[[[Fender American Stratocaster Necks VS Fender Squier II Necks]]]

[toneseekr]

Sup Everyone,
I heard somewhere(dont ask) that Squier II necks(lets just say any series of the Squier II necks for possibility purposes) are sweared by people that have tried really expensive strat necks or any necks for that matter.. Crazy Sounding??... YES..Possible?? MAYBE but, thats why im here to ask and learn from the best. Are these necks really that good compared to really expensive necks? i know its based on preference but i want your opinion,it really matters to me what you like, dont make this hard, just make it smooth and educational. I really wanna thank everyone in advance that will help, and ignore everyone that doesn't. Thanks

---TONESEEKR---

 

[AlexR]

Re: [[[Fender American Stratocaster Necks VS Fender Squier II Necks]]]

Wood destined for cheaper guitars is most often sourced from plantations where it is forced to grow more quickly than normal. Often this will give a weaker or more bland tone as the structure of the wood hasn't had time to fully mature.

Now the above is a generalisation. There may well be bits of wood from these sources as good or better than more expensive wood. However the likelihood is that cheaper guitars with more budget quality wood won't have the tonal complexity of wood sourced from trees grown at their normal rate.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: [[[Fender American Stratocaster Necks VS Fender Squier II Necks]]]

Buying cheap parts in blind hopes of getting an expensive result usually results in buying expensive parts and doing it right the second time

 

[PonyKiller]

Re: [[[Fender American Stratocaster Necks VS Fender Squier II Necks]]]

I have no direct experience with Squier II guitars but all the ones I've seen where made in Korea with either M or S serial numbers.

I have a '92 MIK Squier (no II on logo) M serial neck and, while it's a nice neck, it's not that special. It's somewhat unstable even tho it has a thick poly finish. I have to tweak the truss rod frequently to keep it playing nice.
S s/n is supposed to denote it was made by Samick. I have a really nice 1-piece maple Samick neck from around that period (early '90s). Same thing, nothing special at all. This one has a nice tinted satin finish and is more stable than the Squier neck.
The Squier neck (rosewood board) has some dead spots on the higher frets that I haven't been able to get rid off.

The neck on my USA standard Stratocaster was miles better than those two necks. Had a nice solid feel on it that the cheaper MIK necks lacked. I can't even compare them to my uncle's USA Deluxe Strat neck.

I have to admit that the Korean Strat necks are really well made. Way above the average Chinese and Indonesian Squier necks that came after them ('90s to mid '00s stuff, not the recent Squier CV guitars). With a proper fret dress/level they make great and reliable beater/gigging guitars. I always pick them up if I find one for around $25 - $35 to put together partscasters. Wouldn't pay more for them. IME the all maple ones are nicer.

 

[toneseekr]

Re: [[[Fender American Stratocaster Necks VS Fender Squier II Necks]]]

ok so i got to try a American Fender Neck from a friend and me and him did a A/B comparison and we both decided that the Squier II neck feels a little nicer than the American Neck. my friend wouldnt believe me when i told him how good my Squier felt then he tried it and words couldnt describe the faces he made while he was playing. ok but i really wanna know now what is the difference between ALL the Squier II series, yea they were made by Samick and different Names but what is truly the differences in ALL Squier II neck series??

 

[PonyKiller]

Re: [[[Fender American Stratocaster Necks VS Fender Squier II Necks]]]

Well, the MIK Squier necks were made by a bunch of different manufacturers so the specs and quality are all over the place. Some are great players while most of them are junk. The problem I've had the most with them is the heel width. None of them have the standard Fender width. Most of them are really narrow at the heel so they end up fitting loose on aftermarket bodies. No good.

My favorites are the Samick made necks, in particular the 1-piece maple ones. Those make good players. They have wider nuts/heels and beefier backs than regular Fender necks. Can be fitted on aftermarket bodies with a bit of work on the neck pocket.

 

[toneseekr]

Re: [[[Fender American Stratocaster Necks VS Fender Squier II Necks]]]

thanks keep'em coming

 

[richardmac]

Re: [[[Fender American Stratocaster Necks VS Fender Squier II Necks]]]

thanks keep'em coming

I do apologize for digging up this old thread, but I recently picked up a Squier II Strat that was made by Samick in Korea, at the Orlando Guitar Convention. I was totally unaware that some people had a high opinion of these necks - it was $75 and looked cool, and there was something about the neck that really appealed to me. It felt better than my MIM neck. It felt great. I'd have paid twice that amount just for the neck. It's a maple neck, the edges are rounded, and it's 26 years old now. The frets are in great shape so either this thing didn't get played much or someone refretted it at some point, but it doesn't look like a refret. Anyway, I loved it, I bought it, and now I'm replacing the electronics and the nut.

I would never say that all of the Samick Squier II maple necks are great - only that I really like the one I have. This is a crap guitar with a fantastic neck. The body (red) is definitely plywood. The tuners appear to be about 16:1 ratio and work fine. The pickups strike me as OK. The pots are garbage. The switch is questionable. The original bridge saddles were at some point replaced with upgraded parts, and one of them is a slightly different color than the others. This guitar is a mutt. But that's why I love it. Working on these things is so much fun - almost as much fun as playing them.

I'll be replacing the pickups, switch, pots, pickguard, and nut. And once I can get a good deal on a MIM body, I'll replace the body. I should probably just get a fully loaded MIM body and put this neck on it.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: [[[Fender American Stratocaster Necks VS Fender Squier II Necks]]]

Having encountered the occasional Squier II neck on a repair, my recollection is that they are of a far shallower profile than would be expected on any Fender USA neck. This will suit some hands and not others.

Before attempting to mate the neck to a new body, take accurate measurements of the heel area. Choose a body with a neck pocket that will fit snugly. Be prepared to scrape finish and, possibly, wood away to achieve a good fit.