I've always been interested in learning the guitar but never really got around to it. I finally decided that this was the year to take it up. I was happy to find this set as I needed everything. I picked up the Candy Apple Red model and it is a very nice looking guitar, especially with the black pickguard.

The packaging is very well done - the outer rectangular box holds the amp, accessories, and guitar boxes, which fit together like pieces of a puzzle and keep everything from moving around during shipping. They have an empty guitar-sized box in the package to keep the actual guitar from moving around during shipping, which is nice because it avoids excessive use of Styrofoam. The guitar itself is wrapped very well to prevent damage, and there is protective film on the pickguard and humbucker pickup to prevent scratching. The film come off easily once you get it started, though I did have an issue getting it out from under the volume and tone knobs.

The guitar in my kit was made in Indonesia - apparently in March of 2020 based on the inspection tag that comes tied to the headpiece. Everything was in order and it seems well put together. The neck is straight and I'm not getting any fret buzz from the strings, and all the parts fit in there respective places nicely. It needed a tuning, of course, but most of the strings (except for low E) were close to where they needed to be.

The included Frontman 15 amp was smaller than I though it would be - my mind had scaled it larger based on the pictures - but it is a decent beginner piece of equipment. Like the guitar, everything is in place and there are no blemishes.

The guitar sounds good. It's very clean when the amp is using the clean channel, though there is slight pickup hum when using either of the single coil pickups individually, though that is generally expected. Using the neck/middle or middle/bridge position helps eliminate this. The humbucker is nice and at the moment I like its sound the best so far, but that is just my preference. I do like having the various options with the switch so I can tweak the sound based on what I want to get out of the song I'm attempting to play. The amp's clean channel does a good job and pairs well with the guitar. The overdrive is nice as well, especially when using the humbucker.

The other accessories in the kit are decent, but nothing special. The guitar strap is basic black with the Fender logo, and the padded gig bag is basic as well, though the front pocket (where the backpack strap is initially kept) is a handy place to keep the tremolo bar (when not in use) and zip lock with the Allen wrenches, spring, and extra picks.

I like the fact that Fender included a 3-month Fender Play subscription in the package. That is definitely enough time to take several of their lessons and figure out if it is worth getting a regular subscription.

I would definitely recommend this either for an absolute beginner or someone who wants a decent guitar and amp but doesn't want to spend too much money.

This review is based on the package deal for the Fender Squier and comparing it with others like the Yamaha Pacifica both comparable in price and performance. If you're looking for the best package, you should consider all options.

Both the Fender and the Yamaha are awesome packages but as a package, you're getting a premium cable with the Fender as good as the premium cables. Yamaha pays more attention to detail however with better packaging, better included accessories and a brand name that transcends guitar. The Pacifica cable is much thinner and cheaply made. Cables are inexpensive so go with an upgraded one or go wireless.

About the scratches I keep reading about"¦DON'T YOU KNOW YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE PEEL OFF PROTECTIVE FILM and not the actual pick guard?
You are supposed to carefully peel off this protective plastic film. This model has way too much protective film all over the guitar including tuners at the headstock! One may say it protects the pick guard but as the name implies, the pick guard is what GUARDS the body, not the protective film.
BE CAREFUL WHEN REMOVING PROTECTIVE FILM "¦ it peels off easily but not around the knobs. I don't know why all manufacturers leave protective film on pick guards. It should be removed before final shipment. They bolted in the three potentiometers over the film instead of under it. Now you have to carefully remove the knobs with a pliers and towel so the towel is between the pliers and knob. Squeeze firmly and carefully pull off the knob in a strait firm manner. Do not wiggle it off. Never pry a tool below the knob. With your finger nail, easily pry away stray film from around the bolt holding in the controls. stuck below the mounting nut. It looks awful sticking out from under the knob so you want to remove it. Replace the knobs so the indicator point is facing you as you would play. This assures 0 is facing you when at the lowest setting, Again, the protective film is a temporary aid in manufacture to safeguard the primary finish of the parts during assembly. All film should be removed as over time, the chemicals from the glue adhesive will ruin the material below it, especially plastic leaving a permanent dull appearance. You may ignore this but plastic on plastic is never cool and adhesive on plastic is even worse.

The 15watt amp is perfect for the job. It is not a professional grade amp but more than suitable for home. It outperforms any other in a package deal.

The Squier package is a superbly crafted package you will be glad you chose. Just make sure you have a guitar tuner handy or download the Fender app for the tuner since this package does not include one. As with all stringed instruments, none are in tune out of the box.

Let me clear up the misunderstandings related to this guitar. First, the Pickguards are NOT scratched! They come with a clear film over them when shipped to protect the Pickguard. You need to peel it off. I can clearly see it in the the photos people posted, complaining about scratches! Peel it off! Second, this advertised Short Scale Stratocaster, with the Vibrato, is NOT a Short Scale. It's a Full Size 25 Inch Scale. The ONLY Short Scale model is the Squier Strat Hardtail model. Squier does not make a Short Scale Stratocaster with the Vibrato. This is Amazon's mistake and needs to be fixed. I know guitars. I'm 69 and been playing since age 9. I own like 40 guitars. In addition, my guitar reads "Squier by Fender Stratocaster ®". The Short Scales are identical with the exception that they read "Strat" instead of "Stratocaster". And no Vibrato.
This guitar can represent a great value! It's not perfect. My Squier Bullet Mustang, from Amazon, is a quite a bit better. But the Bullet Stratocaster flaws are relatively small. At first, I couldn't get the upper frets to stop buzzing - above the 12th fret. Upon removing the neck I found the Neck Pocket rough, unfinished, and full of sawdust chunks! This caused the neck to be uneven in relation to the body. Also, from the factory the Saddle Adjustment Screws were screwed in all the way - bottomed out in the Saddle Pieces. This is also due to the debris in the Neck Pocket causing the Neck to sit higher than normal. I carefully sanded the Neck Pocket using a 3M© Sanding Block and reinstalled the Neck. Wow, what a difference. The Action is now low and no Fret Buzz. Next, the back of the neck needs sanding with 1000 grade sandpaper or steel wool as it's a tad rough. The frets need polishing with 000 Steel Wool and the Fretboard needs a Lemon Oil Treatment. I might change out the Volume and Tone Controls with Centralabs. I like the stock pickups a lot. With the 5-Position Switch and the Tone Pots, the guitar offers a ton of tone possibilities. I'm not alone in my opinions as Mike Rutherford, founding member of Genesis loves this Squier and has bought up three of them.
The Frontman 10G Amp is very playable as well. I own a Roland MicroCube, a Vox DA5, and a Yamaha TH5 - all small practice amps. Although they all possess onboard effects and operate on batteries as well as AC, none sound as beefy as the Frontman 10G. The Frontman just sounds ballsy. Now as a player I do use a small pedalboard. With a Tuner, a Reverb, a Centaur Gold Clone, and a Blues Crab, all purchased from Amazon. These are mostly used with my large Marshall Tube Combo, but sound great with the Frontman. The Frontman is a keeper for me as a night time apartment amp. I might upgrade the speaker down the line, but it's not necessary.
For the past few years all of my musical instruments, amps, and accessories have been purchased through Amazon. I am very happy with their shipping speed and customer service.
In my humble opinion you cannot go wrong with this Starter Set. Great platform for seasoned players and for beginners, "just keep at practicing and you will enjoy a lifetime of making music for yourself and others."

We bought this for our granddaughter and really had reservations about it. She is not a beginner, I would classify her as an intermediate player. The amp is small and it's purpose is to have something to plug into to practice. It's not large enough to expect it to do anything more than that. The guitar has a decent tone, it also looks nice and is attractive. If you are a professional or a very experienced player, this one isn't for you, but the price point would already be telling you that! This is more for a beginner/intermediate player and in our granddaughter's situation she is in a band at our local community college and this serves that purpose nicely. My husband is a very experienced guitar player and he had insisted that this would be "a piece of junk". However, it was better than we had expected it to be.

I got everything except for the amp cord, strap and the 3 picks but otherwise then that everything came perfectly clean and undamaged