Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Jonesy76 on December 02, 2007, 11:06:36 AM
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Right first and foremost I am now pandering to the knowledge of you guys on here..........
Every Fender I have ever owned has been sold, and I've spent good money on some of them in the hope that I'll find something I can hold onto. Unfortunately I've always had a GAS attack and the Fender has been the least loved of anything I have so immediately gets sold, and it doesn't matter if its a Tele or a Strat.
These days I've swapped over to buying lesser instruments that are still well made, and then gutting the hardware and electronics on them, but still everything I own is Gibson based (An SG, a 335, a flying V, and 4 Les Pauls).
However one of my mates has just brought a 'Hello Kitty' Squier Strat (he doesn't have any masculinity issues......he just wanted a Strat with 1 humbucker, and no tone just a volume control) and I have to admit to being impressed with the fit and finish of the guitar. It got me thinking...........
I've been GASing for a Candy Apple Red Strat for a while, preferably with a maple fretboard and I noticed that Squier do one of their Affinity Strats with those specs. Now the body according to their webpage is Alder which is proper Fender material, and I know that the Squier has the oversized headstock that I love from the 60's Strats, so...........
Would buying one be a totally dumb thing to do? :roll:
Now I'm not stupid, and I know that Squier employ squirrels to manufacture and install the electronics in their guitars, but surely £105 is silly money even if it is essentially just for a body and a neck in the right colour?
I figure that buying cheap, and re-working the componentry and electronics will stop me selling the thing, and maybe allow me to finally give a Strat a chance.
Any opinions out there?
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I have a feeling that the Affinity range is alder for the US market and Agathis for everyone else. I could be wrong on that one, though. Yamaha Pacificas are alder, but I don't know if they do it in CAR or a near colour.
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How about trying Fenders other than Strats and Teles? Jazzmasters, Mustangs, Jaguars, all good guitars with different sounds yet still feel Fender-y. Or something more modern like a Toranado an shtuff. Rock.
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Well I'd give it a go-for that money if the basic guitar is sound, you can then mod it after you have decided it is worth modding. It sounds like a good plan though rather than paying more for a guitar that will be stripped down to the basics.
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i reckon it sounds like a rubbish idea, lol. You'll get poor quality woods, shoddily put together. You'll be trying to polish a turd. If you really wanted a strat, and yu'd had nice ones that you'd spent money on before, but let them go then yu're clearly not a strat man. give up
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Try the Swamp Ash strat - It's ace, and cheap.
I wouldn't want to pimp a squier - You can make it sound the bee's knees, but the playability will still be an issue imo.
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£105 sounds crazily cheap, even for a Squier... are you sure about the alder body?
I just wonder if, having upgraded all the hardware and electronics, you'll end up with a pretty decent guitar where the body and neck themselves are the weak links? You can only do so much with a sow's ear...
Then again, if you bought a more upmarket Fender would you still end up replacing most of the parts, or leave them as they are?
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I'm running with what GAK state on their website.......
http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/squier-affinity-stratocaster/1308
Now they can BS for all they're worth, but if that isn't Alder they're in deep sh!t with the powers that be as far as the trade descriptions act is concerned :roll: :wink:
I know you can't polish a turd, but of the 3 Squiers I tried yesterday (I haven't played one for ages so it was purely for research) only 1 really needed some work - it had more relief in the neck than sense! You could actually see the bow! The other 2 - which incidentally were both in dedicated guitar shops - played damn well, certainly as well as the Aerodyne Strat next to them that I picked up to have a go on. After lousy hardware and electrics I personally can't see how far wrong you can go with a seperate neck and body. Anything can be playable with a good set-up surely????
And yes......perhaps I should give up on Strats and Teles, but I can't stand the look of Jaguars, and I quite fancy having something lighterweight knocking around the house that maybe the wife can have a go on. The only real lightweight guitar I have is my Flying V, and you can't really sit down and learn on one of those! :P
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I just looked on the Squier site and it definitely says alder for the big-headstock Affinity. OK, it might be a 5-piece, but so were American Standards in the mid/late '90s.
Didn't realise you'd actually played the guitars. If you like the feel of the neck and they sound OK, go for it...
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It sounds like your just as spoiled as i am :lol:
Anyway, someone got me talking about that wrecked fernandes strat i once had, and i miss it.
Crashing some of that hendrix stuff into a strat is simply not the same on a Gibson, even to a point that it makes me worry about my precious gibbies. Its allmost an old versus young thing with LP versus strat.
