Need Suggestion For Guitar Upgrades...

[peritus]

So.....

I have an 80's Squire II... yeah it's a beast...

Anyway, I'm left handed and it's right. So, I had it professionally setup for left handed and let me just say, PRO SETUPS own all..

5 springs...

My biggest problem with this guitar is the tuners and next would be the bridge...

What I'd really like to do is replace the tuners (prolly need drilling), the bridge (may or may not be Fender replacement compatible?), and the electronics..

Since I'm looking to build a franken-squire, I'm looking for pro-spec parts... Any suggestions?

Here's some interesting reading on this model:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/r...+II+Strat/10/1

(43 reviews)
Features 6.9 (36 responses)
Sound 7.8 (39 responses)
Action, Fit, & Finish 7.2 (37 responses)
Reliability/Durability 7.8 (34 responses)
Customer Support 3.0 (3 responses)
Overall Rating 8.0 (38 responses)

[c7sus]

www.stew-mac.com

[peritus]

Originally Posted by c7sus

www.stew-mac.com

Thanks...

There's so many choices though...

[notCardio]

just sell it to me and get yourself a new guitar.

[mrface2112]

for building supplies, check out warmouth in addition to stewmac. i've thought about putting together a "parts-o-caster", but just don't have the time right now to devote to it.

as for replacing stuff on the current guitar, that's where stewmac really shines. you really need to do some research as to what's in/on your guitar now before you start buying. chances are you can probably find direct replacements.


cheers,
wade

[peritus]

Originally Posted by notCardio

just sell it to me and get yourself a new guitar.

nope...

[peritus]

Looks like this, only red...

[peritus]

Originally Posted by mrface2112

for building supplies, check out warmouth in addition to stewmac. i've thought about putting together a "parts-o-caster", but just don't have the time right now to devote to it.

as for replacing stuff on the current guitar, that's where stewmac really shines. you really need to do some research as to what's in/on your guitar now before you start buying. chances are you can probably find direct replacements.


cheers,
wade

cool.. Thanks!

[peritus]

from what I'm seeing, Grover is the tuner of choice...

[peritus]

I hear Lace Sensors are good...

http://www.lacemusic.com/electric_pi...nsor_specs.php

[dave.....]

i built a part's o caster .......... stew mac was great for many of the parts... re ranch had the sunburst colors ... rondo had the body... the neck came from guitar parts usa ...... i ended up a 50's style maple neck nice playing/sounding strat/part's o caster

[MCI2424]

Originally Posted by peritus

So.....

I have an 80's Squire II... yeah it's a beast...

Anyway, I'm left handed and it's right. So, I had it professionally setup for left handed and let me just say, PRO SETUPS own all..

5 springs...

My biggest problem with this guitar is the tuners and next would be the bridge...

What I'd really like to do is replace the tuners (prolly need drilling), the bridge (may or may not be Fender replacement compatible?), and the electronics..

Since I'm looking to build a franken-squire, I'm looking for pro-spec parts... Any suggestions?

Here's some interesting reading on this model:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/r...+II+Strat/10/1

(43 reviews)
Features 6.9 (36 responses)
Sound 7.8 (39 responses)
Action, Fit, & Finish 7.2 (37 responses)
Reliability/Durability 7.8 (34 responses)
Customer Support 3.0 (3 responses)
Overall Rating 8.0 (38 responses)

Maybe a new neck,body,pickups,bridge,strings,tuners,pots,wiring but the screw maybe are alright.

[peritus]

Okay.... Forget I asked.. dang!

[cephus]

All I can say is be careful drilling out the holes for the tuners. I used a clamp and some scrap wood on either side of the headstock to keep it from splitting. The drill bit in on the first hole and tore the shit out of the front side of the hole. I don't knwo the proper way to do it, but I will find out before I try that shit again. Ouch!

I just bought vintage-style tuners and a wilkinson bridge from guitar fetish and a bunch of screws from stew mac for refurbing my old strat. I think I have about $120 in parts - tops.

I have a squier that had the shitty bridge. I was able to retain the two middle screw holes but had to redrill 4 (after plugging with dowel) to use a USA-spec bridge that i had in a drawer. I think it was worth it. the trem stays in tune very well now.

