I just spotted this new edition Squier Strat in ..... Fiesta Red ! For those on a strict budget, it is eminently affordable & potentially not a bad guitar to boot. It's in the Squier Classic Vibe series & is called the 'Biffy Clyro' model, & is a signature model for their guitarist, Simon Neil. It seems to be retailing for around £260-280, & is made in China. The Strat is representative of an early '60s Strat, with a Rosewood fingerboard, tinted neck varnish, mint-green scratchplate & aged pickup covers, trem tip & knobs. The Vintage-style pickups are described as having a mixture of Alnico III & V magnets, so potentially the right tone is there. A friend of mine has a sunburst Classic Vibe series Strat, in sunburst, & I have to admit, that for the price you pay, it isn't a bad Strat at all. You do get that basic Shads sound. Obviously, for these sort of prices, you will get pretty basic budget hardware on them, & they are maybe upgradable. However, if you can't afford the more expensive US, Jap or Mex Strats, these are the best opportunity in a long while to get an F.Red Strat that has reasonably good quality & playability. Who's 'Biffy Clyro' you may ask ? Well, I didn't know either. They are apparently one of these young modern bands with a strange name. Who am I to talk ! I lived through the '60s & we had more strange band names then than you could throw a mike stand at. Good luck to them.
Tony.