Re: SSS advice...
Andrew: Ain't those CV:s surprisingly good? I was floored when i tested it, never thought a Squier would have that kind of playability! What pups do you use?
Yes they are! I had my Gibson SG Classic for 2 years, I was going to be traveling to Ukraine and Poland for 3 months and I didn't want to take a chance traveling with my SG. I figured I should get a bolt on to travel with that I could take apart and put in my luggage. I ended up winning a Lake Placid Blue 50s Strat on ebay for $200. No one else bid on it. My thinking was that I had heard they were decent for the money and I could always just replace the pickups when I got home if I liked the guitar enough. I ended up really really liking it and changed everything before I left.
Even my tech was surprised at how good it was.
I put humbuckers in mine because at the time I was playing more hard rock stuff and wanted some thickness. At some point I will get a Candy Apple Red CV strat and put either Fender CS 69s in it or SSL-1s. 2 of my favorite sets of standard strat pups.
When I was in Ukraine, I saw lots of people playing stuff that would not be considered very good by most guitarists opinions. Lots of Squier and other cheap Strat copies, saw one cheap tele, one cheap les paul and one Fender Strat but that was from a touring band from New Jersey so I guess it doesn't really count.
They were mostly playing either Boss/MXR stuff or multi effects... lots of crate, line 6, and peavey SS amps. There were a few people who I remember just sounding great... I was really impressed and was really happy while I was traveling. I decided I wanted to spend more money doing my own thing, moving out of my parents house/traveling/other hobbies rather than constantly obsess over how my guitar sounded. I mean, if someone loves the instrument enough, they can make anything sound good.
I was looking around for cheap amps that sounded good but were loud with cleans. I play clean quite often. I stumbled upon a Yamaha G100 which was a twin reverb clone. 212 and 100 watts. The amp is extremely loud (louder than my Deville I had) and it just sounds
really warm for a SS amp. In fact, I think it is my favorite amp I have owned and I payed $145 shipped for it from guitar center (I have owned a 1969 Bassman, a Hot Rod Deville, Peavey Delta Blues, Pro Junior, Jet City JCA22 in terms of tube amps). Along with that, I have come to like multi effects for effects (even though I don't use effects much) and just standard boss pedals for drive (DS-2, OD-3, SD-1). I am able to save more money rather than flipping and moving stuff all the time and now I am traveling out of country again in december. I love life now, and I sound better than I ever have.
Here is the original post from my thread when I finished everything. I still don't know how old the 59 in the bridge is. Someone on this forum told me it was from 1979 and another said it was most likely 79 -81. Whatever year it was, it sounds great. The neck pickup sounds nice too (mid-late 90s I believe), was a little bassy at first but adjusted the height and now I really like all positions.
Squier Classic Vibe 50s in Lake Placid Blue, got a couple weeks ago... made some changes....
Changes:
Seymour Duncan 59s (bridge wound by MJ)
CTS Pots
Orange drop caps
CPL or whatever their name is 3 way switch
Warmoth Pickguard
Switchcraft Jack
GFS Brass Block and bridge
oh and dig the middle tone knob.
Great guitar, I love it, been playing it a ton for the past week or so. I would do a longer review but today sucked and I don't feel like it.
and I don't have a picture of the yamaha but this is the same amp.
Kinda off topic with the amp huh? Sorry... just love my stuff now...
About the Gibson, I found I really liked Strat style guitars and maple necks and this Squier was a lot of guitar. I sold my SG and don't regret it.
Anyway, I hope you find what you are looking for. They are really good guitars.
