The younger sibling of Fender, Squier was bought in 1965. Lying dormant for some time, Squier came to prominence in the 80s as Fender’s response to the challenge from lower priced copy competitors. Until this point, Fender’s more affordable ranges of guitars had different designs, and there were no entry level guitars based on their famous Strat and Tele models. With Squier, Fender was able to offer the Stratocaster and Telecaster to consumers at affordable prices, and the range became very popular amongst beginners learning the guitar. In the years since, Squier has expanded its product ranges, and is now well respected as a manufacturer in its own right, often producing special models that are exclusive to the brand.