Fender Squier Telecaster

Made in 1991 in Korea

Unknown wood body (could be ply for all I know)

Maple neck (that I will come to later)

Usual pick up configuration for a Telecaster.

Top loader bridge (rather than string through body)

In butterscotch blonde (or bright yellow if you like)

Won't go on about it's many features because, as a Telecaster, it naturally has very few. Got it in 1993 and owned it until about two months ago.

An incredible guitar.....eventually.

Sounds like a telecaster should...I think that's all you can ask really.

read on to the end and I'll explain.

The hardware on this guitar was crap. the bridge corroded within 2 years and the saddles fell to bits. The pickups sounded tinny on the bridge and dull on the neck. The electrics generally were of poor quality. The volume and tone were of little use and the jack kept cutting out.

Now you're thinking 'Why did he keep this bag of crap for 16 years and bother to stick a review on Harmony Central'. Well here's the thing...

The neck on this guitar was incredible. I mean it was a true joy to have in your hand. At first (being inexperienced) I didn't realise just how nice it was. My history with this guitar was unusual in that I lost possession of it for years at a time (its complicated so don't ask) but everytime I got it back it just felt right again.

So here's what I did.

I replaced all the internal electrics (including the jack) with a set up from a Mexican Standard.

Drilled through the body and fitted a kluson bridge and six ferulles at the back

I replaced the nut (twice)

New pickups from Gotoh (T1 and T2)

new scratch plate (for the hell of it)

Now plays like a dream. The body resonates beautifully giving a fantastic sound. The neck (and tuners) are still excellent, far better than I would hope to expect on a budget guitar like this. Everything works as it should now.

Will now last for years.

errmmm?

If you buy a cheap guitar and you love the wood in it, everything else can be replaced. This is now a very good guitar which will last through gigs and do what it's supposed to do.

The stock hardware on squier models are not good but if you find one that fits your hand the customise it and you'll have a good guitar.

I no longer own this guitar. I've given it to a friend who I'm in a band with. I own too many guitars now and i don't have room. I suppose by giving it to him at least I'll still get to hear it every week.

I love my Indonesian Squier Standards, but this... this is an instrument that is very different. It's in it's own category. This is a "Crafted" in India Telecaster. It's actually like a SITAR with an "H". The serial number should have been a clue... SH 07034575.

The sound is fine, typical tele. rich neck and biting bridge.... Until you turn it up, then it squeals like a pig. Cheap... Embarassing... Do not play it in public - it will humiliate you. If you own one, don't admit it.

The frets on this thing are bad enough to be humerous. Lowering the strings down from bluegrass to electric guitar range (closer than 1/2" away from the frets) allows it to be used in only certain keys as fingering many of the frets plays the note that is one, two, or three notes higher. The bow in the neck is unfixable. The strings are much closer at the 21st fret than at the 12th. The tension rod absolutely will not bring the neck up. I twisted the provided Squier allen wrench until it looked like a candy cane. I got a normal allen wrench and stripped the end of the tension rod with the next turn. The pickup switch top makes absolutely no pretense of trying to stay on - it's great if you like to repeatedly pick things up off the floor. Back to the frets - Sooo Talll! - 11s require extreme delicate fingering to avoid bending a note many cents off pitch. The 1/4" jack is mounted in what looks like a piece of pickguard. But I have to admit that the "Crafted in India" label is clearly legible and very, very nice.

The black with tiny gold sparkles finish can be counted on to capture and hold on to minor scratches, and chip rather than dent. I've only owned it for a month, but I'm sure it will endure as the most reliably utterly hopeless guitar in my collection. Seriously, in order to be reliable and durable, it would first have to become playable. The people who made this guitar deserve some kind of punishment.

Oh please. I can just imagine that call - "I need you to teach me how to file and crown frets and then please talk me through replacing the tension rod.... hello?... hello?"

Really, there's nothing to discuss.

I've been playing since I was 5 YO and am now too old to be a pop star. I own a perfect Taylor 410, a '76 Ibanez Les Paul, a fantastic Squier Trans Fat Strat, a brilliant Squier Jagmaster (plays like butter - sounds great with red/red and blue/gold lace - unfortunately the name sounds like something that should be done in private), many others played, owned, and traded/sold through the years. Before I bought this guitar I wish I would have asked if I could just pay the money and let them keep it. If it was stolen I would laugh about it every time I thought about it for years to come. Now that I know the guitar, I really wish it had come equipped with a self-destruct button. I have always liked Squiers, but realized that this is the first time I didn't get a "Standard" model. Here's the rub. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE IF IT SAYS "INDIA" ANYWHERE ON A SQUIER. Or buy it and destroy it to save a guitar tech a nervous breakdown. Or, buy it and give it to someone you hate. You can't have this one, though. I got my hand drill and put a long screw through the face and into a stud in the wall in the hallway so when I pass it I can always wipe on another booger.

98 korean squier tele in cream.

modded with Wilkinson machine heads and tele pickup set.

this poor, long-suffering guitar. used to create beautiful sounds in the hands of more accomplished musicians - part of some twisted ordeal/therapy in mine.

only recently has it started to look and feel a little happier. matched with big strings, thick picks, a Kustom 2x12 transistor combo, Harmonic Percolator clone, Barge Concepts BB-1 for boost, and occasionally a Boss DF-2, I have almost found my sound. use the neck pickup to produce some fairly nice rounded, ringing tones with just the BB-1 engaged. with the Percolator it starts to sound nasty - really aggressive distortion. i like this guitar. it has been patient with me and churns out some very usable noise. to get better than this is going to require substantial investment on my part - a vicious amp and aluminium neck guitar beckon. yes i am an Albini fan.

i can't remember how it was when i got it. okish? whatever i was just delighted to have a proper guitar to wang around. action has always been highish coz of buzz lower down and intonation has always been a slight issue. did change the machine heads coz they were a bit crap and upgraded the pickups to give a bit more clarity - i don't want muddy fuzz, i want definition in my distortion.

everything's fine and always will be.

never had to.

this is my first choice. saw Big Black's Santiago Durango playing a tele a long time ago and had to have one. bought a Hagstrom F200 recently and modded it so that it is also a lovely little beast, but turned back to the tele and modded that as well and now poor Hag sits there neglected. do pick it up once or twice a week to reassure it that it's still my friend, but it knows.....

it will never fall into another's hands - simple as. but if it blew up i would bury the bits and save for something really lovely (Jazzmaster, EGC Custom) while making do with the Hag.

best things about the guitar are it's sound and simplicity. it makes a very good effort at achieving the clanky, chinging, harmonic-laden, Andy Gillesque, rythm sound i dream of. but then i'm a perfectionist and i may have an impossible vision.

top marks for effort though. and for being a friend.

This Squier Tele was made in 1985 in Japan and I bought it new that year. Blonde ash body with a whiteguard and slim maple neck. Original hardware and electronics were the usual Squier junk but it has been modded significantly. It came with a Fender hardshell case of the era. I'm mostly taking points off here because it was originally a toploader and Teles should always have strings through the body as this girl now does. It has the typical, bulletproof Fender poly finish.

The mods I've had done include replacing the tuners with Fender/Schaller locking machines, the bridge with a Gotoh string-through 6-saddle, the pickups with Duncans ('54 Vintage in the neck, Jerry Donahue [one sweet unit] in the bridge), adding a bone nut and replacing all the Squier junk with quality American pots and switch. I now give it a 10 for features but ironically, the modding probably DECREASED the value. Who'da thunk, back in '85, the lowly Squier Tele might someday become a semi-collector's item? But that's what happened and a collector would pay more for it stock. I bought it as a player, however, and that's what I've used it for over the past 23 years (and hopefully, 23 more).

This was my first non-Gibson electric and I bought it specifically to get the Fender Tele sound. It's always delivered that sound; adequately before the mods and superlatively after them. I've played everything from old-time fiddle music to Neil Young-style grunge on this puppy and it's done the job well on all of it. I generally prefer it for '80s-style and later prog and alt rock. You really need a humbucker to play blues and blues rock and the Duncans are too ballsy to give you a convincing country tone. It is noisy but that goes with the territory for Teles with single-coils.

The finish is, and always has been, beautiful with the grain of the ash showing nicely through the milky-blonde paint. The setup from the box was decent, as I remember, but fret sprout made its appearance at an early date (but was totally eliminated by my friend's Dremel and hasn't been an issue since. The finish, as stated earlier, is bulletproof. While I haven't exactly played this axe into the ground, it hasn't sat in its case for the past quarter-century either and, except for a few very inconspicuous dings, it looks practically new.

It may be a Squier but it's still a Tele and built like a Sherman tank. Rest assured that you cound bash somebody upside of the head a la Keef and then go on to jam out on "Sympathy for the Devil." The original hardware rather sucked but it's all been replaced so no problem there. I almost wish the finish would start showing some wear and tear. I think factory "relicking" is seriously bogus but I've had this guitar for 23 years now and I almost wish it would start looking its age. I probably should replace the strap buttons with Schaller straplocks but they've done the job okay up to now. This guitar is as dependable as the Rock of Gibraltar and I would have no problem gigging without a backup with it if I had to (but it's always a good idea to have a backup regardless of how solid an axe you're using). If I did break a string, the Fender/Schaller locking heads would make replacement a piece of cake.

I don't deal with the company. If something needs to be repaired, I bring it to Rich Beck in Tempe who I know will do the job correctly.

I've been playing for 30 years and this is one of my core axes. Besides this, I own 2 other Teles ('52 Vintage Hot Rod and '72 Thinline reissue), 2 SGs, a Strat, an Epiphone AlleyKat and a Jon Kammerer custom Strat. I'm currently playing through either a VOX AC30CC2 or a Fender Blues Junior and an effects chain that's too long for me to list here. What I love and hate about it the most amounts to the same thing: as with every Tele, it makes me work like a bastard for my licks. Teles are not for folks who want guitars that "play themselves" but that's GOOD. A Tele will ALWAYS make you a better player, even while you're cursing it for being so cantankerous the whole time. If this guitar were stolen or lost, I'd be utterly heartbroken as it's pretty much irreplaceable. So I probably wouldn't try but would just mourn it and carry on with my other 2 Teles. But I would never forget this one.

Bought secondhand and was in immaculate condition for ??80 which I thought was a bargain at the time as I was looking to invest in a more expensive Squier Custom Tele. Guessing that year is 2006/2007. Made in Indonesia. Tobacco sunburst finish. Main body not too sure but is probabily Agathis. 22 Fret neck with rosewood fretboard. Standard tele style pick ups. It initially felt o.k but needed strings as some were missing. I could see that it need adjustments to it when I bought it.

I am an amateur player who used to play in a pub rock band in the early 80s, doing police covers, hard rock + "bluesy" music, so the sound kinda suits my style. I've been listening to a lot of other types of music recently and for a while started listening to Albert Lee and some country stuff. I wanted to get that "tele sound" without having to shell out too much as I'm on a tight budget.
I got the impression that this guitar has had a few owners before I got it but it looked like it had not been played much.
While the sound on this guitar is definitely a "Tele" sound, (bright bridge pickup with a "bluesy" neck pickup) the pickups are the weakest I have ever heard! I have to turn up my amp a good couple of notches to get the same volume output as my other guitars!
The short scale of the neck feels o.k. to me (I'm used to longer scale necks) and allows some nice bending and pull-offs (if it manages to stay in tune long enough). The back of the neck is rounded
which also suits my style.

The action when I got it was terrible! Took it to a local music shop and got them to set it up for me. It now has what I would consider average action and intonation but still has fret buzz around the third and fifth frets. It also had the "loose jackplug syndrome" which plagues all of these models which I got sorted out. I did some work to it myself, changing the stock machine heads for the Fender Telecaster standard types and fitted a set of telecaster pickup tension springs as the only height adjustment for the neck pickup was via a long woodscrew placed directly into the body, with no other means of support for the pickup! I must have spent nearly as much money on the work as I did for the guitar and decided not to spend any more on it as I felt I wouldn't get my investment back if I traded it in at a later stage.
The finish on the guitar is nice and is really about the only thing they got right when making it. How it would stand up to constant banging at a gig is another matter.

This guitar would "fall at the first fence" in a gig and the build quality suggests that it was never made for the road, only as a beginners guitar. I wouldn't even think of letting it out the door.
(It looks nice though...........)

No point......................

I've been noodling around since I was fourteen. I will listen to most kinds of music (except Irish Country & Western! My god what dross! I think they use it to extract confessions from prisoners!)and playing guitar keeps me calm, well balanced and happy!
I have a Fender MIM maple neck Strat (which I love!), an early 80s Tokai rosewood Strat,(IMO a classic and was my main guitar for a long time!) and a 1979 Gibson "The Paul" guitar (easily the nicest guitar I have ever played and I've played a few! - see the harmony-central user reviews)
It's a great pity that Fender has chosen to make guitars this way as it seems to me to be a proper waste of wood, chopping down the Indonesian forests for a guitar as weak as this. I know that I was buying a budget guitar but I thought I was getting a real bargain at the time, spend some money on it that it would be a good "player". (you know the story by now.....) My greatest concern is that it would either put off someone from learning the instrument or even worse dent fender's sales as they are endorsing this product by putting their name on it. If I was a beginner I would never buy a Fender again after buying this.
I would not reccommend this guitar to anyone starting off as there a are much better budget instruments out there (e.g. IMO the "OLP MM1" is about as good as you can get for a beginners guitar and afforadble).

