Squier often gets a bad reputation amongst seasoned guitar players. Perceived as a beginner’s guitar, the Squier is rarely seen on stage being used by high profile artists, so players are rather few and far between.

Squier Guitars

However, Squier is no longer about cheap guitars and amp combo packs, a Squier can play and sound just as good as their big brothers Fender.

Here are some accomplished guitarists who swear by the Squier name.

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Joe Trohman

Joe Trohman, founding member of Fall Out Boy, not only is regularly seen playing Squiers, but has his own signature model with the budget manufacturer. The Squier Joe Trohman Telecaster is an early ‘70s inspired take on the iconic Fender, with both humbuckers and single coils.

When asked about his touring, Trohman stated that he always finds himself going back to his signature model. “I have to think what’s most practical for me… you can get as clean or dirty as you want without a lot of interference”. 

J Mascis

Mascis of alt rock band Dinosaur Jr is another artist whose signature model is a Squier rather than a Fender. Having played a range of different Fenders and with his first guitar being a Jazzmaster, it was only a matter of time before he had his own signature model.

The J Mascis Jazzmaster was made under his specifications in order to provide the ideal Dinosaur Jr sound, able to handle soft and delicate clean tones as well as massive walls of fuzz and distortion with clarity.

J Mascis can be seen using his Squier regularly on tour and in the studio.

Mike Rutherford

After a stint in the Covid lockdowns, Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford fell in love with the Squier Bullet Stratocaster. The story goes that Rutherford used the Squier to relearn Genesis songs during the lockdowns, and has since become an ambassador for the affordable guitar brand. 

They’re “unbelievably good guitars for the money,” he stated. Since the Covid lockdowns have eased, Rutherford has been seen on the most recent Genesis tour, playing large stadium shows with his Squier Bullet.

Jack Pearson

Jack Pearson, most famous for his contributions to The Allman Brothers Band, has famously also used Squier Bullet Stratocasters for touring. In 2013, when a friend was looking for an entry-level guitar for his daughter, Pearson offered to help.

After going to his local guitar store and trying all the guitars on the wall, he was drawn to a simple Squier Bullet Strat. After his friend’s daughter had a change of heart, Pearson was all too happy to hold on to his new discovery. Now the bullet is his go to for touring due to their great sound and light weight. 

“They’re just good guitars, I don’t know how they make them so inexpensive,” Pearson exclaimed. “It had the most response and vibrated great… had a lot of sustain… the low notes are really tight and the high notes have a certain quality.”

Jeff Healey

Legendary blues, rock, and jazz guitarist Jeff Healey was also known to frequently use Squiers in both his studio and touring rig. Although having a range of makes and models of guitars to choose from, he always found himself going back to Squiers.

“I can get everything I want from one guitar, a black Fender Squier Strat that I have which is my favourite.”

Having played a range of Squiers throughout his career, Healey would often experiment with configurations and pickups and whatnot, yet the make would usually remain Squier. Healey was even in talks with Fender to produce his own signature model Squier, but this idea never left the prototype stages. 

John Mayall

Blues musician John Mayall is also another ambassador for Squier guitars, being seen frequently using them for his touring, playing a combination of both standard Squiers and heavily modified Squiers.

Mayall is known for cutting away the body of his Squiers, leaving only enough space to house the internal electronics.

The affordable cost of Squiers make them the ideal guitar to experiment with, without having to sacrifice quality of sound or build, yet affordable enough to be willing to make modifications without breaking the bank. 

Squier players not enough? Head to Fender for more information on Squier products.