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Post subject: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:00 pm
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as a few of you will know, in one of my last posts I mentioned that I had a affinity strat that had split behind the nut slot.
luckily the shop I bought it from have replaced it with a new one.
but I am just not sure about the specs and the differences between two supposedly identical guitars. the one I took back to the shop was from 1997 (or so it said on the neck heel) the neck felt very solid and very well finished, it also felt like it had several coats of lacquer on the neck and the head stock, both of which had what I think is called a honey tint to them, the alder body was quite heavy too which I rather liked. I was a little concerned that the neck plate was a blank chrome plate too and it had a plastic nut.

my new one is much different, the body is still made of alder but it feels a bit lighter, the neck has a light colored finish to it and it also feels like there is much less lacquer on the back and the head stock.
the sound is very similar so that isn't a problem.
but my new guitar is fitted with a bone nut and the neck plate says squire by fender on it instead of it being blank like the other.

is there any real reason for this level of difference? I know these guitars were made 14 years apart but the process of making and finishing them can't have changed that much, can it?
both guitars have the 8 screw pick guard on them and they both have the same tremolo system. could the neck on the old guitar have been replaced with one from an older guitar? if so then why is there so much difference in the bodies?


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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 3:44 pm
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kiss nation wrote:
is there any real reason for this level of difference? I know these guitars were made 14 years apart but the process of making and finishing them can't have changed that much, can it?


14 year difference in the cost of manufacture. In order to keep the price down, manufacturing methods and costs must change. We're not talking Custom Shop quality regardless of when the guitars were manufactured. When was the last time you bought a new car? Compare what $20K buys you today compared to 14 years ago. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 4:33 pm
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you make a good point, but how can a solid alder body made in 1997 be heavier than a solid alder body made in 2012?
I also have a bullet strat that has a bass wood body and my new affinity is about the same weight. I know that my new affinity strat is in fact made from alder, but there is no reason why it is lighter than another solid alder body.


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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:03 pm
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kiss nation wrote:
you make a good point, but how can a solid alder body made in 1997 be heavier than a solid alder body made in 2012?
I also have a bullet strat that has a bass wood body and my new affinity is about the same weight. I know that my new affinity strat is in fact made from alder, but there is no reason why it is lighter than another solid alder body.


There can be a couple of pounds difference between two guitar bodies made from the same type wood. Nothing unusual about that.

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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:18 pm
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it's more than a few pounds, the weight is quite noticeable.
the problem is that the heavier of the two guitars is now in a shop waiting to be repaired and sold as second hand to someone else. so I can't weight them side by side and say exactly what the difference in weight is.
I only know that my new affinity strat and my sort of new bullet strat both weigh 4.5kg.


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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:31 pm
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I don't understand what your concern is.

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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:43 pm
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I had a squire affinity strat from 1997, the body was alder, the neck was maple and the fingerboard was rosewood. which was quite heavy.
I also have a bullet strat with a basswood body, a maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard which is very light.
I have just bought a new affinity strat which has an alder body, a maple neck and a maple fingerboard. this is the same weight as my bullet strat which is made of cheaper materials.

shouldn't two affinity strats that are both made of the same materials both weight the same?


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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:01 pm
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kiss nation wrote:
shouldn't two affinity strats that are both made of the same materials both weight the same?


I'll keep it simple: No.

You want to know more? Do some research on wood.

I'm done.

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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:09 pm
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kiss nation wrote:
I had a squire affinity strat from 1997, the body was alder, the neck was maple and the fingerboard was rosewood. which was quite heavy.
I also have a bullet strat with a basswood body, a maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard which is very light.
I have just bought a new affinity strat which has an alder body, a maple neck and a maple fingerboard. this is the same weight as my bullet strat which is made of cheaper materials.

shouldn't two affinity strats that are both made of the same materials both weight the same?

No they are 2 seperate pieces of wood they don,t weight the same. Some are light some are heavy


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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:17 pm
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I don't need to do any research on wood.
I have been working with wood for the last 8 years, I know that two pieces of the same wood don't always weigh the same, but the difference is never as much as I have found with my two guitars.
which is why I thought there might be more too it and that is why I asked the question in the first place.


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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:20 pm
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And it has been explained to you multiple times that this is normal.

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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:27 pm
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it was just a little worry after spending money on a guitar.
I know alder can be quite a heavy wood, so when you have a guitar that is made of alder and it is quite light, you can think that something may be wrong.
or that you have been told that it has been made from expensive wood when it has actually been made from cheaper wood.
wouldn't that upset you at all?


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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:29 pm
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Alot of people feel lighter is better.


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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:34 pm
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it's not like I will be standing on stage holding the guitar all night, so the weight shouldn't really be an issue. it was just a bit of a shock to find that two guitars made from the same material could be so different weight wise.
one guitar feels like it has been made from high quality solid wood, the other feels like it has been made from off cuts they found in the bin.


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Post subject: Re: new affinity strat specs.
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:53 pm
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High quality? :lol:

Dude, you're talking about two of the lowest end Squiers made, nothing quality about any of the parts used on either the Bullet or the Affinity, no matter what year that they were made. What do you expect for $200 Affinity or $100 Bullet? Whoever it was that said anything to you about quality wood in these guitars is FOS. :roll:

Much ado about nothing. :wink:

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