Fender guitars: the best options for all budgets and levels

The best Fender Squier guitars:

1. Fender Squier Affinity Strat pack
2. Fender Squier Telecaster Classic Vibe 50's BB
3. Fender Squier Stratocaster Black & Chrome

The best Fender Mexico guitars:

1. Fender LTD Stratocaster Mah Blacktop BK
2. Fender Telecaster Deluxe Nashville 2CSB

The best American Fender guitar:

1. Fender Stratocaster AM Performance HSS MN Black

The best Fender Squier guitars

The Fender Squier guitar is an underrated instrument, but the truth is that many of them can, and do, compete with American-made guitars. They were not only designed to cover the low-budget market, but were born to meet the needs of beginners who require an instrument with a good value for money.

The Fender Affinity Strat is one of the best-selling entry-level guitars in the world. It's a musical instrument with a classic look, an optimal pickup configuration and the electronics have an unmatched performance. If you're looking for a cheap Fender guitar, pay attention. We are going to analyze this iconic and affordable gem that was born in the 1980s.

Woods

This Fender Squier electric guitar for beginners has a poplar wood body, an unusual but very common wood in Fender guitars for beginners. Poplar is considered a softwood, since its hardness is about 450 kg per m3. However, what it lacks in hardness it makes up for in acoustic capability, as it has wonderful vibrations. The neck is made of maple, a very common wood and one of the hardest, about 700 kg per m3.

The fretboard wood is really exotic and a strange material to use in a guitar: Indian laurel, a Mediterranean wood with high durability and good acoustic response. The amplifier is made of high density chipboard. It should be noted that this wood composite is delicate and should not be exposed to water because it can be irreversibly damaged.

Design

This Fender Affinity Strat electric guitar pack is one of the most complete and high quality in the beginner range. The guitar has 21 medium jumbo frets, which indicates resistance for intermediate level players. The microphone configuration is HSS: there is a humbucker on the bridge, a single in the middle and a single on the neck.

It has a vintage tremolo lever that is a bit frustrating however, it‘s almost useless because if you use it the whole guitar goes out of tune. But this is the common denominator in all beginner guitars. The color of the guitar is a beautiful apple red with black pickguard, although you can choose a tobacco color. For the design of the controls, the designers have opted for their traditional master volume and two tone controls that work beautifully.

The amplifier is the 15-watt Frontman, which is enough for any beginner, as it features a channel switch, a master volume, a gain knob, the typical Drive switch and a three-way EQ. In addition you have the always indispensable connector for the headphone output. This Fender guitar amp has a good quality for a beginner.

Ergonomics

The Fender Squier Affinity Strat is relatively comfortable to wear. It weighs 3.8 kg and the body has a great balance with respect to the neck . The scale is 648 mm, a standard for Fender, with a string height at the 12th fret of 3.8 mm. This makes it a soft guitar, extremely comfortable to play, like any other guitar from this company.

Both the phrases and the chords are very easy to do and the rasgueados are amazing. This guitar is really good to the touch and is great for beginners.

Sound:

As we have said from the beginning, Fender Squier guitars are the most versatile guitars you can find on the market. They are used by rock, jazz, blues, country, funk musicians and are loved by guitarists of all styles. This reality is reflected in the Squier Affinity, because it sounds great.

When you use the selector in the first position, you activate the bridge humbucker. It's fantastic for guitar solos in any genre, but it's also a blast for country arpeggios. In the second position, you can blend the humbucker with the middle pickup for a fuller but somewhat dull sound. In the third position you activate the middle pickup and it has a balanced sound. The fourth position is the one we like the most because it's clean, with good gain and good volume. The fifth position selects the bridge microphone, which is ideal for strumming.

The volume control is master and gives volume to the whole system in general. As for the tone controls, one is for the humbucker and center single, while the other is for the single mic on the neck. Overall, the sound of this Squier Affinity Stratocaster is very full and we love it for all beginners.

Conclusion:

This Squier doesn't come with a tuner . However, no other guitar has the quality of the Fender Squier Affinity Strat pack. Versatility and build quality are the words that define it, which is why we recommend it for all beginners and intermediates who want a versatile and unique instrument, but at the same time, an affordable price.

