Squier strats

[PushedCrayon]

I'm looking to pick up a squier strat to make a project out of (learn to work on guitars myself) but also want it to turn Into a decent player. What model squiers are actually decent?

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[ehdwuld]

Re: Squier strats

Squire rank out as
Bullet at the bottom
Affinity just above
Standard
Classic Vibe

The Bullet and Affinity have thinner bodies
Which make tremolo block upgrades trickier



*(Sent from my durned phone!)*

 

[CTN]

Re: Squier strats

I recently got my hands on an old (like 1997 old) Squier Pro-Tone strat. The Pro-Tone series of strats and teles were produced in Korea between '95 and '98, and they are EXTREMELY good for the meager amount of money that they can be acquired for (bout $300-350 or so).

Some of the screw holes for the pickguard aren't lined up with 100% precision, and the tuners could use an upgrade to nice Schallers, but aside from that, it's a serious tone monster.

vintage style trem with "FENDER" stamped bent steel saddles, a big steel block, full size pots (dunno what brand, but they look original and all these years later, they still work very well).

Fretwork is great, the neck is straight and true (although the back profile is thinner than your avg strat, and the fretboard is flatter too - 10" radius). It's a nice piece of slightly flamey maple with a really nice rosewood fretboard and the body is a 2-pc swamp ash body.

In all honesty, it sounds and plays every bit as good as my '96 MIJ strat, which itself is easily on par with any American strat.

Definitely worth checking out the Pro-Tone series. Should make a great modding platform.

 

[bladefrenzy]

Re: Squier strats

I agree with CTN. Also Ive played a few Mexican Squiers that were pretty good too. Those are easy to find in pawnshops and Craigslist too.

 

[voggin]

Re: Squier strats

The real trick is to find the old, MIJ squiers made in the 80s. Show sellers who don't know any better the price of new ones, and negotiate from there!!!

 

[PushedCrayon]

Re: Squier strats

Any thoughts on the late 80s Korean strats? I could snag one for 160$ right now with a bag strings and cable and such, I just don't know anything about them. It's a squier 2

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[FuseG4]

Re: Squier strats

I've owned 2 squier strats made in the 2000's and one had a incredibly plinky tone with no depth or body and the other one I sent back cuz I decided I wanted an MIM instead... but that Squier Deluxe Strat that had no sustain taught me to play before you buy, or take advantage of return policies. I used the one I kept to learn to refinish a neck. Sanded and resprayed in nitro.

The one I sent back was a Standard. It had an agathis body with ugly grain. Sounded fine acoustically but I didn't keep it long enough to upgrade pickups. The rosewood board had a rough grainy feel and was dry.

I've played a affinity and with upgraded electronics it would probably sound good. It played OK and was light as heck.
I've played a classic vibe 60s strat... that thing was great! On par with MIM instruments for sure.

 

[CTN]

Re: Squier strats

Any thoughts on the late 80s Korean strats? I could snag one for 160$ right now with a bag strings and cable and such, I just don't know anything about them. It's a squier 2

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i think those might also be really good, and from the same factory as the pro-tone series. Play if you can first.

 

[PushedCrayon]

Re: Squier strats

Sorry if these are silly questions, this will be my first shot at actually working on my own guitars. But ate strats like these good to work with? As in, not too difficult, and can still shape up to be decent players?

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[FuseG4]

Re: Squier strats

Sometimes Asian guitars can be a frustrating place to start because not all pickguards are guaranteed to fit, the bridge spacing is different sometimes and so getting an upgrade bridge or saddles or trem block requires some planning, the tuners might be kinda crappy, and wiring those asian 5way switches is weird to me.
But really you just gotta actually like the guitar itself first. Don't expect any upgrade or work to totally change the instrument, it'll still be THAT guitar but with upgrades and work. If you find one that is close but just needs a little TLC, then roll with that and you'll have fun.

The classic vibe strats are the current production strats that I'd start with, cuz I feel like the hardest stuff to work on has been taken care of... mainly the frets.

 

[Lovegun]

Re: Squier strats

The real trick is to find the old, MIJ squiers made in the 80s. Show sellers who don't know any better the price of new ones, and negotiate from there!!!

