Mike Rutherford and the Bullet Squiers

https://www.guitarplayer.com/players...-stratocasters


Mike Rutherford's tech says the dude really loves his Squier Bullet Strat(s).


There's a valuable lesson there, but I don't know what it is.

I read that article.

It’s kinda interesting how bedroom players and weekend warriors keep dissing anything that’s not custom shop or vintage, while many artists just play what they like, regardless of “level” or price.

I often remember Randy Bachman playing an Epiphone, and John Mayer preferring the original twisted neck on his John Cruz black strat to the brand new replica neck John Cruz himself made for him.

The first Oasis album saw Noel Gallagher on his Epiphone Les Paul. I had a 94, and it was a fantastic Les Paul. Wish I still had it. I started to sell my CIC Casino, and I couldn't. Epiphone got it right , and the p90s on it are excellent.

I played a regular Squier Strat model about 5 years ago. It was a fine guitar. Good enough for live performance or recording.

I don’t even meddle in the “is it good enough” debate… I see the pros play whatever they want.

Btw our friend Roger builds great partscasters using Mexican parts and I’m pretty sure they are way better than a lot of the factory stuff

My black Strat has a Mexican body. I swapped pups for some hot single coils, and it's my fave now, as you might remember. I played my sunburst AmStd for a bit yesterday. So glad I didn't sell it as I almost did. It's got the 57/62s and I love them, clear and chime-y. I wouldn't say one is better than the other, not at all. MIM Strats are excellent. They've just put out a new line of Players, they're supposed to be the sow's teats.

I have two MIM Fenders, and they're both keepers. My 50th Anniversary Stratocaster (in Aztec Gold, fitting, huh?) and my Fender Classic Player Triple Telecaster. You won't hear me denigrating MIM Fenders.

Early Squiers were great, and they're doing some really good things now, similar to Epiphone. However, there was a period in the 90s and 2000s that Squiers were absolute junk.
I think I read an interview with Mike a million years ago that he was using Strat Plusses.

I love me some MIM strats. I believe the Robert Cray hardtails are from Mexico. I had a neck from one and I really liked it a lot. There were also the Baja series. I've played more than a few of the desert sand stratocasters that I wouldn't throw out of bed for eating crackers.