This "getaway" called "guitaristas" is such a comfortable place... Thank you for inviting us in for a visit! I really like that Squire, maybe even more than the Cabronita
@@theguitaristas My ears tell me that by installing Gibson P90's on a Fender, you've made it sound more like a Fender! Way more articulate & lively! But I'm now waiting on the bridge swap
@@ivarara Oh, fantastic, you're hearing what I'm hearing. I've always changed one item at a time on a guitar. Then, test each time just like our friendly friend did but after the pickup change, wow, what a difference... shhh.. don't tell Fender that Gibbo P-90's cannot be beat
Honestly, because of your whole presentation, you could make a Bontempi banjo look cool. That Stratosonic looks marvellous. I think I'll be getting myself one of those, although, I doubt I'll be making any mods to it. Thanks very much Col.
Why this channel hasn't got north of 500k subscribers is beyond me. Love it! That Epiphone Wilshire sounds fabulous. Regarding the Squire, I think there's a reason why Fender wanted itmto sound 'Fendery'. Great work tho Colin.
That was a fun and interesting visit to The Mad Jammer's laboratory! I agree about the P90 neck pickup sounding to dark or muddy. Perhaps adjusting the pup height or the pole pieces will bring it back to life. Love the mini-hum in the neck idea! Keep having fun, Doc.
Thanks for this, Colin! My tuners rattled and I felt the need to do more than just change those on the Stratosonic, so I thought of this vid and decided to order the same Faber parts you did. The end result is lovely and I didn't have to worry about the inserts not fitting, thanks to you.
Great video. I honestly thought it sounded good from the beginning. I love the upgrades, made it better! I like to tinker with guitars so this is inspiring!
Once again, entertaining to the very end! Yes, the P90s took a lot of Fender out of the guitar, much darker and less defined but more gritty. The Faber bridge kinda returned it to the how the original sounded but with better sustain and a bit of those magical harmonic overtones. Definitely try it with the original pickups and Faber hardware...
If you noticed the Epiphone neck pickup had less Inductance (Henrys) than the Gibson neck pickup although they had the same DC resistance, thats because of the brass baseplate, brass effects the magnetic field differently than silver nickel and robs a bit of output, this is often done to keep the neck from getting too muddy. My P90s are wildly different to both these sets! Fibre bobbins, no wax potting and a 50s wind pattern
Loved the upgrades. The bridge pup sounded awesome. I'd love to hear it ramped up with more gain, but....l agree, the neck position has lost it's clarity. I've got a Gibson double cut away Les Paul special with P90's but the neck pup still has some brightness when the tones on 10. I think a mini himbucker would look amazing as well as sounding great and make that guitar a real individual instrument. Do it, do it!
Another great video Colin. Bridge upgrade was solid! Both the pickups sounded great with your playing. The thing to remember is with any electric wound coil is the higher ohms/resistance the more filtered the signal/lower tone. The lower the ohms/resistance the brighter/higher your pickups will sound, giving your pots/effects items more range. Great job.
Another great video…. Very interesting idea re: putting Gibson mini humbucker in the neck pickup. I think that’s the direction Iwould go since it’s so much more interesting than keeping the neck as is, or putting the Fender originals back in. Whatever you decide, I’m sure you’ll make it interesting!😊
Hi Colin 👋 as I already wrote, the channel is excellent, dedicated to details and created with care. A little tip for a new post: maybe a comparison of hardshell and soft cases, I think people would be interested in that, since in recent times even expensive guitars mostly come with soft cases, and often without!; which is really strange. L&R!
If you wanted more Gibsonny, there would probably be a Epiphone that would work. But if you actually enjoy buying and installing upgrades, go for it! I'm so old, I would just buy the thing I wanted and leave it be :). Keep up the good work Colin!
Sounds better, but I much prefer your modded black single p90 strat. Had a cool Hot Rod vibe to it. I tried to make myself one but I got drunk and left the hot solder gun on the pickguard. Burned through the wires and out the front side of the plastic. Stunk up the entire house. Just like the natural sound of a strat does. Baw haw haw haw haw!!!
I spent the afternoon painting my son’s bedroom listening to your reviews on this guitar. Such a great way to lessen the misery and stress of painting lol. Thanks for keeping me company my friend!
Just noticed you’re a lefty like me. Luckily we can use the right handed style guitars! As always the videos are great. I personally enjoyed the stock sound of the squier.
I saw that too James, first giveaway that Colin's a dexter playing guitar right-handed. Actually it seems logical in a way to use one's best hand for the fretboard. Interesting that you play righty too. I've noticed as an aside that they don't make lefty pianos and I've never heard of ANYONE having an issue with this. Cheers!
@@markpell8979 they don’t make lefty pianos, but then again it’s a symmetrical playing experience up and down the keyboard. It’s interesting that guitar is one that does have both directions.
@@jamesmarkham7489 Yes and people should do what feels good when there's an option. So a quick story if you like, a band called Razzmatazz (just "Razz," for short) who I used to watch in the states long ago, had two tall Edgar Winter looking guys, one lefty and one righty, standing on opposite sides of the stage playing matching, mirror-image cherry burst Les Pauls. Very nice look for their show. Have a great day brother.
