The Sire sounds absolutely unreal. Fantastic pickups, and I love how they matched the humbucker to the single coils. With the Pacifica I'd be running to swap it out with an Unbucker or something.
The Squier trem will float nicely if you set it that way. Also, it will be much softer when floated. When it's time to upgrade, I think the Squier will hold it's value better. It's a Strat!
I agree. I have a Squier CV and an Am. Performer Strat with six screw bridges, and an Am. Pro with the two point one, and when I set all three to float the way I like them, they are all equally responsive, and with equal tuning stability, IMO. I've also noticed that the people that work in the factory that builds the Squiers don't all understand that the six screws should not be screwed all the way down. They need be backed out a bit, so they can act as a fulcrum for the bridge to pivot on. If they are screwed all the way down, then, even with the bridge floating, it will be very tight, and won't be nearly as responsive when you use the bar. I've also found that when using the bar to put some nice vibrato on a sustained note or chord, which is the only way I use it, it sounds much better and more in tune when I pull up on the bar to achieve that, rather than pushing down on it, which doesn't sound nearly as nice, and sounds more out of tune. And, you can only do that if it's floating. Otherwise you can only push down on it, and you can't pull it up at all.
I'm partial to Fender and the Squier series. My first guitar was a 1989 usa squier stratocaster and I currently have a player strat and a classic vibe squier strat. That being said, I've had my head turned by the Pacifica. Hearing it side by side with the squier makes me think that my next guitar just might be a Pacifica. Haven't heard of the other brand but it definitely sounded great. Great playing gents!
The sire sounds good but the overall tones up and down where a bit too muddy, a tad to mid toney if that's such a word, (Great guitar nonetheless ) in my opinion the CV60 sound could litterally pass for a Fender strat, matter of fact a know a few people who said there Squire CV was a far better guitar than there actual fender (MIM) version
I only wish that guitars in this vein were available when I was starting out. The old Harmony and Kay guitars were the only cheap guitars that were playable, and all the other cheap brands weren't just cheap in price. Totally unplayable even with adjustments, which had some kids quitting because they thought that it was them and not the guitar that prevented any real progress. Now a kid or even adult just starting out these days can have much better built and better playing and sounding guitars at budget prices to choose from.
These Sire 3 series guitars are really tempting. HSS, dark-ish rosewood board, rolled edges, 22 frets, 2 point trem. Really good specs for under 400 quid.
I have a soft spot for the Pacificas. I have a 1999 Pacifica 112XC that was my first electric guitar. Over the years, it has seen upgrades, been on recordings and it still remains a fun little guitar. It's the golden era now, though; back when I bought the 112X, the budget choices were poor. Now it's hard to find a bad one. Classic Vibe is just sooo good. And the Sire stuff is right up there.
Yup. Sold my Olympic White American pro ii strat for a Japanese Gretsch and asked my wife for an Olympic white 70’s CV for Christmas. It came in amazing shape, lighter than the Fender and once run through my amp and board VERY hard to tell apart from the Fender by ear. It may be a step or two down, but every bit as good or better than the actual 70’s Fenders they are copying (Fender was terrible in the 70s😂)…I think it was a win win.
@@oworshiptheking67 In fairness, not all the '70s Fender stuff was bad. I have a '77 maple neck fretless Precision Bass and it's a beast. Quality was definitely hit or miss, though.
I don’t know how anyone can play a Classic Vibe and call it a starter guitar. Inexpensive, certainly. But you could gig your whole life on a CV and sound and look fantastic doing it.
I bought my first Pacifica when Kurt kobain was alive. At that time, they pushed the clear coat one which showed that it had actual solid wood!! The squiers at the time used plywood. Times have changed.
I don't think resale is going to be an issue with the Sire. They've made a point not to saturate the market, which has resulted in them being more of a hot ticket item, especially on the used market.
Very enlightening! Thank you. All nice guitars, but I find myself drawn to the whole classic Squier/Fender thing. It must be the rootsy purist in me. After all, those are the guitars I grew up loving when I saw them being played by people like Buddy Holly, Clapton and Rory Gallagher. Actually, after playing a Gibson LP Historic (which I still love) pretty much exclusively for more than 20 years, I recently got a Squier 40th Ann. Vintage Edition Strat and I think it sounds magical. I’m having a lot of fun with it. Well done, Squier!👏
I'm attracted to Squier for the same reason. But also for the same reason, I'm not attracted to pine and poplar-bodied Strats. Not because I think that poplar or pine is inferior to alder in any way, or that it makes a difference to the tone. Just because it's not traditional so doesn't seem to fit the Classic Vibe philosophy. Okay yeah it's a classic 'vibe' not a historically accurate copy but maybe you know what I mean.
