Leaderboard

The Squier Classic Vibe series are a different beast than the Players, really. The Player series represent a fairly contemporary take on the instruments concerned (albeit in a fairly classic flavour), whereas the CVs replicate (after a fashion - they're not as exacting in spec as the US made reissue models, for obvious reasons) vintage styles of particular eras. The Players are built to a higher price point so in theory should be better. That said, I've always found with Squier that they vary (inevitably, QC is more tolerant at a lower price point, so there's much greater variation). I'd consider buying a Player by mail from a trusted supplier; the Squier, I'd probably want to play first. The CVs seem to do well on resale value, so if that's a consideration for you, proportionate to new price you won't be likely to lose more selling a used CV Squier than a used Fender Player. There seems to be a popular notion that the CVs made in China are markedly better than the ones made in Indonesia, but to be honest I haven't played enough of both to want to make a call on that. If you are looking for something Fendery, it would also be worth having a look at the Vintage branded guitars from JHS. In and around the same price as the CV Squiers, very competitive for what they sell at. As ever, a used Player will sell for about the same price as a new CV, but then a used CV will sell for less again, so.... I think the best thing you can do is head to a big guitar store that will have all the options you fancy, try them all, and then when you find what speaks to you most, try as many of that specific model as you can til one hits the spot. The PRS SE guitars are nicely made ime, though not my personal style. The only reason I wouldn't buy one is subjective personal preference, though - they seem nice across the board if they are what you're looking for in a guitar.