MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

[Silence Kid]

Picked one up online, black "Fender" logo, '94 ... One of the mythical ones where Fender piled a bunch of bodies/necks from Corona onto a magical hot air balloon full of Polar Bears or something and embarked on a journey to Ensenada so that they could apply a Squier decal designed to disintegrate into a bunch of sanding marks after a few months.

No interest in modding too much, or even taking it apart; I may sell it straight up. Curious about the pickups on these though, I understand they're either Squier Asia or Fender Mexico... At that time, would those pickups pretty much be guaranteed ceramic? If I fall in love I may not sell it. Also curious on feedback from anyone else who's had an MIM Squier series?

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

Got one,'92-ish.
Traded the Maple neck for some labor,still have the Blk Alder(!) body in project mode.
Going HxH on it w/a scalloped Squier ProTone Mpl neck!

I got no pics,tho,got any?

 

[ErikH]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

Those were essentially MIM Strats. Same everything except for the logo. Sold a ton of those BITD at the shop I worked at.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

I'm getting slight traction with the chronological/hierarchical aspects here... But left with a few questions:

-Is there any difference between a Mexican "Fender Squier Series" and a "Squier by Fender?" Pics I'm googling all seem to wind up with identical hardware etc., just different labels.

-Were non-Squier MIMs even made in 94 ? I seem to be finding evidence of more oddball sorts of Telecasters (customs w/ Humbuckers,) but not much like a Standard Telecaster.

Stupid, I'm getting more excited about the thing; I was thinking about selling to make way for a Tiny Terror or a Strat project, but now I keep thinking about keeping it for longer periods, I've not had a hardtail guitar for a while...

 

[leevc5]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

I'm getting slight traction with the chronological/hierarchical aspects here... But left with a few questions:

-Is there any difference between a Mexican "Fender Squier Series" and a "Squier by Fender?" Pics I'm googling all seem to wind up with identical hardware etc., just different labels.

-Were non-Squier MIMs even made in 94 ? I seem to be finding evidence of more oddball sorts of Telecasters (customs w/ Humbuckers,) but not much like a Standard Telecaster.

Stupid, I'm getting more excited about the thing; I was thinking about selling to make way for a Tiny Terror or a Strat project, but now I keep thinking about keeping it for longer periods, I've not had a hardtail guitar for a while...

View attachment 72577

Good looking Tele. Can you tell what wood the body is made of? Does it have four pounds of paint and filler like the Asian Squiers or does it have a decent paint job?

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

No telling yet, waiting on the truck to get here.

I sarcastically referenced the story on these that at this point the necks and bodies were supposed to have been Corona made, and the electronics Asian, as Fender Mexico had no capability at that point to make those parts, whether through design or an apparent factory fire in Ensenada. The bodies and necks I've looked up pictures of bear more resemblance to US spec. vs. my more recent (butchered) MIM Telecaster; I'll have to inspect the pocket and routes.

(My other MiM Telecaster body, by the way, is five piece with veneers on each side This one can't be worse.)

It has a decent paint job from what I can tell, with the exception of re-drilled strap button holes. Couldn't have beat the price, so it can get here as a non-functioning piece of junk and I won't have too much to complain about.

 

[Mincer]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

I heard about these guitars. Really good deals if you can find them. Proves that Squier isn't always the 'avoid-o-rama' budget brand that they are made out to be on these forums. I bet it sounds as good a any MIM Fender.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

So... I wound up taking it apart after all:

ALSO: If I seem to happy about this cheap guitar, it's because I picked it up for less-than cheap. Bear with me.



...Brass base! Alnico! Stupid to be happy they're not ceramic?



Same feat even repeats with the neck pickup...



Micro-tilt block on a Mexican... Imperial sized truss adjustment not visible. Also: "I." Appears not to be stamped Squier, as some pics online are. Significant? (No shim present; didn't need one)



Indiscernable gibberish on solid wood



Cheap pots. Also: Sloppy route with a screwdriver poke job? To clear the tiny pots?! Hmm.



Grime removed, there was five pounds of it. Really seems like this guitar was put away with a minimum of play-time, appears never to have been apart. Well, it sounds pretty good. Vintage output pickups, unable to measure or be precise. Bright and twangy, at the neck pickup things aren't too muddy, which is nice.

The neck is one piece with a maple skunk stripe... And it feels GREAT. Not blocky or 2x4-ish like a Squier, even gloss finished (I know people hate that, but satin necks make me think I'm playing uhh, well, a Squier.) Precise nut-work, actually. Tiny frets and radius. Crap tuners feel lodged in cement and the posts not "contoured" to accept the string wraps like they would be on a pricier guitar, but they do the job.

Might be a keeper Might stick to my credo not to upgrade it. Bending with the gloss/small frets is different, but like only a bulky, sharp-edged Tele does, it feels like home.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

 

[ErikH]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

First thing I would do is change out the tuners (used MIM tuners are cheap) and the pots/switch. The rest is pretty solid. Those are great deals.

 

[eproductions]

Re: MIM Fender (Squier Series) Score!

Greetings. I know this is an old post but I needed to find out about these guitars. Thank you for all the info so far you all have provided. I picked up a 95-96? MIM Squier series for $60.00 on Offer Up. It was in horrible condition and not playable. A dog or a beaver got hold of the neck edge at the high E string and chewed it past the fret ends. The guitar either was homeless and living under an overpass or the owner was. Not sure which. There was so much heavy (green) corrosion and signs of moisture on all the hardware. There is nothing to confirm the rumor on this guitar about American bodies and necks were shipped to Mexico. No stamps, It has an electronics inspection sticker checked by "L" in 1996 applied to the inside of the pick guard. Neck pocket is typical with the first push way too far you can only hide it with the pick guard. Anyway, the electronics are Asian style with 500K pots Modular switch and 2-bar ceramic Pickups. It has a one ply white pick guard that is color aged nicely. Pickup covers and knobs color aged very nicely as well. I have replaced the pickups and electronics to Squier Alnico pickups out of an Indonesian Standard series I had laying around and pots are American 250K with cloth wiring, a Duncan Tone bleed Cap/Resistor and an American 5 way traditional switch. It cleaned up well, and I really didn't spend any money to clean it up. Set-up, neck adjusting and intonation is done, also the truss rod Allen Key is 3/16" but does not appear to be a hardwood ferrule, I could be wrong about the material. Epoxy repair on beaver damage is complete. Plays well, and looks like a relic'ed strat. I'm not sanding off the "Squier Series" logo. I believe it holds at least some historic value. I may sell it, I'll probably keep it because I consider it a guitar rescue. Thank you for reading. I'd be happy to post pics.