Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster HSS Pack - Lake Placid Blue

This is an incredible guitar ! I bought it as a modding platform, but after having spent a few hours with it, I quickly decided it what mostly stay untouched. These are economic tuners, but man do they stay in tune. After polishing and dressing the frets, graphite-ing the nut, and replacing the strings, I had to tune twice in a 2 week period ! The original plan was to replace them with vintage style tuners, but why waste the money, they're great ! I bought the shell pink, and the color, fit and finish are perfect. It weighs 7.5 lbs, so on the lighter side, which I love. The neck has a better looking wood grain than my Vintage Modified '70s, and about the same feel, at least I don't feel a difference. I don't know if it's because of the top load hard tail bridge or ... MoreThis is an incredible guitar ! I bought it as a modding platform, but after having spent a few hours with it, I quickly decided it what mostly stay untouched. These are economic tuners, but man do they stay in tune. After polishing and dressing the frets, graphite-ing the nut, and replacing the strings, I had to tune twice in a 2 week period ! The original plan was to replace them with vintage style tuners, but why waste the money, they're great ! I bought the shell pink, and the color, fit and finish are perfect. It weighs 7.5 lbs, so on the lighter side, which I love. The neck has a better looking wood grain than my Vintage Modified '70s, and about the same feel, at least I don't feel a difference. I don't know if it's because of the top load hard tail bridge or what, but this guitar is VERY resonant, and sustains forever. The pick ups are definitely not top of the line, as the price implies, but they sound really good. My original plan was to replace them with Kent Armstrongs, but I really liked the neck PU a lot, and while I don't have strong opinions either way about the middle and bridge, I thought I would try replacing the electronics first. I installed a Gunstreet Wiring Shop Blender harness (blends neck and bridge PUs), and now I get all the tones I could possibly want. I'm definitely keeping the stock PUs ! Like I said, with a little fine tuning of the set up, it plays and sounds like a dream, looks fantastic, and is priced incredibly well. I couldn't recommend it more.

... This guitar made me question owning more expensive strats. This guitar is perfectly playable, looks cute (I got the shell pink), and sounds like a strat should. What is the catch? Am I missing something? Since when could the cheapest Squier throw down with USA made instruments?This guitar was easier to set up with low, dead-spot free action than some USA Fenders I have owned. The pickups, hardware, etc. are perfectly functional stock, and, because its a strat, it is totally modular. You can change ANYTHING you don't like on this guitar to suit your tastes using widely available and relatively affordable parts. This guitar even has a unique feature set as an affordable top-loader hardtail strat, which gives this a wonderful balance between tuning stability and ... More... This guitar made me question owning more expensive strats. This guitar is perfectly playable, looks cute (I got the shell pink), and sounds like a strat should. What is the catch? Am I missing something? Since when could the cheapest Squier throw down with USA made instruments?This guitar was easier to set up with low, dead-spot free action than some USA Fenders I have owned. The pickups, hardware, etc. are perfectly functional stock, and, because its a strat, it is totally modular. You can change ANYTHING you don't like on this guitar to suit your tastes using widely available and relatively affordable parts. This guitar even has a unique feature set as an affordable top-loader hardtail strat, which gives this a wonderful balance between tuning stability and the slinky feel of lower string tension.If I were shopping for an absolute beginner, any guitar from the squier bullet series would be a no brainer. This leaves more in the budget for a decent amp and guitar necessities, e.g., picks, cables, tuners, strap, etc..As an advanced player of 20+ years... I am blown away by the playability and character of such an affordable instrument. It really does "quack" like a strat in positions 2 and 4, and the humbucker actually sounds usable, not dull or lifeless as cheap humbuckers often can. I love my bullet tele, but I felt the need to swap the pickups on that to make it just right; this one might just stay stock!TL;DR: Awesome as-is for any level of player.

Waited like forever for this to be in stock. Got the Olympic white. WOW! INCREDIBLE will describe the overall guitar. Neck, and frets are perfect! Love the head stock, AND tuners. Stays in tune like a champ! Overall sound is VERY Start to the bone! Play ability is fast, and smooth. Now this beauty is a virtual copy of the Hendrix GUITAR he used at Woodstock! Paint is flawless! Just quite incredible overall. Loud, and ROCKING! For the money, BEST I have ever owned. How do they do it? Frets are jumbo, and perfect! Pick ups are killer. Look, sound, and play ability are really top notch! THANK YOU Fender! You cant lose on this Beauty!