{"product_id":"penny-squier-standard-stratocaster-three-colour-sunburst","title":"Penny! - Squier Standard Stratocaster | Three-Colour Sunburst","description":"\u003cp\u003eSome guitars arrive at The Stray Chord with elaborate finishes, complicated electronics and enough switches to suggest they might also be capable of launching a small satellite.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePenny has three pickups, five positions and absolutely no interest in making life more complicated than it needs to be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhich, frankly, is rather refreshing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMeet Penny, our lovely Squier Standard Stratocaster, finished in a classic three-colour sunburst and proving that sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones that stick around for a reason.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Stratocaster has been a fixture of popular music for more than seventy years, and there’s a reason people keep coming back to it. It’s comfortable, versatile, instantly recognisable and capable of making an enormous variety of noises without requiring an engineering qualification.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePenny is a particularly nice example of Squier’s Standard Series, which was designed to offer a little more refinement than the company’s entry-level instruments while remaining comfortably affordable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHer familiar double-cutaway body wears a beautifully traditional sunburst finish, fading from warm amber through rich brown to black around the edges. The grain remains visible beneath the lacquer, and the whole thing is complemented by a white pickguard and matching controls.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s a combination that’s been around for decades.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd it still looks fantastic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBolted to the body is a comfortable maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, simple dot position markers and 22 frets. It’s a straightforward, familiar arrangement that feels equally welcoming whether you’re learning your first chords or have been playing long enough to remember when guitar shops sold cassette tapes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd unlike some of the more intimidating instruments that pass through our workshop, Penny isn’t going to make anybody feel they need to practise for six months before they’re allowed to pick her up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHer three single-coil pickups offer all the classic Stratocaster sounds, from bright, clear neck tones and wonderfully glassy combinations to the sharper bite of the bridge pickup.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA five-way selector lets you move between them, while the familiar master volume and two tone controls provide plenty of scope to shape the sound.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBlues? Absolutely.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIndie? Naturally.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClassic rock, pop, funk, country, or attempting the opening to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSultans of Swing\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for the fourteenth time because you’re convinced you’ve nearly got it?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePenny is happy to participate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt the other end, she’s fitted with a six-saddle tremolo bridge, allowing individual string adjustment and offering the option of fitting a tremolo arm for a little extra expression.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNothing particularly outrageous.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo locking nuts, no complicated balancing procedures and no tiny components that require three hands and a degree in mechanical engineering.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJust a good, honest Stratocaster.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePenny has also been through our workshop for the usual Stray treatment, including a thorough clean, fret preparation and polishing, and a complete setup to make sure she’s ready for her next home.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe’s a previously loved instrument, and there are some visible signs of use, including light marks to the finish, but she presents very nicely and has plenty of life left in her.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd that’s really what we love about guitars like Penny.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNot everybody needs seven strings, active pickups or a finish that changes colour depending on which direction the wind is blowing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSometimes you just want a comfortable guitar that sounds good, plays properly and doesn’t require a financial planning meeting before you can bring it home.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePenny isn’t trying to be the most expensive guitar in the room.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe isn’t trying to be the loudest, the flashiest or the most complicated.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe’s just a lovely little Strat with plenty to offer, and we’d argue that’s more than enough.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBesides, she’s proof that a Penny can still be worth quite a lot.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlthough, admittedly, this one costs slightly more than a penny.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInflation is getting ridiculous.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCould you offer Penny her forever home?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Stray Chord\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRescue • Restore • Rehome\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Stray Chord","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59100790358280,"sku":null,"price":195.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1059\/2829\/4664\/files\/E1EFB116-8139-4E74-9B8F-E17BACF3B5EF.jpg?v=1792002373","url":"https:\/\/thestraychord.com\/products\/penny-squier-standard-stratocaster-three-colour-sunburst","provider":"The Stray Chord","version":"1.0","type":"link"}