I Bought the Cheapest Fender Stratocaster on Amazon...

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Join me as I unbox and review the Fender Squier Debut Stratocaster, the cheapest guitar on Amazon! In this video, we’ll explore its matte black finish, neck and fret quality, and tuning stability. I'll also test the hardware, including the 5-way switch and tone/volume pots, and check the output jack.
You'll hear how it sounds through the Fender Deluxe Reverb and Boss Katana 50 MkII amps, and I'll compare it to a Fender Player Series Stratocaster. We’ll inspect the pickups and electronics, and discuss the differences between the Debut and Sonic series.
Discover the pros and cons of this budget-friendly guitar, why it's a great choice for beginners, and how to utilize the free Fender Play access included.
Other Featured Gear (affiliate links):
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Boss Katana 50 MkII Amp
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Fender Player Series Stratocaster
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𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙚, 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪!
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨.
#FenderSquier #BudgetGuitar #GuitarReview #Unboxing #FenderStratocaster #BossKatana #GuitarGeek #AndyFerris #AmazonGuitar #BeginnerGuitar #guitartutorial #squierstratocaster

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Get this from Amazon US - amzn.to/45Qx7Nu Get this from Amazon UK - amzn.to/4cfgP2V Get this from Amazon EU - amzn.to/3L7fMpP Get FREE access to Fender Play - prf.hn/l/w9QVz84

[@niallchurch2679]

@@TheGuitarGeek could one upgrade the hardware pick ups etc?

[@lamppostwillie]

The quality of modern cheap guitars is phenomenal. A great time to be a beginner.

[@OutstandingBill1]

Lucky for me, I've been a beginner since 1978

[@Ottophil]

Everyone talks about the guitars. For me its about the knowledge. I didnt have access to unlimited free lessons. Because youtube was well over a decade away from existing when i learned, i was lucky to catch glimpses of chord shapes pausing mtv videos. The 90’s were hard for cheap gear. But even harder to learn songs. Made me develop near perfect pitch from having to retune to every tape

[@carlkermode899]

@@Ottophil Exactly. This is why there is such a glut of very flash youngsters on YT. It was all handed to them for free. We had to buy books, magazines, lessons. There were very few ways to learn with no cost involved. Plus beginner level instruments were by and large a load of poo.

[@shadowhenge7118]

The tech hasnt changed much in over 70 years... but manufacturing has grown lightyears. This is the same energy as the first digital calculators costing serious money, compared to them being a free app on nearly every device and nickle favours in arcade machines.

[@SxSxG666]

@@shadowhenge7118 Progress in manufacturing? I would rather call it acceptance of slavery.

[@tomaselke3670]

As a long time musician, whenever anyone asks me 'what guitar should I buy for my kid' my answer is nearly always "squire". They're solid instruments for the price, and are easily modded.

[@Robstafarian]

The two bottom Squier Stratocasters, currently named Sonic and Affinity, are less straightforward to modify because their bodies are thinner than standard. I would recommend an Ibanez AZES in this price range, though I always recommend humbuckers to beginners because repositioning to avoid hum is not conducive to learning proper ergonomics; similarly, I recommend that people start with a hardtail.

[@kennethh2430]

The Squier Classic Vibes are much easier to mod since parts are easily sourced, especially when factoring in fitment. The prices are a tad more though, but that does scale with the overall quality of the instrument.

[@vpaczkowski]

I'm a pro musician and I own 3 used squier strats with loaded pick guards and klusson tuners installed, setup and fret sanding done by me. Voila I now have 3 guitars that sound, play and stay in tune like a $1500 strat for the price of a MIM strat.

[@plrndl]

The beauty of a massively popular modular guitar like the Strat, is that you can easily upgrade ANY spec of Strat to any other, given time, money, and knowledge of what you want, and you can do it at the pace that suits your situation.

[@justfortier]

I started on MIJ Squier Strat in black gloss. I still miss it, and wish I hadn't traded it in, and just spent the extra money.

[@squirrel-1969]

I feel that Leo Fender would be proud to know that his Strat is still affordable for anyone to own these days. He made it for the working man musician after all.

[@michaelstanley5215]

Yet the Strat wasn't affordable when it was introduced. A 1954 Stratocaster when introduced would be about $2600 in today's dollars.

[@powbobs]

Fender guitars were extremely expensive for their time.

[@jacktadash]

You were meant to nick em.

