Squier Classic Vibe 50’s vs 60’s vs 70’s: The Differences Explained

The Squier Classic Vibe Series has been a huge success. Across a whole range of types of guitars, from Stratocasters and Telecasters to Jaguars and Jazzmasters, you get high quality instrument for an affordable price.

In fact you’d be hard pressed to find a better entry level guitar. It’s why they’re a great choice for beginners but also a solid option for more advanced players and even those gigging.

But the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s Classic Vibe labels can be a bit confusing. What’s the difference between each of them and which is the right choice for you.

Let’s take a look at how they all compare, what the differences are and how that affects the way they sound and play.

What are Differences Between the Squier Classic Vibe 50’s vs 60’s vs 70’s

The main differences between the Squier Classic Vibe 50’s vs 60’s vs 70’s are the body wood, fretboard material, headstock shapes, pickup configurations, pickguards and color finishes. The number of frets, neck shape, neck wood, fretboard radius, scale length and nut are all the same across the range of Classic Vibe guitars.

Essentially a lot of the differences are purely cosmetic and how the guitar looks. The different years are meant to reflect how Fender guitars both looked and sounded at those points in time.

So the 50’s Classic Vibes have maple fretboards and finishes that were popular in the 50’s. 60’s have rosewood and Indian Laurel fretboards, finishes from that period and the original Fender headstock and logo. The 70’s was the post-CBS period for Fender so you get the bigger headstock with larger logo, block inlays and both maple and rosewood fretboards.

The finish, pickguard and headstock shape won’t have any impact on how they sound or how they play though, just what they look like.

The body wood and fretboard wood will have subtle affects on tone and playability but it will be minimal. And even that is debatable!

The major difference is the pickup configuration. The pickups play a big role in how the guitar sounds so having humbuckers or single coils will affect the tone and sound the guitar produces.

The fact you can get a Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster with humbuckers or single coil pickups is going to influence what they sound like more than anything else.

Classic Vibe Models and Years

Confusingly the Classic Vibe Series has the 3 different decades – 50’s, 60’s and 70’s – but not every type of guitar is available for each of those decades. For example you can get Classic Vibe 60’s and 70’s Thinline Telecaster but not a 50’s version.

So if you’re not sure which model is available in which year here’s a breakdown of them all:

Model	50’s	60’s	70’s
Stratocaster	Yes	Yes	Yes
Telecaster	Yes	Yes	Yes
Thinline Telecaster	No	Yes	Yes
Jazzmaster	No	No	Yes
Jaguar	No	Yes	No
Mustang	No	Yes	No

Why the Different Years?

The whole point of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s versions is that each of those should reflect the look and sound of that era. So the guitar would have the finish, hardware and parts that are correct for that era.

The 50’s models have details and hardware that was from that time, and the same for the 60’s and 70’s versions. The pickups are vintage voiced and the hardware traditional for that period.

Squier Classic Vibe Stratocasters

The 50’s, 60’s and 70’s Squier Classic Vibe Stratocasters have a few main differences: the body wood, fretboard wood, headstock shape and finishes, with the 70’s version being the only one of the three to come in an HSS pickup configuration (as well as SSS).

Differences

• Body wood: the 50’s version has a pine or nyatoh (nato) body, the 60’s version has a nyatoh body and the 70’s version has either a soft maple or poplar body.
• Fretboard wood: the 50’s version has a maple fretboard, the 60’s version an Indian Laurel or rosewood fretboard and the 70’s version has either maple or Indian Laurel, depending on the pickup configuration (HSS or SSS).
• Headstock: the 70’s version has a much larger headstock.
• Inlays: the 50’s version has black dot inlays, the 60’s version has white dot inlays and the 70’s version has either black or white dot inlays depending on the pickup configuration (HSS or SSS).
• Left Handed:You can’t get a left handed model of the 50’s Stratocaster, only the 60’s and 70’s versions have left handed models.

How Do Those Differences Affect Sound and Playability

In the case of the Classic Vibe Stratocasters the differences across the 3 decade options makes very little difference to how they sound and play. Most of the differences are cosmetic and so which you get would depend entirely on which you like the look of most.

One area of difference is the fretboard. Maple fretboards have a glossy finish whereas Indian Laurel can be quite dry. But the Indian Laurel fretboard can have a rolled edge to it and a maple fretboard won’t. This will make a minor difference to how they feel when you hold and play them.

But as all 3 versions have the same neck shapes, fretboard radius, scale length and same Fender Designed Alnico pickups they will sound the same and feel very similar to play.

The 70’s HSS version (humbucker, single coil and single coil) will have a thicker sound due to the humbucker pickuo at the bridge.

Squier Classic Vibe Telecasters

Like the Stratocasters the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s Classic Vibe Telecasters have different body wood, fretboard wood, pickguard, pickup configurations and finishes. Again like the range of Classic Vibe Strats the 70’s Tele is the only one to have different pickup configuration options – SH and HH. The 70’s model doesn’t have an SS configuration at all whereas the 50’s and 60’s only come in SS options.

Differences

• Body wood: the 50’s version has a pine body, the 60’s version has a nyatoh body and the 70’s version has a poplar body.
• Fretboard wood: the 50’s version has a maple fretboard, the 60’s version an Indian Laurel or rosewood fretboard and the 70’s version has either maple or Indian Laurel, depending on the pickup configuration.
• Pickguard: the 70’s CV Tele has a much larger pick guard that covers a big portion of the body. The 50’s and 60’s version both have the traditional Telecaster pickguards.
• Pickup Configurations: The 70’s Classic Vibe Telecaster comes in two different versions – the Deluxe and Custom. These are the two that have different pickup configurations; Deluxe HH and Custom SH. The 50’s and 60’s are only SS configurations.
• Left Handed: The 50’s Classic Vibe Telecaster is the only one to offer a left handed version. If you’re a southpaw and want a 60’s or 70’s version you’re out of luck.

