Author Topic: Pimp my Squier baby, yeah! (Project guitar looking good!) (Read 12103 times)

Twinfan · « **on:** May 20, 2008, 11:20:00 PM »

OK, it's time to share my latest piece of guitar related fun :)

A bloke at work sold me a used one of these a few months back:

It's a bog standard Chinese Squier Affinitiy Strat. It had no trem arm and a few bumps and bruises so I paid him his asking price of £35. Bargain! I had a few spare Seymour Duncans lying around so I'd been looking out for a cheap Strat to stick them in. The guitar is surprisingly nice to play, quite resonant and worthy of the pimping. Job done. Or so I thought...

I picked up a used Black Dog a few weeks back and it didn't work out for the guitar I bought it for, so it was lying around spare. I thought I'd pick up a single pickup Baretta or something similar to stick it in, then I saw one of these in Sounds Great Music for £2299 ( :o ):

Can you see where this is heading??? ;)

A quick check on the body routing of the Squier and it's routed for a 'bucker in the bridge. Hmmmm. A bit of planning, a little shopping trip to AxesRUs, and couple of hours work and I end up with the spend below:

* Chinese Squier Strat (used): £35
* Wilkinson vintage style Strat trem: £26.50
* Bare Knuckle Black Dog humbucker (used): £60
* Tortoiseshell H-S-S Strat scratchplate: £15
* Wilkinson E-Z Lok machineheads: £17
* Cream vol/tone/tone knobs and trem/switch tips: £6.30
* Schaller Straplocks: Free, from my spare parts drawer
* Seymour Duncan APS-1 single coil: Free, from my spare parts drawer
* Stock Squier middle single coil: Free, came with the guitar

£160.80. Not bad at all! I've got a line on a couple of different single coils that will replace the stock Squier, and I need to take the shine off the scratchplate, otherwise the guitar is all done for well under £200. It's my "anti-snob" axe that I'm hoping to use in my 80s rock band when it gets off the ground. It's an awesome sounding old-skool rocker!

I don't need a Custom Shop Fender when for a fraction of the price I can create the "Masterbuilt Twinfan-o-caster" :D

Roobubba · « **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2008, 11:29:59 PM »

Superb!

Although I think you should take a blunt object to it too, to get that "well gigged" look. You could sell it on to some muppet willing to pay over 2 grand for a similar axe, and make a tidy profit :D

Roo

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #2 on:** May 20, 2008, 11:31:35 PM »

Lovely jubbly!!!!

I'd love it :D

Twinfan · « **Reply #3 on:** May 20, 2008, 11:35:06 PM »

The Black Dog sounds superb in it, really nice hot PAF rocker. I think I prefer VHIIs for higher gain stuff, but the 'Dog does pretty well!

I can't understand paying huge money for a Superstrat. Build your own, it's WAY more fun!

opprobrium_9 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 21, 2008, 02:05:53 AM »

the body is a beauty but strat headstocks i just can't get by, for me the are just repulsive :shock:

JJretroTONEGOD · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2008, 02:07:51 AM »

Quote from: opprobrium_9

the body is a beauty but strat headstocks i just can't get by, for me the are just repulsive :shock:

I sawed mine off

FernandoDuarte · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2008, 02:24:41 AM »

Cool! Just need now to "moor" it to your car and get ride thru your corner 8)
Or pay to some guy give it the vintage looks

ilÿti · « **Reply #7 on:** May 21, 2008, 02:36:09 AM »

Quote from: JJretroTONEGOD

I sawed mine off

Good stuff. Everytime someone takes a saw to a Strat, I feel all warm and fuzzy.

maverickf1jockey · « **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2008, 06:19:33 AM »

Quote from: JJretroTONEGOD

Quote from: opprobrium_9
the body is a beauty but strat headstocks i just can't get by, for me the are just repulsive :shock:

I sawed mine off

How did you tune?
Did you use a Steinberger system?

martinw · « **Reply #9 on:** May 21, 2008, 07:55:19 AM »

Very nice! :D

70's Strat headstocks rawk! :twisted:

MrBump · « **Reply #10 on:** May 21, 2008, 08:13:55 AM »

OK, the snob in me has to ask - are you going to keep "Squire" on the headstock? I know, I know, that's the point that you're making... however, if you're going to be seen in public with it, wouldn't you want to write something else on there?

Mark.

martinw · « **Reply #11 on:** May 21, 2008, 08:23:06 AM »

I'd be proud to be seen with a Squier.
At least then people will know it's the player, not the kit.

WezV · « **Reply #12 on:** May 21, 2008, 08:32:58 AM »

it looks really good, i like the black and tortoise a lot

Twinfan · « **Reply #13 on:** May 21, 2008, 08:35:47 AM »

Yep, the Squier is staying :)

I'd love someone to walk over at a gig and say:

"You're playing a Squier?????????" :lol:

Philly Q · « **Reply #14 on:** May 21, 2008, 11:54:11 AM »

Looks good to me, and I'm glad the BD worked out well in a Strat!

Definitely keep that Squier logo, bollocks to guitar snobbery. If it was a "JV" Squier, people would be cooing over it anyway, they have their own snob appeal.

And Strat headstocks rule, big or small it's a fantastic shape. The only one they messed up was "The Strat" back in 1980. They tried to recreate the original '50s style but apparently they used worn-out tooling and it went a bit wrong: