Fender Squier II Strat

1989 made in India. 21 Frets. Standard Strat S/S/S pickups & 5-way. Deep Pearl White gloss finish. Maple Neck with Indian Rosewood fingerboard. Tremolo. Replaced the Tuners with Mini Klusons. Jumbo frets on a very comfortable and fast neck. Purchased Used with hardcase for $75 in 1995.

Very clean & hot. Excellent tone.

Sweet low action. The Indians rock.

I've used this on 200 gigs with no problems. I sometimes leave the Gibsons at home.
Finish still fresh. Fit still tight. Solid and dependable.

It compares to my old & new Gibsons & Fenders in pro quality & reliability. In Value it has surpassed all other guitars I've owned. I took it to my tech to get it roadworthy when I bought it, he replaced the tuners & resoldered the pots, added more shielding, and added lock washers to the jackplate for $100. So the whole thing with setup cost $175.

Squier II Strat, 1991 (made in Korea), "N" serial number series with a Rosewood neck, red body/white pickguard. Had H/S/S original pickups, tremelo, basic strat setup for the most part.

surprising sound! Coming up on 20 years now since I bought this new. I had no intention of buying another guitar that day I was at Guitar Center, but I bought this one because it was so inexpensive, yet it played very well and the tremelo stayed in tune! I put new Bill Lawrence pups in and WOW what a sound!
These guitars have a GREAT feeling NECK to play! The Action also can be set so low with no "buzz" that it blows me away. It also has alot of sustain...I called Fender and found out that the body is made of Alder. (No wonder, since it's so heavy) It was always rumored to have cheap "plywood", but that's not the case. It is a heavier guitar, but has a better tone that's not as brash as most american strats.

These guitars are a uephoric surprise- Don't let the "Made in Korea" tag fool you. These guitars play and sound better than most higher priced American Strats that I've played!!

WOW...for some reason, the action on these guitars can be as low as you want with no "buzz". No other guitar I have had has lower action without some buzz. It seems well-made and has tested the times so far...

Durable, seems built like a tank other than the plastic tuners..

N/A

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years. My rig is all analog and has serious tone (without going into detail). To have a "Korean" guitar like this one that plays better than most expensive guitars I've played still boggles my mind. This is an incredible guitar!! The low action, great feel of the neck and surprising tone is a major plus for these Korean made guitars. I also have a PRS CE22 that is awesome, but I still love my Squier II more. The feel, play and tone of this guitar is irreplaceable!!! If both of my guitars were stolen, there's no doubt I would cry over this Squier II and not the PRS!!

I have 2 squier II's. the first one I baught is a korean squier II serial #E983354(made at the Cort factory IN 1989). S/S/S with a maple neck 21 frets. guitar is oyster metalic.(similar to vintage white with metalic in it).
I have left it totally stock except for custom pickguard. I am not sure what the wood is, but this guitar has weight to it!!!

I play southern rock and blues. This guitar sounds much better than the MIM strats. I have 2 guys I play with that play a 62 re-issue strat and a american delux strat and this guitar can hang with them all day long!! they can't believe this guitar every time I play with them.
I play through a line 6 spider III 30w. guitar sounds good on all settings but the bridge setting is where this thing really smokes! This guitar definatley has it!! The thing stays in tune every time even with the cheap tuners.

Baught the guitar used and all i did was switch to 10's and play with pick up height a little. action is perfect and the overall finish on the guitar is so much better than the new squiers! totally different animals!

I have played many gigs with this guitar! Rock solid. I don,t ever think about a back up. the thing is 20 years old and is getting better with age! It is my main guitar!

Haven't had to use it.

I have been playing for 23 years. I have another squier II. serial#S983015 Made at the Samick factory I beleive also in 1989. very good guitar but not as good as the #E Cort factory Squier II!!! I also have a ibanez, a Dean, and an Aria pro. If this guitar was stolen, I would be looking every where I could till I could find another #E just like it! These Squier II's in my opinion are unbeleivably UNDER rated!! The necks are like butter and the Serial#E guitars are the HOLY GRAIL of these guitars!!! I have played much more expensive guitars and always come back to this one!

The inspection tags say 12/80 on the neck and 2/81 on the pick guard. No "made in xxx" label or serial #. 21 jumbo frets, rosewood finger board, maple neck. 4 piece alder body. HSS 5 way. Black with white pick guard. Tremolo with narrow string spacing. This is my first guitar and got it used in 89, so it was like 8 years old when I got it. I knew Squires were lesser models than the standard Strat but I had no clue how different they were (or similar)till recently. Suffice to say this oldie will hold it's own against new Strats.

The humbucker is what I usually played early on for hard rock but now I play some other styles and actually use the switch. Sounds like a strat. I have a Ibanez S Series with an alnico PAT in the bridge position for the Les Paul sound now and you can really hear a difference. The Squire has more treble and fuzz. Neck plays great and there is no buzz.

There were no issues with this guitar. Once intonated and action set it has been fine. Screws on the humbucker were short so it had to be kept close to the strings but I didn't mind. Never broke strings. After 30 years all hardware is still shiny. Now that I have compared it to $500-1000 guitars I can't tell the difference, except for pick ups maybe. Tuners aren't the finest quality but it stays in tune so I never changed them.

I can't imagine it not withstanding live gigs. It's been solid for the last 20 years and I bought it from an artist who took it on stage. Some of the frets are worn a tad flat but still plays fine without buzzing.

Never had to deal with them.

