Squier Standard telecaster

[SuperSwede]

Hey spud, you should be glad that you have enough hair to comb. I don´t

 

[Robert]

Spudman, you are one funny dude!

 

[Spudman]

Humor is most important. It is also a good thing to share with friends. I think the world needs more of it. We had plenty in the 80's. Why just think about how the bands looked and what they were singing about. They were pretty funny too. Not so much today.
Maybe everyone should get a mirrored pickguard on their axe so we can all take a good look at ourselves...and lighten up. I think I'll be using mine so that I can clearly see where to apply the Rogaine.

PS. Robert - treats are on the way today.

 

[Robert]

Thanks Spuddie, I love your sense of humour - you're wacky just like me. I wish all of us from TheFret.Net could get together for a barbie and a beer one summer evening.

 

[warren0728]

my 7 year old daughter has lots of barbies....but i don't think she has enough for everybody : )

ww

 

[Spudman]

Warren
Dude, when I read your post I blew chunks out of my nose. You my friend are the funny one.

 

[Robert]

Warren, I knew someone was going to say something like that! We can share them barbies too, you know.

Spudman, glad I wasn't too close when the chunks started flyin!

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Bald men and Barbies... I swear.... haha

Nelskie, Thanks for the links.. While waiting on the Tele I got a set of tuners comming and a pickguard... I really think I might be adding those tuners to the 51 if the tele does not make it here before then.. Still looking for the deal out there on the Noiseless pickups..

 

[Nelskie]

Glad they were useful to you.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Update on return: It was delivered back in their hands today... now the wait on turn around... tick tock tick tock...

 

[Spudman]

NC
I got an email yesterday that my axe and another item were finally shipped. Seems like it was a total of 16-17 days. I could be wrong because I tossed my shipping receipt.
I'm sure yours will show up soon. Like Tom Petty says, "the waiting is the hardest part."

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Well glad to hear it's on the way for you!!! I guess I have a few weeks to piddle with the others... let us know how good the second one is!!!

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Hey Spud how has the new guitar turned out? I just recieved an order number for mine but they have yet to ship it...

 

[Spudman]

It's beautiful, but...although I LOVE the neck it has some issues. First - the neck pickup is microphonic. Second - it's like Nelskie was talking about on another thread, string tension. This one feels super taught and I don't care for that. I got the action down nicely however. The voices that I'm getting aren't that pleasing. Nice but not nice enough for me to keep probably.
I scored a Squire Stagemaster Deluxe for $150. It has a neck through the body and smokes the Tele sorry to say. It's got quack and smooth tones, body contour, 24 frets. Pretty cool guitar. More likely a keeper than the Tele.

 

[SuperSwede]

Spud, I am sorry that your tele wasn´t what you expected. Mine has a beautiful tone, but I guess that when you buy low cost guitars the quality can be different from guitar to guitar. Even if it is the same model.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Sorry to hear about the tele Spud... I hope I get a good luck of the draw... I would not want the tension issue.. but the pickups I plan on changing no matter what...Want some noiseless to sit in front of this monitor without a humm... Hope your showmaster last a long time.. sounds like a good one!

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

My Tele made it here about an hour or so ago!! That means 15 day turn around since they got the other back.. Im content with that... good service..

I already know the pickups are comming out.... but that darn chrome pickguard don't look half bad.. If I was a Coke head I would be in heaven... (searching for comb) Might have a black pickguard collecting dust..lol... more to come...like this one.. after some fret dressing and oiling the neck and MY GAWD the intonation was way off with loose strings... but, I know let it sit a day before playing..you have to reset it again anyways...I can"t!!!! heh.. quak quak quak..twang....

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Hey Nelskie

Nelskie, That Telecaster looks to have the exact Tuners on it that the Squier 51 has.. I have yet to remove one.. Question: You said those off E-Bay match up perfectly... On the 51 when I removed a tuner there was 2 indents made into the wood I assumed drilled.. they matched the spots those tuners fit perfectly and locked down.. But when I tried to put one of the tuners off ebay there they were much larger and didn't line up... is there indents under the telecaster tuners also? and did yours match to them and drop in or do you mean you can replace them and HIDE the 2 dents already there? I think the squier tuners are smaller then those of USA brand.. least from what I see..

 

[Nelskie]

Justa' - I did not install those tuners myself. My buddy who owns the music shop put them on for me, and said that ones I had were a straight change-out. I do not know whether that meant he just swapped them out kit for kat, or if that meant he could install them, and not have the holes from the previous tuners showing on the back of the headstock. I s'pose I could ask him, and then report back here. I did check the Fender Squier spec sheet for the Tele Std. before I bought those others on Ebay, to make sure the ones I purchased had the same hole dia. specs as the stock tuners. Those were his instructions, and fortunately, it worked out. I'm sorry I can't offer you more help in this dept.

