knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

[stonabus]

i have been playing acoustic for years. i bought a squire strat (barf) because it was cheap and i wanted to get into electric. i liked the feel of the guitar, but it was definately cheap. it never stayed in tune and if i used the tremelo, wow. to many peoples disagreeing, i bought and installed seymour duncan pickups (coolrails neck/vintage rails mid/hotrails bridge), and that helped the sound a lot. i want to buy a 62 strat rosewood neck for my guitar. i will also replace the bridge. now, is this a bad idea? people have told me to just by a new strat, and save some hassle. but i have these kick-ass pickups that im not leaving in the squier if i get a new strat. so what will i do with the pickups that come in the new strat? im hoping there is someone on this bb who has built a strat or two, and can give me some advise. here are my options:

1. by a new neck (62 rosewood) and bridge. later on buy a new (62 sunburst) body. basically replace everything in time, except for the seymour duncan pickups.

2. by a new strat altogether.

advise?

 

[skh515]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

Well it would probably be cheaper just to buy a new Strat. You could switch out the pups from the new Strat and put them in the Squier.

BTW, My first electric was a Squier. It was a great guitar. I couldn't bring myself to sell it, so I gave it to my nephew.

I too played acoustic for years before I got my first electric. I think it was to my advantage. With an acoustic all you have is the guitar and your hands. It requires real technique to get the sounds you want out of it. Now that I'm made the transition, I have the technique plus all the toys, like Wah-Wah, Overdrive, Reverb, etc.

It should serve you well.

 

[AcidBurn]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

I would buy the 62 ri and just swap pickguards. You could also change the nut in the squire and block the trem, that should help with the tuning problems.

Also I have the same exact pickup config as you You should put a coil tap on the cool rails.

 

[Kac]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

put the stock pups back in the squire, use it as a trade in for the new strat, get the strat with all the features you want then put those beautiful seymour duncan's in it, and you will be set, just sit on your squire for a little while untill you have the money saved up.
Rock On :smoker:

 

[Norman_T]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

Depending on your budget I would get a new strat altogether but this time get something which will be a definite increase in quality over your previous one - perhaps a Highway with a 62 r/board?. Although alright for general use the pups in the Hwy are not brilliant and you can replace the pickups with the set that you have got and you will have a knock out guitar for not very much money. I would not get a '62 neck and put it on your existing Squier because you are now beginning to spend a lot of money trying to upgrade a basic guitar and long term I don't think you will be happy with the outcome. Keep the Squier and use it as a test guitar for any mods/projects that you may want to do in the future.

 

[stonabus]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

Keep the Squier and use it as a test guitar for any mods/projects that you may want to do in the future.

:cool3: good idea!

 

[Curly]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

I have a question:

have you played a '62 RI?

I find them more difficult to play than, say, an American Standard

 

[Norman_T]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

I too played acoustic for years before I got my first electric. I think it was to my advantage. With an acoustic all you have is the guitar and your hands. It requires real technique to get the sounds you want out of it.

Good advice and its something that I get some of my students to do when they are thinking about playing the guitar, get a good acoustic and learn the basics. All (electric) guitarists should also own at least an acoustic guitar and play that from time to time.

 

[Stratcat]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

I recommened a Fender American Series Strat made between 2001-Present.

 

[Armotron]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

I recommened a Fender American Series Strat made between 2002-Present.

+1

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

I would recommend checking out the Highway 1 Strat. I love that axe!!

 

[Im_in_Disguise]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

I'd recomend trading the squier (after reinstalling the stock pickups) for one an MIM classic reissue strat, either 50's or 60's, depending on which neck you like better. definitely a total hardware upgrade, you get the special shaped neck that you're apparently in the market for, and you get some cool color options as well. then just reinstall the pickups, if you don't like the stock ones that is! I guess it depends on what you play but I like the Fender vintage wound pickups in the neck and bridge (even if secretly I would like a duckbucker for the neck). There are really a lot of ways you could go, but I think I'd go that way.

 

[stonabus]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

thanks for the input!
anyone else? :question:

 

[Xeromus]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

http://www.guitarsjapan.com/ptp42.html

http://www.guitarsjapan.com/ptp59.html

http://www.guitarsjapan.com/2002seymourduncands200rristratcar.html

 

[Hellion]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

The thing about Fenders is that they're so modification friendly. I don't think that I'd spend a lot more money on the Squier that you've got. I understand the sentimental attachment, but they're cheap instruments. If you're wanting to put money into a Strat, find a MIM model that you're comfortable with, dump some Seymours into it, add some GraphTech saddles, and you'll have an instrument that will serve your needs.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

MIJ 62 RI. Put the Duncans in the MIJ and the MIJ pickups in the Squire, this way, you have your main axe (62RI) and a decent backup. :burnout:

 

[stonabus]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

a lot of people have been saying mim, mij, why not mia? also, what are your thoughts on musicians friend? where could i buy a mim, mij strat other than e-bay? (i dont trust e-bay)

 

[Stratcat]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

a lot of people have been saying mim, mij, why not mia? also, what are your thoughts on musicians friend? where could i buy a mim, mij strat other than e-bay? (i dont trust e-bay)

Go for the MIA, it will last you a lifetime.
Musicians Friend is a good place to buy,
you have 45 days to decide if you want
the guitar or not.

 

[stonabus]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

Go for the MIA, it will last you a lifetime.
Musicians Friend is a good place to buy,
you have 45 days to decide if you want
the guitar or not.

thanks, thats what i wanted to hear.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/content/doc_id=91865/base_pid=511143/
:32:

 

[RiffRaff]

Re: knowlegable strat lovers, in here...

You've got some great advice here, I think the beauty of the strat is they aren't all that expensive to begin with and sell for a very reasonable price used. If you look around you can find US made standards for five bills or less - the necks are very easy to have refretted if you like lower/wider frets and the pickup/hardware mods are simple - I say buy a new or used US made start and just swap your pups - sell you squire with noting the pickups are off an "american standard" and you'll pull in a few extra bucks.