"This Old House" but for guitars. Absolutely love the creativity and ingenuity on display here. Love the finished product - that's one great looking JM!
I know what I won't be trying to do now. :-) I was going to pull mine out if I could before I refinished the headstock. They do sell soldering irons with all kinds of attachments including ones like a hobby knife. They are in the hobby section of big box stores and usually part of something like a wood burning kit. I've used those when I had to cut nylon and wanted to make it clean and sealed as I went. Thanks for sharing your experiences--it really does help to know the scale of effort for something like this.
@@jimmcclanahan glad it helped somewhat. 🙂 Yeah, if I would have thought about burning the wood I would have been more careful on the front end. It was a good learning experience. Someone mentioned putting a maple veneer on it, which might be interesting. 🤔
I’ve always admired your can-do attitude when it comes to modding your guitars. Great job! And thanks for taking us through the entire process. As mentioned in the other comments the squier classic vibe series has the walnut plug instead of plastic so I might have just bought one on the second hand market, swapped out the necks and sold off the one I didn’t want. But there is definitely value in doing it yourself. Looking forward to that 335 conversion!
you had a notion and went at it fair play to you for getting where you did in the end, if you dont try youll never know and at least its not a custom shop 5k guitar. Its better than the feeling of when we knock a chip of poly of our guitars
I think your theory was sound however a bit more care in removing the plastic plug would result in a much better final result. Also you can by genuine replacement walnut plugs from Fender which might have been better. Well done for trying though ! 👍🏻👍🏻🏴
bonkers! - yeah your setup pretty much says it all. But if anything it remains a cautionary tale, spurring me to just pickup my decidedly imperfect but much loved squire JM and just play it. (and no, i had never noticed the plug…I had to go and look to see if this was a thing).
I agree with you man, asthetically the truss rod hole on a headstock looks crap, i don't like them either. That was some effort you put in there! Wow! lol...i was thinking sbout doing that on an old japanese squire neck i have, but I think I'll pass after watching your vid and the nightmare you had trying to sort it lol ...A++++ for effort and determination though 👍 😎 pity these heel spoke wheek adjusters weren't around back in years gone by like they are starting to come through now. that way everyone is potentialky happy 👍 people can adjust the neck st the heel without having to take the neck off and the headstock avoids an ugly looking hole. Fender need to get with the program and start using these spoke wheel adjusters themselves. My two main strats sre partcasters. The rosewood necks are from elsewhere, not fender, because at the time of writing this post, they don't do any necks with spoke wheel at the heel.For me personally they are coolio, i get the classic 60's strat look i like the best on the headstock but i can easily sort out a truss rod adjust if i need too 👍
I think it came out really well. I share the same dislike for the truss rod adjustment being at the headstock., to me it looks cheap and distracts from the overall look of the headstock. What I’d like to try is replacing the truss rod nut on a Squire neck with a Bullet truss rod nut. I’m not sure of the thread size of the Squires truss rod so I don’t know if the Bullet adjuster will fit. Good job man!
If you ever try attempting that again on another guitar, I might suggest this: Use a smaller wood dowel and super glue it to the plastic first. Maybe it would be able to be removed easier after you scored it? Just a thought.
Ugh. That’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?! And it would have saved so much time. 😫 I’ve never messed with headstock veneers before but currently I’m working on a 335 project where I’m probably going to use one. 👍🏻
I hate the plastic plug on the MIM Fenders. The Squier Classic vibe doesn’t have one. It looks more like the American Fender. Monday Fender doesn’t do away with it. That was a LOT of work man. Good job though
I don’t have any problem with the black plastic inserts. If you wanted a walnut insert you could have just gotten a Classic Vibe, those all have wood inserts. What’s really indicative of cheap import guitars & fakes is when they have no insert at all around the headstock truss rod adjustment. I’ll take the black plastic insert any day over having a bare ugly hole on the headstock.
Difference of opinion…which is great. That’s what makes us all unique! I would beg to differ though that only cheap guitars have no plug. My custom Musikraft neck (see @21:06) has no plug.
