Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS, Maple Fingerboard, White Pickguard, Tahitian Coral

Tahitian Coral is one of the most fun finishes Squier has offered recently, and it looks especially striking with the white pickguard and maple fingerboard on this Sonic Strat HSS. The HSS pickup layout — humbucker at the bridge, single-coils in the middle and neck — gives beginning players more tonal ground to cover than a standard three-single-coil setup.

That bridge humbucker means you can get into rock and harder styles without the thin, ice-picky tone that single-coil bridge pickups sometimes produce at high gain. Flip to the neck and middle positions and you’re back in classic Strat territory with chimey cleans and those in-between quack tones. The slim C neck and lightweight body are comfortable for players of all sizes. A great first guitar that also doubles as a fun color piece for experienced players who collect Strats.