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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:00 pm
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I've one of each and neither is current. Well, the notable things...

Am standard has 4.7% more frets
Am standard has rolled edges.
Am standard's neck is a touch wider and feels better to my fingers.
Am standard finish is just better. Squier has a very plastic finish that is peeling in spots.
Am standard has better shielding. Squier appears to have none.
Am standard has has better tone controls. The Squier's appear to do nothing.
Am standard has nicer pickups. A matter of taste but I can't get the Squier's to "quack".
Am standard has a better trem. I blocked the Squier's.

The Squier is nice enough. Plays well enough. Looks good. Is cheap. A couple replacement Squier guitars can be had for the cost of my replacement Am standard neck.

But if you want to buy chinese my Fender Modern Player Jag puts up a better fight against my am std strat. I'd argue that the neck and fretboard are better on the am standard but that's about it.


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 3:02 pm
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DarkPenguin wrote:
I've one of each and neither is current. Well, the notable things...

Am standard has 4.7% more frets
Am standard has rolled edges.
Am standard's neck is a touch wider and feels better to my fingers.
Am standard finish is just better. Squier has a very plastic finish that is peeling in spots.
Am standard has better shielding. Squier appears to have none.
Am standard has has better tone controls. The Squier's appear to do nothing.
Am standard has nicer pickups. A matter of taste but I can't get the Squier's to "quack".
Am standard has a better trem. I blocked the Squier's.

The Squier is nice enough. Plays well enough. Looks good. Is cheap. A couple replacement Squier guitars can be had for the cost of my replacement Am standard neck.

But if you want to buy chinese my Fender Modern Player Jag puts up a better fight against my am std strat. I'd argue that the neck and fretboard are better on the am standard but that's about it.


My Squire Standard Stratocaster has rolled edges as well, mine was made in Indonesia consisting of Rosewood, Maple and Agathis all of which I think are decent and having a Polyurethane Finish.

I would live to know how wider the neck of your US make is. I can take a digital calliper and measure mine to compare. Though I am a beginner and maybe with practice it won't occur, but for now I do have some issues with my ring finger hitting the other strings next to it.

A guitar with a slightly wider neck would be great for me...


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 4:13 am
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[color=#0040BF]Nope not too old i am 52 and there are a lot older in the guitar shops at lunch times. I used to pinch my sons strat (Chinese), great guitar, until he stopped me So getting one off Santa!

Fender or Squirer, just pick it up and go with the one that feels right was the advice I was given, but still testing and trying. Makes good lunch times!

There are some great sites on the internet for tab and vids on youtube. I have been amazed at how quickly I am learning! Wish the internet had been around back in the 80s. Might not have given it up!!

Any way good luck and enjoy the learning!!


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:28 pm
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datrustee wrote:
Been playing acoustic for over 45 years, mostly southern rock, blues and bluegrass. Decided to venture into electric several years ago and bought a Mexican made Squire but was never happy with it. Luckily I sold it for about same as I paid. Then earlier this year I received a China-made Squire Bullet Strat as a gift. It is a dream to play. Bought myself a G-DEC 30 amp which is a pleasurable way to enhance personal play also. The tuners were cheap but I found ideas for replacements through this forum. Bought replacement set online that were a drop-in fix with no problem. Definitely recommend the China version of the Squire as a way to go for a new player without having to drop a load of cash.


Kinda like me - I played acoustic guitar and banjo for about 35 years before I got my first electric. Best thing is that I was too broke to get a new amp for a few years after that. So my only option was to play it through my plain old clean ss acoustic amp till had money for a tube amp. No effects at all except a little reverb. Every little mistake came through and songs sounded kind of lifeless so had to play every note just right and learn to get effects from the fingers. Modern modeling amps have a way of covering up your mistakes or "making them sound cool" to the ears of some people just starting to play. Kinda wondering what the future of guitar rock will be like with so many teenagers starting out on modeling amps. Hope it isn't a future of bad habits and depending on their amps instead of hard work!


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 2:17 am
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Hi all. I'm 61 and have been playing a long time. I bought a Squier Affinity Tele the other day and am loving the heck of out it. I have had great and expensive guitars over the years but have reduced my instruments to just a classical and the Squier. I used to be a real snob gear wise and would never consider an Asian product back in the day. But now, I have to keep staring at the headstock to believe I'm actually playing a $200.00 Squier. There are some things I'm going to mod a bit but it plays great as is. Maybe it's maturity or maybe these guitars are that great, or maybe I just don't care what anybody else thinks. These are a fantastic value for the money and I would have no trouble gigging with it if I was playing again. But to the OP, there are differences to be sure between Squiers and MIA models as has been pointed out. To me not 5 times the price though. You are not a less player because you play an inexpensive guitar. Joe Pass once said that if you're concentrating on the brand of instrument you're playing then you're concentrating on the wrong thing. Rant over. Enjoy whatever you and your ears feel comfortable with.


