Hi Scotty,

I do not own a Squire so if that is what you really desire then disregard this. However, in my opinion, if you are looking in the $400.00 range, I would suggest a PRS SE. Maybe even a used one if new is more than you want to spend. I do believe that the PRS line of SE guitars is by far a better value. Just my opinion.

Jim

I have been impressed by a Squire Telecaster Classic Vib I tried and a Squire Mustang that my brother in-law bought. The Mustang has received upgraded elecronics and wiring but body and neck are of decent quality and holds up his stage playing abuse, especially considering the amount of times they have been desassembled/reassembled.

For 400$, I found a very nice preowned Epiphone LesPaul Classic with PAF mics and upgraded wiring.

Could be something to consider.

Hey Scotty, I have 4 Squier guitars now and prices do go as high as $400 and some a tad higher. Squier is no longer being seen as a lower quality or a substandard Fender, they now being seen as a brand in their own right which is only right because they do make some great guitars for the price.
Of course you can get a bad or poorly made guitar but that I am afraid isn’t just something that happens at the lower cost price of the market, You only have to look on some of the Gibson forums to be reading horror stories of poor finishes and build quality..
If I were you I would settle on a price to a maximum and then go try out all the guitars in your price range, I wont advise you pick a Squier over another brand, Squier make the guitars that suit me…

This is my latest Squier buy, It is a 10 year old Squier Strat SE which cost me £100 ( that is 135 U.S.Dollars), It needed a clean and a set up along with fresh strings( the strings were 10 years old too). for the cost of another £50(67 usd) I will upgrade the bridge for a MIM Fender Bridge with full thickness trem block and a set of Wilkinson pickups… Do I rate the build quality of this guitar, defo a 10/10 imho..

Scotty here in the Uk we have guitar auctions see Gardiner and Houlgate
http://www.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk/guitars/

I am sure there must be many in the States It well worth you looking at the catalogues here as you will see the sort of prices one can get good stuff for yes there is tax and buyer premium at outrageous cost to the paid but you will get a feel for the price here and what we pay in pounds seems to equate fairly closely to what you pay in dollars in my experience but an American site will give you that info . Just a thought.
Regards JohnStrat

Scott,
Good luck with your guitar buying! That’s a nice situation to be in.

I love Squier guitars but once you get outside the $200 to $300 range I’m not sure what would be the best guitar for you. I’m more of a ‘ real budget guitar guy ‘ where the prices don’t often top $200. My kind of budget.

All the best,
Tim

For $400 you can do much better than a Squier. For that price, you can surely find a good used Fender MIM, if you want to stick with the Fender styles.

But you’ll find plenty of other great used guitars in that price range (I’m a big fan of used guitars).

One good part of used guitars is (assuming you can trust the seller and they know guitars) the guitar will probably be more playable than a new guitar fresh from the store, since the previous owner will have done the work of getting the guitar set up.

Billy wrote:

I will upgrade the bridge for a MIM Fender Bridge with full thickness trem block and a set of Wilkinson pickups… Do I rate the build quality of this guitar, defo a 10/10 imho..

Be careful about dimensions — the Squiers and Fenders don’t usually share the same specifications. (Or at least they didn’t back when I was building/working on guitars.)

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned. If you to end up buying a Squier you will have to put up with “Brand snobs” too.

Billy wrote:

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned. If you to end up buying a Squier you will have to put up with “Brand snobs” too.

Now, now. If you’re happy with your guitars, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else says.

Billy wrote:

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned. If you to end up buying a Squier you will have to put up with “Brand snobs” too.

I figured I might as well clarify my position on this. I’m hardly a brand snob. But I’m a realist.

If your only goal is to play music at home, then yes, it doesn’t really matter what gear you use, as long as you’re happy with it and the gear itself doesn’t impede your progress (and a poorly made guitar will definitely impede your progress). And obviously a beginner needs to start somewhere — you’re not going to plunk down the big bucks on an instrument you might not continue to play.

On the other hand, the moment you start playing with other musicians, you WILL be judged for the gear you show up with. That’s just how it goes. Sure, no one is likely to say anything to you about it. They may even be polite and compliment you on how playable your knockoff brand may be “after all” and how decent your cheap solid-state amp might sound “after all.” But they’ll still be quietly judging you.

Because a lot of what your gear represents is your commitment to music. If music is a real priority to you, you WILL make an effort to acquire decent, professional-level gear (even if you’re not trying to be professional). It’s just the way things go. When someone shows up for a jam session or the first practice for a new band with cheap, knockoff, or entry-level gear, I know right away they’re not really serious about making music.

Which is fine too — there are plenty of circles for making music in a non-serious, casual way. Probably not a band setting, since playing in a band is a big commitment. It’s really all about what’s important to you.

Music is one of my big passions. It’s probably my only true passion. And it’s the ONLY area of my life where the brands are important to me. (Just ask my 20-year-old car about that!) So I don’t consider myself a snob.

It’s highly possible that Squier has made big improvements since the last time I’ve handled their shoddy, cheaply made guitars, so my judgement isn’t necessarily up-to-date. But the Squier brand will always have a stigma for being entry-level, non-serious guitars (with the exception perhaps of those MIJ Squiers from the 80s).

Marty V wrote:

Billy wrote:

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned. If you to end up buying a Squier you will have to put up with “Brand snobs” too.

I figured I might as well clarify my position on this. I’m hardly a brand snob. But I’m a realist.

If your only goal is to play music at home, then yes, it doesn’t really matter what gear you use, as long as you’re happy with it and the gear itself doesn’t impede your progress (and a poorly made guitar will definitely impede your progress). And obviously a beginner needs to start somewhere — you’re not going to plunk down the big bucks on an instrument you might not continue to play.

On the other hand, the moment you start playing with other musicians, you WILL be judged for the gear you show up with. That’s just how it goes. Sure, no one is likely to say anything to you about it. They may even be polite and compliment you on how playable your knockoff brand may be “after all” and how decent your cheap solid-state amp might sound “after all.” But they’ll still be quietly judging you.

Because a lot of what your gear represents is your commitment to music. If music is a real priority to you, you WILL make an effort to acquire decent, professional-level gear (even if you’re not trying to be professional). It’s just the way things go. When someone shows up for a jam session or the first practice for a new band with cheap, knockoff, or entry-level gear, I know right away they’re not really serious about making music.

Which is fine too — there are plenty of circles for making music in a non-serious, casual way. Probably not a band setting, since playing in a band is a big commitment. It’s really all about what’s important to you.

Music is one of my big passions. It’s probably my only true passion. And it’s the ONLY area of my life where the brands are important to me. (Just ask my 20-year-old car about that!) So I don’t consider myself a snob.

It’s highly possible that Squier has made big improvements since the last time I’ve handled their shoddy, cheaply made guitars, so my judgement isn’t necessarily up-to-date. But the Squier brand will always have a stigma for being entry-level, non-serious guitars (with the exception perhaps of those MIJ Squiers from the 80s).

A fine example of brand snobbery right there Marty.

Marty V wrote:

Billy wrote:

I will upgrade the bridge for a MIM Fender Bridge with full thickness trem block and a set of Wilkinson pickups… Do I rate the build quality of this guitar, defo a 10/10 imho..

Be careful about dimensions — the Squiers and Fenders don’t usually share the same specifications. (Or at least they didn’t back when I was building/working on guitars.)

Hey Marty, Thanks for that
Some Squiers do and some don’t, Some it depends on the year of manufacture others it depends on the model type. The S.E. shares the same body thickness as the MIM Fenders and is channelled to take the full thickness trem block so it is a common drop in upgrade on S.E. Squiers.