Playing for like 20 years. My fav is my Ibanez just cause it's just totally sweet with a faster neck. I know some Squires are junk but I got lucky with this one. I also just got a Korean Squire for $50 and put USA string spacing trem on it. That plays awesome too (even though it is a plywood body, got it for taking camping, etc.) Nothing to hate except its almost as heavy as a LP.

squier II the headstock label is Gold with Black outline no serial number just squier with fender and statocaster writting Black nut boxy type tuners with the vintage style pegs and vintage style gromets for the tuners ( no nut to tighten down). the neck has no skunk stripe but is a flat radius and very glossy very vintage. maple with rosewood fretboard med to jumbo frets. very nice neck indeed. much better feel than a mex standard. stays in tune well. I took it apart and the pickguard has a inspection sticker that has 4/90 so that has to indentify it's a 1990. the guitars configuration is s/s/h.vintage style bridge ( like the fender stamped one, claw type but with no stamps. large block not the small ones typical in cheapo squiers. the body is black and the guitar is heavy but i'm convinced the neck makes up a lot of the weight. it is not plywood i looked carefully. I have a pearl white squier II body that is the same not plywood either.

the guitar sounds great. lot of sustain. the bucker is powerfull yet not muddy. the singles sound bright but not quacky. I'm gonna change them out. the guitar is not shielded but is painted all black in the pockets. and makes no amp noise.i am currently using a crate rfx 200s and it sounds great through it. this guitar has a very vintage feel and feels very much vintaged.

totally love the feel of this guitar solid for sure

very thick finish if you wnat to relish this guitar you'll be scratchin and sanding awhile. these necks are very!! very!! good

I have been playing quite awhile I own some expensive guitars fender and Gibson. and I am amazed on how well built the older squiers are.

I love cheap guitars that play well. I have a Korean 1991 Fender Squier Strat that was bought new. It was a gift from my son who was 18 at the time which automatically gave it a "cool factor". Right out of the box this guitar played excellent. Playing-wise it played as well as any of its more expensive Strat siblings. I could play all night without tuning the guitar unless a string broke. It came with the H/S/S pick up arrangement and 5 way switch mounted in the body. The controls were not mounted in the pickguard like a standard strat. The controls are the standard one volume and two tones.

The cheap hardware and electronics are adequate but due to the fact that I am partial to Les Pauls and humbuckers, I just never got used to that breaking glass sound of Fender pickups and the cheap ones they use in the Squier are even worse. Thin is the best word I can use to describe the sound of these pickups. The switch becomes noisy and cuts out after awhile and cleaning it doesn't seem to help.

I play blues, rock and country and the stock hardware is adequate, just not excellent. It delivered a full sound but a little on the thin side.

The fit and finish on the white body was excellent and the clear finish on the neck has stood up well over the last 17 years. With some minor adjustments (intonation and string height) this guitar played as well as any of my Les Pauls, maybe even better. The strings kept breaking though where they come across the saddles and every time one broke, all the strings went completely out of tune which made it unreliable on stage as my main axe.

Here's where cheap guitars really shine. You can modify the hell out of them for very little money, especially if you can find some used parts. I replaced the bridge saddles with graphite ones and haven't had a single string break due to the saddles since. I ordered a new set of good ol' USA pots and 5 way switch off Ebay and took out the bridge and neck pickups. I routed out the front pickup hole (and no, the guitar is not plywood. It's one chunk of wood all the way through). I then stuck in a set of Gibson humbuckers I had laying around and wired it up so that P1 (all the way back) lights up the bridge PU, P2 activates both the neck and bridge, P3 activates the neck PU, P4 the neck and middle and P5 the the middle, which is a single coil. Then I blocked the tremolo bridge which got rid of the tuning problem on the rare occasion a string does break. This also added a lot of sustain. I also eliminated one of the tone control knobs since I don't use the remaining one, let alone two. I covered the resulting hole with a small after-market pickguard.

Now I have the best of all worlds. A guitar that plays like a Fender (excellent), stays in tune all night, feels warm and smooth, screams like a Paul with that singing sustain and humbucker sound and still has that Fender single coil sound when I want it. My acoustic simulator works well with the single coil too and virtually eliminates the need to have an acoustic guitar on stage. With just two controls to contend with it makes the guitar easier to play as well. I spent about $30 on parts and a couple hours making the mods. Now this guitar is the best all around guitar I own and is my primary axe. Even after 17 years it still plays like a brand new Strat.

Never tried. Fender only warranties their Squiers for one year anyway. Besides modifying to this extent voids the warranty.

I've been playing over 50 years. I use a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe as my primary amp (60 watts) and an Ampeg Super Jet SJ-12(50 watts) as a back up. For bigger gigs that aren't miked a have a Carvin XV112 (100 watts). All of them have a single 12 inch speaker. My other guitars include a 75 year old Orpheum arch top, a 60 year old Martin 001, 1965 Guild Starfire with a Bigsby tremolo tail piece that does stay in tune when a string breaks, a mid 1990's Gibson Les Paul Studio with Burstbucker Pros, an Epiphone Les Paul Special that I put a set of Gibson Burstbuckers in, and a full-size Guild acoustic-electric guitar.

If it were lost or stolen I would buy the guitar again and make the same mods. As I said, this guitar is the best of all worlds, at least for me. The guitar body and neck itself is well made, making it an ideal platform, and doesn't sound too bad right out of the box but with some minor PU changes and a few mods it makes that $150 guitar sound and play just as good as a $2000 guitar. For a first guitar or one of many it is still a top contender. Let me qualify that by saying my 1991 Squier 2 is a top contender. Fender no longer makes the Squier 2 and I don't know how the quality of their latest Squiers compare to the one that I have.

I have a squier two made in Korea, very thick glossy finish with skunk stripe neck (Maple) the frets are smooth the frets are vintage style. the tuners are sealed square boxy type. The Body is a full thickness. same as a mex standard or American. The Body is not Ply-Wood. I repeat not ply-wood. the finish is a thick white pearl Jobber. triple single routing.

not sure what the original pick ups sounded like someone before me installed fender standard pu in it. Let me tell you the sound rivals my standard strat with blindfolds.

the overall feel of the squier two is truley a vintage vibe. The action stays low and the fit is like a glove.

good as it gets

yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall the squier two has an incredible neck pure magic it's fast, smoothe, and rock solid. The squier two is simply as good as my Jap strats squier / fender. I don't know who's spreading the rumors that squier 2's are plywood cause I have 2 of them and neither are plywood. these necks are the exact same as the Jap necks.

