Why Guitar Players Choose Squier Over Fender
Vložit
- čas přidán 7. 10. 2023
- Andrew's Channel: @AndrewMasters
SQUIER CLASSIC VIBE: sweetwater.sjv.io/1roKx6
Join My PATREON COMMUNITY: / mikecolemusic
MY GEAR
GUITAR: imp.i114863.net/BXrLNx
OTHER GUITAR: imp.i114863.net/jW4j6b
MY LES PAUL: imp.i114863.net/LP37YZ
MY TELE: imp.i114863.net/Yg7DYR
MY ACOUSTIC: imp.i114863.net/rn3vdv
MY AMP: imp.i114863.net/ORNq2G
UA OX: imp.i114863.net/XxzB0G
DB BOOSTER: imp.i114863.net/DVEo95
D.I. BOX: imp.i114863.net/WD3rGM
COMPRESSOR PEDAL: imp.i114863.net/qnjGen
TUNING PEDAL: imp.i114863.net/kj54Ez
REVERB PEDAL: imp.i114863.net/gbdB9r
OVERDRIVE: imp.i114863.net/5b4BMN
MY MIDI: imp.i114863.net/mge4Bq
MY RESONATOR: imp.i114863.net/rnVErQ
MIC: imp.i114863.net/yRQAk2
MY WALL HANGER: imp.i114863.net/LPJ0Bj
WIN FREE GEAR:
imp.i114863.net/rnyxJ5
DEALS ON MUSIC GEAR: imp.i114863.net/ZdzDqQ
Instagram: mikecoleat
Business inquiries: mikecolemusic@gmail.com
The real story here is Mike took my 6 year olds guitar and won't give it back.
👀
lol
He can't keep getting away with this
what a jerk.....or is it he six year olds fault....nope!
AWH NAO
Bro... as a broke kid who grew up around broke musicians, no one cared what you played as long as you actually knew your way around your instrument. From the homie playing Squires in cover bands to my cousin who plays weddings on an Epiphone les paul; as long as your guitar is set up properly, you're golden.
Err as long as you can play well, sound good, unamplified. Then your golden. Practice Practice Practice
Preach brother!
Same here. I always had second guitars - HArmony Les paul copy, Starcaster Fender, Squier, and warlock BC Rich.
got HEERBY SG))) and it quite sounds good, but still what he's saying makes sense. I always wanted a REAl SG back in a days, but now I don't care much)
I wrote a paper in regards to the music industry a few years ago. I explained why the guitar industry is in the dumps. They want you to buy an expensive guitar ! Second most kids today don't listen to rock let alone practice an instrument. Most of the younf kids I know listen to only hiphop, pop, and edm. The others listen to country , but they dont want to play instruments. Most likely DJ equipment and software is much cheaper than $1800 on a guitar , because it's rose board fret hahahahahah@@Sergei_Berets
I played a $90 salmon pink squier for years and the tone and action were killer, favorite guitar I ever owned. Easy come, easy go - it got stollen out of my car in San Fransisco. Not even mad, so long as it's still out there somewhere screaming to the stars.
Don't worry the thief's Jane's Addiction cover bad never made it far.
Sorry dawg, but that's on you for being located in San Fran.
Sorry to hear it got stolen 😢
I feel like I’m more mad about this than you are. I wish you had the guitar and the one who stole it did not have a guitar.
Great attitude.
I joined a jam group when I was a beginner. The guy leading the jam became a close friend and pushed me to improve my chops and to learn. I learned a lot from him. When he passed I went to his service. Another friend who was in the jam pulled me aside and told me that as he was in his last days the friend kept saying "Make sure (I) gets the bass!". He hands me a Squier Jazz Bass. I've never played bass before in my life, but I bring it home, fix a few things and set it up, and I got online and took courses. Almost nothing I've done has helped my guitar playing more than that. That Squier bass plays great, sounds great, and taught me a lot. It's my friend teaching me even now.
You'll have that bass the rest of your life.
That was an awesome dude
Great story!
Thanks for sharing that really cool story.
It's funny how, really getting into playing bass, just makes you a better musician overall. You have to mind the beat and also the chords and melody and if you want to play songs on bass: You really have to listen.
Crazy thing is, Squier has only stepped up their game tremendously since that guitar you played. The Classic Vibe series are some pretty sick guitars, especially given the price
Man squiers build quality and materials are like 80% of the way to fender. They really are fantastic instruments now.
There have been many Fender guitars sold with Squier labels over the years. I'm a big Fan of the 80's & 90's set neck and thru neck Korean guitars.
Not quite. I have an 1987 made in Japan Squier Stratocaster and an Eric Clapton Fender signature series. Guess which one is the killer guitar?
Even the contemporary series are great. Got the Squier Strat HH with floyd rose and it's very good. I think I'll splurge for the Tele afterwards.
@@KRACHDUFEYeah I've been eyeballin the Contemporary Tele for over a year now, them things are tight lookin.
I'm 77, never played anything before and have now started trying to learn how to play my son's abandoned Squire. There is a Peavy amp with it that has an overwhelming number of switches and dials.
Good for you - never too late to learn .Start strummin' strings , and twistin' knobs. Enjoy !
@@ricklee9473injoy ✌️
I’m 68 and have been playing since I was 12. Learning to play is easier now we have facilities like You Tube, better and cheaper instruments and a plethora of tutorials. There’s so much help and information available to today’s learners. Nevertheless there’s no way that I know of that can toughen up your fingers, fingertips and help the development of your ‘muscle memory’ other than lots of practice. Enjoy the journey!😊
Get a VOX ac15c1 with new tubes to go with it. Incredible sound.
The man that taught my grandfather how to play taught me back in 07, his name was Bill. My mom and dad bought me a guitar from a pawn shop and hired him to teach me. On my 15th birthday he brought in a red squire strat for me that he said he played a handful of times. I still have it, and still love it.
- RIP Bill
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
what a legend, rest in peace
Talent surpasses equipment. Hard work surpasses talent.
And contacts surpasses both
Until talent works hard
@@TheMagicFellow Max Verstappen
I’ve got a bunch of Squiers and they are great! I’m a hobby guitarist and they’ve been a great way to try out different Classic models in an affordable way.
I like your response on your outlook regarding squire guitars as I own two squire stratocaster guitars
Then all you have to do to really nail the sound of a classic model is upgrade the pickups, I did that with the CV Jag and J Mascis Jazzmaster. Put Fender Pure Vintage PUPs in and I see no need to spend over a thousand on a Fender version now. I absolutely love them.
