I've ordered three guitars from Thomman and they have great customer service, but they do not take the guitar out of the box and check it out before shipping. What the factory shipped to them is what they ship to you. I can understand why, I guess, they are a huge store and have a lot to ship. I got two HB electrics in. an SC Custom II and an SC-450. Both were absolutely flawless in appearance, but the 450 didn't work. The switch was broken. I know they would have shipped me another one if I called them, but I liked the wood and appearance so much, that I decided to install all new electronics in it myself. I have one Squier Affinity Tele Deluxe and it's outstanding. The electronics are full size pots and a switchcraft switch. It made me wonder if this was a return to the store and had been repaired. I guess there's no way to know. I swapped out the tuners and it's a great guitar.
The SCs are really beautiful guitars! I was wondering, if the SC-450 is lighter than the SC Custom II because of the different body woods. What's your experience? If something is broken on a guitar they ship, but you still want to keep it, I'm sure they will give you a discount. How long has it been since you bought the guitar? At the price tag of the Affinity Deluxe, that would be my guess, too. The regular Affinity has very cheap electronics. Which tuners did you get as replacements?
Yes, I returned a Gibson Les Paul studio to GC. It had the dreaded hump in the neck at the 10-14th frets.. no way to set I it up properly. But to their credit, they went above and beyond their duty and replaced it with a more expensive guitar, and this guitar is the best one I own. Good luck to you, I hope you get this situation sorted out.
Thank you! :) Sometimes it's crazy when you look at the price tag and see what got through quality control… I'm happy that you've got a replacement now that you like so much!
I bought a Squier Classic vibe strat from Thomann which came with a decal on the headstock saying 'Squier TELECASTER Deluxe!' However I didn't mind as I thought it was kind of an endearing mistake. I kept it and played the shit out of it- great guitar for the price. To each his own though, and Thomann did discount 40e off the price when I told them.
@@Bandforge I'm modding it for sure over the next few months. Personally I like that better that paying 1000 for a strat sonce I can learn how to build and make the guitar just as I want it spec-wise!
Agreed 100%ly! ;) I can't wait to disassemble everything and make it the custom tool I want it to be! Any favorite replacement pickups? I've layed an eye on Donlis pickups. They use quality materials and well-known specs and I'd really like to try them on both the Affinity and the Harley Benton!
@@Bandforge I'm going to change the electronics first to solder-less obsidian upgrades so I can change pickups easier over time if I need to upgrade. My first upgrade is going to be Texas specials! I'm also going to shield the interior and change the tuners to locking ones, likely a new bridge eventually. :)
Niice! I like the Texas specials but I've never heard of the obsidian system. Could you tell me a bit more about it? Sounds pretty handy for people like me! ;) Shielding with copper tape is a must for all my guitars, too. I've never had locking tuners, though. I never felt the need because of a certain style of putting the strings on the tuners. If you like, you can check out my tutorial, it's on this channel. :) For the bridge, do you prefer the ashtray? For my guitar, I'd love to replace the bridge with a solid brass thing as long as it's the modern style. The classic ashtray just bothers me while playing. ;)
This happened to me right before the pandemic hit and everything closed down so I'm glad I went through the trouble. I had recently joined my first band at the time, late 2019, and after playing my first show with the MIM Tele I owned at the time, it broke my back so I figured I splurge on a my dream guitar since I was now in a band, it would be 'justified'. I purchased a Vintera series Mustang in seafoam green, band new from one of the big music retailers in my city, it cost me about $1300 CAD, which is pretty high for a Mexican made instrument but I didn't care, I was so excited. I had it shipped to the store so once I got that call, I picked it up right away, didn't bother with the quality control protocol the store had on new instruments, I just took it home and figured a brand new $1300 guitar should be fine....WRONG. The guitar had horrible grounding issues and would just scream without doing anything. I took it back to the store and they had to shield the inside pickup routing which is insane that they had to do that considering how much money the guitar cost. My woes didn't stop there. After taking it home for a second time, the bloody thing couldn't stay in tune to save it's life. The trem system was so finnicky and temperamental, there was no way that this instrument was usable for live setting. I was so frustrated and I know a lot of these issues can be remedied with a good setup, however I didn't think it was fair to have to shelf out another $100 or so to fix fundamental instrument functionality from a band new $1300 guitar. This would be the 3rd time heading back to this store, which was a 45 minute drive one way, and I was fed up. I decided it was not meant to be and I returned it. Upon returning at the store, by luck would have it, they were having inventory day and just recieved a new shipment of guitars. One of them being an American Performer Mustang in Vintage white. I fell inlove with it and shelled out some extra money for it. TOTALLY night and day different in build quality, sound quality, tuning stability, and playability. If it weren't for the name on the headstock, I'd be hardpressed to think they shared the same brand.
Oh dear… Sad but true that quality control fails way too often! There's a big music store in the city I used to live but the same model of guitar in their store would often be unacceptable in terms of QC. That's why I keep on buying my guitars online at Thomann. I even went to the store two times (they have great cocoa btw…) the difference was day and night! In the other store I've even tried a 3000€ Gibson that had fret ends sticking out… But I'm glad to hear that your happy with your Performer Mustang, now! We also have a Performer Precision Bass and it's lovely! Especially the neck feels so smooth!
A men this kinda seems like squier Confound the names for the affinity and it's usually a Bullet version ^^ but anyway I wanted to order an affinity as well but there were friends of me who had problems as well with cracks on the headstock and nut or painting issues and stuff, and even when it's an affordable guitar I told myself I safe the money and go for maybe the Contemporary RH... Great reviews btw! Hands up for you and the honest ways to review something and not like a lot others who praise all the guitars as "best/great guitar" Keep going!
Thank you very much for your kind words! Cracks on the headstock and nut? Wow, that's really bad! Honestly, I was a bit confused about some other reviews as well. Sure, some people might be lucky but I've read many times now that some people aren't too happy with the QC and everyone should at least know what they're getting theirselves into. The Contemporary RH sure looks nice! Have you thought about a Fender Player, too? I know, it's even more expensive but I really love my Player Strat.
