Squier CV 70s Jaguar LRL BK

A Perfect Introduction Into the Offset World

I bought this guitar since I am a massive Johnny Marr fan, and this seemed like a perfect budget option. I found Mike Adams' (Puisheen) video review of this guitar on Youtube, and it convinced me to pull the trigger on it. As soon as it arrived, I noticed some glaring setup issues, but nothing too crazy (granted, I was expecting to face some problems that are often seen on this model). The bridge needed to be raised to increase the downward tension of the strings behind it, the nut had to be filed a bit to fit 11s (because for some unknown reason, this guitar came equipped with 9s, which is mind-boggling). The fretboard was dry so it needed some lemon oil. All of these fixes took me about an hour to do, but after that, this guitar plays and sounds amazing. Really, there's no other product I'd be endorsing so much after facing all of these issues, it really is that good. Also, since I was an offset guitar noob at that point, I was extremely impressed with the vibrato system. It's smooth, fluid, and just overall a perfect vibrato system (although, I am probably going to replace it with a genuine Fender AVRI vibrato at some point in the future). One other thing is that this range of Squier guitars is a perfect modding platform. You won't feel bad changing anything on these guitars, although you probably won't even feel the need to. Personally, I like tinkering with guitars and offsets are probably the best guitars for that, since there are so many options available, ranging from Mastery and Staytrem for bridges, Curtis Novak, Lollar, Creamery, Seymour Duncan, and even Fender for pickups, again Mastery, Descendant, and Fender for vibratos, etc.

So overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this guitar. Yes, it does have some issues which you should expect, but nothing major. After half an hour of your attention, this guitar transforms into an indie beast and can handle pretty much anything you throw at it.

Amazing guitar for offset lovers, but be ready to have to work around it!

Amazing guitar overall, at a good price, with some work to do to make it play good.

Offsets at this price - squiers in this price range in general (I also own a Jazzmaster CV) - Often seem to come with a few issues out of the factory.

You will need to put a higher gauge of strings as these guitars were not inteded for 9's, aswell as maybe shimming the neck. I also have an electronic problem on mine where the bridge pickup has a much lower output than the neck, which can be annoying when switching. Also had to oil the fretboard a bit since it was really, really dry.

If you can do these things by yourself, or are willing to go to a luthier to have it done, I really encourage you to buy this guitar. Having tried both this and the Player Series Jazzmaster / Jaguars, this feels and sounds much better in my opinion, and it is a really good modding platform for a good price range if you're into that

Great guitar! (after a few fixes)

I was worried that there would be flaws that cannot be easily repaired but fortunately this was not the case. After a few easy fixes this guitar became really good. Very basic tools and skills were needed.

I have played Mexican and American jazzmasters/jaguars in the past. I think that this one is as good as the Mexicans. If you can overlook the "squire" logo, this feels more expensive than a classic player Mexican jazzmaster I played recently.

Keep in mind that Mexican Fenders and Squires can have big variations from one guitar to another. Having said that, here is my detailed review.

Frets:

The top of the frets was rough and needed to be polished. There was no need for leveling or recrowning. It was easily done with a fine sandpaper and minimal effort. The fret ends were properly cut and dressed without sharp edges.

Binding:

The binding had some dark stains near some frets (maybe it was just dirt). This was easily fixed with a wet scotch brite sponge. Other than that the binding was perfect.

Nut:

The nut was cut properly with correct spacing and height. I replaced the strings with 10’s without any problems. My only complaint is that the nut is bright white and it looks out of place. The binding and the back of the neck are tinted. The nut looks too “new” in comparison..

Neck:

There is very little shimming. I did not remove the neck to confirm that, but it looks that way. Even so, the action is low and the strings stay put. There may be a little buzzing but this is the case with most vintage spec’d jaguars/jazzmasters. It is part of the charm! I might experiment with the shimming angle in the future but for me it is ok as it is.

Fretboard:

The laurel fretboard is not dark. It does not look like a rosewood fretboard. Other than that it is very good looking. The inlays are fine with no scratches, gaps or height differences.

Tuning machines:

They look good and work properly. But the screws on the back of the headstock needed to be tightened. 2 of the 7 screw heads were stripped, so it was hard to tighten them. I will replace them asap. BTW this was also the case with a Mexican Baja telecaster I bought a few years back. The tuning machine and pickup screws were so badly stripped that it was very hard to remove them. (I mention this for comparison purposes between Mexican Fenders and Squiers)

Pickups:

These are 100% jaguar pickups. You can probably get even better performance with an upgrade but the characteristic jaguar sound is definitely there. I was impressed. They have low noise and correct “body” and output level. Not too hot nor too weak. And they are very well balanced with each other (neck vs bridge).

Bridge:

This is a mustang bridge. The strings remain firmly in the slots, even without significant shimming. There is no height adjustment for each string. This is not a problem but it would be better if the saddles were height adjustable.

Tremolo:

The tremolo feels solid and works well. The only problem I found is that the arm is not firmly mounted to the slot so there can be a very small annoying “delay” between starting to move the arm and the actual spring movement. It is very easily fixed with some masking tape. Maybe a threaded arm would have been a better option, although not as “authentic”.

Pots/switches/chrome plates/pickguard:

All 100% functional, firm and good looking.

Strap buttons:

There are small round pieces of black felt mat between the strap buttons and the body. Impressive!

Body:

The body finish is flawless and the internal cavities are painted with graphite for electrical shielding. Again very impressive. The sum weight of the guitar is 3.5 kg.

Pros:

Good value

Great as an upgrade platform

Very good looking

No major quality issues

Has real jaguar character

Cons:

Needs proper set up and some fixing before it is ready to play

Does not come with a gig bag

I hope this helps!

Not a good experience

The guitar looks lovely, aside from the bridge pickup which somehow looks like the internal and external parts don't match each other. The general look, finish and hardware are all lovely. If you just wanted a wall hanger this would be great!

The playability and set up are where the issues lie. If I really wanted to level the frets, dress the nut properly, take the neck off and use a shim to correct the neck angle then the guitar could have been made to play properly with higher tension strings but I don't think that is acceptable for a brand new and not inexpensive guitar.

Out of the box it was not playable, there was buzz, rattle and flop in many positions on the neck and an especially low first fret.

A great guitar at a great price

This is easily the best Squier guitar that I’ve ever played. The fit and finish is fantastic. It did obviously require a proper setup, but honestly, at the price im blown away. The Squier classic vibe series is the best stuff Squier have put out and honestly is amazing quality and better than some of its more expensive official Fender counterparts. The finish is gorgeous and sound range is broad and amazing.

Pros.. just a great guitar for all level of musician. Its a solid giggable guitar.

Cons.. none really.