Squiers from People's Republic of China or Republic of China (aka Taiwan)

[nicod98]

I saw a page about Squier serial numbers today, and when I went to Wikipedia.com, it stated about the same about Squier serial numbers:

• YN: Y = Yako (Taiwan), N = Nineties (1990s), the first number following the serial number prefix is the year.
• CY: C = China, Y = Yako (Taiwan), the serial number prefix is followed by a 2 number year.
• CY, COS, or COB serials are usually used on Crafted in China (CIC) Squiers. The plant from which the COB serial number prefix models originate remains a mystery. No documentation, or comment from the manufacturer has resolved the question of which plant produced them.
• Some Squiers that are sold only in the Chinese and Asian markets are made by Axl in China. These guitars usually have the serial number starting with CXS; with the 'X' standing for 'Axl'.
• Squier Classic Vibe series guitars/basses serial numbers start with CGS year of manufacture. 'C' is for China, 'G' is for Grand Reward (the name of the factory where the Classic Vibe and Fender Modern Player Series are built), and ’S' for 'Squier'.

I was wondering. The Yako-factory is obviously on Taiwan. Could the COB-factory be in (communist) China? and where are the CV Squiers made (Chinese mainland or Taiwan). It's not about politics, not about preferences, not about "Made in" vs "Crafted in", it's just to know. Does anyone here have more information about this?

 

[Eddie]

Somehow I must have missed this thread.

Big politics in Taiwan about the name of the island ... especially with the growing independence movement.

I've always corrected people who asked if I was Taiwanese. Nope ... I was born in Taiwan, but I'm Chinese. When asked to fill in place of birth, I write neither Taiwan or China. Taiwan is not a nation, and China implies the PRC. I always write, the Republic of China. Though it backfired on my US passport because the numbskull was too lazy to write Republic of ... and just wrote down China. Frak !!!

Ok, sorry for the ranting. Though, I'm just curious ... Yako no longer produces Squiers, yet they supposedly build thousands of guitars a week. What are they labeled as and where are these being sold ???

 

[nicod98]

As I stated, I don't want this to be about politics, just about the location of the factory. I'm curious where the CV Squiers are made.

I think I might have won a price for either the most stupid question on this forum or the price for the question that stayed unanswered the longest ...

 

[Eddie]

I'm pretty sure the CV's are made on the mainland, and not Taiwan ... supposedly the same factory that builds the Fender Modern Players.

 

[jefffam]

CY is Chinese Yako. I have not seen anything about them no longer producing. CY's show up at least into the 20xx teens.

 

[nicod98]

The fact that MPs and CVs are made in the same factory is pretty well-known... I'd just like to know more about the location...
China remains an attractive mystery to me... Especially when referred to as "cheap junk" on one hand, and they build high quality like the CVs on the other hand.

 

[dtsreiuqs]

My Squier Standard Strat LH has the following identification at the back of the headstock :

In accordance with what I have found on the Fender Discussion Pages, this guitar has been made in Indonesia (I), by Cort (C), in 2005 (05).

So it's another country of provenance for Squiers... But Does Cort still makes Squiers ? I don't know.

A+!

 

[Eddie]

CY is Chinese Yako. I have not seen anything about them no longer producing. CY's show up at least into the 20xx teens.

I thought Fender stopped using Yako because of the high cost of labor. Not cheap to build in Taiwan anymore.

 

[Eddie]

My Squier Standard Strat LH has the following identification at the back of the headstock :

In accordance with what I have found on the Fender Discussion Pages, this guitar has been made in Indonesia (I), by Cort (C), in 2005 (05).

So it's another country of provenance for Squiers... But Does Cort still makes Squiers ? I don't know.

A+!

The Indo Squiers are quite good.

But I remember reading somewhere that the labor cost in Indonesia is high.

Labor to build a guitar in China is about $40.
Labor to build the same guitar in Indonesia is $100.

 

[jefffam]

I thought Fender stopped using Yako because of the high cost of labor. Not cheap to build in Taiwan anymore.

I had not seen that. Of course they keep increasing the prices of new Squiers, so paying for Yako built might be why.

ETA: I have a CY14 P-Bass, so at least through then, Yako was still producing Squiers.

 

[dtsreiuqs]

The Indo Squiers are quite good.

But I remember reading somewhere that the labor cost in Indonesia is high.

Labor to build a guitar in China is about $40.
Labor to build the same guitar in Indonesia is $100.

Ah, OK Eddie.

But do you know if Cort still produces Squiers ? A friend of mine has the same Squier Strat as mine, and it's an IC09, meaning that in 2009, Cort was still involved in Squier production. But I don't know about nowadays.

A+!

 

[nicod98]

Didn't they change the IC-prefix to ICS-prefix, even though the factory remained the same?

There are no recent IC-prefixes around, but a lot of ICS.

 

[noizmker]

Squier with serial "Crafted in China" COS11..... could they be from Yako as well?

 

[archetype]

The fact that MPs and CVs are made in the same factory is pretty well-known... I'd just like to know more about the location...
China remains an attractive mystery to me... Especially when referred to as "cheap junk" on one hand, and they build high quality like the CVs on the other hand.

Grand Reward Education and Entertainment builds the Chinese CVs. I have no info on where, but a few found-on-the-Web pictures of the Farida factory show what appears to be CVs in-process. Farida is Grand Reward's instrument factory in Guang Dong, PRC I.E. mainland China.

