Review: 2025 Squier Sonic Telecaster (plus CV 50s PU mod)
The Sonic line started in 2023, replacing what became the very popular Bullet line. I say popular, but it's actually more about the vintage Bullets. However, because of the price range, the guitars were always popular and probably more so back when the line first started because the big influx of inexpensive guitars hadn’t started yet.
Now, it's obvious that the Sonic tele has already been reviewed to death on YouTube and the internet as a whole. Of course, I can’t let that get in the way of content creation, so, we’ll talk about my own experience because I did get one and it's now my second favorite telecaster. That's not a surprise, I would imagine, because a lot of players have bought Bullets, Sonics and Affinities, to mod or to use as a second guitar.
In my case, I happened to like the yellow color, and the fact that somebody had put a very cool purple pickguard on it, which combined with the maple neck was very attractive, at least to me. The neck frets were a little rough but in my opinion, that’s an easy fix.
For me, smoothing the frets doesn't take more than maybe 10, maybe 30 minutes at the most. I do get it that a lot of players consider it a sign of bad workmanship or a reason not to buy a guitar, but I think there’s just as many players who don’t see it as that big of a problem. In fact, I never thought of it as being a problem until maybe the last 10 years or so when I started hearing that mentioned in a lot in reviews.
As far as how to smooth the frets, it’s better to learn the technical details on YouTube. It would be an irrelevant digression in the case of this review.
These days, one can get detailed specs off the Internet. However, the main points of the Sonic is that it’s a top loaded telecaster, has a slightly thinner body, and a narrower plain maple neck that’s nice for those who prefer a plain finish. The ceramic pickups weren't too bad. I would put them as being pretty similar to the Affinity (the next next model line). How good it sounds can depend on your amp and personal taste; but really, ceramic pickups are fine.
The attraction for me as far as the Sonic was concerned was the smaller size. I'm older now and have always had small hands and prefer smaller/lighter (if all else is equal in the case of deciding between guitars). The neck isn’t incredibly narrower, but it's noticeable. If you're somebody with large hands and you already think maybe the telecaster neck is a bit thin, then this one's going to feel even thinner. The same goes for the body.
All and all, for me, it's a very comfortable guitar. I decided not to stop at that. I did like the ceramic pickups. Those might not have quite the sound that alnicos produce, but unless you're playing clean all the time, it's not that noticeable at most levels of guitar playing. Some may disagree with that, but essentially, most people would agree once you get to a certain amount of gain, a lot of guitars begin to sound alike.
Also, in my case, since I got such a good price on the Sonic, I did think about maybe upgrading. So I went on Reverb and bought some used pickups from a Classic Vibe 50s tele and put those in.
I have to say that once I did that, the guitar moved up the ranks to pretty much my second favorite guitar. It's light, I like the neck a lot (I've always liked plain maple necks). It never mattered to me if a maple neck had any kind of finish. The classic Vibe 50s pickups sound great on this guitar. I would say that those considering a mod that involves classic 50s pickups might want to go ahead and buy a used set and install those because it's frankly an excellent upgrade (if you like a more traditional sound).
I thought the review was originally going to be about the stock Sonic and it sort of is. As far as deciding if you want a Sonic or to spend a little bit more for the Affinity, there are some differences. I've had an Affinity and it is a little different. However, I think you should probably just go for price. If you can get a used Sonic that's really nice and inexpensive, because someone's dumping it off or he's modified it or anything like that, then I would take that over an Affinity. It works the other way around depending on the price.
As far as buying a guitar that has been upgraded, keep in mind it might be for sale because the upgrades didn’t work very well. Also, it becomes a guitar that depends on the skill of the owner who made the mods and not the factory so there can be a quality issue.
Back to talking about a price range and type, I'm not sure there's that much difference. But if you're considering buying a Sonic or Affinity new, I would always advise trying to play those first whether it's in a Guitar Center or the living room of the seller you're buying it from. It’s a good idea to play it because these ceramic pickups are a little different.
But depending on what kind of music you play, it may not make much difference. And for 199.00, the question isn't so much the price anymore, but does it stand up against a Harley Benton, for example, which is in the same price range and is claimed to be a much better build? I imagine that if you can try both, why not? But to make a long story short, at the Sonic price point, if you want to buy one new, I wouldn't be embarrassed about it at all. It's a good value.
I think Fender's done a pretty good job of reacting to the current market that’s now full of inexpensive teles. They may not be able to compete in terms of features and quality versus cost but it's close enough that if you want the mojo of the Squier name, then don't be embarrassed. Go ahead and pick it for that reason.
Because one thing I've noticed when I recently sold off some of the inexpensive guitars that I bought (after determining which ones were good and which were bad, which incidentally I'll be putting in the aftermarket report series that I've just started) was that if you have a name brand like Squier or Epi, you have a better chance of selling it than a Harley Benton or etc., even if they have possibly a better reputation. I was offered Glarries, Harley Bentons and other brands in trade for an Epi and Ibanez that were up for sale.
Anyway, this review was like an aftermarket report, as I wasn’t playing it in order to determine whether I was going to buy it or recommend it, but wrote the review after playing it for a few months. Whether it was stock or modified by me, it was a keeper.
Al Handa
July 7, 2026
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