Squier Standard telecaster

[Christian]

Hello There,

I have bought the Squier Standard telecaster in April.....I just can't stop playing with it. a real bargain !!!!!!

[Robert]

Hi Christian, welcome to the Fret dot Net! I have Standard Squier Tele too, it is awesome, I know! My current Squier favourite is the '51, but the Tele is a fine one. I just need to change strings on it, and I'll start twanging on it again.

What colour is yours?

I also have a little review of the Squier Tele on my website - http://www.dolphinstreet.com/guitars/squier_telecaster.

[Tone2TheBone]

Cool. Is it a maple neck or rosewood? What kind of pickups came with it?

[Christian]

actually I love your site Robert and I found your site in may when I was googling the word 'squier telecaster canada' because I was looking to see if there was other owners of this faboulous guitar...And your site was the first that showed up........and just like you......I have found this telecaster suprisely amazing.

Your site is great too !!!! I also have is newborn kid and I love taking pictures with my guitars http://www.myspace.com/christiancousineau

The Squier cie make the maple fret availble to compete a solid color ....like the squier telecaster custom (black) with humbucker ....which is the same price of the standard one with a nice body finish like mine.

mine is antique burst with rosewood fretboard....I wish maple fretboard was availble with that model because it has 22 frets .....the squier '51 has 21 frets but the neck is fantastik.....next time I'll be buying two guitars. one for the body color and the other for the neck.

[Robert]

Thanks Christian! Yes I wish my Tele had a maple neck too. I just think they sound better - snappier sound. Great guitars for sure anyway.

[tremoloman]

I used to own an American Standard Telecaster. It was gorgeous and by far the easiest to play neck I've ever laid a hand on. Regrettably, I wound up selling her since I just didn't use her enough. Guitars feel naked to me without a tremolo bar. I’m not a divebomb fanatic nor do I use it as much as Jimi did, but it is an integral part of my playing style. I thought about putting a Bigsby on her, but I opted not to since I could ruin the guitar altogether.

If the Squier Tele is decent, now I might be willing to try adding a Bigsby to that. You’ve got to love great sounding affordable guitars like the Squier!

[Robert]

The Squier Tele is good, just need a better input jack and perhaps better pickups.

However, I fixed mine up yesterday - sanded and polished the frets with steel wool, changed to lighter strings and put some lemon oil on the fretboard. Dang! It sounded great today when I played it through my Vox! I'll post clips later (although I'm getting sick of hearing myself noodling around... I feel I suck so bad. I should try recording a song some day)

[Christian]

Yes the input jack is kind of weak.....everytime I plug in I always watch if it's not too loose, however it can be replace by a better one.

When you polish you fret, are you only using steel wool?

Mine plays well but I try to lower the action and I'm still not sastified the action !

Maybe I should bring it to a repairman.

[Robert]

Mine really improved after fixing it up. I used fine sandpaper first, then 0000, the finest steel wool. In fact, I got so excited that I posted a video clip! I was using my Vox AD50VT on the Blackface setting. I've been close to replacing the pickups on this Tele, but with the right amp setting, it sounds not too bad. Check out at

http://www.dolphinstreet.com/guitars/squier_telecaster

Scroll down to October 2005 and click on the link there to play the video clip. Let me know what you think! I am using only the bridge pickup, with the tone knob rolled down slightly.

[Christian]

thank you Robert !!!

I thought too to replace the Pick Ups but I kind got to like them !!!

[tremoloman]

thank you Robert !!!

I thought too to replace the Pick Ups but I kind got to like them !!!

Simply changing the gauge of strings and adjusting pickup height can make a large difference in sound. I'm always playing around with pup height.

I used to be a .009 guy, but now I'm sold on .010s and .011s. A little harder to bend, but the just sound so much better to my ears.

[Tone2TheBone]

This past weekend I played my friend's SRV Fender Strat. He got 2 GUITARS for $600.00 from an old lady who's son needed money. One was the Fender SRV Signature model and the other was a '62 reissue Gibson SG (red). DANG!!! Both in pristine condition!!!

Anyway on the SRV the strings must have been set up exactly the way we've all read Stevie Ray liked his because the bottom (I'm not kidding you) was at LEAST the size of the small string on a bass guitar. I don't know what actual size that is...but I would say that it probably was the low E of a size 13 set!!! The A, D, G, B and E strings were also very thick. My wife asked me to play Little Wing on it since my friend was so kind enough to let me play it. Playing on such thick strings (I mean really thick here...not 11s)...made the sound solid and loud. I didn't have to try that hard to make them loud and even when I did...BAM. I could still bend the high E and B. My wife even asked me..."honey can you still bend the strings"? I said yup...a little stiffer but I can still do it. Having thick strings like that MAKES you play harder when you have to bend them. I know I said that I didn't have to try hard to play...but during bends yeah you gotta give it gas then.

I'm pretty inclined to agree that thicker strings really do improve your overall presence. Tone I'm sure...but what I did notice more than that...was how full the sound was. Fuller. Solid. Louder.