@@NathanSinkI get what you’re saying , that may be true for aftermarket necks but in the Fender world no insert around truss rod adjustment when it’s on the headstock usually equals cheap guitar. After working at dealers for over 20 years we learned to immediately look for the insert, whether it’s black plastic or walnut. It’s one of the key ways to identify where the guitar comes from (Mexico, USA, & higher tier Squiers). Pretty much the only Fender guitars that come bare with no insert at all are the lowest tier Squiers from China. Not that you’re ever going to sell yours but trying to hide the insert would just draw my attention there even more & would definitely effect my decision on whether I would buy it or not.
@@ericb7799 I’m with you. My thing I guess is that I want the best of both worlds: the look of vintage (no adjustment at headstock) but the convenience of an adjustment at the headstock. 😂 I’m not planning on selling these guitars, but I understand the impact to resell value. 👍🏻
Hiya Nathan 😂 After watching your video and you're modification project, I have wondered to myself what you're objective was in your decision to perform this fete. It seems like your time could have been more productive and worthwhile if you had boiled some eggs. At least you would have the pleasure and enjoyment of eating them. PS Good 👍 luck with you're future mods/ projects I always thought that the Fender skunk stripe/ Plug thing needed to be assigned to the 🗑️ Trash. Can. Best regards. John.
Yeah, better to just leave it alone. There's nothing wrong with the black plastic one. If it really bothers you try sanding it with some 1000 or 15000 grit paper to change the sheen of it a little. Dulling the inside area of the plug does help because you lose that plastic shine.
@@NathanSink lol, definitely. Ive done it and it works. It also works great on cheap trem bar tips and switch tips. Sanding them with high grit removes the mold marks and makes a satiny feel to the touch rather than the shiny plastic look and feel. Its small but it makes a huge difference.
what a mess. Sorry to say, but that looks horrible. Look, i agree that the black plastic truss-rod block is not as nice as one in wood. However, they're typical for any neck, Strat or Squire, made in Mexico. A much easier alternative would be to lightly sand, paint, and then seal (with lacquer) the end plug. I've done this several times for clients, and it's very convincing. When done correctly you can actually simulate wood grain
Even my USA California Strat from the 90s has a plastic plug. I don't think it looks bad. Even my cheaper ones i just sand the inside of the plug with some thousand grit paper to lose the shine a little.
@@stevenpipes1555 you're right, it doesn't look bad at all. I guess wood is nicer, but it's just a tiny plug. I think some people just become a bit obsessed with little cosmetic/superficial things that have zero impact on what a guitar is or does
@@NathanSinkyeah all the jazzmasters do now. But they have a weird orangey yellow tint. This came out fine imo, very cool and fun video. I like the idea of
Hi I think you could have made a Walnut instead of Maple plug, like the pre 2015 Fender Strats (Mex and USA), Fender also moved from Walnut to plastic in Maxican Standard Strats until discontinued std series. Just my two cents, but if you like maple plug nothing rong with that.
I enjoyed the video. In the way one enjoys watching a horror movie. Your poor guitar. Well at least I know what not to do to my Mexican and overseas stats and teles. So thanks for that.
@@NathanSink Thanks again for the video. It took me a while to not be bothered by the plastic sleeve. I had to get over my guitar snobbiness. Now I covet guitars from different countries.
"This Old House" but for guitars. Absolutely love the creativity and ingenuity on display here. Love the finished product - that's one great looking JM!
@@jessethetodd thanks for the kind words! I’m definitely a hack….but there’s something about working with your hands & making it your own. 🤗
I know what I won't be trying to do now. :-) I was going to pull mine out if I could before I refinished the headstock. They do sell soldering irons with all kinds of attachments including ones like a hobby knife. They are in the hobby section of big box stores and usually part of something like a wood burning kit. I've used those when I had to cut nylon and wanted to make it clean and sealed as I went. Thanks for sharing your experiences--it really does help to know the scale of effort for something like this.
@@jimmcclanahan glad it helped somewhat. 🙂 Yeah, if I would have thought about burning the wood I would have been more careful on the front end. It was a good learning experience. Someone mentioned putting a maple veneer on it, which might be interesting. 🤔
I’ve always admired your can-do attitude when it comes to modding your guitars. Great job! And thanks for taking us through the entire process. As mentioned in the other comments the squier classic vibe series has the walnut plug instead of plastic so I might have just bought one on the second hand market, swapped out the necks and sold off the one I didn’t want. But there is definitely value in doing it yourself.
Looking forward to that 335 conversion!
