The Squier Affinity Series Telecaster is a lower-cost option of the Fender brand for those who either can’t afford the Fender Telecaster or are beginner players, or those who need a backup guitar; they are quite affordable, comfortable and produce a decent sound; they are built from great tonewoods and feature good electronics.
Although they are not exact replicas of the Fender Telecaster and so not going to match them in quality, sound, versatility and overall playability, still they’re the best option for beginners that want to learn on a good guitar.
The Squier brand is great at making instruments for beginner players, giving the Fender tone and feel at a more affordable price because they use the techniques and experience of Fender while at the same time using cheaper manufacturing methods.
Features
Body and Neck
The Squier affinity Telecasters are made out of alder wood, which supplies an excellent tone. At the same time, the neck and fretboard are made from maple and also with 25.5” scale and 21 frets which gives it the classic telecaster look and feel. However, the body is slightly thinner as compared to the original Telecaster, likewise the neck.
It also features a satin bolt-on neck,” C” shape, which is naturally suited to the hands and comfortable to play with. It’s built with a black pickguard like that of the Fender Telecaster and dot fret markers.
The Squier Affinity Telecaster has the same classic shape as the Telecaster, with its single-cutaway and iconic headstock and standard Fender typeface. It also comes with a polyurethane finish that is perfectly done for a low-cost guitar design, with only a few blemishes on the body and neck at times, and may have rough frets that will require sanding before use.
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Pickups
It has two single-coil pickups loaded in the neck and bridge positions, and similar to the ones found on the regular Telecaster, they are vintage style and produce an excellent tone. It comes with tone control, a volume knob, and a pickup selector switch that aids in controlling your pickup sounds.
The pickups are not top-notch, but they produce some solid, twangy telecaster tone, although the pickups are mediocre when compared to the original fender telecaster.
The Feel and Sound
The Squier Affinity Telecaster is well-balanced. It fits nicely either in your arms or on your laps. It is not too heavy. Its comfortable neck also makes playing the guitar overall easy; it is simple to operate since its controls are placed at accessible positions.
In addition, it produces a clean and warm tone that is characteristic of the regular Telecaster, not as good as the telecaster, but good enough on a beginner’s level.
Other Features
It has 6 strings, and there are both right and left orientations of each model, with a wrench truss rod, volume and tone controls, 3 switches positioned at either the bridge only, the bridge and neck or the neck only and six-saddle hardtails with cast saddles.
Top 5 Best Squier Affinity Telecaster Review
Squier 6 String Solid-Body Electric Guitar, Right Handed, 2 tone sunburst (0310202503)
It comes with the most prevalent neck type, the “C”- shaped neck profile that is highly comfortable and increases the guitar’s overall playability; The guitar adds a vintage-style playing feeling. It also features a bridge with six individual saddles with saddle hardtails for accurate intonation along each string, and it is built with the two-colour headstock logo that adds a touch of class to this guitar.
Standard dual single-coil pickups with 3-way switching for genre versatility, sealed die-cast tuning machines or smooth, accurate tuning, satin neck finish are other characteristics of this Squier by Fender 6 String Solid Body Electric Guitar.
Fender Play is an easy-to-use online platform to learn the skills necessary to play with an ever-expanding library that contains a variety of genres of music, with more being added over time. All in all, this product and the fender play was constructed to make the guitarist’s learning process easy and interesting.
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Pros
- Overall playability
- Highly durable
- Tone and sound is rich
- Action is low
Cons
- The fretwork is not properly done
Squier by Fender Affinity Series Telecaster Beginner Electric Guitar – Slick Silver
This guitar also features the “C”-shaped neck profile sculpted that bestows a vintage-style playing feel, and also makes it comfortable to hold while playing, and ideal for all playing styles. It has six-saddle hardtails with cast saddles for accurate intonation along each string and the classic Fender two-colour headstock. In addition, the pack includes Fender play, an easy to use online platform to learn the skills necessary to really play with an ever-expanding library that contains a variety of music genre that helps speed up the learning process.
Pros
- Outstanding value for the money
- Incredibly low action
- Great intonation
Cons
- The fretwork is not properly done
Squier by Fender 50’s Telecaster – Maple – Butterscotch Blonde
This guitar captures the genuineness of the original Fender designs; it is easy on the eyes and ears, easy to play, and near impossible to put down. It features Fender-designed pickups, headstock markings and nickel-plated hardware.