This is a brand new 2006 Indonesian Squire Telecaster Standard. It does what it says on the tin.

It's made from Agathis which is a real wood... Weight is average. I'd prefer it a bit heavier but this is neither a horrific 70s strat or dodgy basswood (or is it balsawood?)shreddy thing. Rosewood on maple neck. The 22-fret neck is a decent size and shape and is a comfortable if uninspiring shape, the satin finish in nice to play but looks a bit anaemic.

HOWEVER, Squire get top marks for finally addressing the Telecaster's (only?) significant design flaw. I (and I cannot be the only one) have found real problems gigging teles at high volume as the bridge plate is only attached at one end and therefore squeals like a piggy. I resorted to drilling holes in bridge plates and screwing things down which always looked a bit messy. Squire have done this for me: the bridge is properly attached to the body, in front of the pickup as well as behind. I have yet to test it at high volume (as I don't currently have a gig) but I have every confidence it will be much better. For this reason it gets 10 in this category, despite obviously not having "tons of features".

Playing into a decent tube combo with a couple of stomp boxes in the way.

In the bridge position this sounds like a decent tele should and therefore sounds much better than the price would suggest: a good mix off fat and twang with the tone knob doing its job of removing any ice pick factor as you require. Just about nasty enough for your Roy Buchanann and Albert Collins licks, but can also do everything else from Keef to Stve Cropper to Chrissy Hynde. Presumably you can play country music on this guitar too...

The neck pick is a dull and nondescript, but this can be a problem for much more expensive teles too.

Comments on neck pickup notwithstanding, if you like teles you'll like this: despite being cheap as chips, it doesn't sound it.

The "Antique Sunburst" (i.e. reddy) finish is fine. Out of the box action was a tad high and the intonation wasn't brilliant (but this is a sub-?200 guitar so you'd expect that).

I popped of the scratch plate and the neck pickup is fitted pretty badly, but it is routed for a humbucker which is useful to know for future upgrading. Tuners seem fine, but electronics are cheap. For some reason they put a cheesy tortoise shell scratch plate on: white would have looked better.

The electronics are cheap (but it does look like they have used screening paint in the control cavity) so I expect the pots, switches (and neck pickup) will need replacing if this is to be gigged solidly. Tuners look good to me but only time will tell.

I would gig it without a backup simply because I'm too slow at changing broken strings and have other guitars!

???

I bought this as a cheap, but playable, guitar to take abroad with me (I work in in not very nice places) that I wouldn't cry over if it was lost, stolen, driven over, rotten, had to be left behind, etc. I'm sure it will do this job valiantly.

However, with ?100 or so of investment this could be turned into a serious guitar that could mix it with guitars twice the price and more. For this reason this would make an excellent second/back-up guitar. Similarly it would make a great first guitar as it is cheap but totally playable and also ugradeable into something really quite good.

This is the best value new guitar I've every owned or played.

This is the usual Telecaster features. Some poorer quality features - e.g. no screws in the machine heads. Everyone knows what a Tele is like - nothing flashy but it has what you need. The edging around the cable in socket is plastic and shattered when I dropped it once. Replaced it with a metal one.

This guitar has a quite mellow sound, not much difference between the bridge and neck pick ups. Sounds decent, pick ups are quite quiet and low output.

I bought this guitar second hand. I tried every guitar in the shop and this one felt the best. I would guess that it's been set up professionally first. This is, without question, the most playable guitar I have ever owned.

There is some crackling when I change pick ups or adjust the tone knobs.

I used this guitar at over 40 gigs over 5 years and never had a problem.

NA

This guitar was bought second hand, which is hard for reviewing because I do not know how it was from the factory.

Generally Squire guitars can be decent, but the quality control is not as good as Fender. The action, neck and playabilty of this guitar is perfect. Other bits could be better. Adequate but not great. A Squire guitar can be a great guitar if you are prepared to adjust it yourself, change the pick ups and upgrade the accessories. If you don't mind having "Squire" on the headstock it can be a good way to save money. I wouldn't get rid of this guitar for anything, even though it is no longer my main guitar. I have a Fender Telecaster now, but it doesn't have the smooth playability of this one.

Okay here we go...

Mexican Squire. It's candy apple red with a white scratch plate. The neck is probably maple, and the bridge is standard, but each string has it's own bridge piece. Sometimes Fender guitars have three bridge pieces and two strings go through one bridgepiece with two holes in it. This makes it harder to adjust the action. The single bridge pieces allow me to adjust the action to my liking. This makes the guitar more valuable to me.

The pickups are the standard, single coil pickups that it came with. I tried a Squire with a humbucker and it did not sound as clean, but it was originally made in Indonesia, and I have no idea who put the humbucker in. It was being sold for about $300 used, but my Mexican Squire still sounded better. It's in the electronics, but that's a whole other discussion. The humbucker was what made that guitar sell for $300. Without the hummer, I'd say the guitar was worth about $150, $200 tops.

I give my Tele a 9 because 10 says "tons of features." It's not a digital keyboard...it's a guitar. I take good care of it and it looks and sounds nice.

I play flat or round-wound 11 gauge strings.

It came with a hard-case.

Be careful if you are looking for a Telecaster that is made outside of the United States. I would only buy one that was made either in Mexico or in Japan. Again, it's the electronics thing.

A lot of this has to do with more than just the guitar itself. I play through a Fender Blues tube amp. Very simple. I have two analogue pedals - a Russian made Big Muff distortion/fuzz pedal, and a Japanese made Ibanez Phase Tone. The flat-wound 11g. guitar strings allow for a smooth, jazzy sound, and I can use a brass or a glass slide (as long as the strings are clean. Otherwise the glass slide sticks instead of slides). The neck pickup provides more bass, which works well with the Big Muff for melodic, heavy, blues metal as well as fast blues and metal, and the bridge pickup (as well as the center setting that uses both pickups) sounds good with the Phase Tone. Of course, it all sounds right together or apart (i.e. effects off), and I've been playing guitar for 11 years.

I bought my guitar new from a reputable local dealer. What can I say? They're good people with good guitars.

I've adjusted the pickups myself (another nice feature) to sound the way I like.

Everything about the guitar was good. The strings do not buzz and the action is very subtle and easy for a steady eye to adjust. It has a maple neck instead of, say, a rosewood neck, but it also was not a $1200 guitar.

Live playing? Yes. Pete Townshend? No.

The electronics have lasted for about 6 years now, and I don't see any serious foreseeable issues. Do regular maintence, an occational tune-up...it's all good. But their Mexican electronics, not Indonesian or Korean.

Well, I have it repaired where I bought it, so that's simply a store thing. I've never had to contact Fender for anything.

I think I've covered most of this. If it were stolen or lost, I'd upgrade, but as long as I have it, it'll be my only electric guitar.

Im 14... a guitar ifisianardo i like to think... anyways i dislike this guitar a far bit. I own a Gibson Nighthawk and a Martinez acustic. I got the Gibson for my 14th for 1460 and i put in 500 (all the money is Australian). But anyway were not here to talk about the amazing Gibson, were here for the Tele copy. I bought this for 200 Australian because i needed a guitar to leave at school.
I am much more of a Gibson person then a Fender person. For example i played a Japanese Jazzmaster the other day and although it sounded good it played awfully.
On a guitar i like a thin neck and this one is big and fat (yuck). This dimensions are pretty much the same as a normal Tele. I regret buying this guitar i should of bought a Epiphone or a Synocromatic. I dunno... its not great.

Well, to give this guitar alittle credit it sounds ok. Not great, but good for a 200 guitar.

Feels awful. Looks ok could pass off as a normal Tele! The bits inbetween the frets are to big. Not much to say.

Yer, well theres not much u can fix with a Tele. Its ok and well heck it does the job well but its feels awful and i dunno.

Its crap dont buy save up for a real guitar!!!!!!!

Indonesian Squier Standard Tele - purchased secondhand in 2006 so year of manufacture unknown - the serial number is IC0008xxxx, so must be quite an early one. its Blonde with a rosewood neck. Had no need for another guitar but this hung in my local music shop for months and looked quite cool..haggled it down to #100

I play all styles of music and have a 15 year old 62 re-issue telecaster (made in japan)..so I compared it to that, there is a difference but not a huge amount, the bridge pickup on the squier is a little harsher, thinner and lower output..but its close. the neck pickup lacks the body of the 62 model but again close. I may change the pickups as others have done..but its just a fun guitar to leave around the house.

Well set up secondhand guitars are great!!,all the hard work has been done before.. this one has been well set up and plays great..intonation is good tuning stability ok (I removed the D/G string tree). The neck and fretting and good and I could have gigged it after walking out of the shop. the neck finish and headstock show where corners have been cut (the headstock is not quite the right shape)..and the electrics are a bit cheap (but they work!!)

Should go on for years..nothing is hard to fix on telecasters!!

none needed

Been playing for 25 years and own 16 guitars, this is just brilliant for the money, even new they are great value..dont buy and Affinity tele, pay a few $ more and get a standard. If you can afford a US one great!..but to have round the house and gig occasionally this is a great tele.

Tipical telecaster configuration, two single picups, two knobs (tone and volume) one pick up selector (tree positions). Maple neck purple color.
Mine was a standar made in Indonesia, from arround 1999.

Good sound for a low price, if you want a tele to start playing guitar this is your choice. Any way each year the guitars are worst, maybe search in the second hand market. Sound like a telecaster, feel like a telecaster, but with the limitations of a 280? instrument.

Mine was made with some errors, the bridge was not completly perpendicular to the strings. Any way a hard guitar, will least as much as you take a little care of it.

See ahead.

Never needed, but is a fender, al components from fender will work.

I was looking for a tele sound, exactly for the neck pick up, and there was. I changed the bridge pickup an put a seymour duncan, the things get better, but will not be a American. Any way a equilibrated instrument for the price. I have owned also a Squier Stratocaster from japan, a Freeflyte Stratocaster from 1984 american, and another Stratocaster form 1980 american too. (Yes!! I love fender!!) If you want more information you can contact me in www.perfect-smile.org , the web of my group Perfect Smile.

2005 Indonesian Standard Telecaster, String Through, Tele style bridge

It suits blues quite nicely, though i'm thinking of changing the brdige pick up to a 62 custom.

With it i use a TS9 Tubescreamer and a Laney VC30 210.

It has a nice rich sound, and when you crank it up it really snarls.

It was totally flawless except the fact it wasn't set up very well, and that the control plate screws weren't very tight.

It does withstand live playing, but mine has a few dings. The finish is really thick, and the hardware seemed okay... I replaced the machine heads because they weren't suited to minor tweaking, and I am thinking of replacing the bridge saddles... just because.

I have been playing 5 years, I own a few other guitars but this is my baby.

I love the feel to it. I polish the neck alot to keep it feeling new.

I wish it had come with Texas Specials as standard. That would've been great.

This is the Indonesian made Squire. Mine is the 2002 20th Anniversary model (sure to be collectable :). Standard Tele setup. The rating of 8 is compared to a top-line American made Tele.

I compared the Squire to the Mexican-made Fender-badged Teles. I actually thought the Squire sounded closer to the American made than the mex. The mex sounded a bit dull and not the dynamic range of tones switching between pickups. the Squire is bright (maybe a little harsh compared to the American tele), but has that twang and bite you buy a Tele for. The volume/tone pots are smooth and give good control.

The paint, and finish is great, the setup on most of them suck. Most people buying this guitar will be beginners and casual players. The guitar is actually pretty good... decent materials, sounds good, but there is wide variability in the finishing and setup. I guess the folks at Squire just can't justify spending much time on getting the burrs off the frets and doing a decent job of set-up on a $200 guitar. I bought mine used, dirt cheap. I am an amature guitar tech/builder, so was able to spend a couple hours and turn this into a very good playing/sounding guitar. But don't expect it to play well off the rack.

Here's some of the stuff I did to mine.
- leveled and re-crowned several frets
- smoothed edges of frets
- adjusted truss rod to straighten neck
- set intonation
- adjusted string height
- ground down the saddle screws (they are sharp and tear up you hand if you don't)
- put on decent strings (of course)

Seems durable enough. Tuning machines hold tune OK.

I got this just because I wanted a Tele, and you really can't get that Tele sound with any other guitar. I didn't have the $ to get American. This satisfies my yearning without spending a bundle. Once I did the proper set-up, this is a great little guitar. An awsome value for the price. Note: the Indonesian (Standard) Squire Teles and STrats are far and away superior to the Affinity models... I wouldn't recommend them at all. I'd take this and play it anywhere. At some point I might replace the pickups, but the stock ones are suprisingly good. I've been playing for 35 years, built and rebuilt guitars. Own about 30 guitars in all. This is one that I keep out and play on a regular basis.

