Fender Squire Telecaster Chronology ?

[Drew]

Is there a basic history of Fender Squire Telecaster production; what counties they were made in, 1980s - 1990s and today ? Reviews ?

Drew

[cheepaxes]

I'm no expert but what little I (think I) know is that the early Squiers were Japanese made in the '80s and were actually pretty good. Later Squiers have been made in Korea, China and (I believe) Indonesia.

But then you probably know all that...

-Scott

[Drew]

Thanks Scott, I noticed the 1980's Squires from Japan are selling for high prices and the later ones from the 1990's produced in othe Asian countries & Mexico still get interest on ebay auctions, often selling for close to what a brand new Squire goes for, about $170. I guess there will always be interest in this classic!

Drew

[cheepaxes]

Yup. A few years back I saw a guy playing with a national act at a local club - Chuck Prophet, who used to play with Green On Red in the '80s but has been solo for a while - and he was getting great sounds out of an old Tele. I assumed it was a Fender from the '60s or something. I complimented him on it after the set and he noted that it was an '80s Squier that he'd paid, like, $85 for (new? used?). "Best $85 I ever spent on a guitar..."

I think it's funny the way people looked down their noses at Japanese instruments in the '80s and, to some extent, '90s, until the Chinese and Indonesion instruments came along. Now the Japanese stuff has a certain caché.

-Scott

[mrblanche]

The funny thing is that, of course, the mass producers today can produce as good a guitar as an expensive Fender was in its heyday. After all the Model T was an inexpensive car, but Ford produced enough of them to get really good at it.

For less than $200, you can buy some really good guitars these days.