The new Squier '51 arrived today - thanks to MF for fast free shipping. (See this thread for reference.)
The order was a bit messed up. One of the sets of guitar strings I ordered wasn't in the package though the shipping label said it was. The label also said the gig bag was included, but it wasn't - I know it's out of stock. And finally, the MF tweed cable I ordered appears to be DOA. (Hard to decide who is worse on order fulfillment, MF or M123 ... both have messed up my recent orders.)
So: the '51.
I was surprised at how flimsy the packaging was. Guitar in a bag in a box, with a couple pieces of crumpled paper for padding. And the box had obviously been opened before - the big staples were removed. But it appears clean and new, so I guess it's okay.
Out of the box, I could tell it needed work. The neck was obviously bowed, even though the strings were slack. The frets stuck out slightly past the edge of the neck and were sharp. Screws were loose, and so was the neck plate.
But take a $100 guitar in for a $50 set up? No way! This is prime material for a DIY learning experience! (Fortunately I've done this before. :wink: )
First I tightened all the obvious loose hardware. I got my allen wrench and prepared to adjust the truss rod. Man, this neck moves easily! An 1/8th turn ... another ... one last one did it. Nice and flat now, just enough relief.
Tuned it to pitch. I was expecting the tuners to be complete garbage but they're not terrible. Time will tell how well they keep in tune.
I noticed the action was high: almost 5/32nds on the low E at the 12th fret. More important, there was a weird buzz coming from the bridge - every other saddle screw was loose, and they were vibrating when I played a string. Adjusting the saddle height to lower the action cleared up the loose screw problem at the same time.
Retuned, then time to adjust intonation. Wasn't bad to begin with, according to my tuner. B string was sharp, low E and A were flat at the 12th fret. Easy enough to fix. The A is still a little flat, but I can't adjust it further. Might try a longer screw, but then the saddle will be out of the little slot in the bridge. Oh well, I can live with this.
It took about 1-1/2 hours to complete the setup and get the guitar tuned properly, but I think it was worth the effort. If mine is an indicator of Squier's general quality, then I have a hard time imagining anyone enjoying this guitar straight out of the box. If you buy a cheap guitar like this, learn how to set it up or pay to have it done - it's time or money well spent.
Now - time to play!
I've never used 9-gauge strings before, and find them a bit sloppy. I'll play these until they die and replace them with something a little heavier.
The neck feels GREAT. So smooth. The fret edges are a small bother but they don't cut too deeply. I'll file them down tomorrow. My fingers glide along the fretboard and there's no buzz anywhere. The strat body is very comfortable, especially with the rear cutaway. All in all, it feels great.
What else? Oh yeah, the SOUND! It's terrific! A little bit Tele twang, a little bit Strat chime. The neck pup gives a very nice bluesy tone. The bridge humbucker has a classic rock vibe with distortion. My favorite so far is the middle position with the coil splitter engaged - add a little overdrive and it gives a vintage jangle. (Hum cancelling, too!)
There's no tone control and the overall tone is very bright, but this can be controlled with an EQ.
Bottom line: with a little elbow grease, this guitar is quite amazing for the price. Pics to follow, maybe even a sound clip or too. 8)
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
Well I am glad you posted this review and now I know to AVOID Squier guitars. Minor adjustments are expected but what you had to do to get it "playable" is unacceptable to me. You are a VERY Patient person because after all the mix-ups you mentioned with MF and then not being to play your guitar at all until you did all that work I would have flipped out!
My Behringer V-Tone needed less work.
Thanks for this review!
With budget guitars I think it is hit or miss if it will be playable out of the box. I bought a Behringer for my girlfriends son and it was fine right out of the box after a tuning and initial string stretch.
Lucky for you that you can do the necessary adjustments for setup when a guitar comes in 'not right'. I feel bad for the folks who buy their first guitar and it is not playable or tunable and have no clue how to fix it. Like you mentioned, a cheap guitar is not worth the labor charge to fix it.
I had a Jay Turser that was out of whack out of the box but being that company is so huge and are supposed to have a great reputation for budget guitars and a lifetime warranty, I decided to call them on it to stand behind their product and I sent the bad guitar back for them to take care of it. 4 months later I got it back with a brand new hardcase, a nice one.
I have had all good experiences with MF. I am sure you will get your strings and gig bag no problem.
Enjoy the new guitar!
8)
If it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing.
i got my 51 at GC. It didn't really need a setup, it was mostly intonated and it had good action, not high, no buzz. But it had .09 strings, and i like .11, so i took it in for a pro setup. Cost me $35, but wow, it made a HUUUUUUUGE difference. the guitar went from being a mostly-playable guitar to one that I like better than my Ibanez.
