Squier is NOT Fender

After posting my video "How to Spot a Fake Fender in Seconds" a few years ago... one of the most common comments is "Squier is made by Fender, so it's not fake." In the video I show how people fake fenders by rubbing off the Squier logo and put on a fake Fender logo on it. This video explains why that makes it a fake Fender. That is not to say that a Squier is a bag guitar... I own many of them, but it is a fake fender if you try and pawn it off as a Fender. I take a look at a number of guitars, Squier, Fender, and parts guitars to see where the fake line is drawn. I hope this video clears up the confusion.
1971 Fender Jazz Bass video
• What is this Bass? Is...
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[@AndyDion]

It’s not cool when people rub off Squire logo and put a Fender decal on headstock and then try to sell it.

[@carlosa5416]

If you do it for yourself and are honest when selling it could be forgiven. I put a fender decal on my squier jazz bass

[@jaredferguson2999]

@@srubberalittle no fender is pretty good, they're a little over priced but I can certainly imagine buying a tele for around 500 used

[@spottedsaint957]

Squiers are no more Fender than Epiphone is Gibson. Putting a Fender logo on a Squier really just means one of two things. You're either insecure about a owning a Squier and you're trying to impress a bunch of cork sniffing gear snobs or you're up to no good and you're trying rip someone off by passing a Squier off as a Fender.

[@spottedsaint957]

@@srubberalittle no, if people are willing to pay for it.

[@evanserrano1940]

Boony Tooty MIJ squiers in my opinion beat most Fenders.

[@72dodge340]

Because it's a Squier that someone faked into a Fender. Is this really hard for people to understand?

[@kennisrussell]

Apparently. Lol

[@Jihadbearzwithgunz]

Yes, yes it is man. Common sense isn't so common these days.

[@IYF_Productions_SL]

Still shaking my head that it was that hard for some to understand.

[@padawan9127]

Ya, ask these people would they pay the same for a guitar with Squier on the headstock as they would for one with fender on it

[@peterbutlien1335]

"Fake" here means passing something off as something that it is not. This is usually done with the intent to defraud a buyer. The intent of the video is to keep people from being taken. Some people just dont understand.

[@thepals6070]

I love how a lot of people type Squier as “Squire”

[@TheJosephPhillips]

Lol I did that for a long time before I purchased a squier bullet with a shorter scale, and hardtail bridge mij and a squier standard telecaster..late eighties or early nineties..

[@trashbagandrew]

That’s cause of autocorrect

[@HoosierLine]

It just the difference in the way its spelled in the U.S. over how its spelled in the U.k.. The proper company name is Squier but someone in the U.K. was taught to spell it Squire. Either way is proper in writing.

[@StevieZero]

@@HoosierLine noone in Britain was taught to spell it that way.Its just a common mistake

[@asylumrain]

@@HoosierLine I’ve lived in America my whole life and I spell it like “squire” also for some reason. It just seems right

[@jordandick5184]

A Squier is a SUBBRAND of Fender. It is made somewhere else; usually cheaper; with cheaper parts; and different specs. Fender just owns the overall company. So what he is saying is people are taking these cheaper made Squier's by fender and faking them to be true; more expensive Mexican and American made strats by faking the logo.

[@fredacuneo5180]

Alnico pick-ups are one of the big differences. I bought a $30 set of alnicos and soldered them into to my daughter's pick Squier. It sounds amazing now. Beautifully chimey.

[@markthain9659]

Well done you got the point across in one paragraph rather than 20 minutes of this pointless video

[@kevincarey79]

freda cuneo The ‘Classic Vibe’ series often have nice alnico pickups. I’ve bought classic vibes/vintage modifieds with the intent/assumption I’d want to upgrade pickups, and after getting em home for a few days decided...naw, why bother if it sounds great to me? The overall quality of those indonesian squiers is a amazing. Its always impressed me how fender caters to every market, and how much value you get in each price bracket.

[@espvp]

Yeah but that's not what the thumbnail and title of this video indicates.

[@TheMikeharris7]

Squier wasn't initially a budget brand. Some distributors when they first starting making guitars in Japan in the early 80's wanted a difference in branding. Those were super high quality and some even had USA parts.

[@michaelbledsoe1060]

You are so right about people changing decals and trying pass off a lesser brand as a premium brand. I own and play live with two Squier guitars, but I always tell people the guitars are the Squier brand. Enjoyed your video.

[@kenhall6525]

I hate when people sell a "Fender Squier" guitar online, it's not a fender

[@patrickshannon6135]

It really is fender but some parts are lower quality fender makes them and even though it's a squire by fender it's still a fender.

[@Spedly]

I know, man. It drives me nuts. To me, I always feel like theyre trying to fool someone who doesnt know their stuff and thinks its a real Fender.

[@JTHelectronics]

seriously one of my biggest pet peeves. You wouldn't sell a Smart Car as a BMW, even though it's the same company. That would be fraud, unfortunately in the Squier/Fender case it's more of a matter of ignorance than malice.

[@itaimanhando7377]

Its a Fender

[@testtube1195]

Why do you hate it? They just want you to find it, looking for a Fender.

[@AndrewAHayes]

If you ever come across an 80's Japanese Squire then buy it they are awesome and in most cases are better sounding/ built than comparative Fender guitars of that period

[@Peasmouldia]

Some of the "lawsuit" Japanese guitars are excellent. I have a 1978 Hondo Les Paul that I bought new and still has at least one more fret dressing left in it. Can't say the same about my Gibbo double cut made in the 90s. It needs a complete re-fret. Probably played it a bit more, but still...

[@Johnsormani]

JV squires were the best fender like guitars of that period. The built quality was awesome. I have bought one new back then ( fist series) and still have it

[@Squazzoo68]

I have a Squire Classic Vibe Tele & it’s amazing! People have done blindfold comparisons online with custom shop Fenders & Classic Vibe squires & they can’t tell the difference!

[@kennisrussell]

Yes. Those are amazing guitars. I wish I had one.