In 2008, the company Squier by Fender decided to release the classic Vibe series with the designs and sound of the 50s. This is how this replica of the first Fender Telecaster guitar made by Leo Fender came to be , the same one that made all subsequent generations of musicians and music lovers fall in love with it.

Wood:

Its body is made of Russian Scots pine wood. The change that occurs in a wood with a cold climate such as that of Russia when it gets moved to a warmer place brings many nuances that enrich the interpretation. The neck is maple, as is the fingerboard, a wood that provides more durability than acoustics.

Design:

The body of the Fender Squier Telecaster Classic Vibe 50's BB has the same design as the classic 1950 Fender Telecaster guitar, as well as the same natural blonde wood color. However, the modern “C” neck offers not only ergonomics, but also a good balance between neck and body vibrations.

This Fender has 21 Medium frets. This measurement is small and would give the impression that they are not durable, but since they are made of steel, their resistance is proven. It has the typical black pickguard of the legendary Telecaster and the electronics consist of a three-way selector, a master control for volume and a master control for tone. The finish of this instrument is polyester, a material that has a better acoustic response compared to polyurethane.

Ergonomics:

The scale of the Fender Squier Telecaster Classic Vibe 50's BB is the traditional Fender scale of 648 mm and has a string height of 3.8 mm. The feel is excellent and that's not the only thing that helps in this guitar, as the neck is the modern C-type that offers a much better touch and grip than the guitars of that era.

Weighing in at 3.6 kg, this guitar is comfortable throughout. The chords are easy to play, and the phrases do not require much force, making it a great guitar for students.

Sound:

First we find a pair of microphones in which no effort has been spared, as they incorporate two custom Vintage Style Single-Coil Tele that have alnico 5 magnets. Likewise, the pickup windings are made of 0.01 gauge enameled copper wire. We dare say that the wire turns are the same as in any American guitar, because the resistance reading is 7.12 ohms.

This figure is that of the microphones of guitars made in the United States, which is pleasant news because the price difference is considerable. The electronics configuration includes a three-way selector and two potentiometers. In the first selector position, the bridge microphone is activated, which has a dreamy punch.

When the second position is selected, the bridge microphone and neck are activated to make a 50s humbucker. The sound it delivers here is immediately recognizable as the sound of the Fender Telecaster guitar . The last selector position activates the neck pickup which offers a very vintage sound due to its full alnico cover.

We can say that this guitar did not lose the imprint of the sound of the legendary 1950 telecaster. The Chinese manufacture goes through the quality controls “Norma UNE-EN ISO 9001:2008″, that is why Squier by Fender has import permits to any part of the world.

Conclusion:

This Fender Squier Telecaster guitar is great news for beginner, intermediate and professional players. It represents the possibility to have a high quality Telecaster, but at a bargain price. We recommend it for all learning levels, but also for collectors, because we are sure that in a few decades this guitar will be a legend. Interested? Find the best prices at thomann.

Within the category of Fender Stratocaster guitars, Squier has a huge selection that is very good. However, we have found the golden nugget: the Affinity Strat HH, an instrument with incredible performance. It has the most dynamic, versatile and solid sound in the entire Squier catalog.

Woods

The body of the Fender Squier Affinity Strat HH is made of agathis wood, a transition to mahogany. This wood is considered hard because its resistance index is higher than 800 kg per m3. In addition, the vibration is much higher than in bodies made of mahogany or harder woods.

This provides better quality acoustic qualities, despite it being considered an inexpensive wood. On the other hand, the neck is of typical ‘C' shaped maple and the fingerboard is made of Indian laurel, a material with good performance and durability.

Design

This is a Fender Affinity guitar, so the body design is a replica of the Strato of the 50s and 60s. However, the designers have incorporated the ‘C' shaped neck which is more ergonomic than those of the older guitars. The black finish is stunning and the polyurethane cover looks much better than on all the others in the Squier series. The pickguard unfortunately leaves much to be desired. It's fragile, scratches and breaks with the slightest carelessness.

On the other hand, the mics are configured in HSS, one humbucker on the bridge, one single in the middle and one single on the neck. It also features a five-way pickup selector. The changes are great and no Fender Squier guitar we've played feels like this. The ratio of distance per height in this instrument is of high range, all the sounds are a party of delightful harmonics.

As for the tremolo, the designers incorporated a model that has only two fastening screws at the ends. This not only gives the appearance that it's floating, but it works perfectly, doesn't detune the guitar, and is great.

