To all the people whining about distortion vs clean, I made this comment elsewhere but I felt like posting it here too. If the pickups are good, there is ample note separation and clarity even when distorted. Muddiness and noise ALWAYS get amplified with distortion. FFS, people wanting to hear them clean, plugged into a fender twin... That's like 50% of the guitar's potential. No wonder it's gonna sound okay. The point is not to make a worlds worth of efforts to make it sound good, if it's not. The whole point should be to deliberately make them sound bad to test their limits. Now that would be an honest sound test. People buying $120 bullets don't buy them to plug them into a $1000 or a $1500 amp. (Unless they are, and they just wanna buy that specific one, which is fine btw. It's just that there's better, FAR better stuff out there for similar price or less.) Fucking hell, I've started hating the fact that people can't even take some criticism about a $120 guitar, which mind you, is already the shittiest guitar being sold at that price point. It's like, all they've ever tried their entire lives is a fucking squier bullet. For crying out loud damn it!
Oh my goodness, thanks for the pin... I had some worries about this being lost in the annals of this comments thread forever. :) Edit : and the heart too! :)
@@dazednconfused-r4o Oh hey! Yeah, there are actually a few good (slightly better) options. Harley benton makes cheap guitars which are priced close to squiers but are actually a notch up in built/sound quality. But if you want something dependable, try yamaha pacifica, or something from ibanez, maybe a cort or an epiphone too. My suggestion(s) to you would be to go to a local guitar shop and get a feel around of a few guitars that they might have. If you can't stretch your budget at all and the only option that you have is a bullet, just be wary that it'll have its shortcomings. Don't expect it to sound good, or the way it's shown in fender promos. Or, please try hard to save up and buy something slightly upper ranged than a bullet. That will actually be an investment and something that you can keep for long without spending more and wanting to buy something better. Edit: for versatility, buy something with a humbucker in the bridge position. Cheers! 👍🏻
@@dazednconfused-r4o If had had to pick the absolute culprits here, it's definitely the bad, very bad sounding pickups. And then the electronics, and then probably the cheap hardware on it. So basically even if you decide to do a pick up upgrade, you'll have to swap out the electronics too i.e. the wires and potentiometers for it too exploit the maximum potential of the upgraded pickups, which inturn will increase the cost of the guitar. The body I'm fine with because I'm not particularly bothered with going for exotic tone woods and stuff as long as it's not made up of compressed sawdust or cardboard.
@@dazednconfused-r4o oh no, please, it's completely okay. Glad I could help 😅 So, I don't particularly know about the going prices right now but a new epiphone les paul under 200 might be a hard find. I think they have something which is called a "slash les paul special" something which goes for around 250. That one has a slim flat top body and is actually a nice guitar. Harley Benton are good and will be around or under 200 mostly but they can be a hit or a miss, so I'd suggest that you don't just order them directly and only buy one if you can test one out at a local store. Try Cort. Cr100 or cr200 something. Can't really remember the price but I suppose they're inexpensive too. Somewhere around the 200-250 mark probably. They're really good for the price too. See, cort I trust because cort makes guitars for many other brands like ibanez, esp, and some really high end guitars like G&L, so they really must know how to make guitars good. 😂 Oh fun fact, I think epiphone and squier guitars are made jn cort factories too, so yeah. 🤷🏻♂️ And I think there're are les paul style guitars made by ESP too, they're called EC or Eclipse something, which sits around the same 200-250 mark.
dude wed all be better of save our money an get the squier hot rails electric guitar,the money ud spend to upgrade the parts you could get the quality hot rails squier for 300 or a little more
my first electric was a bullet what I bought 6years ago....I ve been using it on stage for a couple of years now....I know it's weaknesses(tremolo is just crap but I never really felt like using it, mine keeps tune very well....if I say very well then I mean seriously well....better actually than the most lot more expensive guitars with fixed bridge I tried, pickups are noisy as fuck can get pretty big variation of sounds of it including a nice controlled feedback, the knobs are okay....not that smooth but I never heard anyone complaining about them, fret job is quite bad....but through the years I got used to it...I have had issues with the jackinput/output.....you have to check sometimes if its tight enough) my tuners are just fine.....the pickguard isn't wavy at all....what i like about it that you can play very harsh on it without feeling guilty.....I could have bought a higher quality instrument in the past couple of years....most probably I will....I have been playing for almost 10years now it would help to improve my playing.....but guys remember that hendrix used a one string guitar to start playing....or think about all your favourite blues or hard rock musicians.....compared to the crap they must have started on....this guitar is just luxurious
7777Morton And if it gets smashed no love loss. I play squier standards and a mustang by fender also a gibson sg for my sounds. Am putting out a studio album in austin tx pretty soon. Keep on rocking brother!!
A lot of people buy the bullets exactly because they are light! Whether it is heavy or light doesn't mean squat when it comes to electric guitar tone however it does make a difference to your back after playing a 4 hr gig!
a light body made out of shitty wood in the balsa family that will strip the screw the first time you remove and reinstall it isn't doing you any fucking favors,get it morton.fucking idiot
I love this guy. The look on his reasonable face while having to explain to all the challenged who watched the last video what he was *actually* saying. People are so funny. Rock on.
Yep, few years on and I have the Affinity Strat, Standard Strat and Standard Tele. All made in Indonesia and fantastic guitars regardless of the price. Remember kids, buy what you like and not what somebody else likes.. 👍🐨🇦🇺
If you're looking at a Strat style guitar, don't forget the Yamaha Pacifica series. A used 112 sits around the same price point as the Squier Affinity and with a good setup they're great little guitars. Built really well, alder body, surprisingly good tuners and in my experience plays a lot better than the lower end Squiers.
the 112 rivals the mexican fenders, crazy value , like the 311 And 611. havent tried the 012, but id expect it to be better than the bullets and on par with the affinity
Loved the feel of the affinity, nice and comfy. Changed the guts for a US loaded scratch plate PUs, pots, coil tap, Put in a vintage fender bridge, better tuners, and I’m very happy.
Has it come to the point that people type "Squire" as a joke..? I really have a hard time believing that people actually think that's what they're called... I mean, it's written on the freaking headstock! Squier!
+Tommy Eklund I think it's auto-correct on handheld devices. Squier isn't in the dictionary but squire is. I had to add it to my Swiftkey dictionary to prevent it from correcting every time.
+PixxyLixxx Well that makes sense.. I always turn autocorrect off immediately after getting a new phone/tablet, I also rarely watch or comment on youtube videos on either. :P
+DaveDexterMusic I was about to reply something like "WTF?!" to him when I got the email notification for the comment, but I couldn't find the comment here.. Thought Pixxy had removed it or something... Nope, apparently the comment is here :D
Tommy Eklund Heh. Ironically - or not ironically, probably just coincidentally - I'd watched Pls earlier Skwyah video and looked on eBay for Schu'why-ers and someone had spelt it Squire and I had a tiny "get in the fucking sea" moment. You are not alone.
Its OK, Ive been playing over 60 years, and I have a Rickenbacker and a Squier. I play them both equally. Of course I prefer the Rick..but then there is 1000 price Dif!
I've got a Squire Bullet Strat, I love it. Though, I got it tuned down a half step and just use it to fiddle with. I also have an Ibanez RG 120 and an LTD F-50. Nothing impressive, I know... But, hey, I'm on a budget, booooiiiii!!!
bibby42 I hear that lol I'm a tight budget guy myself. squier and epiphone. next time I'm going all out and spending two hundred on a cheap Kramer lol. sounds la good collection bro . rock on
no your not, if you have an Ibanez RG then what the hell are you doing with the Squier Bullet. get rid of that piece of shit. get the Affinity if you want something cheap, and it's a better guitar.
I have a bullet and I think with the right pickups it'll be really good. I love the guitar and especially the neck and how light and thin the guitar is.
+James Revels please I'd like to know. I just bought a Affinity Strat for $35 and I plan on modding so any information would be invaluable to me. Know of any good single coil pickups?
twilightguitars.com sell loaded pickguards ( where I got mine) go to Fender's site and find what you like and you can order from them for a substantial reduction in price. I just like the sound of the Tex-Mex p/u's in contrast to the others.
I have an Indonesian Bullet and it plays like my other guitars. I like taking the lower priced guitars and upgrade the important areas. I’m disabled (electrocution left me w/ 24/7 migraine type headache and damage to the frontal lobe ) and have played for 50 years but can no longer play in a band. I do play at church and get in time at home but that’s it. It’s my therapy. I work on guitars to try to feel good about life. Anyway, I’m working on the Bullet now. I just have to put in real Fender tuners and upgrade the pickups, which I do with almost every guitar I own (14 and counting). I have a lot of the things I need already. I’ll let you know if my final product was worth the effort. Really like your channel. You always have some good information to share.
