Squier FSR Bullet Telecaster Review (2019): Great Sound on a Budget

The iconic Fender Telecaster is a guitar that is highly regarded, but they tend to be out of the price range of many players. With the Squier FSR Bullet Telecaster, Fender has made it possible to get the feel and mojo of a true Telecaster without causing extra strain on your bank account.

Body and Neck

Going with the same strategy that other budget guitar manufacturers are taking these days, the body on the FSR Bullet Telecaster is constructed from a solid piece of basswood. It may not be the first tonewood that you would choose (to be fair, some high-end guitars use it as well), but it is certainly a viable option given its relatively low cost and penchant for having well-balanced tonal characteristics. And, it goes without saying that it has the classic Tele shape!

The bolt-on maple neck has the traditional Fender C shape along with a maple fretboard that has 21 medium jumbo frets. It has a polyurethane finish, and the dot inlays along with the Fender Tele headstock design are just icing on the cake.

Truthfully, aside from the Squier label, we think you’d be hard-pressed to tell the FSR Bullet from a ‘real’ Fender Telecaster, as the two are virtually indistinguishable at first glance.

Hardware

If you’re looking for fancy bells and whistles from a hardware standpoint, the FSR Bullet Telecaster isn’t the model you should be checking out. It’s about as traditional as traditional can get, completely mimicking what you’ll find on a Fender Tele.

The two single coil pickups match the design of the original, with the neck pickup covered in a ‘lipstick’ style and the bridge pickup uncovered to expose the pole pieces while being mounted at an angle (with it being closer to the bridge on the treble strings). A three-way pickup selector switch along with single tone and volume knobs are laid out in the same orientation as a true Tele.

The bridge incorporates the same vintage design as well, and the die-cast and chrome-plated tuning machines are surprisingly smooth and accurate. Given the fact that this model is in the sub-$200 range, the overall package is fairly impressive for a budget-level guitar.

Regardless of the cost of the guitar, it’s always a good idea to have something to take care of it and protect your investment. We always would like to see a case or – at a minimum – a gig bag, but not having one included with the FSR Bullet Tele isn’t surprising given the price point.

Sound

So it looks like a Tele…and smells like a Tele…but does it sound like one? The answer is: absolutely!

The quality level of even ‘budget’ guitars has made leaps and bounds over the past few decades, and that means that your tone certainly won’t suffer on the FSR Bullet Tele. You’ll find that it’s incredibly easy to get the same Fender twangy and snappy tones that have made the Telecaster the gold standard for many players (of all genres) over the years.

Pair the FSR Bullet Tele up with the right amp, and you’ll have the recipe for all kinds of single-coil goodness. You may find that some minor setup may have to be done at first to get the action the way you like, but after that, the race is on!

Conclusion

If you are looking for an awesome way to add a little Fender into your life without having to break the bank, then the Squier FSR Bullet Telecaster is a model that we would highly recommend. It has most of the same features that its big brother has, and we have no doubt that players of all styles will be happy with how it gets the job done.

For more info about the Squier FSR Bullet Telecaster, click here.

For more of the best electric guitars under $200, click here.