Made in Japan in 1986, bog standard late '50's type Tele, alder body but could be basswood as its extremely light[6.6lbs] and maple neck and fingerboard.For me, a Tele MUST have a maple fingerboard, rosewood just doesnt feel right. Features are that its the best designed guitar ever, so it gets a 10

OK, lets not kid ourselves, the standard pickups are not up to the rest of the guitar. They do the tele sounds, but they just dont sound like the're really trying, which is a shame, because everything else, build quality, finish, tuners, etc are as good as any Tele Ive ever played.But,as its possible to get a set of Duff pups for under $100, you can turn this guitar into a giantkiller. I carried out the op, and played through my Fender VibroChamp, the tone is awesome. Due to its light bodyweight, it resonates like mad. Ive never heard such a 'woody' tone from any other Tele.

Excellent, tight neck joint, tuners work like new, nice thin paintjob, comfy C shape neck and the frets have lasted well, although they could use bit of attention. Ive set it to a low action and it plays better than any guitar I can remember playing.

A real workhorse. Tele's were made to suffer.Utterly dependable as, apart from a broken string, whats to go wrong?? However, always remember gigging rules 1, 2 and 3 --- ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP!!!!!

Never dealt with them.

Playing for 30 years and have indulged myself with almost everything.Loads of 70's Teles and Strats,a 71 and 73 Les Paul Custom, PRS's,Tokai Silver and Goldstars, Aria Pro Les Pauls[the best of the 'copies'],Ibanez Artists,'61 Gretch Single Anniversary [keeping that one]Gordon Smiths, Gibson 60's Melody Makers and SGs, plus too many more to remember.I realised many years ago that the greatest con is, 'Vintage' electric guitars - unless of course you're looking for investments, but tone and playing wise, the good Fender and Gibson copies made in Japan during the late '70's to late 80's are as good and in many cases, far better than their USA counterparts in terms of craftsmanship. Pickups you can always change. I'd be very upset if this got stolen, I wouldnt sit Shiva, but I would replace it ASAP.

1984 Blonde ash body Telecaster, has a maple fingerboard/neck, standard electronic configuration, made in Japan. Cast sealed Schaller-style tuners, white pickguard, 3-saddle bridge. No extras or features were included, but it did come with the bridge cover. No case, but a wedge shaped "brite" green cardboard box that actually served me well for about a year--kinda cheesy and I liked that! Had the old thin vintage style frets--I've recently had it refretted for it's 21st birthday with medium jumbo frets.

This guitar has the typical clean Tele sound, and has served my style of playing for more than twenty years. A lot of twang, pop, punk, and just about everything else has been played on it. Fairly limited in its range of sounds, it is the essential "is what it is" guitar.

Fit and finish were just fine right off the rack. After breaking several high E strings in a very short time, I switched out the bridge/tailpiece for the six-saddle block type. Had no problems after that with string breakage.

I have played this guitar for hundreds of gigs and even more rehearsals and it has held up like a champ through it all. I used to play a lot of surf and I even had this schtick during the lead on "Wipeout" where I would lay the guitar down on the floor, stand on the area behind the bridge and play while "surfing". It was always quite the crowd pleaser and the finish does not betray this rather harsh treatment! Of course, over the years it has received its share of dings and dents but it really does look great for the most part. I usually always used to play without a backup as I was too poor to afford another instrument for years and it never let me down--and I became pretty fast at changing the odd broken string while the band went in to some song for the duration. This guitar may just survive a nuclear detonation provided it is not at ground zero. Really. I had the first few frets replaced after a couple of years due to my power claw hand and have just recently had it refretted with medium jumbo frets as the old ones were due for another fretjob, and I prefer the mediums for comfort and effortless playing in my middle age.

Never dealt with Fender and don't see why I ever would have to with this particular guitar.

This guitar is really a treasure to me. I kinda bought it on a payday whim because it was nice, simple, and super inexpensive for a great quality guitar. It coincided with a rather exciting time for me musically as my band at the time emerged from the suburban basements and became quite the scenesters for several years. This was the guitar that I used exclusively and so it not only has functioned for me well over the years but is a part of my personal history and therefore is priceless to me. Ironic for a guitar originally purchased for under $200.00 in the mid-Eighties! Since I bought it, I have owned about 50 other electrics. They have all come and gone but the Squier remains. I always had planned on getting a "real" Fender later on, and certainly have many times over, but this one's a keeper and many musicians of vast experience have lusted after this one, without fail.

98 korean squier tele in cream.
Normal squier tele pickups. not sure of materials

the sound is good for what i paid. i have played #6000 guitars and yes they sound much better. however with a decent amp this sounds fine. I like playin ska and metal. The neck pickup sounds great for warm clean tones

I bought second hand, but was still dissapointed that it started falling apart. The line in jack kept falling out, ie the whole unit. Have sorted this wiv superglue now. Got some fretbuzz but now is sorted. Also get some horrible vibrations from the metal things that are on back end of strings, despite just being set up by the shop. I sorted this by just wedging little bits of paper in to stop the vibrations and now it plays fine. The finish is good, a bit bashed but i have really dropped this thing with no significant damage, jus a broken neck bridge thingy, soon got a new one glued in.

I can now after bodging this guitar together depend on it 100%. But i dont feel i should have had to bodge it, should have just been rock solid since the word go.

never dealt directly

besides being cheap and tatty, it now plays fine and i have played for 7 years and i do not plan on upgrading. It is a better quality korean model so sounds better than the indonesian affinity ones, and has a less square edge to it. If you dont mind making constant repairs then get one. Get a good amp and you should be fine in any situation with this.

2004 Indo Squier Black and Chrome Tele Standard
Typical Tele features

I play all sorts of music, this guitar is very well suited for blues, jazz, and country
I play it through either a zoom ps02 into a '78 twin or into a 90's pro jr. sounds great
I also run stereo through a behringer v-amp2 (effects only) into a furman PQ3, sounds great
It sounds like a tele although I feel it could benefit from new pups
but for the $$ it cant be beat

Used when I bought it

Seems to be fairly well made the indos are not bad at all for the $$, squier has come a long way since the 80's

Ive been playing for almost 20 yrs and have owned alot of gear
I would buy another
I like most everything about it
I was eyeing a squier 51 but this was cheaper
Nice guitar for newbies and experienced players alike

Your usual Telecaster set-up. Vintage White.

This one sounded pretty good before I modified it. I installed a GFS Loudmouth pick-up and a modern bridge. Now it rocks! I am amazed by how many sounds I can get out of this Basic Squier. I will be insalling a pull pot coil splitter to have a north and south config in the mid position. This should give me the, I hope, the holy grail of Tele tone! I give it a 6 in the stock config but this guitar is made for modifying. Hello! For $199 + $40 or so for a GFS or whatever you can have a pissah guitar made to your specs if your willing to experiment.

For $199 it's a awesome guitar. No compaints.

Very solid guitar.

Never needed them.

I always considered Squier to be inferior to most guitars but I won't think that anymore considering my experience. The build quality is excellent. I am very impressed by this guitar. I can't wait to throw that tap in! Up the hammers!

I bought this Telecaster as my first proper guitar after playing an acoustic for 6 months. I was attracted to the Telecaster because of their simplicity and look.

The features have been stated in other reviews but I'll give alittle insight. Mine is the Red Sunburst with rosewood fretboard and string through body. The tuners are standard as are the pick ups. The finish is unbelievable. I dont know why the genuine Tele's dont have this finish.

I went with a friend of mine whos been playing guitar for 7 years to make sure I made the right choice. After I showed him the guitar I wanted we played around with it through a VOX amp. We both agreed that the sound was definatly better than the other guitars in that price range. Un-plugged the guitar is still quite loud and nice sounding. If you plan on keeping the guitar for a while you can upgrade the pick ups but I quite like the sound these ones put out.

I was pretty determined to get this guitar even if the set up wasnt exactly %100. The strings that came with it were really really bog. It almost made it hard to get a nice clear sound out of it.
The action was alittle too low and the strings buzzed on the 7th fret.
A change of string and alittle modification fixed it up though.

The finish is what really got my attention. The sunburst looks so good. I dont really like red guitars. I think it can cheapen the look. But this is definatly not cheap looking. Just to be able to see the wood through the finish is really nice. The set up was average but the finish is excellent

Ive played this guitar only twice live so far. The day I got it I played it at a pub. We played some Crowded House and a few Pearl Jam songs. It definatly held up well. It only needed to be tuned up twice which was less than I expected and the straps didnt come off which im gratefull for.
I played with out a back up but my rthym guitarist brought two guitars anyway incase. I would play with out a back up but its not wise to test fate.

Ive had the guita for about 2 months now. The only thing thats wrong with it is the jack keeps slipping so you have to be careful. Other than that its still good.

the warrenty for Tele Squires is a year. That really doesnt seem like long. But then again use by dates are usually premature.

Because this was my first guitar I wanted something good. Everyone wants a genuine Telecaster or Gibson ES-335 for their first guitars but im more than happy with this. Ive seen a few bands use a squire tele on occasion. Before I bought this I asked Joe(The Snowman) if it was better to save up the extra money and get a genuine USA tele but he reassured me to get this one.

Mine is attipical. It's not an Affinity but is chinese. It's a vintage blonde, white/black/white pickguard, rosewood fretboard. The finish is nice. All the hardware are very very cheap. The bridge is the worst thing. It's not string through body. Has 6 adjustable saddles, but is not the fender standard. One of them (the 6th) uses to vibrate with the string. The pickups are cheap ones too. They got a plastic cover that covers the polipieces too. They are about 5k (bridge is more, neck is less). The neck pickup is screwed on the wood, and can be adjusted only by taking off the pickguard. It's not a problem, cause I m gonna make two little drills on the guard. Don't know the body's wood. The volume knob has that cool feature that keeps the brigth as you decrease the volume, and Im planning to put it on my other guitars, because its very nice.

Very, very good. I'm using it direct through amp (Laney LC50, all tube). Can get so many sweet vintage tones. I'm very surprised with the pickups tone, and I'm gonna leave them where they are. I have put 0.011 strings, and it helps a lot. It's my first tele, and it's not what I was expecting. I expected less output and more brightness comparing it to a strat. What I get is more body. I state it between the strat and the les paul, sound and feel.

The stripe behind the neck is kind of disaligned.
The setup, well, I dont trust factory setup. I allways do it by myself.

I opened mine just as we arrived home. Found an loose wire, and realized it was the ground wire. Soldered it to the bridge. Didn't notice it on the shop. The jack started to become loose after 3 days, and I just pushed it a little, and now its ok. The switch have given some signals of premature damage too, but still working.

All in all, the body and neck structure looks very strong. Only the cheap hardware disencourages me to gig without a backup. But I'm getting confident with it. And Im not planning to change any of the stock crap. I will just give it a chance. Its very funny to get so pleasant sounds from a so cheap guitar. To me, this is the deal with this axe. It gives you the possibilitie to get the best from the worst, but only if you can adjust it properly.

I really dont expect none from them.

I've been playing for 19 years. My other guitars are Fender Stratocaster Standard USA 93, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Fender HRR Stratocaster Japan 84, Epiphone Emperor Joe Pass, Laney LC50 combo.
If it were stolen, I would hate, but would be glad for not to be one of my overpriced other guitars.
I recommend these babies to everyone who can self setup it properly.

(sorry my poor english)

Maybe early 90ies Squier Telecaster made in Korea. Butterscotch blonde finish with one piece maple neck. Unfortunately the body is made of laminated wood with front and back ash veneer. White pickguard. Standard pick-ups. Cheap bridge with 6 die cast saddles. Also cheap tuners. Somehow i liked this guitar, so i modified it to a pretty vintage look :
Kluson style tuners, single ply black 5-screw pickguard, vintage bridge with 3 brass saddles. Finally i drilled 6 holes through the body to get the strings where they belong. After that the guitar sounded dramatically different.

I used to play heavy guitars so this was a new experience to me. The neck pick is still sqealing ( feedback ). But after the changing of the bridge the sound is much more twangy. Some day i'll change the PU's also and it's gonna be a real Tele :-) Nevertheless unplugged it sounds very good now, despite the fact it's **** laminate. How could that happen ? This is maybe one the reasons why i love this piece of firewood. By the way the neck is really good. Not fat, not thin. Just right. Sounds ? Man, it's a traditional Tele... I think, the sound comes from the vintage brass bridge and the maple fingerboard.

Set up ? umm, quite nice. fretware is visible, so it has a buzz on the 15th fret. Action can be set up relatively low.
Craftmanship is good, but the wood :-) An how did they put the colour on it ? Butterscotch finish looks very thick. Factory PU's are noisy.

Really nice now. Even with Klusons the guitar will stay in tune while i'm bending the strings heavily.

no experience.

It's that type of guitar everybody is warning you about. Cheap and crappy on one hand but when you play it, you just don't put it away. It fit's my hands perfectly. Like an old glove. It will never be a 52 original Tele, but somehow it gave me the feeling of what the Tele is all about : just a plain piece of wood with a bold on neck. I dont'need more guitar now than the Tele offers. Everything more is pure luxury. Leo Fender was a very clever man.

