Love mine. My grandfather gave it to me for my 13th birthday back in 2002. It was my first electric guitar and it stayed with me ever since. I put some shielding paint in it and 2 years ago I fitted Fender TexMex Singlecoils and very recently Highwood Saddles. I love it and will keep it forever. Maybe I'll get a Vegatrem though... I also have a Mexican Strat but that Squier is in my heart.
I just bought a MII for $90. Truss rod adjustment, lowered the action, lighter fluid on disgusting fretboard, soap and water toothbrush cleaning, waxed the body, very very light sanding in back of neck. Amazing now! It’s incredible what you can get now for low budget.
As a person who owns a few Fender Strats, and Tele's, I've always been quite impressed by the Squier line. You'd be hard pressed to do better for a beginner/budget oriented player, looking for that sound. Not everyone needs/wants a $1400 Fender guitar.
@@barriehercock8612 I agree, especially after seeing my neighbor's son's Squire Strat. It had quite nice Alnico pickups, not too hot, and a neck that needed nothing, sans a bit less relief. He also just bought a perfectly fine, sans working Air Conditioning, 2009 Honda Civic, for the less than the price of a brand new, American Strat ($1070) . This lets him jam all over town, which is a priceless experience, let alone a crucible to make him better (and it shows). I'm about to gift him an old Fender Blues Jr. (I have four, and LOVE every version, sans 4th), that he loves over his 'Fender Frontline" SS POS. We pllay my Joe Barden equipped 68 Strat, and his Squier through said amp, and it's a FAR LESS a difference than either guitars thought the Blues Jr., vs the SS 'frontline' would be. Ps, I'll fix his air conditioning's fan resistor grid for the low 'price' off nothing, as it's cheaper than a guitar pick. Texas is HOT in the summer.
Mine was delivered yesterday. A $160 black Friday sale. I got the black one. I am really happy with it. Not worth the $330 they were originally asking, but good deal at $160. Looks awesome, good neck & I would recommend at the lower price. There are still some at that price on reverb. As always, I enjoy your reviews & opinions, thanks.
I agree one of the best I’ve played! I bought mine because it was so cheap for $40 second hand! It’s sounds great plays lovely and I have Ibanez JS1000 and it’s better but not by much. Single coils a bit noisy but what do you expect. I glad this video came up on my feed just so I can thoroughly recommend it.
I actually pick one up for my daughter yesterday. It was the limited edition squire HSS bullet hard tail in black sparkle. Sounds pretty good and it was set up fine and plays well. I wish starter guitars were this good when I started playing. The only thing I’ll probably do to it is change out the string trees on it.
Still remember my old Squier from 2012, when I started. Incredible well made (yes, components aren't the top quality, but guitar is well made). I still have the guitar and stays in tune better than other guitars i have, hundred euros expensive
I have that Squier as well..from 2012.. those were Bullet Strats right? The stuff I did to that guitar 😂 That guitar went thru the rain and snow on a regular basis. I would bring my backpack, batteries,amp and we would go for hiking and nature walks. Actually we were just walking around,smoking weed and playing music. That guitar would be soaking wet when I would come home.I had a bike crash with that guitar on my back. Probably saved my life,I would be in a wheelchair now.Strange but that Bullet Squier still plays and I wouldn't trade it for a new American Custom Shop Strat.
Great content as usual Elmo! I havr had that exact guitar for 8 months. I primarily play metal but also love 70s rock. I LOVE that guitar. It plays and feels great and I just connect with it. Great review and keep up the great work/content!
These newer models setup so well, neck virtually dead flat and really low action with zero fret buzz, mushy string feel or overly tight. Neck is comfortable but as an individual I just couldn’t bond with the neck. It is also very comfortable and light.
I bought a 2022 Affinity Jazzmaster as my first guitar and I can’t imagine being happier for what I paid for it. I have an inexpensive pair of alnico pickups in the mail with a Bugera V5 and I’m looking forward to channeling my inner Dick Dale. I’ll play it for a year or three or until I wear out the frets and get something nice when I find my own voice and figure out what I want to say.
Nothing wrong with these I’ve had expensive USA fenders and Gibson and both had to go back for work these affinity’s out the box after a decent set up are great!
It sounds like a typical strat to me , bright and jangly as it should be, it looks sweet, I prefer hardtail on a budget guitar instead of a flimsy trem that won't stay in tune. Beginners don't need the hassle of constant tuning!
I bet there are a lot of used guitars for sale right now. I heard they used to be made in Japan and the quality was so good that it exceeded the expensive Fenders.
I've discovered just today your channel and I must thank you a lot! These video about cheap/affordable guitars are just what I was looking for! I've owned some expensive ones around 15/10 years ago, thanks to cash from a car crash :D I've sold them long ago and now I've got only an acoustic from Cort custom shop and I was thinking about buying an electric. I had the American standard strato Sienna sunburst (a color I love) and looks like the only option is the Squier (American Pro II is around 2K euros, too expensive). I checked also the video where you suggest 8 guitars and the Harley Benton seems interesting. :)
My first guitar was a 1989 USA squier strat so I admit to being biased towards them, however having owned multiple strats I'm biased towards them for good reason. The new Affinity line strats like the one you demonstrated with is just proof positive that Fender remains one of the best out there. For an entry level guitar it sounded fantastic. Granted it's in the hands of a master (that'd be you Elmo) but I would have no reservations about recommending that guitar to a beginner or even as a backup guitar to an intermediate player. I just picked up a Classic vibe 50s stratocaster and it's killer. Is it my Player strat, no of course not, but is it head and shoulders over other guitars in the same price range, unequivocally yes. Great video Elmo!
