The route under the pickguard is HSH. I just took a look so that leaves a lot of options as far as pickup configurations. Let the modding begin! Get this guitar here: amzn.to/3Jl3MAb
sounded good,and i didnt mind the finish.i bet squier/fender do the same with these as with the early chinese classic vibes,considered higher quality than the current indonesian classic vibes.they will get lots of good reviews,sell a boatload,then they will cheapen further,and move production to indonesia,once the model is established
I think that might be the default routing for all strats. I have a 2018 HH "metal" strat that I ripped apart. It started with the 2 humbuckers, and it had the HSH routing just as yours does. I'm replacing with HSS.
It's a genuine squire by fender stratocaster yes it's a decent guitar pick ups aren't as good as a fender stratocaster but they aren't bad about two hundred dollars worth of cosmetic stuff and it's pretty close to a regular fender stratocaster.
I got mine yesterday in the sunburst. I'm in my 60's, a jazz player and normally play on large jazz boxes like D'Angelico New Yorker, ES175 etc. I also own a Gibson 335 and a Fender Telecaster. I saw a review on here a couple days ago and thought why not for just $120? I'm really shocked at the great quality at this price. I'll have to put some better quality and heavier gauge strings on it. I think these come with 9's installed. On a guitar like this I would prefer 10s like on my Tele. I have to get a accustomed to this neck, compared to my jazz boxes it feels like I'm playing on a broom stick because it is thin in comparison, but well crafted and plays nicely. The satin finish in sunburst is nice and has a certain understated elegance to it. It sounds pretty good through a Twin Reverb. I don't really do much distortion. it's a keeper.
I just got one in black. Electronics tone volume and pup selecter works great and fretends are smooth! Action was set low that’s another good thing. Whammy works tuners work. And it stays in tune just about as long as any other guitar I’ve ever had. So I can’t really say that’s an issue because every single godamn guitar I’ve ever had goes out of tune after I’m done abusing it. I 😂😂don’t do Floyd rose. I’m a terrible guitar player who loves cheap fenders. $120 this is fantastic and I’m hoping they do a telecaster. Sorry for the novel! Great review !
@@HenryofEngland I live in the us. I haven’t seen it on Amazon yet. I’m sure it’ll get here eventually. My strat is nice! Only thing I’m not crazy about is the matte finish. I’m planning on painting it.
@@HenryofEngland I’m definitely not griping! It’s a good guitar. Definitely better than the sonic. Terrible fret sprout. So the debut series will give me an opportunity to use my painting skills
I grew up playing guitar in the 60s, and was a pro for over 20 years. We NEVER had anything like that for $120 when I was coming up. Sure, I still have my original '64 blue Mustang, which I bought used off my neighbor for $120, but even then those deals were few and far between. Good demo, Baldy! Well presented and even makes me curious to try one out for laughs...
I bought a Fender American 🇺🇸 Ultra and then the Fender Squier Debut to be my practice version with fret note stickers. For $119, I love the debut. It is helping me learn the fret board. It is nicer than I expected and I don’t have to worry about damaging an expensive guitar 🎸 with sticker residue.
Uhhhhh .....WOW! It's hard to believe Fender is actually even doing this! Good for them!! As a side note? Please ...please do a deep dive on a Slick guitar from Guitar Fetish? They range between $239-269 & look really, really nice (the $89 hardshell cases look INCREDIBLE, too) ! Would super enjoy seeing you open one of these Slick boxes up!
Honestly, they have to. I know Fender owns brands like Jackson which do those super cheap guitars, but Jacksons don't say Fender on them anywhere, so a younger guitarist might never consider buying an expensive Fender when they get older, so without a cheap guitar to compete with the Amazon brands, Fender is shooting themselves in the foot.
I bought a slick SL60 in like 2019 I think as a first guitar. I took it to a luther friend and he was really impressed with the setup as delivered. It's good quality hardware all around a good guitar. However, im hesitant to recommend buying a guitar online. If you go to a music store and just see how a few feel, even not knowing how to play you'll probably notice some just are more comfortable than others. My slick is still really good but I bought a Tanglewood acoustic and a fender squire at guitar center that are much more comfortable for me. I struggle to say why but they both just feel better and do more to encourage me to keep learning despite my lack of talent 😅
They probably cut corners on the hardware and pickups , but for that price as long as the neck is straight it's a good platform. Also it's good all these small companies are forcing the big boys to start competing at a reasonable level. Nice job once again brother 👍✌️🤘
The trem block is the lightest one I've come across. it weighed 35.6570g. That's half the weight of a Squier Bullet block (68.9485g).. I installed one from Musiclily (299.3710g)
@@creepyrc794 Like I said a good platform guitar that's it , I saw Sean on Scar my Guitar demo a Strat yesterday. It was only $89 with a $10 off coupon , same deal good platform but that's it. Basically like buying a diy kit just painted already....
