Yes, you're right - the tone of the American Pro II was just much more complex and full. It is a good modder though. Because of all things, you can easily change the pickups. So, if there's an area I don't mind cost cutting, it's that. But the weight, neck profile, finish, body shape and colour are all nice. I got one for 150 second-hand. Plan to spend 250 on better pups, bone nut, tuners, upgrade electronics/pots/switches and get a pro setup. And this comes in at about 450 and would probably give a Fender Player series a good run for it's money; and I honestly prefer the satin neck to the Classic Vibe one, and this is also lighter, with a belly cut. Only thing is that non-traditional bridge/saddle arrangement.
I'd get the Affinity and mod to my liking...and learn a bunch along the way. But if you are not even going to change your own strings or do your set ups, the Pro would be your choice.
At five times the price, I'll take the Squire and just put in some work to make it play better. The sound is really not that much different to me, and I don't use distortion or overdrive. I'm 77, maybe that's why. :)
@Adam Zapple I'm 65 and I preferred the Squier. It actually sounded better to me. And that overdrive unit does _not_ sound good. Or maybe it is the amplifier. I heard a bit of distortion in it. It was not a clean sounding overdrive unit. In any event, I own a Squier Standard Stratocaster and put a bit of elbow grease into it. Bought a fine grit dry wall sand paper block with foam rubber core and used it to round the fret ends off and round the the edges of the finger board. Total cost was less than $5.00. Then I spent $80.00 on "genuine" Fender locking tuners and paid for a set up. I'm perfectly happy with it. There is _no_ way a Fender Strat is worth five times what I paid for my Squier Strat, even with my newer better parts included. Fender is grossly overpriced. 🤔🤷♂🎸
@@ToddSauveI tried the vintera strat and for the cost in the uk I wouldn’t waste my money on a fender over the squier CV strat .they sound no different and I found the squier felt nicer to play ..
That was a good side by side comparison. If you can set up your own guitar and dress your own frets, then get a set of Joe Barden - Danny Gatton Tele-Style Pickups, and just buy the Squire. Even if you replace all the hardware, you'll still be close to a thousand bucks ahead and have a great guitar. But that's just what I would do.
Haha crazy- I thought the Affinity sounded much nicer 😂 not as harsh and mellower. Not having that draggy gloss finish on it is also a bonus. Some new tuners, a graph tech tusq nut, obsidian wireless electronics and you’d be set with this thing. An extra 200 max to upgrade it.
I sent my kid one. I figured, if he gets serious, I'll get him something elas. It's good to hear that these are solid. It would suck to be a beginner on an insturment that fights you. I didn't know it came with cheap tuners. That can be an issue constantly playing out of tune.
Nice comparison. I have bought and sold/returned several Teles in recent years: Fender American Performer Tele Hum, Fender Player, Squier CV 50s, Squier CV 70s Custom and Squier Affinity. The two guitars that feel and play the best are the Squier Affinity and Squier 70s Custom. I can't quite put my finger on it but I feel the most expressive on those two guitars, which also cost the least money! Bends are easier. Necks feel nicer. Dynamics are better. Anyone else find Squiers are a pleasure to play?
Best playing Strat I’ve ever owned was a 2002 Squier Affinity . I still have it over the years I installed Texas Specials, a better block/saddles and Gotoh Tuners. The point is that for playability it was and still is a great playing instrument.
The basses are very good too. Personally, I feel the money is better spent on recording gear, i.e. anything that helps you achieve the sound you want. A piece of wood with metal on it isn't going to change all that much. That may matter on acoustic guitars but not electrics.
I am 43 and I played guitar since I was 14 years old. This is just my own opinion. Why is it I like the sound of Squire Affinity than the American Pro? 😅
Fret size is mostly a matter of preference. American Standard/American Series as well as the US made Highway One/American Performer guitars used to be fitted with medium jumbo frets. I believe starting with the American Pro (version 1) they switched to the narrow tall frets
i think the squier is better and its way less money in fact i have the newest model of the affinty and its fantastic compared to the older the versions of it. and i have owned the classic vibe and i did have a MIM one for a short time i ended up back with the affinty in the end it was better for less money and i do own several hi end guitars but you know its all preference in the end really
Just got an affinity Olympic white . Got some nice in 1952 reissue pick ups. To go in . Polish the frets & some other bits . Overtime it will be a killer guitar . All good . Great review
I’m really into both the Affinity and Contemporary Squier series of guitars. Affinity for a budget Fender sound, Contemporary for a real Fender competitor.
A while back I came across a mint condition used Squire Affinity Tele at my local GC. I had no intention of guitar shopping that day. I went in just to get some strings with my complimentary $20 coupon. Standing at the counter.. I noticed the butterscotch Tele on a stand in the corner. Walked over, picked it up,.. and gave it chance. The darn thing resonated like no other electric I've ever played. I could feel it even unplugged. I knew it was a gem. Looked at the price tag and laughed.. it said $79. I paid $59 with the coupon and it felt like I stole it. That was 12 years ago. I've owned dozens of guitars since then.. but my Squier Affinity is the best guitar deal I've ever stumbled across.....and I still play it often.
Excellent review. One of the best I have seen. I felt the solidness of the one. I also have the affinity. I think it boils down to a good guitar player can make a lesser guitar sound great. You have done the best and honest review I have seen
Absolutely agree on the fret filing/polishing job(s) done at that factory.... Several years ago.... I actually sliced the inner portion of my left ring finger on a fret burr (sp?) and needed more filing on a New Fender Squire....