Squire Telecaster, 2004 I believe, with mirror pickguard,color Black, 22 frets, bolt-on-neck, 3 way switch, 1 volume and 1 tone, and 2 Alnico magnet pickups. Grover style tuners, Billit type Bridge saddles

For a $200.00 guitar, this thing rocks. Crunchy when distorted, twangy when playing clean. This thing sounds like my strat clean but less bell like, sounds like my my les paul dirty but with a little less crunch. It really has a sound of its own and is quite versitile. The coils do hum esp. when using exsessive overdrive for distortion but not overly so,

I like to try one off the rack because of the uncertainty of not trying it out first. Any brand guitar can have its issues, some Fender necks can feel like tree trunks others like butter. I have not run accross one that was too warped that an adjustment won't cure but I suppose there are ones out there that are not fixable. Anyway to my story on how I purchased this thing: This particular one I was just noodling around with not looking for a purchase. After a few minutes of shredding some scales and playing some black Sabbath i realized what a good guitar this thing really was. Fearing the price, I peaked at it and saw it was for only $200.00! After checking for no major scratches, I grabbed it!! My particular one needed new strings, the ones Fender puts on are crap and I set the action lower to 1mm between the frets and strings.

I would not expect any issues, this thing is quite heavy and seems to be built like a tank.

Haven't dealt with Fender

The action and sound are good as any axe 2 to 3 times the price.

My Squier Telecaster Standard is an Indonesian-made 2003 model. Most of this guitar's main features have been covered, but I will do so again in tribute to this timless piece of American guitar art - (2) standard Tele-type single-coil pickups with a (3) position selector switch, separate tone & volume controls. I believe the body on this model is Alder, and the neck is maple with a 22-fret rosewood fretboard. The neck has a slimmer profile than my Squier Stratocaster, with the back of the neck and headstock having only a light seal coat finish. The slim neck is really comfortable, and plays very easily. The top of the fretboard is tinted in the usual Fender fashion, and the familiar "skunk" stripe is present on the back of the neck. Standard sealed tuners sit atop the headstock, with a fixed, adjustable bridge and string-through body rounding out the tonal appointments. The solid body of the guitar is finished in the always-alluring Fender 3-tone Sunburst, and the guitar I have has an especially nice finish. The darker parts of the wood grain show nicely thorugh the orange-amber color of the body, giving it a unique, vintage appearance. Simplicity is the calling card of the Telecaster design - everything you need, and nothing you don't. The Squier does not deviate from its higher-priced Fender counterparts in this aspect, so I would give it a solid (8) for features.

So what exactly does a guy who plays mostly classic rock want with a Telecaster. Well, to tell you the truth, I wasn't exactly sure myself. All I knew going into this deal was that Jimmy Page recorded most (or all) of Led Zeppelin I on a Telecaster, and I dig Zeppelin. And also, that Mr. Keith Richards has had cool tones a-plenty eminating from his stable of Tele's for a solid three decades, and I dig the Stones. If there was some magic to be found in this model of guitar, I was going to first get my feet wet at a price I could handle. This Squier has fit that bill, and more. Amp-wise, I play through a modified Peavey Classic 30 (J & J Tubes w/ a 12" Celestion Vintage 30 speaker), as well as a Fender Cyber Champ (65W, also w/ a 12" Celestion speaker), and this Telecaster covers the gamut of music I play with ease - Hendrix, SRV, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd - you name it. After about nine months with the stock pick-ups (which were more than adequate in producing that trademark clucky Tele tone, though a bit noisy at times - no big surprise for single coils), I decided to move up to Fender Vintage Noiseless pups, which further enhanced mid's and lows, while still keeping the bright, glassy upper register. All-in-all, a very noticeable improvement - and ZERO noise. Perhaps the most surprising sound-related aspects of this guitar, to me, were the growly, gritty tones I could coax from Tele single coils, with nothing more than a few tweaks of the low and gain knobs on both of my amps. Lining up a DigiTech Bad Monkey Tube OD pedal through my the Peavey C30 amp produced even better distorted sounds, without sacrificing any of the Tele tone. On the Cyber Champ, the middle bank of Fender-modeled tones were especially convincing. Sound-wise, the Squier gets a (9) - even w/ the stock pups. All that classic Fender tone at a price you can afford. If you want to improve your sound even more, though, consider upgrading the stock pups.

Well, here's where we really see the price of the guitar. Right out of the box, I could have hung laundry on the strings - the intonation was set so high that the guitar was barely playable. The neck was also a bit out of whack (or so my guitar tech told me), but again, stuff that can be adjusted. The strings weren't stretched at the factory, either, so the guitar did not seem like it would stay in tune. Part of this problem I can attribute to the bridge & intonation issues I've already mentioned. Once I had the guitar adjusted, it stayed in tune, and became very playable. Bottom line -if you buy a Fender Squier guitar, esp. through the mail, plan on having it properly set up. If you purchase it from a local music shop, however, some (or all) of these issues may have been addressed before the guitar went onto the sales floor. Two other issues I encountered later on were a scratchy pick-up selector switch (the original switch was a non-Fender unit), which was easily corrected with a new Fender switch. The nut on the input jack has also had a habit of coming loose from time to time, but nothing I can't handle with a deep-well socket an a couple of twists of the ratchet. Lastly, there was a slight finishing flaw in the body in the form of an indentation, which apparently wasn't sanded out prior to the guitar being finished. As luck would have it, the flaw was on the back of the guitar, and very small, so it isn't noticeable. Other than that, the hardware, albeit not the greatest, has worked just fine. The plastic nut was cut OK, though this might be another area that I will seek to improve down the road. Fret finish was good, too, but another area where I may seek improvement. For a guitar in this price range, I was expecting issues like these, but maybe not this many. As such, I give this area a (6) - not bad, but not great.

As with any Fender product, I have high expectations. I am not in a band, so this guitar is not gigged. However, is played nearly every day, and in this capacity, I am expecting that it will stand up to many years of continued use. I have jammed live w/ friends on many occasions since purchasing it, and it has not failed me once, nor would I expect it to. The Tele, overall, is a solid, no-frills, workhorse of a guitar, and my Squier model seems to be more than capable of living up to these expectations. I can't give it a (10) due to the aforementioned quailty issues. However, it does deserve a solid (8), primarily because most guitars in this price range are total junk, and completely unreliable. I am happy to report that my Squier is neither.

Never dealt with Fender on any of my Squier guitars (I have three), nor would I expect to. They're good, solid instruments. No warranty cards or info came with the guitar, so I am not sure what, if any, warranty exists. Due to the above, I won't give any rating here.

I have been playing guitar for nearly (22) years, and have owned many guitars - mostly in the $400 and under range (Ibanez, Electra, Squier, Epiphone). Besides this Telecaster, I have an early 90's Epiphone Les Paul, an early 80's MIJ Squier Stratocaster, and a brand-new Squier Tele Custom w/ P-90's. It's hard to believe Squier can offer this much instrument at this price, which is probably why I own more than one of their guitars. In my honest opinion, this guitar has all of the looks, features, sound, and playability of its more $$ Fender brethren, which I feel only adds to the overall value of the instrument. As a matter of fact, one might easily mistake a Squier for a "real" Fender, as many are being played under the skillful disguise by Tele traditionalists who are much too vain to let their secret out. I myself am not, and enjoy the clamor of other fellow guitarists when they come face-to-face with the fact that this guitar oozes with all of that classic Fender vibe and tone, even though it says "Squier" on the headstock. I would recommend this guitar to any player, old or new. And if ever faced with replacing it, wouldn't even give it a second thought. It's an easy buy at two Benjamins, and a no-brainer "10" for an overall value rating. Really, you don't need to flip over big coin to live the Fender Telecaster dream. Grab yourself a Squier, and find out for yourself!

I got this Tele Standard for x-mas 2004, it's a 2002 20th anniversary
Indonesian squier. 22 fret, fast action maple neck w/ rosewood fretboard. It's a rear strung, 6-saddle bridge, with 2 Alnico single coils(one chrome covered). Finish is vintage blonde, that is sweet. The wood grain is just slightly visible, which is a nice touch. The tuner machines are standard die-cast, and work very well. Do not know how well this type of peg will age though. Body is Agathis. Somehow it sat in the store for close to two years.

All though I only play for fun, I have professionally guitar tech'd for bands, and have dealt with many a tele from all eras. And this guitar competes handily with the best of them. I'm not a big efx guy, I use a Danelectro echo pedal, and a Nobels phaser, runing through a Fender Frontman 15R. So simple but very versatile for the music I play(mostly old country music). The sound is exactly what you buy this guitar for, just a truly pure tele sound. From what I've heard this guitar is patterned after the 1969 Tele Standard.

I have not changed the factory setting on the string saddles, and the action and intonation are close to perfect. I restrung it with Fender
350 Stainless XL's which isn't very adventerous, but they work very well. I've never played this type of neck on a tele, it does take getting used to but that's my limitation not the guitars. Being a brand new guitar I don't know how well the hardware will age. The finish and construction are remarkable. In the Squier range, Indonesia has really got a good thing going. In my estimation it's the finest overseas(and Mexican) Fender product yet. It even has a 20th anniversary plaque on the body back where the neck mounts. That kind of stuff always adds to the collectability down the road.

The most gig action this guitar will ever see is maybe a sit-in type situation. But I will wear it proudly when the situation occurs, and I know it will hold up. As I prefer to travel lightly I will not carry a back-up either. I use a simple $12 Fender strap(With the gold Fender logos on it), no strap locks, and it hasn't fallen off once. I'm confident I will be able to keep this guitar in stock condition forever. Although I do need to assess the hardware a little further.

Having been a guitar tech I will probaly deal with any repairs myself.
Not real sure about warranty. Although I know the details are on the Fender web-site. Initially I assumed I would modify this guitar in some way, but as I play it and stare at I can't really pinpoint a shortcoming that is worth altering. But keep in mind this is the first solid-body guitar design ever. It is a no frills instrument, most players needs are more complex than mine. So when considering this guitar, make sure your planned modifications will work before you start dismantling and routing,etc.. It is basically a big wooden plank and seems suitable for altering, but once you've gone too far
the integrity of the tone will go away. Many guitars tones are owed more to pick-ups and hardware. A teles tone is split more evenly between the wood and hardware than most solid electrics.

Started playing about 15yrs. ago. Bought and sold so much gear over the years, it's not worth mentioning. However, I haven't played in the last 4-5 yrs.. This guitar was a gift from my better half, because she thought I needed a creative outlet. And it has been that indeed. I shopped all over my area and found mostly Affinity series teles which just really fell short in so many areas. This guitar is miles ahead, and is a "real" Telecaster as far as I'm concerned.

if you've read all of these you'll know these pretty well
mine is some kind of 20th anniversary edition, but it was priced with all the other standard squier tele's

whenever it works, this is the best feature. when you spend $200 on a new guitar you don't expect a whole lot, but this actually sounds pretty sweet. I play mostly blues and funk, and that's definately where this guitar belongs, but when i throw on the the overdrive and twist up the volume on the tele it has some pretty sweet dirty sounds aswell. So i'd say it's pretty versatile. It not too noisy either.

when I bought it it played pretty well. i had to get a setup done, as you do on most guitars just to get things right for you. it's not the upperclassmem kind of action where the guitar plays itself, but it's not terrible either. There aren't any dead spots, but when my tech set the intonation he said he had a hell of a time for some reason. Thats why i pay him to do it. the finish was pretty nice, and the tuners have always kept things together pretty well.

ok here is where the wheels start to come off the train. i think that most people write this within a week of getting the guitar, so they're all geeked up from having a new toy. "oh it's great great great will never break" well i am a very poor wannabe musician, so this has been my main guitar for shows, and i've played around 50 with it. for the first 9 months things were pretty good. the volume knob is sketchy, so it's hard to get your sound dialed in sometimes, but it still sounds prety solid and always cuts through the mix, and we have alot of people to cut through. after the 9 months it started falling apart. no matter what you do the input jack needs constant attention. then the shorts came. wires came loose on the input jack and the pickups. i took it in and had it fixed, and here 3 weeks later it's failing again. dontbuy this if you need to depend on it. if it stays home it will probably be fine, but it's not a road guitar. pay an extra 100 if you can and get a fender standard. i wish i had.

it sounds good and looks fine, but it doesn't want to go outside. I have played alot of shows with it, so i love it because it's mine, but it's just not dependable anymore. i think this would make a great first guitar, or hobby guitar.

I have a Korean black tele, one vol, one tone, one 3 way switch, two pick ups (usu tele stuff). Nothing amazing, but everything I need

Great clear sustain, due I'm told to the upper bout not being a cutaway (like a strat), and the way the bridge pickup is set in a steel tray. No complaints: nice and clean

Set up fine, action low enough. Some frets not finished perfectly: no big deal

I don't see why this thing would ever break or fail. It isn't a complex piece of performing machinery: it is simple and solid

n/a

I have about 6 other guitars, including a jaguar, a dot, and a dobro. This is by no means a poor relation, although the finery of the other guitars clearly lets them do things this never could (but I wouldn't want it to: that's why I've got a resonator, a semi hollowbody and a techy guitar hanging up next to it). I was bought the thing as a gift, and if it were stolen I might not get another since my Jaguar covers most of what this guitar does (just falling short on the crisp bite, but that doesn't mean if my jag AND my tele went I might not just get a tele....