@@clivewinter8321SQUIER
I have never been overwhelmed by premium or custom models. And when it became popular to 'relic' a new custom shop instrument, I decided that most of my fellow guitarist were insane.
Thank you for acknowledging this!! I hate the whole “relic” concept.
I hate it because it's so disingenuous. The relic look only works when it was genuinely done through wear and tear from traveling and playing, but now people are buying them to look aged and beat up or just beating them up to get that look. It's such a poser move, and it just feels like you are carrying around a lie.
@@justaguy328 Depends what you want, I guess. For the guy (let's call him Keith Richards) who wants the reliability and lack of worry of a new guitar or brace of 'em to take on tour but that create the illusion he's playing his old 50s black guard, they're a great idea. More commonly, they're loved by those who would love a beat up old original, can't afford 'em, and a relic is the closest they'll be able to own. It's not my preferred aesthetic (I like a modern, polyurethane finish that stays new-looking; the look *I* want is 1956 head to toe, not 1956 guitar as it would look in 2023 after having been owned and played hard all that time), but to each their own. I don't really find it any more or less legitimate than someone buying a beat-up old guitar that has "real" wear. The oddest notion I've come across are people who sneer at relics as "fake" and "unearned wear", but who then rush to buy nitro and other fast-wearing finishes not for any perceived tonal benefits, but because they want to wear the finish as fast as possible. Still, I'm sure my "I want to look like I stepped out of the fifties" vibe looks equally odd to them. There's a guitar for everybody out there.
That all said, there's a part of me would love to have a reliced guitar that matched one of mine, as if it were the same guitar many decades later, but that's an indulgence will have to wait for the big lotto win...
@@justaguy328 it reminds me of when i started skateboarding as a kid and i would scrape up and beat up my board to make it look used up like i was doing crazy grinds and slides everywhere so that the kids at school would think i was good lol. feels like the same concept applies with relicing.
I never understood the relic thing. My gear gets relieved enough with use. Oops dinged the back of my Custom 22 by hitting that cymbal. Never know why anyone would want to speed up that process.
Andrew's Green Day story was really amazing/heartwarming seeing he grew up and works in music himself now. Wow!
I own a Squier Jazzmaster and a Mustang and they're both amazing. Not only do I not need to 'upgrade' I don't want to. They both sound great, play well and I'm not worried about them getting damaged or stolen. The perfect jobbing musician's instruments. The blues dentists can have the headstock logos.
yea it is the resale/trade value and maybe a little cosmetic differences is all if you change most of the hardware and proper set up. in many instances in the fender and squire they may not be as meticulous in the sanding shape on parts of the neck on squire but they are not noticeable when playing and generally only someone who knows the differences would notice if you changed the headstock sticker.
Blues Dentists? Ha-ha!
@@eparock Only comparing the "sound" is a very nearsighted approach. There are far more differences between a Fender and a Squire than just the pickups. The more expensive Fenders have better woods, better materials overall and different, more comfortable neck profiles. None of those are "fixable" by a "setup". The fretboard on Squire has a rough cheap feeling, no rounded edges, the frets are cheap, the bridge is cheap metal, the nut is cheaply made plastic, cheap tuners, and the list goes on. While a Squire may sound OK stock, once you play a upscale Fender neck, with a profile that stood the test of time ... night and day difference (and you wouldn't want to "go back"). Sure, you can keep the Squire body (including the pickups if you like them) and replace everything else but then you won't be far off from buying a Fender in the first place.
@@captainnemo9628 most of those parts are cheap to replace and if you get some tools the fret job can be done by the owner. even necks can be swapped. the mexican fenders are very well made these days... some even prefer them. everything is cnc machined and quality is much better than the past.
The Blues Dentists - good band name! 😆
It’s not much about what gear you are using but about how much love and passion you put into that instrument
Well, that is very important. I agree with you there. But, I played on a Squier for years and the sound was just bad. And that's what you hear as a musician and that's what the audience hears as well. What it comes down to is actually mainly the quality of the wood. My guitar had a body made of chipboard. It just did not resonate enough to produce a quality sound. You can put top quality elements in the guitar, but that doesn't fix it. Right now, I own a standard American Stratocaster and that makes a huge difference. Of course, you need both. Without love and passion for music, you can't play anything.
@@grovervansesamstraatyes, exactly :) Also something to add to your point is that a good instrument won’t make wonders if you don’t put time, effort and passion in what you do. But yeah I agree with you, eventually I went for one of my dream guitars, a butterscotch blonde ultra tele and I absolutely love it and is a huge improvement from my first guitar, even though I added good hardware to my other guitar, there is something completely different from high end guitars
Unfortunately, that's nonsense.
That doesnt work for me. I totally grow as a musician from the point on I got a real good guitar. Because this guitar plays so easy and sounds so good, it inspires me every day and it just makes fun to play - and so I pick it up more often and it doesnt hold me back. If it sucks, its me and not the equipment.
You dont have that with a bad guitar. And the same kinda goes for the amp and maybe the effect pedals. You dont need lots of them, but surely one that is build right.
I feel like the whole of this video treats guitars as these magical objects and price is completely irrelevant to the sound…. That’s completely bull. The reason why squires are cheap is because of the poor workmanship on them, most of them are made out of cheap wood in mass production factories in China. Also changing the pick-up to a seymour duncan humbucker that costs the same range as the guitar itself kinda ruins the point of this video as it’s not even an original squire anymore
I’ve come to the point in my playing that brands don’t matter and one of the best things I’ve heard is “there are no beginner guitars, just beginner hands” after hearing that I can play my prs and be just as content playing and recording with my squier
then why do you have the prs?
@@uncledeadhead3674 bc I gave in and wanted to try the silver sky se, and who wouldn’t want an affordable artist signature model?
Most beginner guitars just need a setup to play for life. My 94 Oscar Schmidt is my go to acoustic every day player. My squier is my daily electric. I also own a D28, mexi strat, 90 Japanese strat, American strat, 98 tele, 91 les paul and a PRS. They all have their place but my "beginner" guitars are still my favorites.
Tone is in the fingers. That's #1.
Once you get that part down, understanding how to properly push a preamp stage is the icing on the cake.
Loved my first year SquireBullet! The peacocks weren't very good at all, but it felt really great. The neck was a telecaster neck as far as I could tell. And it was made in japan the very first year. I ended up selling the guitar to a local guitar shop. And my brother bought it. The action was incredible. All it needs is better pickups
Squier is definitely underrated. I have been playing an Affinity Telecaster for about 10 years now. Mine is modded, but the neck, body, pickups, and bridge plate are all stock. I love mine.
