I have a Squier Strat that I bought new in 1986. Still looks decent, plays just fine, and sounds good. I've also had a Squier Affinity Tele. It, too, looked decent, played fine after a setup, and sounded good. Based on my small sample size, it sounds like major flaws might be with the guitarist, not the guitar.
the 1986 Squier is a FujiGen. That Japanese factory is legendary itself. It produced guitars that would rival or oftentimes beat american strats of the time. depending on the model, that squer strat can worth quite a bit these days, as late 70s and early-mid 80s FujiGen just blew up in price.
youre getting mixed up 80's squiers were identical to stratocasters at the time just different logo sticker, honestly thats all, awesome jap quality back then
@Talk to the hat. I bought one years ago, changed the pickups(the guitar engine)... Plays as good as any strat I've played, once it's set up to a high standard.
Tone's in your fingers..and a decent eq pedal..if the thing is set-up-able. Unless the pickups are totally rubbish. Which isn't the case these days with many cheap guitars. Glarry though might be an exception. No output on those pickups and not much I could do😮
Squiers are great, especially the Indonesian made ones. I’ve bought a few, set them up, and thrown some nice pickups in and they shine. IMO Squier (and Epiphone) have a similar spirit to early Fender and Gibson in terms of target demographics and ethos.
These are common issues with every guitar & anyone can do a setup with YT. I have plenty of videos up. I especially would not worry about the tuners as if you have a proper cut nut they'll stay in tune.
It is the guitar. I have found that squiers are hit or miss. One out of ten is good. (Playability, Sound, Staying in tune, etc ). And I Love Fenders. But unless you get a classic vibe or one of my the more expensive ones, you're not getting a good guitar. Yamaha, or Firefly are MUCH better.
As a 70 year old, if we'd had guitars of this quality, or even Bullet Strats, in my day as a teen-ager or young learner, rather than the really bad inexpensive guitars we had at the time, we'd have been ecstatic. Your Dad's Strat merely needed a set up.
So true, I have a nice little collection of midpriced guitars that are all amazing, I paid under $300 for my Squire and I went in planning on upgrading it, I just chose the neck and body I could live with and got a much nicer neck than I expected. The rest of my guitars are Epiphones and the quality on them has been outstanding also. This is the golden age of guitars.
I have squier that will blow you away, the NC vintage spec with heel adjust.. yup, of course completely upgraded but the base is a phenomenal platform,, have one loaded with Evans, can you say Jeff Healey...
I have a cheap used Squier, got it set up & new strings and it became my best guitar. Easy playability, lighter weight, very good guitar. I paid $200 for it.
All guitars need a set-up. If they had one in the factory, it was deliberately set higher than is desirable to have a good margin against buzzing after it travels to its destination. And the moment one changes string gauge, it needs re-doing anyway. Set-up out of the box is like saddle height on a new bike. Irrelevant.
Your right!. I tried a us strat in my shop, and I could tell straight away that it was to high in action!! Shops prefer selling guitars, and you will pay them for having a setup on it afterwards!.. The stats are a pain out of the box, no matter which country of origin!.
I passed up three Mexicasters in the pawnshop for an Affinity Strat. The Mexicasters had the sloppiest neck pockets I've ever seen but the Squier was bang on. I got the Squier for 1/4 of the price too!!! Alder body and a rosewood board. Stock pups replaced with Dragonfire Phat Screamers. I have no problems using it at gigs.
As a beginner who at this moment in time knows nothing about guitars, I can tell you you’re throwing a lot of terminology and that means absolutely nothing to me. I’m looking for a guitar that is cheap to buy and sounds ok. It’s never going to leave my front room. No one is going to hear it other than me. I’m never going to gig with it. I want something purely to learn on. If I give up I haven’t blown hundreds of pounds. If I get into it and improve I can eventually invest in better. For someone like me. What is wrong with it? Or can you recommend better at a similar price point?
The 2021 Affinity Strat is a very nice guitar. On my model, the frets could use polishing and, if I was gigging, I'd replace the input jack. Both very simple tweaks. I like the 2 point bridge and slotted tuners, and I find tuning stability to be quite good. I also like the ceramic pickups. I love the thinner body which makes the guitar light and I love the neck. All in all, a great purchase. By way of comparison, I also own a Fender Eric Clapton Strat.
I have one of these that was given to me because one of the saddles had stripped it's threads. I fitted a mid priced set of saddles and spent some time setting it up correctly and it now plays wonderfully. Later I was given a set of mexican pickups and fitted those. For such a cheap guitar it plays so well that I have had several very decent guitarists ask me to let them know if I decide to sell it. I took it to Crimson Guitars where I built my very own guitar and several guys there who tried out my Squier really liked it. I was asked who did the setup and replied "me" I got a number of well done's and yet more offers to buy the guitar. As you can imagine that made me feel really good. :) The moral of this story - the stock setup is rubbish but if you know how to set it up or know someone who does it can make for a very decent guitar indeed.
Yeah im a noob and as a first guitar it's done well. Watched a lot of vids to learn how to do a setup. Locked down and dampened the thin trem and tuning has kept really well for years. No buzz with low action. Low weight. After learning the basics I can say the ceramic pickups sound nice.
Great video! Last week I found a black and white 2005 Affinity Squire Strat at a thrift store for $70. Loose jack plate, very dirty, ultra high action in the 3 to 10 fret range, terrible fret buzz above the 14th fret, awful sound. I cleaned it up (turns out it was basically unblemished), adjusted the truss rod, pickup heights, and bridge, reattached the jack, and adjusted the intonation. My intent was to sacrifice the guitar to learn more about set up, but it plays so well now that it will be a gift to my grandson. Looking for another “rescue.”
im a classical player and about a year ago, trust me, i knew NOTHING about electric guitars. i didnt even know the differences between strats and other guitar types. i wanted to give the electric a shot so i decided to buy something cheap so i decided to buy this guitar, SECOND HAND 💀 so i went to this guys house and tried the guitar out, and the condition of the guitar was EXACTLY like the way you described the guitar you found at a thrift store. but i didnt even realize how bad the condition was because i had never played an electric before and knew absoloutely nothing. after i bought it i tried to play it but it just didnt feel right so i put it aside and went back to my classical. after months of electric guitar videos on youtube, i finally became aware of the situation. i wanted to rescue the guitar just like you did, but that would have been too much work looking at how awful the condition was. i finally bought a better guitar that isnt 2nd hand (im never making that mistake ever again) and it was like an awakening.
The springs on the saddle screws are in the wrong place. They should be sandwiched between the saddle and the bridge plate. Not between the screw head and the plate.
WARNING: DO NOT turn the truss rod nut a 1/2 a turn!!! At the most turn it a 1/4 or even better yet an 1/8 of turn at a time, check it, then readjust as needed.
Yes hopefully people will see from the video the adjustments I made were pretty small each time. if I said half a turn that’s my bad wording, not meant literally. cheers for highlighting before someone murders their guitar.
@@redmed10 I know but he said turn it a 1/2 turn & when you're doing a neck adjustment you always want to err on the side of caution. That is why I said turn it a 1/4 or even better yet an 1/8 of a turn at a time. ;)
@@AncientApparatus So are you saying if a total of a quarter turn is not enough you shouldn't ever turn it any more. Either live with it or get a new guitar?
