Fender Squier Venus

An early model from what I can tell via the joy of Wikipedia. Sea Foam green with white pearloid pickguard, matching headstock as well. The humbucker has been replaced with a Kent Armstrong pickup and I'm currently doing it up. Beautiful shape to it.

I fell in love with this once I saw it, it had everything I required mainly simplicity. The fact that all there is is volume and nothing else to me meant the world as that was what I had been dreaming about for several years.
The singlecoil I'm gonna have to replace because of a lack of care via previous owner (i.e. rust) but the new humbucker on mine kicks like a mule (in a good way)

Since I mainly play acoustic playing for the first time was like cutting through hot butter. No flaws that I could see except for the problems via previous owner. Even though it's ten years old and possibly been through a lot it hasn't really shown up anywhere.

I'm hopefully going to use this guitar for some live playing, it's ten years old and going strong and has obviously been gigged before, from careful deduction I believe the rusting that has occurred has been from sweat as it is mainly over the top of the pickguard/singlecoil. The previous pickups have been removed and I'm planning on removing the singlecoil soon and replacing it so obviously the hardware hasn't truely stood the test of time but that's mainly down to abuse. The base has had a considerable dent put into it but the finish has at no time come off. My only concern is the small strap buttons. The first time I slung it on my shoulder it almost landed with a bump.

Customer support I'm sure now is non-existent for this model although there are various "fan" websites out there offering tips and help via old Fender pages and of course good ol' wikipedia.

I've been playing on and off for about 10 years now, I previously owned a Epiphone Les Paul and comparing that to the Venus I probably shouldn't have bothered with it. I hadn't heard about this guitar until this year and a chance encounter on the web so I purely bought this for its design and a little feeling of fate. The Venus is probably the lightest guitar I've ever tried out/used and it's shape is something special. I love its pickup setup and I love its simplicity. Obviously for some this is its downfall but its a great guitar and one I'll be keeping.

See all other "features" comments please. I'm tired of typing.

I like it okay. The pups need to be swapped out at some point. But it suits my needs. The selector switch is bad and the pot is scratchy. Buying it used, I expect that kind of thing. I play in a variety type rock band currently, that plays everything from Motown and classic r&b to classic rock and country rock. I am a frontman/rhythm guitarist, and for such a short list of features this guitar delivers pretty good tone on many songs. I play it thru a Fender Princeton 650.

Seafoam green model. I like it a lot. I get lots of positive comments on it at gigs. Overall a well made guitar for the money.

It's put together very well. I have had it for 3 years and the only complaints I have are some of the electronics. But I always have a back up.

Used no warranty.

Playing for nearly 25 years. Mostly Classic rock, Country, some original material as well. I love the funky look of this thing. The best thing about it is the neck. It's a nice thick C and it's bound. It's my favorite neck of all the electric guitars I own. If I had it stolen, I would try to replace it, but they are getting more rare and harder to find.

Made in 1997 or 98 in Japan. 22 frets. S/H pickup config. Not sure what kind of pickups are in it. They seem much better than typical Squier p/u. Basswood body I think, with maple neck, and rosewood fretboard. Mine is a sunburst with shell pickguard. Gotoh bridge setup. No accessories with mine. Bought it used at a Pawn Shop from a guy who had no idea it was anything but a typical Chinese, Korean, or Indonesian Squier. His loss, my gain! Designed by the infamous Courtney Love, but I'm not holding that against this fine guitar. Only one volume control with 3 position switch for the S/H pickups. Very simple, which is fine with me.

I've always loved the idea of having a guitar with both a single coil and a humbucker for versatility. Finally got one and love it. I'm not big on pedals. I suppose I'm inspired by Angus Young and Ian Mackaye to play mostly without all the toys. I usually just cut my amp's distortion up to about 5 or 6, but I do occassionally run it through a Boss DS-1 and an EQ pedal for a little more beef with the Humbucker engaged. The single coil (again, don't know if it's stock or not) is great! It is very clean and warm. It has a very nice bluesy tone. The humbucker leaves a bit to be desired, not as much crunchy tone as say a typical Les Paul. The bolt vs set neck may account for some of the lack of crunch. Don't know. I may change the humbucker. But the middle blended position is really nice sounding.

I didn't get the guitar new, so I can't say how the original setup was. But the neck was in great shape when I got it (including the frets). Action was perfect and intonation was pretty close to perfect. That surprised me since the guitar was dinged up pretty good and came from a pawn shop. I found no flaws in the bridge or nut. One of my tuners is a little loose, but again, not being new I can't blame Fender/Squier for that. And the 3 way switch on mine shorts out sometimes. I'll probably have to rewire it. Like I said, it looks like it's been played pretty regularly, so the problem with the switch may be the result of lots of use, not workmanship. It's very light, certainly much lighter than my Strat, G400, and certainly my freakin' Jazz Bass! Overall, a great feeling, light guitar.

I'd say the guitar will hold up to regular live playing, but like anything, preventative maintenance is necessary. I don't think the previous owner did much of this. Finish is solid enough. I don't gig currently, but I'd probably use it as a backup, possibly a main guitar. I can't imagine too many gigging musicians not using a back up.

Never dealt with and mine is not under warranty. But I may contact Fender soon for specs and such since I can't find them on the website currently.

