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Squier: Duo-Sonic ‘50s
List: $680
Squier had been keeping watch of their shortcomings since doubters labeled their wares as honey-coated duds in the early ‘90s. This was a critical concern for the manufacturer since it is a Fender affiliate; the mere name conjures respect in terms of QC & tone. As a pro-active organization, Squier did well to redeem reputation by consistently raising quality. We experienced the Vintage Modified series recently & understood where the company was heading for in this light and then came the Classic Vibe (CV) models to further raise eyebrows. The Duo-Sonic ‘50s here is a member of the CV family which feature many revered ‘50s Fender features, not in its exact entirety, but a very respectable contemporary interpretation.
Quality/ Fit/ Finish
The Duo-Sonic here is a replication of the Fender version which was conceived back then as an affordable alternative to the surf-inclined Jazz/ Jaguar guitars. The guitar is virtually dipped in a sumptuous gloss overcoat; there is no wooden feature here devoid of this blanket. It’s done very well as no dry drip stains could be detected on the review model. Despite this marked coating, the Duo-Sonic is a light darling; it wouldn’t hurt anyone’s back anytime especially so when the body is of a basswood selection. This attribute, coupled with the single unit maple neck offers the player a very bright sounding instrument in its acoustic nature (more on this later). This CV offering lives up to its reputation as the top-of-the-line Squier guitar with absolutely impressive QC; a great attention to character to say the least. Thumbs up!
Rating: 90%
Playability/ tone
Upon handling, one can’t help but deem this guitar to be light & affecting its low frequency performance especially after hearing its initial unplugged performance. One would suspect the hardware featured here are also non-massive units hence the contribution to all things hairy, tone-wise. Upon plugging in, the Alnico V single coils also make sure nothing too deep gets in the way in both clean & driven modes. The covered pickups offer some control at the treble end but the sure thing here is that there’s a healthy dose of clarity in any settings. Some of us might be perturbed by the neck pickup's positioning as it might suppress some harmonic overtones of a regular-scaled guitar; you'd do well to plug in this instrument & hear what it has to offer. The afore-mentioned Alnico V magnets on board are definite selections for a strong, driven output. These also provide a definite clunk, very Strat-like but nothing too abrasive. The overall airy nature of the tone on offer is much attributable to the mass of the instrument more than the influential electronics. If you enjoy a commanding clean tone while reveling in distortion on some playing days, the Duo-Sonic is your guitar.
The neck of this Duo-Sonic is a very worthy attempt in recreating the ‘50s feel; it’s very round to the touch hence making bends more positive. The medium jumbo frets however is a throw-off to all things vintage but let us keep in mind the CV series is not a complete recreation of Fender’s glorious past but the greatness is present in essence, that’s where the ‘vibe’ in CV offers its bearing.
Any room here for the fleet fingered? Definitely but the picking hand has to be wary of the 3-saddle bridge which might prove protrusive for those of us who are more accustomed to the flatter saddles of contemporary shred-friendly guitars. The tuners on offer conjure classic livery but they are rather stiff in operation, some of us might deem them too small for effective manipulations. The 3-way pickup selector also suffers from such inflexibility.
Tone test equipment:
Amps: Peavey XXL 2x12 combo/ Blackheart Killer Ant
Effects: Ibanez TS7/ Beta Aivin NS-100
Rating: 90%
Final say
Have you found your elusive Duo-Sonic guitar for a steal? Not quite. This Squier CV version Duo-Sonic is not a carbon copy of the real deal; it’s the manufacturer’s interpretation of Fender’s distinguished, albeit peculiar, past. Remember it’s a Squier, not Fender. But what we have here is a fabulous piece of gear, a simple guitar for your immediate tonal needs. Despite it being aimed squarely at the student player in terms of make & price, the Duo-Sonic is a fantastic instrument to own. The QC on display (at least for the review model) is thumbs-up all round. Do not approach this instrument with a Strat/ Tele expectation because it is simply not such a filler.
Final rating: 90%
Product availability: BGW guitars
Likes:
• Overall playability & tone
• Weight
Dislike:
• Stiff tuners/ pickup selector switch
Worthy competitors:
• In the mean time, no other guitars out there sport a 24” scale length & a single coil pickup pairing in this price bracket
