I started learning to play 3 years ago with a Starcaster package I bought at Costco. I have since graduated, so to speak, to a Standard Strat that I love. However I also love my Starcaster. I was sitting here looking at her and feeling a bit bad that I don't pick her up as much as I used to and she deserves better.

I have thought about upgrades to my Standard Strat, but the thought came to me that doing some upgrades on my Starcaster might be better and if I screw something up permenantly I would be so sad.

The Starcaster body is either basswood or agathis. Mine is a metal flake black with a perloid pickguard (like the metal flake, don't like perloid anything so...)

My understanding is that the body is routed to allow an HSH configuration. I was thinking about upgrading the pickups and the bridge.

Has anyone upgraded this guitar like that or am I just throwing good money is a bad platform?

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http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

Callaham Bridge kit
$165.00

Pickguard/pups
$250.00

Total: $415.00

Maybe I can get a better price on ebay or something. No hurry to do it so I don't have just jump on the first price offered or seen.

With this type of budget in mind what are your thoughts?

Now, I just thought of this. I have a spider Jam amp now. Would I be better off selling that amp and putting the money into a better amp that would make both my Strats sound better?

_________________
http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

I think you're throwing your money away upgrading the Starcaster. I have found some really nice guitars on Craigslist for less than the 415 you might spend on upgrades.

Got a mint condition 2004 MIM Classic Series 60s strat last year for $300!

Got a nice 2001 MIM standard for $225 with a hard case.

Any my best deal was a Classic Players 50s sunburst strat that I bought for $400 and sold for 550.

If your still want to upgrade, see if you can find a loaded body or parts on ebay or craigslist. Good luck either way because modding is fun, but I think it's a good idea to start with a solid platform.

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In short yes and no, It's a cheap guitar. I would buy pickups and learn how to put them in for an experiment just to learn so you don't screw up a expensive guitar.Modding can be quite fun

Please don't waste 415 upgrading a Starcaster, that's like 3-4x what they cost. You could spend a lot less and achieve similar results.

GFS Steel block Kit is around 40
You can get the steel saddles from them for around 10-15 bucks
and get a loaded pickguard with nice pickups pots and wring for around 130

All in all you could have upgraded for less than $200

If you are gonna spend 400 I'd save my money. You can get an American Strat for around 600 if you look. I bought a 1981 USA Fender Bullet for 500 not to long ago.

I am going to disagree with most everyone here. I think the basis on whether to mod should be based on whether it is actually a decent playing guitar with (most importantly) good intonation and reasonable frets ... but you need to make that call. Then -- if so -- go for it. The guitar could likely use three things to completely transform it as player:

1) Pickups for sure -- My recommendation would be a $65 set of new Fender Tex Mex pickups. This would alone give dramatic sonic results. Also, the GFS pickups are very well liked and even cheaper than the Tex Mex. Also, you can get some nice used pickups off of eBay. There are lots of options here.
2) Bridge -- I would not bother with the expensive Callaham upgrades for this. I'd go with a used bridge from a MIM Std off eBay (just make sure whatever you gets fits before purchasing).
3) Tuners -- I bought a new set of MIA Std tuners for $28 off eBay. There are quality used sets even cheaper than that.

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

The MIM bridge won't be that much of an improvement over whats in there. Sure it has a bigger block, but its still zinc. If you are going to spend the money to upgrade, might as well get a steel block. Also I wasn't saying that he shouldn't spend the money to upgrade, I just don't think spending 400 on upgrades on a guitar that costs maybe 100-150 is very wise.

How about upgrading the pups on the Standard and then swapping the Starcaster pups for the ones that came out of the Standard? That way you aren't really investing any money into the Starcaster - just upgading the pups with a set that's just laying around anyway. If you decide to go with locking tuners on the Standard, you can put the better Standard tuners on the Starcaster, etc.

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Stagemaster
Roadhouse Strat
Epi Traditional Pro Les Paul
Ovation Celeb
Esteban Celestial Night(nicely tweeked)
Blackheart tube amp

Thats a great idea.I know that the way you feel about your starcaster is mostly sentimental.If you want ,you can find a place in your home and hang her on the wall ,or even get a glass case for it if you like,you can still [lay it once in a while.If you are interested at all in gigging or giong to some jams,I wouldnt take the starcaster.Unfortunately not many would take you seriously with it , unless you can get some serious tones and have some great chops.JMHO.

LOL. I don't gig, but I do go to a garage jam here locally. I take my Standard with me all the time. Good suggestions and after being at my little jam party yesterday I think I have formulated a plan.

1. I have a telescope and a bunch of accesories from my days as an amatueur astronomer. I put them on Craigslist last night.

2. I did that because one of the guys brought over a Blues Junior amp and I plugged into it for a couple of songs and loved the tone. (I currently play in a Spider Jam)

3. Once my telescope and other astronomy sutff is turned into cash I am going to get a Blues Junior NOS (for the upgraded speaker).

4. As for my Starcaster, I believe that my youngest son has expressed enough interest in learning to play that I am going to give that to him and hope that he will stick with it and enjoy a lifetime of fun. That also solves my nagging thoughts about upgrading the Starcaster because it will be his to deal with.

I might even have enough money left over to get a new Standard HSS Strat to compliment my Standard SSS

_________________
http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

I find the current MIM bridges well made, and you get the bigger block. For me, I am not so convinced that steel is better. If it is all about density, then maybe we should all switch to lead? But, personally, I don't want the added weight it brings. Just a thought ... not necessarily disagreeing with you.


I could not agree more. Realistically, about $120 should be able to transform it to a player if it is decent quality instrument to start with. If the neck sucks, I would not even bother.

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

Spending $400 to upgrade a Starcaster would be as wasteful as putting a $10,000 paint job on an old Geo Metro.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Spending $400 to upgrade a Starcaster would be as wasteful as putting a $10,000 paint job on an old Geo Metro.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Bah, don't listen to them. If you want to upgrade it, do it. There is no minimum amount you have to spend on a guitar before it's upgrade-worthy. I have a Silvertone Strat copy, my first guitar, that turned out to be a great player, after I had it set up. The sound was always lacking, though. It had cheap ceramic pickups that were particularly harsh. I got the guitar and an amp for about $170.

I then bought a set of great pickups for $200 taxes included, probably twice what the guitar alone would have cost me, and my father-in-law and I installed them.

The guitar sounds fantastic. If you were to hear it, you'd think it sounded like a '62 Strat. I've been real-Strat-shopping in the meantime (I'm a sucker for a good headstock), and sound-wise, the only Strats that are in its league are the 57 re-issues I've tried.

Make no mistake, if a guitar plays well, but doesn't sound great, a first-rate set of pickups will transform it into a completely different instrument.

I've modded 4 Starcasters for local kids who started on the "pack" deal.

Once you change out the pickups and pots they sound as good as the Standards. Change out the tuners and they tune smooth as well.

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