your hat on Mexican Fenders when trying to compare with the current CV Squiers (and I generally like all of the Mexican Fenders I've had). The lines are somewhat blurred between the two, and CV's certainly are a little bit nicer in certain areas that the VM's back in 2012 didn't get quite right. But inflation and material/shopping costs I guess have pushed them into a new area when being critiqued.

As a way of getting a blingy sparkle jag without resorting to the custom shop or getting a parts build sprayed, I'm very happy they exist at the price they do.

[del]

According to the spec details, they're actually Poplar bodies.

I'm strongly considering the Satin Desert Sand JM with the maple neck.

I support your attention to that Satin Desert Sand JM.
What a beautiful combo!

I'll say it again: that JM and the Dakota Red PBass are stunners! If I were in a band and playing live, I'd def pick one of these up - I think I'd feel great strapping one on in front of other people.

[mikeymike]

It's worth noting that a bone stock VMJM was my number one for 7 years. 20 something gigs, 3 albums.

I've just wrapped up a whole sweeping set of upgrades (notably not the pickups). I like it very much, but I'm very aware that it's a dog of a guitar with fundamental flaws that are bone deep due to poor timber and poor carving.

A lot of my bitterness toward current Squiers stems from my feeling of being taken in by the "grassroots" hype for them in places like this forum and YouTube. There is so much sunk cost self-justification going on. "Just shim the neck! Loctite the bridge screws! Replace the pots and switches! Then replace the neck! And the body! And all the hardware!" The constant insistence that they play as well as MIMs, they hold up to wear as well, they're a better deal. I played my CVJM every day for two & 1/2 years because it's what I had. But I knew from day 1 that I had made a mistake buying it.

I'm not saying there aren't good ones. My sister-in-law has a VM Strat, made in India. I've spent some time with a VM Jag. Both guitars made me as happy as a pig in shit to play.

But the quality difference in terms of materials alone between the most expensive current Squier and the cheapest current Fender is vast. My favorite example is simply this: drop your phone edge-first on the belly of a new Squier, and then on a MIM, and compare the results. I have. My MIM looks pristine. My Squier has a convenient snack tray.

I'm currently sitting in my house with a Squier CV bass vi, a Vintera jag and jazzmaster, and an American Original strat. The difference between the Vinteras and American original is fairly obvious. The differences between the Squier and Vinteras are really difficult to observe or feel.

The fretboard edges on the vinteras are really sharp, not so on the Squier. Vinteras are pao ferro boards, the Squier is laurel (tie?). Bodies are alder on the Vintera which is fair enough. Switches feel nice and solid on both. The bridge I would say is better on the Squier, more of a solid mustang type. The trems on the Vinteras are those screw-in arms, feel pretty cheap and squeak like hell when using the arm. The Squiers trem is the push-in and feels pretty good....doesn't look as good obviously.

I wouldn't hang your hat on Mexican Fenders when trying to compare with the current CV Squiers (and I generally like all of the Mexican Fenders I've had). The lines are somewhat blurred between the two, and CV's certainly are a little bit nicer in certain areas that the VM's back in 2012 didn't get quite right. But inflation and material/shopping costs I guess have pushed them into a new area when being critiqued.

As a way of getting a blingy sparkle jag without resorting to the custom shop or getting a parts build sprayed, I'm very happy they exist at the price they do.

I would agree with this take. The way prices have exploded in the last 18 months really exaggerate a lot of the complains because a $450 squier feels different than a $299 one, but the pricing is pretty much moot. I like my CV more than my Vintera.

[bessieboporbach]

I'm currently sitting in my house with a Squier CV bass vi, a Vintera jag and jazzmaster, and an American Original strat. The difference between the Vinteras and American original is fairly obvious. The differences between the Squier and Vinteras are really difficult to observe or feel.