4:12 loved that segment, definitely is worth to invest in a good amp since this guitar provides some nice tones (you can also change the pickups and the pots)
I really like les Pauls or boutique Gibson styled guitars and all but strats are just so straight forward and simple with many cool designs with also sweet tones as well I’ll probably get one eventually
Ordered that exact model , waiting for it to arrive, (was out of stock when I ordered it.) I generally don`t bother with using a Whammy arm, don`t have much use for one, been playing Tele`s for years, just fancied a nice looking Strat for a change, but not prepared to fork out silly money for an actual Fender, so the Squier will do me just fine, for the Classic Rock covers band I`m in. (Currently playing the Squier 60`s C.V Tele, and I love it.) 😎🎸
Hello Elmo and thank you for your honest review (as usual! 🙏) I was hesitant to purchase this 'cause it's made in china and I feared the neck&fretboard could be an issue and would potentially need some fixup work, as you mentioned in all your Squier reviews. But I just loved the Sienna Sunburst color and just had to try it in a shop, just to ascertain eventual problems before bringing it home. Turned out the neck is just perfect, not a single buzzing fret, action is veeery low out of the box ( 1,75mm low E and 1,5mm the high E ) , the tuners work very well, no hard ones, no play at all, action at the 1st fret is quite low and uniform, frets are already polished ( I really didn't expect this! 😱 ). Pickups surprised me in a positive way, I didn't expect cheap ceramic pickups to sound so good! 😎 I still have to try and put the tremolo arm on ( I never really use it on any guitar, and I envy your prowess with it btw! 🤘🤘🤘 ) , but I certainly like the two screws system, the cast saddles and the fact that the small hex screws do not dig into my palm when muting. I feel very very lucky! 🤘✌ Thank you 💗
Sorry I don’t usually leave negative comments and I hope you can take this as constructive criticism, but I think (as I’m a guitarist of over 40yrs experience) perhaps you should be talking more about the technical aspects of the guitar rather than just shredding aimlessly which seems to be more about “You” rather than the guitar, and through a Plexi which most potential Squier players wouldn’t be doing anyway as they couldn’t afford one , and if they could I’m sure they’d be buying a MasterBuilt Custom Shop!!??
I wasn't going to leave a comment because Big Bad Bazza said it best. But, I will paraphrase: I want to thank you for your video. Every time I think the well of God-awful guitar demos has a bottom, one like yours comes along to remind me it is, indeed, a bottomless pit. You did an absolute disservice to that guitar, you insulted someone else who had a valid opinion, and, the only good thing you did, was when you, literally, shredded the life out of that guitar, you helped me lose some weight when I ran in the bathroom and vomited. Oh, yes, you did one other positive thing. I was debating between 3 different Squiers. Thanks to you representing this as The Guitar From Hell, and basing my opinion on you strumming one clean chord, badly, 3 times, and then saying, "Nah, ve gaw dirdy," I decided that I want this guitar. Why? Because it is "the best budget guitar there is!" Oh, if you want to know how to do a demo, watch: Ryan of 60 Cycle Hum, Rob of The Guitar Manifesto, Landon Bailey (I think that's his last name. Just enter Landon) & Emily of the Offset Guitar channel. And, if you dislike the guitar that much, find out how to get in touch with me, send me the guitar & I will show it the love it deserves. I'm done!
@@murraymall5116 I'd missed this chain of comments. I'm not sure what you're on about, other than that you've commented before watching the entire video. I say of the guitar that it's pretty darn good. And regarding my shredding, I tried the guitar the way I try guitars. Sorry if that's the "wrong" way.
@@murraymall5116what on Earth are you talking about? His conclusion is that the guitar is "pretty darn good" At least watch the whole video before you go internet keyboard fruit ninja.
Elmo seems to be a man after my own heart when it comes to guitars he is a strat man so any review videos are done from a serious players point of view which gives ne more insight into what the guitar is actually like! Plus i think playing through a big marshall gives you the chance to hear the pickups in the best way you can through a proper amp! I have a partcaster i built,bullet body affinity neck and its great for what i want! I wish i had half your guitar skills elmo,thanks for another great review and inspiring me to play more in the process!! 👍🎸
Hi Elmo. Thanks for this review, I am considering this guitar. A couple of questions for you, is the bridge pre floated? or did you have to do it yourself?
I bought one of the Affinity P+J basses, and it is a real joy to play. Looking into a Squire Tele next. Made in Indonesia is going be a selling point eventually.
I have three Made in Indonesia guitars all from the same factory (Cort), they are my best guitars on par with the Gibson. One was 350 one was 500 and one was a grand, though I got it cheap. All gorgeous. The last one was an HB SC550 + EMG (PAF). If I see made in Indonesia and the reviews are good I buy. Indonesia is the new Korea for cheap great guitars and nicer than the Korean ones (which can be fantastic). That factory makes a bunch, I got an Ibanez an LTD and an HB from there. Especially stuff like fretwork, finish, setup and hardware is always on point.
The Affinity Telecaster Delux for £200 is the best budget guitar thats just my opinion from personal experience as you get the Les paul type tone but in a Telecaster body
My wife just found one of these from 2000 at a garage sale for $50 today...so I got a new guitar,I really like it so far jut needs to have the frets and fret board cleaned and oiled and some new strings...
