Squier Standard telecaster

[Christian]

Hello There,

I have bought the Squier Standard telecaster in April.....I just can't stop playing with it. a real bargain !!!!!!

 

[Robert]

Hi Christian, welcome to the Fret dot Net! I have Standard Squier Tele too, it is awesome, I know! My current Squier favourite is the '51, but the Tele is a fine one. I just need to change strings on it, and I'll start twanging on it again.

What colour is yours?

I also have a little review of the Squier Tele on my website - http://www.dolphinstreet.com/guitars/squier_telecaster.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Cool. Is it a maple neck or rosewood? What kind of pickups came with it?

 

[Christian]

actually I love your site Robert and I found your site in may when I was googling the word 'squier telecaster canada' because I was looking to see if there was other owners of this faboulous guitar...And your site was the first that showed up........and just like you......I have found this telecaster suprisely amazing.

Your site is great too !!!! I also have is newborn kid and I love taking pictures with my guitars http://www.myspace.com/christiancousineau

The Squier cie make the maple fret availble to compete a solid color ....like the squier telecaster custom (black) with humbucker ....which is the same price of the standard one with a nice body finish like mine.

mine is antique burst with rosewood fretboard....I wish maple fretboard was availble with that model because it has 22 frets .....the squier '51 has 21 frets but the neck is fantastik.....next time I'll be buying two guitars. one for the body color and the other for the neck.

 

[Robert]

Thanks Christian! Yes I wish my Tele had a maple neck too. I just think they sound better - snappier sound. Great guitars for sure anyway.

 

[tremoloman]

I used to own an American Standard Telecaster. It was gorgeous and by far the easiest to play neck I've ever laid a hand on. Regrettably, I wound up selling her since I just didn't use her enough. Guitars feel naked to me without a tremolo bar. I’m not a divebomb fanatic nor do I use it as much as Jimi did, but it is an integral part of my playing style. I thought about putting a Bigsby on her, but I opted not to since I could ruin the guitar altogether.

If the Squier Tele is decent, now I might be willing to try adding a Bigsby to that. You’ve got to love great sounding affordable guitars like the Squier!

 

[Robert]

The Squier Tele is good, just need a better input jack and perhaps better pickups.

However, I fixed mine up yesterday - sanded and polished the frets with steel wool, changed to lighter strings and put some lemon oil on the fretboard. Dang! It sounded great today when I played it through my Vox! I'll post clips later (although I'm getting sick of hearing myself noodling around... I feel I suck so bad. I should try recording a song some day)

 

[Christian]

Yes the input jack is kind of weak.....everytime I plug in I always watch if it's not too loose, however it can be replace by a better one.

When you polish you fret, are you only using steel wool?

Mine plays well but I try to lower the action and I'm still not sastified the action !

Maybe I should bring it to a repairman.

 

[Robert]

Mine really improved after fixing it up. I used fine sandpaper first, then 0000, the finest steel wool. In fact, I got so excited that I posted a video clip! I was using my Vox AD50VT on the Blackface setting. I've been close to replacing the pickups on this Tele, but with the right amp setting, it sounds not too bad. Check out at

http://www.dolphinstreet.com/guitars/squier_telecaster

Scroll down to October 2005 and click on the link there to play the video clip. Let me know what you think! I am using only the bridge pickup, with the tone knob rolled down slightly.

 

[Christian]

thank you Robert !!!

I thought too to replace the Pick Ups but I kind got to like them !!!

 

[tremoloman]

thank you Robert !!!

I thought too to replace the Pick Ups but I kind got to like them !!!

Simply changing the gauge of strings and adjusting pickup height can make a large difference in sound. I'm always playing around with pup height.

I used to be a .009 guy, but now I'm sold on .010s and .011s. A little harder to bend, but the just sound so much better to my ears.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

This past weekend I played my friend's SRV Fender Strat. He got 2 GUITARS for $600.00 from an old lady who's son needed money. One was the Fender SRV Signature model and the other was a '62 reissue Gibson SG (red). DANG!!! Both in pristine condition!!!

