Two Vintage Modified Custom II, two Affinity, a Squire ’51, an ’89 Korean of unknown model, and the latest.. a sort of odd duck. I know the cheaper pkg has smaller wattage amp, but the guitar not sure? You’ll want to get one eventually, but if you’re just playing for yourself, I would save my money . I traded my MIM standard tele with a CV60 strat and wow! The major issue is the pickups which have a horrible sound in total contrast to near identical others I have. CN 456132 bullet w/22 frets. Thanks for the comment. It might be worth mentioning that the Squier Standard Statocaster features a full size strat body, unlike the Bullet and the Affinity. Week before last, I set up my friend’s 20th Century Chinese Affinity HHSS Strat in full float and have yet to have it come back to me for hard-tailing (tuning issues). Bought a few books and spent 6 weeks watching UT videos (setup is an art, and I had to develop my own). Is it possible to connect headphones to amplfier? Best of all, they all have headphone jacks and auxiliary (CD/MP3) inputs. I have one part just for woodworking when I get one that has damage to the body or neck. Yes Bob, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Don’t do it. I have met many a good professional muscians that play Squiers. Just about anything advertised as ‘two channel’ will have a distortion setting. It looked good sounded very good, Etc. Companies who are making guitars and parts are having a great time selling product and upgrades . Go figure. Josh, terrific article! This is a Chinese model. But I’ve always been a tinkerer and had gotten into repairing guitars for the fun of it. The Bullet and ‘Starcaster’ are the least expensive models. I am 62 years old and started playing guitar again about two years ago. I have two Strats, an ’86 Superstrat MIJ w/ Rosewood fingerboard and the Schaller Tremolo and an ’84 MIJ Squier Bullet w/ Rosewood fingerboard and a “normal” Fender Tremolo. I had read all over the web about any info on Squier pickups. But, that is one characteristic of a true single coil pickup; very powerful and “stratty”, with tons of “quack”. Now, it is my #1. Thanks for the help . I kinda lean towards 3 single coils for a first guitar. I aso used Squier parts to make myself up a Ritchie Blackmore special replete with scalloped frets. Play all that your fingers can stand to play. Almost everybody is familiar with the look of the Fender Squier Stratocaster and it has been played by some of the best guitarist in the world. Still Have It! If yes, is it better to buy usb guitar + headphones or guitar + amp + headphones? The biggest difference between the two, other than the fact that Squier is manufactured in Asia while Fender is made in the U.S.A., is materials. The Squier® Contemporary Stratocaster® HH is an outstanding choice for the modern player seeking progressive features in a guitar that has authentic vibe and style. As you noted, the more expensive pack comes with a 15G amp (vs a 10G amplifier) which might produce a little more volume but, frankly speaking, neither will be anything you want to take out of your home and play in front of people. Here's what Squier say about the Squier Contemporary Strat. I have a vast collection of vintage guitars to new ones. The body was £60 from eBay, the pickups already fully wired ready to solder to the Jack cost another £100. Grow up and learn to play. Both are quite solid. He played an borrowed my guitar many times as a backup guitar for gigs and juat as I did he thought it was a fantastic guitar for the money. I’ve owned American made Strats in the past and bought a 2003 MII Affinity for the princely sum of $75, just recently. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. And, you wont ever get that from any humbucker. By improving your electronics (pick-ups, volume and tone controls) and new tremelo and block you will sweeten your sound and add some sustain. I’ll bet with a pickup swap out you could create a guitar you could gig Glastonbury with for about £250. I place the quality of the woodcrafting and fretwork on a level with my 2012 PRS Santana which is super-nice. Also this one says it was made in China not indonesia, but serial code is way different as it has CSSA # ? And my much newer and much lighter Squier Contemporary Strat is also a joy to play. Yes, you may be able to find some really bad Squiers. The same quality of pickup, if manufactured in the U.S., would cost twice as much…and the Classic Vibe would list for $689 instead of $589. A great technician Steve in Santa Cruz, CA said even he couldn’t make it sound good and recommended returning and getting a Fender Squier mini strat. It is all to the persons preference. Much different sounding with its HH configuration. So here’s the best part about considering a Fender Squier Stratocaster as your first beginner guitar: excellent options. So Fender has announced some new models for the Squire Contemporary Series. If these are “inferior” pickups, I’ll take em’ anyday….sounds incredible through my behringer vt30, That’s awesome, Chris! I am 16 years old and have been playing guitar for a year and a half. That’s probably the one thing about Squiers; they are made in different countries and so you might have to look harder to find a better quality one; some are not as good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXm_imC7b2M&feature=youtube_gdata_player. Those ceramics can really light up the front end of an amp, I think their better for hard rock. Wood is important on acoustic guitars and semi acoustic electric guitars not so much as with solid body electrics as these are processed to what you wish to get sound wise. Will you need the capability in the first couple years? Squier by Fender Contemporary Telecaster HH has 0 ratings (Score 0 out of 5 based on 0 ratings ).. Disclaimer. Mine starts with an “O”. Offering paint jobs and special wiring (like the 7 way selector switch and push pull pots that activate the bridge pickup whenever you want it)’ I’ve made ones that Squier just doesn’t offer and people are stoked to get something unique that plays well, Thanks again , Wow, great question Ashley. I will be keeping her totally stock. a single one that couldn’t be repaired. I just bought the squire with the humming bird pickup. I also replaced the tuners with aftermarket vintage style locking tuners. Aftermarket hardware upgrades such as a tremolo block might not fit in the Bullet and Affinity series. Picked up new pots on the way home and that Strat was jammin that night. And recently built a paining booth with a professional spray gun. 9 years old? Then discovered at my first ‘garage band’ get together (while showing the drummer who was also new to playing drums) that he was playing the song all wrong. It will get some quality time on the work-bench, but that’s only to make a really good guitar that much better. I want to buy my first guitar. Have sold all if them due to economic demands just to pay rent, car repairs, emergency dental work, etc..aka Life, haha. Glad I was able to provide some help. I purchased a mexican fat strat with a floyd rose. I have a 2004 Indonesian Affinity Strat I bought from our local pawnshop for $40. The guitar looks to be in great condition. The Squier Vintage Modified series, and the Classic Vibe series. This is the only negative I have seen up til now. The Squier contemporary Stratocaster HH is an outstanding choice for the modern player seeking progressive features in a guitar that has authentic vibe and style. Squier Contemporary Stratocaster HH Electric Guitar, with Maple Fingerboard. Great article, Josh! For £160 this guitar now sonically far outperforms a Mexican Strat and sits in my collection as one of my 3 main go to guitars beside a Fender USA Elite Strat and a Gibson Nashville Les Paul Studio and it was a fraction of the price of both these guitars. The neck was very thin, more than I prefer. On the Strat-talk forum, I think alot of the experienced guys on that web site http://www.strat-talk.com/ would kill for a chance to buy a 20 yr old Squire Affinity from Japan. sounds great and looks great! Apologies for typos and any grammatical errors. Any advice/ experience? I love Fender guitars and have a few strats and teles of my own,(USA,Mex and Japanese made). Replace them with a Fender “F” plate and Fender screws. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. It felt a lot like a Jackson to me but with a larger body. I have a hand full of different squire models. He gave me his bass to defret and hid Squier Strat, it was flawless. They outplay any American Standard I’ve ever felt/played, though I am partial to 22 frets, which both of mine have. But, it’s an excellent platform for experimentation and will grow with you on the road to finding that sound you love, too. I play through a Crate V-18 tube combo…upgraded speaker, tubes, and Reverb tank. so after playing a while i started giving the squier strat a second look and then switched the neck with a fender strat neck (2004 fender standard strat) and eventually bought a loaded 2014 standard fender strat pick