@@markpell8979I believe left handed guitars came about as original playing styles were more classical and required dexterity in the picking hand, hence left handed guitars for “lefties”! I’m left handed but play right handed, mostly because my elder sister had a classical guitar that I would mess around once as a child and because right handed guitars were much easier to get hold of back in the 70’s when I was learning!😊
@@ces69 Cecil, I bought a nice '08 lefty Epi LP super cheap at the pawn shop ($15, that's one-five dollars, no kidding!) and converted it to righty as a fun mod experiment. Made a PRS-style scoop cutaway between the neck and switch for fret access and added a curved armrest by the knobs (sort of like a violin chinrest), so my arm doesn't disturb the controls. Painted those to match the burst. Plus new Tusq nut, flipped some of the bridge saddles for better intonation. Since lefties are largely overlooked by the manufacturers, the obvious potential market for this type of conversion is changing righty guitars for lefty play. Did you know the pots operate in reverse on a lefty guitar? I didn't.
I cannot believe I missed this episode...brilliant review on this guitar Colin. Just when I thought I had all the bases covered, this thing shows up. How am I to explain this guitar is a must have to my wife? 🤔
I actually vastly prefer the stock pickups to the Gibsons! 4H is around the inductance of a low wind PAF. Those 4H P90s have enough midrange while still having that single coil sparkle. Really the best of both worlds to me. This definitely convinced me to look into picking up one of those Squiers!
Changing the pots and cap value made quite a difference on my Stratosonic. Might be something to further experiment with. Either way, highly entertaining video, keep them coming.
Whatever you get up to is always worth watching and very entertaining Colin! Your summary at the end pretty much described what I was hearing. I quite liked the original Squier sound, even though I'm a big P90 (Gibson LP JR DC) fan. I think if the mod had been done the other way round (remedying a muddy neck pick up) we would all be marveling at the clarity in the Squier pick ups! See you next week for more of the same, Thanks.
Nice one. Most importantly, the bridge added stability and you showed just how close budget guitars have are to the more expensive models. I think a bridge but and tuners upgrade is really all this model needs if anything.
Hi Col, I was reading the comments during the part where you played the different guitars at first and I didn't realize it wasn't just the Stratosonic playing all the way through. That's not the first time that has happened. Just goes to show how small of a difference there really is. We may notice it, but the average listener will not know or care.
I thought the original guitar had a definite “Telecaster” twang to it. That has certainly gone with the new pick ups but it still sounds great. Interesting stuff Colin, thanks.
Really enjoyed that mate. It’s convinced me (75 yrs old with slightly dodgy left hand) that the guitar as it came stock would be an ideal solution to get a Fender sound from a shorter scale-length neck ( which is easier to play) So it just remains to con(vince) the missus into letting me get one!😂
I'm no expert but I think you're definitely right that it usually doesn't sound that much different when you swap the pickups. I've swapped out a handful, mostly in Epiphones, and one Gibson. The Pearly Gates that replaced a pair of Probuckers sound almost identical, and most of the others haven't made that much difference. That said, when I swapped out the stock pickups in an Epiphone Les Paul Modern with some Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers, I initially left one of the stock pickups in it, and switching back and forth you could hear a significant difference. I was really impressed with the Seth Lover. After I put the other one in it though, they don't sound quite as good - I guess I needed that real-time comparison to hear the difference. At any rate, thanks for mentioning that the difference between the Epiphone and Gibson P-90s is negligible, because that was going to be my next upgrade, for my Monkey. Sounds like I can save my money and not bother.
I like the stock sound myself. If you were trying to "muddy up", and all together get rid of the 'Fender' tone---congratulations, it worked. Glad you found a Strat you can enjoy playing...but unfortunately you destroyed the Fender Strat sound. Yes; put the neck pickup back in (if not both). Great video my friend keep going at it.
Great stuff Col. Got me going on GAS, then I remembered I have a Ibanez JS700 which it the Satriani P90, wrap over bridge in the same colour too lol. Always enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work mate
Stay fearless Col. I think it’s brilliant that you immerse yourself in doing things with the spirit that you ‘have no idea what i’m doing.’ Hammer away mate!
Grreat video mate I was thiking about getting one of those and having a play. It definately cuts through the mix better stock, and the tailpiece toned down the string seperation, made it more "musical", but if I'm being honest, the pickups didn't really do anything that couldn't be done with a hair of extra gain and a knotch down on the tone knob. I always say you can add but you cant subtract with guitar sound, for example you can always add gain, but not clarity, so I'd be inclined to start with bright and clear, and maybe lower output, then just add gain or tone to taste, its almost the whole reason we have bridge and neck pickups in the first place. I'm 100% with you on it being the best rig, I've got a les paul p90, an Epi p90, a jazzmaster triple p90, and building a tele with dogears, now i'm thinking a strat p90 might be on the cards🤣
Nice video as usual! One tip that I use when I set up a guitar--when you have to slack the strings for any adjustment, I count the number of turns that I loosen the tuners then I just tighten them the same amount when I am done. This gets you really close to in-tune before final tuning, saves a lot of time, reduces the temptation to make an adjustment without loosening the strings (we've all done it) and is a major timesaver for floating tremolo setups.