I have no experience of the Afinity series but have 2 fantastic Classic Vibes (50’s Tele & Esquire) both picked up on secondhand market for under £250 each in near new condition. Play them more than my MIM Fender Tele (which in itself is a decent guitar but just not bounded with it like the CV’s). Necks are a dream. I liked them so much that I decided it worthwhile to upgrade them although in all truth they didn’t really need it I just love diving in and improving my instruments it was worth it they are better for it. Both have Bloodstone electronics and have Bare Knuckle ‘Old Guard’ pickups in the Tele and a Seymour Duncan Broadcaster in the Esquire. Bit off topic sorry but have noticed again quite a few Afinity Strats on second hand market great for beginners as I was only a few years ago, but am lucky enough to have been able to afford something a little bit more up market without busting the bank. I’m currently on lookout for Classic Vibe Strat but fussy now I know what I like and happy to wait for the right guitar to come along. Keep up the great work with the content love your dry sense of humour.
Very nice *and* nice sounding blues riffs by Elmo starting around the 4:10 minute mark. Harkins back to the Glorious Days of Motown ~ KUDOS! BTW: Did I hear Elmo playing the intro to Joe Walsh's "Turn To Stone" a few times?
I've only had tuning problems with whammy bar strats .teles no problem block those whammy strats no problem. Never had to use locking tuners either.. use the Luther's knot when wrapping strings . It's in utube.
For me a good value for money at Squier is the Contemporary range More modern and pleasant material while keeping the telecaster and Stratocaster shapes and the finish quite acceptable
I think the INDIO DLX PLUS (older brother of monoprice's Indio classic) could be a little more interesting with a solid ash body and wilkinson bridge (specs on monoprice's website) between $200 and $220 (varies in this price range) I could change the pickups and sound better. Excellent video... The black duck of despair!! sorry I don't know why that was...
This is a great review. I love how Elmo puts the guitar through the ringer to test the quality. In my opinion from trying a few squire affinity strats recently, there really hit and miss on quality. In my experience 9/10 times there not very good. The colours that they've chosen for the line are cool but that's about the only good thing about them. To a beginner I would suggest another budget friendly brand then this squire in particular. I'd go with a Harley Benton or even a Yamaha Pacifica. I wouldn't rule out the Squire Classic Vibe range as well. Pickups on the affinity are not great and it's almost certain there will be bad fret issues. I've even seen the nut not even fit in the slot and they've been cut unevenly. If I were a beginner I'd honestly be more patient and save up for a Mexican made Fender. It's a good entry level instrument into the brand.
Great job on the video. I think a big part of moving on from the absolute beginner stage is that the guitar is nice to pick up and calls you to play it. A plekd one of these with nice fret end dressing and blocked trem might be great for a couple of years.
Strage, doesn't Squier put the "Affinity" logo on the headstock anymore? I have one from 2008, came in a pack. That's a pretty good guitar considering the price - hardware is ok, build is ok, sounds are ok for a beginner, the tone pot was NOT wired to the humbucker, though. Tuners suffer a little bit, and they are not easy to change. You can hardly find spare tuners for Squiers, unless you are willing to drill holes in the headstock to accommodate other brands.
You got that little girl to sing nice. Imagine back in the day what we got for a beginner guitar. You could actually play this on stage and I don’t think to many people would know the difference. lol only the guitar nerds in the crowd might give you a bad review but I think you brought out what that guitars potential actually can do. Bigger springs intonation and new tuners and maybe a new humbucker and that would cook. What do you think am I right.
The Olympic White Affinity is enough to make me pick it up. I already have a Fender 87 Strat but I need another one for when I’m on the go, this is perfect! Not to mention that it looks similar to Ritchie Blackmore’s Strat with the exception of the scalloped fretboard and pickups
That's what I want an Olympic white with wide headstock and humbucker in the bridge gold hardware and Floyd Rose. How much would one like that cost me to get?
@@patrickshannon4516 $200 is very cheap especially for a good guitar, so what you’re saying is that you wouldn’t buy a Squier at all even though they’re very good for the money and some of the best budget guitars??? Ok, go enjoy a shitty Epiphone then.
@@WhoDaF0ok1sThatGuy they are just super plain nothing but about hundred dollars worth of material that they are made of. They charge nearly a hundred hundred dollars over what one cost to build. Schecter are miles ahead of fender budget guitars..for about 300$ schecter, fender don't have anything comparable too that. Fender guitars aren't bad just not worth what they ask for one. BC Rich has the same problem most BC Rich guitars are way overpriced also. Stratocaster guitar's the fender one's are only worth about 350$ to 400$ not 700 to two thousand like they say, they are very basic and cheap accessories on fender just try a schecter guitar you'll see what I mean..
@@patrickshannon4516 I have tried a Schecter and I think they’re extremely similar in playability and value. A $500 Squire and a $500 Schecter are near the same quality honestly. As for the whole being half of what they’re sold for… that’s almost every guitar.
Got myself a Squier Bullet Stratocaster & loving it. Though it's not a good a Fender but that Bullet sound great. Now plan to get another Squier.... A Telecaster.
I like the bullet hardtails, but I don't like the bridge totally, would be better with a string through body, the saddles kind of lift weird, they could design a new bridge to fix that for top mounting but obviously thats out of the budget...
*I can't believe they still make the bastards out of furniture grade plywood!* The upside is, light bodies resonate a lot more. With enough laboring on them, they can reach an elite level of performance, but you have to be quite skilled to pull it off. *I converted mine to a semi-hollow body by routering out everywhere underneath the pickguard, and it's a mod to die for!* I've done it to several guitars and Stratocasters since. The resonance and sustain goes up dramatically, and on strats, it gets even more plunk, honk and quack out of them. *I think it's the single best mod I've ever come up with when it comes to bodies, but converting to actives using my own circuit design gets anything you want out of any guitar, even making humbuckers sound like single coils.*
I have the chance to get one barely used, but 10 years old (used for just a couple years back then), stored on its soft bag (included also in the deal) during last 8 years, along a 10W HARTKE G10 amp, for 100€. It looks pretty clean, need to see it soon. Would you think it is a good deal?
