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There’s no denying the brilliance of Fender guitars, but for many musicians, their high price tags make them inaccessible. Even second-hand Fender guitars sell for a considerable amount.
Thankfully, by choosing a Squier guitar, you can enjoy all of the iconic qualities of Fender guitars at a more affordable cost.
Our top pick is the Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Telecaster, which is based on Leo Fender’s early solid-body design. This guitar rivals high-end Telecasters in terms of its tone and playability.
Acquiring one of the best Squier guitars will take your playing to the next level by playing legendary Fender models for less money. Let’s check out our recommendations!
Quick Summary of the Best Squier Guitars
- Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster (Best Overall)
- Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster (Best for Playability)
- Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster (Best Budget Option)
- Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster (Best Semi Hollow Guitar)
- Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jazzmaster (Most Versatile Option)
- Squier Classic Vibe '60s Telecaster Thinline (Best Squier Guitar for Lead Playing)
Best Squier Guitars
1. Best Overall – Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
SPECS
- Body Material: Pine
- Neck Material: Maple
- Pickups: 2 x Fender Designed Alnico Single-coil
- Neck Profile: C
The Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Telecaster is our top recommendation. This guitar looks, feels, and sounds like a vintage Tele - arguably the most iconic solid-body axe ever created.
This guitar combines period-correct aspects with modern improvements, ensuring it stays true to the early Telecaster models inspired by. Thanks to the pine body, it’s a very mobile instrument, making it great for moving freely onstage.
If you’re looking for the classic Tele “twang,” using the bridge pickup will give you that warm tone perfect for country, rock n’ roll, and blues.
Alternatively, I like to switch the pickup selector to the neck position when playing rung-out chords, as it has a more resonant sound.
The feel and playability of this guitar come impressively close to the more expensive Fender models. The only real difference is the choice of tonewoods.
Pine has been selected as an affordable alternative to alder, but high-quality maple is used for the neck and fingerboard.
The two single-coil pickups are designed by Fender, and they sound excellent for the price. Also, the comfortable “C” neck shape and twenty-one narrow-tall frets mean you can easily shred on this guitar!
2. Best for Playability – Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster
SPECS
- Body Material: Poplar
- Neck Material: Maple
- Pickups: 3 x Fender Alnico Single-coil
- Neck Profile: C
With its trio of Fender-made single-coil pickups and a 5-way selector switch, the Squier Classic Vibe 70s Stratocaster produces the versatile array of tones this iconic instrument is renowned for.
The Classic Vibe series is hugely popular, as it allows musicians to access the qualities of Fender’s finest vintage guitars and basses without spending much money.
Squier models have improved dramatically in recent years, and this Classic Vibe 70s Strat is a prime example.
When soloing, you can easily slide into the upper registers of the Indian laurel fretboard thanks to the cutaway design of the poplar body. The “C” neck shape promotes fast playing and accuracy with your fretting hand.
One of the things I enjoy the most when playing Squier Classic Vibe 70s Stratocaster is how easy it is to perform pitch-related techniques like dives and bends. This is due to the vintage-style tremolo bridge, making it ideal for those who like to play with lots of expression and emotion.
3. Best Budget Option – Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster
SPECS
- Body Material: Poplar
- Neck Material: Maple
- Pickups: 2 x Ceramic Single-Coils, 1x Ceramic Humbucker
- Neck Profile: C
This Squier Affinity Series represents a middle ground between the manufacturer’s lowest-priced beginner guitars, such as the Squier Bullet Stratocaster, and the best Squier guitars, like those in the Classic Vibe series.
Squier Strats from the Affinity range look almost identical to Fender-made counterparts, so if aesthetics are important to you, I’d recommend considering this guitar. Like the Classic Vibe guitars, it benefits from a lightweight, resonant poplar body.
In terms of its tone and dynamics, I was highly impressed by this affordable guitar. It produces a jangly sound in the upper mids, with enough clarity in the bass to be used for heavy rock or metal.
With its HSS pickup configuration, you get the creamy tone of a humbucker in the bridge position, which complements the brighter, sharper-sounding pair of single coils for the middle and neck pickup.
This Strat blends aspects of a modern and vintage Fender guitar and is very well suited to those who are on a tight budget but still need the versatility required to play across various styles.
4. Best Semi Hollow Guitar – Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster
SPECS
- Body Material: Maple with Alder Center Block
- Neck Material: Maple
- Pickups: 2 x Fender Wide Range Humbuckers
- Neck Profile: C
As one of the brand’s most popular guitars, the Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster is based on the stunning semi-hollow-body instrument popularized in the 1970s.
Its design closely resembles the vintage original made by Fender, but it benefits from some state-of-the-art enhancements,
This is arguably the best Squier electric guitar for rhythm guitarists, as it produces a full-bodied, resonant tone that is tailor-made for playing chords.
I like that the pronounced sound of the lows, resulting from the maple body, allows me to play rock n’ roll riffs with clarity and punctuation.
