Updated by Bobby
Updated on March 29th, 2022
The BC Rich model I had posted has been discontinued (thank goodness), but I've left it included for reference. We've also made some updates to the formatting of this page but most of the content remains the same.
Picking out a guitar can be a bit daunting. And since there’s a lot of subjectivity involved, new players trying to pick out an instrument often find a lot of ambiguity and guesswork awaiting them. For someone buying their first guitar, the goals become fairly simple. Get a decent, budget guitar that you can afford and see if you stick with it. In so doing, avoid the worst guitars.
Worst Guitars in this List
Guitar | Title | Rated | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Squier Stratocasters | n/a | |
 | Ibanez GRG Series (Gio models) | n/a | |
 | B.C. Rich Warlock (discontinued) | n/a | |
 | Rogue Brand | n/a | |
 | Yamaha PAC Series | n/a | |
 | Dean AXS Series | n/a | |
 | Dean S35 | n/a | |
 | Jackson JS11 | n/a |
To that end, I’ll offer advice on what brands and models to avoid when you’re spending your hard-earned cash. Now, to be fair, some of the budget guitars available are high-quality products and worth the money.
Some of these instruments can even have staying power when the higher-priced guitars roll into your life. However, it is more often true that guitars with the “economy” tag are a waste of money. Avoiding them is what this post is about.
Listing the Worst Guitars and Our Links
Just so you could do a little research for yourself, and know exactly which guitars I’m talking about, I’ve linked to the Amazon page for each product. They’re affiliate links but, they’ll help both of us out as Amazon almost always has cheaper prices and plenty of used options.
We’ve also listed some preferable alternatives beneath each worst guitar entry as well.
Let’s jump in.
First up, the overrated Squier line.
Cheap can be good, but you got to draw the line somewhere.
1. Squier Stratocasters
A lot of folks really like Squier guitars. In most cases, I'm not one of them. Squier guitars are cheap, coming in under $400 (often $200 or less), which can be an attractive option for a first-time buyer. However the price difference between a Squier Strat and a real deal Fender Strat isn’t big enough to make up for the quality hit you take when you buy a Squier.
- Typical Squier Price: $200 - $300
- Price of a Fender Standard Stratocaster: $500 - $700
For just a couple hundred dollars more you can get the real deal Fender Strat with a number of notable upgrades:
- Alder Body (Agathis on the Squier version)
- Six-saddle vintage style tremolo
- Parchment pickguard
It’s subtle but, cost-cutting areas are easily identified in the Squier guitars, particularly in areas of tonewood (Agathis is fairly cheap) and hardware. There’s always a reason that something is cheaper than something else. The engine of capitalism makes no exceptions for guitars.
2. Ibanez GRG Series
The Ibanez GRG guitars look sharp, but they’re not worth the $200-$300 you’ll spend. The hardware is cheap and everything is stock. Pickups, tuners and bridge are all produced in-house for the express purpose of selling a cheaper guitar.
Here’s the specs list:
SPECS
- Neck type: GRG maple neck
- Body: Mahogany body
- Fretboard: Bound rosewood fretboard with shark tooth inlay
- Fret: Jumbo frets
- Bridge: Fixed bridge
- Neck pickup: IBZ-6 (H) neck pickup (passive/ceramic)
- Bridge pickup: IBZ-6 (H) bridge pickup (passive/ceramic)
- Hardware color: Black
A mahogany body is pretty standard - not bad, not great. But the rest of the guitar is a jumbled mess of cut corners, with stock pickups that look tantalizingly similar to the Seymour Duncan designs. Alas, a set of Seymour Duncan pickups cost nearly as much as this entire guitar.
Thanks but, I’ll pass.
3. B.C. Rich Warlocks
This guitar has been discontinued, though we've left this page up for reference.
B.C. Rich is marketing these guitars to the young metal head crowd. And while that may be an attractive option when you’ve got your learner’s permit, these guitars are good candidates for future garage sale fodder. Cheap pickups and hardware are par for the course here.
