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Squier Guitars

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(@vic-lewis-vl)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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Topic starter  

Tonight, I thought I'd give an old friend - but a sadly neglected old friend - a treat, so I put some new strings on the old Squier Telecaster. It hadn't had a change of strings in over a year - I bought a MIM Tele about a year ago and I've hardly put it down since. ALL my other guitars have taken a back seat - I love the Tele so much, I just never get around to playing the others. However, the last few weeks, I've noticed I have to hit the top E string on the MIM Tele a lot harder than the other strins to get the same volume - I've tried raising the treble side of the P/U to raise the volume, but it only seems to work for the G and B strings. So - it's still under guarantee, so it's gone back to the shop to be fixed. In the meantime, I've only got the old Squier Tele to work with.

My original idea was, now I've got the MIM Tele, I'll keep the Squier Tele in open G - for slide, and for a lot of Stones songs. Brown Sugar, Honky Tonk Women, Street Fighting Man, Start Me Up - all sound great in open G. And for a while my slide playing improved, too - but then I started picking up the Tele and neglecting the Squier.

Anyways, tonight I've been experimenting - I must admit, I only used to use the bridge P/U on the Squier, and then again on the Tele. But several Tele players advocated trying the middle position and the neck PU - and wow, what a difference I've found in tone!

I tried playing the intro to Sweet Child Of Mine on the neck P/U of the Squier - bear in mind, the Squier has humbuckers, the Tele has single coils. Wow, did it sound good! It's virtually the same tone Slash gets out of a very expensive LP - but I can get the same tone from a cheapo, 2nd division guitar? Something wrong there, surely? So, I asked a couple of people what they thought of the tone - they said it sounded virtually identical to the LP Slash uses.

So, if a £169 - say, $340 - guitar can actually sound that good, what's the point of paying £1000 for an LP? Even Epiphone's Slash signature guitar - an LP copy - is a hell of a lot dearer than that.

I'm having so much fun changing between pick-ups on the Squier, I'm beginning to remember why loved it so much in the first place - I actually bought it when I was out shopping for a FENDER Telecaster, after seeing Status Quo - but the Squier sounded, and felt, better.

Moral of the story? Hmmmm - it doesn't matter what guitar you THINK will sound good in your hands, there's always a guitar out there that WILL sound good when you play it - buy that one!

OK I'm back to playing the Squier.....

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@wes-inman)
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Vic

I agree with you, Squiers are really very good guitars. I still take out my '51 and play it all the time. I gave the second '51 to my brother. He has two Teles and they are both Squiers. And he likes them both.

I don't play my Squier Standard Tele much, but it is a good sounding guitar too. It gets a very dirty overdrive that my Fender Tele could never get. It is bad to the bone. :twisted:

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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(@rparker)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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I don't have a Squire, but I've been tempted. Look at this deal. http://www.wwbw.com/Squier-Standard-Strat-with-Quilt-Maple-Top--Solid-Body-El-(Closeout)-i232725.music It's about $65 less than normal and includes shipping (US).

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@bluezoldy)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 329
 

A standard Squier Strat in Australia costs around AU$400 which is is US$375. And Australian guitar retailers wonder why we buy overseas/off eBay etc. whenever we can.

http://www.venuemusic.com.au/Products.asp?ProdID=779

(PS I fall for that darn Save instead of Submit EVERY time!)

♪♫ Ron ♪♫

http://www.myspace.com/bluemountainsblues


   
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(@bluezoldy)
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And I meant to say that I've got a 2005 Squier Std Tele in that pale yellow colour. I love it and can't see myself ever selling it.

♪♫ Ron ♪♫

http://www.myspace.com/bluemountainsblues


   
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(@grungesunset)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 342
 

I paid $300 for my Squier Strat and it's a good guitar. Good tone, not great. It keeps in tune as long as you don't touch the trem bar. Even if you do use the trem you'd have to wail on it before it would make a difference in tuning though. The neck pickup is a little dull and muddy. It took the place of the Les Paul as my main guitar because it was so much lighter. I purchased the Fender Jaguar and haven't really touched it since. There is nothing wrong with it but the Jag is sooo much better.

The Fender was $850, the Squier was $300. The Fender has much better tone, dual circuits, low end filter, lower action and is lighter. It gets played a lot more than the Squier with me reaching for it 99% of the time. It may have cost me nearly 3 times as much as the Squier but the overall better quality and the fact I use it most make it a better value to me.