Is there a difference? Yep, the Squier has a bridge capable of proper intonation. (The ceramic pups sound fine to me - I quite like that tone in a Tele)
I can hear the difference between the two guitars, and I prefer the sound of the Fender, but it is still remarkable to me how good the Affinity sounds, and how much value it represents for the money. I bought my Affinity Tele in 2019. I loved it, but about six months ago I saw that Fender Tex/Mex pickups were very reasonably priced. Now my Affinity Tele sounds amazing. Prior to the upgrade I was thinking of upgrading to a Player series Tele, (not a huge Classic Vibe fan), but frankly now, I'm don't know that it would be much of an upgrade. I would upgrade if I were a professional guitarist, but only because I know, in the professional milieu, the Fender decal on the headstock is very important.
at home on PC w/ headphones I did not hear 5X the difference in sound, however I have played both and the feel is at least 5X different. Tons of videos here on how to improve the feel on a Squier, maybe pick up a little better quality pickups and tuners, I bought a pickup/wiring set with the control plate from an American Pro II and added that to my Mex partscaster tele and it sounds great. I am tempted to do the same to a used squier and start by adding new tuners and pickups
I like not only the price of beautiful Squire, but the independent more modern bridge saddles vs the original T-style compensated BDE bridge. Good Tele. One minor difference, you have an extra fret with the Pro, same scale length. The Pro seems to have more midrange, obviously pickups factor into it.
This is corrected on the amp. A lot of people don't know how to adjust an amp (I'm not saying that for you). There is no point in buying a lot of pedals. I just have an equalizer and the reverb on the amp is enough for 85% of the time.
When you picked up the American Pro to play I immediately saw it was a better guitar and as you played I could see the workmanship in the fret board. Now I'll have to watch again and pay attention to the sound.
Excellent demo ! I own that Affinity , and several other higher priced ......that Affinity (after fret end work and set up) is my favourite ......superb for the money .
Just bought the affinity cause I wanted to try a telecaster. The store had to ask their luthier to redo all the fret end because there was too much sprout everywhere. Sound-wise, there is a difference but since I only have one, it doesn't matter to me. I won't hear the difference. Tips for your next comparison: when you play one after the other, just don't talk. I had my headphone and tried to keep the tonality of the Squier in my head, waiting for the sound of the Fender, but when you did talk during switching, I could not remember the sound, therefore, was really hard to hear the difference between the 2 sounds. Next time you do that, edit the video so there is no time between the two takes.
Never in a million years is the Pro II a 5X$ superior instrument. There reaches many points, where a subjective opinion, and snobbery, begin to bend reality, and this is a classic example.
Out of box the Fender has a slight edge in tone in the middle position. And wins hands down at the bridge especially with the overdrive. Again Out of Box it’s the Finder over the Squier. However, toss a set of Seymour Duncan pickups and you are still less than half the price of the Fender and most likely to either match the tone and sound or just blow it away. As I personally like a hotter pickup and overdrive I would go with the Squier with the hot Seymour Duncan pickups. And would most likely just keep it tuned to open G. Thanks for the side by side comparison. I would like to hear this setup through a Fender tube twin reverb.
The price difference isn’t totally all about sound. It’s things like but not limited to pots, locking tuners, and most important to me is the feel in the hands. Obviously all of this can be addressed to the squire.
Well done comparison Sir ! ......re tone.......a bit more clairity in neck and middlle positions ......but ....a small amount ..... by the way, I own the Squire, and one difference with the copy I have is that I had to do substantial work on the frets (fret sprout) and all 6 tuners were very loose (simple tightening with a socket wrench which solved its tuning stability) For me it comes down to the difference in tone (adjustable to some extent by tweaking one's amp) but , as you pay a lot more for the Fender version, you do get an overal higher level of craftmanship....... so you pay to have it all done right to start with.
I have a tele for on the side. A 2015 modded affinity. It is a great playing instrument. No need to buy an expensive Fender. That Squier gets more playtime than my Japanese Fender Strat. People (especially those) on a budget need to learn how to do frets and setup. Sharp frets can be smooth with 15 minutes of work.
I have the old 2007 Affininty. Modded with CTS 250k pots, .068uf cap, Alnico 5/2 hybrid pups and vintage style 18:1 tuners. I earned thousands of £ gigging with it. The last mod is to ditch the thin 41mm maple neck. Ive just bagged an unused RW (Laurel) neck from a 2022 Affinity Deluxe Tele. Cant wait to get it on.
it is quite reassuring to know that the affinity series guitars are actually pretty good and are accessible to most people. In no way can I justify an american made fender when my skills would not do it justice.
IMO, the sound is actually one of the least important things when comparing guitars in very different price ranges because it’s the easiest thing to change by swapping pickups. The pickups on expensive guitars aren’t actually very expensive themselves so you could buy an affinity and swap out the electronics for something from a much more expensive guitar and still be at 1/4 the price. It’s really the neck QA issues which may be harder to fix that I’d be more concerned with. Just as an example, one of my favourite pickup sets for a Tele are the Yosemites from the American performers. And you can get them for less than $150.
I wonder if the distortion really closed the gap that much for the Squire or was it just TH-cam/phone compression. Honestly, that iconic Tele sound came out of the American model run strait through the amp. The Squire is definitely good enough for new players though from a sound perspective. Especially now with the prices. Comfort is important while playing, but if you really want “that Strat/tele look” and don’t want to break the bank for a first guitar I think I’d go squire today. Luckily when I started playing the MX models were cheaper than the Squires today lol
That affinity is great in its own way, even up against the champ of telecaster. I'm thinking the cost difference is more about the craftsmanship./stability which is so time consuming. If someone doesn't have the money, they still can go places with that affinity. They will just wear out the cheap tuners but will become excellent at tuning by ear.
You could buy a Squier and upgrade/setup the guitar to be just as good as the American Pro II. But, which takes less work to get there and has the resale value? The answer is the more expensive Fender.
I like the brighter sound of the squier , it sounds like a tele to me. The more darker sparklier sound of the pro sounded like a strat, tele most have the brighter sound, to me te squaier was the best sounding.🙃
They sound remarkably similar clean tone, but the Affinity sounds muddier over driven. I would say the Pro 2 sounds better, but is it 5x better? 5x the price, after all. Of course you have to take into account fit and finish, and quality of materials. I suspect also you're paying a premium for having "Fender" on the headstock, but more than that, US workers need US pay.