Other disappointments include Agathis wood for the body of the guitar and a bolt-on neck. Even at $200, you can do better.
4. Rogue Acoustics
Rogue is barely a step above the Wal-Mart "First Act" guitars, as they have minimal redeemable value. To be honest, I‘m not so sure that Wal-Mart doesn’t carry some of these. No offense to Wal-Mart, but I buy toothpaste there, not guitars.
You’ll be hard pressed to find one of these for over $150, and there are plenty of good reasons for that. Sound quality and parts are both of the lowest grade.
5. Yamaha PAC Series
Yamaha has some more expensive guitars available that are excellent. However, their primary market tends to be economy instruments. The cheap electric guitars they offer leave a lot to be desired.
They fall into more or less the same problem as the Rogue models do. Agathis wood, a bolt-on neck and stock everything are to be expected. As a result, this guitar has poor sound and virtually no lasting value.
6. Dean Dreadnought Acoustics
Dean fairs a little better in the realm of electric guitars.
However their dreadnought acoustics are cheaply made and don’t resonate like an acoustic guitar should. All-laminate construction is partly to blame.
They come cheap at around $200 but, will leave even the casual player wanting.
7. Jasmine S35
People like the Jasmine acoustics and tend to give them positive reviews, perhaps largely due to the low price tag.
In all fairness, it is hard to complain about a guitar that costs less than $80.
Then again, all laminate construction, cheap tuners and less-than-impressive acoustic resonance doesn’t do much to excite the guitar-enthusiast in me.
8. Jackson JS Series
Jackson makes good guitars once you get into the middle price ranges ($500 and up).
Their economy models, like the JS series, are a steep drop-off in nearly every capacity. Poplar wood and a bolt-on neck are both cheap solutions while the pickups, bridge and tuning heads are all some form of Jackson stock.
If you do buy one of these, don’t plan on getting much longevity out of it and be ready to deal with breaking components and poor sound-quality.
Disagreements?
I suppose there’s some subjectivity involved but, one thing to consider is that the quality of instrument you play will have a say in your experience as a musician.
In other words, beginner guitarists don’t want to cheap out too much on their first axe, since it could mean a cheap (and potentially frustrating) playing experience.
Though not everyone agrees with me.
Of particular issue is the inclusion of the Squiers, which is a fairly regular dispute as it relates to their actual value.
Some people love them and others don’t.
I’m in the “don’t category,” so if you feel differently, let us know about it in the comments section.
What do you think?
Are these budget guitars worth any kind of investment?
Maybe you wouldn’t say these are the worst guitars on the market.
Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Flick Commons Image Courtesy of matt.searles
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I’m familiar with some brands, others I can’t speak to, but I think you are correct in that the overall gist of these guitars/brands are that they are starter/beginner guitars and nothing more. Probably made that way to encourage those who stick with it to quickly upgrade to a quality guitar? 😉
Speaking of which, watched a video earlier today about cheap guitars and guy said similar things. He pointed out he’s had a few friends who got the fever, was buying any cool looking guitar they could afford on a budget, then they got 7 or 8 starter guitars in their stable and then they have the upgrade sale when they sell them all and buy just 1 quality higher end guitar. He used the term “tiers”, and that’s probably apt. Someone playing a Squier and wanting something better will see the next tier is probably an MIM Standard Strat and ditch their kindling in a fire sale for the better quality guitar. Makes sense, use them as stepping stones so that if you fall out of love you’re not out of a lot of money.