1989 Squier II made in Korea. Stamp on butt end of neck indicates '89.
Serial number starts with S9XXXXX. White plywood Strat body (yellowed from age) with white pickguard and maple neck with 21 medium frets.
Mine was upgraded with better tuners and 3 GFS hotrail humbuckers.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS GUITAR. It can easily compete with my American Strats. At first I tried some Custom Shop Fat 50's (great pickups) in it and it sounded pretty lame. Then I put a set of Mexican ceramic double bar magnet pickups in it with 500k pots. All of a sudden it had more bottom end, incredible volume, and a sound I've never heard from a Strat before. I must have lucked out on the perfect combination. It's not a thick or beefy sound at all but I have pedals that can compensate for that. It sounds super sweet with a compression-like pick attack, TONS of Strat-personality quack (that comes from the neck - not the pickups). This thing has resonance and volume that none of my American Strats (including my '76) has.

I can describe the neck in one word - effortless. Smooth, fast and butter-like. It blows my American Strats out of the water.

So far so good.

Don't know

I saw this guitar on Ebay and it was dripping with vintage vibe. My gut told me to take a chance and it was cheap. I checked out the reviews on Harmony Central and went with my gut.
When the guitar arrived I was skeptical about the reviews I had read.
I've been playing professionally for 30 years and have owned about 50 Strats in my life.
None have sounded like this one (including my '76). The pure sweet Strat personality is amazing. Think Dire Straits and country quack.
It's lacking in the thickness/bottom end department but the other qualities it has out-shines that problem.
THIS GUITAR DOES NOT SUIT AMERICAN STRAT PICKUPS. Use Mexican ceramic double bar magnet pickups with an output around 6.7 k.
The neck is absolutely effortless to play and it's probably the loudest and most resonant Strat I've ever owned.
I play through a '79 Deluxe Reverb and vintage pedals.

This one is the laminated maple/alder body. Description otherwise same as other reviews. Made in Korea.

I had trouble with sound from the time I bought this in about '91 or so. I always thought the buzzing came from the Squier 15 amp I got as part of the package. However, many years later, I find that there is a broken wire inside. Solder it to the most logical place and bam! sounds pretty good. They do sound good, but not great. Switch was so noisy the sound would crackle in and out while playing. Pots were very noisy. Finally, after replacing the pots and switch, it will play without cutting out.

Plastic coating is really tough. I painted over mine, but the paint just chips off super easy now. I didn't play this evil machine for years because every couple of hours of playing time, I'd snap a string.
Always the b or e. Replaced the saddles and now strings last okay. The tremolo block is made of some cheap potted metal and mine broke where the springs attach to it. Really shoddy stuff. Action when I bought it was crap. After replacing the nut, it finally plays ok. Wiring inside was pretty crude. No shielding in the body cavities, so it can be a little buzzy around computers and the like. Really, I have to say that the neck is the only really nice feature of this awful product. I love the neck. Oh yeah, I had to replace the tuning machines as well.

I wouldn't rely on this much at all. Mostly junk, except for the neck.

No experience

Here's where I share why I hate this guitar. Everything I had to replace had to be somehow modified to fit in this thing. Squiers are not made to the same specs as Fender products and it's a real headache to try and make aftermarket stuff fit this horrible thing. I have several other cheap guitars, but the only one worse is a Saga TC-10 tele copy that is laughable. I bought a Johnson JS-800 to replace this. I was going to use the pickups out of the Squier, but to my utter surprise, the Johnson EMG pickups sound just as good, with slightly less power. I still tried to use the Squier coils just for a trial, but the middle pickup is wired backwards. Just another in a long list of stuff that didn't work. Anyway, do yourself a favor and buy a strat copy that is closer to the Fender specs.

Squier II made in India One year only 89-90
White Pearl with fine fine golden metalic tint Body
The neck is maple with rosewood finger board.with frets larger then my MexicanStrat and a slightly wider fret then my American Standard.
Its also bottom of the neck struss rod adjustment.Like a reissue.
THE NECK IS THE BEST PART OF THIS STRAT bar none,it has one stamped "wave shaped" string tree.A D shaped neck frets finnish nice .It has Squier II in gold script with black outline the word Startocaster beside the script and Fender under it .The serial number is on a rounded off oval that tannish gold color with black numbers,and is glued to the lower back of the neck above the neck plate, the serial number is NO followed by five digits ,so its a 1990.Dont go crazy when you hear "plywood" as a body material IT IS NOT THE SAME PLYWOOD used for building your shed.It is like many many guitars made of "TONE"wood glued together,that way they dont need a perfect slap of wood they can glue them together then cut the body shape.So erase the idea its made of shed wood IT IS NOT.
The routing is three individual rectangles routed old fender style
It has get this "parafin wax potted pickups the covers are part of the pick up as itseems they are waxed in or that way from age.The pick ups also have a metal ground plate under each pick up.Some custom high end pick ups have these features.The wire colors used are green red and orange.Three very small tiny b500K rated pots all the same for the two tone and one volume control.Both tone controls have one tan capacitor one them that read 473 , 25V on them.
The five way switch is a high quality item that you can actually take apart if you wish its nut and bolted together not a cheap plastic one you will find on low end stuff.
The inertia block is a few 32nds narrower then a mexican block and also shorter in overall height ,you cant bolt a mexican inertia block in it without routing the body to fit. Also the bridge has cast saddles that mimic vintage stamped saddles with two allen key head screws each saddle.
The bridge plate is also different from mexican plates via the spacing between the first three bridge mounting to body screws and the second three bridge mounting screws.
The tuners are squarish ,any are a little weak but still very useable.
It has a three ply white black white pick guard with aluminum foil sheild under the pots and five way selector switch.
I bought this guitar just because it had such a vintage appeal the instant I saw it ,I walked up grabbed it plugged it in and walk out with it ten minutes later.this India one year only made guitar is rare and so much better then it first appears.

I play blues ,this guitar plugged into my Peavey Delta Blues tube amp with a single 15 inch speaker.Has all the strat sounds you get with a strat maybe a hint of brittleness but thats a strat,and thats with everything on ten on the tone knobs you can roll of that easily with the knob.
I also have in line with my amp a Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail reverb and a BBE Green Tube Screamer(these two pedals ad NO NOISE and you should own them)
I also use a Rocktron BlackCat Moan Wah wah Pedal.
The fiveway switch is getting quirky but in a fun way you have to wiggle it at times to get it in once in it stays connected and It just drips Vintage and I have played the relics and vintage gear this is Vintage its 17 years old.this can only go up in value not down unussual color and great old school sounds.

