2021 Squier Affinity FMT HSS Stratocaster - Review, Take-Apart, Demo

[@jameshughes6049]

I gotta say I'm very impressed with how clean those routes are, especially at that price point.

[@emersonvella]

Been waiting for a review for these new Affinity models for ages. Thank you.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Thanks for watching.

[@bluwng]

I bought the one he demos. I do t like the pale looking neck and it’s fat, fatter than my neighbors wife, but, it sets ups ridiculously well, no matter how straight the neck is or how low, close 3 32nds it will not buzz, fret out and feels like action is high. Now I can’t replace the neck, ugly, but perfect fit. Looks are growing on me.

[@senseiruss]

Thanks, Keith, for the outstanding analysis of this guitar. Just got one fro Guitar Center in NJ. It's due to arrive today. Your review is very helpful and touches on all of the important features and considerations!

[@RafsGearReviews]

That is very clean for a non Classic Vibe Squier! Seems like an upgrade from the Squier Deluxe I reviewed a few years ago. Thanks for the solid content sir, I subbed.

[@vet137]

I play mando, fiddle and acoustic guitar and really want to learn how to pick my new squire HSS. Thank you so much I liked how you were not too fast yet you really did a great job helping me understand that way the HSS works and sounds! I am thankful peace!

[@orsmagyari245]

The colors on that one are crazy fine!

[@leeholzmann1023]

that 2 point trem is a big upgrade...

[@bretspangler8717]

I got the black version, and my maple back has some nice birdseye figuring. It took a while to start liking the neck, and I changed the tuners to Hipshot Grip-Lock Vintage 6 Inline Staggered and added a set of roller trees, I also added 2 more springs on the tremolo and a small spring in the arm hole, if you don't have one of these is is a must-have, no more flippy tremolo arm. Getting the action and relief setup perfect takes some trial and error, with 5 springs the tuning stays relatively stable. I have mine drop-D tuned, it puts a little extra relief on the neck with a heavier gauge.

[@9cyrus540]

Excellent review and historical referencing. I really enjoyed it. I just bought one 2 weeks ago, except mine is a HSH.

[@davidmurray9193]

Best review I've seen on this guitar thank you, I need one for playing outside and going to buy this exact model at end of this month 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@TheTapeFarm]

Thanks David! Happy strumming.

[@splinter8353]

My wife bought me one as a Christmas gift and the frets are so rough I've had to go on amazon and buy fret polishing kit, also the rosewood fret board is extremely dry so I added a fret board conditioner to my order. The screws holding down the pick guard must of been put on by a blind man, some are in at angles and some are not in all the way and to top of the complaints, even though I love matt finishes on my necks this one is very rough in spots so I'll have to respray it (I'm a spray painter so it's an easy job) I've a set of 9-46 strings on the way too so I'll set the strings lower to suit me.

[@WLPG19781111]

I Love it Affinity FMT hss, it will be my first guitar for my birthday on september.

[@0000song0000]

the routing looks exactly (finish, block, etc) as the classic vibe

[@robertbennett6418]

You don't have to spend a fortune to get a well playing guitar. Squire has been very good for me. I have an older Jagmaster (Made in China) that's as good as anything Ive ever picked up. Will never part with it. This guitar your reviewing in on my radar. Thanks for the Demo. Great Work!

[@TheTapeFarm]

Thanks. And I totally agree. A guitar is a tool. The cost of the tool doesn’t really matter. What matters is what you do with it. Rock on brother.

[@93greenstrat]

Love the looks of the FMT Strat. Also interested in checking out the new Jazz Bass V. Notice too that they now have the model name fully spelled out (e.g.; "Stratocaster" vs. "Strat").

[@TheTapeFarm]

It is a looker that’s for sure.

[@roygumpel8415]

I truly hope that no one ever again will paint a guitar that GodAwful Earl Shrives GREEN!!!

[@TheTapeFarm]

No ups no extras

[@stopthink9000]

Best review of this model out there. Convinced me to pick one up. Thx man!

[@0000song0000]

That intro reminds me of guitar sound of pop/rock of the 90s... from the La La's "There she goes" to "I'll bethere for you"

[@TheTapeFarm]

Love me some 90’s power pop.

[@Hexspa]

Dang. That ringing reminds me of my first electric: an import Dean Z. I stuffed a washcloth in the trem cavity and that fixed it. Nothing like a metal zone to find a noise on your instrument.

