Squier tiers?

[Rex_Rocker]

I had a Classic Vibe Esquire that I thought was pretty solid. I sold it because I didn't like how the mismatched multipiece body looked, but I kinda miss it. It sounded and played great.

I kinda want something very different from my Les Pauls, but I also don't want to spend Fender kinda money. I never quite bonded with my Fender Strat even if it was "better" than my Squier Classic Vibe. I suppose because the Squier was cheap, I kinda felt more forgiving of its idiosincracies.

I was wondering how the Paranormal or the Contemporary series compare to the Classic Vibe series. I kinda like the Contemporary Tele or the Paranormal Offset Tele. I also kinda feel tempted with the Classic Vibe Jazzmaster. Are all of these around the same quality level or do they belong in different tiers?

Thank you.

 

[Chistopher]

Squier tiers usually fall in line with their pricing pretty well. They just renamed a bunch of them, so I can't help you there.

 

[ehdwuld]

I think it'll was

Bullet
Affinity
Standard
Classic Vibe

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Any idea where would the Contemporary and Paranormal series fit?

 

[ehdwuld]

https://www.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-guitars/

Looks like the paranormal and classic vibe are the same price point

The sonic took the place of the bottom tier bullet

 

[Rex_Rocker]

OK, thank you! I suppose the Contemporary series is not far off either, then.

Anyone has experience with those models I mention, BTW?

 

[GuitarStv]

If you're looking for older used stuff, don't forget to check out Squier Vintage Modified instruments. I have had a VM jazz bass for nearly 20 years now that is a really solid instrument.

 

[ehdwuld]

I have Bullet on the wall
the body is thinner
a full size trem block sticks out a bit
no big deal

I had the Affinity
full size body
the necks and hardware were virtually identical on the Bullet and Infinity

I have a Standard , thanks to Ascension on the forum
full sized body
two point trem
weirdly uninspiring to play
and I seem to remember Rich saying he had the same experience with it
just not sure why, Strings / pickups, nothing seems to move off that underwhelming quality to it

my buddy has the Floyded 80s Squire Strat
it sounds great
we put a Dimarzio PAF in the bridge with a pair of Vintage Noiseless in the neck and middle
this is the one that was the sunburst that got left in the shed for two weeks and the veneer top peeled off
he is certain it was a photo flame top , I am sure it was a veneer
doesnt matter, it cracked and came off would scratch your arm
we or mostly he, scrapped it off stained and tung oiled it , replaced the frets
its heavy because of the Floyd and he loves it , but doesnt get as much love as we get older

the necks on all the Squires are remarkably similar shapes and feel
regardless of the trim level
which is the major selling point for me

 

[magillver]

I briefly had a black hh contemporary Tele, I replaced the ceramic pups with a couple of emg's I had at hand (81 & 85). The guitar played and felt pretty good in my hands, I just didn't really have a good use for it, so I ended up flipping it fairly quickly. Nothing at all against the instrument, I just didn't connect with it...

 

[jeremy]

i have three squiers, an 80's mij contemporary hh strat, a standard strat from the late 2000's, and a thinline tele. they are all fine instruments, but none are stock. the tele has a scalloped neck and b & g benders

 

[Mincer]

Those HH Contemporary Strats were fantastic guitars.

 

[jeremy]

absolutely! short scale hh strat with a super fast neck. it does have a barrel jack though mine looks just like this but is in better condition

 

[Mincer]

What was the scale like on those? It looks fantastic.

 

[jeremy]

gibson scale length, so 24.75" i think youd love the neck. plays like butter and sounds fantastic. ive had a few sets of duncans in it, and it always sounds great.

 

[Mincer]

gibson scale length, so 24.75" i think youd love the neck. plays like butter and sounds fantastic. ive had a few sets of duncans in it, and it always sounds great.

I love that scale on a Strat-style guitar. I built a Warmoth like that.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

2024 Affinity.

Probably worth it for the US price, $261.99 vs $499AU, but I can't really complain.



This is how it arrived, you have to make it "inspire" you.



See? Look at that. How BORING!

 

[Supernautilus]

I have 1 Affinity Tele, a Classic Vibe Jazzmaster, a Paranormal Offset Tele with a CV neck, and a Partscaster thinline Tele with an Affinity neck. All great guitars, though heavily modified. Squier has been really killing it for a while now with affordable instruments. They are ok out of the box but also make great mod platforms, if you're willing to put in the work.

Despite the price difference, the Sonic and Affinity series are fairly close to each other as far as tier goes. So if you're going that route, just pick one that has the options you want.

The Classic Vibe is definitely a step up from those, and I can see the difference in both the body and the neck. The Paranonormal series is about the same level of quality. So again, I would just pick the options I want.

 

[donaldr]

If you're looking for older used stuff, don't forget to check out Squier Vintage Modified instruments. I have had a VM jazz bass for nearly 20 years now that is a really solid instrument.

Totally agree with you, my Squier VM Jazz 5 is really great for the money.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yeah, I like the standar Squier neck profile. It's think and relatively fast. Kinda reminds me of the LTD Thin U, just with a rounder fretboard and smaller frets.

 

[ErikH]

absolutely! short scale hh strat with a super fast neck. it does have a barrel jack though mine looks just like this but is in better condition

Did you buy yours from Lew? I remember back some years he had 2 and brought them to a Dallas Guitar Show with his brother. We jammed in the Missions Amps booth and got shut down for being too loud. One he had loaded with a '78 Model (then the EVH) in the bridge and I think a Custom in the other. Fantastic guitars.

These days, it's hard to toss aside the Classic Vibe series. They've done a really good job on them. The bridge and tuners could be better but are functional. I ended up upgrading them on the 60's Strat I had. Sold it a couple years ago.