I've been playing off and on for 15 years, but only seriously now for about a year. I'd total that up to maybe 3 years of real experience I guess. I also have a Fender Highway 1 Strat (actually it's my wife's, but I play it quite a bit), Epiphone G400 Les Paul Custom, Ibanez AF75T, and a Fender American Jazz Bass. I love this guitar. Japanese Squiers are closer to the standards of the American Fenders than your typical Squiers. I think it will become a collector's item in the future when the word gets out. I think there's a perception that the Venus is somehow a "chick" guitar whatever that means. I suppose that's because of the Courtney Love connection...ugh. Well, it's not like it's a Daisy Rock or something. My wife loves it, BUT SHE CAN'T HAVE IT! The body style may be a bit different than the norm, but I think it's a quite graceful looking guitar. It is VERY light, certainly lighter than a Strat and certainly Les Pauls. The other day I was recording a bass part for a song with my Am Jazz, which weighs a ton, and then switched to my Venus to lay down a solo and I could barely tell I was holding it. Felt like the strings and frets were magically floating there before me! I love this guitar and pity the poor pawn shop owner who let it go so cheap:) But as much as I love it, I'm not prepared to give it all 10s. I just haven't found the "perfect" guitar to receive those kinda marks. So accept my 9s as perfect as I have found when all things are considered (price, feel, sound, durability, looks, etc). Go get one! Help increase the collectibility of these fine guitars.

mine is a seafoam green example, not sure of the year. You already know the specs from the other reviews(basswood body, 22 fret rosewood neck, etc.). two pickups, a three way toggle swithch and a single volume didnt seem like much in the line of features but it suits this guitar down to the ground. i love the body shape and colour, the other reviewers said it was a players guitar not something to impress people but i think that its oddly attractive shape and this colour will definetly get you noticed.
i believe the pickups are seymour duncans, not sure, since they dont actually say anything on the covers, theyre the stock ones any way. and that neck, the best. . .

in short this guitar sounds brilliant!
i use it alongside my lite-ash tele and in truth the sound of the more expensive tele doesnt even compare.
the neck single coil is beautifully bright and jangly like a danelctro or Rickenbacker, suited to indie or R.E.M style arpeggios, ska chopping or even bluesy bass runs on the low strings. The powerful humbucker packs a punch and is maybe a little too responsive to be used on full volume clean.
overdriven this guitar is a beauty, the neck has a sweet, singing quality similar to a fender strat or a danelectro. The bridge is pure Les Paul grit, you can go from playing Sweet Child o' Mine to Basket Case without touching the switch or your amp. The sustain is unbelievable, especially for a guitar of this price(probably helped by that massive gotoh bridge). i use it with a Boss OD-1 and/or an ElectroHarmonix Big Muff through my Orange AD30 and therre is no better combination

No Problems here, the "swimming pool" routing doesnt allow you to play without a pickguard in the manner of a tele or a jazz bass, but it does give you the huge advantage of an almost infinite scope for modifications, witout needing to re-route the body. By only cutting the pickguard you can switch one or both of the pickups to something completely different, or even add a new pickup, you can extra pots and you even have the space to add active electronics

no problems in the last three years,except i had to replace a strap button screw with a two inch wood screw to stop it coming out. That huge bridge could sip tea through an earthquake

Never needed it. I am afraid that the relative obscurity of the instrument and the numbers with which Squeir produce budget models means that they get enough calls that they probably dont really care. Ebay and your shed is probably your best bet.

I absolutely love this guitar and in the three years ive had it i have never tired of it.
when i first saw it it was a dusty relic of the by-gone grunge era, sitting the basement of a small guitar shop for gthe last six years.
The marked price was six hundred euros but the shopowner, eager to get rid of it agreed on four hundred. When he got a chance to tune and clean it, he was already regretting it!
This a guitar that has something that so many Ibanezs and ESPs dont have, in the right hands it has Attitude, the stripped down looks and features only add to its appeal. I firmly believe that in twenety years we will see pictures on the front of guitar magazines of this guitar. Its like the sounds of Ric or Dano and a Les Paul, with the look, feel and pure balls of a Tele or Strat

My Venus is a sea-foam green model(which makes it a '98).Fairly basic guitar.It has a solid basswood body, bolt-on maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, six saddle adjustable bridge, and a nice string-thru-body tailpiece. The neck scale is 25-1/4" with 22 frets. This guitar comes with a humbucker at the bridge and a single coil at the neck, a volume knob, and a three way switch. A tone knob would have been nice---more on that later. Shredders beware---this neck is not built for speed. It's more baseball-bat-like(my bassplayer friend loves it, if that means anything). I love the aesthetics of this guitar, but the body shape tends to make the guitar sit a little awkward for me. All hardware is chrome-plated nickel.

I play this guitar through a Vintage Club 50 2x12 combo tube amp. I use a korg axg 30 multi-effects in the effects loop(I use the chorus,flange,delays,etc. I put a Boss MT-2 distortion pedal in front of the amp, and it's only used on the clean channel (the better of the two on this amp). The clean channel is VERY good, the MT-2 gives me over-the-top rage, and the dirty channel does blues and rock well,but it is an overdriven sound(no metal,nu or otherwise). The sound-------The original pickups sounded thin to me.Too bright with the guitar volume all the way up, but as you turn the guitar down the tonal characteristics suck. This is where a tone knob would've been nice. While this would be great, I still think the pickups are lacking. My musical tastes are all over the place, and guitar is my second instrument(I'm a drummer with very nice equipment).I write and record at home, and given my budget, I don't have multiple guitars.I have a Takimine acoustic and the venus.I need this guitar to be versatile,and the stock pickups seemed one-dimensional to me. I replaced those with a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck humbucker and a Fender Lace sensor(I think it's called the gold---it's whichever is the chimey single coil).The original volume knob was a cheap white plastic dail.I had a tone pot added, and the volume and tone knobs are the heavy chrome knobs from a telecaster.The volume pot was also changed,it now includes a push-pull coil splitter for the humbucker.This guitar can cover a lot of ground.The structure of the guitar offers good sustain.It stays in tune well,but the intonation itself could be better.I love this guitar now,but I will score it lower because I believe most people wouldn't be totally satisfied with this thing straight out of the box.

The finish on this guitar is good,not perfect,but close.The set-up was good,and the bridge will let you adjust,but as I said,the intonation in the upper frets could be better.These guitars very eye-catching,and a magnifying glass won't ruin it for you.

I did have to fix a strap button,but otherwise it's a very solid guitar.I wouldn't gig without a backup,no matter what guitar I was using.

