NGD: Squier Standard Stratocaster HSS

I know. Hardly the most exciting NGD on the internet, but after 12 hours with this in the house, I've come to the two conclusions:

1. The value of buying used cannot be overstated.
2. Opinions based solely on the country of origin can be turned sideways and stuck straight up your candy ass.

Not the right Dwayne Johnson picture you say?

I would say something to the effect of "kids don't know how good they have it these days," but in a future post I'll explain why "kids" don't take advantage of stuff like this - partly because kids shouldn't be dealing on the secondary market by themselves (under 18 anyway), but mostly because their parents are getting hosed by big stores.

For less than a tank of gas...

That might be an exaggeration, but not much of one.  I had been following this guitar for a couple of weeks, and two nights ago emailed an offer.  I was expecting the seller to reject it, but to my surprise he came back quickly with a "yup, you can have it." 

A bit of a drive (a 60 minute round trip) was involved, but even with that factored in, I've spent more on pedals, more than a few times. 

None more black

Take the Smooth with the Rough

This Stratocaster is made in Indonesia, just like the Vintage Modified Squier Jaguar.  Many of the issues with the Jaguar don't translate due to difference in form factor, but there are a few similarities.

Thanks to a two post design, the bridge is rather stable, and while the tuning gears aren't as immune from slip as their real Ping counterparts, they're reasonably effective. I've done nothing to the guitar yet, so I'm certain that with a proper setup and some attention to detail, this will get better.  This is a far cry from the vintage style knockoffs on the Jaguar, which were beyond saving.

One strange thing noticed is that one of the back plate screws was in at an angle.  I mention it only because one of the screws on the control plate of the Jaguar has exactly the same issue. Rather than call it a quality control issue, I'm going to say that they were built by the same Indonesian craftsman, and this is his subtle signature.

The calling card of an artist?

Digression: Imagine if there were a marketing team behind this recurring fault?  "Each guitar, lovingly crafted in the heart of the Indonesian jungle, carries unique imperfections that make your guitar uniquely yours."  This shit writes itself.

The electronics are reasonable, but anyone with experience with better stuff will feel the stiffness immediately.  I won't call it a cheap feel, but there's less "feel" (feel is something we apparently quantify now, right up there with mojo). Chalk that up to cork sniffing more than anything - The electronics are solid enough.

The neck is a decidedly small affair, but again take that with a grain of salt.  My "comfortable" neck is the Eric Johnson V, and that's a big neck (you know what they say about guys who like big necks, right? No? Neither do I.).  This one is more narrow, with a typical C shape.  I'm not sure I'd be comfortable playing for a long time, but given who this guitar is targeted at, it makes sense.

Big headstock. Logo unobstructed by strings.
You just know this was the design goal from CBS.

Another digression:  About six months ago, at a local shop where I know the owner, I got to hold, play, and behold, a '59 Stratocaster.  Talk about an experience, but you know what I walked away thinking?  "Man, that neck is smaller than I imagined it would be."

The only other complaint is one shared with the Jag - the high e side of the neck is suffering from some minor fret swell.  Since the neck is small and I have relatively big hands (hey hey), I seldom notice.  When I do, it isn't enough to make me notice much. A fret file would easily address this, so who cares at this price.  I figure 60% of players won't notice.

There are some things to really dig though.  The finish, which I think they call "Galaxy Black" (nope - that's what Ibanez calls it - ed.), would be better served by naming it what it is - Candy Apple Black.  Just like Candy Apple Red and Lake Placid Blue, there is a metallic effect which looks awesome.  Honestly, I wish my black USA Telecaster was THIS black instead of, well, regular old 06.

Anyone else expecting Samara?

The pickups are surprising.  The neck pickup has some serious bell-quality to it - so much that while keen ears will hear a slight lack of smoothness in the top end, in most cases is sounds great and cuts really well.

The middle pickup? I dunno.  Does anyone ever really use the middle pickup?  The "in between" (2 and 4) sounds are convincing, though suffer from the same lack of full spectrum fidelity that better pickups do.  Comparing this to the pickups in the EJ isn't fair, but that's my frame of reference.  I'd say they get you 70% of the way there. The humbucker is serviceable, and gets you in the ballpark for the tones you'd expect.  It had a bit more cut than some, but as a result balances well against the singles.

Even the weight of the guitar is reasonable.  Back in the day, Squiers weighed a figurative ton.  Not the case here, and while the body seems a bit thinner than my other Strats, it is barely noticeable.  It's even loud acoustically.  The block is probably tiny, but I'd bet it isn't any worse than MIM stuff based on sound and sustain alone.

A Keeper?

Likely not.  This is the fourth Strat in the stable, and the least dear of all of them.  I'll likely tinker a bit before putting it back up for sale - Some EMGs and solder-less kit have been looking for a home, and this may be the answer in the short term.  

They won't stay in though.  You know how I feel about selling "upgraded guitars".

Now trading upgraded guitars on the other hand...