I have the same year guitar in the same color, but have the "Squire series " on the headstock. I have 2 usa strats and actually prefer this one after pickups,electrical,tuners and trem block installed. The body is popler, and the main reason I like it so much. It's a "cheaper" wood, but for me, better then Alder. It just resonates on a different frequency that translates through my amps. It's especially noticeable with gain. It's suites rock, and heavy rock extremely well. I would think Popler would be a more common body wood in even high end guitars. More expensive doesn't mean "better". Just different...
Same here, I just got a ‘95 Squier series Mexican Strat. The neck is the best I have ever felt on a fender. I’ll probably make some minor upgrades to the pots, switch and wiring and some cosmetic changes like a new pickguard and fresh pickup covers and knobs. Other than that the pickups themselves aren’t bad at all, though I might eventually upgrade them. I’m glad that Squier series is kind of a hidden gem on the used market. If people knew about the necks on these things they’d sell much higher.
my reason in restoring this guitar is not to make it the best looking or best sounding guitar, my purpose was to document the process on how i did it. but if this is my only guitar then that's a different story. but I got lots of guitars and this is just one of the old ones that needs restoring, I got several more laying around so. I cant just put everything into a garbage can.
for real. That is the legacy of the Mexico Strat. "Funny" or not for individual they usually are fantastic guitars from the bones and its everything else bolted to it that are hot garbage. The same can be said about the squire classic vibe guitars. it needs real pickups at the very least. Ceramic bar magnet single coils are vomit wrapped in plastic.
I just found one of these 95 MIM black label Strats at a pawn shop and I’m thinking of doing the exact same thing. Thanks for the video! Any recommendations on hardware upgrades for the bridge, pots, etc?
I got one of these really cheap. It was rusty and had ugly paint splotches all over it. I stripped it down to bare wood, repainted it, refinished the neck and pretty much replaced everything. The only original parts are the body and neck.
Someone likely sanded off the squire series logo. The Black fender badge of that era was used on the squire series, it was common to remove said logo. The Mexican standard and Tex mex had the silver logo. That being said they were a random assortment of parts. The neck and body originated in California and were shipped to Mexico for finishing work and assembly.
Great Video! I recently scored the same guitar (later Traditional series Modell) from a guy who played it only a few weeks and then put it in the case. Absolutely NOS and it will be a killer Strat after a few upgrades
Very cool video. I went through the same process a few years back with a 96 MIM strat. I replaced everything except for the wood itself, new pups all the way down to the string tree. I had hesitated for years because I was afraid of devaluation, then I figured it wasn’t worth anything to anyone but me anyway. Not to mention I haven’t sold it yet and probably never will. Interested to see if you decide to upgrade yours further.
@@DrewsReviews07 Yes they were, had to replace them because they sounded scratchy and one had a broken post. I put a “No Pot” in the bridge position (I think that’s what it was called), standard pot, but with an extra click that removes it from the signal for a hotter sound when soloing or to induce feedback on demand.
Awesome video, there's a certain satisfaction in that process, especially the neck and fret work, as that's a bit tedious! The end result was phenomenal!!! Great job Dave! Bravo !!!
but its a guitar not a fashion accessory do you think a black pickguard will make the noise coming out of the bedroom at your moms place where you live sound good ?
@@rum5812 when you buy a guitar, you are free to buy it in the color you like. or, just because it's not a jacket, do you necessarily have to have it in a random color?
I've got the same guitar, I change the tuners, pots and jack. I put a set of pickups Fender Am std and is perfect, of course I change the frets for an SS frets, it is perfect ❤️
Esta es definitivamente una Fender Stratocaster MIM Squiwe Series. El logo Fender en color negro lo confirma. Tuve esta misma guitarra y le cambié micrófonos de puente y mástil por DiMarzio HS3 estilo Malmsteen y fué una excelente guitarra. Debo reconocer que estas series merecen cambio de puente y clavijas de mejor calidad para acompañar una buena puesta en valor y extraer todo el jugo de este gran instrumento. Saludos desde Buenos Aires.
I think i recognize that strat. I have a 1995 black label Fender Mexican Squier Series. The pots and switch and the pups all look standard for a squier of that era. Plus, the small trem block. I love mine and am proud to have the "Squier Series" decal out there on the headstock where it normally says "original contour body" on a USA strat. It's a very special guitar.
Me too, with the small decal Squier Series.... i put some SC from LEO´s Sound, Germany and a big Block of Trem Bras on it. Now it plays and sounds like an U.S. Old Standard ...... never sell it out !!!!
自分も95年製のメキシカンテレキャスター持っています。スクワイヤのロゴでない物。ＭＮ5 150xxです。メイプルネックでボディは黒です。白だったピックガードを黒に変え、ペグをＦＥＮＤＥＲのクルーソンタイプ（ねじはマイナス）に変え、ガイドは〇形に変え、プレートをボトム寄りにセットするものに変えてます。エンドピンも黒に。弦がボディ通しでないのがメキシカンの特徴でしょうか。違うのは、ネックのプレートにはFenderの文字が入っています。お邪魔しまいした。 We eat , We well by Ajinomoto ! 👍
Some difference between mim and squier series (mim) in early to mid nineties. The original pickguard would be single ply white and the neck pocket would be stamped "squier". Very fun guitars to upgrade.
