ST-20HSS SBK Standard Series : Perfect as a first guitar, or to a budget alternative!

Was considering getting a new guitar to get back to playing in standard tuning and seeing as I mainly write in lower tunings, I wasn't looking at spending a lot on what could be something I maybe wouldn't play often.

Upon receiving this HSS strat I'm simply blown away by the value of this thing. It arrived pretty much perfectly set up and no visible blemishes or faults you'd expect on something so cheap.

The guitar is heavier than my Squier, which I don't mind at all.

The finish is really good, knobs are of a lighter plastic which is to be expected but more than adequate. The pickups sound surprisingly snappy, the only downside there being some noise most likely due to lack of shielding.

All in all, I could 100% recommend this fine instrument to anyone wanting a simple practice guitar or if you get this as a first instrument, you'll be getting an instrument far superior to most other budget guitars.