How do the Sonic and Affinity lines stack up against the Classic Vibe and Paranormal?

[Gongoozler]

I recently came back to guitar after a long hiatus. After realizing my only remaining guitar was unplayable and worth less than the cost of repair, I bought myself a new Squire Paranormal Esquire Deluxe. I gave it a restring and a cursory setup when it arrived and it's been incredible. I cannot believe this guitar was the price that I paid. I've only put it down long enough to let my fingertips recover to the point where I could stand playing again since it arrived.

Anyway, I've decided my plan/midlife crisis is to amass myself a small army of Squier Telecasters with different pickup configurations and string weights and set up for different tunings/styles of music.

These will all be somewhat project guitars (pickups, bridges/saddles/tuning machines) so if things like that are where the price difference comes from, it's all good. However, if the lower end guitars have vastly different neck shapes or other things that can't be addressed by simple mods, that may be more of an issue.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Grandfunkfan]

The sonic and affinity units actually give Squire a bad reputation. I tried a couple of them years ago and was so turned off by them I never considered ever getting a Squire guitar. A couple years ago I was gonna get a guitar to mod and I liked the idea of the CV 50s pine body tele and I figured I'd just get it and replace everything as long as the neck was okay. As it turned out, the neck was great and everything else was really good, including the pickups. I did eventually replace the pickups only because I needed a guitar to put some custom wound pickups in that I tried in another guitar and really liked. I played it with the originals for a year and even gigged with it for Stones stuff with 5 strings tuned to open G. I'm still amazed at what great guitars they are for the money. I have a pro 2 tele as well and it's not necessarily better, just a little more versatile but for what the CV 50s does it's awesome. I can only assume the rest of the CV line is good too

 

[FlarbNarb]

I bought my daughter her first guitar a Squier Affinity Tele and all I did was shim the neck for a touch more back angle and the thing plays really, really well. The p'ups aren't the best but not bad for what you pay ($200ish) and the tuners aren't what I'd like for a gigging guitar but in a pinch I'd be confident that I could play it just fine. I did need to polish the frets a bit and I have a thing for rolled edges on the fret board thanks to the phenomenal neck on my 80's Ibanez spoiling me. But that is really a preference thing more than a quality issue.

All in all I've played a few Squiers in the VM and other lines that were kind of dead sounding and meh playing feel and I've played even more that were really good guitars. The Squiers are not the crappy budget axes they used to be. They really are a great little guitar regardless of line. You just have to play a few to find the ONE.

 

[hawk620]

Anyway, I've decided my plan/midlife crisis is to amass myself a small army of Squier Telecasters with different pickup configurations and string weights and set up for different tunings/styles of music.

Sounds like a plan to me. About 15 years ago when I began to play again and assemble some different guitars I did much the same starting out with the original MIC Squier Classic Vibes buying used one and upgrading or modifying them.

Back then the Affinity Series were very poorly built in comparison and far less expensive. IIRC they were also built with thinner bodies and it was far more difficult to upgrade them since parts did not fit them like they did Classic Vibes.

I had not bought another Squier in many years until around 3 years ago I bought a CV '60 Jazz Bass that was made in Indonesia. I believe by then Cor-Tek was building them and I was very pleased to find the quality much like the MIC CVs.

A month or two ago a dealer I often buy from offered me a very good price on an open box Cor-Tek built Affinity P/J Bass and again I was pleasantly surprised by how much better an instrument they are now compared to 10-15 years ago.

The necks on older Affinity models were awful. Not so any longer. The satin finish was without flaws and felt great and the fretwork was perfect right down to the finished edges. This is a $350 MSRP bass and IMHO it hit above that mark.

On this limited basis alone I would not shy away from the Affinity Series models which I believe are now also built to typical MIM or MIA specs like the CV Series. You'll save a little money which can go into the upgrades you've planned.

 

[Gongoozler]

Sounds like a plan to me. About 15 years ago when I began to play again and assemble some different guitars I did much the same starting out with the original MIC Squier Classic Vibes buying used one and upgrading or modifying them.

Back then the Affinity Series were very poorly built in comparison and far less expensive. IIRC they were also built with thinner bodies and it was far more difficult to upgrade them since parts did not fit them like they did Classic Vibes.

I had not bought another Squier in many years until around 3 years ago I bought a CV '60 Jazz Bass that was made in Indonesia. I believe by then Cor-Tek was building them and I was very pleased to find the quality much like the MIC CVs.

A month or two ago a dealer I often buy from offered me a very good price on an open box Cor-Tek built Affinity P/J Bass and again I was pleasantly surprised by how much better an instrument they are now compared to 10-15 years ago.

The necks on older Affinity models were awful. Not so any longer. The satin finish was without flaws and felt great and the fretwork was perfect right down to the finished edges. This is a $350 MSRP bass and IMHO it hit above that mark.

On this limited basis alone I would not shy away from the Affinity Series models which I believe are now also built to typical MIM or MIA specs like the CV Series. You'll save a little money which can go into the upgrades you've planned.

Thanks for the great info! Do you know roughly when the Affinity series become of better quality? I only ask because I like to shop used so I'd want to be on the lookout for an example made after a certain year.

 

[MindBlower]

Post 2020. I have a '21 Affinity FSR Tele (Avatar) that are the sleepers/keepers.

 

[Boreas]

The price stratification is due to several things- including fretwork detail, wood quality, pickup, tuners, and electronic components. Essentially the decision boils down to what you are willing and NOT willing to accept in a guitar.

It is hard to beat the bang/buck of their upper lines.

 

[John Stephen]

Thanks for the great info! Do you know roughly when the Affinity series become of better quality? I only ask because I like to shop used so I'd want to be on the lookout for an example made after a certain year.

Right, as @MindBlower said, it was just in the last few years. Squier ended the Bullet product line and established in its place the Sonic line in 2023, and upgraded the Affinity line at the same time for differentiation. So I'd say 2023 and newer.

 

[RomanS]

Haven't tried a Sonic Tele, but I bought my niece a Sonic Mustang as a present a few years ago, and it was really nice, I just polished the slightly rough-feeling neck with a dish sponge (rough side), that's all it needed - almost got one for myself.
I got a Sonic Bronco bass for my wife, also very nice, and I tried a Sonic Precision Bass at a store that I really liked (unlike the CV Mustang bass, which was astonishingly heavy, and had a super-thick, plasticky finish on the neck).

 

[Supertwang]

I bought my daughter her first guitar a Squier Affinity Tele and all I did was shim the neck for a touch more back angle and the thing plays really, really well. The p'ups aren't the best but not bad for what you pay ($200ish) and the tuners aren't what I'd like for a gigging guitar but in a pinch I'd be confident that I could play it just fine. I did need to polish the frets a bit and I have a thing for rolled edges on the fret board thanks to the phenomenal neck on my 80's Ibanez spoiling me. But that is really a preference thing more than a quality issue.

All in all I've played a few Squiers in the VM and other lines that were kind of dead sounding and meh playing feel and I've played even more that were really good guitars. The Squiers are not the crappy budget axes they used to be. They really are a great little guitar regardless of line. You just have to play a few to find the ONE.

I’ve prob had 200-300 Squier guitars go through my hands,…I’m yet to see the first “bad one” when it comes to the neck/frets and overall construction and fit/finish. The low end of the Squier range have cheap crappy electronics, bridge, and tuners. The higher end of the Squier range like the CV’s need nothing upgraded and usually have more attractive finishes. The Korean Squier guitars had heavy plywood bodies and truly exceptional necks. A recent CV Squier guitar is a better instrument than what I could have bought NEW from Fender when I was a young man.

 

[RLangham98]

I have an Affinity SSS stratocaster and a Paranormal Nashville strat, plus I've played a lot of Affinity and Classic Vibe series teles. Here's my findings.

* Affinity teles feels way cheaper than Affinity strats. Wouldn't personally buy an Aff. tele unless I was going to customize it extensively. Aff. strats are fine, but very thin--thin body, relatively thin neck. The finish on the necks feels thin and cheap, but the fretwork is fine, tuners fine, the neck is comfortable enough, et cetera.

* Paranormal looks and feels way more expensive than Affinity in most ways. The Paranormal Nashville has a glossy, smooth neck that feels expensive, great looking fingerboard with very good fretwork, binding on the body, et cetera. But the tuners are garbage, compared to both Affinity series plain sealed tuners, and CV vintage-style tuners. Feels worse than tuning my Teiscos. Better pickups than Affinity, but the switches and pots are of similar quality and have a reputation for failure.

* CV are often, but not always, real decent, ready-for-primetime little guitars. Thicker, good hardware, decent pickups-- still with the cheapo switches and pots though. I've played a CV and a Fender Standard Made in Indonesia that both came with a jack where the internal tip contact was bent making it was very difficult to plug and unplug. Then again I've also played American instruments from Fender and subsidiaries with such an issue, it happens.

All in all, I like Affinity for the price, more on the strat side than tele side; Paranormal is decent but will remind you that you're playing a fairly cheap guitar from time to time; and CV are somewhat better than "decent," though sometimes with the same issues.

 

[Skyhook]

Classic Vibe Squiers usually deliver the goods.

 

[Guerilla Electro]

You should try to get a used 40th anniversary series or a used Paranormal : The newer CV and paranormal models now have full size pots .

 

[srblue5]

I've been quite impressed with Squiers, especially lately.

