Squier- good, bad or hit and miss?

[Ian J]

I suspect that this subject has been done to death here, but I'm interested in your opinions.

I've always assumed/been told that Squier guitars are cheap in every sense of the word, sub-standard hardware, poor build quality, and poor playability.

Anyway, I've recently read some pretty glowing reviews of Squier's Tele Customs and Thinline HH. Have I been seriously mis-informed about Squier? Is it all just headstock logo snobbery?!

I've always fancied a '72 Thinline, but can't quite justify the £600 price tag when I'm perfectly happy with my MIJ Tele. The reason I ask about Squier is that their Thinline is a great looking guitar IMO, and at a good couple of hundred quid cheaper than the Fender, it's got to be worth a look?

[maestrovert]

what's on the headstock does NOT matter....
what it sounds like, and how it feels in your hand is (or should be) the criteria...
The Squire mark has been spotty in my opinion....at times, GREAT workmanship and value, at other times, just another cheap guitar...
PLAY 'em....those i've checked locally recently have been very nice guitars, ESPECIALLY when the "bang for the buck" factor enters the equation....

[nasonm]

I myself am tempted to pick up a squier 51, slap a bigsby on it, replace the pickups and mod the heck out of it!

[timgreene]

Some of my favorite fenders are squiers.

83 squier strat, sq serial number, with 50's style headstock single ply pickguard, its the numere uno.

I also like the affinity tele, made in china, I think these are better than the indonesian standards. As far as quality of woodwork, hardware, is not as good as the standards, but the fit and finish is excellent.

[z8894]

It did have a little bit of fret sprout when the weather is cold and dry but that was easy to fix. I've seen the Master Series thinline and chambered models, they are very nice. I think the Squiers are very great guitars for the price but I wouldn't buy one without trying it first. Of course I won't buy any guitar until I play it. I have to bond with the guitar before I can un-bond with my cash.

[Rob DiStefano]

Squiers are my fave Tele's and Strat's, and the quality is -for the very most part- top shelf. Heck, even the single coil pups are AlNiCo's. Just like ANY guitar, they all will need some tweaking. The only real drawback is if ya get one with a narrow nut width 1.610" (1-9/16"), the rest are 1.650" - so do check that out carefully. I'll put a Squier up against any big dollar Fender for both stage and studio - that's a no-brainer for me. But, it's a diverse guitar world and YMMV.

[josephandmary]

I've got to agree with timgreene 100%.

I've got a '86 Japanese Squier Strat that has a really great neck.

I also bought an Indonesian Squier Standard tele that was so-so - but I bought it to mod anyway so I wasn't bothered.

Then I played a couple of chinese Squier affinity strats and they were both excellent.

So try before you buy, and try not to be a brand snob (although I have to admit, I am)

[flyingb54]

I bought my son a Tom DeLong model and he loves it. For the money they're a great deal. Ive certainly played some Fender Tele's over the years that don't match up to some of Squier's models.
Like anything else, you just have to play a few and pick the best of the lot.
JB
www.johnbeland.com

[Aen]

Hit and miss, just like Fender.

[Stencil]

As some of you may have followed in a different thread, I helped my Goddaughter choose her first electric, a Squier Black & Chrome Special Edition Strat.

Is the US$ 200 Squier as good as my US$ 800 Am Series Strat? Not by a long shot: the neck isn't as fast, the hardware is a little cheesy, and the pick-ups a little rough sounding.

However the Am Strat is not 4 times as nice as the Squier, and I certainly enjoy playing the Squier. Back when I was a teenager, you couldn't get nearly as nice a guitar for so little money (adjusting for inflation.)

Cheers,

D°

[TDPRI]

Older MIJ Squiers are super. Period.

The new Squiers I've played have been hit or miss, but mostly seemed to be a super value for the money. We gave away a burgandy squier during the last Giveaway and it was GREAT!

Head what Rob say's about nut width though. It can feel funny playing a neck that's so skinny at the first fret. If you play it and don't mind then you'll probably love the guitar.

Paul Green

[Vincent Caster]

Originally Posted by timgreene

Some of my favorite fenders are squiers.

I also like the affinity tele, made in china, I think these are better than the indonesian standards. As far as quality of woodwork, hardware, is not as good as the standards, but the fit and finish is excellent.

I have an affinity sunburst strat and while I wish it had a big V-neck etc it is a decent sounding and decent playing guitar. I figured I 'd swap out the pups when I got it but have since let the guitar change my mind.

For what I personally paid for it, it is OUTSTANDING. I have yclepped it "doce" which will give you an idea of what I paid for it, OK, OK I had a couple of gift certs I put together but that's my story.

[J-man]

Some Squiers are awesome, but some stink..
My first Affinity kinda stunk, it was one of the 20th anniversary edition Squiers with the engraved neckplate, but the pickups stunk and it felt kinda cheap.

Though my current one is stunning!

[Fatmanstratman]

My son's first electric was his Chinese made Squier Affinity Strat. I bought it used, in mint condition, and before I gave it to him I put in an old set of Kent Armstrong Alnicos which were going spare.

He STILL plays it every day and, until he returned from a trip to NY last week, when he came home with an Ibanez S370 which he picked up at Sam Ash, it was his "No. 1" guitar out of the five that he owned.