I do agree 100% with you Vic about playing what feels good in your hands. Price should not be a factor.

"In what, twisted universe does mastering Eddie Van Halen's two handed arpeggio technique count as ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?!" - Dr Gregory House


   
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(@trguitar)
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Bravo Vic ........ I'll have to take out my Squire Tele for a spin now. :wink:

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
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Topic starter  

Roy's and Dalron's replies just highlight the difference in prices between America and the rest of the world. $135 for a Squier Strat! That's roughly £67 - my Squier Tele cost £169, my MIM Tele £330.

Bear in mind though, my Squier Tele's a more expensive model than the standard Squier Tele...

http://www.guitar.co.uk/squier/619-squier_telecaster_custom_maple_electric_guitar?page=2

at this place, it's about £50 dearer than the standard Squier Teles.

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@rparker)
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The double humbucker model is more over here too, although not as high as there obviously. It's $229 here. Oh, and the Squire Standards are normally $200 everywhere here.

I've recently been exploring the mid position more. I've always enjoyed the bridge on my Epi's, but I've been dabbling lately. The neck position with one of those aggressive amp settings towards the right on your amp should really scream.

Speaking of you amp (I own one) and less expensive guitars, my friend, to whom I lent my Cube 30, just ordered this. http://store.guitarfetish.com/nexvsomaflma.html I should be able to try it out maybe by Wednesday.

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@jackss565)
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Joined: 16 years ago
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I need to start buying guitars from america. If i buy 5 do you think that will cover the cost of the flight?

Jack


   
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(@crkt246)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 592
 

I love my new Squier vintage modedthin line Tele I played fender std Teles and the Squier felt and sounded better.


   
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(@rahul)
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I need to start buying guitars from america. If i buy 5 do you think that will cover the cost of the flight?

Jack

Well, you won't be able to carry them. Even if you do, your guits will arrive in one piece is a greatly debated question.

In my place also, guitars are terribly overpriced compared to US (with much narrow selection). But, maybe we could just look at our options and be happy about them.


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
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Topic starter  

Rahul, you've been here long enough now to know that no guitarist's EVER 100% completely satisfied with what he's got. GAS, my friend, it'll get you every time!!!!

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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 cnev
(@cnev)
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Don't know anything about Squires, but if it works for you then it's good. Personally all I want at some point is an MIA Strat and a real Les Paul.

right now I have a cheap MIA Strat, it's OK I guess, a cheap Epi SG, and a Jackson Dinky. They all sound OK I guess but they are far from top of the line...now I don't have any thoughts of buying any $5000 guitars anytime soon but the "real" guitars cost more for a reason, even if you can't necessarily hear the difference all the time. I know some are extremely overpriced and you are paying for the name but that is part of it.

It's like buying a knockoff Rolex vs buying the real thing, sure they both tell time but...

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
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(@hyperborea)
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Joined: 17 years ago
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They all sound OK I guess but they are far from top of the line...now I don't have any thoughts of buying any $5000 guitars anytime soon but the "real" guitars cost more for a reason, even if you can't necessarily hear the difference all the time. I know some are extremely overpriced and you are paying for the name but that is part of it.

Companies make a choice about where to price their products to improve their bottom line. There are people who are willing to pay more for limited items that cost more and companies are only too happy to fill that niche. The profit margin (%age of the price that is profit to the manufacturer) on high end products is much better than it is on the standard models. Is it a better product? Maybe - it might be marginally better. What is the person buying with that high priced item? Cachet, a feeling, sometimes presumed prestige, etc.

Why do you think people buy a Lexus to commute on the same highway as those in a Camry? They don't really get much more with a Lexus than a fully optioned Camry or Avalon but the prestige / cachet. Now, if it was a comparison between a low option Corolla or a Chevy Malibu to the Camry that would be different. There would be issues of size or features or quality between them and the Camry. Same as with guitars that once you reach a certain point with a quality manufacturer there becomes little to distinguish the models up from there.
It's like buying a knockoff Rolex vs buying the real thing, sure they both tell time but...

Rolexes aren't really the best watches for keeping time. If that's what you want then you buy a good digital watch - maybe even something as expensive as a Seiko but even cheaper would be ok too. The Seiko's not cheap (few hundreds) but it's not really expensive either ($5,000 ++++ for a Rolex). If you want to impress people with a name and wear a watch that is also a piece of jewelry then you get a Rolex. Sounds similar to guitars.

Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson


   
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