Fender Squier Stratocaster

Standard looking Strat made in Korea, 21 frets, maple neck, solid top. It has volume and and two tone knobs, 5 way selector, 3 single coil pickups, tremolo. I bought mine as a box set for about $200 and it came with a case(cheap plastic one)picks, strap, cheap amp, a cable, and a useless instructional book.

I give it a 10 bacause I love that I can get a rock, jazz, latin, and a bluesy Clapton sound with that fuzzy quality in one guitar and it's easy to slide up and down the neck being a Beatle fan and they used many barr chords in there songs.

As I mention I play a lot of Beatle tunes. I use a Squire amp wich gives me some real good brightness that other amps can't. I also have an amp by a company calles Kustom which I don't see that often. I love the clean jazz feeling when I play some latin songs that use 5ths, 6ths, 9ths and 13th chords. I love the blues sound when you detone and play certain solos.

When I play rock, I get a good crispy sound which i love but when you strum a chord with distortion on I don't like the backfull of sound. I prefer the isolated sound with not much feedback after you strum so you can keep on strumming and hear each individual strum. For example, it's hard to play Sgt. Pepper's, the Reprise, which has an opening in F major. But otherwise it's great. You can play the solo(s) to The End by the Beatles almost exact by switching the selector switch which in turn lets you sound like 3 different guys

It's real easy to grip while standing or sitting with the designed comfort concavings on the front and back. The tuners are reliable, I hardly ever have to re-tune except when I use the tremolo often. The pickups are adjustable and give a good crisp sound.The neck is thin and allows you to make fast action. The body finish is nice and gives a nice glow.

The only flop it has is that the output jack is wobbly and i constantly have to retighten it and the selector switch is real easy to bend and it came bent when I opened up the box. I give it a 9 overall.

Fantastic for live playing, i dont have to worry about it cracking or breaking on me. I've had it for over six months now and hardly gets scratched, even when I took off the plastic sheet on the pickguard it barely got scratches.
The output jack gets wobbly as I said. The strap buttons never wiggle, tight tuners, I'd trust having it alone for a gig without a backup.

No problems with repairs so far, Thank you Fender!

I've been playing for about three years, I'm 15 and I own a Fender Acoustic DG7, a Yamaha Bass, and two Strats. If I lost it, I'd buy a Gibson or Epiphone bacause I have two Strats, but I do like the color if so I'd be in a dilemma.

I love that I can get a rock, jazz, latin, and a bluesy Clapton sound with that fuzzy quality in one guitar and it's easy to slide up and down the neck being a Beatle fan and they used many barr chords in there songs.

Ordered brand new (I had waited about two weeks for that color), no case nor gig bag included. It is called Squier Stratocaster. Hancrafted in China (s\n CY99012230). Solid alder body with maple neck, large sixties style headstock, rosewood figerboard with 21 small frets and no "skunk stripe" on the back. Sealed tunning machines, 2 sixties style string trees. Truss rod adjustment at the nut. 3 single coils with ceramic bar magnets, 5-way switch, standard Stratocaster controls (2 tone and one volume but 500 k ohm pots unlike Fender's 250 k ohm). 3-ply greenish white pickguard with 8 screws. Traditional style floating tremolo with chrome block string saddles like on CBS Fenders from seventies. 4 bolt neck plate. The body has Galactic Purple polyester hi gloss finish while the neck had modern satin thin finish that very quickly became hi gloss during use. The guitar has mixed Fender features from various periods (late fifties style body with deep body contours and 8 pickguard screws, "swimming pool" single large routing for pickups like on modern Standard Stratocasters, sixties and seventies style large headstock and chrome block string saddles.
I gave 9 for the features because this guitar utilizes ingenous in it's simplicity Leo Fender's design which is so timeless and inspiring for many generations of players.