Lastly, as someone who has some budget guitars and got them out of storage to start playing again, 3 of the 4 are (censored) as 1 has a broken switch, another a broken tone pot that spins to infinity and another has an electrical issue, possibly due to poor storage conditions. Right now, I regret buying all of them. Well, 1 is my girlfriend’s and despite some corrosion of 10 years of storage, it’s the most solid feeling and ready to rock one out of the 4. Most expensive guitar I bought is the one with an electrical issue, a 1989 Westone Electra during the Super Strat era that has all the gee-whiz coil tap switches (remember those? lol) everywhere in addition to selector switch. Cost $450 back in 1989 and I’m hoping that after tearing down it looks to be some corrosion on the output jack probably not allowing good contact when plugged in and makes a loud squeal/hum in the key of B. Can’t even tune it because the tuner shows all strings as B strings. Everything else looks fine. We’ll see.
But yeah, I want to pack up the $300 Warlock Regretlock like you mention above along with the other 2 and trade them in for what I can get towards a quality, real Strat or other higher-end guitar.
If someone is in doubt, I see no harm in throwing down 1 or 2 hundred on a starter. But if they got the fever with a rib bone on their pinky ready to light up Crossroads, they’re infinitely better off starting at a higher tier with at least a midrange quality instrument regardless of brand or type of guitar. Looking back, I wish I had.
Now, pardon me while I look at this $99 (50% off) sale on the Fender FA-125.
Thanks for the thoughtful response. And all the annoying electrical and mechanical issues check out. I rarely see these guitars last long without SOMETHING like that happening. My main drive is that sort of ruins the experience of guitar. And while you shouldn’t be buying $1k guitars as a beginner. Get yourself something at least decent so you can see what it’s really like. If you don’t stick with it, those hold their value better any way and you can easily resell it.
Honestly I’ve always loved my warlock. Had it for years and it’s never done me wrong. It really provides that solid metal tone (and it looks awesome lol).
Is the $200 version or one of the nicer ones?
It’s hard to argue with this list other than a qualified exception regarding the Squire by Fender guitars by which I mean the Classic Vibe series. I would argue they are decent for the price point and some folks need low price points, some kids starting out or unsure parents need them. So budget guitars do fill a need although I would not make an argument for any of them versus a quality instrument for a beginner aside of economic considers which again, are real and valid many times.
Back the Classic Vibe Squires. A new one on Amazon is $420. However, they need replacement tuners out of the box with Hipshot drop in tuners being the best option and those can be had currently on Amazon for $65. Then you have a good starter instrument, one that will be outgrown finances permitting but one that can also be enjoyed long term if they don’t for a total cost that runs a little under $500. not including a gig bag. The Fender economy gig bags at 30 bucks are good quality dust covers with a handle and good enough for a kid with some sense to bring it to practice with friends or whatnot. Now we’re up to around $515. Personally, I think this represents the minimum if at all possible economically.
If the above does not work money wise then any guitar is better than guitar at the end of the day. My first was a horrible Stella brand guitar that probably ran under a hundred new? I hated it but I loved learning guitar and it motivated me to work for a better one and boy did I ever appreciate it too when I moved up one humble guitar at a time.
Last note, if you are talking used prices on Fenders you should say so I think. Maybe you did and I missed it? Fender Player MiM guitars are up to $850. without any case of course. That’s substantially more then the Squire I mention above tuners, gig bag and all, well over $300. more. This matters unfortunately in the real world you know? If wishes were horses?
While you do get what you pay for as a rule rarely broken you can at least go for the best option in any price and make the most of it until better becomes possible.
One last thing, collectors buying multiple Squires rather than investing in a higher quality Fender guitar are getting caught up in quantity over quality. I get it too. It’s economics again but I could not argue that being a wise way to spend money.
Too many YouTubers are simply salesmen and occasionally women pushing cheap stuff like it is the best thing since sliced bread and that is wrong. Helping people identify options in whatever price range they can afford and not feel badly is a good thing. Misleading them with baloney about how a Squire is the equivalent of a Player series guitar or worse yet a more expensive model is doing them a disservice for sure. I sense from the tone of the article it is a reaction to this stuff and I can’t blame you there for telling it like it is.
