Features:

  • Maple neck with "C"-shaped profile and “large” headstock
  • 22-fret maple or rosewood fingerboard
  • Three single-coil Stratocaster pickups with five-way switching
  • Two-point synchronized tremolo with block saddles
  • 1 Year Warranty Included
A quality instrument for the price (so long as you do a good "set up")

I bought this as a backup for my main guitar (while it goes to the luthier for a nut replacement), and was really impressed with the quality. It definitely needed to be "adjusted" (i.e. Out of the box it was buzzing strings everywhere, had a hard time staying in tune, and generally sounded pretty bad. However, when swapped the strings, added the included 3rd spring to the tremolo, adjusted action height and intonation using the included allen wrench, and adjusted truss-rod/neck bow using the included allen wrench, the buzzing stopped and it now seems to be a dependable instrument) Note: many cheap(er) guitars tend to have crappy electronics that hum (or have no tone control), or tuning keys that don't stay in place, but this guitar doesn't seem to have those problems.

Beautiful and great for the cost

For a cheap first guitar this is perfect. Price is great for what you're getting. My only complaint about how it plays is the low E string buzzes sometimes if strummed hard enough. Simple fix is to just get a slightly higher gauge strings and the buzz goes away. All strats are notorious for buzzing though, it isn't just this model. The guitar is also beautiful. The cherry finish looks amazing. Mine however does not look exactly like the one in the picture. The sunburst is red on the edges but the wood in the center--towards the pick guard is more of an orange. The pickguard itself is not white but mint green. It is not obnoxiously green though, it is very subtle. I didn't notice it until a few hours of looking at it in different lighting. The mint green pickguard (along with pickups and knobs) looks unique and contrasts well with the red/orange finish but I am debating getting a white pick guard instead. Havent decided. What I love most about this guitar, despite it's beautiful looks, is the neck. The neck has no gloss finish on it, just a nice satin feel to it. The gloss finishes I find to be annoying if my hands are slightly sweaty, but this neck is always smooth. I can't complain about the action at all, it's a nice height for me. The frets are nice too, I don't get any buzzing despite that low E string with the factory gauge on it. Although part of me regrets not getting a telecaster instead this guitar is a great beginner's strat. If you know you want a strat this is what you should get. Obviously the more you spend on a guitar the better of a guitar you'll get. This is a budget guitar with this price, but I wouldn't buy a more expensive guitar until you've been playing for a while and know what you want.

but it comes pretty darn close (and I'd wager even closer to the ...

I'm grading this on a curve, since obviously a Squier guitar does not have the equal materials & craftsmanship of a USA Fender guitar, but it comes pretty darn close (and I'd wager even closer to the MiMs). It's worth every penny of the $299.00 I paid for it. The thing does NOT look like a cheap guitar. I chose Pearl White, and the fit and finish is beautiful to my eyes. It's a nice alternative to the more common Olympic white. The neck has very little finish on it - it almost feels like raw wood. I like that smooth, silky feel on the neck, but I'd have preferred a slicker, more tinted fretboard. But I may refinish it at a later date to strive for a more "vintage" look. Frets were nicely dressed - no sharp sides sticking out from the neck. In terms of sound, I'm quite pleased with the Seymour Duncan Designed pickups. Tone is a subjective thing, but I can achieve sounds from this guitar fairly equal to what I get out of a MiM Strat. The negatives: the tuners are pretty substandard. If I mod anything, it'll be to put a good set of locking tuners on it. But hey, keep in mind the price we're paying: some corners will be cut to maintain the modest price. Also, the trem bar felt loose & kind of cheap. I think I'll replace it with an aftermarket pop-in trem bar. The guitar I received was set up quite well, w/ action low as I like it and no dead spots on the fretboard. Your mileage may vary in terms of setup condition, as I've heard QC can be a bit inconsistent, although the Indonesia plant, where these are made, have a pretty good reputation compared to some of the other factories. So if you're in the market for a relatively modestly priced guitar that you wouldn't be ashamed to gig with, give the Squier Strat Deluxe a chance.

