Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster Electric Guitar, with 2-Year Warranty, Lake Placid Blue, Maple Fingerboard

I was looking for an inexpensive Strat style electric and this was it. It plays well, stays in tune ok & sounds pretty good. It's made in Indonesia, hence why they're inexpensive since labor is more expensive here in the U.S. or Mexico even. If you're looking to get into playing an electric, this will get you started because it comes with pretty much everything you need to get going. The AMP is pretty nice & for being a 15W amp it sure fills the room pretty good. The only thing I've notice that I'd change is that I wished they had used better pots on it. It seems there isn't much to them until you get beyond ½ way on the dials. If I decide to put some $ into it to bump it up a bit I'll end up changing them put & upgrade the pickups; not that the pickups are horrible because they're not. The finish is pretty nice too. I've seen complaints that either the finish or the pick guard was scratched. I'm wondering if they realize that there is a pretty stubborn to peel plastic protective sheet over not just the pickups but the whole front of the body to guard against scratches before it arrives to them. I say this because when I unboxed mine you could see small scratches and blemishes, but once I removed the protective sheet it really popped & looked nice.

Great guitar set. Good sound. Pretty guitar. Great first guitar set.

This Squire is surprisingly excellent!! I've owned & owe other Strats in the past including a Epi LP (which I still have and enjoy), but this very inexpensive guitar is better than I honestly thought it would be. I had my expectations low for such a low cost guitar, but after viewing some YouTube vids and the current discount cost (Black Friday deals etc.), I figure I'd give it a try and after doing my own set up on it (which wasn't much from the factory settings), this this is fantastic for what it is. Pros: - Neck is super easy to play on; not too chunky, (the slim "C"-shape is perfect). - Frets were spot on with no sharp ends or frets that needed smoothing. - Tuners were fine and don't see any need to replace them anytime soon. - Bridge was made well and easy to set the intonation (which wasn't off on mine) and set the action (which was a little high for my tastes). Also the bridge on this one is a 2 point and not 6 screw (great upgrade from the older ones). I also set my bridge flush to the body as well. - Body is light and yes it's thinner than normal strat body's, but totally ok for its sounds and price point. - Pickups are a little hot as to be expected, but work just fine (an upgrade to Alnico's later on will be better. however no rush). It's also excellent you get a tone adjustment knob for the bridge pickup. - Overall fit and finish are excellent, truly more than I expect on a Squire and guitar at this price point. - Great guitar to mod on later if needed. Cons: (being nit-picky) - Pickup selector is a cheaper 5-way switch, but that can be easily replace with a better one later on if really needed. - Sure, change the strings to something better. - Poplar body lacks the warmth of other woods of course, but I honestly have no issues, however some might not care for this brighter and lighter type wood. It's not my Epi LP with a Mahogany body, but this Strat is super light and easy to carry around.

I've owned a lot of Strats and still have several. I also just went in on a Sire S3 SSS for $400. It's absolutely amazing what you can get at the low-end these days. Back to the Squier... The body and hardware are far beyond what I expected. A plastic nut, but it's perfectly slotted. The tremolo bridge is two-point, not the traditional 6-screw type I was expecting. I guess I didn't look at the photo too closely. I liked the color. The pickups aren't grade A, but it sounds like a Strat and I've heard worse and the natural sustain is very good. The guitar plays great out of the box, though I'll be lowering the action a bit. The frets are fine as is with no buzzing as currently set up. I'll be doing some work on them (I spot level and put a polish on all my guitars frets regularly). None are super out of whack as far as I can tell. About the only thing I don't love is that the neck has that raw look and feel, though it's straight and true. I might finish it with amber before I'm done. For the price, I'm amazed. I like it better than my 80's Japanese models, and nearly as much as my MIM silver anniversary with its Rail Tail after being plek'd. I'd say the Sire S3 SSS has the most playable neck of anything I own, but it's $150 more. This will be close once I do the work on it. Note that I recently played a bunch of Player's series at Guitar Center, and I like this better. Those were likely poorly set up, but save yourself the money. If you can live with the logo and the raw neck, or do your own work. Fantastic beginners guitar and better than a lot of guitars I've gigged with in the past. For the price it really deserves five stars, but in the overall scheme you can pay a lot more money and get a "better" guitar

I love this Affinity Series. I also have a Tele of the same series. With a little set up they both work great. Guitar is a hobby for me and both are really fun and have great sound and feel.

I'm an acoustic guitar player with intermediate skills. I'm up early and spouse gets up late. I needed something to play in the morning without making much noise, so I bought a fender mustang micro plus headphone amplifier and this squire affinity strat. I took a chance on the Squier strat because my main interest is acoustic guitars and I didn't want to spend a ton of money on an electric. Anyway, I took the chance and it paid off big time. This guitar was playable right out of the box. I thought I'd have to do a set up, but found it unnecessary. Neck was perfect. Fret ends were clean. Intonation was on the mark. A very pretty sunburst. If I had a complaint it would be the tuners. I don't know what the gear ratio is, but I'd guess 10:1. I'll probably pick up some better tuning machines after the spouse calms down (I have spent a ton of money on guitars so even a relatively inexpensive guitar makes life uncomfortable for a while). The tuning machines aren't a deal breaker. They just make the guitar a little harder to tune. As a final word I'll say that if I had this guitar when I started playing it would have been much easier on my fingers. If you're thinking about taking up electric guitar, this one is a great choice. It's also a great choice for acoustic players who want to dabble in the electric world without spending a fortune.

This Fender electric guitar is great for beginners—comfortable to hold, easy to play, and not too heavy. The neck thickness feels just right, making it easy to move around the fretboard. The Olympic White finish looks amazing, and the sound quality is solid for the price. Perfect for anyone starting out or looking for a reliable, stylish guitar!

I have a Fender American Professional II that I truly love. I wanted a Strat Humbucker, because the neck on my Les Paul is so different from the Strat, it actually impedes my playing going from one type of guitar to the other. The Strat is my main guitar. Some people can switch back and forth, but for me, it is a bit of a problem. I have been playing guitar for 30 years, and finally found the solution. I thought an inexpensive Squire Stratocaster would give me the Humbucker sound I like for certain songs, but would also feel like a Strat, although a much cheaper version. Well, I have to say I was blown away by how good this Stratocaster Affinity made in Indonesia really is. The craftmanship on this $256.00 guitar is outstanding. The pickups sound great through my Fender Super Sonic 22 and my Marshall DSL20. It stays in tune too, after stretching the strings a bit. The knobs are smooth, and the nut is well cut. It has a 2 point trem and only one string tree, just like the Professional II. And the Laurel fretboard is so smooth, it actually feels like ebony. Complaints? One minor one: The side dots on the maple neck are a little off. But other thant that, well, on a scale of 1-10, I would give this beauty a 9.5!