Squiers seem to be hit or miss I am finding out..I have a new Squier FSR Custom Classic Vibe Telecaster baritone which I love ! It's a custom purple sparkle color. The ONLY hing I don't like is the glossy neck.....but I recently got a 2008 Squier Affinity Strat for $100...I am going to put some locking tuners and change the bridge cause the previous owner snapped off the tremolo arm and I cannot get it out. The pots are super scratchy too. It doesn't stay in tune well so definitely new tuners will help with that. I love the color (cobalt blue) and the satin neck. I may or may not change the pickups down the line but for now, they're just fine !
Also picked up an Affinity Tele and I love the thing
I had a vintage modified tele thinline that would run with any other higher end guitars. But I succumbed to the “dump the squire for a “”real”” tele….
I love my affinity tele
@@worthmoremusic Locking tuners don't hold tuning better than regular ones. It's just easier to change strings. Buy anything above 50$ and you'll be fine
I got a squier classic vibe in 10th grade as my first electric. 9 years later, a full career in composition and years of producing music later, it's still my only guitar. Ive never really truly needed more, it sounds great every single time. Every pro guitarist I've handed it to has gone "wow, this thing feels great!"
@not26pls can u recommend which classic vibe version for you is the best? 50'. 60. 70 or all?😅😅gotta try up eventhough i do own a fender too 😂😂classic vibe looks great!
You are lying. I know and work with many pro guitarists. Who of any notoriety has said that? No one. You're lying your ass off. What are your composition and production credits? Hot air.
@@samsepiol3931there aren't to much differences, the electronics are the same, what changes in between the 50, 60 and 70s CV is the esthetic
thanks @mkart19
it enlightens me up then. 50's looks gorgeous to me .
@@samsepiol3931 but what guitar are you going to buy, a stratocaster, a telecaster...?
Picked up a Squier Affinity tele over the summer, kind of on a whim but also b/c it felt comfortable and loose, easy to play, plus the price tag didn't hurt. Have played it through small and mid amps since then and have to say, it has its own sound and to my ear, it sounds authentically tele-ish, or close enough.
I got a Squier classic vibe 50s Tele about two years ago and it's one of the best sounding guitar for that price! It took me some time to get used to it in general,not in terms of quality or sound, but nowadays its pretty much my main instrument, I love it. I have the feeling, that "budget guitars" in general got a lot better in recent years. Compared to my first electric guitar, an Epi Les Paul from 2011, the inspired by Gibson series both feels and sounds like a way more expensive instrument...
Beautiful story great Ep!! I like how much the tone changed when he just shaped the amp settings to match your setup/playing, felt it instantly turned your sound up from nice to locked in/I could listen to this for a good long while 🙂 It seems how to hit the amp is so important and such an imperfect science, and tuning your gear to its best setting can make it sound as/nearly as good as the best gear. Also any thought I had about those gear moments at shows being cheesy just disappeared completely, every part of that was awesome and you couldn’t create a better gift/legacy. So awesome of and for everyone involved 🤘🏼
Just bought my first Squier. Playing since 1981.
Nice Fire! Good on you man!
My first guitar was a Rogue acoustic. The action was like an inch off the neck and by the time you got down to the 12th fret an E was almost a half step to the next note.
But thanks to the struggles of having to almost break my fingers learning how to bar an F chord, when I finally upgraded to my next guitar there was no chord out of my reach since my hand had already built the muscles from playing on such a difficult guitar.
Exactly, practice, practice, practice on a acoustic, not your electric guitar! It's the only way to develop muscle and calluses in order to articulate dexterity. In other words after beating your hands to death on acoustic, your fingers will fly on your electric 😅
Fighting the gear when you start definitely has its perks if you persevere. Everything else plays like butter.
@@brianwells4507I got blisters on my fingers ❤.
I would actually be curious to run this test again. I remember my friend got a Squier Strat for Christmas one year and I had just started playing maybe a year before that, and to me it sounded great (especially compared to the Harmony Strat clone I was playing at the time) but now that I've become a slightly more competent guitar player over the past 20+ years, I think it would be fun to run this comparison between the Squier and Fender classic Strats and see just how much a difference there really is.
I am a bass player. My very first bass was a Rogue. Cheap $100 bass. It got the job done. After a few lessons at my local music shop I bought a Squire Jazz bass that was the love of my life for years. Sound was great and the color was amazing. Like you said... It's not about the equipment but about your skill. My jazz bass got retired for a Jack Cassidy when I started my band only because Jack Cassidy was from the DMV (where I am from) and it would symbolized that we could be legendary too. Squires and Epiphones get so much hate but they are actually pretty good
“My doo doo guitar” I need this on a shirt.
I have a $100 Rogue bass, it's surprisingly decent.
Stop writing SQUIRE like Chris Squire! It's SQUIER!!!!
I've been playing a Squier P for close to 10 years now. The only other bass I play with any regularity is a Sting Ray if want more growl, but that P has been bulletproof, plays great, does everything I want it to.
All depens of your amp. A 100$ bass can sounds VERY good (with new strings) with a good amp. Like having a Cadillac but a 4 cylinder under the hood... Don't match. A cheap Cadillac with a powerful 8 cylinders will do...@@tylerleeson3045
Well done and very informative.
Thanks for the shoutout! I know he comes up every time Squier is mentioned, but Jack Pearson is worth a listen. The man plays Squier Bullet Strats and sounds incredible. And he leaves them stock and only replaces components when they break.
There modified...if you modify any guitar you can make it sound good
My first guitar was a Squier Standard Strat and here I am 25 years later, still loving my Squiers. I recently got a Squier Deluxe Strat and a 70's Vintage Modified Strat and I couldn't be happier, they're amazing. The Classic Vibes are incredible too.
A few years ago I picked up a made in India vm Telecaster off marketplace (the rare one with a tele single coil in bridge and HB in the neck), and 18 months later I just sold my american Tele, because it wasnt a single bit better than the squire. Wherever they made em in India, they did a top notch job.
I keep looking at the CV strats online - very tempted to pull the trigger on one.
@@joelshields8807 If my made in India VM Tele is any indication of the quality that factory put out durring its brief run, you might want to check out one of those VM strats instead, as you can find them cheaper than a CV. Locally sourced indian cedar body wood, Duncan designed pups...I have the feeling the quality of the Indian models will one day be regarded as desirable as older Japanese models are, only much rarer. Plus you'll have a little peice of history, as they were only made there for a couple runs after a fire damaged the Indonesian factory and needed repair, 6 months at best. In my case I'm especially lucky to own the rare variant with a regular Tele bridge pup and humbucker in the neck. Ive only seen 1 of them offered up used in the past 8 years. Most are the HH model.