With the budget guitars, I don't really recommend buying sight-unseen. Out of 12 51s at GC, only 2 were something that I would want to play. So I picked the one that had less cosmetic flaws.
It really is a great sounding guitar. And with heavy strings, the notes just pop out and the power chords sound very crunchy. And i love the neck pickup for some bluuues.
Good guitar overall, if you're willing to work with it.
Glad you got it playable!
That's one reason why ordering online can be a risk. I'm gonna guess here that you got one of the really bad ones. Might have been better if you'd sent it back, and asked for another. Most guitarnoisers will suggest trying out the guitar before you buy it, something that online buying doesn't allow for.
This all sounds like a pretty minor set of tweaks to me. Certainly all stuff that any guitarist but a beginner should know how to do with ease.
Sounds like a great deal for $120 or even more.
These are pretty sweet guitars, and their price is made possible by how little skilled labor is required for their production. Anyone uncomfortable with this amount of effort should simply pony up the extra $30 and buy it from a reputable dealer who will do an initial setup with a new guitar. Which every "reputable" guitar dealer should. Still a deal for a fun axe for $150.
Anyone uncomfortable with this amount of effort should simply pony up the extra $30 and buy it from a reputable dealer who will do an initial setup with a new guitar. Which ever "reputable" guitar dealer should. Still a deal for a fun axe for $150.
Or better yet just go buy an AGILE!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Thanks for the review! I guess it really is hit or miss when buying online. The Squier Black & Chrome I got wasn't too bad. The intonation was off and the action a bit high, but otherwise it was fine. I used it as DIY project as well. Setting the intonation can be a bit of a pain as I found out.
Anyway, have fun with that '51! For the price, it sounds like a good player.
Jason
"Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution"
Out of 12 51s at GC, only 2 were something that I would want to play.
That's a pretty poor hit rate, and probably indicative of Squier's Indonesian manufacturing quality. Not at all surprising then that mine needed work.
And with heavy strings, the notes just pop out and the power chords sound very crunchy. And i love the neck pickup for some bluuues.
I was wondering: with heavier strings on this guitar, do you lose any of the chime and/or twang?
Most guitarnoisers will suggest trying out the guitar before you buy it, something that online buying doesn't allow for.
After this, I completely agree! :)
This all sounds like a pretty minor set of tweaks to me. Certainly all stuff that any guitarist but a beginner should know how to do with ease.
Sure, but Squiers are often chosen by absolute beginners and they need to know what to expect. Many probably buy their guitars off the rack and don't even know these adjustments are possible, and necessary. Plus, there are more than a few beginners who fret over changing their strings (pun intended), and even someone who has been playing a year might be intimidated by a truss rod adjustment. I know I was the first time I did it. :wink:
Or better yet just go buy an AGILE!!!
Squier '51 + free shipping + 2 gig bags = $119.
Agile TC-630 + not free shipping + 1 gig bag would be $300.
I'm not suggesting they're directly comparable, but you get what you pay for. Can't expect perfection in a $100 axe. :)
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
Or better yet just go buy an AGILE!!!
Squier '51 + free shipping + 2 gig bags = $119.
Agile TC-630 + not free shipping + 1 gig bag would be $300.
I'm not suggesting they're directly comparable, but you get what you pay for. Can't expect perfection in a $100 axe. :)
Behringer V-Tone Package (Guitar + 15watt modeling amp + gig bag + cable (cheaply made :lol:) + and picks = $99 + $20 for setup (that's what I paid)= $119. Just the amp alone makes this a better deal since it really does sound fairly good.
PLUS you are comparing a mid-to-upper Agile to for the most part a bottom of the line Fender/Squier. Not even close...However, compare to the SX SST62 (I know not an Agile) and the SX SST62 sounds 10 times better based on the current reviews.
I was wondering: with heavier strings on this guitar, do you lose any of the chime and/or twang?
It still has a bit of a Tele-like twang with the heavy strings. I don't have the greatest ear, but I would say that some of what you're looking for does disappear a little with the heavier strings and some overdrive/distortion...the notes just get really chunky and growly, but it still does maintain the chime and twang. If you play it on a clean setting (on my Vox I use the boutique clean or Black 2X12) it really really rings out.
So to sum up my mess of a post...
with distortion...loses a little chime and twang
without...makes it really ring out.
that's just my take on it, I don't really trust my ears that much anymore hehehe. But hey, try them out for yourself and see what happens
with distortion...loses a little chime and twang
without...makes it really ring out.
that's just my take on it, I don't really trust my ears that much anymore hehehe. But hey, try them out for yourself and see what happens
Thanks for the response. I may split the difference and get some D'addario EJ20s, which are 10 - 49 with a wound 3rd. I guess they are considered jazz strings. Will be fun to experiment, regardless. 8)
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
