I have my Squier Deluxe Strat since Friday and have had some good quality playing time with it at this point. All around a very nice axe that plays very good and sounds very good. The PU's are absolutely acceptable and the guitar stays in tune pretty well. Intonation is excellent, all knobs are tight and positive, finish is outstanding, nut is good but not great.
The neck is unfinished but feels good. I prefer a finish on my neck so the dryness took a little bit of familiarization, but now it feels really good. My old Squier Telecaster has a dry neck also but I must say this Strat feels a bit better, IMO, and that is hard to admit. I love my old Squier Telecaster, but haven't played it in a while, hence the re familiarization with an unfinished neck.
I had to lower the middle PU just a touch because it was a bit close to the string for my taste.
The bridge appears well made and all screws and fittings are tight.
I had a touch of string buzz on the 6th and backed off on the bridge screw approximately a quarter turn and no more buzz.
Frets are very well dressed. They did a good job.
Tremelo feels nice as well but I never use one so can't really comment.
I've been playing this through my Fender Super Champ X2 and can capture a ton of different tones, so this Strat lives up to the reputation of versatility. There is something different no matter which PU position I choose, and especially when I am playing with the tone and volume controls on the guitar. I have also played it through a $25 Honeytone and it sounds pretty good plugged into that thing as well.
I see no reason why this axe won't outlast me. I can make some upgrades if I choose as I go along, but it is more than acceptable the way it is. If I change anything in the near future, it will be the tuners. They are better than expected, honestly, but I am a bit of a tuner snob and like them a bit tighter, or more positive, if you will.
Overall I am impressed with how much guitar is available for $299 these days. The value here is excellent, IMO. Sweetwater's 55 point inspection seems to be a winner.
Thanks for all the comments.
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