Teles are great: don't listen to idiots talking about tremolo units and 5 way switches: if you know the sound you want, and this can do it, don't blink about the fact it isn't overcomplicated: that's the beauty. That's why so many people play teles and not strats: the bridge and body make a big difference. As for value: the best low end guitar going. I think if this were a car, if would be a pick up truck

This is a '98 MIM Squire Standard Tele..NOT the early MIM "Squire Series" this one seems almost to be a "copy" of the early '80s MIJ Squires...go figure..Very similar to the early MIM Fender "standard".
Same GREAT maple neck (NOT the one you get NOW)..same cheezy top loader bridge. Coverd tuners, plastic knobs, (Fenders had cast/metal) same PUs as current CIC Squires.. Good bang for the buck..no real difference from the high end MIM Fenders.

This gets worked out on everything from the Beatles to Ozzy..For Pop/roots stuff it goes into my VOX P15r..incredible fat sounds, with great twang on the lead. For heavy stuff, I have a Laney HC25r; good crunch.. GREAT overdrive(does the punk thing REAL well) of course a 'bucker could go in the neck......

This thing is incredibly well made..blows current Squires out of the water, better then most current MIM Fenders..allmost on the early MIJ level...sweet.

No problems here..one solid Tele

Used so no waranty..Fender has abysmal archival info on Squire. I have delt with them on other things.. OK response.

Had a lot of stuff over the years, most now gone..saw this in the used rack and simply walked up and paid..it was that nice. I don't think they made many..if you see one check it out.

-2002 model, made in Indonesia
-Agathis body, Maple neck, Rosewood fingerboard
-22 frets, medium jumbo
-25.5" scale length
-Chrome hardware
-Polyurethane finish
-3 ply plastic fingerboard
-2 single coil pickups
-Volume, Tone and 3 way pickup switch

Using the tone and pickup switch alone you can change from a clean sound to a sexy bluesy tone. Has a lot of that famous tele 'twang' which I like alot.

No major problems, here, although a few of the small metal parts have come a little bit loose occasionaly, but they can easily be tightened with a spanner in a few seconds. Also, the pickup selector is a little noisy if touched when using overdrive or distortion, but nothing too noticeable.

After 3months it's still in great condition, but after this small amount of time I can't give it a score.

No problems yet so I don't know.

This is a 1993 Japan-made Squier Telecaster Standard, maple neck/board with "skunk stripe" trussrod route. Solid red finish, originally white pickguard but changed to 3-ply black, looks killer now. Not sure of the body material but I have been suggested it would be plywood. Rings pretty nicely anyway. No-name but decent hardware, normal Tele pup configuration. The neck is satin finished, 21 medium frets I think and has pretty thick and round profile.

The only bit different part is the pickup routing which is of the so-called "swimming pool" style, a large cavity that extends to the lower horn and is almost as large as the pickguard - I think the same bodies are used to make various models. This huge routing makes the body lighter and bit more resonant, as well brings a tad of thinline style to the sound. Almost makes you want to cut an F-hole to the pickguard. Otherwise, your average Tele.

I'm a rock'n'roll/hard rock kinda guy myself, and I think the guitar suits my style. I'm sure it can cut the John Fogerty/Bruce Springsteen -styles too. The cleans are pretty nice and full, even a bit too bassy especially with the neck pup. The bridge pup is bit too thin and nasal for my liking, I'm possibly swapping it to a stacked HB for more balanced sound. Not that much variety of course, it's a Tele.

The action is med-high, but the pups were adjusted bit too low. Now, being an inexpensive guitar, there are some fibs with the finish, but small of them. The neck pocket isn't very tight and the paint could be bit better applied, bit nevertheless the guitar rings nicely and the finish is durable, you won't notice the flaws unless you watch really closely. Also the frets stick out a bit, but it's common around my area because of the weather.

Seems reliable to me. Tele is a very simple guitar and hard to bring down, and I can't see anything that would make me suspicious about durability. It already has lasted ten years of use with little more than few minor buckle scratches and a minor finish crack on the lower horn. The hardware is basic but seems to last pretty well.

I'd say this is a very nice axe for less than $200. It stands up to Made in Japan reputation, and with $100 extra to the bridge pup and new tuners, I think this baby would make a nice addition to any gigging arsenal. I'd certainly buy one for this price, even if just to have a decent simple axe available at home.

For the price a ten is a no-brainer, against expensive ($1500 and up) hand-made guitars I'd value it around 7 - not bad!

This particular guitar has a VN serial number, so it's from the nineties. It was made in Korea. 21 frets, stock passive tele pups. I think its an ash body, maple neck/board, blond color. Reliable stock tuning pegs. All the features you'd expect on a regular Tele.

This guitar sounds great after being tweaked (see below)! Full on Tele mojo. Except for something extreme (grindcore,etc.), I can't imagine not being able to make this guitar work on any gig, and I play music all over the map. The pups are a bit noisy, and though they sound just fine, lack the extra character a replacement set would bring to the guitar. I'd recommend a set of Bill Lawrence L280's, they're toneful, hum cancelling, and only $80.00 a SET direct!!! Another note, on this Tele the strings don't go through the body. They anchor behind the bridge plate. For hard core Tele guys this is blasphemous, but hard core Tele guys don't buy $180.00 foreign guitars. It contributes to maybe a slight lack of the kind of sustain you'd usually get, but If your replacing the pickups you probably won't notice, or care.

I bought this guitar used, but whoever had it before me never opened it up. When I did (immediately after buying it) I changed the pots to 250K CTS, from the 500K no-name ones in there. Added a couple of decent capacitors, a new switchcraft 3 way switch, and upgraded the wire inside. That made a HUGE difference. As far as the construction quality, it's fine. Actually a couple shades better than what you'd usually expect for an instrument in this class/price range. It plays like butter, these guitars are a real value if your not a Tele snob!!!

Solid as any other Tele.

I've tried to reach Fender a couple times about things, and it's brutal. The website tells you NOTHING, and it's next to impossible to reach them directly.

I've been playing for 18 years and I love this guitar! I'd replace it if anything ever happened to it. You just can't beat the price of these things!!!! You can find them everywhere too! I own an SRV strat, an 80's Mary Kay strat, a goldtop Heritage 150 (Les Paul), and I always wanted a Tele. This will do just fine!! My chain is guitar, Boss tuner, Expandora, Blues Driver, Proctavia, Crybaby, Q-Tron, Line 6 MM-4, Line 6 DL-4, into either a Rivera M-100, blackface Bassman, or HiWatt 50 Custom into either a full or mini Marshall 4X12 loaded with Celestions. Buy this guitar if you want Tele tone for very little bucks. It's a must to replace the pots and such, and new pups are a good idea, but after those expenses your still WAY ahead of the game!!

this is a 2002 standard telecaster which states on the neck plate "20th anniversary model", "crafted in indonesia", "freedom of expressoin scince 1983" the usual tele setup with a rosewood board 22 freets, "skunk stripe" maple neck. this gets a 10 just because i think it is cool to have an anniversary squire.

i have played the blues for over 30 years, this guitar is very nice for certain tones i can't get from other guitars i have. i have several amps, but use a 100w univox 1011 tube head thru a highway 61 cab with old cts speakers in it. noisy? well it's a fender with single coils. the pickups are fine as is and i get the sounds i want from this guitar. i love tele's and have had lots of them, this is as good as any of them, yes, i like it.

here is where this thing really shines! i don't rate "factory setup" as i adjust all my guitars to suit what i like. the pickups are right on and sound excellent. the neck is perfect, the frets are perfect, and the finish? stunning!!! it is a beautiful candy apple red metallic that is one of the best finishes i have ever seen on any guitar at any price.

everybody knows how long tele's last, longer than anybody reading this. the only reason i have another guitar with me on gigs is if i break a string.

i have had countless fender pruducts over the years. i didn't get a warranty card with this and don't care. i have never had any trouble with any fender products. i have never contacted them so i can't say on this one.

i have been playing 43 years, i have a stratocaster and this guitar. let me say it is my belief that just about any guitar that will stay in tune will do the job, amps are where the tone comes from. without a good amp i dont care if you have an original 58 V, you won't sound good. this is a great time in guitar history when a man can get a guitar that has remained mostly unchanged for over 50 years for this almost giveaway price, some makers want 200 just for the case! i love this guitar and would get another one pronto, if i had to. i knew what i wanted, so i didn't compare. i think that tele's cost around 200 in 52, so you figure what 200 could buy then and what you get for 200 today. incredible value. fender has got it together. one last thought here.. it is the man holding the guitar that makes it great.

Made in Indonesia around 1999/2000. It has a maple neck. String through body, standard Tele controls, 2 single coil pickups. The original pickups were adequate but an upgrade elevated this guitar to a whole other level.
It's a Tele, what a standard electric guitar should be.
Steve's included a gig bag in the deal.

I have played everything over the years and on this guitar it has been used for Rock and Roll, R&B, Blues and Country and has delivered a great sound through Marshall and Fender amps. The original pickups were adequate but after changing to a Dimarzio Twang King pickup in the bridge it sounds great. (Think Roy Buchanan)

The setup was fine on this guitar. Everything seems okay but I will upgrade the saddles eventually.

I've been using this without a backup and it has been fine

never contacted

I've been playing for over 25 years. I own numerous other guitars including a '72 Tele, Strats, Ibanez, Epiphone, Yamaha, Dobro, Acoustic and Bass guitars. Marshall, Fender and Yamaha amps. A pile of effects which I don't use. With the Dimarzio Twang King, this guitar sounds great plugged directly into the amp and is versatile enough to do everything I ask. I would hate to lose this guitar
It has been close to perfect as a working guitar.
For the price this has been fantastic.

Squier Standard Telecaster. Made in Indonesia.

Everything a Tele should have. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Passive 2 single coils pups. One volume, one tone control. A 3-way pups selector switch. Strings through body. 6 adjustable saddles.

Fast, thin neck, good turners. Stays in tune well. At least on par with Fender Standard Teles in sound quality. In fact, neck is a little narrow for my taste. But works fine.

I started playing guitars in 1965. A single coil's sound fan since 1966. Ownded more guitars and amps than I care to list here.

I currently own 7 guitars. Including Fender USA.

Killer Tele sounds. Better than some Fender USA Teles that I have played. At a fraction of the costs.

Don't complain about twany , trebley sound, or thin sounds. Don't get any single coiled guitar if you want warm, muddy sound. Get a humbucker for those.

If you want the Tele sound. This is it!

Plug it straight into a Vox tube amp, with just some OD. The sound is just intoxicatingly beautiful.

Also, sounds excellent with Behringer Vintage 30 amp as well.

Ity's a much better buy than any Teles with the Fender name on it.

This is the real thing.

Action and finishing are excellent. Eerything are tight and properly set-up.

I just change the strings to D'Addriao .11 1/2 ground; re-adjust the action and intonation to my own perferences. (I like medium high action, and bigger strings. The factory setting was too low for my taste, and intonated for .09 strings.) That's it.

The guitar is actually ready for action, right out of the box, other than just need tuning.

Eerything are tight and solid. Wood works and paint job are fabulous.

The only complain is the output jack socket, it is loose, and can easily be pulled out from the body, when pulling out the instrument's cord. But this is a quite common fault with many Teles, not just Squier. Can be fix not too difficultly.

Not have to deal with it yet.

Highly recommended for beginners and old timers alike.

You will not be sorry. It's a great guitar.

Squier Standard Telecaster, made in Indonesia...2 Single Coils. Volume, Tone knobs. 3 way-selector switch, and bolt on neck. Not contoured like the strat. If you're reading this and it's new to you then you should definitely do some Fender research.

I can't give it a 10, it's no Variax, but it's got the goods.

I LOOOOOVE this guitar. I got the Special Rolling Rock Model that they only produced about 200 of, and It's green sparkle on back and a Rolling Rock Grapic Series on the front. It's a simply amazing guitar. I love it more than my Gibson SG Standard, as strange as that may sound. It feeds back musically and nicely, and it gains-up nice through my Marshalls and my Orange. The medley of tones on it is GREAT. On ZERO tone (tone knob all the way back, muddy sounding), neck pickup, it sounds mellow and muffled, like good tone knobs do. Some guitars geared towards edginess don't have the mud tones that some people like for jazz...IE the Tom Delonge Strat.

On the bridge pickup with the tone on treble, it sounds twangy and tight, just like good teles do.

I can't say enough good things about this guitar. I just made a Strat and Bought a Strat, but there's something about this guitar that makes it just magical.

Factory Setup was average. I won it in a Beer Store Contest...and the set up was a little high for a telecaster.

The pickups were adjusted quite well, and needed no fine tuning.
The intonation was off, however, but I fixed that without incident.

The Finish was flawless.
Absolutely Flawless.

The Strap Button on the Neck area of the guitar came loose and since I have tightened it.

No serious flaws. No minor flaws really. I treat this guitar like my baby, and a tool. Its the kind of guitar that you can't help but baby.

