Current Prices for Squier Classic Vibes

[Killing Floor]

There's been a lot of talk about a global pandemic straining supply chains in every industry combined with 18 months of pent up consumer demand.

Nah, probably just a random price hike to stick it to bass players.

 

[C Stone]

I have noticed the new prices seem to now be reflecting the some used market asking prices for the CV line, the "Crafted in China" CV's are of course fetching even more.

Seems a little crazy since I spent $250 on my last Chinese CV and all my other 60's/70's (Indo) CV's were all under the $200 mark. Glad I got in early, but sheesh!

 

[ColdEye]

It's crazy. They know people have "too much" disposable income so they raise prices. Strike while the iron is hot. Even GC's used selections. Gone are the days of $200-$250 pro juniors, but I did manage to get a MIM standard jazz bass for $250.

 

[andare]

TL;DR: My experience is that Squier is killing it right now. Fender Mexico isn't. Sucks about the price hikes but my next purchase will be a Squier.

The long version:

Every Indonesian CV I've played in the last two years has been great. Good fretwork (nice bevels and no sharp edges) and rolled fretboard edges. I don't see, feel or hear any difference with the Chinese CVs I've tried but I never had both at the same time to do a fair comparison.

Every MIM Fender I've played or owned has had sharp fretboard edges and unfinished frets (almost no bevel and a lot of sharp edges). I'm talking multiple basses and guitars in shops and instruments owned by friends and me.

Between November and December 2020 I bought a brand new Fender Player Precision, a Squier Mini P and a shell pink Bronco. They were all shipped from a hot country to cold ass Poland in the driest days of winter and only the Fender had fret sprout and sharp edges. In January I bought an MIM Vintera Precision, same issues plus others. Sent it back. In April I bought a Vintera neck from the Stratosphere. You guessed it: fret sprout and sharp fret edges. Also a noticeable ski jump so the last few frets all buzz. My Squier necks are super straight.

The Fenders also have slightly misaligned bridges so I have to loosen the bolts, tilt the neck and tighten the bolts again to have the strings be equidistant from the fretboard edges.

So either I have bad luck or Fender's QC is severely lacking these days.

Used Fenders from better years are of course as expensive as new ones if not more.
I'd rather take my chances with Squier and fix any small issues myself. They're still cheap enough to justify it for me.

Sorry for the wall of text

 

[P Cheen]

TL;DR: My experience is that Squier is killing it right now. Fender Mexico isn't. Sucks about the price hikes but my next purchase will be a Squier.

The long version:

Every Indonesian CV I've played in the last two years has been great. Good fretwork (nice bevels and no sharp edges) and rolled fretboard edges. I don't see, feel or hear any difference with the Chinese CVs I've tried but I never had both at the same time to do a fair comparison.

Every MIM Fender I've played or owned has had sharp fretboard edges and unfinished frets (almost no bevel and a lot of sharp edges). I'm talking multiple basses and guitars in shops and instruments owned by friends and me.

Between November and December 2020 I bought a brand new Fender Player Precision, a Squier Mini P and a shell pink Bronco. They were all shipped from a hot country to cold ass Poland in the driest days of winter and only the Fender had fret sprout and sharp edges. In January I bought an MIM Vintera Precision, same issues plus others. Sent it back. In April I bought a Vintera neck from the Stratosphere. You guessed it: fret sprout and sharp fret edges. Also a noticeable ski jump so the last few frets all buzz. My Squier necks are super straight.

The Fenders also have slightly misaligned bridges so I have to loosen the bolts, tilt the neck and tighten the bolts again to have the strings be equidistant from the fretboard edges.

So either I have bad luck or Fender's QC is severely lacking these days.

Used Fenders from better years are of course as expensive as new ones if not more.
I'd rather take my chances with Squier and fix any small issues myself. They're still cheap enough to justify it for me.

Sorry for the wall of text

We share the exact sentiments. I love that Squier is focusing where it matters a lot: necks and frets.
I was in a frenzy buy-and-most-likely-sell phase from 2018 to a few months ago and I've owned most that Fender has to offer: from the American Pro to the Squier Affinity. I don't think it's a coincidence that only the American, Indonesian, and Chinese ones had necks I properly enjoyed. I did enjoy the Player Series, but the edges were not rolled at all as opposed to my Squier Paranormal Jazz, CV60s Precision, and Affinity Jag H.

 

[andare]

We share the exact sentiments. I love that Squier is focusing where it matters a lot: necks and frets.
I was in a frenzy buy-and-most-likely-sell phase from 2018 to a few months ago and I've owned most that Fender has to offer: from the American Pro to the Squier Affinity. I don't think it's a coincidence that only the American, Indonesian, and Chinese ones had necks I properly enjoyed. I did enjoy the Player Series, but the edges were not rolled at all as opposed to my Squier Paranormal Jazz, CV60s Precision, and Affinity Jag H.

