Squier telecasters

DrBob

As a slight tangent, I've currently got an ESP TE-212 neck here that I'm looking to sell on. Not that I'm trying to sell it to you as I get that you're more in the market for a complete instrument but the point I'm trying to make is that it's a very nicely made thing and if the rest of the guitar is up to this standard it might be another one to consider, especially used.

mr_air

I had a really bad tele GAS some years ago and bought a partscaster on ebay. It really was a bet, but the maker had done a really great looking relic job which had me sold. I don't know what parts the guitar is made of and the seller couldn't remember, but nothing fancy I'm sure. I was a bit underwhelmed by the tone of the guitar when I revieved it, so I changed the pickups for a set of Oilcitys which really brought the tele alive. My point is that in my experience a cheap tele can deliver the goods, but you might have to change the pickups. A lot of people have already recommended the Classic Vibe teles and I have only heard good about their pickups which some people claim are the same as Tonerider pickups which are really good bang for buck pickups.

Funkfingers

TTBZ said:

Expensive fenders always baffle me. 

Leo claimed to build instruments and amplifiers for regular working musicians. I am not entirely sure that he would have approved of "luxury" and "collectable" versions.

TTBZ said:

they always feel like 2 bits of wood bolted together

In the right hands, Leo's snow shovels still manage to sound rather good.

stimpsonslostson

Funkfingers said:
In the right hands, Leo's snow shovels still manage to sound rather good.

And in the wrong ones they sound like I'm playing them. 

midlifecrisis

i had an affinity tele and it was a great guitar, ive since got a mexican baja one now but i wish i kept the affinity as well. Id advise getting an affinity and not bothering upgrading anything, thay play fine as they are, when you feel like just buy your ideal tele ( and keep the affinity as a spare)

p90fool

midlifecrisis said:

i had an affinity tele and it was a great guitar, ive since got a mexican baja one now but i wish i kept the affinity as well. Id advise getting an affinity and not bothering upgrading anything, thay play fine as they are, when you feel like just buy your ideal tele ( and keep the affinity as a spare)

I agree. I could gig a borrowed Affinity Tele tonight if I needed to, if you play guitar "Tele style" it certainly won't hamper you.

Unless you have an exact look you're going for, don't overthink Telecasters. They thrive on a certain way of playing them to bring out their Tele-ness - if you can't learn to do that you won't get a Custom Shop guitar or a real '52 to do the business for you, it really isn't about money. 

Funkfingers

I agree with the consensus that it is wiser to find the right guitar within your budget than to attempt to enforce your will on the wrong guitar. 

Some things about Squier Affinity guitars and basses are definitely done down to a price. This does not prevent the occasional example from being a cracker. Unless you chance upon that cracker, pre-owned examples of the Standard, Vintage Modified and Classic Vibe are a better choice.

I am in no position to criticise but throwing hundreds of Pounds' worth of posh guitar hardware at two budget pieces of painted wood is the equivalent of a pimply yoof, lowering the suspension and fitting a humungous rear exhaust box on a Citroën Saxo. 

p90fool

I agree, but then again, Custom Shop Teles are also two budget pieces of painted wood. 

nick79

I had an Affinity tele, was a great guitar. Kept it bog standard apart from 3 saddle brass bridge Sounded great and i gigged it a few times. I sold it to put the cash towards a Baja but then some big bill's unexpectedly came in and i'm still Tele-less.... Wish i had kept it now...

thegummy

TTBZ said:

thegummy said:

amarok1971 said:

I have a cv and it is fantastic, it has killed my tele gas once and for all.

Wish I could say this want true but I don't think I could ever be happy with having a Squier logo on the headstock

Why not? They're clearly great guitars given how many great reviews they get.

I don't necessarily think that's true, it just means they're hyped. Especially on the internet there is a lot of hype bandwagon jumping. People will read lots of people recommending, say, a particular microphone (or anything) then they'll start repeating that so they feel they're in the know (or less cynically, they've just believed the hype).

Having said that, it's not that I don't believe the high end Squiers can be decent, I've never tried one, it's a life long bias I have against the logo. It might be odd to be aware it's an illogical bias but I just know I'd always have it niggling away at me.

It's possibly to the point that I'd consider a cv Squier but change the neck to unbranded. Well, probably not but you get the idea.

Brand name psychology is powerful; just look at how many people pay over 100 quid for a shirt just because it has a brand logo on it.

amarok1971

thegummy said:

TTBZ said:

thegummy said:

amarok1971 said:

I have a cv and it is fantastic, it has killed my tele gas once and for all.

Wish I could say this want true but I don't think I could ever be happy with having a Squier logo on the headstock

Why not? They're clearly great guitars given how many great reviews they get.

I don't necessarily think that's true, it just means they're hyped. Especially on the internet there is a lot of hype bandwagon jumping. People will read lots of people recommending, say, a particular microphone (or anything) then they'll start repeating that so they feel they're in the know (or less cynically, they've just believed the hype).

Having said that, it's not that I don't believe the high end Squiers can be decent, I've never tried one, it's a life long bias I have against the logo. It might be odd to be aware it's an illogical bias but I just know I'd always have it niggling away at me.