It will withstand live playing, piece of cake. Hardware is DURABLE and chrome...really nice. Finish is DEEP. Strap buttons not quite solid...I had to add wood splinters around the threads to make it take again. I would play without a backup. This guitar is as solid as any other guitar I've ever known.

Waranty Card was present, hadn't had to deal with them yet. But since I love this guitar so much, and I know fender has a reputable staff, and the waranty was for 3 years, I think I'll ten the sucka.

Even without the Guitar Finishing on it, the Squier Telecaster is an amazing deal, and anyone that is thinking of going to the roots of classic rock and bluegrass should seriously consider picking one up for 200 or 250. I think I would have paid 500 for this. The way it plays and the way that It looks, it's worth its weight in gold.

This is an update on the review I already put up..
I've had a chance to really get to know this guitar.. and probably voided the warranty in the process.

But.. like I said before, I'm keeping it, so I don't mind.

The first problem with this guitar was the neck pickup. the pickup was very slanted.. not level at all..
I removed the pickguard and retuned etc.. leaving the guard off.. and messed with the pickups height. no doubt about it.. leveling it alone was an improvement, but matching it's power via height adjustment really helped everything.. better balance with the bridge pu and a better middle pos. on the three way.

What was wrong? The pickups two mounting screws were drilled in too far back, toward the bridge, of the cavity. This forced the pickguard to tilt the pu when you put it on..
I took out the screws.. I put a piece of foam under the pickup.. this made it too high, but level.. and it would fit the pickguard hole, too.
but.. too high.. so I took two humbuck mounting springs *one really, I cut it in half* and let the pu magnet hold them in place.

Then, I put the pu back on.. and voila.. the right height and no wobbling or microphonic creating problem and it now fits the hole.

this was a major pain in the ass. The neck had to come off four times before I could figure out a way to correct this problem. I left out the fact that I still had to slightly file the inside of the pickguard a bit to keep it from tilting the pu.

A simple mistake created a major problem.
Lucky I like to mess with things.

It also needed a new nut.. which I put on. Bone, Fender replacement part. fit perfectly. sounds good.
The neck has a few high frets.. not bad, but there they are.
The neck also doesn't have very good fretwork in general. which you expect, really.
this guitar has fairly high action, I'm sure, for some.. but it's fine by me.
The pickups now sound much better.. and this guitar really does go from country to blues to rock to jazz with comfort.

That leo.. he really did a job, eh?

So if you're interested in one.. take a good close look at the neck pickup.. the nut.. *for my money the dealer should replace this free before selling it to you.. maybe they can hit fender up for the work?*.. the fretwork, too needs checking out. Be sure the neck is even arched from one side to the other.. mine is a bit flatter on the high string side when you tweak the rod .. and make sure the high fret problem is not horrible.

Tuners.. the more I use them, the more convinced I am that these have a pretty low ratio.. they are probably as good as cheap ones get.. useable. but not easy or pleasant if you're in any kind of hurry.

An investment in tuners and roller string trees is probably in my future.

the pickguard screw holes were a little ragged.
The neck had a shim in it. placed near the nut side of the neck pocket.
But fit and finish in every other way were very good. A little dust here and there inside things.. no biggee.
The plate discoloration I talked about cleaned off. I was surprised, I was sure it was in the chrome. Nope. Looks spiffy.

I paid too much.. but I bought locally. On the web and probably at Guitar Center you could get one for two hundred.. and only ten bucks more for the tri color sunburst like mine.

This should come up right next to my first review.. so I'll leave the rest blank if I can.. and that's all I have to say.
Nice little guitar.. good sound.. if Fender would just get serious about the details I can't see any reason this guitar wouldn't be very very popular.

I bought this april 9, 2003. It must be the newest model.. I don't know when it was made for sure.

This is: a rosewood fingerboard, 22 fret, maple neck, three color sunburst telecaster with string through body. I don't know what the body wood is.. seems a little dramatic in the grain for alder.. but it's definatley four pieces. some of it reminds me of ash.

Standard pickups and controls.
It has the six saddle bridge, and it's really nicely made.
The tuners are smooth.. not stiff and hard as hell to use like the tuners on a crappy Cort strat I once had.

Everything about this guitar was nicely done, and good stuff.. I was surprised.
I'm giving it a ten for features, because all teles deserve that. *s*

I bought this for the scale length and the pickups. It bends way different than my Epiphone Sheraton II.. and it sounds way different!
I play rock and blues and country and I guess some pop.. and as you all should know, teles do all of that and more.
I'm using it through a fender hot rod deluxe.. but I haven't even plugged it in yet. I played via a fender blues deville at the store..but at home I've just used my little cheap Zoom GM200 and headphones. *it's new.. I'll re review a month or two down the line*.
It sound great.. lots of fender quality. a little stinger! I like it a lot.
The GM200 is an amp modeler with rev. del. vib. and cho. and I can get a very wide variety of sounds with this little tele.
Typically it produces some noise when you use only one of the two pups. But.. that's single coils for you. These aren't bad at all.
It's got tone.. make no mistake. And it's got nuance, the pups are nice with the vol. rolled back, and right there when you crank it up.
Satisfaction!

The factory set up was just a bit off. I took a bit of the relief out of the neck via the truss rod. and I adjusted the strings, a bit lower, and that was it.
Plays fine. Typical fender, I think... a little funky and hard to keep the rattle out. But I've rarely seen or heard one that wasn't.. let's say.. unique as far as set up goes.
I adjusted the bridge pickup, and the neck pickup was a bit tilted.. a common thing with teles.. and to my surprise the pickguard fits the neck and pickup so tight I just left it. Sounds ok anyway so no big deal, I just didn't feel like it today.
The finish is excellent. Sure I would have preferred a two piece body.. but the grain is nicely matched anyway, and the three color sunburst is beautiful.
fit and finish are amazing. the parts are all tight and perfectly aligned. Very well done.. and for this money? crazy!
All controls worked perfectly.
there's a little plate discoloration.. it's not quite shiny.. at the control plate near the back. You wouldn't notice if you weren't looking.. seems the control plate might not have been quite smoothed out before the process. I don't give a damn *s*
The nut.. I almost forgot. I don't know what material that is. I'll probably put bone on it soon. It's fairly well done.. the strings don't bind or anything, but I have to say they stopped a little short cosmetically, it looks kinda rough. *who cares?*
action fit and finish.. it's a ten. I've seen guitars that cost twice as much and they didn't measure up to this.

This isn't my first tele. And I know this guitar would not only take live gigs in stride. it would sound great and look great doing it.
Every nut and screw was tight.
I would gig with this, no back up, anytime. It's a peach!

I compared this to a St. Louis Music Supply 'Austin' telecaster. *several, in fact* and the action fit and finish on the Fender were much better.
I also compared it to some Samicks and other brands.. and really, you had to spend at least a hundred bucks more to find something comparable. Fender seems genuinely to have improved the quality of this guitar and the quality control as well.

I know nothing about Fenders customer support. I've never had a problem with any Fender gear so.. I guess that figures.
I didn't even ask how long the warranty was. Why would I? This guitar will outlive me.
Seems worth a ten!

I've been playing since about 1964.
I also currently own an Epiphone Sheraton II, loaded with Gibson Humbuckers.
A Taylor 310 Acoustic.
An ESP LTD B 50 four string bass.
My Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp.
The aforementioned Zoom gm200.
A digitech rp7.
(and some other stuff, but it's really not pertinent.)

I feel I would replace this guitar if it were lost or stolen with another, probably even the same finish. It's impressed me quite a bit. This is a wonderful time for inexpensive guitars, and Fender is competing very well.
I like the neck, I like the scale length, I like the telecaster sounds it gets. This puppy feels great around your neck and in your hands.
I compared this to everything I could find at and under 250.00 and it was the best of them. Peavey had a less expensive strat type guitar that was competitive, but I dont need the whammy, and strat volume knob position bugs me.
If you want a rock solid, good sounding, nice playing guitar.. don't worry about big bucks or big names.. go try the Fender Squier standard models.
I wouldn't hesitate to customize or modify this guitar. If there was a neck I really really liked better, I'd spend nearly as much on it as I did the guitar.
Same with pickups.. if I knew the replacement had strong qualities over and above what these do. and that's no small task even if it isn't an espensive instrument.. I'd buy them, no problem.
Gonna get me a musicians friend gig bag and I'll be all set.
Thanks Fender..you did a good job.
PS: I'm going to rereview this guitar in a month or two.. after I've had a chance to really play it through all my gear and record with it. So far.. I'm as pleased with this, pound for pound, dollar for dollar, as I am with any guitar I've owned.
*which includes, guild, g & l, fender, gibson, rickenbacker, taylor, alvarez, yamaha, even Framus!
PPS:
a word about sioux falls music.. I couldn't get a price reduction on this.. but the price was commensurate with what everyone on the web charges. Just no haggling.
They have a 30 day return policy, which is very handy.. but I doubt I'll be using it.
I do feel the guy could have been a better salesman.. for instance, he didn't try to sell me a case or bag, or mention truss rod and bridge wrenches, extra strings.. but that's ok by me.. I can get them anywhere if that's how they like to do it.
It's a good store, lots of nice fenders and others.. taylor, prs. if you're near them, drop in.

You know the features. 2002 Standard series Squier Telecaster, Vintage blonde. I fell in love with that color, and you cannot get it in a Mexican or American Tele. I paid $190. brand new, which I thought was a good buy. Musician's friend wanted $219. plus shipping for the exact same axe.

I love the sound. Typical Tele twang, no complaints especially for the price. I play blues, through a Blues Junior or a Vibro Champ, basically at living room volumes. There's a little noise, which is typical for a non shielded Tele. I might get some copper tape and shield it, but it's not a big priority.

My only complaint. This guitar was unplayable when I bought it, which probably explains why it was so cheap. The neck had too much releif, the strings were a mile off the fingerboard, and the intonation was a little off. Also, the high E string was too close to the edge of the neck. I had to adjust the releif, then lower the strings at the saddles. Then I loosened the neck screws and pulled the neck to the left to get better alignment of the strings. Then adjusted the intonation. Spent the better part of a couple hours working it over. Now if the neck weren't so damn skinny, it would play great. The Fender website gives specs for this model, and states the neck width as 1.65", or 42mm. I don't know what they used to come up with these measurements, but mine isn't even close. Mine measures 1.58", or 38mm. That may not sound like a huge difference, but trust me, this neck is seriously narrow. If you are playing open cords near the nut, it's very difficult to get good clean cords without your fingers interfering with the other strings, and I don't have huge fingers either. I am planning to get another neck very soon. With a playable neck, I will have a great Tele, and I still will only have spent $300. Overall, the build quality was excellent for the price. No flaws in the finish, and the hardware seems perfectly fine. My only beef is with the neck width and the setup. I'm giving it a 6 because the overall build quality is good.

I don't gig, and if I did I probably would have bought a more expensive axe, but I think this guitar is built pretty well, and I have no doubt it would hold up pretty well. I don't think anyone should gig without a backup guitar, because everybody knows....Shit Happens. It's very well suited to my purpose, which is jamming in my home.

I have no idea, but I doubt they would give a rats ass about customer support on a $200 guitar.

I think it's a good value, providing you don't mind the skinny neck, and if, like me, you are capable of doing a proper setup. I've been playing 23 years. I certainly did a lot of comparison shopping before buying, and had decided on this model and color. There are some really crappy guitars out there in this price range, and you really need to do your homework and play a lot of different ones before buying. I bought this one because the price was right, and I don't mind spending a little money to upgrade it to suit me. If I wanted it to be perfect for me off the rack, I would have had to look elsewhere.

Standard tele set up. sealed tuners, string through body bridge and satin finished saddles. guitar is a 2003 model made in Indonesia. Solid alder body. with maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.

Sound is absolutely incredible. Could not believe the tone and kick the guitar produced. Played guitar through 68 Vox amp and did not have feed back or any hum . The guitar produced a beautiful twang sound as well as a sreeming lead sound. This guitar stays in tune as well as or better than any high end guitar.

The guitar was set up a little high from the factory. I adjusted the action down. The pickups were positioned well. The guitar had perfect intonation. The finish was top shelf as well as the hardware. Only problem i experienced was with the jack. It fell out of the guitar twice while playing. I am searching for a way to keep it in .

This guitar will do fine with live playing, just watch your jack. The guitar is built well and looks as if it will hold up under live conditions.

no experience with this.

I have had this guitar for a month and am utterly impressed by it. It produces a brilliant powerful sound, stays in perfect tune and is built well. The guitar is not sloppily put together. Frets are polished and not jagged and all the pieces fit with tight accurate tollerences. Hard to believe such a good guitar can be bought for around 200 bucks

My Tele is a squire and i think it was made in Japan but im not sure. I bought it for 100 quid off my m8 with an amp which was a good deal.
It has 22 fretts, 3 way pickup selector (which cuts out the pickups when switching sometimes which is well annoying!)the neck is quite nice but the guitar is so heavy it snapped my leather bit which holds my strap...grrr.