 

[SuperSwede]

I hope that your like your tele Justaguy!
I guess that mail order guitars comes in worse conditions than those bought in a music store.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

First day impressions:
I like the feeling of this tele... The neck is fine although the frets are larger then those on my MIM 60's strat and the squier_51 which probably need to be sanded and shined a bit..I think I like small frets. The maple on the back of the neck sure seems bright while the rosewood fretboard was kinda dull before oiling, but has a nice blend now...fret ends I am happy to say are very nice and much better then those on the 51.. Neck width is more like the 60's and not as thin as the 51 (but I become use to this)... The thickness of the neck is on par with both and feels pretty good. Setting it on your lap as you play just feels right... as right as any guitar type I have played.. The black body has a nice gloss to it although it seems very chipable and would assume scratching is going to be like a spider web.. The black headstock is a nice addition... double trees and all. I got a feeling these are exact tuners and trees as the 51. The Bridge saddles seem cheaper then those on the 51, looks wise.. but the screws do seem tighter so maybe they wont rattle right off... The 3-way switch feels kinda toy like and would give me doubts on how long it last... Hey, on this one the Power Jack is actually still on.. although not seated completely against the body.. I was able to set the string action as low as I wanted.. In fact I could about have them sitting on the neck and it still would not buzz... so I guess the neck is pretty darn straight... Finally lost the tone on the very bottom frets and adjusted it to my liking... Playing the neck seems pretty good once oiled.. The pickups... I am no tone freak or even know the difference between many pickups.. but can tell you these puppies gotta go... maybe re-adjusting their height would help but I think they are at the bottom of the PUP line when it comes to sounds and HUM.. The Neck pickup is just to muddy to me and muddy I know from owning other cheap guitars... The Bridge pickup ain't half bad and has the Tele sound I was thinking of in my head although not all there (The sound I mean..ummm) and when you blend the two you can get a pretty good sound but still weak.. I knew these would be changing out, After looking at the more MIRROR like, not chrome Pickguard I am probably back to wanting it all black again.. so price wise although it may not sound like it.. I am happy with it as a good basic kit to start with....neck and body at least and getting a bit of that quack quack twang started... That was the point of buying this at 2 bills anyways... This also shows me I bought the best Squier model the first time, The Squier_51 is the best deal out there as far as looks and sound already comming in a cheap guitar (imho) or I sure was lucky on the tones it delivers and the sunburst looks.. :R :R

 

[SuperSwede]

This is all very strange to me because I think that the bridge pickup can be a little TOO hot on my tele! And the neck pup deliver crystal clear tones. But I guess that everyone is looking for different things when it comes to guitars

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

so true.. I think yours sounds great when you play it... probably has to do in what hands its in... or/and Quality control..at 2 bills a guitar I guess you can't expect everything huh...

 

[SuperSwede]

I have to agree that it hum to much, especially in front of the computer!
You got a yours for a really good price, mine was at over 4 of your bills

Hummmm--- TWaaaAAnng---- HUMMMmmm---Twang..

 

[r_a_smith3530]

Again, I have to wonder what the differences are between different manufacturing lots of these. I know Squiers are made in both China and Indonesia, so that is one difference, but, with a guitar that is only selling for $150 at the retail end, I'll bet that they aren't too choosy when it comes to the parts.

Think about it for a moment, the Duncan Antiquity pickup (those specially-wound humbuckers produced in conjunction with Seth Lover) goes for as much as an entire Squier guitar. That's ONE pickup! Now, let us assume that Seymour Duncan is making a large profit margin on this and that Fender isn't. You've got to figure the guitar store is making at least 10%, and the manufacturer's cut is maybe 20%. Just do the math!

There can be a wide variance between two guitars of the same make and model. That's why I'm having a problem finding a replacement whammy bar for my kid's Squier Strat. My local guitar shop said that almost every batch is different.

 

[Tim]

I believe there are 3 main factors to consider which determines the cost difference between the guitars.

1.) Production runs are normally made in lots of hundreds. A production lot could be manufactured in quantities or series 100s (100, 200, and 300). After 3 or 4 lots are produced a new setup is configured on the production line for a different model (say from Strat to a Tele, a Tele to a Jazz Master). A couple of more lots are produced. When it is time to reconfigure for a new batch of Strats, the configuration maybe different than the original lot ran in the beginning. This could be due to different hardware or suppler parts being used. Or the setup could be slightly different than the first.

