Allow me to


Why does Squier Exist? To sell inexpensive guitars to people who cannot afford a $500 to $1500 guitar. Granted you could pick up a cheap used Fender for $300 to $400.

Back in the Eighties I myself could not afford a $350 Fender Strat, but I could afford a $200 Squier. I came from a very poor family and bought my own guitar with my own money which I saved up. Squier helped solidify my love for playing guitars by providing me a nice guitar to learn on for a price that did not put me into the poor house.

Since then I have owned several guitars. I used to own a CV 60 guitar until just recently. This is a good example of a good Squier. And I just picked up a used Squier HM III, much like the one I originally bought in the Eighties. This is a phenomenal sounding guitar.

I also have some Fender Stratocasters as well. Are Squier guitars as good as Fender guitars? In my honest opinion some exceed the MIM Standards by a long shot. However, most do not. But they are a good guitar to learn to play and experiment with. With a proper set up most are worth the $100 t0 $120 you can buy them for.

So keep in mind that only a guitar snob refuses to play a guitar based on name only. Pick up a guitar before dissing it. If you haven't found a decent Squier, might I suggest playing the The Standard, Vintage Modified and the Classic Vibe guitars. These are the ones that usually surpass the MIM Standards. Also their upper budget signature models are awesome as well.

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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

squires exist because even cheap fenders are usually too much for starter guitars. For many people, a squire is the only thing they can afford, and some squires are good guitars(for the money).

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"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

I trust that the original author of this thread is feeling suitably chastened, and will in future keep his patronising, elitist tosh to himself.

Posters have already provided sufficient comment to answer the original question, but here's a few more:

It hooks new players into the Fender way of life early and at an acceptable price point. No doubt Fender would hope that a percentage of these Squier users will go on to buy more valuable Fender guitars in the future as they become more well-healed. As for users, well at least they have the "Fender" word somewhere on their instruments, and everyone knows who the parent company is. And their guitars will look authentic too, as they will have certain Fender patent protected features (headstock) present and correct. So its kudos for them without spending unfeasible sums of money. And if you have to have a 'copy' guitar, much better for Fender that they have a slice of the purchase price, rather than another company knocking out their own version.

Yes because they make good platform guitars for modifications, but also because they allow Fender to develop new ideas and new models and test them in the market at a lower cost to the Company. Look at the 51, which has made it's long overdue transfer to the main Fender name (Pawn Shop Series). And what about the Squier Espirit, which gave us the chance to experience a flavour of the legendary twin humbucker guitar made by Fender? I kick myself every day for not buying the Squier Esprit I once had in my hands, and have not seen another one since..

At their worst, Squiers are reliable, usable - if indifferent - clones. At their best, they give you a guitar of real quality and character that anyone should be happy to own. Unless of course you are the original author of this thread, who won't even get out of bed to look at something with the 'wrong' name on the headstock.

And finally, let's not forget the now hallowed Japanese Squier Strats that kept Fender in the marketplace during their very darkest days..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

I started playing guitar at the age of 12 using a classic acoustic guitar (Framus) made in Germany. I loved it and learned all the basics.
There was one problem - I wanted an electric guitar. So I swapped the acoustic for a cheap electric. That guitar was horrible but it kept me learning the hard way.
Looking back I would have been honored having a Squier Stratocaster as my first electric guitar.
Today even the low priced guitars are worth every Cent. You have it good these days.

Cheers,
Robin

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http://www.youtube.com/robinstrower
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Hi, my name's Screamin' Armadillo. I am a former gear snob.

When I first started playing in 1989, I fell hook, line and sinker for the idea that the only good guitars and amps were American made, or in some cases, British.

I also thought that anything "vintage" had to be good...and a cheap guitar was not worthy of my talents. My first two electrics (both G&Ls) supported my supposition.

Well, after playing many expensive dogs and several vintage turds, I started to doubt the prejudices I had. After hearing that some of my heroes started out with budget models like Danelectro, Silvertone, Teisco Del Rey and Airline (and some stuck with them even after being able to move up), I started to doubt my beliefs further.