@@redmed10 No I'm saying that any adjustment should be done with care & in small increments. You can always turn it a little more but if you turn it too much there's no going back if something breaks. That's true for fine tuning any kind of equipment. Hope that's mor clear.
Back in the '70s, the first thing to buy after a cheap guitar was a book on how to set it up. Nowadays, I meet players of all ages who have no idea how to change a set of strings, let alone adjust or maintain their instruments.
I bought one new in 2005. I played it for almost a decade. Absolutely loved it and considering getting another one. That being said; it will need a full set-up, probably some light fretwork, preloaded pickguard replacement, new tuners, and a bone nut...
Yes this is an older Affinity with Black Logo and some can be pretty good but they do not compare to the newer Affinitys with Gold Logo that we have currently. I have a Competition Orange one from 2018 w/rosewood and one of these guitars in your Video from 2019 w/laurel. Both are outstanding after being set up by my tech guy and i play the Affinitys more than the others. great modding platform. ... p.s. yeah that action is terrible on that one but I find most of the new Affinitys pretty dialed in. Fender Master Builder Ron Thorn swears by these now as a great guitar. The new ones. Both of mine are made in China. Same as my WONDERFUL J Mascis Jazzmaster.
The Indonesian made Squier's were better than the later Chinese, at least I think so. I have a killer Squier 2004 Standard Precision bass 4 string with additional jazz pickup and jazz neck. It is everything you would ever need or want in a passive bass.
Its a fantastic guitar ,if you set it right and polish the frets and round the neck a little. My fellow guitarrist has a US strat and is often amazed in how good mine sounds. Ive pkayed it for 4 years, make sure you get the one made in Indonesia with the gold logo.
As an owner of cheap to expensive guitars, squiers are phenomenal guitars. The wood is amazing, great body and necks. Amazing for beginners. Once you’re actually starting to play shows, then the tuners and pickups absolutely need upgrading on cheap models. Upgrade the tuners and pickups and you’re all set! Get a good set up on it and you’re golden. (Sharp fret edges can be shaved down by your local tech. That occurs with all guitars, cheap or expensive, depending on your climate)
1/8 the price of an American strat...it sounds pretty much the same...so yes this is a great guitar for a beginner..the take away here beyond this is to invest in a setup...and don't feal cheated because of that because most guitars need tweeking .. no matter what the price point..
I personally like the large headstock, what does really get on my tits is why on this cheap guitar that the strings line up over the magnets on the neck pickup, but are off centre on a lot of more expensive models? It may not matter to the sound but if the cheaper models look better for it and in my opinion they do, then why can't other manufacturers do the same? I'll get my coat.......
Good guitars if they are set up properly, and if tremolo system is lubricated it will hold tune just fine. Upgrades I would recommend are better tuners and completely replace the pick-ups, pots, and wiring. Add a treble bleed to the bridge pick up circuit when you do it. Long term, a better quality neck. Out of the box just make sure it's set up properly and they are a good guitar.
Thanks to Leo Fender's genius for creating the Stratocaster in an accessibly timeless configuration. The difference in production of United States made high quality pieces is detail and concentration spent in single units, as juxtaposed with the mass quick crafted ones overseas in Asia. Materials are fine quality but fastly turned out to markets. Once in awhile, a buyer would strike luck and pick a flawlessly made cheap priced strat that can hold it's own against a vintage original $3,500 - $7,000 and above holy piece no matter dexterity of the player!👍
I own an 🇺🇸strat and had a Mex. Now I am looking at a telecaster. I checked out a Mex tele...then later checked out a Vintera '70s Telecaster Custom and a 🇺🇸 professional 2 telecaster.... well the 🇺🇸 won my heart...it fits like a glove. . As for buying China... I won't.... human slavery As a teenager I worked for a store where people would look at the product then fill out paperwork and I would get it from the warehouse and bring it to the front/ cashier
Long story short: with a couple of small tweaks, a fine guitar. I think the Squier sounded better than the Fender. Generally, I think Squier CVs are better than MIAs or MIMs. Is Indonesia the new Japan..?
I have one very similar to that one. It's fine. The neck is very narrow....40mm I think which some people won't like but I find I prefer it to the slightly wider standard Fender neck. It has 9.5 radius fret board which I also like and prefer over anything flatter, and I like the big headstock....good enough for Trower and Hendrix, good enough for me.
A lot of nonsense talked about cheap guitars and guitars in general mostly by people who can't actually 'play'. You can either play the damned thing or you can't. If you gave me the finest guitar considered to have ever been made it would sound rubbish. If you gave the worst guitar in the world ever to have been made to a truly gifted player in whatever genre it would sound great. Yes, there are different tonal 'colours' produced by different types of guitars but at the end of the day its down to the player.
I have set up dozens of Affinity Strats, at the shop. Both the china and indonesian models. They are not bad instruments, and setups were straight forward. Even $5000 guitars sometimes need neck relief adjustments, especially after changing string gauges. I personally hate the look of the over sized headstock, but the instruments are fine.
I had an American strat once, several Mexican ones more than a few squire affinities and one squire bullet. The only one I don`t recommend is the bullet series, too many quality issues. On the Squire affinities the pickups come in at about 3.5K which is a little low. The other strats come in at about 5.5K. That`s why some people might recommend changing out the pickups but you don`t have to. I would recommend an HSS affinity and save the rest of your money for an amp. Spending 12 to 15 hundred for an American strat is an exercise in foolishness. Other than the pickups I mentioned there is no important difference,
Pick-up resistance is not an indication of quality nor output. Stronger ceramic magnets allow for fewer turns (lower resistance) and therefore more clarity. Besides, output level is no longer a necessity since modern amplifiers have a gain control which does nothing else but boosting the input.
I own 3 of those Fender Squier Affinity Series Stratocasters that were made in Indonesia back in the 2000s decade and I have to say that they play beautifully. To me, all 3 of them that I own sound way better than most of the current Fender Squier Stratocasters in general that are being built today. I even own a Fender Squier Bullet Stratocaster from 2014 that was also made in Indonesia and it sounds great as well. Otherwise, the Fender Squier Stratocasters that were built way back in the 1980s all the way to the 2000s sound way better than the current models that are being put out today. By the way, all 3 Fender Squier Affinity Series Stratocasters that I own are secondhand as I bought them used in 3 different places.
the reviewer finds it really hard to say anything positive - he has to say good things but the words stick in his mouth... it's almost as if he desperately wants everything to be bad because he owns a US built one...
The electronics on these have come a long way. My 2nd guitar ever (which I still have) is a 2000 Squier Affinity Strat. Electronics were horrible. Newer ones are way better. Build quality though is pretty good. I completely upgraded the electronics and put new tuners on it, and it is a good guitar. I have had hundreds of guitars cheap and $2000+ throughout the years and still love my Affinity Strat and use it live from time to time. Mine was one of the last Squier Affinity Strats made with Alder. I have Duncan STK singles, and a PRS humbucker with a HSS pickguard from another Squier, upgraded electronics, and Kluson vintage style tuners. Still love this guitar and it is the rare purple from that time period.
Well done video, very informative. After changing all of the stock electronics which are sh!t also doing a pro setup and some serious fret massaging, my Squire Strat sounds and plays almost every bit as good as my American Standard!
