I took a belt sander to both sides of my neck and man is it comfortable now, almost completely round! Its like grasping a broom stick. I am only able to use the 3 middle strings but it was soooo worth it!!! Using only 3 strings allowed me to cut the headstock down to almost nothing saving weight as well. I sanded off the squier logo and put on a B.C Rich sticker along with a big Monster energy sticker on the body. I also screwed a valve spring from a big block Chevy to the bottom so when I leen it in the corner it doesn't make a loud thud pissing off my downstairs neighbor. Next I am going to remove the neck and middle pickups because I don't use them anyway and the holes they leave will make great places to store picks and weed.
Dude you screwed the pooch... you for sures should have smacked a Rockstar beverage sticker on your rig. But don't fret (sweet guitar pun), you can still squish one on there to make your axe the ultimate stringed wonder!
I thought the same thing!... I can't help but think that such a glaring omission may have been on purpose. He probably did record a "before", but decided not to include it because there wasn't enough difference to make it worth the $400 he spent on the upgrades.
@Daniel Johnson, The reason that it "sounds about the same" is because a well-set-up Squier almost ALWAYS sounds about as good as guitars costing TEN TIMES as much. If you are a religious (Vs. scientific) believer of; "set necks are better", "some woods are better", "you MUST use locking tuners", "Alnico is better than ceramic", you need to watch Darrel Braun's video on the latter subject.
@@jefferymayhann312, Has EVERYONE gotten so damned greedy that customizing a guitar should ONLY be done to increase its market value? What about customizing a good guitar to make it the greatest guitar (at any "value") that fits my hands, plays and sounds better than any I have ever picked up and the self-satisfaction that I know and understand every adjustment and component of it, their modifications or replacements AND to have done it (albeit in consideration of reliable & credible sources, not some self-styled "internet expert") ALL by myself?
Phillip I want thank you for your learning videos. I have multiple Sclerosis and can now work.I have a Squier Affinity which I am happy to have.years ago I had a 75 strat that I had to sell to pay my rent,that was a sad day for me.That said I've been fallowing your videos and they have been very helpful to me. a very nice guy,helpful . to all who are in need of you knowledge. Keep up the great work.God Bless you.
So this video inspired me to pimp out my Squier Affinity about a year ago. This is the set-up: -- Seymour Duncan Hotrails humbucker in the bridge. -- Fender Custom Shop 2018 hand-wound single coils in the neck and middle spots (I got a good deal) -- a steel block under the bridge instead of the cheap alloy one. -- Fender locking tuners Haven't upgraded the switch and pots yet, but there's a plan afoot for that, too. The Frankensquier sounds pretty sweet so far.
Sweet I made a Malmsteen one but I used a really super cheap Squier many years ago. Thinking off getting an Affinity and putting the parts in that. But scalloping the neck again is a pain. I feel the cheap body really ruins the potential and it has that undersized head, the cheap Squiers have that looks like shit.
Just re-read watched the heck out of this after my StewMac order came. I never would have tried doing a fret-dress myself until watching your videos, and this one in particular. Thanks again for all of the hard work you put into these!
I've been playing for 30 years and tinkering with soldering pickups etc. Since discovering Phil, I have to say he's so great and informative. Love your posts Phil x
Yeah, but in the end...he gets a commission thru Amazon links and probably some of the others, gets UA-cam Monetization...he makes out in the end. I'd be happy if I had 1/10th of his views and subs.
This video has all the basic required information for any strat owner that has a mind toward upgrading an S type guitar. This channel paired with StewMac has us all within reach of being at least an amateur luthier.
Hello Philip. Your videos are great for helping to shop and refit guitars. Here is something I just tried on a 1970's Mann Strat. I opened up the back plate, and discovered it had a bridge block of real steel with 5 springs. (I screwed the bridge down hard-tail style a long time ago, as I mostly use Teles.) I went out to our machine shop and found a brass pipe ring (for fitting two pipes t gether) that was 3 inches across and 5/16th of an inch thick. I gently tapped it into the open space between the bridge block and body, and it was perfectly tight. I then plugged it in and got the surprise of my life. Even with Ernie Ball .009 Extra Light strings, the tone was immediately deeper and fuller. I could hammer away at a D chord first position and it just rang. So yeah, a brass block works, and all one really needs is a brass pipe ring 5/16th inches deep.
When masking off the fretboard and doing any fretwork, I always put the tape down the sides FIRST. That way when you come to remove the tape, the side bits will pull all the face tape off in one go.
These guitars have come a long way, and even stock with decent pots and wiring, and as little friction as possible they hold up pretty well with the stock parts. I built a partscaster around an Affinity body a few months back. It was supposed to be a temporary body, but it was really resonant and I liked it. It's paired with a neck off of a J Mascis Jazzmaster, the stock tuners, and a Graphtech nut. The bridge has some bent steel saddles from an older MIM Strat and a solid steel block. I keep that lubricated, and combined with the nut it stays in tune far better than I ever expected stock Squier tuners to. It has a set of JBE S-Deluxes with DPDT switches with humbucker/tap/off settings for each pickup instead of a five way switch. I think it has thirteen pickup combinations or something silly. CTS pots and a Switchcraft output take care of the rest of the job. I'm not sure if it's the most practical or least practical build I've ever done, but it definitely plays and sounds better than anything else I've ever owned. They're definitely capable instruments with a little bit of love.
Having done this process (although we used Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot pickups) I can confirm you CAN make a Squier play superior to a MIM or MIJ . . . for less money than either cost. For us, the pickups represented about 65% of the cost. Items like the pickguard/trem cover obviously were not mandatory people change those out on their MIM's too, right? Doing this provides a lot of satisfaction - just like investing time and money to restore an old car or piece of furniture. Sure, you could have bought something new for around the same price, but then all you have is something a million other people own. Some people get it, some don't.
I dressed up a Squire just like this. Fender Noiseless pickups, pots, switch, jack, locking tuners, nut. Gave it a complete fret job. Put in old Strat bridge. Had a lot of this stuff lying around. The guitar plays like a dream.