I bought it used and took it apart,intirely, clean it and re assembled and set it up to factory fender american strat specs.
Nut is nylon slash plastic in black .The nut is just generically cut looks cheap but gets the job done.
The finish after cleaning is reflective and shiny and a slight shade darker then under the pickguard.
It has body crack my the neck on on each side which I have seen on many strats they do not affect the playing or stability of this instrument just cosmetic.
It was grime and survace rusted on screws for pick guard and saddle adjuster screws and really the things High end "RELIC " guitars try to have.I cleaned them sprayed them with wd40 let them sit then reinstalled them .Hey Vintage is Vintage I dont want to change its massive Vintage appeal just wanted to get the grime off every nock and cranny.Now its clean sitting beside my Mexican and American Strats it just looks like their equal its that neck I tell you GREAT NECK.

I would play this guitar out the tuners youd have to keep and ear out for its, its weak link .also I would never use the wammy bar at its age it would add to much stress.I have four springs ,added two, to the two original ones, just so the bridge is flush and adds more body tone thru the strings .
its has one original strap button and one replaced one and both are tight.
id always gig with two guitars,but this is a fun instrument .
The paint has held up and seems thick to last.

Vintage stuff like this your on your own after poring thru alot of fender books . It seems authors try and brush the Squier models under the rug with out much mention of them .Certainly worth a book all to its own.You hav eto remember there was a period when Fender sold only imported models as their only sourse of income till they got there American California shop up and running followed by the Mexican plant...there may not have been a fender if not for the Japan,Korea,and that one year of support from India.

I have been playing since 1998 I play two hours a day every day.
I have a fender American strat 2002 that some one put three different pick ups in one 69 signed grey bottomed custom shop neck pick up ,one custom shop black bottomed middle pick up and on high end stacked single humbucker in the bridge.Daphin blue The seller thought it was a stock American Strat. alwayspays to look behind the pick guard.
I also have a Red transparent finnished with cream binding Hamer duotone very powerful classic sounding guitar.
I have a Mexican strat Alpine White,Rosewood neck,I fitted all gold hardward too with a Gold SRV laser scribed picture on neck plate,a three ply pick guard white black white and Gold high end Guitar Fetish Lip Stick Pick Ups.Strung with .012s GHS Boomers.
I bought the Squier purely on vintage appeal it drips with it.
I brought it home took it apart cleaned and reassembled it comparing all its parts to my fender strat and mexican strat...its not a cheap throw away guitar like some would have you think ,because it has Squier on the head stock, its a vintage piece made well ,sounds and plays well VINTAGE.

Solid black plywood body Squier II Fat Strat, stock S/S/H pups, the no pick guard style. Made in Korea, E9 serial number. 21 frets, standard scale maple neck with skunk stripe on back, 1 volume & 2 tone controls, 5-way selector switch, output plug is on the bottom edge instead of the top of the guitar. Standard tremolo bridge, stock Korean tuners. Chrome metal tele-type knobs. Supposedly manufactured in 1989.

I love the way you get the best of both worlds with a Fat Strat. You can play almost any style of music with the humbucker & single coils. I'm playing through a 100 watt Fender Rumble 100 Bass Amp w/15" Woofer & horn (a decent amp makes all the difference). Dependng on the guitar 5-way switch setting, I can get full rich sounds, bright sounds, or distortion with the humbucker. These stock pickups are really quite decent. Being fairly new to the strat sound, I am very pleased with the variety of sounds this thing makes without a pedal! It has great sustain. Even plywood bodys can get better sounding with age.

The solid maple neck & fret board are both awesome! I have heard Fender used some of their own necks to build certain Squires. I bought it used, so I cleaned it all up. I used 0000 steel wool to smooth out the fret board. Set it all up myself and put on new strings (10's...I'll use 11's next time). Action is fast & smooth. No sharp fret edges at all. I'll get around to having it professionally setup soon. Something I highly recommend. Having the plywood body gives it a less consistent finish, but who cares? It sounds great! The body is a 7 rating in looks, 8.5 in sound, and the neck is an 11.

In 3 years, this guitar will be 20 years old. I think it's done extremely well so far. The finish on the plywood looks fine for its age (and considering that it's plywood!). The Fender care kit did wonders. Buttons are solid, trem bridge seems okay too. The tuners are its weakness. I'll be replacing the stock tuners soon. But that's to be expected. After the new tuners, I'd trust it without a backup. I didn't spend much. It'll be fun to tweak.

Have no idea. But I love the Fender/Squier forum at:
http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&message_area_number=26

I've played as a hobby since I was in Jr. high school in the mid 70's. I've been wanting to get my first strat style guitar for a while. I didn't want to spend too much money, yet I wanted the Strat sound. So, a nice used older Squier was perfect. I love how comfy the strat is on your forarm. It's not too heavy either. If it were lost or stolen, I'd look for another similar type Squire. I've heard it's hit & miss with these Squier II's, but the E9 series is a hit. I think for $75 + shipping...I did great.

Squier II Strat. Not sure of the year, probably 80s. Made in Korea, serial number S985848. There's another sticker at the bottom of the neck, a gold sticker. It had some numbers on it, but I can only read the last one - 6.

Plywood body, black with white pickguard. S/S/S config. One piece maple neck/board, 21 frets. Skunkstripe.

Decent tuners/bridge.

The guitar itself sounds just decent. I'm not using this guitar though. This rating will be on the neck:

The neck on this guitar is where it's at. The neck is AWESOME. The feel, the look. It's one of the best necks I've played.

The neck is so awesome that I just had to put it to good use. I had a Fernandes Strat copy with a nice, heavy body (alder or ash, not sure). The neck on the Fernandes was decent, nothing like the Squier. So I took apart each guitar and attached the Squier neck on the Fernandes body. It didn't fit perfectly, but I made it fit.

