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Post subject: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:26 pm
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Hello everyone I'm new to the forum and I have a question I'm sure you can help me with. I'm trying to build a 60's style Strat. I was wondering about the hardware. Would Squier hardware be suitable? I'm kinda trying to cut corners and put more money in my pickups. I've seen Squier (made in China) sets of hardware considerably cheaper than MIM or MIA. Is there that big of a difference that I should be aware of? Or should I fork out the extra dough for the MIM or MIA? Thanks

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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:34 pm
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Sorry but with cheap parts you'll have poor sound.

China made Squier are the cheapest.


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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:39 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
It is not only the pickups which make a good guitar , it is the sum of all their parts.



Last edited by stratele52 on Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:55 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
Sorry but with cheap parts you'll have poor sound.

China made Squier are the cheapest.


+1000!

Cut-rate hardware all but guarantees a pisspoor guitar.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 2:35 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
Sorry but with cheap parts you'll have poor sound.

China made Squier are the cheapest.


That's kind of what I thought but I have heard people rave about how good their Squier sounds. I don't have much experience with Squier guitars. I don't want to get some good sounding pickups and have the sound crippled by poor hardware. Thanks

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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 2:59 pm
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Rubbersoul63 wrote:
stratele52 wrote:
Sorry but with cheap parts you'll have poor sound.

China made Squier are the cheapest.


That's kind of what I thought but I have heard people rave about how good their Squier sounds. I don't have much experience with Squier guitars. I don't want to get some good sounding pickups and have the sound crippled by poor hardware. Thanks


For a beginner Squier may sound good for the price and it is ok . But for a serious player it is another story.
For most of us we must do a A/B test with many guitars.

Do a A/B test between Squier and MIM you hear wich one is better, do the same between MIN and American Standard and you'll hear wich one is the best.


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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 12:41 am
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I wouldn't call myself a beginner, but I've heard a lot of real good sounding Squiers.
And I can't claim to recognize the country of origin of a Strat by sound samples alone.
But, I do hear a can of worms opening in the distance... :wink:

To the original question/Rubbersoul63:
If you're trying to keep the budget down and get a good instrument, search for a good deal and buy a second hand guitar which already has the features you want. Modded guitars often sell for less than 'all originals', and here that rule of thumb could work for you.


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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:01 pm
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jmattis wrote:
I wouldn't call myself a beginner, but I've heard a lot of real good sounding Squiers.
And I can't claim to recognize the country of origin of a Strat by sound samples alone.
But, I do hear a can of worms opening in the distance... :wink:

To the original question/Rubbersoul63:
If you're trying to keep the budget down and get a good instrument, search for a good deal and buy a second hand guitar which already has the features you want. Modded guitars often sell for less than 'all originals', and here that rule of thumb could work for you.



Thanks for your input.
I've been building and modding guitars for years with much success on the resale side. I've also owned and resold quite a few MIM and MIA strats and telecasters. I have always used Fender parts or name brand tuners or pickups. I've never used squier parts on a strat build or mod. This build is strictly to indulge my creative side to see what I can get away with. I know this is probably blasphemy to the purists. I was mainly wanting to know if the Squier tremolo is really awful. The trem is going to be blocked. I ask because on ebay there is a Squier vintage mod hardware set for 50 bucks and a Fender 60s RI set for 100. Both sets have Fender vintage tuners. Sorry to ramble. Any advice is appreciated.

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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 3:26 am
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Rubbersoul63 wrote:

..I've been building and modding guitars for years with much success on the resale side. I've also owned and resold quite a few MIM and MIA strats and telecasters....


Still looking for "The one" aye? You won't find it in a Squire.

Even with the trem decked and blocked if the trem inertia block is lightweight, poorly cast, cheap metal it isn't going to achieve the same results as a higher spec block.

I'm not sure buying inferior guitars, tarting them up with a few good bits and selling them over the odds is something to be encouraged.

Modding guitars for personal enjoyment/understanding/chasing the dream/trying to achieve something you can't otherwise afford are all lordable pursuits. Being a "Wheeler Dealer" less so IMHO.

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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 2:40 pm
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John Sims wrote:
Rubbersoul63 wrote:

..I've been building and modding guitars for years with much success on the resale side. I've also owned and resold quite a few MIM and MIA strats and telecasters....


Still looking for "The one" aye? You won't find it in a Squire.

Even with the trem decked and blocked if the trem inertia block is lightweight, poorly cast, cheap metal it isn't going to achieve the same results as a higher spec block.

I'm not sure buying inferior guitars, tarting them up with a few good bits and selling them over the odds is something to be encouraged.

Modding guitars for personal enjoyment/understanding/chasing the dream/trying to achieve something you can't otherwise afford are all lordable pursuits. Being a "Wheeler Dealer" less so IMHO.


I don't think selling a guitar every 2 or 3 years I would be considered a wheeler dealer. I don't seek out inferior guitars to tart up. If I pay for a guitar it is mine and I can do whatever I want with it. That includes selling it when I want or need to. I was simply stating that I've never had a problem selling or making my money back from a guitar that I have modded or left all original. Wow tough crowd.

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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 2:18 am
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I see nothing wrong with your entrepreneurship; buying a guitar, modding it to make it better and then selling it - the only BIG down side is that usually the price curve doesn't follow the "added value" of costs & labor. :wink:

But on the original question, IMHO: One major problem is the polarity in parts; you can easily find high end/high price products and low quality/low cost products, but there's actually not too much in the middle.
And: if you cut costs in every corner, you'll end up with a low quality instrument which you have to sell cheap - but you've spent the same amount of hours (probably more, because of the issues with fitting...) as if you'd used better parts...


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Post subject: Re: Hardware options on Strat build
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 2:56 am
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Rubbersoul63 wrote:
Hello everyone I'm new to the forum and I have a question I'm sure you can help me with. I'm trying to build a 60's style Strat. I was wondering about the hardware. Would Squier hardware be suitable? I'm kinda trying to cut corners and put more money in my pickups. I've seen Squier (made in China) sets of hardware considerably cheaper than MIM or MIA. Is there that big of a difference that I should be aware of? Or should I fork out the extra dough for the MIM or MIA? Thanks


Hi there & welcome!

You seem to be quite an expert at building/modding - don't you normally do Strats? On any guitar, better quality parts will yield technically better results and Strats are no different!

Having said that - and forgetting any value/resale factors - you might really like the sound that cheaper hardware gives you. It all depends on your preferred tones. Coming from a bloke who's been using a Rat since they came out and - although the world's moved on - has no intention of using anything else, I can't help you with that one!

Cheers - Peter.


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