[@marquisdecarabas1312]

If he was for workers rights, too ...i dont think he would be proud that it is sold on amazon. 🤷🏻

[@iamanovercomer3253]

Playing a G&L FULLERTON ASAT CLASSIC, it's a much better built fender 🇺🇸 telecaster..... I DOUBT THAT LEO WOULD BE PLEASE WITH HUMAN SLAVERY IN CHEAPER GUITARS ‼️

[@Civilian2.0]

Mike Rutherford of Genesis played a couple of Squier bullet strats on the last Genesis tour. He bought them in lockdown, when he was stuck in South Africa without a guitar, but liked them so much, he carried on using them. I think his tech upgraded the hardware, but kept the stock pickups in at least one of them.

[@dontrapani7778]

Unless you're a gigging pro who is making money as a musician, I don't see any reason to buy higher-end guitars. For me, $1000 is the absolute limit for a guitar, and you can get fantastic name-brand axes for that. But you can also save money and get lower-priced but well-engineered guitars like this Squier. I have a Classic Vibe 50s Squier that I paid less than $400 for, and it is as good as any $1000 guitar that I own. Great video!

[@bennyboidoesstuff2798]

@@dontrapani7778 Great take on things! I completely agree with you. As a younger musician (17) who has made maybe 100$ from playing. I have found so much love and respect for cheaper guitars. My most expensive guitar is an 800$ Flying V. And I get a better feel and even tone out of my Jackson JS-22 7 string King V which I got for about 225$. Money does not equal quality 🙏🏻

[@justfortier]

The Classic Vibes are out of this world for price vs performance. When I was looking for a bass (primarily a guitarist), I tried a used Mexican JazzBass vs new Squier CV JazzBass and walked out with the CV which was a $100 cheaper. The neck was nicer, the pickups sounded fuller, and finish was nicer too. 🤷‍♂

[@baileywatts1304]

Going to be honest, I'd feel a lot more comfortable playing a Squier on an average gig than a PRS that I'd be worried Things will happen to (by things I mostly mean theft, but I've also gotten too close to the drummer once and bumped a cymbal and discovered they can be sharp)

[@MolliOlli182]

@@dontrapani7778 Agreed. I mostly gig on sub 500 euro guitars. Usually ones I bought used ones or parts-casters I put together myself. I wouldn’t need a ”high end” expensive guitar to gig paid shows with. But like most of guitar players at one point yli just want to own a really fancy higher end instrument. Just because how it makes you feel. I too, have a gibson sg standard and a fender player plus meteora as my ”expensive” guitars. I play them live too at times. And yes, they are fantastic instruments. But they definitely are not 2-4 times better as my cheaper ones. If I somehow get like millions of cash to spend, yeah I’ll get custom shop guitars. Otherwise I’m fine :D

[@Dan-mi7hn]

Buy an old Ibanez

[@thomasraven]

I bought a Mustang in this same range for someone who was just beginning to learn and she loved it. I was amazed at how well it was made given the price point. With new electronics, it could be great. I chose the Mustang over the Strat because I was afraid the cheap trem would be a nightmare. Even though yours seems to be working well, I'd still recommend a hardtail for beginners. Cheers!

[@theothertonydutch]

Short scale is great too. Might be one of the cheapest ways to get a short-scale neck!

[@anthonyclegg1511]

Me also, the sonic mustang is a lovely guitar ❤️🎸.

[@FreeSpiritPressNews]

All of my guitars are in a short scale for many reasons but the biggest is playability.

[@Guitarzan42]

My wife bought me a Squire Strat in 2002 for Christmas. I still have it and play it daily. It was $199, but it came with a gig bag and a practice amp that was surprisingly good for the price.

[@southernpanda33]

I agree with that. Fender Play has been a great resource for me. I’ve been doing the yearly subscription for 2 years now. I really recommend it.

[@Valisk]

Wish I'd bought my son one of these. I bought him a cheap 'Rock Jam' Strat last year and it was a hateful piece of junk. It actually set his playing back as he didn't pick it up much and stuck to his acoustic. Got him a second hand MIM Fender Tele a couple of months ago and he hasn't put it down.

[@tommysanfilippo3165]

I always try to get people to buy their beginner kids as good an instrument as they can afford cause crappy cheap guitars don’t get picked up much.

[@Valisk]

@@tommysanfilippo3165 It's definitely the best advice.

[@snickpickle]

I couldn’t agree more! I like to call them “moderately-priced” or “intermediate” guitars. A little better resale value, I suppose, as well.​@@tommysanfilippo3165

[@michaelbruh126]

Lol I have the exact same Rock Jam strat you're talking about and it's terrible and it's the reason I've stopped playing for the past few years. I'm probably going to buy this squire soon.

[@nocheckmarkgames]

This is your Platform if you're a Fender/Squire person. Harley Benton does a good job at this, but for American Buyers, this might be the better way to go, Free Shippiing Saves $70-$80 that could be spent on a set of Locking Tuners or a Pickup. It's already routed for any setup you want, what more could you ask for?