The Wide Range humbucking pickups merge effortlessly with overdrive, either from your pedals or from a tube amp.
Vintage style tuners and a maple neck ensure tuning stability, and an anchored tailpiece joins the Adusto-matic bridge to preserve intonation.
If you like to play long-lasting notes or chords, adding an alder block that runs through the body's center will extract every last ounce of sustain from the strings.
5. Most Versatile Option – Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jazzmaster
SPECS
- Body Material: Poplar
- Neck Material: Maple
- Pickups: 2 x Fender Alnico Single-coil
- Neck Profile: C
If you’re looking for an alternative to the Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars, the Squier Classic Vibe 60s Jazzmaster is an excellent option. When I first encountered this guitar, I was amazed at how much it looked like a vintage Fender model.
The Jazzmaster is most commonly associated with surf rock guitar, but this Squier can is far from one-dimensional. The pair of Fender Alnico single coil pickups deliver a warm, expressive tone that suits any sub-genre of rock music,
This guitar's broad range of tones makes it an excellent tool when recording guitar parts. This type of guitar can help you be more creative and experimental, positively impacting the composition process.
The signature dual-circuit switching Fender installs on all Jazzmasters includes a volume and tone knob, allowing for even more tonal and dynamic customization.
Overall, this great guitar is more versatile than most Squier models, but adding a lead and rhythm circuit makes it slightly more complicated to use.
6. Best Squier Guitar for Lead Playing – Squier Classic Vibe '60s Telecaster Thinline
SPECS
- Body Material: Nato
- Neck Material: Maple
- Pickups: 2 x Fender Designed Alnico Single-coil
- Neck Profile: C
With its instantly recognizable design, this Thinline Telecaster is ideal for guitarists who love rock n’ roll. Based on the Fender model that hugely impacted popular music in the 1960s, this vintage-style axe sounds as good as it looks!
Other than its stunning aesthetics, we were impressed by the warm, twangy tone; this Telecaster produces, particularly through a tube amp. Add a little overdrive from a stompbox, and you’ll be taken back to the golden era of rock music in an instant.
The nato body has a single F-hole carved out of it, increasing the resonance and brightness, particularly when playing in the upper registers of the maple neck and fingerboard.
Compared to most vintage Telecasters, this model has over two inches of additional fingerboard radius. If you like to use a lot of bends when playing lead parts, it is easier to be accurate and perform advanced techniques.
Best Squier Guitars Buyer's Guide
Since the early 1980s, Squier has been established as a sibling brand for Fender to release more affordable versions of their popular instruments.
The main difference between a Fender guitar and a Squier one is that the former uses more affordable materials and components to keep costs down. Other than that, the designs are pretty much identical.
Squier versions of Fender electric guitars include all of the most popular models, including the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, and Starcaster. They’re excellent guitars for beginners or experienced guitarists on a budget.
In this buyer’s guide, we’ll discuss all of the important information on Squier guitars. We’ll look at the different series and models that Squier produces, the commonly used pickups and other components, and more.
Things to Look for When Buying a Squier Guitar
1. Tone: Although the tone of a Squier instrument is somewhat subjective, different models will produce varying sounds due to their design.
For example, a Squier Telecaster will produce a twangy sound that is great for country music and rock n’ roll, while a semi-hollow body like the Starcaster will offer more resonance and sustain.
2. Playability: Squier guitars are generally very comfortable to play, using the same physical designs and dimensions as Fender models. However, the playability depends on your preferences, so it’s worth considering the neck shapes, body types, and fret sizes to make sure they suit your requirements.
3. Build Quality and Components: These guitars' build quality and components vary depending on the series. For example, the “Classic Vibe” series guitars use significantly higher quality bridges, tailpieces, tuners, and wood materials compared to more affordable options like the Affinity series.
4. Pickups and Electronics: The pickups installed on a Squier electric guitar significantly impact its tone and dynamics. Fender-designed single coil and humbucker pickups are often installed on the guitars in varying configurations.
Humbuckers are preferred for thicker, creamy tones, while single coils generally produce a hotter tone.
The Squier Range
When shopping for a Squier axe, it’s important to be aware of the different series' that the manufacturer offers. Each series caters to the specific needs of a guitarist and, importantly, their budgets.
Entry-level Squier guitars are suitable for new guitarists who want to develop their skills on an affordable instrument. The Affinity Series Stratocaster we covered earlier in this guide is an example of a budget Squier that is ideal for beginners or younger guitarists.
Alternatively, the Classic Vibe series is considerably more expensive than Squier’s entry-level instruments, but these guitars are made with much better materials. The pickups installed in them are Fender-made, and the wood used for the body, neck, and fingerboard is of a higher quality.
Each series features several guitars, all of which have varying designs. Therefore, it’s important to look at the individual specs and designs. Just because two guitars are in the Classic Vibe series, for example, doesn’t mean they’re equally as good.
The Importance of Pickups
On the surface, many Squier guitars look similar. Aesthetically, it’s often difficult to tell them apart from guitars in other series or Fender models, but one thing that differentiates them is the choice of pickups.
