Fender Squier problems-HELP!

This one works, but many of us have made adjustments on Strats & other guitars which are problematic, tough to solve.

Maybe we'll get some more answers in the coming hours, but you can start by checking the height of your saddles & nut.
You're obviously pressing hard on the strings at the frets nearest the nut end, and stretching them down into the space.

I can't say why that is stretching them so much to make them sound sharp, but I trust your evaluation of the problem, so see if they are sitting correctly in the nut slots, not riding high as if the gauge of the strings is super huge or something.

You can tell from the Affinity which is pictured that the frets are not jumbo. SRV made his Number One work, sometimes with bass frets installed and extremely fat strings. No problems were reported by him and his tech. So, I'd look at that nut and how the strings sit there, since a firm push is stretching them and changing pitch. I think it's a nut issue.

Ultimately however, if you haven't already, you'll have to know if intonation is correct at the usual 12th fret. If your saddles aren't too high and are adjusted properly, it should be okay. That makes us suspect the nut again, and/or string gauge relative to the nut. That's my opinion from the clue given even if intonation is otherwise good. Any comments? :shock:

Edit: sometimes weak trem springs or a high bridge tail will allow the bridge to pull forward too, if you push hard. That's not a fault in how you play, but would be either a lack of trem springs (you should have 3 or more) or a slack adjustment.

Keep the tail end of the bridge low and not high off the body.