appreciated

so! just a little back story for those interested,

i purchased a 2004 mim standard strat not knowing very much about guitars, brand new were too expensive and some of the used in pawn shops were unknown to me. i've been told to stay away from squires and that mim's were best bang for buck. i went around seeing which ones i liked by looks, then by feel. the mim caught my eye and stayed in the back of my head while i searched for a whole month. i went back and forth day to day finding out more things to try out on it to see if it was for me, after a week of calculating and adding logic to the feeling that this guitar was for me, i bought it. a bit more then most mims i saw, but this one felt right to me.

as i started playing it through a vox da5, i learned more and more about it, how each pick up felt like through my ears, what turning the tone knobs do, pulling the whammy bar forward and back, just playing around with it, i loved the sound that came off of it.

then i found out that this sound could be better not different, but improved! it felt like an addiction, i read and read and read, forums, books, videos, from wood types to setting it up to slight modifications to total rebuilds. some comments said that their upgrades felt like it was a new guitar, some said that they've heard details in the tone they've never heard before, it was exhilarating! i really wanted to modify my guitar!

i've posted in forums but i'm hoping going to the official website would give me where those just seemed... blurry.

i've taken apart my guitar, to take off this ugly plastic stuff from underneath screws and to clean it out nicely, now it's in peices and awaiting further action

so here are the questions!

is it true that this guitar won't age with me?
i've read that the finish they use a thick poly finish that could withstand a nuclear blast and still look new.

does this finish dampen the resonance?
i've read that if i was to sand it off (which will take ages but i'll plow through) it'll improve the overall sound of the guitar.

what is nitro finish?
is it better then poly? i'm worried that if i was to take off the finish that my guitar would rot...

does string spacing make a difference?
through finding out my mim had a teeny zinc block, changing it to full steel would be a huge jump in sound quality. i've learned about screw and string spacing. 2 1/16" string and screw for mim and 2 7/32 for mia, are the strings placement over the pick ups change the sound?

what's the pros and cons of 2 points and 6 points?
why two kinds? is one better one's cheaper?

what are better saddles? steel or ivory?
bent steel and ivory, better then the stamped stock steel i have, same cost, what's the diff?


i'm hoping you guys could answer my questions, i've been everywhere.

also if yo have any comments or maybe more questions it'd be nice too

I also have an '04 MIM. Here are my thoughts...


Do you mean for the body to get worn down in certain areas? If so, then it will not age with you if you take care of it. However, the neck will get worn in nicely.
It sure does not dampen mine. My guitar sings and has huge sustain.

Nitro is the old-school finish the use to use that will "wear" much faster than the poly finish on an MIM or MIA Std. Nitro is on the HWy 1. If that is important to you, you may want to consider a Hwy 1.
In '06, Fender went to the larger trem block for MIMs. The '06 blocks are readily available and are plug and play. I got my larger '06+ block for $12 off eBay. Personally, I am very happy with that.
It does not matter. You have vintage, and it is not worth switching out. However, the 2-point is (in my opinion) are better design that holds tune better, and is better quality.

I went with the same saddles on the MIA Deluxe. Allparts sells them for like $25. Just my opinion, buty I am happy with those, too.

_________________
Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

is it true that this guitar won't age with me?
It won't age like a nitro finish.

does this finish dampen the resonance?
No.

what is nitro finish? is it better then poly?
No. Guitar players like to think it is because of the whole "vintage" con, but nitro is just what they happened to use back then. If they had been using water-borne poly, then guitar players today would demand water-borne poly ("the solvent ruins the tone!!!").

does string spacing make a difference?
To you, yeah. It might feel slightly different, so this is a matter or personal taste.

through finding out my mim had a teeny zinc block, changing it to full steel would be a huge jump in sound quality. i've learned about screw and string spacing. 2 1/16" string and screw for mim and 2 7/32 for mia, are the strings placement over the pick ups change the sound?
The steel block is a huge difference in tone. But the string spacing as it relates to pole pieces? Not that critical.

what's the pros and cons of 2 points and 6 points?
why two kinds? is one better one's cheaper?
I like the six-screw trem, but this is just personal taste.

what are better saddles? steel or ivory?
bent steel and ivory, better then the stamped stock steel i have, same cost, what's the diff?
I've never seen ivory saddles. This must be a slip of the type.

ok. this is gonna be a long reply. but i'll try to answer your questions.

