Willis Music Oxmoor Product Profile
Squier Propaganda Obey Telecaster
Solid Basswood body, custom Shepard Fairey graphic finish, “rustic worn” hardware, Duncan Designed Alnico magnet pickups, Maple neck with Rosewood fretboard
This guitar gets looks! When Squier unveiled their Obey series guitars featuring the cool graphic illustrations of Chicago artist Shepard Fairey they knew they had a winner in their pockets. These models incorporate elements of Shepard’s “phenomenology” campaign which is intended to encourage people to question and appreciate their surroundings. I don’t know about all that… but the artwork sure is excellent.
The Obey series are based off Squier’s Standard series but notch up the cool factor with the artwork and hardware that adorn these guitars. The Propaganda Tele features a medium thick “C” shape Maple neck. Right off the bat this guitar feels worn in thanks to the extra mass. I know we guitarists like thin necks, but there’s no denying that tone can suffer from the lack of wood. This isn’t a baseball bat 70’s style neck; just a slightly thicker than average Fender one that plays great.
The hardware maintains the “street” theme by appearing to be all but rusted to bits. I’m not sure how Fender accomplished this but it looks killer while still being fully functional. The bridge saddles in particular look as if they’ve been under water for years yet no not cause string binding or breakage. Only the pickup selector switch is normal on the Propaganda, and I admit that the minor effort needed to keep the vibe going would have been worth it. Perhaps a small socket or nut…..?
The Propaganda is loaded with two Alnico magnet Seymour Duncan designed pickups; a single coil in the neck and a humbucker in the bridge. I personally love this combination and was surprised how decent they sounded. When played through a Peavey 6505 combo the neck pickup only became mushy at high gain amounts. The humbucker fared better on both clean and gain tones, though it does offer less output than I would prefer when using heavy distortion. When played through a Fender Bassman combo I found both pickups to deliver great tone. The neck was my preference here with its chunky tone and clarity. Overall I prefer these pickup’s clean tones but think the image of the guitar will put it in the hands of rockers. I think Fender undersold the guitar with their pickup choice, but swapping is easy and affordable. The Volume and Tone control behave as you’d expect, but again I think most players drawn to this look would prefer no Tone option or an adjustable preamp like that on the Powerhouse Strat.
I really dig the look and feel of this guitar. It’s inexpensive enough to be added to most players collections, and should you want to upgrade the electronics it could quickly become the meanest axe on the block. I bought one!
Reviewed by: Mike McAfee
Contact reviewer at: oxmoorstore@willis-music.com
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About the Contributor:
Manager Mike McAfee is a 13 year plus Willis veteran who has hand picked each employee on his floor because they excel in providing a superior experience to every customer. The confidence, knowledge and courtesy you encounter lives up to an environment tailored for each department of their store. The home-like piano experience alone is worth a visit, and no other store in town carries the stock or selection of Willis’ Oxmoor location. Please accept Mike’s personal invitation to see first hand how hard we’ll work to make sure you’ll always come back home to Willis Music at Oxmoor Center.
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