Before I decided to order it I spend several days at various NY musical stores making comparisons just switching guitars on the same amp. I had them tested thru Marshall Valvestate 80, Vox and Fender Princeton and Twin amps. I knew very well that Squiers get pretty mixed opinions from very negative ones to those actually praising them above most brand name Fenders. Well, there are many different Squiers from different periods and countries and they do vary just like all other guitars.
I compared several various Squier Stratocasters and Squier Strats against some Fender brand guitars of the same type such as American Standard Stratocasters, Japanese and Custom Shop reissue models, and also guitars like Eric Clapton model ($1 499), SRV model etc. I did not find any significant ( or noticable at all) differences in favor of those expensive guitars that would truly justify the price difference. If there was any difference most often it was in favor of the Squiers : ), which often sounded noticebly louder and clearer then most of the guitars I tested against it and also somehow rang and sustained better.
Very few of those guitars had that real Fender "twang" that is so looked after among more experienced Fender players. More on that in the Overall Rating section of that review.
The ceramic magnets are considered to be brighter sounding and giving stronger field than Alnico magnets. The sound of the Squier is bright but I would not call it too bright.
You can play as many styles on that guitar as on any electric guitar.
I gave 9 for the sound because that guitar compares very well both in sounds and looks with models costing ten times as much and it is impossible to tell the difference.

The guitar was superbly finished and ready to play. Of course every player has own preferences regarding action, pickup hight, strings gauge etc. but I just want to say the guitar was properly set up for standard overall use.
The neck is pretty slim for a Fender type guitar which makes it comfortable for younger players or those with smaller hands. The satin finish on it quickly becomes hi gloss after a few weeks of playing. On my Squier it is a little yellowish now after 4 years of use.
The guitar feels (and it is) quite heavy although it is an alder body. I was impressed by the quality of finish, perfect in every detail. The body is finished and painted like any most expensive guitar with solid color you can think of. The tunning machines are very good and smooth, guitar stays in tune as well as traditional tremolo Strat can, but the most prominent feature of it is nice and clear sound and precision intonation of the neck.
There was nothing wrong I could think of so I gave 10 here

This is as durable and reliable guitar as any best guitar you can find. Of course it is always good to have a second guitar handy when going to a gig but other fault then broken string is highly unlikely on that guitar. And regarding frequency of broken strings it is pretty good string saving guitar. 10 here for dependability.

I did not talk to them yet.

I have been played many years owning different guitars like Ibanez musician and performer, Fender Stratocaster 67 Reissue Japanese made, Marshall stack and too many pieces of gear to list here
This is the guitar I would higly recommend to anyone who likes Fender type guitars, it has good price tag for beginners on modest budget but the quality that would be great for very experienced players.. Don't think: "Oh, it is only a Squier and I want a real Fender. These are only names and guitars are as good as the design, materials and craftsmenship used while producing them. This is an exact Fender design built using quality wood and craftsmenship, there is no reason it should not sound like the US made Fenders. It is built in China- so what? China is a very old and great country with interesting history and it is nice to own guitar made there. The price can be so low because people in China work for very low wages about 2 dollars a day but it doesn't mean they can not built a beautiful guitar if Fender provides them with specifications and controls the process. Among this genre of guitars this is as good an instrument as anything else, not only in this but in any price range. Some people prefer Gibson type guitars that give you thicker distortion sound and differrent clean sound some between them really dislike Fender and compare it's sound to "naked wires", whatever, I think both designs complement each other and it is good to have two guitars one Fender type and one Gibson.
Okay, I would like to give you some tips ending this review. First- make use of the tone controls on the guitar. It is false opinion that Stratocaster can not be used to play Heavy metal becouse it becomes thin or shrill when overdrived hardly. If you turn down the tone completely on the first 4 positions (with the exception for the bridge pu which has no tone control) and use bright setting of an amp you will end up with very interesting timbre that is as useful for heavy overdrive play as Gibsons or hi gain modern guitars. Very slight movement of the tone controls just a touch up from zero will give you instant sparkle that you can dose according to your needs. If your guitar seems to you too bright on clean channels just use your tone controls- set them about half way down and it will sound darker. Much depends on the amp here. Very good rhythm position for hi gain playing is position 2 on the 5 way selector (neck plus middle) with bass pu tone control almost totally closed and great solo tone is on position 4 (bridge plus middle) with similarily closed middle pu tone control.
And one more "secret" about the sound of Fenders. Fender frequently used shims to adjust the neck to body angle. They really influence the sound and the way the note attacks sustains and decays. When there is no shim and the heel joint is perfectly smooth and tightly screwed
the guitar will sound wery tight but in less inspiring way, more like neck thru body designs. When the heel surface is imperfect and there is some metal shims the attack-decay will become "twangy"- that is what is so liked by many Fender players. If you experiment a little with those shims you will end up with very interestingly sounding instrument. Perhaps newer Fenders are not so highly acclaimed for the tone as their older instruments because they just have too perfect body to neck joint. Therefore some imperfections can bring more class and character to any instrument.
If that guitar was stolen I would get another one like her.

