The Squire line has improved so much and the latest models in the Paranormal series are outstanding. I picked up the Jazzmaster 12 string and it was perfect out of the box except for fret cleaning/polishing needed.
I bought the Fender Player plus Nashville Telecaster a year ago. As soon as I picked it up and plugged in I fell in love with it. Previous to this I had a hard time finding a tele that I really wanted. Now I look at all the other telecasters like there missing a pickup. I really like the quacky middle strat pickup on my telecaster. Anyway you really sell this guitar! I'd love to get my hands on one. It has everything I like about my Nashville telecaster on a Stratocaster, and I sure ❤ Stratocasters!!!
I might buy this if it was an actual tele with a bound body. I prefer the balance of tele over Strat . That strap position makes a big difference to me.
I have always wanted basically this exact guitar, bound body and everything. I would be surprised if Fender made em standard just because it would probably cut into sales of their flagship models. Forcing people to buy both a Tele and a strat seems more like what they would prefer lol
I wouldn't mind one of these at all - a Strat with Telecaster pickups and a middle pickup that is an actual Strat pickup is a most enticing proposition indeed.
What a coincidence. I sold a Tom Anderson last week with the same switching options. Best guitar I ever bought, but I also prefer simplicity when it comes to guitars. Great demo and review too! Thanks
Hi Bob, you are clearly bonkers....like me! I tried this guitar and wasn't expecting a lot having also tried the Fender Nashville and I was gobsmacked! I love your review and the comments you made I totally agree with. I didn't know about the routing that would allow for a humbucker, which is great news. Tonally at this price point it's great. Acoustically (I did that first too) I was very pleasantly surprised by the resonance. I thought the electrics sounded a little dark and I was thinking to upgrade with better pickups. With a humbucker option this is exciting. I too would also pop on some brass saddles in the bridge. A great guitar, that doesn't particularly need upgrading but if it was it would be a fantastic guitar. Fender Player upwards is doing nothing for me at the moment but then I pick up a cheapish Squire and am immediately inspired! Wow!
Cheers. Brass saddles now on (£12], neck pickup swapped for a Seymour I had lying around. Just a great guitar, and a popular video judging by the 4.8k views so far. Happy Xmas and enjoy yours 👍🎄
@@blutonemusic I could but I doubt the difference would show, unless I a/b’ed them which would mean reinstalling the original again. The Seymour is a bit better but not markedly so. I’m going to take it and the Cabronita up to Sunbear Pickups in the new year and see what Stuart says. He”s got great ears and winds lovely pickups. Happy Christmas meanwhile 👍🎄🥂
Glad you like it. I stumbled across it online recently and it piqued my interest. It’s getting very good reviews, way above its station. This reminded me of the original Eric Johnson Strat, Epiphone JoBo Treasure 64 Firebird 1 reissue and Squier Cabronita Telecasters. I explored and acquired one of each and they are all excellent. I gigged the Cabronita last night, straight into the cheap Excelsior amp x so total rig cost just over £500 - and it sounded great. So it turns out I’m not just about expensive super-posh vintage instruments after all…
Thank you for your detailed and insightful review. I’ve had my eye on this guitar since it was released and your review has helped me narrow my choices.
I always suspected neck and middle would work better than bridge and middle, the reason being that the famous Tele bridge pickup is much more powerful, not so much in output but in response. It just jumps out so aggressively because of the baseplate pushing the output much more direction. That's why Teles have that slamming, strong tone on the bridge while single coil Strat bridges tend to be on the meek side in most cases.
I did up a Strat with a Tele neck pickup and Texas Specials in middle and bridge positions. I wired it with a three way switch controlling the neck and bridge, like a Tele, and the middle swells on or off with its own volume control. The other two knobs are master vol and tone for the whole guitar. This allows me the neck and bridge together, or all three on together on a Strat. Its very versatile. The only thing it cant do is the middle pickup by itself, but so what? My other Strats can do it.