@@Bandforge I don't want to badmouth the production but like you said it's more the QC that is decreased somehow imo, i just learned that it's better to get a guitar straight out the store and open it there to check by myself and be able to return it right away.. but for a few models it turned out to be more a Russian roulette sometimes to get a good one. So the Player series is a good advice yes, but to be honest my budget keeps me a little bit down Unfortunately.. i still can't get the affinity out of my mind so probably I'll just get it another try :) go to the store and check both the affinity and the contemporary... and for your answer, time and help that you do with your vids especially because you're honest and not paid to just talk good stuff I'll hit the subscribe button :) keep going like that!
I've only purchased one guitar online, which was a Yamaha Pacifica PAC112JL YNS Left-Handed Electric in Yellow Natural Satin. I could find no flaws in the workmanship, but I was prepared to return it if I found any at all. It came set up fairly good as far as my limited experience could tell, though when I play more vigorously a slight buzz is produced from the low E string. As a budget guitar at $250 it is a very nice guitar for me (particularly I like the look of the three different satin woods used together).
That's a nice one! In my experience, you can't go wrong with Yamaha in terms of the build quality. The sound is sometimes a little too flat for my taste but that can be easily fixed by modding the electronics. I own a PAC303-12ii which is a 12 string electric guitar. This happened years ago when I was visiting another town for sightseeing with my family. I had to see the local music store, tried this guitar but didn't buy it in first place. When I was back home, I called them and ordered the exact model I had tried before… ;) A slight buzz on the low E string is absolutely normal when you play more vividly, at least at lower (more comfortable) string action settings. What style of music do you play? The 12string was perfect for playing Toxicity's intro by System Of A Down with the octaved part. ;)
@@Bandforge I'm at too much of a beginner level at guitar to have a style. I mainly practice scale patterns and intervals, typically without looking at my hands (it's still a struggle to get back to the correct fret positions). I started back up months ago to encourage my 10 year old daughter who is taking piano lessons (I started attempting to play years ago and still have a white lefty Mexican Telecaster I bought in the 90s). If I'd started much earlier in life or kept playing back then, I imagine I'd have been hugely influenced by Iommi and other players of early hard blues rock/heavy metal. In terms of playing I appreciate expression over technical proficiency so a player like Gilmour ranks really high for me.
That's nice! :D I think it's really cool that you're encouraging your daugther by being a role model! Did she choose the piano herself or do you fear that she's going to hurt her fingers because of the guitar strings at her young age? Also, do you follow a program for practicing?
They are all like that. I returned my Jazzmaster December last years and asked for a replacement which was better. Last week I ordered a Jaguar with some harsh QC issues. This time I just took it and fixed all of them myself.
I was literally in the same situation last November but with two classic vibe telecasters with frets that needed to be leveled. I ended up returning each of them and then I bought the HSH stratocaster that was on my wishlist at the time. Fast forward to now and I decided to get a telecaster again (the newest affinity model) in olympic white and all the frets were good!
Hello, i wanted to buy this squier affinity in placid blue. Now i am not sure, because these things shouldn´t be on a 219 euro guitar. Should i ask thomann for a check up before i buy it to christmas ? I have some telecasters, not such a fan of harley benton, so i would go for the squier if the defects wouldn´t exist.
I think, it depends a bit on where you live. The check up is not for free and I don't know how much it would cost. If you're based in Germany, you could order one and see if it's OK. The batch from which I got the two faulty guitars was already out of stock when they shipped the third one to me, so maybe they've returned the remaining copies with problems to the manufactorer? Also, if the one guitar they send you has a problem, you can phone them and ask for the check up and it will be for free (including polished frets). I know, it's not the best solution but it worked for me.
I had my Fender player plus tele delivered with a neckpick up that didn't work. I didn't want to sent it back so I replaced the pickup myself. Now i do enjoy the guitar again! But it's bad that they leave the factory like this!
Tried a player plus strat at my guitar store last Friday. "This one just came in, you're the first to play it". Shortly followed by a shout to his colleague of "strat doesn't work, back to Fender!". They didn't even seem surprised...
You must loved this guitar so much that you insisting to have it in your collection. Mine is exact same guitar but in olympic white. Got a little excessive glue issue, not as bad as what you had. I'm just too in love with it to ask for a replacement. I'll figure a way to get it done myself. I agree this is a fun and inspiring guitar to play. I wish you good luck with the third.
Thank you very much!! :) Yes, after the 2020 Affinity I wanted this guitar really badly… With improved hardware, the string-through body and the better tuners! Also, I love the color! Do you have the glue on the fretboard? If so, I think sanding it off carefully or maybe trying to scrape it off with a blade could do the trick. How do you like the sound of your guitar?
Thank you! :D I've received a message that it should arrive tomorrow… Can't wait to try it out and let's hope for the best! I was a bit naive to order all the extra parts for upgrades before the guitar… xD
Thank you very much! :D Unfortunately, I didn't find a dealer for Tagima in Europe and actually it's the first time, I stumble upon the name. Do you have anymore infos? Also, I've spend the last cent of my fun-with-guitars-budget on the Harley Benton and a pile of replacement parts… xD Are you planning to buy one of the two?
@@Bandforge Oh I see. I know that Tagima is a Brazilian brand that manufactures quality guitars at a fair price. I honestly don't know where you could buy them in Europe, since I'm from South America, but maybe sometime you could try using a service that imports products from the U.S to your country if needed. Also, it's ok you already spent the money with another guitars, I understand the reasons why you won't buy another one, I'll be looking forward to watch the upcoming videos! And yes, I was planning (I don't know when, maybe in a couple months) on getting one of them, but I'm still not sure of which. Thank you for replying!
