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Squier: Deluxe Hot Rails Stratocaster
List: $490
The Squier brand name is afflicted by the Fender benchmark; it’s inevitable since they are related. Many of us tend to refer to the Squier to manifest some Fender goodness but we need to know that the Squier standards are rather different from its parent specifications. Nevertheless, Squier’s Deluxe range managed to up the ante in this price bracket; it sits higher up the tier than the regular Squiers. The Hot Rails (HR) Strat goes further to included a trio of Duncan Designed single coil-sized humbuckers which manifest some tonal inclinations quite removed from what the typical single coil pickup would offer.
Construction/ fit/ finish
This is an Indonesian product, any expectations of an American- grade Fender on a budget, should be clearly removed. However, let us not be mired by this limitation; we should all judge a product by virtue of its quality manifestations & not the convenient association of its ‘lesser’ country of origin. In due fairness, the Deluxe HR Strat is one of the best production output in its range. We note the efforts in quality manifestations here; the instrument (the test model, at least) is virtually blemish-free when it comes to all wood aptitude issues. However, cost restrictions necessitated the use of an acceptable- grade rosewood fingerboard which could be better conditioned. Ditto the electronics- all control knobs & the 5-way pickup selector switch are not the smoothest in operation but they are fully functional.
Rating: 90%
Playability/ tone
This is where judgment takes the inclination towards the ‘expected’ standards; does the Squier play & sound like the real thing? Let’s be more realistic & understand the instrument by first accepting its body wood in use- basswood. We have some pre-conceived opinions when it comes to this wood type but it’s not an outcast by any means. The overall mass of this guitar leans towards the hefty side but it sits comfortably on the lap & feels right when strapped on; no balancing issues to say the least. The neck profile is also not the typical Strat affair; it has a rather deep C-contour unlike the more slender (Fender) American Standard. The fretboard edges are not rounded at the factory so some getting used to is required.
Moving on to tone, the manufacturer has equipped this guitar with a trio of high output HR-101 pickups implying its all-out drive applications. Do note that these are non-American re-creation of Seymour Duncan’s Hot Rails pickups which are functionally full humbucking. The default tones from this instrument is one of deep low frequencies, there isn’t any pronounced brightness to be heard. This is especially rewarding under intense distortion use but be liberal with your EQ when putting the neck unit into action, it can be undefined when it comes to solos. What’s a Strat without single coil tones, you ask? In pickup selector positions 2 & 4, the bridge-middle & middle-neck pickups are combined in single coil modes. Yes, we do hear a Strat-like twang emanating from our amps but it’s not as immaculate as true single coil units. As such, we do not get to enjoy that signature Strat crystal cleans from this guitar but the distorted tones from it are indeed above-average & hum-free. As with any Strats out there, the blocky neck-body heel is not a favourite feature when it comes to upper fret access but generally, shred-heads shouldn’t be deterred because if Malmsteen can do it, so can you.
Tone test equipment:
• Amplifiers- Marshall JVM/ Sound Drive SG-100R
Rating: 80%
Conclusion
The Deluxe HR Strat is a Strat indeed but it excels on a different front. Please do not expect the typical twang from it as no single coil pickups are used here but all manner of distortion craziness would be staple for this guitar. Split coil voicings are available in selected pickup combinations & that prevents the guitar from becoming a one-trick pony comprehensively.
Final rating: 80%
PRICING NOTICE: This guitar is available in several shops & various pricings are strictly at the dealers’ discretion. The list price reflected in this review was taken from Standard Value where this guitar was tested.
Likes:
• Quality control
• Distortion-inclined pickups
Dislike:
• Pots & selector switch not the smoothest