I read this comment then went back and watched that part and I was dying laughing. I was imagining the whole video wqs just him pulling out that bubble wrap
I spent £450 on my squier including £60 for the used strat. Love it to bits. Will never get rid of it. Replaced with so called all American parts. Got a fender Shawbucker in the bridge and it's a real beauty
Phillip...I did the same thing, when the Squire Mini Strat came out...flipped the pickups with lace sensor, light blue( neck) Silver( mid) and Burgandy ( bridge).....re drilled the headstock and put in mini Grover's, better pots and set up...it's absolutely super...did it around 15 years ago...still stays in tune, between playings......nice vid...I subscribed...Regards... Mack
Oh man! This was so helpful. Had pretty gnarly fret sprout on my Harley Benton te-20 making it hardly playable because my fingers would almost get caught. But after filing away for 20 minutes with no experience whatsoever it turned out to be 99% better than what it was. And because it was an $90 guitar i wasn't afraid to do it. Thank you for the great lesson and tips
Hat's off to you Phil! I can't even think about putting $400 into upgrading a Squier for a video shoot. Heck, I bought a real Gibson SG with crescent moon fret inlays in amazing used condition for $500! Interesting video!
Some people laugh at me for upgrading an affinity Strat. It's worth it in my opinion, I have a lightweight sweet smooth guitar with low end fender price and mid to upper range fender feel. Locking tuners, extra trem springs, authentic fender 5 way switch, new tusq saddles and nut, brass trem block (so far). Fret job and Lace sensor pickups coming next and we have ourselves an instrument that people who really know guitars pick up and play, look at you with a big smile on their face and nod.
Edit- the Ampro 2stratocaster is a noticeable difference but is 5 times more than an affinity Strat. Not a bad guitar for the price and you will have no complaints
The gator socket is fine for low torque applications but for anything that requires a good amount of torque it will round out fasteners. Thats why people don't like them.
My go to guitar that stays out on my stand is a classic vibe squire. It sounds good! Plays good, and i got it for like 200$ off a aquaintance.. it was only a month old when i got it
Great video Phil, and it just goes to show you don't have to spend $1,000 on a guitar to have something fun to play and sounds pretty good. You can buy an affordable guitar and then do the upgrades in stages, which makes it fit into almost any budget. The most important part of this video IMO was the work you did on the frets. Even an expensive guitar can get fret sprout and with some fairly simple (although maybe a little expensive) tools you can fix it yourself and every guitarist should know how to do it. Buy a used guitar that needs a little work and you can save a bundle. I think I am frugal, not cheap :-) . Thanks for the video.
Same here. I picked up a HH in blue sparkle. I have a spare set of Duncan's and some bucket sized P90s to pop in, but needed some ideas for feel. This was great. I will probably swap the pots too.
"it's going to be a straightfoward video." *more than 30 min long* no complains here tho! thank you for this, I got a squier the other day in hope of decking it out with better parts and this just confirms it :)
This is my favorite guitar channel for one huge reason..your humble-in love with what you don't know. Not what you do know.. I've been building guitars for 14years an I can always learn something here an not feel shamed for not knowing.
I find even a cheap Squire bass acts and sounds a lot nicer with just a 75.00 pro re-fret. So, 175.00 new + 75.00 fret job, and maybe you'd get 250.00 for it on a good day :) It is a sweetheart, tho. Maybe we'll get lucky one day, and the Squires will. skyrocket in value once people find out they're not bad and they hold up very well over 20years I've had mine. I am good to my toys, tho. I don't abuse them.
These videos inspired me to sharpen my epiphone les Paul Zakk Wylde custom with some new pickups and a set up and it’s now so much better! Cheers Phil!
Took a Sire T7 and gutted it then put in 920D custom shop pups ,920D control panel and Babicz full contac bridge. Totally different pig now. Then did the same thing to a Sire S7 and had a 7 way switch installed. What a difference in both of them. I love doing this kind of work on guitars and upgrading.
Crushed another 1 Phil! Awesome! Really enjoying these. Maybe u could keep doing them if they’re paid for....? I’d happily pay u 2 sharpen 1 of my axes.
yes totally, and its probably a pretty popular video concept, since it caters to the inner gear nerd in us, that wants to pimo the hell out of any guitar, it could be his signature video format to set him apart from other guitar related youtubers
Thanks for this. I have to say, though, if the total cost of upgrading/modding the Squier Affinity in this way was $619.79 (or $469.79 without the $150 labour charge), I would rather go for a Mexican Strat (probably used, but maybe it is possible to find one new for that price), or a much better Squier than the Affinity (maybe a Classic Vibe or Classic Series, used or new).
drutgat2 It’s always best to get the best you can afford as the platform but the pickups, the electrics and the tuners on this guitar will all now be significantly BETTER than a MIM Strat! In fact, probably closer to a USA Strat! You pay your money, you make your choice!
I did a similar thing, picked up a Classic Vibe i really liked from a local store, and threw in a set of Fender Pure Vintage 65s, for 650$ total (a MiM strat is minimum 800$ where i live, so i thinki t was pretty worth it overall).
Hey, Phil… Just came across this video, and I did almost the same thing to my Squier Affinity Tele, which I bought specifically as a platform for mods. Replaced everything except the bridge plate and the strap buttons. Seymour Duncan stacked single-coils in both positions, different tuning machines and string trees, GraphTech nut, compensated brass saddles, new jack, pots and a 6-position Freeway switch, new rounded knobs over a black, angled switch plate, plus a new, black pick guard. It's now basically black & chrome, with a maple neck. Looks good, sounds killer, cost WAY less (even including my guitar tech's labor) than a new upper-level Tele.
I’m kicking off this Frankenstrat project next weekend with a 2008 affinity strat. Only thing original will be the body and neck, everything else is new. Can’t wait to hear it! Thanks for all the detail on cleaning up the neck, ordered everything you suggested and am going to try for that American strat feel. Wish me luck!
Two years later, I did a similar job on a black Affinity Tele. Graph Tech nut, roller string trees, Gotoh Tuners, all-new electronics, including a Tele set of Seymour Duncan stacked single-coils. Had to do similar fret end work on a Maple fret board, bought an almost-new black pick guard on Reverb, but kept the original bridge and plate. I'm loving the result.
Yeah I tried taking an angle grinder to my '64 Jazzmaster and now it doesn't have a headstock or the lowest three frets, but hey, I've made it my own! :)
Bought a Affinity Tele, $150 new, delivered. $100 for new pups, $12 new saddles, $12 new pickguard, $30 new pots, caps, control plate. I love it, my favorite "fender" style guitar and I've owned a bunch of American, Japanese and a custom shop. I could not believe the build quality was so high right out of the box. No way I would sell that guitar for $300 and the irony is no one would probably buy it for that. I'd probably be lucky to get $200 out of it. Never touched the neck or frets, they were great out of the box.
Your videos are like lays chips.. I can't watch just one. I really enjoy picking through the QA's! Thanks for putting links to the various questions inside the videos!
Awesome Philip McKnight! Just bought a bullet tele and and planning on close to the same idea. TV Jones Starwood pickups, Emerson harness. Glad to see this vid so I can clean up the neck a little as well.