Well if you can find a seller that doesn't know the value of these things. The asking price for these in Finnland is somewhere around 500-1000 euros. I've read that these strats are very well made. Some say that these were better than the Us made strats at the time. So why would anyone use these as modding platforms?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Squier strats

I like the Vintage Modified series. These are pretty darn good straight out of the box.

The late Eighties/early Nineties MIK Squiers are nicely made but do not possess vintage-correct neck profiles. If you are not bothered about authenticity, these guitars can make an excellent starting point. As has already been mentioned, sustain and tonal quality can be hit or miss. Try several before committing.

The MIJ JV, SQ and Silver Series instruments are, for the most part, excellent. Last year, I sold a 1996 American Standard Stratocaster and kept my Seymourised 1982 JV "Sixties" model.

 

[dominus]

Re: Squier strats

Some of the 80s/90s Korean Squier Strats are plywood. Check the cavities first.

 

[voggin]

Re: Squier strats

Well if you can find a seller that doesn't know the value of these things. The asking price for these in Finnland is somewhere around 500-1000 euros. I've read that these strats are very well made. Some say that these were better than the Us made strats at the time. So why would anyone use these as modding platforms?

The bodies and necks are great, but the electronics left a lot to be desired. At least mine was like that. But it's the only guitar I still regret selling.

IIRC, these corresponded with a rather blah period of US builds. I think some of the perception of them as great is based on the comparison with some rather poor US models. If they sell for that much in Europe, I'd be inclined to get a more recent US standard or Highway 1. (Then again, I don't know what they are going for in euros) But if you can get one cheap, it's a steal.

 

[daan]

Re: Squier strats

There were some Squier strats made after the movie "Wayne's World" that are fantastic. All the ones I've seen are all white and have the WW movie logo on the neck plate. They're usually MIJ so excellent quality. If you are looking at the cheap end of the line, "Squier SE" models are all real wood and full-depth bodies, they were the "starter pack" guitars. Those are good mod platforms because they are standard size/shape so most parts fit just fine.

this terrible pic is of a 90's Korean plywood body on top and a "real" Strat underneath, to show the depth difference. I put a "better" bridge in the ply body but I had to cut the bottom off the block so it didn't stick out the back of the body.

If it looks like this inside, it's plywood.


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[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: Squier strats

I +1 a squier SE as a cheap modding platform. Full depth body, skunk stripe neck, routed for HSS.
Add a wilkinson trem and a decent set of pups and you're halfway there.

 

[Kais]

Re: Squier strats

Buy my MIM Fender Strat body! I'll make you a deal

HSS routing, rare color, and it comes with a tremolo system. Just add a loaded pickguard, neck, the input, and you will be set!

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?276370-FS-FT-2008-Fender-MIM-Standard-Strat-Cobalt-Blue-Body-and-More!&p=3655592#post3655592

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Squier strats

I've got a Mexican Squier Tele from around 1998-1999 that is a fantastic guitar. I would try to find one of the older Mexican ones as mentioned above.

 

[Lovegun]

Re: Squier strats

The bodies and necks are great, but the electronics left a lot to be desired. At least mine was like that. But it's the only guitar I still regret selling.

IIRC, these corresponded with a rather blah period of US builds. I think some of the perception of them as great is based on the comparison with some rather poor US models. If they sell for that much in Europe, I'd be inclined to get a more recent US standard or Highway 1. (Then again, I don't know what they are going for in euros) But if you can get one cheap, it's a steal.

Great points. I was thinking of finnish prices. Doh. The US standards and Highway 1s are 700+ used here.

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: Squier strats

If you feel to be deeply committed to playing check the older models mentioned before (great suggestions) or get yourself a Vintage Modded, it is so much bigger value than the price suggests.

If you just want to start exploring and not determined as hell don't be afraid of the entry models. They are nice players, you can learn all the essentials of mapping / scaling / chording / setup stuff on geetar, they are all brill first step axes. They can take a beat. I have seen many okay ones, some dead ones and just a couple of good ones in the bullet range. In general, they are great value for the money.

In my opinion if you don't have experience / preferences it doesn't matter if you play the actual axe before buy or not. It will need a proper setup out of the box anyway.

Good luck!