This is pretty much an easy thread. I recently got a limited edition Mexican Fender FSR Stratocaster. What do I need to upgrade specifically to make it better than most if not all American Strats. Price is no object. I already have an Hot Rodded American

Wow, kind of a loaded question. You will get answers that vary from everything to nothing, mostly depending on what you want it to do.

I have a 2009 Standard Strat SSS and I don't think I will mod anything on it. It sound great and plays great as is, at least for my current ability. On some older MIMs people tended to make what seems like an almost mandatory upgrade to the trem block to something with more mass. Some put different/better pups on it. Tuners is another area of change. Lighter/heavier strings. The possiblities are endless.

What year is your guitar? This will be a good starting point for people to make suggestions. What do you like about the current sound or playability? What do you dislike? Obviously you want to consider first and foremost changes to what you don't like.

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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

Hey! Yeah sorry about being so vague but yeah its an 06 Fender FSR Strat with No Pickguard, Solid Flamed Alder Top and Alder Body, and two tone knobs. Its got a separate electronics compartment on the back. But what I meant was like what should I do to sure it up as a base instrument. Like upgrade the wiring, pots, capacitors, pickup selector, trem block, bridge plate, trem springs, and etc. Like what are the areas? And what specifically do people recommend. Again price is no object to me, I'd just like to know what's good to get this weekend to order.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

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You dig?

Ahhh sometimes. lol But I'd rather keep it as far away from broken as possible. lol.

Hi, is it like this one?
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=517883

As stated; play it a while and see what you like or don't like about it and then focus on that. I almost always do a pickup change. the last few I've ordered pups, pots, switch, pickguard, etc and did it all myself just to see how neat I can be.

I've just bought a 07 MIM Strat that has the HSS pickup configuration. The pups were okay, but I knew I could do better. I got the guitar for half price off Ebay. The pups were half price locally and I ordered a GFS Bridge\Trem assembly from Guitar fetish for $40 which will increase sustain and harmonics. When done, I'll have a great axe and have only spent around $350 - $400.

I agree with another post, this is really an open question. It depends on what kind of music you ar into, what tone you are looking for, and what you expect the guitar to do.

Usually I keep my guitars stock for a while. Once I figure out what it can do, I weigh the options on whether an upgrade is in order. Then I replace only what I need to replace.

Now do not get me wrong, cosmetic changes are simple. Change plastic parts, new pick guard and it's a whole new look for the guitar. You start messing around with the pickup, pots, and caps, that changes the guitar's tone all togther.

If money is not an issue, why not just get one of these:

http://www.fender.com/products/search.p ... 0114545706
if you are into Metal-ish music.

or this if you like the finish:

http://www.fender.com/products/search.p ... 0100070821

or this if you want a great well rounded guitar:

http://www.fender.com/products/search.p ... 0119302731

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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

Alrighty...just my $.02 worth as always...

On most typical MIM's, I would personally suggest replacing the pickups and the trem block. Now I really can't speak to your special run there...it's possible these things could have already been addressed so you'll have to look and decide for yourself there but typically the older MIM's had the small, half-sized trem blocks and it's been my experience that these things just suck the sustain right out of the instrument. I've replaced the trem blocks on both my '96 MIM and my newer '03 MIM and it has made a huge difference...although I will say that I used a GFS brass block on the '03 and the difference wasn't as "impressive" as the steal Callaham block on my '96. I'm still not sure if that's the difference between brass and steal or just the difference between Callaham and GFS...it could even be that when I put the Callaham in my '96, I had already upgraded the pickups...maybe the pickups in the '03 just aren't as responsive to the new block....jury's still out there. Either way though if yours has the smaller block, I would definitely upgrade that...in a heart beat.

With the pickups, this is considerably more subjective. Some folks are quite happy with those older MIM pickups...I wasn't. They have most definitely improved over the years and the brand new MIM's actually sound pretty nice (more vintagy IMHO than even a new Am Std). The older MIM pickups however, to me just tend to sound really flat and lifeless and not very responsive at all. The first pickup upgrade I did on my '96 was the Fender Vintage Noiseless and even those made a -HUGE- difference...they truly picked up every subtle nuance of my playing. Then I put a Duncan in the bridge position and the Duncan just blew me out of the water...I finally put all Duncan's in that one and the VN's have found their way in to my '85 Squier MIJ. I haven't changed the pickups in the '03 yet but I'm going to...kind of leaning towards EMG's there but I haven't made up my mind yet...kind of waiting to see which way the wind blows.