[@jonp3890]

Kennis Russell I just got one a little over a month ago, the Squier CV Custom Tele 60s. It is indeed a very nice guitar. Super light, too. I did replace the nut with a GraphTec nut, but, other than that, definitely no complaints.

[@rydogglessauldoggles7856]

Yeah the Squier Classic Vibes are so much better than most ( bone nut, no fret sprout, etc) MIMs but if somebody put a fender logo on it then it is still fake. much like if somebody took a MIM Fender and put a squier logo on it instead then that would be a fake squier guitar....not that anybody would do that. i would be pissed if i bought what i thought was a classic vibe squier but it turned out to be a MIM Fender I would be pissed.

[@ransombaggins9301]

Me too! But so what? Who is arguing? How is this relevant? Did you spend $1500 or $2500 on it thinking you were getting a USA Fender only to get it home and realize the it was a Classic Vibe with a fake logo put on it? Guessing not. Kennis has never said Squiers can't be good guitars, only that if someone slaps on a Fender logo and sells it as a Fender, it's a fake.

[@Dead-Eye]

@@ransombaggins9301 Dude never said anyone was arguing. Just mentioned in passing that Squier CVs are quality. Relax.

[@markthain9659]

That's 20 minutes of my life I won't get back, watch it back Kennis, you gibber on through the video without actually explaining what you mean. You could have done it in 2 minutes

[@richbird23]

I have a Squire Affinity Tele. I slapped in a set of used MIM pickups and wow what a difference. Squires are a good platform for mods.

[@Gearhart_Music]

"Fender" parts don't necessarily fit on a Squier. The specs and tolerances are slightly different.

[@mykemech]

I learned that trying to put fender pup covers on my squier

[@whssy]

@@mykemech It depends on the Squier. But yes, big compatibility issues on some guitars.

[@Subcat001]

Fender parts don't necessarily fit on a Fender either.

[@whssy]

@@Subcat001 Actually the narrower spaced neck/middle pickup poles on cheaper Squiers are a better design than on a Fender and would arguably be an upgrade.

[@andyj6384]

Really, this had to be pointed out? Duh people, ofc they are not the same. If someone sells a Squier posing as a Fender, it is a FAKE Fender. If the logo needs to be altered to make it a “Fender”, that should tell you it is not the real deal.

[@zibbezabba2491]

These questions are dumb. They're more or less asking "why can't a fake be real?"

[@williamyanosko4010]

Because guitar players generally stupid idiots, that cant change a broken string let alone form a logical thought

[@fordhammie]

jackassess don't know they're jackassess! 😂

[@zibbezabba2491]

It really couldn't be simpler. If the logo is 'Squire' it's not a Fender even though it says 'made by Fender"

[@Hon3stAb3]

I'm proud of my 95 squier. I know it's not as good compared to a mia strat, but to me it's good. Sounds good and feels really nice.

[@Hon3stAb3]

@marko i agree with you on the pricing. Although as of the last couple years, everything increased in pricing especially with fender and its subsidiaries. The 95 squier i have my parents bought when quality was still decent on squiers. Now i dont buy squiers new. I've only bought used. I had a squier 2 end of run. I got it for $120. So used is the way to go on squiers.

[@caerparavel]

There's a lot you can do with a Squier to make it play comfortably and sound just as good as a Fender.

[@bananabana6630]

@@caerparavel Yeah and it's called practice until you can actually play the guitar. It doesn't matter what is on the headstock or the price. People give up trying to learn the electric guitar because they think that buying an expensive guitar is going to make them a better player that is stupid and it ain't going to happen if you don't dedicate the time to learn.

[@bobsiburton861]

Fender is magical, the guitar world has twisted knickers over their instruments, amateurs and pros alike. However, i have never heard a voice as sweet as an American made Fender Stratocaster and its relatives. I do however want a guitar from every quality maker because i have listened to their songs and have been made to realize that quality in craftsmanship is a must but the differences in sound is what we chase. May the chase continue.

[@wulfbak]

I will say that early 80's Japanese Squiers with the JV and SQ serial numbers are very nice instruments. I love my SQ P-bass and Telecaster. A pickup swap and a refret to 6105s made the Tele perfect. Not that there was anything wrong with the existing fretwork, I just prefer bigger frets over tiny vintage ones.

[@tinystar3010]

I can't believe you actually have to go in depth to explain what you meant. The lack of common sense humanity has baffles more each day....

[@upsidedownnoise]

I started playing say, 3 months ago, I want to get a real McCoy; hey presto!

[@grantkoeller8911]

It's a language barrier with people from other countries

[@tomfoolery2082]

I hav a starcaster , changed the hardware . New loaded pickguard . Not bad at all .

[@kennisrussell]

I agree. That’s not a bad guitar.

[@pressonc]

I’ve got one that plays amazing. New pickups, and it sounds better than my buddy’s stock MIM Strat.

[@JoeKyser]

Right on Tom. There's nothing wrong at all with that. If your happy with it that's all that matters

[@pdp977]

I keep a lookout for them - cheap for a modding platform, and it has the70s head shape that I like

[@SirEnVo]

I have one and am not so lucky. Mines dreadful I even put new pickups and tuners and it just simply sucks. It's a shame

[@indigo2009]

9:40 Jeff healey has played live a japanese squier stratocaster on a stage.

[@jonp3890]

Indigo David Pearson regularly plays a Bullet. A BULLET!

[@l0rd0ct0d0rk]

My brother's wife's previous husband (who passed away) had a starcaster that was decked out really nice, she let me have it and an ibanez pf5 acoustic.

[@l0rd0ct0d0rk]

Granted, it's no fender, but it still beats the super cheap brands like crescent.

[@anthonymarshall2653]

What drives me nuts is that when you search fender on Reverb or EBay 85% of the results are Squier. Fender did make a Squier series Stratocaster in the mid 90’s MIM, I had one and it was junk compared to the used regular MIM Stratocaster from the year before in my house.

[@solaris70]

ikwym i usually go low to high price search now and eventually around page 25 the squirrel guitars Squier Strats are not filling every position on the search .

