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Post subject: FEEL NO SHAME!
Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 8:07 pm
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If you can burn a fretboard, it doesn't matter if you play a cigar box!
If you're just starting out, you have no idea how fortunate you are to have so many inexpesive, quality instruments to choose from, Squire, of course being one of them.
My "first guitar" was a Stella (late 50's vintage), and not a pricey collectable. It made your fingers bleed, your hands cramp and your ears hurt! In fact, I'm not even sure why playing this guitar didn't make me run in fear from music forever! lol.
My first electric guitar was a Kay solid body with action only a little better than the Stella. A Few years later I grabbed a Swedish made guitar with a Strat type shape and a molded plastic screw-on top called a Hagstrom I.
OK, they had a very slim neck thanks to an "I-beam" truss rod, but so-so in the electronics department, Next was a gloss black Univox Les Paul copy that actually played pretty good, but it weighed in at about 12 pounds. (It did glow a cool sick green color under black-light). Finally, I got my first "real' guitar a 1972 Tele Custom (which has since been faithfully re-issued) The original price was about $275, a new Strat was about $375, and I didn't have the extra $100 ( $100 was a lot of coin back then) This baby was my work horse for over 25 years and (without regrets) I sold it (traded it actually) to a collector for a new Strat Deluxe Plus worth about $1500 list. Don't get me wrong, the Tele was a great guitar, but I really wanted a Strat! It just took a while! (The Tele now resides in a good home in a climate-controlled environment with countless other vintage instruments, mostly Fenders)

So, let me save you some time! Buy a Squire, learn to play, keep it for a back-up when you're ready for something special.

Or, Buy a Squire, don't bother investing any time or effort, let it stay in the gig back for a few years, sell it for something close to what you bought it for and the difference will be a nominal loss.

Third option: buy a Squire, learn to play so-so, find that you really don't have the time (hey, sometimes life takes a "left") but because it didn't set you back too much, you can justify keeping it around for those days when you just feel like jamming with youself, a recording, or and old friend who just stopped by.

Note: all of these options begin with "Buy a Squire!"


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Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:54 am
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NO! :x They can sound as good as any Fender out there, in the right hands. I have the MIM Standard, Korean Squier and Affinity Squier.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:03 am
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floridaguy's post puts the topic into perspective. In the '70's, the kind of money I spent on my '51 - $89 - would buy a noisy, finger-shredding piece of crap. Given rates of inflation, my $25 department store first electric really should have been much better. It was a Telstar w/ a single Tiesco-like pickup and a solid bar for a bridge.

My first professional guitar was a '67 Esquire - bound sunburst w/ a rosewood fretboard. It was 5yrs old when I bought it for $175. It was a good guitar, but the pickup squealed at high volume and the bridge was one of those original 3-saddle ones w/ saddles made from chunks of threaded rod - cheesy.

This must be the reason that I appreciate my Squiers so much. To me, my MII Standard Series strat is a Strat - period.

The only really necessary upgrade is a set of steel saddles ($12+ at GuitarFetish http://store.guitarfetish.com/). I didn't like the vintage staggered pickups, so I replaced them - but this is a matter of personal preference. As vintage pickups go, they sounded good.

My Kahler-equipped '51 is simply the best guitar I've ever played. I use the original pickups. In fact, I understand that there's a demand forming for cast-off '51 humbuckers. They're hot, punchy, bright and articulate.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:19 am
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black51 wrote:
Ask Jeff Healey what his headstock reads.


Hm.. I'm not sure if he can tell for sure.. *LOL*

I've got a great Squier strat from China, put texas specials in it, sounds and plays like any Fender.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:07 pm
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Just FYI, Jeff Healey doesn't really play normal "Squier" guitars.

He started out with mid 1980s japanese Squiers (that were plentiful in Canada at the time but i don't think ever were sold in the US market.) That was the first time fender used the squier logo on a guitar. There were very well built guitars - in Jeff's view, more solidly made guitars than fender US was making at the time. So he developed an affinity for Squier, but it was the early japanese ones that he liked. He had those red Evans pickups put in them; that's what he used on "See the Light".

Today he has two Fender custom shop creations that have a Squier sticker on the headstock but bear no resemblance to the squier guitars that you will find in stores. They have three humbucking pickups and he has all kinds of switching options so he can coil-tap any pickup and dial them in in any combination, as well as series/parallel. He was approached by fender to build a signature model, but when they found out what he wanted, Fender decided that there was no market for something so complex, and dropped the idea. His two custom shop guitars have been rewired several times in recent years, and I can tell you they are pretty daunting things to try to figure out.

He never has played the super-cheapie chinese/indonesian/whatever entry-level squiers that are everywhere today.

So the whole "Healey Plays Squier" thing is misleading.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 4:43 pm
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Quote:
So the whole "Healey Plays Squier" thing is misleading.


True. Any player worth anything should be able to tear it up on a Squier - no matter what anyone else plays.

Real question - Does anyone here really think that the Fender American Standard Strats are $600-700 better than the Squier Standard or Deluxe Series?