I love your videos. I found the setup vids to be really helpful and concise, and I enjoyed your initial '21 Affinity video. However, I think you are being unfair in your assessment. Most of what you found on close examination were cosmetic imperfections. A company could check and repair each instrument to this level of scrutiny, but it would really eat into their already-modest margins. Adding a half hour of labor to two or three (levels of) employees adds up pretty quickly. Models like these are made with essentially two types of buyers in mind. The first, being the step-up novice, who is just committing to his hobby as a guitarist and wants something that will not hold him back. The second group is made up by people like me; experienced players who want a low-cost, bang-for-the-buck, familiar instrument that sounds and plays well, but does not have to be treated like a museum piece. For $250 U.S., I could live with just about all of the issues you identified. Yes, I would prefer to have a flawless finish and perfectly set screws, but I would not want the company to build that level of perfection into the cost for a guitar like this that can bring me years of enjoyment for the cost of a two-night stay at a three-star hotel. I don't want to come across as harsh, but I think you are asking too much of a company that clearly wants to keep a model like this well below $300. Oh, and I am looking forward to your Harley Benton TE follow-up video ...
Thanks for your constructive criticism! :) It's always appreciated to get feedback to improve on! Maybe, my expectations were too high because I had a very nice copy of the 2020 model. On the other hand, I think that I might have not explained clearly which of the imperfections were the ones that brought me to the decision to send the guitars back. It certainly weren't the pick guard screws, the glue residues or the other optical imperfections but things like sanding spots and the gash on the neck which were noticable while playing. What do you think? :)
String through vs top load is mythology for noobs, the gullible & right brainers. Indiscernible, It's an aesthetic affectation driven by preconditioning & imagination. No? Check out the sustain on a Les Paul. No string through there. =] Same nonsense as 'tonewood' in a solid body electric. So many variables, the singular aspect worthy of consideration in wood type is its density affecting sustain.
Stevie ray von was really worried about his guitar in the way it looked or maybe he was into his playing and didn't worry about the guitar it had character What do you think you're gonna get for that kind money. And from China anyways good luck.
I'm really thinking about it, tbh or even move up further to a Fender Player but that's over budget at the moment. :/ Tough decision to make! Is the CV really so much better?
I really hope that the third one is alright. The CV seems to be quite nice, but I just don't like the vintage feel (ashtray, tuners, neck finish). On the other hand, the Contemporary Player is far to futuristic… So my only option would be the Player. Buying used was a good idea, though I didn't find any used ones that were cheaper than 600 € which is not really worth the risk, I think. Let's wait and see for the moment. Fingers crossed! ;)
Oh, that's unfortunate! :/ What kind of flaws were they? And did this happen recently? I got the impression that their build quality greatly improved over time after reading a bunch of reviews. And which model was it?
@@Bandforge Well this was about 4 years ago or so, so I've heard that HB has gotten better but I'm still sceptical. I saw your video when you got yours and you seemed pleased :) I got the CS.. the PRS copy and the first one had a huge crack on the fretboard and the second one had big dents on the back of the neck so that you really could feel it when you played it. So I got fed up, send them both back and got me a Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster :) I did a "review" on that guitar on my music blog actually because I wanted people to be a little aware about the problems with HB guitars.
@Wabin22 I've heard that, too, but was a bit sceptical which changed when unboxing the HB :) Would you give them another chance? The one thing I don't like is that the specs are different from Fender (longer scale, neck width, pickup placement). OK, cracks on the fretboard and big dents are absolutely unacceptable! That's awful! Ohhh a Jazzmaster… I'm still looking for one. Are you pleased with it? And did you review it, too? :)
@@Bandforge Yeah I mean I've seen and talked to so many people who have had great experience with HB lately so I'm always curious. I could tell that the guitar that I got was a good one had it not been damaged. Oh I totally agree, and I'm a huge sucker for the Fender specs. That's why I'm not really into Squier anymore since I just prefer the feel and vintage specs of the Fenders. But I also did a blog post about that :) Oh yeah the Jazzmaster is great fun and an awesome guitar, BUT it's not perfect. Which Jazzmaster are you looking for? I have not made a review on it, but.. Maybe I'll do it for you? :)
@Wabin22 This is quite the experience I've had with the Affinity. Sometimes it happens and it's always a shame when something get shipped to you that is going to be returned because of a bad quality control. Where can I find your blog? :) The Affinity Jazzmaster seems like a very interesting option! The classic PUs but modern tremolo (even a 2-point!) and there's of course the LPB color… though this time, I'd probably go for the Burgundy Mist. And I'd love to read your review! :)
Try steel wool XXXX (super fine) and you will get it as smooth as a custom shop for $5,000.00. I tried this guitar and there was only one reason I did not purchase- the pickups are awful. Very inexpensive ceramics. To replace the two with mid-range quality its' at least $200.00. At that point you can buy a Classic Vibe Tele and not have to upgrade a thing. (Also it has horrible tuners and a very cheap bridge.) Stores love customers who s pend on upgrades. It makes sthe guitar no more valuable, and ends s up costing three times the price. Classic Vibe or Mexican Player series..pay more...never look back.
The steel wool definitely did the trick on my other Affinity Tele. Tbh, I don't think the pickups are that bad. At least for my taste they are fine. Also, I think upgrading makes sense for beginners because when you start off, you won't know if you'll be sticking to the hobby anyways, so you could upgrade to fit your abilities and other gear. There are other pickup options that are way cheaper and I see modding as an educational project, too. But I think we totally agree on the Mexican Player series. I'd love to get one and I think, it's worth the extra money you spend compared to the Classic Vibe.
So sad for the poor shape of both guitars in the same serie ... Honestly it puts big doubts on me while i was watching to buy one of these. I think the HB guitar could be a very good surprise then 🤞. If not i guess on my side i will look for a black friday deal on a CV 50s telecaster 🙌! Thank you for your honest video anyway. I hope you will finaly get lucky with those. Otherwise it would be very frigthening for the 2021 affinity range quality....
Yeah… If you have the extra money and you like the vintage feel, better go for the CV. The HB is still not here, though. I've took quite a while to decided whether to try again with the Affinity series or take a CV but I personally don't like the ashtray bridge and the tuners. The other (more expensive) option would have been the contemporary player series which I simply don't like. If I want a guitar with black hardware and no pick guard, I'd certainly not look out for a Telecaster… So the only other option that has the same flavor as the Affinity but with good build quality would be a Fender Player which is about 650 € and well… that's another price category. ;)
@@Bandforge totally on the same dilemna ... MIM player serie is such a huge price gap ... I think what is missing from Fender would be a valid alternative in the 450-500€ range. Similar to the G&L asat tribute.