[@urbanrunoff]

yup i got a sonic Esquire tele, put a p90 in the bridge and a tele bridge pickup in the neck (yes, angled too) and it is my favorite guitar now so fun to play!

[@frankcooke1692]

Harley Benton is the same scam though. They sound good long enough to make an Amazon affiliate video, but they are junk after a year.

[@nocheckmarkgames]

@@frankcooke1692 I have 4 Harley Bentons, had them for a few years now, and every single one of them is doing just fine.

[@honeyfrost3355]

​@@frankcooke1692 do you have experience with that happening?

[@enthused7591]

@@frankcooke1692 I have a JA60CC in every color, and 2 years later they're flawless still. The neck and frets are still better than my $600 made in Mexico strat, and I paid $150 each for the JA60's.

[@BrentJJ]

Making cheap guitars better is my thing...I love'em💚🎸thx for the content and sharing.

[@imjustherefortheks]

Yes! Same for me...

[@RocktCityTim]

Loved positions 2 and 5 - especially through the Katana! The Neck pickup on the Squier sounded more Strat-y than the Player's Series in the head to head. Are you sure you had the pickup heights correct on the Player's? To the electronis, grab a preloaded pickguard from Guitar Fetish (Under US$40) and - Bob's your uncle (actually, Bob's my father in law)!

[@samxday]

Was this guitar bought anonymously or sent to you knowing it would be reviewed? Just wonder if the setup would always be up to standard

[@warthogA10]

Gibson would be very wise to start putting out a similar beginner series/line (to boost their sales) .. and Epiphone isn't the answer..

[@Angus576]

It’s a no brainer in the USA. $119 shipped.

[@BrentAdams]

New Guitar Players today....have it so much nicer than when I was starting out 55 years ago! What a great intro guitar!

[@stevehuffman1495]

Amen.

[@snickpickle]

Yeah, we old guys (I’m in my 60s myself) remember those acoustics oftentimes without a truss rod, steel strings that could slice a tough cut of meat, and action that would make you scream in pain because you had to apply 2500 lbs. of pressure to get the strings about a quarter of a block down to the neck - and now you’ve pulled the strings about a quarter tone sharp!

[@BrentAdams]

@@snickpickle i'm i n my 70s! Times have really improved the entry level guitars.

[@bldallas]

Squire is crushing it these days. Seriously, Never thought I’d own one, now I have 3 that I love a double bound sunburst 60s CV Tele, a LPB 60s CV Strat, and a LPB Paranormal 12 string Jaguar. All three play and sound amazing. I’ve upgraded the two CVs with locking tuners, Fender pups and full sized pots, etc. though they were great before all that.

[@Lez325]

@@bldallas Squier not Squire

[@bldallas]

@@Lez325 gee, thank you soooo much, for clearing that up. I mean a bunch of people probably thought I was talking about a 14 year old male, from the Middle Ages, on his second step toward becoming a knight. Imagine their confusion had you not hopped on my ridiculous type-o, like a duck on a June bug. I surely feel lucky and relieved there are English experts, like yourself, Lez325, here to police these posts and maintain an impeccable level of accuracy and clarity. Without your corrections, this forum would devolve into a lawless back alley filled with riffraff and generally poor spellers. Your diligent corrections are appreciated more than an ice cold beer on a hot summer day. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you!

[@grahamhornby4766]

Bought a 2nd hand Affinity Strat for £75 last week as a project guitar. The pots needed replacing. Nothing else needs doing. Beautiful neck, v lightweight which suits me perfectly. I own 9 other guitars, 3 of which are each worth over a grand. I have gigged the Squier and it is now my #1 instrument!

[@EJej-z5g]

For such price you can't complain. If you need a cheap strat - you've got it. Pickups is something that can be replaced later. To have a playable neck with properly levelled frets is more important. I'd prefer a version with a bridge humbucker to be satisfied fully and I see that routing here allows such mod but it's easier to go with Bullet HSS then.

[@Bubba777]

Just discovered the channel and really like the format. You play enough to hear the different settings, but not too long so you forget the beginning of the previous riff. Cool review on an inexpensive guitar.

[@gmill7911]

Contrast this with the Malmsteen Signature Strat I bought direct from Fender, about 15 years ago. The setup was so bad from the factory, I couldn't get it working myself and had to take it in to my tech.

[@gunkyzip]

You're playing a Squier, not a Fender. You may as well play an EVH, Jackson or Charvel.

[@danny_the_K]

I have a Squire Tele with double humbucker pickups called an HH model. Love it.

[@TheSkarocker56]

The Squier Debut Strat is an absolute piece of shit. Same cheap hardware as a Glarry, rubbish pickups and electronics and terrible fret work. Do NOT buy this crap!!

