great guitar at that price point.

As someone else said, it kind of depends on the model. I actually own 2 Squires now, a "Standard" and a "Bullet" and both are quite decent for the price but for the $100 price difference, the quality difference is huge.


I purchased my Squire Standard Strat last August for $200 new at Guitar Center and I have to say that the quality of this "cheap" guitar is simply mind blowing. As an MIM owner myself I'm a bit sorry to say this but that $200 Squire is better than the MIM's in my opinion and are very close to the Am Stds. The finish, the playability and the sound are all simply excellent. I have replaced the pups with a set of Fender VN's but that's more due to my studio and such...the single coils sounded very good, but were quite noisy as single coils tend to be. I also have plans to replace the trem block...I'm simply a Callaham fan there. Beyond that, I have no other plans to change -ANYTHING- on this instrument...it's just a great guitar even at 3 times the price. As I told my wife when I bough it, I simply could not build a guitar this nice for that same $200.

The Bullet is another matter. First and foremost I have to say it "is what it is"...it's an entry level guitar. That said, compared with other guitars that I've owned over the years of the same price range, this is also a very good instrument...at least the body is "real" wood compared with the cheapy ply/laminates of yor. My Lotus Strat copy and my Memphis LP copy both were $100+ instruments new (although I bought the Lotus used) and both have plywood bodies as does my NJ Kramer which was a $200 instrument. Also I have to say the finish on the Bullet isn't bad either comparatively speaking. I've looked at the lower end "Starcaster" Strats and you can often see bumps and ridges in the poor finish (probably from the wood). The neck on the Bullet is fairly nice and quite playable but the fret finishing work...well...is not existent. Again though, it's a $100 instrument and that's something I can easily do myself anyways.

For the money, the one single gripe I've had about the Bullet was that brand new, right out of the box, the output jack was not connected (and no...I hadn't played this guitar first...that's a different story in itself). I could have returned it to Guitar Center for warranty but for the extra $10 in gas along with a 45 minute drive (both ways) in the snow...it was simply easier for me to spend 10 minutes with the soldering iron. To me this was clearly a quality control issue and I have contacted Fender about it, but they apparently can't be bothered to even respond to issues pertaining to their inexpensive instruments. I'm sure that had this of been a $1000 Am Std or especially a Custom Shop model that the folks at Fender would have bent over backwards to make this right for me but as this was only a $100 instrument they seem to have a "devil may care" attitude...it's just not worth their time to provide any customer service or satisfaction I guess (in other words, they couldn't even take 2 minutes and respond to my email with a "Sorry for the inconvenience..."). I'm sure the folks at Guitar Center would have gladly exchanged the instrument for me but again for what the problem was, it was simply easier and faster to fix it myself.

It is worth noting that I had purchased the Bullet to simply have a guitar I could setup specifically for Eb tuning for some practice stuff as well as to have something around the studio for others to mess around on that I wouldn't have to worry about and for that, she does fit the bill nicely.

Now there is one last thing I would like to add to all of this. A big part of how well any of these Squire's play regardless of specific model, as with any instrument depends a great deal on the setup. If someone is looking at one of these at someplace like Guitar Center for example, they should know that a lot of these stores do NOT do any setups on these guitars before they hit the sales floor. The come straight out of the boxes and go right on the shelf. As such, many of these guitars may not appear to play as well as some of the more expensive instruments...which often times will be setup properly before being put on display. Between shipping, the "kids" that beat on these things on the show room floor and possibly quality control issues from the manufacturer, quite often these quitars can really be out of whack. Doesn't mean that they are "bad" instruments, just that no one took any time to inspect or set them up correctly. Anyone considering a new Squire of any model should probably take this into consideration...there's a very good chance the instrument will probably need to be setup correctly.

That said, I think the Squires are a -very- good value for the money and are good instruments as a whole. Just don't count on any support from Fender if you should have an issue...make sure you buy it from some place you can go back to if you do have a problem.

Peace,
Jim

Just curious, do you own any Fender Strats?

Yep...my main baby at the moment is a rather heavily modified '96 MIM Standard. Got her brand new in 1996. Right now she's got a set of Duncans, Callaham trem block, LSR roller nut, roller T's, etc.. I'm also thinking about adding a set of stainless saddles too. Here's a picture of her...




Peace,
Jim

I have owned several Fender Strats and Squire Strats. It is too broad of a question to ask if Squire Strats are good guitars. In my opinion, the lower end guitars(Bullet, Affinity) are junk. The higher end stuff(Vintage Vibe, Deluxe, MIJ) are nice guitars for the money.
As with any instrument, if it sounds and plays well to YOU, then you will love it, and play it well.