I've been interested in Nashville style Strats and Teles long before I never heard of the concept. But I wondered why I didn't see many of these guitars. I love the idea of the Tele pickup in the bridge and a Strat single coil in the middle bridging the world of the Tele and Strat. The only thing I want to see on this guitar is a belly and arm cut because I'm used to the ergonomics of a Strat.
Thanks Bob? I hope I got that right.. Im a musician. A guitar nut like some people. Id been looking at the Squier paranormal series guitars for a couple of weeks. A new Xmas guitar is my excuse! Thanks for your review as I just ordered the Squier paranormal Nashville Strat about 3hrs agó. As usual I was worried that maybe Id made a mistake but I couldnt resist it. Ive seen quiet a few of your reviews and guitar vids and I know that youre a musician who knows what he is talking about (from experience). Anyway Ive relaxed from my buyers anxiety, just from what watching your review of the Squier paranormal Nashville Strat. Thanks so much and fingers crossed that my new guitar arrives in one peice. You have kind of made my day and Im glad I made the choice I did. I have alot of faith in Chinese guitars and own quite a few. In fact, if it had have been made in Indonesia I would have passed on it. Coincidentally the guitar I ordered today is the exact same model you are reviewing here, right down to the colour(Aztec Gold). Thanks again for the review. I have to admit, Im feeling alot more relaxed about my purchase, now that I have a thumbs up from yourself. Thanks again. Keep on burning the frets as the joke goes. The best of look to you... From a bass player and sometíme guitarist.. Chow
Thanks, that's very kind. It arrived 3days ago from Musicstore,Germany. The guitar was set up! and only needed tuning. They are beautiful guitars and suberb when you concider the price. This guitar is neither a strat or tele. It's out on it's own. I hav,nt put it down since it arrived, always a good sign.
What a lovely note - thanks. I hope yours is as good as mine. I tweaked the neck relief, action and pickup heights as soon as I got mine home. Since my review I have installed brass intonated saddles (uk£12) and have swapped the rather ordinary neck pickup for a Seymour I had in my parts bin. Both slight improvements but the basic chassis and their other pickups remain absolutely excellent, a real bargain.
Versatile guitar - lovely sounds and great value for money! The neck routing is a bonus and I would be tempted to try other pickups in there … I’d definitely put brass compensated saddles on the bridge. Nice review and demo, Bob! 👍
Thanks for your kind words, it really is a bargain. I agree with the saddles now I’ve decided to hold onto it. I think that might add a little richness to the tones. I could also go pretty crazy on the pickups.
@@Rockbeareguitars I can see you having a lot of fun with that guitar! It would be great to see it again with your follow-up thoughts :) For me, changing the electronics for a solderless harness would make swapping pickups easier and I’d be inclined to fit a mini toggle switch between the knobs instead of the push-pull. It looks like a great project mod platform 🙂
It would be simpler to add a super switch and just make the middle position bridge/neck, keeping the important tele sound IMO, that's what I do, but at least it's possible to get.
new fan mate! colin/guitaristas reviewed one like this as well...i think he said hes gonna sell his tho... wouldnt mind having one of these! sounds nice!
On this particular model, the bridge pickup doesn't have a metal baseplate like a proper tele bridge pickup does. That sucks. Why didn't Squier use the same pickups they use on their Classic Vibe models 🤷♂️
Seems you’re right. Baseplates are pretty easy to install as I have done on each of my Strats, so I may add that to my list of possible mods if I keep this baby.
I had a Fender Custom Shop "twisted tele" pickups set, so I put it on this Nashville strat (because I love how it plays). Now it's a killer machine, with real tele bark at the bridge and hardtail strat-like neck bluesy tone. I kept the middle pickup stock, it sounds actually really good. Lovely guitar!