[Justaguyin_nc]

I just don't know what happened... I went on Musiciansfriends.com the other nite and was looking to see if they had the vox da5 in stock yet (they don't even show it carried yet) and I drifted into the squier section. Since I got the Squier_51 (through Robert's advice) I have realized Squier's are darn nice guitars at great pricing.. well, before I knew it I had ordered a Squier Vintage Blonde Standard Tele and it suppose to arrive tomorrow... heck, I can't put down the Mex Strat or the Squier 51.. what the heck am I to do now with yet another comming.. sigh... and just in time for The Robert Renman's Chicken Pick'n lessons....

[SuperSwede]

Excellent choice Justaguy! :)

[Justaguyin_nc]

Thanks Swede... I gave away 3 others I had collecting dust on the wall and seen an empty wall hanger still on the wall.. needed to do something about that and didn't want to remove it.. would have to plaster and paint..so....:) my biggest thought though while waiting.. HUM... I enjoy sitting in front of this monitor... I guess it won't hum any louder then the rest of the single coils....Any one know about replacing the squier pickups for Fender Noiseless.. will they fall right in? and will it kill the twang? Any other HUM free choice's?

[SuperSwede]

I think that the original pickups sound very good, but I have to tell you that they hum a lot. And the volume pot has this strange raspy sound when you move it. Check out the end of this sound clip (Which I have posted earlier)...

[Nelskie]

Justa - Congrats on your new Squier Tele Std. Now that you've acquired that guitar, and already have a Cyber Champ - you own the EXACT same set-up I had about a year ago - to the "T". I also swapped out the factory p'ups for Fender Vintage Noiseless models, and absolutely LOVED them. They're a straight change-out w/ the factory models. Awesome tone, too - clucky, quacky, twangly - they do it all. I even found that they had a but of "'tude" when driven! And best of all - ZERO noise!!

Anyways, I'd posted a review of that very guitar on Harmony Central about a year or so ago - it's about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down, on the first page that comes up. Under my "Nelskie" monniker, too. Here's the link:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Fender/Squier_Telecaster-1.html

I might also suggest that you consider putting some different tuners on it, as well. My playing style can be rather agressive, and I found that those stock tuners just wouldn't hang for what I liked to play. I scored a nice set of Schaller-type Fender script tuners for about $30 on Ebay. Dropped 'em in - no more tuning problems.

I've attached a couple pix of mine. Sadly, I had to sell it on Ebay earlier this month to make way for my *new* G & L ASAT Telecaster. But I dug every minute I played on that axe. Squier Std. Tellies are great guitars, and I'm sure you're gonna love yours!!

[Justaguyin_nc]

Wow, nice looking Tele... to bad it was not there when I impulsed bought this one.. ok, I have what you had a year ago.. now if I practice another 20 years I should be able to sound something like you to huh...:) Im looking forward to this one as much as the 51... and probably will put noiseless into it... I tend to sit here in front of the monitor to often while playing..

[Nelskie]

Nuthin' doin', Justa - merely mentioning that you have most excellent taste in gear. I liked both of those pieces of gear so much, I upgraded into the Cyber Twin, and just recently purchased a G & L Tele. Value-wise, you'll look long and hard to find a better sounding or playing combo than a Squier Tele Std. and a Fender Cyber Champ. As I mentioned in my Harmony Central review, that rig is what got me hooked on the Tele tone. And nothing brings out that lovely ring in a Tele like a Fender-made amp. I'm looking forward to hearing some clips when you get it.

[Justaguyin_nc]

Hey Nelskie, The Schaller-type tuners... did they also replace those on the squier exact? without leaving any scars behind? Im starting to think this Squier_51 could use something to keep it in tune also..

So let's see...

1. strings and intonation...

2. take off strings replace pickups to noiseless

3. string and intonation...

4. replace tuners with fender Schaller-type made in the good ole USA

5. string and intonation...

6. replace pickguard with something neato

7. string and intonation...

8. leave it in guitar stand as grandbaby approaches

9. string and intonation

it's a vicious circle with that stringing thing aint it...

:R :R :R

[Nelskie]

Yeah - that string / intonation will follow you around like a stray cat, and your post most certainly illustrates their overall importance in the grand scheme of things. If you can afford the bone$, I'd do the mods all at once. Or, leave it stock until you've acquired all of the parts you're planning to change out. That way, you're not having to re-adjust everything all over again after replacing each individual part.

Those Fender Script Schallers are straight-up change-outs on the Squier Tele Std. - no scars at all, and look factory spec (and WAY better than the stock units). However, I'm not sure about them working on the '51. I'd check out the specs on the Fender / Squier website just to be sure. The neck on the '51 looks almost identical to the the ones on the Affinity models & Squier Std.'s, so I think there's a good chance they'd work. I have a number of good web and Ebay links for aftermarket parts that would work with your Squier, too, so if you're interested, let me know.

I think all totalled together (p'ups, tuners, pickguard), those parts were right in the $150 range, not incl. installation or set-up following. But they turned that guitar from a decent home practice player into a rock-solid rig that would hang with anything you threw at it - gigging, recording, jamming, etc. These guitars are a STEAL at $200 US. Spec out a few choice upgrades, and now you're walkin' the real Fender walk!