OK, thanks for reading this lenghty but hopefully helpful review. If you have any questions or comments contact me at the below e-mail address.

made in indonesia. 2 pointless tone controls (they really dont do much), on volume control, 3 single coil pickups (which SUCK @SS!), tremolo (god it sucks, it goes out of tune the second you even dare to touch it), 5 way switch (POS), black...etc etc...

i like to play punk/metal, but i do play a bit of blink and beatles too... its noisier than a monkey getting a bowlin ball rammed up its ass. the 5 way switch sucks, might as well not be there, everytime you switch it makes an annoying popping sound.

if you forget all the stuff that comes standard with a shit squier strat, it wasnt chipped or anything like that. not that i noticed anything when it was new since i was a beginner. but it IS noisy.

i havent really even beat it up or anything. the strap buttons are a joke, the other one loosened and kept falling out when i was practising at home, i had to glue it back and it still doesnt stay properly. it goes out of tune constantly, and dont even mention the whammy bar. one touch and ya gotta tune it again.

havent had to deal with them.

ive been playing for about 2 years, and thats all i own. im planning on getting a new guitar soon, not a bullshit one that makes so much noise and falls apart when you try to play it. its an ok beginner guitar I GUESS... i pretty much wish i hadnt bought it.

I bought a 2000 Squier Strat from a buddy of mine for like 40 bucks. I am pretty sure it was made in korea. It has 21 frets, 1 volume knob and 2 tone pots with 5way selector. There are three pickups. I think the neck is mahogany (its heavier than crap)strat body, i like the big neck because my hands are too big for some of the fender necks.

I play Stevie Ray all the way. It is defintely not a blues guitar it has a hard rock sound and nothing on the 5 way can help that. I have a Fender Frontman 45 watt amp, Tech4 and rp200 pedals.

I like the action my friensd plays rock so he had it pretty low. But i raised it a little from a fuller blues sound. I think im getting the pickups rewound.

I would play my Bullett before playing this guitar live. I seems durable enough. I woudld bring a good guitar and use htis one as a backup at a gig.

Bought it used

I have been playing 10 years. I have aFendeR bULLETT which i love for playing Stevie Ray(R.I.P.). This guiatr amy or may not suit you depending on you musical preference

the neck is mahogany, im pretty sure, with a maple fret board. it's actually made pretty well. i like the whammy a lot and it stays in tune kind of well. i actually pulled the whammy bar up so now it no longer has a right-angled corner. i can now go a LOT lower than i used to be able to. it still stays in tune pretty well.

this is about the nastiest sounding guitar i've ever heard, which i love. when youre on the 1st, 3rd, or 5th position on the pickup switch, there's a slight humming, but it doesnt bother me. i usually run it through two distortion pedals anyway.

i think the action is perfect. the pickups have been messed around with a lot since i first got the guitar, and i'm not sure how i felt about the factory setting on them when i first got it. the pickup switch is very noisy, but the guitar has taken a beating, so i don't mind. the fret bars are wearing a good bit, and there's no reason for them to be, so i am kind of angry about this. it doesnt really matter though... i use it for a crap guitar to just mess around with.

alright. i really have beaten the crap out of this one. i've taken it apart many times, which isnt that bad, but ive parts of it a couple of times (including the pickups) and it works fine. i play pretty hard on it also, and it holds up fine, although i break strings often (which i suppose isnt the guitar's fault). i suppose i can depend on this guitar and i would definitely use it on a gig without a backup, but it isnt the type of guitar youd take to a gig unless you intended to smash it.

havent had to deal with the company.

i like this guitar a lot. it has such a nasty sound. although, if it was stolen, i would definitely not buy another (i'd get something cheaper if i wanted a crap guitar).