I have never had a Fender with P90, or double coils. I have and mostly use an Epi SG the last few years. But, I say if you need variety of sounds, and have only one guitar, a Fender is better than a Gibson. Of course it also depends on what your music is like. Many players do not need a variety of sounds. I have to play lightly on the SG, I can play harder or softer on the Fender and you can hear it.
Out of that intro jam I like the strat the best. They all sound good but that one is the best of. The bunch. Cheers Colin! Thanks for making my favorite show!
I still have to watch most of the video, past the comparison with the original parts still in the guitar- but I really like the Stratosonic as it is. Sounds like just the right hybrid of typical P-90 mahogany plank and some nice chimey strat characteristics. I think that's a great concept and a very useful sound. If somebody wants a guitar that's all the way Les Paul Junior/Special, SG Junior/Special, or Epiphone Coronet/Wilshire midrange punch... well, just get one of those instead. Then again, modding and tinkering is too much fun - and it's always interesting to hear how a guitar's sound changes with different replacement parts. Though it has to be said, a lot of people in this world could have saved hundreds or even thousands spent on aftermarket pickups if they had learned about potentiometer resistance and capacitor values first. Or what the height adjustment and polepiece screws are for.
I think you are right about the neck pickup. P90 sounds great in the bridge position. The new stopbar does give it more sustain. What about installing a fully intonatable stop bar? Great episode!
Splitting hairs here… sounded great before and after… the person playing it always hears and feels more differences than the casual listeners… great both ways…thank you
I just bought one last nite from Fender US and since I live 25 miles from their distribution center in Southern California, it arrives tomorrow free shipping! Mine is the Blue model. Cheers!
From LeoM: Good presentation. I have a Stratocaster type guitar with a couple of Wilkenson P-90 pickups. I really like the sound, it does not sound exactly like a Strat, and it does not sound exactly like my P90 SG. That is not a bad thing, If I want those sounds, I grab them from the wall instead.
The only time I notice a difference, a worth while (and money) difference, is when I switch out from high output ceramics to low wound alnico pickups (PAFs). Never been a fan of crazy high output pickups, I am more blues/rock/old-school metal oriented (in my playing anyway). My favorite pickups currently are a set of Vanson 57s that cost me next to nothing, they just have "that tone", you know, the one you hear in your head and can almost never find a guitar or pickup that quite gets there. Funny how it turned out to be a $40 set of pickups not the deluge of far more expensive pickups I have tried and use in other guitars. Picked them up for a cheap project and they ended up in my number 1. Go figure.
Hi Colin. Listening with studio monitors, I hear a much darker neck PU and not much different sound in the bridge PU. My experience with P90s is the most fun cones with blending both together. The clarity of the bridge PU with a touch of dark from the neck produces nice body. Love your videos and the relaxed ambiance you brong to us. Alan.
Have you ever tried the Fender JA90? It’s the Jim Adkins model (I know….me neither!). It’s a thinline tele but with a 24.75” scale, p90’s, tune-o-matic bridge, set neck. I sold mine because it just wasn’t a tele but I wish I hadb’t and everyone who played it raved about it.
Hi Colin, Your skills with the soldering Iron and electrics are looking great. I used to sweat a little watching you do it in your early videos! I'd love to see you routing out for a humbucker 🤘
I have a set of old cream soapbars in my parts draw and, on the strength of this video, I have just ordered this guitar to do this mod with them. Thanks, great content.
There was a definite difference. I liked the change myself. It was really bright with the original pickups for sure. It really is just a matter of choice isn’t it?
I have to agree 100% with your take on this guitar and mod experiment! Great episode! I really think I'm quite impressed with the guitar stock. Really unique but familiar at the same time! Can't wait to see your next "mod" to the guitar.
Interesting. I agree the P-90s reduced the twang noticeably. As for the new bridge, I couldn't really note much if any difference. You could try a Filtertron (or similar) in the neck :-) Thanks.
Another nice session Colin! Thanks. I'll just come right out and say that whiIe I like SG's, I like the look of that Strat more. All that's left is to try the bridge with the original pickups or, as you suggest, at least the neck PU. Oh, and then pop on some decent tuners.
They both sound really good, but definitely not worth the change. Personally, I slightly preferred the original pickups just because I like the more “Fendery” tones (to borrow your term). The tone just seems to fit the guitar. Another great video. Thanks!
Great episode 👏 certainly proved that the guitar 🎸 sounded more growling with both neck and bridge pickups by Gibson. Changing the tail piece and bits certainly got rid of the neck rattle when strings were played. Proved that when you had made all the alterations required. I found all this very helpful ☺ and will certainly help in the future with buying an electric guitar 🎸 Thanks Colin I'm very impressed by the Stratosonic Fender/Gibson hybrid by Squier
I dig this a lot! I love the simplicity of it & hearing the differences…but there’s not much. I think the Gibby pickups have a bit more bite but that’s about it. I think the bigger difference may have been if you went with a hotter 90 or even just a different type of pickup. The bridge swap…yeah I like that as well. I’m going to do the same with my Epiphone Les Paul Special. I’m going to throw my Gibson Dirty Fingers in my guitar. I’m certain that’ll really change it up a lot.
a while ago, we tested harley benton P90s with Gibson ones on an SG - they sounded exactly the same to me, others 'heard' subtle differences but I couldn't - and the HB les paul was about 150 quid
On second listen(first viewing, see below), I liked the blue guitar best, then the red one, I didn't love the yellow or black. I thought the strat was slightly brighter and I thought(imagined?) the LP was slightly fuller in the bass and midrange. I like to replace the pickups on cheap guitars with "good" ones but I think in this case I wouldn't bother. Some people say the stock Gibson P-90s don't sound as good as some boutique brands do. I know my Bare Knuckles do sound better than the ceramic P-90s that came in my Fender thin line. You just always seem to come up with content I want to see. Thank you so much!
Dearest guitar I ever bought was A Jimmy Page custom shop Telecaster junior fitted neck only ten made just couldn't get on with it . The Squier sounds great .
First in, I had no idea how to do it, but encouraged that you didn’t neither 😂 To my ears I thought it sounded a lot better with the P90’s & Faber bridge, & mellowed out compared to stock, which to me was a bit brash. I like the mini humbucker idea though, but then you’ll have to put another one in at the bridge 😁
I have an Ibanez JS700 which is very similar, with a wrap over bridge, 2 x P90s, mahogany body, bolt on neck but a mahogany neck. It came with Sky (Kent Armstrong) pickups but I changed them to Lollars. Sounds great but different to my Gibson Les Paul Special, presumably due to the bolt on neck.
But as usual a great review for us guitar freaks , cheers col new wish list includes a Burns Marquee, pretty sure your not going to like it, but it does have the sound of our childhood would love to see you review one, oh and they`re pretty cheap !!
The bridge upgrade needed to be done, im not sure about the pickups .it is your guitar so mod on.remember height of the pickup\ tone capacitors\ string choice will also have an impact on your tone. A set of flatwounds might have made those fender p90's what you want. Its a cool guitar, cheers.
Little late but still...Haappy Friday!. Great show Colin! I'd tag it "27 easy steps to make a nobody-wants-it Fender sound like Epiphone Wilshire" cheers , peace ;)
Well, I put some boutique P90s in my Stratosonic and it sounds awesome. It sounded great before....but it sounds a bit more "ballsy" and less Fender-y. Thanks for sharing and your input, have a great weekend.
Good Lord is it Friday already? Ten years ago I modded a Strat by installing two P90s and 2 volume, 2 tone controls. It still sounded like a Strat. One neeeds a set neck with mahogany body and neck. 24.75 scale. Ergo, get thee a LesPaul Special.❤
This "getaway" called "guitaristas" is such a comfortable place... Thank you for inviting us in for a visit! I really like that Squire, maybe even more than the Cabronita
Cheers man thanks for hanging out here! 😁👍
@@theguitaristas My ears tell me that by installing Gibson P90's on a Fender, you've made it sound more like a Fender! Way more articulate & lively! But I'm now waiting on the bridge swap
@@theguitaristasok, I hate to admit, just the Gibby p'ups without the bridge change & that's the sound.. dump the bridge & that's the best sound
Indeed it is.
@@ivarara Oh, fantastic, you're hearing what I'm hearing. I've always changed one item at a time on a guitar. Then, test each time just like our friendly friend did but after the pickup change, wow, what a difference... shhh.. don't tell Fender that Gibbo P-90's cannot be beat
Thank goodness for RUclips. If we still only had the mainstream channels, we would not be getting great stuff like this every week.
You are a star.
Yep, this is a perfect example of why mainstream tv is dead.
Thanks to you all for supporting!! 😊🙏
Honestly, because of your whole presentation, you could make a Bontempi banjo look cool. That Stratosonic looks marvellous. I think I'll be getting myself one of those, although, I doubt I'll be making any mods to it. Thanks very much Col.
yeh...i think the tight sound stock sounds great
I can see wanting to try the Gibson pickups in the Strat-o-sonic, but I think it is sounding pretty good as is!
33:21 Colin missed his calling as a Blacksmith! Love it! 😁
Hell of a lot of work you saved us and I appreciate your time here, Guitarista!
Why this channel hasn't got north of 500k subscribers is beyond me. Love it! That Epiphone Wilshire sounds fabulous. Regarding the Squire, I think there's a reason why Fender wanted itmto sound 'Fendery'. Great work tho Colin.
Cheers man that's appreciated! 😁🙏
100% this is one of the absolute best things on the internet
That was a fun and interesting visit to The Mad Jammer's laboratory! I agree about the P90 neck pickup sounding to dark or muddy. Perhaps adjusting the pup height or the pole pieces will bring it back to life. Love the mini-hum in the neck idea! Keep having fun, Doc.
🧐😆👍
Thanks for this, Colin! My tuners rattled and I felt the need to do more than just change those on the Stratosonic, so I thought of this vid and decided to order the same Faber parts you did. The end result is lovely and I didn't have to worry about the inserts not fitting, thanks to you.
Great video. I honestly thought it sounded good from the beginning. I love the upgrades, made it better! I like to tinker with guitars so this is inspiring!
I waited and ordered a limited-edition model in sapphire blue, and it was just delivered yesterday. I'm very pleased with it.
Too goood those P90! I neeed some ! And I can find all I need on your channel!! THANK YOU ! You are the best 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
When a man reaches a certain age he might experience the occasional wobbly knob its nothing to be embarrassed about Colin 😂
🤣👍
Once again, entertaining to the very end! Yes, the P90s took a lot of Fender out of the guitar, much darker and less defined but more gritty. The Faber bridge kinda returned it to the how the original sounded but with better sustain and a bit of those magical harmonic overtones. Definitely try it with the original pickups and Faber hardware...