Agreed! I've calculated an alternative today. Have you ever heard of Donlis? One of the viewers has pointed me towards them in another video. They are an OEM based in China and seem to have decent parts for little money. It got me thinking that even with taxes, customs and shipping, body and neck shouldn't be more than 200 €. The rest depends on the hardware you want to use but in my rough calculation it should be possible to get a similar guitar as the Fender Player (if their build quality is good enough) for about 450 to 500 €. Also, Donlis' pickups are quite popular in the low cost range and I'm thinking to give them a try on the Affinity. What do you think? Would building be an option for you, too?
@@Bandforge i am considering for sure, After all the telecaster is a guitar ready for mods. I am also looking at the Prodipe brand. They have some very nice T models in the same budget as the Affinity. If the vintage bridge doesn't suit you i think this is an easy swap.
Nice! I think, I've seen the site before but totally forgot about it. Any infos, if people are satisfied with the guitars? Yeah, swapping out is always possible but it quickly adds up. Especially on a budget guitar I wouldn't want to swap out many things as you pay double. There are bridges starting at 20 € but when I was to upgrade it anyways, I'd be tempted to buy a brass bridge which start at 60 €… ;) It's always complicated!
Squier's almost always have some quality issue, one must remember these guitars are made in mega factories in South East Asia, and the people making them are paid extremely little. Squier's aren't exactly a fender product either, there's no Squier factory, or Squier board, or staff. Fender simply contracts one of these factories to produce a fender copy at an extremely low price but with the Squier name on them. The cnc's programs aren't the same as fenders, the parts they use are just parts they already have on hand, the same parts they would use on any fender copy. The inspectors have a much lower quality standard than fender Mexico or fender USA. Some really awful guitars do make it out of these factories, and people buy them and quickly return them. I've had several squiers over the last 25 years. All of then had major problems, and all the ones I tried had similar problems. I got to the point where I just can't do it anymore. I have a fender vintera 60s jazzmaster, made in Mexico, and its perfect. Good electronics, good pickups, great cnc and finishing work, and unlike a lot of things you may see about the vintera's mine didn't have sharp fret ends. Plays like butter.
Good point. But did you try a Classic Vibe by any chance? It seems those are about the same level as the early '80s Japanese Squires, which were quality guitars.
I see why they keep switching factories from refresh to refresh, now… Thanks for explaining! :) I was pretty happy with my 2020 model which was made by Yako in Taiwan. As a customer, I wouldn't mind paying a little extra at all for better work because the hardware (let's say, except the pickups) are good enough for a beginner. The jazzmaster is a great guitar! I have a slab of ash laying in the cellar (don't worry, it's dry) since three years which I bought for my first try of building a guitar body from scratch which was supposed to be a Jazzmaster. Well, maybe I'll get on with it in some kind of watch-me-try livestream! ;) Would you happen to know how the Vintera is compared to a Player?
That's not exactly true. Fender contracts a factory to build guitars to spec and the factory is perfectly capable of making a $1400 guitar. Fender uses the same outsourced wood, the same outsourced steel and plastic as every other manufacturer. Fenders are assembled in the US at best, not necessarily made in the US. The difference between Korea, China and Indonesia is that Korea has since the 90's had climate controlled factories, which as far as I'm aware, Indonesia and China haven't implemented yet, which is the main reason for sharp frets. These other issues are all down to lack of quality control - which is on Fender.
Fender just assembles in the USA or in Mexico? You mean that all necks and bodies are made in Asia? That's interesting… If I am not mistaken, Warmoth builds the Fender Custom Shop necks and bodies in the US, but I didn't know that the wood working itself isn't done in the US for the other models. Funnily, the only company that doesn't seem to mind where their instruments are really made is Pearl. Their expensive drumsets all say 'Made in Taiwan'.
That's awesome for the price tag! I should consider getting one to compare it to the Affinity and the HB TE20 but I've already spent my yearly budget for guitars… ;) Are all of the five guitars or do you also own basses?
Yeah… I wish they made DIY kits without any drill holes but a genuine Fender headstock! I'd love to finish it with all the time I'd need and not pay for a rushed assembly because the parts themselves are decent enough. It's a pity!
If a guitar sounds and plays well such small things are nothing. Really. Buy a Gibson, play it for a year intensively and say goodbye to the neck's finish. As an example.
Unfortunately, it didn't play well for because of that and I'll be more detailed about it in my upcoming video. And I wished, I could afford a Gibson but I get your point… ;)
I feel for her, she wanted to love it.
Thank you! I totally wanted to… :)
On the bright side: You got a relic'ed guitar without paying hundreds of extra Euros!
Hahahahaha!! You're right, I should be thankful! xD
LOL Custom shop.
xD
I've ordered three guitars from Thomman and they have great customer service, but they do not take the guitar out of the box and check it out before shipping. What the factory shipped to them is what they ship to you. I can understand why, I guess, they are a huge store and have a lot to ship. I got two HB electrics in. an SC Custom II and an SC-450. Both were absolutely flawless in appearance, but the 450 didn't work. The switch was broken. I know they would have shipped me another one if I called them, but I liked the wood and appearance so much, that I decided to install all new electronics in it myself.
I have one Squier Affinity Tele Deluxe and it's outstanding. The electronics are full size pots and a switchcraft switch. It made me wonder if this was a return to the store and had been repaired. I guess there's no way to know. I swapped out the tuners and it's a great guitar.
The SCs are really beautiful guitars! I was wondering, if the SC-450 is lighter than the SC Custom II because of the different body woods. What's your experience?
If something is broken on a guitar they ship, but you still want to keep it, I'm sure they will give you a discount. How long has it been since you bought the guitar?
At the price tag of the Affinity Deluxe, that would be my guess, too. The regular Affinity has very cheap electronics. Which tuners did you get as replacements?
