Squier's 2025 Classic Vibe Drop: Why Fender Can't Kill the Workingman's Guitar

Alright, listen…

Fender tried to pull a fast one on us. Earlier this year at NAMM, they dropped the Standard Series—their own Indonesian-made budget line with Fender logos on the headstock. And a lot of folks thought that was it for Squier. The rumor mill started spinning: "Fender's killing off Squier to push their own cheap guitars."

Wrong.

Squier just dropped their 2025 Classic Vibe lineup—and it's ten new models of pure, unapologetic workingman's goodness. Bigsby Teles. A hardtail '50s Strat that won't go out of tune when you breathe on it. The return of the Duo-Sonic. Fender's own Justin Norvell admitted they briefly considered axing the Squier name, but realized there was "so much equity in the Squier brand name… it would be crazy to get rid of that."

Translation? We won. The players who know a good guitar doesn't need a four-figure price tag made enough noise. Let's dig into what just landed.

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The Headliner: Classic Vibe Custom Telecaster SH with Bigsby

This one's gonna sell out first. Mark my words.

A double-bound Tele body—that late '50s/early '60s vibe with the cream binding—topped with a Bigsby B50 tailpiece. But here's the secret sauce: it's a string-through Bigsby design, which means restringing won't make you want to throw the guitar across the room. Floating bridge with barrel saddles. Alnico single-coil in the bridge, humbucker in the neck.

(By the way, if you've never played a Tele with a Bigsby, you're missing out on what I call the shimmer—that slight waver on chords that makes everything sound like a vintage recording. Not full-on vibrato, just… alive.)

Indonesian-made, yes. But I've had Classic Vibe Teles on my bench that needed less setup work than American Professionals. The fretwork's clean. The hardware's solid. And that $450-ish street price? That's less than a weekend of gigs for a guitar that'll last you a decade.

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The '50s Strat HT: Stability is King

Floyd Rose guys, cover your ears—I'm about to praise a hardtail.

The new Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster HT ditches the tremolo entirely. String-through-body design, six saddles, done. What you lose in whammy-bar theatrics, you gain in tuning stability and sustain. No more fighting a floating bridge when you change tunings. No more "why does my G string sound like a sitar" mysteries.

Look, I've got nothing against a good tremolo. But if you're the kind of player who mostly plays in standard (or Eb, like any sensible person), a hardtail Strat is a workhorse. You tune it once, it stays tuned. You focus on your hands, not your tuner pedal.

Plus, that vintage-tinted gloss neck? Feels like it was pulled from a pawn shop in 1962.

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The Return of the Duo-Sonic: Short Scale, Big Attitude

This one's for the weirdos. The offset lovers. The people who know that a 24" scale length isn't just for kids—it's for grown players who want to bend strings without needing grip strength like a rock climber.

The new Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic is a single-coil/humbucker combo in that quirky offset body. Short scale means slinkier string tension. Easier bends. Faster fretboard navigation. And that humbucker in the bridge position? Gives you some actual grunt when you need it, not just the glassy jangle offsets are known for.

I've been telling players for years: if you struggle with barre chords or your hands cramp after an hour of playing, try a short-scale guitar. The Duo-Sonic might be the best-kept secret in this whole lineup.

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The Basses: Because Someone Has to Hold Down the Low End

Four new bass models dropped too: a '60s Jazz Bass, an Active '70s Jazz Bass with that chunky bridge pickup sound, a Telecaster Bass for the old-school thumpers, and a five-string Active '70s Jazz Bass V for the brave.

The active preamps in the '70s models mean you can shape your tone without carrying a pedalboard the size of a suitcase. Good news for gigging bassists who need to cut through a muddy PA system at a sports bar in nowhere, Indiana.

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Why This Drop Matters (More Than You Think)

Here's the thing, James—and I'm talking to all you players now, not just my FOH guy.

We almost lost this. Fender genuinely considered retiring the Squier name and folding everything into their budget "Standard" line. And yeah, a $600 Indonesian Fender is still cheaper than an American-made one. But there's something symbolic about the Squier name. It's the brand that launched a million first bands. The guitar that stayed in tune through humid summer festivals and freezing winter load-ins.

Squier Classic Vibes aren't "beginner guitars." They're anti-gatekeeper guitars. They're the answer to every forum warrior who says you need a Custom Shop to sound professional. I've heard $400 Classic Vibe Strats on major label recordings. I've seen touring bands with Squier necks on their main guitars.

The fact that Fender kept the line alive—and expanded it with genuinely cool options like that Bigsby Tele—tells me they finally remembered who actually buys guitars. Not the collectors with climate-controlled rooms. The players. The working stiffs. The kids saving up lawn-mowing money.

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My Take: Buy the Weird One

If you're looking at this lineup and thinking "I should get the safe choice, the sunburst Strat," I want you to do something different.

Get the Duo-Sonic. Or the Bigsby Tele in Sherwood Green. Or the '70s Strat with the black pickguard and the maple neck. Get the guitar that makes you want to pick it up instead of the one you think you're supposed to own.

Because here's the truth: the best guitar is the one you play. And a $450 Squier that feels like yours will make more music than a $2,000 instrument that sits in its case because you're afraid to scratch it.

Duct tape is a badge of honor. Worn frets are a trophy. And a Squier with some miles on it? That's a guitar with stories.

Now go make some noise.