First introduced at NAMM in 1998, the Fender Toronado has been reissued a number of times under the Fender name, but the Paranormal Series Toronado is the first time it has been built as a Squier.
Featuring a 24.75 scale length (uncommon for Fender, very common for Gibson), it’s a two humbucker guitar with a string-through bridge, independent volume and tone controls for each pickup, a poplar body with a modern c-shaped maple neck, 22 frets, and a 1.650″ nut width.
Thought they weren’t made for a long period of time, they achieved cult status, having been played by John Frusciante, Conor Oberst, Alex Kapranos, Joe Trohman, and more mid-00s guitarists.
But how’s the Squier? Good! The neck work honestly feels amazing, it’s comfortable, and not really too heavy (albeit not light, either). I don’t LOVE the pickups, but that’s such an easy swap to make. I think it’s an attractive guitar and I wish the blue paint color had been used on the Super-Sonic as well.
More than the other Paranormal Series guitars I’ve played, the Toronado also seems to generally stay in tune better. It even shipped almost completely in tune, which was both kinda cool and made me say, “Oh, they’re not supposed to do that.”
Amp is Strymon Iridium, Round B and Punch B
Other effects used were the Haleberd and the LOAF fuzz.