1) It takes poly finishes decades to age. They will last for a lifetime. And they are usually really thick.

2) It dampens the resonance slightly, but not really enough to make a huge difference.

3) A nitro finish is Nitrocellulose, rather than Polyurethane. Nitro tends to let the wood breathe more than poly. And yes, you shouldn't take all the finish off, unless you plan to refinish it. Or the wood will rot.

4) 6 point tremolo's are the vintage style. 2 points are modern. 2 points tend to move smoother. BUT you can modify a 6 point to work like a 2 point. Which is a huge bonus, as vintage ones look better.

5) I've never heard of anyone putting ivory saddles on a guitar. Usually with an electric, its either steel saddles or brass. although, I have heard of people putting rosewood or ebony saddles on.

let me know if you've got any more questions. hopefully I answered some of your questions.

thanks!

i've read that the newer mim's use a high mass zinc block, higher mass than pre 2006 but still zinc, so the added weight's good on it but other then that not much greater..

i just keep reading that the finish makes a big difference as to sound, one guy stripped the poly off his guitar and he said he noticed he had more attack, better tone and etc etc. he took a picture of one of the peices he managed to take off and it was around 3 peices of paper thick.

phew, thanks alot! i thought the string spacing over the poles were one of the things that made mia better then mim's!

would it be possible to take off some layers off of the poly?

how hard is it to refinish?

also... since nitro wears off faster... wouldn't you have to refinish it anyways to prevent it from rotting?

and fyi there are also titanium saddles, expensive as heck but improves high and mid high tones vs steel which improves mid low and mid.

Poly finish is definately stronger than the earlier original fenders of the vintage yesteryears that had Nitro finish... For example, it is not as easily worn off by the sweat of the player or other elements... So as it ages it won't be in the same way the Nitro does and will last much, much longer. Although a nuclear blast would utterly destroy it. lol


This could be debated til the cows come home, doesn't convince me enough to break out the electric sander. That is totally uncalled for to me!


technically No, not better... Different is a the word and Nitro is a lot more moody to elements it is exposed to than poly. Personally I want to focus my efforts being a guitar player, not rebuilding them, although I do some mods but not finishes...


Yes it can change the sound from what I understand and it does matter.
String spacing makes a difference in feel too, especially if u finger pick a lot or have large fingers or even small hands & fingers. Personally I believe any person can adapt and become comfortable with any guitar but some guitars will be more natural feeling than others.


Again, not nec better but different, maybe better depending on how u use it... The reason for both was just advancements and differences in technology over time. 6 point vintage is the original and many like it, so it's still around.
2 points can be easier on the wood through time... 6 points are smaller screws going right into the body. It is a different feel and response to the string and the hand. Some like one or the other, I kinda like both. lol
The two point does not 'wank' on the wood directly like the vintage style 6 point does...


what you are asking is preference not cut and dry for everyone to agree about. i have always used steel but I have considered trying graphite as well...

_________________
explorationx

Man, for the time and effort you would put into stripping that body, why not just buy a good unfinished alder body from Warmoth?

_________________
'95 Custom Warmoth Soloist Solid Flame Koa Body/Neck, Duncan Classic Livewire SSH, Sperzel locking tuners, Wilkinson VS100 bridge, all black chrome.
2008 MIM Lonestar Strat Black/White Pearl
2008 Taylor 114 CE

so you're saying it's not worth it to cut through the finish of the guitar... okok.

would you know anything as to the difference in sound that the string spacings make?

i was thinking of that too, but then there's just so much on which wood, getting it painted, finished, holes, yada yada yada, oh man.

+ this is like a learning experience

Not all pickups are designed for the same string spacings, I am not an expert on this subject but from what I have read it matters in some instances... Obviously it is preferred to have pole spacings match string spacing of an electric guitar. It is probably more important to adjust your pickup height correctly (vertical distance between the pickups and the strings). That can actually effect many things including string sustain.
I would say it doesn't matter that much sound wise as long as nothing is 'out of whack' if u kno what I'm saying. To me string spacing is about feel or comfort more than sound.

_________________
explorationx

I wouldnt touch that body if I were you, you have a nice guitar !!

so sound wise it's not much different length wise as height wise.
thanks alot!

hahah thanks!