Hey Great review, nice riffing too. I want one of these now! FWIW..the static is not from the tuners its from the strings. They end at the tuners right? Tuners don't pick up sound, the guitar electronics do. Anyhow thanks much for the review. Nicely done..Best, -doug
No! It’s absolutely specific to the tuner buttons only, and particularly if my fingers brush against them. Doesn’t happen with any other metal part, even the tuner shafts or backs, let alone strings or tailpiece, all of which are quiet. As per the video, it also goes away if I touch the strings. It’s weird, if not a big problem…
@@renodavid Telecaster? Some can get static buildup on the pick guards which crackles when stroked. I also had a ‘62 Strat in for a setup and it crackled mysteriously. I tracked it down to the middle lug of the upper tone pot. The wire was passing through the hole but not soldered properly and the gap was so fine that the signal and pickguard friction static could jump the gap but crackle! Hours to find the problem, seconds to fix…
@@Rockbeareguitars this is not rocket science; take an ohmmeter and see if the tuners are grounded; they will be, because they are connected to the strings; this proves that you merely think you don't have the same problem with other metal parts because you are touching them. This is electrostatic hum because your hardware is ungrounded, your amp has the wrong AC polarity, your environment has a lot of RF noise; you have flourescent lights; you have ungrounded AC noise that is saturating your environment, etc. There are good guitar repairmen who can reduce this by using conductive paint but single coil pickups contribute to this phenomenon. Research it.
I didn't give the one I tried a good review. Herein the US, the frets were horrible. It hurt me to hold it. I'm thin. I loved the look and the versatile side of it but the glamor was too much on the neck.
I was fortunate to try two in the same shop. The other one was ok but less good, fingerboard was paler and felt very dry and it didn’t ring as well acoustically. I probably wouldn’t have bought it. In my experience, new guitars are too variable to buy without trying if it’s at all possible. Especially acoustics.!
Having played both and been unmoved by one and seriously impressed with the other, I completely agree. I do think a bit of body shaping - belly carve and dropped upper bout for elbow - would make it even better.
@@Rockbeareguitars Interesting you say that - although I really like double bound guitars, the binding on the straight-edge Strat body looks uncomfortable and I completely agree that a contoured body would be better 👍
A ringing guitar means nothing in my 30 of playing. I've had great acoustically ringing guitars that were mediocre once plugged in and I've had guitars that really didn't ring at all and they are great plugged in. Ringing means nothing.
The Squire line has improved so much and the latest models in the Paranormal series are outstanding. I picked up the Jazzmaster 12 string and it was perfect out of the box except for fret cleaning/polishing needed.
I bought the Fender Player plus Nashville Telecaster a year ago.
As soon as I picked it up and plugged in I fell in love with it.
Previous to this I had a hard time finding a tele that I really wanted.
Now I look at all the other telecasters like there missing a pickup.
I really like the quacky middle strat pickup on my telecaster.
Anyway you really sell this guitar! I'd love to get my hands on one.
It has everything I like about my Nashville telecaster on a Stratocaster, and I sure ❤ Stratocasters!!!
Lots of people would appreciate a Strat with a Tele bridge pickup and a hardtail bridge: Fender and Squier should do that as a standard model.
I might buy this if it was an actual tele with a bound body. I prefer the balance of tele over Strat . That strap position makes a big difference to me.
I have always wanted basically this exact guitar, bound body and everything. I would be surprised if Fender made em standard just because it would probably cut into sales of their flagship models. Forcing people to buy both a Tele and a strat seems more like what they would prefer lol
I liked my squier paranormal esquire so much I bought the rest of the paranormal line. They are good fun
I like this fellar's review about as well as any I've ever seen. Just a classy presentation with all points well made.
Hats off! Presentation made by a real gentleman!
Outstanding review thanks. Greetings from Arizona, USA.
They were reading my mind when they designed that one!
I wouldn't mind one of these at all - a Strat with Telecaster pickups and a middle pickup that is an actual Strat pickup is a most enticing proposition indeed.