[@TheHatMusic]

I'm staggered. Even the tone on those pickups is good! That lovely twangy mid/top end is pretty nice. Get a good setup and some new strings on it and it would make a cracking guitar, whether you're a beginner or not. I wish these had been around when I started what, 30 years ago or so. I'd have been immensely happy!

[@nicksalvatore5717]

One of these and a monoprice tube amp with a cheap mooer multifx pedal, and a beginner has everything they could need for awhile

[@krzysztofwaclawski9002]

The variety of sounds from that guitar is phenomenal

[@edarmstrong9389]

It's good to have a wizard at the controls. I played a Yamaha Pacifica for a year and a half before I had it set up by a real Luthier. I'm an idiot! Having the guitar set up made a world of difference. Should be done immediately, especially for new students.

[@traviswaynedoyle]

Awesome review. Agreed, great as a starter guitar. It has potential though for a curious/handy person who could get their hands on a fully loaded Strat pickguard and get some humbucker action in there. Cheers!

[@mhrcracing]

Title is wrong it's not a Fender it's a Squire... by Fender

[@Narrowboat.and.offgrid.living]

Put a black scratch plate on that guitar and in time change out the pickups and you got a budget gilmore strat

[@StratBurst92]

I bought the sunburst and am very happy with it. Great practice guitar.

[@texastyrannyresponseteam794]

easy to pick up for $50 on marketplace.. it's actual value.. its no better or worse than any other modern cheap strat type guitar.. anything out of the samick or cort factories should be ok.. cheap guitars are much better today than even just a few years ago.. smart money hunts a pawn shop ibanez or schecter... or a real epiphone SG or les paul.. not the "special" crap.. if you hunt around a bit you can get decent epis cheap.. for example.. in the last month i've bought 3 epis.. a Les Paul Traditional pro IV in Epi Hard case for $160, A les paul custom for $125 and a SG pro for $100... i also got a schecter cr-6 for $120.. a PRS SE 24 floyd for $275 in hard case.. MIM Strat for $175.. so you can get really decent guitars cheap if you just look around.. 120 for this guitar new is OK.. but by time you change the electronics.. you can have a much nicer guitar if you aren't stuck on the Bought it "NEW" thing.. in the sub $200 category, there's not a NEW guitar i'd buy under any circumstances when you can get $300-$500 guitars for $100-$200 used.. buy that squier and turn around and take it right to guitar center or a pawn shop and sell it to them. see what they offer you.. that's your actual market value.. but if you hunt.. you can buy nicer guitars for the same money.. alot of times already upgraded.. with cases, straps, tuners, capos, cables, etc in the cases.. i buy. sell, collect guitars all the time.. trust me.. the deals are out there.. you don't have to settle for garbage.. even if it's ok garbage..

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Wow

[@warthogA10]

I have a squire affinity strat, and squire affinity tele, both in the Olympic white, and I love them both. Those were $300 ea before tax Beautiful budget Fender guitars. They're well made and work fine for me. I also have a 2003 First Act strat that I bought at Walmart for my oldest son when he was 6 (he lost interest in learning) and it is a great guitar, built well and sounds fantastic, and for what I paid $60 I was delightfully surprised, it holds up perfectly to my affinity series guitars.

[@jaymartinson3236]

I would have bought one of these in an instant if they offered a maple fretboard version.

[@n0bby_Barnden]

I love your reviews (and content generally) - thanks for another excellent honest appraisal. As an absolute beginner (and hopeless STUFF hoarder and tinkerer, for whom guitars are the latest runaway hobby/obsession) I gravitate to reviewers, commentators and tutors who strike the right chord (sorry) and you're up there with the best IM(VH)O. In a very short space of time I've gone from 0 to 7 guitars of which 3 are Squier - an Affinity Tele, Classic Vibe Tele, and a Classic Vibe Strat. And (albeit as a total noob to this world), they seem the most astonishingly good bang for the buck! I've got a long way to go before I can actually play anything, which makes me even more appreciative of those with the knowledge and skill to not only make a guitar sound great, but talk about it intelligently and entertainingly at the same time. Thank you!

[@villageidiot9867]

I'm exactly the same. My problem is it's hard to turn down a good deal.

[@orsmagyari245]

I've bought a Squier Sonic in Olympic White, changed almost everything on it, it's a nice instrument, the neck is a bit slim for my long fingers. The truss rod hexagon screw-head is messed up from the factory, I had to watch out not to make it worse when setting the relief. Installed Gotoh keys, SD, Dimarzio pickups and a new Göldo, 500k volume pot on it, changed the nut, it wasn't the best slotted nut in the world, did a fret job and it's ok now. I like it alot.