I am happy with the S/H Tele with the uncovered vintage bridge single and the neck paf, but still its too perfect somehow.
Although in this respect the chinese strats are certainly not badly made, i think ill keep an eye out for a really nasty beat up Fernandes or something like that. They are a bit chunkier as far as i can remember and that improves playability form me. I also want a decent neck(maple/rosewood) and a heavy alder or swamp ash body. The rest ill probably alter myself anyway.
Ill be patient about this though because i want something old(80's like), allthough the chinese build squires are decent enough, im looking for something similar to what i had when i was young and sold back then because i simply had to.
EDIT: I forgot something about the chinese/korean squires, they use soft maple for the necks which is ABSOLUTELY horrible, you wont be able to use it after a year playing.......
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Jonesy, didn't you put a review on HC for your doubleneck? and you said that you had bought a riverside guitar doubleneck which you planned to alter.
I belieeve your words were something like 'These Koreans don't seem to know what a truss rod is'
So if you have had bad experience with dodgy necks on them before, then maybe it won't play so well after a good set up?
Am I thinking of the right thing?
Thought about a parts guitar? there are hardtail bodies on ebay for £60 from the US, your choice of woods, your choice of front or back routing, and you can always find a good neck around the internet I'm sure, give it a good fret dress and setup, and I would think that has a better chance of playing better maybe?
(I had previously looked into hardtail bodies, not a fan of trems that much)
In a Watford guitar shop, my girlfriend counted in excess of 5 different hello kitty guitars :!: very weird, but kept her busy
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How about a guitar made by a luthier? I think you would get the best going this way
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Well remembered and well put Will :D :wink:
I know I said that, and to be honest I still stick by that a lot (it was a Chinese made thing rather than Korean I later found out), but I have found that the Chinese and Indonesian stuff out there with respected names on the headstocks do seem to go through some form of Quality Control, these 'never-before-heard-of' guitars do tend to have no quality control......my friends sons Squier though is still going strong after 3 years of going to school in a gig bag every other day!
I'm looking at the possibility of going down the Partscaster line as you quite rightly state that I could get everything I want......been looking! :D
And I've had a luthier build something for me Fernando.......check my Avatar!! :D The only thing is there is no way I would get a luthier to build something for me, with a hefty price tag on it, if I was only going to grow bored of it, even if it was built to my exact specifications.
This idea is purely to either kill or cure me as far as Fenders are concerned. If I don't get on with this next one than I'm not going to try again.......and before you lot say well there's no way I'd ever get on with a Squier, I've owned a Rory Gallagher strat after one of my friends had one! They don't get much better, but I simply didn't play it and when the chance of a Gibson CS356 came along the Rory Gallagher was first out of the door!
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I've owned a Rory Gallagher strat after one of my friends had one! They don't get much better, but I simply didn't play it
What, the Custom Shop tribute model? :o That's the only Rory Strat I've heard of. Serious money!
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I have seen a lot of Affinity strats that were pretty good, and had customers who were keen to upgrade them.
One had a fret dress and put a set of BKP Apaches on
Yes - he spent more on the upgrades than they spent on the guitar but the end result was amazing
Sadly he was still feeling that he didn't have a proper "Fender" like he had always wanted and traded it in for a USA strat, which sadly wasn't as good.
That came as a bit of a shock to him!
We did end p working on the US strat and made it pretty nice but came to realise how good that Squier had been.
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I've owned a Rory Gallagher strat after one of my friends had one! They don't get much better, but I simply didn't play it
What, the Custom Shop tribute model? :o That's the only Rory Strat I've heard of. Serious money!
Yep :D
I got it for silly money from a long standing friend who had a GAS attack for a 59 Historic Les Paul that was a "buy-it-this-weekend-or-its-gone" mega bargain. I had savings for a PRS CU24 at the time, and I simply went for the Rory Gallagher instead as it was a bargain, and I knew how good they sounded after my friend had got his. Sadly though it spent most of its time in the case when even my Flying V was getting more play time. It sounded inutterably amazing, but it simply didn't flip that little switch inside my head that says "You're not going to sell this one". Vanity didn't help as I never was that struck on the trashed look of it! Yes the tone was wonderful, and yes it is an accurate representation of Rorys actual Strat (even down to the single replacement Gotoh tuner), but I'm not one for relics. I like to naturally relic my guitars myself! :D
Found this though which might be an option
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bodies,_necks,_wood/Electric_guitar:_Bodies/1/Flametop-S_Front-routed_Guitar_Bodies/Pictures.html#details
Warmoths prices are just that little bit too steep.