I upgraded a Squier Strat a couple years ago. Refinished it in pale pink (a la Faded Shell Pink), replaced the pickups, bought a Fender factory replacement neck with Pau Ferro fretboard, and replaced the bridge with a Fender vintage bridge and steel tremolo block. The only thing that is still Squier is the wood that makes up the body. Its one of my favorite guitars in looks and feel.
I have an Indonesian squire I bought in the early to mid 90s. Best playing guitar I have. Changed the pick ups..noiseless....and the tuners. Light...neck is ridiculous..and is so easy to play. Its definately a mutt with stickers and scars but I would be lost without it.
Phill nice upgrade. I gave my grand daughter my 2003 balack on black squire made in Indonesia a nice player in good shape, now if she wants I'll try an upgrade for her. Good to see you Phill always. ☺
i was given a cheap squier strat and two things i did was...file and polish the fret ends and sanded the back of the neck...used 1500/2000/3000/5000/7000 grit paper...the unfinished neck is soooooooo smooth!
@@beefnacos6258, So a guitar isn't "real" unless one is so STUPID that they would spend 3 month's income for something with a "real guitar" headstock logo, instead of taking a guitar costing 1/3 as much and customizing it to suit their personal playing style?
J. D. Schultz, Sr. That seems to be what the d**k head is saying! I’ve modded an Indonesian Affinity Strat with Fender Tex Mex pickups, full width Mighty Mite neck, steel block, Fender steel saddles,CTS pots and other Fender bits. Bought some stuff new and some used, spent about £300. I probably wouldn’t get that back if I sold the guitar but I now have a guitar that plays and sounds as good, in fact better than ones costing more than double what I have invested! To me, it was worth doing, in fact all my guitars are what you would call reasonably priced but have been modded to various degrees and all play and sound like much more expensive instruments!
I did something similar. I took a Black and Chrome Squier that I payed a whole $50 for, a Mexican made Stratocaster maple/maple neck (after a little body modding), put those together. I yanked the mirror pickguard out and tossed it (it was cracked anyway), and dropped in an EMG 81 loaded pearl pickguard. The thing is a MONSTER! Next upgrades will be locking tuners, graphtech nut, and a Vega trem.
Nice improvement, really liked this neck pu and also a fan of the pearly gates bridge pu (have it on my tokay love rock), but how much would be a better bridge?? 50, 70 bucks, maybe a little more, but after spending in locking tuners and pickups the bridge is just the cherry on the cake, not much more money and makes huge difference.....cheers....
I agree....he spent more on the parts than the guitar originally cost then cheaped out on the bridge. At the cost of all theses parts one could just buy a MIM Strat ....used but what the hell
The question is if they really are better. We allways think that more mass gives better sound, but think about the old Les Pauls, they had a very low weight zinck alloy bridge, which is said to give a longer sustain and a better sound. I have a Squier Classic Vibe 60´s with this flimsy sustainblock, and it actually sustains forever. One thing that is important though is to keep the Strat bridge only floating a little bit. That gives a better sound and better tuning stability.
I have a lot of Stewmac tools, they are awesome, the problem is their shipping, you can order 3 things, and their shipping goes by cost of items, not weight of items, That makes me crazy!
I put a Musikraft rosewood neck, EMG 81 and T, locking tuners and Stesbar vibrato into my Mexican Tele. Wife bought it for me at a pawn shop so total spend is easily in the USA strat territory, but the story was so fun I don't regret it. Also, nothing plays like a rosewood neck!
Upgrading Squier to USA level guitars is fun changing all the things you mentioned. I have 5 Standard squier strats that I've upgraded for under $125 just need to shop for Fender quality parts from off brands. I like upgrading standards because the are full 1 3/4 thick making it better for full term blocks. I use Bullet neck sand then all down an custom stain them. Your video is right on, good job.
I watched this video and thought, "Do I really want to risk ruining my $400 Squier Jaguar"? Well, thank you Phil !! I didn't need a file, but the polishing pad/cloth removed all the minor roughness that had been bothering me the 3 years I have been playing this guitar. The side of the neck is now smooth with no fret sprout. You can get the polishing kit on amazon for $18. Thank you!
You can get a very similar square pin file with a rounded smooth side for this kind of fret work in a $3.99 set from Harbor Freight. That's why StewMac gets a bad rep. They sell a ton of Chinese stuff at a ridiculous markup. They have things you cannot really find elsewhere but 75% of the time you can find something identical or similar for 25% of the price or less.
I know I can get a decent file elsewhere but not sure what its called to even search for it online. Any chance you can post a link or name of something to look up ?
Everything used is brand named, Genuine Fender pots, why? Just get good CTS ones and pay less, Fender switch, why? CRL and pay less. Duncan's, why? Warman, GFS, Irongear, Armstrong, and lots more cost less. Ratio heads, nice but why? Gotohs will be just as good and cost less. The amount you save could easily replace the junk pot metal teen with a Wilkinson wvp6 or similar. Or are we just advertising certain brands rather than sensible upgrades
I haven't heard StewMac having a bad rep, but I agree about finding the same tools for a lot cheaper. Got all of my tools from amazon for the price of one tool that stewmac sells for. They are ridiculously high-priced.
There have been a few times I've decided to use StewMac, but going through the checkout process I get to shipping. At this point, my mindset is "well it's expensive, but I really need it". Then they want $15 to ship a small part and I'm like - Cya.
Nut installation missing, or am i just missing it? Ordered a black graphtech nut for my G&L and was looking forward to seeing your switcheroo. Hoping i can get it done w/o needing to get files.
The Graphtechs usually have their molds done really well, all I needed to install mine was one swipe with some sandpaper (one corner was a little rough) a little square of paper to make the nut high enough, and a drop of wood glue put onto a toothpick and smeared around and it was all set!
Tried a few different graphtechs that would work for my guitar and they all were just slightly undersized for the slot. I would have had to have gotten a blank and I realized it's going to be much easier to have a skilled tech put a real bone nut in, which is what I did.
Thanks Phil! I love your UA-cam videos and I watch them all the time. I have a Squier Stratocaster hardtail and I have set it up myself.. Just like I did my 65 Mustang.
I got my first squire for my birthday one year, after you get one they just start showing up on your door step for free. I really like the squire with the 70s head stock.
I was checking out comments to see if anybody realized that nut replacement part is not there? and thank you did. I hope that Philip edit this video and add nut replacement on this as well.
