Are old Squier guitars any good?

[@stevenmaddison5422]

I cannot comment on "old" Squiers but I jumped on the band wagon when Squier received widespread acclaim for their Classic Vibes series and I now have a new favourite guitar 😊

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

☺️ They are amazing! 👍🙌🏻

[@chrisghiardi117]

CBS divested Fender around 1984. The new company, FMIC had no factory in the USA at first. Squier started under CBS Fender.

[@BonkeyMucket]

I recently picked up three Squire Starcasters. An Affinity, Contemporary and most recently a 70's Classic Vibe. I love these. I like the ody shape and the necks play nicely.

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

Tasty! Which one of the three do you find yourself picking up the most?

[@vaughan7835]

I bought 6 Fender guitars before my 1st Squier! A Brand New, unused 2009 Sunburst / maple USA STD Strat, A Jimmie Vaughan Signature Strat, year? 3 MX Teles, 2011 60th ann' Black / Yellowed Maple neck which is beat up like you wouldn't believe! A 2017 std "Olympic" White?? / maple, a Butterscotch blackguard Player from 2019, & a 2016 Red / Rosewood MX Mustang w P90s. 1st Squier was a MIJ 80s well used black / maple Strat, My little piece of Gold! & a 86? MIJ Black / Rosewood contemporary, Gibson Scale, Strat HSS w Locking Trem & reverse polarity switching. Both Absolute Legendary Guitars!!! My go to's Now! ❤

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

I must admit that I am drooling over the MIJ Squier strats - I think it will be my next purchase! 🙌🏻 I just can’t justify the extra money for a Fender!

[@jerryshade4333]

I have an older Squier P-bass that was made in 2002. Never had any problems with it until last year when the tone pot became a little scratchy. Cleaned the tone pot and now it’s good as new. I guess I was lucky and got a good bass for very little money.

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

Awesome! 🙌🏻 I think they have definitely got more consistently good in recent years, but lots of the old guys ones are pretty tasty! 👍

[@chrisghiardi117]

Fender has used the Squier brand for over 40 years. Countries of origin include Japan, Korea, Mexico, India, even USA, China and maybe more. When Fender first used the brand all Fender electrics were USA Fullerton. The CBS and later FMIC MIJ Squiers are generally very nice and were later rebadged as MIJ Standard Fender -only difference being pickups. Later MIK Protone series were very nice also. Current MIC Stratosonic is really a standout though not a stratocaster.

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

Thanks for that brilliant roundup of the history - it’s so interesting how the brand (and the manufacturing) has evolved over the years - obviously, I’m a fan (despite some of the ones I’ve tried over the years not being great!) and am constantly tempted by new offerings as well as old gems!

[@AuntAlnico4]

No no no, the guitar coming from the USA were all Fullerton but when that factory burned down fender came out with Squier Japan until their USA factory was squared away. At that point, with no USA factory Squier was the only guitar fender was selling. That's probably where the rumors started coming from as to the USA fender guitar being shipped to Japan to be built. If it is true, which is highly unlikely, the number of guitar being shipped to Japan to be finished would be so very rare. My 1987 Japan Squier system 1 came with the exact same USA fender case that fender was using at that point for their USA guitar so maybe that fact helped build up the theory that USA fender was shipping necks and bodies to Japan to build up since their guitar factory was burned down!?

[@chrislestermusic]

I don’t think you can ever do broad strokes when it comes to guitars and say “was so and so brand good or was this era of a brand good’. There are always good and bad guitars of any brand in any era. I guess it comes down to “were the majority of so and so brand in so and so era consistently good/bad for the most part”. That said, my experiences with Squire have almost all been good.

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

I absolutely agree - nearly every guitar from Squier I have tried over the years from every era has been good. I always find it so strange that certain ones, like ‘made in Korea in such and such factory’ seem to command a premium on the second-hand market. One guy I met who was selling one of those had kept his guitar in such terrible condition from years of neglect and yet was still adamant that it was worth the money. Bonkers! Thanks for weighing in 👍🙌🏻

[@danfromnewwie]

My Strat was made in 85' in the Fuji factory,bought in 86'.I'll take it to my grave.Neck is perfect.They knew what they were doing.👍

[@AuntAlnico4]

Yes indeed ! I had a Japanese system 1 stratocaster from 1987 "E" serial number and it had the best built neck of modern Guitar, just like the vintage ones the neck is dead straight and never needs adjusting!

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

I’ll have to see if I can track any down 👍

[@AuntAlnico4]

@ashleyguitarandpedalsDIY seriously the most stable fender neck next the the early 60's ! You can also find the very early E series squier from Korea that has really great necks as well, but not as good as the Japanese. I have a couple of the late 80's early 90 Korean squier strats and they are both white ! Ones gloss neck E series late 88 or 89 and the other is satin neck 90's and the gloss neck is so similar to my dad's 🇺🇸 stratocaster first edition Fullerton reissue from the 80's as well. All great guitars but those squier vintage guitars are diamonds in the rough.

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

Looks like I’m on the hunt once again then 🤣🙌🏻 Thanks for all the great knowledge!

[@megredmoo]

@@ashleyguitarandpedalsAlso have a 1991 Fuji silver series squier tele, nicest neck i've ever played!

[@roybarker5896]

My advice Don’t Buy without trying , they are not all the same . The one i bought was set up and played better than the real Fenders !!

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

Great advice 👍🙌🏻 Thanks!

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Yep, they're mostly very good but I wouldn't buy an unseen Squier in case I got a bad one. Recently picked up an Affinity PJ bass because when I saw and played it in the shop I knew it was exceptional, but I'm sure they're not all as good.

[@patrickshannon4516]

They are okay wouldn't have one myself because they are so cheaply made. Fender guitars are so overrated.

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

I have to say that I have tried quite a few that are rather tasty and plenty that have stood the test of time. What would be your preference in the same price range?

[@Capwhiz]

They were shite 20 yrs ago compared to today

[@ashleyguitarandpedals]

I definitely agree that the current manufacturing results in a much more consistently good guitar, regardless of the range! There are some old gems too though … amongst the rubble 🤣👍