Squier Paranormal: the new models that reinvent Fender archives

With the Squier Paranormal series, you get used to nice surprises, and the latest models are no exception. An Electric VI that pays tribute to one of the strangest chapters in Fender history. A Telecaster Deluxe fitted with a Bigsby vibrato. And a Jazzmaster diving into the baritone range. All three join the Squier electric guitars with the same guiding principle: take parts familiar to every guitarist and assemble them differently. Let's go through the series, then each new model, along with the tastes and styles that come with them.

The Squier Paranormal spirit: Fender archives running wild

The series concept boils down to one question: what if? What if a Telecaster had Jazzmaster pickups? What if an offset carried twelve strings? Each Paranormal model starts from real Fender catalog elements (body shapes, heads, control plates, pickups) and recombines them in a configuration the brand never produced in series.

The name says it all. These guitars are apparitions, instruments from a parallel timeline where Fullerton engineers made different choices. The branding fully plays this card: vintage colors, parchment plates, Deluxe details, and models that look like they've always existed even though they just came out of imagination.

That's also what makes the series appealing to curious musicians. The Esquire Deluxe Paranormal or the Jazzmaster XII built the range's reputation: unusual luthier ideas at a price that leaves room for experimentation.

Paranormal Electric VI: the Electric XII legacy in six strings

In the mid-60s, Fender launched the Electric XII, a twelve-string with a recognizable silhouette. The Paranormal Electric VI captures its spirit: Electric XII-style control plate, head inspired by the Coronado, and a six-string neck to play without relearning.

The core sound comes from two Alnico Split-Coil “VI” pickups, with body in the low mids and good chord clarity. The bridge bites, the neck rounds out for singing lines.

The real playground is the four-position rotary selector: bridge, both pickups in phase, both out of phase, then neck. The out-of-phase position gives a hollow, somewhat nasal sound that cuts through a dense arrangement.

The short 629 mm (24.75-inch) scale length relaxes the feel under your fingers and eases stretches. The Mustang-type vibrato on a Vintage Floating bridge suits slight waves and modulated phrase endings. Indie, garage, surf, pop: that’s its territory, with a Daphne Blue headstock matching the body.

Troublemaker Telecaster Deluxe Bigsby: the Tele that makes waves

Fender presents it as a guitar dressed to cause trouble. The formula: a bound Telecaster body, two Alnico humbuckers, and a Bigsby B50 vibrato to make chords ripple. Two finishes come with the same setup.

The control layout is that of a Deluxe: one volume and one tone per pickup, with a three-position selector. You balance a warm neck pickup and a sharp bridge, then switch between them without touching your settings.

The two push/pull tone pots activate the coil split of each pickup independently. A thick sound for riffs, a more open texture for arpeggios and funk-rock rhythms. The Honey Sunburst finish emphasizes the vintage vibe the Bigsby already brings.

In black, with parchment pickguard and chrome covers, the same guitar takes on a more straight-up rock look. The humbuckers have enough output to push an amp into overdrive, and keep their dynamics when you roll down the volume.

The 648 mm scale length and 22 frets give a familiar feel. Rock, indie, blues, alternative: it holds the rhythm as well as leads, and the Bigsby adds that shimmer that works wonders with reverb or delay.

Paranormal Baritone Jazzmaster HH: the offset goes down into the lows

The Jazzmaster has always had a thing for wide atmospheres. Its baritone version takes the idea further: 27-inch scale length, two humbuckers, and an Oxblood finish with a black pickguard that gives the offset a distinctly dark vibe.

The 686 mm scale length adds tension on the low strings. Result: palm mutes stay defined and sustained chords don’t smear, even tuned very low. It targets standard B or drop A tuning without going to seven strings.

The Alnico humbuckers bring body and natural compression, thick when overdriven, round in clean tone. The Adjust-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece take care of sustain. Modern metal, doom, stoner, shoegaze or soundtrack music: it’s a real texture machine, and a great tool in the studio to double a standard guitar.

Which new Squier Paranormal model to choose?

The choice is mostly about style. You play indie, surf or pop and want a tone you don’t hear everywhere? The Electric VI and its out-of-phase position are made for you.

You want a versatile stage guitar, able to go from a big riff to a clear arpeggio? The Troublemaker Deluxe Bigsby ticks that box, and all that’s left is to pick between sunburst and black.

You tune low, compose atmospheres or want to thicken your studio takes? The Baritone Jazzmaster HH opens that register with real note hold. In any case, these new Squier Paranormal models are aimed first at intermediate to advanced guitarists who want to broaden their palette.

Three guitars, three ways to approach the Fender heritage, and that’s exactly what you expect from a Squier Paranormal batch. The series doesn’t stop there either: the Telecaster Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen XII has just arrived too, for those who dream of the chime of a twelve-string. We can’t wait to see what comes next.