Are the same pickups used in classic 50s/60s/70s strat? What are major differences, aside from neck profile? How do they compare to MIM standard strats, or squire classic vibe? What do you think about classic 60s strat?

The pickups are the same in the 50 and 60s classics, the 70s pickups are a different part number, but they are practically the same. Alnico 5 magnets with plastic bobbins and plastic wiring. The 50s has a maple neck with a V profile, the 60s is rosewood with a C shape, and the 70s is offered as rosewood or maple with a U shape. The 50s and 60s are both heel adjusted trussrod designs with 4 bolt necks. The 70s has a 3 bolt neck with microtilt feature and headstock bullet truss rod adjuster. They all use the same vintage style 6 bolt bridge with large zinc block. The 50s and 60s are both made of Alder and I believe the 70s Sunburst and natural are Ash.

IMO the Classic series build quality is superior to the MIM standard line. The classic vibes are nice, I have owned several and still own a Fiesta Red 50s, but the classics are a bit better than the CVs depending on which features you want. The Classics have the wider vintage bridge, bigger block, and chunkier necks. The CVs have import spacing, small zinc block, and the necks are more of a thinner modern C. The CVs pickups though sound sweeter than both the classics and the ceramics in the standards.

I hope this information helps.

Are you asking about the American made reissues, or the Mexican made reissues. If I were you I would get the American made, vintage specs, classic pickups, body routs only for the single coils, and nitrocellulose laquer finish.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

I am asking about Mexican made guitars, and i think of buying 60s strat. One thing that worries is 7.25 inch neck. I played both standard and squier classic vibe and liked the neck, and I play a strat copy with much flatter neck. I can't try classic. Is it worth paying more for classic? (more than squier, I can get classic cheaper than standard)

Ok first off the neck is not 7.25", the RADIUS is 7.25". Just getting that out there. The higher radius is great for chords, because that's just about all the guitarists were doing in the 50's and 60's. If you want a classic strat, that's the radius you will have, if you want a flatter 9.5" radius then get a standard.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

The MIM Classic re-issues also feature the traditional S/S/S pickup routs. As well, the '50s model uses the period-correct control cavity rout without the "shoulder" that was added to the '60s models to accommodate an additional pickguard screw. The '70s MIM re-issues are all ash-bodied instruments, regardless of color finish.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I stand corrected. Nitro is still a big plus for the MIA's though.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

Your amp and pedalboard can't tell the difference.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Oh but I can feel it, a new hobby of mine is to strip the poly on my '99 MIM inside the pickup cavaties and the trem spring cavity, the guitar sounds more "open" and it resonates alot more now, more susatin too. I reccomend this because it opens up the wood, but you don't have to repaint your guitar, and no one knows except you.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

I own 2 Classic Series 60's Strats. These are very high quality guitars. The overall quality and attention to detail is the same as a MIM Standard. The differences are the tinted neck on the CS 60's, heel adjust truss rod and the fretboard radius and the pickups used. Between the 2, I would hands-down choose the CS 60's over any MIM Standard. Also, I left one of mine entirely stock, and put in Texas Special pickups in the other. Although the pickups have a few similar qualities, the Texas Specials really wake up these instruments.

+1

While there's nothing inherently wrong with the MIM pickups as used in the Classic series, neither are they particularly noteworthy. Fortunately (for us) that's an easy fix since there are so many nice pickup sets available, both from Fender and the aftermarket. My Classic re-issues all have non-OEM pickups installed -- Robert Cray's in one, CS 57/62's in another, DiMarzio Virtual Vintage in a third. All sound Stratty in their own right, with some individual nuances that give them a unique personality.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Well, I think I'll be saving for Classic Player '50s strat, seems like a great guitar

+1

I've owned one since '99. It's a great guitar.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Now the Classic Player is a completely different animal than the Classic Series

2 point vs 6 point trem
unique switching vs standard switching
57/62s vs the plastic bobbin alnico 5s in the classic
9.5 radius vs 7.25 radius
Medium Jumbo frets vs. Vintage small frets
Locking Gotoh Tuners vs. Ping Kluson copies

The Classic player is the more expensive of the two

The MIM Classic Series is without a doubt the best MIM guitars produced IMHO...Seems they use better materials and much tighter specs...for example check out the nice headstock figuring in my '07...and this isn't the only one I have seen with this figuring on...





I dare say with the exception of pick-ups and nitro vs poly finish they are very near the US Vintage reissues in quality...great guitars.

T2

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