Squier Stagemaster is a uniquely different tailor of the typical Fender Stratocaster guitar. The Squier Stagemaster is made explicitly for the rocker players alike. With its sleek Strat body design, reverse Fender-shaped headstock and its drive-bombing License Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo system, the Stagemaster spells “flash” with all of its humbling features.
Much like Fender’s Fat Strat, the Stagemaster guitar is equipped with a lustrous hardwood body, smooth-shredder-fast maple neck. The neck is much thinner than the typical C-shaped Stratocaster and with its reverse headstock, the guitar has appeal and zazz. Playing it feels like Jimi Hendrix’s reversed Stratocaster; for his left hand playing–however, the Stagemaster is a right hand guitar. Whats more, the Stagemaster is equipped with a solid Rosewood fingerboard (12.6″ radius) and 22 frets. The die-cast machine head tuning pegs are what you’d expect from a guitar with Fender‘s name on it. The pickups are a bit bland, but certainly not bad for a guitar in this price range. The pickups are managed with its 5-way selector switch, master volume and a single tone control.
The Squier Stagemaster, in a way, reminds me of a low-line version of Dave Murray’s [guitarist of Iron Maiden] 1957 Stratocaster. Dave Murray notoriously used his ‘57 Stratocaster back in the late 70’s through the 80’s. Like the Stagemaster, his 1957 Strat was equipped with a Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo system, HSH pickup configuration and a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard . However, his legendary Strat did not have a reverse headstock or a thin (fast) design-neck-shape. His guitar was black with a white pick guard (not to mention, Dave replaced the original Fender pickups with DiMarzio humbuckers to “fatten up the sound“).
The Stagemaster, though no longer in production [info that we can find is the last year made was 2001], was available in three different pickup configurations. The Stagemaster HSS features a scorching humbucker in the bridge position and two hot single-coils in the middle and neck with 5-way switching. While the HH features dual humbuckers and 3-way switching, and last but not least, the HSH has dual humbuckers and one single-coil pickup in the middle. The color options for the Fender Squire Stagemaster was: Frost Red, Polar White, Cobalt Blue Metallic, balck and Galactic Purple.
Squier Stagemaster
Originally postd Feb 23, 2009 @ 23:57
I have one of these – I was just showing my girlfriend some of the finer details of my 10-year-old. I saw it a the Guitar Center in West Covina, really caught my eye, I’d never seen one before. It’s almost-black-grey very-fine metallic, with the Floyd in black. I thought everything about it was cool, especially the 24th fret. The reversed head didn’t do that much for me, but I though why not.
I’ve still never seen another, how many of these did Squire make?
…hey, I just noticed, the one in the pic above only has 22 frets. Mine really does have 24. And no pick guard. I still really like how it looks, especially for a Squire.
I bought a stagemaster for $250.00 with some minor adjustments it is an awesome sounding and playing, guitar.
Yeah dude,my Stage Master has 24 frets and no pickgaurd also. I picked mine up for about $120.00 and in my opinion I got one hell of a deal. My shredding sounds so fluid and I relly didn’t think that the humbuckers and the single in the middle was going to sound like that for being a Squire, Just two words sums it up dude; BAD-ASS!!!!!!
I just bought one at a local flea market for $80. He gave me EVERYTHING for it including a really nice Randall 30 watt practice amp that sounds killer. I got a hard case as well but it’s condition is iffy at best. Got a leather Sponge Bob strap,Digitech “Grunge” pedal and cords galore. (3 patch cables,4 10ft. 1/4″ & 5 20ft. 1/4″). I like the guitar but the Randall amp was what I was after. I love it!
If there’s a guitar I regret leaving at the store, it’s this one – they were excellent playing, low cost, and such a great modding platform they’re literally a “Sky’s the limit” type axe. If there’s another guitar I regret leaving at the store, it’s the late ’90s Gibson Les Paul double cutaway. Mars Music was flush with them for $599.
That’s certainly and interesting looking Strat!
I bought a mint/NOS Frost Red Metallic MK.1 Stagemaster, with HSS pickup configuration a couple of years ago for just over £100. It’s an absolutely brilliant guitar and amazing VFM. It’s also a keeper!
My Cobalt blue Stagemaster will rock untill the cows come home
I bought a used one at GC for $130, 24 feet, HSH, Floyd in midnight blue. I put a Dimarzio Saturate on the bridge and it has become my main axe. Love it.