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Post subject: Squier SE Special Worth Upgrading?
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 1:10 pm
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First time strat guy here... purchased my first electric guitar (American Standard Strat), a little over a month ago. I'm a noob but I've been reading up on electric guitars and their components and figured if I wanted to get a better understanding of the guitar in general I should get a cheaper guitar (cost-wise) to mess around with rather than messing with my MIA.

So I picked up a Squier SE Special Starter Kit from Guitar Center for $99 (Labor Day special) and started playing around with it. The parts, build quality, and sound are definitely not on par, as expected, with the MIA (neck has a splinter where it meets the body, goes out of tune frequently, cannot get intonation but maybe that's just me, pickguard and knobs feel cheap, and humming when plugged into the amp to name a few).

Anyway, so I was perusing GuitarFetish.com and came up with this list of hardware to replace to hopefully improve the sound:

AlNiCo Prewired Pickguard (pickguard, pickups, and knobs), $48
http://store.guitarfetish.com/alpiprstpiwh.html

Tuners (Gotoh Style), $28
http://store.guitarfetish.com/negostlotusp.html

Tremolo Bridge (Import Upgrade), $35
http://store.guitarfetish.com/minmeimstupt.html

Jack Output Plate, $5
http://store.guitarfetish.com/stjafouplfrj.html

Is it worth it to change those out for a little over a hundred bucks?

I also have a question on whether the string tree style (butterfly or roller) matters in terms of improving the quality of sound as I noticed the MIA has a roller tree and the Squier has 2 butterfly trees.

And what about upgrading to these saddles:
http://store.guitarfetish.com/upststsafitr.html

Thanks in advance and I will appreciate any and all input!!!


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:28 pm
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Location: Magnolia, Texas (just north of Houston)
If you really want to learn about the in's and out's of the guitar, don't get the pre-wired pickguard. Buy a pickguard, pots, and pickups and do it yourself. Use the orginal as a template. I also recommend shielding your pick up cavity too.

I am all about making a guitar your own. If I had those problems with that guitar, I would gut it/strip it down to just the body and do a major overhaul. New neck, wiring, everything... It will cost you some money to do, but a great learning experience. It may never be a good as your American Standard, but it could come close. Most of all, have fun doing it.

Worth the money...(I cannot believe I am about to say this)...A Squier will always be seen as a second rate guitar. As much as I like them, they will never be seen as an equal to the Fender series to anyone, no matter what upgrades are done. The real question is, is it worth it to you to learn? If it has intonation problems now, it will always have intonation issues unless you change the neck, nut, and bridge.


RK

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:51 pm
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thanks for your input rkreisher. i think i'll go with the individual components instead of the prewired pickguard. :)


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Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 6:44 pm
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Location: Magnolia, Texas (just north of Houston)
firsttimestratguy wrote:
thanks for your input rkreisher. i think i'll go with the individual components instead of the prewired pickguard. :)


No problem. Great learning experience.

RK

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2007 Fender Highway 1
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2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head


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