[@michaelc6220]

A high gauge guitar pick works great for taking off the knobs also.

[@jbolt247]

I was looking at these myself. Probably the best bang for you buck out there, I just can't get passed the oversized headstock.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Yeah… the CBS size headstock is an acquired taste.

[@benallmark9671]

I think the 70’s headstock is awesome. It’s nice to mix it up and the playability of the affinity necks are second to none IMO.

[@roberthealy1814]

I just bought a stratocaster bundle, red and black. Haven't gotten to really play it yet. But it sure looks nice. 349 wasn't bad with a 15 watt amp. tried to get it from Sweetwater, but they won't have it in stock till October, so I went to Amazon, and there it was. So I grabbed it quick.

[@bapt_andthebasses]

Good review. Also the issue of the G string can be solved by changing strings and rolling all the string around the post of the tuning peg. Gives more angle without another string tree :)

[@TheTapeFarm]

Tried that first. Also tried cutting a deeper angle at the back of the nut, didn’t work. Didn’t include it in the video since it didn’t work and I was trying to keep the video as concise as possible.

[@0000song0000]

I have solved that on other guitars leaving a capo between the pegs and the nut :)

[@bapt_andthebasses]

@@0000song0000 Not super practical but does work.

[@bluwng]

After setting up to my liking and playing for awhile the ringing on the G string just went away permanently.

[@tonedriverss8629]

Well done . Best demo of the new 2021 series . My new 2021 black flamed top is on its way . I also have a killer 2008 HSS Squier , as well as a 2007 HWY1 . These Squiers are awesome bang for buck . Need this new awesome Affinity series !

[@jbolt247]

"That's what she said!" - World's Best Boss

[@TheTapeFarm]

I couldn’t help myself….

[@robertsguitarsandgear]

My 2020 Affinity is great other than noisy pickups. I replaced those, shielded the guitar, and it turned out just great.

[@capthowdy2346]

Except the narrow fretboard width! I can't believe people pay three hundred for a useless toy?

[@robertsguitarsandgear]

@@capthowdy2346 I have smaller hands and it fits me pretty well. I modded mine and it sounds great. But for sure it is not for everyone.

[@gergoa]

"that's what she said" love it

[@maxthecat1235]

I bought this one over Bullet, I like the Whammy thanks for Info, I want to sound like Vanhalen.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Couldn’t agree more. Very stable trem system. Thanks for watching.

[@yassinc7651]

Great Review. Thank you... Nice T-shirt by the way 😍

[@Wabin22]

Oh it feels so great to see another one using a spoon to get those knobs out! I thought I was the only one xD

[@squierjoshyt]

Those ceramic single coils look nicer than the old ones.

[@azulyaceroguitar9517]

Squier mejoro enormemente! En maderas diseños componentes etc. Yo tengo una contemporary stratocaster hh y una affinity hss y creo que no le piden nada a ninguna marca ni gama de otras marcas!

[@adriansvarela]

Excellent video and the guitar sounds amazing! Thank you

[@MrSpeed-lt8gr]

I just tried this out today. And I like the feel of it better than the Classic Vibe 😳. I love the sound of the Classic Vibe but the neck doesn’t jive with me. So I’m going to return it for a refund and looking at getting one of these.

[@bushcry1]

Changing the pickups? I do feel the same about the C necks with gloss in CVs except 60s version. Apparently neck is slim Modern C and not just Modern C like in the other telecasters.

[@briannelms158]

Beautiful guitar! Great review and demo!

[@TheTapeFarm]

Thanks Brian!

[@Brad143]

I'm always thinking why Fender always still have 21 fret until 2021 ?

[@TheTapeFarm]

To quote Fiddler On The Roof… Tradition! But yeah… I get it. Also for guys like me 21 is about 5 too many 🤣

[@Brad143]

@@TheTapeFarm why Don't 22 ahaha🤣

[@0000song0000]

Yeap. Even surf stuff use the 22nd fret... like "Penetration" by The Pyramids 😢 (i have to bend that note on a Strat)

[@johnbarker95]

Hey man great video. I have a Classic Vibe Stratocaster and it's just as good as the American Strat I had. The playability of these Squiers has really improved over the past ten years or so. Excellent guitars. And when I seen how beautiful that sienna sunburst is I just had to have one. Beautiful guitar. I'll be ordering one from Sweetwater in the next few days. One question I have is I noticed that Danelectro distortion pedal. I had one just like it and it got stolen. That wasn't you, was it? Just kidding. Killer video. I just subscribed to your channel. Keep the videos rolling and rock on!!!!