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:39 pm
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Watching a Squier player on American Idol


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 1:24 pm
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jazzalta wrote:
Hi all. I'm 61 and have been playing a long time. I bought a Squier Affinity Tele the other day and am loving the heck of out it. I have had great and expensive guitars over the years but have reduced my instruments to just a classical and the Squier. I used to be a real snob gear wise and would never consider an Asian product back in the day. But now, I have to keep staring at the headstock to believe I'm actually playing a $200.00 Squier. There are some things I'm going to mod a bit but it plays great as is. Maybe it's maturity or maybe these guitars are that great, or maybe I just don't care what anybody else thinks. These are a fantastic value for the money and I would have no trouble gigging with it if I was playing again.



While I don't really wish to thrash up such and old thread (the OP's original post was over 3 years ago), there are a couple of issues here I wanted to comment on...

Issues of snobbery and maturity aside (for the moment at least), inexpensive imports have indeed come a long way in the past 40 years. I began my journey with electric guitars back in the early to mid 80's and I remember a lot of the junk that came out back then. Brands such as Memphis, Lotus and Cort certainly come to mind. I would also add that this isn't just the reminiscences of an older guy thru 30 years of haze...I still have my Memphis LP knock-off with it's "Fire Power" pickups and a Rhythmline Tele knock-off. Compared with my CIC Tele and Strat...yea, they're both canoe paddles (although the Memphis still has a nice neck). Personally I prefer my mid 90's Latina's (MIM) and my mid 80's Geisha's (MIJ), but these newer Chinese made instruments are truly astounding considering their price.

I would also add that this doesn't just apply to Fender/Squier either. I recently acquired a Chinese made Ibanez semi-hollow and damn...for a "cheap import", I'm just floored by the quality of this instrument (at least now that I have it cleaned and setup properly). As much as I like my CIC Squiers, I'll be the first to admit that the e-tronics are a bit lacking (although I'm not fond of Fender pickups in general), however this Ibanez...wow..really incredible tone.

Like yourself, I never really cared too much about what others think...sooner or later, I rub everyone the wrong way. That said, yea...I do think those cheap Asian imports have come a very long way over the years and more often than not today, they tend to be a MUCH better value than most of the American built instruments.


As far as the maturity issue goes, this is just a personal opinion...and a highly subjective one at that...but I think those folks that crack on the inexpensive imports tend to fall into 1 of 2 categories. The first are us "older folk" who do remember how bad some of those early imports were. As such, I think a lot of folks may have developed a bias against them, much the way a lot of guys I know STILL won't ride Harley's all because of the AMF years (LOL). As they say, give a dog a bad name... The second category are those who are too young, too new at playing or simply too naive to know better. Somebody told them that such and such is just a bad brand of guitar ("oh...my buddy said Squiers suck...and he knows what he's talking about") or that such and such is "better" and they've just never picked one up to really know the difference. A lot of folks can't even distinguish between the quality of the instrument and how it's setup (it still amazes me how many people I've met who think they have a "bad" guitar, when all it needed was a simple neck adjustment). I don't really have a problem with that in and of itself...we learn by doing...but the problem is a lot of them will start shooting their mouths off like they actually have a clue, which unfortunately perpetuates the cycle of ignorance.

The snob issue, in my mind at least, is a bit different. Ok...I'll be the first to admit that any sense of "American Pride" was beaten out of me long ago (mostly by the Republicans). If I could afford it, I'd honestly move out of this country in a heart beat (I hear Amsterdam is nice this time of year, LOL!). That said, the idea that "Americans make better guitars" just seems totally foolish to me...as I've said many times now, that guy in Corona loading Strat bodies 4 at a time into a CNC machine is no more or less a "craftsman" than the guy 11 hours down the road in Baja doing the EXACT same job. It's insanely naive to think otherwise. If anything, I'd think the folks in Indonesia and China would actually be BETTER craftsman simply because they're more likely to be GRATEFUL to have a job than most Americans are. That said, logic, common sense and reason will seldom stop people from trying to wave the flag around...particularly with people who just don't know any better. As my brother often says, "you can't fix stupid".

Quote:
You are not a less player because you play an inexpensive guitar. Joe Pass once said that if you're concentrating on the brand of instrument you're playing then you're concentrating on the wrong thing.


To me, that says it all. I've seen guys with some of the rattiest scraps of wood who can bring tears to your eyes with their playing and I've seen guys with top of the line equipment..."the best money can buy"...who really should have become accountants instead of musicians. In all my years and with all the clubs I've played, I have never...not once...has a person walked up to me and say "you play well, but gee...you should play an American instrument" (although I did recently have a drummer who was surprised that 6 of my 11 Strats were Latinas, LOL!). At the end of the day, it's not the brand of guitar you play or how much it costs, it's how well you play.


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 7:06 pm
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I never thought of Squiers as investments but a few years ago I bought my first Tele - a used Squier special run with Strat switching. Had a Duncan designed humbucker in the neck and Duncan singlecoils in the mid and bridge. Great guitar and saw another just like it in the same store last week - for twice the price. Both used but like new condition.