My affinity strat had a superbly clean sound. But when I installed Fender's top pickups, distortion was very noticeable. Higher output, slightly broader freq. range, but the sawtooth distortion ruined the clean sound. I dumped it!
Looks exactly the same as the $60 Siam music strat I bought in thailand. good beginers guitar.The main issue with mine was the jack plug which was thin with no grip but I changed it for next to nothing.If you think set up is a problem with cheap guitars try cheap saxophones!!!
Just bought a used and abused indonesian strat from 2000. It sounds fantastic once I set it up properly. I suspect that it was never actually set up in its 22 years of existence. The hardware isn't great. Weak bridge but that's easy and cheap to replace. I'm going to a shop to get the nut set up properly. The pickups are shockingly good for the price point. I normally throw Seymour Duncans in my guitars but I don't feel the need to here. I probably will anyways lol. Very much worth the $160 I paid.
I have a 2002 squire affinity strat it plays great, stays in tune and sounds perfectly ok. When I took it for a set up my local luthier/tech who plays a 2k+ PRS, wanted to buy my SAS after he had had it for a week or so, as he said he loved playing it. He wasn,'t similarly impressed with my peerless built Epiphone casino, Korean 96 built Les Paul, Vintage relic'd PGM LP, Epiphone custom shop 335 iced tea. So I don't know ? Do you? Nb I bought it on a whim and paid £50 for the SAS, the lowest figure I have ever paid for a guitar. I love playing it and will never sell it. It's a lovely red too.
I agree with Grant, Stevie Ray Vaughan would sound incredible with just about any guitar he happens to pickup. The biggest difference between novice, entry level or player guitars is longevity, durability, and intonation. The player guitars are made to be taken on the road and take a beating. The lower level guitars may have some problems with intonation and with staying tuned.
I have a Squier Classic Vibe Strat '50th, 60th anniversary, the one in gold colour from 2014. It was sold out some years ago and went into my hands for 333 € new. This instrument is great, it is well made and it sounds marvellous. I would compare it to a real American made Fender. The only drawback: The sattle slots were too high (phenomenon on many eastern instruments). I bought good saddle files and corrected the saddle.
I have a similar one, it was my second electric guitar, I got it after having an Ibanez Gio for 2 years, I needed some more versatile instrument than just 2 humbuckers, it is kinda amazing for less than 400 bucks second hand, it is tho very difficult at the beginning, the tremolo is basically useless, the tuners really cheap, it is really light with a weird balance and it is hell to calibrate, but if you take some care for it, and maybe invest some more money on it, you can get a really nice strat for less than 500 bucks, after playing for almost 8 years I can really appreciate it in comparison to my 89' Fender Strat.
I have a '21 affinity hss strat and a '21 affinity tele. The strat is still stock but the tele has been upgraded with tex mex pickups and all new electronics including an s1 switch. Affinities have always been good guitars but the new generation of the line with the new appointments are even better imo and that's why I had to have one each hehe...
I wouldn’t advise cheap strats for any beginner. Even with a setup it’s going to soon start to expose its flaws especially the tuning issues. It’s possible it’ll put beginners off playing. Much better off with a hard tail or tune o matic bridge guitar. The Squier bullet mustang is a great beginner axe imo.
I have an Affinity. It was part of a Monster Energy Drink display in a grocery store and was offered to me by the GM of the grocery store. Had a setup done on it and it's plays amazing. I don't think you could buy a better sub 200 dollar guitar brand new.
If you’re buying a guitar for your son/daughter, and he/she is a beginner, then the Squier affinity is. An excellent choice. Learning guitar is difficult, and requires hours of work and practice. If your child loses interest, then you haven’t spent a lot of money.
i bought a "used" Squier Affinity, 2009 model, after a setup i liked the guitar so much i changed the pickups as well as the trem block.i would put it up against the American made strats,, like Gibson,their quality has declined and are way overpriced..plays and sounds awesome! thanks for the video.
An Affinity is far from a bad guitar..and i like the CBS '71 headstock. But they even aren't making these with 44mm alder body's anymore, so, not worth buying anymore to me at that price point, because i own a bunch of BULLET Squiers from 115 €, around 135 US Dollar..wich are great to play and made in Indonesia. They only needed some minor tweaking, mostly action, and sound very good over the Affinity to my ears at least, although they are ceramic pickups. I bought all these at Thomann Germany, since i live in Belgium and they are very consistent out of the box. Don't get me wrong, i own 28 guitars where under American Fenders Standard, Special and Mexican. Vintera and Mustang, Classic Vibe '60 and an Affinity. PRS Standard, Yamaha Revstar, and other models, Ibanez RG, GIO, AZ, Tokai, Epiphones and a few Harley Bentons. Regarding tone, i prefer the Classic Vibe and Mexican. You just have to find the right one for yourself. In the end it's not a debate regarding tone wood, but just about a good setup, great set of strings and the PLAYER. I've played with a BULLET Mustang Squier with ceramic humbucker pickups and a 20W Squier amp with a SM57 trough the PA and played all kinds of Strats, American, Performer, etc, to Wallhalla in front of 3000 people.. Greets from Belgium.
@@levinascimento7361 Fender TEX MEX or Fender Yosemite pickups is good and cheap. Yosemites are standard present in the Performer Strat and are Alnico 5. But they are cheap at around 120 dollar a set. And maybee upgrade the tuners with Thomann Vintage or locking tuners at around 45 dollar if needed. And of course for the best sound on a Fender type , use always Ernie Ball strings. Good luck. Greets from Belgium.
I noticed that the springs on the bridge are installed backwards; springs are supposed to be right after the saddles. In here they are right on the head of the screw.
I love Squiers, I have a '72 Thinline Tele from the Classic Vibe series and my brother has a 60's Mustang from the Vintage Modified series and they both play and sound fantastic. I've never played an affinity I liked though. Back when I was just an acoustic player I thought I would try electric with my girlfriend at the time's affinity strat. It sounded so tinny, couldn't stay in tune for more than 2 minutes, and the fret ends were super sharp. My experience with that guitar seriously dissuaded me from trying electric for another 2 years after that when I finally bought my Classic Vibe.
@@BukanIbuMu No, but it's better than a Squier, IMHO. If you want to compete with a basic Strat you need to go up 2 grades and get a Pacific 611 - Seymore Duncan soapbar at the neck, splittable Seymore Duncan humbucker at the bridge, graphtech nut and saddles, Grover locking tuners, and a flame maple cap - way better!
I know I'm 2 years late here, but I've played a fiesta red Affinity since 1997 that I picked up new for $149 with the hardshell shaped Strat case (originally for my son). The only changes were a simple setup/intonation and an upgrade to a bit higher output GFS Tex/Mex pre-loaded pickguard that I got on sale for $35. My Affinity also handles the Rev Willy's 007's while my '74 just wimps out with them. I'll put the Squier up against my '74 USA Strat any day of the week. I also like playing the Affinity because it's almost 2 lbs lighter that the '74.
I just bought my 4th Squier Affinity Strat. EVERYTHING IS AMAZING about them. The only thing you need to do is smooth the fret ends and set it up. BOOM plays like a 1000 bucks!
I am on my 5th Squire and let me tell you it has jumbo frets and plays BETTER then my fender!! Fender has gone down hill whereas Squire has upped their game!! Squires upper end guitars are outstanding!!!