Ergonomics

The feel of this Fender Stratocaster electric guitar is soft and smooth. Its weight of 4.1 kg can be a little uncomfortable, and this is a consequence of the lack of balance provided by the huge blade. On the other hand, we find the C-shaped neck design and feel beautiful. Both chords and phrases are easy on any part of the neck.

The extension is typical as it has only 22 frets. If you want to play shred compositions you will need a guitar with 24 frets for some of the songs.

Sound

The sound of this guitar is very special and has caught our attention, and we are captivated by its versatility and power. In the first position of the microphone selector, it has a gain that is not at all common: it's powerful and full-bodied. In contrast, the second position picks up the H mic and the S mic in the center, which yields a jazzy nasal sound that is superb.

The third position is more country, its sound reminds us of Eric Johnson's interpretations and makes you feel as if you could interpret Johnny Cash's compositions, but without damaging his sound. At the same time, with the fourth and fifth position we find a funk and soul sound of yesteryear, reminiscent of pieces like “Magnetized” by Dazz Band, “Give me the night” by George Benson and many more that are part of the golden age of music.

Here are some tips to improve the sound of the Fender Affinity Strat HH guitar:

• Remove all electronics and cover the inside with aluminum foil, this is called shielding. The idea is to create a Faraday cage to prevent the interior from being contaminated with interference.
• Add a mini switch to allow a sixth position in the microphone selection. This position is to activate all the microphones and make them work as a gianthumbucker.
• Add a second mini-switch to mute the guitar by simply lowering the stick.
• Install a kill switch. This is done with the addition of a mini push button in normally open phase.

Conclusion

The Fender Squier Affinity Strat HH is a guitar that has surprised everyone who has played it. It's a totally unique instrument, one of those rarities that are hard to come by, but they do exist. We recommend it for anyone who wants to buy an excellent Fender guitar that competes with any American and Mexican guitar but for a much lower price. Find the best deal at thomann.

Our recommendation:

The three options on this list are very good and anyone will be lucky to have any of them. However, for beginners and intermediates we recommend the Fender Squier Affinity Strat pack. The Fender Squier Stratocaster Black & Chrome is the pretty girl in the province and we recommend it for musicians of all levels on a tight budget.

The best Fender guitars Mexico

There is a huge market for Fender guitars made in Mexico, as they are highly sought after in Europe, China and the northern hemisphere, although not all models are available. That's why we've selected the most sought-after Fender guitars made in Mexico and those that offer the most distinctive sound.

This Fender Stratocaster guitar is known for having surpassed an equivalent Les Paul and this was due to the characteristics of its sound and design. The great sound it delivers is just the product of its components: its woods, microphones, weight, ability to vibrate and more.

Wood:

Its body is made of mahogany wood, a hard wood, with a density of approximately 800 kg per cm3, which translates into an almost bomb-proof guitar. It has a maple neck, one of the most used woods for modern high-end instruments, while the fingerboard is made of pau ferro (Brazilian granadillo).

Pau ferro is one of the densest woods in the world, with an approximate density of 1300 kg per cm3. This results in almost zero vibration and in the case of the Fender blacktop, contributes to stability.

Design:

The body of the Fender LTD Player Ser Blue Burst Plus is designed to be the same as the traditional Stratocaster but with dual humbuckers: one in the neck and one in the bridge. It has a pearlized black finish that looks beautiful, along with the Fender lettering on the blade that has a golden edge. The pickguard is triple layer, black with a white border that looks great.

The hardware is gold-colored, both on the microphone covers and on the tuning keys. Aesthetically, this guitar is beautiful from every angle . As for the microphones, they are two alnico V humbuckers with a resistance of over 12 ohms, which gives a characteristic hue to the sound.

Ergonomics:

This guitar weighs 4.1 kg, a bit heavy for a beginner guitarist, but a professional can quickly get used to it. Regarding the scale, it has the typical 648 mm of Fender and 3.8 mm of string height. Thanks to the “C” type neck, the movement is very gentle, both in chords and phrases.

Sound:

The main difference between this Fender and a Les Paul is in the electronics. The Fender has a three-way selector to manage the bridge, bridge/mast and neck humbucker positions. At first this seems odd, because two HHs and a three-way selector is not very logical and the first thing that comes to the mind of an electronics expert is that the sound will go from low to higher bass. This assumption is far from reality, because the sound goes from dull to crisper and that's what we love about this guitar.

