Fender Squier Stratocaster

Mine was made in Japan in 1983. It was my first electric guitar. I bought it brand new and still use it today. It was olympic white (it has yellowed over the years) with 3 single coil pick-ups, five way selector switch, volume-tone-tone, with what they call today: a vintage 6-point bridge, sealed tuners, and a beautiful rosewood neck. Also the headstock was large compared to todays fenders. 22 frets. Hardshell fender case was included in the price, along with a fairly worthless cable, poliching cloth, and allen wrenched for the brigde and neck.

I think fender strats are some of the most versatile guitars on the market. No electronics or phase switches so I give it an 8.

It sounds like a strat. For the first few years it was ran through a Peavy Bandit and then other assorted solid state amps (crate, Marshal, Fender) tube amps (marshals, fenders, peaveys) and modeling amps (Line6 POD 2.0). Todays's set up is through the POD into a Marshal MG (Direct through the power effect return).

See reliability below for pick-up information. I had to replace the bridge pick-up right away. It would feed-back horriblky on a solid state amp at low volume. Through in a seymore duncan and life has been good ever since.

The neck and middle pick-up sounds great. If you like the sound of a strat you will like this guitar.

The action was a little high but that was easily remedied. The pick ups were setup okay, but the bridge pickup had some problems.

I did need to tighten just about everything (jack, volume and tone control nobs) shortly after bringing it home). The pick-up selecter was noiser than an american strat but the price difference explains that.

I had to replace the bridge pickup, main jack, volume pots, and pick-up switch. The neck and body are fine.

The finish has held up well and I love how it is ageing. I haven't worn any of the finsh off the front or sides after 25 years of playing. The back is in remarkably good shape.

Never called them so I don't know.

I've been playing for 25 years. I currently own a 2002 Fender American Texas Special, a 1988 Kramer Stagemaster Custom, a Charvel from the early 90s, and a couple of accoustics.

I've owned many other guitars, but I will never get rid of this one because it was my first. If this was stolen, somebody would get their ass kicked. I couldn't replace it and if I had just bought it, I wouldn't replace it (It's not my best guitar by a long ways).

For the money, it was better than anything else at the time. The fender knock-offs and gibson knock offs at the time were horrible and the other low price guitars weren't worth the money. For what this guitar cost I give it a 9, compared to my other guitars I give it a 5.

Made late Eighties - part of the Japanese vintage reissue series that is now infamous for it's quality. Solid (two piece!) body - I know it's a two piece as I had to strip an rather tacky refinish off it - wood is probably basswood as very finely grained can't be sure. Medium weight feels very solid. Original colour was white as it is again now. Large headstock - Japanese Ghoto type machine heads and standard config S/S/S pickups.

A rich and kinda mellow strat sound from this one - punchy tho it has a very compressed tone - not sure why. sounds great though especially for rythmn guitar/funky licks. Turn up the gain and it sounds rich - not at all thin and clanky as some Strats can sound.

Ahh - I've set the guitar up to optimum playability. Low action and no buzzing - helped ny a very fine neck, I prefer the larger, chunkier 70's neck - helps intonation and playing in general - like playing a really fine acoustic - the heavier headstock adds to tone too I'm sure.

Built to last - a pro quality guitar - if you see one buy it.

No neeeed!

Classic and still very affordable - high quality all the way. Looks pretty damn cool too.

I don't know what year it was made, but it probably shouldn't have been. It was made in that asshole of a country, Indonesia. It has 21 frets, S/S/S (which stands for Shitty/Shitty/Shitty), the Tone knobs change the tone dramatically from Crap to extreme crap. The Floating tremolo really does float because one if the springs BROKE. In order to tune it to E with 9 Gauge strings, the bridge raises about an inch off of the body, crappy.

i like to consider myself a well-rounded musican, playing everything from Jazz and Blues to Punk and Metal, but I don't think this guitar suits anyone's style, except for Stephen Hawking, and he can't move. The guitar makes an annoying crackling sound when changing shitty-coil pickups. The guitar makes only one sound, the sound of a toilet that your girlfriend just clogged.

Action? What action? Action movies are exciting, and keep you on the edge of your seat, I guess I'm always on the edge of my seat, hoping it'll just explode. Nothing is well done. Everything about it is a flaw, the wood is crappy quality, use of the whammy bar causes the strings to go out of tune, come to think of it, just sitting on the couch for five minutes causes it to go out of tune.

The spring on the bridge broke, springs aren't supposed to break. But I have to give it some credit, because it's still in one piece, despite all of the smashing against walls.

I got this guitar used from a friend, he begged me to take it for free and smash it while playing live, it wasn't even worth the gas money to drive to his house, and he's 15 miles away. In hind-sight I wish I'd just cut off my balls and saved myself sooo much pain. DO NOT BUY THIS GUITAR!

This is a 1997 model, serial # has the MN7--------etc. I found this at Eastcoast Music in CT. and it was hanging on the used wall with the cheaper guitars. It has a maple neck (and as we all know Mexican necks are made in the US and are just finished off in Mexico.) So that interested me. I had owned a couple of Squiers made in China or Indonesia (I also have owned several vintage Strats years back) and the only prime Fender I have now is a 1996 B Bender Tele, which weighs a ton. The Chinese and Indonesian Strats really suck. The wood is low quality and the electronics are garbage...let's face it. Almost everone I have tried has a crackling that comes from somewhere in the guitar's wiring network. I even tried changing pu's on one and it would not go away. But this Mexican Squier Strat is a quiet as any expensive Strat I have ever played...in fact, it might even be quieter. Tnere is no crackle and no 60 cycle hum. Go figure. The finish is candy apple red and the neck feels very much like (same finish) my B Bender Tele.
The body is either poplar or alder, same difference, and is solid.
The logo has the gold Squier decal with the "by Fender" in fine script just below it. I am told that very few of these Mexican Squiers were made. They wanted $200 for it sans case...but I got them down to $149 sans case. A good deal if you ask me. The hardware is typical Mexican Std Strat, in fact the only thing that makes this different from a Std. Strat is the logo decal. The pu's have the tyical twang and quack of a Fender and position 2 and 4 have the characteristic nasality to them. But offer no hum even on quiet settings on my Cyber Champ amp. The previous owner must have changed the machine heads as the old screw holes are there and these look like Shalleresque Gotohs. I had to lower the action, intonate it a bit and tweak the neckrod a bit...but now it plays real fine.

As I said, the sound is basic Strat. Not too hot but not too tame either. It has bite and mates nicely with the Cyber Champ..which is now my all time favorite amp. The sound is Fender without being brittle and thin. Many dudes kind of put down Mexican Fenders and claim the Chinese and Indo stuff is better. Who the hell are they kidding? Sure, if you are talking Japan or even Korea, I might agree but not with the Chinese stuff...not yet...it is getting there though. If they could get rid of the crackle and cheap electronics that might boost them a bit. But I have to say that many of the Mexican items are good...hell, most of the Fender amps are made there too.

The finish is just as good as the Std. Series. This is a Squier but not really. It looks as if they took some Mexican Std. stuff and just fulfilled some contractual obligations by putting the Squier logo on them. As far as I can tell this is just another Std. Series Fender in effect. The look is very much like the Highway One series of today, it has the kind of understated quality to it. The neck is very much like an American Std with regard to feel and action.

hey...you know the drill by now....

my local store will back me up... I buy a lot of stuff from them and Eastcoast is a helpful and friendly place to buy guitars if you are in the tri-state area...come on up to Danbury....say hi to Morgan, Barry and Sandy or Chris...tell 'em Vince sent ya....but this is a used guitar and Fender is not involved.

I have been playing since the mid-1960s...and this is a very pro guitar.....The Squier logo not withstanding....I own a bunch of electrics and acoustics.....the only standouts are the B Bender Tele, an Epiphone Texan and a Godin Multiac....and the Cyber Champ that I mentioned. I would like to come across more of these Mexican Squiers.....they make a hell of a good deal.....

I have an '86 Japanese Squier Strat that is an unbelievably awesome instrument for the price. Of the all the guitars I own, which include expensive Gibsons, it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. It's got the standard vintage style bridge, maple neck, and stock Fender tuners. The only alterations I've done to it are String-Saver saddles and a 3-ply black pickgaurd. Everything else is stock!