The great thing about these Squiers is that there are constantly people selling the tuners out of their Mexican strats for like $30 who upgraded theirs to locking tuners...and the pickups as well!
(the spacing of the 2 positioning pins on back are not same) however you can tighten the replacement mexi ones to make an impression and then drill new holes and it works, just not exact match.
The finish on this one looks just like the finish on the Fesley guitar you liked so much. At the time you mentioned the Fesley's were made in the "Fender" factory. This makes sense, and why these debut series guitars are really nice.
Sounded better than i thought it would, I like the finish, IMO If they really wanted to compete they would bring back the budget Fender Starcaster, people not in the know would choose a Fender (x) over Squire (by fender).
Very interesting, the Squier Bullet series, you could get for less than $100 a few years ago with a high gloss finish that were manufactured in Indonesia. I recently bought Sonic H-S-S stratocaster and a Squier Affinity H-S-S stratocaster that were both in the same price range but I found that the Sonic which was made in Indonesia was set up better than the Affinity that was made in China and had better fret work. Nicely presented but I think if Squier wants to compete, they need to up their game with the finish.
Nice Demo there brother...Squires are great for the price and great for mod projects...I have two of them that I turned into Old School EVH 78 Replicas ...
I was very surprised by how well that single coil sounded with the gain up. My first thought was...I'd love to buy that and then replace the bridge pickup with a humbucker, but if I could get tone like you just did from that single coil...
Yeah, when I bought mine I was amazed at the gain for a squire/strat. They used to be so quiet that I had to turn my amp way up on stage to be heard, but I loved the bell tones. No, I wouldn't go HSS on this guitar. That's why I bought this, because my 1999 MIM HSS Fender Strat just doesn't have the tones.
Todays Bullet . I bought mine in 2010 and played it a couple of hours ago and still can't believe how much I love it. It's a workhorse Strat that gives you what you work for. I need to get the volume pot cleaned but other than that it is just as I bought it and getting better every year. I have a LP with the same finish and love the way it shines up in the high traffic areas. Send me one Squire !
I got this same guitar a few days ago and everything he says is accurate. I basically thought exactly the same thing before and after buying it as he did. It really is fantastic considering the price and quality of the guitar. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone or to buy it again.
The biggest cost saving measure is that the body is made out of poplar - a very cheap and plentiful wood. Quite frankly, I'm a fan of poplar guitar woods. Just because its not expensive doesn't mean its not good.
Mine just came yesterday and I cannot believe this guitar was $120. I've had strats I've paid way more money for that don't play or sound near as good as this one does
Love the flat finish. Sounds good! I bout a squire from g. Center about 5 years ago. It's a metallic forest green. Through in a dimarzio pickup in it. Never had to adjust the string action. Thing plays like a dream. Only paid 169$ for it
I am a leftie guitarist who can never afford a Fender but being a die hard fan of Hank Marvin I used to long for getting his unique sound but never could. Now I have a Squier Standard with SSS Alnico pickups . With a Marshall amp and a vintage echo/ delay unit I get about 80% of Hank ....❤
I bought this! I have to say, it's better than any guitar I've ever owned for the bell tones. Yes, it has that classic quack, but isn't quiet like the old ones. Or course I leveled the frets, that's just something you know you're probably going to have to do with a cheap guitar, but that's no big deal since I'm also a guitar tech and have the tools to do it easily. I absolutely fell in LOVE with this guitar. Used it as my primary guitar for stage. Felt like silk under my fingers. It was an absolute pleasure to play. No, not getting paid for saying it either. The thing was, I didn't like the look, so I replaced the pick guard and changed out the hardware for gold. Some nice vintage gold knobs even and it looks as good as it sounds. I have the exact same color as the pics in the video-golden sunburst (or whatever you call it.) It's a piece of artwork in all ways. I didn't even need to change the pickups at all.
I got 2 because they are only $99, tuned one of them, adjusted the neck to no relief, adjusted the bridge to floating, adjusted the saddle height, and it’s phenomenal without even plugging it in yet.
i have a real fender strat Squier bullet wihch was made in 2010 got it for $100.00 love this thing i am goin to mod this thing to death nice Squier you have there and it’s good for the money thank you for the video and review my favorite video is when you reviewed the monsoon by Leo jaymz i have one at my friends house he got at namm
I picked up the Dakota Red. I wa mostly worried about the frets, but to my surprise, they are actually really good. I'm in the process of upgrading it now, I'll post a video soon.
Great video! They're don't look too bad for the price but I got a Squier Affinity Stratocaster on sale for $200 and it has a two point tremolo and great sounding pickups and descent tuners. The only thing I might replace is the nut and I considered locking tuners but it's not necessary just a wanted upgrade.
If it had a 2 point trem, I'd get one in the 2 tone sunburst. The one you got has too much black on it though. I've seen them with a thinner band of black so that more of the brown shows.