Strats are the Holy Grail they conquered the Golden eras the 50’s with Buddy Holly, Richie Valenz… the 60’s with Jimmy Hendrix, the 70’s with Disco Music. You can play rock n roll, ballads, disco music, RnB, everything. These things are hit makers These days you can find a decent strat for as low as $100 and if you know music you can make it bit Its not about an expensive guitar like most snobs and snob companies keep bragging about quality.
Tremolos are a system and require a setup at all points also dependent on usage, eg how you play and how often you use the vibrato. I have had people say this tremolo sucks then I set it up according to their playing style and works near perfect. Physics will never allow it to be perfect. The point is you can’t randomly play with a vibrato and just make an on the fly judgement it requires work.
Amazing review, and I really like your sensitivity not only with music, also with the instruments (even though you don´t like them, you always try to take their best out). Greetings from a friend from Argentina!!!
Hi Elmo, great playing and review! Could you please tell me about the gears you used? I'm looking for EVH tones. You nailed 'ain't talking about love' 😍
Hi Elmo ... I like the honesty of your budget guitar appraisals ... how about having a laugh with this one that I spotted on Amazon UK given its obvious naming link to one of your guitar heroes ... Fazley Fury FST630VWH-MSC Vintage White with scalloped neck.
This Fender model vs Yamaha Pacific 112VMX. I am going to buy one of these What would you recommend? I like to play blues, jazz and exotic music like arabic and raags, but also want to explore other genres. Thankyou
Nice. I'm getting one of these next week. Figured I'd start out on something cheap, but not so cheap it's complete dogshit. Gonna learn how to set it up and hopefully in a few years when I can actually play the thing, look to upgrading it. Everything I've seen on the affinity HSS strat has been pretty good, and I like the sound of that humbucker pickup.
Also feel free to laugh but i used to own a Peavey Raptor EXP plus it was basically the same as this guitar but only cost like £100 there's a video on my old channel of me doing Eruption with it through a JCM800 and getting the perfect Van Halen Brown Sound without pedals sadly thanks to our friend inflation that guitar is now £200 so not good.
Thanks for the review! I was tempted by the great looks of this but decided to spend a few more £££''s and get one of the Contemporary models which I really love. If I had endless money and room in the house I might buy one of these too!
If you can play van Halen on a guitar then it must be acceptable for the most except the connoisseurs. After all, it is supposed to be a beginner budget instrument. It is difficult to imagine any beginner using that whammy bar for any long distance.
There's two types of people who will choose this guitar, those who can only just afford this and I'm sure they will be more than happy to learn on it. Second person are the modifiers. The real question for them... Would spending £100 on some Tex Mex pups and a Wilkinson trem make it better than a classic vibe?
Can i know the configuration of the pedals you used to get this tone? Also the amplifier that you have used… i have the same guitar but i dont even get the tone nearly as u did…
You work with middle school kids? You must be a patient man... Anyway, spot on review. The Affinity guitars are decent, but if I can afford better, I get the better one.
Check out some great cheap alternatives to this: ua-cam.com/video/MsEp-yPTRWo/v-deo.html
Can you please tell me which one is better the squier affinity or the squier classic vibe?
classic vibe 100%
@@pdepde9648
Just received mine yesterday I am absolutely amazed on how it feels very good set up out of the box. Extremely pleased with it!
Cool!
Love mine. My grandfather gave it to me for my 13th birthday back in 2002. It was my first electric guitar and it stayed with me ever since. I put some shielding paint in it and 2 years ago I fitted Fender TexMex Singlecoils and very recently Highwood Saddles. I love it and will keep it forever. Maybe I'll get a Vegatrem though... I also have a Mexican Strat but that Squier is in my heart.
Elmo your sense of humor and brutal honesty are what set your channel apart.
Love it!!
Thanks!
I just bought a MII for $90. Truss rod adjustment, lowered the action, lighter fluid on disgusting fretboard, soap and water toothbrush cleaning, waxed the body, very very light sanding in back of neck. Amazing now! It’s incredible what you can get now for low budget.
As a person who owns a few Fender Strats, and Tele's, I've always been quite impressed by the Squier line. You'd be hard pressed to do better for a beginner/budget oriented player, looking for that sound.
Not everyone needs/wants a $1400 Fender guitar.
Some Squires are really good, yeah.
Squier have improved alot in the last few years .I've got three having sold two over priced fenders
@@barriehercock8612 I agree, especially after seeing my neighbor's son's Squire Strat. It had quite nice Alnico pickups, not too hot, and a neck that needed nothing, sans a bit less relief.
He also just bought a perfectly fine, sans working Air Conditioning, 2009 Honda Civic, for the less than the price of a brand new, American Strat ($1070) .
This lets him jam all over town, which is a priceless experience, let alone a crucible to make him better (and it shows).
I'm about to gift him an old Fender Blues Jr. (I have four, and LOVE every version, sans 4th), that he loves over his 'Fender Frontline" SS POS.
We pllay my Joe Barden equipped 68 Strat, and his Squier through said amp, and it's a FAR LESS a difference than either guitars thought the Blues Jr., vs the SS 'frontline' would be.
Ps, I'll fix his air conditioning's fan resistor grid for the low 'price' off nothing, as it's cheaper than a guitar pick. Texas is HOT in the summer.
@@kennethc2466 I really enjoyed your comment, sans the enjoyment part. 😵
@@castleanthrax1833 ...1-1=0. Enjoy your 'profit'.