I still have the stock pups on the Fernandes body, but they sound good for now. I'll be putting in an EMG 89/SA/SA config.

I just bought this guitar a month ago at a pawnshop. I liked the action it had unplgged evev though the action was high it was a player. the neck is thin and fast very heavy coat of lacquer covering. like the old fenders. The tuners are heavier constructed than the ones that are casted togeather, and they dont go otta tune very easily.there is no origin name anywhere on this guitar. but the squier logo on the neck is done in a very cool gold with black outlining. I took it completly apart and the neck is stamped mar 15 E 1 ! and thats all I can read. The frets are fat might of been re-fretted. because the action was high caused by the upward bow.I live in nevada so I believe that this was a working guitar cause somebody knew what they were doing with this guitar. it had tens strung on it and man this guitar smoked.the body cavities are independly routed. the finish is a thick white pearl. the bridge works just fine. the prior owner had 5 springs installed.The body is heavy but I have tried to identifi it as plywood but I cant I can always tell plywood but this body is grainy giving it a plywood look, but I dont think it is. what ever it is its got sustain and tone to the bone

I have alot of guitars and this is up there with my jap squiers. I dont know if there stock pups but what amazes me is the prior owner shielded it with copper and this thing can sit in an opera (Quiet) the resonants of this guitar growls

fast, expensive feeling. weighted for live playing nicely. very underated guitar perhaps other peoples experiences were caused by getting models that have been stripped of their good parts or properly abused. this guitar was a gem to find

hell solid gold

nope on the dope

Well the one I got is as good as it gets so I was lucky. One thing very important! that I noticed. I tried changing the neck and this ones neck pocket was slightly smaller making it difficult to find the right neck.Remember this one is the pearl body. I bought another squier 2 neck off ebay I thought it would fit... and it did not. it's a shame cause it's a hella hott neck silver logo and very nice indeed. but to wide. so you'll have to watch this

This is a Squier II that I got in 1989 when I learned to play. It was my first electric and I'll never part with it if for no other reason than it was my first electric.
As far as features, it's the same as any other Strat, only cheaper. Cheap and junky, actually. That said, the only original piece of hardware on this guitar is the trem, although not with original saddles, because I put string savers on it.
I've swapped the pickups for a set of EMGs, which came all wired up, ready to drop in. The pots, 5-way selector, and jack were all there. The tuning heads were replaced with Sperzels, and the nut was replaced with one of those great rolling nuts. This thing NEVER goes out of tune.
A lot of people joke about the body, but if you pull the pickguard off, you see the body was routed for the S/S/S pickups. Go to Guitar Center right now and buy a $1200 Strat, pull the pickguard off, and see what you get. A big ass hole that can accomodate any pickup combination. That's so... big business. Were's the soul, man? The soul? I'll tell you where. It's in an '89 Squier II.
It has all the features I'm looking for. Pickups, knobs, a bridge, and tuners.

Things thing sounds like a champ. A champ, I say. Sure, the EMGs make it sound like whatever effects you run it to, but it sustains all day. I've used this thing with a grip of amps and effects through the years and it was always good. Sure, this category is probably meant for when it was stock, but I can't remember that far back. So... 10.

The finish is some kind of crackley, sparkle thing. It's not as gay as it sounds. Let's call it white. It's a solid white. How can you mess that up?
The action on it is incredible. It's so low and so fast. There's no buzzing or rattling anywhere. It's the lowest action of any guitar I own or have owned.

This guitar is, uh... math... math... 15 years old and still going strong. I've dropped it, knocked it over, had it fall off of a wall hanger, had it fall off of numerous stands, and it's fine. Nicks, chips, and plenty of playing wear all over it, but isn't that what builds character? I'm not afraid to get drunk and wave this thing around. After drinking I won't even take my PRS's out of their cases.
I've played it live and it was great. But what kind of dingleberry gigs without a backup?

Never had to deal with the company, knock on wood.

Man, this is my favorite guitar, ever. EVER. If my house was on fire and I could only rescue one guitar, this would be it. My PRS's, my Steinberger, and all the rest of the Jackson, Ibanez, whatever I've got can burn. But I'd rescue this guitar. Sentimental value.
I'm thinking of adding one of those piezo saddle setups to it. Then it'll be complete.
If it was stolen I'd cry like a little girl and drink a few bottles of vodka. I don't know if I'd replace it because then I'd just have a junky 15 year old guitar with no sentimental value. That said, there's one on Ebay right now for 22 euros. Maybe a second Squier II would be entertaining. I could do some really horrible Frankenguitar things to it.

Made in Korea circa 1991. Standard Strat set-up, with 21 frets, three single-coil pickups, five-way selector switch, three pots, crappy vibrato unit, tuneable bridge. I've never thought about what the body is made of--it has a thick coating of black paint--but it's probably plywood. Neck/fretboard is maple with "skunk" stripe on back. Still has original tuners, which work well. Came with a well-padded Fender gig bag.

I use it with a Line 6 Spider 112 Combo amplifier, usually on one of the two "out-of-phase" pickup settings, which produce a full, jangly tone. On the amp's "clean" setting, with a touch of chorus, some delay, and a little reverb, it sounds like heavenly choirs! I've never had a "real" Strat, so I have no frame of reference, but I have difficulty imagining an American-made model making a nicer sound. (I feel no need, at least, to spend a load of money to find out.)

I think the store I bought it from had to set it up, but they did a good job with the intonation, the string height, the pickup settings, and the neck. I've had to readjust the intonation to accommodate the light-gauge GHS Guitar Boomers that I favor, but it still plays like butter.

The five-way selector switch is junk, which makes switching settings in mid-song an adventure at best; moreover, the tone/volume pots are cheap and really kill the sound at lower settings. However, since I generally play solo for my own enjoyment, these things aren't issues for me.

I'd change the pickup selector, the tone/volume pots, and probably the bridge pickup if I were going to use it live, but I would consider it sufficiently reliable with those changes. I've had it for thirteen years now and nothing has broken on it (although, in fairness, I didn't use it much until I bought my Line 6 amp).

