Budget Fender/Squier recommendations....

Kalimna

Greetings folks,

Having recently enjoyed the Gumtree purchase of a stunning 335 Dot Epiphone, I still have a bit more spare cash from an unexpectedly successful PPI claim. I am normally very much a Gibson-ite, but I think it might be time to scratch the Strat/Tele itch.

So, my question is (and sortof on the back of a couple of other recent threads regarding value-for-money), which of the sub-£500 Squiers/Fenders are to be recommended? How do the different models stack up in the hierarchy? I have no issues with 2nd-hand. And quite honestly, the cheaper the better, as I don't mind doing a little fretwork if necessary.

Cheers,

Adam

Xcore

MIM strats come in around 350 and spend the rest on pick ups and a set up. Job jobbed

vale

in my time i have had a squier vm jaguar, a squier jagmaster (25.5" scale c2002, some before and after that run are shorties) and borrowed a tele deluxe for an extended period.
all great guitars. i don;t think you will find better bang for your buck. epis (in my experience of them) are not related to gibsons as closely as the squiers to the fenders. i actually prefer vintage (brand) gibson-a-likes to epis.
anyway, i honestly couldn't fault any of them and only moved them on as my needs and tastes chaged.

i found the jagmaster neck quite stratty, regular c, whereas the tele was tele slimmer. i preferred the slimmer glossy tele neck to the satin jagmaster neck, but only because slim is my preference. if you are a strat person you will get on great with the jagmaster.
fretting on all was perfect (epi fretting not great imo).
squier jaguar pickups were fine though i moved it on as i gave up using single coils. but i kept them in while i had it, no need to sub.
i subbed the jagmaster p90ish pickups for high gainers, so never reall heard the stock ones.
tele deluxe pickups were great too. very spanky and bright in the tele style.

i also had the squier jaguar shortscale bass (ok a bass not a guitar) which had a great neck, slim and satin, looked fab, but i didn't get on with the pickups. again a preference thing, but they were both set close to the bridge (pj style) and i wanted more warm neck tone.
if i see another cheap i may get one and rout out a neck pickup slot, but i needed to flip the squier to buy my hoffy so left it alone.

i've written an ode to squier really but if a company is delivering the goods so well, why not say so.

epi i've never got on with (but i'm not a LP person, so not tried many).
however the epi dots i do like. very full warm clean chimey vibey, with that little semi scoop. think bernard butler 1990s. not played a bad one yet.

happy hunting.

Kalimna

Thanks for the advice, Vale. Sounds like a trawl for Squier VM is the way to go.

The Epi Dot was on the back of trying one out in GuitarGuitar - I was blown away by the amount of guitar for the money. Fretwork honestly not too bad, certainly nothing a quick going over with a fret-rubber wouldn't fix. In fact, having tried a new Gibson 335, I prefer the fretwork on the Epi I picked up.

Either way, if I buy 2nd hand and don't get on with it, I won't have lost much when I sell it on.

Cheers,

Adam

Matt_McG

Classic Vibe Squier’s are tremendous. Also, don’t  overlook the G&L Tribute series which use the same pickups as the US G&Ls and are really nicely made. When I bought mine (7 or 8 years ago) it easily bettered MIM Fenders. It wasn’t even that close. afaik MIMs are better now than, say, 10 years ago.

chrisj1602

Personally with your budget, I'd get a Baja Telecaster or Classic Player 50s Strat, two of the best guitars I've ever owned.

blueskunk

Get a nice season hand USA if you look hard enough and don’t mind some signs of use

If not, if echo the above and go baja or classic player / series 

Good luck. 

skunkwerx

Get one of the old series Made in mexico standards. Still a few floating about new like this from Gear4. 

£439 

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Fender-Standard-Telecaster-MN-Black/9IZ?origin=product-ads&campaign=PLA+Shop+-+GENERIC&adgroup=GENERIC&medium=vertical_search&network=google&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=12347d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=447056381221&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsrXajLuN3QIV77DtCh0Idwp-EAQYASABEgILfvD_BwE

skunkwerx

Guitarguitar has a used mexican tele in white for £399. Could probably get it a touch lower. 

Kalimna

Lots of great suggestions, thanks to all
Having had a quick look, I am really taken by some of the 50's Classic Players ive seen on Gumtree and Reverb. Particularly the pale blue or green strats with maple 'boards. And 'signs of use' certainly arent a problem.
I shall keep a look out for one closer to home.
Cheers,
Adam

HarrySeven

Adam...if you're in no rush and if you can stretch to the £500 max you mentioned, you WILL undoubtedly (with a bit of legwork) be in USA Strat/Tele territory.

You'll also be well in MIM and MIJ range. There are loads of MIM Fenders out there sub-£400.

Flanging_Fred

There are going to be loads of good options but the boring answer really us that you need to have an idea of how you like certain things to be on your guitars.

You'll get loads of recommendations for the classic vibe series Squiers, and with good reason.  I however don't like the ones I have tried, not because they were bad, but because I don't like the glossy necks on them.

I have a early nineties Jap Squier strat with a sublime, chunky neck which is wonderful.  But I'm thinking of moving it on now because I'm coming to the conclusion that I can't get on with the skinny vintage frets. Again, a good guitar, just not quite perfect 'for me'.

And I have a Squier Hello Kitty guitar, which 99% of sane human beings wouldn't touch with a barge pole but it's narrow neck, suits my smallish hands really well, I like the neck finish, the fret size, it's suits my twisted sense of humour, audiences seem to love it and it does  sound good in the context which I play it.  

So the boring answer is that you're going to have to try loads to work out what suits YOU.
 

Funkfingers

Kalimna said:
it might be time to scratch the Strat/Tele itch.

IMO, you need to decide between these two models before actively searching for either. 

The Guitars £ section of this forum is littered with examples of both for sale. (Full disclosure: Some of them are mine.)

Kalimna

Harry - again, very sound advice, thank you. I have no particular desire to own a 'USA' guitar - Mexico/Japan are fine. I am also certainly in no rush, and could probably hit the £500 if needed.

Fred/FunkFingers - The reason I haven't narrowed it down to either Tele or Strat is that I don't really mind. It does mean that options-paralysis hits earlier though. And it's all very well saying that I need to try lots, but living in Central Scotland means options are much less than south of the border  So it's nice to have an idea what to look for to start with, model-wise. The only things I'm really looking for are (probably) a maple 'board and a colour that isn't black or Paisley. A gloss neck, whilst not my preference, is something I could easily rectify to my own tastes later.

Cheers all,

Adam

dbphoto

I have an Squier Tele in Arctic White with maple board you can have for £100 if you are interested Adam?

(3 new quitars in as many weeks means I need to make space!)

Kalimna

Thanks for the offer dbphoto - please see pm.

Adam