Fender Squier Telecaster Custom II

For lower-budget Fender/Squier products this guitar makes my old mexi-starter-strat look like a toy. Features are pretty standard, the Tele body style makes for a nice comfortable cut-away for reaching the higher frets. Six-adjustment saddle was a big point for me in purchasing this guitar vs the old-style Tele three-adjustment saddle. The black finish is like a mirror. I really like the way it is set off by the maple neck, I just don't think this guitar would look proper with a rosewood fretboard. 3-way pickup selector is very solid, and pretty quiet switching pickups as well.

This guitar puts the SG to shame in bang for the buck. Very smooth sound. Very quiet and pleasant with the stock pickup height, raising them up a couple millimeters brings it to full rocking potential although there's the risk of a little extra noise/hum. I found a happy medium raising them just enough to 'biggen' the sound without creating a lot of noise. I'm a big classic rock buff, and I delve into some newer rock as well. A good clean sound means as much to me as a good heavy/hard sound and I have to admit this guitar handles both excellently.

Actually makes my amp/cab sound better than my SG does, and is much more versatile. In hard-rocking showdom the SG would win, for for all practical purposes the dual P90s offers a wider variety of sounds to my ear. I also play through a Pod 2.0, which I may feed into my computer or my Sovtek depending on my mood. Sounds 'cleaner' through the Pod than the SG does. SG makes a lot of noise through the Pod and surprisingly the P90s on the Tele make about half as much.

A LOT more than I expected for the price. I could buy six of these for the money I have invested in my SG.

Stock setup from Fender/Squire. Ordered from Musician's Friend, came without the little plastic screw-on knob for the pickup selector (more on this in Customer Service section). Other than that the fit & finish is sweet for the price. I can't find a flaw in the guitar at all, save that one of the pickguard screws was a touch loose out of the box.

I would like to have the action a hair lower, and I did the intonation myself. Intonation is in my opinion the most important aspect of a guitar setup, and it isn't very hard to do a decent job at it yourself. Any cheap guitar setup guide has instructions, and unless you know what you're doing ignore anything the book might say about neck relief. The intonation was great but not quite perfect out of the box. One of the key selling points on this guitar for me was the saddle, having six individual adjustments instead of the classic Tele three adjustment saddle. In the end I probably won't bother in lowering the action, simply because I've been playing it so much the action hasn't ill-affected me in any way.

Really I'm only giving a 6 in this category due to the missing selector switch knob, out-of-the-box setup on this guitar was better than most I've come into contact with.

Built solid. Its a bolt-on neck, which is simple and easy to replace if you manage to break it. The tuners aren't the most pride-inspriring, but they do the job. I suspect in the coming years they may start to loosen up, but that's just pure speculation. I haven't had to tighten them yet, and I find myself tightening my SG's tuners about every 3 months.

For this category I'm ranking Musician's Friend, not Fender/Squier. I haven't dealt with Fender/Squier directly at all.

As I mentioned earlier the guitar came without a plastic knob on the pickup selector switch. I called Musician's Friend and the representative I dealt with was very courteous and 'knew' exactly what knob I was talking about, and claimed it would be sent out right away. The knob arrived in three business days, so that was nice. It was a Gibson knob. Completely different inside diameter and threading. Fits on my SG just fine.

I called back and got a different representative, informed him that they had sent me a Gibson knob for the correct switch, but this was a Fender/Squier guitar. He said that indeed the wrong knob was selected in my replacement part request and would send out the correct knob right away. In three business days the knob arrived again. Now I have two replacement pickup selector switch knobs for my Gibson SG. I don't know if this is an ordering problem, a warehouse problem, or what, but its rather disconcerting.

I called back again and went through the exact same routine. About four business days later the 'correct' knob came. It is a Volume knob for a Fender amp. The package doesn't specify which amp, but it definitely not a guitar volume knob, and definitely not a pickup selector switch knob.

I called back again, rather irritated, although as polite as I could be while swearing under my breath. Same deal, new knob, Musician's Friend is terribly sorry. About two (!) weeks later I got a set of strap knobs, the ones on the horn and base that you would attach your strap to. I gave up, went to the local music shop and bought the correct knob for $2.95.