[Justaguyin_nc]

Those look nice on the squier! Im sure I will play the tele with the stock strings and all for a month while I collect the parts... these seem simple enough for me to install..just drop them in! thinking of putting 10's on the tele while leaving the 9's on the 51.. why? dunno.. sounds good though... would be nice to know for sure about the 51 and the fender shallers... its going out of tune way to much.. oh wait.. havent changed the strings yet.. old strings tend to do that to huh..:) send the links to the parts store... unless I find them On Ebay cheaper they may come in handy!

[Nelskie]

Justa - Here are those parts links I'd mentioned earlier. I purchased the tuners from the link under #1 (The Stratosphere). The faux tortise pickguard I purchased from the link under #3 (Quick Connect). I've purchased many pickguards from this place - fast service, great products. The Noiseless Pickups are available from a number of online sources, and if you can get them from your local music, even better. The rest of the links I've included mainly for reference - some of them I've purchased from, some I haven't. I've always had good luck buying stuff from shops on Ebay. Happy hunting!! ;)

1.) http://stores.ebay.com/The-STRATosphere

2.) http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/guitar_index.htm

3.) http://stores.ebay.com/QuickConnect

4.) http://stores.ebay.com/CHOPPERS-MUSIC_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

5.) http://stores.ebay.com/Guitarfetish-Store_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

6.) http://stores.ebay.com/JCs-Guitars_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

7.) http://stores.ebay.com/Fender-Authentic-Replacement-Parts_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

[Justaguyin_nc]

Well the Standard Vintage Blonde arrived... and is being shipped back... Vintage Blonde is actually GREEN.. Lima bean Green.... sigh.. Gawd was it ugly...lol... Also had scratch mark at neck joint and the cable jack was falling out (noted before hand by others) .. shame.. I played it a bit.. I liked the feel alot.. sitting on my leg it was wonderfull.. just right.. I actually liked the neck very well and the bridge pickup was twangy.. the Neck was kinda dark or muddy.. imho.. but I know I am going to put Noiseless in here so no biggie.. I didn't actually ask for my money back though... I said please ship the Black & Chrome tele special edition when you recieve this one... so a standard is still in my future..just another week or two in the future ...I tried to show the greenish color in pictures..it does look Blonde in all pictures..but honest..its not..:confused: ohwell.. heh.. see how long Musiciansfriend takes now for turn around..

[Nelskie]

Just - Too bad about your "lima bean" Tele - had I known you were getting it, I might have mentioned something about that particular shade. I find it strange that the same color (Vintage Blonde) looks a LOT different on other Fender / Squier guitars. I had a "blonde" Squier Tele II, and although it was a tad "mustard-y" to my eye, it still was a much nicer hue than that which is on the Std. Tele.

You could always take the bull by the horns, and paint it a different color. Not sure if you've seen Tremeloman's avatar, but he painted his Stratocaster pink, and I think it looks pretty cool. Myself, I'd like to have a Surf Green or Daphne Blue Tele at some point down the road, and may opt for another Squier Tele Std. for that project.

Anyways, I found a couple of Fender color charts. The first one is for their vintage models (with the correct auto color references.) If you get sick of basic black, remember - you have some options.

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fenderc.html
http://www.fender.com/resources/colors/index.html

[Spudman]

NC
I've been waiting for over 2 weeks now. I returned a recently purchased guitar also for a trade from MF, and you guessed it I ordered a Black and Chrome Tele. It's really only been 9 business days. Takes a while to ship back, inspect then send out the trade I guess. I can hardly wait though. Listening to the tone Swede gets with his I know we are making the right choice. If not...well at least we'll be able to see ourselves well so we can get our makeup on decently. I wonder what else that mirror could be used for, hmmmm?

[Justaguyin_nc]

2 weeks since they recieved the return?? I already ordered a replacement pickguard for mine.. Might use the Chrome one as a mirror someplace.. heh.. to be honest..its the reason I went with Blonde.. didn't want a chrome guard... but liked the Black headstock and the sounds swede gets...Going to make mine black... My return is tracking to arrive there on the 30th.. what did you send back spuds? Let's hear from you when it finally arrives!!

[SuperSwede]

Thanks Spudman, it warms this deep frozen swede (still very cold here in sweden) to hear you talk so positive about my tone :)
The b&c is a really good guitar, and I am sure that you will be satisfied with it. And yes, the mirror is perfect for getting that lipstick on straight, a real man´s guitar !

I also hear that combined with a visa (or perhaps even mastercard) it is perfect for cocaine addicts.. ;)

[Justaguyin_nc]

Lipstick? ok.. sometimes you guys worry me.... the Hair bands are gone.. you can quit wearing the lipstick now...;)

[Spudman]

You know...it just depends on what lycra I'm wearing as to which shade of lippy I'll use. Oh my gawd! I'm laughing with tears coming out of my eyes. I do have to admit that when I got off the road the main reason I became a pro cyclist is because...doggonit, I look good in lycra. Racing is kind of like that one night out of the year that the clocks get set back and you have to play one more set after finishing the bottle last set because you forgot about the time change. Ya, racing is like the feeling the next day. Every race!