Ronin Enlightened A lot of what you want to know is based on want sound/tone you’re shooting for. My Indonesian Bullet is a SSS and I had a box of the Fender Tex-Mex on my shelf doing nothing so I put them in and it sounds great. In your case you have a humbucker for your lead pickup. If you’re looking for a kickass pickup as the lead I have used Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in a Les Paul and it’s great rhythm & lead. I had used a Dimarzio Super Distortion 30 years ago and it was awesome. They have individual pole piece adjustments so you can tailor the strengths of individual strings by adjusting each string to your setting. For the 2 single coils you can stay with Fender and use a Noiseless but the set of 3 leaves you holding 1. Presently I run a full set of Jeff Beck Noiseless on one Strat and a set of Lace Sensor Blue on another. You can buy individual pickups for Middle and Neck position. DiMarzio Area 67 is a great choice and a Seymour Duncan SL59 is a humbucker in the size of a single coil. I’m just scratching the surface. I hope this helps some. If you have a particular sound you’re going for I may be able to suggest pickups or tell you what I would put in. Also, how much $$$ are you looking to spend and can you put them in yourself or do you have to hire someone to do it for you. Lots of things to go into upgrading pickups. If I can help further please let me know.
Barney Fike Thank you for your kind response and your engaging answer. I'm a noobie to guitars and I've started playing it. I have no one to help me suggest things. Your response however gave me some idea. I love the sound of Blues Rock. Is it possible to make a HSS Strat sound like Jimmy Page's guitar sound in Stairway to heaven, In my time of dying, living loving maid and especially the fuzzy sound in No Quarter. All those songs have different sounds, what Amps and PUs do you suggest to make the guitar as versatile as possible in $300? I don't have a huge budget.
I own a bullet strat and I agree, it's very cheap from the factory. I loaded it up with a beefier trem and a dragonfire loaded hss pickguard. it's a whole different animal now. I also added kluson vintage tuners and shielded the cavities with aluminum duct tape. I think the squier bullet strat is great for modders or hobbyist guitarists. I love my bullet strat's tone, though I've nearly doubled the cost to get it to where I like it.
If I'm not mistaken I think I was one of the folks who commented on the last video about the difference between the Affinity's that were made in China as opposed to the Indonesian. I'm glad you took the time to do a follow up and pointed that out. The Indonesian is definitely a better quality instrument. Not only for a beginner, but also as the basis for a decent Partscaster if someone was looking to go that route, which is what I did. Took one and made it my own.
I got the first Squier in a second hand market, is it SE?, well, it's the shitty one that comes with the shitty ampli. Yet, the body seems to be 2 blocks, not plywood according to your "check the paint on the back that would cover the layers". Also the tuners are nice. The neck is the most disgusting neck I've ever tried, there is literally nothing horizontal or parallel in it, every fret is at a different height, unplayable...but I took it for the body, that looks nice, and to mod it trying different necks, pickups and bridges. Yes, the bridge hurts...like hell. :D Any idea on what wood could it be?
I started watching your videos describing Squires and I have to say you're a pleasure to listen to. I'm thinking of putting in some practice and to start playing again. Thanks.
I just found a 20th anniversary Squier Affinity Strat(2002) made in China in Lake Placid blue at a yard sale for $20 last Sunday. I tightened down some loose pots and the input jack, super cleaned it up and put new strings on it and I tell you it is an amazing sounding single coil guitar! It tunes perfectly, great action everywhere, stays in tune, intonation is perfect too. I can get some great tones from it. This one weighs 6lbs. 11 oz. Affinitys use a alder body, probably 3 piece. I was SO surprised at what I got for $20 and a couple hours of work on it.
Just a note on Bullets. Around 2008 Bullets got their body woods changed to basswood. They have smaller depth to their bodies than conventional strats and this combination leads to their lightness. Basswod is often promoted by the less well informed as being inferior but they are usually people who do not have Suhr and Anderson strats at home. Bullets are made of more than one piece bodies, usually 3-4 pieces. Fender bodies are also made of 2-3 pieces of alder or ash glued together. There are only a few special Fender custom shop guitars made from only one piece bodies. When Alan Holdsworth started having custom strats made for him (by Suhr back in the day, I believe) he had the bodies made from spruce and basswood for better sustain properties. Basswood's main disadvantage is that its green streaks in the wood do not lend themselves to transparent finishes and it is a soft wood so it dents easily. Light guitars are also not inferior guitars. SGs can be real light, do some 'neck diving', but sound great. My bullet doesn't neck dive at all. My particular bullet has better natural sustain and records better than my fenders with duncans or fralins in it. Guitars are like voodoo: a particular combination may be magic in one instance and fall flat in another. I have played bullets that were complete crap also. I have played lots of crappy fenders too. Jack Pearson plays a pretty much stock Bullet. Nobody gets better sustain out of a guitar than that guy! A good guitar doesn't know what name is on the headstock or how much someone paid for it. This video tries to point the new guitarist in the general direction of better value for money and does a good job in that regard. Classic Vibes are a much better value generally. The tuners on Bullets are crappy and you wouldn't want to use the vibrato bridge, but guitars are unfortunately like finger prints; no two are the same. Quality control generally (but not always) goes up as you pay more money. ...If only Gibson could get fretwork consistently right. ; )
yes but the problem with the reviewing a guitar like this is everyone knows they aren't all the top right out of the box you're going to have to spend a little bit for pickups and Tuners here and there to make them tops but after you spend two to three hundred they're going to sound just as good as the expensive ones and you spend about one sixth as much
@@soulvaccination8679 but the bullet sounds good it is not crap. i mean commom, this is a beginner guitar and this for it is good enough and does his job. no guitar player with many years of experience would buy the bullet because they have minimum 5 guitars standing in their homes already.
I ordered a classic vibe 50s about two months ago, it should arrive in about two more weeks, but I can't wait. Specially when jumping from my 10 year old Epiphone SG that lost its ability to be tuned
The Bullet Strat I got came from Indonesia, and it's fantastic! Very high quality neck for the price point, and I actually enjoy the lighter weight. I ended up replacing essentially everything except the wood on it, and it's proven to be an awesome modding/project platform.
I picked up a black Squier Bullet made in Indonesia in the Summer of 2015 and I think I lucked out. They may have ran out of Bullet stock or accidentally put on the wrong parts. My tuners are excellent, no frets hang over the edge, the pick guard is not warped, the truss rod is bang on and I checked all the fret heights and they are all at the same level. I have no rocking motion on any frets when I gauge it. The only adjustments I made were on the pickup and string heights and a very small intonation change on a couple of strings.
I love my Bullet Strat, it’s all about what ya like and how you wanna mod your guitar. Ya can listen to this dude if ya want, but in the end it’s all but what you’re comfortable with.
BTW the squier se you reviewed and said was horrible is the most highly sought after squier. It has the exact same specs as a fender standard so all the parts are interchangeable. It has the best tuners of all of them. You basically replace the nut string trees and bridge with a graftech nut and string trees and bridge with a super v blade6 and you have a better guitar than any stock made fender for way less expensive.
I bought a Squire Tele based on my buddy's opinion (he's a professional musician) who suggested the Squire line since he knew I didn't want to invest $1K+ for an American made Tele. I ordered one based on the '72 Tele with the dual humbuckers right from Amazon and it played amazingly well out of the box. I was seriously blown away at how good it sounded for a $250 guitar! Even my metal buddies were shocked at the balls this thing has when plugged into a 150 watt Peavey with twin 12's and a Boss Metal Zone. It simply demands attention. Since that time, my buddy helped me set it up, it played like butter. I'm planning on getting a classic vibe Tele and this time I want a Thinline. Thanks for the videos and reviews. Cheers.
I think we live in a time where there are tons of respectable options in low-priced guitars. That's a good thing. But I also think this video is a good example of why it makes sense for most players to just go ahead and get the best quality instrument that's within reach of their budgets. Obviously, guitars at the lower end of the pricing scale are great for modding, experimenting with more intensive maintenance, and things like that. But I'm a big believer that, especially for beginners, it's better in the long run getting something of good quality that one can grow into, rather than something cheap that will loose it's appeal quickly once they start progressing.
Theres also the consideration that each guitar is made different in some form so its really important to try out a guitar for yourself and see what feels comfortable to you. In the case of the lower end squier like the bullet and affinity they can be a mixed bag. I played a bullet in the shop when I was looking at getting my first electric guitar and it was really nice so I got a used one and it didn't occur to me until a couple of months in that the guitar I had on my hands was poop. I currently own an affinity that i traded the bullet for and I'm thinking about getting another affinity now that I'm becoming more dedicated to the electric guitar and am now willing to put money into modification.
Big headstock = "I like to pretend I'm Jimi" Small headstock = "I like to pretend I'm Eric" Also I know this is about Squiers (I've just bought a vintage modified which is why I'm here) but I can highly recommend the Harley Benton ST62MN if you want an inexpensive strat style guitar. The feel of the neck is genuinely as nice as a classic vibe Squier and although the pickups aren't quite as sweet they're Wilkinson ones and not bad. Brand new shipped from Germany for something around the cost of the Bullet or SE Squier and way way better. Great videos anyway glad I discovered this channel.
I don't know if I agree with you about the Affinity. I own one, changed the pickups (GFS) and it turned out to be a great surprise. I don't care about the thinner body (actually, I like it, makes the guitar extremely light and even more ergonomic). I have Gibsons and Fenders and still take my Affinity to some gigs, because it sounds amazing and plays very smooth. I'm not saying my Affinity is better than those, but it is a pretty nice guitar to me.
Got the SE and replaced the low end pickups, lowered action, high end machine heads and sanded / rounded the frets and neck. Made in Indonesia and it will rock together with any high end guitars.
