		5.0 (1)
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Squier Deluxe Stratocaster

22 fret maple neck Stratocaster with Duncan Designed pickups -

Price: $9 to $299

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Searched Squier Deluxe Stratocaster in Reviews

An overlooked gem at a non royalty price

Sound	I wasn't expecting vintage Strat sounds from the Deluxe Squier and I certainly didn't get them. But what I did get was a wide range of great usable Strat sounds that really get the job done. The body is Basswood and mine is quite heavy which really contributes to a meaty sound. Yes it still 'clucks' on the in between positions. All Strat with a bit more output. The guitar really shines when your stage volume goes up. These pickups have something special going on when it gets loud. The surprise on this guitar is the Duncan Designed single coil pickups. They are incredibly quiet and resistant to noise and they have a full yet noticeable Strat sound with one much appreciated surprise...the bridge pickup is HOT! Gone is the shrill bridge pickup sound and it is replaced with a very fat sound that has a lot of body and character. I wired the bridge pickup tot he middle tone pot and can get P90 sounds and a convincing bright humbucker tone as well.
Action, Fit, & Finish	The neck is to die for. It is a satin finish all maple neck that is not too fat or too thin and has a comfortable 9.5 inch radius. It simply feels great and is not one bit sticky. The headstock is the small standard Fender shape which I prefer over the larger 1970s style. My guitar was fairly well set up when I received it from a well known national retailer. The action has remained fairly low without buzzes. Not much has changed with that set up after many months of gigs. No fret sprout, no truss rod tweaks, no electrical issues and the nut was properly cut. Just a great playing and nicely functioning guitar. The Deluxe uses a two point tremolo similar to the same one you might find on the American guitars. It's smooth and works great. One thing I did though was to wrap some plumber's Teflon tape around the thread ends of the tremolo bar before I threaded it in. This keeps it from feeling sloppy and holds the arm at the right angle to access while playing. The body has the same dimensions and thickness as an American Strat body and is covered with a beautiful light catching color called Pewter which is like a metallic pearl white (it also comes in a Daphne Blue). It's a well done finish with no blems and looks First Class all the time.
Reliability & Durability	The finish has been holding up through months of sweaty gigs. It seems very scratch resistant. The tuners are great and I feel no need to change them. I put a little bit of lube in the nut slots and this guitar stays in tune for a very long time even with tremolo use. I'm really not seeing wear anywhere on the guitar. No low spots on the frets, no marks on the satin fingerboard, no paint rubs under my forearm and nothing falling apart or coming undone. It's just a well made and nice looking guitar from Indonesia. Who ever would have thought that combination would exist? Yet, it does!
Customer Support	I've never dealt with the manufacturer but I know if I had an issue within a reasonable amount of time that the store I purchased it from would have taken care of me...as they did with another guitar that I will be reviewing.

Liked about it

Likes? Without a doubt the neck. It is simply fabulous. Feels great, looks great. I have about 15 guitars with bolt on necks that I would put this neck on every one in a heart beat, and those guitars are expensive too yet don't feel as good as this simple satin Strat neck.

The pickups. Wow! They are different yet not so different that you want to change them. They have their own special magic going for them that really works when you turn up and play at gig volumes.

The rest of the guitar? Well, it's a Strat. What's not to like? The weakest link is unfindable.

Didn't like

The only quibble is that the bridge saddle adjusting screws seem to wiggle over time and the saddle height will change. A tiny bit of Loctite will take care of that.

Overall satisfaction:

5.0