Squier: the choice for…vintage guitar enthusiasts?
I think so, and totally I’ll show you why I think so many vintage guitar fans are turning to Squier FIRST when choosing new guitars. There are a couple of pretty strong reasons why this humble sub brand of Fender is turning into a serious proposition for guitarists who are discerning and particular in their tastes.
Today, I want to focus on the offset models produced by Squier. This is because they are quite specific in their design, and thus pretty relevant to my argument. So what is my argument? It’s this: if you’re looking for an authentic, affordable offset electric guitar, Squier should be your first choice.
Need convincing? Read on!
Contents
Vintage Features That are Missing Elsewhere
Follow The Example of the OG Offset Crew
Guitars You Can’t Get Elsewhere
Squier: Brand Presumptions
When you see ‘Squier’ on the headstock of a guitar or bass, what do you think? For some, the brand is an affordable entry point to the world of Fender. You play your Squier for a while and then upgrade. For others, though, Squier is a hip and vital choice for the gigging player. They understand that Squier’s dependable quality and funky designs are as good as many more high-brow brands.
There’s a lot to like about Squier, and in particular, their Classic Vibe sub brand. My selections today will mostly come from the Squier Classic Vibe stable. Because of this, I’ll take a second to relay what this collection of instruments is all about…
Squier Classic Vibe
The Squier Classic Vibe series has been around for about 15 years now. The idea is to offer an upgraded collection of instruments that align with vintage Fender designs, but at very wallet-friendly prices. They are not reissues per se, because that falls outside the remit of what is still considered an entry level brand. Instead, they are retrocentric designs with some elements of modernity preserved, such as slightly flatter radius fingerboards and modern tuning pegs. Some of these concessions are down to economics (the factory will be making similar parts for other Squier guitars outside the range, for example), but they tend to work in the favour of the player, so it’s a good compromise in my book!
Parent company Fender have of course long since made retro-ish guitar reissues available, but they tend to cost more than their standard ranges, and certainly significantly more than Squiers. Guitarists looking for 60s-spec Strats, 70s Telecaster Customs and Jazzmasters with dual circuits will either spend over a grand at least on a Vintera II model, or they’ll go to Squier.
These players are choosing Squier a lot of the time. Here's why...
Vintage Features That are Missing Elsewhere
When it comes to offsets, guitarists have expectations. These guitars - and to be clear, I’m talking about the Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang here - have certain features that play a big part in determining the character and sound of the guitar. Here are the features that stand out to me:
- Dual circuit for rhythm and lead sounds
- Slider switches for controlling sound options
- ‘Strangle switch’ low-pass filter on Jaguar
- Distinctive tremolo bridge on Jag and Jazzmaster
- Even more distinctive tremolo bridge on Mustang.
- Short 24” scale length on Jag and Mustang
Aside from those spec details, there are also the innumerate stylistic and decorative elements that combine to make these offsets the famous guitars that they are.
The trouble is, Fender often don’t put half of these features on their Fender-branded offsets! Until you hit a certain price point, you need to accept a certain streamlining of parts if you want your guitar to be F-branded.
Now, if you don’t mind about branding, then you can have a Squier Classic Vibe guitar that contains pretty much all of the cool bits. Historically accurate (within reason) at very affordable prices? Sounds very tempting!
Follow The Example of the OG Offset Crew
Fender’s offset guitars haven’t always been as popular as they are today. Indeed, for a great many years in the 80s and early 90s, they were so massively out of fashion that pawn shops literally had boxes of them in their storerooms. The guitars were off, idiosyncratic and nothing like the dayglo superstrats with graphic finishes that everyone in the mid 80s lusted after.
This was great news for the likes of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo. These two guitar pioneers choose offset guitars not out of some iconoclastic stance - or even a practical reason - but simply because they could afford them. Because nobody wanted that style, Jazzmasters and so on could be had for relatively little money, which was perfect for broke and adventurous musicians.
They bought their offsets because they were cheap and available. Today, their equivalent would be the Squier Classic Vibe series. I’d say it’s more in keeping with Thurston and Lee’s spirit to buy an affordable Squier offset with all the features included, than it is to spend loads more on a similar guitar with different branding and maybe less features.
Played by Pros
You can have a little Google at your leisure to see which professional artists are currently touring and recording with Squier guitars. Whilst the old guard of blues and rock greats may not choose the brand, plenty of indie, noise, avant-garde and other cutting edge artists utilise Squier all the time.
Also check out Dinosaur Jr’s main man J Mascis. His signature Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster is famous for being one of the best gigging guitars around. He also has a Fender Tele Mascis signature guitar, but you see him playing his Squier all the time, and nobody is going to call J Mascis a bad player!
As well as him, several other artists have had signature instruments from Squier such as:
- John 5
- Joe Trohman (Fallout Boy)
- Jim Root
- Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro)
- Avril Lavigne
- HANK MARVIN!!!
Not a bad list of talent!
Guitars You Can’t Get Elsewhere
Here’s the other cool thing about these Squier offsets: they aren’t just cheap versions of Fenders, because most of them aren’t even available elsewhere in the Fender catalogue! Squier is the only place you can get a white Jazzmaster with a gold anodised pickguard (see above); a Surf Green Jaguar with block inlays and a Jazzmaster in Tahitian Coral with a tortoise pickguard! Tasty? I reckon.
Not only that, if you are a fan of the legendary Bass VI - and if not, why not? - then it’s worth knowing that Squier’s model is currently the most authentically designed and spec’d model on the market! All of you Robert Smith fans should be seeking these out post-haste, because they have hit the bullseye with these!
Just Too Good to Ignore
Let me recap this. You want a cool offset guitar. You want a Fender model with a Fender shape and Fender features. If you don’t want to spend upwards of a grand on a Vintera II guitar, then the most vintage-accurate guitars out there are Squier Classic Vibe models. You’ll get your strangle switch, your dual circuits, and your amazing tremolo system, depending on which guitar you choose.
The quality is definitely good enough for the studio and stage, and you’ll be retaining some of that renegade pioneering spirit too.
Click to View our Selection of Squier Classic Vibe Offsets