[@tlister67]

I bought an p new affinity JM, best upgrade new strings. The strat type trem works as good as my expensive Strats. The pickups are not bad but I am going to upgrade them to alnico.

[@bluwng]

Bridge pickup has its own tone control. Pickups are low Resistance but very loud, I feel the Inductance ( magnetic reading) has more to do with power vs Resistance.

[@wmpopper]

Good review and playing....Thank You.

[@jefflien2599]

Thanks bunches for demo!!💪

[@hughwilliams870]

To fix that break angle just wrap the entire D and G tuner in string so it reaches the bottom of the tuner peg, it then puts enough angle on it to take care of it. OR add a string tree.

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@hughwilliams870 tried that… another solution would be low profile tuners. Or I could just install another String tree.

[@Albrecht777]

The string tree point on the headstock is interesting. I have been the proud owner of an American strat standard (1989) since 1990. It has two string trees, but I note that nowadays even US-built stratocasters only have a single string tree.

[@TheTapeFarm]

It could be a quirk of my playing style.

[@019bc3]

Modern staggered tuners (tuners further from the nut are shorter) installed on most US-build strats solve the problem without using the second string tree.

[@TheKobyhazan]

Is the pickguard is like strat? So if i get a strat pickguard with all the electronics i can just switch betwin them?

[@TheTapeFarm]

Yes. A loaded pickguard should fit perfectly.

[@sheikhabrahim4057]

I love this post mortem you have done here. What pickups and electronics would you recommend in the case of a swap...and your thoughts of the tuning machines? Would you agree its a good buy for a beginner? If not what's your pick? Thanks.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Wow great questions…. I probably should have answered some of those in the video 😜. Pickups are to subjective. So many people have different tastes. For budget level I like GFS pickups from guitarfetish.com. For more high dollar choices it’s hard to go wrong with Seymour Duncan. The stock tuners have done well over time. But Hipshot makes some great tuners that don’t break the bank. This would be a great beginners guitar. If I got this as my first guitar I would consider myself very spoiled.

[@ok-qp9ql]

Absolutely beautiful

[@jonborgersen6117]

i bougth this after i saw this review. i dont regret 1 sec. it has smaller and thinner body then my vintage modifed squier70's. but seems to have a better tremolo system. overall it seems pretty sweet deal for the buck.

[@pman0856]

Nice review! Been seriously considering buying one. Would you recommend replacing the bridge humbucker with an Alnico 5? Thanks!

[@TheTapeFarm]

Sorry for the delay in answering… just saw your question. I would recommend swapping the pickups at some point. I would go with a matched set if possible. But if the budget for all three doesn’t work, it really hard to beat a Seymour Duncan humbucker. That’s my plan for this guitar.

[@crhiztian]

Has anyone changed the tuners in one of these? Is it a 10mm hole?

[@mauricebrown24]

Excellent video. Buying an Indonesian made one. So that's not a Chinese manufactured one huh?

[@Alfred_E_Newman]

Are you using modeling software? if so, which one and what patches. the tone sounds great.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Amp models in Logic. The clean is an AC30 model and the dirty is a Marshall and an AC30 model.

[@stevepotter7448]

Great video thank you so much!

[@stealthbum34]

‘That’s what she said’ at 10.20?

[@TheTapeFarm]

Got it.

[@Puru_hoja_Shuru]

This Fender model vs Yamaha Pacific 112VMX. I am going to buy one of these What would you recommend? I like to play blues, jazz and exotic music like arabic and raags, but also want to explore other genres. Thankyou

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@Puru_hoja_Shuru never played that particular model of Yamaha. But I’ve heard good things about them.

[@zacharykim295]

Thanks for the video, can you do the same for the Affinity telecaster deluxe?

[@TheTapeFarm]

If I get a good deal on one.

[@bluwng]

This trem block is actual steel vs the old zinc potted metal blocks

[@mariaelenakunstmann2713]

I always preferred squier strats .Even the affinity or bullet. And the affinity or california series have the most comfortable maple neck.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Yup. I’ve always loved Squier necks.

[@tunnel7]

Thanks that will do nicely...

[@huskerbob82]

Thanks for the review! Very informative. In language a relative newby can understand, how specifically would you solve the problem with the string trees? I may well order one of these I would like to be prepared if I encounter the same issue. Thanks!!!