The pickups are a little funky sounding at times but it still has an overall good warm tone. I might change them at some point but they sound good enough for gigging. I usually play through an old '66 Super Reverb which definitely helps but even when I play through lesser amps, I still get a decent tone out of it.

After recently refretting the guitar, it plays like a dream! I have three other Strats (a Mexican, an American, and a USA '62 re-issue) and it feels better than any of them. I usally bring two or three guitars to my gigs but I usually end up just playing the Squier all night because it feels so good. It's got a rather thin neck but my hands and fingers are a tad small so it's a good fit for me.

This Squier is as solid as any American Standard or Custom Shop Strat I've ever played. It's a solid wood body, not plywood, and the neck is very nice, strong maple. The hardware also seems solid. It's a very dependable instrument and I could definitely use it on any gig without a backup guitar.

N/A

I would highly recommend old Jap Squiers to someone looking for an inexpensive but high-quality guitar. They're way better than the crappy Squiers made today. Today's Squiers have poor construction and shitty tone. They've made some slight improvements recently but they've got a long way to go to match the '80's Japanese Squiers.

everything you need. mines is a '02 model, metallic black. 22 frets, standard 3 single coils, 5-way switching, maple neck, and synchronised 2-point trem. only way it could have been better would be locking trem. i modified mine. i like tone controls.

sounds bloody awesome for its price. not really noisy. i have a boss amp and alot of effects (i build my own). versatile, smooth warm and fat in the neck, twangy and bright in the bridge, and everything in between. blues, rock, JIMI

action was fine from the factory, but i felt the need to lower it as much aas practically possible. finish was nice. only problem i had was after a while the sides of the neck started to go a funny colour from huge amounts of use, im going to sand it back and re-laquer it soon, and scallop the frets while im at it.

SOLID. i literally tore the pickguard off when i was modding it, and all the hardware was fine. the nut on the input jack comes loose a bit though, easily fixed, ive had it for a year and a half, and there is virtually no fret wear.

i got 2 years warranty, never had to use it.

too good for the price. i love it. ive played 1500 dollar esps and crap and ive always come back to this, second only to its daddy, the big Fender Strat. mod friendly as well :)

according to The Fender Book these ones were made late 80s, early 90s. USA fenders but sent to mexico for finishing, but final ensamble in the US. so they are US made fenders, but named Squier (hmm), made in USA.
mine is sorta fiesta red, white pickguard, 3 standart single coils which have aged nicely. delicious maple neck w/ 21 frets, no rosewood. kind of vintage style tremolo, 1 vol, 2 tones, just like any strat. 5- pos. switch.
serial number is only four digits, starting with an zero. no letter.
guitar is very very light. nice finish.
just beautyful!

i play bluesy retro alternative (?) and this guitar fits just everything. forget about chinese, korean, mexican or japan squiers, THIS IS THE ONE!
i play it thru my 70s fender super twin reverb with pedals as followed: EHX bassballs, mr. crybaby wah/vol, boss ce-2 chorus, boss bf-2 flanger, roland phase 5, boss od-1 (check out review), boss od-2, pearl analog delay.
no noise at all, unlike my '72 stat. pickups sound great!
no nasty feedback like other squiers.
i like everything about it... 'nuff said.

everything just fine. it almost plays itself! jaja
finish does not crack, smoothe and nice.

the maple neck is a dream....

this guitar will withstand years of gigging, it stays in tune, even after massive trem- use (a la hendrix).
has a bunch of nicks in the body but finish does not crackle or come off.
i can totally depend on it, but i always use another backup guitar for the REAL humbucker sound (modified jazzmaster w/ a dimarizio in the bridge).

haven't had to call yet.

i have used it for several years now, and i don't think i'm ever going to sell it. it has a nice vintage look, except for the (original!) kinda grover-ish tuning pegs. looks 50s, 60s... feels 50s, 60s!
if it was stolen i would deffenitely try to get another one, but these ones are rare. very underrated, i have seen these ones go on ebay for the same price as japs or mexican squiers. GET ONE IF YOU CAN! i bet they are gonna be collectibles soon...
i love everything about it, the looks, the feel, the sound. it is like a little bit of a 50s 60s and 80s 90s strat all in one! for the rest i have my '72 strat.
i own several other fenders and gibsons (all vintage) but this is the only more recent guitar i have kept (and will keep).
get your eyes and/or hands on it and don't let it go!