But if you installed the same pickups in the squire that would be interesting. On the whole I’m very happy with my squire standard 2005 strat, I wouldn’t change the stock Duncan designed pickups on them, they’re that good to me.
Pickup blend heights on the Squier sound wrong. Adjust the bridge pup to get that middle switch position better voiced. Also, use undisturbed single note riffs to properly demo tone differences. Corded rhythms don't demo a guitars voice well, just an 'in tune and voiced percussive sound to some extent. Any statement about guitar methods and tone is only one persons preferences, as is mine here....😁 Thanks!!
During the clean comparison, the Squier didnt sound better, it sounded SIGNIFICANTLY better than the Fender. The Fender sounded slightly better with drive. As a clean reggae guitarist id have to choose Squier.
The American is a lot more crisp and clear, while the Squier is a bit more muddy. But of course, you would roll that bass knob back for the Squier if this weren't an A/B comparison. And used American Fenders can be had for reasonable prices if you look for them.
the Squier it's not worse in clean tones, it's just more quiet, I feel if you boost the volume and compafe they would sound pretty close, I have the Squier tele and sounds a bit low volume than my strat, i don't know if this is common or mine has something wrong anyone experienced this ?
Of course there is a difference, but is it a $2k difference if you just want to make music and you don't have the scratch? I say no. Get that squire and rock out if you can
lol they are practically the same TBH, small difference in sound. I think I would take the budget one for sure. American Pro II Telecaster still get advantage on overdrive side.
The pickups are better on the Classic Vibe. I don't know if they're as good as Fender pickups, but I don't think there's much in it. On the downside the neck finish on the Classic Vibe will get sticky if and when your fingers start to sweat. I don't sweat much so it's not much of issue for me, but for some people it's very annoying. The vintage bridge on the Classic Vibe Tele is also harder to set up properly, and some people don't like the vintage style tuners. I'd say your money is probably better spent upgrading the pickups on an Affinity, especially if it's the newer style Affinity that came out in 2020, that already has the string through bridge, and much improved finish quality. If you put Fender pickups in your Affinity, nobody can claim that they're inferior to Fender pickups. Also since the new Affinities no longer have the Affinity label on the headstock, you can tell people it's a Classic Vibe and they won't know the difference.
@@peterwilson8039 thanks for that reply! I have a bunch of American Strats and also Mex. But I just scored a Classic Vibe on Facebook. Long story short when I’m away working I have a couple cheaper guitars to play with a little Katana. Anyway I got this CV I think it was a bit older. The fret sprout was awful and the original plastic was welded to the pickguard. I was able to correct all of it and …. Great little guitar. While I have you though…. I just landed an American Vintage 2. Oh M G! Bro. That thing is Devine! Hey thanks for the answer. I may pick up an Affinity just for fun sometime
yes there is a difference. have both and more but the american comes out when i need it, it's great but i hate to wear it out so i practice on the others and when i go back to the pro 2 i can tell the difference. plus there is a $1000 plus difference. i give all tele's a thumbs up.
I have a Squier lefty and it's great, minus the crap bridge/saddles they put on it. I kept having the high E saddle screws come loose for no apparent reason the past year or more, so finally after a setup and other work on it this week, I have to bring it back yet again to the tech. at Guitar Center with a tube of Loctite thread cement, that he didn't even have on hand (??????), so the tech. can hopefully stop that from occurring. Annoying! I would buy a Squier, but put a better bridge/saddle on it immediately.
At $200-$250 versus $1800, this is a clear case of buy cheap and modify to suit. The only real advantage is the Fender name over the Squier… $1600 is quite a bit of mods. Pickups, quality controls, buying a replacement neck that says “Fender” on it (if you really don’t want to be associated with a Squier). Hell, you can make the Affinity play just as good (if not better) and still have PLENTY of money leftover to buy a decent amp.
@@carlhungus2521 it’s my band member that has a tele but it’s a squire and he wants to upgrade the neck and keep the light body. I wonder if you can use a Stratocaster neck as well. Somebody has to know
@@DinosaurDillon1776 your band member should be good to go if he wants to use a strat neck. It will play fine and should fit quite well. There will be a small gap near the corners of the neck and body if you flip the guitar over and look....but should look fine from the front and the actual connection of the neck to the body should be strong and tight .
The fender does sound better but not 5x better. For the money you could get the squier sounding like it’s more expensive sibling & still have change left over.
The American pro will have a nitro paint finish so will age nicely over time. Some people love that…..sounds wise you could upgrade pickups and pots over time….even the tuners and bridge as you can afford it.
@@tarpley-music - I just bought a Squire Affinity Telecaster back in August, and it stays in tune just fine. The only thing I've done to it other than play it is put new strings on it. So...luck of the draw?
the sound comparison is very similar, maybe need someone like Phil Collen to demo them maybe they will have further betters/flaws. but yes the biggest difference we cant feel from a video is it being physically in your hands, the American will feel like a Luxury quality of build to the squire. but this can be over come, Replace the squire neck to an American Fender Tele neck or of some high quality made neck such as a "Warmoth" neck and all the hardware Pickups to American or any high pro standards then you got pretty much the real thing at less than half the price. and its FUN upgrading squires and sometimes they actually feel and sound better than the American Fender onces full upgraded. its just a MInd Set that controls ones opinion and choices. if you do a Full american upgraded squire to a Basic American Fender product blind folded and use your ears to choose, then you would have a very hard time choosing lol
It’s just perspective in relation to the camera position. He’s sitting at a slight angle to accommodate getting the amp into frame. They’re the same size.
I prefer the 3 brass saddle bridge and with the compensated saddles, are the American Pro II models equipped with compensated saddles? I liked the tone of both guitars and am pretty sure that I could match the tone of the US model with an EQ pedal on the Squier, that's the recipe for another video!
