Squier Affinity Series Telecaster Electric Guitar - Lake Placid Blue with Laurel Fingerboard Reviews

I will preface my review by stating that my 5 star rating is based on the quality of the guitar at this price point. Of course the quality isn't going to compare to an American Ultra Telecaster or the like, but I highly recommend it for someone considering a guitar in this price range.

At this price point one can't expect the same QC that is given to a more expensive guitar, but I couldn't be happier with the guitar I received. The finish is beautiful and even. I will say that the color depends on the lighting; in lower light it is a dark, almost navy blue, and in stronger light the blue is much brighter. It looks great in any light, though. There are no scratches or paint anomalies. The knobs and the pickup selector switch are solid and operate smoothly. Frets are smooth, and there is no fret buzz or sprouting. The tuners feel great for a guitar at this price point. It played great right out of the box.

I fell in love with this guitar the first time I strapped it on. It has the classic Tele sound that I was hoping for, and it feels really comfortable to play. That is entirely subjective, of course, but it suits me well. If I had it to do over, I would not hesitate to buy this guitar again.

The only thing cheap about this guitar is the price. It is a nicely made guitar produce in Indonesia. I received mine from Sweetwater yesterday. I put it through its paces and it really plays and sounds fantastic. I bought it as a guitar that I wouldn't be afraid to take around from place to place. After giving it a good play through and look over, I am really amazed by what Fender has accomplished. And, I will say much credit goes to the fine folks at Sweetwater for inspecting and preparing this guitar. I'm sure where you buy plays a big part in what you get. The finish is absolutely gorgeous. I love the look of the Laurel fingerboard on a Tele. The fretwork is perfect. The neck is a satin finish and feels very upscale. All the controls feel decent. And the pickups really shine. Now, it is a thinner body than a Fender Tele. It feels much like an Aerodyne in that respect. This Affinity series does have a very nice belly cut, which makes it very comfortable to play. It's also a string through, which makes it worth the extra cash, in my opinion. If you're starting out or buying another Tele to add to your collection, check one of these out. I doubt you'll be disappointed. And you'll most likely become a Fender fan for life. You will definitely be a happy Sweetwater customer too. It doesn't get any better than this company.

My husband loves it. He also loves the fast service getting it threw the mail. Thank you

This is my first telecaster. I am typically a Epiphone kind of person but I wanted to change it up. I was a little nervous because of the price, but when I received it was in great condition and it plays amazingly! And the customer service at Sweetwater is just incredible. In the box I received my guitar is, was a bag of candy. They also email you if your order is out of stock and will let you know when it's going to be in stock or if you want to pick another item. Super impressed by my first experience at Sweetwater.

This is my second Telecaster, the first one was the sunburst and now the blue, Plays great, and love the blue.

It's not fair to call this a beginner instrument- it's much more than that. Not only is a fantastic instrument for someone to learn to play on but it makes for a great mod project and a platform to sharpen up your setup skills. Right out of the box it was very playable and sounds great. This is the first guitar that has the split shaft vintage style and I really like them- they hold tune well. I do recommend oiling the fretboard when you change your strings, these have a tendecy to be dry. Also the back of the neck on this guitar can feel slightly rough in spots, but that's easily fixed. I used to own a Bullet tele and currently own both the Affinity and Classic Vibe 50s. Here are some thoughts:

Compared to a Squier Bullet Tele:
The stock ceramic magnet pickups are better balanced volume wise than and sound a bit better too. The dot inlays look nicer on the Affinity, more like a faux mother of pearl where the Bullet series use dull opaque markers. The gloss headstock give it a more upscale appearance. The belly cut on the Affinity is very comfortable, though the look of a non-contoured tele looks great. To me it's worth the upcharge to get an Affinity, but if budget only permits getting a Bullet series they are outstanding at sub $.

Compared to a Squier Classic Vibe 50s:
The overall fit and finish is much more premium on the CV, you can tell you're getting a much nicer instrument. The alnico pickups on the CV are well balanced, warm and articulate. The bridge pickup has that signature tele twang if thats what you're after, its a matter of preference. Beautiful finishes on the CV in either translucent butterscotch blonde or white blonde that show the wood grain of the pine body. Seems like the CV's are a bit heavier- my Affinity weighs around 8 lbs where the CV weighs 9 lbs, it does make a difference if you play standing up but the tone and playability of the CV make it worth it for me.

I bought the guitar as a mod project and to keep practicing set ups. I polished the fret tops, sanded the back of the neck with 1000 grit sandpaper, applied two coats of Danish Oil then finished with a 1500 grit sand- now the neck feels satiny smooth like a Fender Player Series neck. If you are fighting the guitar more than you would like to and you are not comfortable setting it up (string action/intonation, neck relief, etc) do yourself a favor and take it to a local guitar tech- it supports local business and a great setup makes a world of difference.

Bottom line is I'm loving my Squier Telecasters and I can highly recommend them! This current generation Affinity series knocks it out of the park and makes a great edition if you like the Telecaster style and tone. I've had such a great experience buying from Sweetwater, it's the only online retailer that I trust and their customer service is phenomenal- keep up the great work!

Not a Sweetwater purchase, but a review of the guitar. The action on mine was mile high and the intonation was off pretty dratically off. Got those adjusted, polished the frets, worked on the frets ends and rolled the edges a bit. Probably 3-4 hours of work and it plays like a champ.
I love the feel of the neck and the pickups sound really nice with my amp for clean stuff blues and classic rock. I find myself picking this up more frequently than a bunch of other more expensive guitars.
For the price, it's great. Would recommend for a beginner or inteediate player or someone looking to mod or upgrade.

I got mine and only needed a little bit of set up from factory. I normally play bass and wanted a cheap guitar just to mess around on. It's a pretty standard guitar that will do what you need it to do without having to worry about breaking the bank.

I have worked around stringed instruments for almost 40 years; both high end and low end. I've handled $32,000 stringed instruments. I've handled $200 stringed instruments.

I have to admit, this Fender Telecaster is a fine guitar for its low price. I plays very well. It is well finished. The pickups do have some 60 cycle hum, but that is pretty typical for these pickups.
But this guitar is well made. The fret ends are well finished. The neck has the classic Fender neck shape. The overall finish is very good. The action is excellent and easy to adjust. The bridge is wonderfully solid and easy to adjust. The tuners are darn good for an inexpensive guitar.
While it doesn't compare to a $4,000 custom guitar, anyone who needs a solid, well made and good sounding electric will do well with this one. I've been playing this guitar every day with comfort and excellent tone.

One complaint: on Fender's website, they showed the back of this guitar peghead that said crafted in Indonesia. But when it arrived, it says made in China. I try to not buy "made in China" products as much as possible for political reasons.

One point that has to be made:

The service from Sweetwater is absolutely fantastic. My rep told me the guitar was made in China. I thought he was wrong because of Fender's website. MY REP KNOWS HIS STUFF....BIG TIME. Sweetwater shipped the guitar VERY quickly. It arrived in perfect condition. The packaging was superb.

Overall, Sweetwater gets a TEN STAR RATING!!!!

My rep Adam Smurlo gets a TWENTY STAR RATING!!!!!!!