I like my Bullet Strat (HSS Sea Foam Green made in Indonesia) and i am not a beginner. I must have got lucky because it stays in tune even with the cheapo machine heads, the fret ends are smooth and the fit and finish is better then one of the LP's i own. The funny thing is i bought it thinking it would need everything done to it and to practice my Luthier skills on it, and it didn't need anything right out of the box except a slight intonation adjustment and better strings, go figure. I love the Damn thing and play it as much or more then the 6 other high end guitars i own. It's a hit and miss thing like on most others, you ether get a good one or a bad one, at least if it needs something it's not like you paid 2k just to turn around and have to finish what the factory started and should have done, for a high ass price!
One positive thing about the bullet strat is that fit a 78 fender neck perfectly, after trying many different bodies it was the only one that fit without having to put a major shim to account for a deeper neck pocket.
You can't make many sweeping generalities about ANY of these models,- depends entirely on year, month, factory, and sometimes even more specific variables.They USE whatever is at hand in that factory , at that moment,- so you could get over spec as easily as under.There is more consistency recently with the Standard and Deluxe models, but I've seen really decent and pretty crappy in the same line.In other words, ignore this video.Play it, make sure the tuners and details aren't total crap, and if the neck profile feels right.And yeah - the CV's are great.
have you ever heard of the fender "starcaster"? its priced like 60-150 used not sure if they still make them but its like a cheap squier but has fender logo
This, and the previous comparison videos are great! Great guitar chat and like you say, real, honest I-had-them-in-my-hands information for people wondering which one to get.
i have a bullet HH from Indonesia. not that bad actually. Its been good to me and im looking for an upgrade. Should i go for a mexi strat or a classic vibe.? Im 15 so im kinda on a budget.
SharkPoint, go for the Mexican start my dude, went into music and arts to buy strings and they had a mexi strat on the wall, picked it up and my God did it feel like buttah
I passed up a MIM 2006 red Strat with barely any damage and it felt perfect to play but at the time I wasn’t thinking about how good it was and went for a different guitar instead
A old friend of mine sold me his first guitar which was a Indonesian made affinity squire strat with the Hss pickups and it felt amazing but didnt look or sound quite as good so i put some old fender noiseless pickups in it and a seymour duncan humbucker in the bridge with some wiring mods added and it sounded amazing way better than the fender USA and mex strats i have played after a good setup, but it still looked like crap as it had faded for years and years in the sun. so i sprayed it in olympic pearl white and added the tortoiseshell pickguard and now its one of the best strats i know of today. just goes to show how a little work can make a budget guitar sound better than the real thing! :)
Darryl Williams that's what I'm saying bro. I get affinity strats and upgrade the parts and pick ups and man they kick the shit out of thousand dollar fenders. squier with upgrades is the way to go for sure
my friend got an affinity from IC for 20 bucks at a garage sale. it was set up and kept in a bag under the bed for a year or two and the only thing he had to do was change the strings and it was already pretty great.
My first guitar was an Affinity. I got the Squier pack that came with the 15 watt amp that broke within a month. My neighbor got the Squier pack that came with a 10 watt amp that looked way crappier than mine, mine actually looked like a Fender amp. I always liked his guitar more, I think it was the SE but it had the thicker neck which I thought was more comfortable even at age 12. I found my Squier in my dad's basement last summer, it hadn't been played since I got a G&L tribute S500 in 2006. It was fun though, the setup was still very good after like 12 and a half years, it could definitely used some new strings though.
I'm sure you answered this a lot but why do you keep//collect lower-end objectively bad guitars? (Not that I'd consider all of these bad) I find it strange that someone of your ability who also has a number of fantastic guitars retains the latter. I'd assume nostalgia but that wouldn't explain the newer series in your collection. Do you just enjoy the feeling of buying a new guitar and experimenting with it? I guess it gives you the kid in the candy store feeling. Anyways....just a curiosity :P
apparently there are two types of Squier Bullet Strats: the gold one you have there has a skunk stripe on the neck with likely a poplar body - mine is also China made, has the lousy tuners, no skunk stripe on back of the satin finished neck & weighs about 8 lbs - bought mine at a pawn shop for $30.00, brought it home, took it apart, cleaned, restrung, set up, plays better than the Fender U.S.A. 60's reissue I got in a deal that was selling online new for $2500.00
I've got an Indonesian gold logo affinity in sunburst that I've put fender tex mex pickups and bournes pots in and it's freaking awesome. One that you didn't review that I recently purchased is a daphne blue squier deluxe that's also been discontinued for whatever reason. It's also a high end squier and has a 2 point trem, Duncan designed pickups, a great feeling neck with maple fingerboard and rolled edges. Everything about it is quality and I'm not gonna change a thing on it.
Funny you mention that. I played an Indonesian Bullet Tele yesterday at Guitar Center and it was one of the best guitars I've played in a while. I'm going back for it soon, but I agree with the Chinese Bullets. There was a brand new one there with a warped pickguard, a bad switch and frets coming over the side of the neck.
I just bought a fender bullet Strat made in Indonesia and I love it. Quality is high though the pickups are weak because they are under wound. But I may add better pickups to it. But it's fine just the way it is.
I have a Bullet Strat that I bought as a cheap mod platform. I liked the neck, and I actually liked how lightweight the basswood body was. I obviously got rid the crap stock tuners and even worse pickups, and I replaced them with some locking tuners and dropped in a surprisingly inexpensive Carvin pre-wired hss pickguard. It really sounds great and it's extremely comfortable to play.
You should make a final of these to be up to date considering the affinity has a couple of years with full width body. Some with 2 point and some 6 screw trem. Made in indo, korea and china back and forth. Its no wonder your memory seems daft as the squiers are heavily changed. Hahaha. Love the show man. This video i watched so many times. Lol
I just bought an Affinity HSS. It is nothing like you describe. It sounds more like the CV you describe. Although its made in China in 2017, It has sealed silky smooth tuners, The bridge does not seem like plastic. The guard is three ply w/ black center. All the controls feel like great quality. It has the large head with gold logo. And its unpainted natural finish. Solid wood with grains continuous all the way around and not a flaw I can find in the finish anywhere. A rosewood fretboard. Very straight with high polish on frets. And not a single sharp edge anywhere. This thing plays fantastic. The action is incredible. 2mm at the 12th fret and i have to beat the shit out of the string to make it buzz. I cant believe this fine a guitar at its price. Amazing. Do not believe that any Chinese model is lower quality. The Chinese have got a lot better in the past few years. Night and day difference. When shopping, the next two digits in the serial number (after the country letters) are the year of manufacture.
cudadown I have the SSS version. Also a 2017 model. I agree they're amazing guitars for the price. People see made in china and freak out but it's not a big deal at all.
I currently have a 90s Fender "Squier Series". Its somewhat rare but has , I believe, a plywood body as it sounds super thin when played unplugged. The rest of the fit and finish is good. I recently got my hands on a Classic Vibe 60's with a Line 6 Amp for $150. Stellar deal. I really lov both and am having a hard time deciding if I should keep the Classic Vibe or the vintage 90's guitar which is kinda special, but not as good. Guess I could swap out the body on the 90's model. Decisions, decisions.
If you can't hear the difference then you ought to get your ears checked. Lots of people, including beginners, like to play their guitars with some overdrive. The amp model he's playing with is something a kid might actually be inclined to use.
The Affinity is slightly narrower at the nut vs standard Fender, which affects string spacing a little bit. I've played the Bullet and Affinity side-by-side. I like the width of the Affinity, but the thickness of the bullet.
Got a 2002 Squire Affinity changed out the pick ups for the Gibson hum buckers-brigde/neck and left the one in the middle plus a Fender 5 way switch now it sounds like a super strat it worth the up grade on these models 👍🤘🤟🎸😎❤️🖤💜💜
Put a bone nut, modify your tremolo with a brass tone block, Yank out stock cap and put a .022 Orange drop cap, reset neck screws(strings tight) reset intonation, any Fender Squier, will rock as hard as you tell it to!
I would take the Classic Vibe over even a Mexican Fender Strat'.....the CV's are exceptional guitars. Also, the Affinity's can be bad, but they can be good too. As with any guitar, you should play it and evaluate it that way. I have a Chinese Affinity and it's really pretty good. And I've seen Indonesian Affinity's that suck. So go play the guitars...this guy provides some good information but it's always the best to try the guitar you want to spend money one.
+Cringey Videos I constantly buy guitars and amps from dumb people who don't do their research before they post it for sale, and I bought an Affinity Tele about two months ago for $70 as a quick flip... her name is Becca and she has her own stand now. I'd rather give up a kidney.
I got one never looked at stratocasters since . The affinity telecaster is awsome. Clean easy action. Superb tone. Gives a truer sound and with some overdrive its warm and the only downside is no trem . But is your good at bends its the best guitar ive had in years.
very educational, I had no idea there was so much variation in the squire line. I will keep an eye out for one of the high end strats at a reasonable price
Hi and thanks for the video on Squires. One of my guitars is a Squire Bullet Strat HSS made in Indonesia. Body is Basswood. Guitar weight about 7.5 pounds. Tuners are sealed and smooth. No binding when I change strings or tune. It has a poly finished maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. The screws on the bridge are smooth as are the metal frets. No sharp edges. It has a Humbucker pickup and two single standard strat coil pickups. It has a synchronous tremolo with cast saddles. The bridge/tremelo seems well made. No sharp edges. Bridge is straight. Guitar has a "CE" on the back of the Neck. Well, I have been playing for about 40 years and I am impressed by this inexpensive guitar. Although it isn't my Fender Standard Strat HSS is still plays and sounds pretty good especially when using a spring reverb for surf music. Don't know if you have ever tried one but would like your opinion if you ever have a chance to play one of these guitars. FYI, I won the guitar, which was advertised as being luthier tuned, from a music shop in Oregon for $101. Guitar was new and included "free" shipping. Thanks again or your videos.