[@TheTapeFarm]

I installed a second string tree.

[@huskerbob82]

@@TheTapeFarm between the original and the nut I assume?

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@huskerbob82 yes. The guitar only came with one string tree for the high E and B strings. So a second string tree needs to be installed for G and D strings, in the traditional location for that string tree… which is about a half inch forward of the existing tree on the E and B. Check out some pics of strats with two string trees to get an exact location.

[@huskerbob82]

@@TheTapeFarm Thank you Sir.

[@leinardesteves3987]

About to buy my first guitar. Is there any tutorial on how to add a string tree? and what would you recommend for the pickups?

[@TheTapeFarm]

I don’t have a tutorial on adding a string tree on my channel but I bet someone on KZbin does. Pickups are like shoes. What’s good for me, might not be good for you. I will tell you as far as budget pick ups go I’m a fan of GFS pickups from www.guitarfetish.com. If you have more to spend, you can’t go wrong with Seymour Duncan.

[@davideridi]

i have the new affinity telecaster and I think for the price is a really good guitar, its not perfect mine have minor issue easy to fix by myself but I'm planning of get this one too because I like the HSS config. Great review thanks!

[@jakamahadika7605]

Is this a good versatile guitar? Beginner here and I want to have a real electric guitar!! mainly for gigs, wedding perform, and try to write some music. Want to focus on blues, pop, and metal.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Yes. For a beginner I think it’s ideal. For wedding type gigs it would be great. HSS Strat style guitars are, in my opinion, are among the most versatile guitars made. For the money this one is hard to beat.

[@jakamahadika7605]

@@TheTapeFarm I saw about blue contemporary hss strat just now, it maybe a tad more pricey. One more question tho, is it worth to take contemporary or affinity is better? Thank you so much for answering 🙏🙏

[@TheTapeFarm]

Not having played one of the contemporary models, I would say to try them out for yourself first. I know what the affinity series can do, and I know it’s really solid. But I really can’t speak to the contemporary series. I do know that they are way cool, and I’d love to get one for myself at some point, but not having played one I really can’t speak with any authority on it.

[@jakamahadika7605]

@@TheTapeFarm thank you kindly for your reply, I'll follow your suggestions I'll try them first before I make my call. Thank you!!!

[@yellowshiba8686]

hello im about to buy one of these and im just wondering if the issue you found is really important for a new player and how easy/expensive it is to repair and if a guitar store could repair it since id be too scared to do it myself

[@TheTapeFarm]

It’s not a huge deal at all. Keep in mind this issue I found could just be the result of my playing style. You might not have the issue at all. If you do the fix is very easy. A small swatch of cloth weaved through the strings (like I did with the paper towel, or an additional string tree which only costs a few dollars and is super easy to install.

[@yellowshiba8686]

@@TheTapeFarm thank you for the quick and very helpfull response knowing that i will still be buying the guitar as it seems pretty good for what i want and is quite cheap Wich leaves me more money for an amp and pedals Thank you.

[@ernestschultz5065]

Hey man, what kind of finish is on that green Squier? It has a cool road worn look. That really doesn't happen to a polyurethane finish. Could that be a nitro cellulose finish?

[@Headbutter-Lettuce90]

I have a question, are these new afinitty squiers thinner body??

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@Headbutter-Lettuce90 yes. By about an 1/8 of an inch I think.

[@lincolnelliot4742]

would you say the Yamaha pacifica 112j would be a better starter than this guitar because i’m looking between the two but really can’t decide which one to go for

[@TheTapeFarm]

Yes. There are various versions of that guitar but nearly all version are really good. A good setup will usually fix most issues.

[@lincolnelliot4742]

@@TheTapeFarm thank you for the advice

[@mauricebrown24]

Hey Keith, what type of tremolo springs are on the Affinity, would they described as heavy duty? Thanks

[@TheTapeFarm]

I would say heavy duty. With all three springs the bar is pretty hard to move, which is they way I like to set it up.

[@mauricebrown24]

@@TheTapeFarm Excellent. Thanks

[@TVguy9999]

String tree tip 🎸🔥🤓🤯

[@ianroberts4981]

That t shirrt is amazing! Where can I get one?

[@TheTapeFarm]

Interwebs… it might have been www.qwertee.com but I’m not sure. It was a while ago.

