In the year 1954, Fender launched a new solid-body, double-cutaway electric guitar, the Stratocaster, and since then, the Fender Stratocaster has been voted by many as the most iconic electric guitar of all time. So, be sure to get the best Stratocaster for the money here.
The Fender Stratocaster guitar was designed by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Travares.
And if you love rock and roll, the Stratocaster guitar is the best choice of electric guitar for you; it is a wonderful guitar perfect for your dreams of being a guitar star.
You’re interested in a Stratocaster guitar, but with the many models out there, picking out the one you want has not been as easy as you expected. No worries, this article will be a helpful tool in narrowing down your choices and picking the best for you.
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Top 10 Best Stratocaster for the Money
This article focuses on helping you narrow down the huge number of Stratocaster guitars to just 10; I’m sure you’ll find the best Stratocaster for the money that suits your need.
Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar- Pau Ferro Fingerboard
Almost everyone who got this guitar describes it as their trusted sidekick, and this strat guitar also has the very identity of Fender design.
This is a durable and reliable rock and roll guitar and versatile enough to play any genre of music on; it is perfect for guitar whizzes, it’s also great for guitarists who love to create their own sound. This strat guitar makes it so easy to articulate yourself musically.
Pros
- The guitar is highly versatile and is an excellent choice for whatever style of music you’re playing.
- The overall tone and playability is great
- It produces an excellent tone and intonation
Cons
- The frets are a little on the sharp side
Fender Player Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar – Maple Fingerboard
This baby is an original Fender tone, but with a modern edge, it has vibrant harmonics and growl that make it just right for bold music.
The neck is a ‘Modern C’ shaped maple neck with comfortable and smooth body contours and finishes, making it excellent for all genres of music.
Pros
- The sound quality is of crystal clear articulation
- A neck radius of 9.5 makes it comfortable and easy to play
- The humbucker pickup it comes with is fantastic
Cons
- It has a little fret buzz which can be fixed
Squier by Fender Classic Vibe 70’s Stratocaster Electric Guitar
This might be a Squier by Fender product, but it is loaded with the genuineness of Fender guitar’s “tremendous hits” collection of models that are easy on the eyes and ears, easy to play, and impossible to put down.
It has a C-shaped neck profile for a more comfortable feel while playing and spots a vintage look due to the vintage gloss finish. It is one of the best Stratocaster for the money.
Pros
- Highly versatile
- Intonation is spot-on, and the guitar stays in tune
Cons
- It needs setting up before use
Fender Player Jaguar Electric Guitar – Pau Ferro Fingerboard
This is another Fender beauty right here; it is original and has some modern touches added to it. Built with a six-saddle, vintage-style adjustable bridge and features a floating tremolo tailpiece, which is ideal for developing an extra bit of unique expression to your sound.
The player jaguar motivates you to play differently, reach for new chords and melodic jams, and explore new sounds and tones.
Pros
- The neck is full-sized, and the guitar body is also larger making it comfortable with bigger players with larger hands.
- The guitar can be used to play almost any style of music
- It has an authentic sound
Cons
- String action is low
Squier by Fender Classic Vibe 70’s Jaguar Electric Guitar – Laurel
Another squire by fender classic also offers a slim“C”-shaped neck profile for a comfortable playing feel, and the neck on this model sports a vintage-tint gloss finish for a highly desirable aged look.
The tuning machines present trusted tuning stability and smooth action. It has a short 24 scale length which is an added advantage for people with small hands.
Pros
- The pickups are fantastic.
- The guitar plays like a dream; the intonation is all right
- Tuners are of decent quality, and they keep the guitar in tune always
Cons
- The fretwork is poor; he frets need sanding.
Squier by Fender Affinity Stratocaster Beginner Electric Guitar HSS – Rosewood Fingerboard
This guitar is for beginners and intermediate players but is almost as standard as professional guitars; the Squier Affinity Series guitars are the best in electric guitar design.
The guitar delivers solid sound and style and features a smooth-playing rosewood fingerboard with 21 medium jumbo frets.
Pros
- Frets are perfectly leveled, and fret ends are smooth
- Playability is perfect, and the sound is fantastic
- It stays in tune
Cons
- You might need to change the strings and pick up
Fender Squier 3/4 Size Kids Mini Strat Electric Guitar
The mini Strat guitar is for both children and small-handed adults; it is perfect for those seeking a reduced size instrument with the familiar Fender tone.
It features a C”-shaped maple neck and 20-fret fingerboard that makes it easier to play; it’s also small and lightweight and, as such, a good traveler guitar and one of the best Stratocaster for the money.
Pros
- The tuner it comes with is great and makes tuning easy
- The neck and frets are excellent
- Overall playability and intonation is good
Cons
- It needs setting up
Squier by Fender Stratocaster Beginner Pack, Laurel Fingerboard
The Stratocaster is ideal for beginner players and gives a comfortable feel while playing. Eliciting the Stratocaster guitars of the 1950s and ’60s, this model features a vintage-style Fender tremolo for authentic design and performance.
It comes with a comfortable“C”-shaped neck profile and three single-coil Stratocaster pickups.
