The Fender Squier Bullet guitar and bass range is now the Sonic series – and there's new models, specs and finishes

NAMM 2023: The name of Squier's Bullet range of beginner guitars and electric basses nodded to its roots but are the key entry-level instruments for attracting the next generation. If the idea is to give new players the best playing experience for their money, then it was both a great one and something the range had consistently delivered on. But now it's no more – goodbye Bullet and hello Sonic series.

The values remain the same but there are plenty of updates on the finish and spec side of things. New models too; Tom DeLonge-esque single humbucker Strats, an Esquire Tele with a humbucker, short-scale Mustangs with traditional single-coil pickup configuration in addition to the double humbucker spec… a Bronco bass! 

Core tonewoods here are poplar bodies with maple necks. Let's take a look at the full specs…

Squier Sonic Stratocaster HT H  (£169.99 / $199.99)

  • Finishes: Black (Indian laurel fretboard) and Flash pink (maple)
  • Hardtail six-saddle bridge
  • C-shape neck profile with satin urethane finish
  • 9.5" fingerboard radius
  • Squier ceramic humbucking pickup 
  • Poplar body 
  • More info at Fender.com 

Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS (£169.99 / $199.99)

  • Finishes: Black and Tahitian Coral (maple fretboard)
  • C-shape neck with satin finish
  • Squier humbucking bridge pickup, single-coil neck and middle pickups 
  • Poplar body
  • Six-saddle tremolo bridge
  • More info at Fender.com 

Squier Sonic Series Stratocaster (£169.99 / $199.99)

  • Finishes: Black, 2-Colour Sunburst (maple fretboard), Ultraviolet, California Blue (Indian laurel fretboard)
  • Six-saddle tremolo bridge
  • Squier single-coil pickups 
  • Also available in Black left-handed model (£169.99) 
  • More info at Fender.com 


Squier Sonic Esquire H (£169.99 / $199.99)

  • Finishes: Arctic White (maple fretboard), Ultraviolet (Indian laurel fretboard)
  • Squier humbucker 
  • Six-saddle hardtail bridge 
  • More info at Fender

Squier Sonic Telecaster (£169.99 / $199.99)

  • Finishes: California Blue, Torino Red (Indian laurel fretboard), Butterscotch Blonde, Black (maple fretboard)
  • Six-saddle hardtail bridge
  • Squier single-coil pickups
  • More info at Fender 

Squier Sonic Mustang (£169.99 / $199.99)

  • Finishes: 2-Colour Sunburst, Torino Red
  • 24-inch scale
  • Squier single-coil pickups
  • Six-saddle hardtail bridge 
  • More info at Fender

Squier Sonic Mustang HH (£169.99 / $199.99) 

  • Finishes: Flash Pink (maple fretboard), Electric Blue (Indian laurel fretboard)
  • 24-inch scale
  • Squier humbuckers
  • Six-saddle hardtail bridge 
  • More info at Fender  

Squier Sonic Bronco Bass (£189.99 / $209.99)

Fender Squier Sonic electric guitar

Squier Sonic Bronco Bass in Arctic White (Image credit: Fender)
  • Finishes: Arctic White, Tahitian Coral (maple neck), Black (Indian laurel fretboard)
  • Short 30-inch scale length
  • Squier single-coil pickup
  • Four-saddle hardtail bridge
  • 9.5 radius fretboard 
  • More info at Fender 

Squier Sonic Precision Bass (£189.99 / $219.99)

Fender Squier Sonic electric guitar

Squier Sonic Precision Bass in Black (Image credit: Fender)
  • Finishes: 2-Colour Sunburst, California Blue (maple fretboard), Black (Indian laurel fretboard)
  • Split single-coil pickup
  • 34-inch scale length 
  • four-saddle hardtail bridge 
  • More info at Fender
Rob Laing
Guitars Editor, MusicRadar

I'm the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar I worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including Editor of Total Guitar in the UK. When I'm not rejigging pedalboards I'm usually thinking about rejigging pedalboards.