I did the same with a Squier Stratocaster Limited-Edition, but i got the prewired 57 pickguard, and fender locking tuners. Also, re-shielded with copper tape. Also,i spend $400 grands.
Only "real Fender" I've ever owned was a used MIM strat. The only good thing I can say was the headstock sticker helped me flip it for what I paid. I snatched up an affinity tele for $100 and I love that guitar. Perhaps someone gave it some tlc before me but it's a players guitar as is. I'm honestly looking to throw a bigsby b5 on it, ("lipstick on a pig") but I'm afraid it will offset the way it sounds and plays as is.
I just use paint finishing sanding sponges for the entire fretboard. Too fine to scratch linings, but removes dirt from the board really well, and polishes the frets very nicely, and very fast too. The fact that it's a sponge also gives me the option to just push down and thereby polish the frets evenly in a nice and round fashion.
Bridge pickup is Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Pearly Gates Neck pickup is Seymour Duncan SSL-1 rwrp What is the neck pickup? He said it's a stack but what model?
Great video Phil ! The funny part for me is that my brother gave me a Squier ( late eighties early nineties ). It's a solid guitar but I wanted something better. I upgraded the Pickups to Duncans. I have a STK 7 in the bridge and Stk 4's for the mid and neck. After assembly it had no sound as the selector switch ( plastic ) warped. Installed a genuine fender and this guitar plays awesome. The fretwork was great to begin with so no need to dress it up but it's a Maple neck so maybe that or the fact it's a Japan model made the difference. Rock on my brother and keep up the good work !
My son and I took a bunch of parts I had laying around along with an Affinity strat and made a parts guitar. Its one of the best sounding guitars we have, and we mostly have American fenders and several Gibson standards along with other high end guitars. He ended up getting a Warmoth neck with stainless frets and its his favorite guitar. The best part is if he is gigging and someone knocks it over or it gets damaged, its not a 3K guitar. Either way we had fun building it and he is having fun playing it. We also kept the original bridge, but had some used fender American tuners to put on. He is thinking about doing staggered tuning keys to avoid the string trees.
I have a Squier Contemporary Active and Im modding it right now. Ive got Zakk Wylds Pickups, two 500 pots, new 3 way switch, noiseless springs, a custom Warmoth neck on the way, new tuning keys, and I am just about done shielding the guitar. Im so excited to see how this thing is going to play and sound.
I bought my nephew a black Squire Affinity for Christmas a few years back. I was actually impressed with it. It needed a fret and fret end polishing and a setup, and it was good to go. Even sounded pretty good with the stock pickups. He wanted a black pick guard and humbuckers, so I put some spare Epi humbuckers in a black Guitarfetish HH Strat guard. I just did a tuneup on it a short time ago, it still sounds and plays pretty darned good.
I took a belt sander to both sides of my neck and man is it comfortable now, almost completely round! Its like grasping a broom stick. I am only able to use the 3 middle strings but it was soooo worth it!!! Using only 3 strings allowed me to cut the headstock down to almost nothing saving weight as well. I sanded off the squier logo and put on a B.C Rich sticker along with a big Monster energy sticker on the body. I also screwed a valve spring from a big block Chevy to the bottom so when I leen it in the corner it doesn't make a loud thud pissing off my downstairs neighbor. Next I am going to remove the neck and middle pickups because I don't use them anyway and the holes they leave will make great places to store picks and weed.
Dude you screwed the pooch... you for sures should have smacked a Rockstar beverage sticker on your rig. But don't fret (sweet guitar pun), you can still squish one on there to make your axe the ultimate stringed wonder!
I'm pretty sure Monster energy drinks are, in your case anyway, "fortified with meth"...
James NotBond same my man
Just remember, Preperation H is NOT for cleaning the headstock.
im guessing he works for fender quality control
Doesn't matter what a guitar cost, that smile of anticipation when opening the box is always the same.
Phil is honestly the most down to earth, humble, and nice guy ever. I just love his personality
💯💯💯💯💯💯
How about putting those Squier parts on a Custom Shop Fender?
Be very interesting to see how that 'Squier' parts sound on a expensive American Strat!
@philipknight
@philipmcknight
american strat asshats would probably think it sounds better
@@MichaelTheophilus906 I know I definitely would, if you've played a Lesson Paul for awhile, then switch to a strat...
Caged,How about putting Fender decals on a Squire,and lets see If It sounds any better. Just Ripe for E-bay. LOL
Beautiful but I just kind of wished you'd played it prior to making improvements as a control.
Xyere who hasnt heard a squire?
@@mateomarquez4343 Remembering what it sounds like isn't the point of reference but the initial sound is.
I thought the same thing!... I can't help but think that such a glaring omission may have been on purpose. He probably did record a "before", but decided not to include it because there wasn't enough difference to make it worth the $400 he spent on the upgrades.
@Daniel Johnson,
The reason that it "sounds about the same" is because a well-set-up Squier almost ALWAYS sounds about as good as guitars costing TEN TIMES as much.
If you are a religious (Vs. scientific) believer of; "set necks are better", "some woods are better", "you MUST use locking tuners", "Alnico is better than ceramic", you need to watch Darrel Braun's video on the latter subject.
@@jefferymayhann312,
Has EVERYONE gotten so damned greedy that customizing a guitar should ONLY be done to increase its market value? What about customizing a good guitar to make it the greatest guitar (at any "value") that fits my hands, plays and sounds better than any I have ever picked up and the self-satisfaction that I know and understand every adjustment and component of it, their modifications or replacements AND to have done it (albeit in consideration of reliable & credible sources, not some self-styled "internet expert") ALL by myself?
Phillip I want thank you for your learning videos. I have multiple Sclerosis and can now work.I have a Squier Affinity which I am happy to have.years ago I had a 75 strat that I had to sell to pay my rent,that was a sad day for me.That said I've been fallowing your videos and they have been very helpful to me. a very nice guy,helpful . to all who are in need of you knowledge. Keep up the great work.God Bless you.
So this video inspired me to pimp out my Squier Affinity about a year ago. This is the set-up:
-- Seymour Duncan Hotrails humbucker in the bridge.
-- Fender Custom Shop 2018 hand-wound single coils in the neck and middle spots (I got a good deal)
-- a steel block under the bridge instead of the cheap alloy one.
-- Fender locking tuners
Haven't upgraded the switch and pots yet, but there's a plan afoot for that, too.
The Frankensquier sounds pretty sweet so far.
Sweet I made a Malmsteen one but I used a really super cheap Squier many years ago. Thinking off getting an Affinity and putting the parts in that. But scalloping the neck again is a pain. I feel the cheap body really ruins the potential and it has that undersized head, the cheap Squiers have that looks like shit.
