What is it?
Since its launch in 2020, the Squier Paranormal Series has been responsible for some of the most daring and dashing electric guitar designs to ever leave Fender’s workshop, from the Squier LE Paranormal Troublemaker Telecaster Deluxe to the Strat-O-Sonic, Baritone Cabronita and beyond.
The Squier Paranormal Offset Telecaster we have here is certainly no exception. Essentially a de facto Frankenstein’d Jazzmaster/Tele hybrid, this particular model looks to repackage (most of) the tones and functional stylings of a traditional single-cut in a form that takes visual inspiration from Fender’s beloved offset.
That means it has an offset Jazzmaster poplar body, a Jazz/Tele SJ pickup configuration, a Tele-inspired control panel, and a Tele headstock. There’s also a maple neck, Indian laurel fingerboard, and a bone nut. And, because it’s a Paranormal build, extra spice is squeezed out through expansive electronics that offer series/parallel and In-Phase/Out-of-Phase voices.
On paper, it looks and sounds like an absolute winner, but does it have the substance to match its irresistible style?
Specs
Launch price: $449/£409/€439
Made: China
Type: Six-string electric guitar
Body: Poplar
Neck: Maple / "C" Shape
Fingerboard: Indian laurel, bound
Scale length: 9.5"/241mm
Nut/width: Bone / 42mm
Frets: 21, Narrow Tall
Hardware: Vintage-style tuners, 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings-Through-Body Tele w/ Chrome Barrel Saddles, Knurled Flat Top control knobs
String spacing at bridge: mm
Electrics: 2x Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil, Master Volume (Series/Parallel Push/Pull), Master Tone (In-Phase/Out-Of-Phase Push/Pull), 3-position Blade
Weight: 8.5lb/3.8kg
Options: N/A
Left-handed options: Any options, if so what finish?
Finishes: Ice Blue Metallic, Olympic White, Charcoal Frost
Cases: No
Contact: Fender
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★☆
Previous Squier Paranormal guitars that we've reviewed have set a seriously solid precedent with their impressive build quality. First and foremost, the Paranormal Offset Tele is a really good-looking guitar, and – especially when one considers its hybrid design brief – it's been pieced together rather smartly indeed.
It is a best of both worlds build that (from the perspective of a Tele player) does a decent job of repurposing the spirit of a Tele into a Jazzmaster package.
That's all the more impressive when you consider the work that has gone on here. The fretboard binding is in pretty good nick, the finish is largely flawless, and when you've got it in your hands, it feels like a sturdy, reliable bit of kit.
That said, unsurprisingly it's not the best-built guitar you'll come across, and it's clear that – although nicely put together – it suffers in a few places as a result of the cheaper appointments.
For example, the control knobs are unconvincingly knurled (there’s hardly any grip there at all), unusually stiff, and don’t facilitate speedy parameter changes.
The push/pull functions of the volume and tone controls are effective and solid, though, and while I initially felt that Squier was at risk of trying a bit too hard to go above and beyond here – I thought a simple Tele/Jazzmaster hybrid would have been appealing enough – it does a decent job of living up to the Paranormal name and injecting a healthy dose of accessible, expansive tones.
Ultimately, there is a lot to like. Everything seems to have been put together rather solidly, and the marrying of the Jazzmaster and Telecaster styles has worked.
Nothing rattles, nothing is loose, and the Offset Tele does a really convincing job of bringing two beloved builds under one umbrella.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★☆
I found multiple in-song applications for some of the switching options that my more expensive Tele simply can't deliver.
To pick up and play, this feels like your regular Jazzmaster, and there are no surprises in the 25.5” scale length, comfortable-and-well-finished C-shape neck, and 9.5” radius.
The vintage-style tuning machines feel a bit more bulbous than usual and make things feel a bit cramped, but otherwise everything is in working order.
I play a Tele by trade, but absolutely love Jazzmasters, so I found myself very much at home here. I can’t help but feel that the 24” scale of a Jaguar would have made such a hybrid model even more playable and appealing – and dare I say, more 'Paranormal' –but maybe that’s being too picky.
For what it is, the Paranormal Offset Telecaster is a great player. It feels a little ‘tight’ at times with bends and faster runs, especially higher up the neck, but for some shoegaze-y rhythm playing and ethereal chording, it delivers the goods. It's solid, rather than extraordinary, but comfortable and reliable nonetheless.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★☆
Like most Squiers that come packing Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coils, the stock sounds are probably all you'd want or need from an Offset Tele. Clear, punchy and bright with plenty of bite that can really cut through the mix, they are capable of handling everything from piercing cleans to fuzz-drenched leads, with an impressive clarity and definition maintained throughout.
When compared to my usual American Vintage II Telecaster Thinline, it didn’t quite set the room alight, but it definitely performed better than expected when I gave it a tour of my Neural DSP Nano Cortex and wider rig – especially when compared to a guitar almost six times its price tag. In fact, I was particularly drawn to its neck pickup, which seemingly avoids the overly 'wooly' and muddy sound that budget pickups are often known for.
I found multiple in-song applications for some of the switching options that my more expensive Tele simply can't deliver. To that end, my original skepticism over Squier's decision to super-charge the control circuit here diminished considerably.
The out-of-phase mode, for example, meant I could get a tasty 'quack' for funky rhythms, and with the tone knob rolled off, nice quasi-wah sounds for lead hooks. Elsewhere, the series/parallel split helped flip-flop between a bit more added warmth and depth, which the single-coils on their own lacked.
All of this caused me to do a U-turn on my opinion of this guitar's electronics, and by the end I was onboard. It's an admirable all-round performance indeed, especially from a guitar as affordable and stylish as this.
Verdict
This is a very cool guitar with a lot of style, and fortunately it has the substance to match its good looks. On paper, the Jazzmaster/Telecaster design brief should absolutely work, and while it doesn't have a flawless execution and it teeters on the edge of trying too hard, the resulting guitar has won this writer over.
Minor QC issues aside, it's a well built, well thought-out, and well assembled Squier, and a worthy addition to the Paranormal range. Granted it didn't quite leave the same impression that other Paranormal Squiers have in the past – look no further than the Troublemaker Tele, for example – but it's a solid player with a bunch of inspiring and applicable tones to boot.
That said, a regular Jazzmaster/Telecaster hybrid, without the Custom Shop-inspired bells and whistles is something I’d love to see from the Paranormal range in the future...
Final verdict: A gorgeously styled guitar that has more than enough substance to match its irresistible style. It's solid, comfortable player and a clever hybrid mash-up of the Jazzmaster/Telecaster designs, with a range of expansive tones that make it a wholly usable and inspiring Squier.
