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Squier Classic Vibe '50s Duo Sonic VS Fender Duo Sonic MIM 2016-2017


won730

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Hi, I want to know if anyone has played both CV Duo Sonic and the recent Fender Duo Sonic.

I am trying to buy the CV Duo for $275, and some say that the recent version of Fender Duo Sonic from Mexico sounds pretty good?

Any opinion?

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I have only briefly tried the current Duo Sonic at trade shows, but I did do an extensive review of the new Mustang 90, which is from the same general era and product line, and IIRC is made in the same place.

 

http://www.harmonycentral.com/expert-reviews/fender-mustang-90

 

There are a couple of differences between them and the older Squier CV Duo Sonics... probably the biggest one is the CV's have a 21 fret 24" scale "conversion neck" - slightly different than the regular 22 fret 24" scale necks of the current Mustangs and Fender Duo Sonic. I believe the CV's were made either in China or Indonesia - I don't recall which. The CV is only available in desert sand, while the Fender comes in Torino Red, Surf Green, Arctic White and Capri Orange. They also make a version called the Duo Sonic HS, which is the same guitar, except with different color options and with a humbucker / single coil pickup pair instead of dual single coils.

 

I think I'd rather have the Fender to be honest, although they may have some issues with unrounded fingerboard edges (can be softened with lots of play time, or by a guitar tech), and to be fair, the Squiers were very popular when they came out too, and they have lots of fans as well.

 

 

 

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I've played and setup a Duo Sonic MIM, I think it's a 2016 or so. Beautiful looking guitar, the surf green really stands out as a color of choice. Nice fretboard with some nice fret work, and the 24" scale, was fine. Electrically, it was ok, with the single coil switch adding some nice tones. After the basic setup, truss rod adjustment, action, intonation, a little nut work, yaddah yaddah, I ended up HATING it.

 

Sonically, it was ok-ish. Pickups did their job, pots and switches worked, but..... it was bland. VERY generic sounding, and that feeling you get when you hold a chord, you know, that feeling in your left hand of the vibrations coming back into you? Didn't exist at all. There was no, ummmm, feedback, or response from the guitar, letting you know it was being played. Kinda hard to describe, but it was dead feeling. But that's just one persons opinion. Maybe my friend got a dead one, who knows.

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I just wanted to know the sound difference, as I don't really care much about the fret length and its originality, if it sounds good. Other than the soloing issue for lesser frets, I believe that both 21 and 22 frets fit for rhythm guitar right? I mostly play rhythm so just wondering.

Thank you!

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I get what you're saying, but the scale length has a MASSIVE impact on the sound.

 

These guitars will never have the punch and energy of Strat or Tele, so wouldn't recommend them for general rhythm playing unless you have small hands.

Slightly heavier strings will go a long way toward compensating, say 10's vs. 9's.

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Yeah - cut my teeth on a Mustang, but it's just not the same energy. They're great for some stuff but I wouldn't make one my main guitar unless I had smaller hands like I did when I played mine.

 

The first time I played a Strat and felt the snap and heard the chime I knew I was a 25.5 guy. :)

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per badpenguin "Sonically, it was ok-ish. Pickups did their job, pots and switches worked, but..... it was bland. VERY generic sounding," Hmm guess they nailed the classic vibe then. Those were cheap bottom feeder Fenders when they first came out, so stayed true to original. But hey, if it floats some players, boats, it's all good.

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Slightly heavier strings will go a long way toward compensating, say 10's vs. 9's.

 

It will certainly make the feel more familiar, at least from a string tension standpoint. I usually run one gauge larger on my 24" scale guitars than I do on my 24.75" and 25.5" scale guitars.

 

FWIW, I had zero problems with the Mustang 90 that I tested in terms of it feeling dead or lifeless, although no 24" scale guitar is going to sound or feel just like a 25'5" scale will. But they're certainly not without their own appeal - at least IMHO.

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I have 012 gauge "Medium-heavy" strings on my Tele. Is it better to put 013 on the Duo Sonic then?

.013 is about right for keeping the same tension (it works out to about .01275) but, as Phil pointed out, it's very heavy for an electric. .013 is ''medium'' on an acoustic.

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I usually play 012 on electric so 013 is the optimal for duo sonic I guess..

 

With .012's you might be okay without going to a heavier gauge. Those are pretty thick / stiff strings, no matter what electric guitar you're planning on putting them on.

 

The only way you're going to know for certain is to put a pair of each on and try them for a while... but I'd start with the .012's.

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