N/A

I'm 37 years old.I've been playing the drums for 23 years,and playing guitar for 5.I have a digital 8-track,as does my friend,and we link/record often.If this guitar were stolen I would cry. It's modifications have made this guitar very versatile and unique,and the venus has a great vibe to it.The Squire Vista Series guitars were an attempt by Squire to rise up a level in the guitar comnmunity.Although Squire has factories all over the place, they only made the Vista guitars in their Japanese facilities(where they had their best quality production).The worst thing about this guitar is that it's associated with Courtney Love.Don't let that deter you from buying one of these.They only made these for two years.I think they listed for $699,but by the time I bought mine they were selling them cheap because nobody wanted to accept Squire into the club.

I havent taken the neck off to get the precise year but its either a 96 or 97. The specs from Musicians friend???? state the following..
Body: Solid basswood. Neck: Maple; 25.5" scale. Fretboard: Bound rosewood w/22 frets. Electronics: HB pickup (bridge), single coil pickup w/staggered Alnico pole pieces (neck), 3-pos toggle, master volume. Pickguard: White shell. Hardware: 6 saddle adjustable bridge with strings through body design, traditional machine heads, all nickel w/chrome plating. Being a HUGE Hole/Courtney Love fan I had to have this. Plus the string through body is so sexy!

Dont be fooled by the Squier name. This is a Fender guitar. It sounds fender, plays Fender, and looks Fender. I bought an almost new 1956 Reissue Danelectro U2 and loved the sound. Its very distorted, and the neck is about the same as a Venus. I had a premonition that the Venus would sound like the Dannie' and it did. So the sound basically is a Danelectro U2 Reissue just with more distortion. The sound is AMAZING.. Perfect for anything. Not just grunge.

Mine is the black finish, with matching black headstock. It was a little beat on the side when I got it, but hey, what do you expect for an 8 year old guitar. Its better than the Jag-Stang. I have the 95 Fiesta Red Jag-stang, and I hate to say, its all but gone caput on me. Courtney is right, she made a great guitar. It even plays Nirvana tunes better than the JS.

This guitar seems well built, the only thing I'd change is that there would be more color selection, and that the paint would be more durable

I havent had to deal with Fender yet, heheh I called them once to see if they could find me one and they said "we dont deal with those things, because frankly we discontinued them because no one liked them, they weren't very good" thats bologna. This guitar is awesome..

This was my dream guitar, besides my Jag-stang of course. This guitar was great. I recommend it to anyone. Its not just a girl guitar, although its very small and feminine. The stock pickups are great. LEAVE THEM ALONE! I dont get you people who change out the pickups, theyre fine. They're sure better than the Jag-Stang's for sure. I'd like to get the paint redone in royal blue though... hmmm wonder how much that costs? But one thing I didnt like is that when I had to change the strings, the silver stringers on the string-through body kept coming out.

This review is for what is now my daughter Madison's Squier Venus...1997, 6 String, Gloss Black w/matching headstock, strung w/.12-.52 heavy strings. This was MY second Venus...I loved the first one so much that I sold a 1996 Jag-Stang to fund this purchase...yes the Venus is better than the Jag-Stang in my opinion. Sold off my first Venus and my other Jag-Stang once I got this one and started collecting Vintage Kramer Guitars. Hung onto this one for my little girl! :)

The Venus..body shape is really unique and comfortable, a light weight but resonant basswood body, so it doesn't kill your neck/back/shoulders, neck is a sheer pleasure to play...wide, flat and comfortable w/big fat frets...unique neck back shape and flat fretboard are just hard to beat, string through body for excellent sustain characteristics. Additionally, it's a simple design and set up of options that covers a lot of ground.

Installed aftermarket pickups, Seymour Duncan Cool Rails in the neck and a Trembucker Spaced JB in the bridge. Sonically...it's awesome for any style...blues rock metal jazz...whatever...excellent Vintage Sound w/the JB and a nice Neck Sound w/the Cool Rails. As previously stated...it covers a lot of musical ground.

Pretty damn good...typical Fender Japan...high quality. Little bit of paint bleed on to the neck binding on the headstock...pickguard is warping (unfortunately), bridge is an excellent Tune-O-Matic w/string through body like a tele (SUPER SUSTAIN), flat and beautifully "striped" rosewood fretboard...looks/feels great.

The string alignment on this thing is nearly perfectly centered, a problem I had to correct on my previous Venus. Overall...there are no legitimate complaints on my part as to fit/finish quality.

NO PROBLEMS!!! ROCK SOLID!!!

A very well built guitar...finish is sturdy and has held up well for 7 years. The design is so simple and straight forward that little could go wrong. Simple maintenance and care will help this thing last a lifetime.

A discontinued Squier guitar...who are we kidding...WARMOTH, GUITAR CENTER, ALL PARTS, eBay...there's your support!

This is one underrated & underappreciated guitar. It's a quality made Fender Japan guitar, it's super user friendly, low maintenance and plays like a dream...additionally...it's unique body shape with a simple design & great features (string through body w/tune-o-matic, 12" radius, fat low frets, sc & hb p/u, volume only) which make it a real no brainer. If you're looking for a nice looking and playiing guitar ...this is the guitar you want. If you want a guitar to play and enjoy...not to "wear" to impress your friends...here you have it.

This review if for the guitar that I just gifted to my 9 1/2 year old daughter, Madison...may it be a source of great enjoyment to her through the years, as it has been to me!

I bought this guitar used and have owned it for three months. The Venus guitars are part of the Vista series guitars, and all were made in Japan. These guitars were in production for only 2 years, 1997 and 1998. Mine is a 1997, with a awsome black finish. It has 22 frets, one volume control, 3-way switch to switch between the one single coil and one humbucker pickups. Solid wood body, I think its Basswood, a fixed bridge, and string through body with rosewood fingerboard. I like the matching color headstock.