I apologize for the typos and even missing words here and there! This guitar player is old and sometimes a wee bit too quick to post before proof reading my prose. Yes, I am playing the old man card. I earned it!
My kingdom for an Edit button!
No worries Michael – I greatly appreciate the well thought out commentary. All the best.
Michael – that’s a very reasonable take, and I agree with your point that some people need a low-cost option, especially kids that are getting started, so there is definitely a place for Squiers in the market. I’m more so talking about what you addressed in your last paragraph – the “greatest thing since sliced bread” idea. They’re decent for the price, yes, and they have their place – but slow down on the “as good as Fender” talk. They’re objectively not.
Yeah, I totally get that. I think people talk themselves into believing what works for them despite the reality of the situation but such is to be human I guess. Still, shooting the messenger when the truth is told is not cool and made me want to respond.
Thank you for the good articles you put up here. I found the one about various online learning options helpful. As a self taught player of many years now, my knowledge of guitar is kind of like a big block of swiss cheese. It has some weight to it but it is also full of holes, lots and lots of them. For me so far finding the right place to drop into an existing program is a bit of problem but I can manage it with some more time and trying trials of the options. That has nothing to do with this article. Sorry. I just wanted to mention whilst here that I appreciate you work and sharing. 🙂
Michael – that’s super encouraging and I appreciate the kind words. If you have any questions feel free to get in touch. Trying to build something good here.
I have a squier myself, but I actually like it. Good sound, has HSS when most strats you can find are just Single coil, and the low e is kind of loose, but gives off the rattly sound I like. But yes, beginners are better off buying The Epiphone Les Paul Special II Starter kit instead of a Squier
He’s saying that Pacificas have bolt on necks as a negative …
What do you think Fenders have genius?
… Also something like a PAC112V is an excellent guitar with features like split coils for example.
Even 112J or 012 are more than alright.
And Squires???? Really???
Ever heard of the Classic Vibe series? They are superb for the price. 60% of the MiM Fender sticker price. That’s a big saving for many.
I honestly didn’t read the rest. Sounds like an ignoramus wrote it. Waste of time and a horrible advice.
“You get what you pay for” – what a cliche! Yeah, you often pay for the brand’s name not quality.
Great article-you get what you pay for.
I bought a modded Squier strat with upgraded components, cool relic finish and fully setup for the cost of a new one. It’s totally cool, but then I played a standard one and they do suck.
As an intermediate level player I can start to see the differences between more expensive guitars and am saving my pennies for a proper Tele and a semi-the better Ibanez models or a proper ES
My acoustic though is a no compromise D-28.
Yep. It’s a simple argument. When you buy low you get lower quality.
I’ve been a professional musician for years. I’ve owned American made strats I’ve owned squires from mexico and Indonesia and so on. I’ve found that most squires have a better tone, better feel, and even the wiring is better. REMEMBER before you dislike any guitar, any bass, anything to be honest.. the more expensive don’t mean better. It’s the pride of the builder which decides if it’s an expensive piece of crap or a cheap piece of amazing.. Listen to what people say and then. Go out and try the guitar they said was crap or the most amazing and take it for a spin.. you just might find the dream guitar that gives you the sound you were dreaming of..
More expensive actually does – almost always – mean better.
To quote Family Guy – “I love dive bars. Yeah ’cause worse is better!”
The Warlocks from the 80s coming out of America and Japan. Were legendary iconic metal guitars, but the newer ones are god awful. I remember a few years ago I was on a vacation in Charlotte North Carolina and saw an authentic used USA made Warlock for somewhere like only $550 made in 1988, it’s a long story why I decided not to get it, but I regret not getting it. Not every guitar from a particular brand is bad and not every version of the same type of guitars are the same either.
Jonathan – that’s a fair point. Though I’m admittedly painting in broad strokes in this piece. I think the general trend over the years for these brands has been in the wrong direction.