Great guitar for a cheapo. I bought it for the price; also, I'd had a Gibson SG, and I wanted to try a Strat-style guitar. If it were stolen, I'd buy something similar, at least, since I'm in love with Strat tones now.

1992 Fender Squier II Strat, Korean Made. 21 frets, standard chinsy Fender style tremolo, although I have blocked it off for better tuning stability and sustain. Came with the standard S/S/S configuration, but I yanked out the bridge pickup and installed a Seymour Duncan Hot rails. Neck and fretboard are maple. The Body appears to be plywood, no joke! Stock tuners that actually keep the guitar in perfect tune. I can't say I could vouch for them with tremolo use, as I have mine blocked off.

This guitar has been kicking around since I bought it for a friend back in '92, neither of us really played it much and it wound up back in my hands for good in the late 90's. When it was new, it did truly play and sound like a $200 guitar, probably the main reason it was barely played. I recently decided to fire it up again and make it a usable guitar. The volume pot had crapped out to the point beyond a simple cleaning to take away the noise, so I soldered in a new one, and put in a Duncan hot rails pup in the Bridge position at the same time, in order to give the guitar a fatter, thicker lead tone. As you probably know, a standard single coil in the bridge postion isn't going to cut it if you play any kind of music that's even a little heavier than say...Jewel. As far as the way it sounds now...Does Plywood sound better with age? It blows away my American strats, all of which cost $800 or more and have REAL Alder and Swamp Ash Bodies. I can nail just about any standard Strat lead tone, from Gilmour to Hendrix to SRV. Believe it or the not, the stock neck and middle single coils really scream. Could it be because Gilmour and Hendrix used standard stock pickups in their most well-known songs and solos? The guitar can nail just about any awesome clean or lead tone, with the exception of nu-metal dropped-D stuff, but whaddya want from a Strat?

This is what really amazed me with the whole aging process, it seems logical that wood will SOUND better over time, even plywood. But it even PLAYS better know, WAY better! I could probably continue to lower the bridge saddles and tweak the truss rod even a little more, but I am very happy with the action. I own 14 guitars and this guitar has the lowest action of them all, with no string buzz or dead-spots!! This defies the logic of all "American-Strat" snobs who seem to think it's impossible to get a non-american Strat with great fretwork and super low-action. It's almost TOO easy to play. The maple fretboard has darkened a few shades over the years, as well as the Creme-Colored paint on the body, it's at least 5 or so shades darker than the paint under the pickuard, which was never exposed to the aging process.

I doubt I will ever take it on a gig, as it's annoying to deal with other players in the crowd who will see fit to ask me 1000 questions about how I am getting "That sound" out of a Squier. It's as sturdy as any strat, for what that's worth, but I will probably never take it out of my house.

Never dealt with Fender, but I live about 3 miles from Fender's home office in Scottsdale, AZ. So I am sure I would have no problems if I needed to go down and have a little "chat" with them : )

One of my favorite guitars, truly defies all standard guitar player logic when it comes to brand names, prices, production country, and materials. I guess that's just another reason I have a soft spot for it, and will probably hang onto it until I die.

it has a maple wood neck the guitar is black and has h/s/s/ configuration with the pickups and locking tunners 21 medium frets and a standard trem

i play lots of grindy punk and metal tunes nd the humbucker in it suits me just fine ive been running it through a peavey studio course 210 and a polytone mini brute and i think it is a very good sound very rich

i bought the guitar used and the only thing i found wrong with it was the strings were set to low and they buzzed and the volume knob makes lots of noise and cuts off if you turn it down

i use this guitar during gigs with no backup and i fully trust this guitar the finnish is a little thin and is starting to wear off but in a gig if you use the tremelo alot have a tunner

i have been playing for seven years now and i love this guitar other gear i have is a washburn g-2v a squier standard strat fender f-200 acoutic a 1940 harmony fhole acoustic a kingston electric as soon as i get some money im going to fix the volume know and put in a different humbucker maybe a high output on

Late 80's I think. Maple neck, three single coils... have swapped the standard p'ups for Lace Sensor Blue/Silver/Red combo. 21 frets, nice old fashioned trem (which is a misnomer, it's vibrato), cheap-looking tuners that stay in tune nicely.

Sounds great. I bought the lace sensors in my My Bloody Valentine/Smashing Pumpkins/Big Muff wall of fuzz days. It's good for that. These days I prefer some mild overdrive or clean w/flanger. It's good for that too, but the p'ups are a bit bassy, which I compensate for w/ a filter effect set to the top end... sounds very SRV with this configuration, if a bit hissy... I think I could do even better w/ a 7-band eq pedal, which I'll maybe get for my birthday. Most of good tone is in the EQing. The P'ups themselves are very clean... the stock pickups had a nice down and dirty tone, but not particularly clear-sounding.

The neck plays very nice for a budget guitar. Not as nice as a Mexi or American standard, but good enough. Good feel. I custom painted it black and green. The electronics (p'up selector, volume, tone knobs) are not great. You get that static sound when switching pickups or rolling off the volume... maybe I'll get those replaced for my birthday too.

The tremolo is great. Stays in tune well, good for surf guitar sounds and blues.

Not top quality, but nice enough.

I'm sure it will be around 40 years from now.

A very nice guitar. If I were rich I'd get an American Standard (I do have a Mexi Telecaster, which is great), but really this is good for me. I play at home and do some recording. Nice tones and fun to play. It was a good deal.

Paid $189.00

nade in Korea 1989

Starting to play again after 20 years. My teacher (met him coaching his son in soccer) picked it out when he was having work done on his strat. It has 22 frets s/s/h pickups, 5 way switch and is cream with no pick-guard everything else seems to be stock. This thing is in mint condition. The guy that teaches me has played with everyone (Bob Seager, Bonnie Raite, Robert Cray, and JIMMY PAGE)!! So I trust the guy when he said we really lucked up on this one. I got a gig bag, lots of picks, and a cord out of the deal. I am currently playing out of a 15 watt orange amp.

the thing sounds great to me.

Action is good and it seems to stay in tune. The intonation is also good

Don't know yet.

Just got it.

Just started playing again after 20 years. I love the thing and would buy it again.

1989 Squire II Strat with an American Strat Serial Number, #E984796; made in Korea. 21 Frets, Solid top, has master volume knob and two tone knobs with 5 position selector switch. I don't think that these are the standard three single pick ups as they scream... they are fantastic. Hard, heavy laminated black body is a great resonating mass for the strings, and the neck is the nicest maple 'U' fatty neck I have ever played... and I'm an old guy who has played a lotta guitars. Small headstock has silver with black outlined 'Squire II Stratocaster Fender' on thick, smooth, high gloss finish. The bridge is a solid Floyd Rose and the tuners are sweet, smoothe Gotohs. There was a heavy gig bag with it

I play this thing all of the time in Rock and even in Church. I use a small Crate Limo amp with digitals, a 30 year old Phase 100 phase shifter, and another 30 year old Phase distortion box. The sound is solid, sweet, full, funky, bright, and all of the above with a change of the selector switch. I share this little gem with my friends who play guitar and they all want it.

The plywood body has slight imperfections underneath the side black paint, but these are hard to see. The parts all are tight and it never seems to go out of tune. Wierd. The neck is amazing. I have never been able to play anything as well.

The Gotohs are fine and the body, neck, frets all hold up under hard thumping, dropping, falling. etc. The top tone knob gets a little crusty if not turned periodically... but after a few cranks it quiets down. This is a rare stand alone, do it all guitar.

I don't contact Fender.

I have played since the early '70's, and know that, like people, each guitar is different and has its own personality. I would not trade this crazy little Squire II strat for a $2500 factory job, as it plays like one now. IF you played this, you would want to beg, borrow or steal it.

Have no idea what year it was made. But it was made in Korea!
It has a total of 21 frets.
Laminated top.
Has Tele like dials that are for volume tone tone. With a 5 way pick up selector.
Pick up config is s/s/h wich i realy like.
Stock pick ups. But not for long.
Finish is jet black with no pick gaurd.
Body style is a regular strat except that the plug-in is on the side ( excuse my bad termnology )
bridge is a standard is a Standard strat but iam prob going to get a floyd rose.
Tuners SUCK like plastic sorta. But iam also going to get some locking ones.
The neck is solid maple with small/medium frets.

I play punk rock and it satifys me in tone quality.
Iam using a mashall 300 watt YEAH!!!!!!! or not. Just a Rocktron 45watt.
I make it noisy, but in my mind its not noisy if the o/d isnt on so i guess it isnt.
I keep it on all humucker or single and hum. Gives it a ebrasive sound to me. Sorta dark. More of an obnoctious sound like my own personality wich i like.
Total love the whole thing!

I have no idea how the factory set it up. Got it t a pawn shop.
Pick ups werent adjusted at all until i bought it. . All of its perfect to me now except for the crap tuners bridge and one of the single coils wont screw down all the way and wiggles.

I've played many a show with it. Because its all i have. I holds up awsomellylylylyly. Hardware is crap. Buying all new stuff for it. But the pick ups are fine.The finish kinda makes me mad. With the solid black you can see every finger print and every time the pick touches the guitar. i cant get the pick marks off of it. Solid strap butons but iam going to get the locking thingy i've seen around.Yes i do use it at gigs without backups cuz its the only one i have.

Been playing it for 5 years.I own no other guitars but a couple of amps thats about it.Nope i love this guitar to death. If it got stolen i would hunt the person down and gut them like a fricken fics. Then get a wal mart guitar and beat them to hell and back till he or she never wanted to see a guitar again.! I wish it had everything i list above. i'd liuke to share to the worl: I have no money No job no car, but Iam in a band!

I saw one Made in USA,with 23 frets solid,Volume, tone, 5 way selector
Pickup configuration - S/S/H, H/H, Body style strat Tuners Non-locking Rosewood frets cable

Style - Rock
Amps - Peavey & Korg 1500g Effects processor
Clear as a bell that chimes in silence
Bright sound
No dislikes

Everything is perfect and suits my needs

Reliable and durable both in lifetime & sound

Bought in a black market.

Playing for 4 years
No
I'll buy it again
The clarity of sound and the inspiration I get from playing it!
I can't compare it with its equivalent counterparts, since it gives me everything I want. Hence I need not compare it with anything.
Yes, a free amplifier with processor.

1989 Squier II. Made in India. I saw one other Indian made one on this board. Blood Red. Rosewood Neck. JUMBO FRETS...why I bought it.

The body appears to be solid. The red paint is put on thick, even under the pick guard. The pick up cavities are all separate.

The truss rod is only accessible at the base of the neck, and you have to remove the neck or pick guard to get at it. There is no inlay on the back of the neck.

Sounds Good.

Intonation was way out but tightened up easily. The G string nut slot was cut too deep but I filled it in with two layers of super glue. New 10gage strings....no buzzz...saddle feels warm.

Still waiting to see about durability. First indications show that it stays in tune.

no.

I think I scored big time.

Korean, I'm guessing 1991, s/n M1121310. A pretty faithful
knockoff of a '50's vibrato-equipped Strat (3-p/u, 1-ply
pickguard, etc) except for the string trees ('60's/'70's
style stamped) and the 5-way selector switch. The standard
cheap tuners are also non-Stratlike -- the strings thread
through holes in the shaft sides, rather than into holes
inside of slotted shafts.
The neck is a nice grained maple; the body is laminated
(plywood) but light in weight.
If you like Strat features, then this is reasonably similar,
except for the lousy tuners.

Surprisingly aggressive-sounding, staggered single coils. They
are darker than any Fender pickups I've ever used, and remind
me most of the old hot Di Marzio Strat pickup (the model name
of which escapes me.)
I plugged it in right after my '77 had broken a string onstage,
and, having never used them back-to-back before, was very
surprised at how much louder the Squier was. I really like
the sound, to be honest -- it's not overly bright, it has good
balance, and a real growl. A great mate for my furry-sounding
Princeton Reverb.
Being single-coils, there's some noise, but it's not ridiculous.
The bridge and neck are great -- I'm no fan of middle pickups
in general, but the other two make me happy.

