Fender Squier series

lespaul59 · 08-25-2004, 02:52 AM

I've been meaning to ask about this for about a week now. What is a Fender Squier series Strat(or Strat style)? The guitar had a Fender logo with Squier series on the end of the head stock, I even believe it was made in Mexico. The guitar just grabed my attention at first because it was a Fender Strat for $220, but then I saw Squier series and got confuse. I wouldn't buy the guitar my self becasue it was even a little to beat up for me. I don't mind a ding hear and there but the this guitar even had a few dings on the neck which didn't look like I just bumped into something dings.

CheshireCat · 08-25-2004, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lespaul59

I've been meaning to ask about this for about a week now. What is a Fender Squier series Strat(or Strat style)? The guitar had a Fender logo with Squier series on the end of the head stock, I even believe it was made in Mexico. The guitar just grabed my attention at first because it was a Fender Strat for $220, but then I saw Squier series and got confuse. I wouldn't buy the guitar my self becasue it was even a little to beat up for me. I don't mind a ding hear and there but the this guitar even had a few dings on the neck which didn't look like I just bumped into something dings.

Sounds like marketing spin to make Squiers look like legit Strats.

Chesh

**Rainer.** · 08-25-2004, 10:12 AM

I could say Squier by Fender, or Fender Squier series, the latter which I've never heard of before. It sounds to me that it's something older then the Squier company. Something that might've become the Squier brand later, but in the beginnings, it was Fender Squier series. This is all guessing, so I'll have to do some research...

**Rainer.** · 08-25-2004, 10:19 AM

Aha. Found it.

That Fender Squier Series is an MIJ Strat.

That's the old Squiers before the Squier logo took place. So that guitar is an early 80's MIJ Fender "Squier" Strat. I bet they were pretty good guitars. I guess production soon moved out of Japan, and then quality might've gone down or something.

Major Tom · 08-25-2004, 10:31 AM

Dude - from your description, I would say that's one of the Japanese made Fenders from the early-mid 80's !!

When they first started the Squire brand name, they used the Fender logo, and had a separate "Squire Series" logo in the circular part of the headstock. If you look, it should say "Made in Japan" in small print under the main Fender logo. I don't know what they go for, especially in a beat up condition, but they are worth considerably more than later Korean/Chines/whateva Squiers with which they have nothing in common except the parent company; they are a "collector status" guitar. As I remember, they had a reputation for being as good as the american made strats - they were made during the "golden age" of japanese-made guitar, after all. That $220 price probably ain't bad if its playable, as those will increase in value as time goes on. You might want to do some research, and re-think that one.

CheshireCat · 08-25-2004, 04:15 PM

Well, it may not be worth much if it was like my mid-80's Squier Bullet and had a plywood body.

Chesh

Major Tom · 08-25-2004, 04:59 PM

Probably need a Fender historian, but the Bullets were entry level stuff - the very earliest of those were produced in Korea in the early 80's, which was not exactly the "golden era" of Korean guitars. I remember one model had a metal pickguard, which was bent and compromised part of the bridge assembly. Is it a Bullet, or a Stratocaster? Easy to tell if its ply - just look into the trem cavity.

lespaul59 · 08-25-2004, 05:26 PM

I don't know if this will help nail down what model or year it is but it had a maple fretboard and it felt better than any new Squier I've played. And I also don't know much about Fenders or Squiers, so if they made Bullet Strats with Maple fretboard it would be news to me. I'm not sure where it was made but I do know it wasn't Korean made.

**Rainer.** · 08-25-2004, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom

Probably need a Fender historian, but the Bullets were entry level stuff - the very earliest of those were produced in Korea in the early 80's, which was not exactly the "golden era" of Korean guitars. I remember one model had a metal pickguard, which was bent and compromised part of the bridge assembly. Is it a Bullet, or a Stratocaster? Easy to tell if its ply - just look into the trem cavity.

The newest bullets, like mine, are hardtail. You have to look under the pickguard or in the neck pocket to see that it's plywood. (and it is...)

Major Tom · 08-25-2004, 10:06 PM

If I'm not mistaken, the original Bullets were the model name of the guitar itself (NOT a strat or tele), and were shaped like strats or whatever, but were not configured as strats, or any other fender model. The ones I see lately, it looks like Bullet is a name for the series of low end Squiers.

In my "the Fender Book" it says they (CBS owned Fender) came out with the Japanese made Squiers series in 1981 to compete in the world market with the likes of other japanese Fender copy guitars such as Fernandes, Tokai, etc. which were pro-quality guitars at much lower prices than what Fender could sell the american made stuff, due to cheaper labor rates. In other words, they were intended as "full quality", not as entry level guitars. Remember, in that era, the japanese were putting out top notch stuff, but their labor rates were much lower than ours. I guess it was later, after the japanese stuff became expensive, the Fender recycled the Squier name for the lower end stuff.

Hopeful · 08-26-2004, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom

If I'm not mistaken, the original Bullets were the model name of the guitar itself (NOT a strat or tele), and were shaped like strats or whatever, but were not configured as strats, or any other fender model. The ones I see lately, it looks like Bullet is a name for the series of low end Squiers.

In my "the Fender Book" it says they (CBS owned Fender) came out with the Japanese made Squiers series in 1981 to compete in the world market with the likes of other japanese Fender copy guitars such as Fernandes, Tokai, etc. which were pro-quality guitars at much lower prices than what Fender could sell the american made stuff, due to cheaper labor rates. In other words, they were intended as "full quality", not as entry level guitars. Remember, in that era, the japanese were putting out top notch stuff, but their labor rates were much lower than ours. I guess it was later, after the japanese stuff became expensive, the Fender recycled the Squier name for the lower end stuff.

Made in Japan quality was not only limited to Strats. You'll find a strong demand for LP's, Tele's, semi-hollows, etc. that were made in the 80's. I can testify to the quality of the MIJ Fenders with my '62 reissue that was made in 1986. I have attached a picture - talk about sweet.

**Rainer.** · 08-26-2004, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom

If I'm not mistaken, the original Bullets were the model name of the guitar itself (NOT a strat or tele), and were shaped like strats or whatever, but were not configured as strats, or any other fender model. The ones I see lately, it looks like Bullet is a name for the series of low end Squiers.

Ah. I see. Well, it seems that the Bullets have made it to be the lowest-end trash Squier makes.

Ah well...

Saxophone · 08-26-2004, 09:45 AM

Yeah, oddly enough they have good resale value,

Mosher-Bryan · 08-27-2004, 12:49 AM

My high school has one of these Fender Squier Series Strats. They are actually half decent guitars, although an American or Mexican Strat is definately better.

**Rainer.** · 08-27-2004, 09:39 AM

I think that the old MIJ's were up to par or better then the MIM's, IMO. At least the ones I've played.