Anyway on the SRV the strings must have been set up exactly the way we've all read Stevie Ray liked his because the bottom (I'm not kidding you) was at LEAST the size of the small string on a bass guitar. I don't know what actual size that is...but I would say that it probably was the low E of a size 13 set!!! The A, D, G, B and E strings were also very thick. My wife asked me to play Little Wing on it since my friend was so kind enough to let me play it. Playing on such thick strings (I mean really thick here...not 11s)...made the sound solid and loud. I didn't have to try that hard to make them loud and even when I did...BAM. I could still bend the high E and B. My wife even asked me..."honey can you still bend the strings"? I said yup...a little stiffer but I can still do it. Having thick strings like that MAKES you play harder when you have to bend them. I know I said that I didn't have to try hard to play...but during bends yeah you gotta give it gas then.

I'm pretty inclined to agree that thicker strings really do improve your overall presence. Tone I'm sure...but what I did notice more than that...was how full the sound was. Fuller. Solid. Louder.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

I just don't know what happened... I went on Musiciansfriends.com the other nite and was looking to see if they had the vox da5 in stock yet (they don't even show it carried yet) and I drifted into the squier section. Since I got the Squier_51 (through Robert's advice) I have realized Squier's are darn nice guitars at great pricing.. well, before I knew it I had ordered a Squier Vintage Blonde Standard Tele and it suppose to arrive tomorrow... heck, I can't put down the Mex Strat or the Squier 51.. what the heck am I to do now with yet another comming.. sigh... and just in time for The Robert Renman's Chicken Pick'n lessons....

 

[SuperSwede]

Excellent choice Justaguy!

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Thanks Swede... I gave away 3 others I had collecting dust on the wall and seen an empty wall hanger still on the wall.. needed to do something about that and didn't want to remove it.. would have to plaster and paint..so.... my biggest thought though while waiting.. HUM... I enjoy sitting in front of this monitor... I guess it won't hum any louder then the rest of the single coils....Any one know about replacing the squier pickups for Fender Noiseless.. will they fall right in? and will it kill the twang? Any other HUM free choice's?

 

[SuperSwede]

I think that the original pickups sound very good, but I have to tell you that they hum a lot. And the volume pot has this strange raspy sound when you move it. Check out the end of this sound clip (Which I have posted earlier)...

 

[Nelskie]

Justa - Congrats on your new Squier Tele Std. Now that you've acquired that guitar, and already have a Cyber Champ - you own the EXACT same set-up I had about a year ago - to the "T". I also swapped out the factory p'ups for Fender Vintage Noiseless models, and absolutely LOVED them. They're a straight change-out w/ the factory models. Awesome tone, too - clucky, quacky, twangly - they do it all. I even found that they had a but of "'tude" when driven! And best of all - ZERO noise!!

Anyways, I'd posted a review of that very guitar on Harmony Central about a year or so ago - it's about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down, on the first page that comes up. Under my "Nelskie" monniker, too. Here's the link:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Fender/Squier_Telecaster-1.html

I might also suggest that you consider putting some different tuners on it, as well. My playing style can be rather agressive, and I found that those stock tuners just wouldn't hang for what I liked to play. I scored a nice set of Schaller-type Fender script tuners for about $30 on Ebay. Dropped 'em in - no more tuning problems.

I've attached a couple pix of mine. Sadly, I had to sell it on Ebay earlier this month to make way for my *new* G & L ASAT Telecaster. But I dug every minute I played on that axe. Squier Std. Tellies are great guitars, and I'm sure you're gonna love yours!!

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Wow, nice looking Tele... to bad it was not there when I impulsed bought this one.. ok, I have what you had a year ago.. now if I practice another 20 years I should be able to sound something like you to huh... Im looking forward to this one as much as the 51... and probably will put noiseless into it... I tend to sit here in front of the monitor to often while playing..