How Do Those Differences Affect Sound and Playability

The pickup configurations are once again the big differences in the versions. The pickups themselves are the same, either Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coils or Fender Designed Wide-Range Humbuckers.

Depending on whether you want the snappy twang of a single coil, the thick, full sound of humbuckers or a mix of the two will play a big part in which you choose.

Apart from these the other differences are largely cosmetic.

The pickguards, fretboard woods and body woods will have little to no effect on tone and how they play. And as all 3 versions have the same neck shapes, fretboard radius, scale length, nut width etc. they will feel very similar.

Squier Classic Vibe Thinline Telecasters

There are 2 Squier Classic Vibe Thinline Telecasters, the 60’s and 70’s versions (no 50’s). The differences are minimal:

Differences

• Body wood: the 60’s version has a nato (nytaoh) body and the 70’s version has a soft maple body.

Pickup Configurations: the 60’s comes in an SS configuration only and the 70’s an HH configuration.

How Do Those Differences Affect Sound and Playability

As there’s very little difference it once again comes down to the pickups. Having one with an SS configuration and the other HH means you have a direct choice between only single coils or only humbuckers.

If you want the classic Telecaster twang then the SS 60’s version is the way to go. The 70’s dual humbuckers will favor a thicker, full and potentially heavier sound.

Squier Classic Vibe Jazzmaster

You can only get a Squier Classic Vibe 60’s Jazzmaster, not a 50’s or 70’s. So we can’t compare it to the the other models as there aren’t any.

It only comes in an SS configuration and a few different finishes.

Compared to the Classic Vibe Stratocasters and Telecasters the major differences are the vintage-style tremolo with floating bridge and the traditional Jazzmaster controls and pickup selectors. The body wood is poplar, fretboard wood Indian Laurel and the neck shape, scale length, fretboard radius, number of frets and nut width are all the same as the Classic Vibe Strat’s and Tele’s.

Squier Classic Vibe Jaguar

You can only get a Squier Classic Vibe 70’s Jaguar, not a 50’s or 60’s.

Edit: there is an FSR (Fender Special Run) 60’s Classic Vibe Jaguar. Only 500 were available in Europe, I’m not sure about the rest of the world.

The Jaguar only comes in an SS configuration and a few different finishes.

It does have some noticeable differences to the other Classic Vibe models. It’s a shorter scale guitar for starters – 24″ compared to the Strat, Tele and Jazzmaster at 25.5″. The scale length being the distance between the nut and the bridge.

The Jaguar also has 22 frets instead of 21 frets that the other Classic Vibe guitars have. It has the same bridge and tremolo as the Jazzmaster and similar pickup switches and controls.

How Do Those Differences Affect Sound and Playability

The shorter scale length of the Classic Vibe Jaguar will be noticeably different to play. A shorter scale length means less tension in the strings which makes them a bit more ‘wobbly’ and loose feeling.

Some people compensate for this by using heavier gauge strings. But you certainly don’t have to.

Shorter scale length guitars are usually easier to play as well, especially for those with small hands/short fingers. They have smaller necks and the frets are closer together so the stretch you have to make for chords is simpler.

You lose a bit of snap and brightness with shorter scale guitars because of the loose strings.

Squier Classic Vibe Mustang

There is only a Squier Classic Vibe 60’s Mustang, not a 50’s or 70’s.

The Classic Vibe Mustang is a smaller guitar than the other Classic Vibes. It also only comes in an SS configuration.

The short scale length, like the Jaguar, gives it a different feel and sound. The CV Mustang also has a traditional vintage-style tremolo with floating bridge.

Which is Right for you?

The first thing I would recommend is always do your best to try before you buy. I know sometimes it isn’t that easy but I firmly believe it’s better to have actually held and felt the guitar you’re going to buy first.

As for which Squier Classic Vibe to go for, that depends. The Stratocaster is going to be the most popular and is a classic for a reason.

All three of the CV Strat versions are good options and will do a great job for a whole range of styles. Rock, pop, blues, funk, jazz and so on – a Strat won’t let you down.

I’m a Telecaster sort of guy myself and so would probably be looking at one of the Thinlines. The 70’s Thinline stands out the most to me in terms of both looks and sound. I love the Tele twang and Teles can do anything.

If small hands and short fingers are a major worry for you then definitely look at the Mustang or Jaguar. Short scale guitars aren’t for everyone and come with their own unique characteristics that might be an issue later on. But they’re still very cool, sound great and with their smaller body and necks they are very appealing.

The Jazzmaster is an interesting choice because an awful lot of proper Fender Jazzmasters are really expensive. So if you have your heart set on one then the Classic Vibe is probably the best and most affordable way in.

Which are the Best – 50’s, 60’s or 70’s?

There isn’t really a right answer to this because the main differences are cosmetic. So its going to come down to the one that you like the look of the most.

For me it the 60’s Thinline Tele. It’s look amazing, the semi hollow body gives it a nice resonance and sustain and I just love Telecasters!

But 50’s vs 60’s vs 70’s comparison isn’t about tone or playability. The 50’s Strat will feel and sound like the 60’s or 70’s.

So it’s how they look and what sort of model you want. Tele vs Strat, Jaguar Vs Mustang etc.

And that’s going to be what sort of music you intend to play, whether you want a shorter scale length etc.

Whichever you choose though the Classic Vibe Series are a brilliant range of guitars and you won’t be disappointed.