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Post subject: Help! Need Squier Info.
Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:34 pm
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Hey guys,

I recently bought a 2000 Squier Affinity Strat and I've been looking for a few parts for some cosmetic upgrades, namely a black pickguard and trem cover. I have done numerous internet searches and can find nothing that specifically say they will fit the Squier.
I bought a trem cover from ebay that was for a actual Fender Stratocaster thinking that they should be the same, but unfortunatly the screw holes didn't line up. I knew a Stratocaster pickguard wouldn't work because the Squier has an 8-hole instead of an 11-hole. I even found an 8-hole pickguard on the Warmoth website, but they tell me that their products are "not compatible with Squire specifications". Yes they spelled Squier wrong.
So I'm at a dead end. I would really appreciate it if someone could tell where to buy these parts. I know they are out there, I see pics of modified Squiers every day, I just don't understand why I can't find them.

Thanks,
Bill

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Last edited by FBRN on Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:45 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:06 pm
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Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:03 pm
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Thanks idahored,

Unfortunatly I've been to that site before, but none of their products say they are specifically for a Squier. I have my doubts that the Stratocaster pickguard will work on the Squier since the Trem cover didn't. Thanks for the info though.


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Post subject: Re: Help! Need Squier Info.
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 3:13 am
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FBRN wrote:
Hey guys,

I recently bought a 2000 Squier Affinity Strat and I've been looking for a few parts for some cosmetic upgrades, namely a black pickguard and trem cover. I have done numerous internet searches and can find nothing that specifically say they will fit the Squier.
I bought a trem cover from ebay that was for a actual Fender Stratocaster thinking that they should be the same, but unfortunatly the screw holes didn't line up. I knew a Stratocaster pickguard wouldn't work because the Squier has an 8-hole instead of an 11-hole. I even found an 8-hole pickguard on the Warmoth website, but they tell me that their products are "not compatible with Squire specifications". Yes they spelled Squier wrong.
So I'm at a dead end. I would really appreciate it if someone could tell where to buy these parts. I know they are out there, I see pics of modified Squiers every day, I just don't understand why I can't find them.

Thanks,
Bill
Image


I just put a fender back trem plate on one of my Squiers. It was slightly bigger, but it still works. You just have to drill new holes. You don't even need a drill to do it since the screws are so small.

I put one screw in one of the top holes first. Then I eyeballed where the hole of the plate lines up with the old hole of the guitar on that same side (only the bottom side of the trem. You won't see a hole in the guitar body obviously, but you just have to do your best to line it up straight.

Then I took a 1/16" drill bit like this:
Image

Of course the bit in this picture is a bigger size than a 1/16, but the main thing is to get one with the hex bottom (home depot). Put the bit in the hole of the plate and start twisting it with your fingers. It only needs to go about 1/4" into the wood. So it doesn't take much to just twist it by hand.

Once you have those two screws in, you're good to go with the others. The Fender trem hole on the plate (for fishing your strings through the block) still lined up just fine.

If this is confusing, I can take some pics for you to show you what I did.

As far as the pickguard, I use standard Fender pickguards on mine (doesn't matter if it has 11-holes, in my opinion, you're better off with 11). The holes never really line up. Not even when you buy them for Fender guitars. But you can usually find one or 2 that do line up. Put those screws in, follow the same drill bit procedure for the others. If you have the holes close but they don't QUITE line up, you may need to glue some toothpicks in the old holes and carefully re-drill next to the old hole being careful to go straight. Don't let it get too cockeyed. Sometimes the bit still wants to slip back in the old hole.

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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 10:37 am
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Shredd6,

My problem with the trem cover was that it was too small by about 1/4 inch. This caused the holes for inserting the screws to be off too and you could see into the trem cavity through on of the screw holes.

I don't mind drilling new holes as long as the old ones will be covered. I was just afraid that since the trem cover for a Stratocaster was smaller then the pickguard would be the same case and cause holes to show or not line up right around the trem or neck.


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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:49 pm
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Ooops.. My bad. You're right, it was smaller. :oops:

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I only use the four corner screws. But it did happen to work on mine. It's from one of those packages from GC that comes with a plate, knobs and trem-bar end. I must have just gotten lucky with this one.

Image

Pick-guard covers are slightly different when it comes to different models from what I understand too. But this is just a standard Fender. You see them all over ebay. I think I paid $8 for it. But it worked fine too.

Image

Only 2 of the original holes lined up. I had to drill the rest.

Unfortunately, it's all a gamble. Originally, I wasn't planning on putting the trem plate on. This guitar didn't have one when I bought it. But I didn't want a perfectly good plate to go to waste, so I just did it. I'm not sure I've ever run across a Squier black plate trem cover for sale. They always come up white in my searches. You still have to be careful buying Squier trem plates too. My CV came with a black trem cover, but it's even smaller than the Fender cover. My other Squier is smaller as well. If you really want one to be close, you're just gonna have to measure it and see if you can find one that's close to the same. It doesn't necessarily have to be a Fender brand.

You SHOULD be good to buy a Fender standard pickguard though. There are a lot of people who do that modification. But once again, a gamble. No guarantees for your particular guitar.

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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 6:10 pm
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There are a couple of custom pickguard makers that will make you one from a tracing of the original, that way all the holes line up. I'm sure you could get a matching trem cover too. I don't have a link but I'm sure a google search will find you one. Good luck


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Post subject: Re: Help! Need Squier Info.
Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:27 am
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FBRN wrote:
Hey guys,

I recently bought a 2000 Squier Affinity Strat and I've been looking for a few parts for some cosmetic upgrades, namely a black pickguard and trem cover. I have done numerous internet searches and can find nothing that specifically say they will fit the Squier.
I bought a trem cover from ebay that was for a actual Fender Stratocaster thinking that they should be the same, but unfortunately the screw holes didn't line up. I knew a Stratocaster pickguard wouldn't work because the Squier has an 8-hole instead of an 11-hole. I even found an 8-hole pickguard on the Warmoth website, but they tell me that their products are "not compatible with Squire specifications". Yes they spelled Squier wrong.
So I'm at a dead end. I would really appreciate it if someone could tell where to buy these parts. I know they are out there, I see pics of modified Squiers every day, I just don't understand why I can't find them.