I would take this guitar to a good music shop , and get a Set Up _ get the bridge adjusted _ Saddles Adjusted . Intonation . Expecting a Novice to adjust a Truss Rod is asking a bit much . If you buy this guitar from a shop get a Set Up before you take ot home .
I played one of these recently that a young Lad owned. I thought it played well, with a decent neck too. A set of 100 quid Alnico pickups in it and a decent fret dress would make this a good beater guitar or back up.
Save your money and get a Classic Vibe model. I have a Squier CV Mustang bass and a Jazzmaster. In my book they are every bit as good as an entry level Fender at 1/3 the price.
Why buying and playing an Squier??? Buy a BLADE Texas Strat, better Tonewood ( Alder-body), best quality of craftmannsship, and a flat neck-body-joint, so better playability, but with ,,original" sound! Why playing a Squier, or Fender???
It's good to know that heavier strings cause the neck to bow. I personally prefer 9s and lighter strings generally anyways so I'll just stick to playing lights. I'm gonna pick this guitar up soon, it'll be my first electric! I'm very much considering the HH version as well. I keep looking at the different Squiers but I just... don't like the Classic Vibe. I honestly just want a Squier version of the Player series, and this seems closest in terms of feel.
Found a affinity squier strat on marketplace for 50 bucks. Adjusted the truss rod adjusted the bridge put new strings and polished and cleaned it and it plays like a dream 🤘
I have a 2021 Affinity ..i bought it to upgrade..but i had it set up first b4 I started the mod..It was great and lighter than a lot of other brands..good guitar for $229.00
My Affinity neck had great beveled and smooth fret ends. I think the frets were mostly level. However, I find it too thick. Also, I have put it on other guitars, and it is definitely not my favorite. It sounds a bit dull. I much prefer the neck that came with my Classic Vibe.
With better parts like pickups, 250k vintage style pots and a bridge tremolo block that's forged metal and a bone nut & better tuner's will cost like around 200 to 300 bucks and the Squire Affinity Strat will more than stand up to the more expensive Fender.
the real fender sounded way more airy though...with the squier you seem in a cave, and with the fender in exterior...but it's not that one is better than another, it's juste a bit diferent...the squier sounded more bluesy jazzy than the fender wich sounded more pink floydish if I could say
I'd bet my bottom dollar that most of these guitar snobs wouldn't know how to set up a guitar properly or perform basic modifications. They always pay someone to do that. Jack Pearson plays a Squier Affinity Strat he bought in a pawn shop. And he's in a different league to anybody commenting on here.
I don't play Fender or Gibson instruments/not a Fanboy. Question: Is Mexican or American quality, equal to Indonesia or Japan? My experience from the 1990's say No but since I'm out of touch was curious ? Thanks for any info and NOT trying to start a flame war. Just curiosity. Thanks and Best Regards!
Affinity series is NOT anything to brag about..it's only fair to say.if you are serious about playing..the cheap catalog guitars or Walmart special is is not play worthy..they don't stay in tune .needs an action and intonation..it's a better choice to spend at least $400 to 500 bucks ...if you get a Mexican strat as bad as this...it's a fake .. affinity w a fender neck ...I own a CPL of squiers not affinity series....they are worth set up and upgrade ..some plain stock but very nice..my Starcaster is a Great guitar ...... remember you get what you pay for....try anything before buying...then pay for set up and string gauge change........so just like anything...try it before you buy it...
With proper fenders you are paying for the brandname and the shipping of it across the atlantic. For some reason to have stuff shipped from the USA to UK costs fortunes yet you can have stuff shipped from China for next to nothing.. I've never actually played a proper fender strat, only squiers. You could just cheat and buy a proper fender neck lol. Who's really gonna know. . . .
I've got the 2007 indo candy apple red with the gold lettering but I couldn't find any evidence of them being better than black lettering.. Although my pickups are original and alnico from the factory...
Original U.S.A made Strats are very over rated !I . .. . just think that in todays world , buying a U.S.A made production instrument is all hype!. The Guitars coming out of Asia are awesome and right up there and in a lot of cases better than the U.S.A made ones.. Take the Eastman guitars for example , or Peerless, - . Eastmans T486 V Gibson ES-335 , your getting a lot more for your money with an Eastman guitar, which is a superbly made instruments but they are looked down upon ( snobbery) because of the illusion of nationality and not holding the price as much as a U.S,A made one. , ( again its all just illusion and musical class etc ) . Id only buy old U.S.A guitar Stock in todays world unless i was buying a custom build from an independent one man Luither, of which there are many awesome luthiers in the States.
A change in string gauge one or two steps shouldn't require much in the way of truss rod adjustment. When you get to a three-gauge difference, probably.
I have a Squier Strat that I bought new in 1986. Still looks decent, plays just fine, and sounds good. I've also had a Squier Affinity Tele. It, too, looked decent, played fine after a setup, and sounded good. Based on my small sample size, it sounds like major flaws might be with the guitarist, not the guitar.
the 1986 Squier is a FujiGen. That Japanese factory is legendary itself. It produced guitars that would rival or oftentimes beat american strats of the time. depending on the model, that squer strat can worth quite a bit these days, as late 70s and early-mid 80s FujiGen just blew up in price.
The one thay u have is a vey awesome guitar. Squires from the 80s (japanese era) is on par with fenders
youre getting mixed up 80's squiers were identical to stratocasters at the time just different logo sticker, honestly thats all, awesome jap quality back then
It's not the guitar, it's the player. Once the Squier received a professional setup, it was perfectly playable.
Na pickups aren’t that great. Other than that, yep guitar is amazing. Tuners could be upgraded
@@adriansvarela They're just fine.
@Talk to the hat. I bought one years ago, changed the pickups(the guitar engine)... Plays as good as any strat I've played, once it's set up to a high standard.
Tone's in your fingers..and a decent eq pedal..if the thing is set-up-able. Unless the pickups are totally rubbish. Which isn't the case these days with many cheap guitars. Glarry though might be an exception. No output on those pickups and not much I could do😮
Not good guitars. One out of ten is good.
I am only a learner and i am finding learning how to do a setup is invaluable knowledge that every learner should do
Squiers are great, especially the Indonesian made ones. I’ve bought a few, set them up, and thrown some nice pickups in and they shine. IMO Squier (and Epiphone) have a similar spirit to early Fender and Gibson in terms of target demographics and ethos.
These are common issues with every guitar & anyone can do a setup with YT. I have plenty of videos up. I especially would not worry about the tuners as if you have a proper cut nut they'll stay in tune.
It is the guitar. I have found that squiers are hit or miss. One out of ten is good. (Playability, Sound, Staying in tune, etc ). And I Love Fenders. But unless you get a classic vibe or one of my the more expensive ones, you're not getting a good guitar. Yamaha, or Firefly are MUCH better.
😆
As a 70 year old, if we'd had guitars of this quality, or even Bullet Strats, in my day as a teen-ager or young learner, rather than the really bad inexpensive guitars we had at the time, we'd have been ecstatic. Your Dad's Strat merely needed a set up.
Strings have improved a lot as well. I was turned off as a kid at how easily they snapped.