Guitar snobbery at its finest! Most of the lower-end brands you have so cavalierly dissed and dismissed are actually decent quality instruments. (i.e., Squier, Ibanez, Yamaha, Jackson.)
You fail to address the correct issue. The real problem is, very few entry-level guitars are in optimal playing condition straight out of the box, and most sellers do not go to the trouble of doing a full-on set up at these lower price points.
An inexpensive guitar with a good set-up job will generally play better than a snob-grade guitar that hasn’t been set up by a competent guitar tech.
And just for the record, I own, play, (and have gigged with) more than my fair share of guitars, ranging from Ibanez GIOs and Fender Squiers to Gibson USA Les Pauls, Fender artist signature Strats, and MIJ Ibanez RGs. My entry-level guitars play as every bit as well as my snob-grade guitars because they’ve been properly set up.
Exactly. The making or breaking of someone new to the hobby is the set up. If a guitar has cheap pickups, the new guitarist can still enjoy the instrument and play songs. If it’s set up poorly the new guitarist will assume… “well, guitar is too hard”, and give up.
You should change the name of the article to “expensive always means better”.
A novice won’t know or care about the difference between a Fender Strat and a Squier strat and a professional would be able to play either guitar and sound pretty much the same.
This article is a waste of time and internet space. Outside of just stating expensive is better you provided little to no facts as why the guitars you listed blow.
Personal opinion don’t qualify as fact.
My first guitar was a 1986 Fullerton (They don’t list the model of it). I liked it for the first 2 months, but after playing guitar with some friends, they all told me that my strings were way too close to the fretboard. I bought a Silvertone Stratocaster, and it worked smoother than a hot knife through butter for me. I would say Fullerton is a guitar brand to stay away from when going steady at guitar. But if you’re beginning guitar, it might be a nice guitar, or to even to fool around on later while being good at guitar.
My first guitar was a 1986 Fullerton (I don’t know which model), and I don’t frankly know what to think. I like how smooth the strings are, but the strings are also are way too close to the fretboard. I quickly switched to a Silvertone Stratocaster, which worked a lot better. I don’t know if these are good for my first 2 guitars. But yes, I hated my test against the Squier Stratocaster, so good pick.
Silvertone Strats aren’t bad – from what I’ve heard. Don’t know much about the Fullertons. Thanks for sharing your story.
Brings back memories. I got my first real six-string…think I got it at the 5 and dime. Action was awful, but I played it till my fingers bled. I’m an old guy…so I think that was the Spring, no wait…it was the Summer of 69! Then I got a job after school and saved up for a nice guitar that didn’t make my fingers bleed anymore.
Mine wasn’t too bad. It was a forest green Epiphone SG in a hard-shell case (my parents didn’t want it to break). I’ll never forget the smell of that guitar and that case.
I have owned 2 Squire Strats, an Affinity, and a Bullet. I was lucky and both played well, but I hear they can be hit or miss. I am surprised that Mitchell is nit in your list instead of Squire, as they are truly POS’s and I would neversay that about Squire.
Steve – I’ve never heard of Mitchell. I’ll look into these when I have a chance.
Also, I agree that some Squiers – particularly the Classic Vibe series – can be decent guitars. Thanks for sharing your experience.
2021 and you have never heard of “Mitchell” The Guitar Center “in House ” brand Guitar? They can be Boat Paddles some and the rest Firewood
Whoa, really? I did NOT realize Guitar Center had their own brand. I wasn’t a fan of them to begin with.
You cant buy budget B.C Rich guitar, all of them are high quality guitars and costs about 1500-2500$. They dont make anymore low end guitars…your information about B.C Rich guitars is not valid. You can buy used guitar, but is not the same.
I’ve definitely seen less of them. But the used Warlocks are still around. We’ll take this into consideration when we update this article. Thanks, John.