VERY impressed... I started playing about a decade ago with one of those Fender Standard Strat packs, with the little Frontman 15R combo. Since then I've invested in a late 90s Gibson SG. I'm pretty particular about sound, and even on the SG the neck pickup sounded too muddy so I swapped it out for a '57 classic pickup.

I typically practice through my little Frontman 15R, and I can even pull a pretty nice sound out of that. My main rig is a Sovtek Mig50 Head (wooden cab, all tube) through a Kustom 2x12 old-style tuck n' roll cabinet. I believe the speakers in the cab are Jensens.

If this guitar was shattered/lost/stolen/spontaneously combust I would definitely get another one. In my hunt for a guitar with P90s (always loved that sound) I tried out many guitars from $200 to $1400. I ended up somewhat torn between this and an Epiphone Les Paul reissue '56 Goldtop (P90s of course). In price, throw-it-around ability, and looks I chose the Squier Tele Custom II.

Blonde Body/Fret
P-90 Pickups
Duncan Designed Pickups

I play lots of styles, but mostly rock, and although the pickups are pretty noisy, its not that bad if you are far enough from the amp.

a Tele isnt really meant for rock, but this is pretty good for multiples styles.

I bought this used, and the guy who sold it too me just got it set up before he sold it too me, and i recommend that. It sounded great from the minute i played it. I may need to set it up again in a few months though as i play it almost every day and bang it around.

The parts are not that great, but what do you expect? Nothing has gone wrong yet, but the toggle and input jack are both semi loose, and i have a feeling will require repair in the distant future

The finish is pretty good, no complaints

I would maybe use this as a backup guitar live, as its cheap and wouldnt care so much about it.

The strap button fell out of the hole after i put a new Dimarzio strap in it. I used the old toothpick trick and its been fine since then. But i abused it playing it which caused it to come out.

I bought it used...so no warranty.

ive been playing for 10 years, i own mostly gibson guitars and i bought this just to play at college so i wouldnt have to worry about babying it or if it got stolen. If it got stolen somehow, i would probably check out the other squire w/o the P-90s. It plays better than my MIM strat and my epiphone SG, but not better than my gibsons obviously. I might change the pickups if i can later.

For a cheap guitar with decent sound, this is a great investment. Just get that setup.

features seem pretty much like everyone else's... cool, cheesy vomit tan finish, almost tv yellow... thin, fast neck, cheap tone and volume knobs, double Duncan designed p-90's... pretty standard axe... some of the frets can be a little sharp around the edges...

i play this guitar through a ts-9 and 535q wah plugged straight into a reverned hellhound 40/60 tube head and marshall 1960a. when i first got this guitar, it sounded decent, like a 6 maybe, but i noticed after getting some tips from a friend that if i raised the pickup heights, it improved the sound dramatically... the bridge pickup has a really nice crunch that can cover heavy distortions quite well...the neck pickup has awesome, glassy clean tones that are perfect for jazz... i also really like the blues lead tones that come from this pickup... not a big fan of the middle position that uses both pickups at the same time... they sound too different from one another and do not seem to mix well... i play a lot of music, mainly smashing pumpkins/ bends era radiohead type stuff and this guitar does a good job covering the sounds i need... just do yourself a favor and raise your pickups if you arent getting the sounds you want...

the guitar was set up really well from the store i got it from... the paint job was flawless... the neck feels good, tight neck pocket... a pretty solid guitar... like i said before, the pickups were a little low for my taste, but p-90s are easily adjusted so thats no big problem...

this guitar seems pretty dependable... i have only 3 complaints about it... sometimes when i am playing, the high e string gets stuck on some frets that seems a little sharp and this has resulted in a few broken strings over time... the tone and volume control knobs are very cheap and will need to be replaced probably after banging the guitar around a few times... and the pickups selector switch seems to come loose and needs tightening about every other time i play... other than that, this guitar has never failed me live...

ive never had to go to squire for anything... if it broke i would probably just buy another one, cause they are so cheap...

i've been playing for about 5 or 6 years and ive owned a lot of guitars... i tend to buy a lot of things and turn around and sell them over time because they end up collecting dust and wasting space... this guitar has stuck with me as my main axe longer than any other... there are nicer guitars out there... but i like this one... it feels comfortable, sounds comfortable, and is cheap so i dont have to worry about it... would i buy another one if it was lost or stolen... maybe...

