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Thread: Which Squier Tele?

  1. #1
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    Which Squier Tele?

    I have always preferred Gibson (or Epiphones with real Gibson pups!), but I'd like to give a Tele another try. It has been decades since I have played one. I also played classical guitar, which was my introduction to guitars back in high school, 3-4 decades ago.

    I do have a Fender Jazz Bass. It is a 30" short scale from a special run 5-10 years ago. Other than the classical, everything else is Epi. Well, I do have a sweet Gibson Flying V.

    For money reasons, I will have to stick with a Squier Tele, and my budget is under $325. I always get a decent case, so I will have only $250 or so. That leaves me with two options, FSR Bullet Telecaster ($180) or a Squier Affinity Series Telecaster ($230).

    Is the extra $50 worth it? What is the difference between the two? I'd love to hear your opinions!



    These are links for both models on the Guitar Center (spit!) website:

    FSR Bullet
    https://www.guitarcenter.com/Squier/...00000035094.gc

    Squier Affinity Series Telecaster
    https://www.guitarcenter.com/Squier/...00000285535.gc
    Last edited by rfrizz; 10-26-2020 at 01:01 PM. Reason: EDIT: Fixed spelling error.

  2. #2
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    I'd check on reverb.com or ebay.com for used Made in Mexico Strats. You might be able to pick up a used one in excellent condition. Worth checking if you haven't already. And good luck.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  3. #3
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    I'll agree with @ch_willie on MIM Strats. I have a 50th Anniversary MIM Strat I bought off Reverb, and it's an equal peer to its USA brethren (it's the Aztec Gold one).

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    Forum Member Jkbarnes's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    +1 on looking for a used MiM tele. It will be money much better spent compared to buying a new Squier. My MiM Tele was only $360 many moons ago, if you can believe that! I was a bit shocked at the price of MiM Fenders now, although I guess I shouldn’t be considering how the prices of American made models have increased.

    If you’ve got to go the Squier route, I’d recommend the Affinity over the Bullet. The Squier Affinities make a great platform for tinkering - solid body and neck. Where Squier cuts corners is on the hardware& electronics. Art a minimum, I’d recommend planning on swapping out the saddles on an Squier Affinity series guitar. Also, see if you can try before you buy. There can be tremendous variation from guitar to guitar.
    At what point does my 31 year old Strat become “vintage?”

  5. #5
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    I would like to add: look for a pre 2018 Squier MIC CV50 Tele. I think the necks on these are as good as anything short of a Custom Shop. You have better compatibility with hardware, being able to swap with MIM and aftermarket Fender stuff. The problem I've found with the MII (Indonesia or India) stuff is the hardware isn't the same size. For instance: truss rod nut is 5mm on MIC, 4mm on MII. Tuners holes (therefore shafts) are smaller on MII.

    The CV50 Tele (and Strats) from that era came with Tonerider A3 pickups, (marked STA-5 on the bottom). The CV60 Tele and Strats came with Tonerider A5 (marked counterintuitively STA-3). I really like the STA5 in my CV50 Tele, and have even sought them out when I built partsocasters.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  6. #6
    Forum Member Jkbarnes's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    I would like to add: look for a pre 2018 Squier MIC CV50 Tele. I think the necks on these are as good as anything short of a Custom Shop. You have better compatibility with hardware, being able to swap with MIM and aftermarket Fender stuff. The problem I've found with the MII (Indonesia or India) stuff is the hardware isn't the same size. For instance: truss rod nut is 5mm on MIC, 4mm on MII. Tuners holes (therefore shafts) are smaller on MII.

    The CV50 Tele (and Strats) from that era came with Tonerider A3 pickups, (marked STA-5 on the bottom). The CV60 Tele and Strats came with Tonerider A5 (marked counterintuitively STA-3). I really like the STA5 in my CV50 Tele, and have even sought them out when I built partsocasters.

    That’s excellent advice! The CV Squiers are excellent guitars, tremendous value! The point about dimensions is also very good to point out. I’m finding it impossible to find drop in replacement tuners for my affinity Strat because the holes are 8mm vs the 10mm that seems to be standard. It’s really inconvenient because the tuners kinda suck, and I don’t want to have to route the holes. Oh well.
    At what point does my 31 year old Strat become “vintage?”

  7. #7
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jkbarnes View Post
    That’s excellent advice! The CV Squiers are excellent guitars, tremendous value! The point about dimensions is also very good to point out. I’m finding it impossible to find drop in replacement tuners for my affinity Strat because the holes are 8mm vs the 10mm that seems to be standard. It’s really inconvenient because the tuners kinda suck, and I don’t want to have to route the holes. Oh well.
    I learned that the hard way when I got a really nice rosewood board on a MII neck and went to put my MIC tuners on it. I tried freezing the ferrules to shrink them but it was a no go. I reamed the holes wider with a rat tail file and pressed them in.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  8. #8
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    If you can squeeze out a few more bucks and forego the case (get a gig bag for now), I'd recommend checking out the Squier Custom Vibe Tele. The 50's Tele version looks sweet!

    I own a 60's CV Tele "Deluxe" model and I like it a lot. Every bit as good as my MIM RoadWorn Tele to be honest for a fraction of the cost.

    With the CV, you're getting a thicker pine body vs thinner alder body, proper Alnico pickups, real bone nut, arguably better fret work. Necks seem to be identical, though.

  9. #9
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    At risk of repeating what's been said: Look for a used MIM or CV.
    Either one of those are leaps and bounds ahead of the Affinity or Bullet series.
    If you're lucky, you may find one with a case already, but if not, you should be able to find a case later on.
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    At the risk of being booted from the site, I purchased this:

    https://www.rondomusic.com/SX_Furrian_RN_3TS.html

    Yeah, I know. Cheap Chinese guitars. Still, I have owned a couple of SX guitars, and the fit and finish has been very good, particularly the necks. I rate them as better than Squire, but not as good as Fender. Electronics have been good.

    I may u/g the pups, if needed, which means I will be in a good Tele for < $250. Bodies for SX Jazz Base Clone had parts in the same place. I'd prefer a Fender-shaped headstock, but has that ever affected playablility or sound?

    If I have not been banned, I will give a post-purchase report on it.

  11. #11
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    Quote Originally Posted by rfrizz View Post
    At the risk of being booted from the site, I purchased this:

    https://www.rondomusic.com/SX_Furrian_RN_3TS.html

    Yeah, I know. Cheap Chinese guitars. Still, I have owned a couple of SX guitars, and the fit and finish has been very good, particularly the necks. I rate them as better than Squire, but not as good as Fender. Electronics have been good.

    I may u/g the pups, if needed, which means I will be in a good Tele for < $250. Bodies for SX Jazz Base Clone had parts in the same place. I'd prefer a Fender-shaped headstock, but has that ever affected playablility or sound?

    If I have not been banned, I will give a post-purchase report on it.
    Why would you get banned? There's no policy against talking about, much less buying non-Fender equipment. We're better than that!

    I've never heard of Rondo Music. Let us know how it plays!
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  12. #12
    Forum Member Jkbarnes's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    Quote Originally Posted by rfrizz View Post
    At the risk of being booted from the site, I purchased this:

    https://www.rondomusic.com/SX_Furrian_RN_3TS.html

    Yeah, I know. Cheap Chinese guitars. Still, I have owned a couple of SX guitars, and the fit and finish has been very good, particularly the necks. I rate them as better than Squire, but not as good as Fender. Electronics have been good.

    I may u/g the pups, if needed, which means I will be in a good Tele for < $250. Bodies for SX Jazz Base Clone had parts in the same place. I'd prefer a Fender-shaped headstock, but has that ever affected playablility or sound?

    If I have not been banned, I will give a post-purchase report on it.
    I’ve been intrigued by Rondos in the past. I’ve heard good things, generally. They look to be an excellent platform for tinkering. I’ll be eager to hear your thoughts when it shows up.
    At what point does my 31 year old Strat become “vintage?”

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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    Why would you get banned? There's no policy against talking about, much less buying non-Fender equipment. We're better than that!

    I've never heard of Rondo Music. Let us know how it plays!
    Oh, I was exaggerating. I should have put some emojis or even a J/K at the end.

    Rondo is a distribution company, but I have read that they own one or more of the brand names (SX, Agile, and Bryce) they sell, and then spec them out to the same shops used by many others. The Agile brand seems to be top notch.

    Guitar Center (spit) has a dozen used Agiles on its website. They are mostly LP & LPjr copies, but they run for $200-$500. They also have a $1260 5-string 35" bass.

    Hit the rondomusic.com website & have a look there are some cool guitars there, including ones with fanned frets. There is a note on the site about inventory problems because of the effect of CV19 on world trade & distribution, so some items are sold out.

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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jkbarnes View Post
    I’ve been intrigued by Rondos in the past. I’ve heard good things, generally. They look to be an excellent platform for tinkering. I’ll be eager to hear your thoughts when it shows up.
    A few years ago, I had a short-scale SX Jazz Bass copy. It sounded pretty decent, but replacement pups would have made the sound better. (And some other tinkering, too.)

    I remember the setup on the bass was excellent, which isn't easy to do with a 30" scale.

  15. #15
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    somewhere I have an SX bass neck given to me by a member of another forum. It fit my MJT and Squier neck pockets very nicely. The original mount holes are offset and I haven't drilled it for the traditional rectangular 90° corners yet. It also needs tuners and I don't know what size the holes are. I'll use it for a project of some kind some day. Or give it to somebody who needs a bass neck.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jkbarnes View Post
    I’ve been intrigued by Rondos in the past. I’ve heard good things, generally. They look to be an excellent platform for tinkering. I’ll be eager to hear your thoughts when it shows up.
    I promise to put a review up! I have been having a little buyer's remorse because "what if" I waited & got a Squire or even a real Fender. But that is just for the headstock shape, and I have to remember only playability and tone matter!

    BTW, has anyone ever dropped a 4-way switch into a Tele so that the pups are out of phase? Is it worth trying?

  17. #17
    Forum Member Jkbarnes's Avatar
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    Quote Originally Posted by rfrizz View Post
    I promise to put a review up! I have been having a little buyer's remorse because "what if" I waited & got a Squire or even a real Fender. But that is just for the headstock shape, and I have to remember only playability and tone matter!

    BTW, has anyone ever dropped a 4-way switch into a Tele so that the pups are out of phase? Is it worth trying?
    I’d recommend a four way switch that allowed for both pups in series in addition to parallel over out of phase. I think that’s a far more useful tone.

    Concerning headstock shape, if you bond with the Rondo you could always add a Fender or Squier neck as an upgrade some time down the road. That’s the beauty of a bolt-on!
    At what point does my 31 year old Strat become “vintage?”

  18. #18
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    Re: Which Squier Tele?

    Here are a couple of videos demonstrating the same one I ordered. BTW, the SX currently has a bridge for each string, which is fine by me. I prefer guitars with great intonation (maybe that's just me) and a shared bridge isn't likely to do that. Better than the lightning bolt/zigzag bridges on some LP jrs!


    This is almost 10 years old:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-hDZcPQfQo

    ~6 years ago FF to 5:00 to hear him play the SX:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9nF9fLYx5Y

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