[hb]

After looking around for my first electric, I would like some opinions as to the squire guitars from fender. What makes the Master Series M-80 --

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=511950

and the Esprit

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=511951

worth $200 more than the:

Master series m-80 special:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=511949

I would like to play soft rock, creedand clearwater, etc, a little country. Would this be a wise choice? How would these guitars sound pertaining to this kind of music?
Thanks in advance,
hb

[munky]

The M-80 looks like it's trying really hard to be an Ibanez SZ720FM.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...tar?sku=519986

Maybe you might want to look into a Fender Standard Telecaster, one of the humbucker equipped models? I'm not sure offhand what John Fogerty used with CCR.

[Stratrat]

From looking at the links, the first two are bound mahogany bodies and mahogany necks, while the Special is plain basswood without binding, with a maple neck. The M-80 and Esprit specify Duncan-designed humbuckers, while the Special just specifies "humbuckers" - probably lower-quality pickups. I'd guess that the hardware (tuners, pots, switches, etc.) may be different quality also.

I have no idea what that guitar sounds like, so I can't say whether it fits the sound you're looking for. Munky's suggestion about a Telecaster wasn't a bad one - the Tele has been used a lot more in classic rock that it often gets credit for, and it's THE country guitar.