So true, I have a nice little collection of midpriced guitars that are all amazing, I paid under $300 for my Squire and I went in planning on upgrading it, I just chose the neck and body I could live with and got a much nicer neck than I expected. The rest of my guitars are Epiphones and the quality on them has been outstanding also. This is the golden age of guitars.
I won't mention Teisco guitars lol, oh wait many of those 60s-70s el cheapo guitar's sound killer when set up,the pickups were great.
@@kevinrandall-e2y Check out what those $20 and $30 Japanese electrics are going for now on Reverb.
@bretspangler8717
"Squier".
Paid under $300. Didn't read the headstock.
Most of my Squiers are wonderful instruments, a minor setup is usually all that is needed and fresh strings make them great.
I have squier that will blow you away, the NC vintage spec with heel adjust.. yup, of course completely upgraded but the base is a phenomenal platform,, have one loaded with Evans, can you say Jeff Healey...
I have a cheap used Squier, got it set up & new strings and it became my best guitar. Easy playability, lighter weight, very good guitar. I paid $200 for it.
All guitars need a set-up. If they had one in the factory, it was deliberately set higher than is desirable to have a good margin against buzzing after it travels to its destination. And the moment one changes string gauge, it needs re-doing anyway.
Set-up out of the box is like saddle height on a new bike. Irrelevant.
Agree. 💯👍👌🎸
Your right!. I tried a us strat in my shop, and I could tell straight away that it was to high in action!! Shops prefer selling guitars, and you will pay them for having a setup on it afterwards!.. The stats are a pain out of the box, no matter which country of origin!.
I passed up three Mexicasters in the pawnshop for an Affinity Strat. The Mexicasters had the sloppiest neck pockets I've ever seen but the Squier was bang on. I got the Squier for 1/4 of the price too!!!
Alder body and a rosewood board. Stock pups replaced with Dragonfire Phat Screamers. I have no problems using it at gigs.
As a beginner who at this moment in time knows nothing about guitars, I can tell you you’re throwing a lot of terminology and that means absolutely nothing to me. I’m looking for a guitar that is cheap to buy and sounds ok. It’s never going to leave my front room. No one is going to hear it other than me. I’m never going to gig with it. I want something purely to learn on. If I give up I haven’t blown hundreds of pounds. If I get into it and improve I can eventually invest in better. For someone like me. What is wrong with it? Or can you recommend better at a similar price point?
The 2021 Affinity Strat is a very nice guitar. On my model, the frets could use polishing and, if I was gigging, I'd replace the input jack. Both very simple tweaks. I like the 2 point bridge and slotted tuners, and I find tuning stability to be quite good. I also like the ceramic pickups. I love the thinner body which makes the guitar light and I love the neck. All in all, a great purchase. By way of comparison, I also own a Fender Eric Clapton Strat.
I have one of these that was given to me because one of the saddles had stripped it's threads. I fitted a mid priced set of saddles and spent some time setting it up correctly and it now plays wonderfully. Later I was given a set of mexican pickups and fitted those.
For such a cheap guitar it plays so well that I have had several very decent guitarists ask me to let them know if I decide to sell it. I took it to Crimson Guitars where I built my very own guitar and several guys there who tried out my Squier really liked it. I was asked who did the setup and replied "me" I got a number of well done's and yet more offers to buy the guitar. As you can imagine that made me feel really good. :)
The moral of this story - the stock setup is rubbish but if you know how to set it up or know someone who does it can make for a very decent guitar indeed.
Yeah im a noob and as a first guitar it's done well. Watched a lot of vids to learn how to do a setup. Locked down and dampened the thin trem and tuning has kept really well for years. No buzz with low action. Low weight. After learning the basics I can say the ceramic pickups sound nice.
Great video! Last week I found a black and white 2005 Affinity Squire Strat at a thrift store for $70. Loose jack plate, very dirty, ultra high action in the 3 to 10 fret range, terrible fret buzz above the 14th fret, awful sound. I cleaned it up (turns out it was basically unblemished), adjusted the truss rod, pickup heights, and bridge, reattached the jack, and adjusted the intonation. My intent was to sacrifice the guitar to learn more about set up, but it plays so well now that it will be a gift to my grandson. Looking for another “rescue.”
im a classical player and about a year ago, trust me, i knew NOTHING about electric guitars. i didnt even know the differences between strats and other guitar types. i wanted to give the electric a shot so i decided to buy something cheap so i decided to buy this guitar, SECOND HAND 💀 so i went to this guys house and tried the guitar out, and the condition of the guitar was EXACTLY like the way you described the guitar you found at a thrift store. but i didnt even realize how bad the condition was because i had never played an electric before and knew absoloutely nothing. after i bought it i tried to play it but it just didnt feel right so i put it aside and went back to my classical. after months of electric guitar videos on youtube, i finally became aware of the situation. i wanted to rescue the guitar just like you did, but that would have been too much work looking at how awful the condition was. i finally bought a better guitar that isnt 2nd hand (im never making that mistake ever again) and it was like an awakening.
The springs on the saddle screws are in the wrong place. They should be sandwiched between the saddle and the bridge plate. Not between the screw head and the plate.
I actually prefer the sound of the Squier to the American Fender.
WARNING: DO NOT turn the truss rod nut a 1/2 a turn!!! At the most turn it a 1/4 or even better yet an 1/8 of turn at a time, check it, then readjust as needed.
Yes hopefully people will see from the video the adjustments I made were pretty small each time. if I said half a turn that’s my bad wording, not meant literally. cheers for highlighting before someone murders their guitar.
He did 2 quarter turns resulting in half turn in total.
@@redmed10 I know but he said turn it a 1/2 turn & when you're doing a neck adjustment you always want to err on the side of caution. That is why I said turn it a 1/4 or even better yet an 1/8 of a turn at a time. ;)
@@AncientApparatus
So are you saying if a total of a quarter turn is not enough you shouldn't ever turn it any more. Either live with it or get a new guitar?
@@redmed10 No I'm saying that any adjustment should be done with care & in small increments. You can always turn it a little more but if you turn it too much there's no going back if something breaks. That's true for fine tuning any kind of equipment. Hope that's mor clear.
I watched a video by Rhett Shule who featured Jack Pierson who plays a stock Squier and sounds better than most guys with Fender Custom Shops.
Back in the '70s, the first thing to buy after a cheap guitar was a book on how to set it up. Nowadays, I meet players of all ages who have no idea how to change a set of strings, let alone adjust or maintain their instruments.
When you realize you can get 8 (EIGHT!!!!!) Squier for the price of one american Fender, I do not see what there is to think about it.
I bought one new in 2005. I played it for almost a decade. Absolutely loved it and considering getting another one. That being said; it will need a full set-up, probably some light fretwork, preloaded pickguard replacement, new tuners, and a bone nut...
Yes this is an older Affinity with Black Logo and some can be pretty good but they do not compare to the newer Affinitys with Gold Logo that we have currently. I have a Competition Orange one from 2018 w/rosewood and one of these guitars in your Video from 2019 w/laurel. Both are outstanding after being set up by my tech guy and i play the Affinitys more than the others. great modding platform. ... p.s. yeah that action is terrible on that one but I find most of the new Affinitys pretty dialed in. Fender Master Builder Ron Thorn swears by these now as a great guitar. The new ones. Both of mine are made in China. Same as my WONDERFUL J Mascis Jazzmaster.
