Honestly, I’m not exactly a fan of Dinosaur Jr.  But I am a big fan of this guitar.  And it’s no wonder – at around $450, it’s not exactly cheap for a Squier.  I’d expect it to be at least as good as the Classic Vibe series, and it is.  So here’s the deal.  To my mind, this is a $399 Classic Vibe Jazzmaster Squier, with a $50 extra charge for having a famous musician’s name on it.  But it’s not that simple – you can’t BUY a Classic Vibe Jazzmaster, because they don’t MAKE them.  But let’s continue…

The Good

I loved how the neck felt on this instrument.  It has a satin finish (my one gripe about the Classic Vibe serious is that I prefer satin,) and it’s really, really comfortable in your hand.  The fretwork is pretty good.  But there’s just something special about this neck.  It’s fun to play, and I didn’t want to put it down.

You can get some pretty good sounds out of this instrument.  I think the pickups are good enough that most people wouldn’t replace them.  They’re gnarly but can sound great clean.  I also like the gold pickguard and the aged look of the knobs and pickup covers.  Great feeling guitar that sounds good and is very fun to play – what more could you ask for?

The Bad

Well… I really, really think this is a $399 guitar.  A very good one.  I’d be interested in buying one of these used, but new, I think it’s just a teeny bit too expensive.  Like I said, most people wouldn’t replace the pickups… but I would.  The tuners are fine, unless you’re doing a lot of gigs or a lot of performing, in which case you might want to upgrade them.  And the trem system is fine for a minor wobble, but I wouldn’t plan on too much more than that, unless you want to replace the bridge.  Still, these are standard gripes for every guitar in this price range.

The Ugly

The switch and pots on the pickguard on the upper horn are extremely annoying and stupid.  I understand that’s part of the deal, but boy do I dislike them.  I think they belong in the past.  The pots are awful to use.  A lot of people just remove all this crap – I would, too.  I know this is just my taste, but sheesh.

Summary

I will be on the lookout for one of these, used, in a few more years.  It’s a neat guitar with a neat sound, and with some mods I wouldn’t hesitate to play it on stage or in the studio.  It says Squier on the headstock, but who cares?  It’s what you play on it that matters, not the name on the headstock.  If you can find one new for $399, that’s a great deal.  At $449, I think it’s a teeny bit pricey, but it’s worth the money.