Squier treats its uber-affordable Sonic range to limited-edition colors – including the Jeff Beck-pioneered Graffiti Yellow
The successor to Fender's entry-level Bullet range arrived earlier this year – and now it's got some fresh new finishes
Earlier this year, Squier announced its all-new Sonic range – the successor to its entry-level Bullet catalog that introduced cut-price versions of its Stratocaster, Telecaster, Esquire, Mustang, Precision Bass and Bronco Bass models.
Now, Squier has issued a limited-edition expansion pack that treats a handful of the above models to a suite of web-exclusive finishes.
Arguably the most notable new-look Sonic six-string of the bunch is a hardtail Stratocaster that comes decked out in Graffiti Yellow – the finish that was sparked by Jeff Beck back in the late ‘80s.
Indeed, Beck asked for his original Custom Shop Stratocaster to arrive with “a really huge neck” and “the exact yellow of the deuce coupe in the movie American Graffiti”, Fender luthier George Blanda recently recalled.
Since its development, Graffiti Yellow has been utilized on a number of American Standard and Custom Shop builds, but now it’s the statement finish for Squier’s $199 Strat, which otherwise arrives with the spec sheet of a standard Squier Sonic HT Stratocaster.
A similarly zesty finish has been awarded to three other limited-edition Sonic models, with Squier’s uber-affordable Mustang, Precision Bass and Esquire variants all arriving with a particularly eye-catching Lime Green colorway.
As a brief reminder (all core specs on these models are the same as their standard run siblings), the $199 Esquire and Mustangs feature poplar bodies and maple necks, with the latter also flaunting a laurel fingerboard. The $219 P-Bass has a similar core, also arriving with a poplar body.
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Lime Green isn’t the only finish that’s been added to the Mustang roster, with the $199, double humbucker-loaded Mustang HH also receiving a considerably more muted Black lick of paint.
The ultra-sleek Mustang HH is perhaps the most sophisticated new release of the crop, which also has room for an Ultraviolet Bronco Bass ($209) and a single humbucker-loaded California Blue Strat ($199).
Notably, that latter model was first unveiled in Black and Pink, meaning its new blue-ish hue will make it even more comparable to the model that no doubt inspired its creation, Tom DeLonge’s cult favorite signature guitar – a model, it’s worth mentioning, is soon to be revived.
To find out more about the new Sonic models, head over to Fender.
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Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
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