Standard '01 Strat Squier, 'nuff said. The two tone knobs and the five-way switch offer excellent versatility, as I am mostly aa blues and rock person.

Great sound for the price range. With a small 10 watt Fender Frontman amp, I can play everything from bass lines to bright-sounding Luther Perkins riffs and everything in-between. There is, however, an annoying hum on first- and fifth-position pickup selections(it gets worse when your in a room with a lot of hard surfaces for the sound to reflect off of), and a popping sound when switching between pickups. It sounds good overdriven, too.

I have heard of people having trouble keeping in tune when using the whammy bar, but since I don't use it all that often, it isn't a problem for me. The nut on the cable socket comes loose easily, however, and it makes the humming worse.

I don't have a hard case, and I abuse my guitar somewhat, but that hasn't been a problem with my Fender, besides cosmetic problems such as chipping and denting the finish, which is entirely my fault.

The best customer support is making sure the customer never needs support:)

I've been playing two years(mostly self taught, though my dad taught me Johnny Cash stuff), and the Strat is the first(and only, so far) guitar I've bought. I'd recommend it to any casual electric player with not a lot of money on hand.

I purchased the guitar from a friend who was having a Custom one built. The custom job was not as good as this one and he regretted selling it. It has a rosewood fretboard, the three layer pickguard. I believe the body is solid ash (it's very dense) giving it lots of sustain, and has the standard Fender tremelo. The only modifications to the guitar is a DiMarzio double coil pick-up added to the treble posiiton (not by me). The case is typically Fender plastic, with even a slight exposure to heat or hot sun these cases always seem to warp in the same place.

The sound of this instrument has been absolutely phenomenal considering the price I've paid for it. I play many different styles and the tonal variability has suited them all. Many other musician friends of mine comment very favorably on the near perfect intonation, tone and since I am not a tremelo player, the guitar's ability to stay in tune.

Having been a Strat player for so long I am a bit biased toward it's action, and have to get used to the actions of other guitars (like Gibsons). I was initially worried when I saw only three screws holding the neck on but have not had any problems with neck wobble. I have no complaints to other aspects of the fit and finish. I have brought this guitar into many a music store to compare them to newer Strats. Yngwie was right they are better quality and have been for some time. I am not alone in this opinion.

I have had this guitar for 17 years now, and have not had a single worry in regards to it's reliablity. It has always been good to go when I pull it out of it's case. It is also very durable, more so than the newer $1000.00+ Stratocasters.

I have never had to use Fender's Customer Support. This guitar was that well built.

I have been playing for more than two decades now and this guitar has been there for most of that time. Every musician remembers the first REAL instrument they've purchased and what effect that has had on thier playing. The only reason why these early Japanese Strats have the Squier label on them is because Fender was pricing US Strats out of the range of many musicians and needed to recapture the middle market back from Ibanez. These are REALLY Stratocasters! Same materials and quality of workmanship. I will certainly purchase another Japanese Squier Stratocaster. The quality and fit and finish make them a highly underrated value. Besides, on stage nobody notices the "Squier " label if you sound good.

made in 1982, the first squires to hit the road. made in japan so quality is notdisgarded. 21 frets. a standard maple fender neck Standard fender everything actually. the guitar is a fender strat with a squire logo on it. Standard fender floating tremalo and machine haeds etc

i mainly play metal (van halen)and the sound is a ok. the only problem is the slightly tiny sound of those single coil pickups on bridge setting. i use a line 6 pod and the guitar goes superbly with it. there is a range from a deep full sound to a wild trebley tone
The harmonics are also excellent on this guitar, perfect for my eddy style playing

i actually baught this guitar second hand but it needed the action altering slightly but now its perfect. i never adusted the pick-ups and they seem ok. overall, the guitar is absolubtly solid and isnt tiny and light feels very well screwed together with no lose or wobely parts. totaly mint

iv played this guitar on numorous occations and not a single thing has gone wrong from snaping strings to de-tuning mid song.i think it will last forever, i dont think i would use without back up still but that goes without saying for any guitar