My wife & I are going to look into this... Great review... A good guitar to have as a mod platform. Also get the Fender Back Plate from China Alie Express. Cheers 🍻🥃🥃🎸🎼🎵🎶🎶🎶
Had to get one, was looking for a used strat to mod and this new one is it, curious as to the cavity under the pick gaurd but I got a router. Thanks for the review & see You on the next one...
Great video Richard. I think Fesley painted these guitars...lol. They look great in the matte colors. I don't think I can call victory just yet, but Fender making a decent guitar for $119 is very close to it! I think a real victory will be when Gibson matches that price! Thanks for the cool review. Keep on shredding!
I have owned easily over a hundred different guitars over the years and I know that's not a lot compared to some people but I did pick one of these up after watching your video when I am pretty freaking shocked how fun it is how well it plays and I even like how it sounds
I was just on the Thomann website, and their ST-62 VW Vintage Series guitar (strat copy) is now $133, plus $85. shipping to the U.S. I think Fender is finally starting compete with Jet and Harley Benton. This is a way better deal.
Thanks for the video, Richard. I agree that Fender is stepping up their game from sheer need. Those barely known companies who have been selling cheap guitars have really been giving Fender and Squier fits. For instance, last year I shopped in a reasonably intelligent manner and scored a pair of Donner DST-400s. They cost more than the Squier you just reviewed, but they are considerably higher in value than the Squier. Where it has a poplar body, the Donners use alder, the bridge pickup is a humbucker, and the vibrato is a 2-post version rather than a 6-screw (I don't like those). The only functional upgrade I did was putting roller saddles on the bridges to help with tuning stability. Those and the cosmetic upgrades have left the total cost of the guitars and their upgrades under $250. I don't doubt that that Squier is worth its price, especially for players with setup skills and tools, but Fender and Squier need to continue raising the level of their game, because Donner and similar brands have raised the bar in the affordable instrument market!
119+;60 dollar tuners+ new 50 trem + 110 loaded pickguard+ 10 lubricant nut +graphite saddles 20 + pay chum at guitar center to put all this stuff in 200 bucs. If I could do all upgrades it's worth it.
I have three squares and I love every one of them squires are little thinner the bodies but they're pretty heavy and I'm sure that's how they cut the cost they didn't put the gloss on it's still a heck of a deal I have a squire standard that came out in 2004 it's HSS has a mirror pickguard it's got a 2-point trim floating trim and it has a compound radius neck it's thicker up toward the headstock and then it flattens out great about mid neck it's the most comfortable neck I have ever played it's one of my favorite guitars are we are almost forgot it's got a painted headstock what is gorgeous silver logo that says Squier Stratocaster of course I paid like 374 Falcon 2004 still looks like new. I only wish I could play as good as you I'm not a shredder by any stretch of the imagination it's not my style I've always done more pop rock type of music although my favorite band is Def Leppard and all the hair metal bands I may pick up one of those that's cheap thanks for showing that you're always finding great guitars
Thank Rich good info ,I have 1993 squire made in Korea and guys that play it are amazed how good it plays n sounds it's a blackie I bought it for 100 bucks off Craig's list the guy never played it I know great guitarists that love squires they say ya gota know how to pick em and what strings ya put on them for your style and ya gota know how to intonate them and set the action God Bless Rich I'm a bald player too
@thebaldshredder nice review! I checked out the Amazon listing. I won't be buying one.... because I don't "NEED" another guitar...."WANT" yes "NEED" no....but I like the Dakota red option.
These really reminded of mid-90s MIM Strats. Poplar bodies with 6 point trems and thin blocks, ceramic pickups, cheaper tuners. Good mod platforms. Being a satin finish, wonder if it'll shine up or relic?
Interesting for sure. I thought those high value guitars you've been featuring would make the big 2 lower their prices. Instead they come out with a new series!
I just modded a 70s Squier because I liked the neck and the way it played, after switching out pickups,nut and block it plays and sounds just as good if not better than most of the over price Fender Strats out now. It will be a cold day in hell when I pay what they are asking for a USA strat
Replace the nut with a TUSQ one and put some Hipshot locking tuners on it. Since Squier uses smaller headstock holes, You”ll need to ream the holes a little larger on the headstock to accept standard sized Fender tuning machines.
Vintage Fender Strat bodies had a nitro finish that was not glossy like polyurethane. They may have been going for the nitro look To me, it looks great with the sunburst finish.
Just bought the Fender $119 and the Tank _G from your links. Thank you for the advice. Im old and im going to use learning the guitar for brain health. Thank you! Have a great day!
Looks and sounds very good, thank you. I assume the paint they used is still polyurethane? I wonder if it would wear, age little bit like the nitrocellulose lacquered guitars?
Yes, that's the one fatal problem with this guitar, and many cheap guitars, is that the necks are thick.If you don't mind it then it's a great modding platform where you can replace pickups, saddles, tunning pegs if you like down the road. Otherwise, most critics have found that the frets were level and fret ends were smooth. I think you can even replace the trem with a short block from GFS. Because it is squire, you can probably get a HSH pickgard from Warmoth and put whatever pickups you want. You probably can replace the neck if the frets wear down.