[32-20-Blues]

Here's a bridge for ya. These things are awesome:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,...il_Bridge.html

[32-20-Blues]

Oh, or maybe one of these:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,...il_Bridge.html

[Anfontan]

Originally Posted by 32-20-Blues

Here's a bridge for ya. These things are awesome:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,...il_Bridge.html

If his guitar is already routed for a tremolo, I don't think he could mount the hardtail bridge.

[32-20-Blues]

Originally Posted by Anfontan

If his guitar is already routed for a tremolo, I don't think he could mount the hardtail bridge.

True, but it's not routed for e tremelo. At least, the original squeir II wasn't, and the pics he showed as looking like his weren't.

[cephus]

Originally Posted by 32-20-Blues

True, but it's not routed for e tremelo. At least, the original squeir II wasn't, and the pics he showed as looking like his weren't.

Look at this one again:

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/2...30604045ch.jpg

[notCardio]

he didn't express an interest in doing that.

IMO, there are only 2 reasons to upgrade hardware: looks or functionality.

If the tuners do their job, then to me it's stupid to upgrade just to get 'better' tuners. Now, if they don't hold well enough, or you want a different color (black, gold. etc.) then that's different.

What don't you like about the hardware now?

And when it comes to pickups, then it's going to depend entirely on what kind of sound(s) you're going for. There is no 'better', there's only 'better for this', or 'better for that'.

So, what are you looking to get out of this upgrade?

BTW, after seeing it, and especially after finding out it's red, I rescend my offer, tongue-in-cheek though it was.

[BlackHawk2029]

as far as bridges go, go and get yourself a vintage-spec fender style trem from www.guitarfetish.com

[32-20-Blues]

Originally Posted by cephus

Look at this one again:

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/2...30604045ch.jpg

Shit, my bad, sorry.

[Light]

Originally Posted by cephus

All I can say is be careful drilling out the holes for the tuners.

Better advice would be to NOT use a drill. The right way to do it is with a reamer, but a good one would probably set you back more than the cost of getting it done by someone who already has one (like the guy who did your setup).

As which gears, you will find none better than Gotoh 510's. They are, without question, the best made gears on the market. They are quite a lot better than Grovers or Schallers, though they are both fine gears in their own right.

Most of the time, though, if you are having tuning problems it is not the tuners. It is more commonly a combination of things, including the nut (though if you've had you guitar setup by someone good, that shouldn't be an issue), trem issues from unbalanced string tension to the string binding in the bridge somewhere, to (most common of all) poor tuning or trem technique. (I never like to say that to customers, but sometimes it is just the way you play, and you need to either live with it or change something about how you play). First and foremost, make sure you ALWAYS tune up to the note (tuning down leads to slack on the post, plus you can get some spring back from loose fitting gears in the tuners, not to mention sticking in the nut).

The big question I would ask is this; do you actually use the trem; and if you do, do you mostly use it to go down in pitch, or do you need to be able to pull sharp? If you only ever use it to go flat, then it is relatively easy to block the trem so it will only go down. If you never use it at all, then just block it so it can't go anywhere. Either of these will insure tuning stability much faster than new gears or a new bridge.

It is unlikely that parts for a stock Fender will fit an `80s Squire directly, by the way. Most of them are made with metric measurements, so they don't match. That means you will probably be looking at having some holes filled and redrilled. Another possibility, though, is to keep the bridge which is on there and get replacement saddles for it from Graph Tech. The String Saver saddles really do work, from a string life and tuning stability point of view. If I was going to recommend just one mod to your guitar - well, if I was going to recommend just one, it would probably be new pickups, but other than that - it would be String Saver Saddles.

(By the by, I'm assuming from your desire to change the bridge and gears that you are having tuning problems. But then, you probably figured that out already.)


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[Light]

Originally Posted by notCardio

If the tuners do their job, then to me it's stupid to upgrade just to get 'better' tuners. Now, if they don't hold well enough, or you want a different color (black, gold. etc.) then that's different.

I'm inclined to agree, and I am in the business of selling people new gears. You gotta figure when your G.A.S. pusher tells you save your money, they are probably right. It's kind of like a heroin dealer saying, "naw, you don't need anymore dope today."


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[Light]

Originally Posted by Anfontan

If his guitar is already routed for a tremolo, I don't think he could mount the hardtail bridge.

You can, but it is a huge pain. It's usually better to just block the trem.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi