I have to agree with more money does not necessarly mean better. In some cases, but not all. However, I can understand the desire to own a 'Fender Stratocaster', maybe it's a name brand thing... I don't have any experiance with authentic strats or squires, so I can't really offer up any real advice, but can tell you that i just recently bought a $250 Kramer Striker and it's an excellent playing guitar, just needed a little setup.