Choosing the Best Squier Buying Guide

A Brief History of Squier

Ever since Leo first introduced the Esquire in 1950, Fender have been at the forefront of guitar innovation. Guitars and basses like the Strat, Tele, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Precision, and Jazz are just as popular today as they were when they were first released, if not more so. Fender are constantly tweaking and modifying their designs to keep up to date with players’ needs, and vintage-spec models are also available for those that want to keep it old-school.

Until around the early '90s, all Fender guitars were made in America. But guitars like the Stratocaster and the Telecaster were expensive to manufacture, so in the late-'70s, Fender introduced some slightly cheaper models that borrowed elements from different guitars called the Fender Lead series.

Around this time, Japanese companies were also starting to make their own copies of Fender’s most popular designs. And, due to labor costs being much cheaper in Japan than they were in America, those copies could be sold for even less. Not wanting to miss out on this opportunity, Fender moved some of its production over to Japan and this is where Squier came in.

Squier had been a company since the end of the 19th century and, among other things, produced strings for musical instruments. Leo Fender had been using Squier strings for his guitars and just before the CBS takeover, in 1965, Fender acquired Squier. With Fender now being able to manufacture instruments in Japan at a lower cost, they used the Squier name to produce cheaper versions of their classic models and pass that savings on to their customers. At first, they distributed them throughout Japan, but it didn’t take long for the demand to appear in the UK and the US.

Squier Today

The idea behind Squier was to make good quality, lower-cost versions of the popular Fender models—essentially official or authorized "copies." Whilst the production of Squier guitars and basses has moved away from Japan (mainly to China and Indonesia now), that is still very much the idea today. Squier makes a wide variety of Strats, Teles, P and Jazz basses, amongst many other models—there are even some exclusive Squier guitars.

Squiers are great for beginners—they give you the essence of all those classic Fender guitars and basses, but you only have to spend a fraction of the cost. But it isn’t just beginners that are using Squiers; you’ll occasionally see them on some of the biggest stages around the world.

If you’re a gigging guitarist, you may need a backup for your main guitar and, if that’s Strat or a Tele, getting a Squier is a great option. There are a lot of Squiers on the market, which is why we’ve put together this guide to try and help you find the best Squier guitars and basses.

Original Japanese Squier Strats from the '80s can be quite sought-after. There’s a lot of variation in the quality depending on when and where it was built, but some of the old Japanese-built, vintage-spec’d Strats can rival their American counterparts.

When Squier first started making guitars for Fender, they based the designs on classic pre-CBS models, mainly from 1957 and 1962. These models also carried serial numbers starting with JV (Japanese Vintage). These very first JV Strats made for the Japanese market actually had the Fender logo on the headstock and featured American-made pickups. Later, as they began exporting, they moved to the Squier logo and stopped using US-pickups (they kept the JV serial number though). Whilst quality and specs can vary between individual examples, Japanese '80s Squiers tend to be quite sought-after.

In the latter half of the 1980s, the production of Squier guitars was moved to Korea to bring costs down. Again, whilst models tend to vary on an individual level, it’s generally considered that these weren’t quite as good as the MIJ guitars, due to cheaper materials being used. However, they're still relatively sought-after.

The Squier Classic Vibe range has been around for a while but has recently had a refresh. True to its name, the series gives you the vibe of classic Fender eras, so you can get guitars and basses with specs that match those of the hallowed Fender models.

The build quality and the sound of these instruments is very good. You won’t get as much definition out of the pickups as the more expensive Fender models, but you wouldn’t expect to. They give you some of the mojo associated with vintage Fenders that would cost considerably more, with a few modern tweaks to make them a little more accessible to beginners.

If you’re a Hank Marvin fan, then the '50s Strat in Fiesta Red gives you the right look and a similar tone to his. You can do the whole John Frusciante thing with either the '60s Strat or the '60s Tele Custom, or you can recreate some of that classic Carol Kaye bass magic with the '60s P-Bass.

The Classic Vibes offer period-correct finishes and aesthetics, and really does a great job of providing players a vintage-spec’d guitar for not a lot of money. If you’ve always wanted a '50s, '60s, or '70s Fender, but you’re on a budget, the Squier Classic Vibe series is a great way to go.

