Squier guitar serial numbers not only confirm the date of manufacture but also the factory in which they were produced – the serial number of this guitar starts with YN5, which indicates that it was manufactured at the Yako factory in Taiwan in 1995. The Yako factory is generally considered to have produced the best of the early Squier’s from the far east, and as a result they are highly sought after.
This particular Squier Strat came to us from the original owner, and although it is 25 years old and has been played regularly it is in remarkably good shape for it’s age.
The finish is in excellent condition except for one small chip at the edge of the pickguard (see photo) and a few small surface scratches which we have been unable to successfully photograph.
It’s a great guitar to play – the neck is very fast and there is very little fret wear but there were a couple of things which needed attention.
The pickguard was discoloured and scratched and the pickup mounting screws had been replaced with wood screws, so a new 3 ply cream pickguard was fitted. At the same time a set of Wilkinson Vintage 60’s Alnico V pickups were installed to replace the original ceramic pickups. All the original wiring was replaced with vintage cloth pullback wire, the 5 way switch is Oak Grigsby, the pots are CTS and the capacitor is a Sprague Orange Drop.
At the other end of the guitar, the tuners had seen better days so they were replaced like for like with a brand new set.
The result is a great looking guitar with sounds and playability to match.