@@markseymour8365 Yeah, I understand. I’m perfectly happy with a more basic adherence to the classic Strat specifications. To get what you’re looking for will cost you a few more bucks, and there’s nothing wrong with that!😉👍
@@renodavid Thanks. Luckily for me, I bought a 50s and 60s CV Strat before they moved production to Indonesia so I got what I wanted. I'd like to try one of the newer ones too though, they look great. Fender used poplar in the 90s to make American Standard Strats when they were having problems sourcing alder and they've made high-end custom guitars from pine so there's absolutely nothing wrong with either of those woods.
The Sire I have to admit is pretty impressive although I own the CV 60s strat. I did loosen the tension on the trem its not truly floating now but all I want is a little wobble on the tone anyway.
Like my Classic Vibe Strat. Was able to set it up myself w/ a floating trem but have been doing own set ups a long time. It *is* necessary to also adjust the action & saddles for string length to get the intonation right. You can learn to do this or get a tech to do it.
Just got two vintage vibes. 50’s and a 70’s. As far as the trem goes on the 70’s I loosened and pulled a spring out. Feels really good and surprisingly stays in tune pretty ok. Haven’t played the 50’s as much because it has terrible fret sprout I haven’t fixed yet.
Just wanted to say that I thought Lee's lead playing at the beginning of the video was very tasteful. Nice note choice and phrasing. Personally, the Pacifica was my least favourite, the Sire has the best bridge although the Squier would be the one I'd opt for, as it just has that Fender-esque spanky quack and the glistening cleans. Great demo lads. All the best. Carlo 👍🏼🎸
The Pacifica had that wonderful "jangle" and the Sire sounded quite nice. TBH, the Squier sounded flat and kind of lifeless in comparison. The Pacifica wins in attention to aesthetics, as well. Can't knock the Sire, but would still lean/suggest the Pacifica in that price range.
For me it's an impossible choice the classic vibe is in my top five guitars I've owned over the years but the Pacifica holds a place in my heart to as it is my dad's favourite affordable guitar and he had one till he gave up playing so I played them both and really can't decide which is the better guitar
I'd say as far as quality goes- they're even- it really comes down to if you want that "Strat" thing Pete kept referring to- because the Pacifica doesn't do it. It looks like a Strat, it's as high quality as a Squier Strat, but it sounds like a Pacifica, not a Strat.
@@stoneysdead689 yeah I got that impression to but I honestly think that part of the reason I liked it as well as it being one of my dad's favourite guitars what I've never understood is why is it never mentioned in RU-vid videos it is a great guitar but gets overlooked compared to the cv and if I remember is it cheaper than the CV I can't remember
@@craigreynolds5562 I wouldn't say "overlooked" - at least not completely- I can point you to several positive reviews and channels that recommend it as a budget option. But yeah, it does get mentioned less than the Squier- Squier just has it like that- I think because they so closely mimic a real Strat. The Strat is a one trick pony they say- but it's one hell of a trick. And in reality- if you get the HSS model- that's just not true- it becomes really versatile then.
Sire acoustics fantastic 👏 not sure on the headstock shape on the the s type looks like a unfinished woodwork project but great sounding , classic vibe all the way for me 😎
I don't actually feel these these demo's really help to make a choice tone wise because the amps and pedals have so much to do with the tone. If possible one should try each one out for oneself with the same amp and pedals for each.
So, 2 years ago, I bought an Ormsby with jumbo frets. Never knew what that meant. Turned out when playing the guitar, it was a chore to play them. Prior to that, I played an Epiphone Les Paul Standard. It's a world of a difference, especially if you have normaler sized or small hands. I'm on a Silver Sky SE now and that's much more comfortable.
I have all of them been customizing my Pacificas since the 90s with custom paint and electronics. I'm a lefty they only come stock in two ugly colors like forever natural blonde and black I have both and repainted the black one to a metallic blue . They have the slimmest ,fastest neck profile on the planet. I'm too old to change to right handed now I'm a natural lefty I will never change. I love a typical strat with 3 single coils but, something about my yamahas I will always love. Keep up the great demos Captain and Pete!
Love the Sire S3 series and the features you get for the amount of money. That's a real value package there. Wish I had known about them earlier. Would have bought one of these instead of an Ibanez Gio.
Just looking at this colour of Squier Strat. I’ve been playing for 37 years and have had/still have Fenders but my small collection contains 5 Squier’s. The Squier classic vibes and FSR’s are at least just as good as Mexican and entry level US Fenders.
agree with pete about tall skinny frets , love em , also that sire sounds sick, most of the time you can't here the difference between similar guitars on youtube, but i could tell right away it had the voice , pete is also right about a guitar going out of tune straight out of the box when abusing the trim bar , you have to stretch the strings/guitar before a guitar will stay in tune when abusing the trim bar , but as lee said sometimes they require a good setup from a luthier for them to work proper , kind of a crap shoot , great video btw and love the sometimes contrasting viewpoints ...
