Squier Vintage Modified Tele Deluxe

[christianm77]

Most of my money has gone into acoustic gigging instruments. I'm not a gigging jazz musician.

I have no doubt the fenders are better and more consistent. I just have a problem with the amount of value per dollar.

It's not linear.... Double the money does not mean double the guitar.

[matt.guitarteacher]

It's not linear.... Double the money does not mean double the guitar.

I understand that part. I'm fine with the idea that better materials cost more etc. that's the way the acoustic market basically works. Solid tops cost more than lamina . Cool. But doesn't fender actually change the basic design of the squires, beyond just cost savings on the manufacturing? I mean, changing the neck profile on a squire to make it not quite as good as a fender isn't just a simple cost savings, like using less expensive wood or hardware. It's making something purposefully deficient in a way that has nothing to do directly with costs.

I guess they can do whatever they want. I just personally have a problem with trying to make one product look superior, beyond the tangible aspects, by manufacturing an inferior product, purposefully designed to illustrate the differences.

If the cost is no different to manufacture Squires with, say, an exact Fender neck profile and the costs were nearly the same, why wouldn't they do that?

Furthermore, if the answer to that question is something like "it would hurt the value of their higher-end product " or "then people would just buy THAT an upgrade the hardware", then there would seem to be a very real deficit in value versus price. I think much of the value on the upper end is manufactured by Fender itself, on the low-end.

[christianm77]

I understand that part. I'm fine with the idea that better materials cost more etc. that's the way the acoustic market basically works. Solid tops cost more than lamina . Cool. But doesn't fender actually change the basic design of the squires, beyond just cost savings on the manufacturing? I mean, changing the neck profile on a squire to make it not quite as good as a fender isn't just a simple cost savings, like using less expensive wood or hardware. It's making something purposefully deficient in a way that has nothing to do directly with costs.

I guess they can do whatever they want. I just personally have a problem with trying to make one product look superior, beyond the tangible aspects, by manufacturing an inferior product, purposefully designed to illustrate the differences.

If the cost is no different to manufacture Squires with, say, an exact Fender neck profile and the costs were nearly the same, why wouldn't they do that?

Furthermore, if the answer to that question is something like "it would hurt the value of their higher-end product " or "then people would just buy THAT an upgrade the hardware", then there would seem to be a very real deficit in value versus price. I think much of the value on the upper end is manufactured by Fender itself, on the low-end.

I don't think I'm as bothered about this as you are.

But corners are cut on the cheaper models... for one reason or another. If you are up for modding, good on you, a lot can be done....

[matt.guitarteacher]

I don't think I'm as bothered about this as you are.

But corners are cut on the cheaper models... for one reason or another. If you are up for modding, good on you, a lot can be done....

I am just pissy today. Need to get off the inter-webs. :-)

[Boston Joe]

Furthermore, if the answer to that question is something like "it would hurt the value of their higher-end product " or "then people would just buy THAT an upgrade the hardware", then there would seem to be a very real deficit in value versus price. I think much of the value on the upper end is manufactured by Fender itself, on the low-end.

I think you're right. But like Christian, it doesn't bother me much.

But I also don't think the difference between, say a Mexi Fender and a US Fender is all that great. Almost everyone I know who has a Mexi Fender is happy with it, and thinks it's a good value. As I mentioned earlier, the factories are only about 180 miles apart.

[richpiv]

The squire would be nice to try, but no Fender has the original WRH pickup. You can get repros from Lollar and Creamery. Telenator makes real WRH, but at $400, quality concerns would probably dictate a MIM '72 reissue over a Squier. At least I think that is where I may be headed.

[mangotango]

Long time ago, I saw a MIM Strat that I really liked the look of. Tried it with a friend in attendance (so it wasn't just me that got it wrong!), bought it, took it home, didn't like it quite as much playing it around the house, took it to a gig, after which I hated it and didn't want to play it anymore. It departed the collection very soon after that.

Then I found a USA Strat Plus, similar look; loved it in the shop, took it home....and it was my main guitar for a dozen or so years. However, since I was still playing slide at that time, I also later on picked up a cheap Chinese Squier Tele to keep in Open G tuning (Keef!) And I absolutely loved it to bits. It has the loudest, most raucous rock'n'roll pickups and sounds amazing with a bottleneck.

When I started playing jazz only, I stopped playing the Strat and eventually sold it to my former band mate who had long wanted to take it off my hands......but, I have kept the Tele. If I go out to play some blues or whatever, it's perfect. Proper Guitar Purists may smirk when they see it...but not after they hear it!��

In a good way, of course. ��

Handsome is is as handsome does, or in this case, sounds. Price point may be irrelevant.