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Post subject: A Believer !
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 2:35 pm
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Well I have to say, I am kicking myself for never taking the SQUIER Line serious.

Recently got a BULLET & Affinity and I have to say they are better quality guitars then I thought. All of my friends use to have things that were not even a SQUIER and had the Strat design and were real crap and I let that be a guideline to judge SQUIER :(

From switching to GIBSON LP Body to a Squier Strat Body, seems like I was able to overnight completely make up for the skills of mine that were being cut off from the design of a GIBSON ;P, I don't know, I guess my idea of Strat being better for small weak hands was correct?


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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 11:45 am
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I've been amazed at the quality of the Squier line, especially the Vintage Modified series. I have a Vintage Modified Custom Telecaster I got a month ago and I just got a Vintage Modified Jazz Bass yesterday and these are really nice instruments. Really solidly put together and nice tones. The only thing I did was change out the strings to my preferred brands (which I'd do on any instrument I'd buy.) I have no qualms about playing these professionally (which I do and will.)

I know they're not going to be as nice as some top of the line American Fender or an old one from the 60's, but that's like comparing apples to oranges, anyway. These aren't over $1000, and I do not have the budget for those right now. I actually like them over any of the Mexican Fenders I've heard and played on. I feel like why should I pay more just for a name on the head stock when I don't have to? Another thing is you can gig with it and not worry too much in case something happens to it and it's a lot easier to replace. Besides, you can always modify it as well.

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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 7:22 pm
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I am a complete Squier fantatic. I have a Squier Affinity Telecaster and 6 Squier Strats (SQ, Classic Vibe 50s, Affinity, MIM and two Bullets).

I have modded most of them, but left the CV stock.

I absolutely LOVE my Squiers and have little to no desire to "move up" to Fenders. IMO, the biggest problem with Squiers is that most people have never played one that was properly set up.

Until the tross rod is adjusted and the action set, a Squier will not feel like a nice-playing guitar. And until the intonation is set, it won't sound very good either.

But once they are set up correctly, Squiers can totally hold their own with Fenders in terms of playability.

And with some upgrades, like Tusq XL nuts and better pickups, they can sound as good too.


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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 11:27 pm
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I agree totally. Plus, the fact they could be replaced a lot easier in case something should happen to them at a show or on tour, than something that is either vintage or so-called top on the line. I'd rather lose something that costs $300 or $400 than something that can cost well over $1000 or more.

I've played a show in NY with a Tele copy (not even a Squier, but it has a really nice neck on it) that I paid $40 for at a TJ Maxx discount department store, through some old battered Peavey that I borrowed. No one complained it wasn't a real USA made Fender or any of that other nonsense. They didn't care because we put on a good show with good songs, and I just used what I had to work with at the time. I didn't have a choice but to use it. Sometimes you got to make do with what you have to work with.

I think the only people who really care about this stuff are other guitarists that like to squabble with their ego-driven pissing contests on internet guitar forums, such as this one, or Gibson. I've seen more pictures of living rooms with 10 or more guitars displayed like peacock feathers, than any attempts to create and perform music. To me, a guitar is just a tool. An instrument to write and perform a song with. I just try to keep it in that perspective and concentrate on making music. Sure, I'd love a '62 P-Bass, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over the fact I don't have one, and think I'm a lesser musician because of the gear I do have.

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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:29 am
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You said it, brother. A guitar is a tool.

I used to gig a good amount in NYC. Played in two different indie-rock bands, for about 6 years, and played Squiers the whole time. I don't remember even ONCE, in all those years, getting a single comment about the fact that I was not playing "real" Fenders. Not from an audience member. And not from another musician. It's only on guitar forums that you find the pathetic label-snobs.


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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 7:30 pm
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I'm a believer now, too! I own 3 Squiers:

Vintage Modified '50's Strat.
Classic Vibe 60's Telecaster
Affinity Strat.

The VM and CV are as good as any other guitar I have. LOVE the Duncan-designed lipstick pickups on the Strat!

The affinity is decent. I like the body and the neck- esp the dark metallic blue color. The pickups are okay, but I'm planning on swapping them out for some Lace Sensors or something.


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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 10:41 pm
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How much difference would you say is the Affinity compared to the Vintage Modified, besides the price and pick ups? I've actually only played the Vintage Modified series (Custom Telecaster and Jazz Bass) as far as Squier is concerned. I haven't been to a music store in ages, so I haven't really had an opportunity to try a lot of stuff out. The stuff I got was online, so was my research into it. Luckily, I didn't receive any duds.