2.) The Seymour Duncan pickups are probably also being bought in lots. The higher the quantity the cheaper the cost of each pickup. These pickups, although have the same physical appearance of the more expensive pickup just maybe of lower quality. Normally components being massed produced have inspection up front to insure the item is within specification and of good quality. After units # 1 and # 2 pass inspection, the complete lots is manufactured and “assumed” to be as good as the ones which passed inspection. The rest of the lot(s) may not receive an inspection or have a random inspection of one out of every fifty

3.) The labor is very cheap overseas. The time and money spent on assembling one American made Fender guitar would probably be equal to 10 guitars being assembled overseas. The skill facture of the assemblers does not compare to the skills of the American or Mexican assemblers. That’s why they are assembled overseas. Finally the time an inspector or technician spends on American made guitars add to the final cost. Overseas assembled guitars have screws installed crooked, frets not properly dressed or completely seated, poor solder techniques on the wires and/or pickups. The worst of the overseas guitars are probably scraped if not made to spec. American or Mexican guitars are reworked to be brought back to specification due the cost of labor being involved. Cheap guitar prices equal cheap labor and quality control. You get what you pay for.

This is my 50 cents worth of my take on why prices are so different between the Fender name and Squire name guitars of the same make and/or model.

 

[SuperSwede]

There was a tv program not long ago which showed the living condition of chinese workers (these were producing clothes but I guess it is somewhat similar in a guitar factory). The workers lived at the factory and only got paid in the "free" rent & food. We in the western part of the world would of course talk about this as slavery, but the chinese factory owner talked about this as every workers "dream".. So perhaps that contributes a lot to the low prices on everything from Asia these days. We all demand lower prices, but are we really prepared to pay the price: our own industrial/manifacturing jobs moving to Asia?

 

[marnold]

Re: the hotness of the bridge pickup

I'm guessing that they aren't particularly careful that each guitar would have the bridge pickup set to the same height. If it's closer to the strings, it's going to seem hotter. Of course "hotter" is a relative term . . .

 

[Tim]

Most of the 1-800 numbers associated with computer software/owner's manuals go directly to India. That is where the books are written and printed. Which is the reason for the English mistakes.

 

[r_a_smith3530]

Tim and SS, there is at least one aspect you left out, and that is material quality. A manufacturer may make a cheaper guitar out of plywood, or they could build it out of scrap pieces of wood that have been glued together.

Wood density adds weight and also sustain, a desirable quality in a guitar. Woods like Mahogany and Ash are more dense, hence greater sustain. The older the wood is also has an effect on its density. THAT'S why the old Gibson's and Fender's are so revered for their tone!

So, we may have a cheaper guitar made out of Basswood instead of Mahogany, Ash, or Alder, and then yet, it may be made from either plywood or pieces glued together to form the body. I once saw a body made from eight pieces of wood. That's a tone killer, believe me!

As for the rest of the materials, you may find bridge plates just a bit thinner. If you can make a stamped metal part .010" thinner, over the course of a 100,000 piece run, you'll save a bundle on material cost. Have you ever taken apart a "vintage style" tuner? If you make that little stamped plate that holds everything together out of slightly thinner gauge material, you probably save quite a bit over the course of making 1,000,000 of them. That cheaper tuner may work by squeezing it tighter, but it won't work as well, especially over time. It does save money though, and that adds up to being able to build a guitar for less money.

There is a difference between the quality of both the materials and the workmanship that goes into say, a Fender vs. a Squier. Or, for that matter, between a USA made G&L and its foreign counterpart, the Tribute. If you look at an ASAT by Tribute G&L, you will find that it has the same exact USA made MFD pickups as its more expensive brother, but the Saddle Lock Bridge is a much cheaper casting than the part used on the American G&L.

Computer-aided design and manufacturing have brought up the bottom end of the guitar making business over the past ten or fifteen years. Parts that were once sloppily made are now held to much tighter tolerances, and that means a higher quality product in the end. That doesn't necessarily make a Squier the equal of an American Standard Stratocaster though.

One hundred or two hundred dollars buys you a hell of a lot more guitar than a comparable amount did twenty years ago, and that's solely thenks to the computers being used in both design and actual manufacturing. What hasn't changed are the use of cheaper materials and unskilled labor. There's where you will find the difference!

Constant gigging and practice use, over the course of forty or fifty years is what separates guitars. That the old Les Paul's, Tele's, and Strat's play as well or better today than they did back in the late Fifties is a testament to the quality that went in to them, both in materials and build.