Ok. Just HOW shitty IS a Squier?

[DriftingByTheStorm]

Man. At this point i am DESPERATE for some STRAT TONE ...

of all the money i've ever spent on music equipment ... why in god's name do I not have a Strat?

Since i grew up addicted to HARD rock \ grunge ... etc ... I have a fair collection of Gibson and Epi guitars (natural Les Paul, an Epi Les Paul, and an old 79 SG Pro) ... and at one point, even an old 70's Gretsch Committee solid body ...

the closest thing I have to a Strat is a guitar I bought for a friend, who never paid me, and now it's mine ...
its an old 70's Music Man Sabre I ... unfortunately (IMHO) it has ACTIVE electronics ... and i don't think it sounds ANYthing like a Strat ... though it sure looks like one.

I'm not really rolling in the money these days ... so I could
a. sell the Sabre (or with much loathing either the SG or Les Paul)
and use the money to get an American Strat

or

b. Spend FIFTY DOLLARS on a Squier off craigslist.

HOW SHITTY ARE THESE THINGS?

Is there a chance I can modify the Sabre I to get that creamy, sustained, clean sound of a strat?
I just can't get it to do anything other than sound really "HOT" with those damn active pickups.

I'm tempted to just buy a Squier to stave off my STRAT FEVER, but i have NO idea just HOW SHITTY they really are ... any thoughts?

I'm just playing around the house, and I ain't no guitar god ... so i'm not gonna cry over stupid shit ... though i don't want to waste money on something that sounds like outright ass.

I am SOOOoOOO sick of that crunchy, thick Gibson sound ...
i was trying to play along with Ramblin' Man today (lol) ... and could not ... TO SAVE MY LIFE ... dial in a sound ANYWHERE CLOSE ... tone rolled down ... reverb turned up ... rhythm channel on ... hell it didn't matter ... sounded like poo-butt ...



THOUGHTS?

[Pontikas]

You can get really lucky with a squier...

I have one and it is great considering how much it cost.

However, you might get unlucky as well.

if possible, try it out first.

I recorded this song on my squier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwPgXkNOun4

[mca47]

They really aren't that bad for the money. Pretty easy to swap out components in it to give it a closer "real" Strat sound too. The Squires on their own don't have a lot of depth in sound, but that's easily fixed for pretty cheap.

[mca47]

I have a Fender Squire acoustic I started playing on back in the day. That, unlike the electric, is not recommended as for $50 more, you can get a much, much better guitar.

[DriftingByTheStorm]

You can get really lucky with a squier...

I have one and it is great considering how much it cost.

However, you might get unlucky as well.

if possible, try it out first.

I recorded this song on my squier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwPgXkNOun4

That song is pretty damn bitching.
EXCELLENT production, btw! wow.

Hard to tell what the geet sound is though ... clearly a good bit of some type of drive\distortion\studio tone going on there ... but good to know they can be used to good effect.

I'm seriously considering one, unless someone like Pac or MiG can chime in and tell me i can somehow save that MM Sabre I by moding it.

[mccreadyisgod]

Well, besides being active electronics, the Sabre has a dual-humbucker config, which is just inconsistent with a Strat sound. You could go though the trouble of replacing the pickups, maybe getting tap-able HB's or seeing if someone could cut you a new pickguard, although you would need to be sure the body is routed right if you wanted to swap it to SSS config. It's not an impossible option, though... swap in some new pups and electronics, and you could have a fairly nice Strat-ish guitar.

As for the Squier, they really run the gambit. I've played some Squiers with mojo, and some others with frets that cut your hands open, wiring that was shot, and necks bent beyond repair. So it's almost impossible to say whether they are worth anything or not. As with any guitar, I stand by "try before you buy". Generally, they are low-end (but serviceable) parts on cheap wood assembled with cheap labor. But if the neck isn't warped, and the frets are dressed, you can do something with them.

That all being said, I generally view Mexi Fenders as the low-end of any real player. I own two MIM Fenders myself, and love them. You might get lucky with a Chinese or Korean model, but if you can swing $300 for Mexican, you might be a lot happier.

[DriftingByTheStorm]

Thanks, MiG!
you and Pac79 **ALWAYS** give me something good to chew on and BOY am i thankful to have ya'll around!

I may just end up plunkin down the $50 for a used Squier and call it a gamble, but your point is well taken about saving some loot for a mexican strat. My only beef with that is $300 feels to me like "shit son, just save a little longer and get a real american strat" ... i dunno ... $50 feels like ... "hell i stopped smokin' weed ... whats the cost of a 1\8th to have something that is NOT a crunch crunch sounding geet" ...

i'll keep ya'll posted on whatever i decide, whenever i decide it.
I'll just start scouring my local craigslist for now.

[mccreadyisgod]

$50 feels like ... "hell i stopped smokin' weed ... whats the cost of a 1\8th to have something that is NOT a crunch crunch sounding geet" ...

My experience with super-cheap guitars is that it's 90% "I can't believe I threw $50 away on that thing!" and 10% "I can't believe this thing only cost me $50!" So, my conclusion above all others: Try before you buy.

[Jon Chorba]

$50 feels like ... "hell i stopped smokin' weed ... whats the cost of a 1\8th to have something that is NOT a crunch crunch sounding geet" ...

My experience with super-cheap guitars is that it's 90% "I can't believe I threw $50 away on that thing!" and 10% "I can't believe this thing only cost me $50!" So, my conclusion above all others: Try before you buy.

+1

I have had many students who owned Squier guitars and the vast majority of them have had problems with them and keeping them in shape. They are cheap for a reason.

[BinFrog]

My first guitar was a Squier and it worked fine for the first few years. If you are on a budget and want a Strat to hold you over until you can afford a nice one, go for it.

[chorduroy]

My experience with a squier and it is very limited...is that they are essentially cheaply made toys for kids just wanting to start out on electric. If you've got a Les Paul now and an SG, going to a Squier would be like going from the penthouse to the outhouse! My suggestion would be to check Ebay and Craigslist for a used Mexi Strat as MIG states above. I bought one a couple years ago on Ebay for $250 and love it! Good luck

[EBowie]

I'm a drummer but my brother plays a Squier Tele in our band and the thing rips. He's been playing guitar for quite a while and modified it a bit but he definitely loves the guitar. I know I'm not offering much help here but it definitely seems that in the right hands a Squier can hold its own (most likely with some tweaking, love, etc).

[DriftingByTheStorm]

Yeah.
I mean i'm not expecting a quality product that will last until i'm 60.
I just want THAT TONE or a REASONABLE FACSIMILE.

Although, MiG's point is worth noting ... I do NOT want a warped neck, or frets that are unplayable.
But if, for $50, i can find one that is functional, and reasonably playable ... again, I am NOT a rock god ... i'm pretty sure my real Les Paul is ill-served in my hands. Lol.

[DriftingByTheStorm]

American Strat - $600

nOoooOO!

Don't TEMPT ME!

& it's MIKEs strat too (sunburst i mean)

[Pacomc79]

Doesn't need to be a fender to sound like one. You might check out a Yamaha Pacifica in that price range too.

Also what needed to be said about squires has been said.... that said, keep your eyes open for some modified mexican strats and squires. Lots of people buy cheap, throw good parts and electronics with them and play them out rather than taking thier good stuff.

I mean you should be able to find a pretty quality unit for under 200 used and or go super cheap and refit it with a decent bridge, tuning machines and pickups.

Keep your eyes open and look for good deals. Good luck

PS, there is a pretty cool Vintage Mod Squire Jazzmaster that came out that looks really cool... not really the sound you want though.