Fender Squier Stratocaster Serial Number Indonesia
Designed back in 1954 by Leo Fender, the “stratocaster” has become ubiquitous among all electric guitar players across the world. Almost everybody is familiar with the look of the Fender Squier Stratocaster and it has been played by some of the best guitarist in the world.Because the design of the Fender Squier Stratocaster is so popular, it has also become one of the most copied guitar looks over the past half a century.
In my travels around the world I have seen strat look-a-likes in China, the Philippines and in Africa. The problem is that for most beginners, a Fender Squier Stratocaster costs a bit more than they are willing to pay. Enter the Squier Fender Series. Is “Squier” a Fender?In short, despite what you may read elsewhere, the answer to this question is YES.Back in 1965 Fender bought a US-based string maker named Squier. Fender had produced entry-level electric guitars before but had never modeled them after their popular line of Stratocasters and Telecasters.All of that changed in 1982 when Fender introduced the Fender Squier series of guitars.
Fender produces their Squiers overseas (mostly in Asia) and use cost-efficient materials, which is why they are much cheaper than your average Fender. A Fender Squier Stratocaster ReviewFor those, it’s not uncommon for that search to begin with the Stratocaster. It may not end here, but it should definitely start here. What’s Great about the Squier StratFor starters, thing people love most about the Squier Strat guitar is the famous contoured body. It feels exactly the same as the pricier Fender Strats.The contoured body is just the start. Everything from the classic headstock of the Squier Stratocaster to the placement of the 3 single-coil pickups is identical to its older brother. You’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the 5-way switch (which switches between different combinations of pickups) and the sweet tremolo.If you’re a fan of how the Fender Squier Stratocaster looks, there’s no doubt that you’ll be pleased with the Squier Stratocaster.
Thankfully it’s also not bad to play either. There’s a lot that plays into the tone of an electric guitar – from the onboard electronics to the amplifier, but “out of the box” the Squier Stratocaster guitars have a good sound. It’s easy on the fingers and the maple neck is smooth to travel the fretboard.Differences: Squier Strat vs the Fender StratOf course, when you’re looking to mimic a Fender Strat with a budget under $200, you should certainly expect a few compromises. Whether you plan to use the Squier Strat as a beginner guitar or as a backup guitar, it’s good to know the differences between the Fender and the Squier.The biggest difference between the two, other than the fact that Squier is manufactured in Asia while Fender is made in the U.S.A., is materials. Both use Alder wood for the body of the guitar but Squier relies on a cheaper, lower-quality Alder. The pickups on a Squier, as you would expect, don’t compare with those on the Fender. You can say the same thing most of the hardware including tuners, bridge hardware, etc.
Most of this can be replaced, of course, but that will take a bit of technical know-how on your part.When it comes to construction, the only glaring problem with the Squier Strat is the neck. If you’re a beginner guitarist you won’t notice and you should probably just skip this paragraph. For the experienced player, however, you’ll notice a lack of precision in the neck of the Squier Strat, especially if you want to make any sort of adjustment. With a Fender Strat you have the option of making minor adjustments via the Micro Tilt at the neck attachment.
No such adjustment exists with the Squier Stratocaster.If you’re a beginner guitarist, the Squier Strat is an excellent option. For those more experienced guitarists looking to purchase a backup guitar, make sure the guitar has been set up properly and be prepared to invest money in better pickups. Squier Options for Beginner GuitaristSo here’s the best part about considering a Fender Squier Stratocaster as your first beginner guitar: excellent options. Other than the typical color options that you’ll get with most any guitars, there are also some other specs that might interest you: The Traditional Squier Affinity StratThe most popular of the Squier series by far is the Affinity Strat. It’s a proven guitar that is well-priced, even though there are both cheaper and more expensive options (as you’ll see below).Check Pricing & Availability on:For the Super-Budget ConsciousSquier offers the Squier Bullet Stratocaster, which uses basswood instead of alder and ceramic pickups to save you money. For less than $150 you can get a Squier Bullet Stratocaster bundle. This includes a case, strings, winder, tuner and other items that a beginner guitarist would find helpful. This is your best option if you’re strapped for cash.Check Pricing & Availability on:For the Younger Guitarist/Traveling GuitaristIf you’re thinking about buying an electric guitar for a young beginner, Squier also offers the Squier Mini Stratocaster, a 3/4 size electric guitar that will more easily fit a smaller child.
It’s also not a bad option if you want a smaller travel electric guitar. Personally I prefer to travel with an acoustic guitar, but if the electric is your preference, the mini will suit you just fine.Check Pricing & Availability on:For the Quality ConsciousIf you’re on a budget but you’re still willing to pay just a few more dollars to squeeze out the best quality guitar you can get, there’s also the Squier Standard Stratocaster. It’s a step above the affinity series which means you’ll get:. An agathis body. Better Alnico pickups (which out-perform the Affinity pickups by far).
A slimmer neck (for easier playability)Check Pricing & Availability on:Final Thoughts on the Squier StratocasterFor a beginner guitarist who wants to learn on the electric, you can’t go wrong with a Squier Stratocaster. My guess is that after a year or two, you’ll probably want to upgrade your equipment. But, at least with a Squier Strat, you’ll be able to sell it used for more than $20. It carries the name “Fender” and that will serve you well later on.More advanced players will notice that the amplified sound of a Squier Strat doesn’t quite compare to that of a true Fender. But with a little investment and a few modifications you can fix that easily. The Squier series does it exactly what it aims to do.
It provides the look and feel of a Fender electric guitar at a price that allows most beginners to thoroughly enjoy. A lot of us “advanced players” play Squiers, especially the Standard Strat. Many people will replace some electronics or replace the bridge and trem with and all steel version, but the wood and the necks of many Squier models are very good and many of us older players-who have owned Fenders-really like the various Squier Strats. When they are properly set up they will hang in with many “better name” guitars, and They are VERY comfortable players. I have 3 Squier Strats made in various times and places, and they are all very good quality guitars.
It sounds like both of the sellers saw you coming and jumped at the opportunity! Never buy a guitar sight-unseen. Yes, you may be able to find some really bad Squiers. But, it certainly is not my experience. I always heard of and thought of Squiers as junk. And, even though I always wanted a Strat I never considered them as real, viable instruments. They were junk, period!
So, I never bought any electric besides my mid-range neck-through BC Rich Bich; a very sexy guitar. Then, while on a trip to our local pawnshop I found a 2004 Squier Strat Affinity.
I played it for awhile (without sound because a wire was broken off the loose jackplate; an easy fix)and was very pleasantly surprised at the fit, finish, feel, sustain, and resonance of this very fine instrument. I bought this guitar for $40 because of the no-sound issue. Since then, I have made many improvements to it. Now, it is my #1. I still have my Bich, but I never play it. I can’t put down the Squier. This guitar has busted more than one misconception I’ve had, because I never would considered using ceramic pickups.
But, these ceramic single-coil pickups are awesome; a little noisy yes. But, that is one characteristic of a true single coil pickup; very powerful and “stratty”, with tons of “quack”. And, you wont ever get that from any humbucker. So, do yourself a favor; reconsider Squire, and play before you buy this time. It probably won’t be perfect. But, it’s an excellent platform for experimentation and will grow with you on the road to finding that sound you love, too. Slow down just a minute and use some punctuation (punctuation is what helps keep people reading).Just as a counter- I own a 1983 Squier that the luthier wanted to buy from me and a partscaster from 2 “junk” Chinese 2007/09 Squiers that I’ve modified to make into a Ritchie Blackmore special.I can assure you both are fine guitars to play.
