- Squier Debut Series Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar, Beginner Guitar, 2-Year Warranty, Includes Free Lessons, Dakota Red with Satin Urethane Finish

Ok this is a really cool guitar! I got it for my 14 year old daughter who was tooling around with my Les Paul and wanted her own guitar. I really didn't want to spend a fortune, because honestly, I expected her to strum it for a few weeks and never pick it up again. I could have gone with any of the Chineese-made Strat knockoffs, but for a 14-year-old girl, brands matter (which is a whole other discussion!). So the fact that I got her a REAL Fender Squire Strat was a BIG DEAL. And she LOVES it. She plays it every day and is getting quite good. But about the guitar - It's perfect for beginners. It's really lightweight and plays well. Didn't need much adjustment at all to get it going. All I did was change out the strings for some Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys. None of the frets needed sanding, no rough spots, action was spot-on right out of the box. And the color is stunning. The matte finish is unlike most of the other strats out there, and the sea foam green really stands out in a world where everyone's first guitar is a red strat. It punches WAY above it's price point and it really is the perfect first guitar. Will this thing stand up to years of teenage abuse? Is it stage-ready? I genuinely have no idea, but it sounds great, feels nice to hold, and looks awesome, and yeah, her friends are jealous of her "real" Stratocaster. I almost gave this four stars, but in the end, it's a great guitar. So why did I think about lowering it? After about three months, she started getting buzzing, and the sound was cutting in and out. I had to replace the jack, which isn't a huge deal for someone with electronic skills and a soldering iron, but if you're not that, you'd have had to take it to a shop, spend the money, etc. and that's kind of a pain. But yeah, $5 part, 20 minutes of work, and she was back rockin'!

The guitar looks really nice and sounds fine; it is a matte red, which looks great. I bought it for a teen as the first guitar while taking first steps in learning to play, and I wanted something that wasn't as heavy as my Gibson LP and with a low price in case the will to do the guitar lessons disappears after a few lessons. This hit all the boxes I had; it is indeed much lighter, which is exactly what we wanted and you cannt argue that ~120$ is not a low price for a "Fender" guitar. The reason for dropping a star is that it has a fret sprout, which was disappointing. I read that it is very common in entry-level guitars, even ones priced multiple times more, but it is still disappointing that you get an instrument that you cannot enjoy out of the box. Still happy with the purchase since this guitar even with fixing the sprout either by myself or by taking it to Guitar Center or equivalent to work on the fret sprout will still be significantly lower in price than buying a Fender Player, for example, that should not have that problem.

This Squier Debut Stratocaster is a great option for beginners or anyone looking for an affordable Strat style guitar. It has the classic look and feel you expect and is comfortable to play right out of the box. The neck is smooth and easy to move around on, which makes learning chords and scales less frustrating. The pickups deliver a clean, recognizable Strat sound that works well for practice and casual playing. While it is clearly a budget instrument, it performs well for the price. With a proper setup and fresh strings, it can sound even better. This is a solid starter guitar or a fun addition for someone who wants a simple, playable Strat.

Very nice and beautiful Fender. I bought this guitar for my husband as a "just because" gift. A big surprise for him and it made me sooo happy to do it for him. He brings me gifts, flowers, & cards, etc. all the time so I wanted to show him how much I appreciate him thinking of me. Doesn't it make your heart warm when you do something nice for someone you love? It sure does me! The guitar was worth the price and it was a perfect gift. The guitar plays wonderfully and tuned up nicely. He has it hanging on the wall now and he plays it daily. It's now his favorite guitar and he has a nice collection of guitars. He says it's easy to play and nice to teach beginners to play. He gives guitar lessons for anyone interested. One of my sons plays the guitar as well and he totally agrees with his dad's impression of the guitar. They have "jams" to see who plays the best. I hate to tell my husband this but I think my son is the better guitar player. Lol.

Sratocaster HT HSS: Decided to give guitar another shot after 30 years. Read lots of reviews for beginner guitars and this one had the most favorable comments for out of the box setup in this price range. Heard some fret buzzing and took it to a repair shop to have it looked at before the return window closed. Guitar tech said there was nothing wrong with it and I was likely just strumming too hard. He actually said the was the setup was really good straight from the factory and just added a little more relief to the neck for my "heavy hand". The sound and action is great compared to beginner guitars I had in the past and stays in tune pretty well. I wish it had a glossy finish, but learning is more important than looks for now.

Outstanding value guitar, plays sharp and tine is good and stays in tune a long time. Having a lacquered version and a gig bag would've been epic. As it arrived in a box. Would've paid more for a gig bag It had sharp fret ends had to file and my bridge string height guides were way off in alignment.

This is my third Debut Strat. I got it, in part, due to experiences with Floyd Rose bridges. This is a hard-tail...about as easy as it gets! Other than replacing the strings, it worked fine out of the box. It's quickly becoming a go-to guitar for just a anything (I've even managed some Flamenco with it).

Beautiful guitar. Difficult to tune. Sounds good. It’s worth the price, but needs a good setup.