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And I've had a luthier build something for me Fernando.......check my Avatar!! :D The only thing is there is no way I would get a luthier to build something for me, with a hefty price tag on it, if I was only going to grow bored of it, even if it was built to my exact specifications.
I know, I saw the pic of your double-necked LP :D
And I know there in Europe and USA the price of a guitar hand-built is more expensive than a Fender/Gibson... Don't worry, sell a kidney! 8)
(here in Brazil, when is a luthier without a company (something like Wez) is usually less expensive, if is a company, like Feline, it get a little more closer price, but still less than a Gibby... Here it's unpayable... he have a several problem with taxes)
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I was going to suggest the assemble by parts idea but took your original post literally, i.e. you specifically wanted a C A R guitar and them to pimp it. Buying the bits and putting it together as you go would be a good option.You sound like you know what you want and how to go about it though. One of my neighbours has a son with a Squire and I have played it a few times-very well put together guitar.Tuners are not too clever though on his but playable. They paid around that amount I seem to recall.
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Warmoths prices are just that little bit too steep.
Yes... The price of this body from StewMac is the same of the price of a finish job from Warmoth...
But I heard they get the best quality in this "bodies/necks stores"
I can't say if it's truth or false...
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the stew-mac stuff will be alright - maybe not quite warmoth quality but still pretty good... and they have the best customer service in teh world if there is a problem with it
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I love Strats. It is a Squire so don't feel bad about modding it. If you like it, I say try it and mod what you don't like. Personally, I would add a Callaham Bridge, Sperzel tuners, and some new pickups/electronics (so basically everything, but then again, I do that to all my guitars). I have an '80's Squire Tele that is good that is.
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I have found an old fender Alder body from the seventies with backplate, pretty messed up and cheap. Maybe it would be a perfect opportunity to put a replacement neck on it made to my hands and preferences. Gonna try and get a price estimation tomorrow.
Probably wont be cheap after all is done, but i do like the idea!
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I just happened to be checking out a site of a company in a nearby town and if you check it out, you should see a Tokai C A R Strat for sale in the used gear section.
http://www.bedrockmusic.com/
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Thanks 38th..........
Would have been great but it's got the rosewood fretboard when the little part of me really wants Maple :oops:
Looks like I might be going down the line of a Partscaster though after talking to a couple of guitar shops today about the Squiers. Looks like my best bet might be to either save my money for a Highway 1 USA Strat, or go down the line of buying up a body and a neck and then building my own Strat from bits
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Thanks 38th..........
or go down the line of buying up a body and a neck and then building my own Strat from bits
do it!!!
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Strats are, to me, THE most comfortablr guitars in the world. My dream one - a proper stoptail and locking tuners for stability and a pair of humbuckers for unmistakable power.
To anyone that says "but it's not worth owning a Strat if it doesn't have a trem and singlecoils"... shuttup, yes it is.
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heres a suggestion:
why not try a squier or fender 'cyclone'?
i brought a squier one and have been gradually doing it up. it feels very gibson-y for a fender, but has that look and sound. very keen on my one, looking forward to fitting decent pickups on it.
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I have been checking on strats today, have tried out some different necks and i actually need a D shape neck (largest neck shape) which cannot be made to fit a C body. I did have a choise to have the chunky D shaped as a 'soft V' or 'strong V' like clapton used.
So the new neck and old body deal is off, the bill for a very basic handmade strat would be about 1200 euro, but ill have a perfect neck for that. Still dont want to spend that much on a strat really.
So ill go back to my original plan and keep looking for a chunky standard C shaped neck. Ill be looking for an old squire, 80's like, so Korean or Japan made. The Korean standard squire models of that time have a decent enough reputation.
I also found some info on Pro Tone Korean squires(ash body!) which have been cancelled by Fender due to their build quality. Anyone every had/tried one of these?
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The reissued Fender Jaguars with twin humbuckers had good reviews when they came out a year or two back. Small and short scaled and just over 500 quid if that's in budget ?
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Strats are, to me, THE most comfortablr guitars in the world. My dream one - a proper stoptail and locking tuners for stability and a pair of humbuckers for unmistakable power.