Squier guitars almost always use the same pickup configuration as the Fender models they’re inspired by. For example, the Affinity Stratocaster has three pickups - two single coils and one humbucker. Adding a middle pickup means there are five positions on the selector switch rather than three.
On the other hand, the Jazzmaster has two single-coil pickups, but it has a lead/rhythm switch on the body's upper horn. Only the neck pickup is active when the rhythm position is selected, but both pickups can be used when the lead position is selected.
Along with the configuration of the pickups, it’s also important to be aware of the individual models and how they impact tone. The best pickups installed on Squier guitars are the Fender Alnico range, but cheaper models have lesser-quality humbuckers or single coils.
It’s possible to swap out the pickups that come with a Squier for other options in the future, providing they’re of the same variety and size, so there is some flexibility in this area.
Materials and Tonewoods
In order to keep the cost of Squier guitars affordable, they are designed using alternative materials to their more expensive Fender equivalents.
For example, one of the most common tonewoods used for the body of Squier guitars is poplar, rather than alder, which is used predominantly for Fender bodies. Poplar shares some of the characteristics with alder but is slightly softer.
Poplar is also very lightweight, making it a good choice for Squier’s solid-body guitars like their range of Strats and Teles, which are designed to be comfortable even when played for long periods.
A maple neck is a common feature of Squier guitars, and it’s also used for many Fender necks, so there’s not much difference in quality for this component.
On the higher-end Squier guitars like the Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster, Indian laurel is the preferred choice for the fingerboard. This material is cheaper than rosewood but still provides a smooth, responsive feel and snappy tone.
Hardware and Components
The hardware that is installed on Squier guitars affects everything from the tuning stability to the appearance. Some of the most important components to look out for are the bridge, the tuning machines, and the controls.
The bridges used on Squier models often resemble those used on Fender electric guitars. For example, Telecasters have fixed bridges, which are renowned for holding tuning more effectively, while Stratocasters are likely to have tremolo bridges which facilitate vibrato effects.
Higher-end Squier models are more likely to have better-quality tuning machines. This results in the tuning stability being improved. Vintage style tuners are commonly used on guitars based on models from the 50s, 60s, or 70s to ensure that they look authentic.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are there significant differences between the various Squier series?
Squier manufactures four main series of electric guitars: Bullet, Affinity, Contemporary, and Classic Vibe. Although many of the same models are included in each series, there are significant differences in the materials used, hardware, pickups, and build quality of the instruments.
For example, the Classic Vibe series offers much higher quality guitars than the Affinity or Bullet series. Superior wood types are chosen for the body, neck, and fingerboard, and components such as the bridge and tuning machines are of a higher quality.
Nevertheless, it’s always a good idea to check the individual specs of Squier guitars, as there are differences between the models within each series.
What is the typical lifespan of a Squier electric guitar?
Although Squier guitars probably won’t last as long as a high-end Fender instrument, they should last for many years, if not decades, with regular care and maintenance. Individual guitar parts can always be upgraded or repaired after a while if needed.
Squier guitars are affordable and therefore made with cheaper materials. However, their build quality is very impressive considering the price, as they follow many of the manufacturing processes and methods used by their owner, Fender.
The longevity of any guitar or instrument is largely dependent on how well you look after it, how it is stored, and what it is used for.
Can a Squier guitar be upgraded?
There are many aspects of a Squier instrument that you can upgrade. These include the pickups, bridge, tuning machines, tone and volume pots, and of course, the strings. Many guitarists choose to customize their Squier by swapping out some of these parts.
When it comes to changing the pickups, you must ensure that the new set is compatible with the guitar. They’ll need to be the same size as the previous set so that they can be embedded into the body beneath the strings.
While upgrading and customizing a guitar can be effective, it’s certainly not necessary in order to get a great sound or playing experience from these Squier instruments.
Are Squier guitars good for gigging?
Although Squier guitars are often categorized as beginner or practice guitars, many of the models made by the brand are certainly suitable for playing gigs. In particular, the guitars in the Classic Vibe series are an excellent option for live performances.
Squier offers a wide range of Fender-inspired guitars, so it’s important for any musician to think about the important attributes they need in order to perform at their best. Aspects such as weight, neck shape, and bridge type should all be considered when gigging.
Squier guitars also look great because they’re based on the iconic designs of Fender’s most popular guitars. This is another reason that they’re highly suitable for gigging musicians.
Closing Thoughts
This guide will hopefully have helped you to identify the best Squier guitar for your style of playing.
Our top recommendation is the Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster - an authentic recreation of the legendary early Tele that put Fender on the map. If you’re looking for a budget guitar, the Affinity Series Stratocaster is one of the best in its price range.
All of the Squier guitars we’ve recommended will provide you with the excellent playability and tone of Fender instruments at a much more affordable cost.
Whether you’re a beginner looking for a guitar to improve your skills, or an experienced musician looking to upgrade your guitar, Squier is a great choice.