[@sagittated]

I got a Squier Sonic Mustang last fall and had to send it back for a large crack, then got a replacement and spent a couple hours working on the frets and set up, then plugged it in to discover the output jack didn't work. Sent that one back, too, and just asked for my tiny bit of money back. I was shocked to see they released even cheaper guitars for Amazon. I put the money towards saving for a better one, and got a Fender Strat this Spring. Very happy with my new guitar. The very budget guitars are kind of a lottery. Great when you win!

[@frankcooke1692]

Dude it takes like 5 minutes to fix an output jack. If you're gonna play guitar, you'll have to learn how to use a soldering iron at some point.

[@sagittated]

@@frankcooke1692 Well in this case, after spending two hours on the guitar and being very disappointed with everything about it, I was almost relieved to have a reason to trigger a return. It wasn't worth fixing the output jack.

[@frankcooke1692]

@@sagittated Fair enough. I have my suspicions that Squeir doesn't even know where these things come from. They're just sourcing it from AliBaba to compete with the Harley Benton business model.

[@sagittated]

@@frankcooke1692 they are definitely made to compete for the business of people in the market for the least expensive possible guitar. And/or people willing to put a ton of work into getting it in shape. (And even then...) I would highly recommend people save up longer and get Squiers at the next level up, or the level above that. The Affinity are ok, and the CV level stuff is honestly pretty good. They often go on sale, and are worth the increased price tag.

[@akwamarsunzal]

What a fantastic starter guitar or a modding platform! I have a Squier Tele that has been modded to within an inch of its life! 🙂 A 2nd hand Squier Strat that I paid 40 euros for as a non working guitar for modding. I have have changed the trem system and the nut. It has now relegated my MIM Fender Strat to the case for years now!

[@rodmorrison47]

I'm so impressed by these new Squiers (I used to have a JV 57 Strat back in the day) that I'm going to buy the Sonic Strat with maple board as a modding platform. I'm knocking on a bit so a small, light guitar is a good idea and I love some of the colours available in the limited run. And, as for the price - just £20 more than this one. What a time to be alive.

[@Randy-jz9ox]

Should have went for the sonic series. Awesome guitars for $200.

[@streetglidescott6424]

Checked my Amazon account and had $75 in credits that I didn’t remember so picked one up! Been playing an American Precision Bass for the last 40 years, figured I’d buy my first 6 string! Couldn’t help myself at this price.

[@klaymeister]

Everybody's video titles for this guitar are about the same. They include "Fender" and Amazon. I just find that a little interesting.

[@TheGuitarGeek]

I think Amazon also sell tin foil hats.

[@polymerclaymakes]

You're right. My theory is that it's because it is a Squier by Fender and only available through Amazon. Spooky.

[@glensmith4512]

You are correct! I buy all my tin foil hats exclusively from Amazon. 😂

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

It's almost like it's a Fender being sold exclusively through Amazon.

[@Riverdeepnwide]

Often getting a few of these in a row coming across my workbench for sales prep, I get to compare several of the same model. They can look alike, yet each one has stronger and weaker points and once in awhile one comes through with everything cooking. The "Oh Yeah!" specimen.

[@cemsarioglu5947]

Justin Bieber’s studio guitarist plays with one these. Pays only $100 and heard by billions of people 😮

[@DegraftYenbilla]

😊 do you have any other guitar you don't need again. I need a guitar.

[@RichieRich64]

I've got a Squire Standard strat I bought new in '01. Adler body, maple neck, did a little fret work on it and put copper tape shielding inside and that's it. Sounds and plays great, I will never sell it, it's a sweet guitar.

[@Mr.PhatsVarietyVibesShow]

yeah, I have seen a few other channels review this guitar , the pick-ups are not that good.. they just don't sound good... so they have to be changed out with a better fully loaded pick guard. There's no way in my opinion for the price point this is gonna sound super great..

[@ColonelAngus2023]

The pickups in these inexpensive Squier's are fine if you simply upgrade the small stock electronics. Just install quality full size pots and a orange drop cap, add a switchcraft selector switch and a PureTone output jack. About a $65-$75 investment If you do the work yourself. Quality solder and GAVITT cloth wire is also very important for long lasting connections that won't crack. It only costs about $15 bucks for a guitar tool setup kit. Every guitar player should own one. Cheers! .

[@b00ts4ndc4ts]

Im currently gigging a squire bass and all i did is put on flat wounds, really happy with it.

[@marcostrujillo5286]

Do you know if Fender has these matte colors available for the Player and American strats? I really like it.

[@madsam7582]

Get one, and buy a proper strat neck! 😂

[@miguelangelcolon1345]

Its good, i have a Squier bass but its not a Fender.