Bobby, I was just searching articles for the best travel guitars and was happy to see you gave Strobel Guitars an honorable mention for our Rambler Classic Professional Electric Travel Guitar. The Rambler does cost a little more than the competition, but they are well worth it. A genuine “gigable” guitar that is easily disassembled to fit in your computer bag when traveling.
Hey, Kadhja – thanks for the comment. Which article are you referring to? I don’t recall doing a write up on travel guitars, or Strobel guitars in particular. That’s a new name to me. Please clarify. Thanks again.
Good read and I pretty much agree especially on the Warlock. Your mast head photo of the Yamaha SE250 headstock is what really caught my eye. That was my very first electric that I purchased back in the 80s sometime. I never got rid of it but recently decided to give it a complete restoration
Oh yeah? That’s kinda crazy. Didn’t think that would resonate with anyone in particular but that’s awesome. Good luck with the restoration.
So much of the comments on the guitars on this list is subjective, however, what makes no sense is the repeated criticism of having a “bolt-on neck.” The best tele and strat guitars have bolt-on necks. That’s how Leo Fender designed and made them. Bolt-on necks have as good, if not better sustain than through neck and set-neck guitars.
There are different kinds of bolt-on necks. I’d rather have the through or set-in design.
And yes, there is some subjectivity to this list, but that doesn’t automatically make it wrong.
Ahhhhh, the I bought a more expensive guitar and I get mad when others say that their cheap knockoff is just as nice list. I get it but there is not a lot of constructive criticism going on here. Just a list of guitars you hate people saying that are just as nice as the much more expensive models you’ve purchased. Do all these brands make crappy guitars? You bet. Is there crappy expensive guitars? You bet. Its about feel as much as it is about price. I would hope for all sakes your more luxurious guitars would be better than any of the guitars you listed. Like comparing a corvette to a yugo. I just see another cork sniffing context rather than a legit list of bad guitars.
Literally just buy an Ibanez RG if you’re a beginner, it’s 400 bucks or so and it’s actually really good. The wizard neck is good for beginners.
Yeah, that could work. Maybe.
I am taking a wild guess you don’t know First Act guitars are actually not bad, and they also have some really great guitars. Play some guitars before you make a list like this.
Rogue? Yeah, pretty crappy.
You forgot the worst guitars- Carlo Robelli, and Esteban……huge wanker guitars of low quality.
Wow, this “worst guitar list” is a snob list, and total crap.
As a player of 50 years, I will say you are pretty clueless as to what makes a good or bad guitar.
Yes, some of the early Bullets were pretty bad. The Squier series is not bad, I’ve gigged with miune for a long time, and a “real” Fender at 6-10 times the price is just paying for a name. Same with Epiphone vs Gibson.
Especially for a beginner, 99% of anybody listening would not be able to tell the difference.
Seems harsh to put squires as no. 1 in guitars to avoid.
If a beginner is buying a guitar, then they need someone to help them distinguish a good, playable guitar most likely anyway. And American or Mexican strata aren’t immune.
Yes, it is assured you’re gonna get better pickups in an American, possibly a Mexican strat (or tele). And lower quality pots. This is something you just need to know coming into it. But the quality control stuff…level frets, straight neck…it’s still per guitar.
As someone becomes aware of the sonic differences, then upgrades that matter can be made. Pickups. Tuners. And I personally don’t think slightly more smooth fret edges are worth hundreds of dollars, especially given that with a 5 dollar file, you can correct such things.
If someone I knew were looking to buy a guitar and insisted new, is recommend a squire tele above anything. And ensure the frets are decent before buying. Other than that, upgrades can be made later.
My squire tele sounds better than any other guitar I own (which includes boutique Americans) and this isn’t a fluke…I know exactly how and why. So, a sweeping exclusion of squire guitars isn’t in order.
By “boutique Americans” do you mean Fender American Telecasters?
Bobby, I respectfully disagree about the Yamaha Pac models. Just starting out on a Pac 112V, Alder body, not Agathis, rock solid smooth neck great sustain. Same body and neck as the higher level Pac 500 and 600 series as confirmed to me by a Yamaha rep.
