That's what I'm told. A couple friends of mine that play in the our church band both have newer Squires. They both say the Squire of today is soooo much better than 20 years agoI have a Squier Telecaster in that color. It is amazing how "right" the Squier guitars are these days. Those Classic Vibe models really are quality built. Your son should be able to rock that guitar right into playing gigs. Have fun!