Well done, I am 52 and played for a couple of years around the age of 18-20. I just started back up again about 6 years ago. One bit of advice I can give you is find a good teacher, I am completely self taught (and it shows LOL) and I really regret not finding a teacher as I picked up many bad habits that once you learn can be hard to drop them. I wish I had more time to to play my guitars but I am too busy most of the time. Just keep Rocking ;)
Charles desch No I’m 63 and starting too. I’ve been a drummer for 50 years. Theses guitars 🎸 the most expensive ones are overrated. Buy a Epiphone or Squire
The bullet's a good guitar. I have one that I planned to mod as soon as I got it because I heard from everyone that it was a bad guitar, but I played it, and I liked it. I do agree that the tuners are a problem, but you can get better tuners from another Squier for very cheap, so it's an easy fix. And personally, I love the sound of the pickups. I hear a single think wrong with them.
+sammy reynolds the necks on the bullets and affinitys make the baby jebus cry... i've never played a cv, but i'd love 50s one! maple fretboard strats look really classy imo. i'm more a les paul guy tbh
Affinity strats are also great for modding because most of the bodies are routed HSH for the stock SSH pickups. I was able to put a pair of full-size Seymour Duncan '59s in my affinity without having to route in a bigger cavity
Not sure if you ever checked out the amazing Jack Pearson ( former Allman Borthers guitarist) who plays a Squier... ua-cam.com/video/4SpQzrmC-A4/v-deo.html
My first guitar was a Squier Start Affinity, took it out of the gig bag its been in for years, replaced the pickups and put lock in tuners, have not put it down in a week. Might get it re-fretted as well, something about now being able to play all the songs I could only dream off playing back then, makes want to use it over and over again.
5lbs on the bullet??/ Damn. because it doesn't matter what material your guitar is made from. Take the body from a bullet. Put some Fender Texas Specials in it, put a beautiful American standard satin finished maple neck on it and the bridge upgrade (replace the electronics for the pickups and pots with the texas specials) and have yourself a perfect 5lb fender strat!
+Phrozin they're just saying that tone Wood's for the body are a LOT LESS important to neck woods, neck build, connecting joint, and pickups. So by putting this body on a fender high end guitar would sound basically the same as the fender itself.
+Phrozin I have Seymour Duncan Quarter pounder pickups in my CV 50s tele, my brother has the same pickups in a MIJ 52 reissue, we run the same strings and a pretty similar setup for playing my jazz. Our guitars sound (to the ability of my ears and his) EXACTLY the same through the same amp and petals. Difference is mine cost 500 with the upgrades and his cost 650 used without upgrades. He liked my sound and god the pickups and strings and setup parameters that mine has and he's constantly a little irked that after all was said and done, his was 810 and mine was 500, same feel, sound, and but mine actually looks better because it has a beautiful cut of pine while his is ash with a cellulose coating instead of the polyurethane. But despite these differences, my squier sounds as good as his full fender 52.
Thanks for these vids. I'm one of those "parents" looking for my daughter's first electric, and this helps . . . a lot. Now, if I can only decide between one of these better Squiers and the PRS SE's . . .
+greatvanzinni I might also add the better comparison would be the Fender Made in Mexico guitars. They are closer price wise & I think quality wise to the PRS SE's. That said SE still wins IMO.
If you could spend a little more, you can get a Made in Mexico Fender Stratocaster. They can go for as little as $275 on Craigslist and they are really good guitars for the money. I own a Gibson Les Paul and a MIM Fender Strat and I love 'em both. I could spend more for a higher end Strat but really the difference between a MIM Strat and an American Standard doesn't warrant the half a grand difference IMO. My Strat cost me $300, I moded it to higher end pickups (Seymour Duncan Hotrails) and I'm completely happy. Just my input :) Oh and if you can't spend more and it's between a Squier and a PRS SE, go with the PRS. I would avoid the Squier to be honest.
***** Most of the used SE's I've been looking into (primarily the Custom range) are falling around $400.00+ . The other thing is, I believe the type of music she's into would require me to find an HSS Strat, where all the PRS's (save the soap bars) come dual HB. Not sure I could find a Mex Strat in excellent cond. setup HSS for less than $300. Good to know that in terms of quality, both lines are solid.
![DONNER DMT-100 [ TEST SOUND ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fdhCgnTfymA/mqdefault.jpg)
To all the people whining about distortion vs clean, I made this comment elsewhere but I felt like posting it here too.
If the pickups are good, there is ample note separation and clarity even when distorted. Muddiness and noise ALWAYS get amplified with distortion. FFS, people wanting to hear them clean, plugged into a fender twin... That's like 50% of the guitar's potential. No wonder it's gonna sound okay.
The point is not to make a worlds worth of efforts to make it sound good, if it's not. The whole point should be to deliberately make them sound bad to test their limits. Now that would be an honest sound test. People buying $120 bullets don't buy them to plug them into a $1000 or a $1500 amp. (Unless they are, and they just wanna buy that specific one, which is fine btw. It's just that there's better, FAR better stuff out there for similar price or less.)
Fucking hell, I've started hating the fact that people can't even take some criticism about a $120 guitar, which mind you, is already the shittiest guitar being sold at that price point. It's like, all they've ever tried their entire lives is a fucking squier bullet. For crying out loud damn it!
Oh my goodness, thanks for the pin... I had some worries about this being lost in the annals of this comments thread forever. :)
Edit : and the heart too! :)
@@dazednconfused-r4o Oh hey! Yeah, there are actually a few good (slightly better) options. Harley benton makes cheap guitars which are priced close to squiers but are actually a notch up in built/sound quality. But if you want something dependable, try yamaha pacifica, or something from ibanez, maybe a cort or an epiphone too.
My suggestion(s) to you would be to go to a local guitar shop and get a feel around of a few guitars that they might have.
If you can't stretch your budget at all and the only option that you have is a bullet, just be wary that it'll have its shortcomings. Don't expect it to sound good, or the way it's shown in fender promos.
Or, please try hard to save up and buy something slightly upper ranged than a bullet. That will actually be an investment and something that you can keep for long without spending more and wanting to buy something better.
Edit: for versatility, buy something with a humbucker in the bridge position.
Cheers! 👍🏻
@@dazednconfused-r4o If had had to pick the absolute culprits here, it's definitely the bad, very bad sounding pickups. And then the electronics, and then probably the cheap hardware on it.
So basically even if you decide to do a pick up upgrade, you'll have to swap out the electronics too i.e. the wires and potentiometers for it too exploit the maximum potential of the upgraded pickups, which inturn will increase the cost of the guitar.
The body I'm fine with because I'm not particularly bothered with going for exotic tone woods and stuff as long as it's not made up of compressed sawdust or cardboard.
@@dazednconfused-r4o oh no, please, it's completely okay. Glad I could help 😅
So, I don't particularly know about the going prices right now but a new epiphone les paul under 200 might be a hard find. I think they have something which is called a "slash les paul special" something which goes for around 250. That one has a slim flat top body and is actually a nice guitar.
Harley Benton are good and will be around or under 200 mostly but they can be a hit or a miss, so I'd suggest that you don't just order them directly and only buy one if you can test one out at a local store.
Try Cort. Cr100 or cr200 something. Can't really remember the price but I suppose they're inexpensive too. Somewhere around the 200-250 mark probably. They're really good for the price too.
See, cort I trust because cort makes guitars for many other brands like ibanez, esp, and some really high end guitars like G&L, so they really must know how to make guitars good. 😂
Oh fun fact, I think epiphone and squier guitars are made jn cort factories too, so yeah. 🤷🏻♂️
And I think there're are les paul style guitars made by ESP too, they're called EC or Eclipse something, which sits around the same 200-250 mark.
@@dazednconfused-r4o you're welcome. Let me know when you finalize your pick. Good luck to you! 👍🏻
I disagree. I think the Bullet is perfectly fine if you replace the tuning pegs, pickups, nut, pots, bridge, electrics, head stock, neck and body.
I'm not sure everybody got your comment, my friend.
LOL. I know. Actually, I know nothing about Guitars. I was Just being silly :-)
dude wed all be better of save our money an get the squier hot rails electric guitar,the money ud spend to upgrade the parts you could get the quality hot rails squier for 300 or a little more
my first electric was a bullet what I bought 6years ago....I ve been using it on stage for a couple of years now....I know it's weaknesses(tremolo is just crap but I never really felt like using it, mine keeps tune very well....if I say very well then I mean seriously well....better actually than the most lot more expensive guitars with fixed bridge I tried, pickups are noisy as fuck can get pretty big variation of sounds of it including a nice controlled feedback, the knobs are okay....not that smooth but I never heard anyone complaining about them, fret job is quite bad....but through the years I got used to it...I have had issues with the jackinput/output.....you have to check sometimes if its tight enough) my tuners are just fine.....the pickguard isn't wavy at all....what i like about it that you can play very harsh on it without feeling guilty.....I could have bought a higher quality instrument in the past couple of years....most probably I will....I have been playing for almost 10years now it would help to improve my playing.....but guys remember that hendrix used a one string guitar to start playing....or think about all your favourite blues or hard rock musicians.....compared to the crap they must have started on....this guitar is just luxurious
7777Morton And if it gets smashed no love loss. I play squier standards and a mustang by fender also a gibson sg for my sounds. Am putting out a studio album in austin tx pretty soon. Keep on rocking brother!!
