Momentary lapse of reason: Squier Paranormal Offset Tele in Shell Pink

[MattK]

I saw one of these in a store window last week and haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Shopped around a few different stores online and got it $100 cheaper from interstate (plus the local store is run by complete dicks). This is the second new guitar I have ever bought (the first being a Korean Fender acoustic in 1987). A moment of insanity, not something I need at all, but it's the perfect pastel dream of a Telemaster. Quite excited to try a thin 9.5 neck too.

[Thom]

Sweet!

[BearBoy]

Very pretty!

[MattK]

WAITINGGGGGG

[Bacchus]

Probably time to stick that knackered old Jaguar in the classifieds, then.

[plopswagon]

Looks lovely but if’n it were me, I’d put a black guard on it.

[MattK]

nah it's the pastel dream
also the Jag is brilliant, it's going NOWHERE

[sunshiner]

Pink machine, nice!

I wonder what neck is there. Could it be from an Affinity Tele?

[MattK]

What I know:
- slim C
- 1.65" nut width (= Affinity)
- 9.5" radius (= Affinity)
- 22 frets (Affinity = 21)
- maple cap (no skunk stripe, unlike Affinity)
- made in China (Affinity = Indonesia)
Also vintage style tuners on the Offset unlike the Affinity.
I'm hoping it'll be as nice as the reviews say, and if I can't stand it I'll find a Classic Vibe to switch in.

[sunshiner]

Ah yes, 22 frets should've rung the bell for me. I like Affinity necks, not as much as I like a Gibson 59 neck, but they are narrow and round and quite comfortable.

By the way Affinity used to be built in China and had those 40.6mm nut necks(too narrow for my likings). However, in around the mid 2010s Squier started making Affinity Pack guitars in Indonesia and they were much better made guitars with the nut width around 41.5mm. Both types were produced at the same time which was confusing to me. When I got my Pack strat I couldn't understand all the negative reviews about Affinities and why my neck was 42-ish mm until I also bought a Chinese one. Though the neck on the Chinese was on par with the Indonesian one(only noticeably narrower, no skunk stripe as well), the hardware and electronics were noticeably worse and the body was much heavier. I guess that since then Squier has moved all the Affinity production to Indonesia.

[Josh]

squier was doing affinitys in Indonesia as early as at least like 2002. I have one from 2002 that's made in Indonesia with the skinniest neck I've ever had in my hands aside from maybe hagstroms.

nice body and the pickups were aight, neck was trash though. it was my first guitar and probably the reason why I never became evh good, I learned to play on an epiphone les Paul which had a way bigger neck. I used to have it setup for slide in an open tuning.

edit that guitar is lovely too Matthew!

[MattK]

It's arrived and it's amazing. Like a gorgeous pastel ghost, almost doesn't look real. Plays beautifully - neck is slimmer but not slim, kind of midrange Fender profile, super glossy like some kind of polished stone, fretwork is superb. Sounds brassy and angry on the bridge (but not harsh, amazingly) and bell- or piano-like on the neck.
Hardware is a little less convincing, but I switched in an inexpensive brass-saddle bridge when I put on my usual 11-49s, stock one seemed cheap with blingy chrome. The tuners are a bit janky but the ferrules didn't fit other ones I had to hand.
Hard to photograph the colours have a pastel smokiness to them which just goes whitish in pics. Flawless paint job and a really great neck, the whole thing is light and alive-feeling rather than cheap-feeling. This and the Indonesian 50s Precision I got earlier are next level - aside from slightly cheap hardware, the build and finish quality of "premium" Squiers is right up there with the 80s MIJs, different feel but great instruments.
Highly recommended.

[plopswagon]

Looks fantastic!

[BearBoy]

Looks fantastic!

Indeed. Looks lovely.

I've got one of the Paranormal Cyclones and it has similarly janky tuners, but is otherwise pretty great.

[Thom]

Looks fantastic!

[NickS]

Looks very pretty. How are you getting on with the 3-saddle bridge?

[MattK]

Love it, but I am already used to a couple of other Teles with 3 saddles. I use a wound G so pretty much zero issues, plus I like the feel.

[Pens]

Looks fantastic!

Indeed. Looks lovely.

I've got one of the Paranormal Cyclones and it has similarly janky tuners, but is otherwise pretty great.

Curious here, what's janky about those tuners? They look like standard Klusons to me.

[sunshiner]

Nice! Squier has really upped its game in the last 10-12 years or so

[Nick]

Looks fantastic!

Indeed. Looks lovely.

I've got one of the Paranormal Cyclones and it has similarly janky tuners, but is otherwise pretty great.

Curious here, what's janky about those tuners? They look like standard Klusons to me.

I replaced the same tuners on my paranormal cyclone with real klusons. Main difference is the smoothness, the stock ones are functional but gritty compared to the real thing.