Fender Squier Affinity Series Telecaster in Butterscotch Blonde
🎸 The Entry-Level Butterscotch
The Squier Affinity Telecaster is the entry point to the Telecaster family — the most affordable way to get genuine Tele DNA in your hands. With 267K views and 684 comments full of long-term owners who still love theirs years later, this video clearly resonates with players at every stage.
Landon reviews the Butterscotch Blonde version in full — walkthrough, specs, a look inside the body, and tone samples through two very different amps: the Vox AC15 for clean and light drive, and the Marshall DSL20HR for more aggressive tones. He wraps with an honest pros and cons summary.
One commenter sums it up perfectly: "I've done so much low-maintenance custom work to this beast and it's still my fallback workhorse banger."
🔬 Full Specifications
| Body | Poplar, Polyurethane Finish |
| Neck | Maple, "C"-shape profile |
| Fingerboard | Indian Laurel (or Maple on some models), 9.5" radius |
| Frets | 21 Medium Jumbo |
| Scale Length | 25.5" (648mm) |
| Nut Width | 1.650" (42mm) |
| Pickups | Squier Standard Single-Coil Tele (neck + bridge) |
| Controls | Master Volume, Master Tone |
| Switching | 3-Position Blade |
| Bridge | 6-Saddle Standard |
| Tuners | Standard Die-Cast |
| Made In | China / Indonesia (varies by year) |
| Street Price | ~$249 USD |
🎧 Sound Samples
🎸 Vox AC15 — Clean and Drive (6:40)
Through the AC15, the Affinity Tele delivers that classic chimey Telecaster snap on the bridge pickup. The neck pickup warms up nicely with the Vox's natural compression. Clean tones are bright and articulate — exactly what you'd want from a Tele at this price.
🔥 Marshall DSL20HR — Drive Tones (8:24)
Through the Marshall, the Affinity shows it can handle real gain without falling apart. The bridge pickup has that tight, punchy character that makes Telecasters so popular for country, rock, and indie. Not a metal guitar, but handles crunch and mid-gain confidently.
⏱️ Video Chapters
⚡ Pros & Cons
✅ What We Love
- Genuine Telecaster tone at a beginner price
- 6-saddle bridge gives better intonation than CV '50s 3-saddle
- Comfortable C-shape neck profile
- Solid build quality for the price
- Excellent starting point for mods and upgrades
- Butterscotch Blonde looks the part
- Handles both clean and driven tones well
⚠️ Things to Know
- Poplar body (not alder/ash) — lighter but less resonant
- Stock pickups are basic — an upgrade makes a real difference
- Tuners are functional but not great — prone to drift
- Needs a proper setup out of the box to play its best
- Indian Laurel fingerboard divides opinion vs maple
At around $249, the Affinity Telecaster is the most accessible way to get real Telecaster tone in your hands. It's not as refined as the Classic Vibe '50s, but it's a genuinely playable guitar that rewards a proper setup and responds well to simple upgrades. For a first guitar, a travel beater, or a modding project, it's hard to argue with the value.
🛒 Where to Get the Squier Affinity Telecaster
📖 More From Landon
#landonbaileyyt · squier · telecaster · affinity · butterscotch blonde · guitar review
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