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The Surprising History of SQUIER by FENDER Guitars
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- Опубликовано: 23 апр 2021
- Hey, guys! I thought it would be fun to look at everybody's favorite budget brand, SQUIER! The history goes back much further and is much more surprising than even I thought going into it. Enjoy the ride!
I own many Squiers. They’re great.
My best strat is a 92 Squier MIJ. Comes close to a lot of American strats
At that price point you can’t go wrong.
I got 2...a tele and a jazzcaster. Love em!
In some cases. There are also Squires that are rubbish, as most people know. In fact, many people have the impression that all Squiers are rubbish, but I've had a few that are excellent. So, a mixed bag. Some rubbish, some gold.
I've bought more Squier than any thing else any only one was below what I consider playing at pro levels !
Most Squier are great guitars in my experience.
When I worked at Guitar Center, it was quite normal to have several Squires that were better playing guitars than half of the Fenders and Gibsons on the sales floor. A few upgrades and you have a solid instrument at half the price.
Litterly couldn't of said it better myself... theyll never have the resale value which is another reason why people keep there squires as they grow as players and it always remains a comfortable go to when hung next to any more expensive guitar...
@@lenbones7940 They seem to be fetching a fair price on the used market.
There's probably not a lot of difference besides a watermark and the price
Had the same experience at GC with Squier and the early 94-5 Mexican standard Fenders, which were very nice and less than half the cost of US. Also the Korean Squier II stuff was was super cheap and had cheap parts and construction but had really nice necks and set up and played crazy good for the cost.
Yup...got 4 squier teles & after some modification on them, they play & sound great!
Squiers are very good instruments; regardless what some may say. Back when I started playing there was no way of finding a good playing guitar unless you bought a Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, etc. and paid accordingly. After brands like Squier and Epiphone started making affordable instruments this all changed for beginners.
Same same. Except the squiers of my youth were garbage! Today I own a few Gibsons and one Fender. But I also own 2 ipiphones and 5 squiers I just picked up a squier classic vibes Jazzmaster and I dare anyone to say it’s not as nice and doesn’t sound as good as anything else I own. I love them.
@@mraycgz classic vibes are great. My classic vibe tele is as good as any of my gibsons, fenders or ibanez.
And i have owned/own cheap guitars that are around the squier price or under and some of them just feel and sound not as good.
There is something about the tonal quality that some squiers have in common with much more expensive guitars.
@@santrixhimself3679 yup!
If you get a good one, it might be a better instrument than some more expensive Fender stratocasters, which are not always good instruments.
@@pharmerdavid1432 I have noticed that, after recently shopping, and researching Tele's. I don't understand the marketing behind this. I'm sure they.have their reasons.
Squier helps me feed the need for "just one more" guitar. I would not have discovered the magic of the Telecaster otherwise. My Butterscotch Blonde string-through Bullet is simply brilliant.
Imagine as a guitarist you see a Squier violin. No way you’re thinking it’s worth so much.
"Oh jeez. I don't even want to know how much a Fender violin costs"
Or imagine as a violin player you find a Squier violin 🎻 in a pawn shop, thrift store or yard sale going for pennies on the dollar of it’s true worth.
Now I am educated!
I’m honestly going to begin looking for one.
@@BassOutcast fender did make electric violins
I've been playing guitar and bass for almost 40 years. Squiers have been some of the best instruments I've ever had, especially in recent years. With their current line up, they've really strpped up their game.
I had a Squier Telecaster (butterscotch blonde) that was the most perfect guitar I've ever played. The action was so perfect that my fingers flew over the strings and I rarely got fret buzz. Better guitar players than me played it and they were always impressed. I remember one guy who had just bought a vintage Telecaster who played it and said "this is the guitar I wanted!" :D
Great video.
I was 16 in ‘93 and my dad came in with a Fender case so I got excited! He opened it up and it was a Squier Strat and I was bummed at first. Plugged it into my Deluxe Reverb I had at the time and straight magic happened. It’s an 83/84 SQ model from Japan, all stock original. Decades later I still have and play it. Actually kept it over a 77 Fender I eventually got. Many people are shocked when they play it.
My 1983 Squire "SQ" model is hands down the BEST Strat Ive ever played! Probubly why I sold my American and MIM Strats and kept my 83 SQ Squire. 3 bolt neck w micro tilt, bullet truss rod , large 70s headstock. Its beat to death but the tone is there always!
