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Post subject: Cheap guitars rule!
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 10:52 am
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Many people have probably seen my posts in the strat forum and in the Squier forum talking about my appreciation for modifying cheaper guitars into something you really want. So since these are reoccurring themes in these forums, here are my 2 cents.

My MIM is strat is one example. Texas Special p/u's, locking tuners, vintage accessories and pickgaurd.

My newest is my Squier Vintage Modified Tele Custom that is now outfitted with Seymour Duncan p/u's and black Sprezel locking tuners. It's badass.

Why pay more for something, when you can customize to your own liking. For little initial investment you can build the guitar of your dreams as you go.

I would not trade these for much more expensive guitars, because they are tailored to my own liking.

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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 2:49 pm
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I totally agree. Squiers are offering a lot of bang for the buck and with a little massaging you have a very professional sounding instrument that you won't have to kill yourself if it gets stolen or damaged.


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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:39 am
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I completely agree. I just modded out my '88 MIJ E series Squier Tele ( a classic!).
Duncan Alnico Pro II's, Wilkinson Compensated Bridge, new pickguard.
I'd put the tone of this guitar against any $1000 Tele.
Just glad I kept it all these years!
Here is a pic:
Image
As you can see, 20 years of not being in a case has relic'd it pretty well.
I wish there was a forum for Guitar Fetish parts that people could share info (specs, results, etc) on how they've modded their cheap guitars. It seems like you just have to scan the various forums to get information (Epiphone, Fender, etc).
Hey, for the Squier strats you've modded, are these universal pickup routes?
I want to make a custom strat with an HSH configuration.
Let me know if ya have some info on this!!


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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:37 pm
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There are some Strats that have the whole pickup cavity routed out for any combo. You can see them on www.Stewmac.com.

I'm sure you can route it out with a Dremal type tool and some patience.

gtr player: I'm not a Tele fan yet but that is one awesome looking guitar and I'm sure it sounds as good as it looks.

Regards,


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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 4:01 pm
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I like cheap guitars too. I try them out and if the price/sound is right I get it.


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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:53 am
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I never liked cheap guitars until I played a Squier Tele. For $ 170 you can`t go wrong.


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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:03 am
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I don't know why when you talk to an advanced guitar player and tell him that you wanna buy a cheap guitar, looks at you with that look :roll: We are not all professional musicians and more so we don't have that amount of money to spend on a guitar!

GO SQUIER!!!

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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:29 am
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Wild_Rose wrote:
We are not all professional musicians and more so we don't have that amount of money to spend on a guitar!

GO SQUIER!!!

Agreed. When I started out playing I was lucky enough that Fender Japan was making this Tele. Very high quality instrument, and it was around $275 back in 1988. Today, from what I've read, you can get a good Squier for still around the same price, and it does the job nicely. If you are tech-minded, you can swap out the pickups and have yourself a real nice guitar. Back in the day, there was no internet or easy access to inexpensive after-market hardware vendors like Guitar Fetish. Back then, asking the guys at large retail outlets about upgrades to guitars....yeesh :? .
They'd direct you to $100 pickups and then tell ya it was another $100 or so to have it installed (if they even carried after-market pickups). Now, with all the info on the net, you can DIY a kool Squier and get a good guitar. Plus, there's Ebay and Craigslist. So sure, you can get into a nice guitar with some after market mods for around $300. If you're not gigging, and don't have a lot of $$$, this is the way to go. There's just something kool about getting yourself a good modding platform, with a good body and neck, and then making it yours. Cheers to Squier for keeping the market open with decent instruments. Now, all I need them to make is a HSS Strat, in black, with a maple fretboard and keep it around $200!


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Post subject: squire
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:33 pm
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a friend of mine is thinning down his colection of guitars and basses.he made me an offer for a squire strat and hardshell case for 200.00.im on it like stink on s***.the big thing is it's already been modified.


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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:50 pm
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I became a convert the moment I played a Squier Afifinity Tele ($169.99) a few years back. I've been playing off-an-on for almost 30 years (not particularly well mind you ;)) and I trust my ears and my hands and both told me that the Squier was a winner.

Just this weekend I brought my 14-year-old daughter into a GC so she could try out some drum sets (and so I could see what guitar-gear was on sale for Labor Day.)

I saw that they were selling Fender American Standard Strats and Teles on sale for around $850. They also had a BEAUTIFUL '52 Butterscotch Tele for a little over $1300. Within spitting distance was also a MIM and a Squier Affinity Butterscotch (which is what I have at home).

So I asked the salesman to set me up with the closest Fender amp and I played back and forth on each of the guitars.

Soundwise the Squier really held it's own and while I would say I 'slightly' preferred the '52 the fact is that it was reeeeaaalllly hard to tell any of them apart at all. And this was a stock-Squier.

My daughter's pick for best sound was actually the MIM. I thought the American Standard was really good too but even at $850 I don't know that it was enough of an improvement on my Squier (and I'm not even sure it WAS an improvement at all) to justify buying it.

The one thing that I did really like was the neck-finish on the American Standard and the '52. I don't know what it is called specifically, lacquer or poly or laminate, but it's a really thick coat and I prefer that to the very 'natural', almost unfinished feel of the neck on the Squier. (I just saw the thread about the Vintage Vibe guitars and now I'm psyched to try one of those out :D)

I WAS tempted with the American Standards but even though $850 for an American is pretty good you start thinking, "well if I put that money towards the '52 Butterscotch (it was just soooo beautiful)..." and next thing you know you've spent $1400 and haven't improved your tone :o .

I decided that my Squier is all that I need for now. That and a little more practice time.


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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:47 pm
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I love Squiers...however, my 2 SX Teles are giving my Squiers a run for the money in the cheap guitar department, and you can almost buy 2 SX's for the price of one Squier...

Here's my SX Teles (after a few mods):
This one is sort of a cheap version of a HOt Rod '52 Tele. Neck pickup is a GFS mini humbucker:
Image
This one has a P90 in the neck position. Thats not the stock pickguard or neck PU cover, and its actually a chrome finish cover, but looks black in the pics:
Image

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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:59 am
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Hey there, sweet work on your SX teles.
Are those necks glossy with finish? Can't quite tell from the photos.


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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:54 pm
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gtr player wrote:
Hey there, sweet work on your SX teles.
Are those necks glossy with finish? Can't quite tell from the photos.


Yeah, the necks are gloss finished or something. I thought I wouldn't like them cause I was used to naked necks at the time, but I have gotten used to these and like them as much as my non-gloss necks.

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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:31 am
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Nothin beats a cheap guitar and dropping more than what you paid for it to still come out in the black. And your end result is as good If not better than what you would get in a more pricey model.
I do it all the time. :P


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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:07 am
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Very nice guitars. How fat are the neck on those?


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