The first because it was great from inception, the 2nd because they are easy and inexpensive to make what you want them to be. And in each case the routing was top notchI think you were sold a pup! (make that two pups). I would like everyone here to know I just bought a Squier Affinity strat brand new from a reputable music shop and its absolutely stunning to look at.Its pure white with a grey flec pick guard,it plays and feels excellent I know it has some cheap parts but I dont mind.It has 2 single coil pups and a humbucker.Im not a professional guitarist but still play pretty good after 40 years.I think the people below that bag squire are pedantic and have probably been ripped of on a few occasions.I think for hobby guitarists theres absolutely wrong with Squiers. HiI love Fender guitars and have a few strats and teles of my own,(USA,Mex and Japanese made).I also have a Squier Bullet strat.
This is a really amazing guitar for the buck! Construction is of a very high quality and no fault could be found.Although the pickups are “inferior” to the Standard Strats, it still delivers good tone. I like playing the blues and the neck pickup delivers nicely indeed.Why Alder or Basswood should be a point of concern, heaven knows! Both woods last you a lifetime,so, what the heck?!
Also the hardware used on Squiers are supposed to be inferior, but so what? Is it going to rust after a while, or are the tuners going to last only up to a point? I can never get the exact reasons behind this figuring! If you’re a first time buyer or even a hardened riffer, try the Squier, you will not be disappointed! Best built electric and tone for your money!!The other selector settings are also nothing to be scoffed at!
All in all I am impressed and the second Squier Bullet is on its way! Thanks for your take on the Squier Bullet Strat Pierre! I agree with you – if you’re a beginner guitarist there is a lot of this that won’t matter much. You can always replace the pickups with something that sounds much better.When it comes to hardware, I’m not worried that it’s going to rust, I’m worried that the pots will all the sudden stop working or the three-way switch will become so loose that it won’t stay well in a particular position (which has happened to me on a cheap electric before).Again, thanks for the comment Pierre! I went into Guitar Center and asked which starter guitar pkg was the best quality for the $.
I ended up putting the $199 pkg on layaway. Now I am wondering if I should switch to the $249 pkg? Both guitars are Squier Affinnity, but I think the more expensive one is the way to go? I know the cheaper pkg has smaller wattage amp, but the guitar not sure? Which one do you think I should get, or should I just go for the Yamaha?
I already have 3 great guitars, but I figured wth better learn on something else. Thanks for the comment. There are a couple differences between the $199 and $249 Squier Strat packs but I’m not sure if you’ll be able to tell much of a difference. As you noted, the more expensive pack comes with a 15G amp (vs a 10G amplifier) which might produce a little more volume but, frankly speaking, neither will be anything you want to take out of your home and play in front of people.
I wouldn’t base my decision on the amplifier here.The only major difference between the guitars is that the $249 Strat is actually a Strat HSS, which means that instead of 3 single coil pickups it has 2 single coil and a humbucking pickup. With this setup you can achieve a few different sounds out of the guitar, including one that sound a lot more like a Telecaster. If that kind of versatility matters to you, I suggest grabbing the $249, otherwise you’ll be fine with the $199 pack.OR, if you already have all the various accessories (you mentioned you already have 3 great guitars), then buy a nicer guitar without the pack.
That’s also a good option.Hope that helps! Nice to hear that KevanI have just taken up the guitar in my later years purely as a hobby(I was a keyboards player) and taking some advice I bought a second hand Squier CN which I was informed was a 1990 Korean built model it actually really does look brand new as it was a collector who owned it so has not been used much.But the main thing being a total novice it is nice to hear that it was not a waste of money buying it ( I paid £130 with a fender gig bag)so by the looks of things not cheap but if it does the job I’m happy.thanks for the post Kevan. I bought a fender squire bullet for 149.00 and bought a no buzz brass nut because my brother told me it will make the tone a lot nicer not that it sounded bad to begin with, but I was amazed at how good it sounded after having that nut put on it! I just bought another 1993 squire start mij for 383.00 and it sounds great but I’m not 100% satisfied, at least not until I buy a no buzz brass nut and 6 brand new chrome rolling saddles and the intonation and action set. I’ll have to pay the luthier I use at Coffey music to do the work for me but I know when he’s finished with it its going to sound great!!! Great article, Josh!I’ve owned American made Strats in the past and bought a 2003 MII Affinity for the princely sum of $75, just recently.The build quality is impressive for a guitar of any price.My main quibble is that the tone pots are atrocious!
Those will definitely be due for a switch-out.The pickups are surprisingly good for an inexpensive axe. They’re capable of more quack than a pond full of Mallards.
That’s a plus in my book. If I didn’t want that sound, I’d have overlooked this guitar completely!The neck is streets ahead of other guitars in it’s class and that probably goes double for the bridge. Both are quite solid.It will get some quality time on the work-bench, but that’s only to make a really good guitar that much better.Cheers,Bob.
Yes Bob, I agree with you wholeheartedly. I have a 2004 Indonesian Affinity Strat I bought from our local pawnshop for $40.
It had a broken wire on the loose jackplate. So, no sound at tryout. But, that didn’t worry me; it’s an easy fix.
It’s quite a solid guitar with a fine neck; I can’t even complain about the fretwork. But, I think those pickups are phenomenal. I play mostly Texas-style blues. So, that gritty, raw tone from those ceramic pickups is perfect.
And, I don’t even mind the 60(120)-cycle hum from them. Because, lets face it without it all the other characteristics of those pickups would change also. And, after a quality setup it’s perfect. My only complaints, and this can be said of all Strats, is the six-screw tremolo; the tuning instability is unbearable. So, I’ve blocked mine for now. But in two days a Babicz FCH tremolo and a Hipshot Tremsetter will be delivered. Then, I’ll finally be able to set it up like Leo designed it to be, only a bit better.
But, also I have to say that I cannot stand a Strat with the large CBS-era headstock. I don’t know why it bothers me so much, but it does.
Lately, I’ve even considered going so far as to rework the headstock to the more desirable (in my opinion) pre-CBS shape. I have the templates, the skills, and the tools, I just need to grow the cojones to do it. Wow, great question Ashley. I’m not sure there’s a “right” answer unfortunately 😉They’re both going to be great beginner guitars that will last you as long as you need and have a decent resale value. If you’re looking to upgrade the guitar parts in the future, there’s more help to do that online with the Fender Squire, even though you can upgrade both guitars equally well.My suggestion is to try them both out in a store and decide which one just feels right. If that doesn’t help, just look at both of them and make a gut decision on which one looks right to you.
Tom, the only thing about those humbuckers is that you will not get that traditional Strat tone everyone raves about; mainly Strat “quack”. My suggestion to you for now though, is to not worry about the pickups.
We tend to get caught-up in the hype that goes along with playing guitar, or any other hobby, really. So, save your money; it’s too hard to come.
And, there are far too many people who want to take it from you. For now, just play and learn. Play all that your fingers can stand to play. And, then, play some more. Then, later on, after you have learned a bit and begun to develop your style you can make the modifications necessary to achieve the tone or feel you want.
You’ll have a much better idea of what to do. I agree with Werner; the Classic Vibe is an AMAZING series on the Squier line. I’ve owned a CV ’50s Strat for a little over a year and I’ll put it up against any American Standard Strat (not to mention that it’ll blow the doors off the MIM version for about half the price). And while Squier doesn’t publish the fact, the pickups are Tonerider Surfaris which sound absolultely amazing. This is a fantastic guitar for players of any level of experience and at a very reasonable price. If you get the chance, be sure to check one out. I’ve read the review and most of the comments.
And the one thing bugging me here is the constant use from the reviewer of it being ok as a beginners guitar. Yes it is a good guitar for beginner but that’s because of the price! No parent is going to risk big money on a guitar for a young beginner Look at ebay the amount of ” new” Squiers there!I have custom shop US Fenders and vintage ones. But I still love my Squier.
It’s stunning when you consider the cost. And if it was only slightly modded with different pickups either way, unless you saw the name Squier on the headstock the average guy wouldn’t notice the difference. There is a lot of snobbery over the Squier. I’m not a snob. And this guitar stands up easily to many expencive pro guitars out there. Hi Josh,great article.