Obviously not top level electronics, but far superior tone and playability than any other starter I tried out.
You might want to take another look at these, you might be surprised.
As someone who owns a Squier, a Mexican Strat and my son owns a USA strat, I can agree to a point. BUT if you do your own mods then a Squier can become a great guitar – just not out of the box. My son has a Squier that plays so well we’ve put in a LSR roller nut and locking tuners, and a TBX control and it plays superb. Of course the counter argument is that IF you have to upgrade it then why not buy a Mexican strat in the first place, but sometimes you just find one that plays so well it’s worth upgrading.
I agree that there can be some value in upgrading. Just depends on whether or not you want to “invest” in such a cheap guitar.
I think the classic vibe series are fine as is.As far as the bullets and affinities and whatever ones come in the combo packs. Those need some upgrades mainly the tuners and trem at least then it will stay in tune
My first (and thus far only) electric guitar is a Squier Double Fat Telecaster Deluxe, and I think it’s great — feels solid, and no issues that I can remember. Neck-through construction, which may help. But it wasn’t dirt-cheap, either. I paid about $400 for it (Canadian) but the sticker had been reduced from like $800. I’ve had it since 2003.
Was it from a boutique/small shop or from a larger retailer? The Vintage Modified models are decent.
It was from a local chain music store that’s since been taken over by a national chain.
I totally agree. I’m a music teacher, and I cringe everytime a student with a leaner guitar tells me. ” I was in a music shop on the weekend and I got a new guitar…..it’s a Fender Squire.”
Oh man, that would definitely make me cringe haha. They’re not the same, no matter how much we want ’em to be.
Until it turns out to be a Chinese Classic Vibe that blasts the MIMs out of the water and into the stratosphere.
I’ve owned 3 Squiers in my “career,” and all of them vary in quality.
My first squier, a Stratocaster Bullet, is the worst one. The electronics work, but the output is so messed up it needs to be fixed.
My second Squier was a Telecaster Affinity Series. The guitar is higher quality, and has been my main electric.
My most recent Squier was a Stratocaster in a limited edition pink glitter. It’s also as good as the Stratocaster.
It’s a mixed bag, but I’ve gotten pretty good luck so far.
I agree it can be a mixed bag.
Where I get a little offended is one someone tries to say they’re the same as an actual Fender. I’ve even heard people compare them to the American series Fender models.
I accidentally put that my glitter Strat was as good as the first Strat, and I meant to put Telecaster, haha. But yeah, people who say that Fender and Squier are the same are completely wrong. It’s like saying that an Epiphone is just like a Gibson.
They are not the same. That’s why one say Squier(why the spelling of this causes problems? I’ll never know.) I am catching a lot of feelings out of some of your points. I get it, the guitars you listed are cheaper foreign knockoffs. Some are good, some are bad. Even more expensive guitar brand not mentioned have that going for them as well. I don’t know you, so I won’t call ya names or cry about it, but it sounds like you don’t like people saying you paid for the “Big name stuff,” and don’t like people saying that their old crappy squire is nicer. This is just the old epiphone vs. Gibson cork sniffing that’s been going on for years. If you have a nice guitar and you like it, don’t let it bug you so much.
There are so many other factors.
A bog standard guitar in a good room often sounds better than a great guitar in a dull room.
A bog standard guitar with an amp will sound like a bog standard guitar with an amp but a great guitar without an amp at five paces will sound like a washboard.
A bog standard guitar with new strings often sounds better than a great guitar with rust.
A good player can perhaps multiply by ten the apparent value of the cheap guitar. Meanwhile, the cheap guitar might divide by 10 the apparent standard of the player.
Five hundred dollars will buy an American or Canadian-made Godin. Their acoustic models are good, too. South Korea also make good quality guitars now. Yamaha make good electrics IF you are willing to spend some money (300 series and up).
