Help needed from electric guitar playing mags

Mini Gadget has an inexpensive electric guitar that may be nearing the end of it's useful life. He's found a guitar that he really wants and I'm trying to decide if it's a guitar worth buying. It's not a bunch of money, so I can't get hurt too bad. But I also hate repeat spending.

When I hear Fender and Telecaster in the same sentence, I'm thinking nice guitar. When I hear about a Fender Telecaster for $249, I think something doesn't fit. Then I read the description and it a Squier model; I've pasted a description for one of the Squier guitars below:

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BRAND NEW!
Fender Squier Avril Lavigne Telecaster - 6-String Electric Guitar

Squier’s Avril Lavigne Telecaster guitar features the chart-topping Grammy® nominee’s distinctive star logo inlayed at the fifth fret, with a checkerboard pickguard and Lavigne’s signature on the headstock. Other features include a single dual-coil humbucking pickup, chrome hardware, a “Squier” engraved neckplate and side-dot only position markers.


-Features-
• Series: Squier Artist Series
• Body: Basswood
• Neck: Maple, C-Shape, Satin Polyurethane Finish
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, 9.5" Radius (241 mm)
• No. of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo
• Pickups: 1 Dual-Coil Humbucking Pickup
• Controls: Volume
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Front Coil
Position 2. Full Humbucker (Both Coils)
Position 3. Rear Coil
Bridge: 6-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Bridge
• Machine Heads: Standard Die-Cast Tuners
• Hardware: Chrome
• Pickguard: 3-Ply Black and White Checkerboard
• Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
• Width at Nut: 1.650" (42 mm)
• Unique Features: Distinctive Star Logo at 5th Fret, Black and White Checkerboard Pickguard, Avril Lavigne Signature on the Headstock, Gold and Black Squier Logo, "Squier" Engraved Neckplate, Black Plastic Parts, Side Dot Position Inlays Only

-Retail Value-
$415.99

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Of course a true Telecaster would be well over a thousand dollars and this one is $249; but, is the Squier series a decent guitar? Is it worth $249?

Ok, it's obvious that you need a lot of help here, but I'll try ;)

First of all, Avril Lavigne??? Please tell me the guitar you are thinking of buying isn't her model........
Second of all, you can get American made Fender Telecasters in all sorts of varieties for anywhere from 400 dollars and up, depending on new or used. Google it.
Squire Telecasters are of a lesser quality, usually the bodies are more pieces of wood glued together (5-7 instead of 3-5, i.e.), electronics are cheaper, smaller frets, lower quality machine heads...... HOWEVER. There do exist VERY nice Squire guitars out there. There have been peaks and valleys in the quality over the years and throughout the multiple models...
Basically, it would be best if someone who you know and who knows guitars could physically inspect it, and it would be very easy for them to tell you what the deal was.

edit- if you're looking at a new squire telecaster on the internet somewhere, I can reasonably say that it might be a good idea to just get a Fender Standard Tele for 400.

What kind of music is mini gadget into? This sort of determines what woods and pickups might lend themselves to what he is interested in. Also, I think you could do better with a used Mexican Fender. Might be more pricey, but definitely a significant leap in quality. Also how old is he? Some guitars have shorter scales so they are easier on small hands.

With instrument purchases I think the following is the best method. Take mini to a few shops, have him close his eyes and you feed him guitars in the practice/test rooms you are willing to buy and one will speak to him. Also even if one MIM (Made in Mexico) Tele with the same setup doesn't speak to him, another with all the same specs might (some guitars just have it). I have nice Fender Strat that despite me not liking Fender Strats that much, it just resonates in me.

Also, if you go to guitar center and there are a bunch of these cheap squier teles, you could sort through them and pick the best.

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Originally Posted by skikola

Ok, it's obvious that you need a lot of help here, but I'll try ;)

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I do need help and thus the basis for this thread.

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Originally Posted by skikola

First of all, Avril Lavigne???

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I think it's the checkerboard pickboard that he's attracted to. No more, no less.

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Originally Posted by dirtybryan

What kind of music is mini gadget into?

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Rock. Not head-banger heavy metal rock. Your garden variety rock-n-roll. Also, he's thirteen.

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Originally Posted by dirtybryan

Also, if you go to guitar center and there are a bunch of these cheap squier teles, you could sort through them and pick the best.

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Good advice as I'd like some help sorting through the multitude of choices.

skikola said it.... Squires have definately gone through ups and downs as far as quality goes. The nice thing about them, since they're made by Fender, is that better parts (pickups, wiring, etc) are easy to come by and thus you can somewhat upgrade the guitar as you go.

However, in my experience, an inexpensive Ibanez sounds way better than any other inexpensive guitar...but that may just be me.

If he's dead set on a tele, then I'd second the notion of throwing down for a real Fender.

It may also be worth mentioning, that depending on what kind of "rock" sound he's going for, a standard Tele may not give him the sound he's looking for.