Its fairly decent for rock but doesent give out a harsh enough THUMP THUMP when string muting but its good for solos etc. i use a crappy 15watt kustom amp, which gos up to 40watts i think, and has built in distortion. i also have a bf-2 flanger but its bollocks combined with built in amp distortion...
the sound is twangy but cool on the back pickup selection and toney on middle and neck pickup.
you can get some decent strong WOoOoOs and stuff out of it when bending the B string @ the 15th frett or make it screaaam full bending the E string, 22nd Frett!
I like the sound and its an easy guitar to start learning on, but its too twangy and the guitar is SOLID and too heavy so i wanna get a kramer or something with sum decent humbunkers and alder body

The guitar woz set up well and the action was brillant. the only flaw is the neck pickup which is loose

Ive played live with it before and its good!
The hardware seems itll last but the front pickup is abit dodgy and the finish sux. u knock it a lil bit and itll leave a huge dent in it which makes it look rubbish

i got it repared at Mansons guitar shop in exeter they were really helpful. The plastic thing that holds the jack socket snapped to bits so i had to get it fixed! ive never got it repared at fender though

ive been playing for around 10 months and can finger tap well etc. Playing my guitar is 1 of the main things i do i love doing it.
I wouldent lose it and if it was stolen id buy something better! hehe
1 of the things i hate about is the weight its well heavy!!!

My guitar is a 2001 Squire Standard Telecaster (not a 'Tele', which is the cheapo one - so cheap that they even scimped on the name!).
It's metalic purple.
I don't know where it was made (how can you tell?), or what the body is made of. All I know is that it's the heaviest telecaster I've ever played! It also has a maple neck, with a skunk stripe up the back, and a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays.
It's got chrome hardware and a six sadle bridge.
As far as electronics goes, it has the usual Telecaster stuff - two single coils, a tone and a volume control, and a three-way switch.
I've rated the features as eight because a Telecaster isn't meant to be complex. I don't believe it should loose too many points because it does what it's designed to do.

I bought the guiar because I wanted a strong Telecaster 'twangy' sound with loads of sustain on a budget as I can't get this sound on my Tanglewood Chicago (see separate review). In the shop I thought that this was what I was getting, so I bought it, however, after a few weeks I realised that it didn't fit the bill. The sound was, at best, edgy, at worst, hollow. The neck pickup was the most disapointing.
Why did I keep the guitar then? Potential. The guitar sounds and plays wonderfully when unplugged. The sustain is awsome (I usually play semi's so I expect a lot of sustain), and it's loud for a solid.
I have fitted a Seymore Duncan Little '59 mini humbucker at the bridge and now it sounds great as a lead guitar, and, when funds allow, I'll be replacing the neck pickup and maybe adding a middle pickup too.
I use a Huges and Kettener Blonde Edition amp and Danelectro, Electroharmonics and Marshall effects.

The guitar was generally setup well, except for one major problem - some of the frets were far too high. The G and B strings buzzed on the thirteenth, forteenth and fithteenth frets, and changed pitch on the second and third frets depending on how hard you pressed the strings down. Playing in solved the fret buzz, but I had to have th second and third frets ground down!
The finish is faultless and the guitar looks stunning.

This guitar is very solid and seems to stand up to minor knocks well. I'm never rough with my guitars as I use hollow bodies a lot, so I wouldn't know what would happen in the event of a major blow.
It stays in tune well.
I do use this guitar live in part of my set and I would rely on it without a backup.
The strap buttons are very good and I don't feel the need to fit straplocks.
The tone control is getting a little crackly already.

I haven't used the support as one of my workmates helped with the frets.

I have been playing for ten years and have owned a variety of guitars, amps and effects including Washburns, Gibsons, Tanglewoods and Crafters. I've also played far too many others to mention.
If it was stolen I would probably get a Fender Thinline Telecaster and fit a Little '59 to that.
I love the finish and sustain; I hate the neck pickup.
I didn't compare this to any other guiatrs because I wanted a Telecaster and there were no other options.
If you want a good quality, off-the-shelf Telecaster save a little harder and buy a Fender. If, as so many of the other reveiwers below, you want a well built solid guitar and are prepared to play about with the electronics to get the sound that you really want, this is a good place to start.

This is an Indonesian Tele that I picked up in 2001. There's not a lot to say about the features on this guitar, it's a Tele pure and simple. It may not have the best quality parts compared to a higher spec Fender but it certainly does the job.

I play a weird kind of post hardcore with a bit of prog so I need a guitar that distorts nicely but cleanly, kind of like the Fugazi sound.This guitar does all that perfectly. Through my '78 JMP 50 watt non master volume Marshall with a Powerbrake I can make this guitar sound amazing, who needs humbuckers? There is some feedback but it's not excessive. I mainly use the bridge pickup which manages to have a nice chunky bottom end,tight midrange and a great Tele style top end zing.

I had to do a little work on this when I got it. The action was a little low and the top 2 strings choked when bent but this was quickly sorted out. The nut isn't too well cut, it hitches when tuning although tuning is pretty stable, even when jumping around a lot on stage, even though the machine heads feel a little spongy. The neck feels amazing with it's satin finish and fits my tiny hands really well. Everything else on this felt pretty cool from the start.

This is my main guitar live with either a JV series Squier Strat or a Jap Fender Strat as a back up and it's never let me down yet. I played it on our last CD and it sounds like a guitar 3 times its price. Unless I can get my hands on a really nice Fender Tele I intend to keep using this little beast for a long time to come yet.

Never had to deal with them

I bought this as I wanted a Tele and this was all I could afford at the time. I expected to have to replace pickups and tuners but I have been more than happy with the stock ones. I have guitars that would be considered "better" but this just feels right to me. I may treat it to a decent set up and get the nut recut, I may even invest in some better tuners at some point, who knows. The only thing I intend to change in the near future is the scratch plate, I think a black plate on a butterscotch guitar is the business and way better than the white one it came with. If it got stolen I would definately buy another...unless I could afford a really good Fender Tele. Overall this is a cool guitar and certainly not a one trick country pony.

This Squier Telecaster was made in 1987, or before, in Japan. It's black with a white pickguard and a 21-fret maple neck. Standard Tele configuration, I bought it new in '88 and was told by the salesman this was basically identical to the regular American Tele. Same American parts, but assembled in Japan. All original. Machineheads have "GOTCH" written on them and seem high quality. (No accessories included in purchase. Salesman offered me cheap case meant for holding cheap strat copies and I bought it. Barely fits.)

Sounds great now. Bought it new, but internally dusty, from guitar shop on sooty Rt. 1 in Edison, NJ. Finally had it cleaned out, polished, and the intonation set after 14 years of electric groaning on a tiny Gorilla amp that I bought at same time. Now I'm on a new 160-watt Fender Hot Rod Blues Junior amp. Fretboard wood has hardened somewhat giving warmer, cleaner, classic Tele sound that works for me.

Great action always, fine solid maple neck. Body and neck are beautiful ... always felt good. Some basics (intonation, wiring) were not set-up right at time of purchase ... the sound would often mysteriously fade, particularly on the forward rhythm switch. In 88 I could not tell the difference. Center pick-up was slightly loose, too.

Cleaned up real nice recently in the shop. Very precise, close action makes it a standout.

Real solid ... finish is tight, strap buttons real sturdy. Seems like many coats of black lacquer on body is not easy to chip. There are a couple of very minor unnoticeable surface scratches and some of the screws holding the pick-guard have started to rust in the New Jersey humidity. Only the two string holders on the headstock seem really cheaply made, but who cares, they still work.

I'd want some sort of back-up live ... no doubt as I would with any Tele, the selector switch is sort inconveniently located ... strum too earnestly or sloppy in rhythm mode and the switch just might dislocate/break ... like any Tele.

I've been playing guitars since soph. year in college and also own a Fender Redondo Accoustic and an antique accoustic "conversation piece." I like the pairing of the Redondo and Tele -- The necks are almost identical so I can practice "electric" leads on the unplugged accoustic. They were both fantastic values, too.

I've had a long relationship with this Tele, countless apartments, living situations, going full circle ... It's held up well. The intonation was poorly set for years. I didn't know what to do about it, being a clueless amateur. All I felt like investing in was a little Gorilla amp. You can imagine what that sounded like.

It's been around the block but I haven't it play it much, so this Tele is nearly new. I needed the new Fender Hot Rod amp, and a pro to do real work on "the fit," to bring out its beauty. It plays like a fine old Tele now, and I want to play it all the time.

I'm glad I made the small investment back when, but I'm not sure I'd go with the new Squier Teles. The necks on the new ones feel much lighter ... a cheaper grade of maple perhaps. I'd buy another Japanese-made Squier any time, although they seem increasingly rare. I think quite a few collectors are wisely scooping these up.

My Tele was made in Japan (the only quality Squier factory) in 1987. It's 21 Fret, maple necked w/black dot inlays, U-shaped neck, medium frets (I'd say), 2-piece ASH body (no Poplar like MIJ Fenders, or composite whatever in other Squiers) finished in transparent Butterscotch Blonde, black pickguard, two single coil pickups (one lipstick, well, you know the Tele set up), string-thru-bridge (not body... it was the weird era) Tele style bridge, 3 way blade selector and 2 chrome potentiometer knobs (I think the pots are 250k, I'd have to check). Tuners are Gotohs. Overall a beautiful, classic, and simple guitar. There is no Fender better than a Butterscotch Blonde Tele.

My Tele sounds great for blues, funk, and classic rock'n'roll. When I need more full, muddy sound, I reach for my Gibson--but I love using this for blues leads and a lot of what I play. I play my Tele through a Laney GH50L halfstack, I use usually only wah and distortion. The neck pickup has some serious problems with being microphonic now (MIJs only downfall was in electronics sometimes), but still gives me killer tone for the blues--bridge p'up is a bit microphonic, but acceptable; it's likely I'll replace them both with Duncans soon. The Tele has that classic twang, it stays bright, even with the tone roaled down (a good thing--it has maintains clarity with the tone pot down most of the way, unlike a lot of solid bodies). The guitar actually can vary in tone quite a lot for the simplicity of features--it can be used for a decent jazz sound, great blues, and awesome wah-ed funk. I only wish this guitar was a bit less noisy at high-volume. The neck p'up screams when I crank it up.

I bought this guitar used, and it was set up very well. The p'ups, action, and intonation all were acceptable (I fiddled around a bit, but I didn't need to make a lot of changes). When I bought it there were some dents, but they only add to the classic charm. The input jack isn't of the greatest quality, and the p'up selector is a bit loose. All pots weren't scratchy, and the input jack doesn't go in and out. It's not in the greatest condition, but I still love it. For the marginal electronics, I'll give 'er an 8--but it might deserve a 9.

This guitar is fine live, but I wouldn't use it on a gig w/o a backup--and this says nothing about the quality of the guitar. I wouldn't use ANY guitar on a gig w/o backup because bad things happen on stage. Strings break, input jacks die, pots get scratchy--anything could happen. It's sheer idiocy to go play a show without a backup guitar, because if your guitar quits out (no matter how nice of a guitar it is, even if it's a brand new Les Paul), you're going to need to keep playing. Anyway, the hardware is excellent--I see no reason to why it shouldn't last. The finish is good, I hope it does wear off a bit, right now the transperancy isn't as much as I wish it was. Strap buttons are solid, but I'd like to add some strap locks. Very dependable. My only beef is some simple electrical bits. One wire attaching the input jack for some reason gets a lot of stress and has come off twice within the last month or so (it's not a big job to re-solder it back on, but I'd rather not bother, you know? Something that trivial shouldn't need to be done twice... maybe I just did a bad job the first time). B/c of that input jack, it gets a 9.

Never tried. I've done the only repairs myself. I bought it used, so I have no idea about warranty.

I've been playing for about 6 years. I own this Tele, a '77 Gibson RD Custom, a '64 Harmony H-15, a '98 Washburn D-10M, an Ariana classical, and a 60s Silvertone Classical. Amps would be my Laney GH50L (I've got a few Peavey cabs to go along), and an old Peavey Rage, I also play this through an Ampeg Jet-15 sometimes. If this were stolen I would have to savagely tear the bastard who stole it into small bits of flesh and feed him to my dog, seeing as how it would be damn near impossible to find another one of these (I know of one other guy who has one)--MIJ Squiers and Fenders are something to be coveted! I really bought this on impulse, but at the time, I was looking at SGs and Les Pauls... kind of. Really, I went out for dinner, stopped by Music-Go-Round next door, played this and the next day it was mine, mine, mine. I wish it had the Duncans I'm going to add probably, and a string-thru-body bridge. I wish the finish was a bit more faded. Good times. Go find yourself one of these--I play it as much or more than my Gibby, and they're quite cheap.

'99 or 2000 Indonesian Squier tele. kind of a beige color with a white pickguard. Regular tele features. Rosewood board, satin finish on neck. 6 individual saddles (not barrel). The neck on this guitar is excellent. The satin finish makes it a breeze to play and it's thin (not fron to back, from E string to E string) which is kind of cool for guys like me with little hands. The frets were pretty well done, too. On the thin side. Tuners are standard cheapo crap, but this guitar stays in tune surprisingly well. I'm not possitive, but I think my LP Custom goes out of tune more often than this one! I bought this used from some guy who sanded off the "squier" on the headstock and replaced it with a fake ass "Fender" lick n' stick. I took that off and replaced it with a nice sticker of a pinup girl:)

Came with nothing but the guitar.