If you noticed the Epiphone neck pickup had less Inductance (Henrys) than the Gibson neck pickup although they had the same DC resistance, thats because of the brass baseplate, brass effects the magnetic field differently than silver nickel and robs a bit of output, this is often done to keep the neck from getting too muddy. My P90s are wildly different to both these sets! Fibre bobbins, no wax potting and a 50s wind pattern
Cheers I noticed that variance... good to know why!
Love the use of a hammer, a widely unknown but approved luthier technique.
Not to be rude, but how else would you install the bushings? This is probably the most appropriate tool for this job.☺☺☺
@@christopherguzzi1316 you usually fit the studs into the ferrules then hit them with the rubber or plastic hammer
@@christopherguzzi1316the proper way is pressing them in with some sort of a press….. ignore the other comment lol
Loved the upgrades. The bridge pup sounded awesome. I'd love to hear it ramped up with more gain, but....l agree, the neck position has lost it's clarity. I've got a Gibson double cut away Les Paul special with P90's but the neck pup still has some brightness when the tones on 10.
I think a mini himbucker would look amazing as well as sounding great and make that guitar a real individual instrument.
Do it, do it!
I’m definitely tempted! 😁👍
Thanks Colin ,
You have made my friday evening down here in Aus` again. 😃
Great Vid` , See you again next week.👍
Cheers mate! 😁👍
Another great video Colin. Bridge upgrade was solid! Both the pickups sounded great with your playing. The thing to remember is with any electric wound coil is the higher ohms/resistance the more filtered the signal/lower tone. The lower the ohms/resistance the brighter/higher your pickups will sound, giving your pots/effects items more range. Great job.
Cheers Tim, this is great info thanks! 👍
Another great video…. Very interesting idea re: putting Gibson mini humbucker in the neck pickup. I think that’s the direction Iwould go since it’s so much more interesting than keeping the neck as is, or putting the Fender originals back in. Whatever you decide, I’m sure you’ll make it interesting!😊
Just bought one. I do think it is very nice as is. Gonna try a Gibson Firebird pickup in the neck. Excellent demonstration. I learned quite a bit.
Hi Colin 👋
as I already wrote, the channel is excellent, dedicated to details and created with care. A little tip for a new post: maybe a comparison of hardshell and soft cases, I think people would be interested in that, since in recent times even expensive guitars mostly come with soft cases, and often without!; which is really strange. L&R!
If you wanted more Gibsonny, there would probably be a Epiphone that would work. But if you actually enjoy buying and installing upgrades, go for it! I'm so old, I would just buy the thing I wanted and leave it be :). Keep up the good work Colin!
Well, he literally compared it to two epiphones he owns with the same setup. So he’s already bought what he wanted.
But experimenting is always fun.
All I could add is that you might want to make sure that Fender personality stays in tact
Sounds better, but I much prefer your modded black single p90 strat. Had a cool Hot Rod vibe to it. I tried to make myself one but I got drunk and left the hot solder gun on the pickguard. Burned through the wires and out the front side of the plastic. Stunk up the entire house. Just like the natural sound of a strat does.
Baw haw haw haw haw!!!
🤣🤣👍 Brilliant!
I spent the afternoon painting my son’s bedroom listening to your reviews on this guitar. Such a great way to lessen the misery and stress of painting lol. Thanks for keeping me company my friend!
😁👍
Just noticed you’re a lefty like me. Luckily we can use the right handed style guitars! As always the videos are great. I personally enjoyed the stock sound of the squier.
I saw that too James, first giveaway that Colin's a dexter playing guitar right-handed. Actually it seems logical in a way to use one's best hand for the fretboard. Interesting that you play righty too. I've noticed as an aside that they don't make lefty pianos and I've never heard of ANYONE having an issue with this. Cheers!
@@markpell8979 they don’t make lefty pianos, but then again it’s a symmetrical playing experience up and down the keyboard. It’s interesting that guitar is one that does have both directions.
@@jamesmarkham7489 Yes and people should do what feels good when there's an option. So a quick story if you like, a band called Razzmatazz (just "Razz," for short) who I used to watch in the states long ago, had two tall Edgar Winter looking guys, one lefty and one righty, standing on opposite sides of the stage playing matching, mirror-image cherry burst Les Pauls. Very nice look for their show. Have a great day brother.
@@markpell8979I believe left handed guitars came about as original playing styles were more classical and required dexterity in the picking hand, hence left handed guitars for “lefties”!
I’m left handed but play right handed, mostly because my elder sister had a classical guitar that I would mess around once as a child and because right handed guitars were much easier to get hold of back in the 70’s when I was learning!😊
@@ces69 Cecil, I bought a nice '08 lefty Epi LP super cheap at the pawn shop ($15, that's one-five dollars, no kidding!) and converted it to righty as a fun mod experiment. Made a PRS-style scoop cutaway between the neck and switch for fret access and added a curved armrest by the knobs (sort of like a violin chinrest), so my arm doesn't disturb the controls. Painted those to match the burst. Plus new Tusq nut, flipped some of the bridge saddles for better intonation. Since lefties are largely overlooked by the manufacturers, the obvious potential market for this type of conversion is changing righty guitars for lefty play. Did you know the pots operate in reverse on a lefty guitar? I didn't.