Microphones with high output level perform excellently from the moment you play the first musical note. In phrases are heard with impressive clarity and the strumming is full-bodied in all selector positions. However, this is a guitar with very little versatility. It's an instrument with a sound that evokes the Old West, designed for country and similar styles.

This Fender electric guitar features two volume controls and a master tone control that do a great job. Each modification is distinguishable on the tone knobs and also the change with the microphone selector. Indeed, the sound of this guitar is unique and you will not find it in any other guitar. It has a lot of body, great sustain, while the reverb is slight but does the job of setting it apart from other guitars.

Conclusion:

In short, this guitar is one of a kind among all Mexican Fenders. The sound is distinctive and can be recognized from miles away. It also has body, presence like few others and is solid throughout. We recommend it for all those who want a unique guitar with a different sound. In addition, it doesn't have many sisters on the market because it's a limited model. If you want to check out the best prices on thomann, follow this link.

In this guitar we find something that is unlike any Telecaster from any other country. This is nothing more than the result of research and innovation by Fender's U.S. designers. But what makes it so personal? Read on to find out more.

Wood:

The body of this guitar is made of pine wood, the most common in all Japanese, Mexican and North American Telecasters. This material provides vibrations that strengthen the bright sound characteristic of these guitars. Plus, it's very resistant to shocks, and you can be sure of its durability.

The neck and fretboard are maple, a wood that Fender is accustomed to in its guitars of all origins. It's robust, with a very good acoustic response and has a lovely feel.

Design:

This Fender electric guitar has the typical Telecaster body, as traditional as they come. The frets are the common 22 ‘Narrow Tail' narrow and high. The scale of the strings is the Fender standard: 648 mm long by 4 mm high at the twelfth fret. You can also lower the scale to make it more comfortable, an option not present in the best models of Ibanez and Epiphone electric guitars.

There are two types of microphones. It integrates two single-coil Vintage Noiseless Tele for bridge and neck and one single-coil Vintage Noiseless Stratocaster in the center. It has a five-way selector which is a rarity in a Fender Telecaster guitar, but it's justified because we are talking about an instrument that has three microphones in its body. In terms of finish, it has three coats of clear polyurethane.

Ergonomics:

The Fender Telecaster Deluxe Nashville 2CSB is smooth like all Telecasters. Chords feel great and you can achieve them with little force. The same is true for the phrases, which are very gentle on any part of the neck and are easy to play. The weight is common in these models, so it won't be unusual for an intermediate or advanced guitarist. However, beginners will find it a bit heavy. Overall, this guitar has a great feel, as do all Fenders.

Sound:

Telecasters normally have two single mics: one on the neck and one on the bridge. However, in this model we find three single mics: one on the neck, one on the bridge and one in the center . Another difference of this guitar with respect to most Telecasters is that the microphones are low noise.

The pickup center is from the Stratocaster series. This gives great stability to the sound, to which the three layers of polyurethane that limit vibrations also contribute. The alder wood provides the characteristic brightness of Telecaster guitars.

Low-noise microphones are responsible for the extremely clean sound of this guitar. But the pickup in the center makes it even more special. The selector allows the second position to mix the Telecaster microphone with the Strat of the bridge. The third position is the Strat solo and the fourth position is the Strat with the Telecaster neck. This provides freshness to the sound, but at the same time gives it a lot of versatility and dynamics.

Phrases in the first selector position sound like traditional Telecasters, but in the second position the sound is a feast of beautiful harmonics and gives a jazzy feel that fascinates us. The third position surprises us with an indie sound mixed with funk, while the fourth position evokes the Old West. In the fifth position, the strumming is impressive and reminiscent of new British rock.

Although the sounds fit various styles, it‘s the country style that defines it the most. It's undeniable that this is a versatile guitar, but at the end of the day we're left with the signature Louisiana and Nashville sound.

Conclusion:

The Fender Deluxe Nashville is the most personal and versatile Telecaster of all. No matter what you think about the Americans, in our opinion this Fender is better than all the others. We recommend it for all studio levels because its sound is well worth it and the price is very affordable. Find the best price at thomann.

