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Post subject: Squier vs. Strat
Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 7:14 pm
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whats the difference between a squier strat bullet and a strato castor besides the cost? are the pick-ups different?and will stratocaster mod parts fit on my squier strat? what do you guys think is better?

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Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 7:22 pm
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well I believe the Strat and the Bullet are 2 different guitars. But Fender vs. Squier is a difference in quality. I haven't really looked into Squier much, but I guess it's just a little bit cheaper when it comes to materials and stuff. But overall I don't think they're bad guitars, but a true Fender is just THAT much better! I would THINK that you could trade the parts, but don't take my word for it...

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Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 7:28 pm
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FenderFanatic562 wrote:
well I believe the Strat and the Bullet are 2 different guitars. But Fender vs. Squier is a difference in quality. I haven't really looked into Squier much, but I guess it's just a little bit cheaper when it comes to materials and stuff. But overall I don't think they're bad guitars, but a true Fender is just THAT much better! I would THINK that you could trade the parts, but don't take my word for it...
wow. i gess yer right. nice to see girls taking and intrest in guitars!!!!!!

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Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 7:36 pm
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Squier is Fender's budget brand, like Epiphone is for Gibson, and as they say, 'you get what you pay for', though they're great starter guitars. Parts may or may not be interchangeable.

I don't think that it's 'nice' for women to take an interest in guitars or playing-I think it's their right, it ain't all a 'boys club'. Plus, they can't do any worse than guys! Variety is the spice of life and music.


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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 6:27 am
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The bullet I had is like a slimmer version of the strat. it is very lightweight and great for beginners. Obviously it has been covered that it is a fender "budget brand" in spite of that it is a good guitar.

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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 9:46 am
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Play the Squier and then an American Standard Stratocaster, then a Standard Stratocaster. Same store, day, same amp, same settings, same song.

Then do it again a day later or so.

Then do it again a day later or so.

Then do it again, then briefly go out for a pop or coffee before bringing your money back in the store and doing the do.

The process is as important as the decision, and we sometimes give no time to the process but live with the decision for years.


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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 10:26 am
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FenderFanatic562 wrote:
well I believe the Strat and the Bullet are 2 different guitars. But Fender vs. Squier is a difference in quality. I haven't really looked into Squier much, but I guess it's just a little bit cheaper when it comes to materials and stuff. But overall I don't think they're bad guitars, but a true Fender is just THAT much better! I would THINK that you could trade the parts, but don't take my word for it...


Well said, hit the nail on the head. :D The older Squiers are pretty dog gone good. I have a buddy that has one from the early 90's and she plays and sounds pretty sweet. Fanatic is absolutely correct about the difference in quality. :D


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Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 4:16 pm
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Some of the higher end Squier's that samick make for fender are not bad.

In general, the idea behind Squier is to make a super cheap version of a strat for people that can't afford an American. How do we make things cheaper? But cutting corners, making cheaper parts, using lower grade material, hiring cheaper labor, etc.

If you play both and can't tell the difference, then you might not be at a level of skill to apprecate those differences yet, which is fine. Then get the cheapest thing you like. For a skilled player, there is only one choice, and that choice is well worth the price difference, and then some...


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Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 4:40 pm
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dgonz wrote:
If you play both and can't tell the difference, then you might not be at a level of skill to apprecate those differences yet, which is fine. Then get the cheapest thing you like. For a skilled player, there is only one choice, and that choice is well worth the price difference, and then some...


A skilled player knows that a good guitar is a good guitar, regardless of price, and that there are good guitars and bad ones within all lines at all price levels. Yes, I can tell the difference between a Squier and an American Fender... but there is never "only one choice."


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Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 11:17 am
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Gravity Jim wrote:
...Yes, I can tell the difference between a Squier and an American Fender... but there is never "only one choice."


I didn't mean only one choice in the entire world of guitars. I meant that a skilled player looking at only a MIA or a Squier, and can afford either, will almost never choose the Squier.


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Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 4:38 pm
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I've got a Squier and a Fender Highway One that I did a few things to like put in Custom Shop TX Spcs and 5 springs in the tremolo. The Squier is stock. Here are a few big differences:

1. The neck. The frets on the Squier are very small. Also, the low octave E string tends to buzz. The nut is plastic I think. It all still works, and it's really only when you use barre chords and bend and so on with more advanced techniques that you will notice a difference. The Squier works for everything from barre chords to bending - it's just not as sweet to play. At the same time, it's cool to play well and to be playing a very cheap guitar, when so many people who can't play are loaded with gear. Truss rod is more of an issue and it's harder to adjust it. Buried in the wood. Get a setup for a low action and a Squier can work.

2. The pickups. The pickups in my regular old Squier Strat are ceramic. They lack the kind of liquid glass beauty that my current Custom Shop TX Spcs have in abundance. Also, the pickups hum a lot with much overdrive at all, and lack hum cancelling from a reverse-wound middle, while the CS TX Spcs stay noticeably quiet. At the same time, the Squier pickups honesty have a sweet Fender tone. They're like 8/10ths of a CS TX Spc. Truth is, when I got my Highway and played the oem Highway (upgraded) p'ups, which have definite good points like they're hot and good with gain, I missed the sweet classic Fender tone from the Squier. Now, with CS TX Spc, I see the Squier's are approximations of the amazing real Fender CS single coils. Point is, they can be very sweet and have great tone for such sweet pickups, but aren't all the way there and are a little crackly - lacking the smoothness from the real mccoy.

3. The electronics. The knobs are different. They stick up off the body a lot. The quality is probably not as high. After several years of massive playing, the Squier pickups have developed a crackle while warming up. Fenders have a rep that they pretty much last indefinitely, once you get a good one.

4. The body. The body is noticeably thinner. It's the same shape, but it's thinner, saving wood no doubt. Also, the body is not very resonant. It's basically dead compared to the very resonant thinly painted Highway, which is really an awesome guitar. The Squier is also much heavier than the Highway. I believe it may be because in some cheaper guitars fender uses multiple pieces of wood that are glued and then shaped, while with an American guitar like a Highway One Fender uses now, and has always used, 2 or 3 pieces of wood. The Squier is still solid-feeling and strong, very smooth, well painted and high-quality, and it has Strat sustain, worlds beyond an acoustic, but it's just not resonant and it's much heavier, even though it's thinner.

5. The bridge. I've got like a screw popping out of the bridge and it's poking my hand when I play the Squier, which is one reason I don't play it much now. It just needs to be fixed, but in general the bridge isn't going to be stamped steel and chromed like in a Highway or stainless steel like in a Standard or Deluxe. It's maybe steel or maybe not depending on availability probably. In general it's not a probem but this screw poking my hand is bugging me.

What to do? I'm thinking about taking the old Squier to WWG in Riverside and letting them go to town - fix the bridge, adjust the action, install the smooth modern SCN noiseless pickups which would fit the character of the Squier and make it quiet, but the cost adds up. So I've just been thinking about it although the guitar wiz there will do a great job I'm sure. Probably need to change the pots too, or the crackle will continue. Or, maybe I'll just give it to one of my kids when they get a little bigger.

Bottom line - this Squier has served me well for almost 10 years of heavy use, and last time I got strings on it was tweaked and isn't in great shape. It will never be what my Highway is, and it's cheaper. However, the Highways and the CS Tx Specials can be great deals when Guitar Center is having a sale, which is often. If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten an American Standard or Highway One instead, but I was playing a lot of acoustic then and wasn't as crazy about the endless musical possibilities in Fender Strats as I am now. So, it just depends on how committed you are to electric guitar and whether you have the money to back up your commitment.

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