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I play (and absolutely loves) my Squier 70's vintage modified Stratocaster, but I sure as shite ain't gonna begrudge anyone buying an expensive high-end USA Fender Strat. In my opinion, with electric guitars the greatest affect on good tone is the amp, so the best investment in tone is a good amp. If you can afford both great guitar and great amp by all means go for it. But if it has to be one or the other, get a great amp first. End rant.
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I'm not going to waste our time writing an essay about why a Squire is inferior to a US built Fender and I can tell that you have a far greater knowledge of the subject than me or anyone else on this forum however I will post a random link that sums it up;http://www.ultimate-...p?t-746995.html

That discussion is little different than this one. The main post is interesting as it points out that he plays with a group of friends who play the cheapest instruments they can play while still getting excellent results.

 

Again it comes down to the player and not the instrument. Which is why guys chasing Geddy's tone will seldom achieve it because tone comes more from the hands than the instrument. Spending an extra $1000 on an instrument will only give $1000 better tone from someone who can tell the difference. By and large that does not cover the majority of players on any forum.

 

Some of the best recordings in the world have been made with sub-par equipment. The players are the ones who make the difference.

 

I will also point out that Geddy's original J was well used and beat up when he got it for $200 in a pawn shop. Another reason not to spend too much on one.

Edited by CygnusX-1Bk2
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That discussion is little different than this one. The main post is interesting as it points out that he plays with a group of friends who play the cheapest instruments they can play while still getting excellent results.

 

Again it comes down to the player and not the instrument. Which is why guys chasing Geddy's tone will seldom achieve it because tone comes more from the hands than the instrument.

 

Some of the best recordings in the world have been made with sub-par equipment. The players are the ones who make the difference.

 

This video has been posted before, but not in a while. Yep, the hands are important.

 

http://youtu.be/D9v5e1TTwts

 

Joe is playing through bargain gear, on a bargain guitar with a broken trem. Plus, the clip sound quality is pretty awful. But even with all that, it still sounds like HIM.

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Someday when I find the motivation, I might switch out the pickups on my 'vintage' Squire strat. The standard pickups and electronics are kinda shitty since I get occassional 'pop' when touching the strings or anything metal at first. But my point is if you have a good neck and body (wood), just tweek the instrument and you have a higher end instrument at much less cost.

 

A shitty player will still sound shitty on an expensive instrument. I keep reminding myself of that fact when I get spending urges.

 

It's one thing to be shitty. It's worse to be shitty and poor.

Edited by 2112FirstStreet
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If you upgrade the pickups in your guitar, and perhaps your potentiometers, wires, and switch, you'll be amazed at how good a Squire will sound.

making a list...thanks.
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Or just spend that invested money on a better sounding guitar in the first place and if you were to pick up say a pre-owned US built Fender at a bargain price from one of the many places available on-line then you also have a real chance of getting all or most your money back if you decide to trade it at a later date unlike a modded Squire which would most likely be unappealing, difficult to sell and invariably be a substantial loss maker!
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Never buy a guitar (or any instrument for that matter) online. Bad juju. Don't buy anything you can't play and plug in. Don't buy an instrument as an investment or for considered resale value. That makes no sense. Buy instruments because you want to play them. I rarely sell gear because I bought it for a purpose.

 

Pickups are cheap and easy to replace. Pots too. Wiring isn't as much of a deal. Tone capacitors on the other hand can also be a factor. I recently swapped Hentor pickups on my buddy's Squire that he had put in many years ago for some newer Texas Specials. It went from being a nice Alex like guitar to a nice Gilmour like guitar. He bought it to make a Hentor in the late 80s. Solid ash body. It is a good strat.

 

My Squire strat from 1987 is in great shape, just needs frets because of wear and could use a new bridge because the bar receptacle is stripped, which happens to all strats eventually. Totally stock. 29 years still going. I can still dive bomb and it stays in tune.

Edited by CygnusX-1Bk2
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Or just spend that invested money on a better sounding guitar in the first place and if you were to pick up say a pre-owned US built Fender at a bargain price

Unfortunately Bargain price US built Fender is an oxymoron here in Australia.

And don't get my started on what we pay for guitar amps in Australia!

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Never buy a guitar (or any instrument for that matter) online. Bad juju. Don't buy anything you can't play and plug in. Don't buy an instrument as an investment or for considered resale value. That makes no sense. Buy instruments because you want to play them. I rarely sell gear because I bought it for a purpose.

 

Pickups are cheap and easy to replace. Pots too. Wiring isn't as much of a deal. Tone capacitors on the other hand can also be a factor. I recently swapped Hentor pickups on my buddy's Squire that he had put in many years ago for some newer Texas Specials. It went from being a nice Alex like guitar to a nice Gilmour like guitar. He bought it to make a Hentor in the late 80s. Solid ash body. It is a good strat.

 

My Squire strat from 1987 is in great shape, just needs frets because of wear and could use a new bridge because the bar receptacle is stripped, which happens to all strats eventually. Totally stock. 29 years still going. I can still dive bomb and it stays in tune.

Actually I think my squire is about the same age as yours. I bought it being major influenced by SRV, so yeah probably late 80s. I thought I was just being an insufferably cheap bastard keeping a $200 guitar around for 25-30 years. I thought I'd eventually treat myself to a decent G&L, but now I'm starting to get curious to see what I might do with this old Squire...just for the hell of it.

 

I thought I could trace the serial number to find the exact age but...no serial number on the headstock. Fender says 'don't bother!' ha!

Edited by 2112FirstStreet
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Nice! I remember mine was July '87. I too was in a serious SRV period, plus I wanted a whammy bar. I sold my SG to a friend under the condition it could only be sold back to me so I could get the strat. The SG was a 71 deluxe with mini humbuckers. Someone had removed the original trem on it and replaced it with a trapeze tail piece so there were several holes in the face. That drove me nuts and way back there was no internet to track down the correct Maestro for that model so I let it go. Never got it back but I still have the strat. And the friend despite much consternation. He sold it to our guitar player, who of course traded it for a bunch of other gear knowing full well I wanted it back. Douche. One reason I don't get rid of gear. :)
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Nice! I remember mine was July '87. I too was in a serious SRV period, plus I wanted a whammy bar. I sold my SG to a friend under the condition it could only be sold back to me so I could get the strat. The SG was a 71 deluxe with mini humbuckers. Someone had removed the original trem on it and replaced it with a trapeze tail piece so there were several holes in the face. That drove me nuts and way back there was no internet to track down the correct Maestro for that model so I let it go. Never got it back but I still have the strat. And the friend despite much consternation. He sold it to our guitar player, who of course traded it for a bunch of other gear knowing full well I wanted it back. Douche. One reason I don't get rid of gear. :)

Yeah I don't get rid of stuff unless I absolutely don't want it anymore. Gave a cheap mid 80s ibanez strat wannabe to my nephew as a starter guitar..because the electronics were shit anyway. Bought a mexican Tele for the hell of it and never felt comfortable and sold it a few months later. Other than that, I'm not hurting for money, so F it..I'll just hoard it. I play shit til it's broke.

 

Yeah that squire was hanging in the guitar store...red with rosewood. Sexy, cheap and had to have it.

Edited by 2112FirstStreet
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Mine is a Hendrix looking white job. It's cheap enough that I can't really justify spending more than I paid for it to be refretted so I might try it myself. Been thinking about that for years. Or just getting a Mighty Mite neck because the truss rod access is on the body side of the one I have. That's my biggest complaint about it. But every time I play it I hear classic strat tones.
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Nice! I remember mine was July '87. I too was in a serious SRV period, plus I wanted a whammy bar. I sold my SG to a friend under the condition it could only be sold back to me so I could get the strat. The SG was a 71 deluxe with mini humbuckers. Someone had removed the original trem on it and replaced it with a trapeze tail piece so there were several holes in the face. That drove me nuts and way back there was no internet to track down the correct Maestro for that model so I let it go. Never got it back but I still have the strat. And the friend despite much consternation. He sold it to our guitar player, who of course traded it for a bunch of other gear knowing full well I wanted it back. Douche. One reason I don't get rid of gear. :)

Yeah I don't get rid of stuff unless I absolutely don't want it anymore.

 

If you accumulate enough gear over enough time, you'll eventually have stuff you can sell that you won't miss. Over the past two months I sold one of my Marshall combos and a bunch of old rack gear, and that translated into over $1200 in my PayPal account. Will that be turned into a piece of gear? Oh yes.

 

Selling guitars is a different story, though. I've sold only one guitar in the 30+ years I've been playing, an old Ibanez Artist. I still regret that decision.

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Nice! I remember mine was July '87. I too was in a serious SRV period, plus I wanted a whammy bar. I sold my SG to a friend under the condition it could only be sold back to me so I could get the strat. The SG was a 71 deluxe with mini humbuckers. Someone had removed the original trem on it and replaced it with a trapeze tail piece so there were several holes in the face. That drove me nuts and way back there was no internet to track down the correct Maestro for that model so I let it go. Never got it back but I still have the strat. And the friend despite much consternation. He sold it to our guitar player, who of course traded it for a bunch of other gear knowing full well I wanted it back. Douche. One reason I don't get rid of gear. :)

Yeah I don't get rid of stuff unless I absolutely don't want it anymore.

 

If you accumulate enough gear over enough time, you'll eventually have stuff you can sell that you won't miss. Over the past two months I sold one of my Marshall combos and a bunch of old rack gear, and that translated into over $1200 in my PayPal account. Will that be turned into a piece of gear? Oh yes.

 

Selling guitars is a different story, though. I've sold only one guitar in the 30+ years I've been playing, an old Ibanez Artist. I still regret that decision.

Ibanez Artist was my first electric. 81....still have it. probably will take it to the grave. If you look under the 'pictures of you' thread, I posted a recent pic playing (or posing) with it at my stepdaughters wedding. At the time the Artists were considered better quality by many than Les Pauls.

 

My Artist is also becoming 'vintage' among some people...good prices for them on ebay. That was about $600 new back in the day, which is equivelent to about a $2000 new ax these days. Love playing it, but damn it's a heavy boat anchor on the shoulder.

Edited by 2112FirstStreet
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They stopped production of the Japanese GL Fender Jazz around 2012 when production move to Mexico! The more sought after MIJ model is far superior in quality than the MIM and would be worth searching out a good one if that's what takes your fancy!

 

I concur, the MIJ are TITS! I have two, and a Ric. They can be found on CL for around 500-550. The USA Geddys are not 1000 better!

"Stugotz".

 

:LOL:

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