Either way, I would sit down and really listen to your pickups...play clean, play dirty and let your ears decide. If you like the way they sound then as Martian said "don't fix it if it ain't broke". On the other hand if you're like me and you find them to be more than a bit lacking, better pickups may be in order. As far as "which" pickups to get, that really kind of depends on the music you play and your style. Personally I feel you can't really go wrong with Duncans...they seem to be nicely balanced for me and I do everything from classic rock to oldies to blues to some older metal with them. Very nice all around pickups. I'm also a very big fan of EMG's too...I'd probably use them a lot more if I could actually afford them! LOL!!! Of course if you're really in to newer metal, a lot of folks really like DiMazio's and a good many people swear by Fender "Texas Specials" for stuff like blues. Again this is just my always and ever so humble opinion but with most stock MIM pickups, I really think that just about any of those pickups are really a vast improvement.

As far as other things...most of the rest of it really depends on the guitar itself. I've discovered that my '03 MIM seems to be prone to "fret sprout" so I'm going to have to sit down with a needle file and clean that up a little. On the other hand, I've -never- had this problem with my '96. I also tend to install roller T's on all of my Strat style guitars. I can't honestly say they really make a huge difference but for $5 and five minutes with a screw driver, it's a very easy upgrade and they certainly don't seem to hurt anything. I did put an LSR roller nut on my '96 but I honestly wish I hadn't...those just aren't worth it to me (more of a gimmick than anything IMHO). Last but certainly not least, a good setup is -always- important with any guitar but especially with a Strat. If you should decide to upgrade that trem block, I would suggest new strings and a good, full setup afterward!

Ok...my opinions as always...use them for what you feel they are worth!

Jim

You should judge for yourself if the guitar needs upgrades or not. We all have our own ears. I can't hear or even see your guitar. Play the guitar for a few weeks to determine if there is any weaknesess TO YOU that need to be upgraded. I don't even know what musical style you play. Would you be happy if I suggest you waste $300 on a set of vintage style Bareknuckle pickups only to find out that you play heavy metal and would be better off with some high gain active EMG's?

What I am very puzzled is that if 'price is no object', then why didn't you just get a Custom Shop Strat or some other high end or vintage guitar that you would feel justified not to 'upgrade' and be satisfied with it in stock form??? More time spent playing instead of taking the guitar apart and changing things.

p.s. The stock wiring (pots, caps, etc) on MIM's is the same as MIA's. No need to change that.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

More like $20.00 worth
A lot of good info there, lomitus.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Metropolis 74 asked the question that immediately came to my mind.Why do "money is no object" mods when you can get one made to the specs you want?It doesn't make a whole pile of sense to me.

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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.

If you have to ask us ... likely "nothing.

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

Hey...just consider me a bargain .





Personally I'm willing to give the guy (gal?) a break on that one...some of us just like tinkering with our own guitars. Even if money weren't an object for me (which would be so nice for a change), I'd probably still do my own upgrades and such, just because I enjoy tinkering nearly as much as I enjoy playing. In fact it's often quite relaxing for me to be sitting there in the evening watching TV with my wife with a guitar and/or a bunch of parts in my lap messing around with stuff.

I also gotta say that I think it's good to see folks who like to play with this kind of thing as well because...in my always and ever so humble opinion...it gives you a better understanding of how and why the instrument works and as such, a better appreciation for it. Those "funny looking magnetic thingys under the strings" aren't as much of a mystery any more, LOL! Sometimes it's just nice to learn how all that stuff works.

I know there are some folks out there who are perfectly content with "off the rack" and that there are even a few who can afford to have one built to their own custom exacting specifications...and I guess there's nothing really wrong with that but personally even if I had the money, I'd still rather do it myself. Some of us just like to tinker .

Anyways, just my opinions as always.

Peace,
Jim