squire versus fender

[old-wos-is-name]

Hi All,

Does anyone know the actual difference between a squire strat and a proper fender strat? I have tried both side by side, and the only difference I can find is that the whammy bar/tremelo arm is not so good on the squire, and the squire pickups seem to act more like humbuckers, a bit louder and a bit over responsive. but the squire sounds more like hank marvins strat ( played through a plain, no effects amp) than the proper fender. so is there a real difference? Also, it is possible to tell the model of the squire by its serial number?
thanks.

[old-wos-is-name]

I did expect everyone to say the squiere was rubbish, and you did. I have had some ibanez guitars, ( £700 new) some real fender strats, an epiphone black beauty, but l think the squire would , if you removed the word squire from the headstock, beat all of them. the build quality seems good, and the fretboard is perfect. I don't know about £10 at a boot fair, but I did get it for a song off of ebay, and think it's probably the best guitar I have ever had my hands on apart from a yamaha rgx model. I wonder if the real strats and the squiere are made in the same factory? and if a pick up is a piece of copper wire around a iron centre, why should they be different in sound?

[old-wos-is-name]

The guitar has been fitted with cheap fender strings, and really does sound just like hank marvins strat. I am sure the name on the headstock makes people feel better. I am going to sand of the squier name and put a fender logo on, and spray clear varnish over the top, and see if it sounds any better.

[old-wos-is-name]

Thanks Gents,
But I am going to sand the logo off, I have bought some fender logo stickers from ebay, and will be fitting them this week. I am only doing this, and I am ashamed to say this, because I have a reunion gig with my old band, and if I turn up with a squire I will be regarded as an idiot, but if I turn up with a new, shiny fender strat in red, just like hanks, then there will be the wow factor, and when they hear it, they will think its a million dollar guitar.

Old saying, bullsh#t baffles brains.

Still need to know if I can find out what model this is by the serial number.
thanks all,
alf.

[old-wos-is-name]

Hi Hollow rock,

Yes, I think you are probably right, why conform to the money making sellers of guitars, who convince everyone that certain makes are the best, because they got some famous person to use them. this squiere is honestly the best guitar I have ever played. I paid £51, and got a 20 w amp, a guitar stand, a tuner and a soft bag all thrown in. I recently bought a secondhand mexican strat, £200 plus and it was a real dumb object, no live sound, no strat sound, just a plain old soft feeling guitar.I changed the strings, played it through a line6 spider, but it was just not a good guitar. So, should I support the squire name and be proud ( the other guitarist in the group has a £800 gibson) or leave it a home and take my keyboard ( £15 on ebay,but works)
thanks,
alf.

[The Builder]

Wossers, I think it rather depends on where they're made. I've always understood that early Japanese ones were excellent. Good Korean ones followed. I think the rot set in when the Chinese, Mexico, India etc ones came out.

I guess you've looked here ............

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squier

[The Builder]

http://www.guitarnucleus.com/fenderserial.html

[old-wos-is-name]

Hi Gents,
this gets worse. i have a Chinese made squiere, so that apparantly is real rubbish. I tried to check the date, but was unable. the serial number is:
cy 99013582. I am assuming it was made in China in 1999. by mao tung or one of his workers, who at that time probably hated the Americans. Does anyone know if the pick ups have a name on the underside? just like to know what this guitar is all about. now going to plug it into the overheating spider, stupid amp ( it has a digital readout with group names etc. most of them are distortion sounds) for 30 mins and do a bit of beatle stuff.
back soon.
alf.