The Indonesian made Squier's were better than the later Chinese, at least I think so. I have a killer Squier 2004 Standard Precision bass 4 string with additional jazz pickup and jazz neck. It is everything you would ever need or want in a passive bass.
i was scared when i bought it
i thought they were fake bc of the 2 tree up there
i’ve gotten the Indonesian 1 too!!
As a prof.player for 40 years, i could take the guitar on any stage and play for 10 hours
Its a fantastic guitar ,if you set it right and polish the frets and round the neck a little. My fellow guitarrist has a US strat and is often amazed in how good mine sounds. Ive pkayed it for 4 years, make sure you get the one made in Indonesia with the gold logo.
Why indonesia may I ask thanks for info
As an owner of cheap to expensive guitars, squiers are phenomenal guitars. The wood is amazing, great body and necks. Amazing for beginners. Once you’re actually starting to play shows, then the tuners and pickups absolutely need upgrading on cheap models. Upgrade the tuners and pickups and you’re all set! Get a good set up on it and you’re golden. (Sharp fret edges can be shaved down by your local tech. That occurs with all guitars, cheap or expensive, depending on your climate)
Agree but lets hope the guy knows what he’s doing a lot can go wrong
1/8 the price of an American strat...it sounds pretty much the same...so yes this is a great guitar for a beginner..the take away here beyond this is to invest in a setup...and don't feal cheated because of that because most guitars need tweeking .. no matter what the price point..
I personally like the large headstock, what does really get on my tits is why on this cheap guitar that the strings line up over the magnets on the neck pickup, but are off centre on a lot of more expensive models? It may not matter to the sound but if the cheaper models look better for it and in my opinion they do, then why can't other manufacturers do the same? I'll get my coat.......
Picked up this very guitar in blue for $65. Replaced the tuners with Wilkinsons, pickups with Fleor Alnico V, add cavity shielding . Spent
Good guitars if they are set up properly, and if tremolo system is lubricated it will hold tune just fine. Upgrades I would recommend are better tuners and completely replace the pick-ups, pots, and wiring. Add a treble bleed to the bridge pick up circuit when you do it. Long term, a better quality neck. Out of the box just make sure it's set up properly and they are a good guitar.
completly different guitar then.
Thanks to Leo Fender's genius for creating the Stratocaster in an accessibly timeless configuration. The difference in production of United States made high quality pieces is detail and concentration spent in single units, as juxtaposed with the mass quick crafted ones overseas in Asia. Materials are fine quality but fastly turned out to markets. Once in awhile, a buyer would strike luck and pick a flawlessly made cheap priced strat that can hold it's own against a vintage original $3,500 - $7,000 and above holy piece no matter dexterity of the player!👍
I own an 🇺🇸strat and had a Mex. Now I am looking at a telecaster. I checked out a Mex tele...then later checked out a Vintera '70s Telecaster Custom and a 🇺🇸 professional 2 telecaster.... well the 🇺🇸 won my heart...it fits like a glove. . As for buying China... I won't.... human slavery
As a teenager I worked for a store where people would look at the product then fill out paperwork and I would get it from the warehouse and bring it to the front/ cashier
Long story short: with a couple of small tweaks, a fine guitar. I think the Squier sounded better than the Fender. Generally, I think Squier CVs are better than MIAs or MIMs. Is Indonesia the new Japan..?
I have one very similar to that one. It's fine. The neck is very narrow....40mm I think which some people won't like but I find I prefer it to the slightly wider standard Fender neck. It has 9.5 radius fret board which I also like and prefer over anything flatter, and I like the big headstock....good enough for Trower and Hendrix, good enough for me.
A lot of nonsense talked about cheap guitars and guitars in general mostly by people who can't actually 'play'. You can either play the damned thing or you can't. If you gave me the finest guitar considered to have ever been made it would sound rubbish. If you gave the worst guitar in the world ever to have been made to a truly gifted player in whatever genre it would sound great. Yes, there are different tonal 'colours' produced by different types of guitars but at the end of the day its down to the player.
So it needs a set up and maybe some fret leveling. Almost all guitars do.
I have set up dozens of Affinity Strats, at the shop. Both the china and indonesian models. They are not bad instruments, and setups were straight forward. Even $5000 guitars sometimes need neck relief adjustments, especially after changing string gauges. I personally hate the look of the over sized headstock, but the instruments are fine.
Have you seen the size of the Bigsby headstock? The one Leo Fender got his inspiration from (some say he stole Bigsby's design)
bigger headstock resonates more tone= robin tower
I also hate the large headstock. I cut my Affinity strat headstock to a tele shape.
@Mark Seymour Absolutely agree, complete nonsense.
I've heard drilling the truss bar adjustment near the head weakens the wood there so I don't mind the size and I never look at it anyhow.
I had an American strat once, several Mexican ones more than a few squire affinities and one squire bullet. The only one I don`t recommend is the bullet series, too many quality issues. On the Squire affinities the pickups come in at about 3.5K which is a little low. The other strats come in at about 5.5K. That`s why some people might recommend changing out the pickups but you don`t have to. I would recommend an HSS affinity and save the rest of your money for an amp. Spending 12 to 15 hundred for an American strat is an exercise in foolishness. Other than the pickups I mentioned there is no important difference,
Pick-up resistance is not an indication of quality nor output. Stronger ceramic magnets allow for fewer turns (lower resistance) and therefore more clarity. Besides, output level is no longer a necessity since modern amplifiers have a gain control which does nothing else but boosting the input.
@@Leo_ofRedKeep I never thought of that, yes ceramic would increase the output. There is a lot hype about pickups, ceramic versus alnico.
I own 3 of those Fender Squier Affinity Series Stratocasters that were made in Indonesia back in the 2000s decade and I have to say that they play beautifully. To me, all 3 of them that I own sound way better than most of the current Fender Squier Stratocasters in general that are being built today. I even own a Fender Squier Bullet Stratocaster from 2014 that was also made in Indonesia and it sounds great as well. Otherwise, the Fender Squier Stratocasters that were built way back in the 1980s all the way to the 2000s sound way better than the current models that are being put out today. By the way, all 3 Fender Squier Affinity Series Stratocasters that I own are secondhand as I bought them used in 3 different places.
the reviewer finds it really hard to say anything positive - he has to say good things but the words stick in his mouth... it's almost as if he desperately wants everything to be bad because he owns a US built one...
The electronics on these have come a long way. My 2nd guitar ever (which I still have) is a 2000 Squier Affinity Strat. Electronics were horrible. Newer ones are way better. Build quality though is pretty good. I completely upgraded the electronics and put new tuners on it, and it is a good guitar. I have had hundreds of guitars cheap and $2000+ throughout the years and still love my Affinity Strat and use it live from time to time. Mine was one of the last Squier Affinity Strats made with Alder. I have Duncan STK singles, and a PRS humbucker with a HSS pickguard from another Squier, upgraded electronics, and Kluson vintage style tuners. Still love this guitar and it is the rare purple from that time period.
The affinity series seems not just good for beginners but keepable for years and years once set up properly
I believe it's a Pau Ferro neck though, not rosewood.
Well done video, very informative.
