Squier Silver Series Japanese Strat, or early Mexican Fender Strat?

Stuckfast

What are the important differences? Any preferences?

I seem to have accidentally acquired one of each and they seem surprisingly similar so far. Only just got the Squier though, so maybe there are hidden differences I haven't found yet?

danishbacon

The necks on the japanese squiers tend to be very nice. Not sure how they compare to an early mexican. Pickups are not the best but passable. Tent to be on the lighter end of scale and very well made. I have one which I've put considerable ££ into as it's a very good instrument.

impmann

The early Mexican stuff was nowhere near as good as the stuff available today. I remember sending a whole shipment back to Arbiter (old Fender distributor) for all sorts of faults - mainly constructional ones. I've also since encountered a few that were incredibly 'meh' and put me off Mexican guitars until very recently. The recent stuff is right up there with the US output IMHO, but the early stuff... not so.

The Silver Series Strats are wonderful - my main Strat is a 92 Silver Series in Seafoam Green. The original pickups were shocking, however, and are confined to the landfill of history. It now has a set of Mojo pickups and the only other replacement is the bridge block - because the thread on the arm went really 'baggy' after years of use and abuse. I took it with me when I visited Coda to buy a Custom Shop Strat as a 'datum'... I didn't buy a CS. That wasn't because the CS guitars were in any way 'bad', its just they weren't significantly better sounding or playing than my old Jap Squier (to my ears and hands).

YMMV

Funkfingers

+1 for Squier Silver Series guitars and basses. 

+ve Precise woodworking. Nicely finished frets. Nice neck profiles. (Horrid bridge saddles on Tele.)

-ve Dogbreath selector switches. Weak pickups. (P Bass unit is okay.)

If you can live with "Salmon Pink" poly and Fifties cosmetics, the Hank Marvin signature model has a fantastic soft vee neck profile.

danishbacon

impmann said:

The Silver Series Strats are wonderful - my main Strat is a 92 Silver Series in Seafoam Green. The original pickups were shocking, however, and are confined to the landfill of history. It now has a set of Mojo pickups and the only other replacement is the bridge block - because the thread on the arm went really 'baggy' after years of use and abuse. I took it with me when I visited Coda to buy a Custom Shop Strat as a 'datum'... I didn't buy a CS. That wasn't because the CS guitars were in any way 'bad', its just they weren't significantly better sounding or playing than my old Jap Squier (to my ears and hands).

YMMV

My experience was very similar. When I took it to Jeff Beer at Zero One guitars along with my strat plus at the time he was quite enthused about the Squier - the higher end guitar was 'written off' and a lot was said about the Squier - after playing a lot with it, I came to agree and ended up selling all other guitars except the Squier. The only other guitar in my posession now is a Telecaster made by Jeff, in part because of how close it is to the Squier in terms on playability and in part because of how different it sounds. His honest take on putting almost twice the Squier's market 'value' into it in new pots, wiring, jack and handwound pickups was "money well spent". Out of about 10 or so strats I've owned, up and down the value scale, the Silver series Squier is the best - mine is a 1991 in white. A good setup, good frets and good pickups goes without saying, but the consensus seems to be that these are very good value guitars.

You may have already come across this: https://planetbotch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/original-1992-squier-silver-series-stratocaster.html

Bennyboy-UK

My first 'proper' guitar was a SIlver Series Strat (Sunburst and Rosewood fingerboard, that my Dad picked out of a delivery with Stu at Music City in Worcester - they've known each other for years and years. 

I loved that guitar, and often think about getting another one and upgrading the bits - like the aforementioned pickups.

Coverdale

I have a Squier Silver Series, and a Mexican Floyd Rose Strat from 95. I almost forget about the Mex, and the Squier is my go-to guitar that's always outside the case. The neck on the Silver Series is really great like it was mentioned before. I don't mind the pickups because they do give a different sound, if it was my only Strat I would probably change them.

clarkefan

That link about the history of Squier is wrong in at least one respect.  I bought my Japanese solid body Strat in 1989, I remember it being new in stock cos I was in that shop in Denmark St weekly at the time, and left handers of any make were very noticeable, there was so few of them anywhere in those days.

Stuckfast

Well, I've just taken the Squier home and re-strung it. No nasty surprises so far except that the nut isn't glued into its slot. So far it hasn't struck me as being noticeably better than the Mex Strat -- if anything I prefer the neck on the latter. They're both maple but the Mex one seems a bit smoother. Neither of them is as nice as my partscaster.

Mental note: must get rid of some Strats.

impmann

Each to their own I guess.

FWIW mine is Rosewood - and it's like an old pair of shoes to me.