Bach to the topic.

They still haven't processed my return yet. Not too happy about it but what can ya do?
I'm pretty anxious to get it. I'd like to say that I really need the mirror to comb my hair with but that all left with the last bad woman. Twannnggg! I'm playin and singin da blues. No guitar and no troublesome woman. Perfect.

[SuperSwede]

Hey spud, you should be glad that you have enough hair to comb. I don´t ;)

[Robert]

Spudman, you are one funny dude!

[Spudman]

Humor is most important. It is also a good thing to share with friends. I think the world needs more of it. We had plenty in the 80's. Why just think about how the bands looked and what they were singing about. They were pretty funny too. Not so much today.
Maybe everyone should get a mirrored pickguard on their axe so we can all take a good look at ourselves...and lighten up. I think I'll be using mine so that I can clearly see where to apply the Rogaine.

PS. Robert - treats are on the way today.

[Robert]

Thanks Spuddie, I love your sense of humour - you're wacky just like me. I wish all of us from TheFret.Net could get together for a barbie and a beer one summer evening.

[warren0728]

my 7 year old daughter has lots of barbies....but i don't think she has enough for everybody : )

ww

[Spudman]

Warren
Dude, when I read your post I blew chunks out of my nose. You my friend are the funny one.

[Robert]

Warren, I knew someone was going to say something like that! We can share them barbies too, you know.

Spudman, glad I wasn't too close when the chunks started flyin!

[Justaguyin_nc]

Bald men and Barbies... I swear.... haha

Nelskie, Thanks for the links.. While waiting on the Tele I got a set of tuners comming and a pickguard... I really think I might be adding those tuners to the 51 if the tele does not make it here before then.. Still looking for the deal out there on the Noiseless pickups..

[Nelskie]

Glad they were useful to you.

[Justaguyin_nc]

Update on return: It was delivered back in their hands today... now the wait on turn around... tick tock tick tock...

[Spudman]

NC
I got an email yesterday that my axe and another item were finally shipped. Seems like it was a total of 16-17 days. I could be wrong because I tossed my shipping receipt.
I'm sure yours will show up soon. Like Tom Petty says, "the waiting is the hardest part."

[Justaguyin_nc]

Well glad to hear it's on the way for you!!! I guess I have a few weeks to piddle with the others... let us know how good the second one is!!!

[Justaguyin_nc]

Hey Spud how has the new guitar turned out? I just recieved an order number for mine but they have yet to ship it...

[Spudman]

It's beautiful, but...although I LOVE the neck it has some issues. First - the neck pickup is microphonic. Second - it's like Nelskie was talking about on another thread, string tension. This one feels super taught and I don't care for that. I got the action down nicely however. The voices that I'm getting aren't that pleasing. Nice but not nice enough for me to keep probably.
I scored a Squire Stagemaster Deluxe for $150. It has a neck through the body and smokes the Tele sorry to say. It's got quack and smooth tones, body contour, 24 frets. Pretty cool guitar. More likely a keeper than the Tele.

[SuperSwede]

Spud, I am sorry that your tele wasn´t what you expected. Mine has a beautiful tone, but I guess that when you buy low cost guitars the quality can be different from guitar to guitar. Even if it is the same model.

[Justaguyin_nc]

Sorry to hear about the tele Spud... I hope I get a good luck of the draw... I would not want the tension issue.. but the pickups I plan on changing no matter what...Want some noiseless to sit in front of this monitor without a humm... Hope your showmaster last a long time.. sounds like a good one!

[Justaguyin_nc]

My Tele made it here about an hour or so ago!! That means 15 day turn around since they got the other back.. Im content with that... good service..

I already know the pickups are comming out.... but that darn chrome pickguard don't look half bad.. If I was a Coke head I would be in heaven... (searching for comb) Might have a black pickguard collecting dust..lol... more to come...like this one.. after some fret dressing and oiling the neck and MY GAWD the intonation was way off with loose strings... but, I know let it sit a day before playing..you have to reset it again anyways...I can"t!!!! heh.. quak quak quak..twang....

[Justaguyin_nc]

Nelskie, That Telecaster looks to have the exact Tuners on it that the Squier 51 has.. I have yet to remove one.. Question: You said those off E-Bay match up perfectly... On the 51 when I removed a tuner there was 2 indents made into the wood I assumed drilled.. they matched the spots those tuners fit perfectly and locked down.. But when I tried to put one of the tuners off ebay there they were much larger and didn't line up... is there indents under the telecaster tuners also? and did yours match to them and drop in or do you mean you can replace them and HIDE the 2 dents already there? I think the squier tuners are smaller then those of USA brand.. least from what I see..

[Nelskie]

Justa' - I did not install those tuners myself. My buddy who owns the music shop put them on for me, and said that ones I had were a straight change-out. I do not know whether that meant he just swapped them out kit for kat, or if that meant he could install them, and not have the holes from the previous tuners showing on the back of the headstock. I s'pose I could ask him, and then report back here. I did check the Fender Squier spec sheet for the Tele Std. before I bought those others on Ebay, to make sure the ones I purchased had the same hole dia. specs as the stock tuners. Those were his instructions, and fortunately, it worked out. I'm sorry I can't offer you more help in this dept.

[SuperSwede]

I hope that your like your tele Justaguy!
I guess that mail order guitars comes in worse conditions than those bought in a music store.

[Justaguyin_nc]

First day impressions:
I like the feeling of this tele... The neck is fine although the frets are larger then those on my MIM 60's strat and the squier_51 which probably need to be sanded and shined a bit..I think I like small frets. The maple on the back of the neck sure seems bright while the rosewood fretboard was kinda dull before oiling, but has a nice blend now...fret ends I am happy to say are very nice and much better then those on the 51.. Neck width is more like the 60's and not as thin as the 51 (but I become use to this)... The thickness of the neck is on par with both and feels pretty good. Setting it on your lap as you play just feels right... as right as any guitar type I have played.. The black body has a nice gloss to it although it seems very chipable and would assume scratching is going to be like a spider web.. The black headstock is a nice addition... double trees and all. I got a feeling these are exact tuners and trees as the 51. The Bridge saddles seem cheaper then those on the 51, looks wise.. but the screws do seem tighter so maybe they wont rattle right off... The 3-way switch feels kinda toy like and would give me doubts on how long it last... Hey, on this one the Power Jack is actually still on.. although not seated completely against the body.. I was able to set the string action as low as I wanted.. In fact I could about have them sitting on the neck and it still would not buzz... so I guess the neck is pretty darn straight... Finally lost the tone on the very bottom frets and adjusted it to my liking... Playing the neck seems pretty good once oiled.. The pickups... I am no tone freak or even know the difference between many pickups.. but can tell you these puppies gotta go... maybe re-adjusting their height would help but I think they are at the bottom of the PUP line when it comes to sounds and HUM.. The Neck pickup is just to muddy to me and muddy I know from owning other cheap guitars... The Bridge pickup ain't half bad and has the Tele sound I was thinking of in my head although not all there (The sound I mean..ummm) and when you blend the two you can get a pretty good sound but still weak.. I knew these would be changing out, After looking at the more MIRROR like, not chrome Pickguard I am probably back to wanting it all black again.. so price wise although it may not sound like it.. I am happy with it as a good basic kit to start with....neck and body at least and getting a bit of that quack quack twang started... That was the point of buying this at 2 bills anyways... This also shows me I bought the best Squier model the first time, The Squier_51 is the best deal out there as far as looks and sound already comming in a cheap guitar (imho) or I sure was lucky on the tones it delivers and the sunburst looks.. :R :R

[SuperSwede]

This is all very strange to me because I think that the bridge pickup can be a little TOO hot on my tele! And the neck pup deliver crystal clear tones. But I guess that everyone is looking for different things when it comes to guitars ;)

[Justaguyin_nc]

so true.. I think yours sounds great when you play it... probably has to do in what hands its in... or/and Quality control..at 2 bills a guitar I guess you can't expect everything huh...

[SuperSwede]

I have to agree that it hum to much, especially in front of the computer!
You got a yours for a really good price, mine was at over 4 of your bills ;)

Hummmm--- TWaaaAAnng---- HUMMMmmm---Twang..

[r_a_smith3530]

Again, I have to wonder what the differences are between different manufacturing lots of these. I know Squiers are made in both China and Indonesia, so that is one difference, but, with a guitar that is only selling for $150 at the retail end, I'll bet that they aren't too choosy when it comes to the parts.

Think about it for a moment, the Duncan Antiquity pickup (those specially-wound humbuckers produced in conjunction with Seth Lover) goes for as much as an entire Squier guitar. That's ONE pickup! Now, let us assume that Seymour Duncan is making a large profit margin on this and that Fender isn't. You've got to figure the guitar store is making at least 10%, and the manufacturer's cut is maybe 20%. Just do the math!

There can be a wide variance between two guitars of the same make and model. That's why I'm having a problem finding a replacement whammy bar for my kid's Squier Strat. My local guitar shop said that almost every batch is different.

[Tim]

I believe there are 3 main factors to consider which determines the cost difference between the guitars.

1.) Production runs are normally made in lots of hundreds. A production lot could be manufactured in quantities or series 100s (100, 200, and 300). After 3 or 4 lots are produced a new setup is configured on the production line for a different model (say from Strat to a Tele, a Tele to a Jazz Master). A couple of more lots are produced. When it is time to reconfigure for a new batch of Strats, the configuration maybe different than the original lot ran in the beginning. This could be due to different hardware or suppler parts being used. Or the setup could be slightly different than the first.