A very early Squier strat (serial A013959) made in japan. Would be interested in finding out exactly when it was built, but must be early 80s. Solid cream body with white scratchplate. Lovely rosewood neck with pearl dots. 5-way selector switch which still functions well, with the occasional squirt of WD-40 every couple of years. Cream coloured single coil pickups, but no idea which make. Got a tremelo as well, but it was crap, so I took the arm off and have it in a draawer somewhere..hmm. Sounds good compared with modern USA strats, and has a nice Stevie Ray tone if I use the second switch position down from the neck. Little Wing sounds just like the real thing (well, tone wise, not ability-wise). I have a custom shop Tele which sounds awesome as well, but could never match the mellow tones of this guitar. For the money it was an absolute bargain. (#65 sterling in the 80s - second hand)

Use it with a VOX AC30 and VOX AC125 lead head. Also got a Korg multi-effects pedal with reverb/chorus/echo etc. Play mostly blues/rock, but even playing folk stuff (trad Scottish/Irish music), it sounds great. The treble pickup is too clangy for anything apart from distorted heavy metal soloing, but the 'rhythm pickups sound really clean and warm. There's an earht buzz which comes and goes, and I've never managed to get rid of, but it's only really annoying when nothing is being played, you'd hardly notice it otherwise.

I got the guitar secondhand, and have hardly touched it since. DOne the intonation once a year if that. The finish on the body isn't too bad, but most of the chrome on the bridge and string-guides on the headstock has tarnished. This may be due to the fact it sat in my attic for 18 months, whilst I worked overseas, and was subject to heat and cold out side the norm. Was still pretty much in tune when I pulled it out the case though, so nothing drastic happened. Chrome on the pickups is still deep,shiny perfection funny enough. There's a small crack which I noticed years ago where the neck joins the body, but it hasn't got any worse, and doesn't affect the playing. The neck is straight and a joy to play.

I've gigged with this guitar on numerous occasions, though I usually play a Telecaster. The finsih is standing up very well, though it has the usual dings and scratches associated with gigging use. It's been dropped a couple of times, and seems pretty impervious to the amount of abuse I've thrown at it. The real test of durability will come in the next few years when my sons take up guitar...I hope :).
The cream finish on the body seems very thick, and has one deep gouge where I dropped something on the guitar, but you can't see the wood underneath...Strap buttons are nearly rusted on they're so solid. I'd have no qualms about taking this guitar on a gig with no backup...well, apart from a set of strings..

Been playing for over 20 years, as well as this Squier strat, I've got a Telecaster 62 reissue with bound edges and a really lovely sound. A Les Paul 1992 which I'm thinking of trading for a bass. I also have 3 acoustic guitars, a beautiful Martin D35, a Norman 12 string and a Spanish classical solid top which is batter beyond belief but sounds great, even with my lumbering classical pieces.
I'm very happy with this guitar, and for the money can have no complaints. I've tried Fender USA strats of the same era, and a couple of those were much worse than the Squier. If I saw another one, I'd definitely buy it if the price was OK. These old Squiers are really nice, but you'd have to get it away from mainstream guitar shops as most people are cottoning on to the fact that these are more Fender than anything else. Check the local papers or whatever, and if you see one, they might be a bargain!

Bought this new in 1983, Japanese Squire.

I had just started playing at that time, and was a fan of Eric Clapton's Blues Breakers stuff, and whenever I heard a guitar sound I liked, it seemed to be a Strat. Then I read an interview with Yngwie Malmsteen in which he said he used Squire Strats because they were "better than the new US made ones." I also saw some gear listings for albums which listed Squire Strats, so I figured that was the way to go! Being inexperienced I bought one without really trying it...

Was dissapointed at first with the terrible hum from the pickups, and didn't like the bridge too much, or even the sound really. It is a very well made instrument though, solid with quality parts.