What a coincidence. I sold a Tom Anderson last week with the same switching options. Best guitar I ever bought, but I also prefer simplicity when it comes to guitars. Great demo and review too! Thanks
Hi Bob, you are clearly bonkers....like me! I tried this guitar and wasn't expecting a lot having also tried the Fender Nashville and I was gobsmacked! I love your review and the comments you made I totally agree with. I didn't know about the routing that would allow for a humbucker, which is great news. Tonally at this price point it's great. Acoustically (I did that first too) I was very pleasantly surprised by the resonance. I thought the electrics sounded a little dark and I was thinking to upgrade with better pickups. With a humbucker option this is exciting. I too would also pop on some brass saddles in the bridge. A great guitar, that doesn't particularly need upgrading but if it was it would be a fantastic guitar. Fender Player upwards is doing nothing for me at the moment but then I pick up a cheapish Squire and am immediately inspired! Wow!
Cheers. Brass saddles now on (£12], neck pickup swapped for a Seymour I had lying around. Just a great guitar, and a popular video judging by the 4.8k views so far. Happy Xmas and enjoy yours 👍🎄
@@Rockbeareguitars I think you should post another video to show the difference! Thanks for the reply and have a great Christmas too!
@@blutonemusic I could but I doubt the difference would show, unless I a/b’ed them which would mean reinstalling the original again. The Seymour is a bit better but not markedly so. I’m going to take it and the Cabronita up to Sunbear Pickups in the new year and see what Stuart says. He”s got great ears and winds lovely pickups. Happy Christmas meanwhile 👍🎄🥂
@@Rockbeareguitars I will check them out! Thanks
Half way through this video, I subscribed 👍
I dig you approach!
Awesome, thank you!
that's a pretty nice-looking guitar. Who knew such a beast existed. thanks for your input.
Glad you like it. I stumbled across it online recently and it piqued my interest. It’s getting very good reviews, way above its station.
This reminded me of the original Eric Johnson Strat, Epiphone JoBo Treasure 64 Firebird 1 reissue and Squier Cabronita Telecasters. I explored and acquired one of each and they are all excellent.
I gigged the Cabronita last night, straight into the cheap Excelsior amp x so total rig cost just over £500 - and it sounded great.
So it turns out I’m not just about expensive super-posh vintage instruments after all…
Thank you for your detailed and insightful review. I’ve had my eye on this guitar since it was released and your review has helped me narrow my choices.
I always suspected neck and middle would work better than bridge and middle, the reason being that the famous Tele bridge pickup is much more powerful, not so much in output but in response. It just jumps out so aggressively because of the baseplate pushing the output much more direction. That's why Teles have that slamming, strong tone on the bridge while single coil Strat bridges tend to be on the meek side in most cases.
I did up a Strat with a Tele neck pickup and Texas Specials in middle and bridge positions. I wired it with a three way switch controlling the neck and bridge, like a Tele, and the middle swells on or off with its own volume control. The other two knobs are master vol and tone for the whole guitar. This allows me the neck and bridge together, or all three on together on a Strat. Its very versatile. The only thing it cant do is the middle pickup by itself, but so what? My other Strats can do it.
Brilliant demo!
Thank you 🙏
I've been interested in Nashville style Strats and Teles long before I never heard of the concept. But I wondered why I didn't see many of these guitars. I love the idea of the Tele pickup in the bridge and a Strat single coil in the middle bridging the world of the Tele and Strat. The only thing I want to see on this guitar is a belly and arm cut because I'm used to the ergonomics of a Strat.