I cannot believe I missed this episode...brilliant review on this guitar Colin. Just when I thought I had all the bases covered, this thing shows up. How am I to explain this guitar is a must have to my wife? 🤔
I actually vastly prefer the stock pickups to the Gibsons! 4H is around the inductance of a low wind PAF. Those 4H P90s have enough midrange while still having that single coil sparkle. Really the best of both worlds to me. This definitely convinced me to look into picking up one of those Squiers!
“Spoon yer knobs off” would make a great t-shirt slogan 😂
🤣👍
Changing the pots and cap value made quite a difference on my Stratosonic. Might be something to further experiment with. Either way, highly entertaining video, keep them coming.
May I ask.. What pots & cap did you go with?? Did you still use push & pull pots or just reg pots??
@@PatrickGeneLeBlancHardy 500k CTS standard pots. Not push/pull. .33uF capacitor. I find they match with many p90s well for my ear.
@@adamwarrell475Thank You for the information
Whatever you get up to is always worth watching and very entertaining Colin! Your summary at the end pretty much described what I was hearing. I quite liked the original Squier sound, even though I'm a big P90 (Gibson LP JR DC) fan. I think if the mod had been done the other way round (remedying a muddy neck pick up) we would all be marveling at the clarity in the Squier pick ups! See you next week for more of the same, Thanks.
I think I liked it with the original pickups better too than with the P-90s
Nice one.
Most importantly, the bridge added stability and you showed just how close budget guitars have are to the more expensive models.
I think a bridge but and tuners upgrade is really all this model needs if anything.
Hi Col, I was reading the comments during the part where you played the different guitars at first and I didn't realize it wasn't just the Stratosonic playing all the way through. That's not the first time that has happened. Just goes to show how small of a difference there really is. We may notice it, but the average listener will not know or care.
I thought the original guitar had a definite “Telecaster” twang to it. That has certainly gone with the new pick ups but it still sounds great. Interesting stuff Colin, thanks.
Very nice upgrade Colin. Guitar sounds preety good for sure. Exellent job with the hammer 🔨.
In the end your ears is all that matters, that was cool, great playing, thanks!
Really enjoyed that mate. It’s convinced me (75 yrs old with slightly dodgy left hand) that the guitar as it came stock would be an ideal solution to get a Fender sound from a shorter scale-length neck ( which is easier to play) So it just remains to con(vince) the missus into letting me get one!😂
Tell her doctor says it's really good physio for your hand?... Good luck! 😆👍
Great video Colin, love the new p90s they sound slightly more alive with a more compressed tone and sustain. Brilliant.
I'm no expert but I think you're definitely right that it usually doesn't sound that much different when you swap the pickups. I've swapped out a handful, mostly in Epiphones, and one Gibson. The Pearly Gates that replaced a pair of Probuckers sound almost identical, and most of the others haven't made that much difference. That said, when I swapped out the stock pickups in an Epiphone Les Paul Modern with some Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers, I initially left one of the stock pickups in it, and switching back and forth you could hear a significant difference. I was really impressed with the Seth Lover. After I put the other one in it though, they don't sound quite as good - I guess I needed that real-time comparison to hear the difference.
At any rate, thanks for mentioning that the difference between the Epiphone and Gibson P-90s is negligible, because that was going to be my next upgrade, for my Monkey. Sounds like I can save my money and not bother.
I like the stock sound myself.
If you were trying to "muddy up", and all together get rid of the 'Fender' tone---congratulations, it worked.
Glad you found a Strat you can enjoy playing...but unfortunately you destroyed the Fender Strat sound. Yes; put the neck pickup back in (if not both). Great video my friend keep going at it.
Favorite word of the day, wobbly knobs
Great stuff Col. Got me going on GAS, then I remembered I have a Ibanez JS700 which it the Satriani P90, wrap over bridge in the same colour too lol. Always enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work mate
Cheers Dave!
Stay fearless Col. I think it’s brilliant that you immerse yourself in doing things with the spirit that you ‘have no idea what i’m doing.’ Hammer away mate!
😆👍
Grreat video mate I was thiking about getting one of those and having a play. It definately cuts through the mix better stock, and the tailpiece toned down the string seperation, made it more "musical", but if I'm being honest, the pickups didn't really do anything that couldn't be done with a hair of extra gain and a knotch down on the tone knob. I always say you can add but you cant subtract with guitar sound, for example you can always add gain, but not clarity, so I'd be inclined to start with bright and clear, and maybe lower output, then just add gain or tone to taste, its almost the whole reason we have bridge and neck pickups in the first place.
I'm 100% with you on it being the best rig, I've got a les paul p90, an Epi p90, a jazzmaster triple p90, and building a tele with dogears, now i'm thinking a strat p90 might be on the cards🤣
Nice video as usual! One tip that I use when I set up a guitar--when you have to slack the strings for any adjustment, I count the number of turns that I loosen the tuners then I just tighten them the same amount when I am done. This gets you really close to in-tune before final tuning, saves a lot of time, reduces the temptation to make an adjustment without loosening the strings (we've all done it) and is a major timesaver for floating tremolo setups.
