First Squier stratocaster

[gilwe]

I just bought an amazingly sounding fender Squier Stratocaster, made in 83 in japan, replica of 72 strat.

The guitar has much better tone than my other American Standard and I wonder if they used the same "american" wood they used to use in the MIA on the 70s as rumours say...

The guitar truely sounds like an origianal 70s strat !!

What do you know about it ?

 

[King Elvis]

DUDE!!!!
Welcome to the club!!! I have a Squire Strat from either 1982 or 1983 and it is an awsome guitar. It has the large 70's style strat headstock and says Squire Stratocaster with by Fender underneath the logo. Original contour body at the tip of the headstock. This sucker is built like a tank!!! I have had the thing since the 80's. Only mod is a Seymour Duncan quarter pound singlecoil in the bridge position.

 

[Major Tom]

I have never played one but I have heard that the early Squier strats made in Japan, are considered very high quality, on par with american stuff...

 

[gilwe]

The original electronics look a bit more "simple" than the american stuff, and the original PUs are not even close to the good old american... but the WOOD man !!! it's natural sound it amazing !! There was *something* in those 70s CBS models that sound fatter and bluesier than the 80s models ...

I put 3 Custom Shop 54s in and it sounds amazing.
Didn't have the chance to play it through my 77 Silverface Twin Reverb yet though as it is in the studio...

With the original pickups through tube amps you could notice it's full natural tone but still the lack of good original PUs tone.

Do you know anything about the history of those models ??

There is a rumour that the wood was the old good american wood used for the 70s models, sent to japan for completion ...
Is that ture ? The electronics is low quality and japanese for sure...

Look at the link for example... it's not the strat but it still a 84 squire... they say everything in it is american ...

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[zer0sig]

the japanese strats, from my understanding, were the best american strat clones-i used to play a jap strat (not a squire) from the mid-late 80's, and it was strong-not as ritzy as an american standard strat by any means, but decent sounding, and as well-built, at least as far as wood/etc went.

 

[Doug H]

I had a squire strat once. I don't know what model but it was white with a 3 bolt neck made of bass wood according to the guy in the shop. It was a really great guitar for the cash.

edit: Should read "and was" made of bass wood

 

[King Elvis]

Mine is HEAVY!!! Great wood. I replaced the pu's because I would get buzz out of em. Its a solid guitar. A neighbor of mine got a Squire in the mid 90's and it was a piece of shit!!! NO COMPARISON. I think it was made in Korea or something. The original Japanese made 80's Squires are IT!!! I have read, and I am not sure how accurate it is, that the necks were either made here and shipped to Japan or that they were made on the same machines that Fender used in the 70's and the machines were shipped to Japan??? Something along those lines. Another Fender that is big bang for the buck are models called Lead I and Lead II. They were made from 79 till about 84. Classic American made Fenders all the way and you can still find them pretty cheap. I have a 1980, it originally had 2 singlecoils, a slightly smaller body that a strat and a neck with the 50's style headstock. I replaced the bridge pu with a super distortion humbucker. It rocks.

 

[six]

talking 'bout squier; I've been thinking about buying a white s-s-s strat with a maple-neck (something jimi-like... oh, I know he's overrated ) for quite some time now.

now being a poor student I can't afford the real deal - say a '57 fender so I have to go for squier ORRRR mexican fender.

i have to say that it won't be my "working horse", just a beautiful guitar that should give me some "old strat sound" when needed.

mexican or squier?

 

[savageblues]

Dudes, you have just brought a tear to my eye.

I too had a nice early 80's Jap Squier Strat. Rosewood fretboard. What was that colour - like bone? It was a really sweet guitar. I replaced the bridge pick-up with a Dimarzio and also the machines.

Sadly it was stolen. Was probably sold for a hit of crack to someone who doesn't appreciate it at all.

I replaced it with a Strat Plus Deluxe in '91.

I have often contemplated a Mexi-Tele...always wanted a Tele. Maybe the Muddy Waters Tele.

Cheers!

 

[gilwe]

The crappy Squiers they make today letting the price of the original SQs from the early 80s go down, so you can actually get an amazing instrument at 20% price from what you would pay for an american CBS for example...

My SQ is just amazing !! With the CS 54s it is a true vintage sounding guitar (well, it IS vintage after all)

I wonder about the wood... it looks and sounds very much like the american CBS strats.

The american models of the 80s and 90s are nothing like it ...
After all there was something in the 70s models that sounds and feels very different


I'll probably have my eyes open for other elarly 80s japanese fenders in future ...

We are lucky the price is determined by the bad name of the new squires after all !

 

[DaveO]

I have an '83 or '84 I bought in early '84, supposedly one of the first SQ series. The JV series are supposed to be the cream of Squier crop with the SQ's a close second.

I bought mine because it was a lot cheaper that an "real" Fender and I was in college at the time - meaning no money. I still have it nad still love it. I've even gotten offers from Guitar techs when I've had it in for one reason or another. No plans to sell it.