I have a Squier Stratocaster bought new in 1992 that I need to sell. I was wondering if you can give me some guidance as to how much to ask for it. Does the fact that it is relatively old increase its value? I got an offer for CAD$ 150 which I find too low, but given that there are several other similar (but much newer) guitars for sale for $150 on the same site (even including cases & amps), I’m skeptical why the person contacted me instead of them.
It makes me think that I’m undervaluing it.Also, is there a way to look up the guitar’s serial number? I haven’t found such a site yet. Mine starts with an “O”.I’d be most grateful for your insight. I have several Strat Squiers and a genuine 59 Stratocaster, I am a Luthier by trade and a performer too, I swear by the Fender Squier range.
I have three Bullets, three Affinities and a Standard. They all play beautifully after a decent setup.My most recent purchase was a red Bullet that I went all out on.
After giving it a fret file and polish including neck adjustment, I added internal blocks to fill the pickup holes in the body, turning it into a standard body style ie: three single coil cavities.The Squier range have a large pickup cavity that is designed to take either three single coil pickups, three humbuckers or any combination thereof. Some folk would say that changing this makes little difference, and it may just be my imagination but, to me it made a huge difference to sustain and feedback control-ability.I took some photos of the Bullet without the scratchplate, and the standard Strat body, also without the scratchplate, created a template on my computer and cut the blocks out using my CNC router. I glued these into place, lined the new cavities with copper shielding, and then went on to replace the pickups and scratchplate with DiMarzio area 59 and 61 pickups and a 3 ply scratchplate including CTS pots and a CRL switch. While I was at it I replaced the tremolo block with a solid steel block, and the tuners with Gotoh machines oh and I fitted a bone nut to top it all off.Now as I already mentioned I do own a 59 Stratocaster, but guess which guitar gets the most use, plays the nicest and has the best sound of all my guitars? You guessed it Red (as I call her). At much less than half the cost of a genuine Stratocaster, she makes an excellent stage guitar too. After all, I’m just not game to take the real one out into the pub world.
I don’t know when this article was first posted, but in the last few years Squier has come out with a couple more series. The Squier Vintage Modified series, and the Classic Vibe series. The CV series is getting rave reviews everywhere you turn. Many think it is possibly THE best guitar value made today.As for myself, I have a 2007 Squier Standard Stratocaster (Indonesia), which I purchased new in ’07 or early ’08. Since then, over time I have added GFS Texas Pickups, Fender 250k pots (+TBX), Fender 5-way switch, full size steel block, bent steel saddles, Switchcraft jack, Gavitt wire, plastic/graphite nut, copper foil shielding, and roller trees. I like the guitar so much that I opted for an Indonesian made Squier Affinity (BSB) after I decided I wanted a Telecaster in January of ’14.
(It is the “starter pack” version, with 22 frets and a string-through body.) The neck on this beauty is even better than the Strat’s. The only mods, so far, are Fender 250k pots, copper foil shielding, and roller trees.If I went off on what sounds like a bragging tangent, it is because I appreciate a work of art. And I especially appreciate a very reasonably priced work of art. Wish I was playing my guitar right now!HI I bought a new 2004 Squier Affinity but did not play it much cause the neck width was only 40mm and i need 42mm. About nine years later my wife bought me a fender telecaster and I was reborn!
I started playing guitar again and loving it (even bought a Fender Mustang I v2 amp to go with it, love that amp and Fender Mustang III v2 I just bought as well!) so after playing a while i started giving the squier strat a second look and then switched the neck with a fender strat neck (2004 fender standard strat) and eventually bought a loaded 2014 standard fender strat pick guard. Rock and Roll baby!!! But I do agree that squier makes excellent guitars for pros and beginners!thanks for the thread dude and rock and roll. I purchased a mexican fat strat with a floyd rose. One of my favorite guitars to play and I got it new for $500 wine color. The kids at the shop played it through a fender amp and plugged in an american strat to an identical amp and played them side by side.
They couldn’t hear any difference between the guitars. ( I was told some of the Mexican strats got the previous years guts / leftovers) I decided to not touch the guitar ( I am prone to removing the guts and getting all Seymour Duncan pick ups – this is what i do to most of my other guitars.
) I have a China Squire strat that played nice but sounded like complete dog poo. I threw in a JB jr a cool rail mid and a double stack neck side. I can get Adrian Smiths clean tones at the bridge ( sounds really nasty with my ibanez SD9 sonic distortion pedal) and throw the switch to the neckside and it is SRV all day with excellent sustain through the entire range. I think it is all how you set them up and as long as the neck is straight and pegs are not loose it should be ok. I’m 43 and I started playing at age 14.
My first Squier was a 2002 Bullet Strat, that I bought because it was so cheap, I just thought I’d give it a go. I ended up playing it for about 10 years and I was quite amazed by its playability (it was given a proper set up) and its nice familiar Strat sound.
Build quality wasn’t bad either, as some people will have you believe. I never had any problem with it and the neck was actually really nice. Of course you can find better tuners and pickups. But mine was actually pretty good, stock.
So I kept it this way. I currently own a Squier Affinity Tele, a Vintage Modified Stratocaster and a Classic Vibe Jazz Bass.
And I love every one of them. The Affinity plays and sounds great. It’s hard to believe they’re so cheap. The VM and CV are very well built instrumemts. In fact I played a Fender MIM at the store when I bought them, both times. And I just liked the necks and pick-ups of the VM Strat and CV Jazz Bass better than the Fender MIM versions.Now I can see why Fender are advertising Squier guitars and basses as ‘beginner guitars’.
Obviously they want you to think that you will eventually need to spend an extra 1.000 or more on your next guitar. But this is total BS.
Get a Squier! You’ll like it!: ). I been playing since 1989. I find that the squier I have is perfect all around. I keeping it all stock. I even keeping the tuner. I used 11 bullet fender strings and I made my own guitar nut cream that I apply on the guitar nut for tunning stability.
Stay in tune even at my violent playing. Very seldom it goes out. When it does it.
It’s out of tune very slightly. I adding a live video of myself. Playing with another guitar. I will make one with the squire soon.Watch “Gracefully Yours” live show. Me on guitar“Gracefully Yours” live show. Me on guitarI am using a MIM strat with dimarzio pickup on neck and bridge on this video. But my squier sound much better.
I m buying a conductive shielding paint to deal with the 60 cycle on the squier. I find the pickup on the squier fatter, grittier and more row tonality. All ceramic pickup. After that it will be ready for live show!!.
I am a 30 year old looking to begin playing the guitar. The only thing I know for sure is that I like the range and sound of the Stratocasters and I’m sure that this is the guitar for me. I have a co-worker that has a Squier Strat that he is offering to sell me for $150. He is a pretty stand up guy and has been playing the guitar for decades. He is looking to sell the Squier because it was his son’s guitar but the son never fell in love with playing. The guitar looks to be in great condition. He says it is Japanese made and he purchased it over 20 years ago.
He says it would include a carrying case, amp plug (no amp) and strap.Do you think this is a good buy? I have seen Squier strats for sale on ebay for as low as $85 but I do trust that this particular guitar has been well taken care of. Am I being taken advantage of or is he genuinely selling me a great guitar for a great price?Any advice would be great! I’m looking to buy a used squier standard strat, but I want one made in Indonesia and the one I’ve found locally was made in China. I noticed that the China neck isn’t as nice as other squier standards I’ve seen before. The frets are sharp on the sides of the neck and not dressed very well. I can work out the frets issue, but I’m concerned if there are any other quality differences between the Indonesia and China made squier standards?