I play blues and some old rock and only bedroom practice for now. The stock humbucker sounds terrific to my ears and I mostly only use it. The single coil pickup makes my tube amp buzz and sounds thin to me. I like to use reverb and this HB screams with it on.

The Venus guitar neck is what sold me on this guitar. Its mostly a flat fingerboard with a 9" radius and jumbo frets. This desgin allows me to bend the strings forever without any fret buzz! The black finish is superb, very smooth and excellent luster. The neck pocket looks tight, no obvious gaps.

The black finish looks great, but it doesn't appear to be as hard a finish as the Strat. I think it will dent easier, so I'm more careful with it. If you tend to dent your guitars, stay away from black, it shows scratches more just like a black car would. But it looks so nice when polished.

Don't know, I bought this guitar used on Ebay.

I really enjoy playing this guitar. Its lighter than my Strat and the neck is right for me. For the price I paid, its a quality guitar and well worth the money. Definitely would buy another one to replace it if it were stolen, in any color. This guitar rocks!

a surf green venus! with the pickups and bridge it was born with...the knob is okay...i use the settings that makes the guitar sound warm...the middle and up...its features enough for me

it sounds GREAT! warm and nice. Sounds cool with open power-chords.
i play alternative rock/indie and it suits the style perfectly. with distortion added it also kicks ass...maybe not that aggressive but nice and noisy. its just what i wanted!

i havent made any modefications. i havent really played a lot with modifications but maybe i should start doing that. but so far im very satisfied with the settings.

the knob has teased me form the start...you need to press the knob down and up several times to get the up knob setting to work...i dont change knob position during songs so it hasent been a problem. right now i use the venus so much that i cant send it to repair. but ill do it if the problem gets worse.
thats the only problem i have run into

the place where i bought it has prised me to repair the little failure with the knob for free...i would call that good service!

i own a fender jag-stang,mexico strat, an old crappy framus strat copy(i love it anyway,an old original 70'ies hofner surf guitar, and a les paul standard. i own a fender jazz deluxe tube-amp.
at the time my venus is my primary guitar. i use this baby when i record and play live and it kicks ass!
i really love it! my next buy is going to be a japanese fender jaguar...im looking forward seeing if it can match my Venus.
this is really a good guitar for the price

1997 6 String Model in Black w/matching headstock. If you're researching this model I won't bore you w/specs...as they're listed in the other reviews. This is my second Venus...I love the first one so much that I sold a 1996 Jag-Stang to fund this purchase...yes the Venus is better than the Jag-Stang in my opinion...but they are two completely different guitars to compare. Why do I like the Venus so much...well..the body shape is really comfortable, the neck is a sheer pleasure to play, string through body for excellent sustain characteristics and the unique neck back shape and flat fretboard are just hard to beat. Additionally, it's a simple design and set up of options that covers a lot of ground. Only other guitar that I've found as much joy in playing is a 1989 Ibanez S540 w/a Mahogany S Body, Maple Fretboard Wizard Neck and a Floyd.

As I previously stated...it covers a lot of musical ground. Mine has a 1980's Dimarzio Stacked Single Coil in the neck (from a USA B.C. Rich Gunslinger) aND a Dimarzio Super Distortion F-Spaced in the bridge. Sonically...it's awesome for any style...blues rock metal jazz...whatever.

Pretty damn good...typical Fender Japan...high quality. Little bit of bleed of pain on to the neck binding on the headstock...pickguard is warping...unfortunately...bridge is fine but prev owner didn't keep it too clean it appears. I spent an hour and a half cleaning this thing as soon as I bought it. The rosewood fretboard was dry and dirty so I cleaned it and oiled it up and it looks/feels great. Guitar wasn't abused...just looked as if it had been played very little and had never had the strings changed from when it was bought. I will say that the string alignment on this thing is nearly perfectly centered, a problem I had to correct on my other one. Overall...there are no legitimate complaints on my part as to fit/finish quality.

This is one sturdy guitar...no Floyd Rose so it's good to go in a live situation. Always keep a back up if you're performing. Finish is good, seems to be holding up nicely on this 5 year old guitar. The design is so simple and straight forward that little could go wrong. Simple maintenance and care will help this thing last a lifetime. Body is basswood which is suppose to be ding prone...but both of mine have held up fine w/o any substantial marks.

Talked w/them a couple of times and they were informational...if I wanted something I'd look for it locally rather than direct order from Fender...or I'd order from Stew Mac or Warmoth. No warranty on a 5 y/o guitar.

Been playing about 13 years...own another Venus, Jag-Stang, B.C. Rich USA Gunslinger, Ibanez Bensalem PA USA S540, Peavey Reactor USA Tele, Alvarez Yairi DY53, 1978 Marshall JMP 50W 2x12 Combo, Ibanez TS9 Turbo, Boss Metal Zone...

Knew what I was getting in buying this guitar...I've been looking for another in good shape at a reasonable price for 2 years now. The seafoam green goes for way too much simply because it is the color associated w/Courtney, as well as it being a cool Fender color. Sunburst is nice, but I've got one in that color already and I almost bought a black one in 1998.

Simply an underrated & underappreciated guitar. It's quality made, super user friendly (plays like a dream)...additionally...it's unique body shape and simple design & great features (string through body w/tune-o-matic, 12" radius, fat low frets, sc & hb p/u, volume only) make it a real no brainer. I'll take both my Venuses (and the Ibanez S540) to the grave w/me. ;) It's just a great value to price item. If you're looking for a nice decent guitar w/o having to sell plasma or pimp yourself or beg borrow and steal for a "Fender" or any other "label" on the headstock...this is the guitar you want. If you want a guitar to play and enjoy...not to wear to impress your friends...here you have it.

This is an amendment to my previous review. I have swapped the stock pickups out, putting a custom-made Strat pickup in at the neck and a Harmonic Design Vintage Plus humbucker in at the neck. The HD allows for coil tapping, so I had a push-pull pot put in.