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:08 pm
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Reply to : American Standard's......I don't think they are. Considering this great country says you can use maybe 70% overseas (or Mexican) parts and still call a guitar "Made In America". Seriously....give it some thought. SRV always said "the tone is in your hands". I've purchased some payday Friday Indonesian Squire's and swapped the electronics for American electronics. The outcome is scary.....because the alder wood,jumbo frets,and decent tuners make for a really playable instrument. All they ever need (like any American Strat) is a decent setup by some luthier you can trust. For the price I tinker with them myself. I've even setup a few with SRV strings and it holds tune rather well. In the end....when you stand on stage the real audience will dig your music,your style,your sound....not where your guitar was made.Peace!


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:16 am
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Location: New South Wales or Wisconsin
I found a used 51 at a local shop. I was pleasantly surprised how nice it felt, and it is only a bit above 100USD. Looks like I found my project gtr for the new Duncan P Rails pups!

I have always had an MIA Strat around, but I've owned Squiers along the way, and found them quite playable. I have a tendency to change pups out anyway, so that's not an issue for me


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:23 am
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I have a Squire Affinity Strat that I plan on doing some mods on but it plays good as is. I play it more than my Fender Standard because it fits me perfectly.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:34 am
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I think Squire isn't positioned where it should be. In truth, this should be Fender's version of the Epiphone Brand.

I think it's great that they sell ultra low-cost guitars for beginners, but in truth I'd like to also see them put out more higher end stuff that competes with the quality of the Fenders...


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:52 pm
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The_Sentry wrote:
I think Squire isn't positioned where it should be. In truth, this should be Fender's version of the Epiphone Brand.

I think it's great that they sell ultra low-cost guitars for beginners, but in truth I'd like to also see them put out more higher end stuff that competes with the quality of the Fenders...


Squier pretty much is the "Epiphone Brand" of Fender, but unfortunately, its seems like Squier sometimes gets treated like a red-headed stepchild, or Oliver on the Brady Bunch....

_________________
RAMA LAMA FA FA FA


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Post subject: I have a Squire But I consider it a fender.
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:57 pm
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Hey Scanman.........Thanks for the poem......I just printed it out, it's awesome.

As for worrying about being seen with a squire or anything else. IMHO who cares?

I don't mean this as an attack or a put down, but that other guy was right on when he said whoever puts down your instrument is just insecure themselves.

If I could play a 2 by 4 that sounded good, I would play it. It's all ego when your embarressed by the type of guitar you have. Come on man, just play it and enjoy the fact you have a guitar. Many people can't afford a harmonica.

Let go of the EGO. Enjoy the music.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm sincere when I say you can't live life worrying what others think. YOu will go nuts.

Peace


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:18 pm
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bowlfreshener wrote:
The_Sentry wrote:
I think Squire isn't positioned where it should be. In truth, this should be Fender's version of the Epiphone Brand.

I think it's great that they sell ultra low-cost guitars for beginners, but in truth I'd like to also see them put out more higher end stuff that competes with the quality of the Fenders...


Squier pretty much is the "Epiphone Brand" of Fender, but unfortunately, its seems like Squier sometimes gets treated like a red-headed stepchild, or Oliver on the Brady Bunch....


Hey, those that market Fender and work the Distribution have NO ONE but themselves to blame.

Here's a classic example of the difference between the 2:

Fender makes a great guitar made in the USA (Highway Series), and puts it out at a reasonable cost. People rave about it....Heck, I bought one myself.

Now, if that was Gibson? They would have been more likely to put the Epiphone brand name on it....and it would have still sold.

In fact, Epiphone is often putting out products that compete directly with Gibson. And based on what I've seen in a lot of these threads, there seems to be this desire to 'discontinue' certain models if they cut into the overall revenue of Fender.

Why?

Squire would be a perfect brand to introduce new variations to the market and new technology. There's always going to be the want for those high end pricey guitars, but IMHO Fender is totally and completely missing the boat with Squire.

It could be a lot better...and far more profitable than it is right now. :x


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:33 pm
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Absolute proof that Squier guitars for no-talent hacks:

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/s ... 0301010506

:lol:


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:55 pm
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As a former Guitar shop owner, and tech, and PROFESSIONAL UNION road musician, What do I know? I can tell you that every guitar of any brand, or price, can be excellent, or, terrible. If you want a Squire, [or any other ax] go to every shop in town, and try out every one of your preferred model . If you try 10 of 'em, 3 will be excellent , off the wall. 3 may be all right, but need to be set-up.[Tweaked] Neck adjustment, string height, [bridge] bridge saddles, p/u height [all adjustments] and then, they too will be good. The other 4, well, could be fair, or poor, or anything in between. That said, I own, or have owned, every classic ax there is. Some of em were great, and some---couldn't be helped. I have a Squire Standard, and it's as good, or better, than any of the mid and later '70s CBS 3 screw bolt- on necked Strats [with neck angle adjustment] I used to sell!! I had Strats with string "buzz" at the 1st fret, right out 'o the box --had to tweak almost all of 'em, or they wouldn't sell! Soooo, I'm an old Geezer who can fool anyone who ain't Super-Picker, and I don't care what the Wanna-bees have to say, I'll play my Squire on any gig I play! Bear in mind, that I own a '70 Gibson 335, a '65 Epi sheraton, a Fender '65 Electric 12--many others. 8)


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