Superb first guitar (Fender Squier Standard Strat RW)

Member Name: dooeyyooey

Product:	Fender Squier Standard Strat RW
Date:	24/05/09 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great sound. Low price. Good-looking. Reliable. Durable.

Disadvantages: None

This was my first guitar.

When I decided to learn to play the guitar, I asked my guitar teacher to tell me what equipment I should get, and he wrote down on a sheet of paper what I needed and told me to go to a specific music store in Denmark Street, off Tottenham Court Road, and give it to his friend there who would take care of it and give me a discount on everything.

I knew nothing about guitars, so I trusted his expertise.

I went to the store, and this was the guitar: the Squier by Fender Standard Strat.

Fender is one of the world's instrument manufacturing giants, and Squier is its lower priced brand.
The Squier instruments are mostly derived from Fender's own line.


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Features:

The Squier Standard Strat has a C-shape maple neck with a 9.5" radius.
The fingerboard is either maple or rosewood (mine is rosewood).
It has 22 frets (Medium Jumbo).
3 Alnico Magnet single coil pickups. 5-way switching.
3-ply pickguard.

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Build:

It is a well-made, rock solid guitar.
Certainly, each guitar being put together individually, there may be individual differences. But mine was beautifully built, the finish was perfect and it still looks as good as new (I have taken care of it).

Depending on your own preference and individual guitar you get, you may want to get it set up and lower or raise the action on the guitar.
When I got mine, it was my first guitar and I had never played before, and I did find the action too high.

As you become more experienced you may also wish to modify the guitar, putting some better quality strings, etc... But for a beginner, the guitar just as it is off the rack is all you need.

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Sound:

The guitar has a clean, smooth sound, and is extremely versatile.
It plays well rock (hard, classic, grunge), country, jazz, blues, metal.

Opinion is divided on how well it plays metal. There are people who rave about how good their metal sounds, others claim it really doesn't cut it.
Personally, I say if you want a guitar specifically to play metal music, you should be getting a more metal-oriented guitar. Otherwise this will probably suit you just fine.

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Design:

I love it. It is just a beautiful guitar to look at. I love the body lines, the slim neck and the larger, round 60s-style headstock.

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When I bought it, I believe it was retailed at around £110. Nowadays I've seen it priced at £206 on Amazon, but I think it is possible to find it at a lower price.

www.imusician.co.uk has Affinity Strat (not Standard) packs at £139.99 that include a small 15-watt amplifier, stating that the RRP is £199.


Stores usually make a deal where you buy the guitar and it comes with a gig bag and a small amplifier and cable. It's pretty standard, so if you go to a store and they don't automatically offer you this, ask them if they will.

This is a wonderful guitar, and recommended for those who are learning to play, or for more serious musicians on a budget. I know of people who have bought very expensive brand guitars only to go back to the Squier, because the sound is so good and they like the guitar so much.

For the price, it could not be more perfect.

Summary: Great for beguinners and experienced alike.