In addition, it offers a slim “C”-shaped neck profile for comfortable playing feel and Fender-designed alnico single-coil pickups for authentic fender tone, barrel saddles and a string through body design for optimal resonance.
Pros
- The setup, intonation and action is perfectly setup
- No fret end trimming needed
- Sounds great
Cons
- Makes humming sound while playing sometimes
Factors to Consider When Buying a Squier Affinity Telecaster
The first thing to consider when choosing a Squier Affinity Telecaster is your budget, which shouldn’t be much of an issue as Squier products are quite affordable. You should also consider whether you need single coils or humbuckers.
Lower output single coils are excellent choices for players who are into funk, RnB and country, so if you’re not into any of this, I doubt the Squier Affinity Telecaster with its two single-coil pickups is the right choice for you, but higher output pickups like humbuckers are more suitable for higher gain players.
The color, look and feel also should be considered because I believe the guitar we’re going to be playing should also meet our specifications in what it physically looks like.
Alternatives to Squier Affinity Telecaster
If you feel the Squier Affinity Telecaster is just not for you, you don’t vibe with it, or its features are not well suited to your playing style, there are other guitars you can consider
IYV IJZ-300 TSB Jazz Solid-Body Electric Guitar, Tobacco Sunburst
This guitar is a product of Inyen guitars, and it has a strong fingerboard without bending, good tapering, good shape and good sounds. CNC machines make all Inyen guitars with 3D computer programming, and this is no exception. More so, it has a perfect neck with almost no defectiveness and a scale length of 24.75”. Lastly, it is a great guitar and an incredible choice to buy
Pros
- Intonation is spot on
- Frets are well dressed
- Playability is top-notch
Cons
- The finishing is not flawless
LyxPro 39” Electric Telecaster Guitar | Solid Full-Size Paulownia Wood Body, 3-Ply Pickguard, C-Shape Neck, Ashtray Bridge, Quality Gear Tuners, 3-Way Switch & Volume/Tone Controls | 2 Picks Included
This guitar delivers the ultimate musical experience with its 22frets, comfortable C-style neck profile, classic3-ply pickguard, effortless 3-way pickup, volume control, tone control, and easy access AUX output jack that combines to enhance its sound. In addition, it features a durable single-cutaway paulownia wood body, handcrafted maple wood neck, vintage metal ashtray bridge, thick black 3-ply pickguard, and a smooth, glossy butterscotch finish, it is a highly versatile guitar, and it accommodates all playing styles. It is perfect for beginner, intermediate and advanced players.
Pros
- Great intonation
- Great sounding guitar
- Highly versatile
Cons
- It has a bit of a buzz when playing at times
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Squier Affinity Telecaster worth it?
This guitar is worth it if you’re a beginner and not willing to spend a lot on a higher quality guitar; it is near enough to the Fender Telecaster as possible, it gives the feel and sound of a Fender guitar. So you can keep practicing on it till you get better and are willing to spend enough to get a higher quality guitar. But if you’re an intermediate player, you’ll have to make many modifications like changing the pickups to more quality ones, but it is well worth it as a backup or beginner guitar.
Why does the Squier Affinity Telecaster have feedback through its amp?
This is probably due to the pickups, they’re not the standard Fender Telecaster pickups, and single-coil pickups tend to give more feedback than humbuckers. You can fix this problem either by changing to better-quality pickups or reducing the gain on your amplifier, reducing feedback.
Where is the Affinity Telecaster Guitar manufactured?
The Squier Affinity Telecaster is widely produced in several countries, including China, Indonesia, Mexico, Korea, Japan and the United States.
Conclusion
The Squier company produces one of the best low-budget guitars available. The Squier Affinity Telecaster review is an excellent choice of guitar for beginners or as a backup guitar. Not only does it looks and feels great, but it is also quite durable, and despite its low cost, its tone is great, and the body and neck construction is quite good, although its main flaw is its pickups, which is not much of a problem as it can be easily replaced. In addition, it has a fairly good sound, comfortable neck, which is basically what a beginner guitarist needs.
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