 

[Nelskie]

Nuthin' doin', Justa - merely mentioning that you have most excellent taste in gear. I liked both of those pieces of gear so much, I upgraded into the Cyber Twin, and just recently purchased a G & L Tele. Value-wise, you'll look long and hard to find a better sounding or playing combo than a Squier Tele Std. and a Fender Cyber Champ. As I mentioned in my Harmony Central review, that rig is what got me hooked on the Tele tone. And nothing brings out that lovely ring in a Tele like a Fender-made amp. I'm looking forward to hearing some clips when you get it.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Hey Nelskie, The Schaller-type tuners... did they also replace those on the squier exact? without leaving any scars behind? Im starting to think this Squier_51 could use something to keep it in tune also..

So let's see...

1. strings and intonation...

2. take off strings replace pickups to noiseless

3. string and intonation...

4. replace tuners with fender Schaller-type made in the good ole USA

5. string and intonation...

6. replace pickguard with something neato

7. string and intonation...

8. leave it in guitar stand as grandbaby approaches

9. string and intonation

it's a vicious circle with that stringing thing aint it...

:R :R :R

 

[Nelskie]

Yeah - that string / intonation will follow you around like a stray cat, and your post most certainly illustrates their overall importance in the grand scheme of things. If you can afford the bone$, I'd do the mods all at once. Or, leave it stock until you've acquired all of the parts you're planning to change out. That way, you're not having to re-adjust everything all over again after replacing each individual part.

Those Fender Script Schallers are straight-up change-outs on the Squier Tele Std. - no scars at all, and look factory spec (and WAY better than the stock units). However, I'm not sure about them working on the '51. I'd check out the specs on the Fender / Squier website just to be sure. The neck on the '51 looks almost identical to the the ones on the Affinity models & Squier Std.'s, so I think there's a good chance they'd work. I have a number of good web and Ebay links for aftermarket parts that would work with your Squier, too, so if you're interested, let me know.

I think all totalled together (p'ups, tuners, pickguard), those parts were right in the $150 range, not incl. installation or set-up following. But they turned that guitar from a decent home practice player into a rock-solid rig that would hang with anything you threw at it - gigging, recording, jamming, etc. These guitars are a STEAL at $200 US. Spec out a few choice upgrades, and now you're walkin' the real Fender walk!

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Those look nice on the squier! Im sure I will play the tele with the stock strings and all for a month while I collect the parts... these seem simple enough for me to install..just drop them in! thinking of putting 10's on the tele while leaving the 9's on the 51.. why? dunno.. sounds good though... would be nice to know for sure about the 51 and the fender shallers... its going out of tune way to much.. oh wait.. havent changed the strings yet.. old strings tend to do that to huh.. send the links to the parts store... unless I find them On Ebay cheaper they may come in handy!

 

[Nelskie]

Fender / Squier Guitar Parts Resources

Justa - Here are those parts links I'd mentioned earlier. I purchased the tuners from the link under #1 (The Stratosphere). The faux tortise pickguard I purchased from the link under #3 (Quick Connect). I've purchased many pickguards from this place - fast service, great products. The Noiseless Pickups are available from a number of online sources, and if you can get them from your local music, even better. The rest of the links I've included mainly for reference - some of them I've purchased from, some I haven't. I've always had good luck buying stuff from shops on Ebay. Happy hunting!!

