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#1
12-29-2003
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Light & Co.- Guitar Electronics Replacement Question
Is it worth my time/money to gut a cheap mid-90 Squier's (which seems to play nice) electronics with new stuff? If so - any recommendations on which pots and caps to get?
Thanks 
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#2
12-29-2003
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Replacing the pickups will buy you the most. Is the axe worth dumping $100 into it??? That's what you need to decide.
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#3
12-29-2003
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That is up to you. Personally, I don't think it is worth it. The thing is, the wood in those instruments is not very good, the hardware is cheaply made, and the quality control is very low. You will get more out of a well made instrument.
I guess that is a long way of saying you can't polish a turd. As far as what electronics I would suggest, that would depend on what kind of music you want to play. I like Joe Barden’s Strat pickups a lot. I also like Seymour Duncans, and the Fender replacement pickups can work quite well. For pots, just go to a good electronics store (NOT Radio Shack) and get good quality audio taper pots. Make sure not to get linier taper pots. 250k is normal for Strats and Teles. A .022 cap is normal for the tone controls. Light "Cowards can never be moral." M.K. Gandhi
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#4
12-30-2003
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My main concern would be does this guitar stay in tune?
If you are really happy with the playability changing electronics is an okay idea seeing as you already have the guitar. They sell complete pickup and pot assemblies that come attached to the pickguard that might be the ticket for you.You could just have one or all of the pickups changed too.If you buy quality pickups this will make a huge difference. I have an Epiphone Coronet that I bought for whatever reason and was disatified with.I wanted to sell it for a fraction of what I paid for it.Problem was there were no takers even at that price.So I bit the bullet and put in a couple of Seymour Duncan pickups and wow what a difference.I play that guitar all the time now. Once again,you really have got to decide if the guitar is worthy of this kind of attention.
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#5
12-30-2003
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It stays in tune very well. Back 6-7 yrs ago I put in graphite saddles and the strings stopped breaking. It sounds nice acoustically and has sustain (I dont get this sustain when plugged in however). I just figure that I dont know if I could get myself to throw it out - and I surely cant sell it.
What do you think of StewMac. Are there other guitar parts stores that youd recommend? Thanks SO much for the replies everyone
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#6
12-30-2003
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Actually,
Some Squire guitars are not that bad... very few of them came to be like this.... some squire bodies were actually Fender American Standard bodies that didn't quite make the grade (ie had a slight visible mat line... or small finish imperfection) These bodies were NOT scrapped... they were boxed up and labeled... Squire bodies... How do I know this? I was the guy that boxed them up in the early 90's There was really nothing wrong with these bodies other than some slight finish imperfections... and if your lucky enough to have gotten one of these I'd say YES... change the pickups and maybe later the neck and you have a real Strat... Shred
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#7
12-30-2003
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It very well could be some imperfection like that because Ive played Am. Strats and mine seems to play nearly the same. Ive played other squiers and they are dreadful. I have low action, good intonation and it stays in tune. I already replaced the selector switch as it was noisy, and the bridge pickup and things are better. I am figuring 2 more new pickups with new innerds and it will be even better. Thanks for the post.
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#8
12-30-2003
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I bought a Squire a few years ago and was very happy with how the guitar played, but the hardware was all junk. By buying new pickups, tuners, nut, pots, and bridge, I was able to spread out my investment. Now it's as good as a Strat, and I didn't have to come up with the cash all at once. Only problem is, it's still a Squire. I'd never be able to sell it for what I've got invested just because of the name badge. The good news is, I'm not gonna sell it cause it turned out great
Twist
__________________
Twist
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#9
12-30-2003
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Quote:
Stew Mac is more of a tool supplier than anything. Thier selection of pickups is quite small, and the only really nice ones they carry are the Seymour Duncan Antiquity models. Try a good local guitar store, they should have a better selection. Stew Mac is a good place to get pots, caps, jacks and wire. Luthier's Merchantile carries Joe Bardens. Light "Cowards can never be moral." M.K. Gandhi
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#10
12-30-2003
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Quote:
you guys need to buy my sunburst MIM fat strat,($325) stop all this wankering around upgrading this and that. Plays like a gem. I just have 3 strats...one has to go to help pay for my new Deering.
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#11
12-31-2003
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Quote:
 Once again,buy cheap buy twice,but at most peoples skill/money/ambition levels it's the normal course of action. 
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#13
12-31-2003
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Quote:
GO PACK!!!
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#14
12-31-2003
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I would never buy the pickups from StewMac...I am looking at the Bardens or the Lawrences as Ive had good luck with both. I was just wondering where to find knobs, caps, and stuff like that. Also - how simple is it to replace the tuners (I dont need to do this but eventually I will). Im thinking Id go with Schaller locking.
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#15
12-31-2003
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www.allparts.com has a wide selection of everything. Ask for opinions on the locking tuners. Some people don't like them. Personally, I've never tried them. Chances are you will have to drill the holes out to a larger diameter for the new tuners. They'll even sell you the 10 mm drill bit to do it. Shouldn't be too hard.
__________________
Twist
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#17
01-02-2004
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Quote:
Replacing tuners is not a bad idea. as the poorly machined parts on most cheep tuner makes it very difficult to keep a guitar in tune. I would skip the Schallers though, and get some Gotoh 510 minis. Allparts carries the 510's in mini six on a side locking tuners. Sperzel is the other locking tuner I would suggest. I am not knocking Schallers. For many years they were the best machined tuners on the market, and we installed them on all of the guitars we made for almost thirty years. In the last few years, however, many builders, including Jim Olson (who has built guitars for James Taylor, Phil Keaggy, Sting, and a whole bunch of others), have been switching to the 510s. We started switching a few years ago, and I just can't recommend the Schallers anymore. The 510's cost a little more, but only a little. The Schallers are $70, the 510s are $95. They are a least that much better in my opinion. I just wish I could find a wholesaler who carried the whole 510 line. Stew Mac is fine for pots and knobs and such, as is Allparts, though I don't know if they sell to the public (I have a wholesale account). You can almost certainly find what you need, however, at a local electronics supplier. Just make sure you get audio taper pots, not linier taper. Light "Cowards can never be moral." M.K. Gandhi
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#18
01-02-2004
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Quote:
Twist
__________________
Twist
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#21
01-03-2004
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Quote:
Oh, I am not really a Vikings fan. It is just too depressing. I mean, how does a team start a season 6-0 and then not even get into the playoffs. It is the standard deal for the Vikes, they start the season as one of the best in the league, and halfway through the season, they colapse. As a Minnesotan, I feel obliged to support the home team, but as a populust and liberal activist, I would really like to support the (fudge) Packers. It is kind of like Tom Paxton's joke about when he grew up in the fourties and fifties. He says, "I grew up in a town with no professional baseball....Chicago." That is kind of how I feel about football and basketball in Minnesota. Oh yeah, BTW BITE ME. Light "Cowards can never be moral." M.K. Gandhi[FONT=arial]
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#22
01-03-2004
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Guy's guy's...all this 'biting'. I'm a long time Saints fan. Noone here can match the misery I've been thru. Makes for a better blues player though LOL!
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#23
01-03-2004
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Quote:
Yeah , but you never had any hope. We just keep getting our hopes dashed again and again and again. You can only take so much of that before you want to slit your wrists. Light "Cowards can never be moral." M.K. Gandhi
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#24
01-05-2004
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Replace the PU's
If the guitar feels right I would keep it. I have an early 90's mexican strat that I would never part with. That said I have had other mexi's that felt terrible. I slapped a set of EMG David Gilmours in mine and it sounds incredible. Consider the EMG's, they are completely wired and include pickguard...
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