Hello ,

I am planning to buy a Blacktop Strat to replace my quite crappy Ibanez Gio.
As I am still an Amutuer , is it worth it to go straight to a Fender or shoud I just get a cheaper one instead like a Squier Deluxe?

Also , I heard that Squiers are all pretty bad. Is it true?

Thanks in advance

Not all squires are bad-round here I hear a lot of good stuff about the classic vibe squires especially. I'm not a squire expert though-for more info you could check out the squire section here: http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewforum.php?f=15

As for the Blacktop Strat-it's supposed to be a very good versatile guitar, the reviews such as this: http://beta.musicradar.com/gear/all/guitars/electric/6-string-solid-body/blacktop-stratocaster-hh-391939/review seem to sing praise.

I would say that if you can comfortably afford it, a good guitar may well inspire you, as well as make it a bit easier to learn and play. That said, the squire's are often compared well to the fender mexican standard guitars, which aren't a long way down from the blacktops. And whatever you do, you should know that a good guitar won't hit its sound potential through a cheap amp.

Good luck!

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

Thanks a lot

Always buy the best guitar you can afford, which has to include preowned, for the price of a new guitar you should be able to find a higher line model like an MIM versus a Classic Squire or an MIA versus a new MIM.

I would set the budget first, then go and play, look, feel as many preowned guitars in the shop and ask lots of questions .....If you have a friend that is a seasoned player, take him/her with you as they'll be able to navigate thru the sales spin and stay focused on finding the best choice for the moment....In the long run, you will save money by buying a high quality instrument...

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

My first suggestion to ANYONE looking for a new guitar is to go to your local guitar shops and play as many instruments as you can get your hands on, BEFORE you spend a dime! The -only- way to know what's gonna feel good in your hands is to lay your hands on those instruments, regardless of your level of experience! I like Strats (MIM's especially), other people like Les Pauls and still others like Ibanez, Jackson, Gretch, Danelectro, et. al.. The truth is that what I like or what Joe Smith likes or anyone else on the internet for that matter is pretty irrelevant...-you- are the one that's gonna be playing the guitar and only you can decide what feels good in your hands.

Now that said... yes I would recommend starting with a less expensive instrument before investing in something you don't really know much about. Most amateurs (and quite a few so-called pros for that matter) can't really distinguish between a Squier Standard and a Fender Standard...and don't let ANYONE ever tell you different (more on this in a bit). There are so many things that go into the sound...even if you're just plugged straight into the amp (the amp, the speaker, tubes/ss, even the cord)! Add a couple of effects and the dynamics change completely! LOL!!!



This is PURE RUBBISH! Don't let the gear snobs out there b.s. you into wasting your money foolishly! Yes, Squier has made a few clunkers over the years, particularly with the really low end instruments (like some of the Bullets over the years for example) but over-all many of their instruments are not bad -at all-. In addition to my 2 MIM Fender Standards, I have an '08 MIC Squier Standard, an '85 MIJ Squier E-series (FABULOUS instrument!!!) and a "partscaster" based off an '03 Indo Squier Standard. I also recently picked up a Squier Affinity Tele for this new band I'm in and I have to say I -love- this little guitar! I played several...a couple of MIM's, a few Americans (I -hated- the neck on every American Tele I played)....even a sweet old G&L. I bought the $150 Squier Affinity

I would say that if you're buying used, then yes...do be aware that there are some cheap Squiers out there that are really little more than firewood. I had an early 90's Made in Korea for example...really cheap laminate body, horrible feel to the neck, yadda, yadda. Traded it for an Applause acoustic. If your buying new however, again except for the Bullet's, most of the current Squier lineup is -very- decent for the price point.

Seriously...this year marks my 30 year anniversary as a guitar player and I've used Squiers on stage and in the studio many times...don't let folks bullshit ya on this!

Peace,
Jim

I agree with almungo, the better the guitar and the easier it is to play the more you want to play. Do not let anyone tell you that the quality of the guitar does not matter as it does. Just remember the prices of guitars these days is not cheap, so invest wisely and make sure your investment pays off with years of pleasure and enjoyment.
Be inspired

I'd like to add, for squiers the standards
are pretty good, but the cv series, cv60s
Cv50s are pretty awesome, paint job, neck,
truss rod plug may very well be walnut, looks
like the ones on American standards.
Every one I've played have sounded great.
2 best buys and a guitar center, and a Sam ash
nearby.
For the mim, I would suggest the standard
SSS, SSH or The blacktop, theyre low cost
great sounding instruments.
Now this is my personal opinion,
A SSS strat is very very versatile IMHO.
But you may want a SSH, since your coming
from humbuckers.

