[ILLaViTaR]

they are dreadful but there are much worse, not horrible for your first guitar but it's a better idea to get a real guitar when starting out as those cheaper models are literally bad enough to stop you from playing, they don't play/respond the same at all it's like a completely different instrument. For $300-$400 or less you can get a vintage 1980's squire MIJ strat and these are immensely better than modern squires and they're a lot better than the mexican fenders too which would be your next choice at $400-$700, then the Americans which are over 2k.

Pick of the bunch by far are the Fender Made in Japan (MIJ) strats/tele's from the 1980's (1985 in particular) which surpassed the quality of the American fenders even back then, in the early 90's the quality eventually got marginally better than the Americans whom were going bankrupt so instead of further refining the perfect strat they chose to shut down the japan plant with the intention of a new lower quality pant in mexico that wouldn't undermine the American plant. I'd suggest skip the squire and at least get a Mexican fender for your first guitar, but try and find a squire/fender MIJ vintage, they are professional grade guitars, the fender MIJ is better than anything fender put out these days bar the custom shop models.

Cheap guitars just aren't worth it, the saddles will burr and you'll snap strings, it will never be in tune, ever, because the intonation can never be properly adjusted, because the cheap plastic nut has an inch gap from the fretboard until it cracks, because the neck is warped, it'll sound crap, it'll play crap, don't even mention the pickups, it will be in desperate need of a setup as well (essential). A mexican fender has very good body wood, mediocre neck, sufficient tuners, sufficient nut, mediocre bridge and bad pickups. Swap the pickups out and they're a pretty good guitar in general and could almost be used professionally (and are by many).