Seriously, I sold my American Tele to buy other guitars because I couldn't justify keeping it when the VM was just as good and was getting way more use. And the quality objectively surpasses my CV strat (or any cv I've had hands on).
@@joelshields8807buy it
@@joelshields8807Do it. You can't even get a night in a decent hotel room these days for the price of a Squire.😅
I've had my Squier Affinity for nearly 10 years now and love it. Recieved it as a Father's Day gift. It's such a comfortable light weight and easy to play guitar. I kept the neck p/u and changed the bridge to a DiMarzio Chopper T. Put in a 5-way switch and it sounds amazing.
Well that was a waste of money 😂😂😂 what an idiot thinking pickups will change your tone 😂😂😂
Indonesian ?
I find that the high-end Squiers are well-built; they need some upgrades for at least the pickups, but that makes them highly customizable. And they have all the Parnormal guitars. I have a Squier 51, which isn't a Paranormal ifaik, but I bought it used with Seymour Duncan humbuckers in it already and a neck that feels really good. It's my ideal Fender-style guitar for a fraction of the price, and I could still keep upgrading it if I want
Yes, very true. I still have a 1974 Fender Strat (in great condition, original price was around $400 in 1974) and I was comparing it with the sound of my recent Squier 40th Anniversary model. The Squier, at $500 (todays price) blew it right out of the water.
No they don’t need any upgrade to pickups because pickups don’t change the tone
Maybe YOU needed to change out the pickups in your high-end Squiers, but I have not.
Mine sound great stock.
You don’t need to change anything on one of those squires you just need to be able to play better and tune your amplifier better etc
@Itsallok "Squier".
Says so right there on the headstock.
I started with a Squire many years ago, I was delighted with it. I went to jam sessions and developed my skills with it, learned 25 songs and went on the the road. Throughout those early days people would commend me on my playing, but, there was that element of know it all teens who couldn't live with me playing a Squire.
So, I bought a pre-loved American strat. No one ever cast doubt on anything I did after that. Now! I have my own studio and I have 12 guitars for that. For Gigging, I use my Strat, a Mexican Tele, and a Martin acoustic. But, in the studio, I have a cheap bass, Ibanez Hollow body, Epiphone Joe Pas, Yamaha Acoustic, Sansui Nylon String, and a cheap Gretsch.
Nobody questions the quality of my playing, because by listening to my music, they can't tell what I'm playing.
I use cheap electric Keyboards too. But, I have to admit, my studio gear is top class
First guitar was a Squire, it's 20 years old and still amazing. I upgraded the electronics myself, I learned how to be my own tech on that guitar. My newest guitar is a Squire Paranormal Tele with the "Jazzmaster" pups. I haven't touched a thing and it's flipping AMAZING. Anyone that questions Squire I let them play both. They are all truly amazed by them. However it should be said that there's quality and crap within ALL guitar brands. I got lucky twice....and the hands that they are in always makes a difference.
I have that Tele in Lake Placid Blue, IT ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!! Super light and so much sole!
+ @thecavestudio *****I got the same! I like a humbucker sound. The twin humbuckers on that Paranormal Tele are outstanding. Wow!....what a surprise that is.....The pretty blue body and Tortoiseshell pick guard is an excellent look. She's a keeper. Pliability?...Great! Tuners suck. Gonna replace them, this guitar deserves better...... And so do I :) $350.00 + No tax, free shipping. (Before internet sales tax.) I really feel like I got a lot of guitar for the money, and then some.
Yeah, my classic vibe left-handed squire telecaster is horrible. Came from Sweet Water and one of the Fret was cut off short and they tried to round it or something you push down on it and it’s off the fretboard so I bought stainless steel frets and I’m waiting for all the tools to come in and I’m going to give it a fret job.
Heck yeah, love the classic vibe 60s squiers, especially, great guitars
I bought my first guitar in high school for $50. It was a squire bullet special (just 1 humbucker and a volume knob). I love that thing. I bought another squire bullet used but this one was the standard strat layout. They were both so awesome I bought one brand new for $99 to have one in perfect condition.
The best guitar I’ve ever had my hands on was a friends midnight blue, Squier Strat. All stock, no bells and whistles. Sounded incredible doing all kinds of genres, being ran through different amp/head combos and just felt light and clean. Have yet to come across another guitar like that.
I had this thought my whole life until about two years ago. Picked up a squier star caster and put in the fender starcaster pickups, and new wiring. It sounds amazing. I also feed everything through pedals so pure sound was never an issue for me. I love Squiers because it’s one of those guitars you can mod and not feel like you’re committing some sort of treason. Lol.
You don’t need to change any pickups or anything else use your amplifier settings and play better
I don't have a Squier Strat. But what I have is a Yamaha Pacifica J112 made in Taiwan for my first electric guitar. And to be honest I can put it up against any of my Fender / Gibson / Jackson guitars and it is always on par with them. I mean I got all my expensive gear in the studio. But at home that Pacifica is my guilty pleasure (im even too scared to take it out of my home cause I cherish it so much), the expensive ones always "watch and weep" as I play that 270€ guitar from 20 years back . Great content mate and warm greetings from good 'ol germany 🙂
I took a few Squier Jazzmasters and modded them to what I wanted. The mods were basic: mustang bridge, custom pickgaurd, etc. And it's worked out perfectly.
I've always loved Squier. Even pro level players that have all the resources available to them (Tyler Joseph for example) play on Squier. A instrument doesn't necessarily need to be expensive to sound good. At least when it comes to guitars. Its all in the players hands.
Steve Rothery has been playing a Japanese-made Squier Strat for the last 35 years.
That’s because expensive guitars dont sound different, electric guitars dont sound different…
My first guitar was a squire strat with a white pick guard. This was in the mid 80’s when I was a teen, the quality has definitely come a long way since that time.
i have a squier affinity strat from around 2016, no mods other than sanding the neck, some stuff to make the trem more comfortable, and some aesthetic stuff. i also have an ibanez S350qm something or the other with an EMG 81/85 set... both sound amazing. But that squire is still usually my go to. the tone and feel of it have me in love lol
Hi Mike, I have a squier black chrome sss, what do you have to say about it, is it a good guitar? It's a standard, have you tried one yet? Thank you and congratulations for the theme chosen in the video
Firstly, this is a bass story, so if that’s a problem, scroll on.