Nice Guitar

Nice guitar. I've been playing in bands since the 70s. I have a Jeff Beck Stratocaster, a Strat Plus, a mid 80s Japanese Squire Strat, an American Standard Telecaster, and have owned several other Fenders (and Gibsons and PRS too) over the years so I have a pretty good frame of reference for electric guitars. This Squire Deluxe is not only a great bargain, it compares favorably with Fenders that cost five times as much. Nice neck, no dead spots, this guitar is very resonant and lively. I played it without an amp for a couple of days before I even plugged it in. The tuning was typically unstable when using the whammy bar a lot. Here's what you REALLY should do - put a Graph Tech nut on it. I did that and set it up with 10's. Stays in tune extremely well now using the bar. Only needed the high E string tree after that. This Squire Deluxe is a keeper! Having much fun playing this guitar through a cranked Fender Super Champ X2.

I've got this playing like a custom shop

Tremolo was badly setup from the factory, but with a half hour of setup, I've got this playing like a custom shop. My favorite part is the neck. It feels almost unfinished. The frets are immaculately presented and i haven't felt a single sharp fret edge. Great Value, may need new tuners, but still a great value.

One of the best budget guitars I've played

If you're on the fence between this Tele and the Affinity series, buy this one. If you're on the fence between this Tele and an MIM Fender Tele, still buy this one. I really think this guitar hits the sweet spot between the cheaper Affinity/Bullet series guitars and the more expensive MIM models. (We'll ignore the MIA teles, because if you're in the market for a $1000+ guitar, you're probably not looking at this model anyway) I will qualify my recommendation of this guitar over an MIM simply based on price. The MIM for sure has its benefits, and it is the "better" guitar, but this guitar can easily be modified with some decent upgrades and come in well under the cost of the MIM. The most obvious choice here would be to upgrade the pickups to your liking - I am thinking of either a TwistedTele or Texas Special upgrade in the future, but even the stock pickups have been better than expected. The fit and finish of this guitar is excellent. The satin finish neck is one of the most enjoyable I have ever played. The overall quality of construction is very good, and I was surprised to find that it needed almost no setup/adjustments out of the box. Even the intonation was nearly perfect as it shipped. I am by no means a professional musician, but I've been playing for over 20 years and know what I like. This guitar feels, plays and sounds like a much more expensive instrument, and the antique burst's visual look is the icing on the cake. You will not be unhappy with this guitar.

s sound good. Satin finished neck way better than expected

Outstanding guitar for the money. Duncan designed pu,s sound good. Satin finished neck way better than expected, especilly at this price point. The price of squiers has gone up. Getcha one of these while there still 299. You wont be dissapointed.

Excellent Squier Guitar

Received my guitar in perfect condition. I couldn’t be more pleased. Set-up was fine right out of the box. Just needed to perform some string stretching, then the guitar stayed in tune. The neck is very smooth. Paired this guitar with a Fender Champion 40. Both sound great together.

The guitar is great and I don't want take away from the guitar ...

The guitar is great and I don't want take away from the guitar based on the sloppy packaging and set up job that the seller did. They did not set up the guitar at all and it was shipped in the Squier container which could've seriously damaged the instrument. That being said its got all the appointments of a american made strat, and what an amazing feeling neck. Once set up properly this guitar plays like a dream and for very little money I might add.

Squier truly gives it's bigger brother a run for its money

This guitar is truly surprising (and in a good way). PROS: - Shipped and arrived within 2 days with no hassle - The color is even more impressive in person, it has a really nice glossy finish that feels super comfortable to play - The unfinished neck looks awesome and plays super easily compared to a laquered one. It's also unique in the sense you can clearly see the grain of the wood. - Squier has been known for average at best tuners, but this guitar rarely needs to be tuned. Even using the tremolo doesn't seem to affect the tuning of the guitar. - The tone is super bright (not too bright though) which is the whole point of buying a strat. It has that classic strat sound and the Duncan Designed pickups sound great. Personally, the tone is indistinguishable to that of an American Standard. CONS: - Some of the frets were a little rough on the fingers at first and definitely could benefit from sanding. However, the more you play the instrument the better the fretboard feels. - These aren't noiseless pickups, but the noise is certainly manageable. Overall, you can't go wrong with this guitar. For the price, you really can't find a better buy. Go for it!

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