2.) The Seymour Duncan pickups are probably also being bought in lots. The higher the quantity the cheaper the cost of each pickup. These pickups, although have the same physical appearance of the more expensive pickup just maybe of lower quality. Normally components being massed produced have inspection up front to insure the item is within specification and of good quality. After units # 1 and # 2 pass inspection, the complete lots is manufactured and “assumed” to be as good as the ones which passed inspection. The rest of the lot(s) may not receive an inspection or have a random inspection of one out of every fifty

3.) The labor is very cheap overseas. The time and money spent on assembling one American made Fender guitar would probably be equal to 10 guitars being assembled overseas. The skill facture of the assemblers does not compare to the skills of the American or Mexican assemblers. That’s why they are assembled overseas. Finally the time an inspector or technician spends on American made guitars add to the final cost. Overseas assembled guitars have screws installed crooked, frets not properly dressed or completely seated, poor solder techniques on the wires and/or pickups. The worst of the overseas guitars are probably scraped if not made to spec. American or Mexican guitars are reworked to be brought back to specification due the cost of labor being involved. Cheap guitar prices equal cheap labor and quality control. You get what you pay for.

This is my 50 cents worth of my take on why prices are so different between the Fender name and Squire name guitars of the same make and/or model.

[SuperSwede]

There was a tv program not long ago which showed the living condition of chinese workers (these were producing clothes but I guess it is somewhat similar in a guitar factory). The workers lived at the factory and only got paid in the "free" rent & food. We in the western part of the world would of course talk about this as slavery, but the chinese factory owner talked about this as every workers "dream".. So perhaps that contributes a lot to the low prices on everything from Asia these days. We all demand lower prices, but are we really prepared to pay the price: our own industrial/manifacturing jobs moving to Asia?

[marnold]

Re: the hotness of the bridge pickup

I'm guessing that they aren't particularly careful that each guitar would have the bridge pickup set to the same height. If it's closer to the strings, it's going to seem hotter. Of course "hotter" is a relative term . . .

[Tim]

Most of the 1-800 numbers associated with computer software/owner's manuals go directly to India. That is where the books are written and printed. Which is the reason for the English mistakes.

[r_a_smith3530]

Tim and SS, there is at least one aspect you left out, and that is material quality. A manufacturer may make a cheaper guitar out of plywood, or they could build it out of scrap pieces of wood that have been glued together.

Wood density adds weight and also sustain, a desirable quality in a guitar. Woods like Mahogany and Ash are more dense, hence greater sustain. The older the wood is also has an effect on its density. THAT'S why the old Gibson's and Fender's are so revered for their tone!

So, we may have a cheaper guitar made out of Basswood instead of Mahogany, Ash, or Alder, and then yet, it may be made from either plywood or pieces glued together to form the body. I once saw a body made from eight pieces of wood. That's a tone killer, believe me!

As for the rest of the materials, you may find bridge plates just a bit thinner. If you can make a stamped metal part .010" thinner, over the course of a 100,000 piece run, you'll save a bundle on material cost. Have you ever taken apart a "vintage style" tuner? If you make that little stamped plate that holds everything together out of slightly thinner gauge material, you probably save quite a bit over the course of making 1,000,000 of them. That cheaper tuner may work by squeezing it tighter, but it won't work as well, especially over time. It does save money though, and that adds up to being able to build a guitar for less money.

There is a difference between the quality of both the materials and the workmanship that goes into say, a Fender vs. a Squier. Or, for that matter, between a USA made G&L and its foreign counterpart, the Tribute. If you look at an ASAT by Tribute G&L, you will find that it has the same exact USA made MFD pickups as its more expensive brother, but the Saddle Lock Bridge is a much cheaper casting than the part used on the American G&L.

Computer-aided design and manufacturing have brought up the bottom end of the guitar making business over the past ten or fifteen years. Parts that were once sloppily made are now held to much tighter tolerances, and that means a higher quality product in the end. That doesn't necessarily make a Squier the equal of an American Standard Stratocaster though.

One hundred or two hundred dollars buys you a hell of a lot more guitar than a comparable amount did twenty years ago, and that's solely thenks to the computers being used in both design and actual manufacturing. What hasn't changed are the use of cheaper materials and unskilled labor. There's where you will find the difference!

Constant gigging and practice use, over the course of forty or fifty years is what separates guitars. That the old Les Paul's, Tele's, and Strat's play as well or better today than they did back in the late Fifties is a testament to the quality that went in to them, both in materials and build.

[Tim]

Good point r_a_,

The type and grade of wood does make a big difference in tone and price.

[Justaguyin_nc]

I could not wait to get pickups here before tinkering some more... well, quality control is a big point to make on these compared to Americans.. I had the Black Pickguard already here so I took the Mirror off.. underneath was the shavings from I guess is drilled out holes for the pickguard screws.. I didn't realize what a tight fit UNDER the neckboard a tele pickguard is... on pressing down to get it in place I must have lowered the neck pickup or something.. or my ever so slight truss rod turn and re-tightening the tuners also helped.. probably the latter... the Neck pickup has lost most of the muddy sound now although it still is preaty weak.. or my ears are adjusting to it.. (that happens right?) .. I also took the time to remove the E string and check the Tuner to a fender tuner bought on ebay... They are Smaller.. the divets in the neck will not align with the fender tuners and they are soooo close I would assume if your pressed new holes they would run into the other making for a Large hole.. Again the tuners on this squier has very loose posts nowhere near the solid feel of the fender tuners.. Nelskie..thank that man for putting yours on..they do not just drop in..lol... I might search out a local luthier to manage mine..The tone pot seems to work pretty well, just an observation so far..no scratchy sounds through the pots.. Oh, seeing I got this to mess with.. when putting on the pickguard which suppose to fit Squiers... two holes did not appear.. I just thought heck with it and started turning the screws into the wood.. wood is soft.. they went in fine and all is well..I think...