I was on a small tour in about 89-90, in this particular band on that particular tour I was playing bass. Guitar is my DoC, but I’ve played keys, bass and guitar in different situations live back in the day.
I had an Ibanez Roadstar RB850, this was my second bass (after an awful 1970s Jazzbass which was cursed but that’s another story) and I loved the RB850 to bits. It had that full range thing going which was so 80s, and I still love that upfront bass sound, maybe with a little less chorus than was the thing in those days.
We were moving on to the next town and one of our two vans broke down. So all the gear from the broken van was redistributed to the cars of the people who would travel with us and my bass went into the back seat of the drummer’s girlfriend. Well, when we get to the next town there’s no sign of her, two guitars, my bass and one amp. It turns out she was a junkie and had decided to leave our drummer, who was a gold-plated ass so I don’t blame her for dropping him although I must say, I’m still salty about the bass. Apparently she drove across the country and hocked the gear. I know she’s clean now and still living on the other side of the country. If I ever get over there I’m gonna see if she’s prepared to make some amends. But I digress.
So here I was, in the middle of Asslick Nowhere, and the only place within 50 miles with music stuff only had a new Squier P/J bass, made in south-east Asia.
So I bought it with the intention of replacing it when I had returned home and the money from the tour was redistributed.
When I played it, I was surprised how well it played. I did the setup myself in the motel, and the neck was wonderful. Once I dropped some Rotosounds on it, it was a dream to play. It sounded a bit meh, compared to my lovely Ibanez, but it worked and played oh so nicely.
When I got home I decided to do some research and look around for a bit before replacing the Ibanez. As I said, my main squeeze is guitar and I had a 1971 Les Paul so I would be able to get by with the el cheapo Squier for a month or two as my snobbish need to play on brand names was mostly covered.
Then that band managed to wangle a residency for 4 nights weekly for two months. I still hadn’t bought a new bass so decided to do something about the sound on the Squier. I dropped a Basslines custom pickup where the P pickup lived and wow! The bass came alive. The stock neck J pickup mixed surprisingly well with the new bridge pickup and I could get a great range as well as an amazing bottom line P-bass sound.
I never bought another bass. This one looks good, sounds great and for someone used to Les Pauls, feels very light. Maybe not as light as the RB850 which had a tiny body, but more manageable for aging shoulders than, say, a Musicman. I love those basses, BTW, but as my Squier works for everything I need and then some, is slightly less likely to be stolen, and has an interesting origin story, I’ve stuck with it.
The moral? Like everyone, I’ve been a brand snob, had serious GAS and disappeared up my own ass for a few years going down the complex gear ‘flexibilty’ rabbit hole.
But I’ve come out the other side and one thing I learned is that maybe 50%, maybe more, of the difference in the price of a brand name guitar is the brand. Maybe 40% is better cosmetics and only around 10% is the spec. At least when it comes to the quality of something that makes a difference to playing and sound.
Wood makes much less of a difference than commonly thought (controversial, I know) as long as you’re not using porous balsawood or something and talking specifically about electrified instruments.
One other thing is that we musos can be dickheads. Snobbery about brand names is hugely childish and it took me far too long to get over that. I also spent far too much time searching for ‘tone’. Maybe if I was Hendrix level, it would make a difference what minuscule change I made to something, but as I’m not I did become a lot better when I just shut up and played.
Within a certain range, the gear makes little difference. Sure, really expensive or flashy stuff may make you play better because you think it will, but in reality a gold bird shaped fretboard marker and the gold plating on a pickup cover is just fluff.
Squier made an amazing bass with so-so pickups and no ‘Fender’ on the headstock. The pickup issue was easily fixed, the stupid affectation about brand names took a little longer.
But now if I see someone who is obviously successful with a Squier, my respect for them goes up just a little. And the only people who have an inkling about all this are other musicians. It’s great if your audience is other musicians, as with this channel, but for the rest of us, our snobbery is completely wasted on the people we are trying to get to like our music.
Squier Classic Vibe Telecasters and Stratocasters are absolutely mind blowingly great. Every one I’ve ever played and own have incredible necks, smooth frets, and rolled edges. Love them
Planning on getting a Squier Classic Vibe 70’s Thinline Telecaster. I want something classier and more versatile than my other electric guitars, as they both have active pickups.
I take it you recommend the Squier?
All of the CV stuff is great, I have a CV 52 Tele and a CV Starcaster. I was so impressed by the CV Starcaster I got an Affinity Starcaster for normal humbuckers and threw SD 59s in there with a push-pull on the Tone knob for splitting the coils. There's a noticeable quality difference in the necks on the CV vs Affinity and the hardware is definitely nicer on the CV.
CVs hit way above their price point. I upgraded the bridge on the Tele because I wanted a classic Brass bridge setup, and I put the Fender Original Vintage pickups in the Tele and it absolutely plays like any 4 figure Tele.
Great video, I heard the same thing about Squiers and generally "budget" guitars when I was learning guitar as a teen; I've had a superstrat for years but last summer I purchased a Squier Contemporary Jaguar and I love it! There's small things that show that it's not a top of the line guitar, like no binding on the side of the neck and there were file marks on the frets that I buffed out, but the only mod I plan doing on it is to add a treble-bleed. The tonal variety is amazing and I don't think I've ever seen a Fender Jaguar in that "Sky burst metallic" blue finish 🤩
This was a great video!
I really appreciate you making this vid. I, too, lust after the jazzmaster. but I'm a composer, not a guitarist, so... the squier jazzmaster has always caught my eye. this little essay here is a real selling point for me. so, again, thanks kindly, good sir.
Whenever this topic comes up online, i have to talk about my toronado and offset tele from the Squier Paranormal line. I just love them! Particularly the offset tele.
I used to think Squier was just the brand where you get your first guitar, gig bag and amp in a box and nothing else, but ive done a 180 on them big time
Squier has some incredible obscure guitars. I was looking for a squier tele, and in the guitar center, i saw one of the new Nashville Strats. Tried it out, and it was pretty nice. I didn't buy it, because i had my mind on a tele that was a bit cheaper. Even took a look at a stratosonic, and it was very impressive. I generally think people are getting more into the instrument and are realizing that big brands like Gibson and Fender are hiking in prices. In result, turning to the cheaper brands. And they break out of the realm of, "oh its just a squier guitar".