guard. My main player is a ’60s Classic Vibe Strat w/rosewood FB…three-color sunburst. Will never understand “relicing” If I kick dents & scratches into my car, is it worth more? about nine years later my wife bought me a fender telecaster and I was reborn! If that doesn’t help, just look at both of them and make a gut decision on which one looks right to you. I have 3 Squier Strats made in various times and places, and they are all very good quality guitars. I probably buy at least one a week and still just do it for the fun of it. I am going to sell my Standard. A flat black modified, a shiny black Mexican 95 and I just bought a red 08 Indonesian. I even keeping the tuner. My recently purchased Squire Fiesta Red Stratocaster is a great guitar for the money BUT the tremolo does not function at all. Fender had produced entry-level electric guitars before but had never modeled them after their popular line of Stratocasters and Telecasters. My Standard is 1 & 3/4, same as a Fender. As for an amp, There’s a lot of good solid state practice or modeling amps that should work for you. This is a really amazing guitar for the buck! Squier standard strats are excellent, Ive had several, have two currently and have set up dozens, youre talking complete rubbish. HI I bought a new 2004 Squier Affinity but did not play it much cause the neck width was only 40mm and i need 42mm. I agree with you – if you’re a beginner guitarist there is a lot of this that won’t matter much. I have a Squier Stratocaster bought new in 1992 that I need to sell. With guitars, there’s a big difference between ‘cheap’ and ‘inexpensive’. I m buying a conductive shielding paint to deal with the 60 cycle on the squier. The current production Standards do not have a thinner neck. I never had any problem with it and the neck was actually really nice. Guess what…. More advanced players will notice that the amplified sound of a Squier Strat doesn’t quite compare to that of a true Fender. Don’t be put off by the “it’s not really a fender” comments. Is it going to rust after a while, or are the tuners going to last only up to a point? Now I am wondering if I should switch to the $249 pkg? Required fields are marked *. So, I’ve blocked mine for now. Not that pretty on the back and some green grain on the back of the neck. Easy to work on and are great platforms to modify. This model sold so well that they eventually folded it in to their regular line and AFAIK it is still available today. It’s also not a bad option if you want a smaller travel electric guitar. And I totally agree with your take on Squiers. For some reason it did post it twice .. So, do yourself a favor; reconsider Squire, and play before you buy this time. At the very least, this “quality time on the work bench” will just give guitarists some good practice, especially since if they mess up, it’s not an incredibly expensive guitar! . All in all I am impressed and the second Squier Bullet is on its way! Thanks for sharing, Mike! But my squier sound much better. And being burned by several awful and expensive guitar techs. You may however wish to change your brand, Fender for Gibson, etc, Echo for a Martin or Larivee or whatever. Immediately: New EMG’s w presence pot, new machine heads and Floyd Rose! Tremolo bar clicks if I push it in too far. These are fantastic affordable guitars that don’t owe anybody any apologies! The Contemporary Strat HH is based around two ceramic humbuckers (with fetching 'zebra' bobbins) and is pitched at players with a need for speed, with a slim C-shaped maple neck and jumbo frets. The only thing I know for sure is that I like the range and sound of the Stratocasters and I’m sure that this is the guitar for me. ’83…hard shell case, black nickel hardware. Hi, I bought a used squier affinity for 50.00I love this guitar the sound, but need it a good upgrade. I found Squire Strat USB. The Squier Contemporary Active Stratocaster is built for the modern player with dual, high-outpt active humbuckers. Yes it is a good guitar for beginner but that’s because of the price! I started getting friends asking me to set up their guitars to play like mine. It’s a rare color they haven’t made for years and rarely ever see. I bought it at a pawn shop and saved a few bucks. i have owned 2 squier standard strats both garbage the first one i bought from musicians friend the workmanship was horrable made in china junk my second bought new on ebay frets wore out within 6 months routing was sloppy pickups were not alnico like they were suppose to be tone controls wired