Thanks Bob? I hope I got that right.. Im a musician. A guitar nut like some people. Id been looking at the Squier paranormal series guitars for a couple of weeks. A new Xmas guitar is my excuse! Thanks for your review as I just ordered the Squier paranormal Nashville Strat about 3hrs agó. As usual I was worried that maybe Id made a mistake but I couldnt resist it. Ive seen quiet a few of your reviews and guitar vids and I know that youre a musician who knows what he is talking about (from experience). Anyway Ive relaxed from my buyers anxiety, just from what watching your review of the Squier paranormal Nashville Strat. Thanks so much and fingers crossed that my new guitar arrives in one peice. You have kind of made my day and Im glad I made the choice I did. I have alot of faith in Chinese guitars and own quite a few. In fact, if it had have been made in Indonesia I would have passed on it. Coincidentally the guitar I ordered today is the exact same model you are reviewing here, right down to the colour(Aztec Gold). Thanks again for the review. I have to admit, Im feeling alot more relaxed about my purchase, now that I have a thumbs up from yourself. Thanks again. Keep on burning the frets as the joke goes. The best of look to you... From a bass player and sometíme guitarist.. Chow
Thanks, hope the one you get is good and works for you. Great Xmas present!
Thanks, that's very kind. It arrived 3days ago from Musicstore,Germany. The guitar was set up! and only needed tuning. They are beautiful guitars and suberb when you concider the price. This guitar is neither a strat or tele. It's out on it's own. I hav,nt put it down since it arrived, always a good sign.
What a lovely note - thanks. I hope yours is as good as mine. I tweaked the neck relief, action and pickup heights as soon as I got mine home. Since my review I have installed brass intonated saddles (uk£12) and have swapped the rather ordinary neck pickup for a Seymour I had in my parts bin. Both slight improvements but the basic chassis and their other pickups remain absolutely excellent, a real bargain.
Versatile guitar - lovely sounds and great value for money! The neck routing is a bonus and I would be tempted to try other pickups in there … I’d definitely put brass compensated saddles on the bridge. Nice review and demo, Bob! 👍
Thanks for your kind words, it really is a bargain. I agree with the saddles now I’ve decided to hold onto it. I think that might add a little richness to the tones. I could also go pretty crazy on the pickups.
@@Rockbeareguitars I can see you having a lot of fun with that guitar! It would be great to see it again with your follow-up thoughts :) For me, changing the electronics for a solderless harness would make swapping pickups easier and I’d be inclined to fit a mini toggle switch between the knobs instead of the push-pull. It looks like a great project mod platform 🙂
I would do the same the brass saddles on my Squire Tele was a big improvement.
It's a Stralecaster 😉
I like it, sounds great, the only thing I don't particularly like is the colour, I prefer to see the natural wood grain.
Bridge pickup doesn't have a backplate. Easy enough to remedy
It would be simpler to add a super switch and just make the middle position bridge/neck, keeping the important tele sound IMO, that's what I do, but at least it's possible to get.
Super démo.
new fan mate!
colin/guitaristas reviewed one like this as well...i think he said hes gonna sell his tho...
wouldnt mind having one of these! sounds nice!
Thanks!
I have a few modern Squiers. Squier fan here.
I can see why
I would like to have that guitar.
I play in that SRV style and I hit the strings hard...but I still set the neck flat 👍
Nah , no carved tops for me
Realized that 2 decades ago
That one ya got is a ringer
cheers
nice review just subscribed man you play great
Have you tried out the new Squier troublemaker?
That's the one I really want.
On this particular model, the bridge pickup doesn't have a metal baseplate like a proper tele bridge pickup does. That sucks.
Why didn't Squier use the same pickups they use on their Classic Vibe models 🤷♂️
Seems you’re right. Baseplates are pretty easy to install as I have done on each of my Strats, so I may add that to my list of possible mods if I keep this baby.
I had a Fender Custom Shop "twisted tele" pickups set, so I put it on this Nashville strat (because I love how it plays). Now it's a killer machine, with real tele bark at the bridge and hardtail strat-like neck bluesy tone. I kept the middle pickup stock, it sounds actually really good. Lovely guitar!
On my way to Guitar Center now to get mine. In gold of course.
Good luck, hope your experience is as good as mine 👍
A Double Bound Beauty
I count the switch positron the same as you.
Nice 1 Bob x
FYI, I dream of playing like this but in my own way.