First thing I replaced the stock pickups with Dimarzio, HS-3 for neck and HS-1 for bridge. Then put on a locking tremelo, later had the frets replaced with Jumbo ones, new graphite nut... The stock tuners have always been fine.

I found the original pickups to be harsh, noisey and brittle... but I didn't really know much back then, just wanted to play heavy metal. With the Dimarzios it still has a strat sound, excellent for blues, but also nice for a clean twangy jazz sound. Very versatile. I do mostly home recording, and have used it on over 100 songs, love it!

Was setup reasonably well at the factory. Still the same pots and selector switch working fine after 20 years. Strap buttons good, nothing to complain about, well built!

Very dependable, seems like it will last forever. They sure don't make Squires like that now! Very nice black paint has held up well.

Have never called.

Have been playing since 1981, my other main guitar is an 85 Randy Rhodes Jackson. Really like my strat, would like to get it painted some day, but would be embarassed for anyone to see the bad routing job I did on this... once tried putting in a Dimarzio Super Distortion pickup - didn't sound too good. Has withstood all my tampering, experimenting and tomfoolery over the years, awesome guitar.

This is a 1985 Fender Squier Stratocaster made in Japan. The neck is 22 standard frets, rosewood fretboard with mother of pearl inlaid dots. The body seems to be single-piece alder routed in such a way to accomodate only the single coils that are stock (American Strats had a wider rout pattern). Electronics are standard passive stratocaster hardware.

The passive single coils are ok. The tone is bright, clear and less mid-rangy that what you'd find on an American Standard of the same period.

The tremelo system is nothing to write home about. The bridge saddles particularly are total crap compared with the rest of the hardware. They are covered with a chrome that flakes and hinders the sustain and tone.

Tuners are non-locking, fair quality that differ from those used on American instruments in years previous. Each has the Fender logo stamped on it.

The finish was a basic cream color when I got it. The quality of the paint job was equal to higher-priced American made Fender instruments.

The high point of this guitar is the neck. The single piece maple neck with rosewood fretboard is a testament to the high quality of work that was coming out of Fender Japan at that time. The neck is lighter and faster than American necks with a thick, hard finish on it. The radius may be slightly tighter than Americans, although I wouldn't swear to it. I can't say enough good things about this neck. I have a 1984 American Strat (entirely stock) which I also love- but the finish on the neck has not held up nearly as well as the Japanese one has. This despite the fact that both guitars had spent their entire lives in their cases before I got them 'used.'

This guitar has suited a lot of noodling, west African style lead work and basic blues. Not as warm a tone as I like for rhythm work, but new pickups would change that. With a humbucker in the bridge position this could be an very versatile instrument.

The noise is no more than you would expect from single coils. Again, the pickups have a bright, clear, bell-like tone.

Having got the guitar in a very one-sided swap of $20 plus the world's crappiest bass, I can't speak to factory setup.

Aside from the oxidized and flaking saddles, there were no flaws with this guitar. High quality materials were used throughout and parts fit together properly. Fret work was quite good. A very polished looking instrument.

Some of the hardware has not stood up well over the years. Nothing has broken as such, but the bridge just needs to be replaced and the pickups are not amazing. Locking tuners would be nice.

The finish deserves a medal or something for holding up this well in the 8 years that I have owned it.

The strap buttons are fine.

The instrument is dependable in that nothing is likely to break, cut out or otherwise stop working. I am not a professional musician, but if I were I would bring a backup due to the liklihood of the instument going out of tune or breaking a string at an inopportune moment (what with the lousy bridge adding friction).

I have done all repair and maintinence on this guitar myself.

I've been playing on and off since I was 12. I also own an '85 American Fender Stratocaster, a custom fretless Carvin bass, Peavy backstage amp, Carvin bass amp and assorted lesser instruments.

I would be pissed if anything happened to this guitar but I don't know that I would definitely replace it because I do have another great Strat. The highest point is the neck. That part alone is worth twice what I paid for the whole thing. One thing that I really ought to bother with is replacing the bridge.