[@rickrasmussen5637]

I modded two Squire Telecasters with a Graphite nut and a T kit from EMG. Total cost for Guitar and electronics was a little over $250.00. One went to a professional player who loves it. You can save a lot of money and still have pro quality sound. EMG kits are simple to install with hand tools. Squire guitars are much lighter and comfortable to play.

[@1965nterp]

Thank you for playing the same riff,when you switched to each pick up I hate it when someone plays a riff on an electric guitar then switches to a different pick up and plays an entirely different riff

[@odesseus]

Thank you. I've been looking for a good basic guitar to learn some chops on, and this fits it. I think I'll be getting one

[@Alan-zf2tt]

Great review Andy and I thought I should add my take on "cheap" guitars. For a learner = Great! For a new budding musician = Doubly Great! For a professional musician making a meager existence in the trade = Absolutely bloody lovely For a professional musician doing big gigs - well = listen to your sound crew, roadies or producers. Reasoning: Cheap is not rubbish. Nowadays it is quality, sometimes excellent quality, at an excellent price. Why take a 1000£$ € bit of kit on public/dodgy transport to a local gig? For better sounds from a low cost guitar: use lower volumes and get the gritty sounds from a pedal. Sometimes (all times) compression pedal is a must (Boss is your friend here) It is better to trash, by over use? over practice? experimental hardware 'improvements' on a low cost instrument than on a trophy cost instrument 🙂

[@The4thDensity]

If it's good enough for Francis Dunnery, it's good enough for me. 🎸

[@ThisDarkeSoul]

Nice Fender! But seriously, I love your reviews. You da geek 👍

[@jadenlittlerocker315]

HI Mr GuitarGeek The thin neck would be perfect for kids like me. I tried out the Katana 100 at a music store. WOW. The Squier and Katana 50 would be an amazing starter package. Something I would love to try out.

[@JBurky15]

This sounds like a solid mod platform for a hobbyist or even for a beginner who wants to take it to a shop in a year or two and make some upgrades to it and keep it going.

[@windwarattack2300]

Aerosmith blows chunks

[@MarkK01]

I am 55 and have wanted to learn all my life. I never took the time to learn as I was to busy supporting my family as I did. Back in 2013 I had a work accident and after 4 surgeries it has left me on permanent disability. Now i really want to learn to try and keep my head healthy but can not afford to learn. I went from making really good money to @1050.00 Canadian per month. My issue other then the money is I am a lefty and used or new left handed electric guitars are not so easy to come by and when they are available they are either basket cases or really expensive. I always had dreams of playing a Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster Left-Handed or a Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar Left-Handed. I had a chance on buying a Left handed Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster in 3 color sunburst but just before I was going to buy it someone else offered him $50.00 Canadian more so he sold it to the other guy. I was so let down and kind of angry at the seller. there is a used Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar Left-Handed Maple Fingerboard Polar White (Mexico) but it is is way out of my price range. From what I am told that it is a good price but not affordable for me. The lesson of my story is never forget about your dreams and never let them go. That was my huge mistake years ago.

[@ymelfilm]

My advice to newbies: never by Squier branded guitars. The name would have a psychological effect on you and u always would feel a tension inside you that it is 'only' a Squier, not a Fender on s headstock. Therefore you go better at the same price range with other budget brands like Yamaha, SQOE, IYV, Firefly, etc tons on the market. And you wont have that psycho effect on you. Oh, other budget brands give u more for the same money..

[@manphoto1972]

The most important thing in guitar is the guitarist ...you demonstrate it !

[@onbedoeldekut1515]

Was a tiny spring in the bag with the trem arm? There should be one that goes into the trem arm hole to push against the arm and stop it dropping when you 'let go' of it.

[@bobbylibertini]

I have a $99 Monoprice (Chinese) guitar- pretty much the same thing. Amazing quality for the price- is more guitar than I'll ever need. Modern rule: You want a cheap guitar that'll be perfectly playable and won't hinder your learning? Get a cheap electric. Want an acoustic guitar? Learn to play on a cheap electric, then get a GOOD acoustic, 'cause ya still have to pay for a decent acoustic.

[@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306]

Slapping a cheap used dime a dozen Mexico loaded pickguard into a good playing Squier is a huge bang for the buck upgrade. It can literally make them good enough to gig and possibly record with. Of course skill level of playing and setup is a consideration.

[@Koalas-q4e]

Squire dose NOT f around

[@ColonelAngus2023]

Here's the tone a 2004 Stock Indonesian Squier Standard with no modifications. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIucpGWfoKtgh7Msi=O3C9wvcQN5GAkoZw Played thru a Fender Frontman 25R amp. No Effects.