Slightly more options than the bog-standard Tele. It's great to have individual tone and volume controls a la Gibson. The through body stringing makes a big difference to my ear too... more expensive to manufacture than a simple bridge mounted assembly. A welcome addition to an already excellent package.

As has been stated, the p90's are a great compromise between beefy humbuckers and trebly single coils. Potentially noisy, but I play cranked up/distorted so I love 'em. Lots of harmonics, but I achieved this after experimenting with the pickup hight. Initially too low, raising it a few mm made all the difference. We play the odd bluesy number and the neck sounds great too. Not as thick as you'd expect, but ample for the odd song or two.

Can't fault the action. I picked it up from the shop pretty much before they had a chance to set it up but I don't think it needed it. I really like the matt/satin finished maple neck, but I know this is an objective point.

I decided to 'relic' mine up a bit, and the polyester/urathane finish is really thick (1 or 2 mm). I gave it a real seeing too with a padlock and security chain (as well as a bench sander) and it survived admirably. No tuning stability issues and it now looks about 30 years old! I have played it live around 10 times now. I sweat a lot on stage and it's been fine. Tuning is bomb proof once new strings have bedded in. This thing is just the best workhorse.

I can't recomend this guitar enough. All my mates love it, they love to play it and within a short period of time it has become my main stage geetar. I bought it initially on looks combined with the very reasonable price, but it has proven to be a valuable tool of the trade. If you like quirky bomb proof teles, then ignore these puppies at your peril!

See below for exact specifications. My opinion: pretty damn sweet!! I mean, you have the girth of a telecaster neck and body, the controls of a telecaster deluxe, and the Duncan (designed) P90s sound AMAZING to my ear. I always felt Strat single coils were too cold and Gibsonesque humbuckers were too chunky. I finally found my happy medium. Actually, its better than a mere compromise.
On this particular example, a crack in the finish on the lower horn had to be sealed with crazy glue and ink. The result is not perfect but pretty camoflauged and will not get worse. A prior owner seems to have chopped the toggle switch so that it still works but is almost flush with the body. I thought I'd have to replace that but I kinda like having no obstruction--plus it still does its job. It just feels more like a square little slider switch like on Jazzmasters for instance.
Finally, prior owner set this thing up beautifully filing down the frets and smoothing neck edges. It plays super smooth and I can't put it down!

Like I said, my ideal sound. I play rock and roll, but fool with the blues when I'm in the privacy of my home. I run it through an all tube 60w early 80s american combo who's name I will withold in case another comes up on eBay. This guitar has the most stability of sound of any others I've played. My others now are a 80s MIJ Strat and early 60s Ibanez mustang/jaguar looking guitar toy.

Was well set up when I recieved it so a high mark here. Cant comment on the factory. The neck pickup is a touch loose--a common problem from what Ive read. The jack "bucket" is a little misaligned from the body (these jack suck and I dont know why Fender doesnt move on. but if they did it would be trailblazed by no Indo Squier). There is a slight misalignment b/w neck pocket and neck. I cant tell if this is the neck itself or the pocket was cut a little off. I had to adjust the saddles a little to get this sorted. Im gonna replace the neck anyway with an aftermarket 50s style tele nitro neck. Big Deal.

It seems pretty sturdy. One strap button will not tighten up as if the screw hole were stripped a little. Finish does seem a little eggshelly from that one crack but it didnt crumble away either. I will play this live but NEVER this or any other instrument without a backup.

Pretty good. Havent needed it yet. But I like the setup PDF on the Squier site.

I mentioned my other stuff, 1989 MIJ Strat, 1964 Ibanzez 882. 60w tube combo. I also have a Dunlop Fuzz Face and CH-2. I also have one maraca. If anyone sees the second......

I adore the P90s on this thing. I also love the deluxe pickguard and knobs. Im impressed even more than I had expected. I wouldnt pay more that 150$ plus shipping for one simply because of the MI Indonesia stigma. But, I would replace for that.

