Squier Affinity Telecaster

Squier budget Tele, butterscotch Agathis body polyurethane finish, maple neck & seperate fingerboard, top load typical Chinese/Taiwan bridge, Schaller copy tuners standard Tele layout.

Tele sounds basically but with slightly inarticulate and a little noisy pickups. For those on a tight budget you do get the basics of a Tele sound. Twangy bridge, mellow neck and ringy centre position.

This guitar is superbly put together by the Chinese factory making the CY serial number instruments. They're on a very strict budget I would guess leading to serious compromises in the quality of some of the hardware notably the laughable selector switch, and the pickups cheaply made on plastic bobbins and a ceramic magnet slung underneath. Tuners not bad at all, bridge OK once you've filed down the adjusting screws. The woods used are just terrific, the fretwork good /excellent, intonation bang on and playability - top drawer.

The guitar itself will last for years, doubtful areas are the switch which I had to replace immediately and maybe tuners - we'll see.

Forget it!! it's run by Fender

Been teaching guitar playing, gigging for over 40 years. I love Yamaha guitars and hate Fender with a passion, only because they've had me over with some of the rubbish they sell for too much Moolah these days. I didn't want to like this little cheapy, but decided to gig with it just the once. Wow!! I have now installed Alnico pickups, a tortoiseshell scratchplate and a Yankee selector and this little darling is not going back out in the cold - I love it! it's a keeper alongside my ash Mike Stern tele and my high end Pacificas.

All of this in light of the cost: $169 at MF. Guitar has regular tele features; 3-way selector.

Does the trick, though, I'm seriously thinking of replacing the pickups; serious enough to put in Suhrs or Duncans, serious because the body is serious and I'm incredulous that such an inexpensive guitar could feel so thusly. Serious.

I hate to say perfect. Still, I googled Arctic White, and lo and behold, I was ashamed to be ignorant, ignorant of the fact that global warming has had the effect, and still has, of yellowing the earth's snow.

It's made in China; feels like it was made in Kalamazoo circa 1950.

Don't get me started. Seriously.

This is the crack cocaine of electric guitars, accessible ($), and instantly gratifying - it hasn't let me down yet. I do plug it through a Crate tube amp called a Palomino, it doesn' have reverb, and I'm afforded ...well...a tone I've. Not. Heard. Before. I call it the exquisite mullet sound. I remember long, long ago, Adrock on David Letterman doing Sabotage with a Hondo II, how I was completely blown away. Effervescent cheap sounds, treasured be they must.

"Butterscotch" finish, single-ply black pick guard, die-cast tuners, 2 p/u's, selector switch, single volume & tone controls. Neck is satin-finished maple. Made in China.

I wanted a "stock" Tele around, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. This thing fits the bill; it has the standard Tele sound, and sounds clear through my Carvin SX-100, and other amps. The neck p/u is a bit susceptible to pick noise when you hit it, but that's a minor quibble. I wish there was a bit more fullness in the bass sound, but this is after all, a Tele.

I was completely surprised by the quality of this guitar, expecting to find something sub-standard. The guitar was well assembled, the fretwork just fine, and everything was right. Ready to play out of the box, which doesn't happen even with higher-end stuff.

Right now, the only component whose durability I doubt is the selector switch; it feels sloppy and junky. I will probably get a Stew Mac replacement for it. The rest of the hardware appears solid and reliable, especially the tuners. The bridge saddles don't look all that different from the ones on my MIM Tele. I think it's a dependable instrument, and would be OK using it w/o a backup.

I've been playing guitar for more than 30 years, and this is my 3rd Tele. I have everything from jazz boxes to Les Pauls, and I just wanted a cheap Tele around. I'm pleasantly surprised by the fit/finish & quality of this instrument, since some of the Squier stuff my students have is pure junk, and I'd seen some real losers in the music stores as well. It looks cool, plays nicely, and didn't cost a bunch. I feel I really scored, but wonder if all the other ones are equally good, or whether I just got lucky...

Squire Affinity Tele, 2 single coil pickups, Butterscotch Blond, maple neck.

I play classic rock,blues, and a little country. This Tele suits my style. This guitar has a good Telecaster sound, surprising for the price paid.The neck is straight and very playable. The pickups are a little noisy as to be expected.

