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MGR/Derek Mok « Squier Standard Stratocaster »
Published on 11/11/03 at 15:00Bought in Oakville, Ontario for about $180 Canadian. My first electric guitar.
Not much. The single-coils sound quite good, and the Stratocaster five-way configuration gives substantial tonal variety. And since this is a cheap guitar, I can play it hard and wild without reservation.
The tremolo bridge started ripping out of the body after about two years. When I sold this guitar, the bridge stood out from the body at a nearly 30-degree angle, making palm muting impossible and tuning extremely unstable. The wiring on the socket was awful and required professional repair. The screws on the socket were misdrilled -- larger screws had to be procured to keep the socket immobile. The neck has rough edges and the string tension feels excessive. I bought this guitar to learn how to play electric, but it was so uninviting to play that I didn't really start playing electric until my first Gibson, which gave me the confidence to play lead, at which point I found more ways to use this guitar. But a beginner's guitar is supposed to make you want to play, and this one didn't. And in case you didn't know, Squiers have a "ghetto" reputation and plummet in value -- you'd be lucky to get $50 back (that's with case) upon selling it.
Poor. Maybe this guitar is better-built than those $79 no-name Strat copies, but it doesn't hold a candle to Epiphones, Ibanezes, and ESPs of similar price.
Some good sounds are available on this guitar, but playing it is like pulling teeth. I might use it in a punk way, playing rough and going crazy, but that's about it. If you want a Strat, I'd say pay a little more money and get a Mexican-made Fender Strat. At least they hold their value better.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
Not much. The single-coils sound quite good, and the Stratocaster five-way configuration gives substantial tonal variety. And since this is a cheap guitar, I can play it hard and wild without reservation.
The tremolo bridge started ripping out of the body after about two years. When I sold this guitar, the bridge stood out from the body at a nearly 30-degree angle, making palm muting impossible and tuning extremely unstable. The wiring on the socket was awful and required professional repair. The screws on the socket were misdrilled -- larger screws had to be procured to keep the socket immobile. The neck has rough edges and the string tension feels excessive. I bought this guitar to learn how to play electric, but it was so uninviting to play that I didn't really start playing electric until my first Gibson, which gave me the confidence to play lead, at which point I found more ways to use this guitar. But a beginner's guitar is supposed to make you want to play, and this one didn't. And in case you didn't know, Squiers have a "ghetto" reputation and plummet in value -- you'd be lucky to get $50 back (that's with case) upon selling it.
Poor. Maybe this guitar is better-built than those $79 no-name Strat copies, but it doesn't hold a candle to Epiphones, Ibanezes, and ESPs of similar price.
Some good sounds are available on this guitar, but playing it is like pulling teeth. I might use it in a punk way, playing rough and going crazy, but that's about it. If you want a Strat, I'd say pay a little more money and get a Mexican-made Fender Strat. At least they hold their value better.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com