With the pot pulled out, I can now get a single coil sound at the bridge that is as sharp and biting as my Telecaster. I the middle position, I get a good Strat "quack." The humbucker gives me serious crunch and the neck gives me a nice mellow tone. This is one versatile guitar now. I may sell my Telecaster, except I always regret selling a guitar after I've done it. But this Venus has everything I want.

As stated above, the Venus was versatile to begin with, even more so now.

Still a joy to play. The neck is so sweet. Using Roto-Sound round wounds, .011-.052. Basswood body is so light compared to my Tele.

Built Fender tough. I always like to have a backup, in case a string breaks. My only complaint is that the strap button on the horn tends to come loose.

No experience. I suppose the warranty is voided now that it's been hot-rodded.

Great guitar. Get one while you can. I've been eyeing a sunburst model on eBay. In which case I will definitely sell one of my other guitars.

Made in Japan, in the late 90s; 22 frets; bound rosewood fingerboard (unusual for a Fender); basswood body; two pickups -- single coil at neck, humbucker at bridge, controlled by toggle switch; one volume knob (no tone knob); pearloid scratch plate; string thru body/Tune-o-matic style bridge; Kluson vintage-style tuners; body is halfway between a Rickenbacker and a Strat, in my view. It is really a unique looking guitar and gets a lot of attention, especially in the sea foam green. Not a lot of features, but intentionally so.

This is a really versatile guitar. I play oldies from the '60s and '70s; pop, but also r&b and funk. I play through a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bandmaster and outboard reverb unit, all of which go into a 2x10 cabinet loaded with a Weber VST Blue Pup and a Weber P10Q. Stompboxes are limited to a Vox Valve-tone and a Vox Distortion Booster. Not noisy at all. The single coil at the neck is great for rhythm and the humbucker has got quite a bit of bite. It gets a little too loud when I switch to the humbucker. Don't know what sort of adjustments need to be made to balance the volume between the two.

This guitar is set up as nicely as my American Standard Strat and Telecaster. Beautiful neck. As noted above, I think the pickups need adjusting. I might replace them with Harmonic Design pickups, which I have in my Tele. That would make this bugger really sing, but it's not a top priority. Toggle switch seems a little flimsy, so replacement is possible. I may replace the Strat-style volume knob with a Telecaster knob, so I can do volume swells with my pinky a little easier. Still, for the price, this is a really impressive production and a super bargain.

I just got it yesterday, so we'll see. I did a two-hour gig right out of the gate, and it performed beautifully. Will it become my favorite guitar? I don't know.

N/A

I've been playing for 33 years. I love guitars, especially Fenders because of their quality and affordability. This is a unique looking guitar, a real attention-getter. I had been considering a Fat Strat, because I didn't have a guitar with a humbucker. This fit the bill for a lot less money. It's really lightweight, which I like. I can see how some people might consider it a "woman's guitar," but that's their problem. Courtney Love deserves a lot of credit, 'cause from what I've read it sounds like she had a big hand in designing the Venus (the idea for the name was someone else's). Love the way the strings come out of the body. It just looks so funky. If somebody stole it I'd curse and swear. If I ever found out who, I'd sic Courtney on them, ha ha. Boy would they be sorry. Then I'd probably go get another one. These things still go pretty cheap on ebay, probably because of the Squier name, but that won't last for ever. Would definitely consider getting a 12-string Venus. Maybe next year.

1997 Japanese (not Korean or Mexican!) odd shaped.. Courtney Love designed thing-a-majig. Basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, bound fretboard. Surf green finish with matching headstock. Tune-o-Matic bridge with strings thru body. Pearloid pickguard, 1 humbucker, 1 single coil, 3-way switch, volume knob.. gig bag. Very very simple guitar.. probably one of the simplest out there. Nothing fancy.

Well as soon as I brought it home I ripped off the strings and pickups.. it's got a Gibson 500T in the bridge now and a Fender Custom Shop '54 Single-Coil in the neck.. great great rock tone. Played through a double-half-stack setup, a Marshall JCM800 with a 4x12 loaded with 25-watt Greenbacks, other side is a Marshall JCM900 with a 4x12 loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s. (i like marshalls). I use these pedals: Big Muff Pi, DS-1, Boss Super Phaser, Vox Wah-Wah, ADA Flanger, and two Boss DD-3 Delays. I like pedals too. No rackmount gear at all except for a wireless fed to the pedals, and a Korg Tuner. I LOVE THIS GUITAR. I've also got a G&L Legacy, a Strat Plus, and a Nashville Tele (with Seymour Duncans), I play rock, alternative, fusion, modern rock, and I also teach. This guitar has some nice sustain and great action, and the tone is very full and rich in humbucking mode, very woody and strat-like in the single coil mode (because of the '54 of course). Great great sound. I would have liked a tone knob for Jazz, but that's what my other guitars are for.

Don't know, don't care.

Sure, why not?

Fender aren't the best, but certainly not the worst.

Killer guitar. If you find one, try it out.

Squier is essentially known for making very low-budget versions of Fender's axes. So low budget, in fact, that they won't put the Fender name on it unlike the Mexican & Japanese imports. In this case, I give Squier a big thumbs up for coming out with an original design (as with the others of the Vista series) that Fender does not offer. Unfortunately, they only did it for a year. The quality of this guitar is much above average than the Squier strat & Tele copies. Courtney Love (of Hole)apparently helped design the Venus, but I can tell you that this ain't no "chick" guitar. Mine is glossy black with white pearl pickguard. The headstock is black also, nice touch.

Features, however, are not a strong point on this guitar. Essentially its got 2 pickups (single coil-neck, humbucker-bridge) One volume knob, NO tone knob, 3-way selector, tune-o-matic style bridge, and string-thru-body design. The strings fan out as they go from the bridge thru the body which adds a nice aesthetic touch. But don't look for a whammy bar, coil tap, or lots of extra ornamentation.

Ya know, this thing sounds pretty good. Especially for the price. The humbucker may be a little weak, but works well for this guitar and mixes well with the bridge pickup. I don't usually use a tone knob anyway so I don't miss it. This guitar can run with the big boys, but may need a little (and only a little) help from an EQ pedal or gain boost. I could coax everything from blues to thrash and be fairly convincing. It excelled at chunky riff-rock and bluesy soloing. Still, it ain't a Les Paul or a true USA Strat with regard to tone so I can't justify a "10", but it's the best thing I've heard from Squier.

I really like the neck. It's thicker and rounder than a Strat or Tele. The frets also feel bigger, a plus in my book. The fretboard and fret job was way above average for a budget guitar. Good action, no buzzing. As a matter of fact, I didn't know I wanted a Venus until I tried it in the store and felt how well it played. It felt that good! I usually gravitate toward fairly expensive guitars, but this one suprised me enough to add it to my guitar collection.

I don't know how rugged Squiers are. Except for a flimsy-looking bridge, this guitar looks and feels as durable as my Strat & Tele (both USA) and more durable than the Japanese Jazzmaster. However, it wouldn't be my weapon of choice in a Royal Rumble.

Don't know. They don't make these anymore so I'm not sure about the availability of parts.

For the money, this is a GREAT guitar. It may rank as one of the best buys, dollar for dollar, that I've seen. I have 26 guitars and most are much more expensive and allegedly of better quality. I will still pick this one up and play around with it and really like what I hear. They may be hard to find soon because they've been discontinued, but I bet in 25 years that they will be thought of as old Danelectros are today.

O.K, this guitar only has a 3 way toggle and a single volume control. The PUs are a single coil in the neck position and humbucker in the bridge position. Theres no whammy bar, and the strings go through the body behind the tail piece. I don't call that a lot of features.

This has quickly become my favorite axe, it has a great "mutated" strat sound. Very responsive to playing. The middle position has a cool jangly sound, and the single coil is great for blues and jazz playing. I think this guitar would be good for just about any style.

Nothing to bitch about here, because its in perfect shape. Has good action and a comfortable body. The body is finished with a sunburst and is very light (basswood), which makes it easy to handle.

I haven't had it long enogh to determine how well it will stand up to years of use, but I imagine it will be just fine for gigs and recording.

Haven't had the need to contact Fender yet.

I bought this guitar as a package deal with a Squier Super-Sonic. I orginally planned to sell the Venus right away, but after I played it I decided I liked it better than the Super-Sonic (which is still a nice axe), and have since decided to keep it.

I believe this the Venus {and the whole Vista series} was only made for about 2 years. I'm guessing this was made in '98 considering I bought it in '99. I got it for $200 with a gig-bag in "Richmond Music Center"...an authorized Fender dealer. The features are great on this guitar if you're into a solid rock guitar. It's got a humbucker at the bridge and an Alnico single coil at the neck. The basswood body is nicely complimented by the maple neck which has a larger radius fingerboard than most Fenders. It has Fender Classic tuners to give it a nice neat look instead of having strings in your face every time you put your head down. This guitar would usually come with a gig-bag...as most Vista series guitars did. I'd say the features on this guitar are perfect for a player who's just getting their first serious guitar or just wants a simple, but effective guitar.

This guitar suits my musical style perfectly. I play everything from punk to metal...and some ocassional grunge. I play through a series of different effects including an MT2 Metal Zone pedal by Boss, a Danelectro Fab Tone distortion, a DOD Ice Box chorus, a Dunlop Crybaby wah, a DOD Grunge distortion, and a Brownsville metal distortion. All of these effects go into my Fender Deluxe 112+ and ocassionally my little Gorilla CG20. The guitar cuts through all of this with a great sound.It's got a twangy sound...very Fender but with it's own charm. No matter how often or how much you drop it, it'll always sound great and stay in tune.

The action on this guitar is very good. It's set up exactly how I like it, very close to the neck. I've never had any problems with the pickups...I doubt I would ever remove or adjust them. The bridge is an oddity for a Fender....but it suits me very well considering that I never use the tremolo on any of my other Fenders. The guitar came flawless but since I've gotten my hands on it...that's all changed. I dropped it a few times while playing. No serious damage was done, just a few scratches and dents in the black finish.
I have only one complaint about this guitar's electronics. I replaced the selector switch due to the stock one dying out on me. Another thing is that before I had this done, the imput had to be fixed and replaced several times. I've had other guitars that were alot worse though. But it did run me a good $50 do get the switch and imput replaced.

The Venus is my main live guitar and can definetly withstand some beatings in the mosh-pits below. I'd seriously have to say that the finish on the Venus is probably the most durable feature on the guitar. You can jump on this thing, flip head first off of your amp with it, and even jump into violent, brutal crowds with it. And still, the finish will shine.

I own 2 other Fenders aside from the Venus. A Japanese reissue Olympic White Mustang, and a 60's Strat in Burgundy Mist. Fender is a very reliable company with very nice and helpful dealers. I've brought my Fenders in for several different things and every time, they're there to help and repair. Most Fenders come with a life-time warranty if you buy them from an authorized dealer. If not, the product is under warranty with the store you purchased it from. That could be a year, 5 years, a day...who knows.

When I heard Fender was making a Courteny Love designed guitar, I knew I had to have it. Sadly, when i scrapped up enough money to buy it, it was discontinued. But luckily, I found one in January of '99. Since then, it's been my favorite guitar. My other guitars include a reissue Mustang, a Strat, an Epiphone Korina Explorer, a fake strat copy made by "Suzuki" {which is now covered in all sorts of stickers =O)}, a honer classical acoustic, and an old Giannini {dates back to 6/68..?} acoustic guitar that hardly even plays.
If you ever get the chance to pick up a Venus, I suggest you do so. If Fender ever reissues it, BUY 10 OF THEM!!!!