welp..thats my review so far... back to quack quack twang...
:R :R

[SuperSwede]

I spent some quality time with my tele as well today (in fact the entire afternoon). I got so sick and tired of the fret buzz that I removed all strings, raised the saddles, removed the neck (my GOD what a mess under there, a lot of stuff to do underneath!). There was some mysterious substance (looks a bit like yellow-white woodfiller, and excess paint. I scraped it away and re-seated the neck, now it is much more "stable" when I play it. I got rid of some of the fret buzz but certainly not all.
I then sat down with the strobo tuner and did a real nice intonation, and the guitar feels so much nicer now, although it still has some nasty fret buzz on the g-string. The nut is as lose as it can get so I see no point in working with that again (and that is what started this buzz thing anyway). I simply cannot get anymore relief... sigh... I guess I have to go to .10´s to get more relief.

[r_a_smith3530]

Guys, here's another thing that you might try in your quest for inexpensive tone. Pick up a quality copper shielding kit and shield all of your control and pickup cavities on your guitar. That will help to reduce some of the hum, plus it should improve your instrument's tonal qualities.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Supplies:_Shielding/Self-adhesive_Shielding_Kit.html

You can also get shielding materials individually, which may be the best option if you are trying to do a bunch of guitars. From the Stew Mac home page, just do a keyword search for "shielding" and you will find what you need.

Don't forget that you want to shield the underside of the pickguard too. You also want to solder a ground wire to that shielding.

[Nelskie]

Justa' - You have now got me wondering if my Squier Tele Std. had a different neck than your new Black Mirror Tele Std. I mean, mine was a 2003 model - perhaps there were some differences between yours, and the guitars made a couple of years earlier? I mean, it's a possibility. Also, are the tuners you bought exactly the same as mine, the "square-ish" back Fender script style? I might also want to add that I had those same tuners on a Squier P-90 Tele II (2004 model, which I later sold), before transferring them onto my 3TS Tele. I can almost assure you that my buddy would have mentioned something if he'd had to fuss with putting those tuners on a second time. It really puzzles me that you're running into issues with this.

Indeed, I am very fortunate to have such a top-notch tech guy - esp. one who knows how I like things. I just wish his shop was in my home town, and not two and a half hours away.

r_a_ - I like your term "quest for inexpensive tone". Seems like that should be my mantra. :D

[Justaguyin_nc]

Justa' - You have now got me wondering if my Squier Tele Std. had a different neck than your new Black Mirror Tele Std. I mean, mine was a 2003 model - perhaps there were some differences between yours, and the guitars made a couple of years earlier?

Thats very possible... You would think they would get closer to the American version instead of away from it..Yeah I followed the link to stratosphere (reliablefender) on ebay and they are so darn close.. just a bit to large.. It would hide all markings and look good and probably will be put there eventually.. This is probably the biggest thing about imports... changing the design at will and nothing is uniform... now thats cost saving... note how the pickguard has changed also with mine by two holes... the Squier_51 being a new model is the same way.. they figure there is at least 3 different patterns for it out there also.

[Justaguyin_nc]

Just put in the Fender Vintage Noiseless Pickups in my Black and Chrome... Wow what a difference.. now I can hear even more of my mistakes..lol... and right in front of the monitor with no hum at all.. im impressed (an easy thing for me) ... There is a much improved sound over the stock pickups and thats very noticable right off the bat.. well worth the 90 bucks..

[Nelskie]

Justa - Those Vintage Noiseless are some dandy-sounding p'ups, aren't they? One of the things that impressed me about them was the fact that bridge p'up had a bit of 'tude to it, and sounded really good with some distortion through it.

[SuperSwede]

Justa, was it hard to install the new pickups in your tele? It seems like the cavity is smaller than on a standard tele. Perhaps you could write something about how you installed them?

[Justaguyin_nc]

First remove the Strings.. then the whole bridge and pickguard... and the neck in my case (I have a 3-ply after market which is thicker than original) and then..

