Introduced in 1982, the Squier series by Fender is the company’s line of low-cost mass-produced electric guitars and basses. The Squier series came to fruition in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s as Fender faced steep competition from Japanese instrument designers who were making high quality, low-cost instruments.
At the time, Fender did produce a line of inexpensive instruments made in the USA (such as the Fender Lead series); however, they could not compete with their Japanese counterparts. Thus, the Squier series was born, and based on the company’s popular Stratocaster and Telecaster designs rather than instruments that were originally crafted as “budget” instruments.
Squier guitars and basses have been made in a variety of countries at different times in the company’s history. The original Japanese-made Squiers command a particularly high resale value and are often considered the finest of the Squier series. Other Squier models have been made in Mexico, Korea, China, Tawain, India, Indonesia, and even the USA for a brief time.
While Fender Squier guitars and basses are still considered the company’s “budget” instruments, the guitars are popular for their upgradeability, so if one installs quality tuners, pickups, and bridge blogs, one has a quality instrument at a very affordable price.
Find your new or used Squier guitar for sale on eBay today!