Looks like that Avril Lavigne model only has 1 humbucking pickup.... which will definately limit his sound a lot.
I would try and find a tele with either 1 humbucker and 1 standard coil...or a triple single coil setup....such as:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=512575
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=510474
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=515524

While there is nothing wrong with a nice Squire, the Mexican made strats and teles are a cheaper second choice to a Made in Corona, CA model, and quite good.

All Fenders need to be played or checked for proper neck alignment imho. It seems like the highe e string hangs off the edge of the fretboard on some poorley crafted ones. Even the Made is USA ones.

Look at this site to get some ideas:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/

They are owned by Guitar Center, but Fender Standard Strat and Tele are the Mexican made ones.

MIM's are nice guitars, especially if you can play a bunch and find a good one, i.e., with the fewest pieces of wood in the body, and one that just speaks to you. I have an upgraded MIM that is bomber. edit- fender custom shop pickups aren't too expensive and can be easily dropped into a mexican fender or even a squire tele to give your kid a GREAT bang-for-your-buck rock tone. oh, and really stay away from the lavigne.... you don't want the poor kid ridiculed.

Why'd you have to go and make things so comp-i-la-cated?

He was a boy, she was a girl, could I make it any more obvious?

2nded on getting multi-pickups, you have WAY more sound options that way... a single p/u isn't going to have the versatility for a developing player.

As I read the responses and look at some of the suggestions, I'm really glad I asked before pulling the trigger on the wrong guitar.

All things are never equal and I'm sure there are a hundred other choices and too many other variables. However, at least for the moment, if we limit the discussion to the choices Storm11 posted; which one makes the most sense?

$299
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=512575
http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbas...3/0/463430.jpg

$499
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=515524
http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbas...1/2/534412.jpg

$699
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=510474
http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbas...6/6/374566.jpg

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=510630

Again, I would really buy the guitar in person and you can probably talk the shop into setting the guitar up (intonating, setting string height, pickup height, make sure strings aren't buzzing on the frets, setting the truss rod). A good setup will make a guitar play worlds better.

That said, of those guitars, I would go with the MIM Fender Tele Deluxe. Its a pretty standard quality meat and potatoes guitar that'll last him a long time. Its not a terribly "heavy" sounding guitar, but he could always trade the bridge pickup for a mini humbucker or something.

The thin lines are cool guitars, but those humbuckers are not easily upgradable (they are a jumbo humbucker that only Fender makes). If he plays in a band he has to worry about the chamber feeding back, those humbuckers are good for rhythm but really do not cut through the mix, and the fretboards radius is kind of tight (makes chords more comfortable, but bends a little more tricky). Cool guitars, but not very versatile. The classic series is the same guitar, but with no chamber.

Another cool guitar that is a tele knock off is the Schecter PT. Schecter is known as being pretty good as far as bang for your buck, I have one. If I recall Pete Townsend played one of these for a while (and so did eddie vedder during his townsend phase).
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=513042

Keeping your eye out for a used Highway 1 Tele would be worthwhile. They are American made, but with cheaper finishes which cuts production costs down a ton. They go for $800 new but perhaps you could find one used for 500.

I would have to second dirtybrians opinion.... my choice would also be the deluxe...

Or you could spring for the Tele knockoff I've had my eyes on for a while...
http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAM...NiteFly-sm.jpg

but it's a little more pricey

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Originally Posted by dirtybryan

Again, I would really buy the guitar in person ...

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I absolutely plan on a trip to the local guitar stores; especially after reading the comments above. I'd just like to be a little better informed when I walk through the door.

If they're into rock and you're looking for an inexpensive guitar check out an Ibanez. For the price the quality is surprisingly high. I have always felt that you can get a lot of guitar in the lower price range by staying away from Fender, Gibson etc... The RG series guitars are a nice cheap rock guitar that play very well and will have a good distorted sound.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...ez-?sku=519786
-$399

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=519783
-$299

I resolved long ago never to buy new guitars. The ancient stuff from the 60's and 70's can be hit and miss, but there are gems out there. I found my Gibson Sonex on ebay for less than your above model. It was a junker as far as Gibsons go in 1983, but compared to most modern new guitars it is way nicer.

Any old Tele though is going to be $$$$$.

Roughly 80% of all guitars, especially on the low end, come from about three Korean factories no matter what name is on the headstock. Now that everything in Asia is made by machines, the quality and consistency are excellent.

Here is where you want to be for solid instruments at the absolute lowest price. I'll take anything made in Asia over an Mexico Squier any day. Hell, I'll take two and still come out ahead. Teles are on this page:
http://www.rondomusic.com/electricguitar-ss3.html

If you want to start upgrading, look here for great handmade pickups, made by the master, at scary low prices:
http://www.billlawrence.com

The most important thing is that all new guitars, especially mail order, will need a professional setup straight out of the box. A $120 guitar set up perfectly will play and sound better than a $2000 guitar with bad intonation and action.

Gadget, here is the thing to keep in mind: if you buy a used American-built Fender, you can sell it for what you paid for it in the future. They hold their value extremely well. If he is serious about guitar, the extra $200 will easily pay for itself in the long run. A quality guitar will easily last a lifetime. It's not like skis.