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Music Man St. Vincent
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic
VS
Playability
68
Sound
75
Build
74
Value
62
Score
72
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Playability
78
Sound
67
Build
55
Value
77
Score
67
FIND IT ON:
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Music Man St. Vincent vs Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic

Reasons to Get
Music Man St. Vincent over Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickups Brand
Music Man vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
HHH vs HH
High output without hum and tons of tone versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Nut Width
1.625'' (41.3mm) vs 1.575'' (40mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24'' (609.6mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic over Music Man St. Vincent

Release Year
2020 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Pickups
HH vs HHH
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.575'' (40mm) vs 1.625'' (41.3mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
24'' (609.6mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
77 vs 62
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Music Man St. Vincent vs Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic

Bridge Pickup
Music Man Custom Mini-Humbucker vs Atomic Humbucking
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Music Man Custom Mini-Humbucker vs Atomic Humbucking
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Okoume vs Poplar
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Figured Maple vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Laurel
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
4-2 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Compensated vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Music Man St. Vincent vs Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic

Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
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

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Music Man St. Vincent Prices

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Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Music Man St. Vincent is probably the better product overall with its final score of 72 compared to the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic's 67 score, although not by a lot.

The Music Man St. Vincent wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Music Man St. Vincent.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic is the better choice.

The Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Music Man St. Vincent 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

Music Man St. Vincent
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Music Man St. Vincent Overview

  • From Music Man's 2016 St. Vincent series
  • St. Vincent Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Okoume body
  • Roasted Figured Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Music Man Custom Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: Music Man Custom Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Music Man Custom Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Music Man Modern Tremolo bridge
  • St. Vincent Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Schaller M6-IND locking with pearl buttons (Black buttons for Stealth Black) tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic Overview

  • From Fender Squier's 2020 Paranormal series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Poplar body
  • Maple neck
  • Indian Laurel fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Atomic Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Atomic Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo bridge
  • C Shape Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Narrow Tall frets
  • Vintage-Style tuners
  • Weight between 7.45lbs (3.4kgs) and 8.05lbs (3.7kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

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 the Music Man St. Vincent

Figured Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Figured Maple
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Okoume wood pattern used for guitar building
Okoume

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Okoume is an affordable wood and one of the first to replace Mahogany when the prohibitions started. It's generally softer than Mahogany and the tone has warmer lows.

Woods Used in the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic

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

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.

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: Music Man St. Vincent.

Pickup Configuration

The Music Man St. Vincent has an HHH configuration while the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic has HH pickups.

A triple Humbucker (HHH) can be intimidating at first, but it's one of the combinations that offer the most tone versatility. You'll be able to have from a lot of output for Hard Rock genres, to warm and clean sounds that are more common in Jazz.

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 Music Man St. Vincent has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic. 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 Hard Rock 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: Music Man St. Vincent.

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

The Music Man St. Vincent gives you 5 switch options while the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic gives you 3. This means that the Music Man St. Vincent gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

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

Music Man St. Vincent pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Music Man St. Vincent's switch options
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic's switch options

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

Winner: Music Man St. Vincent.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Music Man St. Vincent
Pickups 90
Sustain 65
Versatility 70
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 75
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic
Pickups 60
Sustain 80
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 67

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 Music Man St. Vincent compares to the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Music Man St. Vincent is built in United States while the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic is made in China.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

Winner: Music Man St. Vincent

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 Music Man St. Vincent has a Compensated nut. Each hole where the string sits at the nut is cut at a different distance from the bridge, which compensates for the different amount of tension that each string is subject to. This fixes most intonation issues across the fretboard, so it gives great tuning stability.

On the other hand, the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic 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: 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.

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

The Music Man St. Vincent has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Music Man St. Vincent.

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
Music Man St. Vincent
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Compensated Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic
  • Bone Nut
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • 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 Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Music Man St. Vincent
Quality of materials 61
Features 65
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 74
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 55

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

Music Man St. Vincent Nut Width
Music Man St. Vincent Nut Width
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic Nut Width
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Music Man St. Vincent has the wider nut with 41.3mm (1.625'') vs 40mm (1.575''). This is a 1.3mm (0.05'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Music Man St. Vincent, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Music Man St. Vincent's Scale Length
Music Man St. Vincent's Scale Length
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic's Scale Length
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic'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 Music Man St. Vincent has the longest scale: 25.5". The Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic 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

Music Man St. Vincent Neck Profile
Music Man St. Vincent's neck profile
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic Neck Profile
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic's 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 Music Man St. Vincent and the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic 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

Music Man St. Vincent Fingerboard Radius
Music Man St. Vincent's Fingerboard radius
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic Fingerboard Radius
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic'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 Paranormal Super-Sonic's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Music Man St. Vincent'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 Music Man St. Vincent.

Still, both are closer to a Stratocaster radius than a Les Paul, so both of them will favor chord playing rather than soloing.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic favors large hands more than the Music Man St. Vincent.

Music Man St. Vincent:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Music Man St. Vincent Frets Size
Music Man St. Vincent's Frets Size
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic Frets Size
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic's Frets Size

The Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Music Man St. Vincent's Medium Jumbo frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Music Man St. Vincent
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 65
Playability 68
Fender Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 78

Specs Side-by-Side

Music Man St. Vincent vs Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic
General Music Man St. Vincent Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic
Brand: Music Man Fender Squier
Year: 2016 2020
Configuration: HHH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States China
Series: St. Vincent Paranormal
Colors: Blue Blue, Pink
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Okoume Poplar
Bridge: Music Man Modern Tremolo 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Schaller M6-IND locking with pearl buttons (Black buttons for Stealth Black) Vintage-Style
Fretboard: Rosewood Indian Laurel
Neck Material: Roasted Figured Maple Maple
Decoration: Custom St. Vincent Inlays Pearloid Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 24"
Shape: St. Vincent C Shape
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 10" 9.5"
Nut: Compensated Bone
Nut Width: 41.3mm (1.625'') 40mm (1.575'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Music Man Custom Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Atomic Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Music Man Custom Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Music Man Custom Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Atomic Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 1 0