I have never had a Fender with P90, or double coils. I have and mostly use an Epi SG the last few years. But, I say if you need variety of sounds, and have only one guitar, a Fender is better than a Gibson. Of course it also depends on what your music is like. Many players do not need a variety of sounds. I have to play lightly on the SG, I can play harder or softer on the Fender and you can hear it.
Out of that intro jam I like the strat the best. They all sound good but that one is the best of. The bunch. Cheers Colin! Thanks for making my favorite show!
Ooooo, what a great name for a song, " Wobbly Knobs"! I'm sooo running with this!
I can hear Link Wray playing Rumble on that guitar .it’s got that twang for it ❤❤
Love that Faber stuff. Best tune-o-matic parts imho.
P90s bridge is great big improvement imho
I still have to watch most of the video, past the comparison with the original parts still in the guitar- but I really like the Stratosonic as it is. Sounds like just the right hybrid of typical P-90 mahogany plank and some nice chimey strat characteristics. I think that's a great concept and a very useful sound. If somebody wants a guitar that's all the way Les Paul Junior/Special, SG Junior/Special, or Epiphone Coronet/Wilshire midrange punch... well, just get one of those instead.
Then again, modding and tinkering is too much fun - and it's always interesting to hear how a guitar's sound changes with different replacement parts. Though it has to be said, a lot of people in this world could have saved hundreds or even thousands spent on aftermarket pickups if they had learned about potentiometer resistance and capacitor values first. Or what the height adjustment and polepiece screws are for.
I think you are right about the neck pickup. P90 sounds great in the bridge position. The new stopbar does give it more sustain. What about installing a fully intonatable stop bar? Great episode!
Splitting hairs here… sounded great before and after… the person playing it always hears and feels more differences than the casual listeners… great both ways…thank you
I just bought one last nite from Fender US and since I live 25 miles from their distribution center in Southern California, it arrives tomorrow free shipping! Mine is the Blue model. Cheers!
From LeoM: Good presentation. I have a Stratocaster type guitar with a couple of Wilkenson P-90 pickups. I really like the sound, it does not sound exactly like a Strat, and it does not sound exactly like my P90 SG. That is not a bad thing, If I want those sounds, I grab them from the wall instead.
Somehow I missed this one. I sure like the looks of it.. 😎
What an amazing video. This is why I subscribed. There are so many absolute jewels on this channel.
The only time I notice a difference, a worth while (and money) difference, is when I switch out from high output ceramics to low wound alnico pickups (PAFs). Never been a fan of crazy high output pickups, I am more blues/rock/old-school metal oriented (in my playing anyway). My favorite pickups currently are a set of Vanson 57s that cost me next to nothing, they just have "that tone", you know, the one you hear in your head and can almost never find a guitar or pickup that quite gets there. Funny how it turned out to be a $40 set of pickups not the deluge of far more expensive pickups I have tried and use in other guitars. Picked them up for a cheap project and they ended up in my number 1. Go figure.
that Wilshire sounds sick man...
And it looks badass!
Ham and cheese with fried onions , Nut Cracker winter warmer beer. Merry Christmas 🎄
Hi Colin. Listening with studio monitors, I hear a much darker neck PU and not much different sound in the bridge PU. My experience with P90s is the most fun cones with blending both together. The clarity of the bridge PU with a touch of dark from the neck produces nice body.
Love your videos and the relaxed ambiance you brong to us. Alan.
Nice playing Colin - very ‘Green Onions’!
At the end of the day, you like what you like - don’t fight it - feel it!!
Have you ever tried the Fender JA90? It’s the Jim Adkins model (I know….me neither!).
It’s a thinline tele but with a 24.75” scale, p90’s, tune-o-matic bridge, set neck.
I sold mine because it just wasn’t a tele but I wish I hadb’t and everyone who played it raved about it.
Hi Colin, Your skills with the soldering Iron and electrics are looking great. I used to sweat a little watching you do it in your early videos! I'd love to see you routing out for a humbucker 🤘
That may be something no one really wants to see… 🤣😬
@@theguitaristasColin, regardless of the outcome of the attempted routing, I can guarantee we’d all love the video😂 rock on mate!!
It was an interesting adventure Ista. Thanks for bringing us along.
I have a set of old cream soapbars in my parts draw and, on the strength of this video, I have just ordered this guitar to do this mod with them. Thanks, great content.
Well regardless of the neck pickup thats still the best sounding Strat I've ever heard. :)
So good of you, Colin, to pass on your knowledge in an entertaining way. Lang may yer lum reek!
Cheers
Alex
😆👍
There was a definite difference. I liked the change myself. It was really bright with the original pickups for sure. It really is just a matter of choice isn’t it?
@@thunderfootpower The Stratosonic features a 24,75 inch scale....🤘🎸
I always remember the alliterative saying
"Fretted, flatter, forward"
It's worked for me for years.
What does it mean?...
@@theguitaristas if FRETTED note is FLATTER move the saddle FORWARD towards the nut.
@@Furtheronmusic Ah brilliant! 😆👍 Thanks!