I find it strange that the Fender is equipped with the compensated saddle when it's well known for it's intonation issues. What is the reason for this?
Fender se ha metido en un gran problema, más que la diferencia de calidad de sonido esta la gran diferencia de precio, y es que los materiales no es lo único sino el encarecimiento de los costes y la mano de obra de producir en EE.UU, por lo demás, esta claro que tiene que tener diferencias de lo contrario seria una estafa. Pero repito que Fender se ha metido en un problema al hacerse ella misma la competencia, circunstancia que tenemos que agradecer los consumidores, ya que han puesto sus míticas guitarras al alcance de todos los bolsillos. Por cierto, la configuración del tipo de cuerda de ambas guitarras, se nos ha ocultado, ya que es muy importante y dependiendo de su tipo o, marca, nos puede cambiar el sonido, y este dato se oculta.
Gibson and US Fender prices make me gag. I can afford them but I’d feel guilty spending that much under present economic conditions given what’s available from Epiphone, Squier, and StewMac; the latter allows me to assemble a guitar or modify the former to be closer to Gibson and Fender.
That’s the fun part of researching the sound you want to obtain, because the options are seemingly endless! If you’re wanting traditional Fender tones, then Fender pickups are the only way to go. Texas Specials, Original ‘57/‘67s, Pure Vintage, Noiseless, TexMex, and CuNiFe to name a few. You can also venture out into what brands like Seymour Duncan, EMG, and DiMarzio have to offer. What kind of tone are you looking for?
As someone who records a lot of guitars, I can tell you that the tone of the squire would need more work to sit in a mix clearly than the American Pro II. That being said if you're wanting a budget guitar that is tonally much closer to the Pro you could buy the squire and have the pickups replaced. That would get you about 80% there for a fraction of the price. That being said there's no doubt that the pro is a much more comfortable guitar to play. There is a lot of value in comfort when it comes to playing an instrument for long periods of time.
You need a little bit of fret work. It won't be expensive, and the store you bought it from should be happy to do it for you for free. I had the same issue on one of my guitars and the store fixed it for me for free. It took about ten minutes.
Ironically does the Squire not have a better bridge? The American Tele features 3 saddles whilst the Affinity has 6; I imagine 6 saddles are better for intonation
6 saddles are much better for intonation, and the 3 saddles are much better for sustain and the twangy tone that Teles are known for. Neither are wrong, and is all up to player preference.
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That really highlighted the quality of the pickups! The Affinity is a beginner/beater/modder the other is what you get when you have "arrived"🤙🏼
Yes, you're right - the tone of the American Pro II was just much more complex and full. It is a good modder though. Because of all things, you can easily change the pickups. So, if there's an area I don't mind cost cutting, it's that. But the weight, neck profile, finish, body shape and colour are all nice. I got one for 150 second-hand. Plan to spend 250 on better pups, bone nut, tuners, upgrade electronics/pots/switches and get a pro setup. And this comes in at about 450 and would probably give a Fender Player series a good run for it's money; and I honestly prefer the satin neck to the Classic Vibe one, and this is also lighter, with a belly cut. Only thing is that non-traditional bridge/saddle arrangement.
My first guitar is the new tele american professional 2 deluxe dark knight.
I'd get the Affinity and mod to my liking...and learn a bunch along the way. But if you are not even going to change your own strings or do your set ups, the Pro would be your choice.
At five times the price, I'll take the Squire and just put in some work to make it play better. The sound is really not that much different to me, and I don't use distortion or overdrive. I'm 77, maybe that's why. :)
@Adam Zapple I'm 65 and I preferred the Squier. It actually sounded better to me. And that overdrive unit does _not_ sound good. Or maybe it is the amplifier. I heard a bit of distortion in it. It was not a clean sounding overdrive unit. In any event, I own a Squier Standard Stratocaster and put a bit of elbow grease into it. Bought a fine grit dry wall sand paper block with foam rubber core and used it to round the fret ends off and round the the edges of the finger board. Total cost was less than $5.00. Then I spent $80.00 on "genuine" Fender locking tuners and paid for a set up. I'm perfectly happy with it. There is _no_ way a Fender Strat is worth five times what I paid for my Squier Strat, even with my newer better parts included. Fender is grossly overpriced. 🤔🤷♂🎸
46 and thinking the same.
I’m 23 and my dog died yesterday
i've got an American strat and I tend to pick up the infinity tel more
@@ToddSauveI tried the vintera strat and for the cost in the uk I wouldn’t waste my money on a fender over the squier CV strat .they sound no different and I found the squier felt nicer to play ..
Both sound remarkably like a telecaster.
Isn't it AMAZING?
It’s crazy 😂
😂
The sound of both are great! I'm big fan of Squier series products. They are really great.
That was a good side by side comparison.
If you can set up your own guitar and dress your own frets, then get a set of Joe Barden - Danny Gatton Tele-Style Pickups, and just buy the Squire.
Even if you replace all the hardware, you'll still be close to a thousand bucks ahead and have a great guitar. But that's just what I would do.
Haha crazy- I thought the Affinity sounded much nicer 😂 not as harsh and mellower. Not having that draggy gloss finish on it is also a bonus. Some new tuners, a graph tech tusq nut, obsidian wireless electronics and you’d be set with this thing. An extra 200 max to upgrade it.
I play semi pro use affinity, just changed machine heads only, sounds great.
I sent my kid one. I figured, if he gets serious, I'll get him something elas. It's good to hear that these are solid. It would suck to be a beginner on an insturment that fights you. I didn't know it came with cheap tuners. That can be an issue constantly playing out of tune.
Right? I am not crazy then.
*bone nut and a better bridge.
@@ronaldwiggins3226which Machine heads did you put on Ronald? Cheers ☘️
I have a 2021 Squier Affinity Tele, installed Fender Texas Specials and it sounds great.
