Paranormal Activity

Other highlights from Squier’s zany new line-up

Besides the Super-sonic, there’s a bevy of forgotten gems in Squier’s latest series. There’s the Toronado, a dual-humbucking nod to Gibson’s most popular designs, complete with hardtail bridge and 24.75” scale length.

The Cyclone is also worth investigating, boasting a similar aesthetic to the Super-sonic, but with Jaguar controls and a slightly longer 24.75” scale. The Offset Telecaster – aka Telemaster for its mash-up of Jazzmaster and Tele credentials – is a highlight, too. Finally, the range is rounded out by a pair of Cabronita Telecasters – one semi-hollow and one 27” scale baritone – both of which feature Jazzmaster single coils.

don’t have the tension to handle the wild ride of a divebombing Strat tremolo, whereas they might be able to stomach the gentler dives of a Jag trem. If you intend to use the vibrato at all, we’d recommend setting this puppy up with 0.010s or above.

The punchy Atomic humbuckers, however, possess a more universal feel. Combined with the resonant poplar body, they produce incredible clarity when used with distortion. That makes this guitar a natural pairing with effects, too - lashings of modulation and octave sound superb. We were gratified that the neck humbucker was plenty bright, while there’s a sharp yet rich attack from the bridge pickup, whose angled position means it never gets overly brash. The middle position was a bit of a letdown, sounding like a slightly flatter version of the neck pickup, but its hollowed-out tones could certainly find a place in garagerock or Qotsa-style tunes.

The Super-sonic provides a playing experience quite unlike any other Fender model - and consequently, it will win just as many fans as it does detractors.

Those eccentricities mean it may not end up as a main guitar for a lot of players, but Fender has priced it, and the rest of the Paranormal Series, accordingly. It really is tremendous fun to play, especially if you’re into indie, math-rock or noisy shred – we implore you to give it a try.

Michael Astley-brown