I'm not the biggest fan but for $120 it's not bad. With A pickup swap and a proper setup (which you should be able to do yourself) it can be a pretty nice guitar.
@thebaldshredder thanks so much for taking the time to check, man! I was on the fence, but now I'm definitely guna snag one! If we click your link to it does it support you?
im not seeing any skunk stripon the back of neckdoes it have a truss rod could be why its soooooooooooo cheap look at joint on body seeif its there the adjustment if not top,of headstock itbmight be there if not neck will pone to warping
Back in the day the better Squier guitars and basses had the gold lettering on the headstock while the crappier ones had the plain black lettering for the logo. I truly hope that they are going back to the days when you could get a decent instrument without having to spend 800+ bucks for a bottom of the line Fender. I have a couple of the old school basses with the gold lettering and they play and sound just as good as my Fender does. I have done some luthier work on them but all in all they are solid platforms. Again here's hoping they go back in time to the levels of quality they had back then.
The route under the pickguard is HSH. I just took a look so that leaves a lot of options as far as pickup configurations. Let the modding begin! Get this guitar here: amzn.to/3Jl3MAb
sounded good,and i didnt mind the finish.i bet squier/fender do the same with these as with the early chinese classic vibes,considered higher quality than the current indonesian classic vibes.they will get lots of good reviews,sell a boatload,then they will cheapen further,and move production to indonesia,once the model is established
I think that might be the default routing for all strats. I have a 2018 HH "metal" strat that I ripped apart. It started with the 2 humbuckers, and it had the HSH routing just as yours does. I'm replacing with HSS.
This is good info!
Love the way you done this review, got straight to the point on everything 😊 and made the product sound as good as it plays. WELL DONE.
It's a genuine squire by fender stratocaster yes it's a decent guitar pick ups aren't as good as a fender stratocaster but they aren't bad about two hundred dollars worth of cosmetic stuff and it's pretty close to a regular fender stratocaster.
@thebaldshredder dude thank you for buying and reviewing this guitar...I was the one who suggested this during the live show...you rock!
Thanks for the suggestion!
Great idea!
183 aud but im in.
One disagreement: Considering the competition these days, YES the fretwork DOES need to be this nice.
Yes it NEEDS to be, but it usually isn't.
@@thebaldshredder same can be said for high end fenders, gibsons
I got mine yesterday in the sunburst. I'm in my 60's, a jazz player and normally play on large jazz boxes like D'Angelico New Yorker, ES175 etc. I also own a Gibson 335 and a Fender Telecaster. I saw a review on here a couple days ago and thought why not for just $120? I'm really shocked at the great quality at this price. I'll have to put some better quality and heavier gauge strings on it. I think these come with 9's installed. On a guitar like this I would prefer 10s like on my Tele. I have to get a accustomed to this neck, compared to my jazz boxes it feels like I'm playing on a broom stick because it is thin in comparison, but well crafted and plays nicely. The satin finish in sunburst is nice and has a certain understated elegance to it. It sounds pretty good through a Twin Reverb. I don't really do much distortion. it's a keeper.
Not too shabby. That guitar has a three ply pickguard, diecast tuners and a correct Fender headstock.
Forget the guitar. Your playing is amazing. Sounds like you just time traveled from the 80’s.
I just got one in black. Electronics tone volume and pup selecter works great and fretends are smooth! Action was set low that’s another good thing. Whammy works tuners work. And it stays in tune just about as long as any other guitar I’ve ever had. So I can’t really say that’s an issue because every single godamn guitar I’ve ever had goes out of tune after I’m done abusing it. I 😂😂don’t do Floyd rose. I’m a terrible guitar player who loves cheap fenders. $120 this is fantastic and I’m hoping they do a telecaster. Sorry for the novel! Great review !
They do do a tele
@@HenryofEngland I live in the us. I haven’t seen it on Amazon yet. I’m sure it’ll get here eventually. My strat is nice! Only thing I’m not crazy about is the matte finish. I’m planning on painting it.
@@We_Are_they I'm I to minds about the finish myself but I suppose can't gripe at the price
@@HenryofEngland I’m definitely not griping! It’s a good guitar. Definitely better than the sonic. Terrible fret sprout. So the debut series will give me an opportunity to use my painting skills
@Alpha_WK right that's it I'm ordering one
I grew up playing guitar in the 60s, and was a pro for over 20 years. We NEVER had anything like that for $120 when I was coming up. Sure, I still have my original '64 blue Mustang, which I bought used off my neighbor for $120, but even then those deals were few and far between.
Good demo, Baldy! Well presented and even makes me curious to try one out for laughs...
Are you doing the inflation or do I need to so it in my head? 120$ in 1964 is worth 1215$ now.
I bought a Fender American 🇺🇸 Ultra and then the Fender Squier Debut to be my practice version with fret note stickers. For $119, I love the debut. It is helping me learn the fret board. It is nicer than I expected and I don’t have to worry about damaging an expensive guitar 🎸 with sticker residue.
Uhhhhh .....WOW! It's hard to believe Fender is actually even doing this! Good for them!!
As a side note? Please ...please do a deep dive on a Slick guitar from Guitar Fetish? They range between $239-269 & look really, really nice (the $89 hardshell cases look INCREDIBLE, too) ! Would super enjoy seeing you open one of these Slick boxes up!
Honestly, they have to. I know Fender owns brands like Jackson which do those super cheap guitars, but Jacksons don't say Fender on them anywhere, so a younger guitarist might never consider buying an expensive Fender when they get older, so without a cheap guitar to compete with the Amazon brands, Fender is shooting themselves in the foot.
They are only doing it because they are getting their ass kicked on price/ value by brands like Harley Benton.
With how cheap and easy CNC machines are to get, I think the days of the $1000 plus guitars are numbered.
I'm flip not deb I got a sea foam green stray from guitar fetish,love it!
I bought a slick SL60 in like 2019 I think as a first guitar. I took it to a luther friend and he was really impressed with the setup as delivered. It's good quality hardware all around a good guitar.
However, im hesitant to recommend buying a guitar online. If you go to a music store and just see how a few feel, even not knowing how to play you'll probably notice some just are more comfortable than others.
My slick is still really good but I bought a Tanglewood acoustic and a fender squire at guitar center that are much more comfortable for me. I struggle to say why but they both just feel better and do more to encourage me to keep learning despite my lack of talent 😅
They probably cut corners on the hardware and pickups , but for that price as long as the neck is straight it's a good platform. Also it's good all these small companies are forcing the big boys to start competing at a reasonable level. Nice job once again brother 👍✌️🤘
The trem block is the lightest one I've come across. it weighed 35.6570g. That's half the weight of a Squier Bullet block (68.9485g).. I installed one from Musiclily (299.3710g)
@@creepyrc794 Like I said a good platform guitar that's it , I saw Sean on Scar my Guitar demo a Strat yesterday. It was only $89 with a $10 off coupon , same deal good platform but that's it. Basically like buying a diy kit just painted already....
Usually thee tuners are poor
@@t55a2 Yeah that's why if I buy one or get one as a gift I usually mod it out and upgrade everything...
Squier's Achilles Heel has always been their tuners. Instant/Automatic replacement! Then their frets, glad to hear they've resolved that one.
The great thing about these Squiers is that there are constantly people selling the tuners out of their Mexican strats for like $30 who upgraded theirs to locking tuners...and the pickups as well!
(the spacing of the 2 positioning pins on back are not same) however you can tighten the replacement mexi ones to make an impression and then drill new holes and it works, just not exact match.
Matt finishes really love them. Nice job Richard
Just got a Firefly FFSP in the matte sunburst looks awesome 👌
at 7:00 minutes was that metal church inspired? terrific playing man
It was not. Thanks.
6:29 Finally, I was wondering if I would ever hear a clean tone.
The finish on this one looks just like the finish on the Fesley guitar you liked so much. At the time you mentioned the Fesley's were made in the "Fender" factory. This makes sense, and why these debut series guitars are really nice.
Sounded better than i thought it would, I like the finish, IMO If they really wanted to compete they would bring back the budget Fender Starcaster, people not in the know would choose a Fender (x) over Squire (by fender).
Very interesting, the Squier Bullet series, you could get for less than $100 a few years ago with a high gloss finish that were manufactured in Indonesia. I recently bought Sonic H-S-S stratocaster and a Squier Affinity H-S-S stratocaster that were both in the same price range but I found that the Sonic which was made in Indonesia was set up better than the Affinity that was made in China and had better fret work. Nicely presented but I think if Squier wants to compete, they need to up their game with the finish.
Yeah bullets used to be $119 and would regularly go on sale for $99.
Nice Demo there brother...Squires are great for the price and great for mod projects...I have two of them that I turned into Old School EVH 78 Replicas ...
I was very surprised by how well that single coil sounded with the gain up. My first thought was...I'd love to buy that and then replace the bridge pickup with a humbucker, but if I could get tone like you just did from that single coil...
Yeah, when I bought mine I was amazed at the gain for a squire/strat. They used to be so quiet that I had to turn my amp way up on stage to be heard, but I loved the bell tones. No, I wouldn't go HSS on this guitar. That's why I bought this, because my 1999 MIM HSS Fender Strat just doesn't have the tones.
I'd say that's definitely a Glarry buster.
Nope, it’s definitely on par with whatever Donner’s putting out. Glarry’s are horrible.
Todays Bullet . I bought mine in 2010 and played it a couple of hours ago and still can't believe how much I love it. It's a workhorse Strat that gives you what you work for. I need to get the volume pot cleaned but other than that it is just as I bought it and getting better every year. I have a LP with the same finish and love the way it shines up in the high traffic areas. Send me one Squire !
Squire works waaaay harder than Fender to get your money.
It’s SQUIER not SQUIRE
THERES A HUGE DIFFERENCE..look into it…
@@riffjohnson22 I will now purposely spell it wrong to celebrate a tremendous asshole, now. Thank you.
Squire by fender are fender guitars they are fender low end.
@@riffjohnson22 1 is a fish! (A juvenile snapper!)
They HAVE to!
I got this same guitar a few days ago and everything he says is accurate. I basically thought exactly the same thing before and after buying it as he did. It really is fantastic considering the price and quality of the guitar. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone or to buy it again.
My first guitar was a Hiatt Deluxe from K -mart in the sixties. It was crap. So was my playing so it was okay for while.
The biggest cost saving measure is that the body is made out of poplar - a very cheap and plentiful wood. Quite frankly, I'm a fan of poplar guitar woods. Just because its not expensive doesn't mean its not good.
I looked into them almost pulled the trigger but wanted good opinions on it. Thanks for the demo RJ
Mine just came yesterday and I cannot believe this guitar was $120. I've had strats I've paid way more money for that don't play or sound near as good as this one does
Love the flat finish. Sounds good! I bout a squire from g. Center about 5 years ago. It's a metallic forest green. Through in a dimarzio pickup in it. Never had to adjust the string action. Thing plays like a dream. Only paid 169$ for it
I am a leftie guitarist who can never afford a Fender but being a die hard fan of Hank Marvin I used to long for getting his unique sound but never could. Now I have a Squier Standard with SSS Alnico pickups . With a Marshall amp and a vintage echo/ delay unit I get about 80% of Hank ....❤
You got the WRONG amp, you really needed an AC15 or AC30 for Hank's sound!
I bought this! I have to say, it's better than any guitar I've ever owned for the bell tones. Yes, it has that classic quack, but isn't quiet like the old ones. Or course I leveled the frets, that's just something you know you're probably going to have to do with a cheap guitar, but that's no big deal since I'm also a guitar tech and have the tools to do it easily.
I absolutely fell in LOVE with this guitar. Used it as my primary guitar for stage. Felt like silk under my fingers. It was an absolute pleasure to play.
No, not getting paid for saying it either.
The thing was, I didn't like the look, so I replaced the pick guard and changed out the hardware for gold. Some nice vintage gold knobs even and it looks as good as it sounds. I have the exact same color as the pics in the video-golden sunburst (or whatever you call it.) It's a piece of artwork in all ways. I didn't even need to change the pickups at all.
I got 2 because they are only $99, tuned one of them, adjusted the neck to no relief, adjusted the bridge to floating, adjusted the saddle height, and it’s phenomenal without even plugging it in yet.
Signal chain?Maybe this is more of a testament into what we plug into. Bridge pickup sounded like a hot humbucker. Not a bad thing.
I must say that for 119 free shipping you can't fucking go wrong❤
Great review and as always, fantastic playing! Thanks for posting Richard.
Thank you kindly!
i have a real fender strat Squier bullet wihch was made in 2010 got it for $100.00 love this thing i am goin to mod this thing to death
nice Squier you have there and it’s good for the money thank you for the video and review
my favorite video is when you reviewed the monsoon by Leo jaymz i have one at my friends house he got at namm
I picked up the Dakota Red. I wa mostly worried about the frets, but to my surprise, they are actually really good. I'm in the process of upgrading it now, I'll post a video soon.
The tuners on mine actually stay in tune also..
Great video! They're don't look too bad for the price but I got a Squier Affinity Stratocaster on sale for $200 and it has a two point tremolo and great sounding pickups and descent tuners. The only thing I might replace is the nut and I considered locking tuners but it's not necessary just a wanted upgrade.
Great review as always. I have a 25+ year old MIM strat, but would love to see this in a Tele. Didn't see it on Amazon, but it could be cool.
If it had a 2 point trem, I'd get one in the 2 tone sunburst. The one you got has too much black on it though. I've seen them with a thinner band of black so that more of the brown shows.
side note = dude, you are a really freakin good guitarist. tasty, interesting and technically sophisticated stuff you come up with.
Thanks
My wife & I are going to look into this... Great review... A good guitar to have as a mod platform. Also get the Fender Back Plate from China Alie Express. Cheers 🍻🥃🥃🎸🎼🎵🎶🎶🎶
Damn, when you play like that you make any guitar sound great.
Exactly, it's not the guitar it's the player, Clapton could play that and it would still sound like Clapton.
I'm glad you weighed it! That would be a cool thing to do in all your reviews. Thanks.
Had to get one, was looking for a used strat to mod and this new one is it, curious as to the cavity under the pick gaurd but I got a router.
Thanks for the review & see You on the next one...
Wow did not see that one coming. Thought it would be real bad😂Looks and seems well built. We'll done fender🤝 and awesome videos as always Richard 👏
Thanks 👍
Great review and demo! Nice guitar quality.
I really liked the first part of the sound demo (hi-gain). Can you tell me the signal chain you used to get this?
ua-cam.com/video/1xy-UoHEiyk/v-deo.html
WOW you were rocking out and you did great on the clean tone also
Great video Richard. I think Fesley painted these guitars...lol. They look great in the matte colors. I don't think I can call victory just yet, but Fender making a decent guitar for $119 is very close to it! I think a real victory will be when Gibson matches that price! Thanks for the cool review. Keep on shredding!
LOL, I don't see Gibson ever coming close to 119.
@@thebaldshredder Me neither...LOL.
You pay 119 per letter in the Gibson headstock. And it’s worth not a single one of tjem
Thanks for the review👍 I just ordered the sunburst!
Love the Matte finish. One reviews, the Red may look dull due to the matte but I like it.
Always play your vids as soon as I see then pop up
Yes! 🤘
I have owned easily over a hundred different guitars over the years and I know that's not a lot compared to some people but I did pick one of these up after watching your video when I am pretty freaking shocked how fun it is how well it plays and I even like how it sounds
4:49 killer playing bro. 🤘
First time viewer. Bald Shredder you don't review guitars like everone else...you kick f*cking *ss! Dude that is some serious shredding. Outstanding.
Thanks 🤘
I was just on the Thomann website, and their ST-62 VW Vintage Series guitar (strat copy) is now $133, plus $85. shipping to the U.S.
I think Fender is finally starting compete with Jet and Harley Benton. This is a way better deal.
Thing I like about this the most is the satin finish. Wish this was standard options on the expensive versions...
They had to do something to compete and it sounded good.
Thanks for the video, Richard. I agree that Fender is stepping up their game from sheer need. Those barely known companies who have been selling cheap guitars have really been giving Fender and Squier fits. For instance, last year I shopped in a reasonably intelligent manner and scored a pair of Donner DST-400s. They cost more than the Squier you just reviewed, but they are considerably higher in value than the Squier. Where it has a poplar body, the Donners use alder, the bridge pickup is a humbucker, and the vibrato is a 2-post version rather than a 6-screw (I don't like those). The only functional upgrade I did was putting roller saddles on the bridges to help with tuning stability. Those and the cosmetic upgrades have left the total cost of the guitars and their upgrades under $250. I don't doubt that that Squier is worth its price, especially for players with setup skills and tools, but Fender and Squier need to continue raising the level of their game, because Donner and similar brands have raised the bar in the affordable instrument market!
Exactly!
119+;60 dollar tuners+ new 50 trem + 110 loaded pickguard+ 10 lubricant nut +graphite saddles 20 + pay chum at guitar center to put all this stuff in 200 bucs. If I could do all upgrades it's worth it.
why cant you?
I have one. It didn't need any of that.
@@Briansgate scared of soldering🤣 but I should try.
@@dcamnc1 does it stay in tune when you use whammy bar?
I do them all the time
I think buying a matt finish sunburst body...probably $200-$350. I'll take the polar satin sunburst body , and you can keep the rest.
Feel free to send me the neck! I'll put it to good use.
wasnt expecting it,but that strat sounds pretty good
Impressed: both by the Strat, *and* your playing. Thanks
Thank you kindly!
Exactly, why pay more ?
You made it sound like a high end custom shop. Plus it actually sounded in tune. (Intonation wise) Great playing!!
I'm wondering if I rubbed one with some link seed oil and a rage if I can get it to a shine.
I have three squares and I love every one of them squires are little thinner the bodies but they're pretty heavy and I'm sure that's how they cut the cost they didn't put the gloss on it's still a heck of a deal I have a squire standard that came out in 2004 it's HSS has a mirror pickguard it's got a 2-point trim floating trim and it has a compound radius neck it's thicker up toward the headstock and then it flattens out great about mid neck it's the most comfortable neck I have ever played it's one of my favorite guitars are we are almost forgot it's got a painted headstock what is gorgeous silver logo that says Squier Stratocaster of course I paid like 374 Falcon 2004 still looks like new. I only wish I could play as good as you I'm not a shredder by any stretch of the imagination it's not my style I've always done more pop rock type of music although my favorite band is Def Leppard and all the hair metal bands I may pick up one of those that's cheap thanks for showing that you're always finding great guitars
Ive been hemming and hawing over this thing. You sold me. I just ordered one. They might even be worth more money later. Thanks for the video.
This would be a lot of fun to use as a base for modding!
Hey ! Bald shredder! You are one cool dude !
Hey, thanks!
Thank Rich good info ,I have 1993 squire made in Korea and guys that play it are amazed how good it plays n sounds it's a blackie I bought it for 100 bucks off Craig's list the guy never played it I know great guitarists that love squires they say ya gota know how to pick em and what strings ya put on them for your style and ya gota know how to intonate them and set the action God Bless Rich I'm a bald player too
@thebaldshredder nice review! I checked out the Amazon listing. I won't be buying one.... because I don't "NEED" another guitar...."WANT" yes "NEED" no....but I like the Dakota red option.
Not an amazon exclusive. Here in Indonesia we have tokopedia, and many people there sells it.
These really reminded of mid-90s MIM Strats. Poplar bodies with 6 point trems and thin blocks, ceramic pickups, cheaper tuners. Good mod platforms. Being a satin finish, wonder if it'll shine up or relic?
Great sound. Finally someone put some metal to the pedal.
Nice revue mate, could listen to that all day.
Glad you enjoyed it
Pretty good shreddage bro!
A weird little thing I noticed; The middle screw holes on the back trem cover aren't offset like they usually are in Squier/Fender Strats.
Interesting for sure. I thought those high value guitars you've been featuring would make the big 2 lower their prices. Instead they come out with a new series!
If only the had these in the mid-80's...
squiers in the 80s were faaaaar superior to these.
@@Nightshade1881
For $119 in the 80's? I don't recall this price back then.
I just modded a 70s Squier because I liked the neck and the way it played, after switching out pickups,nut and block it plays and sounds just as good if not better than most of the over price Fender Strats out now. It will be a cold day in hell when I pay what they are asking for a USA strat
Replace the nut with a TUSQ one and put some Hipshot locking tuners on it. Since Squier uses smaller headstock holes, You”ll need to ream the holes a little larger on the headstock to accept standard sized Fender tuning machines.
One thing to keep in mind is that the bullet hard tail is still under $200. It has a thin body and gloss finish.
Vintage Fender Strat bodies had a nitro finish that was not glossy like polyurethane. They may have been going for the nitro look To me, it looks great with the sunburst finish.
Amazon deliverd my sunburst debut strat today. Looks and plays great. For $119.00 I am very impressed.
Just bought the Fender $119 and the Tank _G from your links. Thank you for the advice. Im old and im going to use learning the guitar for brain health. Thank you! Have a great day!
That has a killer tone!
Looks and sounds very good, thank you. I assume the paint they used is still polyurethane? I wonder if it would wear, age little bit like the nitrocellulose lacquered guitars?
How does it compare against fesley 🤔
I'm going to do a video on that next month
When I was starting out many years ago,I wished that this guitar was around for $119.00, looks a real bargain
Yes, that's the one fatal problem with this guitar, and many cheap guitars, is that the necks are thick.If you don't mind it then it's a great modding platform where you can replace pickups, saddles, tunning pegs if you like down the road. Otherwise, most critics have found that the frets were level and fret ends were smooth. I think you can even replace the trem with a short block from GFS. Because it is squire, you can probably get a HSH pickgard from Warmoth and put whatever pickups you want. You probably can replace the neck if the frets wear down.
I'm not the biggest fan but for $120 it's not bad. With A pickup swap and a proper setup (which you should be able to do yourself) it can be a pretty nice guitar.
Mine is showing up today, can't wait 😊
Sounds Great 👍
Sounds great! Nice playing!
Is the routing under the pickgaurd able to accommodate an hss configuration?
This was my first thought as well...
@MainPrism I haven't been able to find anyone that's looked under the hood yet, but hopefully our boy bald shredder let's us know
@@andycruz9752 it'd be really nice to know before investing in one. Hopefully it's a swimming pool route! Come on Bald Shredder fill us in here!!!
Ok, ok... I looked under the pickguard and it's routed for HSH. So that should make everyone happy as far modding.
@thebaldshredder thanks so much for taking the time to check, man! I was on the fence, but now I'm definitely guna snag one! If we click your link to it does it support you?
Yay Fender!!! It's about time! Another great review Shredder - Thanks!
🎸🎶🎸🎶🎸🎶🎸🎶🎸🎶🎸
How do you get yours not to feed back .my one wont stop feeding back when I hook it up to a high power amp
Great video! An unbelievable guitar at an amazing price. I purchased one, sunburst also, after watching your video. It'll be here in a couple days! 🤘🎸
im not seeing any skunk stripon the back of neckdoes it have a truss rod could be why its soooooooooooo cheap look at joint on body seeif its there the adjustment if not top,of headstock itbmight be there if not neck will pone to warping
i am noticing there was no "set up" it just played good outta the box
Correct
Back in the day the better Squier guitars and basses had the gold lettering on the headstock while the crappier ones had the plain black lettering for the logo. I truly hope that they are going back to the days when you could get a decent instrument without having to spend 800+ bucks for a bottom of the line Fender. I have a couple of the old school basses with the gold lettering and they play and sound just as good as my Fender does. I have done some luthier work on them but all in all they are solid platforms. Again here's hoping they go back in time to the levels of quality they had back then.