Features have all been reviewed before. More control than your average telecaster with 2 volume and 2 tone controls. I tend to control the tone from the amp, so that's not ultra important to me.

Play bass mainly (Rickenbacker) and bought this to learn some chords on. Indie/Rock style. This guitar has a nice warm sound without sacrificing all of that telecaster jangle. Good variety between the pick ups. No hum that I've noticed. Just using a little Orange Crush 10w practice amp, but can get a great sound and volume out of the combo. Bought them at the same time, so I can't say if the guitar, the amp or both are responsible.
This guitar sounds fantastic through distortion pedals (sounds good clean too)

None of the problems reported in early reviews - sounds like they've got their quality control sorted out. Even the plastic took me about 5 mins to remove.
The action was fine. Everything fitted solidly and straight. One screw on the pick guard needed half a turn to tighten it. Frets are OK - maybe slightly angular, but not sharp. I'm used to a 1983 bass, so I'd expect them to feel a bit more angular. Intonation was very slightly off on two strings - easliy adjusted. My friend has the Fender Telecaster Custom 72 re-issue, and the differences are pretty apparent side by side - the hardware on the Fender is obviously of higher quality than the Squire, but it doesn't put the Squire to shame either. I think I'll replace the machine heads and the control knobs. The current machine heads aren't bad, they're just not great. A set of Fender AMSTD machine heads are about #35. The knobs look a bit low rent, but I've seen replacement ones online for about #12. There's no great urgency for either though, these are just "nice to haves". Even with these additions, the price will still come in under #200, which is great. I noticed one review mentioned the painted on dots on the neck - they aren't a money saving exercise from Squire - they're like that on the Fender model that it's copying.

My guitar's new, so can't really say. Great paint finish. Neck finish seems a little thin - might benefit from polish or oil. Input jack seems like a potential weak point, which is probably due to staying faithful to the tele design - might put a gibson style plate over it.

Squire have a website with PDF documents on it to download - shows you how to set up the guitar. Seems pretty good. 2 year warranty.

Been playing Bass for 20 years, and Guitar for 2 weeks. If this was stolen I'd definitely replace it. Great sound, great looks, good neck and body, pretty good pick ups, average bridge and tuners/machine heads, poor input jack. Don't know about the control pots yet - soo soon to have any problems. Great for the price. I had the guitar player in my band check it out - he owns a Fender US Strat and a Fender US Telecaster (the standard configuration)- and he got some great sounds out of it. He tried the Black/Mirror Squier Tele in a shop last week and likes the Tele Custom II better.

Made in Indonesia in 2005,
22 Medium Heavy Frets
2 Semyour Duncan designer P90 pickups
3 Way Selector
Passive Electronics
Body is Agathis-Neck Maple
Black finish with black pickguard
Bridge is a Hardtail similar to the telecaster orignal without the extension.
Non Locking tuners

I like to play music such as Metal ect the p90 on the bridge alone is sufficent enough. It has warm sound perfect for those heavy riffs makes a great sound even through a Fender(squier built)15R Watt Frontman. I played a Fender Brand Standard Strat and this guitar had a far better sound.

It has a low action and was setup correctley from the shop. And the paint seams to be fine the only problems is the bridge p90 is loose.

I think this guitar would defintely survirve a gig and the hardware is a goog d quality. Thought on the edge of the threatboard it hows up dirt which can be wiped away. Strap buttons are good. I can depend. But i would like a back up incase i break string but this guitar keep its tuning well

Had no reason to obtian support.

It is great value and the guitar looks great and sounds exceptional too. If it was stolen i would buy it again but i would try a tele custom with the chrome humbuckers first. I would rather own this guitar than a fender brand standard strat. I do wish that this guitar had EMG p60a active pickups or a cheap alternative. But at this price it is asking a lot

If you are reading this I think that everyone knows the features ..It is one of those kind of guitars that .I think you have to be in the market for it .. I am giving it an eight just for the simple fact that it has p-90s on a tele ..Awesome !!

I play Blues Blues Blues..So it really fits what I try to accomplish and that is killer tone in all pos..Neck Middle Bridge ..killer killer sound ..tones in the lower volumes can be Jazzy,then krank and watch out ..Comin at ya ..It can go where ever you want to take it ..I play through a 112 fender super sonic ..and i have to say that just recently I have made this the one guitar that I have been reaching for lately.