Our recommendation:

It's not easy to choose because we have two guitars that are unique and the creators from Mexico deserve recognition for their great work. Anyway, we opted for the Fender Telecaster Nashville . It's an impressive guitar, versatile, dynamic and with the best value for money out of all the Mexican Fenders.

The best American Fender guitar

Fender guitars made in the United States are the most sought after and the best rated by users. But these ratings do not faze us at culturasonora, because we have found Mexican, Japanese, Chinese and Indonesian guitars that can compete with them. In many cases, it's even difficult to distinguish between them, but without further ado, let's get to know which, in our opinion, is one of the best American Fenders.

The history of the Fender Stratocaster is legendary. This series has left its mark on records by guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and many, many more, and is undoubtedly the most iconic and desired guitar of all. But to what does it owe such a distinguished honor? This is what we will analyze in this review.

Wood:

In this American Fender Stratocaster guitar we find the same woods used in Fender guitars produced in other countries. The body is alder, the most common wood found in Stratocasters. The neck and fingerboard are maple, another very common wood in Stratocasters of any country. In this respect, it's no different from its Mexican sisters.

Design:

Fender has understood that it doesn't need to invest in renewing the design, and just keeps the same iconic shape. The neck is of the “C” type found on all Fender Squier guitars. The same applies to the frets (22 jumbo) and the typical scale of 648 mm.

The pickguard of this guitar is three-ply, as in most Mexican and Japanese Fenders. In addition, the finish is also in three-layer polyurethane. The tremolo is the typical vintage style synchronized and we must admit that it works very well.

In the microphone system, the company has integrated Yosemite Stratocaster single-coil pickups for the center and neck, while the bridge has a Double Tap humbucker. The electronics include a master volume control and two tone controls. One of the tone controls features the revolutionary new Greasebucket system.

When we say “revolutionary”, some electronics connoisseurs may think we are being sarcastic, because this system is very simple to make . The Greasebucket is nothing more than the addition of a 4.7 ohm resistor and a 0.1 microfarad ceramic capacitor. The 4.7 resistor bridges the traditional 0.022mf capacitor. Similarly, the 0.1 capacitor is connected to the variable terminal to create a bridge with the terminal that is linked to the microphone selector. That's it, but it didn't occur to anyone but Fender. It's the beauty of simplicity, like Vicente Amigo's composition “Roma”.

Ergonomics:

This guitar feels soft, delicate, with very good balance and can be carried without problems. It maintains the 648 mm scale, which every Fender or Squier has. Phrases feel pleasant at any fret and capo chords do not require much force. This is, without a doubt, one of the best feeling guitars in the world.

Sound:

The only difference between this American Fender and the others is the electronics. The potentiometers have more copper parts than the Squier, but they are the same as the Mexican and Japanese Fenders. The microphones have a copper wire with a smaller gauge and more turns than in the Squier, but they are also the same as those of the Mexican and Japanese microphones.

The difference lies in the Yosemite microphones and the Greasebucket system. These components have been patented for use only in the Americas. Now, just by buying these microphones and making the Greasebucket system, you have the sound of an American Stratocaster. How much does it cost to do this? The budget would be as follows:

• Yosemite microphone kit: 90 € approx.
• Double tap Humbucker microphone: 72 € approx.
• Potentiometers 250 k and 500 k: 30 € approx.
• Capacitors and resistors: 10 € approx.
• Installation: 80 € approx.

If you have a Mexican Fender, you don't have to buy the potentiometers or the orange drop. If you have a Squier Stratocaster, you need to buy everything. If you do this work on a Squier Stratocaster, you would be saving about 600 € and you would have the sound of a standard American Stratocaster.

Conclusion:

The Fender Stratocaster AM Performance HSS MN is a great guitar, as is every guitar designed by the Fender company. It has a superior sound to any Fender made in other countries, but this is solved if you invest a few euros in your Fender Squier Stratocaster guitar. We recommend it for all those who put their trust in the ‘Made in USA' or for those who don't plan to do a DIY project to get the most excellent sound that a Fender guitar can offer.

We recommend you check our culturasonora page. There you will find guides on how to recognize an original Gibson, Fender and many others. You can also check out the Fender Precision Bass and Fender Jazz Bass reviews and choose the ideal guitar string or guitar strap for you.

Technical Characteristics of Fender Guitars