Yes, I returned a Gibson Les Paul studio to GC. It had the dreaded hump in the neck at the 10-14th frets.. no way to set I it up properly. But to their credit, they went above and beyond their duty and replaced it with a more expensive guitar, and this guitar is the best one I own. Good luck to you, I hope you get this situation sorted out.
Thank you! :) Sometimes it's crazy when you look at the price tag and see what got through quality control… I'm happy that you've got a replacement now that you like so much!
I bought a Squier Classic vibe strat from Thomann which came with a decal on the headstock saying 'Squier TELECASTER Deluxe!' However I didn't mind as I thought it was kind of an endearing mistake. I kept it and played the shit out of it- great guitar for the price. To each his own though, and Thomann did discount 40e off the price when I told them.
That's nice!! Did you keep everything as stock or did you mod it?
@@Bandforge I'm modding it for sure over the next few months. Personally I like that better that paying 1000 for a strat sonce I can learn how to build and make the guitar just as I want it spec-wise!
Agreed 100%ly! ;)
I can't wait to disassemble everything and make it the custom tool I want it to be! Any favorite replacement pickups? I've layed an eye on Donlis pickups. They use quality materials and well-known specs and I'd really like to try them on both the Affinity and the Harley Benton!
@@Bandforge I'm going to change the electronics first to solder-less obsidian upgrades so I can change pickups easier over time if I need to upgrade. My first upgrade is going to be Texas specials! I'm also going to shield the interior and change the tuners to locking ones, likely a new bridge eventually. :)
Niice! I like the Texas specials but I've never heard of the obsidian system. Could you tell me a bit more about it? Sounds pretty handy for people like me! ;)
Shielding with copper tape is a must for all my guitars, too. I've never had locking tuners, though. I never felt the need because of a certain style of putting the strings on the tuners. If you like, you can check out my tutorial, it's on this channel. :) For the bridge, do you prefer the ashtray? For my guitar, I'd love to replace the bridge with a solid brass thing as long as it's the modern style. The classic ashtray just bothers me while playing. ;)
This happened to me right before the pandemic hit and everything closed down so I'm glad I went through the trouble. I had recently joined my first band at the time, late 2019, and after playing my first show with the MIM Tele I owned at the time, it broke my back so I figured I splurge on a my dream guitar since I was now in a band, it would be 'justified'. I purchased a Vintera series Mustang in seafoam green, band new from one of the big music retailers in my city, it cost me about $1300 CAD, which is pretty high for a Mexican made instrument but I didn't care, I was so excited. I had it shipped to the store so once I got that call, I picked it up right away, didn't bother with the quality control protocol the store had on new instruments, I just took it home and figured a brand new $1300 guitar should be fine....WRONG. The guitar had horrible grounding issues and would just scream without doing anything. I took it back to the store and they had to shield the inside pickup routing which is insane that they had to do that considering how much money the guitar cost.
My woes didn't stop there. After taking it home for a second time, the bloody thing couldn't stay in tune to save it's life. The trem system was so finnicky and temperamental, there was no way that this instrument was usable for live setting. I was so frustrated and I know a lot of these issues can be remedied with a good setup, however I didn't think it was fair to have to shelf out another $100 or so to fix fundamental instrument functionality from a band new $1300 guitar.
This would be the 3rd time heading back to this store, which was a 45 minute drive one way, and I was fed up. I decided it was not meant to be and I returned it. Upon returning at the store, by luck would have it, they were having inventory day and just recieved a new shipment of guitars. One of them being an American Performer Mustang in Vintage white. I fell inlove with it and shelled out some extra money for it. TOTALLY night and day different in build quality, sound quality, tuning stability, and playability. If it weren't for the name on the headstock, I'd be hardpressed to think they shared the same brand.
Oh dear… Sad but true that quality control fails way too often! There's a big music store in the city I used to live but the same model of guitar in their store would often be unacceptable in terms of QC. That's why I keep on buying my guitars online at Thomann. I even went to the store two times (they have great cocoa btw…) the difference was day and night! In the other store I've even tried a 3000€ Gibson that had fret ends sticking out… But I'm glad to hear that your happy with your Performer Mustang, now! We also have a Performer Precision Bass and it's lovely! Especially the neck feels so smooth!
A men this kinda seems like squier Confound the names for the affinity and it's usually a Bullet version ^^ but anyway I wanted to order an affinity as well but there were friends of me who had problems as well with cracks on the headstock and nut or painting issues and stuff, and even when it's an affordable guitar I told myself I safe the money and go for maybe the Contemporary RH... Great reviews btw! Hands up for you and the honest ways to review something and not like a lot others who praise all the guitars as "best/great guitar" Keep going!
Thank you very much for your kind words! Cracks on the headstock and nut? Wow, that's really bad! Honestly, I was a bit confused about some other reviews as well. Sure, some people might be lucky but I've read many times now that some people aren't too happy with the QC and everyone should at least know what they're getting theirselves into. The Contemporary RH sure looks nice! Have you thought about a Fender Player, too? I know, it's even more expensive but I really love my Player Strat.
@@Bandforge I don't want to badmouth the production but like you said it's more the QC that is decreased somehow imo, i just learned that it's better to get a guitar straight out the store and open it there to check by myself and be able to return it right away.. but for a few models it turned out to be more a Russian roulette sometimes to get a good one. So the Player series is a good advice yes, but to be honest my budget keeps me a little bit down Unfortunately.. i still can't get the affinity out of my mind so probably I'll just get it another try :) go to the store and check both the affinity and the contemporary... and for your answer, time and help that you do with your vids especially because you're honest and not paid to just talk good stuff I'll hit the subscribe button :) keep going like that!
I've only purchased one guitar online, which was a Yamaha Pacifica PAC112JL YNS Left-Handed Electric in Yellow Natural Satin. I could find no flaws in the workmanship, but I was prepared to return it if I found any at all. It came set up fairly good as far as my limited experience could tell, though when I play more vigorously a slight buzz is produced from the low E string. As a budget guitar at $250 it is a very nice guitar for me (particularly I like the look of the three different satin woods used together).
