Is the Squier VM Mustang worth the Â£255 you pay for it?

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:03 pm

paul_ wrote:
Sobriquet wrote:
Does this do Pac Man or Asteroids?

ZombieLloyd · Post by **ZombieLloyd** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:13 am

othomas2 wrote:If you feel the mustang itself is a good option for you then I wouldn't hesitate.

One thing I was really concerned about these were the quality of the fretwork and sharp edges. Turns out that's probably one of the best parts about it. It has a chunkier neck which you may or may not like. I don't usually, but it feels good.

My biggest hates have been the bridge, and I didn't have enough patience to tinker with the tremolo.... so I swapped these out, flipped the tremolo, along with a pickup swap. Quite unintentionally Kurty.

BUT remember, this'll all add up the expenses.

When I got it there were some grounding issues which I resolved myself... so if there's more that one compare them to find a quiet one.

Ultimately though you should try and play one somewhere... to see if YOU like it. Some reports of bad neck pockets, spots in the paint work, bad fitting. But like any guitar, you get good and bad ones.

Mine plays as well as my Japanese Jag now, which I've spent years tinkering with.

The original pickups are pretty hot. A member here measured the bridge p/up at around 12k which is crazy, so you might find they work for you just fine.

I'm pleased with mine, and don't envisage selling it. Really having lots of fun with it, which I've failed to do with more expensive and custom built guitars.

One final thing. Did the guitar sound thin at all distorted? Did you change the bridge pup for this reason?

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 12:24 pm

from my experience with mustangs, the combination of the bridge and the pups, is that most sound a little thin in the bridge. The mustang's neck pups though are magic.

ZombieLloyd · Post by **ZombieLloyd** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 2:07 pm

SKC Willie wrote:from my experience with mustangs, the combination of the bridge and the pups, is that most sound a little thin in the bridge. The mustang's neck pups though are magic.

ah ok thanks

Spitfire7 · Post by **Spitfire7** » Sat Sep 29, 2012 10:40 pm

To me no its not. If you just want a cool looking kick around guitar than maybe, but if you are a connoisseur than I would get the real deal. I haven't played the mustang but I did play the Jag and Jazz Squire VM and there was a definite difference in feel and quality. This is coming from the standpoint of me being a connoisseur.

George · Post by **George** » Sat Sep 29, 2012 10:44 pm

Spitfire7 wrote:To me no its not. If you just want a cool looking kick around guitar than maybe, but if you are a connoisseur than I would get the real deal. I haven't played the mustang but I did play the Jag and Jazz Squire VM and there was a definite difference in feel and quality. This is coming from the standpoint of me being a connoisseur.

Have you tried the Select series? What are your thoughts?

Spitfire7 · Post by **Spitfire7** » Sat Sep 29, 2012 10:50 pm

George wrote:
Spitfire7 wrote:To me no its not. If you just want a cool looking kick around guitar than maybe, but if you are a connoisseur than I would get the real deal. I haven't played the mustang but I did play the Jag and Jazz Squire VM and there was a definite difference in feel and quality. This is coming from the standpoint of me being a connoisseur.
Have you tried the Select series? What are your thoughts?

I have not, enlighten me. What is the select series?

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Sep 29, 2012 11:08 pm

The Fender Select Series.

That picture is hilarious, talk about living the dream

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sat Sep 29, 2012 11:14 pm

Spitfire7 wrote:I haven't played the mustang but I did play the Jag and Jazz Squire VM and there was a definite difference in feel and quality. This is coming from the standpoint of me being a connoisseur.

Difference in feel and quality to what? I played a squier jag last Sunday back to back with two vintage ones (one of which is my own that I love dearly, the other was the guitar that made me want a jag in the first place) and thought it was absolutely great.

Spitfire7 · Post by **Spitfire7** » Sat Sep 29, 2012 11:34 pm

stewart wrote:
Spitfire7 wrote:I haven't played the mustang but I did play the Jag and Jazz Squire VM and there was a definite difference in feel and quality. This is coming from the standpoint of me being a connoisseur.
Difference in feel and quality to what? I played a squier jag last Sunday back to back with two vintage ones (one of which is my own that I love dearly, the other was the guitar that made me want a jag in the first place) and thought it was absolutely great.

