For guitars, I am of the mod it, if it makes it a better playing or sounding guitar...and even if you mod it for looks...the guitar is such a personal thing with respect to set up and feel.

Now if it is a vintage guitar, I say leave it stock, putting a floyd rose on a 61 strat is simply nonsense...especially since you can get pretty darn close to a 61 from the custom shop, so mod one of those.

Now for amps I am of a very different mind, leave em stock with good quality tubes and make sure you maintain them as intended...with one exception, speakers. If you got a speaker you don't like, then change em. And if it is a vintage tweed amp, then pull the speaker if original and keep it for the future if resale is ever in your mind and put in a good quality replacement and enjoy the amp!

FWIW

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

Sure, do whatever you want. I have both stock and modified guitars and amps. That being said, if it's old and valuable... it isn't so much anymore if you messed with it. I learned this years ago with old sports cars.

Stock is boring.
Even if it's just pickups, mod and improve your guitar so that it suits YOU specifically. That is the only way you can truly create your own tone.

I call BS on the string change = mod guy. Taking his reasoning one step farther even if you use the same brand and gauge string, once you change them it's not original and is therefore modded. Oh damn, once you add a strap it's evern further modified!

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

It's only a modification if it comes with one, like the MIA Standard and Deluxes and you use a different one. (LOL)

Some people will say if you change any part on the guitar is considered a mod. Was it on the guitar when you got it? No, you removed a part to put on another. With this logic, nobody has a stock guitar once they have changed their strings out. Get over it. Fact of life.

I agree that the string thing is a stretch, but most Fender guitars do not come with D'Addario, GHS, Elixer, Ernie Ball, or Dean Markley strings. They mostly come with some sort of Fender brand strings. If it is ok to change the Fender Strings to some other brand, wouldn't stand to figure that if I switch from Fender AlNico III pickups to say Fender Fat 50's that the guitar is still stock. They are Fender pickups, just not the ones that came with it, much like the string thing. It's not like I put in some other brand like EMG, Seymore Duncan, Dimarzio, or Lindy Fralins. Just saying And yes I am aware that some Fender models come stock with other brand name pickups in them.

I think that any guitarist needs to do what they want to to their guitar to make it more their own. Mod or not to mod, that is the question. And oh yes, modifying an orginal '54 Stratocaster is just not a good financial decision.

Oh and Pots, Caps, or switches go out and if I replace it to get the guitar going again, is that a mod?

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RK

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

Not if the strap was part of the OEM, "Case Candy".

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You dig?