I bought it new. I got so frustrated with the factory
setup (and tuners) that I really didn't use it much for
about 7 years. I had other guitars to play, and had bought
this for its light weight (I'd recently injured my back.)
It languished until I swapped out the tuners for some
Stewart-MacDonald "vintage-style" slotted tuners. I put
on Graph-Tech graphite string retainers, and handed it off
to a great setup guy, with instructions to block off the
vibrato with a piece of basswood so that it would not move
anymore.
When it came back, it was a gem. It plays great, stays in
tune forever, and looks like a real '50's beast -- red w/
maple, like Mark Knopfler's old one.
So, the factory setup sucked. The neck pocket fit, the neck
alignment, and the wiring are all quite good, though. Because
of that, the guitar's stock shortcomings were fixable. As with
most cheap guitars, replacing the tuners and disabling the
vibrato assembly are the keys to wrangling a nice guitar out
of a small cash outlay. A real sleeper. (The lowish grade is
for the setup, not for the very decent body and neck work.)

It's as solid as the next Strat. Down the road, I wouldn't
be surprised if the saddles become prematurely grooved, as
inexpensive saddles will. If I start breaking strings, I'll
replace them. I haven't broken a string since 1999, so if
two or three snap in a month, I'll know that it's time.
The stock tuners were shit, too, but you need to replace
those just to make the guitar playable, so those don't
count in my case -- they're long gone.
I have on scratchy pot which I need to clean. The switch,
the other two pots, and the output jack are all working
fine, and are solidly installed. My guitar doesn't get beat
on, but it looks as if it could take it if it had to.

N/A

I have a ton of gear, collected over 25 years of playing.
I bought this to save my back, but it's turned out to be
a really nice guitar. I absolutely needed to do two things
to make it playable -- replace the tuners, and disable (or
re-spring w/ heavier springs) the vibrato. Now it's a budget
gem.
I once suffered through watching a gig where the lead guitarist
was playing one of these, with the original tuners, and
with the sloppy, loose bridge. I don't think the guitar was
even tunable, as it came from the factory -- the bridge
moved every time he'd tighten a string. I told him what needed
to be done, but he got frustrated and traded the guitar in
on something else. I'm glad I kept mine.
As modified, it's a 10 in my book. Off the hook at the store
it was a 6.

Korean made, 1989 Model, Serial No. E 983249. 22 frets, maple neck, black alder body (pretty sure it's actually alder, too), standard strat controls and configuration. Came with absolutely cheap bridge and tuners: seemed to be aluminum outsides with plastic insides for the tuners (the caps actually came off with too much regular use). It never stayed in tune before I had some decent hardware put on it. Pickups are stock, cheap S/S/S. Slightly better off for a Squier, nowadays they skimp more on the wood than hardware, which can be replaced.

I play lots of Jazz and some rock now, though this was my first electric and I was heavy into the Clapton and Zeppelin stuff. I just wanted something to plug in and play, and for the time it worked for me. I use a Marshall MG50RCD, and the sound is fairly decent from the guitar. The pots have always, always crackled; there is just no getting around it. I actually had to hit the damn thing to quit making noise (it works).

It sounds...well like a Strat, really. Usually, the sound is sub-standard. Crappy bass, the 2 and 4 selectors rarely work, they just sound like the tone is all the way down, all of the time, no matter how I mess with the knobs. The mids are actually nice on this one, though, and if in the bridge or neck position, the guitar stays true to a Strat sound, just less tone. In general, the three middle selections are awful, and I stay away from them.

If I could describe the tonal pallette, I could say it sounds as though the guitar just isn't trying hard enough. It simply refuses to reach for a good low or upper sound. Its personality is apathetic. I think that sums it up nicely.

Well, I bought it used. There are some rather large blemishes on the edge of the body, on the bottom. I think it gives the guitar some personality, doesn't affect the sound, anyway. The nut is original, old, plastic, and s*$#@y. Pickups actually fell out from their places for the longest time, I finally had the gall to get it set-up by a friend of mine and he had some springs to put in. Plays much better now. Action can't be lowered beyond a certain point, or the top three strings will sound sitarish (if i dished out 30 bucks for graphite saddles it might help, but it's not really worth it). String pinchers on the headstock are very old, look like they're about to fall out. When I bought the guitar, the tuning caps were approaching the tear-apart condition, which they eventually did. I spent 100 bucks three years ago to get the tuners and bridge (the bridge that SNAPPED when I attempted to put on 12-guage strings), and all the better for it; when fixed up the guitar actually feels all right enough to play. I have 12s on it now, and though it doesn't help a whole lot with tone, it gets by. Like I said, apathetic. This guitar is a sleepy teenager.

This guitar would serve as a last-resort rock back-up. It can fill in for lifeless power chords. If I were looking for a weird sound, I would automatically run to this instrument. The hardware I have on it now is sturdy and reliable, but the pick-ups are nasty nasty. If I had those replaced, this would no doubt become a decent piece.

The finish is pretty much moot at this point, the huge gash in it near the bottom just begs it to remain beaten up. I had to replace the strap buttons, twice, and the second time I did, I had to use carpenter's putty to secure them. Those suckers don't move at all, now --sturdy as hell. If I weren't playing anything imporessive, I might gig with this little buddy. It's fine for jamming with friends or debuting a new song to a small group. Shows, though, I would say off limits until I get some ok pickups (if I even do).

Overall, it was originally crap. Afer working on it, I'm proud of the fruit of my labor (or dollars, anyway).

Going to Fender about this guitar would be like approaching the Federal governement for a bad book of food stamps. This is more of a do-it-yourself type thing, a good guitar to learn about how solid-body electrics work.

I've been playing for five years, presently. I stick to my Jazz brain and rock roots. Since I was a beginning electric guitarist at the time, I think it was an ultimately good learning experience. I should have saved up for a decent Strat, though, so I couldn't have been turned off by the bad sound that I thought was me.

If this particular one were stolen, I'd be sentimental, it was my first electric. I wouldn't rush to buy a new Squier anything, however.
I really didn't compare it to much, it was all I could afford at the time. I appriciate the experience, though. It's been fun in a frustrating way.