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Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster
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Playability
75
Sound
67
Build
55
Value
76
Score
66
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Playability
72
Sound
76
Build
59
Value
79
Score
69
FIND IT ON:
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Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster vs Classic Vibe Starcaster Specs Comparison
Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster Classic Vibe Starcaster
General
Brand: Fender Squier Fender Squier
Year: 2019 2019
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Contemporary Classic Vibe
Colors: Black, Blue, Green Brown, Natural, 3-Color Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Semi-Hollow
Body Material: Laminated Maple Laminated Maple
Bridge: 6-Saddle Adjustable Bridge Fixed 6-Saddle Adjustable Bridge Fixed
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Die-Cast Sealed Vintage-Style
Fretboard: Maple Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot Black Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Modern C Modern C
Frets: 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 9.5"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Squier SQR Active Ceramic Humbucker (Humbucker / Active) Fender Wide Range Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Squier SQR Ceramic Humbucker (Humbucker / Active) Fender Wide Range Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Black & Chrome Nickel
Show Diagrams Comparison
Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster and Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster and Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster's switch options

Reasons to Get
Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster over Classic Vibe Starcaster

Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Pickups Power
Active vs Passive
More output

Reasons to Get
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster over Contemporary Active Starcaster

Pickups Brand
Fender vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Pickups Power
Passive vs Active
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Value Score
79 vs 76
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster vs Classic Vibe Starcaster

Bridge Pickup
Squier SQR Active Ceramic Humbucker vs Fender Wide Range Humbucking
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Squier SQR Ceramic Humbucker vs Fender Wide Range Humbucking
Different Neck Pickup
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster vs Classic Vibe Starcaster

Body Wood
Maple
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
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
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
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 Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut

Common Weaknesses

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

Price History Comparison

Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster Prices

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster favors large hands more than the Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster meets only 5. 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 Contemporary Active Starcaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 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.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. 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 Starcaster pickups from a more specialized brand than the Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster's online:

The Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster's pickups are Active while the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster's are Passive.

Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.

Winner: Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster.

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.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

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 Starcaster.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster
Pickups 60
Sustain 90
Versatility 49
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 67
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster
Pickups 90
Sustain 85
Versatility 58
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 76

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 Contemporary Active Starcaster compares to the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 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 Contemporary Active Starcaster has a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

On the other hand, the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster comes with 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.

Winner: Tie.

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.

Both come with a similar bridge: 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 Contemporary Active Starcaster's are Die-Cast Sealed while the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster's are Vintage-Style

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 Contemporary Active Starcaster
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • 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 Contemporary Active Starcaster
Quality of materials 51
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 55
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 59

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 Contemporary Active Starcaster 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 Contemporary Active Starcaster and Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster's Scale Length
Both have the same 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.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

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 Contemporary Active Starcaster 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 Contemporary Active Starcaster and the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 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 Contemporary Active Starcaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster's Fingerboard radius
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster's Fingerboard 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.

In this case, the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster.

Fret Size

Fender Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster and Fender Squier Classic Vibe 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 Contemporary Active Starcaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 75
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72