(pickups, tuners, bridge/saddles, intonation, etc.) Thanks. Very nice article 🙂 I have a Japanese Squier Strat I got 19 years ago (almost to the day), but after I moved on to Gibsons, it doesn’t see much action. I can’t really bring myself to sell it, as it was my first guitar, and I do really like the neck on it.So, I’m currently consider whether a change of pickups would see me get more use out of it. Any advice/ experience? Seymour Duncan Everything Axe would make it very versatile, especially with coil splits and the 7-way mod, but would it lose its Strat-ness? I mostly play stoner rock, but dabble in everything. Well, that’s a lie, not country or jazz.Thanks for your time.
I’m 62, 3,000 plus paid gigs since 1968, 3 CDs on Indie labels (last one in 2009). Have owned many high-end Strats and Gibsons throughout the years. I picked up a 96 50th anniversary squier NC serial number and man i dunno what they were thinking but with a few cheap mods this guitar is easily on par or better than mim fenders! No lies full alder body 42mm nut killer rosewood fat neck,shezzz, i love the Squier logo when iam finished!!
Oh this was brand new for 75 bucks had to take the plastic off the guard,seriously i wish someone who owns a usa strat would give an honest review side by side!I STILL CANT BELIEVE THE WORKMANSHIP!!! Would like ta hear from others who have the china 50th annv. Duhhhh.my bad. I meant TONERIDER pickups. Not Roadrunner pickups.Check out the thread in it’s entirety, after clicking on this link;This will explain why the Alnicos on the Classic Vibe sound so good. Bear in mind that TONERIDER pickups are made in China, which is why they are less expensive.
The same quality of pickup, if manufactured in the U.S., would cost twice as muchand the Classic Vibe would list for $689 instead of $589. The workmanship and the pickups are why this guitar is superior to the Mexican Strat.and the Mexican Strat lists for more $$ than the Classic Vibe. As you know, the Mexican Strats have Ceramic pickups, not Alnicos.and the seating of the neck into the body cavity is not as tight a fit as is with the perfect seating of the Classic Vibe. Moral of the story is that Chinese manufactured guitars have higher quality control, apparently, than Mexican made guitars.
Some of “advanced players'” sniff out some good Squiers every now and then. I picked up two Aztec Gold Anniversary Classic Vibe Strats. I played the first one and it felt so good, the wood was beautifully figured and a rumor had it that Tone Rider was contracted to build the pickups. I chose it over a $2000 Les Paul that the fret board was uneven and was not smooth or as pretty figured neck wood. I’ve owned several Les Pauls, Strats and Teles. Once I did a professional set up on the Aztec Gold Classic Vibe Squier Stratocaster it has been one of the best sounding and playing guitars. So much so, I searchedand found another that again has some beautiful figured Maple wood neck and has smooth work done on it that is appealing to any player.
I was so much impressed by both of these identical guitars, I thought I have to check out the Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster. Good pretty figured wood that is smooth and feels good in my hands.
I don’t know who built the pickups or other electronics which is a minor weak point, it has become my goto Tele out of all my American made Teles. Nothing against them, something about it just makes me feel right at home with it.My point is play, listen and look the guitar over very well and if it is appealing to you buy it, because it most likely will inspire you to play more, learn more and possibly recreate some songs. Enjoy it and have fun with a musical instrument. Don’t settle on just a name or price.
Some times the best fun is the least expspensive route. Got a ’52 Tele reissue (1982 Fullerton) in ’84 and thought it was well set up.
Bought my son, for Chiristmas, an Indonesia Affinity Strat in 2000 which never played low E in pitch until, in 2013, I added a 3.5mm neck shim. At a gig, some dude commented on the “high action” of my Tele which prompted me to learn setup. Bought a few books and spent 6 weeks watching UT videos (setup is an art, and I had to develop my own). I added some basic tools (understring & feeler gauges and precision calipers are best) to my tool kit.
Added a second hand Indy Affinity Strat to my stable in ’14. Cleaned the pots and switches with Deoxit and put WBW perloid pick guards & trem covers and Cu grounded foil cavity liners to both Indy Strats and set them up perfectly–thanks, Galeazo Frudua etal. Gave the now-perfectly-playing 2000 BACK to my son as a “15th Anniversary” Christmas present. Will never understand “relicing” If I kick dents & scratches into my car, is it worth more? LOVE the thinner body of the Squires, and feel sorry for the “Emperor’s New Clothes” dummies who waste their money on a decal. I think the “Custom Shop” baloney is a pant-load.
Loved the article! And I totally agree with your take on Squiers.With guitars, there’s a big difference between ‘cheap’ and ‘inexpensive’. Squier falls into that second category.I currently own 12 guitars. 7 of them Squiers.
Fender Squier Stratocaster Serial Number Indonesia Online
Two Vintage Modified Custom II, two Affinity, a Squire ’51, an ’89 Korean of unknown model, and the latest. A sort of odd duck.That latest was something that my wife found at garage sale. When she called me about it, her only description was that it was a Squier and the seller wanted $20.What she brought home was a 2004 Quilted Maple Squier Standard Deluxe. Color me HAPPY!! I’ve been a Fender fan since 1992. I was 21 then, and I got my first electric when I was 16. A Les Paul copy.
Purely for the sole teason Jimmy Page played one. It made playing guitar seem so difficult. Then discovered at my first ‘garage band’ get together (while showing the drummer who was also new to playing drums) that he was playing the song all wrong. So I sat at the kit for the very first time in my life and was able to play a Zeppelin song.Wasn’t long after that i realized my natural ability was as a drummer. A few years passed and I was drumming for a band and saw how effortless the guitar player worked his Strat.
During breaks he let me fool around on it. This was night and day compared to the Les Paul copy I first tried to learn on. A few months later I saved up $200 and got a new Squier Strat. Less than 6 months later I was in a new bandbut this time as the guitarist! All thanks to that old faithful Squire. I was super busy in my 20s finishing up college and working and ended up selling it.
A few years later I missed it and having a higher paying job bought a Mexican Fender Strat in 2000. I stlll have it. But I’ve always been a tinkerer and had gotten into repairing guitars for the fun of it. And being burned by several awful and expensive guitar techs. It was just a hobby but grew into something more. I started getting friends asking me to set up their guitars to play like mine. I’ve been doing that for years now.
Last summer I was in a pawn shop and picked up a Korean early 90s Squier. I was blown away!
The maple fretboard and guitar felt incredible. So I plugged it in to see what it sounded like. Unfortunately the pots were busted off and couldn’t hear much. So the pawn shop let me take it home for $40 out the door. Picked up new pots on the way home and that Strat was jammin that night.
And very well I should add. Somehow I started seeing Squiers for sale used on Craigslist for ridiculously low prices. I’m talking $30! Now they were nearly all owned by people who neglected the care of them and they all needed some kind of work done. But every one was repairable. So I would fix them up give them a good set up and resell them in Craigslist for cheap.
I wasn’t doing it to profit. It was fun for me. I loved taking a neglected instrument and fixing it up and selling it for a price new guitar players could easily afford. Usually for $60-$75 depending on how much I had put into it. It was a great feeling watching the new owners eyes light up as they tried it out. After a while I started getting calls from friends of people I had sold the refurbished guitars to, asking if I had a leftie or something else.
Now I work on Squiers every day. I’ve gotten into making ‘custom’ Squiers that I base off the super high end American versions. Offering paint jobs and special wiring (like the 7 way selector switch and push pull pots that activate the bridge pickup whenever you want it)’ I’ve made ones that Squier just doesn’t offer and people are stoked to get something unique that plays well,sounds great and looks great! I’ve made several David Gilmour ‘black Strat’ replicas for the Pink Floyd fans and lots of relic guitars in vintage colors not available from Squiers. I’ve had a ton of fun doing it. I guess my point being, these are great guitars.
Easy to work on and are great platforms to modify. I haven’t come acrossa single one that couldn’t be repaired.
And I’ve had somebadly bowed necks but learned how to clamp them back into a good solid straight neck again. By now my garage is a Squier repair shop.