Thanks! I agree: I do seem to make things difficult. 😂 My hope is that it’s helpful in some way. 🙂
@@NathanSink definitely helpful, man.
you had a notion and went at it fair play to you for getting where you did in the end, if you dont try youll never know and at least its not a custom shop 5k guitar. Its better than the feeling of when we knock a chip of poly of our guitars
@@andrewmoran357 thanks for the kind words.
I think your theory was sound however a bit more care in removing the plastic plug would result in a much better final result. Also you can by genuine replacement walnut plugs from Fender which might have been better. Well done for trying though ! 👍🏻👍🏻🏴
Agreed on the removal piece. I don’t think Fender sells anything but a walnut plug, & I wanted something less conspicuous.
bonkers! - yeah your setup pretty much says it all. But if anything it remains a cautionary tale, spurring me to just pickup my decidedly imperfect but much loved squire JM and just play it. (and no, i had never noticed the plug…I had to go and look to see if this was a thing).
Haha. Sorry to point it out. But you’re right: the most important thing to just play it!
A drill bit of appropriate size on a hand drill might have been a better idea
@@axilleas maybe, but it also could have gone horribly wrong very easily. 😬
@ oh, definitely!
That actually looks pretty good!
Thanks!
I agree with you man, asthetically the truss rod hole on a headstock looks crap, i don't like them either. That was some effort you put in there! Wow! lol...i was thinking sbout doing that on an old japanese squire neck i have, but I think I'll pass after watching your vid and the nightmare you had trying to sort it lol ...A++++ for effort and determination though 👍 😎 pity these heel spoke wheek adjusters weren't around back in years gone by like they are starting to come through now. that way everyone is potentialky happy 👍 people can adjust the neck st the heel without having to take the neck off and the headstock avoids an ugly looking hole. Fender need to get with the program and start using these spoke wheel adjusters themselves. My two main strats sre partcasters. The rosewood necks are from elsewhere, not fender, because at the time of writing this post, they don't do any necks with spoke wheel at the heel.For me personally they are coolio, i get the classic 60's strat look i like the best on the headstock but i can easily sort out a truss rod adjust if i need too 👍
I think it came out really well. I share the same dislike for the truss rod adjustment being at the headstock., to me it looks cheap and distracts from the overall look of the headstock. What I’d like to try is replacing the truss rod nut on a Squire neck with a Bullet truss rod nut. I’m not sure of the thread size of the Squires truss rod so I don’t know if the Bullet adjuster will fit. Good job man!
@@tomdbass1 thank you for the kind words!
If you ever try attempting that again on another guitar, I might suggest this: Use a smaller wood dowel and super glue it to the plastic first. Maybe it would be able to be removed easier after you scored it? Just a thought.
That’s a good suggestion! Didn’t think of that. It’d be worth a shot.
Dude, just use a maple veneer all over the headstock and a new decal.
Ugh. That’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?! And it would have saved so much time. 😫 I’ve never messed with headstock veneers before but currently I’m working on a 335 project where I’m probably going to use one. 👍🏻
@@NathanSink I'm pretty sure you're gonna make it great!
Greetings from Mexico City!
I hate the plastic plug on the MIM Fenders. The Squier Classic vibe doesn’t have one. It looks more like the American Fender. Monday Fender doesn’t do away with it. That was a LOT of work man. Good job though
@@mikepj1025 thanks for the kind words. Nice to know I’m not alone. 🙂
I don’t have any problem with the black plastic inserts. If you wanted a walnut insert you could have just gotten a Classic Vibe, those all have wood inserts. What’s really indicative of cheap import guitars & fakes is when they have no insert at all around the headstock truss rod adjustment. I’ll take the black plastic insert any day over having a bare ugly hole on the headstock.
Difference of opinion…which is great. That’s what makes us all unique! I would beg to differ though that only cheap guitars have no plug. My custom Musikraft neck (see @21:06) has no plug.
@@NathanSinkI get what you’re saying , that may be true for aftermarket necks but in the Fender world no insert around truss rod adjustment when it’s on the headstock usually equals cheap guitar. After working at dealers for over 20 years we learned to immediately look for the insert, whether it’s black plastic or walnut. It’s one of the key ways to identify where the guitar comes from (Mexico, USA, & higher tier Squiers). Pretty much the only Fender guitars that come bare with no insert at all are the lowest tier Squiers from China. Not that you’re ever going to sell yours but trying to hide the insert would just draw my attention there even more & would definitely effect my decision on whether I would buy it or not.