I was gifted a Sonic Mustang SS last year and it's a great instrument. I kind of wish it had the Mustang trem and switching, but it's a fun instrument in and of itself. I like it better than the two Jags I've owned but that's more a Mustang vs. Jag design debate rather than a Squier vs. Fender debate. The hardware could use some upgrading, particularly the tuners and especially the buzzy bridge.

Around the time I was gifted the Mustang, I tried out a Sonic Strat in a local store and was highly impressed by it. I kind of wish I had bought it but I already have an MIM Strat and don't really play it much.

I used to sometimes rent Affinity Strats and Teles as backup instruments for bigger gigs about 10 years ago. They were neither awful nor awesome but good basic utilitarian instruments. The pickups on the Strats could get a bit shrill, though.

I bought a Paranormal Offset Tele (with the regular Tele pickups, not the recent SJ model) earlier this year and it's become a favourite instrument of mine (although the tuners are a bit cheap). I also bought a Squier Jazzmaster XII that scratches my 12-string itch (although the pickups are way too hot and could use an upgrade). I'm seriously tempted by the Affinity Thinline Tele too.

Bottom line, the Squiers are generally good instruments to begin with and can be made better with some upgrades if you want. I've gigged my Paranormal Offset Tele and Sonic Mustang 2-3 times each and other than more stable tuners (and a less buzzy bridge on the Mustang), I can't see anything else I'd need to upgrade in the short term to keep it gig-able.

 

[Call Me Al]

I think Paranormal and CV have slightly better QC, but I haven’t found many in the lower tiers that can’t be fixed rather quickly and easily. I usually walk away prefering the lower tier ones but that’s because I just prefer the satin, barely-there finish they put on those (vs the hi gloss they put on higher tiers.)

If you’re adept to tinker and want a bunch of teles anyway buy em all and find out yourself! (Kidding but kinda not.)

 

[hawk620]

Thanks for the great info! Do you know roughly when the Affinity series become of better quality? I only ask because I like to shop used so I'd want to be on the lookout for an example made after a certain year.

Unfortunately I do not. Someone on the Squier Forum may know but a rough guess would be within the past 5 years since a CV Jazz Bass I bought 3 years ago was also built by Cor-Tek. They would have an ICSH letter code before the serial number. That may also be of help to you. Good luck.

 

[Painter644]

The sonic and affinity units actually give Squire a bad reputation. I tried a couple of them years ago and was so turned off by them I never considered ever getting a Squire guitar. A couple years ago I was gonna get a guitar to mod and I liked the idea of the CV 50s pine body tele and I figured I'd just get it and replace everything as long as the neck was okay. As it turned out, the neck was great and everything else was really good, including the pickups. I did eventually replace the pickups only because I needed a guitar to put some custom wound pickups in that I tried in another guitar and really liked. I played it with the originals for a year and even gigged with it for Stones stuff with 5 strings tuned to open G. I'm still amazed at what great guitars they are for the money. I have a pro 2 tele as well and it's not necessarily better, just a little more versatile but for what the CV 50s does it's awesome. I can only assume the rest of the CV line is good too

Yeah, they force one to misspell “Squier” other than that…

 

[zsullivan38]

I recently bought an Affinity Thinline from Fender's website (one of the "special edition" colors which I think just means FSR for Squiers essentially). My intent was to get the cheapest body in a cool finish I could to throw some pickups I had laying around in and then slowly upgrade everything till it was what I wanted. Lastly, I planned to get a custom neck made for it and throw the original neck onto a Frankenstein guitar I built out of other old pickups and a body I had laying around. I figured the neck would suck, because that had been my experience with a Classic Vibe Starcaster I had in the past.

There are minor issues like a strange, uneven wide spot between two of the frets on one side of the neck and less than exact fitment of some parts, but that's what you sign up for buying a budget guitar. The hardware obviously isn't the best ever, but that's all easy to swap, and none of it is a bear to use or anything. All of these issues are fixable with a little time and energy (and a small amount of money if you must have fancier hardware), and none ruined the playing experience at all.

In the end, I did change out the bridge because the original wasn't my jam, and it took a 4 screw G&L ASAT Classic bridge without much fuss (it relocated the bridge pickup a couple millimeters forward, which ended up being too much for the tight routing, so I carved it out a tiny bit with a chisel and was all good). I still think I am going to change the neck, but only because I want to try a V profile and different nut width out. The neck that came on it feels great, and will immediately go on another guitar. It is finished slightly worse overall than the neck on my CV Starcaster mentioned above was, but I liked it way more because it is more to my taste. I learned an important lesson from that: these different Fender and Squier lines pretty much all have decent finishing at this point, so you're probably going to find more issues with a neck not being to your preference than to a usable quality. How much variability is in these necks in terms of thickness and profile, I do not know. But the one I got was a perfect profile for my hand - slightly thick C, 9.5", medium jumbo frets.