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:40 am
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Apologies for being late to the party. Better late than never...

It's true what they say: beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

I am an amateur guitarist. I first picked up the guitar at 14. I played a lot with groups and buds through my high school and college years. Once I graduated post-secondary, I didn't play very much. The fact of the matter neither did a lot of my friends. Fast-forward 15+ years, I picked up the guitar again at 40. (I am now 51) Now having the money to buy / trade etc., I can get what I truly like. I have bought, sold and traded a lot over the last 11 years. I have previously owned an American Strat and a Squier Indonesian Strat. Those were both sold for other gear. I currently own

Gibson Les Paul Special Faded (made in USA - 2002) retro-fitted with a robotic tuner
Gibson Faded Flying V (2000) customized with Stew-Mac pickups and a Stetsbar Pro II tremolo
Gibson SGJ pimped up with a Bigsby tremolo and a Tony Iommi pickup in the neck position

Ibanez AM Semi Hollow Trans Red

Almansa Classical guitar
El Degas Classical guitar (circa late 70's - early 80's)

Simon & Patrick acoustic-electric woodland spruce
Silvertone acoustic guitar - paid $25 at a garage sale -replaced all the hardware. A great camping guitar

Fender MIM Strat (mid 2000's) - replaced the bridge and springs
Fender MIM Tele (mid 2000's) - new pickguard and tuners

About five years ago. I received an invite from a local music store - Long & McQuade. I was / am a regular customer. The invite was to attend their 'garage sale' 2 hours before the store opened. I arrived and there were 4 other customers. I went in intending on spending $1,500 on goodies. I found this rack of used guitars. Amongst them were a number of Fenders for sale: American, Chinese & Mexican made. I spent the next 90 minutes comparing them. I found two guitars I really liked: a Fender MIM Strat and a Fender MIM Tele. I squirrelled them under my arms and bee-lined for the new guitars. I tried out a number of new American, Chinese & Mexican made Fenders for the next half hour. Honestly speaking, I loved the feel of the two used MIM guitars over the array of other Fenders that they had.

I jam with several groups of buds numerous times during the year. I typically take 1 Gibson and 1 Fender with me. I alternate each time I jam. I know that MIM's get a bad rap, but I have been quite happy with these two.


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2016 6:40 am
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First time poster. :)

I've just gotten back to playing after many, many years off. Started playing in 1984 when I was 14 years old. Dad brought me a Gibson Les Paul Custom in alpine white. I never really appreciated it ... until it was gone. I sold it in 1988 for an ESP ... biggest mistake of my life. I've never regretted anything in my life, as I've always made sound decisions ... but this one takes the cake.

Anyway, fast forward ... career, marriage, family, kids, etc, etc. I haven't played seriously in decades. But I always wished I still had that LPC.

My oldest daughter started playing guitar at school last year. She even played in a class concert. I was amazed at how quickly she picked up playing. She's also a talented piano player.

I dusted off my old Squier Standard Strat which was hiding in the closet for 10 years, picked up a Squier Affinity Strat off of CL for $60 ... and my 11 year old and I have been jamming. What a great way for dad and daughter to bond.

My middle daughter (8 years old) wanted in on this also. I picked up a mini-Strat on Reverb.com for $65 (free shipping) and have been showing her some basic chords. Her hands are still small so it's taking her some time to manage the chord transitions. But it's great seeing her practice.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that I'm thankful Squier/Fender makes a line of such well made and affordable instruments. The Standard Strat was a gift from many years ago. The Affinity and the Mini cost less than a dinner out with the family. For entry level instruments, they have the look and feel of something decent. I'm very disappointed at the entry level Epiphones. I had an old LTD 100 series in QM that I just sold on CL for $100. It needed a serious setup and neck adjustment. I wasn't in the mood to spend $150 for a $100 guitar. But the buyer loved it.

So for me, I think I'll continue to practice my chops and get back into playing. Life's too short without making your own music. There's a barely used CV60 on CL for $225 (firm). I may snag it. I gave him an offer, but he declined. It's been up for over a month. I'll let him sweat it out abit, and make him another offer.

Good to be here gents.


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 2:02 pm
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67 year old here, been playing since 1964. I've had just about every Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, etc. there is, and I just recently bought a new Squier Classic '50's Strat. I think the quality is very high on these. I can find no issues on it. The playability is great right out of the box. The only changes I am making is to change the pickguard and add a 6-position switch.
For $400 dollars you can get a quality guitar and probably never have to upgrade to a more expensive one.


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Post subject: Re: What are the actual differences between a Squier and Fen
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 2:21 pm
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Diffrences between a squire and fender. mostly are quality of tuners pickups electronics how well the neck is made. some are Laminates some not in the squire line. Not shure if Squire was a companie Fender bought. I do know that some guitars where made buy Squire but not Fender Like My X155 arch top or the Star fire 335 which are Diarmond/Guild Models. I started playing at age 14 and am now 65. God Love Leo Fender for his inovation


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