Pros
- Neck and frets are butter smooth
- The guitar sounds good and clean
- The electronics are solid
Cons
- The strings are super light
Squier by Fender Classic Vibe 60’s Jazzmaster Electric Guitar
This model features Fender-designed alnico single-coil pickups and vintage-correct dual-channel Jazzmaster switching for genuine Fender tone.
It has player-friendly features, including a slim, comfortable “C”-shaped neck profile with an easy-playing 9.5”-radius fingerboard and narrow-tall frets.
It also strings bending effects due to the vintage-style tremolo it comes with, and the floating bridge features barrel saddles for solid string stability.
Pros
- The weight is just right, not too heavy, not too light
- Perfectly set up and in tune
- The body is solid and thick; the neck and the headstock are great, smooth, and very well done.
Cons
- The strings are not too good
Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar – Maple Fingerboard
Honoring Fender’s legacy while retaining their innovative spirit, the power trio of Player Series single-coil pickups are sharp and eloquent.
It offers pure and simple inspiring sound; it features this classic sound, bell-like high end, punchy mids, and robust low end, combined with crystal-clear articulation. It’s also versatile and suitable for most genres of music. It has an Alder body with a gloss finish.
Pros
- The strings hold their tune quite well
- It has a comfortable feel while playing
- The body is not too heavy and not too light
Cons
- It needs proper setting up
Is Stratocaster Or Telecaster Better?
There has been a long ongoing debate since the Stratocaster was released not long after the Telecaster was released.
The Stratocaster mainly came about because some customers wanted the extra pickup, a more comfortably contoured body, and a vibrato unit. These led to the birth of the Stratocaster guitar model.
Moreover, the choice is better dependent on individual differences, both guitars have similar features, but each also has a unique feature that makes it distinct.
The Telecaster is much more versatile than the Stratocaster, although the Stratocaster guitar delivers a wider spectrum of tones.
Additionally, the upper part of the Stratocaster has an upper horn that increases the accessibility of higher notes and overall playability and comfortability while playing; this is due to smooth contours added to the guitar build. The Telecaster, on the other hand, is built with a single-cutaway and zero body contours.
Also, the neck of both guitars is nearly similar except that the neck of the Tele is physically built to be squarish while the strat is slightly rounder.
The strat makes it easier for people with smaller hands to hold the neck and control the strings, but this is a disadvantage to people with larger hands.
The Stratocaster guitar is more suited to blues and rock, while the Telecaster is better suited to country music, although they’re both versatile and can play other music genres.
Choosing the better guitar for yourself between the Strat and the Tele is highly dependent on the style of music you want to play and which one you think is better suited to you.
They are both built with alder wood, the same alder wood reported for bright, stabilized, and resonant tone with pronounced upper mid-range, excellent sustain, and sharp attack.
What Is The Best Strat Style Guitar?
The Fender Stratocaster is the number one guitar strat style guitar and is the most quintessential electric guitar available.
A strat guitar usually features a double cutaway, contoured body, and 3 pickups to choose from; the Stratocaster is made to be perfect whilst also looking beautiful.
No two strat guitars feel the same, weigh the same or sound the same, each Stratocaster guitar is unique on its own, so when choosing a strat guitar, you should choose one that suits you, your style, emotions, body frame, and hand size.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Stratocaster Guitar A Good First Guitar?
For someone who has dreams of becoming a guitar guru and going places in the music world, the Stratocaster guitar is an excellent choice of a beginner guitar.
It is a perfect companion that will last you from your beginner period to the professional period; it is also an excellent choice in the sense that the guitar is highly versatile and will be perfect for any genre of music you’re going to.
More so, the Stratocaster guitar has some excellent features that make it easier and more comfortable to play.
Whether you have a larger or smaller frame, bigger or smaller hands, shorter or longer fingers, there’s that particular Stratocaster guitar that is just right for you. Therefore check out the best Stratocaster for the money in the list above.
Which Is Easier To Play? STRAT or TELE?
The Strat has the upper horn cut out, increasing the accessibility of higher notes and overall playability and comfortability while playing; this is due to smooth contours added to the guitar build.
Although some will argue that the Telecaster is easier to play and tune, due to the neck shape, that of the Stratocaster being rounder and the Telecaster being somewhat squarish, I believe the Stratocaster is much more suited to players with small hands and that the Telecaster is much more suited to players with larger frame or hands.
Choosing the best Stratocaster for the money is highly dependent on your specific taste and style of music.
Which Is More Versatile Between The Tele And The Strat?
The Telecaster is more versatile than the Stratocaster, although the Stratocaster offers a wider variety of tones.
Conclusion
You shouldn’t have to buy a Stratocaster just because a lot of people are saying it’s the best, or it’s cool; you might not find it suitable after you start playing it.
But, maybe you picked up your friend’s Stratocaster, start playing it and find out that it suits your taste, or maybe you read the features and they’re just what you want in a guitar, then you go on ahead this article is for you.
The best Stratocaster for the money has been narrowed down to 10 and made your choice a lot more easy for you. But the Stratocaster is almost everyone’s trusted sidekick.
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