Squier Showmaster

thecolourbox

There's a couple available cheaply locally, wondered if anybody has any experience or views on these?

They both seem to be 2004 Korean models, one cheaper without the trem arm and the other has the trem arm.

Are they a decent cheap strat? Perhaps with different pickups as I imagine the ones built in are more suited to the type of music typically played on a superstrat. I think the fretboard radius is flatter than a normal strat?

Internet comments seem typically mixed. What kind of equivalent are they - Bullet, Affinity? Surely not classic vibe level? For reference I currently play a VM Mustang, which although has been fiddled with very well by a certain good fellow of this forum, shows I'm not expecting custom shop levels of instrument just thought it could be a fun little punt even if I end up moving it on in time

Cheers

Funkfingers

MIK Squier Showmaster is blighted by a horrid licensed Floyd Rose double locking vibrato system. Expect any original 2004 example of this hardware to be knackered … in several areas.

In terms of the Squier range, you are looking at the Standard level - be it Korean or Indonesian.

The flatter fingerboard radius is to suit the Floyd Rose vibrato.

I would only buy a Squier Showmaster if it were dirt cheap and in spares/repair/refurbishment/project condition. 

Kittyfrisk

I have a 2002 Showmaster (Indonesian made by Samick), complete with it's original 'horrid' but not knackered Floyd Rose 
All original apart from a nice Wilkinson humbucker in the bridge as the original was very weak.
It is a surprisingly nice guitar for the money so I'd say you could do worse if you fancy a nice cheap modding platform, but the Classic Vibe's are better all round.

Funkfingers

Kittyfrisk said:

It is a surprisingly nice guitar for the money so I'd say you could do worse if you fancy a nice cheap modding platform

Agreed … but … this is precisely the reason why I advise the OP against the Squier Showmaster. By his own admission, guitar modification and set-up are not his forte.

I suspect that something clamp-free would better fit the bill - either a fixed bridge or a simple fulcrum vibrato.

Without knowing the budget, I am tempted to suggest something along the lines of a pre-owned Fender Nashville Power Telecaster or Fret King Black Label Hybrid. Both of these feature piezo bridge saddles for pseudo-acoustic guitar tones.

hollywoodrox

Kittyfrisk said:

I have a 2002 Showmaster (Indonesian made by Samick), complete with it's original 'horrid' but not knackered Floyd Rose 
All original apart from a nice Wilkinson humbucker in the bridge as the original was very weak.
It is a surprisingly nice guitar for the money so I'd say you could do worse if you fancy a nice cheap modding platform, but the Classic Vibe's are better all round.

That’s cool ,I’d have it blocked dive only ,I like double locking guitars 

thecolourbox

Thanks gentlemen. I'm not sure it has a Floyd style trem so maybe I've given duff info on what year it is. Here's a photo of the one with the arm in place

I'm not an expert (and as Funkfingers says I'm useless at modding stuff) but that looks like what I'd expect a normal strat style trem would look like?

I think its an unnecessary whimsy to be honest but thought worth an ask in case they were a fun budget gem of a guitar! 

Funkfingers

The vibrato in the photograph of the blue Squier is a Sung-il product, common to numerous Korean and Indonesian budget electric guitars. It is hamstrung by the unique spacing of its pivot posts. Nothing else matches. You are stuck with soft-as-shit baseplate knife edges and the skinny, tapered, cast zinc sustain block.

Pay no more than car boot sale money.

UHAS

Watch for the trem posts breaking trough the wood, definitely take the back plate off and inspect for cracks before you buy !! 

Funkfingers

thecolourbox said:

as Funkfingers says, I'm useless at modding stuff.

I did not actually say that.  

thecolourbox

Funkfingers said:

thecolourbox said:

as Funkfingers says, I'm useless at modding stuff.

I did not actually say that.  

Sorry, I did paraphrase to suit my own perception there 

Thanks for the words of warning chaps, the GAS leak has been successfully patched up