Pro Tone opinions?

[endzone]

I've read a few comments here about Squier Pro Tones. Would appreciate hearing more about them...good, bad or ugly. Are they worthy or is there some hype involved? I've looked at a couple of the Strats, but have only seen pics of the Teles. That red thinline is one good lookin Tele. I have heard varying opinions as to the quality. Some say they equal MIM's while others swear they come close to MIA's. Thanks for all input.

[Colo Springs E]

.....and I thought they were quite nice, with very nice fit & finish too.

The issue I had with both of the ones I had (one Strat, one Tele) was the neck width at the nut was just too skinny for me, really bugged me.

But solid quality, definitely high bang-for-the-buck ratio.

[mellecaster]

I guess I've owned about 5 of the Strats..and 2 of the Tele Thinlines....little bit of Hype IMO....not Bad....but also not all that you hear online....all have a flat 12" fingerboard radius (which I don't care for)...even though the specs say 9.5"...they were a much better bargin a few yrs. back....Build quality is pretty nice though...especially those built in the Cort Factory IMO

[ibobunot]

I love mine, $150.00 at the pawn shop cause it said Squire on the headstock.

The owner of the shop brought it out of the back and hung it up and I grabbed it before it stopped swinging.

By the time he got back behind the counter I was standing at the register with my money in my hand...



More pictures

[Twang Tone]

I played a few of them when they first came out. I tried the natural Tele with the rosewood neck and Humbucker first, then the red Thinline, and finally a crimson Strat with a rosewood neck. The build quality on all 3 was resonable, given the price and the sound was reasonably good, too.

But like others have said, I also found the necks on them to be a bit on the 'ultra skinny' side for my taste. Plus I'm used to nitro, and I think these had satin finished necks. But I guess that a clean Pro Tone Squier's gonna go up in value as they are no longer being made. Best of the Korean Squier's, IMHO.

Thanks,

[TG]

I tried out a couple in a shop about 5 years ago. One was 'good' and the other was great.
So I guess they vary abit, like any model.

[Sarge]

I only wish I had a tele...I have 5 ProTone Strats. Some where there is an awesome ProTone Web site...it answered all my questions. In the decades to come ProTones are going to be highly sought after. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! I belive that they were discontinued because of them being on par with...you know...like the Fender Japan saga. Everyone I've ever owned has been a very good guitar.

[Tele-Ryan]

I had a Pro-Tone strat a couple years ago, and it was a great guitar. The pickups were much hotter than my MIM Standard Strat that I had at the time. I would say it was a better value than the MIM.

[CharlieO]

I have a Pro Tone Thinline. I looked at MIM Thinlines, which probably have better pickups and hardware, but for me the Pro Tone just seems like a better guitar. It's the only Fender that I own with the 12" radius and vintage frets, which makes me play a little differently, I guess. The fit and finish is excellent, and the grain showing through the red is gorgeous. They're still a bargain. They're usually less than $400, and it's very common to hear about deals like ibobunot got.

[Canadian Telefan]

Here's my 1996 Pro Tone Strat. Plays well and sounds great. I wouldn't say it's the best Strat I've ever played, but for the price it makes a decent second guitar. All stock except the bridge and pickguard, which was taken off an American Strat I parted out.

More information on Pro Tone guitars here:
http://www.squierjv.info/theprotonepage.htm

[CharlieO]

Hmmm...the Pro Tone catalog on the web site says that my Thinline has a 9.5" radius fretboard. It feels flatter than that.

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by CharlieO

Hmmm...the Pro Tone catalog on the web site says that my Thinline has a 9.5" radius fretboard. It feels flatter than that.

I explained that in my previous post.

[CharlieO]

Originally Posted by mellecaster

I explained that in my previous post.

I guess I missed that. That's what happens when you're working and trying to keep up with the TDPRI at the same time.

[Tom S]

Originally Posted by mellecaster

...little bit of Hype IMO....not Bad....but also not all that you hear online...

I had a thinline tele, and basically had the same opinion. I wasn't that impressed. I'd give it a five out of ten.

[CharlieO]

Originally Posted by Tom S

I had a thinline tele, and basically had the same opinion. I wasn't that impressed. I'd give it a five out of ten.

For the money paid, I'd rate it higher than a five. I've yet to run into anyone who paid more than $400 for one of these, and a lot have been bought for less than $250. Pretty nice guitar for that price range, and it compares favorably with a MIM at a higher price. The beautifully-grained ash bodies and the finish are nicer than the MIM bodies, IMO.

[Tom S]

Yeah, I dunno. I paid about $300-$325 for mine, used. That was around the end of '99 or early 2000, when they were kind of hot items with a fair amount of hype. Mine had a Seymour Duncan in the neck, which helped, but overall the guitar wasn't anything special, IMO. By contrast, a couple of years before I had bought a Yamaha 102S for $209 brand new, that was better in every way by leaps and bounds. Both made in Korea. I got rid of the Pro Tone within a few months at most, but I still have that Yamaha.

It's a matter of taste to some degree, too. I find the grain patterns on many of these (and the one I had too) to tend towards that wild look, and the wood is often not particuilarly well-matched either, two aspects I don't care for. That kind of grain always reminds me of cheap plywood. I much prefer straighter grain, but a lot of people don't.

To make matters worse, gold harware, especially when it's cheap, is just ugly tarnish waiting to happen. So now that I've thought about it a litle more, I'm going to have to give the Pro Tone thinline a 4.

[endzone]

Thanks for all the input guys. I have an opportunity to pick up a Pro Tone Blonde Strat. It looks like it just came out of the Fender factory, it looks so new. I can get it for $200. Guess I'll just have to get it and play it some before I can know what to think of it. It sure seems to be of pretty good quality. The steel saddles, ash body, alnico pickups and that "see through" finish impress me. Tuners seem to be pretty good too.

Anyway, thanks again for the replys.

[Primeta]

USD200 for one in good condition sounds like a good deal to me, as long as you like the sound.

I bought one with some wear to try some modding/refurbishing. I like the neck, despite the flat radiius, but my hands are quite small.

[rjhalsey]

I love mine! I have a good size collection see picture below. Many guitars have come and gone, but I will keep everyone of my Pro Tones.

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by rjhalsey

I love mine! I have a good size collection see picture below. Many guitars have come and gone, but I will keep everyone of my Pro Tones.

If Memory serves me correctly...it looks as though you have the Complete Series !!!!!....way to go.

[mellecaster]

Now see...I learn sumptin new every day !...I never saw one of those...I thought the Thinline and the bucker were the only 2 made...but I admit, I've never run across one ???....Your Quest continues........

[tdu]

I have seen photos of that natural finished Tele model a few times online. It looks really nice. That blonde on in the add looks really cool too.