[@TheMikeharris7]

Side note Ron Thorn the principal master builder at Fender's custom shop mentioned in an interview recently that his #1 guitar is an 80's MIJ Squier. :)

[@pked9]

he ........... does not know that is fender is a company name, squire in one of its models...dee.....deee...deee...........see models USA. mim. mij , squire , starcaster , strat , hwy , tx , affinity , standard , tele , jackson, pc1, others..........

[@40johnson87]

I love the Mexican strats. Its pretty much the same guitar as the American standard but half the price. Not for a collector or a seller but if you just want to play it, they are hard to beat

[@RobertNolan]

Great points and I figured you were going with this route, but the title was kinda misleading. "Squier is NOT Fender" implies that they are two separate entities when really it's a subdivision of Fender's line. Better title name: *When* a Squier is NOT a Fender.

[@harryebbeson]

Fully understand what you say. It’s a quality thing. But trying to pass off a Squier as a fender to sell is a fake operation.

[@jacquesmurdoch3599]

I love my Squier Strat. It’s my goto guitar. Great tones and plays really well. Its a 94 model and aged really well. Must have been made on a Tuesday or Thursday.

[@stewartmcdonald2891]

There is too much guitar snobbery, I have over twenty guitars, they all play and sound different, but one my favourites to play is Squier Custom Telecaster, I find the tone suits my needs fine and it is well finished, it plays beautifully, the only mod I made was a screw on jack socket/cup. I have mostly teles, not all fenders, I even have one that says Gibson on the headstock, but I never for a minute thought that it was a Gibson.

[@kevincarey79]

Stewart McDonald Amen to that.

[@b.rodclark7349]

I bought four different guitars at different times from the same local pawnshop and each time hung a $150 fake Fender Stratocaster which i KNEW it wasn't what it was disguised to be but the top-loading hardtail bridge stayed on my mind that i got it for $75. First thing I did was detach the neck to check the date and that's when I discovered that the Strat was a Indonesia made 2002 Squier Bullet. What looked like a rosewood fingerboard as I was cleaning it turned out to be a stained Indian Laurel fingerboard and then i removed the fret end sprouts, cleaned up the jagged edges on the painted headstock as well as the painted-over tuner bushings and after putting new strings on and providing neck relief, then i began w/the following: I did a 5-way switch swap replacing the faulty side lug switch (only 1 & 5 worked) for an inline, put on a wider spaced Tusq nut, a triple string tree and currently replacing the pickups for better aftermarket ones.

[@LunchboxDOTinc]

i've always almost gotten off on the fact i'll play an early Squire Silver Series Tele on stage, (rarely, as i'm a bassist) but squire have done some amazing stuff over the years, this one plays simply incredibly, though it's had 30 years to get this way lol but i still love the shock when other players pick up my "Squire" only to see how it plays... however, even though it is essentially a fender, strait off the fender Japan production line, with a top load bridge being the only deviation from a 91 fender japan tele, if i were to change the headstock over to a fender logo, it'd 100% be a fake fender, no questios asked...

[@wolfwarren6376]

Hi there, great video! Since the topic of the video is about Squier branded instruments, there are some interesting facts about it: of course, those of us hip to fender history are aware of the Japanese squiers of the eighties. These guitars and basses are now almost as coveted as the Japanese Fender branded instruments, due to the excellent build quality (and I believe they were also produced on the same assembly lines at times). There’s also the strange case of Korean made Fender instruments and Mexican made Squier instruments, as well as the Fender branded instruments with Fender decals on the headstocks that were marketed in the “Squier series”. By the by, I would like to mention that I own a couple of Squier instruments, both of which I’ve completely replaced every part save for the body and neck, and have put the fender decal on the front of the headstock. Essentially, these instruments are now almost completely custom to my taste for studio and live performance. Likewise, I built a bass with a Squier body and an MIM fender neck that I dearly love. HOWEVER, even though I’ve put the fender decals on, I have kept the Squier serial numbers. If ever I sell these instruments (which to be honest I doubt I will, though that’s regardless to the main point), I will put them up for sale as squiers with heavy modification. It doesn’t matter that I put custom shop pickups in them, high end electronics, and really nice hardware, they’re still Squier made instruments at their core. Exception of course would be the partscaster I did with the Squier body and fender neck, because that does have a fender neck with a fender serial on it.

[@scottbart7891]

Hey Kennis, I think the problem is that people aren't getting your point. I understand what your saying. That there are people out there taking Squier guitars (or Fender style headstock guitars) sanding off the Brand name and putting the Fender Brand logo and trying to sell them as "REAL" American made or even MIM guitars. I'm also on eBay and reverb and Letgo and so on and seen so many fakes. I was at a pawn shop once and they were selling a fake Gibson for $700. I even pointed it out and they thought I didn't know what i was talking about. People need to understand that when buying a used guitar you need to have some knowledge of the instrument. I get cautious when I only see three pics of the guitar that they are selling online. Usually, they don't show the headstock. That to me is a sign of a fake. But they also can be bad at taking pictures too. When trying to buy a guitar I ask questions and ask for more CLEAR pictures of the guitar.

[@stevemarks9360]

Squier isn't made by fender at all, they are designed by fender! My Squier is made by Cortek in Indonesia, its a nice guitar but it isn't made by fender!

[@testtube1195]

There's some china built Fenders, are they Fenders or not? I think they are.

[@TheMikeharris7]

Squier is in the Fender family of products regardless of which factory Fender has subcontracted to build the product to their specs.

[@richardrichard5409]

Yup and I've never had a bad Cort but, I've had a bad Fender😎

[@richardrichard5409]

@@testtube1195 chinese built Fenders, I've missed that, are you sure?

[@richardrichard5409]

@@TheMikeharris7 in the same way that Ferrari are owned by FIAT....but I'd never say my FIAT 500 was a Fezza😎

[@barretprivateer8768]

My old Japanese Squier has fender stamps on the bridge and tuners and was made from the same body and neck as a Fender would have been at the time, with the only difference being the electronics (which I've since replaced). Close enough to a Fender?