A lot of people buy the bullets exactly because they are light! Whether it is heavy or light doesn't mean squat when it comes to electric guitar tone however it does make a difference to your back after playing a 4 hr gig!
a light body made out of shitty wood in the balsa family that will strip the screw the first time you remove and reinstall it isn't doing you any fucking favors,get it morton.fucking idiot
I think they have poplar bodies, and that would make em around 6 or sub 6 lbs . Lighter is better for gigs unless neck dive gets frustrating.
I'm really glad you ended up liking the Affinity.
Same thought bruhh😂😂😂
the affinity hss feels like butter
The affinity Has always been a good budget strat Especially if you can find one from 96-98 Or around 2008 2009
@@uria702 totally agree
I love this guy. The look on his reasonable face while having to explain to all the challenged who watched the last video what he was *actually* saying. People are so funny. Rock on.
Yep, few years on and I have the Affinity Strat, Standard Strat and Standard Tele. All made in Indonesia and fantastic guitars regardless of the price. Remember kids, buy what you like and not what somebody else likes.. 👍🐨🇦🇺
If you're looking at a Strat style guitar, don't forget the Yamaha Pacifica series. A used 112 sits around the same price point as the Squier Affinity and with a good setup they're great little guitars. Built really well, alder body, surprisingly good tuners and in my experience plays a lot better than the lower end Squiers.
the 112 rivals the mexican fenders, crazy value , like the 311 And 611. havent tried the 012, but id expect it to be better than the bullets and on par with the affinity
the pacificas are ugly af
and also they dont have the fender tone
squiers tone is alot better
agreed 100%
Yamaha makes some very nice guitars.
I love my CV's but, straight out of the box, the Yamaha is in a different class, except for that fckng tremolo! Quality though is fantastic.
Loved the feel of the affinity, nice and comfy. Changed the guts for a US loaded scratch plate PUs, pots, coil tap, Put in a vintage fender bridge, better tuners, and I’m very happy.
Has it come to the point that people type "Squire" as a joke..? I really have a hard time believing that people actually think that's what they're called... I mean, it's written on the freaking headstock! Squier!
+Tommy Eklund I think it's auto-correct on handheld devices. Squier isn't in the dictionary but squire is. I had to add it to my Swiftkey dictionary to prevent it from correcting every time.
+PixxyLixxx Well that makes sense.. I always turn autocorrect off immediately after getting a new phone/tablet, I also rarely watch or comment on youtube videos on either. :P
+Terrance Hill Screw Tommy, what the hell are YOU talking about?
+DaveDexterMusic I was about to reply something like "WTF?!" to him when I got the email notification for the comment, but I couldn't find the comment here.. Thought Pixxy had removed it or something... Nope, apparently the comment is here :D
Tommy Eklund
Heh. Ironically - or not ironically, probably just coincidentally - I'd watched Pls earlier Skwyah video and looked on eBay for Schu'why-ers and someone had spelt it Squire and I had a tiny "get in the fucking sea" moment. You are not alone.
a light body is not a bad point at all in fact for kids its great and for anyone with any back problems lighter is better
my back is bad, first thing i notice if its nice and light, cause it helps big time :)
do it 3-5 hours a day 5-6 days a week and it gets really old
5 pounds is too light,my dick and balls weigh double that
wow you have balls of steel
not necessarily
tbh i own a squier Bullet strat hss and i am very happy with it it is a very good guitar
Getting one for christmas. As long as it's the same or better than my 3/4 £60 one I've been playing around with, I'll be happy.
Its OK, Ive been playing over 60 years, and I have a Rickenbacker and a Squier. I play them both equally. Of course I prefer the Rick..but then there is 1000 price Dif!
videos of you playing clapton,srv and more properly and with good tone and i will agree with you.
How can you test tone quality with a crappy distortion. CLEAN trust me I've been into this for nearly half a century
idiot
Agree.
Oh god. You people!!
I agree, clean to check tone!
Ive said the same, i can never hear a good comparison with distortion. You need clean to hear its clear tone. Finally someone agrees
not only are you informative, someone who's actually entertaining, dank review m8
3:59 this is not a good guitar.
Me with the same guitar : 😐😐
I've got a Squire Bullet Strat, I love it. Though, I got it tuned down a half step and just use it to fiddle with. I also have an Ibanez RG 120 and an LTD F-50. Nothing impressive, I know... But, hey, I'm on a budget, booooiiiii!!!
bibby42 I hear that lol I'm a tight budget guy myself. squier and epiphone. next time I'm going all out and spending two hundred on a cheap Kramer lol. sounds la good collection bro . rock on
i have a squire affinity..... and bullet..... im poor as shit and just glad to be able to play :)
bibby42 same here i got a lotus strat, washburn wi14, and an epiphone special 2
no your not, if you have an Ibanez RG then what the hell are you doing with the Squier Bullet. get rid of that piece of shit. get the Affinity if you want something cheap, and it's a better guitar.
Me too can't afford a fender or a univox they are the guitars I really want
It's so weird watching a guy review guitars that I think he actually hates guitars in general.
Im in love with your sunburst Strat!! I only really like fenders with the maple fret board and sunburst !!
rosewood fretboards are much cooler
@@infowazz Depends on the tone that you want.
I have a bullet and I think with the right pickups it'll be really good. I love the guitar and especially the neck and how light and thin the guitar is.
+sluggz956 I just ordered some Tex-Mex p/u's and upgraded pots and switch for my Bullet. Will let you know after I get it all swapped out
+James Revels please I'd like to know. I just bought a Affinity Strat for $35 and I plan on modding so any information would be invaluable to me. Know of any good single coil pickups?
twilightguitars.com sell loaded pickguards ( where I got mine) go to Fender's site and find what you like and you can order from them for a substantial reduction in price. I just like the sound of the Tex-Mex p/u's in contrast to the others.
+James Revels thanks. What's your preference in strats? Mexican, American, etc?
+sluggz956 i like the American Standard and the Mexican both
I have an Indonesian Bullet and it plays like my other guitars. I like taking the lower priced guitars and upgrade the important areas. I’m disabled (electrocution left me w/ 24/7 migraine type headache and damage to the frontal lobe ) and have played for 50 years but can no longer play in a band. I do play at church and get in time at home but that’s it. It’s my therapy. I work on guitars to try to feel good about life. Anyway, I’m working on the Bullet now. I just have to put in real Fender tuners and upgrade the pickups, which I do with almost every guitar I own (14 and counting). I have a lot of the things I need already. I’ll let you know if my final product was worth the effort. Really like your channel. You always have some good information to share.
Barney Fike What brand pick ups sound good for the Bullet? I have a HSS type and I plan to upgrade.
Ronin Enlightened A lot of what you want to know is based on want sound/tone you’re shooting for. My Indonesian Bullet is a SSS and I had a box of the Fender Tex-Mex on my shelf doing nothing so I put them in and it sounds great. In your case you have a humbucker for your lead pickup. If you’re looking for a kickass pickup as the lead I have used Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in a Les Paul and it’s great rhythm & lead. I had used a Dimarzio Super Distortion 30 years ago and it was awesome. They have individual pole piece adjustments so you can tailor the strengths of individual strings by adjusting each string to your setting. For the 2 single coils you can stay with Fender and use a Noiseless but the set of 3 leaves you holding 1. Presently I run a full set of Jeff Beck Noiseless on one Strat and a set of Lace Sensor Blue on another. You can buy individual pickups for Middle and Neck position. DiMarzio Area 67 is a great choice and a Seymour Duncan SL59 is a humbucker in the size of a single coil. I’m just scratching the surface. I hope this helps some. If you have a particular sound you’re going for I may be able to suggest pickups or tell you what I would put in. Also, how much $$$ are you looking to spend and can you put them in yourself or do you have to hire someone to do it for you. Lots of things to go into upgrading pickups. If I can help further please let me know.
Barney Fike Thank you for your kind response and your engaging answer. I'm a noobie to guitars and I've started playing it. I have no one to help me suggest things. Your response however gave me some idea. I love the sound of Blues Rock. Is it possible to make a HSS Strat sound like Jimmy Page's guitar sound in Stairway to heaven, In my time of dying, living loving maid and especially the fuzzy sound in No Quarter. All those songs have different sounds, what Amps and PUs do you suggest to make the guitar as versatile as possible in $300? I don't have a huge budget.
I own a bullet strat and I agree, it's very cheap from the factory. I loaded it up with a beefier trem and a dragonfire loaded hss pickguard. it's a whole different animal now. I also added kluson vintage tuners and shielded the cavities with aluminum duct tape. I think the squier bullet strat is great for modders or hobbyist guitarists. I love my bullet strat's tone, though I've nearly doubled the cost to get it to where I like it.
If I'm not mistaken I think I was one of the folks who commented on the last video about the difference between the Affinity's that were made in China as opposed to the Indonesian. I'm glad you took the time to do a follow up and pointed that out. The Indonesian is definitely a better quality instrument. Not only for a beginner, but also as the basis for a decent Partscaster if someone was looking to go that route, which is what I did. Took one and made it my own.
