Fender Special Edition Esquire Custom GT

(Originally written by greg_dvs/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Korean guitar not comparable with a Squier product! It's a real Fender, but certainly its quality can't be compared with a Fender USA model.

No floyd rose tremolo

Only one pickup (Seymour Duncan SH8)

Set neck, I guess. The body isn't one piece.

It's hard to tell from the picture but I can assure you that the color and design are beautiful.

UTILIZATION

Very pleasant, Telecaster-like neck and very easy upper frets access (22 frets) since the guitar has a set neck.

The guitar is very light unlike all other US or Mexican Fender models. Your back will appreciate it!

Decent machine heads, but here you really notice the quality difference between the real Korean Fenders and the Squiers. The guitar ages well and I didn't find a single fret defect like on some Squiers.

SOUNDS

I used this guitar mainly with a 100-120-watt Laney TF300. Thanks to its neutral response this amp reproduces the guitar's sound character very faithfully.

The SH8 pickup has a big influence on the sound of this guitar. What a punch!

Clean sound is wonderful for arpeggios but is a bit too harsh for chords. The sound becomes more pleasant by simply decreasing the output volume with the guitar's one and only knob. You can try to soften the sound with a deeper pickup setting (using the screws) but it won't be enough and the sound will still be too aggressive.

This pickup has much too much attack and you won't get the pleasant twangy sound of a telecaster.

The distortion sound is violent and biting. You can get a pleasant crunch sound but probably not good enough for blues fans. But I don't think people buy this guitar to get a crunch sound...

The sustain is quite long but not exceptional.

OVERALL OPINION

I've owned it for 3 or 4 years.

I love its sound for arpeggios and its power in distortion mode although I set the pickup very deep to soften the tone.

I'm really satisfied to have bought this guitar.

It looks wonderful, it's light and has a good sound...

Cons: low versatility (only one pickup and one volume control), and aggressive highs for chord playing in clean mode... If you want to play such things, just don't buy this guitar...

I will certainly keep this guitar because it has a nice sound quality, even though it's not perfect.

Corréenne guitar, but be careful not to do with the Squier range! We are here on a real Fender, but obviously with a quality that is not compared to a Fender USD.

No Floyd
A single microphone, Seymour Duncan SH8
Set neck as I understand, it's not a guitar in one piece.

Difficult to assess the color in the photo but I assure you it is very beautiful, a real success in terms of design.

UTILIZATION

Channel pleasant style Telecaster, access to acute (22 frets) particularly easy since the handle is not screwed.
Ultra-light, in about 50 grams ... I'm kidding but it is not incomparable to any other US or Fender Mex, it's a lot of good back!

The lifts are of reasonable quality, especially that this is a gap between the real and Fender Squier corréennes. Over time nothing happens and the defects of fretting that I have seen on a Squier are absent.

SOUNDS

I mainly used this guitar on a Laney TF300, 100-120W with a very neutral, so the personality of the guitar is particularly evident.

The HS8 plays heavily on the sound of this guitar (logical you will tell me). What a catch!
In the clean: to play arpeggios is beautiful, but to play clean agreement is a bit too violent. Simply by reducing the intensity of the volume by this single button on the guitar, it manages to sound very pleasant. But just by pushing through significant micro screws on both sides, it is still insufficient and too aggressive, you need a compressor.
Many of attack but with a microphone like this one is far from pleasant slamming a telecaster.

In distortion, for it against its catches a violent biting well. It is possible to have a nice crunch, but for the perfectionist, hard to get a crunch worthy of the name. I would not still be bought this guitar to play the "crunch" ...

Although not specifically exceptional sustain is pretty good.

[change] I have now acquired a Fender Hot Rod Deville amp 212, the madness, it seems that the amp controls somewhat exuberant aggressiveness of SH8, which can disturb the excessive slamming of this guitar s' found in relatively softens, a real pleasure! [end change]

OVERALL OPINION

I've had 3 or 4 years.
I adore the sound that can be drawn by beautiful arpeggios and melodic power distortion despite the fact that I have a lot down the microphone to make it less aggressive.

I acquired this guitar for just under € 650 and I absolutely do not regret.
This guitar is beautiful, light it from the mouth and sounds good ...

The negatives are clearly the lack of opportunities (a single microphone, just a volume knob), acute and versatile guitar bit aggressive in its strong clean if we play consistent, but hey if that's what we wants to do must not choose this guitar just ...

A guitar that I will definitely, because if it is not perfect, the qualities that can be drawn clearly well worth the effort.

Fender Corérenne produced in 2003 only. Telecaster shape, but thinner and contour. Channel 22 jumbo frets rosewood glued. Marking abalone handle, graphite nut. Mechanical clutch, chrome hardware smoked. Fixed bridge with 6 saddles modern type. A single Seymour Duncan Invader microphone and volume. So very simple guitar, but the little that is present is of high quality. Must obviously love the band "GT" white.

UTILIZATION

Channel end, flat button. Badly set when I got it, but it is a second hand. Easily obtained a fairly low action, unable to expect to be very ready. The comfort of the handle is good for rhythm, but it's not a quick guitar solo play. Access to acute very easy. The guitar is very light, fairly well balanced.

SOUNDS

It is an ideal guitar for the punk and metal riffs. The SD invader off a very impressive gain adapted to the big sound in rhythm. Lots of bass, very good in palm mute and with many harmonics. As against the grain suffers for solo play while he lacks a bit of personality. Surprisingly, the microphone (and guitar) is doing very well on less extreme music and blues / rock crunch, including the solo this time are very compelling. As against the clean sounds are not area, although they remain possible.

OVERALL OPINION

This is a great rhythm guitar, simple but well finished, designed rather to punchy music. The set neck is quite original for a fender and adds body to the midrange of the instrument very light. So, we are in the heavy, though not of course in the bold way Gibson, which proves to be very nice if we look sharp and loud sounds that are not provided nasal.
She was sold at 900 dollars initially, but you can sometimes find around 300 euros used, making it a great deal.