Squier Classic Vibe ‘70S TELECASTER DELUXE
When You Discover the Squier Classic Vibe '70s Telecaster Deluxe
🎸 Introduction: The Budget Tele That Punches Up
If you've ever wondered whether you can get genuine Fender Telecaster character without spending Fender money — the Squier Classic Vibe '70s Telecaster Deluxe might be your answer.
In this video, Landon takes a close look at one of the most popular models in Fender's affordable lineup. The review covers everything — from tone and playability to build quality, pickups, and how it stacks up against Fender's higher-end Telecasters.
Bottom line up front: This thing delivers vintage Fender tones without the vintage Fender price tag, and the community agrees — comments are flooded with long-time owners raving about their experience.
⏱️ Video Chapters
🎛️ What Is the Squier Classic Vibe '70s Telecaster Deluxe?
The Classic Vibe Tele Deluxe is Squier's take on the 1970s-era Fender Telecaster Deluxe — a guitar Fender introduced to give Tele players access to humbucking tones without fully switching to a Les Paul. The key distinguishing features are its wide-range humbuckers, the large '70s Fender-style headstock, and its distinctly different voice from the standard Tele.
Where a standard Telecaster single-coil bites and snaps, the Deluxe warms up, thickens out, and sings. Think Thom Yorke and the jangly indie tones of classic Radiohead recordings — that's the sonic territory this guitar inhabits.
Squier's Classic Vibe series sits at the top tier of their budget lineup, and this model consistently gets singled out as one of the best values in the entire Fender/Squier catalog.
- 2× Wide-Range Humbuckers (bridge + neck)
- Large '70s-style Fender headstock
- Maple neck, C-shape profile
- Maple fingerboard, 9.5" radius
- Poplar body — solid and resonant
- Vintage-style 3-saddle strings-thru bridge
- Street price around $499 USD
🛠️ Full Specifications
| Body | Poplar |
| Neck Material | Maple |
| Neck Profile | C-Shape |
| Fingerboard | Maple |
| Fingerboard Radius | 9.5" (241 mm) |
| Frets | 21 Medium-Jumbo |
| Scale Length | 25.5" (648 mm) |
| Nut Width | 1.650" (42 mm) |
| Pickups | 2× Squier Wide-Range Humbuckers |
| Controls | Master Volume, Master Tone |
| Pickup Switching | 3-Position Blade |
| Bridge | 3-Saddle Vintage-Style, Strings-Thru |
| Tuning Machines | Vintage-Style |
| Hardware Finish | Chrome |
| Made In | China |
🎨 Available Finishes
- Olympic White (as reviewed)
- 3-Color Sunburst
- Natural
- Black
📦 Two Neck Variants
Some versions ship with a solid maple neck (no skunk stripe), while others have the traditional skunk-stripe truss rod access. Both play identically — it's a cosmetic/production difference depending on batch.
⚖️ Weight
Approximate weight is around 7.5–8 lbs, typical for a solid poplar Tele-body guitar. Comfortable for long gigs.
🔊 What Does It Sound Like?
The wide-range humbuckers are the defining feature here, and they genuinely deliver. Landon demos both clean and driven tones in the video, and the range is impressive for a guitar at this price point.
✨ Clean Tones
Warm, glassy, and full-bodied. The neck position has a smooth buttery quality that's great for jazz and chord work. The bridge position retains that Telecaster chime but with the harshness rolled off — more shimmer, less edge.
Plug into a clean Fender-style amp and you'll get immediate vintage vibes. The humbuckers hum-cancel effectively, and output level feels perfectly balanced.
🔥 Driven & Overdriven Tones
Push the gain and things get interesting. The Deluxe bridges the gap between a Tele and a Les Paul — thick mids, solid note separation, and harmonic richness that punches well above the guitar's price.
Classic rock, indie, alt-country, blues — all well within reach. The guitar takes pedals beautifully too.
⚡ Pros & Cons
✅ What We Love
- Outstanding tone for the price
- Wide-range humbuckers are genuinely great
- Build quality rivals guitars costing far more
- Versatile — clean and driven both impress
- Distinctive '70s large headstock aesthetic
- Solid neck with excellent fret work
- Strong community endorsement — long-time owners love it
❌ Things to Know
- 3-saddle bridge limits intonation precision
- No coil-split on base model (unlike $1,899 Fender version)
- Not available as a left-handed model
- Vintage tuners can drift — easy upgrade if needed
🎯 Who Is This Guitar For?
The Budget-Conscious Player
If you want genuine Telecaster character with humbucker warmth and can't justify $1,500+, this is an easy recommendation. The value-to-performance ratio is hard to beat anywhere near this price.
The Indie / Alternative Guitarist
Thom Yorke famously used a Custom Shop version of this design. The CV Tele Deluxe's thick midrange and chime make it perfect for jangly indie-alternative tones — at a fraction of the Custom Shop cost.
The Upgrader / Modder
The solid bones of the Classic Vibe make it a great platform. A push-pull coil-split mod (several commenters have already done this), upgraded wiring, or a new nut will squeeze even more out of an already great instrument.
The Enthusiast / Collector
Many owners report this as their go-to gigging guitar — even after buying more expensive instruments. As one commenter put it: "I bought one to round out my collection... the Deluxe quickly became my favorite of the three."
🛒 Where to Buy the Squier Classic Vibe '70s Telecaster Deluxe
Ready to grab one? Here are Landon's affiliate links:
🇺🇸 USA
🇪🇺🇬🇧 EU & UK
Links above may be affiliate links. Landon Bailey receives compensation from affiliate programs of which he is a partner.
✅ TL;DR – Squier Classic Vibe '70s Telecaster Deluxe Review Summary
#landonbaileyyt · electric guitar · telecaster · squier · guitar review
