Questions from a TDPRI noobie

[IronSchef]

Hi All,

I have been playing acoustic for a while, and got a strat last year that I have tricked out with a P90/Rails/HB combo. I am looking for a more "traditional" sound for my next guitar and have been looking towards jumping into the tele pool. I am not looking to spend a ton, so the squier standard tele is right in the neighborhood of my budget. My strat is a squier standard, and I am very pleased with the quality. Lokking to tap into the vast tele knowledge base here, thanks for the help.

questions:

1. what kind of pickups are on the squier standard? (Alnico, ceramic?) The Fender site says "Alnico" for the neck, but doesnt specify which alnico, and it just says "single coil tele" for the bridge.
2. is it a "full size" body (same at the Fender tele)?
3. "sound" - I am looking for a more rock-type sound, rather than the country-type sound (no offense intended to country fans, but I am thinking Kieth Richards, not Kieth Urban) - are these pups going to do the trick for me?

Any squier standard tele lovers/haters/mehs out there??

[plymman]

All Squier's are full size apart form the affinity models. The pickups will vary from model to model too but I believe the standard has alnico single coils. The Classic Vibe's are the best budget tele you can buy right now but they will have the typical tele twang.

If you're more geared to rock music I'd recommend the Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom. It's full size, traditional tele shape but has dual humbuckers rather than traditional single coil and much more suited to that Keith Richards sound (I think it's a model he actually used to play) . They also do a P90 model but I prefer the look and sound of the humbuckers. I've had one for a while and it's a great guitar and a similar price to the Squier Standard.

This is how the VM Custom looks:

[teleforumnoob]

The Affinitys have a thinner body and and thinner neck, narrower at the nut anyway.
The Squier Standard is more well, standard, in dimensions. Therefore a little easier to upgrade I would think.
To make it into a Keefer you'd prob want a neck HB, not sure about the routes for the front pup in either of these models.

[elelpe]

I'd say go with VM Telecaster Custom. Don't get it confused with VM Tele Custom.

[Obsessed]

Welcome! It is your third guitar, so I'd step it up one notch and go with the Squier Classic Vibe tele. You will never regret it. It will give you a more traditional tele tone and the quality is a huge step up. It is a guitar that will last, as you play more. Humbuckers are not the traditional road in the tele world, but it may be the sound you are looking for so play some before you buy.
Good luck and have fun shopping!

[plymman]

Good point Obsessed, I'd always recommend a CV over any other Squier but the VM's are very close in quality and having the humbuckers may suit his style better.

However I forgot the CV is routed for a humbucker anyway so the perfect answer might be a to buy a CV, then upgrade the neck pickup to a humbucker. It's the best of both worlds, you'll get the usual excellent CV build quality and a really spanky tele bridge pickup with the humbucker in the neck for when you get rocky. Classic Vibe's really are as good as a guitar can get for anywhere near that price range. If you get one from the off, you'll never be thinking "maybe I should have got that CV.." I prefer mine to the standard Fenders I've had.

I also agree with Obsessed about it being your third guitar, it really would be worth spending the minimal extra outlay to get that next step up in quality and to ensure you get the sound you're really seeking. As good as they are, I don't think a Squier Standard will give you the sound you want.

[SamClemons]

If you keep an eye on craigslist, you might snag a bargain on a Tele, MIM, American, Japanese or others.

[IronSchef]

thanks guys - u all rock!

I am not thinking of a tele w HB (I got TWO HBs in my strat). Loking for a more traditional "tele" snarl - but a rockin snarl.

[Frodebro]

The Tele bridge pickup can snarl with the best of 'em, the trick is to use the tone knob with Teles, because it actually works.