Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

[VaiHalen]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

I have a $200 "Texas St Deluxe" (!) strat. It was collecting dust so I gonna upgrade it. I'll put a new pickguard,new electronics,tuning pegs, and maybe the stock pu's of my Washburn KC. I want this to be really different, so I'll: 1) Scalloped fingerboard, 2)Fretless fingerboard 3)Set up for slide, with 13 gauge strings.
Advices???

 

[Double D]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

ok heres my opinion, i'm a newbee, not to the guitar playing world but to upgrading... i have a white fender strat lefty (my first and only electric guitar), it cost from the fabulous guys in america the equivilent of £300, thats, if my maths is cool, 435 u.s. dollars... now that aint a cheap guitar, but let me use it as an example, strats being strats give off a 'twangy sound' now that was great as a beginner, but when i got into it, i wanted more, now my options as you have all put were a) buy a new guitar or b) upgrade. i play loadsa santana and jazz, but i also play chilli's, and a lot of rock like metallica and loads of other genres i wont go into... i looked and looked but couldn't find a guitar that i liked that also fitted my need (or my budget), so then it occurred to me, SEYMOUR DUNCAN! i bought 3 pickups from them in one go, 2 weeks ago, i tried to get a scratch plate aswell (for a fat strat to fit the distortion trembucker) but being left handed, it was going to cost £50 ($72.50), so i thought 'f*ck that' i didn't want to spend that kind of money... so i spent $2.10 on a coping saw and went medieval on my current scratch plate. knowing nothing about wiring guitars i used only the instructions that came with my guitar and set it up, it took 30 minutes for wiring and taking the guitar apart, and 5 minutes for the dismemberment of my pick guard, within 35 mins of work i had finished my creation, a strat that roars like a lion, yet purrs like a *****cat clean =)... summary: its cheaper, easier and more fun to upgrade your guitar than buying a new one. sorry to have gone on guys =s.

 

[Artie]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

In some respects, it almost makes more sense to upgrade a cheap guitar, than an expensive one. I would say that both my Peaveys have responded to being "Duncanized" quite nicely.

I'm also currently working on a cheap-Strat project that started life as an inexpensive Johnson Strat clone. As soon as I get this project completed, it should be a pretty decent little axe for around $200 - $250. I'll post pics and clips when its done.

 

[Double D]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

i don't think a guitar CAN respond badly to duncans... THEY RULE! do you think i will have lowered the value of my strat by putting in duncans and making it a fat strat rather than keeping the originals and the guitar as a strat?

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

Okay first things first !
Learn how to do EVERYTHING yourself : Pickup changes, pots, switches, full electronic revamp - it is easy. Learn how to setup your guitar. Learn how to drill tuner holes and install tailpieces... The neck you won't be able to dress by yourself...

Okay that will bring down the labor charges. I say it is definitely worth it to upgrade your guitar. All the quality parts will last you a lifetime, when you get a better guitar, you can put those parts in it, and keep your old guitar stock and sell it.

Once you get a better guitar, just put the top-of-the-line pickups, tuners, and all that in it, and sell the old one.

This is what i've done. I had a yamaha pacifica and i bought a fender texas special for the neck and a SD Telecaster lead '54 for the bridge. Now that i had a better tele come along, i took em out, put the old pickups in and gave the pacifica to a friend ...

on soltering and guitar electronics go to www.guitarnuts.com

if you for example purchased a JB and '59 for your Epiphone LP, then when you got a Gibby LP or something better, you could swap the pickups

 

[Guitarist]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

Well, as long as you don't go super crazy with mods. Pickups, tuners, bridges, all fine by me. And still well in spending range. Simply by adding pickups - my Epi can battle it out with just about any guitar, and kill any guitar of equal cost.

 

[strat_master]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

depends on how much upgrading is needed. If it will in the end cost mroe than a high end guitar then no.

 

[NoOnesFang13]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

yes... just make sure the guitar sounds good while not plugged in also... heck i even used cheap guitar parts to make an awesome cigar box guitar that sounds awesome... somehow it just sounds amazing...

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

yes... just make sure the guitar sounds good while not plugged in also... heck i even used cheap guitar parts to make an awesome cigar box guitar that sounds awesome... somehow it just sounds amazing...

I can't believe you resurrected a FOUR YEAR OLD thread.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

My most versatile guitar -- the one I consider my workhorse -- is a Mexi Strat that was given to me in fairly decent shape. I added a set of Kinman noiseless pickups, installed locking tuners and strap locks, and had the neck refretted with medium-jumbos.

This was well worth the upgrade cost.

- Keith

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

i've stopped spending lots of money on cheap new axes... but i still buy them when i find a good one and i've been using them mostly stock.. I'd buy a Squier and use it 100% stock kind of thing

but that being said my hobby has been to fix up abused axes... i do the work myself so labour costs me nothing... i buy a fair bit of used hardware, PU's, various parts, for cheap as well from local repair shops...

same goes with amps... i have a bad habit of buying fixer uppers... which i'm trying to put a stop to my impulsiveness... but sometimes i see stuff i know i can get my money back or even make money on if i resale it..

 

[darnright]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

That is one of my favorite hobbies. I love taking cheap guitars and making them play and sound better. I try to invest as little as possible (used parts, pickups etc-if possible). I know that even with well done and well thought-out mods...in the end, a cheap guitar is still a cheap guitar and if you go to sell it or trade it..most likely you're going to eat your lunch. If you're going to keep it and play it..then go for it!!! It really is a ton of fun!

-dave

 

[shawnr]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

Most of my guitars are modded, but I don't spend a lot of money on them. I either buy used parts, or recycle parts from repairs.

Right now, I'm refurbing a Washburn MG44 that was in the junk pile at a pawnshop--$60.00 got me a 24 fret neck, tuners, a body and a Floyd. Found a couple plastic signs at work that they were going to toss--looks like pickguard material to me, lol.

The upshot of this is, I was planning on actually spending money to upgrade my Pro Tone Strat, but now I'm going to end up with a more suitable guitar for less than $100.00, and the Pro Tone can stay stock (in case I ever decide to try surf guitar).

 

[vladmarr]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

my LP is a cheap Jay Turser Copy that i hot rodded my self. i was going to college and did not have the cash to buy a "decent" Lp so i learnt to solder and did some modding. when the smoke cleared i ended up with a guitar that has My tone, not a copy of any one elses. some of my buddies wonder how it can sound so good.
learning how to mod a guitar is fun and it saves you money on repairs. it comes to the point that if i buy a new guitar, and the sales guy asks if i want the extended warranty i tell him "no thanks, i'm gonna mod this soon, so it will void any warranty"

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

You are posting on a forum dedicated to tinkering with guitars and amps, wondering if we think it is worth our time to mod stuff....:werd:

Its like logging onto the weight watchers website and asking if anybody's hungry....

 

[Oudy]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

why is everyone replying to this thread like it was made yesterday its like 4 years old

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

I DID try to point that out. Most of the people posting in this thread I've never even heard of.

 

[phil_104]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

I've been upgrading cheap-ish guitars for about 4 years now, and I have come to a conclusion.

You can make a cheap guitar good with upgrades. But if you start with an amazing guitar, you can make it epic.

IMO, if I was to do it all again, I would just get 1 really good guitar and upgrade that one instead of getting many OK guitars.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

yes... just make sure the guitar sounds good while not plugged in also... heck i even used cheap guitar parts to make an awesome cigar box guitar that sounds awesome... somehow it just sounds amazing...

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Is it worth it to upgrade a cheap guitar?

what i find so funny with my collection is i move parts from one axe to the next... case in point.. my mid 90's Jackson got a JB in the bridge the Jackson humbucker went to an old Fernandes i picked up for $100... i find i'm fixing my junkers with stuff off my better axes when i upgrade them...

today i've been going thru my parts and i have a load of nice stuff as well as cheap stuff....

2 Eden tele necks
2-Godin mahogany necks... LGX and LG
1-aftermarket no name Jackson style neck
1-Lado neck that has an ibanez style headstock
1-Yamaha neck-needs work
1-Kramer Striker neck-needs work
1-Wolfgang neck and body
lots of necks and bodies i've made

2 American Standard strat bridges
1-Fender Floyd bridge off a USA Deluxe strat
2-MIM Fender Bridges
1-Gotoh vintage style tele bridge
4-Fender American Standard hardtail bridges
2-Gotoh 6 screw vintage style strat trems
1-Ibanez Edge floyd like trem
1-Gotoh 12 string bridge
1-Epi LP style bridge

3 sets of Sperzels
4-5 sets of various quality tuners... 3x3 and 6 in line

lots of various PU's and small hardware parts....

and that does not include the wrecks i'm fixing... that's my spare parts... none for sale but i use this stuff when i need it