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Post subject: What next?
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:15 pm
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Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:15 pm
Posts: 100
Location: Austin, TX, USA
This is a goofy one, but I think Fenderheads are going to be the best brains to pick...

So I got my hands on my first and only electric back in roughly '95. It's a Squire Stratocaster. It's Korean made, so its hard to gauge when it was made, but most guess late '80s; as the guy I got it from had it for a good while. Headstock says Squire, then just off to the right of that "STRATOCASTER", then 'by Fender'. A couple folks tell me this is the standard... but for my memory (I'm not at home) it doesn't SAY standard.

Here we are:
Image
(silly picture, I know)

Anyway, down to brass tacks. The guy I got this guitar from was a big influence musically, and he's no longer around. If I ever do get gigging, I'd never want this thing damaged, stolen, etc. since it is irreplaceable. So I have to face it that one of these days, I am going to need to buy another Strat.

I know people often question the quality of Squires, but mine receives a LOT of compliments on how well it plays and stays in tune. I've heard a lot of say about Squires from that era still being quality guitars for their price, so I assume this is not unique.

I love how this thing plays & feels, and the Squire Strats today just don't feel the same. What family and models of Fenders should I maybe be starting with, or am I just so attached to thing thing that nothing is going to feel comparable?


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Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:24 pm
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Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:50 am
Posts: 37
Location: Pennsylvania
Glad you enjoy your Squire - it looks very nice!


Of course, a lot depends on your budget. IMHO, the MIM standard Strat is a very nice guitar at a reasonable price, so you could definitely start there as a point of reference (it sounds like you already know you don't care for today's Squires). Then move up to a Highway One, then an Am Series. IF you have a larger budget, the Am Deluxes are terrific guitars, and definitely worth checking out. You will encounter different necks, radiuses, frets, etc, just see what appeals to you.

If you prefer vintage specs, the AV57 or AV62 are great, but getting more expensive.

Hope this helps, and most of all have fun looking! Nothing beats shopping for a new Strat!


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Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:01 pm
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Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:50 pm
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Location: Bloomfield, NJ
It all depends on what feels good and budget. I have learned that a guitar picks you. You will know what to buy when you play it. Just like your Squier, it just feels and sounds right. The next guitar you buy will do and feel the same. Good luck and consider yourself lucky, having a guitar that you love and cherish as much as you do with your Squier.


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Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:25 pm
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Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:02 pm
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I have a Squier from the mid-90s. "Crafted in China." I upgraded to a Highway One a few months ago. That Highway One guitar definitely picked me. I'm still holding on to the Squier Strat, which is thinner, heavier, thickly lacquered, because I think it may have some unusual features. Also, I'll let one of my kids play it when he gets older (whichever one is in to it). My Squier was "tuned up" by a custom shop guy because I bought it from his girlfriend, who was a friend of my friend. Confusing isn't it? Anyway so I'm not sure if he "loaded" it but those pickups always sounded extremely good especially the neck, which was just killer and had a kind of Stevie Ray tone and for all I know he dropped a Texas Special in there. Intonation from the vintage style bridge was perfect. Not much else to do with a Squier Strat. The trem doesn't float. I need to get ahold of an 1/8" allen wrench and adjust the action on the Squier because its too high even to give it to my kid. Didn't bother me that much because I used to play a Yamaha acoustic a lot and it's similar to that but it'll be a barrier to my kid getting better.

Right out of the box, my Highway One was good. I put in extra springs over the factory 3 to stabilize the tremolo and then refloated using the claw screws in the back. The stock pickups on the Highway One are very good, especially now that I picked up a tube amp Blues Junior. Versatile and good. I would recommend a Highway One to anyone. Check it at the store to make sure it never frets out and to make sure the frets don't rattle much. Some guitar store guys will say Fender's frets aren't so good anymore and want to charge $100 to dress the frets, but really it's just the action is too low and you can fix it with the claw screws. If not the claw screws, then you can adjust the truss rod.

Mine has no fret rattle when tested with gentle picks up the fret board if the trem is floated to the factory 1/8 inch. However, I pick hard from the acoustic background and I can still generate some audible fret rattle if I'm unamplified, on the 5th-7th frets playing blues in "A" which means the truss rod nees a little loosening. I'll be putting 10s on instead of 9s someday so when that happens that situation may be fixed. Otherwise, I'll pick up an Allen Wrench and do both at the same time.


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