Are your guitar sound good? Like less hum, can play in high gain?
@@elang7961 if you want to know if the hot rail can handle high gain it can. There is still a bit of hum but half of what a normal single coil would
@@221b-l3t Check out the Fazley Fury it's a cheap scalloped neck white Yngwie Malmsteen copy.... Excellently built& about£160
Just re-read watched the heck out of this after my StewMac order came. I never would have tried doing a fret-dress myself until watching your videos, and this one in particular. Thanks again for all of the hard work you put into these!
The fact that i can obtain this much knowledge in 30 minutes. Your video made me feel like a pro already ;) Thank you for sharing such awesome video
Dan Nullmeyer He did, he put a Graphtec but for some reason forgot to include in the video!
I've been playing for 30 years and tinkering with soldering pickups etc. Since discovering Phil, I have to say he's so great and informative. Love your posts Phil x
I know these videos have to be expensive but I really enjoy them. Thanks for taking the time and money to make these.
Yeah, but in the end...he gets a commission thru Amazon links and probably some of the others, gets UA-cam Monetization...he makes out in the end. I'd be happy if I had 1/10th of his views and subs.
Why would they be expensive other than the initial investment in audio-visual equipment?
oh don't worry. 2M views, he made plenty back on it. Provide quality content, get paid. That's how it should be.
This video has all the basic required information for any strat owner that has a mind toward upgrading an S type guitar. This channel paired with StewMac has us all within reach of being at least an amateur luthier.
Hello Philip. Your videos are great for helping to shop and refit guitars. Here is something I just tried on a 1970's Mann Strat. I opened up the back plate, and discovered it had a bridge block of real steel with 5 springs. (I screwed the bridge down hard-tail style a long time ago, as I mostly use Teles.) I went out to our machine shop and found a brass pipe ring (for fitting two pipes t gether) that was 3 inches across and 5/16th of an inch thick. I gently tapped it into the open space between the bridge block and body, and it was perfectly tight. I then plugged it in and got the surprise of my life. Even with Ernie Ball .009 Extra Light strings, the tone was immediately deeper and fuller. I could hammer away at a D chord first position and it just rang. So yeah, a brass block works, and all one really needs is a brass pipe ring 5/16th inches deep.
When masking off the fretboard and doing any fretwork, I always put the tape down the sides FIRST. That way when you come to remove the tape, the side bits will pull all the face tape off in one go.
Also missed the nut replacement?
Seal team 6 training hard at work
These guitars have come a long way, and even stock with decent pots and wiring, and as little friction as possible they hold up pretty well with the stock parts.
I built a partscaster around an Affinity body a few months back. It was supposed to be a temporary body, but it was really resonant and I liked it. It's paired with a neck off of a J Mascis Jazzmaster, the stock tuners, and a Graphtech nut. The bridge has some bent steel saddles from an older MIM Strat and a solid steel block. I keep that lubricated, and combined with the nut it stays in tune far better than I ever expected stock Squier tuners to. It has a set of JBE S-Deluxes with DPDT switches with humbucker/tap/off settings for each pickup instead of a five way switch. I think it has thirteen pickup combinations or something silly. CTS pots and a Switchcraft output take care of the rest of the job. I'm not sure if it's the most practical or least practical build I've ever done, but it definitely plays and sounds better than anything else I've ever owned. They're definitely capable instruments with a little bit of love.
Having done this process (although we used Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot pickups) I can confirm you CAN make a Squier play superior to a MIM or MIJ . . . for less money than either cost. For us, the pickups represented about 65% of the cost. Items like the pickguard/trem cover obviously were not mandatory people change those out on their MIM's too, right?
Doing this provides a lot of satisfaction - just like investing time and money to restore an old car or piece of furniture. Sure, you could have bought something new for around the same price, but then all you have is something a million other people own. Some people get it, some don't.
I dressed up a Squire just like this. Fender Noiseless pickups, pots, switch, jack, locking tuners, nut. Gave it a complete fret job. Put in old Strat bridge. Had a lot of this stuff lying around. The guitar plays like a dream.
Phil looks like a magician pulling that bubble wrap out of the box.
Agree
I read this comment then went back and watched that part and I was dying laughing. I was imagining the whole video wqs just him pulling out that bubble wrap
Yeah, I was expecting a rabbit or at least a Teddy Bear!!
I spent £450 on my squier including £60 for the used strat.
Love it to bits. Will never get rid of it. Replaced with so called all American parts.
Got a fender Shawbucker in the bridge and it's a real beauty
Great job: accessible, demystifying, and helpful. I finally get it...after ALL these years.
Phillip...I did the same thing, when the Squire Mini Strat came out...flipped the pickups with lace sensor, light blue( neck) Silver( mid) and Burgandy ( bridge).....re drilled the headstock and put in mini Grover's, better pots and set up...it's absolutely super...did it around 15 years ago...still stays in tune, between playings......nice vid...I subscribed...Regards... Mack
Nice job, finally someone showed how to file fret ends.
The frets look so clean... damn
Oh man! This was so helpful.
Had pretty gnarly fret sprout on my Harley Benton te-20 making it hardly playable because my fingers would almost get caught. But after filing away for 20 minutes with no experience whatsoever it turned out to be 99% better than what it was. And because it was an $90 guitar i wasn't afraid to do it. Thank you for the great lesson and tips
It was funny when you fast forwarded the video when you were soldering the electronics but slowed it down for us to see you vacuuming your workspace
Excellent step by step instructions, in a non-patronising way. Demo of playing was great. Thank you.
Hat's off to you Phil! I can't even think about putting $400 into upgrading a Squier for a video shoot. Heck, I bought a real Gibson SG with crescent moon fret inlays in amazing used condition for $500! Interesting video!
two testicles and an erect penis.
Man i picked up one of those a few years ago for $300. Great guitar
@Travis Johnston i got one for $50 bucks just yesterday!
@@randomchannel4886 I got one for a aggressive handjob behind McDonald’s just 10 minutes ago!
@@craigcotter7476 hot
Some people laugh at me for upgrading an affinity Strat. It's worth it in my opinion, I have a lightweight sweet smooth guitar with low end fender price and mid to upper range fender feel. Locking tuners, extra trem springs, authentic fender 5 way switch, new tusq saddles and nut, brass trem block (so far). Fret job and Lace sensor pickups coming next and we have ourselves an instrument that people who really know guitars pick up and play, look at you with a big smile on their face and nod.