Your lucky I like you Colin because I’m a fender fan boy. I just don’t jive with a Les Paul. It’s like my wife, it just sits there looking pretty
The bridge looks better and not sloppy also I think it way better
I have to agree 100% with your take on this guitar and mod experiment! Great episode! I really think I'm quite impressed with the guitar stock. Really unique but familiar at the same time! Can't wait to see your next "mod" to the guitar.
Interesting. I agree the P-90s reduced the twang noticeably. As for the new bridge, I couldn't really note much if any difference. You could try a Filtertron (or similar) in the neck :-) Thanks.
I like the guitar better with the P90s. I notice that you are a lefty playing righty, as am I. Right on brother!
Another nice session Colin! Thanks.
I'll just come right out and say that whiIe I like SG's, I like the look of that Strat more.
All that's left is to try the bridge with the original pickups or, as you suggest, at least the neck PU. Oh, and then pop on some decent tuners.
They both sound really good, but definitely not worth the change. Personally, I slightly preferred the original pickups just because I like the more “Fendery” tones (to borrow your term). The tone just seems to fit the guitar. Another great video. Thanks!
Yet another great breakfast of coffee and waffling, Friday has meaning again thanks so much
Thanks for watching! 😁🙏
Great episode 👏 certainly proved that the guitar 🎸 sounded more growling with both neck and bridge pickups by Gibson. Changing the tail piece and bits certainly got rid of the neck rattle when strings were played. Proved that when you had made all the alterations required. I found all this very helpful ☺ and will certainly help in the future with buying an electric guitar 🎸 Thanks Colin I'm very impressed by the Stratosonic Fender/Gibson hybrid by Squier
I dig this a lot! I love the simplicity of it & hearing the differences…but there’s not much. I think the Gibby pickups have a bit more bite but that’s about it. I think the bigger difference may have been if you went with a hotter 90 or even just a different type of pickup.
The bridge swap…yeah I like that as well. I’m going to do the same with my Epiphone Les Paul Special. I’m going to throw my Gibson Dirty Fingers in my guitar. I’m certain that’ll really change it up a lot.
Bloody hell Colin I had visions of you braying the pickup with the mallet 😂, great vid btw cheers 👍🎸🎸🎸
Thnx for all your work from Arizona
a while ago, we tested harley benton P90s with Gibson ones on an SG - they sounded exactly the same to me, others 'heard' subtle differences but I couldn't - and the HB les paul was about 150 quid
On second listen(first viewing, see below), I liked the blue guitar best, then the red one, I didn't love the yellow or black. I thought the strat was slightly brighter and I thought(imagined?) the LP was slightly fuller in the bass and midrange. I like to replace the pickups on cheap guitars with "good" ones but I think in this case I wouldn't bother. Some people say the stock Gibson P-90s don't sound as good as some boutique brands do. I know my Bare Knuckles do sound better than the ceramic P-90s that came in my Fender thin line. You just always seem to come up with content I want to see. Thank you so much!
Great video Colin! I always enjoy watching your channel!
Dearest guitar I ever bought was A Jimmy Page custom shop Telecaster junior fitted neck only ten made just couldn't get on with it . The Squier sounds great .
"Wobbly knobs " ....great band actually !
Cool video. I preferred the original neck pickup, but I like the newer bridge pickup as well.
First in, I had no idea how to do it, but encouraged that you didn’t neither 😂 To my ears I thought it sounded a lot better with the P90’s & Faber bridge, & mellowed out compared to stock, which to me was a bit brash. I like the mini humbucker idea though, but then you’ll have to put another one in at the bridge 😁
Too late! 🤣
Some very fine playing there. You would make anything sound good.
Cheers Barrie! 😁🙏
The way I always remember intonation direction is "flat-forward".
I have an Ibanez JS700 which is very similar, with a wrap over bridge, 2 x P90s, mahogany body, bolt on neck but a mahogany neck. It came with Sky (Kent Armstrong) pickups but I changed them to Lollars. Sounds great but different to my Gibson Les Paul Special, presumably due to the bolt on neck.
But as usual a great review for us guitar freaks , cheers col new wish list includes a Burns Marquee, pretty sure your not going to like it, but it does have the sound of our childhood would love to see you review one, oh and they`re pretty cheap !!
Sounds great both pre and post mods. Just different. I dig the new bridge. The only thing I don't like is the black nut! Cheers mate!🎸
Fun video, sorta changed the sound from a lead to a rhythm sound. To me it seems to now have lots more low end coming through my speakers.
The bridge upgrade needed to be done, im not sure about the pickups .it is your guitar so mod on.remember height of the pickup\ tone capacitors\ string choice will also have an impact on your tone. A set of flatwounds might have made those fender p90's what you want. Its a cool guitar, cheers.
Little late but still...Haappy Friday!. Great show Colin! I'd tag it "27 easy steps to make a nobody-wants-it Fender sound like Epiphone Wilshire" cheers , peace ;)
Just got a black Wilshire P90 like the one in the video. It’s🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Well, I put some boutique P90s in my Stratosonic and it sounds awesome. It sounded great before....but it sounds a bit more "ballsy" and less Fender-y. Thanks for sharing and your input, have a great weekend.
Good Lord is it Friday already? Ten years ago I modded a Strat by installing two P90s and 2 volume, 2 tone controls. It still sounded like a Strat. One neeeds a set neck with mahogany body and neck. 24.75 scale. Ergo, get thee a LesPaul Special.❤