If I had posted on here about it before buying the guitar, everyone would've probably told me that that bridge swap wouldn't have worked. I believe the prevailing belief is that the cheap Squiers use 3 screw bridges? That might be the case for most, but just like the necks, I think it varies by series and year. It seems like they throw whatever they have around at that factory at the time on these guitars.

I would assume that the lower in the line you go, the higher the chance is that you get a lemon with something inexplicably "wrong" feeling or sounding. Worst case scenario, that's probably fixable with a new neck, though.

I also have a Paranormal Supersonic, but that's sort of an odd bird. I don't get on with the narrow tall frets, but the rest of the neck feels okay enough that I can put up with them. Quality-wise, it's the same story. Little bit better fit and finish overall than the Affinity, but there are still issues with it that fit the price point. I think almost all of these lines are the luck of the draw, but these days the odds are in your favor.

The moral of the story is that if you plan on playing a guitar as-is out of the box, buy something that meets your specs for what kind of neck you like. It's so much harder/more expensive to change that than anything else, and it's the first thing you'll notice doesn't feel right if there's an issue. And then just hope you get lucky and the guy sanding necks in Indonesia that day was making them as thin or as thick as you prefer.

 

[Midnight Wine]

I also bought a Squier Jazzmaster XII that scratches my 12-string itch (although the pickups are way too hot and could use an upgrade). I'm seriously tempted by the Affinity Thinline Tele too.

Despite Fender claiming "Fender-designed Alnico pickups" on their website, I popped mine open and found superhot (like 11k neck/13k bridge) ceramic "Jazzmaster" pickups in there. They're the same ones as the Affinity, and likely the same bodies too (because of the routing). I don't think Fender is aware of this issue—because a 13k ceramic pickup in a 12-string sounds ****ING TERRIBLE and I don't think they'd make that guitar on purpose.

I replaced them with some Bootstrap Lake Surfers. Incredible upgrade for $50, but I screwed something up because it has grounding issues—haven't gotten around to fixing because 12 strings and like 22 screws are annoying to take off for a quick fix.

Likewise, my new Limited Edition Classic Vibe CV60's SH Tele is listed as poplar. When I took the neck off, it was clearly okoume or nyatoh or another mahogany-like cheap wood. They're definitely using that body for some other model, though.

Both great guitars, but Fender doesn't always know what's going on in its Squier supply chain. Point being, a lot of the voodoo around the Affinity/CV/Paranormal differences aren't super relevant to Fender if they are using bodies/pickups/etc interchangeably between different lines, particularly on niche or limited-run models and colors.

The Affinity line got its big upgrade 5 years or so ago—the tells of whether you're looking at a "before" or "after" Affinity are essentially whether it says "Affinity" on the headstock ("before") or does not, has a gloss-finished headstock, and uses the 70's Fender font for model names ("after"). The Affinity guitars today are great.

Sonics are where the real interesting stuff starts. The further down the chain you go, the less interchangeable parts you find. So on Sonics, they're toploading bridges, but they're a different screw pattern than anything else out there, so you can't slap a new bridge on them without drilling. They have the ceramic pickups you'd expect, but they aren't bad.

But they also have bigtime neck variance—some Sonics have skunk stripes, some don't, implying entirely different construction from facility to facility. On the whole, I don't think I've played a downright bad one (owned two, played probably 5 more) but they do give you more traditional cheap guitar stuff to deal with—more likely to find sharp fret ends or misaligned neck screws on them than on "higher-end" Squier models.

When you get down to the dirt-cheap Amazon-exclusive Debut line, you're looking at something that is 100% outsourced and shares 0 parts in common with other Squier models.

I've had one bad Squier purchase of the 10 or so I've bought (and mostly sold or donated) in the past couple years—a 50th anniversary Strat where ALL of the frets were unseated and sticking up. That was an online purchase that went right back in the mail. Otherwise, they've varied from "great for the price" to "better than my MIM guitars."

 

[Andyfreddy]

I got a brand new 2023 Affinity in 2023. I looked at it and the classic vibe, but chose the affinity because I did not like the glossy neck on the CV.

I have done several mods, each to address a specific issue, but from the beginning I liked the neck and the body feel. After the steps below, I love it and it is a great sounding and playing versatile guitar. (It is my only Electric guitar, and ai have zero plans to buy another one…I play more Bass and acoustic, but am now fully set up to play electric when the need arises).

-new Tonerider pickups to replace a muddy neck pickup and and Ice-pick bridge pickup.
-triple string tree to address a weird G string vibration.
-shielding with copper tape really made it quiet.
-4 way switch for an in-series tone.
-brass roller bridges just as a preference.

I kept the stock tuners, and I can go a week playing it every day without tuning it if the humidity doesn’t change.

(Pic for interest)