Mine was delivered yesterday. A $160 black Friday sale. I got the black one. I am really happy with it. Not worth the $330 they were originally asking, but good deal at $160. Looks awesome, good neck & I would recommend at the lower price. There are still some at that price on reverb. As always, I enjoy your reviews & opinions, thanks.
I agree one of the best I’ve played! I bought mine because it was so cheap for $40 second hand! It’s sounds great plays lovely and I have Ibanez JS1000 and it’s better but not by much. Single coils a bit noisy but what do you expect. I glad this video came up on my feed just so I can thoroughly recommend it.
The clean sounds are really nice and I like hearing you play that way. A nice change from the shredding.
I have a squier and I really love it it’s the guitar I use the most very very comfortable :)
I actually pick one up for my daughter yesterday. It was the limited edition squire HSS bullet hard tail in black sparkle.
Sounds pretty good and it was set up fine and plays well. I wish starter guitars were this good when I started playing.
The only thing I’ll probably do to it is change out the string trees on it.
Still remember my old Squier from 2012, when I started. Incredible well made (yes, components aren't the top quality, but guitar is well made). I still have the guitar and stays in tune better than other guitars i have, hundred euros expensive
I have that Squier as well..from 2012.. those were Bullet Strats right? The stuff I did to that guitar 😂 That guitar went thru the rain and snow on a regular basis. I would bring my backpack, batteries,amp and we would go for hiking and nature walks. Actually we were just walking around,smoking weed and playing music. That guitar would be soaking wet when I would come home.I had a bike crash with that guitar on my back. Probably saved my life,I would be in a wheelchair now.Strange but that Bullet Squier still plays and I wouldn't trade it for a new American Custom Shop Strat.
Great content as usual Elmo! I havr had that exact guitar for 8 months. I primarily play metal but also love 70s rock. I LOVE that guitar. It plays and feels great and I just connect with it. Great review and keep up the great work/content!
These newer models setup so well, neck virtually dead flat and really low action with zero fret buzz, mushy string feel or overly tight. Neck is comfortable but as an individual I just couldn’t bond with the neck. It is also very comfortable and light.
I bought a 2022 Affinity Jazzmaster as my first guitar and I can’t imagine being happier for what I paid for it. I have an inexpensive pair of alnico pickups in the mail with a Bugera V5 and I’m looking forward to channeling my inner Dick Dale.
I’ll play it for a year or three or until I wear out the frets and get something nice when I find my own voice and figure out what I want to say.
Nothing wrong with these I’ve had expensive USA fenders and Gibson and both had to go back for work these affinity’s out the box after a decent set up are great!
8:56 the best tone test.
It sounds like a typical strat to me , bright and jangly as it should be,
it looks sweet,
I prefer hardtail on a budget guitar instead of a flimsy trem that won't stay in tune. Beginners don't need the hassle of constant tuning!
Bought my 22 y.o. Squire Afinity recently, it has a great sound.
I bet there are a lot of used guitars for sale right now. I heard they used to be made in Japan and the quality was so good that it exceeded the expensive Fenders.
Really LOVE what this dude is playing
I've discovered just today your channel and I must thank you a lot! These video about cheap/affordable guitars are just what I was looking for! I've owned some expensive ones around 15/10 years ago, thanks to cash from a car crash :D I've sold them long ago and now I've got only an acoustic from Cort custom shop and I was thinking about buying an electric. I had the American standard strato Sienna sunburst (a color I love) and looks like the only option is the Squier (American Pro II is around 2K euros, too expensive). I checked also the video where you suggest 8 guitars and the Harley Benton seems interesting. :)
My first guitar was a 1989 USA squier strat so I admit to being biased towards them, however having owned multiple strats I'm biased towards them for good reason. The new Affinity line strats like the one you demonstrated with is just proof positive that Fender remains one of the best out there. For an entry level guitar it sounded fantastic. Granted it's in the hands of a master (that'd be you Elmo) but I would have no reservations about recommending that guitar to a beginner or even as a backup guitar to an intermediate player. I just picked up a Classic vibe 50s stratocaster and it's killer. Is it my Player strat, no of course not, but is it head and shoulders over other guitars in the same price range, unequivocally yes. Great video Elmo!
Thanks!
4:12 loved that segment, definitely is worth to invest in a good amp since this guitar provides some nice tones (you can also change the pickups and the pots)
I really like les Pauls or boutique Gibson styled guitars and all but strats are just so straight forward and simple with many cool designs with also sweet tones as well I’ll probably get one eventually
Ordered that exact model , waiting for it to arrive, (was out of stock when I ordered it.) I generally don`t bother with using a Whammy arm,
don`t have much use for one, been playing Tele`s for years, just fancied a nice looking Strat for a change, but not prepared to fork out silly money
for an actual Fender, so the Squier will do me just fine, for the Classic Rock covers band I`m in. (Currently playing the Squier 60`s C.V Tele, and I love it.) 😎🎸
Hello Elmo and thank you for your honest review (as usual! 🙏)
I was hesitant to purchase this 'cause it's made in china and I feared the neck&fretboard could be an issue and would potentially need some fixup work, as you mentioned in all your Squier reviews.
But I just loved the Sienna Sunburst color and just had to try it in a shop, just to ascertain eventual problems before bringing it home.
Turned out the neck is just perfect, not a single buzzing fret, action is veeery low out of the box ( 1,75mm low E and 1,5mm the high E ) , the tuners work very well, no hard ones, no play at all, action at the 1st fret is quite low and uniform, frets are already polished ( I really didn't expect this! 😱 ).
Pickups surprised me in a positive way, I didn't expect cheap ceramic pickups to sound so good! 😎
I still have to try and put the tremolo arm on ( I never really use it on any guitar, and I envy your prowess with it btw! 🤘🤘🤘 ) , but I certainly like the two screws system, the cast saddles and the fact that the small hex screws do not dig into my palm when muting.