Farida makes a Godzillian guitars under their own brand and as the OEM supplier to Fender and other brands. My Guild D-240E dreadnaught was produced by Farida and is of excellent quality. Grand Reward/Farida is like any other manufacturer: they'll build to the quality level that Fender specifies and pays for.

BTW: A Godzillian is equivalent to a million Godzillas. It's a ISO standard. Look it up!

 

[DougMen]

Grand Reward hasn't produced any CV guitars since 2019. Since then, they've all been made by Cort and Samick in Indonesia, except for a few transition models early in the changeover that were still made by GR as Squier made the transition and Cort and Samick were ramping up production to meet contract requirements and demand. And, why are we resurrecting a 4 year old thread?

 

[Guitarmageddon]

Grand Reward hasn't produced any CV guitars since 2019. Since then, they've all been made by Cort and Samick in Indonesia, except for a few transition models early in the changeover that were still made by GR as Squier made the transition and Cort and Samick were ramping up production to meet contract requirements and demand. And, why are we resurrecting a 4 year old thread?

I got a weird tidbit for ya......

Circa 2020 we did see a FEW Classic Vibe final production Grand Reward guitars with the Mexico big block tremolo they used in the discontinued Modern Player line, must have had some lying around to end their total Fender production......

How is it related to this? I have no idea and felt like talking lol

Squier with serial "Crafted in China" COS11..... could they be from Yako as well?

CY would be Yako, my guess is this is some other plant

 

[Afrika61]

CY is Chinese Yako. I have not seen anything about them no longer producing. CY's show up at least into the 20xx teens.

Definately up until 2019. I did checked out a serial number that's up for sale here and it came out:
YAKO, November 2019, XXXX,...., Special run
So at least until the end of the decade.
Now the question is whether or not to buy it😄

 

[noizmker]

Aren't all chinese Squiers made by Yako at least since 2013?
I think Fender invested a lot of money with AXL it's likely COB and COS are made by AXL but for outside of China market. Difference in body thickness might be just to the fact Fender Squier has always had one line with Alder (more expensive) but with different specs simply because they wanted not to replicate a fender strat but to make something with Squier character

 

[Lanaka]

I saw a page about Squier serial numbers today, and when I went to Wikipedia.com, it stated about the same about Squier serial numbers:

• YN: Y = Yako (Taiwan), N = Nineties (1990s), the first number following the serial number prefix is the year.
• CY: C = China, Y = Yako (Taiwan), the serial number prefix is followed by a 2 number year.
• CY, COS, or COB serials are usually used on Crafted in China (CIC) Squiers. The plant from which the COB serial number prefix models originate remains a mystery. No documentation, or comment from the manufacturer has resolved the question of which plant produced them.
• Some Squiers that are sold only in the Chinese and Asian markets are made by Axl in China. These guitars usually have the serial number starting with CXS; with the 'X' standing for 'Axl'.
• Squier Classic Vibe series guitars/basses serial numbers start with CGS year of manufacture. 'C' is for China, 'G' is for Grand Reward (the name of the factory where the Classic Vibe and Fender Modern Player Series are built), and ’S' for 'Squier'.

I was wondering. The Yako-factory is obviously on Taiwan. Could the COB-factory be in (communist) China? and where are the CV Squiers made (Chinese mainland or Taiwan). It's not about politics, not about preferences, not about "Made in" vs "Crafted in", it's just to know. Does anyone here have more information about this?

First Off, I didn't know that Yako is Taiwanese (Sorry @Eddie but I'm not going to write Republic of China multiple times in the same post). Unless there's more than one Yako factories, my two Squier Contemporary Telecaster HH guitars are both Yakos so they've been making Squiers, at least until 2020.



I too don't care about politics, but I DO care about making sure I have accurate information on where the instrument was made in my database. Being made on the island is VERY different from being made on the continent! And I think that Taiwanese products are VERY well made compared to many stuffs made in Mainland China. I can confidently attest to that fact because I have another, much older, guitar that is specifically marked as "Made in Taiwan."

1984 Yamaha SC-300T "Beach Banana"


This guitar is very well made and is a great, if but a bit odd looking, guitar! 😆😁👍

 

[Eddie]

First Off, I didn't know that Yako is Taiwanese (Sorry @Eddie but I'm not going to write Republic of China multiple times in the same post). Unless there's more than one Yako factories, my two Squier Contemporary Telecaster HH guitars are both Yakos so they've been making Squiers, at least until 2020.

View attachment 234646

I too don't care about politics, but I DO care about making sure I have accurate information on where the instrument was made in my database. Being made on the island is VERY different from being made on the continent! And I think that Taiwanese products are VERY well made compared to many stuffs made in Mainland China. I can confidently attest to that fact because I have another, much older, guitar that is specifically marked as "Made in Taiwan."

1984 Yamaha SC-300T "Beach Banana"
View attachment 234647

This guitar is very well made and is a great, if but a bit odd looking, guitar! 😆😁👍

Yako is a company HQ'd in Taiwan (ROC) with manufacturing facilities there also. But their work for Squier is done on the mainland.

When Fender/Squier first subcontracted back 1994 to start manufacturing in China, the PRC was still just opening up. They needed a company with an understanding of western ideals and guitar experience. Yako was already building guitars for other companies, so it was a good fit.

All I know is that Yako built NC's have gotten insanely expensive.