Squier is the sister brand of Fender. Squier guitars are inexpensive and a great alternative to Fender if money is tight but you still want the classic Stratocaster or Telecaster look. Often, the guitarists that buy Squier are beginners which led me to find out what the 3 best Squier guitars are for beginners.
The three best Squier guitars for beginners are the Squier Contemporary Series, Squier Bullet Series, and the Squier Classic Vibe ’70s Series. Each line provides quality guitars in multiple colorways that would make a great first guitar.
Continue reading to learn if Squier guitars are truly good for beginners and which of the three guitars is best for you.
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Are Squier Guitars Good For Beginner?
Squier guitars are good for beginners because the brand builds quality and consistent guitars in the Indonesian factory. Squier has many series of guitars that range from low to medium price points. Even the lower-priced Squiers are extremely playable and guaranteed to last for years.
There is a reason why Squier guitars dominate their price point. Put simply, Squier guitars are the best inexpensive guitar you can buy. The brand dominates the beginner guitar market and it is not just for aesthetics. Yes, the player gets a guitar with the iconic Stratocaster or Telecaster look. But the quality is notable as well.
Find Out If Squier Guitars Are Good Today
The goal of a first guitar is that it will last you even past the beginner stages. Many beginner guitars often have a 1-year life span. Meaning after a year of playing, you outgrow it. For many Squier guitars, this will not be the case. Especially with number 1 on the list below. Squier guitars make instruments that continue to play and feel great well into the intermediate stage.
For example, I own a couple of Fender and PRS guitars, yet still, find myself going back to my original Squier from time to time. They have a great feel to them and feel is extremely important for a new guitarist.
I recommend a Squier guitar for any beginner or player with a limited budget. Even for those with a higher budget, a Squier is a great guitar if you want to spend more money on mods, a better amp, or pedals.
Best Squier Guitars For Beginners
The best Squier guitars for beginners are:
- Squier Contemporary Series
- Squier Bullet Stratocaster
- Squier Classic Vibe 70’s Stratocaster
Continue reading to find out which Squier guitar is best for you.
1. Squier Contemporary Series Stratocaster
The best Squier beginner guitar is the Squier Contemporary Series Stratocaster.
Price
A little on the higher-end of the Squier price points, the Squier Contemporary Series Stratocaster costs $469 on Amazon.
Although, the higher price point is justified, which we will discuss below.
Playability
Squier guitars in general are great first guitars. Although, the Contemporary Series makes for an exceptional guitar even years after starting. The contemporary series Stratocaster is a more professional and solid guitar than any other Squier and any other brand at this price point.
A sign of a good playable guitar for me is the bridge pickup. The first thing I noticed is that it is not harsh or over the top. Pick throughs sound great and even a little better than my Fender American.
“I have been playing for many years, and I have around 20 guitars. Some are lower priced and some are quite expensive. I bought this one because I liked its looks and to knock around with. Was I surprised? This guitar is easily as good as my MIM strat. Buy one, they’re nice.”
Robert L, Guitar Reviewer
The second thing is the neck pickup, my favorite position. And this is where the guitar truly becomes unique. With the neck pickup, it has a full humbucker tone while still sounding like a Stratocaster. As you may know, most Stratocasters are full single-coil so this guitar offers a happy medium for those that are undecided between a single-coil or humbucker heavy guitar.
On the guitar I used, I did not notice any fret sprout. The frets were polished and rounded allowing for easy movement up and down the neck.
This guitar is a super Strat and a rock machine. If you’re looking for an exception Stratocaster under $500, then look no more.
Appearance
The guitar has a poplar body with a maple neck. There are 22 frets and a 22.5″ scale length which is what you come to expect with an electric guitar. The bridge is a standard vintage-style trim but it does have solid style saddles which are very cool.
There is a traditional 12″ radius on the fretboard, making it extremely comfortable to play, especially on chords and lead work.
With a matching body and headstock, the guitar is immediately pleasing to the eye… for me. Of course, this area is entirely subjective.
2. Squier Bullet Stratocaster
The second-best Squier beginner guitar is the Squier Bullet Stratocaster.
Price
On the other end of the Squier price point spectrum, compared to the Contemporary Series, is the Bullet Series.
You can get this guitar on Amazon for only $179!
Playability
The Squier Bullet Stratocaster is the most inexpensive Stratocaster on the market. Although, that does not mean it is bad. Instead, it is quite the opposite.
The single-coil pickups are well made and do not feel like they are from a $179 guitar. For the bridge pickup, there is a humbucker setup that gives a fat warm tone with very little high end. The neck pickup sounds like a Stratocaster, plain and simple.
“This guitar is a beast. I play everything from rock to blues to jazz to straight-up unclassified. My previous guitar was a $2500 Gretch solid body. The tone was essentially equal in terms of quality”.
Mike H, Guitar Reviewer
Frets felt slightly sharp as I moved my hand up and down the neck although this is not a deal-breaker for me. As it could have been just the guitar I got. Other than that, moving around the neck felt great and bends even better.
Find Out What The 3 Best Fender Guitars Are For Beginners Here
With cheaper guitars, the tuning is usually what falls first so it was the first thing I tested. I threw on a whammy bar and played the guitar for days. In the beginning, it went out of tune but that was mostly due to the strings stretching a bit as the guitar was brand new. After about a week, I had zero tuning issues that were uncommon with Stratocasters.
If you are just starting or have a very tight budget, then this is the guitar for you.
Appearance
It is a Stratocaster, need I say more. Arguably the most iconic style of guitar in blues and one of the most iconic styles in all of rock. Signature vintage cutaways and a rosewood fretboard make for a beautiful guitar. If you stop playing guitar for some reason, this guitar looks so good that it doubles as decoration.
The neck is slightly smaller than average, with a 24″ scale length. I liked this a lot as it made the guitar more fun to play standing up.
3. Squier Classic Vibe 70’s Stratocaster
The third best Squier guitar for a beginner is the Squier Classic Vibe 70’s Stratocaster.
Price
Sitting between the two options above, the Classic Vibe costs $419 on Amazon.
Playability
This guitar has an immediately noticeable aspect. Very light. Almost surprisingly light. Standing up while playing is much easier as it feels like you are holding a feather.
The neck has a slim/narrow C shape. Let me tell you why the narrow-tall frets are great. For guitarists with smaller hands, this allows them to have an easier time reaching their thumb around to fret the low E string. For guitarists with larger hands, you will have an easier time fretting the low E string and muting the A string. A technique made famous by Hendrix and mastered by SRV and Mayer.
Playability is mostly reliant on the neck. The neck shape is spectacular as established above. Next is the fretwork. Fretwork is especially important for beginners. Poor fretwork will aggravate beginners and make them believe their playing is the issue and not the guitar. Luckily, this guitar has great fretwork. The edges were rounded with medium jumbo frets. These frets are perfect for faster playing and blues.
This guitar has one of the best necks I have ever played on a Stratocaster.
Appearance
Similar looking to the Bullet series Strat, the Classic Vibe Series gives the signature Strat look but with a slight vintage flair. The tuning machines are replicas of Strats from the ’70s as well as the vintage stamped steel saddles.
Vintage-style tremolo, a lovely C-profile neck, and 22 narrow-tall frets. All things that I prefer with a Strat.
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