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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:00 am
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CPL wrote:
How much difference would you say is the Affinity compared to the Vintage Modified, besides the price and pick ups? I've actually only played the Vintage Modified series (Custom Telecaster and Jazz Bass) as far as Squier is concerned. I haven't been to a music store in ages, so I haven't really had an opportunity to try a lot of stuff out. The stuff I got was online, so was my research into it. Luckily, I didn't receive any duds.


Whoa- sorry I missed this post...

The Affinity does feel "cheaper" than the VM Strat. Single ply pickguard, cheap electronics, tuners not as good, that kind of thing. The back of the neck is kind of a satin-ey finish- better to my taste than a gloss neck, but not as smooth feeling as the satin neck on my MIA.

The tone pots are pretty much crap, but I don't use them often anyhow, so no biggie. ( they don't do much)

The p/u's are cheap n nasty sounding- in a GOOD way. For some reason the sound just works, and is pretty toneful. I had a tech file out the nut slot on the G string a bit, and no more tuning issues.

For $60 used, I really couldn't lose. It's just as easy to play as any other strat, and it has a tonal character all it's own. Plus, the wood bits are nice and the guitar is very resonant. I can't argue with the pretty dark blue color, either!


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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:53 pm
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Yeah, considering the investment you put into it, I'd say you got a pretty good deal for a guitar. I imagine for what they sell it for new, you aren't going to get the top of the line parts, but that's to be expected anyhow. That's something that could always get modified later if someone wanted to, as long as the rest of the guitar had good bones to it.

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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 6:22 am
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The Squier VM and CV lines are excellent quality and the economy has a lot to do with this as the dollar exchange rate in China is like 7 to 1. I have had my VM Jazzmaster since new 4yrs ago, and it is completely stock & trustworthy and dependable to gig out whenever I get the chance....I love this guitar :D












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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 4:15 am
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My Affinity Strat is a 2002 Artic White model which was made in Indonesia at the Cort factory. The quality of the build is IMO, much better than the made in China models. The tone pots on mine, actually work and aren't weak at all. Plus the stock pickups do have a lot of bite to them. The only mod which I did, was to install a new MIM Fender Strat Bridge Block which has authentic Fender Bridge saddles and a much thicker block compared to the thin ones which squire uses. Now, I have more tone and sustain and my guitar stays in tune much better as well.


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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 4:54 am
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May I ask where you got that bridge block and how much you paid for it?


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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 3:58 pm
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ChrisH1 wrote:
May I ask where you got that bridge block and how much you paid for it?


I bought mine on E-Bay for around $17.00. They sell for anywhere between $16.00-21.00 depending on the seller. Definitely a worthwhile investment though. You need to look for " Fender MIM Strat Bridge Block ! " Just make sure that your guitar has a string spacing of 2 1/16.


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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 12:55 am
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I got my son an Affinity Stat and it played well after a setup but still sounds bad. I'm sure would sound fine with a pickup upgrade.

Gave him my Squier Tele when I got my MIM. Was a nice one though. Duncan humbuckers in the neck, and Duncan singles in the middle and bridge. 5 way switch for Strat switching and sounds great in all of them. I still play it and he plays it as much as he plays his MIM with Jeff Beck stacked humbuckers.

Also gave him a Squier P Bass Special that has a Jazz Bass pickup added to it. Great Bass.

I have one Squier left - a Stagemaster. Was my first electric and my Dad gave it to me so I'll hang on to it till I get too old to play. Then my son can have it. Or his son.


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Post subject: Re: A Believer !
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:41 am
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Quote:
No one complained it wasn't a real USA made Fender or any of that other nonsense. They didn't care because we put on a good show with good songs,


This comment right here says it all. I've said this MANY times over the years, but the simple truth is that of all the shows I've done in my 30 years as a guitar player, I have NEVER had a single person walk up to me at a gig and say "you sounded great, but you should have used a...(insert guitar or amp here)".

99% of the people that go to see a live band are not guitar players themselves...they honestly wouldn't know a Les Paul from a Strat, let alone a Squier Strat from any other model. The only thing they really know is whether you played well and whether they enjoyed it. At the end of the day, it's not about the guitar or the amp or your pedals...it's about your heart, your fingers and your soul.


Interestingly enough, I'm not sure I can say the same thing about my guitar synth (which at the time was hooked thru a humble partscaster)...one show last year, I had a guy walk around that stage for 5 minutes looking for "the sax player", LOL! We were doing a cover of Tequila and the guy was just totally mystified as to how that sound somehow came out of a guitar......


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