That's a nice one! In my experience, you can't go wrong with Yamaha in terms of the build quality. The sound is sometimes a little too flat for my taste but that can be easily fixed by modding the electronics. I own a PAC303-12ii which is a 12 string electric guitar. This happened years ago when I was visiting another town for sightseeing with my family. I had to see the local music store, tried this guitar but didn't buy it in first place. When I was back home, I called them and ordered the exact model I had tried before… ;)
A slight buzz on the low E string is absolutely normal when you play more vividly, at least at lower (more comfortable) string action settings. What style of music do you play? The 12string was perfect for playing Toxicity's intro by System Of A Down with the octaved part. ;)
@@Bandforge I'm at too much of a beginner level at guitar to have a style. I mainly practice scale patterns and intervals, typically without looking at my hands (it's still a struggle to get back to the correct fret positions). I started back up months ago to encourage my 10 year old daughter who is taking piano lessons (I started attempting to play years ago and still have a white lefty Mexican Telecaster I bought in the 90s). If I'd started much earlier in life or kept playing back then, I imagine I'd have been hugely influenced by Iommi and other players of early hard blues rock/heavy metal. In terms of playing I appreciate expression over technical proficiency so a player like Gilmour ranks really high for me.
That's nice! :D I think it's really cool that you're encouraging your daugther by being a role model! Did she choose the piano herself or do you fear that she's going to hurt her fingers because of the guitar strings at her young age? Also, do you follow a program for practicing?
They are all like that. I returned my Jazzmaster December last years and asked for a replacement which was better. Last week I ordered a Jaguar with some harsh QC issues. This time I just took it and fixed all of them myself.
I was literally in the same situation last November but with two classic vibe telecasters with frets that needed to be leveled. I ended up returning each of them and then I bought the HSH stratocaster that was on my wishlist at the time. Fast forward to now and I decided to get a telecaster again (the newest affinity model) in olympic white and all the frets were good!
Hello, i wanted to buy this squier affinity in placid blue. Now i am not sure, because these things shouldn´t be on a 219 euro guitar. Should i ask thomann for a check up before i buy it to christmas ? I have some telecasters, not such a fan of harley benton, so i would go for the squier if the defects wouldn´t exist.
I think, it depends a bit on where you live. The check up is not for free and I don't know how much it would cost. If you're based in Germany, you could order one and see if it's OK. The batch from which I got the two faulty guitars was already out of stock when they shipped the third one to me, so maybe they've returned the remaining copies with problems to the manufactorer?
Also, if the one guitar they send you has a problem, you can phone them and ask for the check up and it will be for free (including polished frets). I know, it's not the best solution but it worked for me.
@@Bandforge thanks for you advice ! Yes i live in germany. I will call thomann before i buy this telecaster. Maybe thats the best way
Please let me know, what they told you. :) I'm really curious.
I had my Fender player plus tele delivered with a neckpick up that didn't work. I didn't want to sent it back so I replaced the pickup myself. Now i do enjoy the guitar again! But it's bad that they leave the factory like this!
Tried a player plus strat at my guitar store last Friday. "This one just came in, you're the first to play it". Shortly followed by a shout to his colleague of "strat doesn't work, back to Fender!".
They didn't even seem surprised...
Bad and sad at the same time!
You must loved this guitar so much that you insisting to have it in your collection.
Mine is exact same guitar but in olympic white. Got a little excessive glue issue, not as bad as what you had. I'm just too in love with it to ask for a replacement. I'll figure a way to get it done myself.
I agree this is a fun and inspiring guitar to play.
I wish you good luck with the third.
Thank you very much!! :)
Yes, after the 2020 Affinity I wanted this guitar really badly… With improved hardware, the string-through body and the better tuners! Also, I love the color!
Do you have the glue on the fretboard? If so, I think sanding it off carefully or maybe trying to scrape it off with a blade could do the trick. How do you like the sound of your guitar?
Wow, that is unfortunate for you to experience this kind of stuff twice! Hope your new guitar will be arrived flawlessly!
Thank you! :D I've received a message that it should arrive tomorrow… Can't wait to try it out and let's hope for the best! I was a bit naive to order all the extra parts for upgrades before the guitar… xD
You do a good job on your videos. Well spoken and to the point. If you make one in German, make sure we have subtitles. LOL I subbed. Thanks.
Thank you very much! :D
Hahaha, I will, if I ever decide to make an Oktoberfest special or anything… ;) I'm not from Bavaria, though.
Hey, I love you videos! Could you please do a comparison between a Squier Affinity Stratocaster and a Tagima TG-530?
Thank you very much! :D
Unfortunately, I didn't find a dealer for Tagima in Europe and actually it's the first time, I stumble upon the name. Do you have anymore infos? Also, I've spend the last cent of my fun-with-guitars-budget on the Harley Benton and a pile of replacement parts… xD Are you planning to buy one of the two?
@@Bandforge Oh I see. I know that Tagima is a Brazilian brand that manufactures quality guitars at a fair price.
I honestly don't know where you could buy them in Europe, since I'm from South America, but maybe sometime you could try using a service that imports products from the U.S to your country if needed.
Also, it's ok you already spent the money with another guitars, I understand the reasons why you won't buy another one, I'll be looking forward to watch the upcoming videos!
And yes, I was planning (I don't know when, maybe in a couple months) on getting one of them, but I'm still not sure of which.
Thank you for replying!
This is why I just buy at the shop...
That's a wise decision! ;)
That's why I always take a new guitar at shop. I can see it, test it and buy! 😅
Yeah, always do that, if you can! Then you might have a chance to find a good instrument (no matter what price). ;)
Some of us don't have that option, and on the occasion we do, can expect to play a significant premium.
I love your videos. I found the setup vids to be really helpful and concise, and I enjoyed your initial '21 Affinity video. However, I think you are being unfair in your assessment. Most of what you found on close examination were cosmetic imperfections. A company could check and repair each instrument to this level of scrutiny, but it would really eat into their already-modest margins.