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A bunch of guitars, a few amps, some pedals and some other stuff that makes noise.

While I don't wish to start another argument over such a highly subjective subject, considering the all-encompassing sentiment of this statement, I think folks reading this deserve a bit of clarity.

Using the Squire Affinity for example, you state that in your opinion this guitar is "junk". I would have to ask, compared to what? -If- you are comparing this instrument with something like an MIM Standard let alone an Am Std (how about a $4000 Custom Shop instrument?), then sure...it's a $150 guitar and it's certainly going to be "junk" comparatively speaking. If on the other hand you are comparing this with a $70 "Starcaster" from Target or (shivers) a "First Act" instrument from Walmarts...does it still mean that Affinity is "junk"? How does this Affinity compare with other similarly priced "entry level" instruments from makers such as Johnson, Excel, Jay Turser, etc?

I would also ask for whom would you not recommend this "junk" too? For someone like an Eric Clapton, certainly a $150 instrument of -ANY- make is going to be junk but for a person just starting out or even a person simply looking to add a "back up guitar" to a nicer one they already own is that thing really going to be a piece of junk? More over, is a person who is just buying their first guitar really going to appreciate the difference between a $100 Bullet and a $1000 Am Std assuming they've never played a musical instrument before?

Ok...maybe it's just my age talking here, but I remember growing up with lower end instruments such as "Hondo", "Lotus", "Memphis" and "Cort" that were typically instruments in the $100-$200 range (and this was back in the late 70's/early 80's) and quite honestly compared with most of those instruments, that Squire Affinity is a work of art my friend! Compared with those, even the Bullet's aren't "bad" by any means...as you say, "for the money".

I will easily accept your comment "As with any instrument, if it sounds and plays well to YOU, then you will love it, and play it well" as being good advice and again I'm not trying to start a major debacle here, but instead of saying "I think they're junk" I would ask that you quantify that opinion with some comparative analysis for the benefit of others.

Peace,
Jim

I do understand that Fender/Squire makes guitars at different price points to attract guitar players of different financial means. When you can get a Squire Strat for $100 and a Custom Shop for $3000, there is obviously room for major differences.
I have owned many Strats over my 30 years of playing(I too remember Hondo, Strad-o-lin, Penco, Aspen, Memphis), and I judge a guitars usefulness based on how well it does the job of staying in tune, and being playable. I have owned several(5) Squire Strats from Bullets, Affinitys, E series, and Deluxes, and played many more. I considered the Affinity Strats junk (sorry, a little harsh) due to the fact that the ones I have played do not intonate up the neck accurately, the tuning machines do not keep the guitar in tune for long, the electronics are sub par and noisy, if working at all. The plywood bodies do not resonate well to produce clear sustained notes. The nuts are usually cut poorly as to affect intonation and tremelo usage. The fretwork causes buzzing and false tones. These were guitars that were new or in mint condition. These are all due to cost cutting efforts. It makes sense from a business standpoint.
My base point is that a guitar should perform basic functions(play in tune, stay in tune). If it does not, the beginner guitarist could lose interest in a guitar that does not perform basic tasks. Losing interest due to a poor instrument is bad for Fenders business. Now, Fender has been in business for a long time, and know the market well. All I can speak to is what I see. I see a lot of Affinity Strats for sale at pawn shops, flea markets, trader papers and the like. If they were such decent guitars, why are people trying to get rid of them? You can only get $40-80 for a used one anyway.
I would hate to see a new guitarist lose interest due to a guitar that doesn't play well, and won't stay in tune

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A bunch of guitars, a few amps, some pedals and some other stuff that makes noise.

So true. Entry-level instruments back then were H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E. Okay, you guys can go back to arguing now...

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

OMG, I would have given a leg to be able to start with a Squire Strat.

Dude, a LEG!!! Really?? A LEG!!! C'mon, maybe a toenail, or even a lock of hair, but a LEG??? You would need a guitar stand for yourself to play live!
Why the love for the Holiest of Holy Grail guitars................The Squire Affinity Strat???It is what it is, no more no less. I may just have to sell my Les Paul Custom and go get me one of them there geeetars. Do you think that my local pawn broker would swap straight up a 1974 Les Paul Custom with crushed purple velvet lined case for a beat to crap black Affinity Strat? I hope so. I'm gonna go tomorrow and be there bright and early at 9:00am just so he doesn't sell it to someone else.
Sorry.

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A bunch of guitars, a few amps, some pedals and some other stuff that makes noise.