Are you honestly saying a Squire VM Jag is just as good in every way to an original vintage 60's Jaguar? Oh come on, there is an obvious difference from a real 1966 Jaguar or even a AVRI 62 compared to a Squire Jag. You dont see it? The wood, the weight, the neck, the bridge, the hardware, the pickguard come on. The sound even to me sounded a little off. I know people have had many of these same complaints but with a few tweaks you can get yourself a decent guitar out of the Squire Jag, still not exact to an original Jag though. To me I rather have the 65 American Vintage or a 62 AVRI. Theres no point in arguing all this again, its been going on long enough. If you want to argue this, join the club over here.
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... =6&t=56657

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 8:42 am

These are introductory models, no one expects them to be as good as vintage but as it happens some people like the way they feel and sound.
I think all this VM stuff is great value for the money. There may be the odd thing that needs modding but isn't there on all the models? I dont remember seeing a vintage Jag that didn't have a Mustang bridge on it and now people are slapping Mastery's on everything.
Japanese models need pup upgrades, in fact, to my ears the Squier pups sound better.

George · Post by **George** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 9:42 am

Spitfire7 wrote:
stewart wrote:
Spitfire7 wrote:I haven't played the mustang but I did play the Jag and Jazz Squire VM and there was a definite difference in feel and quality. This is coming from the standpoint of me being a connoisseur.
Difference in feel and quality to what? I played a squier jag last Sunday back to back with two vintage ones (one of which is my own that I love dearly, the other was the guitar that made me want a jag in the first place) and thought it was absolutely great.
Are you honestly saying a Squire VM Jag is just as good in every way to an original vintage 60's Jaguar? Oh come on, there is an obvious difference from a real 1966 Jaguar or even a AVRI 62 compared to a Squire Jag. You dont see it? The wood, the weight, the neck, the bridge, the hardware, the pickguard come on. The sound even to me sounded a little off. I know people have had many of these same complaints but with a few tweaks you can get yourself a decent guitar out of the Squire Jag, still not exact to an original Jag though. To me I rather have the 65 American Vintage or a 62 AVRI. Theres no point in arguing all this again, its been going on long enough. If you want to argue this, join the club over here.
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... =6&t=56657

The thread is titled "Is the Squier VM Mustang worth the Â£255 you pay for it?". "Is the Squier VM series worth the same as a vintage/AVRI/Vintage 65?" is a different argument.

Stewart happened to play two vintage Jags alongside a Squier and it held its own. Stew's also owned lots of Vintage Fender, is he any less of a connoisseur? Why should that offend people anyway? The Classic Vibe series is an amazing feat for Squier, and the VM series is just slightly behind it in terms of features.

Getting onto the actual features... people might even prefer the 9.5" radius and medium jumbo frets (I'm one of them), and the basswood body for lightness. Jags and Jazzys weight a bloody ton and in my short years I've discovered that weight doesn't mean quality at all. On a guitar with as little sustain as a Jag/Jazzy/Mustang tone wood means even less than normal (which is close to nil on a Fender in any case). The only thing I can see that is really missing is the trem lock.

Anyway, the point is this all feeds into their respective price tags...

Squier = Â£255
62 reissue/Classic Player = Â£700
AVRI/Vintage 65 = Â£1800
(62 RI and AVRI approximated - not chasing used prices, whatever)

They're getting rave reviews everywhere for the price, and as a modding platform. Plenty of connoisseurs like them, and you can have the whole set for the price of one AVRI or Vintage 65. If I worked minimum wage, was a student, or just want a small taste of Jag/Jazzy/Mustangs, or if I was ANY guitarist... Is the Squier worth Â£255? Yes.