I feel very very lucky! 🤘✌
Thank you 💗
Fender switched to a contract manufacturer in Indonesia when they introduced the current spec three years ago.
Always good tones and honesty on this channel. These lil things (with some love ) can smoke!
Sorry I don’t usually leave negative comments and I hope you can take this as constructive criticism, but I think (as I’m a guitarist of over 40yrs experience) perhaps you should be talking more about the technical aspects of the guitar rather than just shredding aimlessly which seems to be more about “You” rather than the guitar, and through a Plexi which most potential Squier players wouldn’t be doing anyway as they couldn’t afford one , and if they could I’m sure they’d be buying a MasterBuilt Custom Shop!!??
I wasn't going to leave a comment because Big Bad Bazza said it best. But, I will paraphrase: I want to thank you for your video. Every time I think the well of God-awful guitar demos has a bottom, one like yours comes along to remind me it is, indeed, a bottomless pit. You did an absolute disservice to that guitar, you insulted someone else who had a valid opinion, and, the only good thing you did, was when you, literally, shredded the life out of that guitar, you helped me lose some weight when I ran in the bathroom and vomited. Oh, yes, you did one other positive thing. I was debating between 3 different Squiers. Thanks to you representing this as The Guitar From Hell, and basing my opinion on you strumming one clean chord, badly, 3 times, and then saying, "Nah, ve gaw dirdy," I decided that I want this guitar. Why? Because it is "the best budget guitar there is!" Oh, if you want to know how to do a demo, watch: Ryan of 60 Cycle Hum, Rob of The Guitar Manifesto, Landon Bailey (I think that's his last name. Just enter Landon) & Emily of the Offset Guitar channel. And, if you dislike the guitar that much, find out how to get in touch with me, send me the guitar & I will show it the love it deserves. I'm done!
@@murraymall5116wow, some valid points said with passion
@@murraymall5116 I'd missed this chain of comments. I'm not sure what you're on about, other than that you've commented before watching the entire video. I say of the guitar that it's pretty darn good. And regarding my shredding, I tried the guitar the way I try guitars. Sorry if that's the "wrong" way.
@@murraymall5116what on Earth are you talking about? His conclusion is that the guitar is "pretty darn good" At least watch the whole video before you go internet keyboard fruit ninja.
@murraymall5116 wind your neck in there, fun boy. Fkn keyboard warriors everywhere. This is a good demo and many of us appreciate his work
Elmo seems to be a man after my own heart when it comes to guitars he is a strat man so any review videos are done from a serious players point of view which gives ne more insight into what the guitar is actually like! Plus i think playing through a big marshall gives you the chance to hear the pickups in the best way you can through a proper amp!
I have a partcaster i built,bullet body affinity neck and its great for what i want! I wish i had half your guitar skills elmo,thanks for another great review and inspiring me to play more in the process!! 👍🎸
Nice clean crunch sound at 4:24 ---> Very Eric Clapton sounding .
Cheers!
Hi Elmo. Thanks for this review, I am considering this guitar. A couple of questions for you, is the bridge pre floated? or did you have to do it yourself?
I did it.
I bought one of the Affinity P+J basses, and it is a real joy to play. Looking into a Squire Tele next. Made in Indonesia is going be a selling point eventually.
I have three Made in Indonesia guitars all from the same factory (Cort), they are my best guitars on par with the Gibson. One was 350 one was 500 and one was a grand, though I got it cheap. All gorgeous. The last one was an HB SC550 + EMG (PAF). If I see made in Indonesia and the reviews are good I buy. Indonesia is the new Korea for cheap great guitars and nicer than the Korean ones (which can be fantastic). That factory makes a bunch, I got an Ibanez an LTD and an HB from there. Especially stuff like fretwork, finish, setup and hardware is always on point.
The Affinity Telecaster Delux for £200 is the best budget guitar thats just my opinion from personal experience as you get the Les paul type tone but in a Telecaster body
My wife just found one of these from 2000 at a garage sale for $50 today...so I got a new guitar,I really like it so far jut needs to have the frets and fret board cleaned and oiled and some new strings...
It's the best time to get a squier I hear !
Thanks for the Review Elmo!!! 😎✌️
Cheers!
I have no experience of the Afinity series but have 2 fantastic Classic Vibes (50’s Tele & Esquire) both picked up on secondhand market for under £250 each in near new condition. Play them more than my MIM Fender Tele (which in itself is a decent guitar but just not bounded with it like the CV’s). Necks are a dream. I liked them so much that I decided it worthwhile to upgrade them although in all truth they didn’t really need it I just love diving in and improving my instruments it was worth it they are better for it. Both have Bloodstone electronics and have Bare Knuckle ‘Old Guard’ pickups in the Tele and a Seymour Duncan Broadcaster in the Esquire. Bit off topic sorry but have noticed again quite a few Afinity Strats on second hand market great for beginners as I was only a few years ago, but am lucky enough to have been able to afford something a little bit more up market without busting the bank. I’m currently on lookout for Classic Vibe Strat but fussy now I know what I like and happy to wait for the right guitar to come along. Keep up the great work with the content love your dry sense of humour.
Thank you 😊
Very nice *and* nice sounding blues riffs by Elmo starting around the 4:10 minute mark. Harkins back to the Glorious Days of Motown ~ KUDOS!
BTW: Did I hear Elmo playing the intro to Joe Walsh's "Turn To Stone" a few times?
Cheers :)
If I did play it, that was by chance.
Unbelievable how the thing holds in tune. I've heard of Fenders that have tuning issues. So that was really unexpected.
