Ungd...

[duhvoodooman***]

...i.e. Unexpected New Guitar Day.

I mentioned elsewhere here that I really liked the looks of the new Squier Classic Vibe Tele Custom model and wanted to try one out. So I e-mailed a couple of the local guitar shops (not GC!) last week and asked if they had one in stock. No luck with either, but they both said they'd let me know if they got one in.

Well, this morning I get an e-mail from one of them, saying that they just had one come in, so I drove up there during lunch to try it out. I told the young fellow that was helping me that I wanted to play it side-by-side with the CV 50's model, to hear the difference. So he grabs a CV 50's off the wall, which happens to be a used one marked $230. I played 'em both through a Princeton Reverb, and while both played great, I really preferred the sound of the 50's model. The Custom was brighter & spankier sounding--must be the Alnico 5's in that model. Great country chicken pickin' tone, but that's not my cup o' tea. I thought the 50's model with the Alnico 3's had a warmer & richer tone, but still very much a Tele. Didn't go up there looking for a used instrument, but I started looking the guitar over more closely and found it was really in great shape. Couldn't see paying $100 more for a new one, so I bought it! Got it out in the car right now. Funny how things work out sometimes.

Now I REALLY need to sell that Xaviere XV820....

[Katastrophe]

Pics!

Congrats, DVM! GAS can strike rather unexpectedly, eh?

[Spudman***]

Awesome! That's a great price. Thanks for telling what the difference was between the two. I was curious myself but we don't have any stores around here to try anything.

Now where are the pictures?

[duhvoodooman***]

Now where are the pictures?

It looks just like this:



I kill me....

Seriously, I like the looks of the one I bought much better than the one I'd played in GC a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure how long it had been on display there under the bright lights, but it was distinctly yellowed and I didn't find it very attractive. This one is much whiter....

[M29]

Still in the car eh. Hmm...must be sneakin it in later when it gets dark... Ha just jokin, it looks great I love the color combo with the maple neck. Sweet

[Duffy]

Sounds like a great guitar. I'm surprised you liked it more than the custom with the double binding on the antique burst body. Tone is where it's at, feel and playability.

I will have to try out one of those pinecasters. They don't have any near me but they have a bunch of Squiers, just not CV's at this time. I played a 60's strat that I really liked and having a 50's didn't detract from its great sound.

That Xavier tele looks cool but I can't appreciate those tasteless looking headstocks. Why are these companies putting on these knife blade looking headstocks on all these nice guitars? Rondo is doing the same thing to the strats and teles.

Peavey did an absolutely great job of designing a great looking alternative headstock for the Peavey Generation EX teles. Why are these other mfg's using such tasteless looking headstocks that detract so much from the looks of otherwise great looking guitars?

Glad you are happy with the white pinecaster. The brass barrel bridge pieces stand right out. A lot of people prefer the three piece ones over the six piece ones.

Congratulations.

[tjcurtin1]

Thanks, DVM. I have been more drawn to that beautiful looking custom, but the way you describe the sound of the 50's suits the kind of tone that I am looking for as well. Of course, there is no way that I should even be talking about or thinking about another guitar - it is absolutely ridiculous if I think about it (which is undoubtedly why I so resist doing so!)

[MAXIFUNK]

@DVM

The owner of my favorite local music store also decided on the CV 50's over the CV Custom as well. He puts some 10's on it and absolutely loves it and has been recording with lately. I heard a few tracks and I must admit it sounds damn good to say the least.

If I was buying a another CV I would get 50's Strat then the CV 50's Tele then the Tele custom since I already have the CV 's ThinLine. I just happen to prefer the CV's maple necks more than the CV's rosewood necks just personal preference.

I am sure you have keeper Congrats

[ZMAN]

A month ago I dropped into a Ma and Pa while visiting my daughter in Maine.
They had two of the Pine casters. They were both excellent, but at 350 just too expensive. I already own the CV 50 Tele Custom. I really like that guitar. I am also a big fan of the maple boards but the rosewood board sure feels nice. As far as the tone goes, I have A3s in my 50s Strat but I really like the A5s in the Custom, and probably the nicest looking tele I have seen yet. It had crossed my mine to buy the Pinecaster and swap necks. Maybe still a plan down the road!

[duhvoodooman***]

I'm surprised you liked it more than the custom with the double binding on the antique burst body. Tone is where it's at, feel and playability.

Believe me, I wanted to like the Custom better! I certainly preferred its looks--with the binding, 3TSB finish, pale mint-colored pickguard and rosewood neck, it's a beautiful guitar. Appearance-wise, I think it has it all over the pinecaster. But I wasn't buying it to hang on the wall! Playability was very comparable between the two, but the tone of that 50s model just spoke to me....

[tremoloman***]

It looks just like this:



I kill me....

Seriously, I like the looks of the one I bought much better than the one I'd played in GC a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure how long it had been on display there under the bright lights, but it was distinctly yellowed and I didn't find it very attractive. This one is much whiter....

Nice axe DVM! Now I wanna HEAR it!

[Jimi75]

May the Twang be with you

Congratz!

[bigG]

Very cool, DVM! Pro'lly the only tele you'll ever need. What a bargain!

[Robert****]

I want one too. I played one with bcdon in Vancouver, and it was terrific. Sounds good with gain too. Must be some great pickups in this thing.

[duhvoodooman***]

Must be some great pickups in this thing.

Apparently they are made for Squier by Tonerider, in the same factory in China where the CV's are produced. They appear to be a little less hot version of the Tonerider TRT2 Hot Classics Alnico III set. Pickup resistances are about 8.6K (B) and 6.9K (N) for the set in my CV 50's (almost identical to those in Tone2theBone's CV), while the TRT2's are listed at 9.1K/7.2K. The description listed by Tonerider for the TRT2 set nails the CV 50's pickups as well:

"Hot Classics have a stronger midrange, thicker bass response and a raunchy upper register. The Alnico III magnets offer great note separation, even for chord work using boost and overdrive pedals."

[Tone2TheBone]

Best guitar for the money and best Telecaster! It smokes!

[Brian Krashpad]

Congrats!

That white-blond looks great.

Looking forward to actual pics.

[duhvoodooman***]

I picked up a Fender CS 4-way pickup switch HERE on eBay for $16.45 delivered and installed it last night. This is wired to give the bridge & neck pickups in series in the 4th switch position, for a fuller, fatter sound than the B & N in parallel, which is the middle position of the 3-way switch in modern Teles. I've done this before on a Tele using a push-pull pot, but this is a better way to do it, I think. The switch comes with installation instructions and a detailed wiring diagram, so it's very straightforward. Nice additional tone for your Tele--thicker and meatier, but still definitely "all Tele" in its basic character. And because the two pickups in the CV are wired with opposite polarity and winding direction (RP/RW), the series combo, like the parallel one, is hum-cancelling.

One additional thing that is required for this mod to work properly is to clip the jumper between the pickup's ground wire and the metal pickup cover, and then run a separate ground wire for the cover. This is because the series switching would leave the pickup cover ungrounded and can lead to noise/hum.

[MAXIFUNK]

@DVH Do you think it would be a good mood for my CV Tele Thinline?