Squier Affinity Series Telecaster Electric Guitar, with 2-Year Warranty, Butterscotch Blonde, Maple Fingerboard

This is simply a great guitar for the money. I bought an open box unit and when I opened the box, the tone knob had fallen off. There is a tiny screw that holds these knobs on, and even my computer screwdriver was too big to tighten it. I used the end of a tweezer and that did the job. Then I checked for dead frets. The last eight or so frets on the low E string were all dead. The frets were fine. The string was actually hitting the neck pickup. A few turns of a screw to lower the pickup and this problem disappeared. The neck feels very good. I'll knock off a few sharpish fret ends with a fret file, but it's actually very playable even if I don't. I see almost nothing in the way of finish flaws. I imagine this is open box because someone received it and didn't figure out why it had dead frets. Maybe they didn't even find the loose knob in the bottom of the foam bag that held the guitar. I don't know, but someone missed out on a really nice guitar. Right out of the box the higher five strings were well intonated. The action is just slightly on the high side, but I can always adjust that. If you're a new player and can't figure out how to set up this guitar, it might be worth spending a hundred more dollars for a setup. But you can probably buy 30 dollars worth of tools and set it up yourself with a little help from you tube. At some point, I'm likely going to change out the pots/3 way switch and maybe the pickups. But everything is working very nicely now. It's got that trademark Tele twang on the bridge and a more even sound in the middle position. The neck pickup is just the slightest bit dark. The neck seems like a very nice slim C carve. The guitar weighs 7.2 pounds. I have a Glarry that weighs less than 6 pounds and was about a third of the price, but this is hands down a better instrument. So, I'm very happy with this guitar and sad for the person who sent it back.

Excellent value for the money. The Butterscotch Blonde is nice and smooth. The maple neck and fret board have a nice slick satin finish. No dings or dents anywhere. Frets were smooth with no sprouting. Tuning machines are stable and turn smoothly. The six saddle bridge did need some set up, which is to be expected. Raising and lowering to match fretboard radius, as well as setting intonation. A six saddle bridge isn't a traditional three saddle ashtray Tele bridge but it allows for much finer adjustments. String through body with what feels like .10s string gauge wise. Running through my Deluxe 112 Reverb or teal stripe Peavey Classic Chorus 212 with no effects... sounds great. "Sustain for days" and classic Tele sound. The belly cut was a nice unexpected bonus as most Teles are slab style. I think Squier did quite a nice job with this Affinity Series. Have been playing guitar for over 30 years, always Stratocasters, and had always wanted a Tele. Other folks may have a different experience but the one I received was great. Only complaint I have is that it that was "crafted in China".

The guitar is a great value at this price point. Mine is made in Indonesia, and the construction and fit/finish is very good. No problem with neck, frets, or tuners. The finish on the body is very pretty, and was applied smoothly and without blemish. The pickups are...fine. Not bad, not great. At this price point, the manufacturers have to cut costs somewhere, and in this model it is in the lower-end pickups and hardware. Don't get me wrong; it works fine and sounds fine. But at some point I'll definitely want to replace the pickups and maybe the tone/volume controls and selector switch (the switch in particular feels a bit sludgy and feels flimsy). But nothing is terrible; this guitar is perfectly playable right out of the box once you tune up. I'm playing it through a Fender Champion 40 amp, and it sounds pretty good to my ear.At this prince point, the guitar is a steal. It's a great guitar for musicians on a budget and modders who are looking for an inexpensive platform to build on.I remember back when Squier was a joke brand, and I'm glad to say that this guitar is proof that Squier is now a viable choice for musicians who can't (or don't want to) pay the premium for a "real" Fender.