The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review & Article Archive: Review: Squier VM Telecaster Custom II

Squire Telecaster Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom II

The Squire Telecaster Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom II continues Fender's quest to duplicate every Frankencaster ever made. As most Fender fans know, the Telecaster in particular has been remade/reborn in just about every configuration a human being can conceive of.

One of the more popular modifications has been putting a Gibson style P-90 in the front, but also in a double configuration like this Custom. The pickups here are Seymour Duncan designed, and as a rule, I've found that if he puts his name on a pickup, it's generally pretty good

What you have is a modern styled tele, with a non-traditional pickguard, six-piece bridge, and an agathis body which is a conifer tree type wood, sort of like pine but considered related to alder. If it's a good piece, many consider it to be very similar in sound characteristics. It's one flaw is that it's also a “soft” wood, and over time, you'd have to keep a watch on any hardware secured by wood screws (like the neck and bridge). I should add that even with soft woods, the holes tend to deteriorate more from constant screwing and unscrewing, but if you're not someone who constantly takes a guitar apart it shouldn't be a problem at all.

Its main rap is that it's almost always used on Asian guitars, as that wood is plentiful there, and has the reputation of being the sign of a cheaper or inferior guitar. I've heard both pro and con about this wood so the best judge would be your ears.

I have to admit, that the extra-large pickguard doesn't appeal to me, but that's an aesthetic consideration. Its does look different, so it would be a Tele that would separate you from the crowd.

The Custom II has a similar weight and feel of a regular Fender Tele and it has a very decent neck. I like the medium jumbo frets (my main tele has those also). The Duncan designed P-90s are a good loud pickup, as those should be, and having used a Gibson P-90 in a tele before, I can say that the sound is close enough to make this a good value if you like that sort of sound.

The one thing it won't do is make it sound exactly like a P-90 equipped Gibson. It'll sound like a tele with a little less twang, but more pop and rounder tone both in clean mode and at high volume. Where the P-90 really makes a difference in this guitar is in the back pickup. With a traditional back pickup, you're either going to like or hate the chiming and twanging, but this one will move you more in a fuller, almost growling tone.

Considering the price, playability is very good. It comes standard with nine-gauge strings, so you'd have to have it reset it you want to put 10s or 11s on it (like many tele players do) but I would play this configuration for a few weeks before doing that. When you add a P-90 or humbucker to a tele, you get a big tone even from nines, so using thick strings may not be necessary for your music. In fact, since the P-90 isn't as sharp sounding as the usual Fender pickups, using thicker strings on this one may cut tone off the high end and make your bends less distinct.

I'm talking technique and taste at this point, but this guitar is basically aimed at beginning or intermediate players (and those who want to use it as a base for a project guitar) and playing guitars with really thick strings is something one has to grow into. In other words, it's set up with nines, but given the pickups, ignore the internet forum love of thick strings on teles and play it as it was designed for a while. Personally, I think P-90s respond best with the lighter gauge strings.

The other consideration is that if you're looking for a traditional telecaster, this won't fit the bill. True, the P-90 is a single coil pickup, but it's in another world in terms of sound. If you want the good old twang in back, and smooth, almost jazzy sound in front, get one with the standard Fender style pickups.

This setup makes for a good rock, alternative, or jazz (certain styles). The back pickup has enough twang and spank to do country like most telecasters, but figure on using it more like you would use a Gretsch type guitar in that genre.

I like the clean tone, it's clear and the agathis body I tried had a good resonance to it, but nothing like a Fender Tele Standard (which is unfair, I know). If you're put it through a good quality amp, the tone is quite good.

Where it shined was when you added some gain, and more gain, and more gain. It doesn't have the impressive roar of a Gibson Melody Maker (which has P-90s) but it's a screamer. The player who'd be happiest with this model would be a rock or alternative type, but with modern amps and pedals, take that statement with a grain of salt. These days, pedal makers can practically make a ukulele sound like Hendrix's Strat.

If you're a beginner, or intermediate player, or one looking for an extra guitar to add some variety to your sound, this is a solid choice. It may not appeal to the those who like traditional style Teles, but after playing a Standard for over 20 years, I've added a double humbucker type with a mahogany body and like it as much as any tele I've ever owned.

I mean, over 60 years later, is there really such a thing as a single standard tele anyway?

The key is not the body wood as it's close enough to alder that if it's a good piece, then it's a fine choice (at this price range). This is the type of guitar that, if you know what a tele sounds like, it needs to be played to really judge if it's right for you. It won't sound like a Standard, but maybe you're not looking for that either.

One big misunderstanding about P-90s is that since Gibson is the company that created this type of pickup, that getting a guitar with those is going to make it sound like a Les Paul or SG or something. On a Fender guitar, it creates a very different sound, so it definitely try before buy situation.

The Squire Vintage Modified line of guitars, most at 300.00, is one of the best values on the market. Some of the models, like the Jazzmaster and Jaguar versions are already sold out in most brick-and-mortar stores and you don't hear the kind of sneering comments about Squires one used to see in Fender forums a decade ago

You wouldn't have seen a guitar with this type of hardware in the beginning price range a few decades ago. This is a model that someone (or you) would have had to create but Fender is turning Squire into a line that's like frozen corn; a product that would cost you more to make yourself than to buy from them.

These days, it almost like if you can dream up a configuration, there's a guitar that already fits that vision. The Squire Telecaster Vintage Modified Custom II could be the answer to your dreams.

- Al Handa

2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa