Keep in mind I love Fender and the Fender Sound, I just don't know where to go from here...thanks to anyone who can reply.

So, yesterday was going to be my big day. I thought I had picked out the perfect step-up from my Squire Bullet. It was supposed to be a Guitar Center FSR MIM Strat. The guitar had all the qualities I was looking for according to the online specifications: a nice appearance, a glossy Adler neck, better than average pick-up. It was about $500.00, so half of an American Standard and within my budget.

I go to the store and the store has two in stock--both have been set-up and are on display. I try the first one. I use a Vox Tube Amp then a Fender Semi-Tube Amp. Two major qualities I'm hoping for: 1) A noticeable distinction between the five switches 2) tone buttons which do noticeably change the tone. The first one on both amps under different settings fails horribly--as has been my experience with MIM Strats in general. I try the second on, same thing.

My Squire Bullet--I am not exaggerating--sounds a hell of a lot better. The five pick-up switch creates a more than noticeable even substantial difference. The two tone buttons also create a more noticeable and even substantial difference. The FSR MIM Strat was only a step up in the tremolo capabilities. My Squire has limitations in tremolo, the MIM allowed for more variation of tremolo.

I'm disappointed, but I have saved up for this day so I thought maybe there would be something in my price range by Fender which would be an upgrade from my Bullet. I am not a fan of the humbucker, I want three coils like my Squire and like the American Standard. I cannot find anything at the store between my humble Squire Bullet and the American Standard--two extremes really. There is nothing. I also tried the supposedly great CV 50's ad 60's but still my Bullet sounds better.

(Oh, I also brought my dad with me because he is a musician and has played and heard my bullet. I used him as my second ear; he heard a slight more distinction than I did, but still for me it did not justify the price)

If anyone knows of a Squire or a Strat that is a step-up from the bullet around 500-600, please let me know. I could not find anything

I'm not at the level of a player where it would make sense to buy the American Standard. I could continue saving and buy it, but still I'm not at the level where I would use it properly at it's full potential.

So then I thought: what if I just upgrade all my Squire Bullet Pick-ups, the neck to have a glossy finish (not a big deal but if out there, I'll go for it) and upgrade the bridge to allow for greater tremolo versatility, more durable tone and volume buttons. I mean the only differences were material, not sound.

I'm not certain how expensive this would be, but can anyone relate to my situation? Is it just better to upgrade by Bullet or does there exist a non-humbucker between my Squire and the American Standard that would make sense to buy because of the improved tone sound and versatility? Is my scenario typical for Fender users? Don't get me wrong, I love the Fender sound but I'm just in disbelief my Bullet sounds better than anything more expensive but not as expensive as the American Standard.


Thanks to anyone who can reply. If I am not clear please let me know and I will clarify. Thanks again.

No: http://www.guitarworld.com/interview-ro ... up#slide-2 Read the part about the pickups

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Hi NS.
What I read into your post is that you are looking for a guitar that feels and sounds better, as you have gotten better yourself!
So it was a good decision not to buy if you weren´t completely satisfied.
Sounds like you are ready for a $1,000 dollar fender.
Never mind if you think it´s too soon. Your playing will improve dramatically.

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FIGHT!

i modified my squier long ago... was my lil mess around project guitar... now the only thing standard on it is the wood... ive replaced everything on it... but i recall that the bigest differences where when i put some TS pups in it and when i re fretted it to proper big fat american jumbos... i too had the same problem when looking for a new guitar, i went to the shop with my guitar, tried almost every strat in the shop on a few of the valve amps... nothing really sounded a grand better than my squier...

but at the end of the day i came out the shop with a 1961 sig strat with over wound TS pups and a big fat vintage neck... and a blues deluxe...

the only reason i went for the expensive strat is that it just felt so much better, it just fitted like a glove, compared too the squier...

so if i were you id have a look for some nicer pups, change the cap on the tone pots to suit the new pups... when u tired of the feel... then go for the real deal... although ill have to admit... a lot of your sound depends on what amps you use, at the moment i chain a marshall and a blues deluxe (both valve powerd) and it makes anything its pluged into sound good...

the only problem with a expensive axe is that some times its just too beautifull to take out the house, and too expensive to insure... so is still use my squier and other guitars for 90% of the gigs i do and only use the strat for studio work... which is kinda sad...

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blues - its a religion...

I don't think the pickups in your Squier make anything differently than a pickup in MIA.

http://www.aqdi.com/pickups.htm

It's basically about induction. The law of induction does not know about brand names, it treats them all the same.

So if you say that around 90% of the tone come from the pickup ... you know what to expect. The rest is look and feel, craftsmanship, beauty and quality of the whole instrument. Or you could say that the 10% are the important part. To each their own.

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."

^This statement is false. Nobody has to have proper playing credentials to buy an American Standard or any guitar for that matter. The perceived notion that cheap guitars are for beginners and expensive ones are for professionals is just pure B.S. A guitar's full potential is simply to be plugged in and played, that's it, a guitar can't do anything more than make noise.

If the Bullet sounds better, keep the bullet. There's no unwritten law that states a Bullet is less of an instrument than a MIM or any guitar for that matter. If the Am. Standard sounds and feels better than the bullet, don't settle for less just because of price.

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I traded my car in for a microphone.