Yeah, I was surprised as well.
I've only had tuning problems with whammy bar strats .teles no problem block those whammy strats no problem. Never had to use locking tuners either.. use the Luther's knot when wrapping strings . It's in utube.
It’s all how you string the tuners. Put a loop in there. Stays in tune.
I wish more maple fret boards were used. Low maintenance and looks better with most colors.
I really dig those split shaft sealed tuners, seems like the best of both worlds FWIW
For me a good value for money at Squier is the Contemporary range
More modern and pleasant material while keeping the telecaster and Stratocaster shapes and the finish quite acceptable
Love the Jeff Becky whammy bit 👍
Not worth three hundred dollars worth about 150$ these squires are getting more expensive
I think the INDIO DLX PLUS (older brother of monoprice's Indio classic) could be a little more interesting with a solid ash body and wilkinson bridge (specs on monoprice's website) between $200 and $220 (varies in this price range) I could change the pickups and sound better. Excellent video... The black duck of despair!! sorry I don't know why that was...
Thanks! 😊
It would be nice to see a comparison with a Harley Benton
This is a great review. I love how Elmo puts the guitar through the ringer to test the quality. In my opinion from trying a few squire affinity strats recently, there really hit and miss on quality. In my experience 9/10 times there not very good. The colours that they've chosen for the line are cool but that's about the only good thing about them. To a beginner I would suggest another budget friendly brand then this squire in particular. I'd go with a Harley Benton or even a Yamaha Pacifica. I wouldn't rule out the Squire Classic Vibe range as well. Pickups on the affinity are not great and it's almost certain there will be bad fret issues. I've even seen the nut not even fit in the slot and they've been cut unevenly. If I were a beginner I'd honestly be more patient and save up for a Mexican made Fender. It's a good entry level instrument into the brand.
Thanks!
I kept watching your videos for a couple of months until i bought my own guitar.
It's a second hand c giant it's from like 11 years ago
Great job on the video. I think a big part of moving on from the absolute beginner stage is that the guitar is nice to pick up and calls you to play it. A plekd one of these with nice fret end dressing and blocked trem might be great for a couple of years.
True
Strage, doesn't Squier put the "Affinity" logo on the headstock anymore?
I have one from 2008, came in a pack. That's a pretty good guitar considering the price - hardware is ok, build is ok, sounds are ok for a beginner, the tone pot was NOT wired to the humbucker, though. Tuners suffer a little bit, and they are not easy to change. You can hardly find spare tuners for Squiers, unless you are willing to drill holes in the headstock to accommodate other brands.
Nice video. I have one and think it’s great for the price. Came here to see some one shredding on it.
Glad you like it!
You got that little girl to sing nice. Imagine back in the day what we got for a beginner guitar. You could actually play this on stage and I don’t think to many people would know the difference. lol only the guitar nerds in the crowd might give you a bad review but I think you brought out what that guitars potential actually can do. Bigger springs intonation and new tuners and maybe a new humbucker and that would cook. What do you think am I right.
You had a really nice go at it Elmo! Those are perfectly good strats if set up properly. Bang for the buck, so to speak.
Cheers!
Love your sense of humor..new subscriber here. Excellent channel.
Thank you very much :)
Absolutely loved the playing in this review!
Cheers!
fuck yeah dude
that's how a review should look like!
good looking strat for sure
The Olympic White Affinity is enough to make me pick it up. I already have a Fender 87 Strat but I need another one for when I’m on the go, this is perfect! Not to mention that it looks similar to Ritchie Blackmore’s Strat with the exception of the scalloped fretboard and pickups
That's what I want an Olympic white with wide headstock and humbucker in the bridge gold hardware and Floyd Rose. How much would one like that cost me to get?
@@WhoDaF0ok1sThatGuy would never pay over 150 for any squire they are too basic
@@patrickshannon4516 $200 is very cheap especially for a good guitar, so what you’re saying is that you wouldn’t buy a Squier at all even though they’re very good for the money and some of the best budget guitars??? Ok, go enjoy a shitty Epiphone then.
@@WhoDaF0ok1sThatGuy they are just super plain nothing but about hundred dollars worth of material that they are made of. They charge nearly a hundred hundred dollars over what one cost to build. Schecter are miles ahead of fender budget guitars..for about 300$ schecter, fender don't have anything comparable too that. Fender guitars aren't bad just not worth what they ask for one. BC Rich has the same problem most BC Rich guitars are way overpriced also. Stratocaster guitar's the fender one's are only worth about 350$ to 400$ not 700 to two thousand like they say, they are very basic and cheap accessories on fender just try a schecter guitar you'll see what I mean..
@@patrickshannon4516 I have tried a Schecter and I think they’re extremely similar in playability and value. A $500 Squire and a $500 Schecter are near the same quality honestly. As for the whole being half of what they’re sold for… that’s almost every guitar.
Got myself a Squier Bullet Stratocaster & loving it. Though it's not a good a Fender but that Bullet sound great. Now plan to get another Squier.... A Telecaster.
I like the bullet hardtails, but I don't like the bridge totally, would be better with a string through body, the saddles kind of lift weird, they could design a new bridge to fix that for top mounting but obviously thats out of the budget...
Cool 😊
*I can't believe they still make the bastards out of furniture grade plywood!* The upside is, light bodies resonate a lot more. With enough laboring on them, they can reach an elite level of performance, but you have to be quite skilled to pull it off. *I converted mine to a semi-hollow body by routering out everywhere underneath the pickguard, and it's a mod to die for!*
I've done it to several guitars and Stratocasters since. The resonance and sustain goes up dramatically, and on strats, it gets even more plunk, honk and quack out of them. *I think it's the single best mod I've ever come up with when it comes to bodies, but converting to actives using my own circuit design gets anything you want out of any guitar, even making humbuckers sound like single coils.*
I have the chance to get one barely used, but 10 years old (used for just a couple years back then), stored on its soft bag (included also in the deal) during last 8 years, along a 10W HARTKE G10 amp, for 100€. It looks pretty clean, need to see it soon. Would you think it is a good deal?