@@ericb7799 I’m with you. My thing I guess is that I want the best of both worlds: the look of vintage (no adjustment at headstock) but the convenience of an adjustment at the headstock. 😂 I’m not planning on selling these guitars, but I understand the impact to resell value. 👍🏻
This is the exact amount of nerdism we need.
Somebody get this man an X-Acto knife!
@@mrjah603 😂
Hiya Nathan 😂 After watching your video and you're modification project, I have wondered to myself what you're objective was in your decision to perform this fete. It seems like your time could have been more productive and worthwhile if you had boiled some eggs. At least you would have the pleasure and enjoyment of eating them. PS Good 👍 luck with you're future mods/ projects I always thought that the Fender skunk stripe/ Plug thing needed to be assigned to the 🗑️ Trash. Can. Best regards. John.
Yes, I think you’re right: boiled eggs might have been more productive. 😂
Yeah, better to just leave it alone. There's nothing wrong with the black plastic one. If it really bothers you try sanding it with some 1000 or 15000 grit paper to change the sheen of it a little. Dulling the inside area of the plug does help because you lose that plastic shine.
Too late. 😂 I like that idea though, as sort of compromise.
@@NathanSink lol, definitely. Ive done it and it works. It also works great on cheap trem bar tips and switch tips. Sanding them with high grit removes the mold marks and makes a satiny feel to the touch rather than the shiny plastic look and feel. Its small but it makes a huge difference.
what a mess. Sorry to say, but that looks horrible. Look, i agree that the black plastic truss-rod block is not as nice as one in wood. However, they're typical for any neck, Strat or Squire, made in Mexico. A much easier alternative would be to lightly sand, paint, and then seal (with lacquer) the end plug. I've done this several times for clients, and it's very convincing. When done correctly you can actually simulate wood grain
Well…thanks for watching.
Even my USA California Strat from the 90s has a plastic plug. I don't think it looks bad. Even my cheaper ones i just sand the inside of the plug with some thousand grit paper to lose the shine a little.
@@stevenpipes1555 you're right, it doesn't look bad at all. I guess wood is nicer, but it's just a tiny plug. I think some people just become a bit obsessed with little cosmetic/superficial things that have zero impact on what a guitar is or does
@@rodnyg7952 Yes, but im guilty of it too. Little things bug me sometimes too. Like mold marks on plastics. I always sand them down.
@@stevenpipes1555 we all have our "thing" :)
The classic vibe Squier has walnut plugs now like usa models. Mexican standards still have the ugly plastic.
Thanks for the info. Didn’t realize which ones had it.
@@NathanSinkyeah all the jazzmasters do now. But they have a weird orangey yellow tint. This came out fine imo, very cool and fun video. I like the idea of
😂😂😂😂😂
I hope you’re laughing WITH me. 😜
Hi I think you could have made a Walnut instead of Maple plug, like the pre 2015 Fender Strats (Mex and USA), Fender also moved from Walnut to plastic in Maxican Standard Strats until discontinued std series. Just my two cents, but if you like maple plug nothing rong with that.
The walnut plugs are actually available for purchase from Fender. But they don’t make maple ones, so I had to take matters into my own hands. 🙂
I enjoyed the video. In the way one enjoys watching a horror movie. Your poor guitar. Well at least I know what not to do to my Mexican and overseas stats and teles. So thanks for that.
It came out ok in the end... just like most horror movies
@@jeffmancuso2715 that’s a very accurate description. 😂 Thanks putting a positive spin on it. 😊
@@NathanSink Thanks again for the video. It took me a while to not be bothered by the plastic sleeve. I had to get over my guitar snobbiness. Now I covet guitars from different countries.
Just put a Floyd Rose tremlo over it and people won't notice it
There you go!
56 H per rovinare un nek Compliments 😂😂😂😂, poi c’è l’adesivo dietro , toglievi quello era già meglio… una Squier resta sempre una Squier
Not sure I understood everything via translation, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t anything nice. 😜 Thanks for watching anyway.
The black plastic plug never bothered me…until I watched this…now it bothers me…thanks for that Nathan🫤
I’m sorry! You can’t unsee it now. 😂