The fretboard edges on the vinteras are really sharp, not so on the Squier. Vinteras are pao ferro boards, the Squier is laurel (tie?). Bodies are alder on the Vintera which is fair enough. Switches feel nice and solid on both. The bridge I would say is better on the Squier, more of a solid mustang type. The trems on the Vinteras are those screw-in arms, feel pretty cheap and squeak like hell when using the arm. The Squiers trem is the push-in and feels pretty good....doesn't look as good obviously.

This is a thoughtful response to the issues seenoevil and I raised, however I do think they are mostly beside the point of quality. I do agree that the vibrato on the Squier CV is fine, one of its few strong suits along with the pickups.

Re: the fretboard edges -- the sharp edges on the Vintera is (as far as I know) a period-correct detail. The CVs are slightly rolled to have a more "played in" feel. In practice, mine looks like this, though: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. Compared to other guitars of mine that advertise their rolled fingerboard edges (a Fender-made Charvel and a Godin acoustic), the Squier is strictly amateur hour in its fretboard carve. My brother calls it a "factory Friday."

Re: the bridges: I'm glad you like the bridge on the CV, but it's neither period correct nor as functional for my purposes as a normal slotted Jag/JM bridge.

Re: the switches: I'm glad yours haven't broken yet -- mine did.

Re: laurel vs. pau ferro: I know a lot of people don't like pau ferro, and that's fair. It has a particular texture and look that some people don't like. And I think it's true that the Ensenada facility seems to have trouble sanding PF to an appropriate lustre. But the mystery ficus that Squier call "laurel" is much softer, much more porous, and much more prone to deep grooves and cracks than pau ferro, which has tight grain more akin to ebony. "Laurel" is also *much* cheaper than pau ferro. PF was a luxury appointment until Fender started using it as a substitute for rosewood. "Laurel" was always a junk wood used for cheap furniture, popular because it was much easier to work and much cheaper than rosewood.

[seenoevil II]

I can understand the attitude of seeing price increases and deciding to hold your nose, do it anyway, and not make a big fuss over it.

I don't at all understand the attitude of telling other people that they shouldn't be upset that their buying power has been cut in half, and telling others not to complain about it.

I don't know precisely what's happening to cause these price increases. In not directly involved. But I'm almost certain that they weren't immediately unavoidable and that they needn't have been so drastic.

It's all reminded me why I was done buying new fender anything (or gibson, or gretsch, or whatever). I'm tired of corporate freelances raping the intellectual property of dead men.

[bessieboporbach]

One thing I do find interesting is that some of these 40th anniversary Squiers have a different serial # than one would expect. They say ISS21/22 instead of ICS21 or 22.

ICS of course stands for Indonesia Cort Squier. Are the ISS ones made by a different manufacturer? International Space Station?

The JMs appear to still say ICS, to be clear.

[Ceylon]

One thing I do find interesting is that some of these 40th anniversary Squiers have a different serial # than one would expect. They say ISS2122 instead of ICS21 or 22.

ICS of course stands for Indonesia Cort Squier. Are the ISS ones made by a different manufacturer? International Space Station?

The JMs appear to still say ICS, to be clear.

Samick?

[muffonrat]

One thing I do find interesting is that some of these 40th anniversary Squiers have a different serial # than one would expect. They say ISS21/22 instead of ICS21 or 22.

ICS of course stands for Indonesia Cort Squier. Are the ISS ones made by a different manufacturer? International Space Station?

The JMs appear to still say ICS, to be clear.

https://guitarinsite.nl/serienummers-squier_eng.php

[Lobsterdeth]

600 bucks you gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me.

[del]

I don't know anyone who has held any guitar from this series in their hands.
They're in new color/hardware combinations, so by aesthetics alone they're novel for Squier.
These could well be in the $600 ballpark in terms of quality! A veritable bargain of playability and stylishness!

I've been eyeing the Satin Dakota Red/gold guard/maple neck precision bass against it's very similar Fender Vintera counterpart. The Squier is $599 and the Fender is $1099. That could be a fair bargain for a new guitar (especially for a hack like me who can't tone wood through a cts pot to make my 7.25" neck radius for an orange cap).