I think the PRS SE models are made in South Korea as well. Great guitars.
I just want to say I completely agree with the assesment of getting a non-shit Fender strat vs a Squire to begin with. I was on one of these cheapos and a 15w marshall amp for way too long. I became decent at playing, but in the end I didn’t feel inspired to keep playing. I recently bought a Maton MS503 Classic and a Fender Blues Deville 410 and playing that setup was like my body was on fucking fire. I wish I’d had more of that feeling sooner in my life. Those $200 for a squire goes a couple of years, but a $600 strat or other great guitar can go a lifetime. Amp matters heaps too of course.
Thanks for sharing this, Fred. Couldn’t agree more.
I think Squiers are not that bad I honestly would prefer a Mexican or American Strat but Squiers are good John 5 even uses them
John 5 doesn’t use Squiers straight off the wall. You can bet his pickups, pots, and wiring, as well as bridge and tuners are all upgraded. His frets are professionally dressed, his guitar is professionally set up and maintained. The headstock might say Squier, but what makes it a Squier for everyone else has been transformed. This is true for 99% of guitars, regardless of brand/model, that are used by pro/signed/famous guitarists.
Personally, I just don’t understand how you can justify calling guitars that go for 2-3x the price an “alternative”. In a list like this, you should be providing alternatives that provide superior quality, sound, and ergonomics for a SIMILAR pricetag, not a jump from $200 to $600. Also, the concept that a beginner musician will have absolutely any clue that these guitars will sound poor is almost laughable to me. A good amp will do a lot of the work, and another portion of your sound goes into technique and playing style. An actual guitar itself is less important than the amp and the player. Think of an amp as a GPU and the player as the CPU cooler: if the GPU runs fine and the CPU cooler can do its job efficiently then your CPU will manage just fine as long as it isn’t so horribly behind as to bottleneck the GPU. Also, tonewoods only affect tone in a very small way that unless you are doing a back to back comparison on a clean channel with a flat response cab is very, very difficult to notice, and once you add any crunch or dirt or even distortion it’s just out of the question altogether. If somebody has never picked up a guitar then they could hardly appreciate a Mexican Strat more than a Squire at all.
Thanks for the well thought out comment. I disagree that a beginner won’t notice the difference, though I agree that the amp can have a lot (perhaps more) to say about it as well.
The alternatives bump up in price because it’s really difficult to get value at such low price ranges.
As a disclaimer, this is a really old piece of content that we need to revamp at some point.
Thanks for your input.
I AGREE thanks.
Tone wood isn’t real. It’s just a marketing scheme to lure you into buying more expensive guitars. Potted pickups, which pretty much all guitars have now, only pick up the signal from the strings not anything else which includes wood!!
The difference between the Squire and the MIM (made in Mexico) Fender is huge. The MIM fender has a much better finish, attention to detail, playability, tone, tuning and so on. If you can afford a $150 Squire just wait until you can afford a $600 MIM. It’s so worth it in the end.
I don’t have many good things to say about Squier guitars.
That’s probably because you haven’t played one. The classic vibes are equally as good sounding and playing as a made in America fender. People just getting caught up in the name and stickers on the head stock and totally disregard the actual quality of the instrument.
I’ve played many Squier and American series Fender models. It’s not a sticker issue. It’s a parts and “actual quality” issue. I’m not saying some of the Squiers don’t make good beginner guitars, but to say they’re equal to (or even in competition with) the American series options is baseless.
Squiers hover around the $250 price range for a reason.
I have a Squier vintage cabronita Telecaster with Bigsby and after a professional setup it isn’t far the best guitar I have ever owned. I have owned several USA Teles and Strats and have never been happy with them
I’m not saying Squiers can’t be decent, serviceable guitars. But to say they’re better or equal to American Teles and Strats is simply not intellectually honest. You can’t just say “worse is better” because you happen to own and subjectively like the worse guitar.