[@StarCastersUniverse]

Starcaster was the first guitar i ever learned on how to play, & it made me feel really happy getting into guitar, hence the username :>

[@grindcorejazz1392]

Sunburst maple fret board haha

[@blu_lennox]

Same with me! My first electric guitar was the Starcaster and honestly it was one of my favourite guitars. Then my guitar teacher said it played like crap and tried to "fix" the action on it now rendering it unplayable coz now I get a whole lot a ✨ fretbuzz ✨ I plan to mod it in the future with some Seymour Duncan's and new tremolo but I really hate when people give cheap guitars a lot of crap. Lol check back in with me in a few months to see how the modding is going lol

[@rogerrussian9750]

I have a "partscaster", it has Fender machine heads, Fender wiring harness, Fender string trees, DiMarzio pick ups & even a stratocaster water slide with the Fender name removed. I might even get a Fender neck on it one day. IF ! I ever sell it, I obviously would NOT be trying to pass it off as a Fender, because it's not, even though it plays and sounds comparable to a Fender. Common sense isn't it?

[@mark006868]

Kennis Russell...In fact Fender only makes Fender guitars in two factories, one in the USA and one in Mexico...so a Squier is not made by Fender even if it says"by Fender'' on the headstock...The Fender Musical Instruments Company (FMIC), who owns the Fender brand, Squier brand EVH brand, Gretsch brand to name just a few, has Squier guitars made by Yako Musical instruments LTD in China under contract...and before Yako got the contract...Squiers were built in the Cort Guitars is a South Korean guitar manufacturing company located in Seoul. The company is one of the largest guitar makers in the world, and produces instruments for many other companies including Epiphone... Cort also has factories in Indonesia and China...In short, a Squier is not made by Fender Guitars and Fender guitars don't own Squier...FMIC owns both brands and Squiers will always be built by the company who bids the lowest for the contract to build them but rest assured that they will not be built in the USA , Mexico, by Fender guitar employees or in a Fender factory...and Mighty Mite Licensed neck is not a Fender neck...Mighty Mite pays a Licensing fee to FMIC for the right to use the Trade Mark protected headstock shape...but it does not imply in any way that the quality is on par,better or worse than a real fender neck...just saying..

[@lmt200ish]

I can't believe people could not figure out what you were saying in your first video and having to explain to them like they were five.

[@georgemueh3273]

My 95 MIM Stratocaster was made in California. In 1994 the plant in Mexico burned down and all MIM strats from late 94-95 are made in California.

[@pmoney3688]

Didn’t know they were made in Cali. I’ve got one of those myself... it’s an absolute beast! Showed a pic of it to a guy at guitar center to see what he might give me for it, he said that’s not a squier that’s a player🤣 Had to blow the picture up on the headstock for him to see, anyway thanks for the info

[@austinjones7104]

Great video man. I have a lefty fender player series Strat amazing guitar. I don’t play bass but that 1971 fender component bass is amazing. 🤟😎

[@trauto9554]

Very good video. I just bought a Squire with a Fender logo. I thought it was a great deal for 100$. Turned out to not be the case. Very disappointing. Your knowledge and explanation was very helpful. Thank you.

[@zackwatson755]

So is my Fender a Squier? Is my Lexus a Toyota? Is my hamburger a steak? Lol

[@liamjonasscale]

Interested to know your opinion on the Squier Vista series from 1996-1998. The Jagmaster, Super Sonic and Venus from those years were made in the same Fender Japan factory and right along side the fender Mustangs, Jaguars and Jazzmasters that were imported to america in those years as the Fender Classic Series. Exact same parts, build quality, literally everything except the sticker.

[@kennisrussell]

Japan Squiers are amazing in my opinion.

[@michaelb.42112]

OMG that $125 dollar 1971 /1994 Fender jazz bass is incredible. I LOVE the beat up look, too. I'm a sucker for real road worn basses. That means it's GOOD. I don't trust a pristine bass as much.

[@YourNotGandalf]

I have a Starcaster by fender from 2004 that I just modified with all official American fender parts. Is it still fake?

[@THEQueeferSutherland]

Wow, people are so defensive, no one is saying your Squiers suck or they're not a company owned by Fender, but clearly Squiers are the lower end of what Fender makes, removing the logo and slapping a Fender logo on there like it's a higher end version of that guitar is being deceitful. It's trying to fool people into believing you have a higher end model, which, who cares, unless you're going to sell that as a "Fender". It is not a Fender, it is a Squier "by Fender". It's wrong to do that, just don't be wrong.

[@kevincarey79]

QueeferSutherland If I comment on Squiers (which I have in this comments section), its not as a defensive thing, its to profess my love for them haha. I’d argue that a lot of MIM fenders aren’t any better than, say, a classic vibe squier, all the same. Because of the huge price gap though, yea....its despicable to see anyone selling a $400 instrument for $800 or something like that. Ppl that do that should be locked up.

[@nascargas]

I do appreciate your care in wording. For those who are not aware, Squier stringed instruments date back to the 1890. Fender purchased the company in 1965. Leo founded Fender in 1947. Squier is the old man here. That does not mean they are better than the Fullerton Fenders. However the history is much longer. Fender does own Squier Guitars. As such, the Fender line is authorised for construction to Squier by Fender. It does not mean they are Built by Fender. Just Authorised. On the subject of Mexican Fenders. The oddball idea that they are less than the Fullerton Players Series Fenders is hilarious. The Mexican Fender guitar plant is less than 200 miles (186 miles) from the Fullerton plant. So maybe its just patriotism that Made In America somehow makes them "better". Now I did say *Players Series*....not Custom Shop. You cannot compare Custom Shop guitars to anything else made by Fender, Fullerton, Mexico or Squier. I dont know much about Japanese Fenders to comment on the quality of those, or where they are ultimately made and why Japanese Fenders are unique and cannot be found Stateside unless you have it shipped. In short.....like the guy with bad grammar It no matter if play good 🎉

[@sleekitwan]