backwards jack plate holes drilled to close to edge wood broke out no longer would hold screw fret job was terrible and so on so now i play 2 modified yamaha pacificas 112v and a 112j way better than squier junk these guitars are even better than a mexican strat fit finish workmanship compareable to american standard strat my other electrics are a samick greg bennett malibu made in korea 3 piece american alder body eastern hardrock maple neck fingerboard wilkinson tremolo grover tuners and now it has fender usa pickups pots switch nos from around 1989 best guitar i have ever played then a highly modified mexican strat. My main quibble is that the tone pots are atrocious! I chose it over a $2000 Les Paul that the fret board was uneven and was not smooth or as pretty figured neck wood. I was about to list it on CL until I put new strings on it. This is Squier's version of the Charvel, which runs about $850. oh this was brand new for 75 bucks had to take the plastic off the guard,seriously i wish someone who owns a usa strat would give an honest review side by side !I STILL CANT BELIEVE THE WORKMANSHIP !!! As for myself, I have a 2007 Squier Standard Stratocaster (Indonesia), which I purchased new in ’07 or early ’08. Not very sensitive to touch.. In fact, I like and play it more. I’ve made several David Gilmour ‘black Strat’ replicas for the Pink Floyd fans and lots of relic guitars in vintage colors not available from Squiers. I am ok to stretch my budget a bit but I want a good guitar. So, that gritty, raw tone from those ceramic pickups is perfect. Then, later on, after you have learned a bit and begun to develop your style you can make the modifications necessary to achieve the tone or feel you want. Electronics: 500k pots are incorrect for use with single coils, low grade 5-way switch and output jack. I’ve read the review and most of the comments. Of course, when you’re looking to mimic a Fender Strat with a budget under $200, you should certainly expect a few compromises. You won’t be sorry, I PROMISE. I have owned a Fender precision and a Fender Jazz, the Squier is made as good as both. Hey Josh, i think I’m leaning towards the Fender squire stratocaster. Just bought the usb squier strat and I have to say, the tone of this guitar sounds waaaay better than expected. And in each case the routing was top notch The VM and CV are very well built instrumemts. The neck pocket and neck are flawless. Once I got my first Squire I was blown away. I was impressed that the frets were done pretty well, no stabbing wire out of the sides. He is a pretty stand up guy and has been playing the guitar for decades. The ones built in the 90s and around 2001 had the slimmer neck so my advice before buying a Standard try an Affinity before you pull the trigger. Bear in mind that TONERIDER pickups are made in China, which is why they are less expensive. Good point. What I like you may not like. She said ‘time to take it all apart huh?’ Which is usually the first thing I do when I get one. But I love my Squires. I've been wanting to find one to try out. The Affinity is all the Strat I need. You can say the same thing most of the hardware including tuners, bridge hardware, etc. It was a great feeling watching the new owners eyes light up as they tried it out. I played the HSS strat in that blue with matching headstock. Added a second hand Indy Affinity Strat to my stable in ’14. I guess my point being, these are great guitars. I have a Squire Tele that says “Made in Mexico” on the back of the headstock. it does sounds like you were duped, It can happen – it’s in Fender’s interest to make sure their Squier range doesn’t reflect badly on them. Me on guitar In some cases I think it might be a better use of your money to just get a better quality guitar instead of all the flashy electronics. It plays like butter and rings like a bell. Is a Fender Standard MIM body as good as a Fender Squier Affinity Body dated 2004? They are so highly underrated for being the best bang for the buck by a long shot. My pleasure, Ashley! It feels exactly the same as the pricier Fender Strats. I was 21 then, and I got my first electric when I was 16. The blue color was pretty sharp looking I’ll say. Oh, one more thing, your nerves won’t be nearly as shredded if it’s sitting on a stand in close proximity to drunk dancing people in a dive in the bad side of town as gigging guitars often are. As to the Classic Vibe series, all bets are off. It would seem like a good choice for anyone on a budget and also someone looking for an affordable modding platform. But every one was repairable. Squier Contemporary Series. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! …just picked up an Indonesioan made squire? A Les Paul copy. I met up with him just last Sunday. There is such alot if snobbery and rubbish written about guitars. This body of this instrument is made from a wood called agathis. I play acoustic (badly as never find the time) but my son recently asked for an electric guitar. So, save your money; it’s too hard to come by. I got a 1998 Chinese affinity for $70 in fair condition. I found a site with serial numbers linking to the year of manufacture: http://www.guitarnucleus.com/fenderserial.html. BETTER than an American made Tele, IMHO. I’m happy as a free-soaring eagle flying a mile high. Contemporary Active Stratocaster® HH, Rosewood Fingerboard"Showtime Music" has been serving the music industry for over 29 years. We tend to get caught-up in the hype that goes along with playing guitar, or any other hobby, really. Plus sounds BETTER than the Fender Precision. Enjoy learning, progressing and playing. You will be so glad you didn’t wait for “some day”. Hi Josh. I can’t really bring myself to sell it, as it was my first guitar, and I do really like the neck on it. There’s a lot that plays into the tone of an electric guitar – from the onboard electronics to the amplifier, but “out of the box” the Squier Stratocaster guitars have a good sound. I was especially happy to get the original version with the 8-hole pickguard. I’ve gotten into making ‘custom’ Squiers that I base off the super high end American versions. I’m 43 and I started playing at age 14. Disappointing to say the least. Since then, I have made many improvements to it. I switched out the neck for a Fender Strat Mim neck, and I switched out the electronics, pups, and pick guard for a fender MIM standard 2012 Strat. It’s perfect. It carries the name “Fender” and that will serve you well later on. I have inserted a Fender tremolo spring but it does nothing. Hey Shivaom, why wait for “some day” to go to an open mic? I’m 64 years old I’ve had more guitars then you can shake a stick at I usually picked up American made Fenders and Gibson’s . Thanks. My son moved out in 2010 and left his 2000 Squier Affinity Indonesian Cort Strat which we never could get the low E to play in tune. thanks You wanna know what the result will be? Does the fact that it is relatively old increase its value? I am so thankful to get back into it. Thanks for the comment, Noorman! Can you tell me where Squiers are made now? I like the feel of the Affinity neck even more so than on the CV series. Question: if I block the tremolo, will that completely solve the issue of the guitar going out of tune?…. Designed back in 1954 by Leo Fender, the “stratocaster” has become ubiquitous among all electric guitar players across the world. That’s the only complaint I have about mine. Overview - The Squier Contemporary Active Stratocaster HH is an outstanding choice for the modern player seeking progressive features in a guitar that has authentic vibe and style. Upon receiving the Squire, I completely disassembled it. If you’re a beginner guitarist you won’t notice and you should probably just skip this paragraph. Thanks for sharing, Rick! Make sure you can play it, ie the necks are sometimes a bit narrow for adult fingers…I know mine was…but it may be perfect for you. Anybody know where the Strat was made? Hey Tom, thanks for the comment! Enter the Squier Fender Series. Fit and finish are superb. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Contemporary Active Stratocaster HH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2wDUZht104. The workmanship and the pickups are why this guitar is superior to the Mexican Strat….and the Mexican Strat lists for more $$ than the Classic Vibe. I have several Strat Squiers and a genuine 59 Stratocaster, I am a Luthier by trade and a performer too, I swear by the Fender Squier range. If you’re looking to upgrade the guitar parts in the future, there’s more help to do that online with the Fender Squire, even though you can upgrade both guitars equally well. I added some basic tools (understring & feeler gauges and precision calipers are best) to my tool kit. This includes a case, strings, winder, tuner and other items that a beginner guitarist would find helpful. I love them all. It’s a proven guitar that is well-priced, even though there are both cheaper and more expensive options (as you’ll see below). 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