There’s quite a range of artists that have had their name placed proudly by the Squier logo, from Slipknot guitarist Jim Root to session whiz Eva Gardner. Some of these are cheaper versions of their existing Fender models, whereas others are direct replicas of what the pros play on stage.

The Squier Jim Root Telecaster gives players a really cool take on a classic guitar. It’s fitted with two high-output passive humbuckers (designed to look like the EMGs fitted in his signature Fender Tele), a single volume knob, and a unique black/white matte finish. They’re not easy to come by now, but they’re great guitars.

The Squier Simon Neil Strat is another take on a classic instrument. It’s based quite closely on the Biffy Clyro frontman’s own Custom Shop '60s Strat and features different strength magnets in the pickups to offer a variety of clean and distorted tones. It’s a great guitar and it comes in at a fraction of the price of what it was based on.

The Squier Vintage Modified series was discontinued a few years ago, but its aim was to provide some vintage-style guitars with modern features, as well as to replicate some common modifications that players would perform on their old Fenders. You’ll find things like hotter pickups, thinner neck profiles and different pickup configurations.

The Squier Vintage Modified Surf Strat is a really cool take on a '60s Fender. Fitted with a trio of Duncan Designed lipstick pickups, it’s an absolute dream for anyone seeking that retro surf sound, ready to be drenched in reverb. Plus, it comes in some beautiful '60s-style finishes.

Some of the most revered guitars from the Vintage Modified range are the Jazzmasters. The Vintage Modified Jazzmaster Deluxe has a set of great-sounding pickups, alongside the traditional pickup and circuit-switching, plus it’s got the '50s-esque anodized scratchplate. The Modern C neck profile however, makes it a little more comfortable for a wider range of players. The other Jazzmaster is the Baritone, which is worthy of a section of its own…

In recent years, Squier baritone models have become somewhat of an anomaly. They’re often very sought-after and can fetch some pretty high prices. A baritone guitar has a slightly longer scale length and is usually tuned B to B, which makes them great for metal, as well as anything else that requires a lower tuning.

The Vintage Modified Jazzmaster was available in 2014 in the incredible Antigua Burst finish for a fairly short period. Squier then reintroduced it in an all-black finish in 2017. Neither models held the allure that they seem to have today, however, there have been a number of professional musicians seen playing them.

The Antigua Burst Baritone Jazzmaster has been played by UK metal band Loathe, as well as the guitarist for former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher on their track "The River." Being used on the main stage at Glastonbury in front of tens of thousands of people is one way of upping the profile of a lesser-known guitar.

More recently, Squier released the Baritone Cabronita Telecaster as part of their Paranormal range. This sports a pair of Fender-designed alnico soapbar single-coil pickups and a 27-inch scale. Whilst these models aren’t quite reaching the same dizzy heights price-wise as their offset counterparts, it’s likely that they could start going that way in the near future

The Squier Bullet guitars offer great value for money. They’re aimed at beginners and they’re one of the lowest-priced models on offer. If you’re just starting out, then a Squier Bullet Strat or Bullet Tele will act as a solid, trustworthy starter guitar. Some guitars around this price point are almost like toys, whereas these are reliable instruments.

Those who have been playing a little while may want to source something better. But for those just starting out, or for perhaps someone that wants to dip their toes in the world of single-coils for the first time, then the Squier Bullets are a great introduction to what Fender has to offer.

Here you’ll see the classic models adorned with more modern features. The Squier Contemporary series is based on the Japanese line that brought about many of the Superstrats in the '80s. Many models feature hotter or active pickups which make them great for metal.

Some of the models, like the Squier Contemporary Active HH Strat even have locking tremolo systems—again, ideal for heavy rock and metal (did someone say divebombs?).

The Squier Contemporary series provides a really cool take on the classic models and provides those with a smaller budget the chance to grab some modern, high-performance features usually found on more expensive guitars. You’ll also find some really neat guitars with unique pickup configurations, like the Squier Contemporary Strat Special HT, as well as some beautiful and standout finishes.