Adding a half hour of labor to two or three (levels of) employees adds up pretty quickly. Models like these are made with essentially two types of buyers in mind. The first, being the step-up novice, who is just committing to his hobby as a guitarist and wants something that will not hold him back. The second group is made up by people like me; experienced players who want a low-cost, bang-for-the-buck, familiar instrument that sounds and plays well, but does not have to be treated like a museum piece.
For $250 U.S., I could live with just about all of the issues you identified. Yes, I would prefer to have a flawless finish and perfectly set screws, but I would not want the company to build that level of perfection into the cost for a guitar like this that can bring me years of enjoyment for the cost of a two-night stay at a three-star hotel.
I don't want to come across as harsh, but I think you are asking too much of a company that clearly wants to keep a model like this well below $300.
Oh, and I am looking forward to your Harley Benton TE follow-up video ...
Thanks for your constructive criticism! :) It's always appreciated to get feedback to improve on!
Maybe, my expectations were too high because I had a very nice copy of the 2020 model. On the other hand, I think that I might have not explained clearly which of the imperfections were the ones that brought me to the decision to send the guitars back.
It certainly weren't the pick guard screws, the glue residues or the other optical imperfections but things like sanding spots and the gash on the neck which were noticable while playing. What do you think? :)
I would have gone with the Bullet version, anyway, at least for the string-through-body bridge vs top load.
String through vs top load is mythology for noobs, the gullible & right brainers. Indiscernible, It's an aesthetic affectation driven by preconditioning & imagination. No? Check out the sustain on a Les Paul. No string through there. =] Same nonsense as 'tonewood' in a solid body electric. So many variables, the singular aspect worthy of consideration in wood type is its density affecting sustain.
Stevie ray von was really worried about his guitar in the way it looked or maybe he was into his playing and didn't worry about the guitar it had character What do you think you're gonna get for that kind money. And from China anyways good luck.
I own the last year's model from China and it's actually quite good! The 2021 is from Indonesia. And yeah… if I could play like SRV… ;)
Move up to CV. Returned an affinity before. No particular flaws but it just felt cheap.
I'm really thinking about it, tbh or even move up further to a Fender Player but that's over budget at the moment. :/ Tough decision to make! Is the CV really so much better?
@@Bandforge yes, it is. You could get a used CV for a bit more compared to a new affinity. Or a used Player for just a bit more 😉
I really hope that the third one is alright. The CV seems to be quite nice, but I just don't like the vintage feel (ashtray, tuners, neck finish). On the other hand, the Contemporary Player is far to futuristic… So my only option would be the Player. Buying used was a good idea, though I didn't find any used ones that were cheaper than 600 € which is not really worth the risk, I think. Let's wait and see for the moment. Fingers crossed! ;)
Yeah I had to send back two Harley Benton because they had HUGE flaws and issues.
Sorry to hear about your teles :/
Oh, that's unfortunate! :/ What kind of flaws were they? And did this happen recently? I got the impression that their build quality greatly improved over time after reading a bunch of reviews. And which model was it?
@@Bandforge Well this was about 4 years ago or so, so I've heard that HB has gotten better but I'm still sceptical.
I saw your video when you got yours and you seemed pleased :)
I got the CS.. the PRS copy and the first one had a huge crack on the fretboard and the second one had big dents on the back of the neck so that you really could feel it when you played it.
So I got fed up, send them both back and got me a Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster :)
I did a "review" on that guitar on my music blog actually because I wanted people to be a little aware about the problems with HB guitars.
@Wabin22 I've heard that, too, but was a bit sceptical which changed when unboxing the HB :)
Would you give them another chance? The one thing I don't like is that the specs are different from Fender (longer scale, neck width, pickup placement).
OK, cracks on the fretboard and big dents are absolutely unacceptable! That's awful!
Ohhh a Jazzmaster… I'm still looking for one. Are you pleased with it? And did you review it, too? :)
@@Bandforge Yeah I mean I've seen and talked to so many people who have had great experience with HB lately so I'm always curious. I could tell that the guitar that I got was a good one had it not been damaged.
Oh I totally agree, and I'm a huge sucker for the Fender specs. That's why I'm not really into Squier anymore since I just prefer the feel and vintage specs of the Fenders. But I also did a blog post about that :)
Oh yeah the Jazzmaster is great fun and an awesome guitar, BUT it's not perfect.
Which Jazzmaster are you looking for?
I have not made a review on it, but.. Maybe I'll do it for you? :)
@Wabin22 This is quite the experience I've had with the Affinity. Sometimes it happens and it's always a shame when something get shipped to you that is going to be returned because of a bad quality control.
Where can I find your blog? :)
The Affinity Jazzmaster seems like a very interesting option! The classic PUs but modern tremolo (even a 2-point!) and there's of course the LPB color… though this time, I'd probably go for the Burgundy Mist. And I'd love to read your review! :)
Try steel wool XXXX (super fine) and you will get it as smooth as a custom shop for $5,000.00. I tried this guitar and there was only one reason I did not purchase- the pickups are awful. Very inexpensive ceramics. To replace the two with mid-range quality its' at least $200.00. At that point you can buy a Classic Vibe Tele and not have to upgrade a thing. (Also it has horrible tuners and a very cheap bridge.) Stores love customers who s pend on upgrades. It makes sthe guitar no more valuable, and ends s up costing three times the price. Classic Vibe or Mexican Player series..pay more...never look back.
The steel wool definitely did the trick on my other Affinity Tele. Tbh, I don't think the pickups are that bad. At least for my taste they are fine. Also, I think upgrading makes sense for beginners because when you start off, you won't know if you'll be sticking to the hobby anyways, so you could upgrade to fit your abilities and other gear. There are other pickup options that are way cheaper and I see modding as an educational project, too. But I think we totally agree on the Mexican Player series. I'd love to get one and I think, it's worth the extra money you spend compared to the Classic Vibe.
So sad for the poor shape of both guitars in the same serie ... Honestly it puts big doubts on me while i was watching to buy one of these. I think the HB guitar could be a very good surprise then 🤞. If not i guess on my side i will look for a black friday deal on a CV 50s telecaster 🙌! Thank you for your honest video anyway. I hope you will finaly get lucky with those. Otherwise it would be very frigthening for the 2021 affinity range quality....