[@PeterElla]

I brought my Strat back in 77 and paid $895 and I still love it and mainly use it when I am not playing my 12 string

[@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306]

My Squiers are still guitars for life granted I upgrade them with leftover parts from my Mexi Fenders.

[@AlekSaint]

Glad you're having such an enjoyable experience with this guitar, sadly I didn't have the same first impression with the telecaster model (seems to be a Europe exclusive as far as I can tell). The neck pickup was broken beyond repair and I had some issues setting up the bridge (the break angle of the top-loaded strings was too shallow which led to bad buzzing. Had to shim the neck to raise the saddles and that fixed it). So I wouldn't recommend the debut tele to a beginner. Might have to check out the strat as well. But the neck was pretty much flawless with fretwork that's similar to what you described here. Would be interesting to see a comparison if you can get your hands on the tele model.

[@Clearanceman2]

It's actually still $120! Everything goes up every couple months so I'm surprised. I know it's only been a month but still. Amazon lost 9% yesterday in the market.

[@jonathanrees6122]

I have this exact guitar. I have three friends who also bought it in red. In every single case, the quality was consistently great. The necks are phenomenal. The pickups work, but have the shortcomings noted here--they are ceramic after all which means they run hot although an EQ pedal can remedy some of it and warm it up a little. The intonation in all those mentioned above were close, and in two cases, was damn close to being spot on. Based on my experience and the reactions in countless other videos (I've watched at least a dozen of these reactions) the thing that sets this guitar apart from dozens of other cheap Amazon guitars is that you can pretty much bet that you're going to consistently get a quality instrument whether you buy one or a dozen. My two cents.

[@KittyKarenpoo]

I like how you emphasize that a beginner guitar might actually do all the work necessary to convince a beginner to stop playing. I recall going into a shop once, and just looking at several guitars without even picking them up and saying, "Nope, nope, nope, maybe." Then you pick up the maybes and say, "Nope, nope, nope, maybe." In the meantime, the beginner you're with is pointing to the 40 year old Gibson with strings a half inch off the 12th fret and saying, "I know Gibson is good! It's only $400!" That's when you put down the $300 D'Angelico and buy yourself a set of strings.

[@raymondo162]

2:15: "output jack is the number one failure point............" you made that up imo. where's there ANY figures ??

I would buy this before a kit guitar to practice mods. Also, the cleans didn't sound bad!

[@Oizzy]

I’m not sure you would be able to put standard fender electronics in it, if you were set to upgrade it, because of the thickness. Have an old Affinity Tele with a thin body, and the cavity won’t quite fit the new electronics (I’m not an expert on strats tho)

[@livebassngames]

as an owner of a couple expensive axes Im happy to see the cheap high quality product drown the market. Means the american standards will sell less and less and a 5k american standard strat is the future (2050) by then my "vintage" one will be worth 7k also means its always a good time to buy a new one because at 2k currently, these are a bargain.

[@chrismyatt2455]

Everyone knows that a guitar only sounds as good as the amp :) Spend as little as you can on a guitar, and as much as you can on a decent amp :)

[@IPv6Freely]

Okay, so I'm learning bass right now and kind of wanted to pick up a guitar to noodle around on as well, just as a change of pace. This thing is a no-brainer. At that price, you're comparing it to Glarry or other no-name manufacturers. I do see they also have a Debut series bass in the same matte finish. I wonder if it's as good as this guitar is. I have my nice bass, but I like the idea of having an inexpensive one that can be "dragged" around the house without worry about scratches and dings. Maybe throw some stickers on it, etc.

[@tosborne8062]

Stratocaster.... Best guitar ever made, (sorry Les love ya but you feel like wearing wooden furniture, and playing it too!) The strat is simple, next the Telecaster (another great) potentiometers (knobs) down low next toggle/ position switch,

[@bobg58]

I am not one who plays electric guitars a lot. I work more with acoustic. So I don't have a lot invested in electric. I bought a Strat Squire about 30 years ago and still love it. It has served me well over the years. It recently needed a repair, which is not bad for a 30 year old instrument, and the music store had nothing bad to say about it. I would recommend Squire to anyone learning or, like me, who simply wants an electric without the high price tag.

[@Kolavskaya]

Right, I'm ordering a couple! Oh, I just saw the €75 axe video - maybe not, then ;-) Meh, I stand corrected: the seller on Amazon-de doesn't ship to the UK :-( ... So back to plan A.

[@CarrigansGuitarClub]

I would say they spent time on it, because they knew you were going to review it, maybe? But it does look a decent starter guitar.

[@chrisjamesr77]

If there was a lefty version of that, I'd be seriously tempted to buy one right now!

