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Post subject: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2015 1:58 pm
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I've been enjoying my 97 Affinity Squier Strat since new. However over the past year, the electronics have started getting worn - scratching, cutting out, the normal old electronics woes. While tuner cleaner has worked for temporary fixes, application has started to become a daily occurrence. The setup on the guitar is spot on for D'Addario NYXL 0942's and I finally got the bridge to float properly thanks to Galeazzo Frudua on Youtube.

Therefore, time for an eletronics makeover.

Since I'm a "The Proof is in the Tasting of the pudding" kind of guy, I've ordered 3 different pre-wired kits - The J25 Alnico Tuxedo kit from GuitarFetish.com, the 920D Tex Mex set from Sigler Music, and Either the Lace Blue, Silver Red, or the Seymour Duncan Classic - still deciding on that last for a comparison ($, $$, $$$). I stayed away from the sub-$30 options on Amazon and eBay for obvious reasons.

I'll update this post as I get them in and test them.

BTW - if you have used one of those sub-$30 kits from Amazon or eBay, please post your thoughts. I used one from a nameless vendor ($25ish) a couple of years back on a DIY strat-copy and it was complete trash from an electronics standpoint. The pots were scratchy off the bat and the selector switch dropped the signal completely in the neck-only position.

Join me on my adventure.


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Post subject: Re: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2015 3:06 pm
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Looking forward to update info 8) :D

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Post subject: Re: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2015 6:15 am
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Just a quick comment: that "scratching, cutting out, the normal old electronics woes" is IMHE(xperience) typical for cheap electronics.
So a remark on those two sets you have chosen; the Sigler set has CTS pots (generally regarded as quality parts), the GFetish set doesn't tell the pot brand. Neither specifies the switch brand.

On capacitors or wires I haven't experienced big (spells almost "any") differences, but quality does seem to matter on pots and switches - and soldering :wink:


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Post subject: Re: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2015 8:40 am
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jmattis wrote:
Just a quick comment: that "scratching, cutting out, the normal old electronics woes" is IMHE(xperience) typical for cheap electronics.

I totally agree (I'm an EE...), but the electronics have been faultless until mid last year (I bought this one new in '97).

The Sigler and GuitarFetish packages are due in on Tuesday and Wednesday. And I've now added a Dimarzio setup to my high-end choice... decisions, decisions :wink: .


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Post subject: Re: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:21 pm
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It's been a long week, but the first of the new pup sets arrived today. It's the low end unit from GuitarFetish.

As mentioned above, I went with the mid-line inexpensive setup - the J25 Alnico V unit in white on black. The package arrived today (thanks to UPS and some mysterious weather delays). The packaging was simple and everything was wrapped and in good shape.

Image

The wiring was clean and well routed for easy fit in the existing cavity.

Image

They even included new screws that are a bit longer than the originals to provide a bit of bite into the fresh wood.

Just because I should, here's a shot of the before:

Image

Unfortunately, there were 2 issues with the included black pickguard and the wiring -

The pickguard is drilled for a standard Strat's holes (3 that didn't exist and 2 that didn't come close to lining up on the Affinity), and the prewired jack had to be desoldered as there was no way to get that thing through the 3mm hole drilled between the main cavity and the jack hole.

So, what's a boy to do? Simple, remove the bits and swap pickguards. The result is my red beauty looks the same after the surgery, but boy does she sound different. The Alnico V's that GF use are a LOT hotter than the default Squier pups and the tonal characteristics are more closely related to a hot rodded Texas Strat than a standard.

The result was a very inexpensive yet impressive update to an aging axe.

Pros -

- Price
- Quality
- Hot, hot, hot
- No more scratchy electronics

Cons -

- Screw holes not even close for a Squier Affinity (and I double checked with lots of photos online)
- Had to desolder and re-solder the provided jack assembly

Total time including the restring and tuning - 32 minutes.

My recommendation concerning this unit (and from what I see of the others on the way), don't scrap your existing pickguard as it's probably the only thing that will fit your guitar without a load of reconstruction. If you can buy the parts prewired but sans pickguard, save a couple of rubles and do that.

If you're looking for a quick and inexpensive update for your Squier Affinity, this GuitarFetish option is a great place to start.


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Post subject: Re: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 4:13 pm
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Tim, thank you for a very cool update. 8)

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Post subject: Re: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 10:56 am
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I've now been playing the GuitarFetish electronics for a few days and I'm very impressed. Their J25 Alnico kit is a great $50 update if you're on a budget. The electronics are very clean, the pots are smooth and not spinners like the original pots. The sound is truly Hot Texas Strat.

I'll be discussing the higher cost options in the next week, but they'll need to be really amazing to overshadow the bargain that Guitar Fetish has provided with the J25 Alnico setup.


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Post subject: Re: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 12:35 am
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Nice Work


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Post subject: Re: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 10:33 am
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I don't know if it's the same set of pickups that you got, but about a year back I got a set of the GF pickups as one of their "special buys"...the whole set was only around $15 and I have to say that I've been totally blown away by how great those pickups sound! I put them in a '93 MIM Fender "Squier Series" ("The Ratt" for those who follow my guitar exploits) and now that sucker just screams "Surf's UP!", LOL!!! For a $100 guitar and some $40 in upgrades, she's probably got the most vintage sound of any instrument I own.

Seriously...while I'm usually a Duncan guy (and a BIG fan of EMG's), I have to say those "cheap" Guitar Fetish pickups really sound amazing.


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Post subject: Re: '97 Affinity Squier Strat getting a makeover
Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 12:07 pm
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Well, more tests with more pickups and the work is done. Since I don't want to diss the other vendors' products, I'll just say this -

If you've got the bank account to support the higher prices or are very brandname conscious, you will definitely not be disappointed with the more costly options for modding your Squier Strat.

However, for the money invested, the Guitar Fetish $50 option is the very big winner in my tests. While the Dimarzio set I tried was WAAAAAY hotter, the others offered very similar sound results to the J25 Alnico 5 set. The real question then becomes one of value. In this test, the Guitar Fetish J25 setup was the clear winner.

I will admit - I tend to be brand conscious and I've used Dimarzios and Seymour Duncans in a few other guitars, but for this one the performance value versus price just wasn't there.

[edit] - the link:

http://www.guitarfetish.com/ALNICO-Pickup-Pre-Wired-guard-70s-Tuxedo-White-on-Black_p_83.html


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