Mine is one of the Squiers in the top end of Squiers, which is to say, it’s not hard to find Fender owners happy to hawk and spit on my prized possession! However...as others point out, they are actually a different beast, while certainly being able to sound similar depending on a multitude of things, including whether you are willing to accept that a $300 guitar can in any way be a substitute for a Made-in-America ‘actual’ Fender instrument. I am glad of the lighter weight, the slightly smaller and slimmer (I think) body, and so on. I drove 200 miles to get the only Candy Apple Red one in the country for sale at the time (UK), and it just means a whole lot to me, whether it’s a ‘real’ Fender or not, it is as usable and as wonderful to me, as any classic ‘real’ Fender costing 10 times as much, is to a seasoned musician/guitarist. If it were not for the creation of ‘Squier’ I wouldn’t have a Fender-style guitar of the quality I have. That for me, would be a shame! Everyone’s quite protective of their chosen instrument I think, it wouldn’t take much to start a brawl, so I try not to. It’s kind of akin to issuing forth with a sudden declaration of an opinion about someone’s children, that’s how emotive it can be. I’d go a long way to not appear to be looking down on someone else’s choice of instrument, it’s quite a close relationship! [EDIT - PS don’t try to negotiate a price down of your chosen guitar, because it was on display, after you told the guy you drove 200 miles to see this particular, specific, individual guitar. I know, you could foresee that as a barrier to getting a bargain...and it does not bother me at all, I just wanted to secure that particular instrument. I’ll never be able to do it justice, I just love playing it.]

[@nobuna2114]

Well Squier guitars are basically cheap Fenders but that doesn't mean that Squier also is Fender. They produce basically licensed copies of the original. Yes it says Squier by Fender but at the back of the headstock it also says "Designed and backed by Fender" which just means they are using the designs that Fender provides and are allowed to do that, therefore are legitimate copies.

[@kennisrussell]

Well said.

[@nobuna2114]

@@kennisrussell Thank you

[@VintageDefectors69]

One of my favorite strats ever is the recent black Squier Bullet that has the HSS configuration and the sparkle pickguard. The neck on that thing played amazingly well. Sadly, the electronics aren't great, but it's a REALLY cheap instrument that looks more impressive at first glance than many Fenders. It just has that look that I love. You could get one new for 130 bucks (might still be able to) but I think I got mine used for like 70 or 80. I left it with a teacher since he didn't have one in his classroom studio. However, I'd play one of those things in full stadiums with no guilt. It didn't sound as good as many guitars, but it felt amazing to play and looked great. I've played a few MiM Strats that actually felt worse to play and (to be fair due to having only single coils) sounded worse for what I play. On the other hand, the best strat I've ever played was a Mexican Strat with a Carvin pickup in the bridge. In conclusion, I don't know what my point was but guitars are cool.

[@AngryShellback]

I purchased a Squier Candy Apple Red body, doesn't have a assembly number, no neck plate, pickguard or electronics. I am rebuilding it as a Super Squier with Seymour Duncan Distortion HSS pickups, Babicz Bridge and Warmoth maple /maple neck with Fender locking tuners. When I bought the body, it was advertised as Squier Classic Vibe 70s, how would I know?

[@N8tiveKEYS21]

This is what I’m going to say if it plays and sounds good I don’t care about the brand only thing some people pay for is a little printed sticker on a headstock sometimes. So I don’t care what it is. As long as it’s a great instrument you should use it.

[@williamcharlesschneider4825]

The problem is that people take Squire guitars and try to sell them for the price of a legit Fender instrument

[@musicforcars5361]

THIS!!!!!

[@jeffpashley]

William Charles Schneider Squier

[@ranggopanggo5805]

i have a squier guitar, already upgraded the whole guitar part. when I play the fender player series guitar, it sounds less good compared to the upgraded squier guitar.

[@StephenBecker]

My Squier PJ bass rules! Don't think I'll ever get rid of it.

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

Squier is essentially licensed by Fender. Fender says make this guitar cheaper and easier and we will add our name to it. Most people can’t spend $2,000+ for a guitar but they can spend $700 or so for a similar guitar.

[@charlesbolton8471]

Yes, except that most expensive new Squier have never been above $400-450. Some desirable older ones can sell in the $700 range though.

[@calebproductions5970]

I love my starcaster.modded it with a tusq nut, I lock the strings at the tuners and put a set of roller saddles and a 12 $ chinese pickup and its awesome. I'm not paying for a grand for a brand name. Besides, the tone is in your fingers and amp

[@CJ-rf9jm]

That's just the kind of upgrades I've done on my squiers that I had. Not difficult but the results are great.

[@silverenigma7729]

Squire is a separate entity "licensed" by Fender, thus giving Squire the ability to brand it as "Squire by Fender" guitar.

[@Settii]

Not disagreeing with you but I wanted to add that Squier is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fender Musical Instruments Company, which is somewhat different from a separate business entity. Two separate business entities could not have the same lawyer because of a conflict of interest. The same is not true for a parent company and a subsidiary. In actuality both are simply brand names that are exploited in the consumer market for the purpose of audience stratification, with the company strategically using cost cutting methods on materials and construction within the hierarchy of Squier branded products leading into a slight overlap and upmarket distinction when you get to the Fender hierarchy. It's not the case that one brand has maintained the integrity of its legacy by producing a certain form of guitars in a particular way, while the other has done the same in a contrary fashion. It's just one big company using branding to distinguish its positioning. I'd be surprised if a large share of the internal staff didn't work on both brands.

[@LEOsoulMonarch]

After watching the video, I understand what you meant. People are ripping others off by saying a Squier is a Fender, and that's not cool. I agree. And I did learn a lot from the video. But at the expense of kicking the hornet's nest (I know many in the comments will disagree), I see where there's confusion. The "Squier by Fender" part *is* kinda open to interpretation. Because without knowing what you explained, one can look at it and think, "Are they the same? Is one a subsect if the other? They seem related." It threw me for a loop myself, so I can understand someone looking at that logo and thinking it's a Fender. You're still 100% right that Squier and Fender are different, but I'm saying that I can't blame anyone for missing that.