I have one part just for woodworking when I get one that has damage to the body or neck. I have my soldering station to replace the bad pots and wiring. And recently built a paining booth with a professional spray gun. I probably buy at least one a week and still just do it for the fun of it. As long as my costs for parts are covered I’m not concerned with making a profit.Last week I received an email out of the blue. Someone asked if I could turn his Squier P bass into a fretless bass and he offered to give me an older 90s Squier Strat in trade for doing it.
I met up with him just last Sunday. He gave me his bass to defret and hid Squier Strat, it was flawless. When I got home I opened the case and showed my wife. She was my girlfriend back when I sold that first Squier I bought. The one I got in the trade was identical to that first one. It’s a rare color they haven’t made for years and rarely ever see. It’s Vintage White.
She said ‘time to take it all apart huh?’ Which is usually the first thing I do when I get one. Take it completely apart, clean every single inch of it and the hardware. Replace the pots, repair any dents,dings and psint it and put it all back together and give it a good set up. I just closed the case and said ‘nope! I’m not touching this one. It’s perfect. And I’m keeping it’ she replied ‘I know you are’So it’s now a permanent addition to a few I’ve gotten that were rare gems that played and sounded so great I had to hang onto em.
One is the Korean made I got at the pawn shop, one other that’s incredible.and now this one that reminds me of that first Strat I fell in love with and always regretted selling.Needless to say.my Mexican Strat doesn’t get much use these days. When I pick up a guitar I tend to always pick up a Squier.They are so highly underrated for being the best bang for the buck by a long shot.Hope you enjoyed my story of how these guitars have given me so much pleasure for so many years. Whether it’s from playing them or working on them.I now have three Squier Strats, a Tele, an Affinity Jazz bass and a Squier P Bass Speical. I love them all.Apologies for typos and any grammatical errors.
I typed this all on my iPhone.Great webpage you have here!!!!C. This is the best analysis of the Affinity Strat I have ever seen. My first Fender was a 1982 Telecaster “52 Reissue.
30th Anniversary (first Reissue). In 1984 when I bought it used, ($495–consignment), from a GUITAR shop, I assumed that it was well set up.
I played a few (sing for your supper) gigs with it and in 2009 a guy played it and said the action was “very high.” I read The Fender Telecaster Book which looked at a dozen Teles and EVERY ONE said, “could use a setup.” Since then I have been learning (and continue to learn) proper electric guitar setup. My son moved out in 2010 and left his 2000 Squier Affinity Indonesian Cort Strat which we never could get the low E to play in tune. After I figured out the way to wedge the neck angle (increasing the nut-to-bridge length), and learned the correct specifications of the 25 different adjustments, it plays as well as any guitar I have ever played. I got another Affinity IndyCort Strat which Galeazo Frudua (YouTube) showed me how to set up the tremolo (never “whammy”) bar with a post-it note pad an Allen Key and #2 Phillips. Week before last, I set up my friend’s 20th Century Chinese Affinity HHSS Strat in full float and have yet to have it come back to me for hard-tailing (tuning issues). There is so much religious folklore that “if a guitar costs less than $1000, it just COULDN’T BE ANY GOOD” due to cheap hardware, shoddy build quality, ect, etc., not to mention how many Strat freaks never pass up the opportunity to show everybody how smart THEY are by telling how stupid everybody else is. Many say that the Affinity is “too thin”, a quality that I think makes them BETTER than American made Strats.
Combine this with the fact that they play just as well (properly set up) with the 3-1.5X Fender MIM price tag, for UNDER $100, and acquiring an excellent guitar at an affordable price becomes a true no-brainer. I have owned some of the most vintage of Fenders (early 60’s Strats, a ’52 Esquireall back in the day when you could buy them used for $200) the only guitars I have now are a recent Gibson SG Special and a used Squier Affinity Strat. I like both of those guitars but pick up the Affinity more often. The ceramic pickups are good sounding and unless you are putting in Bardens or some other boutique pupthere is nothing to be gained by putting in anything less as they will not surpass the pups already there. I like the feel of the Affinity neck even more so than on the CV series. The maple on the neck of my Affinity is FLAMED. My first Strat was a Squier, the Limited Edition Cherry sunburst model with mint pickguard introduced in 2003.
This model sold so well that they eventually folded it in to their regular line and AFAIK it is still available today. I was especially happy to get the original version with the 8-hole pickguard.
I have since performed a series of upgrades including a set of Fender USA pickups which, truth be told, are only a tiny bit better than the Squier Alnicos. I also replaced the jack, switch and pots with American parts. Very satisfied with this guitar.
IMO Squiers can be transformed into excellent players with a bit of TLC. Get rid of the plastic nut, and changing the bridge adjustment screws for shorter ones that won’t garf your hand are two quick fixes that improve things a lot. A bit of fine tuning on the neck won’t hurt either; the amount required will vary from guitar to guitar but with a bit of work that neck can be made very comfortable. That’s probably the one thing about Squiers; they are made in different countries and so you might have to look harder to find a better quality one; some are not as good.As to the Classic Vibe series, all bets are off. These are fantastic affordable guitars that don’t owe anybody any apologies! I would take one of these over a Standard Series Fender any day of the week, and they’ll give an American Fender a run for the money. Just bought my second Squier Strat.
It is my favorite Strat at any price due to the slimmer body and thin neck. In my amp the ceramics sound better than the Alnico Squier Standard pickups and the Tex Mex set have as well. If Fender made a US Strat with the Affinity slim body and neck I would buy it for the pedigree and long term resale. Not everyone has fat fingers.
I am going to sell my Standard. The Affinity is all the Strat I need. One more thing. The current production Standards do not have a thinner neck. It has the same neck as a US Standard. The ones built in the 90s and around 2001 had the slimmer neck so my advice before buying a Standard try an Affinity before you pull the trigger.
You may find it to be the superior instrument especially if you have thinner fingers or smaller hands. The squier strat was the second guitar i ever bought (the first being a marlin sidewinder).
It was a Korean number with a plywood body in lake placid blue. As a kid one of my best buds was Mark Potter from Elbow (then called soft). He played an borrowed my guitar many times as a backup guitar for gigs and juat as I did he thought it was a fantastic guitar for the money. The necks on those Korean strata were spectacular and competed with a usa strat for playability. All that let the guitar down was plywood body and the “thin” pickups.
At our live volumes this could be easily hidden in the mix.Over the years as I have picked up new guitars I replaced the ply body with a solid ash body which has been gun oiled to perfection.I replaced the pickups with a fully loaded “Gilmour” scratchplate brimming with heavy alnico and parrallel/series switching from a small boutique pickup manufacturer in Rutland.The body was £60 from eBay, the pickups already fully wired ready to solder to the Jack cost another £100. For £160 this guitar now sonically far outperforms a Mexican Strat and sits in my collection as one of my 3 main go to guitars beside a Fender USA Elite Strat and a Gibson Nashville Les Paul Studio and it was a fraction of the price of both these guitars.Squiers with a little TLC can be spectacular guitars. The current ones even ship with solid bodies so no need to replace it.I may just buy a hundred quid affinity and see just how good I can make it. I’ve a couple of sets of tuners and USA bridges lying around. I’ll bet with a pickup swap out you could create a guitar you could gig Glastonbury with for about £250.
I have only had, over decades of owning numerous squier strats and teles one bad guitar out of the lot. It’s the jack Daniels promo one which I think is the SE under the ‘badging’. It was obviously produced for marketing rather than playing which is a pity as it looks good and I would have liked to take it out to play on occasion. The major issue is the pickups which have a horrible sound in total contrast to near identical others I have.I also have never paid more than £50 for a squier strat so I tend not to do any mods to them. Why spend £100 on a perfectly serviceable £50 guitar. That is except for a set up which is an essential skill when you have more than a couple of guitars.Don’t be put off by the “it’s not really a fender” comments. You can make all the right sounds on a squier (unless it was built for marketing).Oh, one more thing, your nerves won’t be nearly as shredded if it’s sitting on a stand in close proximity to drunk dancing people in a dive in the bad side of town as gigging guitars often are.