Yeah… If you have the extra money and you like the vintage feel, better go for the CV. The HB is still not here, though.
I've took quite a while to decided whether to try again with the Affinity series or take a CV but I personally don't like the ashtray bridge and the tuners. The other (more expensive) option would have been the contemporary player series which I simply don't like. If I want a guitar with black hardware and no pick guard, I'd certainly not look out for a Telecaster… So the only other option that has the same flavor as the Affinity but with good build quality would be a Fender Player which is about 650 € and well… that's another price category. ;)
@@Bandforge totally on the same dilemna ... MIM player serie is such a huge price gap ... I think what is missing from Fender would be a valid alternative in the 450-500€ range. Similar to the G&L asat tribute.
Agreed! I've calculated an alternative today. Have you ever heard of Donlis? One of the viewers has pointed me towards them in another video. They are an OEM based in China and seem to have decent parts for little money. It got me thinking that even with taxes, customs and shipping, body and neck shouldn't be more than 200 €. The rest depends on the hardware you want to use but in my rough calculation it should be possible to get a similar guitar as the Fender Player (if their build quality is good enough) for about 450 to 500 €. Also, Donlis' pickups are quite popular in the low cost range and I'm thinking to give them a try on the Affinity. What do you think? Would building be an option for you, too?
@@Bandforge i am considering for sure, After all the telecaster is a guitar ready for mods. I am also looking at the Prodipe brand. They have some very nice T models in the same budget as the Affinity. If the vintage bridge doesn't suit you i think this is an easy swap.
Nice! I think, I've seen the site before but totally forgot about it. Any infos, if people are satisfied with the guitars?
Yeah, swapping out is always possible but it quickly adds up. Especially on a budget guitar I wouldn't want to swap out many things as you pay double. There are bridges starting at 20 € but when I was to upgrade it anyways, I'd be tempted to buy a brass bridge which start at 60 €… ;) It's always complicated!
I suspect the problem you are experiencing is with current production pressures on the Indonesian OEM. Chinese production is currently superior.
Squier's almost always have some quality issue, one must remember these guitars are made in mega factories in South East Asia, and the people making them are paid extremely little.
Squier's aren't exactly a fender product either, there's no Squier factory, or Squier board, or staff.
Fender simply contracts one of these factories to produce a fender copy at an extremely low price but with the Squier name on them. The cnc's programs aren't the same as fenders, the parts they use are just parts they already have on hand, the same parts they would use on any fender copy.
The inspectors have a much lower quality standard than fender Mexico or fender USA. Some really awful guitars do make it out of these factories, and people buy them and quickly return them.
I've had several squiers over the last 25 years. All of then had major problems, and all the ones I tried had similar problems. I got to the point where I just can't do it anymore. I have a fender vintera 60s jazzmaster, made in Mexico, and its perfect. Good electronics, good pickups, great cnc and finishing work, and unlike a lot of things you may see about the vintera's mine didn't have sharp fret ends. Plays like butter.
Good point. But did you try a Classic Vibe by any chance? It seems those are about the same level as the early '80s Japanese Squires, which were quality guitars.
I see why they keep switching factories from refresh to refresh, now… Thanks for explaining! :) I was pretty happy with my 2020 model which was made by Yako in Taiwan. As a customer, I wouldn't mind paying a little extra at all for better work because the hardware (let's say, except the pickups) are good enough for a beginner.
The jazzmaster is a great guitar! I have a slab of ash laying in the cellar (don't worry, it's dry) since three years which I bought for my first try of building a guitar body from scratch which was supposed to be a Jazzmaster. Well, maybe I'll get on with it in some kind of watch-me-try livestream! ;)
Would you happen to know how the Vintera is compared to a Player?
I, too, am all ears! ;)
That's not exactly true. Fender contracts a factory to build guitars to spec and the factory is perfectly capable of making a $1400 guitar. Fender uses the same outsourced wood, the same outsourced steel and plastic as every other manufacturer. Fenders are assembled in the US at best, not necessarily made in the US. The difference between Korea, China and Indonesia is that Korea has since the 90's had climate controlled factories, which as far as I'm aware, Indonesia and China haven't implemented yet, which is the main reason for sharp frets. These other issues are all down to lack of quality control - which is on Fender.
Fender just assembles in the USA or in Mexico? You mean that all necks and bodies are made in Asia? That's interesting… If I am not mistaken, Warmoth builds the Fender Custom Shop necks and bodies in the US, but I didn't know that the wood working itself isn't done in the US for the other models. Funnily, the only company that doesn't seem to mind where their instruments are really made is Pearl. Their expensive drumsets all say 'Made in Taiwan'.
bullets are better these days. I have five. I love them.
That's interesting… Do you know where the were manufactured?
Indonesia. It also has string through body and skunk stripe. I love skunk strips.
That's awesome for the price tag! I should consider getting one to compare it to the Affinity and the HB TE20 but I've already spent my yearly budget for guitars… ;)
Are all of the five guitars or do you also own basses?
Only guitars. No basses.
Only guitars. But I also play piano.
It's going to get a ding ot two in use so why stress, it's a cheap guitar.
I see your point, but if I'm responsible for a ding, it's my fault and not something that qc should have watched out for.
Indonesia not as good as China. Wish they'd make them in America
You get what you pay for, that's the hard truth.
Yeah… I wish they made DIY kits without any drill holes but a genuine Fender headstock! I'd love to finish it with all the time I'd need and not pay for a rushed assembly because the parts themselves are decent enough. It's a pity!
Yeah, the 2020 model was better!
You get what you pay for.
Not so sure about that after unboxing the Harley Benton TE20… ;)
If a guitar sounds and plays well such small things are nothing. Really. Buy a Gibson, play it for a year intensively and say goodbye to the neck's finish. As an example.
Unfortunately, it didn't play well for because of that and I'll be more detailed about it in my upcoming video. And I wished, I could afford a Gibson but I get your point… ;)