Back in 2000's as long as guitar was not an early Affinity or a Bullet model from Squire and in Epiphone a still $200 cheap model, the guitars were fine as seeing my friends $500 Fender Chinese, similar to. Problem was those guitars were like using low end garbage parts on an okay--good body like some Chinese made brands now so if people did buy these, guitars parts were swapped out and hope necks did not warp, most necks did on early Bullet models no matter what and sometimes can even now on cheapest models. Fender is not Gibson where since 1990's brand has been jacking prices beyond what rich people can buy but Fender has had to up price their guitars in 2010's.
I was at that show. I remember him coming on stage and playing. I have Seen over 100 shows in my life and never saw a band do something so cool. This brings back how incredible that show was. How Cool!
I just bought a Squier Classic Vibe Jazzmaster. I installed an aluminium pickguard, CTS Pots, Switchcraft switches, cloth wire and the original pickups. I scraped out and levelled the neck pocket. I changed the spring and nut in the trem. As nice as any fender I’ve ever played. Polished the frets, and did a setup. It sounds great! Plays great.
Now just replace the crappy neck and the plywood body and you'll be set.
So its no longer a Squire. 🤣. I BOUGHT A SQUIRE AND ONLY HAD TO CHANGE EVERYTHING IN IT!!! SQUIRE IS AWESOME!! What the actual fuck? 🤣🤣
@ev25zv Modern Squiers aren't plywood, they haven't been for probably over 20 years. But even if they were, I'd bet a thousand dollars you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
@@jojojiles Well, you're wrong about that. I could tell without even holding them in over a third of the cases. The other 2/3 would be from holding them. Very, very easy to tell. Sell your house and put up some real cheddar if you're interested in a bet.
@@jojojiles Yeah, Yamaha basically forced everyone to up their game when it put out the Pacifica 112 with the solid wood body and made that a sales feature.
I've had many Squiers over the 35 whatever years I've played. I currently have a J. Mascis Jazzmaster, a Squier. It's a great guitar. I'm sure you'd like it.
Its the best guitar ever made
I LOVE my J. Mascis JM. I'm a bass player mostly but when I compose I need a guitar for demos. OMG is that thing fun to record with.
I have a squire telecaster affinity...I've been playing for years..and I'm really impressed by them..great quality.
In 1965 my first electric guitar was a 1963 Fender Mustang. Played it in my band all through High school. It was stolen around 1975. Replaced with acoustic guitar. Later had other electric guitars. Bought a 1989 Squire II brand new and I loved they way it played right out of the box. I have played American Strat's over the years and couldn't really see any reason to change. I also have a 2000 Les Paul Standard plus that I bought new.
I don't usually comment on videos but I'll share my recent guitar FOMO trip I had with a guitar. Just like Mike I have a friend who I highly respect and he plays for multiple smaller bands, very talented player who owns multiple Gibsons, Fenders, Sire's, Epiphones and he had a couple of Squiers. He had this 60's CV that was one of those "Crafted in China" from around mid 2010's with a rosewood board and sunburst. I've played every single one of the guitars he owns and I've honestly fallen in love with that CV 60's. When he was willing to part with it I instantly bought it from him. I've been playing on it for around 1.5 years now. When I saw that Fender released the Vintera II I instantly checked that my local guitar shop has one in stock that I can come and try. I thought if the Squier is so amazing the Fender must be out of this world, or so I thought. I can honestly say that I have in my humble opinion a more comfortable guitar. That Squier to me feels better to play. Does it sound as good as the Fender, absolutely not, it does need a set of nice pickups to get to that level. I paid for that Squier around 300 euro and the Vintera II is almost 1200 here. It's not worth the price hike in my opinion for a good set of pickups and a name on the headstock.
I have Fender, Gibson and PRS, I was amazed when I took a squire contemporary telecaster rh off the wall and played it. I now play it more then my other teles, squire has stepped up their game!
I got a Squire Bullet Telecaster. I've had it for a few years now, and recently did some work on it to make it more pretty, but it kicks ass and did before my mods. If you haven't legitimately tried an unmodified Squire I highly recommend it. The Contemporary line is particularly good/interesting.
AND that's a truly great story. Bravo.
I was a pure Fender snob until the unthinkable happened. In 1993 I was living Reno NV, and after surviving a divorce I found myself in need of a guitar. I had been a Stratocaster fanatic for several years, but had not had one for about a year. I got a call from a guy who owned a music store, and he informed me that he had just acquired a strat that I might be interested in. When I arrived at the store he pointed to a Squire Stratocaster sitting on a stand. I was unthrilled that he had called me down to look at a FN squire. He started rattling off about Fugi gen, serial numbers, 1962 reissue....blah, blah, blah... finally he said "look, just play it". Picked it up, and plugged it in. I played it for about 10 minutes and then walked out the door with it. I had owned, and played other strats before, but none compared to "Baby". I love my 1985 MIJ Squire Stratocaster. For 27 of the last 30 years Baby has been not only my main electric guitar, but my ONLY electric guitar. Baby is completely stock except for one of the knobs. Baby is still my main, but I bought a used Stagg LP style a few years ago so I can't say she's my only electric. In the last 30 years literally every guitarist I've played with has fallen in love with Baby. I'm thinking about buying a telecaster, if I do it will be a Squire Classic Vibe, and not because I can't afford anything else. I've played some of the cheaper Squires out there and found that they weren't that great, but I've played some newer American Fenders that I didn't like either. Anyway, I love my stock MIJ Squire Stratocaster.
My bandmate in the 80s had a Japanese squier that was every bit as good as any Fender. It was an amazing guitar
MIJ Squiers are a bit of special case. The quality of that line is very high.
The MIJ Squiers were extremely high quality guitars. At least early on they put the American made Fenders of the time to shame.
@@seanmckelvey6618 I thought so
@seanmckelvey6618 Even the story was that Fender sent someone to check out the Squiers over there in Japan was absolutely flabbergasted on how good it was at the time!
Hey Mike! Amazing video as always. You should check out the Squier 40th anniversary Jazzmaster with the maple fretboard. The quality and sound you get for the money is incomparable.
I agree! That is Puisheens favorite Jazzmaster too for the value
My first electric guitar was and still is a 2003 Squire SSH. Works great and great tone!
I have a used 2007 Squier strat with the same pickup setup. Not the same pickups.
Got it off FB marketplace from a guitar tech for $85. It is completely mint with no scratches and he fixed the action.