[@sklifish]

I have a squier of 2018, but I can’t lower the strings low, the sound of the strings about Frets appears.

[@Arkson_2010]

Hi, I'm about to buy one of these in a few weeks and I was wondering if there is another way to fix the g string issue. It's gonna be my first electric and Im way to scared to do it myself. So yea if there is another way to fix this please reply to this comment

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@Arkson_2010 keep in mind this may just be a me thing. I have a very unorthodox playing style that may contribute to the issue. That said, if you run into the same issue weaving small strip of felt or other material through the strings above the nut will resolve the issue. They’re companies that actually make a device that does the same thing. a.co/d/4duPqFl BTW… I was about to put mine up for sale. I have way too many guitars, and need to cull the herd a little bit. So if you are interested, you can email me @[e-mail].

[@Arkson_2010]

@@TheTapeFarm problem is, I live in new zealand

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@Arkson_2010 ahhh… yeah that is a bit of a problem. Shipping would cost more than the guitar 😬

[@SiddharthKarunakaran]

No 2 position hum cancelling?

[@onursancak7868]

Should i buy normal version or this upgraded version affinity strat

[@TheTapeFarm]

It depends on what you’re looking for a guess. The standard SSS is a classic. But some find the HSS version more versatile. I have a MIM SSS Strat already so this one gives me another option. So really it depends on what you looking for out of the guitar. Both are good choices. If you can, try them out at a local shop.

[@onursancak7868]

@@TheTapeFarm question about new affinity strat series i want to buy hss flamed maple but some people didn't like the guitar i watch the fender youtube channel introduce flamed maple no one didnt like it at the comments they say distortion sound is bad new version is bad im a beginner guitarist and living in turkey its so expensive our country to buy this guitar so i need a good think about that what should i do i really didnt know

[@onursancak7868]

@@TheTapeFarm %100 im gonna buy hss strat affinity but this version or old version didnt know can you help :(

[@xrzaynixers6884]

Why do people hate ceramic pickup? Im new to guitar

[@TheBonusBlake]

Simply just dosent sound as good

[@tlister67]

They lack higher frequency overtones, get used to Alnico and they will sound muffled. That said, you can make good sounds with either.

[@eertje01]

So what is the body thickness on this thing? I read mixed info on the web. thanks!

[@TheTapeFarm]

1.5 inches

[@arielrodriguezcepero3293]

I just bought the same guitar. What pickups would you recommend?

[@jamesinfl3539]

Keith does your guitar buzz (noise, like a high frequency bumble bee)? I'm not talking about the 60Hz single coil hum. And I am curious why don't we hear the 60Hz hum when you are playing either one of the singles alone? Thanks for the review. I bought mine based on it. I didn't get as lucky as you because mine is not nearly as pretty. The pattern is much more pronounced in yours. But, mine buzzes in all positions, even the humbucker! It's awful. I have plenty of other guitars to compare against and I do create the same environment. I do not have any lights or other electronics. I'm thinking of exchanging it. Thank you for any help!

[@TheTapeFarm]

Sounds like you have a grounding issue. I’m my studio I don’t get a lot of buzz on single coils. Everything is pretty well shielded, I use LED lighting, all the equipment is grounded to an independent ground rod to the rest of the electrical system. So I put a lot of work in on the front end when I built my studio to limit the RF that actually causes a lot of the 60 cycle hum.

[@jamesinfl3539]

@@TheTapeFarm Thank you Keith for responding. I appreciate it. I wonder if you'd be so kind as to listen the 21 second video clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGXCaoiKYtqoirM. I shielded my other Squiers. My the buzz on my MIA Strat is very slight, it's so low that it can be ignored.

[@davesnothere2879]

Sounds great

[@mangelgc8963]

Gran video! Un saludo

[@Icantdrive55]

New studio? Or just different camera angles? Looks like a smaller space today.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Same studio… Just trying to standardize things a bit. So I can make videos more efficiently.

[@SiddharthKarunakaran]

How does it feel to play? How does it compare to some of your other guitars?

[@benallmark9671]

They glossed the headstock as an upgrade I suppose.

[@bluwng]

Is it really thinner and lighter as claimed? My perfect Strat is between a standard strat and an Ibanez S series.

[@TheTapeFarm]

It is slightly thinner than my 1999 MIM Strat. Weight… a touch lighter. But nothing all that noticeable to me. It’s not a drastic difference.