I did not start with a Squire, but it was my 1st guitar I bought on my own. They are great little guitars. Of course I bought mine back in 1987-1988 time frame. I put it up against a lot of Fenders at that time and was alwas complemented on it. (course a lot of people never realized it was a Squire until I pointed that fact out). The model I had did not have the Strat-type headstock. Look up Squire Stratocaster HM III and you'll see what I mean.
http://www.thatmetalbox.com/squier/

My body was not contoured like this one, but the headstock was the same.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

OK Paisley, I'll bite.
25 years ago my I got my first guitar-a nasty little acoustic that had a bunch of dead frets and the low e string had trouble staying in. Got it for about $115. The action made it almost unplayable. Wanted a electric (a Strat actually-I had good taste early on) but you couldnt even get the crappiest Strat copy for a buck fifteen.
Fast forward a quarter century and for the same amount of cash as 25 years ago I could have a Strat made by Fender.
It's not that hard to understand.

Damn R, I havent seen one of those in a LONG time.
I forgot about them.

Imagine this.

Its the last song of your gig, your finishing a run of 5 weeks playing weekends. whilst you hold down a demanding construction job, spend time with the family, record friday nights, play saturdays and hopefully get some rest come sunday. Maintenance is the last thing on your mind your so tired.
On your 6th weekend gig you break a string on your floyded main guitar, the jacksocket to your backup gives out on your backup guitar.

Now what do you do?

accept the squire the band on after you offer and play it on your knees, cos theres no guitar strap. Whilst the vocalist mucks about with the tuners and turns a fallacy into a debacle.

Or

Do you walk offstage leaving the rest of the band to carry the can whilst you strop.


Point of fact. Squires weren't made for eric clapton. They will however serve a purpose.

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No no and no

First let me say thank you for taking the time to elaborate a little more on your reasoning. What you have provided here is certainly better than simply saying "they're junk".

There are a couple of corrections to your post that I would like to make for anyone who's reading this. First, while I can't speak for older models of Affinitys as I had never played one until about a year ago, it is worth noting that the new models do -NOT- have plywood bodies as you indicated. Most of them seem to have alder and according to Squire's website, the "Stop Dreaming" series are agathis. For that matter, even my Bullet is basswood....which is still a huge improvement over ply. Also, the tuning keys that come on the Affinity series are actually pretty decent...good quality sealed tuners. Here the Bullet does differ significantly as it does have very cheap covered tuners (which I'm replacing on mine with Klusons). I will admit that very often these instruments are not correctly setup at the music stores (as I already stated) but that's not something that can be specifically blamed on the quality of the instrument itself.

I also have to add that I think the comments about the fretwork is a bit unfair. This is just my opinion here but to expect well done fret work on any instrument that only costs between $100 and $200 is rather unrealistic....that's simply the nature of an inexpensive guitar regardless of make. I could be wrong here, but it seems as though your experience with these guitars is perhaps based on older instruments and/or tainted by some bad experiences in the past. In regards to the Affinity series...at least the models that I've played, I too would have "given a leg" to have had one of those as my first guitar. They are about 1000 times better than that Memphis LP copy I got when I was 17 (and I still have that guitar to prove it).

The newer Affinitys are very good instruments for the money and would serve most new players really well. While I think your comments about trading a vintage LP for one are...well...comical (not that I'd ever own a Les Paul myself, vintage or otherwise), I think you'd be quite surprised at how well these things are actually built now a days...again compared with other instruments in the same price range. I'm not saying that -you- should rush right out and buy one, but they really aren't the junk that you've claimed either, which is why I wanted to address this.

I do agree with your comments in regards to a beginning guitarist for the most part but I would add that give or take the tuning issues (which haven't even been a problem on my Bullet with the cheap tuners), most new players are really not going to appreciate any difference between the $170 Squire Affinity and a $1000 Am Std. More over, a great many young people are going to be more "inspired to play" simply by the way the instrument looks vs. any issues like fret work...tis just the nature of most kids. I will also admit that the pickups on most lower end guitars (again regardless of brand) typically leave something to be desired. Even the pups on the MIM Standards really aren't all that great in my opinion. That said though, I also wouldn't expect an Affinity let alone a Bullet to come equipped with Vintage Noiseless, Duncans or Lindy Fralins and again a newer play isn't really going to notice -that- much of a difference anyways.

Anyways, again I'm not trying to start a major debacle here but it does seem to me that perhaps you should check out one of the newer Affinitys and objectively compare them with other instruments in the same price range before claiming their simply junk because they really aren't.


Just my $.02 worth,
Jim