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

+1!

The CV's are a lot of guitar for the money.

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

Squire's are good if on a budget and most musician's are. I'm a huge fan of MIM fender guitars. Bang for your buck a MIM Strat or Tele can't be beat! Good Luck and have fun!

Whatever is going to make you pick the thing up the most that you can afford, whatever will inspire you, looks, fender Logo, playability.... Bang for buck I must put my 2 cents in... MIJ 80's ESeries anything will be better value for money than anything else you will buy, it's a secret...shhhh don't tell everyone.....

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OK ....... I have to jump in here and be the Devil's Advocate....

Guitars are Not Investments, I repeat, they are not Investment Securities, they function more as Durable Goods. Advising someone to invest wisely and to make sure their investment pays off is not at all about a musical instrument, unless we are discussing 17th and 18th Century stringed instruments or Vintage instruments which in the current market are still 35% to 50% below their high points...So called Investments that lose that kind of percentage do not qualify as investments, they are simply Losses....

A $500 to $1000 guitar will not return you $600 to $1,200 if one decides to sell it some time down the road. If you paid $500 for that guitar and about a year later decide to sell for whatever reason, that guitar will sell for about $350 to $375, you will have incured a loss in that completed transaction.
This isn't gloomy, it is just the reality of musical instruments especially those that the supply far outweigh's the demand.....The good part is... If you shop wisely, you can definitely buy a quality guitar for much less than it cost new, but it will not make you money when and if you decide to sell it.....

That has to be understood and cannot be the criteria for buying a Stratocaster or a Telecaster. The only viable criteria here is (1) The OP's budget and (2) Where does he envision his playing One year or Two down the road or even perhaps Five...
But Five is too far ahead, as a great number of people simply lose interest in becoming a musician who happens to play a guitar. Mostly because life's obligations get in the way.

Now that $500 guitar will need to be played thru a decent amp, again that is going to be an additional $500 in expenses so we are discussing anywhere from $800 to $1,200 of musical equipment.

You could buy a Squier, but at this point, the OP is at a make or break point. He already owns a
" Crappy Ibanez " so to buy a Squier is not such a good idea and here is why....
A Squier Stratocaster has a body that is 1"5/8 in thickness whereas a MIM or MIA have 1"3/4 bodies....That difference means that if the OP wishes to upgrade Trem and pickups, he will run into a problem of parts destined for MIM or MIA Strats not fitting in the shallow Squier pockets.
If any one doubts what I'm referring to then go to my build threads as I have completely rebuilt/refinished 2 Squier Strats. So because of this a Squier is not really a good choice when looking at initial Dollars spent....Much better to look at an MIM Deluxe or an MIA Standard or the higher lines in both as preowned....
Again taking a seasoned player with you to check out potential purchases is the best route until you can decide with a backlog of what not to get stuck buying on an impulse....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

+1K...Very sound advice there 53M. A beginner is not "Investing" he needs a solid instrument to grow his talent.

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

+1 preowned!!!! This is the way to go JMHO I just picked up a mint 2004 "special edition" MIM standard strat.... special paint and all vintage appointments, maple board w/gig bag $200.00. I'm telling the truth! I saw at least 5 other strats going for around $250 w/gig bag. Craig's List is a great place to look. The economy is still bad and why don't you take advantage of that fact? Just a thought! Good Luck! PS: This $200 strat purchase is one of the best guitars I have ever owned....it really is a very good professional instrument. Don't be afraid to haggle on the price with the seller. They have the price padded and sometimes will come down as much as $200.

if you are seriouse about playing, get the better one. your more likely to get a better one anyway if you get into to it, so why pay more for a cheaper gutair if your going to get the good one down the road. if that makes sense

I prefer playing a Les Paul
...

Until I pickup my Deluxe Strat... Then there is no better guitar in the world, until I pickup my Les Paul... Catch my drift?

You will own many guitars and you will love them all. Get the American Standard if you can afford it, check Craigslist, you sound humble about being an amateur and likely deserve a nice instrument.