I have an affinity strat and watching this vid made be happy to have one...
oh
i have a bullet sss made in indonesia and its fckng good...(although i hrun it through a fender super reverb amp from 1969 XD)
that's what i started with
The Aff Strat is a pretty nice little axe. It's giggable, it's not a super awesome amazing guitar, but it's a nice little axe.
I got the first Squier in a second hand market, is it SE?, well, it's the shitty one that comes with the shitty ampli.
Yet, the body seems to be 2 blocks, not plywood according to your "check the paint on the back that would cover the layers".
Also the tuners are nice.
The neck is the most disgusting neck I've ever tried, there is literally nothing horizontal or parallel in it, every fret is at a different height, unplayable...but I took it for the body, that looks nice, and to mod it trying different necks, pickups and bridges.
Yes, the bridge hurts...like hell. :D
Any idea on what wood could it be?
pretty sure the se uses basswood could be wrong
with that amp and distortion you would make a prs custom 24 sound like a distorted ukelele
I bought myself a 60s squire and I didn't know what to get to learn with and just went with that and it's nice to hear I made a decent choice.
"1 decal away from being a Fender." Best comment on the whole vid!
I started watching your videos describing Squires and I have to say you're a pleasure to listen to. I'm thinking of putting in some practice and to start playing again. Thanks.
Those faces. "But the tuners are just awful" lmao. I love it
I just found a 20th anniversary Squier Affinity Strat(2002) made in China in Lake Placid blue at a yard sale for $20 last Sunday. I tightened down some loose pots and the input jack, super cleaned it up and put new strings on it and I tell you it is an amazing sounding single coil guitar! It tunes perfectly, great action everywhere, stays in tune, intonation is perfect too. I can get some great tones from it. This one weighs 6lbs. 11 oz. Affinitys use a alder body, probably 3 piece. I was SO surprised at what I got for $20 and a couple hours of work on it.
Just a note on Bullets. Around 2008 Bullets got their body woods changed to basswood. They have smaller depth to their bodies than conventional strats and this combination leads to their lightness. Basswod is often promoted by the less well informed as being inferior but they are usually people who do not have Suhr and Anderson strats at home. Bullets are made of more than one piece bodies, usually 3-4 pieces. Fender bodies are also made of 2-3 pieces of alder or ash glued together. There are only a few special Fender custom shop guitars made from only one piece bodies. When Alan Holdsworth started having custom strats made for him (by Suhr back in the day, I believe) he had the bodies made from spruce and basswood for better sustain properties. Basswood's main disadvantage is that its green streaks in the wood do not lend themselves to transparent finishes and it is a soft wood so it dents easily. Light guitars are also not inferior guitars. SGs can be real light, do some 'neck diving', but sound great. My bullet doesn't neck dive at all. My particular bullet has better natural sustain and records better than my fenders with duncans or fralins in it. Guitars are like voodoo: a particular combination may be magic in one instance and fall flat in another. I have played bullets that were complete crap also. I have played lots of crappy fenders too. Jack Pearson plays a pretty much stock Bullet. Nobody gets better sustain out of a guitar than that guy! A good guitar doesn't know what name is on the headstock or how much someone paid for it. This video tries to point the new guitarist in the general direction of better value for money and does a good job in that regard. Classic Vibes are a much better value generally. The tuners on Bullets are crappy and you wouldn't want to use the vibrato bridge, but guitars are unfortunately like finger prints; no two are the same. Quality control generally (but not always) goes up as you pay more money. ...If only Gibson could get fretwork consistently right. ; )
Keep making these videos, Lixxx! You are pretty much the only guitar player worth watching here on UA-cam. You are a God!
LOL
This man wants a Bullet to sound like an original 52 Les Paul or what?
No, he just doesn't want it to sound like shit.
Exactly..He doesn’t want someone to buy a guitar that does not sound good.
yes but the problem with the reviewing a guitar like this is everyone knows they aren't all the top right out of the box you're going to have to spend a little bit for pickups and Tuners here and there to make them tops but after you spend two to three hundred they're going to sound just as good as the expensive ones and you spend about one sixth as much
@@soulvaccination8679 but the bullet sounds good it is not crap. i mean commom, this is a beginner guitar and this for it is good enough and does his job. no guitar player with many years of experience would buy the bullet because they have minimum 5 guitars standing in their homes already.
mike baird
Everyone? Most people buying these guitars are clueless about guitars...
You made that bullet sound fkng brilliant!?!? You made them all SOUND brilliant.
I have a totally stock Squire bullet hardtail that stays in tune quite well
its a hardtail jackass and the tuners still suck
trillrif axegrindor holy shit dude why are you so mad
GingaBred he’s right though
I ordered a classic vibe 50s about two months ago, it should arrive in about two more weeks, but I can't wait. Specially when jumping from my 10 year old Epiphone SG that lost its ability to be tuned
My son gave me his Affinity (Indonesian) a few weeks ago. Was surprised by the weight. My first electric. Now just need an amp.
The Bullet Strat I got came from Indonesia, and it's fantastic! Very high quality neck for the price point, and I actually enjoy the lighter weight. I ended up replacing essentially everything except the wood on it, and it's proven to be an awesome modding/project platform.
my guitar is my first, my parents got me a 4 pu hhs candy apple red affinity squire i guess they made a good choice
I picked up a black Squier Bullet made in Indonesia in the Summer of 2015 and I think I lucked out. They may have ran out of Bullet stock or accidentally put on the wrong parts. My tuners are excellent, no frets hang over the edge, the pick guard is not warped, the truss rod is bang on and I checked all the fret heights and they are all at the same level. I have no rocking motion on any frets when I gauge it. The only adjustments I made were on the pickup and string heights and a very small intonation change on a couple of strings.
I love my Bullet Strat, it’s all about what ya like and how you wanna mod your guitar. Ya can listen to this dude if ya want, but in the end it’s all but what you’re comfortable with.
BTW the squier se you reviewed and said was horrible is the most highly sought after squier. It has the exact same specs as a fender standard so all the parts are interchangeable. It has the best tuners of all of them. You basically replace the nut string trees and bridge with a graftech nut and string trees and bridge with a super v blade6 and you have a better guitar than any stock made fender for way less expensive.
I bought a Squire Tele based on my buddy's opinion (he's a professional musician) who suggested the Squire line since he knew I didn't want to invest $1K+ for an American made Tele. I ordered one based on the '72 Tele with the dual humbuckers right from Amazon and it played amazingly well out of the box. I was seriously blown away at how good it sounded for a $250 guitar! Even my metal buddies were shocked at the balls this thing has when plugged into a 150 watt Peavey with twin 12's and a Boss Metal Zone. It simply demands attention. Since that time, my buddy helped me set it up, it played like butter. I'm planning on getting a classic vibe Tele and this time I want a Thinline. Thanks for the videos and reviews. Cheers.
I think we live in a time where there are tons of respectable options in low-priced guitars. That's a good thing. But I also think this video is a good example of why it makes sense for most players to just go ahead and get the best quality instrument that's within reach of their budgets. Obviously, guitars at the lower end of the pricing scale are great for modding, experimenting with more intensive maintenance, and things like that. But I'm a big believer that, especially for beginners, it's better in the long run getting something of good quality that one can grow into, rather than something cheap that will loose it's appeal quickly once they start progressing.
Theres also the consideration that each guitar is made different in some form so its really important to try out a guitar for yourself and see what feels comfortable to you. In the case of the lower end squier like the bullet and affinity they can be a mixed bag. I played a bullet in the shop when I was looking at getting my first electric guitar and it was really nice so I got a used one and it didn't occur to me until a couple of months in that the guitar I had on my hands was poop. I currently own an affinity that i traded the bullet for and I'm thinking about getting another affinity now that I'm becoming more dedicated to the electric guitar and am now willing to put money into modification.
Big headstock = "I like to pretend I'm Jimi"
Small headstock = "I like to pretend I'm Eric"
Also I know this is about Squiers (I've just bought a vintage modified which is why I'm here) but I can highly recommend the Harley Benton ST62MN if you want an inexpensive strat style guitar. The feel of the neck is genuinely as nice as a classic vibe Squier and although the pickups aren't quite as sweet they're Wilkinson ones and not bad. Brand new shipped from Germany for something around the cost of the Bullet or SE Squier and way way better. Great videos anyway glad I discovered this channel.
Just get a guitar and play the damn thing
I don't know if I agree with you about the Affinity. I own one, changed the pickups (GFS) and it turned out to be a great surprise. I don't care about the thinner body (actually, I like it, makes the guitar extremely light and even more ergonomic). I have Gibsons and Fenders and still take my Affinity to some gigs, because it sounds amazing and plays very smooth. I'm not saying my Affinity is better than those, but it is a pretty nice guitar to me.
Pesonally I'm vary happy with my CV 50s telecaster! Really good and beautiful guitar
yea bro it is i owned it but now i own a Bullet strat hss (White) and its not a bad guitar
+TheBadass I swear everyone has had a CV Tele and sold it. I'll never sell my baby, even if I upgrade past my MIM. Classic Vibe is the Bae.
***** yea i actualy bought a CV tele yesterday i havent player it in a long time so i decided to buy it again
+TheBadass damn that timing! Vintage, BSB, or Custom?
