| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
jaymzHal
Silver Member
United Kingdom
297 Posts |
 Posted - 01/24/2009 : 15:26:46
|
| Does anyone have any experience with the Fender "squier series" mexican strats from the early nineties? There is a fat strat in a local store for �230 which looks interesting. How did the the Fender Mexican "squier series" (not to be confused with the actual squier strats etc) differ from the normal mexican strats? What was the standard of earlier mexican models? |
|
|
zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2009 : 22:30:12
|
| well the squier series is the beginner series not of highly made quality craftsmanship.And i am guessing on the price from pounds to dollars the 230 should be about 460-500 dollars that is way to overpriced on a squier series. you can buy a mexican strat for about 350-450 that is in dollars. Unless there is something really special on it i would pass. A fat strat is one with humbuckers in it. For that price i could get a use mexican and put a good set of humbuckers in it. |
 |
|
|
jaymzHal
Silver Member
United Kingdom
297 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2009 : 00:40:03
|
I should be so lucky with that exchange rate - �230 is $313.
In England a Mexican standard strat is �300, and a HSS standard strat is about �340.
As for the guitar, it's not a squier beginners guitar at all but a Mexican Fender "squier series".
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa1/steveaubin1984/phead.jpg
with this kind of headstock. I've read that they were basically the same as mexican standards but without the trimmings like gigbags etc. |
|
|
|
zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2009 : 01:46:13
|
| $313 it still seems a little high for an instrument in that price range but if it feels good i say go for it. |
|
|
|
Disco Stu
Silver Member
USA
303 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2009 : 07:31:45
|
There is a Fender enthusiast board that has a multitude of topics concerning the distinctions between various Squier models.
I've learned a lot from scanning the various threads there.
If you are interested, email and I will try to send you the relevant URL.
Personally, I really dig my MIM Tele Standard, but others might think it's Crap.
-- Disco Stu |
|
|
|
verivorax
Platinum Member
Canada
1185 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2009 : 13:12:38
|
All my info has been gleaned from working music retail and handling a ton of Squiers (and extrapolating info based on production dates and styles) - I'm sure there are some more informed opinions from Squier owners.
Squier moved from Japan to Korea to Mexico back to Asia (not across the board for all models). In each place, the brand's quality was high enough for them to start making "Fender" branded products, and the Squier brand was moved somewhere cheaper.
I have a late Korean Squier p-bass which is phenomenal - mine is a 93, right around the time of the earliest Mexican Squiers. Most of those earliest Squiers are very good, often with glossy (Japan and Korea) or semi-glossy (Mexico) necks. The weak points are the electronics and tuners, usually.
The price you mentioned seems a little high to me, but I know guitars can cost a LOT more over the pond. The best condition MIM Squier strat would sell here for $150-175, most people wouldn't be willing to pay more. IF the neck on this guitar is particularly nice, then it may very well be worth it - there are some gems out there!
That said, a couple of current Squier lines are reminiscent of the quality of those earliest glossy models. The Made in INDIA (oh yes) Vintage Modified series are great, and the new Chinese (I think) Classic Vibe Squiers are really well built and finished. Those retail around the $300 mark, and in some cases, have as much mojo as a $1000 MIM reissue. They just lack the FENDER logo.
Good luck! |
|
|
|
FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2009 : 17:10:20
|
Try it out.. if you like it haggle over the price,i'm sure at this moment in time most music shops would be glad of the business and willing to do a deal to make a sale....... don't worry so much where it comes from unless you worried about the re-sale value.. Verivorax is correct about the early jap squier stuff i have two, a silver series tele and a strat... both good guitars except for the electrics....i normally change the tuners as well.....some of mex stuff gets good reviews,i heard mark knopfler talking about one in a interview saying it was a good guitar and how suprised he was at the quality of it.... again try it out and see if it's for you soundwise and if it's playable enough for you...... |
|
|
|
pawnshop_trash
Gold Member
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2009 : 19:54:37
|
| no personal experience with Squiers, but from owning my Mexi-Fender guitar, there's a good chance you'll want to swap out the tuning machines and pickups for better-quality parts. (not to say that guitar might stay in tune and sound great as is... YMMV.) |
|
|
|
jaymzHal
Silver Member
United Kingdom
297 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2009 : 21:07:40
|
| Cheers for the responses guys and the link disco stu, the website was useful but the best bit of information would be to find out if they actually did a HSS mexican fender squier series strat since it was quite a short lived model. The bridge humbucker doesn't really look like standard fender but then I'm not sure. I hear that the body, neck etc were standard fender quality, it was just poorer electronics and tuners that set them apart. If the electronics aren't original then it could be a very good guitar. I'll try it out this week and let people know what it's like! and yes, i shall try and haggle Franzoni. I agree also with verivorax. When I got my Fender mexican 60th Anniversary strat I tried out a wide range and that was the one that stood out as being the most balanced. That's one of the reasons I like the look of this one, I want a fat strat but I don't want to mod my classier lady! |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Fender Mexican "squier series"