[@tekratfl]

I have an interesting one - 1994 Fender Stratocaster Squier Series MIM - it was made with the MIM Fender electronics, and cheaper hardware. My first guitar, and it plays and sounds great - I've had other players say it sounds better than some of the American made Stratocasters of the late 90's / Early 2000s.

[@johnwatson3948]

I have one of the early Squier Stratocasters sold to me at Manny’s Guitars in Manhattan in 1984 - from the low serial number appears to be the first batch from the original Fender Japan production. I was surprised to see how much worse the quality was on more recent ones made in other countries.

[@Johnsormani]

John Watson the first squire series from ‘82 were the best. All the later series and all USA made fenders were of lesser quality.

[@matthewbergvall2217]

What model of Squier are you comparing it to a Bullet, Affinity, Standard, or Classic Vibe? Today, there are many versions of a Squier Stratocaster. It does make a difference.

[@kennethsarmiento3136]

Not all squires are made equal. The Squire JV early 80s models were great Japanese Strats and hold their value to the USA made ones.

[@joetspaulding]

Chevrolet and Cadillac, same company. Can you put a caddy logo on a Chevy? Same thing

[@elvergalarga4461]

yes you can. wont make it a Chevy but yes you can.

[@RaymondLandis]

Hey Kennis, you're absolutely correct in all that you're saying... I appreciate your take on this. I am getting ready to build a t-style parts-caster guitar that will have a Chinese "bootleg" Fender neck that has Fender Telecaster on it. I know it's going to be fake... It'll probably never make it to a gig of any sort. It will be played only at home and perhaps for recording (maybe at church)... But the neck tjat cost $49; and I'm waiting for it to show up from China in the coming weeks. This whole thing is new to me, and that's why I searched and found your video... (BTW, I'm subscribed now too). So anyway, I'll never sell it as a real one (I couldn't do that), but I am hoping it looks and plays nice. Just for fun... But all said, I kind of know that this whole thing is questionable. Maybe even wrong... I'm not really sure how they're getting away with it. I have real Fenders too. They are undoubtedly better. But these fakes are getting so good that it is a wonder how they do it for the price. I just got a Firefly guitar that plays absolutely amazing out to the box. It looks a bit like a Strat, and plays like a dream for only $168 delivered!!! Stay blessed and I will look forward to seeing more of your videos!

[@abelincoln95]

There are a disturbing number of people who feel the "faking" is fair play.. A sign of the times.

[@ricktheexplorer]

I got a squire for $174. The wiring was ridiculous and a pickup was so crappy, it doesn't work anymore. Bridge and neck pickups work, I got new ones. Modded it up. It is now my best guitar. Some Squires are considered for top 10 lists of best guitars (do a youtube search of top 10 guitars). When I see Strats in stores, they are between $3,000- $7,000. I was never able to afford one.

[@thomasehrhardt2765]

The 2016 "Squier" *Skullcaster* Haruna Ono (Scandal) Signature model is labeled a Squier® but technically it .is a Fender. That specific run of 300 units are pretty much all Fender parts specs. The first run in 2014 were made to be beginner guitars. The 2nd run though the build was completely changed with different paint, shielding bridge pickups etc. at the request of the artist. Having worked with the band at the time *Haru* wanted the guitar to be closer to what she actually plays. The design was changed. A compromise was made To keep it in the same price range as the 2014s the company band branded case was deleted & the guitar sold by itself only. The only reason the 2016s had a Squier ® logo on the headstock was the band's sponsored contract said it had too. I I have had many techs look at the guitar and 100% have said it is better quality than an Ameican made Tele. There are exceptions to the rule. I know this is a rare case but sometimes labels aren't what they mean.

[@madmat2001]

Looking at one on eBay I see it has an ICS prefix on the serial number which means Indonesian Cort Squier. That is a Cor-tek built guitar.

[@pked9]

@@madmat2001 ...for fender company

[@pked9]

he ........... does not know that is fender company name, squire in one of its models...dee.....deee...deee...........see models USA. mim. mij , squire , starcaster , strat , hwy , tx , affinity , standard , tele , jackson, pc1, others..........

[@fordhammie]

Squier is a french violin string company that fender purchased and they use the squier name for their affordable guitars that can be upgraded. Both are great 😊

[@DangerAmbrose]

I used to play a Stock Squier Bullet Stratocaster with a Fender Logo. Everybody thought it was a Fender Stratocaster.

[@musicmotorskate7540]

it's kind of hard to believe you had to explain this, but not everyone has been around guitars for the last fifty years like some of us.

[@PaulHikes2]

I own a few guitars. One is a Squier Stratocaster. Another is a Fender Telecaster. The Strat is a REAL Stratocaster, but it is not a real FENDER Stratocaster. The Tele is a REAL Telecaster, as would be a Squier, but the difference is that it's a real FENDER Telecaster. Both are good guitars, but the difference is that I could get about $400 - $500 for the Tele, but only about $100 for the Strat. If I put a Fender logo on the Strat, it would still be a real Strat, but it would be a fake Fender.

[@herethererainbows]

You came up as a suggestion checkout in 30 seconds because i wanted to actually see the content i clicked on

[@kennisrussell]

Sorry about that. Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know.

[@rivulus]

Us fender, mim and mij fender and squier have slightly different dimensions, string spacing being the main one. You will run into this when you try to upgrade squiers with fender parts or to repair a fender with parts from china.

[@kennisrussell]

Very true.

[@rivulus]

Jazzmaster tremolos are a good example. Squier uses unbranded trems without a block button. They weigh in at 275g and have 50mm string spacing. A import / mij trem weighs the same and has the same string spacing but has the fender logo and a block button. A US trem however weighs about 320g and has a string spacing of 56mm. The steel is slightly thicker at places, the string holes are smoother, thentremolo bar collet is tighter. The differences ate not huge, but if you have them side by side you notice them. And if you upgrade a squier jazzmaster with a US trem but keep the original bridge you will find you have a tad more binding at the saddles and a just a bit more tuning stability issues. Fender is sneaky that way.

[@imgumbydmnt]

There are some MIC Squier's that accept Fender MIM parts, and have a full sized body.

[@williamyanosko4010]

I have a customized made in japan squire with custom pick guard, locking tuners, and custom made di Marzio pickups, it is great..its a waynes world model made in 1992...it has waynes world etched into the metal neck plate...

[@mikevaluska7313]

Bought an Epiphone LP Special II, 20 years ago 2 months in electronics went haywire took to shop where I purchased it tech got into the display where the Gibson parts were 4 hours later my Epi had Original Gibson Les Paul pick-ups and toggle switch. So is it Epi or Gibson now?

[@thefuneralparade]

I admire your honesty too.

[@chademmert4475]

I worked for them. Fender is the parent company of Squire. Saying it is not a Fender is the equivalent to saying a Corvette is not a Chevy. There also was several Fender logo strats made that said Fender Stratocaster and had Squire series in a small logo at the end of the headstock

[@bobbillnolan7644]

Chad Emmert : I agree.. why did you leave? I’d love to work for fender

[@Klaus80804]

That's what I like about Rickenbacker. They never came with a subbrand to sell lower quality versions of their guitars and basses.

[@kracked7637]

I know this isn't exactly the topic of this video but I have a J mascis squier jazzmaster, a MIM JM and an american pro JM. and my experience with those particular 3 is that the MIM is my least favorite and needed the most work - sharp fret ends, bridge kept lowering by itself (I guess that's also just a problem of the JM vintage bridge in general), overly noisy pickups.. I probably just got a bit unlucky on that particular one and should have exchanged it initially. my J mascis squier is really great and didn't have any major issues, but the american one is flawless and 1-2 steps above the others in every regard. tuning stability, bridge, the trem, the pickups, the overall feel and playabilty are perfect and to me worth that money.

[@CrockettsCabin]

It seems like some folks posting here are just looking for an argument? Your point is perfectly clear, to me anyway. Good job on the video.

[@phillipholt6005]

How did happened when they put Squires logo on the headstock because they had the Fender serial number. It supposingly happened when Fender came out with the HSS HT with the Rosewood Fretboard because it happened to me when I traded a Ibanez acoustic electric thinline guitar made in 1992. The salesman at Sam Ash said he had a Squires Bullet that had been in the backroom for two years and I only paid 35 dollars difference. A little bit later I had a friend who had been playing the guitar for 40 years was going to put new strings on it had never seen a HSS HT Squires before and he was looking it over happened to look at the serial number and it was a first of the American Standard series. What made him notice was the Headstock was a Fender. For a hobby he worked on used Fender guitars for a friend sold the once a month at a flea market that had one Saturday a month just for people to buy, sell, and trade guitars. I had it for 4 years before it got stolen.

[@user-xo3gn4lt5g]

for me is not the brand but when you play you satisfied the sound you play that important

[@tinystar3010]

You missed the point entirely. He's saying fake as in someone is changing the label so they can sell a $150 Squire for $2000 Fender. Would you be happy spending an extra $1850 on a guitar you could have gotten for much less? That's the point of this. Teaching everyone how to avoid scams done by private sellers.

[@charlesbolton8471]

Tiny Star Exactly. Play whatever guitar suits you best, but be educated enough to know if you are actually getting the product you think you are buying. In regards to deliberate “fakes” be it cheap Chinese counterfeits or high end counterfeits I think both are wrong. This goes for any product not just guitars.

[@sixpenske1940]

I agree deliberately doing the decal to fool someone into buying something it's not is criminal that said I have redone the decals on some of my squier guitars but if I sold them it was at squier price and clearly stated it was a decal not an original fender. Also if you been around you know the difference by sight of the truss rod holes on a real fender and one made in say Indonesia or China the finishing is much neater on a real one

[@paull8678]

Do you have a video where you go over the mods you've made to that MIM strat? I think that would be interesting to watch.

[@kennisrussell]

I’ll make one.

[@markbrown7103]

Squier is made by fender. But it is not a fender. It is a squire iota no, I own one. Just like Epiphone is not Gibson. They are budget guitars for people who cannot afford the original. Most of these guitars are not interchangeabl. In someways they are, and in other ways, they are not. I took my classic Squier Stratocaster and put a real nice bridge and new heads on it it came out beautiful, but I had to drill larger holes for the machine heads to fit into the head stock. A very careful very tedious job. I took my time and it came out beautiful. But that just goes to show you they always don’t always fit and you have to modify it. Just be careful don’t ruin a beautiful guitar.👍🏼👍🏼 you know a lot about guitars. I love your videos. Thanks so much you help me out a lot. I’ve been playing for a long time getting more familiar with learning how to work on my own guitars. Thanks again for your advice.👍🏼👍🏼❤️😎

[@dava4444]

+1 enjoyed. I agree with many of your points.. the licenced by Fender thing.. I have a Fender Jazzmaster HH 2013 made in China (to anyone reading yes a *real* Fender made in China) with a 2019 WD USA Fender Licensed neck.. I don't feel bad for putting a Fender decal on there.. but you did encourage me to do the thing I was thinking (which you mentioned about your bass) ,, which is putting an extra decal on the back explaining what (if ever) the next owner has in their possession.. either that or I pay the £300/$370 for a replacement neck from Fender.. which isn't really on the cards as I bought this guitar (everything but the neck and tuners and string trees which I added) to flip, but then Covid happened.. etc.. I'm not a Jazzmaster guy, I really like Jags.. I like the chrome look and extra switching.. and this is just a tone volume and three way switch.. anyhoo.. thanks again for the vid!

[@michaelpond6386]

The difference between the American and the Mexico Fender is about a 45 minute drive lol. The Mexican Fender’s are very nice as are the higher end Squires. I own all three types. My favorite tele is a modded Squire 50s classic vibe. My favorite Strat is a USA surf green model. I love my Jazzmaster and my Jaguar both of which are genuine Fenders. Bottom line these are all fun to play and are great guitars. Just picked up a thin line tele Made in Mexico another great sounding guitar but had to dress the fret ends. I’ve never had to do that on a US made Fender.

