Fender Squier-series

spacenuke · #1 01-07-2003, 02:07 PM

anyone familiar with Fender-branded Squier-Series guitars? I'm talking about the Fenders that have the little "Squier-Series" tag on the headstock and not Squier guitars.

Are these considered to be better than Squier-branded guitars? I have such a guitar, a MIM Strat with a Floyd Rose II trem, and I'd like to know more about it (model name, type of wood, etc). Here's a picture of my guitar.

I've tried asking this question on the Fender Forum but got ignored. Thanks in advance!

Bigpops · #2 01-07-2003, 08:01 PM

I remember those from a few years ago.

Safe to say that they are better than Korean and Chinese Squier guitars. If i recall correctly, they were a little cheaper than reqular MIM Fenders, and there were only a few models ad colours to choose from. One of which was a left hander. They didn't sell them for very long either. Maybe only one year.

You guitar looks very similar to my own MIM strat (not a squier series though). It's also a Floyd Rose model, and originall had H S S pickups (now H S H), Floy Rose II trem, and one Volume and one Tone control (now 1 vol, 2 tones). The tuners look the same as mine too. Rubbish ones with plastic buttons. Mines a 1996, but i can't remember if the Squier series came before or after then. I'm sure i had a Fender catalogue from with the squier series in it, but i don't know what i've done with it

I'll have a look round, and scan it if i find it.

spacenuke · #3 01-07-2003, 08:38 PM

It'll be awesome if you can scan the catalog!

I forgot to mention that my guitar is a 1993 model. yep, it has plastic tuners (although i didn't realize they're plastic until after i checked them cos of what you said).

Thanks for the information!

FinnJ · #4 01-08-2003, 06:53 PM

Nice machine, i used to have one of them.....

always thought it sounded like a chain swain when full blast through the marshall..

which i strangly found quite nice

Bigpops · #5 01-09-2003, 12:30 PM

Despite completely empying my junk cupboard, i can't find my catalogue

Sorry.

dex · #6 01-13-2003, 11:10 AM

Weren't these the first Mexican Fenders that came out and when Fender realised that there is a killing to be made by offering cheaper guitars they moved the squire line to China and started naming the Mexican output 7ender "Made in Mexico" rather than Fender "Squire Series"?

One thing's for sure, it is a much better guitar than the new Chinese squires nowadays (as if you didn't know that already

).

spacenuke · #7 01-13-2003, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex

Weren't these the first Mexican Fenders that came out and when Fender realised that there is a killing to be made by offering cheaper guitars they moved the squire line to China and started naming the Mexican output 7ender "Made in Mexico" rather than Fender "Squire Series"?

ok, that's good to know. i bought this guitar out of impulse and became worried that it's really a Squier-quality guitar (although it feels a little better). yeah, it's definitely not as nice as my American Standard Strat, but it's also a hell lot cheaper. i like MIM strats anyway, so i guess it all worked out.

thanks for the info!

anyone else might have a copy of the 1993-ish Fender catalog?

pawel · #8 01-13-2003, 03:12 PM

Wow, i have exactly the same guitar, that's the second one of these i see. except that mine actually says squier on the headstock....Where is yours made?

Tezifon · #9 01-13-2003, 03:40 PM

i prefer a fernandes strat with the fender style pre-lawsuit headstock, they are cheap and have good materials

spacenuke · #10 01-13-2003, 04:56 PM

Mine's made in Mexico, circa 1993. It's actually white in color, but the light in my bedroom caused an orange hue. Decent guitar, but i do have one complaint though: action is kinda high and i can't get it lower w/o causing the upper frets to buzz. i'll survive though.

pawel · #11 01-13-2003, 08:36 PM

Mine is Korean (don't know which year), but it's interesting cos it is exactly the same guitar (colour, 21 frets, same humbucker, tremolo, control layout, etc...). I can set mine up reasonably well, but i don't like my action insanely low, so i'm easy to satisfy... if only the tremolo was more stable, i might block it actually...

spacenuke · #12 01-13-2003, 10:45 PM

hmmm.... my trem seems pretty stable.

I'm thinking of doing putting in new pups, but the only thing that's stopping me is that new pups will cost almost as much as the guitar itself.

LucasKotzen · #13 01-14-2003, 10:09 AM

Wow spacenuke and pawel, I have the exact same guitar (a little modified, but the same)! Mine is Korean 1999 model and as far as I know, they're very decent guitars. Many people underestimate the Squier name, but I can guarantee that mine has a better built neck than most of the Fenders I've seen. It has a two piece Alder body that came in 3-tone sunburst color (I made a little modification and now it is Natural Color), Maple Neck and Rosewood fingerboard. Exactly the same. The original pickups were bad, so I strongly recommend you change them. I put a Seymour Duncan JB o the bridge and a little 59 on the neck. Now THIS guitar rocks hard. The Floyd Rose II isn't much, but mine rarely goes out of tune. Another interesting thing is that the tremolo didn't come with a Back Box, so again I did a little modification

.