1.) http://stores.ebay.com/The-STRATosphere

2.) http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/guitar_index.htm

3.) http://stores.ebay.com/QuickConnect

4.) http://stores.ebay.com/CHOPPERS-MUSIC_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

5.) http://stores.ebay.com/Guitarfetish-Store_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

6.) http://stores.ebay.com/JCs-Guitars_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

7.) http://stores.ebay.com/Fender-Authentic-Replacement-Parts_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Well the Standard Vintage Blonde arrived... and is being shipped back... Vintage Blonde is actually GREEN.. Lima bean Green.... sigh.. Gawd was it ugly...lol... Also had scratch mark at neck joint and the cable jack was falling out (noted before hand by others) .. shame.. I played it a bit.. I liked the feel alot.. sitting on my leg it was wonderfull.. just right.. I actually liked the neck very well and the bridge pickup was twangy.. the Neck was kinda dark or muddy.. imho.. but I know I am going to put Noiseless in here so no biggie.. I didn't actually ask for my money back though... I said please ship the Black & Chrome tele special edition when you recieve this one... so a standard is still in my future..just another week or two in the future ...I tried to show the greenish color in pictures..it does look Blonde in all pictures..but honest..its not.. ohwell.. heh.. see how long Musiciansfriend takes now for turn around..

 

[Nelskie]

Just - Too bad about your "lima bean" Tele - had I known you were getting it, I might have mentioned something about that particular shade. I find it strange that the same color (Vintage Blonde) looks a LOT different on other Fender / Squier guitars. I had a "blonde" Squier Tele II, and although it was a tad "mustard-y" to my eye, it still was a much nicer hue than that which is on the Std. Tele.

You could always take the bull by the horns, and paint it a different color. Not sure if you've seen Tremeloman's avatar, but he painted his Stratocaster pink, and I think it looks pretty cool. Myself, I'd like to have a Surf Green or Daphne Blue Tele at some point down the road, and may opt for another Squier Tele Std. for that project.

Anyways, I found a couple of Fender color charts. The first one is for their vintage models (with the correct auto color references.) If you get sick of basic black, remember - you have some options.

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fenderc.html
http://www.fender.com/resources/colors/index.html

 

[Spudman]

NC
I've been waiting for over 2 weeks now. I returned a recently purchased guitar also for a trade from MF, and you guessed it I ordered a Black and Chrome Tele. It's really only been 9 business days. Takes a while to ship back, inspect then send out the trade I guess. I can hardly wait though. Listening to the tone Swede gets with his I know we are making the right choice. If not...well at least we'll be able to see ourselves well so we can get our makeup on decently. I wonder what else that mirror could be used for, hmmmm?

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

2 weeks since they recieved the return?? I already ordered a replacement pickguard for mine.. Might use the Chrome one as a mirror someplace.. heh.. to be honest..its the reason I went with Blonde.. didn't want a chrome guard... but liked the Black headstock and the sounds swede gets...Going to make mine black... My return is tracking to arrive there on the 30th.. what did you send back spuds? Let's hear from you when it finally arrives!!

 

[SuperSwede]

Thanks Spudman, it warms this deep frozen swede (still very cold here in sweden) to hear you talk so positive about my tone
The b&c is a really good guitar, and I am sure that you will be satisfied with it. And yes, the mirror is perfect for getting that lipstick on straight, a real man´s guitar !

I also hear that combined with a visa (or perhaps even mastercard) it is perfect for cocaine addicts..

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Lipstick? ok.. sometimes you guys worry me.... the Hair bands are gone.. you can quit wearing the lipstick now...

 

[Spudman]

You know...it just depends on what lycra I'm wearing as to which shade of lippy I'll use. Oh my gawd! I'm laughing with tears coming out of my eyes. I do have to admit that when I got off the road the main reason I became a pro cyclist is because...doggonit, I look good in lycra. Racing is kind of like that one night out of the year that the clocks get set back and you have to play one more set after finishing the bottle last set because you forgot about the time change. Ya, racing is like the feeling the next day. Every race!

Bach to the topic.

They still haven't processed my return yet. Not too happy about it but what can ya do?
I'm pretty anxious to get it. I'd like to say that I really need the mirror to comb my hair with but that all left with the last bad woman. Twannnggg! I'm playin and singin da blues. No guitar and no troublesome woman. Perfect.