Hi Duff,
Thanks for your post! I had to put my Maton in for a checkup so I've been forced to go back to my '89 MIK Squier Strat. A horrible guitar to be sure, but it has sentimental value so I can't part with it. I am very seriously considering upgrading it and/or modding it so I'm reading up as much as I can on Fenders Vs Squiers (then, not now) and what pickups and hardware I can drop in to make it less of a junker. I'm starting to think however that "upgrading" might turn into "replacing everything" based on what I'm reading.
In your comparison how much of the deeper tone do you attribute to the wood of the neck and body, and how much to the PU's? Also what was the weight difference between the Squier and the Fender? (roughly)