I posted a topic a while back asking about Squier guitars and I said I was planning to get a Squier Stratocaster. Well, I changed my mind. I could afford it, so I decided to go ahead and get the real deal. So, this past week, I bought a brand new Fender American Standard Strat. It has the black body with white pickguard (like Clapton's), tremolo bridge, and single coil pickup configuration. I paid $525 for it. Is that a good price for a brand new American Standard Strat?

This is my first electric guitar, but I don't think I could happier with a guitar. It looks beautiful, it sounds beautiful and it plays beautifully. The strings bend easily (bending is sooooo much easier on electric than on acoustic), they're not hard to hold down, and they're easy on the fingertips. I really, really love it.

If I have one complaint, it's with the tremolo bridge. I have a tendency to rest my palm on the bridge while I'm playing, and since it's a tremolo I sometimes get unintended vibrato by accidentally pushing down on the bridge with my palm. Does anyone else have that problem?

As for my amp, I got an inexpensive practice amp, a Peavey Blazer 158. But I have a question about that. I was told by the guy at the guitar shop that I couldn't use a pedal with my amp since it's such a small, inexpensive one. Is that true? Is there any way that you can use a pedal with a small amp? Like an adapter or anything? I was really looking forward to trying out a wah or distortion pedal.

Any help will be appreciated.