It's possibly to the point that I'd consider a cv Squier but change the neck to unbranded. Well, probably not but you get the idea.

Brand name psychology is powerful; just look at how many people pay over 100 quid for a shirt just because it has a brand logo on it.

Try one, you might be pleasantly surprised!

kt66

Anyone played a recent Squier and Fender (MIM) '72 Custom and compared them?

TTBZ

Funkfingers said:

TTBZ said:

Expensive fenders always baffle me. 

Leo claimed to build instruments and amplifiers for regular working musicians. I am not entirely sure that he would have approved of "luxury" and "collectable" versions.

TTBZ said:

they always feel like 2 bits of wood bolted together

In the right hands, Leo's snow shovels still manage to sound rather good.

That's my point I think, to me Fenders have always felt like workmanlike tools that do a good job for a reasonable price but don't have the same quality kind of fit and finish as Gibson (or at least older gibson), PRS etc. But that's why I want one now as a contrast to my SG!

thegummy

amarok1971 said:

thegummy said:

TTBZ said:

thegummy said:

amarok1971 said:

I have a cv and it is fantastic, it has killed my tele gas once and for all.

Wish I could say this want true but I don't think I could ever be happy with having a Squier logo on the headstock

Why not? They're clearly great guitars given how many great reviews they get.

I don't necessarily think that's true, it just means they're hyped. Especially on the internet there is a lot of hype bandwagon jumping. People will read lots of people recommending, say, a particular microphone (or anything) then they'll start repeating that so they feel they're in the know (or less cynically, they've just believed the hype).

Having said that, it's not that I don't believe the high end Squiers can be decent, I've never tried one, it's a life long bias I have against the logo. It might be odd to be aware it's an illogical bias but I just know I'd always have it niggling away at me.

It's possibly to the point that I'd consider a cv Squier but change the neck to unbranded. Well, probably not but you get the idea.

Brand name psychology is powerful; just look at how many people pay over 100 quid for a shirt just because it has a brand logo on it.

Try one, you might be pleasantly surprised!

I do wnt to try one but I don't have any tele experience to compare it to. I might try the Strat just to see how it compares to mine.

If it's good I'll just be more annoyed at myself for the bias lol

thegummy

amarok1971 said:

thegummy said:

amarok1971 said:

I have a cv and it is fantastic, it has killed my tele gas once and for all.

Wish I could say this want true but I don't think I could ever be happy with having a Squier logo on the headstock

Gives you a good excuse to play badly tho  

I've never needed an excuse before!

darthed1981

thegummy said:

Brand name psychology is powerful; just look at how many people pay over 100 quid for a shirt just because it has a brand logo on it.

Yeah but they are mostly tits though aren't they? 

JezWynd

kt66 said:

Anyone played a recent Squier and Fender (MIM) '72 Custom and compared them?

Not the Custom, but I've recently moved from a Squier 72 Thinline to the Fender version.



The upgrade was worthwhile to me as the Squier had med jumbo frets and 9.5" radius, while the Fender has vintage frets which I much prefer and 7.25 radius. The pickups are same on both models I believe. It was an interesting upgrade as the two sound pretty identical. The Fender has superior wood (no flaws/knots) and the finish seems thinner, in fact the whole guitar feels more compact, which isn't true as they're identically sized. I don't know if perhaps the neck makes it feel that way. The Fender costs double the Squier and in purely financial terms I'm not sure it's worth the extra. But as we all know, having the right feeling neck is priceless.

midlifecrisis

name on the headstock? the only people bothered are other guitarists, ive gigged squires, fenders, gibsons and epiphones, once you get over it you realise most people cant even see the name let alone care. ive just picked up a gorgeous epiphone 339, sounds divine, id say i prefer it to the gibson one as its got coil splitting and sounds sweet.   
the only thing i didnt like with the affinity was the neck pickup sounded mushy but the bridge one was ok. pick  an affinity up for £100 and you cant go wrong. 

TTBZ

I'm thinking I will probably save a bit more and go for the CV now. Just looks so nice in the trans butterscotch blonde and initially I doubt I'd want to change anything.

My main guitar for years was an Epi, loved it and wish I never sold it! No brand snobbery here. I tend to prefer a mid range guitar with decent pickups, get more for your money.

thegummy

midlifecrisis said:

name on the headstock? the only people bothered are other guitarists, ive gigged squires, fenders, gibsons and epiphones, once you get over it you realise most people cant even see the name let alone care. ive just picked up a gorgeous epiphone 339, sounds divine, id say i prefer it to the gibson one as its got coil splitting and sounds sweet.   
the only thing i didnt like with the affinity was the neck pickup sounded mushy but the bridge one was ok. pick  an affinity up for £100 and you cant go wrong. 

The only guitarist I'm bothered about caring is myself, it's not that I'll worry anyone else will judge.

To be completely honest, although I'm open to accepting that some Squiers and Epiphones are decent, I'd doubt they were as good as guitars double their price.

Does any serious person truly think they are?