Edit- the Ampro 2stratocaster is a noticeable difference but is 5 times more than an affinity Strat. Not a bad guitar for the price and you will have no complaints
The gator socket is fine for low torque applications but for anything that requires a good amount of torque it will round out fasteners. Thats why people don't like them.
I've a Squire that's been sitting around for a couple of years. You have inspired me to take a stab at improving it. Thanks!!!
28:04 I felt the John Mayer in him for a moment lol😂😭
So did John Mayer!
Slow dancing... Wait, what? Hehe
i think he was fail but, “i can handle this” lol
My go to guitar that stays out on my stand is a classic vibe squire. It sounds good! Plays good, and i got it for like 200$ off a aquaintance.. it was only a month old when i got it
Great video Phil, and it just goes to show you don't have to spend $1,000 on a guitar to have something fun to play and sounds pretty good. You can buy an affordable guitar and then do the upgrades in stages, which makes it fit into almost any budget. The most important part of this video IMO was the work you did on the frets. Even an expensive guitar can get fret sprout and with some fairly simple (although maybe a little expensive) tools you can fix it yourself and every guitarist should know how to do it. Buy a used guitar that needs a little work and you can save a bundle. I think I am frugal, not cheap :-) . Thanks for the video.
This is fantastic! I have a squire affinity just like that that I grabbed from a pawn shop for 95 bucks. Gonna try this.
RedPirate42 Did my Affinity and it’s like a different guitar now!
You can cut the costs down a bit if you buy some parts used on eBay!
Thanks. I now have ideas for my Squire.
Donald McCormick sell it and buy a proper guitar 🎸
and spend less money
Same here. I picked up a HH in blue sparkle. I have a spare set of Duncan's and some bucket sized P90s to pop in, but needed some ideas for feel. This was great. I will probably swap the pots too.
AceMew what makes a Squier any less real of a guitar?
some people like to bash because they're privileged pieces of shit who think they're better because they have more money to spend.
Philip, you are a national treasure. Thanks for your videos.
I did basically this same thing with an 80s peavey predator cause I love the old predator necks.
"it's going to be a straightfoward video."
*more than 30 min long*
no complains here tho! thank you for this, I got a squier the other day in hope of decking it out with better parts and this just confirms it :)
I’m actually thinking about modding my strat to the exact pickup set you installed. They sound pretty awesome!
This is my favorite guitar channel for one huge reason..your humble-in love with what you don't know. Not what you do know.. I've been building guitars for 14years an I can always learn something here an not feel shamed for not knowing.
I love Squiers.. They are special... Same with Epiphone and Harley Benton.
Best sounding squier ever! I love these vids man!
I find even a cheap Squire bass acts and sounds a lot nicer with just a 75.00 pro re-fret. So, 175.00 new + 75.00 fret job, and maybe you'd get 250.00 for it on a good day :) It is a sweetheart, tho.
Maybe we'll get lucky one day, and the Squires will. skyrocket in value once people find out they're not bad and they hold up very well over 20years I've had mine. I am good to my toys, tho. I don't abuse them.
These videos inspired me to sharpen my epiphone les Paul Zakk Wylde custom with some new pickups and a set up and it’s now so much better! Cheers Phil!
I feel like there should be a 5 min cleaning interval between cool things being done, because that is real life
Took a Sire T7 and gutted it then put in 920D custom shop pups ,920D control panel and Babicz full contac bridge. Totally different pig now. Then did the same thing to a Sire S7 and had a 7 way switch installed. What a difference in both of them. I love doing this kind of work on guitars and upgrading.
Watching you pull that bubble wrap out was eerily reminiscent from when the intern pulled the packing out of my sinuses after sinus surgery.
Sox Game Replays
My wife had that surgery. I never thought so much stuff could be packed into a head. Yup, looked the same.
One of the best guitarists I've every heard played a Squire with some good pickups and that's about it.
Crushed another 1 Phil! Awesome! Really enjoying these. Maybe u could keep doing them if they’re paid for....? I’d happily pay u 2 sharpen 1 of my axes.
Jeremy Reddoor hell yeah me too!
I would too! These videos are great!!
yes totally, and its probably a pretty popular video concept, since it caters to the inner gear nerd in us, that wants to pimo the hell out of any guitar, it could be his signature video format to set him apart from other guitar related youtubers
I'm from UK, I bought a gator grip in florida in 2005, use it ALL THE TIME. I love wht you can get in the US&A
Thanks for this. I have to say, though, if the total cost of upgrading/modding the Squier Affinity in this way was $619.79 (or $469.79 without the $150 labour charge), I would rather go for a Mexican Strat (probably used, but maybe it is possible to find one new for that price), or a much better Squier than the Affinity (maybe a Classic Vibe or Classic Series, used or new).
drutgat2 It’s always best to get the best you can afford as the platform but the pickups, the electrics and the tuners on this guitar will all now be significantly BETTER than a MIM Strat!
In fact, probably closer to a USA Strat!
You pay your money, you make your choice!
I did a similar thing, picked up a Classic Vibe i really liked from a local store, and threw in a set of Fender Pure Vintage 65s, for 650$ total (a MiM strat is minimum 800$ where i live, so i thinki t was pretty worth it overall).
Hey, Phil… Just came across this video, and I did almost the same thing to my Squier Affinity Tele, which I bought specifically as a platform for mods. Replaced everything except the bridge plate and the strap buttons. Seymour Duncan stacked single-coils in both positions, different tuning machines and string trees, GraphTech nut, compensated brass saddles, new jack, pots and a 6-position Freeway switch, new rounded knobs over a black, angled switch plate, plus a new, black pick guard. It's now basically black & chrome, with a maple neck. Looks good, sounds killer, cost WAY less (even including my guitar tech's labor) than a new upper-level Tele.
Guitar fetish sells the brass and steel blocks for $20.00 I have them in all mine. Great video phillip.Thanks.
Which do you think is better , brass or steel ?
Anthony Doyler brass
I’m kicking off this Frankenstrat project next weekend with a 2008 affinity strat. Only thing original will be the body and neck, everything else is new. Can’t wait to hear it! Thanks for all the detail on cleaning up the neck, ordered everything you suggested and am going to try for that American strat feel. Wish me luck!
That was a great video. I really appreciate the good solid advice and recommendations you make, along with your reasoning for them. Thank you!
Two years later, I did a similar job on a black Affinity Tele. Graph Tech nut, roller string trees, Gotoh Tuners, all-new electronics, including a Tele set of Seymour Duncan stacked single-coils. Had to do similar fret end work on a Maple fret board, bought an almost-new black pick guard on Reverb, but kept the original bridge and plate. I'm loving the result.
