ShortScale.org

ElCapitan wrote:why would an aluminium pickguard affect the sound?

jcyphe wrote:Ughh this thread sucks, after reading all the replies and people arguing about the dumbest stuff.

jcyphe wrote:I also read a thread on Offset and people on there are talking about sanding off the Squier logo and putting a Fender one on. UGHHHHHHHHHH. People are so lame.

tribi9 wrote:The only mod I'd do is vintage tint the neck. I love this guitar.

mage wrote:

jcyphe wrote:Ughh this thread sucks, after reading all the replies and people arguing about the dumbest stuff.

haha, yea, we are lame. but what else would you expect from a shortscale forum? of course we are going to argue about the minutiae of the new duo sonic.

tribi9 wrote:You know what else is lame? Bashing people for doing what they're supposed to do on a guitar forum which is "Discussing gear"

jcyphe wrote:I also read a thread on Offset and people on there are talking about sanding off the Squier logo and putting a Fender one on. UGHHHHHHHHHH. People are so lame.

fullerplast wrote:http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/ind ... ic=12764.0

sorry to once again link to your favorite forum... but here's alot of nice shots of one in person.

OK... it's here!

First impression as I'm unpacking it... no cheesy gigbag. It only came with two allen wrenches. Not that I really wanted a gig bag, but you would think that a Squier in the $300 range would have one. Anyway, I unwrapped it and was pretty much amazed from the start. It's really a nice guitar, and above "beginner" status, IMO. The (plastic) nut is nicely cut, the setup is decent, the frets are not sharp (although they are not beveled as much as I like), and there's no fret buzz. The guitar is amazingly light (basswood)... I dont have a precision scale, but if this thing is over 7 lbs, its not by much.

The Desert Sand is pretty accurate, a good compromise as the originals I've owned tend to be different shades, from tan to beige to almost a pinkish or peach hue. This one is almond and the finish is very nice. It's lighter than it appears in the promo pic. The neck pocket is tight and everything seems solid. The guard is really nice, thinner than an original but with the correct brushing. The anodizing seems thin, I can see aluminum in it at different angles to the light. I think it will age well. One really nice touch is the switch, it is correctly all stainless (not a fake chrome tip) and uses a hex nut like the original. The white tuners are also cool. They seem tight, but who knows the origin and if they'll last. They're probably Ping. One minor disappointment, they went to lengths on some of the details... but they didn't use threaded saddles.

Bad news on the neck... it's very white and shoe polish or the sun probably won't help it. It's not satin like other Squiers, it's completely finished in gloss poly. It feels good though, C-shape and B-width. It IS a conversion neck, hence the rearward bridge.

Good news on the neck... I laid my '64 Jag neck on top of it with the heels even. Although the nut is considerably above the Squier (maybe .5"), the 12th fret is not all that far apart (maybe .25"). I didn't take measurements yet, but I would almost think that it would intonate with longer screws. There looks to be enough bridge plate to move the saddles forward, although it would be close. It also looks like the whole bridge could be moved forward a tiny bit and still cover the dowels. So this thing could take a real 24" neck with small mods, or a 25.5" neck as a straight conversion. Or it could be left alone, as the existing neck is decent enough.

The sound is very nice! IMO... the stock pickups are great and would NOT need upgrading. It is quiet plugged in and has no grounding issues. They sound very crisp and clear when clean (nice surfy tones with lots of reverb) and sound nicely alternative on the gain channel. I guess you could say they sound like good old Fender single coils. Don't expect humbucker output though they seem to be pretty hot. The pots feel and work OK and the switch has a nice positive click. It's mounted to flip up and down. I imagine the pots are tiny chinese ones, I havent looked inside.

My idea for this one is to change the pots to CTS, install threaded saddles, change the switch to flip side-to-side, and do something with the neck. If I keep the neck, I would strip and tint it and maybe make a removable walnut plug for the truss rod hole. It does have the skunk stripe on the back. Sorry to be a brand-snob... but this cool little guitar deserves a silkscreened Fender logo. My other idea is to install one the of the nitro finished '57 Strat necks from Allparts. I have one here I can borrow off a Strat and try out.

All in all; IMO this a good value for $300 ($296 shipped to FL w/tax), and does not feel like a Chinese Squier... at least not the Bullet or Affinity series. It's definitely NOT a toy. I think with minor tweaking it could be gigged. It gets extra points just for looking so damn cool. But if also feels and sounds good.. and doesn't weigh a ton. Whoever decided to do this had a great idea. I personally wish it was a MIM Classic Player with a Fender logo... but thats just me. It's not that I'm embarrassed to own a Squier (not at all).. it's just that I feel this model deserves it.

Your Mileage May Vary.

Pics may come later.

I'll update this on the insides when I get to it... but I'm not doing anything to it (or any other guitar) until my '64 Jaguar is finally done!

Cool

edit: True to the first-generation Duos and Musicmasters, this is NOT an offset body, at least not by much. However, it is contoured on the back with the tummy cut and IIRC the originals were slab bodies.