Dang man might do this
Nice comparison. I have bought and sold/returned several Teles in recent years: Fender American Performer Tele Hum, Fender Player, Squier CV 50s, Squier CV 70s Custom and Squier Affinity. The two guitars that feel and play the best are the Squier Affinity and Squier 70s Custom. I can't quite put my finger on it but I feel the most expressive on those two guitars, which also cost the least money! Bends are easier. Necks feel nicer. Dynamics are better. Anyone else find Squiers are a pleasure to play?
Same here, had a MIM Fender Tele, a Vintage v52, a Sx and now a Squier Affinity Tele, which feels better than all the previous.
Best playing Strat I’ve ever owned was a 2002 Squier Affinity . I still have it over the years I installed Texas Specials, a better block/saddles and Gotoh Tuners. The point is that for playability it was and still is a great playing instrument.
The basses are very good too. Personally, I feel the money is better spent on recording gear, i.e. anything that helps you achieve the sound you want. A piece of wood with metal on it isn't going to change all that much. That may matter on acoustic guitars but not electrics.
I am 43 and I played guitar since I was 14 years old. This is just my own opinion. Why is it I like the sound of Squire Affinity than the American Pro? 😅
Because it’s more in tune because of the bridge.
Fret size is mostly a matter of preference. American Standard/American Series as well as the US made Highway One/American Performer guitars used to be fitted with medium jumbo frets. I believe starting with the American Pro (version 1) they switched to the narrow tall frets
Highway one, Special and Performer has Jumbos.
i think the squier is better and its way less money in fact i have the newest model of the affinty and its fantastic compared to the older the versions of it. and i have owned the classic vibe and i did have a MIM one for a short time i ended up back with the affinty in the end it was better for less money and i do own several hi end guitars but you know its all preference in the end really
You think the Squier is better than the Pro 2? Ok
Just got an affinity Olympic white . Got some nice in 1952 reissue pick ups. To go in .
Polish the frets & some other bits .
Overtime it will be a killer guitar .
All good . Great review
I’m really into both the Affinity and Contemporary Squier series of guitars. Affinity for a budget Fender sound, Contemporary for a real Fender competitor.
A while back I came across a mint condition used Squire Affinity Tele at my local GC. I had no intention of guitar shopping that day. I went in just to get some strings with my complimentary $20 coupon.
Standing at the counter.. I noticed the butterscotch Tele on a stand in the corner. Walked over, picked it up,.. and gave it chance.
The darn thing resonated like no other electric I've ever played.
I could feel it even unplugged.
I knew it was a gem.
Looked at the price tag and laughed.. it said $79.
I paid $59 with the coupon and it felt like I stole it.
That was 12 years ago. I've owned dozens of guitars since then..
but my Squier Affinity is the best guitar deal I've ever stumbled across.....and I still play it often.
The most honest and straight forward review I’ve ever seen of guitars. How about Epiphone v Gibson next?
Would love too, but we’re not a vendor for Gibson. Only Epiphone.
Excellent review. One of the best I have seen. I felt the solidness of the one. I also have the affinity. I think it boils down to a good guitar player can make a lesser guitar sound great. You have done the best and honest review I have seen
You right ,if you can play,,you can ,
Make a no name axe sound excellent 😊
Absolutely agree on the fret filing/polishing job(s) done at that factory.... Several years ago.... I actually sliced the inner portion of my left ring finger on a fret burr (sp?) and needed more filing on a New Fender Squire....
Is there a difference?
Yep, the Squier has a bridge capable of proper intonation.
(The ceramic pups sound fine to me - I quite like that tone in a Tele)
It's impossible to get the setup right with a vintage bridge.
I can hear the difference between the two guitars, and I prefer the sound of the Fender, but it is still remarkable to me how good the Affinity sounds, and how much value it represents for the money. I bought my Affinity Tele in 2019. I loved it, but about six months ago I saw that Fender Tex/Mex pickups were very reasonably priced. Now my Affinity Tele sounds amazing. Prior to the upgrade I was thinking of upgrading to a Player series Tele, (not a huge Classic Vibe fan), but frankly now, I'm don't know that it would be much of an upgrade. I would upgrade if I were a professional guitarist, but only because I know, in the professional milieu, the Fender decal on the headstock is very important.
You're definitely paying a little bit extra for tha Fender decal.
@@tarpley-music If I were a making money with my guitar, it would probably be a worthwhile investment.
Hi, did you make the work by yourself?
Do you think these ceramic pickups are louder than alnico 5 ?
@@miguelangelcolon1345 if you can solder, pickup upgrades are quite easy to do.
Squier sounds better.
at home on PC w/ headphones I did not hear 5X the difference in sound, however I have played both and the feel is at least 5X different. Tons of videos here on how to improve the feel on a Squier, maybe pick up a little better quality pickups and tuners, I bought a pickup/wiring set with the control plate from an American Pro II and added that to my Mex partscaster tele and it sounds great. I am tempted to do the same to a used squier and start by adding new tuners and pickups
Great feedback, that's the beauty of guitars!
I bought Square infinity second hand $160. It’s pretty good guitar. Easy to play.
I like not only the price of beautiful Squire, but the independent more modern bridge saddles vs the original T-style compensated BDE bridge. Good Tele. One minor difference, you have an extra fret with the Pro, same scale length. The Pro seems to have more midrange, obviously pickups factor into it.
This is corrected on the amp. A lot of people don't know how to adjust an amp (I'm not saying that for you). There is no point in buying a lot of pedals. I just have an equalizer and the reverb on the amp is enough for 85% of the time.
When you picked up the American Pro to play I immediately saw it was a better guitar and as you played I could see the workmanship in the fret board. Now I'll have to watch again and pay attention to the sound.
Excellent demo ! I own that Affinity , and several other higher priced ......that Affinity (after fret end work and set up)
is my favourite ......superb for the money .
