Squier is an American brand of electric guitars owned by Fender, originally founded in 1890 by Victor Carroll Squier in Battle Creek, Michigan, as a string manufacturer for violins, banjos, and guitars. Fender acquired the company in 1965, and by 1975, the Squier name ceased being used for strings as Fender opted to use its own branding. In 1982, Fender reintroduced the Squier brand to offer lower-priced versions of its iconic Stratocaster and Telecaster models.
Initially, Squier guitars were produced in Japan, but later, they expanded to Korea, Indonesia, and China. The brand became successful in offering quality, budget-friendly guitars, and some Squier models evolved into Fender guitars.