Malicious me thinks Fender purposely cripples Mexican necks so people buy its expensive American instruments.
Squier on the other hand is only competing against itself.

 

[Leonid Nidis]

I played some recently...
It used to be vintage modified and classic vibe were superior to affinity.
Now I am not feeling it,I would get an affinity.

BTW I even if it's the end of the world there is no way the MIM Mediocare fenders should cost what they do.

Buy used,wait for a deal and stay out of this pricing frenzy.

 

[user362432]

I don't have numbers to support. But, based on posts here and info from the friends, i have sense that the best Squier days are behind us. Yes, in last 10-15 years the only real profit Fender earned from Squier brand and partially from MiM Fender.
With their price manipulation, they went beyond their category competition, something Gibson was known for.
With these latest increase, they will just boost Sire, Yamaha and similar SUPERIOR built instrument sales.

Manipulations on the market worldwide are more than visible, not just about instruments, the topic goes above this board level discussion.

Personally, I have all I need from Fender - 1 MiJ P and 2 VM Suiers (Indonesia), when they had a great pickups and were bellow $300, plus one gig bag and case for MiJ P.
There is a possibility, I will get another FSO from Sire in the near future, not the Fender owned brand.
Let them die gracefully.

 

[TreySonagras]

Everything. Costs. More.

 

[Rick_Bass]

Globalism

 

[ahbradot]

Fender has been enjoying some recent good fortune.
"Fender, for starters, is experiencing a record sales year, with FMIC chief executive Andy Mooney stating that 2020"will be the biggest year of sales volume in Fender history, record days of double-digit growth, e-commerce sales and beginner gear sales."

 

[lbbc]

My preference....buy a G&L Tribute for just a few more bucks.

 

[GravyGoodness]

Malicious me thinks Fender purposely cripples Mexican necks so people buy its expensive American instruments./QUOTE]

Arguably, I might not have as much experience with MIM necks as you, but the one I have now is the BEST neck I've ever played, short of the 2006 Highway 1 that I sorely miss.

I think a lot of it is that they are the "premium" Squire line that punches high above it's price bracket, and has for quite some time. They were a well kept secret for years but the word is out.

Plus supply chain, labor and inflation has to play a part in it.

But they are so daggone good that I know several pro players with boutique basses that own these Squiers and love them.

They're good, end of story. We got away with "stealing" them for years.

 

[ClusterFlux]

I was perusing the Sweetwater ads and came across the current prices for Squier Classic Vibe basses, and I think they've lost their minds. These were $300 for the longest time and only started to creep up to the $350 mark not that long ago. I must have fallen asleep because I don't know how they're going for nearly $500 now.

They're going for $500 because...

• People are buying them like mad, even though they're $500
• The pandemic is still driving up costs (mostly because of the cost of shipping containers)
• Everyone is raising their prices, so it's not like Fender is giving competitors a huge advantage

As to the instruments themselves, I bought two CVs this year, and I'm impressed. They sound and feel great, and quality is pretty good. I can say that to me, they're worth $500 regardless of what they used to cost, though YMMV.

 

[Basslice]

They realized they were under-priced for the quality point they were hitting and that people took notice and were buying them up.

Nothing wrong with making money. They are not a charity.

 

[P-Belly Evans]

I have noticed the new prices seem to now be reflecting the some used market asking prices for the CV line, the "Crafted in China" CV's are of course fetching even more.

Seems a little crazy since I spent $250 on my last Chinese CV and all my other 60's/70's (Indo) CV's were all under the $200 mark. Glad I got in early, but sheesh!

My 2017 Chinese classic vibe 70s precision is probably the only thing I would buy willingly from China ever again - if that was possible. It is that good.

 

[Justinian]

I was perusing the Sweetwater ads and came across the current prices for Squier Classic Vibe basses, and I think they've lost their minds. These were $300 for the longest time and only started to creep up to the $350 mark not that long ago. I must have fallen asleep because I don't know how they're going for nearly $500 now.


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IMO there are some absolute gems in the first classic vibe run, though I've honestly only ever handled my own 50s P.

Mine, and I'm sure many others, feels like an old Fender!

I will be honest, I had no idea that they were this great.

I'd pay $500 if they still made them like that.

You have to admit, it made Classic Vibe a household name, but IMO they haven't lived up to the China first run basses.

 

[Dominic D]

We're going through major inflations across the board right now. This shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[felis]

Taking bets on whether prices will go back down when extended unemployment benefits and the 'have more kids and we'll give you more free money' insanity ends.

 

[Wilmingtonian]

Taking bets on whether prices will go back down when extended unemployment benefits and the 'have more kids and we'll give you more free money' insanity ends.

The millionaires who usually get the sort of tax breaks that some people don't like because the unwashed are now getting them won't be buying Squiers. So, we'll see.