I have a squire affinity John 5 with humbuckers. Sounds better than my expensive American deluxe strat
Just bought the affinity cause I wanted to try a telecaster. The store had to ask their luthier to redo all the fret end because there was too much sprout everywhere. Sound-wise, there is a difference but since I only have one, it doesn't matter to me. I won't hear the difference.
Tips for your next comparison: when you play one after the other, just don't talk. I had my headphone and tried to keep the tonality of the Squier in my head, waiting for the sound of the Fender, but when you did talk during switching, I could not remember the sound, therefore, was really hard to hear the difference between the 2 sounds. Next time you do that, edit the video so there is no time between the two takes.
Never in a million years is the Pro II a 5X$ superior instrument. There reaches many points, where a subjective opinion, and snobbery, begin to bend reality, and this is a classic example.
Out of box the Fender has a slight edge in tone in the middle position. And wins hands down at the bridge especially with the overdrive.
Again Out of Box it’s the Finder over the Squier. However, toss a set of Seymour Duncan pickups and you are still less than half the price of the Fender and most likely to either match the tone and sound or just blow it away.
As I personally like a hotter pickup and overdrive I would go with the Squier with the hot Seymour Duncan pickups. And would most likely just keep it tuned to open G. Thanks for the side by side comparison. I would like to hear this setup through a Fender tube twin reverb.
I am semi pro use affinity, great sound, nuanced, responsive, warm and transparent….
Very nice!
The main difference between one and the other is the same as that between ceramic magnets and alnico magnets
The price difference isn’t totally all about sound. It’s things like but not limited to pots, locking tuners, and most important to me is the feel in the hands. Obviously all of this can be addressed to the squire.
AMAZING job James! You're a rockstar!
Oh you......
I reccomend putting a set of Tonerider Hot Classic pickups in an Affinity. Quite cheap but massive upgrade.
Well done comparison Sir ! ......re tone.......a bit more clairity in neck and middlle positions ......but ....a small amount .....
by the way, I own the Squire, and one difference with the copy I have is that I had to do substantial work on the
frets (fret sprout) and all 6 tuners were very loose (simple tightening with a socket wrench which solved its
tuning stability) For me it comes down to the difference in tone (adjustable to some extent by tweaking one's
amp) but , as you pay a lot more for the Fender version, you do get an overal higher level of craftmanship.......
so you pay to have it all done right to start with.
I have a tele for on the side. A 2015 modded affinity. It is a great playing instrument. No need to buy an expensive Fender. That Squier gets more playtime than my Japanese Fender Strat.
People (especially those) on a budget need to learn how to do frets and setup.
Sharp frets can be smooth with 15 minutes of work.
For some reason I like the Squier better. Wow that's crazy. Both are great guitars.
I have the old 2007 Affininty. Modded with CTS 250k pots, .068uf cap, Alnico 5/2 hybrid pups and vintage style 18:1 tuners.
I earned thousands of £ gigging with it.
The last mod is to ditch the thin 41mm maple neck. Ive just bagged an unused RW (Laurel) neck from a 2022 Affinity Deluxe Tele. Cant wait to get it on.
Great video, its so annoying when reviewers just shred and you can't tell what a chord sounds like
Absolutely, that’s why James has taken the approach he has in these videos. Thanks for watching, George.
it is quite reassuring to know that the affinity series guitars are actually pretty good and are accessible to most people. In no way can I justify an american made fender when my skills would not do it justice.
IMO, the sound is actually one of the least important things when comparing guitars in very different price ranges because it’s the easiest thing to change by swapping pickups. The pickups on expensive guitars aren’t actually very expensive themselves so you could buy an affinity and swap out the electronics for something from a much more expensive guitar and still be at 1/4 the price. It’s really the neck QA issues which may be harder to fix that I’d be more concerned with.
Just as an example, one of my favourite pickup sets for a Tele are the Yosemites from the American performers. And you can get them for less than $150.
I wonder if the distortion really closed the gap that much for the Squire or was it just TH-cam/phone compression. Honestly, that iconic Tele sound came out of the American model run strait through the amp.
The Squire is definitely good enough for new players though from a sound perspective. Especially now with the prices. Comfort is important while playing, but if you really want “that Strat/tele look” and don’t want to break the bank for a first guitar I think I’d go squire today. Luckily when I started playing the MX models were cheaper than the Squires today lol
That affinity is great in its own way, even up against the champ of telecaster. I'm thinking the cost difference is more about the craftsmanship./stability which is so time consuming. If someone doesn't have the money, they still can go places with that affinity. They will just wear out the cheap tuners but will become excellent at tuning by ear.
You could buy a Squier and upgrade/setup the guitar to be just as good as the American Pro II. But, which takes less work to get there and has the resale value? The answer is the more expensive Fender.
What was the weight of each guitar. ??? I have heard the cheaper models use cheaper heavier woods.
I like the brighter sound of the squier , it sounds like a tele to me. The more darker sparklier sound of the pro sounded like a strat, tele most have the brighter sound, to me te squaier was the best sounding.🙃
They sound remarkably similar clean tone, but the Affinity sounds muddier over driven. I would say the Pro 2 sounds better, but is it 5x better? 5x the price, after all. Of course you have to take into account fit and finish, and quality of materials. I suspect also you're paying a premium for having "Fender" on the headstock, but more than that, US workers need US pay.
The law of diminishing returns never fails. 😎
But if you installed the same pickups in the squire that would be interesting. On the whole I’m very happy with my squire standard 2005 strat, I wouldn’t change the stock Duncan designed pickups on them, they’re that good to me.
The American!! Great sound…
Pickup blend heights on the Squier sound wrong. Adjust the bridge pup to get that middle switch position better voiced.
Also, use undisturbed single note riffs to properly demo tone differences.
Corded rhythms don't demo a guitars voice well, just an 'in tune and voiced percussive sound to some extent.
Any statement about guitar methods and tone is only one persons preferences, as is mine here....😁
Thanks!!