Most of the upper end of Fender is very good to great in quality, fit, finish and playability. But that doesn't preclude the MIM and Squier instruments from being good, too. I would present my MIM Tele Classic as a fine example of good mass production luthiery...and if I were in the market for another Telecaster, the Classic Vibe Squier would definitely be on the list.

Recently a friend of the Armadillo Child asked me to help him pick out his first guitar. I gladly obliged, and after determining his budget and the style he desired to play, instead of suggesting a particular brand or model, I instead taught him about pickups, tremolos vs hardtail, fretboard wood (maple vs rosewood vs ebony, etc), how to tell if a guitar will stay in tune, the action and things like that.

Finally, he said, "Just tell me what guitar to get!" I said, "I can't tell you what kind of underwear is comfortable go you, because our butts are different; the same with guitar. It's all in what is comfortable, feels good, sounds good and looks good for you."

He got my meaning, went to a shop and tried out every guitar in his price range, and came home with a Squier Stratocaster.

He's on his way through the stages of early guitar playing (right now his dad calls him the "Intro King" because he can only play the intro to songs-we've all been there!). But he thanked me for helping him choose for himself and removing the prejudices he already had, due to influence by another older friend...he said he wouldn't have picked a Fender-styled guitar (and certainly not a Squier), except he found that it "fit" him too well--budget, playability, feel, and style.

That's why Squier is important.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

i made a thread against these kind of attacks on squier... remember that squier was promoted into a sub brand for fender and was originally known as the squier series... i agree with the post against starcasters though... it ruined the quality and names of its original predecessor the semi hollow starcaster

Typical troll post.

I love my Squier Affinity Telecaster:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=56646

I also have a MIM Standard Strat, an Ibanzez GIO, and a "Lyon" by Washburn. All cheap, all highly modified, all excellent sounding and playing guitars.

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Bill

+1!!!

Love the analogy, Armadillo-san.



(BTW, how does your underwear sound?)



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

It depends on what I eat. After last night's red beans and rice, it sounds like a tuba.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

When I was a teen I would have crawled accross broken glass to get to a guitar the quality of the Squiers made today. For the money they are the best deal around. For $120.00 nice little bullet strat.

Does your 12 year old really want to learn to play? Do you buy him a $120.00 Bullet or a $500.00 MIM just for the pleasure of finding out?

Cool little guitars!

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I remember when we were free!

Squiers exist for people who want a low cost alternative to Strats,Teles etc. and want to stay within the Fender family.Although Squier is a low cost brand,that doesn't equate to low quality.I've played many Squiers when in music stores etc and was impressed with the quality in sound,playability and construction they can acheive at such a low price.Squiers are also well worth upgrading too.Jeff Healey played almost nothing but Squiers throughout his career and he could well afford just about any guitar that money could buy.He would upgrade some with his prefered Evans pickups but remained true to the brand right up to his death.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

That is so true.

I wonder if this thread has more to do with the OP proudly telling us what discerning fellow he is, rather than asking a genuine question, the answer to which is after all so obvious?

Cheers - C

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I have owned everything from Custom Shop to 35 dollar Squiers. I play a 1983 Squier and love it as much as my Custom Shop. A good guitar is a good guitar. Price don't always dictate playablity or sound. I play my 35 dollar guitar at work at least 1/3 of the time. I do 200 plus show a year.

Thomas

Given that the OP hasn't returned since starting this thread, I consider him a TROLL.

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Bill

Obvious troll post, 2 pages and 2 days later our OP with all of 7 posts has not participated in a thread he started.

I am as guilty of this as anyone else, we shouldn't really feed the trolls people

The answer to this is obvious, simple economics. Squire exists because there is a market for them and they sell guitars.

If you don't like Squire guitars and don't want one, DON'T BUY ONE. The fact that they exist really shouldn't bother some people as much as it seems to

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Bob

Fender CD280S NAT, Recording King RO-127
Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster BSB
American Special/Highway One Telecaster hybrid Partscaster
Fender 60th Anv Am Std Telecaster, Natural/Rosewood
http://community.webshots.com/user/rjstaaf