Squier Affinity Series Telecaster Deluxe Electric Guitar - Charcoal Frost Metallic with Laurel Fingerboard Reviews

I've had this guitar for awhile so I figured it was time to let you know what a Great guitar this is. I have owned several guitars of many brands that had 2 humbuckers but, this one is one I had been looking at for quite a while. I've always had love for Fender guitars and, I currently own an American Strat and,Tele. During all my performing years I have rotated between the Strat and, Tele. I have owned Les Paul's, PRS, and, several other brands of guitars along with several Squier models but, the Tele was always my go to instrument.
I will say that the low end Squires really are beginner guitars but, still are a decent bang for the buck. This Affinity model is just plain super nice. When I received it there was no need of setup it was near perfect! Tweaked the truss rod, minor action and, the intonation was spot on! I did replace some of the bridge saddle screws because they were sticking up and a little sharp. Very minor correction. M3 8's and,6's. Tuned it and started noodling, that's it! Usually if a guitar sounds good unplugged it will sound even better plugged into an amp. This one was no exception.
Tuners were stable, nut was cut perfect, No sharp fret ends, although I usually use a 3m 320grit sanding block on the neck to smooth out any little fret ends and, add a very slight bevel to the neck. Makes the neck feel very smooth and, increases playability. All the electronics worked perfectly with No noise and, the humbuckers gives the Tele a Superb sound with separate tone and volume controls. I perform sitting on a barstool and, the bevel on the backside is super comfy and, it sits perfectly in my lap. I still love my single coil Tele but, this one takes the sounds of a Tele to new heights!
Squires used to be looked down on years ago but, this one is top notch!!

Most recently I've tried out a charvel and a fender professional II strat, neither of which really satisfied me tonally.

There is just something about these ceramic humbuckers that really makes me happy. Both the clean and dirty tones sound amazing to me.

The guitar itself is good quality, the neck is really nice and comfortable (satin neck). And the body is just as good as any other. No complaints whatsoever. Just goes to show, you don't need to drop a grand or two to get the tone you're after. It might just be found in a tele with ceramic humbuckers, which is great news for all us tone snobs out there in search for the perfect tone.

I just received the squire affinity deluxe tele, and first impressions were beyond what I was expecting. First off the build of this guitar is excellent, the paint is beautiful, and all hardware is bright and clean. The guitar was inspected by Sweetwater before shipping and included the inspection card. I was shocked as the guitar needed very little setup, and tuning was painless. I plugged into a Fender Champion 100, and the response was excellent. The cleans were crisp, dirty sound was great, and the neck is smooth and easily playable. Overall I am rather impressed with this guitar. It may be a Squire but it plays just as well as its big brother Fender. Squire knocked this one out of the park.

I was shopping for a budget-friendly guitar that would last me for years to come and took a chance on this Squier Telecaster. It has exceeded my expectations in quality, sound, and overall look and feel. I honestly can't believe this guitar is not priced much higher. I've tried out several instruments of similar cost and this guitar is absolutely at the top of the list. It's obviously not a top-of-the-line instrument, but for a guitarist on a budget I don't see how you can go wrong here. I would absolutely recommend this model for anyone looking for a nice guitar to get started playing or add to their collection without breaking the bank.

As soon as I picked this guitar up I threw on some Ernie ball mammoths and tuned it to drop A. Paired with up my peavey deuce and a boss hm2 this guitar sounded killer. Great pickups great quality. Would definitely recommend for a squire.

I like the straight forward use of this guitar. No push pull buttons whammy bar micro switches etc… It's only Rock & Roll but I like it .

I have been looking for a platform to try humbuckers.
After coming up dry, for months at my local shop, 45 miles out, a mail order bride from Sweetwater stepped in.
Being able to pick from a few units is a great feature. Thanks on that.
What a fantastic packing job.
Shipping was quick, which made me feel better winter having set in.

For the guitar itself it is solid and well built. I wondered about the diecast tuners. I love safety post tuners, but have almost never seen grease packed die cast ones.
These are OK. I did adjust the clutches, finding the D tight.

I knew going in, this Deluxe has a slim body and shaped belly. I think I would be happier with a normal thickness.

The pickups are Fendery and completely fine.
I swapped in a pair of Duncan 'Phatcats' ( with treb passes) which are killer.

The routs had some ungrounded shielding. Odd.
For the big single coils it was worth another coat of DYI paint and a solid ground.

I am building another card with Duncan 'Pearly Gates'. This will be an easy swap on and off.

The neck is well done. A tight pocket and good neck angle. The fret wire will break in, with out a polish job, the ends are nicely done. That is a plus.

I did lower the nut slots on the wound strings for intonation's sake in first position.

I like the input jack plate.
A Tele's Achilles heal has always been the out put jack. This version is better.

I am pleased with my 'Mail Order Bride' and Sweetwater's match making.

Thanks Sweetwater. Chris

The Telecaster arrived Just Fine.The setup was Great.This review is more about My Sales Engineer, Matt Christopherson.I don't write a lot of reviews,but I had too on this one. I have only been a customer over a year or so,but Matt has been just outstanding.He always calls to check on me and if everything I ordered was OK.He ask Questions and does not assume this is what I may or may not want or need.I know why People Like Sweetwater.Thanks a lot,Matt.

So easy to play with a perfect set up and barely 7 pounds. Frets needed a quick cleaning with Gorgomyte cloth but other than that….nothing. Great sounds to me and even the electronics do the roll off thing very gradually. Back when I started playing guitar 32 years ago, you would have to spend thousands to get a guitar with this kind of playability.

Bought this as a mod project . Swapped the 3 way toggle switch and output jack with Switchcraft parts . Changed the bridge to a Gotoh . Put Hipshot staggered tuning machines on . I had previously purchased an Epiphone Slash Les Paul from Sweetwater and I used the Custom ProbBucker pickups from that guitar for this one because they were a lot hotter . Installed CTS pots and orange caps and a set of Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings . Project Complete !

Well let's just say I'm impressed. The guitar is beautiful - especially in this charcoal frost metallic finish. The neck is totally comfortable and familiar in my hands, with nicely finished frets. The ceramic pickups are full and satisfying in response to multiple playing styles. The tuners are stable and the hardware and nut are a cut above Affinitys I've played in the past. I'd say this is as nice as the MIM teles I've played that are in the $500 and up range. What a bargain. I totally dig it!

This is a winner for Fender. Thinner body with tummy cut makes it very comfortable sitting down. Pickups have great bark. Fretboard looks nice and feels great! I've tried other manufacturers looking for a solid body T-type with HH and a C neck with Medium Jumbo frets. This one weighs 7lb 11oz and it feels really balanced. My first guitar made in China and the workmanship is very good. The tuners are closed back with slots so it has a vintage vibe looking at the glossy headstock. SATIN neck! Great body finish! Cool color Charcoal Frost Metallic!

This Squire tele deluxe could really be a LesPaul replacer! It sounds excellent and feels great in the hands! Having the same tone/volume and switching options as the LP makes it easy to switch between the two guitars with no extra thought! This guitar will not break your back or your budget for the awesome sounds you can get from it. For a budget brand they got this one right!

If you're looking for a telecaster and you don't have a lot of money to spend, consider this one!

For the price, it is a great guitar and it sounds and plays very well.

I like that they used the slotted tuning machines and my only recommendation is to replace the grub screws in the bridge saddles. The ones that originally came on the guitar were very tall and would sometimes poke my hand. After replacing them with shorter screws it was more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing!

One other recommendation, replace the witch hat knobs with chrome dome knobs!

Just what I needed without paying too much