This is a GREAT GUITAR!
Strats are the Holy Grail they conquered the Golden eras the 50’s with Buddy Holly, Richie Valenz… the 60’s with Jimmy Hendrix, the 70’s with Disco Music.
You can play rock n roll, ballads, disco music, RnB, everything.
These things are hit makers
These days you can find a decent strat for as low as $100 and if you know music you can make it bit
Its not about an expensive guitar like most snobs and snob companies keep bragging about quality.
finish on the body look very good, if I could get CV50 with that body, it would be awesome.
Tremolos are a system and require a setup at all points also dependent on usage, eg how you play and how often you use the vibrato. I have had people say this tremolo sucks then I set it up according to their playing style and works near perfect. Physics will never allow it to be perfect. The point is you can’t randomly play with a vibrato and just make an on the fly judgement it requires work.
Absolutely right! ;-)
Spot on.
Amazing review, and I really like your sensitivity not only with music, also with the instruments (even though you don´t like them, you always try to take their best out).
Greetings from a friend from Argentina!!!
I appreciate that!
Thank you for this outstanding video. A very fine workout on the whammy bar! Not too many whammy bar demos out there! ‼️😎🔥🎸
Cheers!
Sounds very good to me.
Very interesting, I got the HH version, play very good. They’re worth what it cost. I like them . Thanks for the video.
Man, for a guitar that didn’t review well, you sure made it sound nice, professor! 😎👍🏻
professional hands, want to buy one right now 🤤
Hi Elmo, great playing and review! Could you please tell me about the gears you used? I'm looking for EVH tones. You nailed 'ain't talking about love' 😍
Thanks! I have a Marshall Plexi and a Strymon Riverside for overdrive.
@@MrPolevaulter Thank you Elmo!
what are the better budget guitars you'd recommend?
Great video and insights on this guitar! Will make a wonderful "couch" guitar... Thanks ;)
Sounds great except for that bridge humbucker. I'd be going with the SSS.
(No comment on the trem - don't use 'em.)
8:05 is there a name to this song pls lmk
Not yet at least. Just something I came up with.
What’s the song at 9:00 minutes into this video? I’ve heard it before and I feel the need to learn that.
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Great review.
Hi Elmo ... I like the honesty of your budget guitar appraisals ... how about having a laugh with this one that I spotted on Amazon UK given its obvious naming link to one of your guitar heroes ... Fazley Fury FST630VWH-MSC Vintage White with scalloped neck.
This Fender model vs Yamaha Pacific 112VMX.
I am going to buy one of these
What would you recommend?
I like to play blues, jazz and exotic music like arabic and raags, but also want to explore other genres.
Thankyou
Nice. I'm getting one of these next week. Figured I'd start out on something cheap, but not so cheap it's complete dogshit. Gonna learn how to set it up and hopefully in a few years when I can actually play the thing, look to upgrading it. Everything I've seen on the affinity HSS strat has been pretty good, and I like the sound of that humbucker pickup.
10:40 for some slow YngVai MalmSteve jam... \m/
What’s the best #1 budget strat?
Also feel free to laugh but i used to own a Peavey Raptor EXP plus it was basically the same as this guitar but only cost like £100 there's a video on my old channel of me doing Eruption with it through a JCM800 and getting the perfect Van Halen Brown Sound without pedals sadly thanks to our friend inflation that guitar is now £200 so not good.
My only concern is the trembar, is it screw-in or pop-in trembar mate?
Screw-in
Quick question: would you say it sounds like a strat?
Sure
Thanks for the review! I was tempted by the great looks of this but decided to spend a few more £££''s and get one of the Contemporary models which I really love. If I had endless money and room in the house I might buy one of these too!
I would aggree that It probably isn't worth $200, but if you can find one used for less than $100 it's defintly worth it.
If you can play van Halen on a guitar then it must be acceptable for the most except the connoisseurs. After all, it is supposed to be a beginner budget instrument. It is difficult to imagine any beginner using that whammy bar for any long distance.
There's two types of people who will choose this guitar, those who can only just afford this and I'm sure they will be more than happy to learn on it. Second person are the modifiers. The real question for them... Would spending £100 on some Tex Mex pups and a Wilkinson trem make it better than a classic vibe?
The output of the ceramic pickups isn't too loud ?
is it possible to play jazz with the neck pickup ?
Sure
Have you tried the Squier classic vibe 70 with humbucker or the Squier contemporary?
Nope.
Can i know the configuration of the pedals you used to get this tone? Also the amplifier that you have used… i have the same guitar but i dont even get the tone nearly as u did…
I love your channel
Cheers 😊
Have you consider Kramer baretta for some of budget guitar review?
I've considered it and might try it at some point.
@@MrPolevaulter that would be awesome!
Have to say you make it sound nice Elmo damn
You work with middle school kids? You must be a patient man... Anyway, spot on review. The Affinity guitars are decent, but if I can afford better, I get the better one.
Cheers!
So Elmo.. .let be honest - HB 62 strat is better?
The one I tried was worse.
Best than the Ibanez azes 40?
JUST got this last week, $159.99. I have 15 strat variants.....EEZE GOOD GEETAH! Yes, it's thin bodied, yes, it passes a proper wang bar test.
Cool bananas :)