Great review and I'm seriously considering the S-3 or all out for the Guild Surfliner.EDIT, checked your lnks and saw something interesting. The Sire S-3 is 299 in the UK. 399 in the USA. The conversion rate says it should be 329 in the USA converting Euro to USD. I guess we Americans just have to pay more.
I opted for the Pacifica 612v some years ago, with the italic font logo, the block logo now is horrid! I swapped out the neck and bridge pickups for cool and vintage rails from Duncan, it's a great easy to play guitar
The Sire is by far the best at least it comes across that way on video. Has me wanting one. LOL. I actually bought a Epi 59 Les Paul this year. Love it but I was also looking to try the Sire LP but could not find one to put my hands on. I did see a Sire H7 during that search and was very impressed with the quality of it, it just was not what I was looking for. I may look around after Christmas and see if I can find an S7 with the hum bucker. I do have an American Strat but would quite like a HSS Strat at some point. This may fit the bill without breaking the bank.
I have Both, an American professional with the rolled maple fretboard and a SireS7 Love them both because they're very different tonally, the Sire has a more vintage feeling neck profile, just a little bit more meat
I just picked up a 2012 classic vibe, 50's style burst. 😎 they don't make the new bodies out of hardwood anymore, only soft wood. Thin block. Alnico pickups. The new pine feel, yay! Lol, really went back to the old day's there.
I own a 2012 classic vibe 60s tele and it has real rosewood and alderbody and tonerider pickups. They are made completely different now but still sound good
@@bradcarter6396 tone rider huh, sounds snappy. I played it for a second before ripping it apart and seeing all the corners they cut. It has the looks of a classic fender but is still missing about 300 dollar's with od stuff to be near what I see it could be. It made the first owner happy for ten years and then gave up the ghost.
@@ranman58635 What do you consider to be missing that makes much difference? You could throw on a MIM bridge for $25 if you wanted but I can't think of much else that needs upgrading.
@@markseymour8365 I'm going to say it is the fretwork. The previous owner was ok with the frets not being centered correctly and lifting. The trem for certain is thin and doesn't project sustain well. All original electronics but the pickups are cheap. The pickguard is a one ply and the nut that was sealed in is only plastic. To me, it just looks like the real deal but still lacks that fender hand quality touch. A mimic that isnt really good. I've just gotten used to hearing about the quality of a fender vs a Squier and they're right. The hours and hours I just spent on that neck will indeed do it some good but again, that's the difference between them. I could buy a fender player neck for 350 rn.
@@ranman58635 The pickguard is one-ply because that's what they used in the 50s. It's part of the 'Classic Vibe'. I'm not sure what you mean by the trem being 'thin'? If you mean the block, I don't believe that makes any difference at all to sustain. I swapped one out for a full-size cold rolled steel block and there was no difference in tone or sustain that I could discern. The pickups I'd have to disagree with you on. They may not be made with the highest quality parts but they sound great. As for the frets, again I'm not sure what you are saying. Not centred correctly? Do you mean the slots have been cut in the wrong place? The frets on the two I bought were both fine.
Squier sounds the most familiar and vintage. I also prefer the glossy necks. That said, the Sire seems like a great guitar. That Pacifica looks great, but it needs better pickups.
I agree. The captian has gotten so smooth and intentional with his note choices, absolute delight to listen to. Perhaps a captian signature model guitar would be appropriate?
The Yamaha sounds kind of cold/clinical to me. I could hardly decide between the other two. The sire is overall warmer and fuller and the Squier is closer to the original Strat sound. But I am pleased to see that one does not have to spend a furtune for a quality instrument. All of them are great!!
That's what I did, I'm a left handed and I learned to play guitar right handed and it's the best decision ever, I surpassed people I learned from in a couple of years. Never found guitar to be difficult really because I was relaying on my dominant hand to play the fretboard. Legend goes that the guitar was invented the way it is for a left handed women to accompany a choir or folklore bands
I'm sure you could get a better sound out of the pacifa pickups with a little amp adjustment. Maybe a bit misleading to have a one size fits all tone setting. Good video though
Your kidding yourselves Were I live Squire is $800 , Pacifica $450. So you should have compared the Pac 611 which is around the same price as the squire and then things become completely different. Seymour Duncan Custom 5 TB-14 and SSL-1 pickups Graph Tech TUSQ nut and string trees Grover locking tuners Wilkinson VS50 vibrato bridge Alder body with flamed maple veneer top Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard H/S/S pickup configuration with 5-position selector Push-pull coil-split switch for additional tonal options. The Pacifica is far superior in fact its no comparison at all.