The neck is silky smooth and plays like a dream. I have done very little set-up work on it - I just hard tailed the bridge and gave the trussrod a slight tweak. As far as the hardware is concerned, the tuners are fine, but I have had to change 1 tone pot and replace the 5-way switch. The input jack socket has also needed a bit of attention from time to time.

In summary, it plays as well as any Strat (dontcha hate 'em?) I've ever played, and the sound is sweet. I think the new range of Squiers is better than ever, so it would be well worth trying a few until you found one you like.

I think that bang-for-buck, you would be hard pressed to beat them.

[photoweborama]

I find that some are really good, so are fair. But even the worst of the lot can be great with a little work.

I always gut them anyway. I seldom keep the stock pickups, but at times, I do. I re-worked my son's new Butterscotch, and I really liked the sound of the stock pickups, but all the rest is new. Pots, switch, jack, wiring, and shielding.

Affinity’s are great starting points because the bodies are deep enough to accept a full size switch.

[packcrush]

I own the black and chrome special edition tele, and I have to say its brilliant. It sounds every bit as good as the Fenders, and feels a quality piece of equipment. (Actually, my one weighs a ton, but I quite like that.) The only thing I'm changing is the chrome scratchplate. Whilst looking cool, scratches show up really badly on it, so I'm going for the standard white-black-white plate. So my advice is to go to the guitar shop and try one out, because a good one is amazing value for money.

[PVTele]

I have to agree with the hit-n-miss verdict, but just say that these days it's more hit than miss! My 2002 Standard Tele's as good as any Fender Tele I've played - no, really - for sound and feel, for the way I play. Some things (tuners for instance) aren't right up there, but certainly OK. It really is a matter of the individual guitar and the individual player.

I've recently acquired a '78 MIA Strat - and I can play some things right on one guitar, and some things right on the other. I certainly don't reckon the Squier's inferior, just different. And I happen. by the way, to just love the slightly different sound you get from the agathis body on the CII Standrds - lovely and warm and singing, more like mahogany really.

[Joel66]

The first was a '51. I really wanted to like it but the pup's left me cold. They weren't terrible but they just didn't "get me there", if you know what I mean. Plus, on the fretboard edge at the 3rd and 4th frets the finish was flaked, and flaking, off. The guy I deal with at the store quoted me $170 out the door.

The second was the black and chrome model. Not bad at all. I just asked my girlfriend if I liked it and she replied "I thought you were going to buy it until you played the red one."

The third guitar was a red Standard Fat Telecaster. I was blown away by the sound of this guitar, but I'm not much on the looks of it. This was the 3rd time I've played this guitar. I really like it and I'm really wanting it. I was quoted $290 out the door. At the same time though, I have a Nashville that I was going to upgrade the pup's in so maybe I'll start playing it again some. I think it would be a lot cheaper to just get a humbucker, and a pickguard cut for a neck 'bucker than it would be to buy the Fat Tele. That way I can spend the money on a guitar that completely floors me. Unfortunately I seem to deal with my depression by trying to buy stuff (that explains the Artcore I bought 2 days ago).

I guess, judging from the experience's I had yesterday, I fall into the 'hit and miss' category.

Joel

[ye olde fretmonkey]

Originally Posted by josephandmary

I've got to agree with timgreene 100%.

I've got a '86 Japanese Squier Strat that has a really great neck.

Me too, Olympic White. I especially like the fact I picked it up for $100.

I just wish it wasn't a Strat.

[timgreene]

The third guitar was a red Standard Fat Telecaster. I really like it and I'm really wanting it. I was quoted $290 out the door.


Musician's friend has these for 199.00 right now, in either the sunburst, or the red. I have not seen one up close, but sure is a nice way to get into a stock, tele with neck bucker.

[Raymond]

I don't like them. I'm talking here about the most recent ones made in China or Indonesia, not the ones made in Japan. The neck is impossible to play and they feel very cheap. Like Rob says, I'm yet to find a mass produced guitar that doesn't need a set up including nut and fretwork, but if I wanted a cheap guitar, I'd keep my eyes opened for an early 90's toploader MIM. That's a neck!

[ye olde fretmonkey]

Got one of those too, currently on the 'reserve' list of guitars.

Currently has an EMG active p'up and no neck p'up...yuk.

I'm toying with the idea of making a Mexsquire out of it.

[OaklandA]

i vote "hit or miss", and that's as an Affinity Tele owner. I've been in GC's and picked up a half dozen Squiers and every single one be junk...others definately a big value. I got mine through MF, but knowing it was going to be a big mod project anyway. If I where to do it again I would not buy one mail-order.

Mine turned out well. I put as much in mods(pups, wiring, eletronics, refinished the neck) into it as I did the initial purchase but ended up with a pretty decent little guitar.

The neck on mine in really thin and narrow, and the fretwork was not the best. I use it for slide and open tuning so that's not a huge issue. Have 12's on it too, which mitigates some of those issues. It's not my number one player.

IMHO they are a good value, good starter guitars or backups....I'd try a few out before buying. A modded Squier is probably better than most Standards at the same or less price.

[kriaxe]

Hi!

What about the necks on the Squier Custom and Custom II respective Squier 51? I would say that the neck on my Squier 51 at least match the neck on my Fender MIM Strat. Both the 51 and the Custom/Custom II got very good reviews in latest The Guitarist. Obviously, these are cheap guitars and can't compete with the really expensive ones but the gap is narrowing...