I’ve got a 1983 SQ Strat too, but mine is a 62 style one. I’ve never found another one like mine. It has the truss rod at the bottom of the neck and the serial on the neck plate, with all the original parts and electronics. I love it to death.
I still have my Korean Squire Strat that was purchased in 1995 for $200! I had many guitar player friends that were super impressed by the action every time they picked it up. Later years it seems that you could get a squire Strat with a bag and an amp for like a hundred bucks! My only regret is that I would have purchased it white, instead of black. Because 26 years later, it has the gnarliest smoked patina on the pickguard, wish it was all over the body!
This was great to see and long overdue. Squires have really come a long way in the last 10 years they are such a solid value thanks for doing this awesome work.
Here's a little known fact - the lawsuit era should actually be called the cease and desist era. Cause that's what happened, not lawsuits
Except Gibson filed over 400 lawsuits (not Cease and Desists) at Asian guitar makers between 1969-1991, winning all but a few. Every Ibanez you buy today, a portion of that sale goes to Gibson.
I really like Squier, they are different to me for some reason than like say Epiphone ya know....Squier is killer in a lot of ways and deserves alot more respect for it's instruments....a Squier Telecaster with up grades of course is as good a instrument as G&L or Fender in fact you can afford the upgrades because you can save some coin....I've always thought Fender, Squier, and G&L absolutely kill with their Telecasters!
i found a used squier for 99 bucks at guitar center a few years back and idk who did what to it before they sold it but it’s the best guitar i’ve ever played, the neck is flawless, and the action and everything was literaly perfect, best 99 bucks i’ve ever spent
Love the channel got me at Guitar Historian, I have one of those Japanese Strats with the Fender by Squire Logos in Pelham Blue I got in a Pawn Shop about 8 years ago for $25. Very happy to own it just as a piece of History. Then again I'm a guitar hoarder lol.
I have one of the first Squier strats from about 1984. I still have it....played a LOT of gigs with it.
Classic Vibes and (used) Vintage Modifieds are indeed up there with the cheapest proper Fender models, people always think of Squiers as cardboard chinese toys: wrong. They are a steal for the price.
Im a very happy Squier player today! This was awesome, I love it!
I've had my squier strat 35 years I love it
As I watch this video, my Squier Starcaster is looking at me and saying "see of course I'm just as good as them, I just don't make a big deal about it. " So very true.....
My 1987 MIJ Stratocaster is my favourite guitar...ahead of my 1991 Fender Clapton signature series. Completely stock. No new pickups. The Squier, a boss overdrive and Fender blues deluxe amp. Absolutely awesome.
Thanks for the background on Squier. I had no clue as to the heritage. Your videos are outstanding, by the way. You should have way more subs!
Thanks man! 🙏🏻
Not that I am an expert but at around 70ish I have learned a bit over the years. I am not surprised I didn't know most of this because: -
A. It is a very informative presentation, and
B. When younger I got the impression Squier was just a cheap brand and not worth learning about.
Ah, the arrogance of Youth!
Please do one on Epiphone, these vids are so great!
You remind me of 5 Watt World - Maybe you are 6 Watt World.
🤣👍✨
I'd dig that. 3 Epis here, 2 Squiers.
In '89 -'90 when the Japanese contract was ending they made squires in the USA.... I have an '89 and it is very nice !
You obviously listened closely to the video and learned to spell "Squier". Not.
I had an 87 MIJ
Bought my JV Squier Strat back in 83. Little idea what I had; sure glad I kept it. She still looks and sounds beautiful.
Love the story of Fenders and Squiers in the 80s. I still have my 1st guitar I got new in 1986. MIJ Fender Squier in black. It has the 62 look but with modern Gotoh stamped tuners. I was 13 and saved my paper route $$ for it and it has so much sentimental value to me. I'm actually getting it re fretted with SS jumbo frets and re radiused to 9.5" right now because the frets were long gone from my teen years. It took a good teenage beating and is still in excellent shape. I haven't played it in 30 years and I can't wait!
About 6 years back my friend, who was working at a music store, showed me a Squier Classic Vibe Mahogany Thinline Telecaster that nobody wanted to buy, and had dropped in price several times. I thought it was kinda cool so I bought it. However, for some reason it just didn't play right. For years I wanted to sell it and it sat in a bag forever. One day, not long ago, I pulled it out and finally realized that it was just the low E string that needed an adjustment and intonation. Now I can't put this guitar down! I love it and play it way more than my American Standard Tele, for which I paid 4 times more!
These videos are so high quality and really interesting!
I enjoyed this video, and it's the one that finally got me to subscribe. My older brother bought a white Tokai AST-56 back around 1980. Pretty authentic replica of a 56 Strat. Literally the first electric guitar I ever played back when I didn't know anything, lol. Fast forward several decades and he still owns it, still plays and sounds awesome. I currently have a 1975 Penco A-18 that is a great sounding copy of a D-18, and is an acoustic "lawsuit era" guitar.
Most of my main playing instruments are Squiers and I own several equivalent Fenders (almost ALL from Indonesia, I do not know what they are doing there but it is amazing work).
Squier classic vibes and paranormal series are actually my favorite series to look for every year. I usually buy one. My classic vibe Jazzmaster instantly became one of my favorites and where else can you get a baritone telecaster with p-90’s? I can’t say I use it much but I have one and it’s fun.
I did mine backwards... I started with a Fender Strat in 75 and now have a Squier Strat.
I really appreciated this video. There was a lot about Squier history I knew nothing about. And I agree, the Squier Classic Vibe guitars are a lot of guitar for the money. With a good setup and a hardware upgrade here and there, they can play as well as any American Fender counterpart. I sometimes upgraded the pickups on my Squiers but I've had a couple of them that had pickups too good to consider replacing them. There's a local Tele player that is considered just about the hottest player in town, and I saw him playing a Classic Vibe Squier (pre-pandemic) and it sounded so sweet. At break I asked him what he had upgraded on the guitar. He said....nothing. Again proving that most of our sound is in how we play, not what we play. But it also proved that a stock Squier Tele could hang in a gigging band with no apologies. The perfect guitar for a beginner because it can take you as far as you want to go.
35 years ago i used to raise my nose at Squier guitars...Now i own 4,,, a Bullet Tele i bought new and 3 strats i picked up used and fixed and upgraded. They all have their unique sounds . Great video by the way.
Very cool! I didn’t know there was a history before Fender.
I disagree that the new Squier plays as well as instruments twice the price. I’d say more like three or four times the price. They’re not just entry level knockoffs anymore. In a blindfold test, I’d put my 200 dollar Squier, with 200 dollars of upgrades, up against a 1200 Fender any day of the week.
The big brands seem to have realised that money isn’t in selling to musicians; the real money is in selling to collectors.
Your last sentence pretty much sums up my feelings, too.
New guy hear.
Love what your doing brother.
This is a fascinating journey of Squire..... I'm thinking of going for a Starcaster perhaps a Affinity telecaster. Anyway great channel.
Cheers
Doug 😎
This is another great video from you….I live in the UK and in 1982 I bought one of the “first run” JV 1962 reissue Strats with the Fender by Squier decal. Which I still own. Being a big Rory Gallagher fan, I have “relict“ this (with a degree of regret now), it has “Irish Tour” Bare Knuckle pickups and tone control set up, the same as Rory’s Strat…Just to say I first saw Rory when I was 16 and I was at his last pitiful London gig at the Town & Country Club - how sad was that…Keep up the great vids, Cheers
hi , as an dutch rory fan ( i saw him live only twice sadly ) , i also once had the bk irish tour pu's in my strat , they sounded great . At the moment i have fender tex mex pu's in my "parts "strat , and although there like the cheapest official fender pu's they sure also sound good for blues and rock .
@@antoonhermans8953 Back in the past, I've lost count of the number of times I saw Rory, something like 15-20 gigs...In recent years I've tried get to see a good number Rory tribute events, especially Gerry McAvoy's Band of Friends...With my band I do some Rory numbers (well I try my best)...Cheers
@@stewartlancaster2745 yeah , i also have done ( at least tried to play ) some rory songs with my bands , didn't the dutch guitarist marcel scherpenzeel play with gerry's band for a while ? cheers .
@@antoonhermans8953 Marcel was brilliant...To try and get that Rory sound is a hard act to follow, I've got a Fender Bassman and of course the AC30 with a Hawk pedal by Flynn Amps... My wife is also my bassist, on our first date which was a jam session I threw her Bullfrog Blues and she did an excellent job, so the rest is history...
@@stewartlancaster2745 nice : ) , and yep , bullfrog blues is an rory standard , i see the pedal you are using is a clone off rory's treble booster , i myself am more a fender amp guy , i have one off the new tonemaster deluxe reverb at the moment ( sounds great , and easy to lift , wich for an old geezer ( 58 ) with an bad back is an real plus , i use my amp mostly as a clean blanket and will do the rest with my pedals , i hope you and you're wife have lot's of fun playing together , i am trying to find a wife with a shitload off money though : )
Really enjoyed that! Picked up an 80s Squier strat a few years ago and it plays beautifully
It has been quite a while that I learned so much new facts in such a clear manner. Wonderful, serious and a joy to learn this. My compliments!
I have an old Squier from 1983. Aside from changing the term system, tuners neck and pickups, its a solid guitar.
Thanks for the history... I knew about the strings connection, but had no idea of how deep a history now connected with my 70s CV. 👏👏
I own 2 Squier Classic Vibe Teles; a Butterscotch/Blackguard 50's style and a black 70's Custom style. Love these guitars. especially since the quality and playabilty punch way above their weight for the price. So much so, that I have no interest or desire for their more costly American/Mexican made Fender equivalents!
Nothings better than learning history from someone with a passion for what they are teaching. Love the video my friend. Cheers
Nice Mini Documentary!
Thanks
I have an 83 Squier Bullet. Excellent guitar. Neck to die for...
Nice video!! Really really interesting! Didn't knew a lot of Squier's history...
I have a couple cool Japanese clones early 70s and one from the early to mid 80s. Particularly cool is a Takamine Martin clone sporting the same font as their Martin counterparts
my first electric guitar was a Squier Affinity Stratocaster, built in Yako Taiwan (body stamped May 1998 tho neckplate serial number stamped N7 aka 1997) and my parents got it for me christmas 1998. It became my first "Frankenstein" guitar - though only the body remains of the original guitar (the neck is actually a maple '93 MIM Squier I got from tading necks with a classmate senior year of high school), it has always been my number one and i can honestly say that I've experienced great moments of success thanks to that guitar. She's even immortalized on vinyl record :) I now own several Squiers including an absolutely amazing 2022 Classic Vibe 60s Custom Esquire that sounds like an absolute BEAST, and a Bullet HH Mustang I use for Sonic Youth style alternate tunings
I really think Squiers are some of the best instruments one can get because it both offers a great intro to electric guitar for beginners, and they're great guitars for professionals to upgrade/mod and frankenstein. I gotta say I'm really impressed with the recent output by them (they made a BASS VI!?!?!?!) and I'm sorely tempted to expand my Squire arsenal :)
Awesome work...great video🎸🎶👍
I love my CV 50's telecaster.
Very well researched history lesson!
An interesting guitar history would be Dick Dale’s 1961 Strat “The Beast”. It was his one and only stage and movie Strat for 58 years.
Given to him by Leo himself. He let me play it many years ago, at his home, and I can verify it was/is a beast!
RIP Dick old friend!
I played that guitar without an amp in Columbia Missouri
Thanks, didn't know this. Shine on.👍🎸✌️
Most squier guitars from 2015ish and after have really stepped it up as far as quality is concerned. I don’t think the squier name is anywhere near as stigmatized as it used to be. Great video!
Not sure the legitimacy of this story, but I heard that when fender bought out Tokai to build their japanese instruments they received a sample build and were completely blown away by the quality for the price they could sell it at, to the point where they had to make measures to lower the quality of the instruments as to not impede on American made sales. Tokai still makes guitars for about the price of Fender player series and they’re incredible, they play and sound just like an American strat. The only American fender that has completely blown Tokai away for me was the Fender Elite Series that was discontinued in 2017
I have a book on the history of Squier and those first samples did bring about comments like 'we have a problem'.
I wish i would have bought a Strat in the mid '80s. Felt too slippery like the '75 i bought in '76 (curvy neck radius).
It's true, Japan Squier were better than anything Fender was doing and they knew it !
Also the Japanese guitars are still compared to the custom shop guitars of today.
Excellent video ! 👍✨🏆
No details spared. 📜
My Squier Classic Vibe 50's Stratocaster (made in Indonesia) is the nicest guitar I've ever owned. Pine body, silky smooth maple neck with bone nut and tall frets, with actual Fender pickups, and vintage style tuners.
I like it better than my Dad's mid 70's Fender Strat. Which is also a great guitar, that gets a bad reputation. I've played a few CBS era Fenders and they were all great.
I have a 2007 Squier Obey Propaganda Telecaster that I originally bought for a grandson, who never even played it. So, when I picked it up, it turned out to have the very best neck ever. A few years later I bought a Carvin AP-11 for the neck and a C22B for the bridge. It is my main go-to-guitar that I absolutely love.
In addition, when I bought the above guitar for my grandson, I bought a Squier Obey Propaganda Stratocaster for myself that is absolutely perfect, build quality, neck, pickups. etc. Was going to swap out the pups, but all I can say is *THE FACTORY MUSY HAVE HAD A VERY GOOD DAY* when my Obey Strat was built. Therefore, I will definitely keep this one totally original. Also have a Squier Jazz Bass in the Natural Finish that is just as perfect as my Obey Strat.
Fact is I play the above listed guitars *way more* more than I do my 2010 Fender American Standard Strat and my 2008 Gibson Les Paul Standard.
I bought my Black/Maple Squier Strat in 1984 while in the US Army in Germany. It has a 3 bolt neck and the printing on the headstock is just like the one at 10:16 instead of like the others you showed. I still have and play it and it plays and sounds as good or better than any Fender branded Strat I have ever played. Even music store people seem impressed with it, some even offering to buy it. I will never sell it.
I love this video for two reasons...I own a couple of and love my Squiers (a Strat and a Classic Vibe Tele), and I’m a lifelong Flyers fan. You have a new subscriber!
Philly born and raised here!
@@TheGuitarHistorian Cool! I grew up in and spent the first half of my life living in South Jersey. I consider myself as Philly as it gets, without having actually lived in that great city. Philly sports fan until the day I die!
My Japanese made Strat from the early 80s was the best Strat I’ve ever had!! Squire is phenomenal for the price 🎉
I have 4 Squires myself and i love them.
Great video and good pronunciation of the Japanese words. I bought a'60s Squier classic vibe stratocaster last year and I love the playability and price. In fact I just bought an Epiphone studio Les Paul which sounds alot different than the Squier. I really like your show and keep them coming. Peace.
I love my fender Squier recorded so many demos with it sounds great
I have a SQUIER STANDARD STRATOCASTER made in Indonesia, it plays and sounds so good the only upgrade I have done is a brass nut. I also have a EPIPHONE LES PAUL STANDARD made in Korea it is such an amazing quality instrument, I have not upgraded one thing, I have played USA GIBSON LES PAUL'S, that are pale in comparison. So I guess sometimes you just get lucky with these great quality cheaper versions that are excellent value for money.
Thanks for that history ,,i have an 86 fat strat style squier . I made some up grades to it but all the bones are original, i couldn't ask for a better instrument. It's beautiful and keeps up with any american or mexican made guitars out there.
Very informative- I have a CV Tele and Strat - both made in China - both guitars punch well above their weight - makes me smile every time I pick one of them up. 👍🎸
1982 JV Telecaster, unbelivable sound and quality. Same valid for most of JV Strats
i recently got a squier because i needed a jazz bass for our band and honestly i'm already so in love with it. wanted to get that festival strap too btw but considering my budget i had to prioritize strings haha
What an excellent video. So glad this popped up on my feed.
Cheers. Guitar 🎸🎸🎸
Man I love this Channel! Thanks for this video!
I’ve had a couple of Classic Vibes, Affinities and Bullets with varying quality. Just picked up an E series MIK Bullet Strat and it’s amazing.
great video! I have a 60'S CV P-bass my self and it really is not that far from my MIM and MIA Fender instruments. They really upped the quality in the last few years.
Another fave was The Super Sonic, a reverse off set, modeled after a flipped over JazzMaster Jimi played with Little Richard.
I played about 4 of these in the late '90s. Too broke to buy them but all were great.
Put that thru a Super Sonic amp of the day and tear it up !
Very interesting! I love my Squiers and had no idea that they had such a long and distinguished history! I am happy to be a new subscriber!
I have a couple of Squier basses and they are fantastic instruments.
I own a bronco bass and I’m impressed how close it sounds to a high end bass
The 'Pawnshop Series' were branded as Fenders, even though they were imported. That Squier '51 was part of the 'Vintage Modified' series.
Great video, thank you for your work. I own a Squier and I've never been more satisfied. Be safe.
My latest guitar is a Squier CV Strat. It's as good as any of my other guitars. They're fantastic guitars.
Also Squier changed the headstock shape with the logo in 1983, for no confusion with a real pre CBS Fender, 1982's were so close looking ! I should have bought one back in time.
I own a Squier Classic Vibe Tele and Love It !
I bought a Squier Stratocaster 1989, I don't remember where it was made. It had a plywood body, a real Fender tremolo with a big block and Fender saddles, big pots and real single coil pickups, not the pickups with a glued on magnet, the headstock had Gotoh tuners. I still have it, in parts not together. I may put it together again. :)
Great video. I’d love to see you do a complete video of Hofners 500/1. Thank you
Still rocking my 2007 squire vintage modified strat!
Good stuff man, thanks for all this interesting info!
This was great! Thanks for the history lesson! 👍🏼👍🏼
Got a Squier Starcaster contemporary last year. Perfect set up straight out of the box & is an amazingly well built guitar for a fraction of the price.
Thanks for the post it was very enjoyable. I had two Squiers and I was so impressed that when I looked into getting the double bound tele from Fender I balked at the ridiculous price tag, ($3400+). I bought the same guitar under the Squier name for under $500. It was absolutely perfect out of the box. I used my credits with Musician's Friend to buy Fender IV noiseless pick-ups, locking tuners, and a push-pull pot for putting the pickups out of phase. With the luthier work included I have a custom made guitar for just under $600. Squiers are better than a lot of people think.
Great video and great info. Thank you!
Love my affinity. Thanks for the show
I just bought my first Squier fsr bullet Telecaster and I love it.
Have an early 90's Squier P-bass. Great Tone!
I love all of my SQUIER'S!!!!
Very interesting, thanks. You missed the Guild/DeArmond connection. In the late 1990s Fender owned both Guild and DeArmond. Fender pushed through a Guild "budget" line named DeArmond Guitars, the more expensive of which were made initially in Korea with some cheaper models being made in the same Cort, Indonesia factory where Squiers are made. The line was well very well received but was discontinued sadly after about seven years or so. For some reason that I would love to know the reason for, some of the very late model DeArmonds were not sold as DeArmonds but badged *Squier* instead (eg. Squier M77); some nice instruments very different to the Fender based Squiers.
I have a 1996 made in Mexico Squier P-bass. It is every bit as good as a Mexican made Fender Precision Bass.
I love my Squier tele. ❤️
I still got my squire affinity series which was my first guitar, got her modded up with a single humbucker bridge and single volume (500K) the humbucker is a dimarzio D’activator X candy apple red maple neck and rosewood fretboard, I love my squire 😎
i had a classic vibe 50s tele was amazing played so well that i built my own tele using some old mahogany for the body and purchased a classic vibe neck for it. my latest partscaster also sports a classic vibe 70s neck, smooth and easy to play, no rough fret edges..just a real good playe. Now the affinity series i feel use the same necks ,but they dont spend the time on rolling the fret ends and dressing them properly
Last year I bought two Squier Telecasters on sale from Musicians Friend and was pleasantly surprised at how well built they are! One of the two even has a more premium appearance with the deeper tan shade of maple neck that one would expect from the Fender custom shop. Finally, the low action and intonation were astonishingly close for that pricepoint of guitar!
My first Guitar was an mij Squier Strat. Still have it today. I'm left handed and at the time these were the only real instrument of quality available for Southpaw's that were not astronomicaly priced. Fender hadn't even thought about Mexico at the time and my Dad wondered if i would stick it out so he couldn't justify a new Fender from the states. I cut my teeth playing my Dad's Fender's upside down so i was made up when he sent off to Japan for my first dedicated left hand Guitar for my 11th birthday.
Thanks for this history lesson.