I took a grinder to my frets to smooth them out and now my chords all sound the same :(
tweakinn hahahahahaha please tell me you’re kidding.. otherwise you may have grinded a little too much my guy
Haha yes :)
YEAH, now you have the world's only fretless strat. That's gonna be major revenue IF you ever ebay that baby!! LOL
I like to go down deep with the angle grinder, into the fret board a little.
Yeah I tried taking an angle grinder to my '64 Jazzmaster and now it doesn't have a headstock or the lowest three frets, but hey, I've made it my own! :)
Bought a Affinity Tele, $150 new, delivered. $100 for new pups, $12 new saddles, $12 new pickguard, $30 new pots, caps, control plate. I love it, my favorite "fender" style guitar and I've owned a bunch of American, Japanese and a custom shop. I could not believe the build quality was so high right out of the box. No way I would sell that guitar for $300 and the irony is no one would probably buy it for that. I'd probably be lucky to get $200 out of it. Never touched the neck or frets, they were great out of the box.
Your videos are like lays chips.. I can't watch just one. I really enjoy picking through the QA's! Thanks for putting links to the various questions inside the videos!
Hahaha, fella just put 20 hours of labor and $400 worth of parts into a Squier to make it feel like a MIM strat.
Beautiful. You are a saint, my man.
Another great video Phillip. I would love to see the reaction of the owners and what they think of your mods. Cheers.
Awesome Philip McKnight! Just bought a bullet tele and and planning on close to the same idea. TV Jones Starwood pickups, Emerson harness. Glad to see this vid so I can clean up the neck a little as well.
I was waiting for a leg lamp to come out.
"Fragile... must be Italian"
I upgraded a Squier Strat a couple years ago. Refinished it in pale pink (a la Faded Shell Pink), replaced the pickups, bought a Fender factory replacement neck with Pau Ferro fretboard, and replaced the bridge with a Fender vintage bridge and steel tremolo block. The only thing that is still Squier is the wood that makes up the body. Its one of my favorite guitars in looks and feel.
I have an Indonesian squire I bought in the early to mid 90s. Best playing guitar I have. Changed the pick ups..noiseless....and the tuners. Light...neck is ridiculous..and is so easy to play. Its definately a mutt with stickers and scars but I would be lost without it.
Phill nice upgrade. I gave my grand daughter my 2003 balack on black squire made in Indonesia a nice player in good shape, now if she wants I'll try an upgrade for her. Good to see you Phill always. ☺
Did I miss it? I didn't see where he replaced the nut.
Wasn't shown.
That's what she said
i was given a cheap squier strat and two things i did was...file and polish the fret ends and sanded the back of the neck...used 1500/2000/3000/5000/7000 grit paper...the unfinished neck is soooooooo smooth!
This is the first guitar i got at a yard sale for $40...i mostly play a fender ce now but u got me wanting to "pimp my squire"
no dont do it buy a real guitar first. then pimp that if you decide.
hey there; you still have it? or willing to sell it?
@@paulcampbell37 r u serious?...it wouldn't be worth the shipping
@@beefnacos6258,
So a guitar isn't "real" unless one is so STUPID that they would spend 3 month's income for something with a "real guitar" headstock logo, instead of taking a guitar costing 1/3 as much and customizing it to suit their personal playing style?
J. D. Schultz, Sr. That seems to be what the d**k head is saying!
I’ve modded an Indonesian Affinity Strat with Fender Tex Mex pickups, full width Mighty Mite neck, steel block, Fender steel saddles,CTS pots and other Fender bits.
Bought some stuff new and some used, spent about £300.
I probably wouldn’t get that back if I sold the guitar but I now have a guitar that plays and sounds as good, in fact better than ones costing more than double what I have invested!
To me, it was worth doing, in fact all my guitars are what you would call reasonably priced but have been modded to various degrees and all play and sound like much more expensive instruments!
I did something similar. I took a Black and Chrome Squier that I payed a whole $50 for, a Mexican made Stratocaster maple/maple neck (after a little body modding), put those together. I yanked the mirror pickguard out and tossed it (it was cracked anyway), and dropped in an EMG 81 loaded pearl pickguard. The thing is a MONSTER! Next upgrades will be locking tuners, graphtech nut, and a Vega trem.
Nice improvement, really liked this neck pu and also a fan of the pearly gates bridge pu (have it on my tokay love rock), but how much would be a better bridge?? 50, 70 bucks, maybe a little more, but after spending in locking tuners and pickups the bridge is just the cherry on the cake, not much more money and makes huge difference.....cheers....
I agree....he spent more on the parts than the guitar originally cost then cheaped out on the bridge. At the cost of all theses parts one could just buy a MIM Strat ....used but what the hell
The question is if they really are better. We allways think that more mass gives better sound, but think about the old Les Pauls, they had a very low weight
zinck alloy bridge, which is said to give a longer sustain and a better sound. I have a Squier Classic Vibe 60´s with this flimsy sustainblock, and it actually
sustains forever.
One thing that is important though is to keep the Strat bridge only floating a little bit. That gives a better sound and better tuning stability.
The details of your videos are appreciated...Extremely appreciated.
I have a lot of Stewmac tools, they are awesome, the problem is their shipping, you can order 3 things, and their shipping goes by cost of items, not weight of items, That makes me crazy!
Stewmac is great but most of the tools are really just cheap off the shelf Chinese made tools that can be bought for 25% of the price elsewhere.
I put a Musikraft rosewood neck, EMG 81 and T, locking tuners and Stesbar vibrato into my Mexican Tele. Wife bought it for me at a pawn shop so total spend is easily in the USA strat territory, but the story was so fun I don't regret it. Also, nothing plays like a rosewood neck!
I cracked up when he was like "we're gonna make this better.."
Upgrading Squier to USA level guitars is fun changing all the things you mentioned. I have 5 Standard squier strats that I've upgraded for under $125 just need to shop for Fender quality parts from off brands. I like upgrading standards because the are full 1 3/4 thick making it better for full term blocks. I use Bullet neck sand then all down an custom stain them. Your video is right on, good job.
I wish you would do a "Before and After" on the sound part of the job
I watched this video and thought, "Do I really want to risk ruining my $400 Squier Jaguar"? Well, thank you Phil !! I didn't need a file, but the polishing pad/cloth removed all the minor roughness that had been bothering me the 3 years I have been playing this guitar. The side of the neck is now smooth with no fret sprout. You can get the polishing kit on amazon for $18. Thank you!
You can get a very similar square pin file with a rounded smooth side for this kind of fret work in a $3.99 set from Harbor Freight. That's why StewMac gets a bad rep. They sell a ton of Chinese stuff at a ridiculous markup. They have things you cannot really find elsewhere but 75% of the time you can find something identical or similar for 25% of the price or less.