Fender Squier Vista Venus (co-designed by Courtney Love)

- Vintage single cell pickup
- Stock Strap Buttons
- Volume Pot
- Mother of Pearl Pickguard
- Input/Output socket
- 3way pick up switch
- 6 string
- color headstock with decal
- Maple neck (9.5' radius) 22-fret Rosewood (25.5'scale length) Mother of Pearl markings
- Adjustable string through body bridge
-Solid Body

came with soft back pack style case (a hard case was never made to fit this guitar)

I love this guitar. I like to play rock so it suits me well. It gets real loud. I have played everything from Led Zep, to Hole, to Fleetwood Mac, to Limp Bizkit, to Sublime on this guitar. It works for just about everything.

This guitar was in mint unused condition when I got it. It was tuned and adjusted for me. It was on display in the front window. Aparently for a long time, just waiting for a little Courtney Love fan to take it home.

This guitar can take a beating. I play the shit out of this thing and it still looks beautiful. However, if I was playing a gig, I would take an extra guitar with me. I tend to break the strings a lot.

The guys who sold it to me were extremely friendly. They knew the guitar had to be with a Hole fan so I got it with the case for free. Plus $100 dollars knocked off the price of StratoCaster, aslo purchased. I have gotten the strings replaced a few times but nothing major.

I love this guitar. Usually only Courtney Love fans purchase these things now because they are so hard to find. But I got luckly. I just love my guitar so much :D

MANUFACTURED IN JAPAN - 1998 - SERIAL #A019191
FRETS - 22 - SEMI JUMBO - SCALE LENTH 25.5", WIDTH AT NUT 1.650"
BODY - SOLID BASSWOOD - PICKGUARD - WHITE SHELL
CONTROLS - 1 MASTER VOLUME, 1 (3) WAY TOGGLE SWITCH
PICKUPS (STOCK) 1 FENDER HUMBUCKING-BRIDGE, 1 VINTAGE ALNICO MAGNET
W/STAGGERED POLE PIECES-NECK
NECK - ONE PIECE MAPLE WITH ROSEWOOD FINGERBOARD AND WHITE BINDING
(9.5 RADIUS)W/MATCHING PAINTED HEADSTOCK
COLOR - SURF GREEN (POLY-URETHANE FINISH)
MACHINE HEADS - VINTAGE STYLE (CHROME)
BRIDGE - ADJUSTABLE (STRING-THRU-BODY) NON-TREMOLO

I PLAY HEAVY METAL, OLD ROCK (LATE 60'S EARLY 70'S)IT TOOK AWHILE TO GET USE TO THE ODD BODY STYLE AND PLACEMENT OF THE PICK-UPS BUT AFTER SIX MONTHS IT FEELS LIKE A GLOVE. I USE A FENDER HOT ROD DELUXE AMP. EFFECTS I USE ARE A PEAVY DELTA STOMP BOX AND ROCTECH CHORUS. I USE THE NUMBER TWO INPUT BECAUSE THE NECK PICKUP IS NOISY. THIS GUITAR IS LOUD! AND IF SET UP PROPER THE SOUNDS ARE UNLIMITED (BEST WITH SWITCH IN MIDDLE POSITION, CRANKS VERY HIGH LEAD (SUSTAIN & VOLUME) WITH SWITCH IN BRIDGE POSITION. I HAVE COME TO LIKE THIS GUITAR VERY MUCH AND IT IS NOW THE ONLY ONE I OWN.

SET UP WAS FAIR, BUT I LIKE A FAST ACTION AND LOWERED THE STRINGS THE FIRST DAY. THE PICKUPS WERE TO BASSY FOR MY EAR AND I ADJUSTED THEM TO THE SOUND I LIKE. THERE WERE NO DEFECTS ON THE EXTERIOR, INTONATION WAS EASY TO AQUIRE AND FIT AND FINISH WERE EXCELLENT. WHEN I REMOVED THE PICK GUARD THERE WERE SHAVINGS AND DIRT IN SIDE AND SOME ROUGH EDGES. WIRING AND SOLDER JOINTS WERE ACCEPTABLE.

YES! YES! YES! THE VINTAGE MACHINE HEADS ARE SO EASY TO ADJUST AND THE GUITAR STAYS IN TUNE DURING LONG ROUGH PLAYING. I REALLY DON'T KNOW ALOT ABOUT STRAP BUTTONS ETC. I USE A GLOVE SOFT 4" LEATHER STRAP. I AM ALSO DISABLED AND MOSTLY PLAY IN A WHEEL CHAIR IN MY HOME STUDIO. BEING A X-AEROSPACE ENGINEER I WOULD ALWAYS USE BACKUPS IF I PLAYED LIVE BUT THEN I DON'T PLAY LIVE.

I CALLED THE COMPANY FOR THE OWNERS MANUAL. THEY SENT ALOT OF MATERIAL AND A DECAL ALL FOR FREE. NO PROBLEMS TO REPORT. I DON'T THINK THERE IS A WARRANTY, THE ONLY INFO WAS ON FENDER GUITARS.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING 7 YEARS. I OWN A ROSS 4X4 TAPE DECK, ALEXIS DRUM MACHINE, MIC ECHO EFFECT, 4 CHANNEL MIXER, SANSUI 2 TRACK TAPE DECK AND POWER AMP WITH 2 10' 3WAY SPEAKERS, CD PLAYER, MICS AND STANDS,
FENDER MONTREAUX AMP (100 WATTS SOLID STATE - 1982), A COMPUTER WITH A CD-ROM BURNER AND COOL PRO PLUS 64 TRACK DIGITAL STUDIO SOFTWARE.
THIS GUITAR IS UNIQUE AND I WOULD BUY ANOTHER ONE, I THINK IT MAY BE DESTINED TO BE A CLASSIC SOME DAY IN THE FUTURE. I USE TO OWN A TELE AND STRAT. INFO FOR THE VENUS:INTRODUCED 1997, MSRP= $499.00, DISCONTINUED 7/98. MAYBE THE BEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE SQUIER EVER MADE.