[@bluwng]

@@TheTapeFarm thanks, I was looking for a big difference. That thing is beautiful though

[@Pjaysusity]

It's listed at 10lbs

[@jefflien2599]

Yes yu make dam good sales pitch.I love the guitar and have a mex strat.,and am going to get the squire to keep at another hangout to enjoy .

[@raudelgonzalez5154]

Would you recommend a Squier as beginner guitar? Im really new at this and want to get into playing but I don’t know whether to invest on a “higher quality” and expensive guitar (better pick ups and not so frowned upon the community) or get this kind here. Also how do you add that “string tree” you mention there? Thank you for tour time and I hope you review my comment!

[@TheTapeFarm]

I think Squiers are about the best “beginners guitars” out there. I would also recommend regardless of what guitar you ultimately get, spend a little extra money to have the guitar set up by a tech. Most people who stop learning/playing do so out of frustration, thinking they just “can’t figure it out” or “it’s just not for them”. When in reality that frustration comes from their guitar not being properly set up and fighting them every step of the way. So spend the extra $50 or so and have a tech go over it. It will be money we’ll spent.

[@CritterEnjoyer]

If you can save a little longer, go for the Classic Vibe line of Squiers over the Affinity line. If you particularly want the Stratocaster style and don’t care if it’s strictly a Squier, maybe look at the Yamaha Pacifica guitars.

[@juliusjacob1416]

Why though? All the nitpicking on cheaper guitars is by very experienced players. Beginners probably don’t even notice those things. Lets also not forget that 80% of people who buy guitars don’t actually consistently play them or sell them within a year. I’d recommend getting an affinity, get it checked by a professional and after some time after you actually got some skills, save up soms money and buy a guitar that you rreeaaally want with a higher budget.

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@juliusjacob1416 80% of the people who quit playing guitar, quit because of having to constantly fight their instrument. The idea of getting a cheap piece of crap as a “beginner guitar“ in my opinion is a bad idea. Better to get a decent guitar that can be set up well so you’re not constantly fighting your instrument as you’re trying to learn. You’re more likely to continue playing that way.

[@juliusjacob1416]

I fully agree, but then it may be a difference in opinion on what we consider a piece of crap. I personally don’t think this Affinity can be called that. Again, that’s my opinion and I don’t own extremely expensive guitars!

[@mrbaudrilliard]

Hello, i live in Turkey and i am thinking of buying this guitar. This is really a great guitar and i loved the color. The only thing i am wondering about is that noise that comes after Open G and G palm muted. Do you think this will happen on the one i buy or do you think this problem is about your copy of the guitar ? Thanks!

[@TheTapeFarm]

No real way of knowing. I can tell you I had another guitar with the same issue. Now it could just be a quirk of my playing style. But either way, it’s an easy fix if you do run into the same issue. Even if you don’t want to install a second string tree, you can just weave a small strip of felt through the strings and that should resolve the problem as well. I’ve seen others do that.

[@ardasimportant2232]

Abi rengine cidden ben de aşık oldum da bu ses sorunu tüm modellerde mı var

[@therollband1290]

Thanks for doing this demo the official demo from fender is terrible

[@truthwinseverytime8805]

Yeah, their demos have been lacking lately.

[@cinematic35]

I hear out of tune notes--needs to be set up. Guitars should ring like bells with no notes sharp or flat!

[@ovidiuboureanu8565]

Are the pickups on Affinity Stratocaster FMT HSS ceramics? If not, what type are they? I own this guitar, but I cannot figure out what material are the pickups.

[@TheTapeFarm]

As stated in the take apart portion of the video they are ceramic pickups and I discuss that for a bit. That said, that doesn’t really mean much of anything. Ceramic magnets do not mean bad pickups and some kind of ALNICO does not mean good pickups. Not saying that’s what you are saying, just stating that for others reading the comments.

[@ovidiuboureanu8565]

@@TheTapeFarm thank you, sir!

[@stephandelaney4097]

Does it have a glossed fretboard?

[@TheTapeFarm]

nope, satin

[@AashiSoni]

Awesome 🌈 very nice ❤️ amazing and fantastic ❤️😍

[@TheTapeFarm]

But enough about me… what do you think of the guitar 🤣😜

[@ctony6102]

what is the weight of the guitar

[@TheTapeFarm]

7 lbs, 10 oz according to my scale. But keep in mind the weight of guitars from one to the other can vary greatly. So it’s more safe to say that it weighs about as much as a Stratocaster 😬

[@Jeymez]

for 299 that noise would bug me, i haven't tried the FMT, don't even know what that means. i know HT stands for Hard Tail which is on some of the Bullet series Squiers, but I've tried the normal Affinity series and i haven't encountered that issue on those. i do like the color on that guitar, but that noise would bug me. i wonder if it's something that came with your model.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Yeah… it just needed a second string tree. I installed one, problem solved. $5 fix.

[@Jeymez]

@@TheTapeFarm that still should not be an issue with that, i get it's only a $5 dollar fix, but if some parent who isn't as knowledgeable about guitars bought that for some kid they would be lost lol. you did say you ordered it, i know sometimes when you buy anything online, there's always some minor things that can happen. it's alot easier when you go into a store and check it out, then you can look it over, but we all kinda got used to buying things online because of Covid. now that it's died down, you get used to it. one thing im not a fan of on the Affinity series is the headstock, it's just too big lol. people say it's supposed to be a positive, but in my experience trying out different Affinity's with that headstock, I've noticed tuning problems. the Squier Bullet series is a lower price, and they stay in tune better. i do like the feel better of the Affinity neck beck than the Bullet, but i found the Bullet easier to play. my favorite is the Classic Vibe series, i feel like they got that series right, but the series down from that is where things can be hit and miss. the Classic Vibe is almost as good as the old Mexican Fenders from back in early 2000's. i still have an old Mexican Standard from 2004 that still plays well.

[@TheTapeFarm]

FMT - Flame Maple Top

[@jk_guitar]

I have this guitar and it didn't have the string noise issue. So it would just be his one. Actual build quality on mine is excellent, can't fault it, maybe a beefier humbucker would be good though.

[@azulyaceroguitar9517]

La Affinity hss stratocaster fmt es la mas hermosa!

[@stevedarkrider79]

Hi, do you know the Cort G250? Is better Squier Affinity, Cort G250 or Sire S3?

[@TheTapeFarm]

I have not played either of those. But I’m intrigued by the Sire guitars.

[@JosephVarghese-g4d]

Brother go for Sire S7 excellent one

[@bluwng]

What’s the weight. I need a light instrument

[@TheTapeFarm]

Answered this question earlier but here’s what I got: 7 lbs, 10 oz according to my scale. But keep in mind the weight of guitars from one to the other can vary greatly. So it’s more safe to say that it weighs about as much as a Stratocaster 😬

[@bluwng]

@@TheTapeFarm that is pretty heavy. Sorry for missing it, was playing guitar at low volume while I watched

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@bluwng not at all… I answered it the comments, not the video. Thanks for watching! I’ll try to remember to include that type of info in my next review. Thanks.

[@vincentcrooks2469]

How’s the fret work? Feel pretty smooth up and down the neck or cheese grater?

[@TheTapeFarm]

Really good. No sprouts, fairly smooth. They could be polished a bit more, but no issues on the frets.

[@kolchak357]

I played one yesterday at my local guitar center. It was the nicest affinity I’ve ever seen. The neck is that unfinished style if you are into that. Fret ends were pretty good. Not dead smooth, but nothing sharp to complain about. Feels more like a toy compared to a player series, and definitely a step below the classic vibe series, but nothing bad. The pickups lack rather warmth of the player series, but sounded pretty good. I would have loved to have had this as my first guitar.

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@kolchak357 yeah… the pick ups are ok… I think an upgrade might be in order down the road.

[@kolchak357]

@@TheTapeFarm I agree. It’s why I generally prefer the classic vibe line. The upgrade in pickups is pretty big.

[@TheTapeFarm]

@@kolchak357 I’ve got a Classic Vibe Jazzmaster. Good pickups but in desperate need of a neck shim… on the to do list.

[@ScryFouL]

What song is that demo tune?

[@TheTapeFarm]

Just a couple of riffs I came up with. Like all the demos I do.

[@paqman78]

Are the pots 250k or 500k?

[@TheTapeFarm]

250k

[@ovidiuboureanu8565]

@@TheTapeFarm I have this guitar, I'll replace the HSS pickups with Fender 4Gen noiseless SSS pickups (I already have a Fender HSH MIM) and I wonder if I should also replace the pots. Does it have to be three 250 K pots or it would work better with three 500K pots? I want to use this guitar for rock, blues and jazz, not metal (I have the HSH for metal).