Squier - an interesting history

[M-Mittlesteadt]

I watched an interesting video on the history of Squier that saved Fender. Kind of a twist in that Squier was a string manufacturer Fender purchased and Fender was trying to compete with Fender knock-offs world-wide. There is also a Squier Wiki.

Over the last 45 years, I've owned a lot of Fender and Squier Precisions and Jazzes (made in many different places).

To be honest with you, over the past 10- 20 years, with vast improvements to CNC machining, I actually prefer "Squier" and proudly play and show them off as such. The price point only means I saved a ton of money I can spend elsewhere. I've always setup/modded my own basses (no matter what brand or price) and I've never really needed to replace any hardware or electronics on my Squiers. I've owned both Squiers and Fenders alike of varying quality.

This is my current Squier. It's a P/J, but I prefer the Precision body over the Jazz body (which reminds me of a Salvador Dali clock melting ). I also prefer the P-Bass pickups more but appreciate the added Jazz bridge pickup for some added tonal versatility.
The only mods were strictly visual. Everything else is stock and it's fantastic in feel, tone, playability and quality.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I watched an interesting video on the history of Squier that saved Fender. Kind of a twist in that Squier was a string manufacturer Fender purchased and Fender was trying to compete with Fender knock-offs world-wide. There is also a Squier Wiki.

Can you post the Squier History vid, please?

Over the last 45 years, I've owned a lot of Fender and Squier Precisions and Jazzes (made in many different places).

To be honest with you, over the past 10- 20 years, with vast improvements to CNC machining, I actually prefer "Squier" and proudly play and show them off as such. The price point only means I saved a ton of money I can spend elsewhere. I've always setup/modded my own basses (no matter what brand or price) and I've never really needed to replace any hardware or electronics on my Squiers. I've owned both Squiers and Fenders alike of varying quality.

I took the plunge into the Low End back in 2011, so it sounds like I got into the scene, an well as using my tinkering as my current form of "artistic expression", at just the right time. Now, approximately half of the basses I've ever assembled have used either Squier necks, bodies or both.

This is my current Squier. It's a P/J, but I prefer the Precision body over the Jazz body (which reminds me of a Salvador Dali clock melting ).

Two thoughts...probably best summed up as "" and "".

I also prefer the P-Bass pickups more but appreciate the added Jazz bridge pickup for some added tonal versatility.
The only mods were strictly visual. Everything else is stock and it's fantastic in feel, tone, playability and quality.

So...blue! So...pretty!!

 

[Yahboy]

What I knew are 2008-2018 china made high quality Squier Classic Vibe line make huge profit to FMIC, especially the strat and tele products. Compensate the sales drop on both Mexico std and classic line.

 

[BadMonk]

I agree with you about Squiers and PJs. Squiers have come a long way. One of the last Squiers that I got is a L E Sonic Bronco. I heard some ugly stories about Broncos but for the price, what they hey. Turns out it is a sweet bass with a little setup and fixing up some fret sprout; not a big deal. For fun, I added a Bill Wilde pickup and it sings.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

Can you post the Squier History?

I'll see if I can find it again. I came across it on another Social media platform, so I didn't have a direct link to it at the time.

 

[srosenthal13]

Might not be the same one the OP watched, but it's good. I like Five Watt's short history series.

 

[ghostdog93]

As a self-confessed cheapskate, I've always had "low-end" basses. In the last 20+ years, I've bought, modded, traded and sold probably 2 dozen Squiers.

I've had a few nicer, more expensive basses over the years, but I still play my VM Mustang on the daily.

 

[PennyroyalWe]

I’ve been a fan of Squier for 15 or so years. Easily have played the most gigs on squiers (my telebass in my avatar, probably has the most gigs amongst my squiers).

Theres also a Squier forum: Squier-Talk Forum

Here are the ones I have currently (minus the black CV70s p, which I sold last week)

 

[klattman]

Squier paranormal series has been fun and you get quality and quirky designs.

 

[srosenthal13]

Squier paranormal series has been fun and you get quality and quirky designs.

View attachment 7257431

Sweetwater has the Sherwood Green Rascals on sale for $350. I couldn't resist and just ordered one.

 

[srosenthal13]

I love the Squier Jags. Great medium scale platform that you can mod the heck out of.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Begging the forgiveness of anyone who's already heard the story, but I just remembered a "one that got away" tale that interpolates Squier, the O.G. Classic Vibe series and, of all things, Best Buy!

Back in the spring of 2013¹, Best Buy started liquidating their Music Instruments Departments and associated gear. Having worked for the company ten years earlier, I knew how to look up the SKU numbers and find out which stores within a reasonable driving distance had them. I found out one particular store only an hour away, the Princeton, NJ store, should have a Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jazz on-sale.

Well, since I'd just gotten my tax return, who was I to resist?!

I took a relaxing, Saturday afternoon drive, went in and looked around...but it was nowhere to be found. Next step was to ask a Customer Service Rep if their computer showed it was still in stock. Sure enough, it said there was still one in the store.

Now, having worked several retail-style jobs over the years, I always cringe a bit when I hear someone ask, "Could you look in the back?". There are a lot of stores that do not keep stock "in the back", but the department I worked for a decade earlier was the Inventory Department. I knew there was a small warehouse attached to the rear of the store! So, I mentioned this fact and asked anyway, despite my normal reservations.

Less than ten minutes later, they brought out a still-factory-sealed Squier shipping box! It turns out, it had gotten pushed behind some other boxes and had lurked there for literally years, something that I'd seen happen with my own eyes with other odd bits of stock. Armed with a pristine box, I asked the guy working the M.I. department if I could unbox it and give it a look-see. He said sure, I did and fifteen minutes later, I was on the road with a mint/NOS CV '60s Jazz in the backseat.

I'll wrap up this long-winded tale with this afterword;

1. Holy crap, this Jazz bass looked, felt and sounded amazing!
2. Only a complete idiot would've traded it for another bass!
3. Guess who that complete idiot was!

¹: It was far back enough I had to look up the year!

 

[tallulahsdaddy]

My trio of oddball Squiers - all different scale lengths and number of strings.

Top to bottom

Vintage Modified Telecaster Bass, 4 string 32" scale, 2013 Indonesia, strung with D'Addario Chromes.
Dimension Deluxe V, 5 string 34" scale, 2015 Indonesia, strung with D'Addario Pro Steels.
Classic Vibe Bass VI, 6 string 30" scale, 2024 Indonesia, sadly still has factory strings. Looking forward to getting it set up!

I came up during the time decades ago when Squiers were scorned, they've definitely come into their own and I love the variety.

 

[DuluthDank]

Oddly enough, to me the best Squiers ever made were the original Japanese ones from the early to mid 80s, and the Indonesian made 40th anniversary ones from a couple years ago. That's a nice 40 year gap. I haven't been too keen on the Chinese ones I've tried, but to each their own.

 

[Dlew919]

My avatar has one of my three squiers. It’s a great bass, and people who tell me squiers are bad get laughed at with contempt. My other two are a telecaster and a Stratocaster

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

Might not be the same one the OP watched, but it's good. I like Five Watt's short history series.

Yes, that's the one I watched. Thanks for sharing.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

Here's another Squier I owned...

 

[Ostie]

My CV is Sonic blue with the vintage neck. A bargain at $200.

 

[WG Plum]

I’m very happy with my Squier P bass with Jazz-width neck.

The fret ends could use some filing but they’re not bad enough that I’ve done anything about it yet.

 

[J Wilson]

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