This instrument was made in 1998 in the now defunct Fender Japan shop, great quality all around, many people (including me) think better than the more recent U.S. Models. 22 Frets, Solid Basswood Body, Maple neck w/bound rosewood fretboard, "fat" frets, lucious "feels thinner/flatter than it is" 9.5" radius neck, passive angled Fender SC in the neck, mine has a Seymour D JB in the bridge, one volume, one three way switch, Gotoh Tune-O-Matic Bridge, String through body (offset waist- very comfortable to play) finished in 3 color sunburst w/pearl p.g...

Stock HB sucked-very low output and grind. The neck single coil was quite usable. It suits the style and sound of whatever you want to use it for and sounds quite diff from a strat or tele...thank God! I run it straight into my stock 1978 Marshall 50W JMP, which gives it a great rock or blues tone, if I need to get heavier I just plug in a Boss Metal Zone...No Qualms at all w/sound or tone.

Pretty damn fine. I adjusted everything to my liking. The only fault here was the pick up alingment over the angled bridge hb, then again, hasn't string/pickup alignment always been an issue w/Fender? A couple of new guide slots filed into the orig bridge pieces fixed it fine. Finish is kind of soft as is the wood but not to the point of bitching about. Fender could have graced us w/an Alder body and made a better impression.

Sturdy, dependable and so simple in it's design that I can't imagine any major problems happening. I've had mine for a little over a year w/o and issues. This is an extremely underrated guitar in almost all categories...maybe the Courtney Love/Squier thing stands in the way of objectivity?

Called them a couple of times, they were kind of stupid but I felt if I needed something I could get it. I'd go local before dealing w/the manufacturer anyway.

I've had this instrument for about a year and have grown to love it so much that I sold my Strat and a lot of my effects due to my love of the sound and versatility of the Venus. The string through body bridge, bridge hb and incredibly playable neck make this thing a joy to pick up. I've already arranged the purchase of another Sunburst one for a backup before they disappear. It's the missing link for those who want something other than a Strat or Tele but still crave the playability and sound of a Fender. Simple, sophisticated and most of all UNDERRATED! Get over the arrogance of the Squier/Courtney thing and snag one when you can, especially if you can get the price I did. Excellent Value all around!

I bought this guitar new in 1998. It was made in China. 22 frets solid body One volume control, 3-way switch One single coil, one humbucker Passive electronics. Maple neck. Finished in SURF GREEN - love that color! The body is shorter and wider than a strat, but similar. Reminiscent of Rickenbacker body shapes. Fixed bridge, string through body. non-locking tuners. thin neck, with rosewood fingerboard. Nice white binding. Came with gig bag.

I play mostly American/roots rock with a small combo. I've played Strats before, but like this better. I can get the strat sounds with the single coil pickup, but the humbucker gives me more options. I have a Fender Champ 25 amp, and use a Danelectro Cool Cat chorus pedal. I don't have problems with unwanted noise from the pickups. I get the rich full sound with the humbucker, bright sound with the single coil. It would be nice to have volume knobs for each pickup. I don't miss the tone knob, I always left it at the same setting anyway. I like to control the tone at the amp. This guitar has sustain!

Guitar was set up great, the store where I bought it checked the setup and put on new strings for me. The pickups are fine as-is from the factory. No faults.

Seems very durable. Its a simple setup, so what could go wrong? I use it without a backup guitar.

I have never dealt with Fender, but my local dealer is tops.

I have to admit what attaracted me to this guitar was the unique shape and the fabulous color (surf green only available on this and the Jeff Beck Strat - howscome?) I wanted more sound options than I was getting from the Strat, but I will always be a Fender man. I wanted something unique, Strat and Tele shapes are much too common. (I was glad to see Fender bring out the Cyclone and the Tornado - they need a more varied product line.) So the Venus fit what I was looking for. The way it played was a bonus - I love the sustain I get with it, and the action is smooth. The only thing I would change is the controls - add a second volume control. I don't think I'll ever own a tremolo equipped guitar again - its too much hassle for the few times that I use a whammy bar. (I miss it on "Hanks Panky," by Tommy James.)I would buy it again, in fact I would like to try the 12-string version. P.S. - I know or care little about Courtney Love or her group Hole, other than if she helped design this guitar, I like her style.

Japan made solid basswood body. Comes with a long scale maple neck with a 22 fret bound rosewood fret board with dot markers with a very stylish diagonal cut at the end where it meets the body. It has a neck single coil and bride humbucker with a three way toggle switch and only a volume pot. It comes in black and seafoam green with matching headstock, but I found it in killer sunburst. It is a slab body with slight conyour in the butt. It has an offset butt and is a double cut aways. Comes with a gig bag. It has a tune-o-matic bridge with strings through the body arranged in sort of a fan arrangement. You have to see it. It's beautiful.

Very quiet humbucker and usually noisy single coil. I play punk, alternative and the occassional pop song through a long effects chain. It is great with a special tone unlike any other guitar.

The guitar came set-up from the store. The finish is very nice and the smaller refined headstock complements a very beautiful styling. The only big, big defect: It came with a bowed set-neck. I do guitar work and set-up my guitars but this one I just couldn't set up. I took it to my guitar tech to find out the fret slots were too wide for the fret wire. We had to do a partial refreting job from the 12th fret to the 22nd and shave some of the fingerboard and binding off. After this, the guitar has behaved beautifully.

It is very versatile and easy to play for it has a wide, chunky neck. I replaced the humbucker for a DiMarzio Air bucker and sounds great. I always replace the strap buttons for Schallers.

I like to do my own work but have contacted them in numerous occasions for schematics and list parts and they are very helpful.

This is a great guitar. I don't know if any other person had the same neck problem I had but a local retailer that sells them told they have had no problems. I would recommend this guitar to those who want a chunky guitar neck with versatility. Some people say that they want a tone control, but I like it with just a volume pot. It is a beautiful simple guitar you have to see and try out.