19th Jul 2010
The best budget guitar with a Stratocaster body
A huge number of very talented guitarists consider the Fender Stratocaster body shape to be the most playable guitar shape in the world, Iron Maiden and Eddie Van Halen are just a few who openly endorse the greatness of the instrument. That’s all well and good but many beginners will tell you that they couldn’t possibly enjoy this level of playability because they are on strict budget, that’s where this article comes in. If you’re after a budget guitar with a Stratocaster body then listen up, in the next few paragraphs I’m going to describe my favourite to you.
The Squier Affinity HSS electric guitar is in my opinion the best value Strat copy on the market today, it strikes just the right balance between quality and affordability, the asking price of £150 is rather generous when you review what you are getting for your money. This guitar uses two single coil and one humbucking pickup; the single coils really come into their own when playing clean, melodic passages, whilst the humbucking pickup really allows you to bust out some heavy riffs. The tone quality of this instrument is far superior to many similar entry level models because it has an alder body; this really enhances the sound of the instrument far more than its bass wood bodied counterparts. Despite its competitive pricing, the Affinity HSS still performs a lot better than many cheap guitars, it’s well worth a look.
Of course the defining quality of any electric with a Stratocaster body is the level of comfort it provides whilst playing. The Affinity’s neck is just a joy to work with, string bends can be performed effortlessly and the low action means you’ll never struggle with barre chords every again. The amount of pressure required to play a barre chord correctly on this instrument is minimal, guitarists used to acoustics will definitely be able to notice the difference.
If you’re looking for a great budget guitar with a Stratocaster body, the Squier Affinity HSS is it; £150 is a small price to pay for hours of joy this beauty will give you. The Affinity will make learning to play the guitar a joy and is really worthy of its affiliation with the Fender Stratocaster.
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