Squier Classic Vibe 60s Strat Daphne Blue!

Now a Very Cool Classic Vibe Strat

squier-classic-vibe-60s-strat-daphne-blue

Who agrees that Squier always should have issued the Classic Vibe Strat in this colour? Well it would have been even more attractive most likely because this blue is not the correct Fender colour. I call it Daphne Blue because it seems to be fairly close (although nearly impossible to see accurately in a photgraph).

In my opinion it looks nicer than the Sonic Blue (officially named by Fender Japan) on the Japanese 60s reissue Strat I had from the mid nineties. The Japanese Sonic Blue looked more like Daphne Blue to me from what I’ve learned after researching such things.

Whatever this colour is closest to, I love it. It definitely has that pale-blue hue that I was after – that late 50s/early 60s vibe. So after a couple of months (I started this refinish in the last week of May 2015) I have truly impressed myself with my patience. I didn’t think I had that much patience in me and I discovered that the key to doing a good job of a refinish is just that… Patience. Spraying the paint, whilst a skill in it’s own right, can be fairly competently done if you read a little first about how to do it and watch a few Youtube videos. In fact Youtube is a good place to find out how not to do it as well as how to do it, depending on what videos you watch.

My impulse decision to refinish my already refinished Classic Vibe Strat turned out to be a wonderful one. I’m chuffed to bits about how it now looks. It’s just like (possibly better looking) than my Japanese 60s reissue that I sold about 10 years ago and it still plays and feels just as nice as it did before took it all apart to repaint it.

In the process I was able to get hold of another set of Tonerider Alnico II Blues (TRS4), which so far I think are the best-sounding Tonerider set for my tastes. Lots of clarity and bite, whilst remaining as smooth and rounded as a Strat pickup can possibly get to my ears. I would normally scoff at such a description if I hadn’t actually heard them in person, but that’s the best way I can describer them. They’re superb Strat pickups.

I used the original cream knobs and switch tip, but I had already sold the original Classic Vibe pickups (ironically another Tonerider set by all accounts), so the original pickup covers are gone. I got the replacement cream ones from Charles Guitars (in the UK) on Ebay. They appear to be an identical colour match to the original plastic parts.

The pickguard was also from Charles Guitars and it’s a very authentic “almost not green at all” mint green. Sourced from Japan apparently, but not an official Fender part. I did have to re-drill a hole or two, but nothing major.

The most controversial mod I’ve done is put a Fender decal on the headstock. I felt it needed a nice finishing touch like that because of the nature of the refinish. It’s a ’61-62 spec’d decal. However I’m not trying to pass it off as a real Fender as I’ve left the “Squier” branded neck plate on the heel. I’m proud of playing the Squier brand.

Squier is officially my favourite guitar brand right now and for some time I imagine.