After changing all of the stock electronics which are sh!t also doing a pro setup and some serious fret massaging, my Squire Strat sounds and plays almost every bit as good as my American Standard!
Clapton played the neck pick-up most of the time
any suggestions for change bridge trem to a better bridge close as possible to an usa fender?
Im in the same boat, Im thinking on GFS, MIM Strat bridge or Wilkinson M series bridges
My affinity strat had a superbly clean sound. But when I installed Fender's top pickups, distortion was very noticeable. Higher output, slightly broader freq. range, but the sawtooth distortion ruined the clean sound. I dumped it!
Guitars do not distort.This happens in the amp.
it just needs a set up... most guitars need some kind of set up...
It's a model from around 2005-2008, from what i know the squier affinity models improved a lot over the years
Looks exactly the same as the $60 Siam music strat I bought in thailand. good beginers guitar.The main issue with mine was the jack plug which was thin with no grip but I changed it for next to nothing.If you think set up is a problem with cheap guitars try cheap saxophones!!!
Just bought a used and abused indonesian strat from 2000. It sounds fantastic once I set it up properly. I suspect that it was never actually set up in its 22 years of existence. The hardware isn't great. Weak bridge but that's easy and cheap to replace. I'm going to a shop to get the nut set up properly. The pickups are shockingly good for the price point. I normally throw Seymour Duncans in my guitars but I don't feel the need to here. I probably will anyways lol. Very much worth the $160 I paid.
I think they have a nice twang
I have a 2002 squire affinity strat it plays great, stays in tune and sounds perfectly ok.
When I took it for a set up my local luthier/tech who plays a 2k+ PRS, wanted to buy my SAS after he had had it for a week or so, as he said he loved playing it.
He wasn,'t similarly impressed with my peerless built Epiphone casino, Korean 96 built Les Paul, Vintage relic'd PGM LP, Epiphone custom shop 335 iced tea. So I don't know ? Do you? Nb I bought it on a whim and paid £50 for the SAS, the lowest figure I have ever paid for a guitar.
I love playing it and will never sell it. It's a lovely red too.
I agree with Grant, Stevie Ray Vaughan would sound incredible with just about any guitar he happens to pickup. The biggest difference between novice, entry level or player guitars is longevity, durability, and intonation. The player guitars are made to be taken on the road and take a beating. The lower level guitars may have some problems with intonation and with staying tuned.
I have a Squier Classic Vibe Strat '50th, 60th anniversary, the one in gold colour from 2014. It was sold out some years ago and went into my hands for 333 € new. This instrument is great, it is well made and it sounds marvellous. I would compare it to a real American made Fender. The only drawback: The sattle slots were too high (phenomenon on many eastern instruments). I bought good saddle files and corrected the saddle.
I have a similar one, it was my second electric guitar, I got it after having an Ibanez Gio for 2 years, I needed some more versatile instrument than just 2 humbuckers, it is kinda amazing for less than 400 bucks second hand, it is tho very difficult at the beginning, the tremolo is basically useless, the tuners really cheap, it is really light with a weird balance and it is hell to calibrate, but if you take some care for it, and maybe invest some more money on it, you can get a really nice strat for less than 500 bucks, after playing for almost 8 years I can really appreciate it in comparison to my 89' Fender Strat.
Strange the springs for the saddles are on the wrong side of the screws.
I have a '21 affinity hss strat and a '21 affinity tele. The strat is still stock but the tele has been upgraded with tex mex pickups and all new electronics including an s1 switch. Affinities have always been good guitars but the new generation of the line with the new appointments are even better imo and that's why I had to have one each hehe...
I wouldn’t advise cheap strats for any beginner. Even with a setup it’s going to soon start to expose its flaws especially the tuning issues. It’s possible it’ll put beginners off playing. Much better off with a hard tail or tune o matic bridge guitar. The Squier bullet mustang is a great beginner axe imo.
Indeed the Bullet its far more stable but my Strat Affinity sounds better
I have an Affinity. It was part of a Monster Energy Drink display in a grocery store and was offered to me by the GM of the grocery store. Had a setup done on it and it's plays amazing. I don't think you could buy a better sub 200 dollar guitar brand new.
If you’re buying a guitar for your son/daughter, and he/she is a beginner, then the Squier affinity is. An excellent choice. Learning guitar is difficult, and requires hours of work and practice. If your child loses interest, then you haven’t spent a lot of money.
i bought a "used" Squier Affinity, 2009 model, after a setup i liked the guitar so much i changed the pickups as well as the trem block.i would put it up against the American made strats,, like Gibson,their quality has declined and are way overpriced..plays and sounds awesome! thanks for the video.
I would like to change the bridge of mine but still dont know where to go
Got mine from guitar fetish.. heavier block ,, fit great
@@mcgrath16511 Thanks!!
An Affinity is far from a bad guitar..and i like the CBS '71 headstock. But they even aren't making these with 44mm alder body's anymore, so, not worth buying anymore to me at that price point, because i own a bunch of BULLET Squiers from 115 €, around 135 US Dollar..wich are great to play and made in Indonesia. They only needed some minor tweaking, mostly action, and sound very good over the Affinity to my ears at least, although they are ceramic pickups. I bought all these at Thomann Germany, since i live in Belgium and they are very consistent out of the box. Don't get me wrong, i own 28 guitars where under American Fenders Standard, Special and Mexican. Vintera and Mustang, Classic Vibe '60 and an Affinity. PRS Standard, Yamaha Revstar, and other models, Ibanez RG, GIO, AZ, Tokai, Epiphones and a few Harley Bentons. Regarding tone, i prefer the Classic Vibe and Mexican. You just have to find the right one for yourself. In the end it's not a debate regarding tone wood, but just about a good setup, great set of strings and the PLAYER. I've played with a BULLET Mustang Squier with ceramic humbucker pickups and a 20W Squier amp with a SM57 trough the PA and played all kinds of Strats, American, Performer, etc, to Wallhalla in front of 3000 people.. Greets from Belgium.
I have an Affinity just like the one in the video. Would you recommend any upgrade? Pickups maybe?
@@levinascimento7361 Fender TEX MEX or Fender Yosemite pickups is good and cheap. Yosemites are standard present in the Performer Strat and are Alnico 5. But they are cheap at around 120 dollar a set. And maybee upgrade the tuners with Thomann Vintage or locking tuners at around 45 dollar if needed. And of course for the best sound on a Fender type , use always Ernie Ball strings. Good luck. Greets from Belgium.
I noticed that the springs on the bridge are installed backwards; springs are supposed to be right after the saddles. In here they are right on the head of the screw.
Exactly, someone has been messing about. Nor should heavier gauge strings been fitted. Not Squier's fault.
I love Squiers, I have a '72 Thinline Tele from the Classic Vibe series and my brother has a 60's Mustang from the Vintage Modified series and they both play and sound fantastic. I've never played an affinity I liked though. Back when I was just an acoustic player I thought I would try electric with my girlfriend at the time's affinity strat. It sounded so tinny, couldn't stay in tune for more than 2 minutes, and the fret ends were super sharp. My experience with that guitar seriously dissuaded me from trying electric for another 2 years after that when I finally bought my Classic Vibe.
Squier's good guitars. Fenders are good guitars. Just play what you like and can afford.
Buy a Yamaha Pacifica 112v instead.