That Sire actually sounded better than both the Yamaha and the Squier to be honest. 2nd would be the Squier though. Pickups on Yamaha's have always sounded cheap and plastic-like when I've played them even on the original 112 series. The Pacifica with Gain sounded completely horrible and cheap!
Great video. A Pacifica 012 was my first guitar and it was a nicely put together guitar, even if the electronics weren't the best. Re your comments on the Squier trem, whilst they do ship with the trems flat to the body, they can be set to float and they work perfectly well. I've had two and set both to float. Both worked just fine. Obviously they're no locking Floyd Rose, but they're more than capable of David Gilmour-esque use and gentle flutter.
Sire sounds unreal brother at this price point.. I love CV series but sire done a incredible job.. I preferred Sire right now after watching this video.. Thank q brothers :)
The Sire is good, good specs for the price and the pickups are more meaty if you want that, but it’s also a little boring? The classic vibe is a Strat at a lower price point and has all the advantages and disadvantages of said 50/60s Strat , you will have to spend a lot more to better the stratyness of it? The yamaha is modern well made but weak sounding and I would go for the pacifica 311 , p90 humbucker combo as it’s better! JMO based on having had 2 of the 3.
I know that you don't stock them and they're the in house brand of a rival, but seeing a few Harley Bentons on the show every now and again might be nice as a comparison.
and please also for comparison some original vintage Guitars, like some 59 bursts and some pre CBS 7enders (Tele, Strat)...i know that you dont stock them...
G&L Tribute Legacy would have made for a better comparison than the Yamaha. Similar to CV but has 22 frets and a Leo Fender Dual Fulcrum trem. It also has a bass knob which could be useful with a humbucker.
I own the Squire tested here and it is unbelievable for the price and pretty much what I've come to expect from the 50s/60s Classic Vibes. Of the other two, from this video alone, I'm impressed by the Sire and disappointed at the Pacifica in equal measure.
Cool video. Now, if I was going to get an S type from Andertons I would spend a little bit more and go for the G&L Tribute Legacy that is better overall than these 3 guitars (imho).
@@graemero5532 Yep. Shoreline gold, SSS, satin maple neck and fingerboard and a proper 2 point LF trem for £500. Well worth the extra and will hold it's value.
I never use a trem anyway so that wouldn't factor into my decision at all. I've owned a few cv's and before watching this video didn't really think anything in the price range could dethrone them in my mind. HOWEVER, that sire was intriguing to the point where I will try to find one and have a closer look for myself. Love the videos as always and can always count on Pete to come up with something that just kills me. This time it was the "well that wasn't very good, was it?" that damm near made me lose a mouthful of coffee!🤣. And as for resale value, that's not something I ever really give much thought to. When I buy a new guitar I'm not thinking ahead about possibly selling it enough to worry about how much I might "lose" on it when or if I do sell it. Especially with guitars that don't break the bank to begin with and have all the neccessary potential to be lifers anyway...
Of course the Yamaha Pacifica sounds thinner on the neck pickup because it is wired on a 512k pot which on the other hand makes the humbucker stand out. The Squier has a 250k pot which brings a warmer tone to the neck pickup.
Your timing with this video is perfect for me! I got some "premium" metal guitars and even a custom shop Ibanez but I've been craving for affordable strat for a long time and I've been thinking all of these! Thanks so much for providing all the info and the tones :)
I owned the Pacifica 120H TBS, pretty much this one just with HH pickups and split coil. To me, it was the sexiest and most representative on the market - like the Captain said, my subjective perception. I would show it to an alien if they asked "what is a guitar", pretty much like showing a silver VW Golf when they ask about cars. 🤣 I wanted to make it my only guitar, though I didn't like it was too light and thin sounding, even with Duncan pickups. Other than that, this guitar impressed me with sharp quality, perfect setup and intonation, no fret buzz with extremely low action.
I like the tones from the Sire...very nice! Squire is a known quantity and pretty good sounding too. The Pacifica? I had one once and hated the tome...nothing has changed for me here - the pickups lack depth and range
TBH, it's fairly easy to get the Squier trem to not go out of tune, I've got two Bullets and a Jackson with a 2-point trem system and they all stay in tune pretty much the same.
I have a Yamaha Pac 112V. One thing I like about the Yamaha Pacifica which might fly under the radar is that, unlike Squier, they're still using "correct" woods. They have alder bodies and rosewood fretboards. Something about those very flat rosewood fretboards on Pacificas just scream quality. One thing I don't love about my Pacifica is actually the humbucker. It just doesn't sound good to me. The single coils sound great though.
