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Fender Squier Telecaster Custom and Custom II

 

Fender Squier Custom Telecasters reviewed by The Man in the Jar

Regular readers will be aware of my affection for the Telecaster. There was some question whether these beasts would offend my purist Telecaster sensibilities. On the contrary I found the Tele's fatter sisters to be deeply satisfying.

Features of the Squier Custom Telecasters

Tuners - Sealed, unbranded mini-tuners which are smooth and accurate.

Headstock - This is the design classic we all know and love. The stingy wood-saving headstock is the distinctive signature of the Telecaster and contrasts sharply with the flouncy swirl of Stratocaster. I find this snub-nosed, ready-for-business look really endearing. On the Customs the headstocks have the old-fashioned decal that has TELECASTER in block capitals, just in case someone at the back of the room is stupid. 

Nut - White plastic "slot" type, tidy and accurate. 

Neck - Standard on-the-edge-of-chunky C profile in Maple with obligatory skunk stripe, a neck which very quickly feels like home. 

Fretboard - Maple with traditional black dot markers. Classic, slightly rounded Tele profile.

Frets - Medium thin, smoothly finished.

Action - Good and playable straight from the box with comprehensive adjustment available at the bridge end.

Body - This traditional Telecaster body shape is formed from Agathis and has a pleasing weight on the strap without being too heavy. 

Bridge - This divergence from traditional Tele territory gives us a fully adjustable modern style bridge and the through-body stringing holds everything firmly in place. 

Pickups - A pair of Humbuckers is what put the Custom into Custom Telecasters. In the Custom II these are replaced with P-90's.

Controls - Here we have the tonal luxury of a volume and tone control for each pickup. The three-way selector on the upper bout adds a touch of the Gibbo vibe. 

Pickguard - Another notable departure from the classic Tele standard, the shape dictated by the more extensive routing required by the control set-up. 

Strap-buttons - Large and secure.

Output Jack - On lower edge set in the distinctive Tele "bucket".

Finish - Excellent throughout. A black finish seems to be "de rigeur" on Tele Customs and it does suit the design very well.    

 

Sound of the Squier Custom Telecasters

I dialled in the Vox AC30 model on a Flextone III and picked up the humbucker-equipped Custom first. With the bridge humbucker engaged I got an authoritative, brash and meaty sound that curiously enough seem to retain some brittle Tele overtones. I was soon using this to produce some excellent, self-confident overdriven rock sounds.

Using the neck humbucker on its own the voicing was a lot mellower. But this sound was still capable of stonking, overdriven rock 'n' roll solos with the capacity to drop right back to the blues. With both pickups engaged the tone is a lot fuller and with the added advantage of volume and tone for each pickup the variety and nuance of available sounds is greatly increased.

I turned now to the Custom II with its Seymour designed P-90's (that's Seymour Duncan not Seymour Skinner). Engaging the bridge pickup alone gives an excellent scooped tone which I found to be a very distinctive voice for soloing and rock 'n' roll rhythms. In fact the more I used this for soloing the better I came to like it.

Engaging the neck pickup put a big dollop of honey into the bottom end whilst retaining the crystal jangle of the highs. This is a beautiful rock and blues sound that encourages you to express your notes with technique rather than simply play the strings. Putting both the P-90's together is the shoot-up short-cut to Tone Heaven. Many guitarists will disregard "soapbar" guitars because they sound "different" or "strange". But those open-minded enough to spend the time will very probably find themselves getting hooked. 

 

Overall Impressions of the Squier Custom Telecasters

It's no surprise I like these little lovelies as to wear and play them is very much a Telecaster experience. These particular models have exceptional playability and balance on the strap and classic good looks that your Blues-Granny would recognise. If you own and love a Standard Telecaster you should already be reaching for your credit card because the distinctive sound of either of the Customs will add spades to your tone repertoire with a guitar that will feel like home right away.
For anybody but the most hardened metal freak these guitars are well worth a look. The attitude and swagger of the humbucker version is perfect for modern or retro pop-rock, but I particularly like the Custom II with its P-90's. Spend some time with it and you'll grow to love it. Your public appreciate a good guitar sound without worrying whether it's a "Fender" sound or a "Gibson" sound. The P-90's certainly sound good and give you a distinctive edge over the multitude of sound-a-likes we've been listening to forever.  

Buy the Fender Squier Telecaster Custom or Custom II

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