Same sort of price, really hot splittable humbucker in the bridge - does more, sounds better!
Pacifica doesnt sound like Strat
@@BukanIbuMu No, but it's better than a Squier, IMHO.
If you want to compete with a basic Strat you need to go up 2 grades and get a Pacific 611 - Seymore Duncan soapbar at the neck, splittable Seymore Duncan humbucker at the bridge, graphtech nut and saddles, Grover locking tuners, and a flame maple cap - way better!
Good advert for set ups which virtually every new guitar needs.
You know what, I really liked how it sounded and in some of the demos preferred the sound to the American strat
I like Squier so much. I have using them in school concert and band gigs.
as a first guitar this is the kinda guitar you need
I know I'm 2 years late here, but I've played a fiesta red Affinity since 1997 that I picked up new for $149 with the hardshell shaped Strat case (originally for my son). The only changes were a simple setup/intonation and an upgrade to a bit higher output GFS Tex/Mex pre-loaded pickguard that I got on sale for $35. My Affinity also handles the Rev Willy's 007's while my '74 just wimps out with them. I'll put the Squier up against my '74 USA Strat any day of the week. I also like playing the Affinity because it's almost 2 lbs lighter that the '74.
I just bought my 4th Squier Affinity Strat. EVERYTHING IS AMAZING about them. The only thing you need to do is smooth the fret ends and set it up. BOOM plays like a 1000 bucks!
I am on my 5th Squire and let me tell you it has jumbo frets and plays BETTER then my fender!! Fender has gone down hill whereas Squire has upped their game!! Squires upper end guitars are outstanding!!!
I would take this guitar to a good music shop , and get a Set Up _ get the bridge adjusted _ Saddles Adjusted . Intonation . Expecting a Novice to adjust a Truss Rod is asking a bit much . If you buy this guitar from a shop get a Set Up before you take ot home .
Looks like you got an older one. The new ones have a two point trem.
Finally a good review for us beginners. Thanks!!!
I played one of these recently that a young Lad owned. I thought it played well, with a decent neck too. A set of 100 quid Alnico pickups in it and a decent fret dress would make this a good beater guitar or back up.
Doubt I will get a reply from the channel owner after three years. What about a Classic Vibe vs Squier Standard? Which is better?
I can’t play Strats the knobs get in the way of my right hand,it’s probably bc of playing Les Pauls . I like my telecaster fine 🎸thnx
Save your money and get a Classic Vibe model. I have a Squier CV Mustang bass and a Jazzmaster. In my book they are every bit as good as an entry level Fender at 1/3 the price.
Plumbers tape on the trem arm thread to reduce the gap/play.
Even though I'm a bit of a Squier fanatic, I was surprised at how similar the Affinity sounded in comparison to the American Strat.
Why buying and playing an Squier??? Buy a BLADE Texas Strat, better Tonewood ( Alder-body), best quality of craftmannsship, and a flat neck-body-joint, so better playability, but with ,,original" sound! Why playing a Squier, or Fender???
It's good to know that heavier strings cause the neck to bow. I personally prefer 9s and lighter strings generally anyways so I'll just stick to playing lights. I'm gonna pick this guitar up soon, it'll be my first electric! I'm very much considering the HH version as well. I keep looking at the different Squiers but I just... don't like the Classic Vibe. I honestly just want a Squier version of the Player series, and this seems closest in terms of feel.
Found a affinity squier strat on marketplace for 50 bucks. Adjusted the truss rod adjusted the bridge put new strings and polished and cleaned it and it plays like a dream 🤘
I have a 2021 Affinity ..i bought it to upgrade..but i had it set up first b4 I started the mod..It was great and lighter than a lot of other brands..good guitar for $229.00
My Affinity neck had great beveled and smooth fret ends. I think the frets were mostly level. However, I find it too thick. Also, I have put it on other guitars, and it is definitely not my favorite. It sounds a bit dull. I much prefer the neck that came with my Classic Vibe.
I have one I love it. Plays well. I'm not a professional. Love the necks and the light weight. 😎👍👌💯🎸🎸. I paid $125 us dollars. Used.
Just buy a Yamaha PAC112V OVS instead. Beautiful BQ, equally pleasing to play. Unbeatable for the $$$.
whats the difference in sound between a bridge humbucker and a bridge single coil?
With better parts like pickups, 250k vintage style pots and a bridge tremolo block that's forged metal and a bone nut & better tuner's will cost like around 200 to 300 bucks and the Squire Affinity Strat will more than stand up to the more expensive Fender.
the real fender sounded way more airy though...with the squier you seem in a cave, and with the fender in exterior...but it's not that one is better than another, it's juste a bit diferent...the squier sounded more bluesy jazzy than the fender wich sounded more pink floydish if I could say
I'd bet my bottom dollar that most of these guitar snobs wouldn't know how to set up a guitar properly or perform basic modifications. They always pay someone to do that.
Jack Pearson plays a Squier Affinity Strat he bought in a pawn shop. And he's in a different league to anybody commenting on here.
Don't pay over 300$ for this accessories are too basic and should never pay too much...
I don't play Fender or Gibson instruments/not a Fanboy. Question: Is Mexican or American quality, equal to Indonesia or Japan? My experience from the 1990's say No but since I'm out of touch was curious ? Thanks for any info and NOT trying to start a flame war. Just curiosity. Thanks and Best Regards!
Affinity series is NOT anything to brag about..it's only fair to say.if you are serious about playing..the cheap catalog guitars or Walmart special is is not play worthy..they don't stay in tune .needs an action and intonation..it's a better choice to spend at least $400 to 500 bucks ...if you get a Mexican strat as bad as this...it's a fake .. affinity w a fender neck ...I own a CPL of squiers
not affinity series....they are worth set up and upgrade ..some plain stock but very nice..my Starcaster is a Great guitar ...... remember you get what you pay for....try anything before buying...then pay for set up and string gauge change........so just like anything...try it before you buy it...
With proper fenders you are paying for the brandname and the shipping of it across the atlantic.
For some reason to have stuff shipped from the USA to UK costs fortunes yet you can have stuff shipped from China for next to nothing.. I've never actually played a proper fender strat, only squiers.
You could just cheat and buy a proper fender neck lol. Who's really gonna know. . . .
Is it just me or did the affinity sound more clear on the bridge and middle setting than the more expensive strat?
I've got the 2007 indo candy apple red with the gold lettering but I couldn't find any evidence of them being better than black lettering..
Although my pickups are original and alnico from the factory...
Original U.S.A made Strats are very over rated !I . .. . just think that in todays world , buying a U.S.A made production instrument is all hype!. The Guitars coming out of Asia are awesome and right up there and in a lot of cases better than the U.S.A made ones.. Take the Eastman guitars for example , or Peerless, - . Eastmans T486 V Gibson ES-335 , your getting a lot more for your money with an Eastman guitar, which is a superbly made instruments but they are looked down upon ( snobbery) because of the illusion of nationality and not holding the price as much as a U.S,A made one. , ( again its all just illusion and musical class etc ) . Id only buy old U.S.A guitar Stock in todays world unless i was buying a custom build from an independent one man Luither, of which there are many awesome luthiers in the States.
A change in string gauge one or two steps shouldn't require much in the way of truss rod adjustment. When you get to a three-gauge difference, probably.