Flanging_Fred

Ack, I keep running through the dilemma of upgrading my Squier strat, which I think is one of the silver series ones (but without the Silver series logo) .

By the time I get it's worn tiny vintage frets replaced, upgraded the pickups, electrics and trem block, I could have just bought a s/h classic player strat. The trouble is I tried a few modern MIM strats but still prefer the neck on the Squier.

Seems a bit weird to spend so much cash on a guitar that was pretty cheap. 

Funkfingers

Flanging_Fred said:

Squier strat, which I think is one of the silver series ones (but without the Silver series logo) .

The Squier Silver Series was a conscious attempt to renew faith in the brand. Quality had been allowed to drop to maintain a price point. In the late Eighties, Yamaha launched the Pacifica 112 in a plain but honest clear natural finish. Their advertisement of the period pitched the demonstrably solid Yamaha product against its laminate Korean Squier rival. 

If your Squier instrument does not have the Silver Series decal on the headstock, it is either left-handed, the Hank Marvin signature model or it is not a Silver Series example.

Flanging_Fred

Funkfingers said:

Flanging_Fred said:

Squier strat, which I think is one of the silver series ones (but without the Silver series logo) .

The Squier Silver Series was a conscious attempt to renew faith in the brand. Quality had been allowed to drop to maintain a price point. In the late Eighties, Yamaha launched the Pacifica 112 in a plain but honest clear natural finish. Their advertisement of the period pitched the demonstrably solid Yamaha product against its laminate Korean Squier rival. 

If your Squier instrument does not have the Silver Series decal on the headstock, it is either left-handed, the Hank Marvin signature model or it is not a Silver Series example.

I disagree.

If you read Tony Bacon's Squier book and read around on the internet, the evidence suggests that production restarted in Japan with the Hank Marvin model, then for a few months between late 1991 and mid 1992, the Japanese Squiers shipped without the Silver Series logo.  The serial number on my guitar puts it slap bang in that early 1992 period when the first shipment sets were sent to the UK distributor.

Kalimna

I still have the Guitarist edition with the Silver Series review in it. I don't recall too much info in it, but when I get home, I'll search it out.

Adam

impmann

Funkfingers said:

Flanging_Fred said:

Squier strat, which I think is one of the silver series ones (but without the Silver series logo) .

The Squier Silver Series was a conscious attempt to renew faith in the brand. Quality had been allowed to drop to maintain a price point. In the late Eighties, Yamaha launched the Pacifica 112 in a plain but honest clear natural finish. Their advertisement of the period pitched the demonstrably solid Yamaha product against its laminate Korean Squier rival. 

If your Squier instrument does not have the Silver Series decal on the headstock, it is either left-handed, the Hank Marvin signature model or it is not a Silver Series example.

WRONG!

The first Silver Series Strats and Teles (from 1991/92) were marketed as being "Silver Series" (due to the Silver logo on the headstock) - I still have the issue of Making Music in the loft somewhere with the review of the guitars from the tail end of 1991, where the name is used not only in the text but in the captions as well and yet none of the guitars pictured had the 'Silver Series' logo on the headstock.

I bought my Silver Series Strat (on behalf of my mother - it was my 21st birthday present) on February 6th 1992 from a small music shop on Darkes Lane, Potters Bar for £199. I had become obsessed with them after reading that review and researched every last nuance about them at the time. It did not have any "Silver Series" logo on the headstock - nor did the Tele I bought three years ago, with a very similar serial number. I can up pictures if it helps.

In about 1993/4 there was a Japanese made Squier that wasn't a Silver Series - this had cheap machine heads (not the Gotohs of the Silver Series) and most I've seen were a mid blue colour. These are often passed off as being SS but were not.

For info: the later models (with "silver series" on the headstock) didn't feature the fabulous Seafoam Green colour on the Strats. This colour was deleted fairly early on, sadly.

Kalimna

If I remember correctly, the guitarist review has the Seafoam Green colour. Very nice.

impmann

Kalimna said:

If I remember correctly, the guitarist review has the Seafoam Green colour. Very nice.

Yes it does.

I think that was the clincher for me - it had to be Seafoam Green. :-)

Funkfingers

impmann said:
WRONG!

There we are then.

No need to shout. 

impmann

Funkfingers said:

impmann said:
WRONG!

There we are then.

No need to shout. 

Sorry... no offence meant.

Its a pet peeve of mine and a specialist anorak subject!! :-)

clarkefan

You've all piqued my curiosity,  I'll have to check the serial no of mine later

clarkefan

Well that's a bit weird, its serial no begins with E meaning 84-87 if the websites I found are right.  

I remember it clearly, two lefties appeared in Rokas Denmark St, a black one and a white one, 1989, I bought the black one immediately.