Action Ok I mean its a Squier..not an American Fender ..but once again i mean you have to be really looking for this guitar ..It is one of a kind sound and action ..Adjustments always need to be made..Finish is cool I like it has a real see through finish and is always asked about on stage ..Neck is one thing that I had to change I knew this going into it though ..Neck that comes with it is very skinny thin and I have a 1952 Tele neck that I put on it ..So you might say its really a tele custom III..right on,! oh yea the volume and tone knobs ..cheezy ..so I put twin reverb knobs on it as well ..Damn I have good taste ..

Fender ..Fender ..Fender ...Fender ..do I have to continue ?Gibsons (the dark side )i think they are unbelievable works of art..I mean BB kings's Lucille is simply amazing piece of art ..I just think the story of Buddy Guy's 1956 Strat falling of the top of his car and he play It that night ..is just awesome ..Fender wont let you down and it a Tele for Gods sakes

Playing six years ,,I have 60's strat ..Love it I always wanted a solid Tele and I found this Jem ..I always am looking to Hot Rod guitars ..So this was a great project for me ..I play through a Fender amp super sonic 112..I think that the P90 in this far out do the Gibson's..I really think that this setup with the P-90 and on a Tele will ..for sure be picked up and put out with Feder in Cali..It is only a matter of time ..I never have put any comments on this great site really really helpful i wanted to write one cause I am really trying to push this guitar on anyone who is looking for a solid solid sounding guitar that can be used not only for blues ..but for rock ,punk,country,jazz even ..I hope it has helped ..One of the best guitars made for the money ..i know that mine has been upgraded..with the 650.00 neck but all by itself it rocks .

Nice looking Tele, kinda of off blonde. Nice big maple neck.

Ok,so its a great sounding Tele for rock, blues, and sounds great with overdrive. What if you like to country chickin pick too? Ok, the middle position is great for lead work, nice bright, and crisp before you get the rolloff. Remember nice, crisp, and hot, not that too fat overdone sound like the combination of the single coils. Buy it for that alone. Also sounds great in the neck an bridge position.

Had to lower the strings, and that was it. I liked the big flat tele neck. No major flaws, just getting the plastic off.

I think it will withstand live playing, and will use it without a back-up.

Musicians Friend has good return policy.

Ok, been playing about 35 years, rock, blues, a lot of traditional country and that new crap they call country. Blaaah! I play steel,fiddle,mandolin, and banjo in the band. Would definitely buy again. Read the sound reviews on the P-90 pups on this guitar, they're about a 9 out of 10. It's true For 225.00$ you must hear it. P.S.,NICE BIG RICH BRIGHT SOUND

black, two seymore duncan "designed" p90's, three way selector switch, 4 bolt neck, generic tuners, agathis body, maple neck... pretty much standard features for any two pick up guitar

this thing sounds f'n killer. raw and loud. playing this through a 71 fender twin with an analogman tubescreamer and vintage maestro fuzztone. noisey p90's are great. if you want quiet go get something else. p90's buzz, thats what they do so dont expect em to be like humbuckers since well, they aint. throaty rockin tone. the neck is not too muddy like a regular tele custom and the bridge isnt too bright like a regular tele custom. sounds great with or without the overdrive or fuzz and sounds amazing with them. great with trem and reverb. no dislikes. perfecto

played perfect right off the wall. played it for 5 minutes and knew i was gonna buy it. i wasnt even really looking for a guitar but it played so well not plugged in that i knew this thing would kill. it did.

should be fine. this will play more than a few live shows. this will work as a primary or backup and it will definitely get used alot.

so far so good. i just grabbed it off the wall and took it to the counter, paid for it and walked out.

its inexpensive, it sounds amazingly good for any price, it looks pretty damn cool and it has real good sounding p90's. they are definitely louder than my seymore duncan p90 that i have in my tiesco/kawai. this guitar is a gem. i would buy another in a heartbeat. it would be nice to have some cool vinatge looking klusons but that is real minor. played with brand new starings at rehearsal and it was more or less in tune the whole time. i was suprised.