difference between a squier and fender

froot · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:19 pm **Posts:** 11

hey i'd like to know exactly the difference between the fender and squier

i own a squier and im thinking about upgrading it with a neck, pickups, bridge and tuners

below are the specs for first the fender standard american and the squier affinty

Code:

Model Name  American Standard Stratocaster®  
Model Number  011-0400-(Color #) and 011-0402-(Color #)  
Series  American Standard Series  
Colors  (700) 3-Color Sunburst, 
(705) Olympic White,
(706) Black, 
(712) Candy Cola,
(747)** Sienna Sunburst, (Ash Body),**add $100.00 for Special Wood Requirements,
(755) Blizzard Pearl, 
(769) Charcoal Frost Metallic, 
(Urethane Finish)  
Body  Alder on:
(700) 3-Color Sunburst, 
(705) Olympic White,
(706) Black, 
(712) Candy Cola,
(755) Blizzard Pearl,
(769) Charcoal Frost Metallic, 
Ash on: 
(747)** Sienna Sunburst, **add $100.00 for Special Wood Requirements,  
Neck  Maple, Modern “C” Shape,
(Gloss Headstock Face with Satin Urethane Finish on Back of Neck)  
Fingerboard  Rosewood (p/n 011-0400) or Maple (p/n 011-0402), 9.5” Radius (241 mm)  
No. of Frets  22 Medium Jumbo Frets  
Pickups  3 American Strat® Single-Coil Pickups  
Controls  Master Volume, 
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), 
Tone 2. Delta Tone™ 
(“Delta Tone” system includes high output bridge pickup and special No-Load tone control for Middle and Bridge Pickups)  
Pickup Switching  5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup 
Position 3. Middle Pickup 
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup  
Bridge  2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with New American Standard Bent Steel Saddles  
Machine Heads  Fender® Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines  
Hardware  Chrome  
Pickguard  3-Ply Parchment  
Scale Length  25.5” (648 mm)  
Width at Nut  1.685” (42.8 mm)  
Unique Features  New Bent Steel Saddles with Elongated String Slots,
Copper Infused High Mass 100% Metal Bridge Block,
Thinner Undercoat Finish for Improved Body Resonance,
Tinted Neck,
Maple Fingerboard Neck: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Front; 
Rosewood Fingerboard Neck: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Headstock Front with Buffed Fingerboard,
4-Bolt Neck Attachment with Micro-Tilt™ Adjustment,
Bi-Flex Truss Rod System,
Parchment Knobs and Pickup Covers,
Rolled Fretboard Edges,
Staggered Tuning Keys,
H/S/H Pickup Routing,
New Molded Fender/SKB Case with TSA Locks, Glass Reinforced Nylon Trigger Latches, and Form Fitted Plush Interior  
Strings  Fender® Standard Tension™ Bullet ST3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-203  
Accessories  Fender/SKB® Case, Cable, Strap, Polishing Cloth  
Case  High-Tech, Molded Rectangular SKB® Case  
Introduced  1/2008  
Notice  Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice  

Code:

Model Name  Strat® (Maple) (Special Edition)  
Model Number  031-0603-(503)  
Series  Affinity Series  
Colors  (503) 2-Color Sunburst, 
(Polyurethane Finish)  
Body  Alder  
Neck  Maple  
Fingerboard  Maple, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)  
No. of Frets  21 Medium Jumbo  
Pickups  3 Single-Coil Pickups  
Controls  Master Volume, 
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), 
Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)  
Pickup Switching  5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup 
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup 
Position 3. Middle Pickup 
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup 
Position 5. Neck Pickup  
Bridge  Synchronous Tremolo  
Machine Heads  Standard Die-Cast Tuners  
Hardware  Chrome  
Pickguard  1-Ply White  
Scale Length  25.5” (648 mm)  
Width at Nut  1.61” (40.9 mm)  
Unique Features  Large Headstock ‘60s Style Headstock,
White Plastic Parts, 
Black Silkscreen Logo,
Dot Position Inlays  
Strings  Fender Super 250L, (.009 to .042) Nickel Plated Steel p/n 073-0250-003  
Accessories  None  
Introduced  1/2001  
Notice  Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice  

everone says that a big difference is in the wood quality but they both have alder bodies and maple necks, and maple fingerboards. now i see that the fender has a c-neck degisn but is that such a big difference?

i know that the electronics and hardware of the 2 are much different, and i plan on replacing the neck, pickups, bridge and tuners on my squier

other than the "features" section, i can't really figure out the big difference. also, if i get goo neck and hardware replacements, my squier should have most of the stuff in the "featres" section

if i upgraded my squier, would it be that much worse than a fender MIA? im thinking it must be better than a MIM but i couldnt find specs on the MIM

should i be upgrading my squier or should i get a MIM? MIA is realy out of my budget right now.

everyone keeps telling me that squiers are garbage, but it's seemed like a solid guitar for the time that ive had it. I haven't really spent enough time with a MIA to have an opinion

cvilleira · **Posted:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:45 pm

For one thing the Affinity Series has a different size body its not like the Squier Standard which is the same.

froot · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:19 pm **Posts:** 11

ok, is that a big deal? i always thought that stuff concerning the body wasnt a big deal in an electric since it doesnt have a soundhole or resonate like an acoustic

also when i said i wanted to replace the neck, it's only if there is a big difference between the squier and fender seeing as they both use the same wood

im no guitar guru if any of my info is wrong please correct me

nikininja · **Posted:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:53 pm

The trem size is different too. I personaly think you'd be better off to buy a fender than to try upgrading the squire to fender specs.

