{"product_id":"clementine-squier-affinity-telecaster-2012-butterscotch-blonde","title":"Clementine! - Squier Affinity Telecaster | 2012 | Butterscotch Blonde","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are certain guitars that look as though they should come with a cowboy hat, a pair of well-worn boots and at least one extremely complicated relationship with somebody called Jolene.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClementine is one of them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe’s arrived wearing a glorious Butterscotch Blonde finish, looking like she’s just stepped out of a Nashville recording studio, and appears to have absolutely no intention of explaining why there’s a horse tied up outside.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhich is particularly impressive, considering she’s never actually been to Nashville.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMeet Clementine, our lovely 2012 Squier Affinity Telecaster, a wonderfully traditional little six-string with all the familiar Telecaster character and none of the terrifying price tag that can sometimes accompany it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd Clementine is a little different from our usual rescues, because she’s actually one of Damian’s personal guitars.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhich brings us rather neatly to something we’ve been doing deliberately this week.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou may have noticed that several of our recent Strays have been rather more affordable than some of the elaborate, expensive and occasionally frankly ridiculous instruments we usually drag home.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd there’s a reason for that.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe’re approaching the dreaded C-word.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChristmas.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere. We’ve said it. In October.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe apologise to everybody who has just instinctively checked whether the shops have started playing Mariah Carey.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut the reality is that Christmas can be an expensive time of year, and we know there will be people looking for guitars for children, partners, family members or even themselves who simply can’t justify spending several hundred pounds.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSo we’ve deliberately made a point of offering some lovely, affordable instruments this week.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNot cheap guitars that somebody will struggle to play, but properly prepared, thoroughly checked instruments that we’d be happy to put into the hands of somebody we care about.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd given that Clementine has actually belonged to Damian, we think she rather proves the point.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnyway, back to the lady herself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Telecaster has been around since the early 1950s, and while the world has spent the intervening decades inventing increasingly elaborate ways to make guitars, the original formula remains remarkably difficult to improve upon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA solid body, two pickups, a comfortable neck and a handful of controls.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat’s essentially it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd somehow, more than seventy years later, it still works beautifully.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClementine was manufactured in Indonesia in 2012, and comes from Squier’s Affinity Series, designed to bring that classic Fender-inspired experience within reach of players who would rather spend their money on actually making music.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOr, in our case, acquiring more guitars.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe’re not especially good at resisting those.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHer Butterscotch Blonde finish is an absolute classic, allowing the grain beneath to show through its warm golden colour. The black pickguard provides a lovely contrast, while the chrome hardware and familiar single-cutaway body give her that unmistakable Telecaster appearance.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s a combination that has barely needed changing in decades.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhich must be rather frustrating for guitar designers who keep trying to reinvent things.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRunning through the middle is a maple neck with a matching maple fingerboard, complete with 21 frets and simple black dot position markers. The traditional 25.5-inch scale offers that familiar Fender feel, while the bolt-on construction keeps everything reassuringly straightforward.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere’s even a dark skunk stripe running down the back of the neck, which we’re particularly fond of.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNot because it makes the guitar sound any different, but because it’s a lovely little detail on an instrument that isn’t particularly interested in showing off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlthough she has chosen to be bright yellow, so clearly there are limits to her modesty.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClementine’s voice comes courtesy of two Telecaster-style single-coil pickups, with a three-way selector allowing you to choose between the warmer, rounder sounds of the neck pickup, the brighter bite of the bridge, or a combination of the two.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd if you’ve ever wondered why people make such a fuss about Telecasters, that bridge pickup is a fairly good place to start.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere’s something wonderfully immediate about the sound, with plenty of clarity, attack and that unmistakable Telecaster twang.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCountry? Obviously.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBlues? Absolutely.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIndie, pop, classic rock, punk, or something involving considerably more distortion than Leo Fender probably had in mind?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClementine is perfectly willing to have a go.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe master volume and tone controls allow you to shape things without having to negotiate your way through a complicated switching system, making her a lovely instrument for newer players and a refreshingly straightforward option for those who have been playing for years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnderneath all that golden paintwork sits another particularly nice feature: a six-saddle string-through-body bridge.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnlike the top-loading bridges found on some earlier Affinity Telecasters, Clementine’s strings pass through the body and anchor at the rear, while the individually adjustable saddles allow each string’s height and intonation to be set independently.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s a practical, sensible arrangement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd since this is a Telecaster, practicality is rather the point.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs always, Clementine has received our usual workshop attention, including a thorough clean, fret levelling, crowning and polishing, and a complete setup to make sure she’s ready for her next adventure.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe’s a previously loved guitar, and there are some light cosmetic signs of her fourteen years of existence, particularly the sort of surface marks you’d expect from an instrument that’s actually been played.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut she presents beautifully, with that gorgeous Butterscotch Blonde finish looking especially lovely against the black pickguard.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd this is really what we enjoy about guitars like Clementine.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe isn’t rare, she isn’t particularly complicated, and she isn’t pretending to be something she isn’t.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe’s a proper little Telecaster, with a comfortable neck, a wonderfully versatile pair of pickups and a design that’s been making people happy for generations.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe’s affordable enough to make a fantastic first electric guitar, but there’s absolutely no reason an experienced player couldn’t have just as much fun with her.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBecause the wonderful thing about a Telecaster is that it doesn’t really care how long you’ve been playing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt just wants you to plug it in.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd if Clementine does happen to find herself wrapped up under somebody’s Christmas tree in a couple of months, we’d be rather pleased about that.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlthough we’d recommend checking the dimensions before buying the wrapping paper.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClementine may look as though she’s about to perform a gentle country ballad about losing her sweetheart, but give her a little encouragement and she’ll happily make enough noise to frighten the livestock.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd really, isn’t that what rock and roll is all about?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe’s golden, she’s uncomplicated, and she’s ready for somebody to give her a whole new collection of stories.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePreferably ones that don’t involve actual horses.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe haven’t got anywhere to keep them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCould you offer Clementine her forever home?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Stray Chord\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRescue • Restore • Rehome\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Stray Chord","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59124603814152,"sku":null,"price":175.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1059\/2829\/4664\/files\/E31ED50F-FD20-4770-872F-B681A1F36FF3.jpg?v=1792176814","url":"https:\/\/thestraychord.com\/products\/clementine-squier-affinity-telecaster-2012-butterscotch-blonde","provider":"The Stray Chord","version":"1.0","type":"link"}