[@johnpatitucci7919]

I have that exact bass. I hate the pickups. I also changed out all the chrome with black hardware and added a Mighty Mite fretless neck. I'm going to change the pickups and see what happens.

[@anthonynonya]

A huge difference between a Squire, MIM, and US Strats is materials. Frets, pickup magnets and wire, woods, bridges, etc, it all adds up and makes a difference in both quality and price. That doesn't mean a cheap guitar can't play well or sound good though. My cheap acoustic is awesome, but it's frets wear really fast due to cheap material used.

[@jacobbrown1690]

the mid 80's made in Japan squire strats are better then the made in america fenders. ...

[@kevincarey79]

I remember reading that when the guys at fender first saw the products from the newly bought factory in Japan....they were blown away bc their domestic product sucked at the time and fender, as a company was ‘losing its way’. The newer classic vibe and vintage modifieds being made in Indonesia now are great guitars too. Maybe nowhere near those first Japanese models, but still I’d contend that theres little diff now between a higher end squire and mim fender, considering those higher end squires are $3-400 cheaper!

[@carlitobrigante330]

Good point about the fact that reproductions ('parts-casters', etc) will eventually make it in to the used or secondary market, where prospective buyers might believe are they purchasing a genuine product.

[@craigkaschan4822]

I have a mim Strat that I decided to do a colour change. After removing the original finish I discovered that the body was made up of 9 pieces of scrap wood glue together. Disappointed.

[@marcelorodriguez9601]

I have a 2014 Mexican strat, I modified, now it look like a 57 relic Daphne blue with Texas special sss. Gorgeous guitar. I own more than 10 guitars. And even though I’m wealthy I don’t have a high end guitar, I don’t believe in a 1300 dollars guitar. I built myself guitars from scratch putting the best of the best. It cost me around 1000 dollars. But when a company mass produce instruments that’s way over price in my opinion. One day in guitar center I played a 1300 dollars strat and my affinity strat was a Ferrari in comparison. I’m a fan of upgrading VM or Classic vibe squiers. You guys should hear my squiers…! Nothing to be jealous about American made, no exaggeration. After all is about what kind of musician you are.

[@maakatipa4613]

I have a 2020 Squier Tele Affinity HH ltd edition made in Indonesia. Which means it's actually a Cort Made Guitar. Cort is one of the biggest guitar makers in the world and makes guitars for many brands including Squier by Fender ,Ibanez etc.... They make quality instruments. Technicaly an Indonesian, Korean, Chinese Squier is not a Fender, But made for and backed by Fender. Personally as much as i think I want a true Fender Telecaster, I don't see the point when i can own a great guitar for a 1/4 of the price.

[@Luhnge]

I asked my guitar teacher about the difference between MIM and a USA made guitar. The way he put it made a lot of sense. You can get a Made In Mexico for cheaper or you can get a US one that are often made by immigrant workers. It's all about making more money and the US thinking they're better than everyone...

[@bobbillnolan7644]

Luhnge : good explanation but , wrong..... mex and USA fenders have similar bodies and necks, but electronics and hardware are better on USA models. Mexican bodies, usually have 3-5 piece bodies, USA, 2-3 piece bodies. Both are good guitars, but it’s not just down to the origin of the worker, or their skill level 👍

[@blakedavis2447]

USA fenders are better but it’s not worth the price difference when a Mexican model is serviceable with arguably minor differences

[@lazvt8469]

I've owned tons of guitars in my 62 years...all brands, types, sub-custom shop in prices....until recently, preferred humbucking/P90. Now...just leave me a few Teles. My current fav is a 2021 Squier CV50 Tele with brass saddles and Lindy Fralin Blues Special...getting serious workout this year. My new Fender Pro II Tele is also impressive...but the Squier seems to get my attention most. A second CV50 should be here tomorrow...gonna compare...then later drop some Lollars to see what happens. Then, gonna buy back my old MIM Tele from a pal.... Even as a poor lefty....it's the golden age of guitars...so many choices, so little time. ;-)

[@jeffsimslmt]

Tempest in a teapot. You’re taking a lot of time to explain something very simple.

[@cliffordsolomon3884]

I agree with You.I took two of My Squire Stracoasters fenders and changed to locking tuners roller nuts one the bridge trimolo changed it so I put C custom on the neck.for Clifford custom removed the squire comtempary fender gold water mark off neck.

[@michaelb.42112]

The Hipshot Drop D on the 1971 is worth $100 bucks alone !

[@izzysantiago978]

The only Fenders close to the American Version models to my preference are the Japanese and Mexican made "Fenders". Licensed replacement parts starting with to the best first then the good ones last are Warmoth, Musikrcraft, All Parts and Mighty Might. But then again these are my opinions and having build and repaired guitars is my experience in using them.

[@markythompson]

The term "fake guitar" is so dumb. A guitar is still a guitar. *"Wait a minute... This guitar was a trumpet all along!"*

[@kennisrussell]

Incorrect. This was a trombone. Its all in the details.

[@heynn1459]

It's actually a drumkit

[@grantkoeller8911]

Fender dusted off the Starcaster name in the early 2000s for an entire line of value-priced, entry-level instruments sold at Cost co. These “Starcaster by Fender” guitars and drums, however, had nothing to do with the original Starcaster guitar, which has undergone something of a rehabilitation. In 2013, due to rising demand, Fender reintroduced the Starcaster, the Coronado, and put into production the extremely rare Starcaster bass-the only offset semi-hollow bass guitar in Fender history.

[@elwolf8536]

A cool thing is you can change squire parts for legit fender parts . Hence I have a squire hotrod🤘

[@phillipholt6005]

How do they remove a logo without damaging the wood and how do you get a Fender logo and put it on the wood?

[@alexandergeodakyan1988]

I have actually removed the squire decal from my CV Mustang but i replaced it with my personal designed NAOMI decal