Artists Who Use SQUIER Guitars

Squier guitars are for beginners, right?

No, not for a long time, and you know it! We’ve long since moved on from the notion that Squiers are only ‘transitional guitars’: We all know that they are very attractive, very nicely put together for the money, and offer guitarists and bassists from all backgrounds and walks of life something genuinely cool to play. Practising, gigging and recording can all be happily achieved with Squier guitars, and today, I’ll show you a collection of top artists who do just that.

That’s right: from classic rockers to prog legends, pop-punks to grunge queens, all of these great artists have made musical history with Squier instruments. 

Let’s check them out…

Biffy Clyro’s main man is a Strat guy through and through. Whilst he’s now in a position to play as many Fender Custom Shop Strats as his heart desires, he was known to use humble Squier Strats in Biffy’s early days. Indeed, he was even honoured with his own limited edition signature Squier Strat which came in a rather delicious shade of Fiesta Red and is now something of a prized find when spotted out in the wild. Neil used it live for years, which speaks for its quality! 

Marillion’s superbly talented lead guitarist uses a broad selection of guitars, but two that have been constant companions from (almost) the beginning are a pair of Squier Strats. Steve acquired them in 1985 and quickly put them to work on the band’s seminal Misplaced Childhood album. His main Squier is a Japanese SQ model, and was swiftly modified with a Kahler tremolo and a set of active EMG SA pickups.

Steve still uses this guitar on tour to this day, particularly for songs from that early ‘Fish-era’.

Click to Read our Exclusive Steve Rothery Interview

Mike Rutherford of Mike & the Mechanics and also some other band called Genesis is a very interesting Squier user. He made guitar website headlines a few years ago when he decided to use super cheap Squier Bullet Stratocasters whilst on tour with Genesis.

Rutherford bought a couple whilst on lockdown during the grim COVID years and took a liking to the thinner neck and light body. After getting his guitar tech to put in improved electronics and upgraded tuners, he brought the Squiers out on the band’s Last Domino reunion tour.

Sadly, Squier Bullets are no longer produced, but the good news is that the Squier Sonic series is the improved equivalent, so you can buy even nicer guitars for the same money!

Grunge icon Courtney Love is one of the most dynamic and charismatic frontwomen of the 90s. Her band Hole occupied a space in the alternative rock scene that hasn’t been effectively filled since.

Love worked with Squier during this time to create her Venus guitar as part of their Vista series. Back in 1997, the only females to have signature guitars were her and Bonnie Raitt. Love’s idea was to make something that was a cross between a Strat and a Rickenbacker, and I think she accomplished that mission completely! 

The Venus was only in production until late 1998, and so surviving examples have hefty price tags attached.

Visually-impaired blues veteran Jeff Healey was already a memorable artist before he appeared in Patrick Swayze action movie Road House. Healey was a native to Canada, and apparently started playing guitar when he was 3 years old. By 15, he was touring bars with his band!

Through all of this, Healey’s favourite guitar was a completely standard black Squier Strat, which he played flat on his lap and fretted the notes like he was playing a piano! Talk about impressive?

Fall Out Boy’s bassist and nominal frontman Pete Wentz has been very vocal in his love for Squier basses in the past. Alongside his bandmate Joe Trohman, the pair have had signature Squier instruments in the past: Wentz on a P-bass and Trohman on a heavily customised Telecaster Deluxe. As we’ll see, pop punk is one of the most fertile areas for finding pro players who use Squier.

Talking of pop punk, Green Day’s bassist is another player who frequently favours Squier instruments. Mike’s had a couple of signature models over the years, based mainly on the early 50s P-bass design but punked up with custom pickguards and star stickers.

It’s true that he also has a signature Epiphone Grabber bass, but to many fans, it’s all about the Squiers.

From A Perfect Circle to Queens of the Stone Age to Jane’s Addiction and back, Troy Van Leeuwen is a guitarist with one of the best address books in the business. He’s had a number of signature guitars over the years including a rather eccentric 335-style from Yamaha, but in recent times, he’s been a Fender and Squier guy. 

Currently, you can buy a gold Fender Troy Van Leeuwan Jazzmaster and a new - and very unique - Squier 12 string Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster! 12-string electrics are relatively rare these days, so it’s great to see a prominent artist get behind such a cool and affordable model.

And it’s back to pop punk for another famous Squier user! In her heyday, Avril ruled the charts and opened the doors for lots of female rockers. Her signature Squier was incredibly popular, and that’s as much to do with a super-cool design - a single humbucker Telecaster with a chequerboard pickguard - as it was with the person endorsing it.

Dinosaur Jr’s head honcho is a bit of a name around Squier circles. His two signature guitars include a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster and it has easily been one of the most popular guitars of the last 15 years. Beyond fans of his music, people are impressed by the J Mascis Jazzmaster because it’s simply an excellent guitar that’s a great price. Whether you want to follow his lead (geddit) and play furious fuzz-laden solos, or simply want a cool, versatile guitar that offers indie legitimacy and great value for money.

I’m not sure how ‘pro’ it needs to get before the general guitar player just sees Squier for what they are: excellent guitars. Their status as official replicas is more a badge of honour than a point of criticism, if you ask me. Today’s top Squier models are built to a high standard and are frequently more ‘correct’ in vintage spec terms than dearer Fender models, especially considering the price points in question.

These artists above and many like them have all gone out onto stages as a professional guitarist or bassist yielding Squier instruments. They’ve neither concealed that fact nor made excuses for it, and I find that as inspiring as the instruments themselves.

When was the last time you tried a Squier?

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