If you should run into one of these in a pawn show, buy it. The word is getting out on these things and they seem to actually be appreciating in value now. Old Japanese Fenders have often been lumped in with other shoddy import crap ruining the Fender name. They are undervalued. This guitar is better than most of the newer American Strats that sell for $800 or more. replacing the saddle or the entire bridge is cheap and easy to do yourself. If you don't like the bright tone of the pickups it is worth buying the guitar anyway and putting in new Carvins (wicked cheap, high quality parts) or whatever suits your taste.

As I've mentioned a few times, I own both a U.S. and a Japanese Fender made about a year apart and the comparison is favorable. The sound and feel are different but both good. The bones of the guitar- the neck, fretboard and body are an amazing deal.

Any halfwit can slap some high (or low) quality hardware on a lousy neck and body. It's the woodwork that takes real skill. You'll end up with something that looks great at first but turns into a waste of money and a piece of crap. But a good neck and body take real craftsmanship that is worth investing in even if they are covered with lack-luster hardware. That's what makes this guitar such a good deal. Especially if you are into hot-rodding your instruments, this particular version of the Squire is a great platform(that's what I did with these things all through high school).

Maybe there is some new pickup or tremolo system that you would love to experiment with but don't want to mess with your main, 100% stock vintage instrument. That's one of many great roles for this guitar.

I play a 1995 Squier Strat that was made in Mexico. It's all white with a Maple neck. It has three pickups, two tone and one volume knob, and a 5-way selector. The guitar doesn't, like most Squires, have a whammy bar and floating bridge. The only negative part of the guitar is that there is a cover on the back of the guitar which goes over where you put in the strings. This is not a problem when putting a new string in, but it is a nuisance to take it off if there is a broken string that you need to take out. I just took this cover off and there hasn't been a problem since.

I've been playing it for alomst a year now with a variety of amps - mostly Peavey or Fender - and it sounds pretty good. I also picked up the Danelectro DJ-12 Black Coffee Distortion pedal and it sounds great together. I play mostly rock and it has a very full, clean sound. It can give you almost the same sound as a domestically made, more expensive Fender for half the price. The only bad thing about the sound is that it can get a little piercing when the high notes are played with a ouder volume, but that may just be my amp.

since my guitar was bought used I can't tell what it was originally like.

I think the guitar is quite reliable. It has been around for about 7 or 8 years now and there are only a few visable cracks or flaws in the finish. I have also dropped it a couple times and it seems to have withstood the abuse. It is built quite solidly so it should last you a while.

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The guitar is a great guitar for beginners since it is so cheap and still makes a great sound. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to convert to electric for the first time. I also played an Ibenez which sounds great for metal songs, but the Squier is better for all around uses. I also don't care for the floating bridges becasue they cause the strings to fall out of tune very easily. Overall this Squier Strat is a great buy.

My Squier Strat was made in 1981 in Korea.
it includes 3 single coil pickups with a 3 way swiching swich. and 2 tone controls and one volume. including a whammy bar and a whammy bar bridge.
It is a Classic white strat with a rosewood fretboard.
My neck was customized to a Thin neck for easy playing.

This guitar almost fits my musical needs perfectly, i play punk rock music and i use the bridge pickup for lots of treble.
i play mostly downstroaking guitar with a bit of riffs and soloing.
i using peavey amps with plain distortion with a clean/distortion pedal.

When i recieved the guitar the action and setup was almost perfect to what i would of used.. i moved the action a little bit lower..
and thats all i needed.
the guitar had no flaws and played exellent from the day i got it.

This guitar could easely withstand live playing...
i have been pretty hard on it over the years and its done amazing.
The strap buttons i did have touble with though.
after about 6 months the screw on the forward scrap button started to come lose, and even after tighening kept coming lose.. this happened to a friend of mine as well. i fixed it by dipping the screw in carpenters glue and screwing it back in.

i have been playing for 5 years now. and i own:

-a washburn
-a squier tele
-a strat tele
-a Tom Delonge Signature strat
-Fender d-g7 acoustic


I Think the squier strat is the best guitar for the money.
especially for a beginner guitarist.
i could not recoment a better guitar for the money... i am still playing one after 5 years.
and still sounds great (with a few customizations)
every dollar will pay off..
thanks for reading my review
-Anthony Rosborough