Only difference was the Neck pickup wires are yellow and black like that of the Bridge pickup on the VNP's... I had the guitar apart waiting on Fed-Ex and clipped like a 1/4 in from each of the old wires.. thinking I would just match.. lol.. duh...I did the neck one first and then took the bridge out of the package..I said oops.. re-solder the neck pickup to white and went on my way... The Neck pickup screws right to the body, I used all new screws, The original has rubber/sponge pads supporting the bottom of the pickup while the VNP comes with rubber for each screw..which I put under the pickup on the neck as a float between the screws and body.. dunno right or wrong but it worked.. One thing to note is I had to open each screw hole with a pre-screw job as they had wax covering all holes. Also the Neck pickup has to be adjusted before replacing the Pickguard and if you want it high you may wish to remove the neck as placing the pickguard on will have you pressing hard down on the neck pickup cover... I removed the neck (im over the fears of letting the majic escape)... The Bridge Pickup screws to the bridge and aligns just fine with the Squier Bridge.. The Cavities on mine had plenty of room and pretty clean in fact... You get wiring diagrams with each pickup and its pretty darn basic... I might add.. there is an extra ground wire running under the bridge to the back of one of the pots.. you want to insure it stays in place for grounding after replacing the bridge.. Also.. on each white/yellow wire it solders to the switch next to a jumper or piece of metal that is solder to the next switch over... make sure you leave this there... it tries to slip while heating the solder but isnt that much trouble keeping in place.. I wonder why they just didnt run the pickup wire over both...in any case thats the whole job... Just reinstall the strings set your height and intonation and man what a difference from stock.. The strings run center over each bar as should be.. nice fit!

Higher High's .. lower lows.. and not a humm to be found... I am very pleased... these are hotter then the stock.. I find myself turning the volumes down on all the setups I already had.. The sustain sounds longer now.. the attack seems to jump out as it should.. I don't know what I would want better then this... but in time I'll find a reason to spend more money on something else im sure.. I wanted to use the OLD amp settings in the Cyber champ... like the 49 Champ and the 55 Deluxe which sounded good with the old pickups but man those old amp settings just glow now with these pickups.. They are just that good imho!

The Fender Vintage Noiseless Pickups get a 10 in my book... but remember my book is no bigger then a menu at a restaurant..
:R

[SuperSwede]

Thanks Justa, it doesnt sound that difficult. I am not very experienced with soldering irons but you make it sound rather straight-forward.
I wish that guitar manifacturers could come up with some form of click-connector that you just inserted into the new pickup.
1) "Click!" old pickup removed
2) "CLICK!"... new pup installed...

The world would be a nicer place if IKEA designed guitars... :D

[Justaguyin_nc]

The solder is cheaper then a connector..;) but if you change them alot.. it would be worth it huh...;) Im glad Nelskie mentioned these had served him well.. Im a happy camper...

[Nelskie]

Justa' - Yeah, you could buck out a lot more quid for Fralins or what not, but the VN's really are a good p'up choice for the bones. They have an awesome, vintage Fender sound, and rock like nuthin' doin'. I'm looking forward to hearing some more great clips with those working through your Cyber Champ. Having played the very same rig as you with the Tele Std. and Champ, I absolutely know how awesome those tones you're getting are. That set-up was really what swung me over to the Telecaster camp in the first place. Maybe we should get some marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey's bars, and make some s'mores to celebrate? Ya' think!!! Ha ha ha! Glad to hear you're diggin' the VN tones!

[Justaguyin_nc]

s'mores for everyone!! Milk can be found in the pasture.... WooooHoooo..

[r_a_smith3530]

Oh, seeing I got this to mess with.. when putting on the pickguard which suppose to fit Squiers... two holes did not appear.. I just thought heck with it and started turning the screws into the wood.. wood is soft.. they went in fine and all is well..I think...

welp..thats my review so far... back to quack quack twang...
:R :R

The wood in the body (or neck for that matter) should not be soft, and that is one of the differences between guitars in the two hundred dollar range, and guitars in the six hundred dollar and up range. I would not advise doing that with a good piece of Swamp Ash or Rock Maple! On those, use a small drill first. Believe me, I'm speaking from experience. There are two things you don't want to happen. One is starting a split in the wood, and the other is breaking a screw off in the wood!

From what several pro luthiers have told me, Squier's are well known for their lack of conformity when it comes to replacement parts. Pickguards are one area and tremolo bars are another. From run to run, the parts change. I'm having one heck of a time trying to find a replacement tremolo bar to fit my kid's Squier Strat.

[Justaguyin_nc]

ahhhh.... see there... I knew I would mess something up...:) Seeing it was in the big part of the body and yep $200.. I just didn't care.. having the same experience with my Squier 51 which I did not add holes to just sent the pickguard back.. and in this case it worked out... believe me if I had invested more money I probably would not even take the pickguard off myself.. but that's a very good reminder you mentioned and thank you for it!!!! :) I actually have tuners to go on this guitar..but as you mentioned..the neck is much harder...and for this reason I would have a person with a drill.. to make the divets... and not just press them in place..

[Justaguyin_nc]

Just an update after playing these Vintage Noiseless Pickups on the Tele... The best $90.00 I ever spent... I sit in front of a computer just about all the time while at home... with the guitars around me... I have just about quit playing all but this one.(No remarks on putting this one down to..heh..) it's so darn silent in front of the monitor... it has trully allowed me to practice more seeing I don't get upset with the Humming of the single coils... Im tempted to put a set into the Strat too..although I love the sound it has..I always have to leave the computer area to play it... For me..one goes with the other... Although I don't know if my sound has improved (I think yes)... I do know my desire has..

[SuperSwede]

Congrats justa! I wouldn´t mind investing in a pair of noiseless pups myself if I thought that I could manage to install them myself ;)