I had a hardtail Strat with a pair of humbuckers (the Fender Double Fat Strat). Sold it just a few weeks ago.
Don't shoot me, but I never really liked it that much - I do prefer single-coils (or hum-cancelling "single-coils") in a Strat. But with you all the way on the hardtail.
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Strats are, to me, THE most comfortablr guitars in the world. My dream one - a proper stoptail and locking tuners for stability and a pair of humbuckers for unmistakable power.
I had a hardtail Strat with a pair of humbuckers (the Fender Double Fat Strat). Sold it just a few weeks ago.
Don't shoot me, but I never really liked it that much - I do prefer single-coils (or hum-cancelling "single-coils") in a Strat. But with you all the way on the hardtail.
How much did it go for?!
It's fair enough, there's a time and a place for singlecoils... in my future-arsenal of geetars, there would always be a Strat. Nowt cleaner than a Strat in position two. ;)
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How much did it go for?!
£495 on an eBay Buy It Now. Maybe could have got a little more on an auction, but it didn't sell the first time I listed it.
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Phew that's ok then, more than I could afford to have paid and, therefore, regret missing out on. :D
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I've got more humbucker equipped guitars than sense. My reason for going Fender is simply to have the single coil sound in my arsenal.
I tried running a coil tap on one of my Les Pauls for a while, but it simply doesn't really give you the singlecoil sound.
And SuperStrats are out because I have huge mitts so those ridiculous skinny necks of Ibanez and Jackson simply disappear into my hands.....and because I always play with my hand resting on the bridge I can't play Floyd Roses either :roll:
Nope......to get the single coil sound in my arsenal it's going to have to be a Strat (her-who-must-be-obeyed doesn't like Telecasters! :P ).
Looking at Mighty Mite now for a possible neck and body combo.
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I have a Mighty Mite Tele neck and body you should buy and silence "her". :D
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I've tried various pickups in my strat over the years but the best so far are the ones in it now. Fenders own Hot Noiseless set. Pure strat sound but more grunt and no noise. I'd love to try a set of BKP trilogys sometime though :)
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I have a Mighty Mite Tele neck and body you should buy and silence "her". :D
What's it like? :D
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Okey dokey... both pieces are Mighty Mite-made and bought from www.dancingdragonguitars in the US:
(Each description contains a link to that site...)
Body is made of Ash with a flamed maple top. Standard pickup routes and finished in a very lovely tobacco sunburst! (http://www.dancingdragonguitars.com/itemdetails.asp?Key=391)
(http://www.dancingdragonguitars.com/images/inv/bodyteleflametsb1lg.jpg)
(Note, this body does have a slight ding on the back - acquired during transit from America)
Neck is maple with a maple fretboard, apparently perfect fit for the body and has the classic skunk stripe down the back. Satin finish, 21 frets, blah blah... (http://www.dancingdragonguitars.com/itemdetails.asp?Key=447)
(http://www.dancingdragonguitars.com/images/inv/necktelema1lg.jpg)
I also have some other extras that I'd get rid of... if wanted... a pair of Dimarzio Twang King pickups and a pair of GFS Hot Lil Puncher rail pickups (http://store.guitarfetish.com/catepisethle.html) and there is a reason for all this, haha! :D
1. I planned on building a Tele. Then realise I don't know enough and am far too lazy and impatient.
2. Then I planned on getting a local builder to do it... but couldn't afford it because my pay sucked at the time.
3. At first, it was destined to have a pair of hot rail pickups.
4. Then I changed my mind, they were only cheap so never mind and I was gonna keep it "true" with a pair of Twang Kings.
5. Then I changed my mind AGAIN and was gonna use a bridge rail and a neck Twang King.
However, since I got my Strat and realised that "true" singlecoils just don't suit my sound, it seems kinda pointless and if I was to have a Telecaster, it'd have humbuckers in.
Phew, and that's the saga of why I have 90% of the components in my wardrobe at my Mum and Dad's house for a Customcaster. TA-DAAAAA!!!
If you were genuinely interested, I think I have some actual photos of it at home...
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Personally, I'm with "her-who-must-be-obeyed" on the telecaster issue.
For me, the top section just above the neck looks properly - how shall I put it - Brokeback mountain. The headstock looks rubbish, too.
No offense, like.
:)
Roo
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Her who must be obeyed say no :cry: :x
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What if I killed her? :P
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Honestly, she's doing you a favour :)