+Kaori custom :)
Got the SE and replaced the low end pickups, lowered action, high end machine heads and sanded / rounded the frets and neck. Made in Indonesia and it will rock together with any high end guitars.
and I just bought the bullet strat...
My bullet is great. I just put better strings and changed the tuners. It's great for a beginner.
I like my Bullet Strat (HSS Sea Foam Green made in Indonesia) and i am not a beginner. I must have got lucky because it stays in tune even with the cheapo machine heads, the fret ends are smooth and the fit and finish is better then one of the LP's i own. The funny thing is i bought it thinking it would need everything done to it and to practice my Luthier skills on it, and it didn't need anything right out of the box except a slight intonation adjustment and better strings, go figure. I love the Damn thing and play it as much or more then the 6 other high end guitars i own. It's a hit and miss thing like on most others, you ether get a good one or a bad one, at least if it needs something it's not like you paid 2k just to turn around and have to finish what the factory started and should have done, for a high ass price!
Dude maybe cause it's an old bullet but the new ones, I got one and it kicks ass I think.
I'm not a beginner , I'm intermediate
+Cynthia Garcia Squier does make some good guitars, glad you like yours, the guitar is a wonderful hobby.
One positive thing about the bullet strat is that fit a 78 fender neck perfectly, after trying many different bodies it was the only one that fit without having to put a major shim to account for a deeper neck pocket.
You can't make many sweeping generalities about ANY of these models,- depends entirely on year, month, factory, and sometimes even more specific variables.They USE whatever is at hand in that factory , at that moment,- so you could get over spec as easily as under.There is more consistency recently with the Standard and Deluxe models, but I've seen really decent and pretty crappy in the same line.In other words, ignore this video.Play it, make sure the tuners and details aren't total crap, and if the neck profile feels right.And yeah - the CV's are great.
have you ever heard of the fender "starcaster"? its priced like 60-150 used not sure if they still make them but its like a cheap squier but has fender logo
Keep in mind that these are entry level guitars .
No such thing. They’re budget guitars but that doesn’t make them ‘entry level’
@@thesolomonproject They're budget and this is exactly what makes them 'entry level'
Skill level is what matters...
This, and the previous comparison videos are great! Great guitar chat and like you say, real, honest I-had-them-in-my-hands information for people wondering which one to get.
i have a bullet HH from Indonesia. not that bad actually. Its been good to me and im looking for an upgrade. Should i go for a mexi strat or a classic vibe.? Im 15 so im kinda on a budget.
SharkPoint, go for the Mexican start my dude, went into music and arts to buy strings and they had a mexi strat on the wall, picked it up and my God did it feel like buttah
vintage motified is similar to classic vibe. a little cheaper and i think a more diverse sound.
Dude, I love your videos, your reviews are always both entertaining and informative. Thanks so much!
tbh...I think the MIM Strat are the best. Best price and the feel is fantasmo. I passed up an American to keep my 2007 MIM Strat. nice video!
I passed up a MIM 2006 red Strat with barely any damage and it felt perfect to play but at the time I wasn’t thinking about how good it was and went for a different guitar instead
Great job! I thoroughly enjoy my Squiers and love your videos. Thank you for posting fun and informative content😎
Met you at NAMM a year or two ago.
Looks like you have your own little Guitar Center going on back there (laughs!). Great review, Steve!!
I bought the Affinity, and I’m really enjoying it.
I got a new one today I hope it's good
can you do review about ibanez gio series?,i think this video really helps,thanks btw..
Hey Steve, I'm 44 and still growing LOL Great video, love these where you talk about different models etc.. peace
A old friend of mine sold me his first guitar which was a Indonesian made affinity squire strat with the Hss pickups and it felt amazing but didnt look or sound quite as good so i put some old fender noiseless pickups in it and a seymour duncan humbucker in the bridge with some wiring mods added and it sounded amazing way better than the fender USA and mex strats i have played after a good setup, but it still looked like crap as it had faded for years and years in the sun. so i sprayed it in olympic pearl white and added the tortoiseshell pickguard and now its one of the best strats i know of today. just goes to show how a little work can make a budget guitar sound better than the real thing! :)
Darryl Williams that's what I'm saying bro. I get affinity strats and upgrade the parts and pick ups and man they kick the shit out of thousand dollar fenders. squier with upgrades is the way to go for sure
my friend got an affinity from IC for 20 bucks at a garage sale. it was set up and kept in a bag under the bed for a year or two and the only thing he had to do was change the strings and it was already pretty great.
I see the Star Wars BB-8 in the background
My first guitar was an Affinity. I got the Squier pack that came with the 15 watt amp that broke within a month. My neighbor got the Squier pack that came with a 10 watt amp that looked way crappier than mine, mine actually looked like a Fender amp. I always liked his guitar more, I think it was the SE but it had the thicker neck which I thought was more comfortable even at age 12. I found my Squier in my dad's basement last summer, it hadn't been played since I got a G&L tribute S500 in 2006. It was fun though, the setup was still very good after like 12 and a half years, it could definitely used some new strings though.
I'm sure you answered this a lot but why do you keep//collect lower-end objectively bad guitars? (Not that I'd consider all of these bad) I find it strange that someone of your ability who also has a number of fantastic guitars retains the latter. I'd assume nostalgia but that wouldn't explain the newer series in your collection. Do you just enjoy the feeling of buying a new guitar and experimenting with it? I guess it gives you the kid in the candy store feeling. Anyways....just a curiosity :P
His vidoe reviews are for people just starting to learn to play, and which guitars to consider buying for their first guitar.
apparently there are two types of Squier Bullet Strats: the gold one you have there has a skunk stripe on the neck with likely a poplar body - mine is also China made, has the lousy tuners, no skunk stripe on back of the satin finished neck & weighs about 8 lbs - bought mine at a pawn shop for $30.00, brought it home, took it apart, cleaned, restrung, set up, plays better than the Fender U.S.A. 60's reissue I got in a deal that was selling online new for $2500.00
do a basement tour with all your guitars please!!! xDi want to see ur guitar collection !
+hulkxd3 Agreed! I wanna see a tour as well.
+Wrath Oskvro he already has one, go look it up
i was thinking that
couldn't find one thank you
+Marko Anic Oh whoops. Ten foh, Will do
I've got an Indonesian gold logo affinity in sunburst that I've put fender tex mex pickups and bournes pots in and it's freaking awesome. One that you didn't review that I recently purchased is a daphne blue squier deluxe that's also been discontinued for whatever reason. It's also a high end squier and has a 2 point trem, Duncan designed pickups, a great feeling neck with maple fingerboard and rolled edges. Everything about it is quality and I'm not gonna change a thing on it.
What about the Indonesian bullet strat???
Funny you mention that. I played an Indonesian Bullet Tele yesterday at Guitar Center and it was one of the best guitars I've played in a while. I'm going back for it soon, but I agree with the Chinese Bullets. There was a brand new one there with a warped pickguard, a bad switch and frets coming over the side of the neck.
I just bought a fender bullet Strat made in Indonesia and I love it. Quality is high though the pickups are weak because they are under wound. But I may add better pickups to it. But it's fine just the way it is.
SUPER
I have a Bullet Strat that I bought as a cheap mod platform. I liked the neck, and I actually liked how lightweight the basswood body was. I obviously got rid the crap stock tuners and even worse pickups, and I replaced them with some locking tuners and dropped in a surprisingly inexpensive Carvin pre-wired hss pickguard. It really sounds great and it's extremely comfortable to play.
You actually *bought" the bullet!??!
Can we expect a "Fender Bullet Relic" video? I can loan you a chainsaw, or maybe a lawnmower, to start you off.
You should make a final of these to be up to date considering the affinity has a couple of years with full width body. Some with 2 point and some 6 screw trem. Made in indo, korea and china back and forth. Its no wonder your memory seems daft as the squiers are heavily changed. Hahaha. Love the show man. This video i watched so many times. Lol
Good thing I got the Allinity
*Looks at Back *
Crafted in China
Oh no...
Allinity? Yeah no shit it's made in China lol XD
I just bought an Affinity HSS. It is nothing like you describe. It sounds more like the CV you describe. Although its made in China in 2017, It has sealed silky smooth tuners, The bridge does not seem like plastic. The guard is three ply w/ black center. All the controls feel like great quality. It has the large head with gold logo. And its unpainted natural finish. Solid wood with grains continuous all the way around and not a flaw I can find in the finish anywhere. A rosewood fretboard. Very straight with high polish on frets. And not a single sharp edge anywhere. This thing plays fantastic. The action is incredible. 2mm at the 12th fret and i have to beat the shit out of the string to make it buzz. I cant believe this fine a guitar at its price. Amazing. Do not believe that any Chinese model is lower quality. The Chinese have got a lot better in the past few years. Night and day difference. When shopping, the next two digits in the serial number (after the country letters) are the year of manufacture.
cudadown I have the SSS version. Also a 2017 model. I agree they're amazing guitars for the price. People see made in china and freak out but it's not a big deal at all.
affinity is the best 👌👌
John Dominic 👍👍👍
I currently have a 90s Fender "Squier Series". Its somewhat rare but has , I believe, a plywood body as it sounds super thin when played unplugged. The rest of the fit and finish is good. I recently got my hands on a Classic Vibe 60's with a Line 6 Amp for $150. Stellar deal. I really lov both and am having a hard time deciding if I should keep the Classic Vibe or the vintage 90's guitar which is kinda special, but not as good. Guess I could swap out the body on the 90's model. Decisions, decisions.