To me it seems daft buying an AVRI or Vintage 65 when an actual vintage Fender can be had for the same money

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:42 am

Spitfire7 wrote:Are you honestly saying a Squire VM Jag is just as good in every way to an original vintage 60's Jaguar?

no, i said i thought it was great. i wouldn't swap my vintage jag for one, because it's my favourite guitar, but what i would (and probably will) do is leave my vintage one at home if i ever tour again, and happily take a squier on the road with me and play the shit out of it every night. put it this way- i swore to myself i'd never buy a 'new' guitar again, but now i've changed my mind.

Spitfire7 wrote:Oh come on, there is an obvious difference from a real 1966 Jaguar or even a AVRI 62 compared to a Squire Jag. You dont see it? The wood, the weight, the neck, the bridge, the hardware, the pickguard come on. The sound even to me sounded a little off. I know people have had many of these same complaints but with a few tweaks you can get yourself a decent guitar out of the Squire Jag, still not exact to an original Jag though. To me I rather have the 65 American Vintage or a 62 AVRI.

yes, but it's a fraction of the price of both. the differences in feel and quality aren't enough to make me want to pay upwards of a grand extra for an AVRI.

Spitfire7 wrote:Theres no point in arguing all this again, its been going on long enough. If you want to argue this, join the club over here.
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... =6&t=56657

i'm happy posting my observations here, thanks, and if i do feel like arguing it, i'll do so if i want.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:58 am

Fran wrote:That picture is hilarious, talk about living the dream

ie. dinner off a tray on the floor.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 6:10 pm

benecol wrote:
Fran wrote:That picture is hilarious, talk about living the dream
ie. dinner untouched because of all the Cocaine ruining my apetite maaaaan.

jumbledupthinking · Post by **jumbledupthinking** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 6:12 pm

Spitfire7 wrote: The sound even to me sounded a little off.

Off enough to merit spending over 1k extra rather than considering some new pups instead? Sounds like the opinions of a connoisseur of some sort.

Spitfire7 wrote: Squire Squier

Fixed. Not a connoisseur of spelling I take it?

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 6:46 pm

Spitfire7 wrote:The sound even to me sounded a little off.

I don't understand this argument at all. Did it not sound like a Jag to you or were you actually expecting it to sound identical to an instrument that costs $1400 more, or worse, a 50 year old guitar? Maybe you got a bum one (which is not at all impossible, considering we're talking $350 gear, here) but mine sounds EXACTLY like a Jaguar because it IS a friggen Jaguar.

Spitfire7 wrote:still not exact to an original Jag though.

I understand your disappointment, if you expected Squier to produce a vintage correct 62 reissue Jaguar out of China and to sell one to you for 350 bucks.
As a connoisseur of guitars in general, I did not have such foolish expectations.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 7:33 pm

Played a couple of VM jags in merchant city music in Glasgow the other day, both had some serious frett buzz going on after the 7th frett on the E and B strings. Also played a J Mascis jazzmaster which was of a far higher quality to the point that I'm considering getting one of them. So I'd advise playing them before you buy.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 9:47 pm

I've played an original '63 Jag that was the worst Jaguar I've ever played. They weren't all winners. Felt wrong, sounded flat and dead, buzzed like crazy, was a dog. The shop obviously wanted over a grand for it: no matter how much fixin'-uppin' I was down for (none back then) I could never justify paying that much for a guitar that was unplayable out the door.
And if Squier Strats/Teles are anything to go by, a neck swap (allparts or Fender) would bring these VMs up to Japanese quality with your eyes closed as stuff on the body doesn't affect playability. They open the door for builds/projects like never before, it's just way cheaper to knock together your dream Jag now... colour, pickups, neck specs, you can have it all for under $600 if you like.

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:21 am

dezb1 wrote:Played a couple of VM jags in merchant city music in Glasgow the other day, both had some serious frett buzz going on after the 7th frett on the E and B strings. Also played a J Mascis jazzmaster which was of a far higher quality to the point that I'm considering getting one of them. So I'd advise playing them before you buy.

Yeah, the differnce is almost night and day. It's not that the VMs are bad, not by any stretch of the imagination. It's just that the jmjm is so damned good it's not true.