This guitar was set up pretty well from the factory, but I had the free setup done at Guitar Center anyway. The action on this guitar is pretty good and it stays in tune even after doing a lot of bending. The finish is a very nice Butterscotch Blond color, I didn't notice any major flaws.

I haven't used this guitar live yet, but I would not have any reservations about using it so. The strap buttons are solid and it is very dependable.

Haven't had to deal with the company yet.

I have been playing for 30 plus years, took a break for about 4 years. I bought this guitar to get back into playing and I'm glad that I did. This guitar has a great sound and is very playable.

Butterscotch w/ thin maple neck, strings through bridge and such a sweet tele-sound, especially for the bucks paid ($169.00/Musicians Friend. Would be a total 5 star if the neck was aged. The quality and value of this guitar far exceeded any expectations I had.

I wish I could do it more justice but it sounds great pumped through a Line 6 P.O.D 2.0, even when I push that through a 20w Drive amp. ( I play using headphones and the POD, Digitech or effects loop on my BR600 DAW 90% of the time. I play blues and R&B and this Squier is perfect when played with the switch in the middle position, P.O.D on layered amp position with very little reverb. My next addition will be either a Eppiphone Valve or Crate tube amp (30W)

I took this to my local guitar shop and was told no set up, other than new strings, would be needed. I happened to like the strings it came with so...this baby was ready to go out of the box. Amazing huh?

Since I have yet to start giging again. (last time I played in a band was the mid- '60's)I can't really answer this question. So far everything has worked well for the past 6 months. The guitar stays in tune always.

Have had no need to call

Look as an old guy getting back into playing (as a hobby) I am amazed at the quality of the so called low end guitars out there. Besides the Affinity, I have purchased the Squire '51, a 50's re-issue Strat and an Eppiphone Les Paul and an RX170 Yamaha Bass. Based on todays $ I have less in all 5 guitars I now own than what I had in my Framus Star Bass and Harmony Stratatone, back in the 60's. With amp modeling tech, effects and digital recording (I record with my BR600) the sound doesn't get much better. Maybe my ear isn't as trained as others, but I really don't remember the sound being this good back in the day.

Black body, 2003 guitar. Not much in the way of extras, just a straightforward guitar, but it does everything that I want it to do.

Great trebly sound from the bridge, and a thick warm sound form the neck. Out of phase isn't quite the telecaster sound that you get from fender, but overall it sounds like a tele should.

Great action with no fret buzz anywhere on the neck. Neck is straight and plays like a charm. Pickups are a bit noisier than I would have expected.

Don't think this will damage easily. Like all telecasters it's a solid guitar.

Never called.

Not quite the real thing, but for the price it's a great guitar.

I bought mine secondhand from a shop for 130 because I heard a tone... Mine from 1998, made in china, alder body.
Originally it was surfgreen, but that didn't last longer than a week... I stripped the body till I reached the wood and refinished it with celluloid.
I changed the saddles and the nut for graphtec's because I like the tone you get then, not because the quality of the original was poor ore something.
Furtherwise nothing needed to be changed to get a guitar where all music imaginable can be played with. This really is my homecoming, I've seen and heard many telly's in my life, no other had more character and was yet so versitile . These seem opposites, but this telly one really unites them. Check the picks, they are 'seymourised' when you ask me ;-)

The sound is truly professional. When I bought it I've been thinking what would be a good replacement for my pick, but I don't get an answer because most replacements would be disappointing compared to the sound the original picks give.
I have decided not to replace anything..
The telly gives you the whole entrance to - and feel of any style imaginable.
Connected on a fulltube head on the clean channel, words don't mean anything anymore, but also with full distortion the telly impresses.

The neck is really bluesy/groovy and also detailed with full distortion. The bridge is very bright but also boosts the lower tones with full distortion in amounts that normally only humbuckers do.

I play spanish/flamenco, rock n roll, reggae, pop, wave, grunge, rock, metal (last year I played in a hardcore/metal band, 013 strings tuned in B drop C#, if you like this music you really should try this), blues, jazz, country, singer-songwriter, I don't believe I am ever gonna play anything where the telly can't follow me..

I didn't like the surfgreen, yet it was in perfect state, the finishing of neck is very comfortably playing. (you have to sometimes clean it, but there;s nothing wrong with cleaning a guitar)

The hardware is very good, this guitar get's older than I will.
Like a Telecaster has to be, undestroyable..

One thing that is not professional on the guitar are the tuners, they are good enough for the price, maybe even better, but I replaced them for Jackson tuners which are my favourites of all standard tuners.