How can you tell what any guitar sounds like with so much distortion?
If you can't hear the difference then you ought to get your ears checked.
Lots of people, including beginners, like to play their guitars with some overdrive. The amp model he's playing with is something a kid might actually be inclined to use.
The Affinity is slightly narrower at the nut vs standard Fender, which affects string spacing a little bit. I've played the Bullet and Affinity side-by-side. I like the width of the Affinity, but the thickness of the bullet.
I still regret selling my affinity series strat. I bought it for $50 and I loved the thing.
I was just getting ready to sell mine, now I'm not.
Got mine for $50 too. Gonna hold on to it for now. 👍
Got a 2002 Squire Affinity changed out the pick ups for the Gibson hum buckers-brigde/neck and left the one in the middle plus a Fender 5 way switch now it sounds like a super strat it worth the up grade on these models 👍🤘🤟🎸😎❤️🖤💜💜
Does...does he know that we can't see in between the cuts?
Taylor Itkin , theory of mind
Put a bone nut, modify your tremolo with a brass tone block, Yank out stock cap and put a .022 Orange drop cap, reset neck screws(strings tight) reset intonation, any Fender Squier, will rock as hard as you tell it to!
I would take the Classic Vibe over even a Mexican Fender Strat'.....the CV's are exceptional guitars. Also, the Affinity's can be bad, but they can be good too. As with any guitar, you should play it and evaluate it that way. I have a Chinese Affinity and it's really pretty good. And I've seen Indonesian Affinity's that suck. So go play the guitars...this guy provides some good information but it's always the best to try the guitar you want to spend money one.
Dropsy517 I own a Chinese affinity Telecaster and plays brilliantly. I really don’t see anything wrong with these guitars.
vintage modified is nice too. i just got one for $250. nothing needed to tweak.
@@infowazz India made Vintage modified are awesome guitars
And now new Classic Vibes are approaching $500.00 and SEs are sought-after mod platforms... What a cool time capsule this video is!
whats the squier affinity telecaster like ?
Jamie Cruickshank AMAZING
+Cringey Videos I constantly buy guitars and amps from dumb people who don't do their research before they post it for sale, and I bought an Affinity Tele about two months ago for $70 as a quick flip... her name is Becca and she has her own stand now. I'd rather give up a kidney.
Cringey Videos yes i is i ended up buying one its very good
Indonesian - Nice.
Chinese - No-go amigo!
I got one never looked at stratocasters since . The affinity telecaster is awsome. Clean easy action. Superb tone. Gives a truer sound and with some overdrive its warm and the only downside is no trem . But is your good at bends its the best guitar ive had in years.
very educational, I had no idea there was so much variation in the squire line. I will keep an eye out for one of the high end strats at a reasonable price
I like how he says Chinese crafted guitars are low quality and usually poorly made, but then praises the Classic Vibe which is...
Crafted in China! :)
Hi and thanks for the video on Squires. One of my guitars is a Squire Bullet Strat HSS made in Indonesia. Body is Basswood. Guitar weight about 7.5 pounds. Tuners are sealed and smooth. No binding when I change strings or tune. It has a poly finished maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. The screws on the bridge are smooth as are the metal frets. No sharp edges. It has a Humbucker pickup and two single standard strat coil pickups. It has a synchronous tremolo with cast saddles. The bridge/tremelo seems well made. No sharp edges. Bridge is straight. Guitar has a "CE" on the back of the Neck. Well, I have been playing for about 40 years and I am impressed by this inexpensive guitar. Although it isn't my Fender Standard Strat HSS is still plays and sounds pretty good especially when using a spring reverb for surf music. Don't know if you have ever tried one but would like your opinion if you ever have a chance to play one of these guitars. FYI, I won the guitar, which was advertised as being luthier tuned, from a music shop in Oregon for $101. Guitar was new and included "free" shipping. Thanks again or your videos.
I've started playing guitar at 68. Definitely out of the norm.
Awesome, never too old to play guitar :)
Well done, I am 52 and played for a couple of years around the age of 18-20. I just started back up again about 6 years ago. One bit of advice I can give you is find a good teacher, I am completely self taught (and it shows LOL) and I really regret not finding a teacher as I picked up many bad habits that once you learn can be hard to drop them. I wish I had more time to to play my guitars but I am too busy most of the time. Just keep Rocking ;)
Charles desch No I’m 63 and starting too. I’ve been a drummer for 50 years. Theses guitars 🎸 the most expensive ones are overrated. Buy a Epiphone or Squire
The bullet's a good guitar. I have one that I planned to mod as soon as I got it because I heard from everyone that it was a bad guitar, but I played it, and I liked it. I do agree that the tuners are a problem, but you can get better tuners from another Squier for very cheap, so it's an easy fix. And personally, I love the sound of the pickups. I hear a single think wrong with them.
Most people I know like the Bullets because they can mod them. But IMO just buy a decent guitar.
+sammy reynolds the necks on the bullets and affinitys make the baby jebus cry... i've never played a cv, but i'd love 50s one! maple fretboard strats look really classy imo. i'm more a les paul guy tbh
Affinity strats are also great for modding because most of the bodies are routed HSH for the stock SSH pickups. I was able to put a pair of full-size Seymour Duncan '59s in my affinity without having to route in a bigger cavity
your still modding on cheap wood
+Daniel Kim exactly. buy a nice kramer or an older ibanez and make a really NICE guitar.
You are, but that's not really a concern for a lot of people
After watching this and your last squier roundup, I'm dying to get my hands on one of those classic vibes. They're pretty sweet looking guitars.
This guy looks like keemstar haha
Maybe like Keem's dad. Ya know, the one that left him when he was a child
i was thinking the same thing
There's no need to diss PixxyLixx like that. =/ Nobody deserves being called keemstar man.
i didn't mean anything by it. all i said was they had similar physical features. but i agree keemstar is a prick
ya saying this guy looks like keem is a low blow.... lower than keems dad
Just got a new Classic Vibe '50's and I couldn't be more pleased with it. It played better and looked better than the MIM one i was looking at.
Not sure if you ever checked out the amazing Jack Pearson ( former Allman Borthers guitarist) who plays a Squier... ua-cam.com/video/4SpQzrmC-A4/v-deo.html
My first guitar was a Squier Start Affinity, took it out of the gig bag its been in for years, replaced the pickups and put lock in tuners, have not put it down in a week. Might get it re-fretted as well, something about now being able to play all the songs I could only dream off playing back then, makes want to use it over and over again.
Sakha Excellent.
5lbs on the bullet??/ Damn. because it doesn't matter what material your guitar is made from. Take the body from a bullet. Put some Fender Texas Specials in it, put a beautiful American standard satin finished maple neck on it and the bridge upgrade (replace the electronics for the pickups and pots with the texas specials) and have yourself a perfect 5lb fender strat!
Woods make a difference. Fact.
William Vickery
i cant breathe
+Phrozin they're just saying that tone Wood's for the body are a LOT LESS important to neck woods, neck build, connecting joint, and pickups. So by putting this body on a fender high end guitar would sound basically the same as the fender itself.
Phrozin
no it'd cost you about 400 for those parts. and the guitar would only weigh like 5 or 6lbs
+Phrozin I have Seymour Duncan Quarter pounder pickups in my CV 50s tele, my brother has the same pickups in a MIJ 52 reissue, we run the same strings and a pretty similar setup for playing my jazz. Our guitars sound (to the ability of my ears and his) EXACTLY the same through the same amp and petals. Difference is mine cost 500 with the upgrades and his cost 650 used without upgrades. He liked my sound and god the pickups and strings and setup parameters that mine has and he's constantly a little irked that after all was said and done, his was 810 and mine was 500, same feel, sound, and but mine actually looks better because it has a beautiful cut of pine while his is ash with a cellulose coating instead of the polyurethane. But despite these differences, my squier sounds as good as his full fender 52.
Thanks for these vids. I'm one of those "parents" looking for my daughter's first electric, and this helps . . . a lot. Now, if I can only decide between one of these better Squiers and the PRS SE's . . .
+Dean Andreades What Dean says!
+greatvanzinni I might also add the better comparison would be the Fender Made in Mexico guitars. They are closer price wise & I think quality wise to the PRS SE's. That said SE still wins IMO.
If you could spend a little more, you can get a Made in Mexico Fender Stratocaster. They can go for as little as $275 on Craigslist and they are really good guitars for the money. I own a Gibson Les Paul and a MIM Fender Strat and I love 'em both. I could spend more for a higher end Strat but really the difference between a MIM Strat and an American Standard doesn't warrant the half a grand difference IMO. My Strat cost me $300, I moded it to higher end pickups (Seymour Duncan Hotrails) and I'm completely happy. Just my input :) Oh and if you can't spend more and it's between a Squier and a PRS SE, go with the PRS. I would avoid the Squier to be honest.
Mario Gutierrez
From what you're saying about the price of used Mexican Strats, they are in the same ballpark as the PRS SE's.
*****
Most of the used SE's I've been looking into (primarily the Custom range) are falling around $400.00+ . The other thing is, I believe the type of music she's into would require me to find an HSS Strat, where all the PRS's (save the soap bars) come dual HB. Not sure I could find a Mex Strat in excellent cond. setup HSS for less than $300. Good to know that in terms of quality, both lines are solid.