And when I look at the Desert Sand JM... it has no existing counterpart.

[Mechanical Birds]

It's worth noting that a bone stock VMJM was my number one for 7 years. 20 something gigs, 3 albums.

I've just wrapped up a whole sweeping set of upgrades (notably not the pickups). I like it very much, but I'm very aware that it's a dog of a guitar with fundamental flaws that are bone deep due to poor timber and poor carving.

A lot of my bitterness toward current Squiers stems from my feeling of being taken in by the "grassroots" hype for them in places like this forum and YouTube. There is so much sunk cost self-justification going on. "Just shim the neck! Loctite the bridge screws! Replace the pots and switches! Then replace the neck! And the body! And all the hardware!" The constant insistence that they play as well as MIMs, they hold up to wear as well, they're a better deal. I played my CVJM every day for two & 1/2 years because it's what I had. But I knew from day 1 that I had made a mistake buying it.

I'm not saying there aren't good ones. My sister-in-law has a VM Strat, made in India. I've spent some time with a VM Jag. Both guitars made me as happy as a pig in shit to play.

But the quality difference in terms of materials alone between the most expensive current Squier and the cheapest current Fender is vast. My favorite example is simply this: drop your phone edge-first on the belly of a new Squier, and then on a MIM, and compare the results. I have. My MIM looks pristine. My Squier has a convenient snack tray.

I'm currently sitting in my house with a Squier CV bass vi, a Vintera jag and jazzmaster, and an American Original strat. The difference between the Vinteras and American original is fairly obvious. The differences between the Squier and Vinteras are really difficult to observe or feel.

The fretboard edges on the vinteras are really sharp, not so on the Squier. Vinteras are pao ferro boards, the Squier is laurel (tie?). Bodies are alder on the Vintera which is fair enough. Switches feel nice and solid on both. The bridge I would say is better on the Squier, more of a solid mustang type. The trems on the Vinteras are those screw-in arms, feel pretty cheap and squeak like hell when using the arm. The Squiers trem is the push-in and feels pretty good....doesn't look as good obviously.

I wouldn't hang your hat on Mexican Fenders when trying to compare with the current CV Squiers (and I generally like all of the Mexican Fenders I've had). The lines are somewhat blurred between the two, and CV's certainly are a little bit nicer in certain areas that the VM's back in 2012 didn't get quite right. But inflation and material/shopping costs I guess have pushed them into a new area when being critiqued.

As a way of getting a blingy sparkle jag without resorting to the custom shop or getting a parts build sprayed, I'm very happy they exist at the price they do.

Couple years ago I wouldn’t feel as good about saying this but at this point I’ve owned guitars from every era of Fender’s canon from every price point and am more that comfortable going to bat for the Squiers. Point blank, hardware is shit. I’ve had a CV Jag for a couple weeks now and was excited to see this bridge, but while it’s an improvement, it’s still cheap and loose with keeping adjustments. It is annoying that a CV Strat might not have this issue, the need to replace a bridge or whatever, but cheap strats have been available for decades now and you can only say that about Offsets for about the past decade.

Having said that, the fir and finish, fretwork, electronics, sound and feel on all my Squiers is at the very least on par, if not better than, any Mexican fender I’ve ever owned. I could say that about the Fender Japan examples I’ve had, too. It’s annoying that these guitars are pushing double what they cost when I first found out about them and got back into guitar…

*** seriously, it is insane to think that these were $299 PRE-DISCOUNT until pretty recently. I only regret not buying examples of all of them when I had the chance. I want one of the CAR VM Jags so, so bad now but will probably never get one. Oh well, I’ll just have to settle for a silver flake or charcoal frost one THAT ALREADY HAS THE HEADSTOCK MATCHED.

I’m a big fan of these guitars. Seriously love them more than anything.

[Fiddy]

The quoting game is strong in this thread.

[DavidG]

Looks like the Olympic white jazzmaster with gold hardware is in stock in 1 or 2 UK shops. That ones not for me, still nice though.