OK, when I bought this, it sounded passable. It was certainly far from inspiring though. The bridge pup actually sounded decent. Not great, decent. The neck picup was muddy. Chords sounded indistinct and just blah. I opened it up discovered very cheap electronics. Everything from the pots to the jackplate to the switch was cheap. I gutted the guitar and rebuilt it and now it sounds killer. Here's what I did:
replaced all electronics (switch, pots, caps, wires, jack...everything)
replaced pickups with Bill Lawrence (290l and 280n I think)
replaced flimsy jackplate
installed DPDT switch for 1/2 out of phase option
replaced badly cut (and backwards!) nut with new bone nut
replaced bridge with traditional 3 brass barrel (with compensated barrels for correct intonation)

now, all that ran me about $200 since I did the work myself, and like I said, I just love this guitar now. I can get raunchy Keith Richards sounds, good chording on the neck, great tele lead sounds, country...etc. Everything you'd expect from a good tele. I've got 7 guitars, but I find myself playing this one when I go to just grab a guitar at home and play. guitar gets a 6 for stock, 9-10 with my mods.

everything was fine except the nut was horrible. The strings were spaced so close (on an already small neck) that I couldn't play open chords and have open strings ring. Nut was also put on backwards. odd. I've set the action to where I like it and there is still a little string buzz on the neck. I'm not having much luck getting rid of that, but it rarely can be hear when I'm playing through an amp. Paint is fine but seems a bit cheap. I guess time will tell. Pickup selector (and all electronics) were cheap and felt it.

This guitar feels solid, like a tele should. One thing I really like about this guitar is that I don't worry about scratching it, etc. It's my "beater" guitar, and I think it'll take whatever I can dish out. Finish, as I said, seems a bit cheap. I hit the lower horn on a table edge and a 1/4 inch paint chip came off, but whatever. Knobs are cheapies, but I'm not going to bother changing them. They don't have the screw to keep 'em on, but they seem fine. Strap buttons also seem cheezy somehow, but I'm not worried about them falling off or anything.

N/A

I've been playing 10 years. I own 2 Les Puals (Custom and XR-1), 2 MIJ Fender strats, a highly modded Epi Sheraton II and a Yamaha acoustic. 2 Marshall heads (JCM 900 and Jubilee 2555), 4x12 Marshall slant cab. Fender Blues Deluxe. Bunch of pedals, recording gear, etc. I have played lots of guitars in my search for good tones (not THE tone, just a few really good tones....that's why I've got more than one guitar). This thing is a great addition, given all the mods I did to it. I would not suggest you buy this unless you're willing to put some $ and time into it. If you had to pay somebody else to do the work, it would probably not be worth it. If you're looking for a good project guitar to upgrade/mod, this is it. Of course, as with any offshore Squier, play before you buy....quality varies quiet a bit. If I lost it, I might buy it again, but I might not want to go to all the trouble I went to this time. But I hope I never lose it, I like it very much. My favorite feature is the very comfy neck. I bought this because I like working on guitars, but also because I tried a bunch of teles in the stores, but none of them sounded great, so I figured I'd just build my own to my own specs. And that's exactly what I've done.
Again, rating is 9 with my mods, 5-6 without.

Well, it is an older generation squier telecaster, there aren't many guitars that are simpler. It's a plank with a neck and a bouple of pickups on it. The tuners are horrible stamped metal pieces of garbage. The bridge is a rather large hunk of metal, but the strings do not go through the body, so there is not as much sustain as a standard tele. It has a pair of standard tele single coils. I scalloped the fingerboard and tung oiled the neck so now it plays excellent, like a Malmsteen strat.

The guitar sounds horrible clean. It has that disgusting twang that is unsuitable for anything other than country. However, when running through massive distortion, the bridge pickup gets a great Master of Puppets era Metallica sound to it, while the neck gets a nice Pearl Jam quality. I would not play blues on this guitar as it does not have that fat strat sound that Stevie Ray Vaughan has.

Ok, I'm not sure how some of this stuff made it out of the factory, but since I'm holdng it right now...
The nut string spacing is inconsistent, some of the fret ends had burrs, the tuners are terrible as they detune by free will if trying to tune a string down, the electronics were poorly done (the switch does not select both pickups in middle position, only the bridge pickup, and the pots will make scratching noises and cut out the sound if turned all the way on or off), the strings buzzed a lot if the action was set too low, the bridge height adjusters are quite sharp, and the jack has come loose on occasion. On the other hand, the neck is one solid piece of maple and is straight as an arrow, the body is very heavy and makes up for some of the sustain loss of the bridge, the finish is excellent for a guitar this cheap seeing as how it's lasted for the past three years perfectly, the wood is quite strong; I've hit the neck on quite a number of things and there's only a small dent that is barely noticable, the neck pocket is nice and tight, and the guitar is well balanced.

Well, it has a tendency to snap high e strings after a couple months of heavy bending, no other guitar I've had does this. It's an incredibley solid guitar, especially for being so cheap. Also, none of the hardware has even a hint of rust. I'd like to replace the tuners, the nut, and the bridge, rewire the electronics, and get new pickups. It has withstood much live playing, and only once have I broken a string live. Unfortunately, the rest of the strings went down a semitone, so I had to compensate. I want one of those Hipshot Trilogy bridges so that doesn't happen again. I don't like straplocks, so the standard Fender straps ar really nice. I like small strap buttons so I can take the strap off easily, and, well, these are really small. I use it all the time without a backup, and I've only ever broken a string once (see above). I think the only time I would regret not having a backup would be if I had all the strings break. But what are the odds of that happening? I usually replace strings before they get too bad, though.

I've never had to deal with Fender, and I don't think I will ever have to. I can work on my guitar myself, and I don't really want any more Fenders (I'm kinda sick of them, they comprise a vast majority of the guitars I've owned).

Well, I use it for Yngwie style stuff, and it sounds a lot like an Yngwie guitar what with the low output pickups and scalloped fingerboard. I've been playing 4 years and I just finished my first year of my college music education. It's fantastic for shredding, but needs a lot of distortion to sound good. If it were stolen, the only thing I'd really be losing is some sentimental value. I'm getting a new guitar soon, and I want a Steinberger or a GMW custom guitar. This thing was great when I got it as a novice, but now that I know enough about guitars, I notice its flaws.

Mine is the current Squier Standard Telecaster, made in Indonesia. The blonde finish/rosewood finerboard model. This is a classic Telecaster, regardless of it being a "low end" Squier model. I also have a 1994 Fender Tele Special, which is a great Tele too, but this Squier is every bit as good. It's so good, in fact, it's hard to put down. I have owned 6 Teles since 1979 (including the 2 I have now) and this Squier is one of the best I've had. It's amazing a quality guitar can be had for so little! I have A-B'd it against higher-priced Fender Teles, and it holds it's own. I bought this guitar last year, to throw in an airplane cargo hold for a mini tour I did in Germany, so I wouldn't have to take my Fender Tele, thinking that this one would just be a "cheapie" for the trip that would be disposable. Wrongo, as this is a great guitar, and has all the character and personality of a "real" Telecaster. It IS a real Telecaster!

The sound is great. Really. I mean, it may not be perfect, when compared to a 1950's Telecaster, but it sounds really good and has that Tele twang. It especially sounds good in open G, a tuning I use a lot, a la Keith Richards. It's got that classic Tele mojo.

OK, I know it's made out of cheaper wood than a higher priced Fender, but who cares?! I mean, that doesn't inhibit the sound or playabilty any, as far as I am concerned. It's a fairly weighty wood too, at least compared to my Fender Tele, but I prefer that anyway. My main axe is an Ampeg Dan Armstrong "See Through" plexiglass guitar, anyway, so weight doesn't bother me! Also, this thing played right and stayed in tune from the minute I picked it up in the store!

It is solid axe. It survived 2 6,000 mile plane flights as checked baggage in a stock Fender hard case, so I'm not worried about it holding up. Everything about this Tele seems really sturdy.

N/A

Again, this is a "real" Telecaster. I don't care if it's a Squier, it's a great guitar, and holds up well when compared to any Fender I've played, including my own. It's tough, well made and cheap! I can dig it, a true guitar for the masses. I mean, guitars have gotten REALLY expensive (witness the Gibson line of the last decade!), but these Squiers are done right, and are affordable. I also picked up a Squier Standard Stratocaster, and much of what I have said about the Tele here applies to that guitar, as well. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this guitar this much when I bought it for my trip! So, my advice to anyone considering buying a Tele, keep an open mind about the Squier versions, they are really good!

Maple neck/ alder body... non-locking tuners, which the peg fell off of??? That's never happened before. Muddy electronics. fretwork is surprising good, however the bridge is quite possibly the most uneven one i've ever played, chalked full of that pleasant buzz every player searches for. For the price paid, the body itself (alder is capable of solid tone) and a nice maple neck with rosewood could make this guitar worth it if you're looking to experiment with it.

Well, the electronics have been replaced and where in dire need of changing. This guitar can NOT be bought without aftermarket pickups. They're too muddy, but the tradional bridge pickup did pick up a fair amount of 'tele twang', which wasn't what i was after since i wanted a rhythm guitar. The capataticors are alright, but i put a 'black ice' on to give it some crunch. 5 only for the alder body at a low price.

Other than the bridge, a tuning peg and it's inability to stay in one piece, this guitar has minimal tuning problems, the bridge causes all major problems, but that went soon after I realized it wasn't going to fly.

I broke a tuning peg, smashed the input jack in, the straps don't work without either a strap-lock or some duct tape, but damn does the body stay together!!! I LOVE ALDER!

I tried calling... to no avail.

The body made for a great guitar to mod and it's had pleasent results. I've spent an additional three hundred dollars on this guitar to give it one of the most unquie sounds I've ever heard and it has a solid tone. Straight ahead rock, but I can throw down blues just as easy with a pickup switch. I think it should be noted that my severe lack of sodering knowledge may have resulted in the unlikely tone, and I've had a few practice problems with major feedback and the guitar wavering in working...

Korean Squier Tele, black. Year - mid 90's?!

22 frets

2 single coil pickups, ur standard tele with single cutaway.

wow my first electric guitar i was so excited the day i got this guitar with my 15 watt squier amp.

the pickups are okay, not great but not trashy either. nice tele sound a little bit thin though.

all quite nice, the neck is comfortable to play and when i got it i was just a beginner.

the action is nice not very very low but i have no problems bending the strings and stuff.

the bridge however is a little weak and prone to bit of rattle every now and then. especially the top e string buzzez and rattles and can get a bit annoying sometimes.

otherwise i think its a nice instrument.

i tried sanding the top off actually (i wanted a butterscotch finish!!) now its just got a lot of funny looking scratch marks over it and looks grey !! but i still love it although its pretty ugly now.

nice apart from the rattling e string.

overall i would give it the thumbs up.

good for beginners, i would recommand it. i havent tried the newer chinese or indonesian ones but i like my korean tele.

Nothing special. Three way pickup slector, tone, and volume. No special doo dads or gadgets.

The best damn guitar ever. I replaced her with a thinline telecaster, only because I like the quality tuners a bit more; but mainly I needed another guitar so I could have a backup. A decent amount of the time, I still take the stage with my squire tele, and leave the "real" tele resting behind my amp incase a string breaks. I play in a punk rock band, and we do some nice country / folk progressions. This is perfect.

I run a JCM 900 100W head, and that's all I need. Turn the gain up, and I'm ready to tear up. Switch to clean, and I'll bust out the softest folk chords you ever heard.

I bought mine used, but everything was set up great. Buying it used from a shop is probably better anyway, cause a good shop will "set up" your guitar properly, and wouldn't buy a shit guitar in the first place. A good shop wouldn't.

This guitar kicked ass from the first song I played with it, and years later it's still amazing.

She's covered in stickers and duct tape, but... yeah.. I guess the finish is fine underneath it all.

Everything's solid... except for one thing....

Get a new input put in. These tele's shipped with a shit screw in input that the road / playing gigs will not tolerate. For like twenty bucks, a shop will take out the existing input, and put one in that screws into the body. Much better way to go.

I'll play this guitar till the day I die. My only reason for having a backup is incase a string breaks. But one show, my top e snapped in the first song, and I looked over and the only guitar was my friend's piece of shit raptor. I said no thanks and switched it out the string in the middle of our set. Hey... sue me. I'm a telecaster man.

Never dealt with them. Never had to.

Oh yeah.. this is also the most comforable guitar in the world to play. The neck is as fat as a baseball bat, and the action is soooooo sweeeeetttt.

i traded 2 cheap guitars for this. 21frets 2 coil pickups. 3 way tele selecter switch. two tone copper color. i had to change necks. put mexican made strat neck on the tele body. now it is perfect. i wouldnt sell it for less than 1lll.oo dollars. ha there is no way to replace the feel and the pleasure, or the sound. i play gospel music and it is perfect.

action is good after i changed necks, fit and finish is great

strap buttons are fine hard ware is great it is really dependable and i cant say any more about it

no