When this one fall's out of a plane I wouldn't be amazed when it would survive. There's no guitar which is more reliable than my Telly. Plug and play, not plug and pray.. ;-)

Good guitar's don't need an customer support, so I don't know these guys...

I play for 20 year's, I owe a Jackson Kelly (JS-series), an Epiphone SG vintage, a morris strat (70's) and this Telly. If I had to live on the moon for the rest of my life and only one guitar may come with me it's gonna be the Telly. I can read and write with it.

I am searching the internet for a second(hand) one, I want one with rosewood either, nowadays they are only made with maple necks.

Maybe eventually there will be a third (with maple neck, I haven't tried them yet)

2001 Blue Squire Affinity Telecaster, with Maple Neck
22 Frets-Great Tuning Pegs. Made in China.
Alder Wood..3 Way Switch, Neck and Bridge Pickups[Single Coil]

This guitar is superb, I've had an old Fender Tele for 25 Years, but it was take from our home. So I friend had this Squire Affinity Squire
Tele, so I tried it and could not believe it, so I bought It.
It's Made in Chins, the Neck is Just like my old Tele. I play a lot of Rockabilly/ RnR & Blues. I use a Peavey Encore Vintage Tube Amp
65 Watt and The Tele sounds unreal.But it has One small dislike is the pickups make a little noise. but I'll Rectify that shortly with
some Fender Vintage Noiseless Pickups. And I just purchased a new Fender 3 Position Switch.

There were no flaws in this Guitar, Setup was very good.
Turning Pegs OK,

This has withstood 3 Gigs Now,
Hardware ok but I changed the white Pickguard to Pearloid. As it Blue in Color. One Small Chip Nothing To Worry About. Everything Else is
OK.

Haven't Had To Try

Ever Since I purchased the Squire Affinity Tele, I bought a Squire
Standard Strat HSS Model and That to is a Very Good Guitar.And if these are stolen I would Buy Another/

We all know what a Tele has.
This guitar has a thin C shaped neck, probably a 12" radius, and medium jumbo frets. Modern saddles. I would rather have more vintage appointments, but that is not who this product is aimed at.

Its not a 52RI, but most people would be hard pressed to tell. Its really quite impressive at this price point. I played several different models of teles under $500 and this particular one sounded and played the best. The MIM's and even a Highway 1 that I played weren't as strong as this particular model....which goes to show that there is something to picking agem from the bunch.

Mine was a floor model so its was a little nicked up. I can't count that against Fender. After taking it home I was able to get the action surprisingly low. No sharp edges on the frets. All parts working well.

The pots and switches are clearly not the best value, but the actual guitar is rock solid. If this was going to be a gigging instrument than I would swap out the electronics and upgrade the tuners.

No idea?

For the $115 that I paid I don't think that you can find a better guitar.......Period....but you have to be willing to shop.

Okay, features have been mentioned, I don't have anything to add. Mine came with a gig-bag for free.

I play rock / blues / pop (if I have to) in a covers band. This has a nice treble rock sound when you use the bridge pickup so so you maintain a bit of clarity when playing powerchords. You can hear 4ths, 7ths etc quite well. It has a nice clean sound too, again nice and bright. I would agree and say there is only a little difference between pickup mix and neck alone, I also found the combination of both a fraction quieter than either alone. I play through a Peavey Bandit or a Laney Linebacker - It prob suits the Laney best but I'm biased cos I love that amp.

Finish if fine, frets are a tad on the sharp side but not enough to cause injury. three way switch will have to go though, looks like something from a childs toy in the 70's, oh why such a naff switch Squier? That said, for #150 you can't really complain. The neck has a satin finish and is really fast (my other has a gloss neck, this is better). Strings were rusty but it has probably been well played so no probs there.

I would hazard that any guitar would withstand live playing and I have no reason to believe this guitar would let me down.

Bought mine from a music shop - if I ever had any probs I'd take it to them on a busy saturday and shout until I got what I wanted.

I've been playing for around 9 years, I fondly remember my first guitar a sunburst squier strat, wasn't half bad although suffered from a flexible neck - almost negated the need for a trmolo arm! If it were stolen I wouldn't prob buy another. Like: Fast neck, light, classic, recognisable shape, that bidge pickup. Dislike: it ain't no Fender, sharpish frets, that awful switch