[@michaellloyd463]

Buy a right handed one and restring it...good enough for Jimi Hendrix, good enough for us !

[@chrisjamesr77]

@@michaellloyd463 I did that once before actually, had a righty Squier that I strung lefty! I'd still rather just get a lefty one tho lol

[@oliverlangrall2014]

you're not using the fuzz pedal correctly... It's supposed to be dimed ALL THE TIME

[@benjaf2002]

whats better? Squier or Vision strat cheap one?

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Definitely the Squier. At this price point the extra money matters and it’s over 50% more.

[@mlj1111]

I did also, twice. Do not buy from Austin Music in Texas. You will get a B stock that the bridge is coming up off of or the front is peeling from the rest. Supposedly "playable" . Horrible experience. Just buy a Yamaha.

[@quiltedpine7027]

LOLLLL The Bridge can take a day off I think Absolutely hilrious I love your videos man, you'Re hilarious, and your rections are lovable, and you play great. Congrats, European guitar dude!

[@MadJackF1]

The Debut Precision Bass seems to have about the same points in this review. The pickup is meh. the body was thin, but good. The neck is Jazz Bass sized (narrow, 1.5" @ the nut) No fret sprout, but can be felt. The tuning machines are decent, no grossly excessive backlash and hold tune decently. Differences so far, the pickup is about a 1/4" forward of a regular Precision Bass. The pickguard has a couple screws in different locations. There is room in the pickup rout to move the pickup to stock position and you can drill the few screw holes to fit a stock Fender pickguard and relocate the pickups.

[@bm7760]

When you consider the Kay Lucky 7 and Grant Les Paul type garbage we had to live with; the Mr Twang combos and other assorted, just horrible gear we had back in the 70s / 80s, these youngsters don't know they're born! [sounds like a Python skit...]. By the way rooted and routed aren't the same thing. You might give an Australian lady a good rooting but never a routing...

[@jerrysoetewey7002]

You really can't go wrong with a Squier these days. There neck's are still superior over other (cheaper priced) brands. I love Harely Benton guitar's for one, but I still feel that the Squier's have nicer neck profiles and playability. Ofcourse personal preference... The Sonic range is really good, if not better then the older Affinity range... I really adore Indonesian made Squiers, but again, personal preference ;-)

[@Wooburnmusic]

Dont buy cheap, ...... Just DONT ! you can thank me later or in a few years down the road when you have realised that a GOOD GUITAR will pay for itself over and over especially when you are onstage earning decent money. 🙂👍🇬🇧

[@Hiro.the.God.]

I just bought a black sonic Squier. I absolutely love it. And the best thing about it is that it plays very well and if you don’t like the pick ups you can always replace them. And the HSH routing is great, talk about versatility!

[@Dartheomus]

For electric guitars, they can all pretty much sound the same. Once you know how to massage the signal, you can make a humbucker even sound damned close to a single coil, and you can definitely make a single coil sound like a humbucker. So minor differences in pickups really don't matter. Nor is there such a thing as "tone wood" in electric guitars. Now... There will be differences in your experience playing them, including the acoustic feedback that you personally get playing different styles of guitars. But if you listen to recorded tones in isolation, I guarantee that you can make a $100 guitar sound like a $3,000 guitar. I bought my son a 3/4 squire hardtail strat, and I'll be honest, I can make that thing sound identical to my custom shop strat in recordings. It's a little sad. Now I like my custom shop a lot. I like the feel, and I like the look... but absolutely not necessary. All you need is a budget guitar which stays in tune, has decent frets, and is set up properly. With everything done on CNC machines these days, we are lucky that we can meet all those objectives in a $100 guitar... So why not?! :)

[@RobertDean-h8d]

Some years ago I bought a cheap "Telle" (Telecaster) Squire. Played it for years . Recently I went into a guitar store and pulled down a very expensive model, and out of curiosity I tried it out . To my Suprise the old cheap $150 Chinese model plays better than the very expensive sure-nuff Fender in the store. I also own a cheap Squire Strat like the one in this article that I gave a dude $50 bucks for and it's quite adequate. I'm currently getting a guy to make me a 3 string cigar box slide guitar. The sales clerks look at me stupid if I mention Cuban cigar boxes.

[@GNU_Linux_for_good]

But now, I wanna know how Mr. Hendrix would have played the darn thing, and since good old Jimmy passed away - I want to hear a sample of that guitar as Mr. Hendrix would have played it from an AI. Rock'n'Roll baby.. pronto please

[@nigellacey559]

Nice for 120 bucks. The player is nicer though.

[@MisterJWJ71]

I love your straight forward reviews. You don't sugar coat things when something is outright bad but, you are fair about things for the price point.