I've been playing for 28 years and have guitars from Gibsons to Balaguers, but one of my absolute favorite ones to record with is a Squier Bullet Tele. It was just $100 and it was sparkly red. I took it apart, removed the paint, stained it, clear coated it and put it back together with a Bare Knuckle single coil pickup. It sounds awesome, stays in tune and plays like butter. I get great rock tones out of it.
Ive got 2 squiers. One is a 05 affinity that ive modded heavily and a classic vibe 70 that is bone stock. The cv has the action set to .75mm at the 12th and it is a real ripper. It may eventually get a new set of pickups, but theres no plans atm because it is ultra reliable and sounds really good the way it is. The affinity on the other hand has been modded top to bottom. Converted from sss to hss, bourns pots with a treble bleed and a split for the humbucker and a “split” pot that flips the middle pickup to series, a mustang neck (not the mustang series, but the actual mustang that has the 24” scale length), a custom bridge (6 point trem converted to a 2 point trem), and an aluminum pickguard. Plus i put hipshot locking tuners and pure tone output jacks on everything i own. Yeah, i like squiers just a bit. Lol
Pretty happy with my squier classic vibe tele!
Good one! Loved the stories 🎸 Ive got a Squire tele and love it!
For Jazzmasters.... if you go Squier go Classic Vibe or J Mascis and if you go Fender try Vintera I or II or used AVRI/Japanese.
Right on. That J Mascis Jazzmaster is amazing!
@@The_Scrod I have the Japanese one.
@@taylornuttthey have a japan mascis?
@@jambajoby32it’s the original J Mascis signature model. Purple sparkle with a matching headstock and gold anodized pickguard.
My first was a squier/amp pack. The amp sounded like a tube amp and I could wail like fire. Ripping out Pink Floyd solos or Pearl Jam. I ended up giving it to a friend whose son was learning to play.
I have an India Squire that I paid $100 for used, installed Lace Sensor pickups, fixed the frets, did a SRV wiring job, and now have a $200 guitar that plays and sounds like a dream.
Not usually into all the talking but you can hear the passion in this guys voice. Rock on my dude
I had a friend in the Navy and when we met in 1988 he had this beat up ass Squier Strat. He was one of the most amazing players I have known. That beat down guitar was AMAZING in his hands. I knew then and there to never look down on a Squier again. I learned to stop chasing gear- it is not the guitar that makes you good or bad- it is you that makes you good or bad.
I have a Tele and Strat, both maple neck Classic Vibe models, and I love them! Great guitars right out of the box. I play the CV Strat at least as much as my '84 American Strat. I haven't even upgraded anything like I have on the American. Just a good setup is all they really need.
so this is really interesting. Here in Brazil, Squier instruments are considered good instruments in general and there are lots of professional musicians here that have a squier guitar or bass. I myself have a Squier Jaguar and a Tele. Of course, if you have enough money, usually you would prefer buying a Fender guitar, but Fender guitars are SO expensive here(at least 5 minimum wages) that we usually don't event consider buying one.
Also, we have a bunch of brazilian guitar brands that are usually worse than a Squier guitar, so we got used to a lot worse hahahaha
Yeah exactly, I myself am Mexican and would never fathom buying a guitar for more than $600, at least not yet, so Squiers always get the attention
I like squier because I'm cheap, ok 😢 I don't have the necessary money to buy a fender strat
ain't a thing wrong with that at all. keep rocking, my man.
@@ChristopherStandardTime tanks bro
I own a fender strat and I still default to my squire classic vibe jag. No upgrades and it’s my favorite guitar
I own both MIM Fender Stratocaster and 40th anniversary Squier strat. The sound with the Fender is brighter. I relly like it. Bit i really like the soud of the Squier too. And the most important: the Squier has something else i can't explain. And the fact is that every day i play with the Squier, and sometimes with the Fender...
@@stgoa4848 👍👍👍👍
My first guitar was a Squier Starter Pack when I was a teenager. Now known as Squier Strat SE. I stopped playing for over ten years, and during the pandemic I picked up the guitar again. Since then, I have a small collection going, I got a Fender Tele, a Epiphone SG, an acoustic, and the Squier. I've made a few mods to the guitar, but I really have to replace the neck. I guess 10+ years of mistreatment took it's toll.
ive been learning guitar for a week so far with my squier sonic telecaster and it honestly fits my needs at the moment perfectly, it sounds amazing, feels great to play and also just looks really nice. I dont see myself needing another guitar even if i were to perform on a stage it's perfect
What pickups did he swap them to? I'm working on an older Ibanez strat with 2 humbuckers. I have many questions about pickups, but if he can get that sound through his, I should give them a try.
I play a Squier CV Jag and it’s my favorite guitar I’ve ever played through! I actually want to get another one and modify it a little bit as a project. I owned a Fender Tele for a few years and it was nice, but it lacked so much body compared to the sounds I get out of my Jag.
Dude I love my Squier CV Jag as well, probably my favorite one too. It did require a pretty extensive setup when I opened the box tho ngl : clanking trem unit, proper neck shim, glue on the bridge screws, wax potting the pickups to prevent awful squeeling at high gain... but once all that was done it's as good as any other jag and plays great.
I had a Bullet in the '80s. It had like a million pickups and sounded amazing until the neck tied itself in a pretzel after 3 years. Totally worth it.
Dude, your a fuckl Wit electric guitars dont “sound amazing” as tonewood doesn’t go into the pickups, and the pickups dont change tone…
Any electric will sound good literally, unless the pickups are quite literally broken they are the perfect pickups for the guitar.
We bought a Squier Bullet Mustang for my 12 yr. old son. After a couple years, I modded the heck out of it for him, but kept the lively humbuckers. He has another brand that's worth 4x more, but absolutely loves the modded Squier so much that it's now his favorite guitar.
I have a squier affinity tele that was one of my main guitars for a long time. It was hilarious because I put German Schaller tuners on it, a graphite nut, and a bigsby as well as Lindy fralin pickups that were worth more than the whole guitar. It’s a great guitar.
I grew up in the eightys, and squires were some of my first guitars. At the time I saw little difference between squire and fender. To me it was just american, and not american, mine being made in Japan, and korea, but they served me well. Since then I have had many american versions, and with experience, I can see the quality difference, but I still own many squires, and have learned to correct the small problems some of them have. I would not hesitate to gig them.
The made in japan squiers are sought after nowadays.
I’m a proud owner of epiphone guitars and I love them, I recently purchased a squire 50s vibe and I’m very impressed with the sound and craftsmanship. I learned that you can get great value buying these entry level professional guitars.
epiphone is almost objectively better than gibson hehe
I would say that about my Slash model Epi Firebird vs my Gibson 76. @@michielvansteenhoven7255
I think Epiphones are generally better quality than Squier.
