Squier is where the action is at this Summer: the latest additions to its Paranormal Series is going for your wallet with electric guitars that offer inspiring designs at a tempting price. There's something for everyone here.
From the return of an early '90s Fender short-scale Strat design with a wraparound bridge to a 12-string Jazzmaster, it's all a little weird and certainly wonderful too. Each model is available in two finish options at £409.99-£429.99 each.
Jazzmaster XII ($449/£429.99)
Available in Lake Placid Blue or Olympic White, this 25.5"-scale Jazzmaster might be the excuse to buy a 12-string guitar that you've been waiting for. And who doesn't love a hockey stick headstock?
A graphite-reinforced C-shape neck, single-coil Jazzmaster pickups with three-way selector and hybrid string-through-body / top-loading hardtail bridge has us intrigued because that latter feature could help make this a beaut for staying in tune.
This has a poplar body, maple neck and laurel fretboard.
Strat-O-Sonic ($429/£409.99)
A surprising proposition that comes out looking like a Gibson vision of a Strat with a shorter 24.75" scale, compensated wraparound bridge and P-90s, this is actually the Squier-badged reissue of a cult Fender design that surfaced in the early '90s.
The body here is okoume and fretboard is laurel. Finish options here are Crimson Red Transparent and Vintage Blonde. The fretboard radius is a Gibson-esque 12" and the combination with soapbars make this one of the most un-Stratty Strats on spec that we've seen.
Esquire Deluxe ($429/£409.99)
One for the single-pickup brigade, and a '70s alternate vision of a '50s design. Metallic Black and Mocha are the finishes here. But there's versatility promised from a non-Cunife Fender-designed Wide Range humbucker with a coil-split. But there's more; the three-way switch (rotary and not the usual toggle) lives up the Esquire name with a volume and tone bypass, in addition to accessing the humbucker and split modes.
The fretboard here is maple with an okoume body.
Custom Nashville Stratocaster ($429/£409.99)
The Tele / Strat body hybrid concept makes another play for the hearts and minds for players. The double-binding with Aztec Gold or Chocolate 2-Colour Sunburst are a classy match here, as is a Strat pickup in the middle position. There's some canny switching too…
A push/pull tone control adds the neck pickup in positions 1 and 2, and in addition to the five-way switch that's a lot of tones.
The body wood here is poplar, with a laurel neck.
Rascal Bass HH ($449/£429.99)
What a looker! A Metallic Black or Sherwood Green low-end machine with Wide Range humbuckers and a Bass VI body shape.
This 30-inch short-scale design even brings in a Coronado Bass influence via the headstock shape. Very cool, and the wood combo here is poplar body with laurel fretboard. All necks on these models are maple.
More info at Fender.
