Squier Paranormal Strat-O-Sonic Electric Guitar - Vintage Blonde Reviews
The daring style and sound of Squier’s Paranormal Strat-O-Sonic guitar blend the classic feel of a Stratocaster with the fuller, warmer nature of a dual P-90-style electric — not to mention a unique aesthetic! Taking after the short-lived Fender Strat-O-Sonic models of the mid-2000s, the Paranormal Strat-O-Sonic unveils a wealth of tones by way of a pair of Fender-designed Alnico Soapbar Single Coil pickups. You also get a 3-way selector switch, and push-pull controls for series/parallel operation and phase. It’s really a comfy player, too, fitted with a classic “C”-shaped maple neck that’s been slightly shortened for a 24.75-inch scale length, providing effortless convenience for guitarists of all sizes. The word around Sweetwater? The affordable Paranormal Strat-O-Sonic makes the perfect match for smaller-framed guitarists looking for a sharp look, comfortable feel, and a different kind of single-coil sizzle from their Strat-style axe.
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Highest Rated Reviews
Freat Guitar BUT.......
This is an awesome AXE! It's great because of the scale, deeper cut-a-way, and superior bridge, but the pick ups suck big time.
I had nmy guitar tech put Dimarzio /super Distorsion sized for the p-90; the switching pots are now coil taps for each pick up. The pots come wired wierdbut easy to change to coil taps.
The input jack sucks too - he put a switcraft in its place. NOW IT ROCKS!
The Fender Les Paul Special
Don't let the name "Stratosonic" fool you. Ignore the body shape and headstock. This is a Fender Les Paul Special. For $. That's right: a Les Paul for $.
It has a Gibson neck (24.75" length, 12" radius, 22 frets), Gibson P90s (I guess they're F90s), an Epiphone wraparound bridge, and to top it off, Gibson bell-shaped Les Paul Jr. knobs. The neck and neck pocket have been milled so there is a 2 to 3 degree tilt to the neck, just like a Gibson. This guitar plays, feels, and sounds like a Gibson Les Paul. For one-tenth of the price.
Well done, Fender, well done.
Sweet Squire ParaCrazy Guitar ...
OK ... Not long ago, guitar hobbyists were conditioned to think that anything selling for under $ US, was either
"Beginner", Budget, or just really cheap offshored junk. However, today, In what I call "The Banquet Years" of guitars,
$ US can buy a perfectly serviceable ( good lookin, good playing, good sounding) Telecaster clone. This from a former PRS Fanboy (and yes, they still make killer guitars , Just be Nelson Rockefeller to pay for it).
So at $, this guitar is either "cheap" (if you routinely only buy Fender/PRS/Gibson) or maybe overpriced if you buy Harley Benton/ EART / Sire...
I buy from both ends of the spectrum, so even at $, I figured this gurl had better not be mnessin 'around...
AND ...She don't mess around!
This is a great little guitar! Sounds great and with the parallel/series /out of phase switch selection, she is all the more fun. Looks great. Well finished ...
And as of July 2023 ... Her fret edges that are well finished ... Are smooth as a Babybooty.
She also does a thing her $ MIM Fender Player Mustang 90 cousin does not do ... and that is to offer a noise cancelling
middle switch position . At $ US ... I cannot see why Fender did not provide RWRP pickups to noise cancel in the both
pickup position. Folks cry about P 90 "noise" (yeah, they can be especially with high gain) But I'm usually low gain & clean . Hey these are P 90 's !
I was "convinced " that the stock little "Epiphone" wraparound bridge, with the molded in "saddles" would be crappy ...
Hey , this might be an inexpensive part ... But it works ! Sounds great, and intonates as well as anything can intonate !
Check the You Tubes ... Landon Bailey's is very insightful ... whereas "Dylan Talks Tone" ? obviously wants to sell his own pickups. The P90's here are great. Have not compared then to a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquities, but then they cost half as much as the guitar.
This is a 5 Star Sweetie. Cost Effective . Purty. Fun. Maybe a good beginner guitar... But I but a Pro could Gig with it also ...
Sweet Squire ParaCrazy Guitar ...
OK ... Not long ago, guitar hobbyists were conditioned to think that anything selling for under $ US, was either
"Beginner", Budget, or just really cheap offshored junk. However, today, In what I call "The Banquet Years" of guitars,
$200 US can buy a perfectly serviceable ( good lookin, good playing, good sounding) Telecaster clone. This from a former PRS Fanboy (and yes, they still make killer guitars , Just be Nelson Rockefeller to pay for it).
So at $, this guitar is either "cheap" (if you routinely only buy Fender/PRS/Gibson) or maybe overpriced if you buy Harley Benton/ EART / Sire...
I buy from both ends of the spectrum, so even at $, I figured this gurl had better not be mnessin 'around...
AND ...She don't mess around!
This is a great little guitar! Sounds great and with the parallel/series /out of phase switch selection, she is all the more fun. Looks great. Well finished ...
And as of July 2023 ... Her fret edges that are well finished ... Are smooth as a Babybooty.
She also does a thing her $ MIM Fender Player Mustang 90 cousin does not do ... and that is to offer a noise cancelling
middle switch position . At $ US ... I cannot see why Fender did not provide RWRP pickups to noise cancel in the both
pickup position. Folks cry about P 90 "noise" (yeah, they can be especially with high gain) But I'm usually low gain & clean . Hey these are P 90 's !
I was "convinced " that the stock little "Epiphone" wraparound bridge, with the molded in "saddles" would be crappy ...
Hey , this might be an inexpensive part ... But it works ! Sounds great, and intonates as well as anything can intonate !
Check the You Tubes ... Landon Bailey's is very insightful ... whereas "Dylan Talks Tone" ? obviously wants to sell his own pickups. The P90's here are great. Have not compared then to a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquities, but then they cost half as much as the guitar.
This is a 5 Star Sweetie. Cost Effective . Purty. Fun. Maybe a good beginner guitar... But I but a Pro could Gif with it also ...
One word: Fun!
I've always wanted a stray, but I am really more of a Gibson guy, so the fender scale length never felt comfortable. Then Squier decided to create the perfect strat for guys like me, including my love of p90's. At the price they were asking, I couldn't resist. At the very least, it would make a fun modding platform. Right out of the box, this guitar is waaaaay more fun than it has any right to be!
The body is very well-balanced. The okume wood is a cousin of mahogany, so it has those sweet mids and cool grain like mahogany does. Build quality far exceeded my expectations. I'm going to change out the pickups for Wolfetone p90's, but that's not a knock on the stock ones. I just put Wolfetone Meaner p90's in everything they fit in, as they are hands down my favorite p90. I might also make a few other small mods, but at this price, I can afford to go a little crazy. Honestly, I am enjoying this ridiculous guitar way more than I expected.
Plus a special shout-out to Jake, my Sweetwater rep for not only getting me one of the first of these models, but keeping me in the loop all the way.