Ive played and owned various Fender strats and teles in the past; and all I can say that strats and teles of the affinity series are awesome! I traded my MIM standard tele with a CV60 strat and wow! Feels like playing a high end strat with hot sounding pups! The tele was not bad at all but I just cant play heavy solid bodies like before (ha ha). I also have a vintage blonde VM 70s strat which I haven’t play it yet and pretty sure the tone will be awesome too! I had a fiesta red affinity tele in the past and now regret selling it.
Anyway,I’m looking forward to acquire various old and new Squier guitars in the future; for my love on playing music and for collection! Help and advice please.I play acoustic (badly as never find the time) but my son recently asked for an electric guitar.
He is 9, normal size for his age. Hi aunt bought him a guitar bundle from Amazon which was pretty bad (sounded like a bag of cats) and tuning knobs were loose, loose springs/locking screws, high action plus a constant buzz and never in tune. A great technician Steve in Santa Cruz, CA said even he couldn’t make it sound good and recommended returning and getting a Fender Squier mini strat. I have to go with Amazon as have a credit but am confused as the mini’s seems to be too aimed at kids. I won’t go for a kit, as will buy a second hand amp with distortion locally but should I go bullet/affinity instead of mini, are these still 3/4 size compared with the standard?
Also saw 3 single coil pickup vs 2 and humbucking but very confused there. Want something he can play as a kid, I can play as a small sized Mum and something I can take back in to eventually get modified if he takes to it. What amp should I look at also? Tech says small but make sure it has distortion. Thanks and sorry for the exceptionally basic questions.
A Squier Affinity is the same length as a standard Fender Strat. The body is just a little thinner. They’re an excellent choice for future modifications. Other Squier models such as Vintage Modified or Classic Vibe are better, but the price difference is gonna show it. The Bullet and ‘Starcaster’ are the least expensive models. You might find a decent one, but I’d choose the Affinity over them.As for an amp, There’s a lot of good solid state practice or modeling amps that should work for you.
Just about anything advertised as ‘two channel’ will have a distortion setting. My personal recommendations would be Roland Cube, Peavey Vypyr, or Line 6 Spider. These are all ‘modeling’ amps that have everything you need and can be very inexpensive if you can find one on Craigslist. Best of all, they all have headphone jacks and auxiliary (CD/MP3) inputs. You can find very inexpensive ‘two channel’ amps, but your son will have a lot more fun with a modeling version.
Just got a new Squier Standarf from Musician’s Friend. Great looking guitar but the neck frets are terribly sharp on the bottom side. They are even hanging off the neck of the bottom and the top is smooth and doesn’t match on this right hand model. I would not purchase this again sight unseen, my bad. Disappointing to say the least.
Feels like a cheese grader. This is the only negative I have seen up til now. I have two Indonesian bullets that have a better neck than this Squier Standard. This is a Chinese model. I may send it back if possible.
I will be sure to save up for something better than this in the future. Buyer beware.
NOTE: The information below should be current as of the 2009 model year. Buying a Fender Stratocaster - A Guide for the Novice One of the most confusing guitars for the novice guitar buyer to consider is the Fender Stratocaster (aka Strat). There are so many different variants of the Stratocaster being produced by Fender (or Fender licensed entities) that it's nearly impossible for first time buyers to have any idea what the differences are or why there are so many in the first place. Here's what I hope will be a guide for the novice. I am certainly not an expert on the subject. This is not intended to enlighten experts so please keep that in mind while reading. But I believe I've learned enough during my own experiences to be of some assistance and guidance to those just starting out in this endeavor.
For the sake of simplicity, I'm just going to talk about the most common recent production Stratocasters. Keep in mind that there are a whole slew of others out there including vintage American and Japanese Standards and Squiers, Korean Pro-Tone Squiers, vintage re-issue and anniversary models, Classic and Deluxe Series, Custom Shop models, Artist models etc., that are beyond the scope of this guide. It's really mind-boggling the number of different kinds of Strats you'll come across. Go to www.fender.com sometime and peruse their product selections. Anyway, let's get started.
2/2011 NOTICE: Fender has added the American Special Stratocaster to the Strat line-up as of a while back. It comes with Texas Special pick-ups and a little nicer/glossier paint than the thin-coat Highway 1, so add this to the Highway 1 as in-between models between the MIM Standards and the American Standards. Why, I don't know.
Current production Fender Stratocasters come in 3 basic groups which are: 1) 'American Standard' Stratocasters, which are made in America (aka MIA) at the Fender factory in Corona, CA. (take the tour! These were originally called 'American Standard' until around 2000, then underwent some slight changes and were marketed as 'American Series'. In 2008 they underwent some further changes and went back to the 'American Standard' moniker. The 'Standard' label identifies them as the standard Fender offering of the Stratocaster model (as opposed to Deluxe, Artist, Custom Shop, Re-Issue, etc). They are all the same except for the color selection.
The 'American Standard' will say 'Made In U.S.A' right on the front of the headstock (although this may be found on the back of the headstock on certain non-Standard models). The American Standard Stratocaster has a typical retail 'street price' of around $1000 new. Used prices can run anywhere from around $600 -$950, depending on age and condition, for a '90's to current year model.
Earlier than that and they start going up a bit. In fact, if it's a true '50's or '60's model (not re-issue), they can cost upwards of $25,000-$35,000. But we're not going to focus on those in this guide, so from here on just assume we're talking about 90's-2008 models. The 'American Standard/Series' will have a serial number (S/N) that will be found on the back of the headstock. Those made in the 90's will have an S/N that starts with 'Nx' and those made in the 2000's will have S/N's that start with 'Zx', where 'x' equals the last number of the model year. So a serial number beginning with 'N3' will be a 1993 model and a serial number of 'Z3' will be a 2003 model.
The serial numbers of both will include 5 or 6 additional digits. N3256324 or Z3621835). A note here for clarification, sometimes production years will carry over into the next year so it is possible to get a guitar with a serial number indicating a year other than the actual production date. For example, I've got an American Standard with a serial number starting with 'N5' which is actually a 1996 model. It's got the 50 anniversary sticker (like all the '96's) and the neck pocket and pickguard are stamped '1996'. Here's a couple good websites to check serial numbers and descriptions for all different sorts of model year Stratocasters.
NOTE: You'll have to cut and paste any URL from this guide into your browser as Ebay does not allow links outside of Ebay. The standard American Standard/Series Strat will come with 3 high-quality single-coil pickups made with alnico (aluminum/nickel/cobalt) magnets, specifically alnico 5 (This is one of the main differences over the lower priced, non-USA models which we will be discussing later. The 6 pole pieces on each pickup (one for each string) are the actual magnets. In the cheaper single-coil pickups (standard on most of the Mexican and Squier models), the pole pieces will be steel and the magnets will consist of ceramic bars (ferrite) running along the bottoms of the pickups. The alnico magnets are typically the one's to have if you want to really nail the vintage Fender Stratocaster sound. Here's a couple decent links for some suggested reading on pickups and pickup differences.
Notes: There is also a budget priced American Stratocaster called the 'Highway 1' that has been produced since around 2002. These are currently about $750 shipped for a new 2008 model and can be found used for as low as $450-$500 for an older model. They feature a cheaper, thinner finish and a slight difference in pickups and hardware, although starting at the 2006 model there have been 'upgrades' (here is a link to another Ebay guide that briefly explains the upgrades/changes if you are interested. ) These guitars would be rated somewhere between a genuine American Standard and a Mexican Standard model. The newest Highway 1's have the large, 70's style headstock but you have to be very careful with the older models because it can be very hard for the average person to distinguish the difference between these and the American Standard. Many sellers don't mention that they are actually selling a Highway 1. I've seen many that just say 'American Stratocaster' for sale.
Some sellers may not even know what they have either. It's best to go to the Fender website and read all of the model specific descriptions, look closely at the pictures, and learn the differences. You can ask the seller to verify which model they are selling. If you are not convinced that they even know you can compare the Ebay seller's pictures to a known model of the same year. Or you can always ask someone else.
There are some great Fender online forums out there that you can join and post questions in. Post a picture or a link to an auction and let the experts decide. And finally to our second category. 2) Fender Standard Stratocasters, which are only made in Mexico (aka MIM). 'Fender Standard' is the proper designation for a Mexican made 'Standard' Stratocaster.
So 'American Standard' = MIA, and 'Fender Standard' = MIM. Some people call them 'Mexican Standard' which is probably a better, more descriptive way to refer to them. These will have 'Made in Mexico' and a serial number right on the front of the headstock (except for certain vintage re-issue and deluxe models). The serial number will begin with 'MNx' for 90's models and 'MZx' for 2000 models, where 'x' = the last digit of the model year, followed by 5 or 6 other numbers. So a serial number beginning with 'MN3' will be a 1993 model and one starting with 'MZ3' will be a 2003 model. These typically sell new for approximately $399-$445 shipped to your door from the online discount places ( like www.musiciansfriend.com ) Sometimes a special issue will be more and prices may differ depending on color options.
Keep these prices in mind before bidding on an auction. It pays to do some research first! Stock Mexican made Standard Strats will routinely be offered for sale for between $250-$325 used on Ebay, depending on model year and condition. If you are patient you will be able to find a very nice one in this price range.
This is not to say a nice used one is not worth a little more than that. It's just that you can easily find a very nice one cheaper, if that's your goal. If it's a very recent model (2007-2008) in great shape, with no issues, then it may be worth a little more, but just remember before you plunk down that much cash that you can get a brand new 2008 model, which supposedly has a few upgrades over the previous years models, shipped to your door for $399-$435 (depending on color) if you buy from one of the large online dealers such as Musicians Friend, or if you search the Ebay Stores for authorized Fender retailers.
And sometimes you can get a scratch and dent item for closer to $300. ( NOTE: Some of the newer Mexican made models like the Classic Players, Classic Series and the Artist models can be much more expensive.and nicer! Than the Standard models and rival the American models in sound, feel and quality!) And now our 3rd major category. 3) Squier Stratocasters, which are currently made overseas in places like China and Indonesia, with some coming from Korea. (Note: There were some that were made in Mexico in the very early '90's that have the standard Mexican serial number, i.e.
MNxxxxxx and also some made in the USA in the 1980's I believe that may start with and 'E'). The newer ones will say 'Crafted in Indonesia' or 'Crafted in China' on the back of the headstock but the older ones will normally have 'Made in Korea' or 'Made in China' on the front of the headstock. I won't go into the serial numbers too much here other than to say that they are normally found on the back of the headstock, but these will say ' Squier' in large letters right on the front of the headstock instead of the regular 'Fender' logo that's on the American and Mexican Standard models. The Squiers may say something like 'by Fender' in smaller letters. To make things more confusing, the Squier line of Stratocasters come in 3 sub-models. The top of the Squier line is the ' Standard' which sells for around $199 new, the ' Affinity' which goes for around $149 and the bottom of the line ' Bullet' which goes for around $99 new.
Those are shipped to your door prices. It's amazing what some people will try to sell these for on Ebay but you should be able to find a very nice used Squier Standard on Ebay for between $120-$160 shipped. The hierarchy of course is 'American Standard', then 'Fender (Mexican) Standard', then 'Squier Standard', then 'Squier Affinity' and lastly the 'Squier Bullet'.
The American and Mexican Strats will have similar bodies and necks as far as materials go but the Americans will typically have the nicer feeling necks, bodies made of fewer pieces, much nicer finishes and better hardware (tuners, bridges, etc) and electronics (pickups, tone/volume controls, etc). The American models will have a 22 fret neck with a width of around 1.68' at the nut and most Mexicans will have a 21 fret neck with a 1.65' width at the nut.
Both are very good quality though and lots of people are perfectly happy with the Mexican models, which are a great value for the money. You can upgrade the pickups to American Series quality or better and end up with a really great guitar.
The general rule is to buy as good of a guitar as you can afford. The better the guitar, the more likely you are to pick it up and play! Used is a great way to start as you can usually get your money back on a resale. That's if you don't overpay to begin with, which is what this guide is intended to prevent. Plus, when you buy used you can get a much better guitar for the same amount of money. The American models and some of the Mexican made special models can hold their values very well. Use the new and used pricing I've listed above as a guide but it never hurts to do your own research.
Check the Ebay 'Completed Listings' for similar models to get a good idea what the going prices are. Yes there is such a thing as a 'Fat Strat' also called an HSS ( Humbucker, Single-coil, Single-coil) Strat. The typical Strat has 3 single-coil pickups. The Fat Strat has 2 single-coil pickups, one in the neck and one in the mid position, and a humbucker pickup in the bridge position. Humbuckers give what's called a 'fatter' sound than a single-coil. They have more windings and, as a result, are 'hotter' (more output). Generally speaking, the hotter the pickup, the more prominent the midrange frequencies will be hence they're said to have a 'thicker' or 'warmer' sound with less treble bite.
Humbuckers are what you'll find in guitars such as the Gibson Les Paul. The Fat Strat can give you more tone options if that's the kind of sound you're after. But if you're after the true vintage sound of the Stratocaster you may want to stick with the standard 3 single-coil variety. You can buy after market single-coils that are wound hotter and give you a warmer sound also.
A lot of people will add a hotter single-coil in the bridge position which I guess could give a 'similar' effect as a humbucker. There are also HH Strats which contain two humbucker pickups and no single-coils at all. These can also be referred to as 'Double Fat' Strats. Stratocaster parts are highly interchangable. Leo Fender designed them that way on purpose. Necks can be removed and replaced very easily by removing 4 screws. Other parts are easily changed out also and there are a ton of after-market parts and/or parts from Stratocaster copies (many inferior), including necks and bodies out there.
Read the ads carefully, ask questions if the ads aren't clear, look for serial numbers and check the sellers feedback ratings. I will actually read the feedback the seller has received. His overall rating may be deceptive. Maybe it's all from buying and not from selling. Look at his feedback from buyers. Look at the sellers previous sales.
If it looks like they sell a lot of guitars but then try to play dumb in an ad about a certain guitar you should maybe be suspicious. Keep in mind that you can buy very real looking Fender logo decals out there. So anyone could buy an after-market neck and slap a Fender decal on it and attach it to any Strat looking body (Squier, after-market, copy, etc). That's not to say that there aren't excellent after-market parts out there.there are, but there are also inferior parts too. But the bottom line is, if the guitar has a Fender Stratocaster decal on the headstock but no serial number anywhere you should be suspicious. Many sellers who are selling a Stratocaster will fail to mention in the ad that it's a Squier. Or if they do mention that it's a Squier, they won't mention which model it is (Standard, Affinity or Bullet).
And they will often make a point of not giving you a good shot of the headstock so you won't be able to see for yourself. Some of these sellers are obviously just not real knowledgeable themselves but others do it on purpose to dupe unsuspecting buyers. They are counting on your lack of knowledge to charge more than the guitar is worth or to get a quick sale. If the ad does not mention what model (or year even) the guitar is you need to ask specific questions and if you don't get an answer you should be very careful. The bottom line is, if it was made in Korea, China or Indonesia then it's definitely a Squier of some sort.
Don't fall for bogus claims from the sellers. I've seen many sellers tout their Strat as being 'upgraded' when in fact all they've done is put a different pick guard on it or replace the nut. While maybe nice, these modifications alone do not really warrant a premium. Another trick sellers like to play is to claim that the era or year (or factory) their Strat was made in 'was back in ( pick a date or factory) when they made them good' or 'better', 'not like the junk they make now', or similar claims.
Actually the truth is that the quality and quality control today is probably at an all time high. Anniversary decals - 1996 was the 50th anniversary of Fender and every production-year 1996 Fender guitar got a little '50th Anniversary' decal on the back of the headstock. 2006 was the 60th anniversary of Fender so every production-year 2006 Fender guitar got a little '60th Anniversary' decal on the back of the headstock There is nothing special about these as far as build quality or materials. They are the same as any other year's model, although I suppose they might have sentimental value to some.
They are not any rarer than any other year's model either, although some seller's claim so. There are some 50th and 60th Fender anniversary 'Commemorative' models however that have a 'Commemorative' engraved neck plate. These are rarer as they were only issued for limited times but are basically the same guitars with a fancy decal and neck plate. This Fender anniversary/commemorative issue is very confusing as there are also Anniversary 'Stratocasters'. 2004 was the 50th anniversary of the Stratocaster. There are 50th Anniversary American Series Stratocasters that are special issues and will command higher prices. So just keep in mind that there are 'Fender Anniversary' (50th in 1996 and 60th in 2006) and 'Stratocaster Anniversary' (50th in 2004) and hopefully you'll be able to keep things straight.
Many sellers like to quote the original list or retail price of the guitar. Don't go by this number! The street prices on new guitars can be up to hundreds less than the list or retail prices! Ther MIM Stratocaster models There are may other offerings out of Mexico other than the Fender Standard Stratocaster.
The Standard Stratocasters will all have the same features which include what they call the 'Modern C-shape neck' (the shape of the back of the neck where your thumb rests), 9.5 inch fretboard radius (the curvature of the fretboard), Ping standard cast/sealed tuning machines, medium-jumbo frets (wire used for frets can have different heights and widths) and ceramic magnet single-coil pickups. Fender offers many other models of Stratocasters that have some cool, non-standard options. These are organized into groups which are named the 'Classic Series', the 'Classic Player Series', the 'Deluxe Series', the 'Artist Series', and 'Special Edition Series'. These would be considered 'upgrades' over the Standard model and are priced up to several hundred dollars more, but still priced well under the American Standard.
They are considered a great value though as they can offer playability equal to, or at least very similar to the American models. And they can be a huge bargain in the used marketplace as they have tended to appeal to more of a niche in the overall market. And they still have that stigma of being made in Mexico, which continues to be a negative to many purists or, in many cases, just plain unenlightened guitarists. These can be great guitars in stock form and can be outright steals on the used market at only $50-$100 (in many cases) more than a new Standard model. Although I certainly haven't tried all of these, I have read extensive reviews and comments on them so I will attempt to discuss each one to the best of my knowledge. Classic Series - There are 3 models within the 'Classic Series', the Classic '50's, Classic '60's and Classic '70's, which all attempt to capture at least some 'period correct' features from their corresponding eras.
These sell for $699 new, street price. Used prices tend to run between $425-$550, on average.You can often find them around $450. Classic '50's - Has the period correct 7.25 inch fretboard radius (which is more rounded than the modern 9.5 inch radius), the skinnier and slightly shorter vintage style frets, the vintage split-shaft style tuning machines, a soft 'V' shape neck profile (as opposed to the modern 'C' shape), single ply pickguard and vintage voiced alnico magnet single coil pickups.
The soft 'V' shape has a slightly pointed ridge running down the middle of the neck where your thumb would rest. The modern 'C' shape tends to feel rather flat, which many people prefer. But many also prefer the beefier feel that the 'V' shape provides. Classic '60's - Also has the vintage style 7.25 inch radius fretboard, vintage frets, vintage tuning machines, and vintage voiced alnico magnet single coil pickups, as described above, but this one has a vintage 'C' shape neck which doesn't have that flat feel like the modern 'C'. The vintage 'C' has a thicker feel to it and happens to be the one I prefer the most. This model also comes with the cool 3-ply mint green pickguard. Classic '70's - Also comes with the vintage 7.25 inch fretboard radius, vintage frets, vintage 'F' style tuning machines (has the Fender 'F' logo on the back) and vintage alnico magnet single coil pickups.
This model comes with a 'U' shape neck profile. This is the only neck shape I am not familiar with, but I would guess it's a little deeper, front to back, than the rest of them. Also has the large 70's style headstock which I personally dislike, but lots of people think it's cool. Classic Player Series - A little confusing when you are a newbie as there is a Classic Player 50's and a Classic Player 60's.very similar sounding names as the Classic 50's and 60's. These two models feature a combination of vintage and modern features and are marketed as 'Custom Shop Designed'. These run about $100 more new than the Classic Series at $799. Used prices tend to run between $525-$650.
You can find them all day long at around $550. Classic Player 50's - This model has the modern 9.5 inch fretboard radius and medium jumbo frets which many people seem to prefer nowdays. Other features include the popular Fender Custom Shop '57/'62 vintage style alnico magnet single coil pickups and the vintage soft 'V' shape neck profile.
It also has the Fender/Gotoh Vintage Style Locking Tuning Machines and custom neck plate. Classic Player 60's - This model features a 12 inch fretboard radius, which is flatter and generally considered to be better for faster soloing and possibly less desirable for chording. It's probably a fairly subjective observation, but it seems to be the general consensus. It has the slightly beefier vintage 'C' shape neck profile. It also features the modern medium jumbo frets and the very popular Custom Shop '69 single coil pickups. I've owned this pickup set and they are indeed sweet! This seems to be a very popular guitar lately.
Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster - This is the one I own. It's got the vintage 'C' shape neck profile but has the modern 9.5 inch fretboard radius and the medium jumbo frets. Has custom shop design, vintage single coil alnico pickups which are a little hotter than most vintage style, vintage style tuning machines and it's most prominent feature.a hardtail bridge. If you don't use the tremelo bar anyway, a hardtail is a great choice as you don't have to worry about as many adjustments and tuning issues. Plus you get the great string through body design like the Tele's.
Has the standard MIM 1.65 inch nut width. Jimmy Vaughan Tex-Mex Stratocaster - Soft 'V' shape neck profile, with the modern 9.5 inch fretboard radius and the medium jumbo frets, vintage tuners and the overwound Tex-Mex pickup set with the hot bridge pickup for that Texas blues sound. This one has no tone control for the middle pickup which means it's 'wide-open' by default. The Jimmy Vaughan model has the wider 1.68 inch nut width like the USA Standards. Both of those are very popular and highly rated Strats and they both go for around $675 new, shipped price.
Used they are often tremendous bargains and can be found for between $400-$450 easily. (There are others in the artist series. If you go to the Fender web site they list them under the 'Stratocaster' heading along with their specs) Well, that's about all I can offer for now. I will update this as I gain more knowledge or as the market changes. Again, please keep in mind that I have only discussed the more common types of stock Strats you'll find out there. You'll find owners that have performed upgrades asking more for them.
Like I mentioned in the beginning, there are many more vintage, re-issues and/or specialty Strats I have not talked about. Some of these are very highly thought of and/or possibly collectable and can command much higher prices and are beyond the scope of this guide (and my knowledge!).
I hope this helps relieve some of the confusion about all of the different Strats, or even more hopefully it doesn't add to it! Updated links to Fender Strat information: Disclaimer: I am absolutely not an expert nor am I qualified to appraise the value of your guitar. I'm sorry, but all I know concerning Strats and values are in the guide. I apologize if you found something you disagree with.
You may be an expert, whereas I am not, but then again you didn't take the time to write a guide either. The intention was just to try and make it a little more clear for the newbie's.