Still all the best with it. Please keep us posted.

cvilleira · **Posted:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:58 pm

It is the total sum of all things added together that make the biggest difference. To compare of thing to the other may not look like much but all :shock:

Vulkan · **Posted:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:43 pm

nikininja wrote:

The trem size is different too. I personaly think you'd be better off to buy a fender than to try upgrading the squire to fender specs.

Still all the best with it. Please keep us posted.

+1

Contemporary Squier guitars are typically made overseas from materials that are somewhat inferior to the parts used in Mexican and American Fenders. Though built to more or less the same specifications, the Squier guitars are intended for the budget guitar market. On the other hand, Squier does make some instruments that combine excellent value and great playability. That being said, if you're willing to shell out several hundred dollars for new pickups, tremolo and hardware, I think you'd be better off to save your money, sell the Squier, and buy a Mexican or American Fender.

cvilleira · **Posted:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:09 pm

Vulkan wrote:

nikininja wrote:

The trem size is different too. I personaly think you'd be better off to buy a fender than to try upgrading the squire to fender specs.

Still all the best with it. Please keep us posted.

Contemporary Squier guitars are typically made overseas from materials that are somewhat inferior to the parts used in Mexican.

When I said MIJ Contemporary models they are not Squier's they are Made In Japan Fenders and are no where near inferior in parts to MIM In fact the 80's Contemporary's rival many MIA's at the time which is why Fender Japan came about. Just try a Contempory 22 Classic or one of the the 8 versions of the Contemporary with the system II or Sys. III trem's and the TBX control., Very nice guitars.

paullie56 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 04, 2009 4:18 am

Squier, especially the Affinity series, are entry level guitars. They are by no means "garbage", with a little luck you could find a really great axe. But just the same you could end uo with a dud. I think that's one of the biggest differences between Squier and Fender, consistency in quality. I'll agree with the others, if you're willing to spend a couple hundred on replacement parts, just pick up a MIM & leave the Squier intact, or maybe even use it for a project guitar. That way you'd still have something to play.

mcphail · **Joined:** Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:37 am **Posts:** 64

Squiers tend to have poorer QC and are made out of inferior materials. That being said, they are pretty nice guitars, and they're very cheap. I really like the classic vibes series. Those are probably the best quality you can find in a squier. However, they retail at around $350, so you might as well buy a used MIM strat. You can find them on ebay for pretty cheap.

Kuroyama · **Joined:** Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:07 am **Posts:** 27

The difference between an MIA strat and a Squier Affinity are simply too great. It owuld not be worth the time and money to upgrade everything. It would be easier and cheaper to buy an MIA Strat than to chase down parts for upgrading.

If money is an issue, then go with an MIM, or MIJ Strat. VERY similar guitar for much less money. As for all the components that make an MIA an MIA, if Clapton himself were playing them back to back you wouldnt hear a difference.

So unless youre better than Clapton, pretty much all buying an MIA gets you, is the label that says MIA. There are other reasons, but since ALL Fender is under the Fender name all the money goes to the US anyway, so its really up to you.

(Unless like me you LIVE in Japan. I bought MIJ used, and got screaming deals on VERY high grade guitars. But I did a LOT of homework and a lot of legwork to find my "twins".

Irf you buy used, take your time, do your homework and UNDERSTAND what the differences are. PLAY before you buy. Good luck to you.

siamese · **Joined:** Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:13 am **Posts:** 248

The poster has a pretty good question...what's the difference between a Squire and a MIA or MIM?

As a neutral bystander, I haven't seen anyone answer his question yet. Quality of materials has been mentioned, but what does that mean? Are they made out of pine? Painted with interior latex? Was the wood for the guitar grown in poor soil?

Consistency has been mentioned, but let's assume the guy has a Squire with good fit and finish, with a straight, maple neck. Now, what's the difference?

I'm going to guess that there are more laminations in the body, for one thing. Everywhere you have a glue joint in a solid body guitar, some energy (resonance) is lost. But I don't really know how many laminations there are.

Don't get me wrong here, I really like my 1996 MIA and I don't plan to trade it for a Squire. But what are the ACTUAL differences, other than the electronics?

The poster wants to know if the neck and body are a good platform for a good, custom guitar.

froot · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:19 pm **Posts:** 11

thanks for the input guys.

i've been hearing really good things about MIJ strats but i live in canada and i dont think they are available for resale here

i know there's ebay, but i've always been skeptical about buying stuff there. i'd rather get something new with proper warranty in case it dosent work or i open up the package and its somehting else

just checked ebay, there's only about 7-8 fender MIJ being sold right now and the prices dont look friendly to me

ill probably check some pawn shops next week

*edit* after checking craigslist, there is a guy who is selling a '62 reissue with a tweeed amp for $1...

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/msg/1106702719.html

scam.... right? also he live sin my city so hopefully i could pick it up directly

EGrier65 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:57 am

Froot,
If you click on the link that you provided it is giving a price of $1200 for the guitar and $1600 if you want the guitar and amp.

froot · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:19 pm **Posts:** 11

oh sorry, i thought that was regular price

on the other hand i found a $300 MIM that has ben customized. considering getting it

edit: also found a good set of Pickups on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.ca/GFS-Premium-Overwoun ... 240%3A1318

look any good?

to get a gilmour sound would it be better to get noiseless or hot pickups?
i know he uses stock fender ones but i wanna try something differnt

zontar · **Joined:** Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:48 pm **Posts:** 2315

Some Squiers are made of basswood, and I believe some are agathis--that may not be a big deal to everybody--and there are some good guitars made of basswood--but overall they are softer wood--and so damage more easily--and if you like modding they won't hold up as well over time to changing parts. And the type of wood affects how it resonates--which does affect your tone to a degree.

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