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Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster
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Playability
78
Sound
70
Build
59
Value
79
Score
69
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Playability
72
Sound
65
Build
54
Value
74
Score
64
FIND IT ON:
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Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang vs Affinity Series Starcaster Specs Comparison
Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang Affinity Series Starcaster
General
Brand: Fender Squier Fender Squier
Year: 2018 2019
Configuration: SS HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Classic Vibe Affinity Series
Colors: White, Blue White, Black, Red, 3-Color Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Semi-Hollow
Body Material: Poplar Laminated Maple
Bridge: Floating Bridge with Dynamic Vibrato Tailpiece 6-Saddle Adjustable Bridge Fixed
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage-Style Die-Cast
Fretboard: Indian Laurel Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: White Dot Black Dot
Scale Size: 24" 25.5"
Shape: Modern C Modern C
Frets: 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 9.5"
Nut: Bone Plastic
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Standard Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Standard Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: Phase Out None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Nickel Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang's switch options
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster's switch options

Reasons to Get
Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang over Affinity Series Starcaster

Nut Material
Bone vs Plastic
Good quality nut with rich tone
Pickup Mods
Phase Out vs None
Interesting thin tone when combining pickups
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Pickups
SS vs HH
Beautiful cleans
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
24'' (609.6mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
79 vs 74
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster over Classic Vibe 60s Mustang

Release Year
2019 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Pickups
HH vs SS
High output without hum
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24'' (609.6mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Other Key Differences
Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang vs Affinity Series Starcaster

Bridge Pickup
Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil vs Standard Humbucking
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil vs Standard Humbucking
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Poplar vs Maple
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Laurel vs Maple
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang vs Affinity Series Starcaster

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT

Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster meets only 6. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang

Laurel wood pattern used for guitar building
Laurel
Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
Poplar

There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.

Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang has an SS configuration while the Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster has HH pickups.

SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

On the other hand, Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Country and similar genres.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang comes with some kind of pickup modification: Phase Out.

When the Phase Out option is activated, the pickups will ''work against each other'', meaning that they will cancel out their shared frequencies. The result is a very thin sound, instead of a full, rich tone. This is an interesting sound for genres like reggae or funk and has also been used in classic Hard Rock.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang
Pickups 70
Sustain 70
Versatility 74
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 70
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster
Pickups 60
Sustain 80
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 65

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang compares to the Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster comes with a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

Winner: Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

On the other hand, the Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang's are Vintage-Style while the Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster's are Die-Cast

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang
  • Bone Nut
  • Phase Out Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang
Quality of materials 51
Features 60
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 59
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster
Quality of materials 41
Features 55
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 54

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42mm (1.654'').

This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Scale Length

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang's Scale Length
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang's Scale Length
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster's Scale Length
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang is only 24" long. This is a 1.5'' (38.1mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang and the Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang and the Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster have the same fretboard radius of 9.5". This is the most common radius for Stratocaster guitars. It's considered curved when compared to most other models. This allows you to play chords very easily without muting strings accidentally and gives you more space between strings for fingerpicking. However, this curve also gives the guitar less allowance for lower action. If you bend too hard at the high frets, some of your notes might get muted because the curve will make the string fret out.

Fret Size

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang and Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster Frets Size
Both have a similar Narrow Tall fret size

Both have a Narrow Tall fret size. Their height is very similar to Jumbo frets, but they have a narrower crown. They won't let you feel the fretboard when playing, which will make it easier to get clean notes. However, if you press down too hard you might get the notes out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 78
Fender Squier Affinity Series Starcaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72