Thanks,
Bill
Image


I just wanted to drop a quick $.02 worth in here...

Ok...I can't speak to the Affinitys specifically but I -know- that a REAL Fender pickguard will fit on a Squier Standard as I have the 11 hole pickguard from my '96 MIM on my '08 Standard Special. I wanted to mention this because there were a couple of things about your post that caught my attention. First you said "I bought a trem cover from ebay that was for a actual Fender Stratocaster thinking that they should be the same, but unfortunately the screw holes didn't line up."...was this a genuine Fender brand pickguard or was it an after market for a Strat?? It's been my experience that many after market brands such as WD, Allparts, etc., simply don't line up correctly even though they're supposed to be exact replacements...it seems people always end up re-drilling these! So first and foremost there, stick with genuine Fender pickguards...which leads me to the second thing...

You said "I knew a Stratocaster pickguard wouldn't work because the Squier has an 8-hole instead of an 11-hole.". Dude...Fender DOES make 8 hole pickguards...and not just for Squier!!! Being 8 hole vs. 11 hole is no indication of whether the pickguard is genuine Fender or not!

My suggestion to you is to go to your local Fender authorized music store (such as Guitar Center or Sam Ash) and find a genuine Fender 8 hole pickguard and try that first BEFORE you mess around with trying to order a custom cut guard. Again I can't speak directly about Affinities and I could certainly be wrong but you may be surprised to find that the genuine Fender 8 hole does in fact fit your guitar.

Good Luck,
Jim


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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 12:13 am
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Jim,

I appreciate the $.02 worth, it actually gave me some hope that I can find what I'm wanting for my guitar.

To answer your first question, the tremolo cover was not a genuine Fender part, but the guy selling it on Ebay has 100% positive feedback and he assured me that it fit perfectly on the 16 genuine Stratocasters that he has at home.

As for your second question... yes I did know that vintage Strats have 8-hole pickguards, but since I had contacted the Warmoth website (who seems to make good quality stuff btw) about their vintage 8-hole replacement pickguard and they told me that they are "not compatible with Squire specifications" (I took this to mean they didn't fit) I assumed that this also applied to all that would fit "Real" Strats.

I'm gonna take your advice though and go to the nearest Guitar Center (about 75 miles away) the first chance I get.

Many thanks,
Bill


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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:44 am
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FBRN wrote:

I'm gonna take your advice though and go to the nearest Guitar Center (about 75 miles away) the first chance I get.

Many thanks,
Bill


One quick suggestion if I may...should be common sense but since your nearest Fender authorized dealer is so far away, make sure you call them before you head out there and make sure they have one in stock. I can't speak to other Guitar Centers outside of Ohio but I know that over the past couple of years the two in my (relative) area have really been rather "thin" in the parts department. I don't really know if it's just that someone isn't ordering parts when they run out or if it's the economy or what but both GC's in the Cleveland area just really haven't had crap in the parts department lately. If they don't already have an 8 hole in stock for you, explain your situation and ask if they can order one in for you so you check this issue out...this way you don't waste the drive.

Also...and again this should be common sense but...don't assume the sales person (be it GC or elsewhere) actually knows what they are talking about. Recently I was looking for a white 3 ply for another of my Strat projects. I went up to my local GC which was out of the real Fender guards in white so the sales guy handed me an Allparts pickguard. He "assured me" it would fit perfect. Well being the person that I am, I grabbed a different color Fender guard off the wall and laid it over the top of the Allparts...sure enough the holes did -NOT- line up...the two guards weren't even cut the same. The sales guy just stood there scratching his head and said "hrumphh...well whada ya know...sorry". My closest GC is still about a 20 mile drive so if I had of bought it without checking, I would have been seriously p@ssed!

I was also recently at a local "ma & pa" joint in my area where the kid at the sales counter said he had a mid 80's E series Strat for sale. He said it was pretty beat but he only wanted $150 for it so I asked him if he could bring it in a couple of days later so I could take a look at it. When I went back in he had the guitar there...it wasn't even a good "fake". Badly done logo, no stamps on the neck, real cheezy trem and even his boss said the body wasn't even close to being a real Fender. In other words, this kid worked at a Fender authorized dealer and didn't even realize the Strat he owned was a complete fake!

By nature I'm a very skeptical person...I trust what I can see, hear, touch, taste and smell. As such, be it guitars or big screen TV's I -NEVER- trust that a sales person actually knows what they are talking about...more often times than not, they don't.

Anyways, good luck to you and I hope you find what you're looking for!

Peace,
Jim


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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:06 pm
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Jim,

Thanks for the advice, but not to worry I have other reasons to go to Guitar Center other than just the parts I'm looking for so even if they don't have them it won't be a wasted trip.

Hopefully the GC near me (Knoxville Tn.) will be better stocked than the ones in the Cleveland area (although Cleveland being a much larger city than Knoxville they should have a better supply).

Also I am a very skeptical person and generally don't take a person's word for something with first having proof so I understand where you're coming from on the sales clerk thing.

I really want everyone to know that I appreciate the help and advice that you all have been giving me and will keep you up to date on the project and post pics (now that I know how).

Thanks a bunch,
Bill

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