Squier Classic Vibe Tele

[Tele-phonic]

I picked one up three days ago, I can't put this thing down. It's got cool retro looks. You almost really can't tell it's pine. I know some of the early Esquires were pine. One of the things I really like is the smooth volume rolloff, it's balanced across the range. That's something you don't often see in cheaper Asian electrics. The pickups are nice sounding Alnico 3s. the fit and finish are excellent, the neck pocket nice and tight, no gaps like sometimes found on the MIMs, even the nice walnut truss rod hole like USA Teles. You even get a better quality synthetic bone nut instead of the cheap white plastic. Mine was playable out of the box, but the action was a little high for me, so set about doing a good setup, including Fender spec neck relief and my preferred action of 4/64 on the low E and 3/64 on the high E. Intonation was good. The fretwork is good, no sharp edges and a nice vintage gloss finish on the neck. The transparent finish on the body is excellent with no flaws I could see. This thing has alot of bang and twang for the buck. My only nitpicks; The neck could be a little stiffer and a hair beefier and not so much contact grease in the pots, makes doing those nice Roy Buchanan volume swells a little difficult. I give this axe a fun factor rating of 9.5, a playability factor of 9.5 and an overall 9.0. It's a seriously fun guitar