This. I have the exact same fret end dressing file that I got off of ebay for AU$7, vs the AU$18 (Plus shipping!) that Stew Mac charges.
I know I can get a decent file elsewhere but not sure what its called to even search for it online. Any chance you can post a link or name of something to look up ?
Everything used is brand named, Genuine Fender pots, why? Just get good CTS ones and pay less, Fender switch, why? CRL and pay less. Duncan's, why? Warman, GFS, Irongear, Armstrong, and lots more cost less. Ratio heads, nice but why? Gotohs will be just as good and cost less. The amount you save could easily replace the junk pot metal teen with a Wilkinson wvp6 or similar.
Or are we just advertising certain brands rather than sensible upgrades
I haven't heard StewMac having a bad rep, but I agree about finding the same tools for a lot cheaper. Got all of my tools from amazon for the price of one tool that stewmac sells for. They are ridiculously high-priced.
There have been a few times I've decided to use StewMac, but going through the checkout process I get to shipping. At this point, my mindset is "well it's expensive, but I really need it". Then they want $15 to ship a small part and I'm like - Cya.
Pearly Gates are incredible.. what a great choice.. man.. I might have to get a hold of the custom shop and get one of these for my 95' Fender Strat..
Nut installation missing, or am i just missing it? Ordered a black graphtech nut for my G&L and was looking forward to seeing your switcheroo. Hoping i can get it done w/o needing to get files.
The Graphtechs usually have their molds done really well, all I needed to install mine was one swipe with some sandpaper (one corner was a little rough) a little square of paper to make the nut high enough, and a drop of wood glue put onto a toothpick and smeared around and it was all set!
Tried a few different graphtechs that would work for my guitar and they all were just slightly undersized for the slot. I would have had to have gotten a blank and I realized it's going to be much easier to have a skilled tech put a real bone nut in, which is what I did.
Such enthusiasm and being encouraging is admirable. 👍
Did I miss the nut replacement? It was mentioned, but I've watched through a couple times and didn't see it.
Thanks Phil! I love your UA-cam videos and I watch them all the time. I have a Squier Stratocaster hardtail and I have set it up myself.. Just like I did my 65 Mustang.
This series is awesome.
I got my first squire for my birthday one year, after you get one they just start showing up on your door step for free. I really like the squire with the 70s head stock.
I zipped thru this, catching most, but missed the nut replacement, which I was keen on seeing. Is it there, or omitted? Great show!
I was checking out comments to see if anybody realized that nut replacement part is not there? and thank you did. I hope that Philip edit this video and add nut replacement on this as well.
@@sam7021
Check out one of his other videos which shows the nut replacement. (Fast forward to 3:30) ua-cam.com/video/yfmrmlnG_p8/v-deo.html
I did the same with a Squier Stratocaster Limited-Edition, but i got the prewired 57 pickguard, and fender locking tuners. Also, re-shielded with copper tape. Also,i spend $400 grands.
Only "real Fender" I've ever owned was a used MIM strat. The only good thing I can say was the headstock sticker helped me flip it for what I paid. I snatched up an affinity tele for $100 and I love that guitar. Perhaps someone gave it some tlc before me but it's a players guitar as is. I'm honestly looking to throw a bigsby b5 on it, ("lipstick on a pig") but I'm afraid it will offset the way it sounds and plays as is.
John Osborne Get a Tele and stick the Bigsby on that!
Uber cool!
I just use paint finishing sanding sponges for the entire fretboard. Too fine to scratch linings, but removes dirt from the board really well, and polishes the frets very nicely, and very fast too. The fact that it's a sponge also gives me the option to just push down and thereby polish the frets evenly in a nice and round fashion.
Yeah I damaged my fretboard trying to use the stewmac tool, but a sanding sponge did the job. Cheers.
If it would be my "new" guitar, I would be freaking out seeing him just sanding my whole fretboard.
Your experience really shows with your pickup selection - tone is fantastic here... so many voices.
Bridge pickup is Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Pearly Gates
Neck pickup is Seymour Duncan SSL-1 rwrp
What is the neck pickup? He said it's a stack but what model?
Donald Robidoux SD Classic Stack Plus. It's at the end of the video
Great video Phil ! The funny part for me is that my brother gave me a Squier ( late eighties early nineties ). It's a solid guitar but I wanted something better. I upgraded the Pickups to Duncans. I have a STK 7 in the bridge and Stk 4's for the mid and neck. After assembly it had no sound as the selector switch ( plastic ) warped. Installed a genuine fender and this guitar plays awesome. The fretwork was great to begin with so no need to dress it up but it's a Maple neck so maybe that or the fact it's a Japan model made the difference. Rock on my brother and keep up the good work !
When Phillip is unscrewing the tuners rapidly, his hand looks like a skittering crustacean LOL
My son and I took a bunch of parts I had laying around along with an Affinity strat and made a parts guitar. Its one of the best sounding guitars we have, and we mostly have American fenders and several Gibson standards along with other high end guitars. He ended up getting a Warmoth neck with stainless frets and its his favorite guitar. The best part is if he is gigging and someone knocks it over or it gets damaged, its not a 3K guitar. Either way we had fun building it and he is having fun playing it. We also kept the original bridge, but had some used fender American tuners to put on. He is thinking about doing staggered tuning keys to avoid the string trees.
1. Buy Squier
2. Replace everything to Fender parts.
3. Remake all you can't replace .
4. ...
5. PROFIT.
or buy a Strat and swap out humbuckers to your liking.
I have a Squier Contemporary Active and Im modding it right now. Ive got Zakk Wylds Pickups, two 500 pots, new 3 way switch, noiseless springs, a custom Warmoth neck on the way, new tuning keys, and I am just about done shielding the guitar. Im so excited to see how this thing is going to play and sound.
28:28 that strat signature “spank” is so satisfying
I have a mini pearly gates in the neck of a pawn shop 51 fender and its magnificent. It cost 150 but it is awesome. Great choice.
I bought my nephew a black Squire Affinity for Christmas a few years back. I was actually impressed with it. It needed a fret and fret end polishing and a setup, and it was good to go. Even sounded pretty good with the stock pickups. He wanted a black pick guard and humbuckers, so I put some spare Epi humbuckers in a black Guitarfetish HH Strat guard. I just did a tuneup on it a short time ago, it still sounds and plays pretty darned good.
I have to say that I watch a lot of You Tube videos and you sir have some QUALITY content. Well done...and thank you.