Great feedback John thank you! Always look to improve. Thanks!
I'd take the Squier.
I Own the '51 Telecaster AV2 & an Affinity ( to take to more dangerous gigs) , The Fender is class , but the Affinity is not too far behind
I think most of the difference in sound is in the pickups. They both sound good, but in differnt ways
I think the pro is a bit warmer and not as digital sounding, but the affinity still sounds good. How much is the player and setup though?
Hmm preferred the squire clean and the Fender with overdrive.
The funny thing is that i like the Affinity bridge PU for Rock or Metal much more than any other Tele PU. The Neck PU is a different Story.
It's a cheap blended scotch vs a well aged single malt scotch - both will get you drunk and how much you appreciate the difference is up to you.
The affinity neck plays ‘faster’ with a more modern slimmer ‘c’ shape.
During the clean comparison, the Squier didnt sound better, it sounded SIGNIFICANTLY better than the Fender.
The Fender sounded slightly better with drive.
As a clean reggae guitarist id have to choose Squier.
I just replaced the Pickups ($285) + locking Tuners ($19.00) Boom.
The American is a lot more crisp and clear, while the Squier is a bit more muddy. But of course, you would roll that bass knob back for the Squier if this weren't an A/B comparison. And used American Fenders can be had for reasonable prices if you look for them.
the Squier it's not worse in clean tones, it's just more quiet, I feel if you boost the volume and compafe they would sound pretty close, I have the Squier tele and sounds a bit low volume than my strat, i don't know if this is common or mine has something wrong anyone experienced this ?
Try adjusting the pickup heights. Makes a huge difference in sound and output.
I agree, that's why we try not to adjust or do anything extra out the box so you guys can really hear that. Excellent suggestion and comment! Thanks!
@@karlobluesman Good suggestion as well
In my experience Strats are usually hotter than Teles. That's based on a limited sample so it may not be representative.
Of course there is a difference, but is it a $2k difference if you just want to make music and you don't have the scratch? I say no. Get that squire and rock out if you can
lol they are practically the same TBH, small difference in sound. I think I would take the budget one for sure. American Pro II Telecaster still get advantage on overdrive side.
Im a Gibson guy. Having said that, the Squire sounded fine for a lot less. Think Ill check out the Strat. Both of those sound equally bad.
I’d like to know the Diff between an Affinity and a Classic Vibe.
Noted, we’ll write that down as a video idea for the future.
The pickups are better on the Classic Vibe. I don't know if they're as good as Fender pickups, but I don't think there's much in it. On the downside the neck finish on the Classic Vibe will get sticky if and when your fingers start to sweat. I don't sweat much so it's not much of issue for me, but for some people it's very annoying. The vintage bridge on the Classic Vibe Tele is also harder to set up properly, and some people don't like the vintage style tuners. I'd say your money is probably better spent upgrading the pickups on an Affinity, especially if it's the newer style Affinity that came out in 2020, that already has the string through bridge, and much improved finish quality. If you put Fender pickups in your Affinity, nobody can claim that they're inferior to Fender pickups. Also since the new Affinities no longer have the Affinity label on the headstock, you can tell people it's a Classic Vibe and they won't know the difference.
@@peterwilson8039 thanks for that reply! I have a bunch of American Strats and also Mex. But I just scored a Classic Vibe on Facebook. Long story short when I’m away working I have a couple cheaper guitars to play with a little Katana. Anyway I got this CV I think it was a bit older. The fret sprout was awful and the original plastic was welded to the pickguard. I was able to correct all of it and …. Great little guitar. While I have you though…. I just landed an American Vintage 2. Oh M G! Bro. That thing is Devine!
Hey thanks for the answer. I may pick up an Affinity just for fun sometime
yes there is a difference. have both and more but the american comes out when i need it, it's great but i hate to wear it out so i practice on the others and when i go back to the pro 2 i can tell the difference. plus there is a $1000 plus difference. i give all tele's a thumbs up.
Hard to argue that lol thank you for the comment.
I have a Squier lefty and it's great, minus the crap bridge/saddles they put on it. I kept having the high E saddle screws come loose for no apparent reason the past
year or more, so finally after a setup and other work on it this week, I have to bring it back yet again to the tech. at Guitar Center with a tube of Loctite thread cement,
that he didn't even have on hand (??????), so the tech. can hopefully stop that from occurring. Annoying! I would buy a Squier, but put a better bridge/saddle on it
immediately.
At $200-$250 versus $1800, this is a clear case of buy cheap and modify to suit. The only real advantage is the Fender name over the Squier… $1600 is quite a bit of mods. Pickups, quality controls, buying a replacement neck that says “Fender” on it (if you really don’t want to be associated with a Squier). Hell, you can make the Affinity play just as good (if not better) and still have PLENTY of money leftover to buy a decent amp.
What stops you from buying a fender neck for the squire? Are they interchangeable? Would it make it nearly as playable at a much more reasonable cost?
i thought the same thing. the necks were a bit more $ than I expected ...like$ 600
@@carlhungus2521 it’s my band member that has a tele but it’s a squire and he wants to upgrade the neck and keep the light body. I wonder if you can use a Stratocaster neck as well. Somebody has to know
@@DinosaurDillon1776 your band member should be good to go if he wants to use a strat neck. It will play fine and should fit quite well. There will be a small gap near the corners of the neck and body if you flip the guitar over and look....but should look fine from the front and the actual connection of the neck to the body should be strong and tight .
Would live to hear the Fender Telecaster Player Plus in this mix.
I baught the squier affinity telecaster orange competition made in indonesia, the gitar is good😮
The affinity sound a little more ‘in tune’ to but maybe just because the individual saddles
The Fender definitely sounds better and I am sure is better all round but $1000 not sure about that. Great Video.
The fender does sound better but not 5x better. For the money you could get the squier sounding like it’s more expensive sibling & still have change left over.
I’ve got a Pro 2 Strat. It’s nice.
Great guitar!
I’m two seconds away from ordering an American Vintage 2. 61 Strat Olympic White.
Great video btw.
The American pro will have a nitro paint finish so will age nicely over time. Some people love that…..sounds wise you could upgrade pickups and pots over time….even the tuners and bridge as you can afford it.
American Professional series have poly finishes, same as previous American Standard models
@@wpopopolo oh yes, I forgot the American pro was the USA starter guitar!
Does the Affinity need to be tuned more often because it has different strings?
No, the strings are fine. It's the tuners that struggle with the tension. It's probably one of the first upgrade I would do to the guitar.
@@tarpley-music - I just bought a Squire Affinity Telecaster back in August, and it stays in tune just fine. The only thing I've done to it other than play it is put new strings on it.
So...luck of the draw?
I like the brass barrels in the bridge ..
Man! These affinity’s stand TALL!!!
the sound comparison is very similar, maybe need someone like Phil Collen to demo them maybe they will have further betters/flaws. but yes the biggest difference we cant feel from a video is it being physically in your hands, the American will feel like a Luxury quality of build to the squire. but this can be over come, Replace the squire neck to an American Fender Tele neck or of some high quality made neck such as a "Warmoth" neck and all the hardware Pickups to American or any high pro standards then you got pretty much the real thing at less than half the price. and its FUN upgrading squires and sometimes they actually feel and sound better than the American Fender onces full upgraded. its just a MInd Set that controls ones opinion and choices. if you do a Full american upgraded squire to a Basic American Fender product blind folded and use your ears to choose, then you would have a very hard time choosing lol
The Squier looks bigger, am I wrong. Look at the start when both guitars are side by side, is the Squier Affinity bigger than the American Pro II ?
It’s just perspective in relation to the camera position. He’s sitting at a slight angle to accommodate getting the amp into frame. They’re the same size.
Affinity sounds pretty dang good for the money.
Get the squire from a pawnshop, throw in a graphtec nut, set it up, have the neck worked over, boom. You've got a better guitar than the Fender.
I prefer the 3 brass saddle bridge and with the compensated saddles, are the American Pro II models equipped with compensated saddles?
I liked the tone of both guitars and am pretty sure that I could match the tone of the US model with an EQ pedal on the Squier, that's the recipe for another video!
Fewer problems with the goddamned saddle screws etc. on the brass Vintage saddles (barrel style).
Do you recommend the pro for a beginner? It sounds so much warmer and thicker and better to me even on Phone speakers
I would go in between and get the Squire 50s Classic Vibe. Excellent guitar at a very good price. You got a lot for your money. It’s a real workhorse.
An American Pro II would be an amazing "starter" guitar. Fortunately, you don't have to spend that much on a first guitar to get a quality instrument.
Getting the American Pro II for a beginner would be an incredible start to their guitar playing journey.
I find it strange that the Fender is equipped with the compensated saddle when it's well known for it's intonation issues. What is the reason for this?
Tradition
Fender se ha metido en un gran problema, más que la diferencia de calidad de sonido esta la gran diferencia de precio, y es que los materiales no es lo único sino el encarecimiento de los costes y la mano de obra de producir en EE.UU, por lo demás, esta claro que tiene que tener diferencias de lo contrario seria una estafa. Pero repito que Fender se ha metido en un problema al hacerse ella misma la competencia, circunstancia que tenemos que agradecer los consumidores, ya que han puesto sus míticas guitarras al alcance de todos los bolsillos. Por cierto, la configuración del tipo de cuerda de ambas guitarras, se nos ha ocultado, ya que es muy importante y dependiendo de su tipo o, marca, nos puede cambiar el sonido, y este dato se oculta.
すごく分かりやすいです🎉
Gibson and US Fender prices make me gag. I can afford them but I’d feel guilty spending that much under present economic conditions given what’s available from Epiphone, Squier, and StewMac; the latter allows me to assemble a guitar or modify the former to be closer to Gibson and Fender.
What would be the best pickups to put in the affinity
That’s the fun part of researching the sound you want to obtain, because the options are seemingly endless! If you’re wanting traditional Fender tones, then Fender pickups are the only way to go. Texas Specials, Original ‘57/‘67s, Pure Vintage, Noiseless, TexMex, and CuNiFe to name a few.
You can also venture out into what brands like Seymour Duncan, EMG, and DiMarzio have to offer.
What kind of tone are you looking for?
Seymour-Duncan
A hotrail in the bridge 😅
Bodies on Affinity Series are slightly thinner; not as thick as a MIM/Player or U.S. tele.
Fender Pro for me all the way, much superior. Squier Affinity is excellent for a beginner, though.
Did I like then Squier better?
what about the strings?
As someone who records a lot of guitars, I can tell you that the tone of the squire would need more work to sit in a mix clearly than the American Pro II. That being said if you're wanting a budget guitar that is tonally much closer to the Pro you could buy the squire and have the pickups replaced. That would get you about 80% there for a fraction of the price. That being said there's no doubt that the pro is a much more comfortable guitar to play. There is a lot of value in comfort when it comes to playing an instrument for long periods of time.
Put some Alnico V pickups in the Squire, change the nut and work on the neck…
The only real difference i can hear is that the fender sounds louder than the squire. Tone is pretty similar to my ear.
my affinity stays tuned no prob, but i have a couple dead/buzzing fret spots. g one low e and 8th fret high e string.
You need a little bit of fret work. It won't be expensive, and the store you bought it from should be happy to do it for you for free. I had the same issue on one of my guitars and the store fixed it for me for free. It took about ten minutes.
Ironically does the Squire not have a better bridge? The American Tele features 3 saddles whilst the Affinity has 6; I imagine 6 saddles are better for intonation
6 saddles are much better for intonation, and the 3 saddles are much better for sustain and the twangy tone that Teles are known for.
Neither are wrong, and is all up to player preference.