I want one real bad.
I would prefer it to have the Strat's normal body contours. That would make more sense as a Tele/Strat hybrid concept.
I think you’re right. It feels a bit lumpy on the ribs, ok when standing up though.
They sound cool but the look just messes with my head. Why not just make a Nashville tele in the cv line?
very tempted but do I need my 24th guitar? :)
Only 23 so far- you light weight 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
im at 20 and it's more therapeutic thinking of them as adopted orphans ..i dont have kids
@@LLSicilia good tor you. I just have the 4 guitars 🎸
@@Lez325 keep it @4, you're doing well. If i could get all my cash back and just keep one, that would probably be a smarter investment
thank you sir!
Wish we could hear the guitar more??????
Hey Great review, nice riffing too. I want one of these now! FWIW..the static is not from the tuners its from the strings. They end at the tuners right? Tuners don't pick up sound, the guitar electronics do. Anyhow thanks much for the review. Nicely done..Best, -doug
Thanks!
Fantastic
Thanks
static is not the tuners; it's a shielding problem for touching any of the metal
No! It’s absolutely specific to the tuner buttons only, and particularly if my fingers brush against them. Doesn’t happen with any other metal part, even the tuner shafts or backs, let alone strings or tailpiece, all of which are quiet. As per the video, it also goes away if I touch the strings. It’s weird, if not a big problem…
I saw another video where they had a similar problem if they rubbed the pickguard of their guitar. Weird.🤷♂️
@@renodavid Telecaster? Some can get static buildup on the pick guards which crackles when stroked.
I also had a ‘62 Strat in for a setup and it crackled mysteriously. I tracked it down to the middle lug of the upper tone pot. The wire was passing through the hole but not soldered properly and the gap was so fine that the signal and pickguard friction static could jump the gap but crackle! Hours to find the problem, seconds to fix…
@@Rockbeareguitars this is not rocket science; take an ohmmeter and see if the tuners are grounded; they will be, because they are connected to the strings; this proves that you merely think you don't have the same problem with other metal parts because you are touching them. This is electrostatic hum because your hardware is ungrounded, your amp has the wrong AC polarity, your environment has a lot of RF noise; you have flourescent lights; you have ungrounded AC noise that is saturating your environment, etc. There are good guitar repairmen who can reduce this by using conductive paint but single coil pickups contribute to this phenomenon. Research it.
another culprit is your 'shielded' guitar cable; all the metal is an antenna, normally grounded when you touch it somewhere; use a meter
Had a Nashville Tele, until a guy talked me into selling it to him. Stupidest thing I ever did.
I didn't give the one I tried a good review. Herein the US, the frets were horrible. It hurt me to hold it. I'm thin. I loved the look and the versatile side of it but the glamor was too much on the neck.
I was fortunate to try two in the same shop. The other one was ok but less good, fingerboard was paler and felt very dry and it didn’t ring as well acoustically. I probably wouldn’t have bought it. In my experience, new guitars are too variable to buy without trying if it’s at all possible. Especially acoustics.!
A Nashville Tele doesn’t appeal to me but the Strat version does! 🤔
Having played both and been unmoved by one and seriously impressed with the other, I completely agree. I do think a bit of body shaping - belly carve and dropped upper bout for elbow - would make it even better.
@@Rockbeareguitars Interesting you say that - although I really like double bound guitars, the binding on the straight-edge Strat body looks uncomfortable and I completely agree that a contoured body would be better 👍
A ringing guitar means nothing in my 30 of playing. I've had great acoustically ringing guitars that were mediocre once plugged in and I've had guitars that really didn't ring at all and they are great plugged in. Ringing means nothing.
We’ll have to agree to differ one that one, it means quite a bit to me. Guess it depends on what kind of music too.
Gibson lovers cringing
I'm sorry dude, but it is NOT Squire.
Squier.
Quite right, sorry
Corrected!
Too much talkin'