I have a Epiphone ES-335 and I think it's amazing, I used to have a Epi Les Paul which was really nice as well.
A long time ago when I was in my early 20s about 25 to 30 years ago, I had a squier strat that was black with a white pickguard. It was really comfortable to play. I felt that it sounded like crap though because of the single coil pickups. I had bought it at a time where I had pawned my past music equipment and wanted to start playing again.
I bought a Gibson J-200 from my cousin who is a professional player and he threw in an Affinity Strat that he used to use as his gigging guitar but had replaced it with a Fender Player Strat. I've been a Gibson guy for over 30 years but I LOVE that Strat. It's my go to solid body now. I just love the way it feels and the neck is perfect. I ended up doing a lot of mods to it, a treble bleed, a Gilmour switch, some locking tuning machines and I got it Plek'ed. I haven't done anything with the pots or the pickups and right now I don't think I'm going to. I was just playing Stone Roses on it tonight and it sounds and plays so great!
Dude I remember being so embarrassed to pull out my Squier strat... I can really relate to this and I'm glad I'm not the only one that felt that way at one point
You're meant to feel that way. That's why fender own Squire. They want you to feel that way. So that can sell you a cheap strat but make you feel miserable and ashamed until you buy another strat with a more expensive headstock decal. Then they pull the same shit with MIM vs MIA and MIA versus custom shop. Same with Gibson and Epiphine. It's not enough to sell you shit. They need to fuck with your head and make sure you feel inferior so you don't enjoy it too much.
I have a fender jazzmaster acoustasonic, a fender meteora and a fender p bass - I also have a squier 40th anniversary tele, Strat, classic vibe starcaster and a classic vibe jazz bass. Pound for pound - as lush and wonderful my fender’s are to hear and play, I feel I have every bit the same value from my squiers. Infact the starcaster is my favourite of the lot!
I have a lot of dream guitars, but 2 squiers are still in this list, that green Pro Tone (this guitar is insane) and a deluxe hot rails, which i've played when I was starting to learn. It's a little bit trick to find these ones here in Brazil, and they are so overpriced, but for sure i will buy when I find some in a good price. The brazilian Market is soooooo different from american one, the brands are totally different, the shapes, its hard and expansive to import these guitars, so the local market developed our own brands, we have awesome instruments, but all the respect with the "native" brands of these classical shapes.
Squiers are great! Ive had 3 so far and ive modded them all! If you set them up and get the right mods you can make them pretty much fenders! I love mine and I wont ever let them go!
I remember about 7 or 8 years ago I played a Classic Vibe Squier Strat in a local guitar shop. It was absolutely awesome and I hate to this day that I didn’t buy it. And it wasn’t because it was a Squier I just felt like I didn’t need another guitar! One more thing, when it comes to electric guitars, it’s more important in my experience to have a killer amp and cabinet. That makes a WORLD of difference.
In terms of importance to quality of your tone vs relative cost...amp comes first, guitar second, pedals last.
Glad we saw the light
Idk what magic dust they used on my bullet HT Strat, but that thing stays in tune tremendously, I couldn't be happier with that as my first electric
I remember when the Classic Vibe series came out and the hype, especially around the telecasters, was so massive. On the TDPRI forum, people were going mad for the first Chinese-made release, buying two or sometimes three of them at a time - some even sold their MIM Fenders and replaced them with Classic Vibes. Those early units are still some of the best guitars I've ever played. You can find the thread where everyone was showing off their Squiers and some people were modding them in really cool ways. That line of guitars also really shifted the goalposts for what it meant to be a budget guitar manufacturer and what a budget guitar could be. All of a sudden, the quality stepped up across the board because Squier laid a marker down to the rest of the competition - 'Look, this is what we can do at this traditionally low pricepoint'. Looking back, the Classic Vibe range really changed the landscape of the lower-to-mid tier guitar world. What a time to be alive.
I have two Classic Vibe telecasters. The first is the 60's Custom that I've kept completely stock. The other is a CV Butterscotch that I found sat in the second hand section of Andertons for £100 because it has a huge lacquer chunk taken out of it where your arm sits. It played perfectly and had a great resonance about it, so it came home with me. I put a Lil '59 in the Bridge and a Seth Lover humbucker in the neck, wired the bridge for an optional coil tap and it's been my go-to guitar for basically everything ever since. The Seth Lover in particular has a really lush burr to the tone that I cannot replicate anywhere else with anything else. They're just fantastic guitars, stock or modded.
£100 is a serious bargain for that!
Honestly, the 40th edition Squier Jazzmaster is phenomenal. Lol. The neck is absolutely crazy. It feels great and is really smooth. Also, my 1st guitar is the Player series Fender strat. The rest are squier. I have no regrets on the choices. They are all great. I only swapped pickups in 1 of them. The Deluxe telecaster. I put PAFs in them. That's it. They feel amazing. But that Jazzmaster blew my mind.
I picked up a $50 used Squier sunburst at Guitar Center & have enjoyed playing it for years.
My first Squier was a Standard Stratocaster I found in a pawn shop in Warsaw Indiana for 99 dollars. I'm a left handed guitarist and this was a lefty black and white made in Indonesia in 1999. It had the large headstock on it.. I plugged that bastard in and I went I had a major stroke... I couldn't believe how great it felt and played. I Love Squier
I bought a Squire Strat off Craig's list for $80. I FIGUIRED IF i didn't like it I could always get my money back reselling it. After playing it for awhile I decided to keep it. i put new strings, did a set up on,etc. That was ten years ago and I still have it. I like it better than some Fenders I've played. This is like Epiphones. I'd always been a Gipson guy, but their prices have gone thru the roof while at the same time epiphone's quality has gone up. I'd buy a Epiphone now before a Gipson. Their price is not in line with what you get.
Gibson prices make me retch; I’d sooner stick with Epiphone or assemble a kit.
There was time when the gap between Fender and Squier was vast but those days are long gone. I have an 2000s AVRI Fender Jaguar and a Squier CV FSR Silver Sparkle Jaguar. The Squier is only a quarter of the cost of the Fender. Once I am done upgrading the pickups, the Squier will definitely be able to hold its own against the Fender. Is the Fender Jaguar worth it? Absolutely. Does it sound or play four times better than my Squier? No. They are both great and you should buy whatever you can afford. Just remember that setup, pickups and hardware can take a good Squier and make it play along side any Fender.