Do you know that putting Salon Bleach + the Sun rays bath to those Knobs and pup covers will return the original whitening or the baige color also including the pickguard ??? Try it and see for yourself !
I have done a few of these as well, the main upgrade you did was the Kluson tuners. This will only leave one old hole visible and it's not too noticeable as the new tuners cover all but one of the old holes. The tuner ferules are the same size, so no drilling there. The other upgrades I usually do is to replace the bridge with a high mass MIM one and replace the all pots, switch and pickups with quality ones. I always put on a new pickguard and matching backplate as well. These will bring it up to a real nice playing and looking Stratocaster. I understand if you don't have the parts, or whatever, you do what you can with what you have, and you have done a great job. You can always make improvements in the future. Great choice on the pickguard, one of my favorites for a black Strat too, looks killer! This is exactly how I started out twenty plus years ago, I have restored, bought and sold hundreds of guitars since. You can make a few extra bucks, but you wont get rich, it's more for the love of doing it and the satisfaction at the end when you look at the end result of your hard work. Nice job my friend, and keep on rockin'!
yeah those are the only spare parts I have laying around during that time, just need to restore and upgrade few parts to up the resale value a bit. thanks for sharing your experience and for the advice.
Great job.i’v seen a fender squier similar to this.on abandoned houses the owner passed away he liked to read and was a musician and thay filmed the house and went into a room full of equipment drum we’re in cases cymbals laying around and the filmed the fender Stratocaster squier and a orb floated across the guitar 🎸🔵
I had the same guitar, if the fender logo is black it’s a squire series, just cause it doesn’t say squire series on the headstock doesn’t mean anything, mine had that decal and it was lifting the day I purchased it, it peeled right off just from a rub of my fingers, if the fender logo is black it’s a squire series, still a good guitar comparable with the MIM strats but your guitar is a squire regardless of what you want to tell people
Hey does your black label fender have a thin neck neck ? . I just bought one from guitar center I was under the impression it was not a squire . I thought mine was a mim standard that had a body and neck of an American standard ?
I have the same year guitar in the same color, but have the "Squire series " on the headstock. I have 2 usa strats and actually prefer this one after pickups,electrical,tuners and trem block installed. The body is popler, and the main reason I like it so much. It's a "cheaper" wood, but for me, better then Alder. It just resonates on a different frequency that translates through my amps. It's especially noticeable with gain. It's suites rock, and heavy rock extremely well. I would think Popler would be a more common body wood in even high end guitars. More expensive doesn't mean "better". Just different...
Same here, I just got a ‘95 Squier series Mexican Strat. The neck is the best I have ever felt on a fender. I’ll probably make some minor upgrades to the pots, switch and wiring and some cosmetic changes like a new pickguard and fresh pickup covers and knobs. Other than that the pickups themselves aren’t bad at all, though I might eventually upgrade them. I’m glad that Squier series is kind of a hidden gem on the used market. If people knew about the necks on these things they’d sell much higher.
I was waiting for him to sweep everything into a garbage can, leaving the neck and body on the table🤣
That wasn’t funny bruh 💀
my reason in restoring this guitar is not to make it the best looking or best sounding guitar, my purpose was to document the process on how i did it. but if this is my only guitar then that's a different story. but I got lots of guitars and this is just one of the old ones that needs restoring, I got several more laying around so. I cant just put everything into a garbage can.
for real.
That is the legacy of the Mexico Strat. "Funny" or not for individual they usually are fantastic guitars from the bones and its everything else bolted to it that are hot garbage. The same can be said about the squire classic vibe guitars. it needs real pickups at the very least. Ceramic bar magnet single coils are vomit wrapped in plastic.
That's pretty much what I did with mine😂 Replaced everything, even the nut. These Black labels are the perfect mod guitars.
I will use this and do the same on my guitar thanks Dave
Got a -91 Mexican myself and it plays amazing both tones and feeling... :)
Hello me from indonesia..cool restoring guitar fender mexico..
Still looking for my first electric guitar, I let go of my 95 MIM Fender Strat too soon. I want to find it to set fire to it
I just found one of these 95 MIM black label Strats at a pawn shop and I’m thinking of doing the exact same thing. Thanks for the video! Any recommendations on hardware upgrades for the bridge, pots, etc?
I got one of these really cheap. It was rusty and had ugly paint splotches all over it. I stripped it down to bare wood, repainted it, refinished the neck and pretty much replaced everything. The only original parts are the body and neck.
I wonder why he didn’t replace that paper thin term block?
Someone likely sanded off the squire series logo. The Black fender badge of that era was used on the squire series, it was common to remove said logo. The Mexican standard and Tex mex had the silver logo. That being said they were a random assortment of parts. The neck and body originated in California and were shipped to Mexico for finishing work and assembly.
Great work!
Thanks!
Another no narrative video. No specs on material, sandpaper grit, polish brand, etc I'm out.
Forgot to solder the claw ground through the body onto the volume pot….
Great Video! I recently scored the same guitar (later Traditional series Modell) from a guy who played it only a few weeks and then put it in the case. Absolutely NOS and it will be a killer Strat after a few upgrades
Why can't you see the original dyer?
Very cool video. I went through the same process a few years back with a 96 MIM strat. I replaced everything except for the wood itself, new pups all the way down to the string tree. I had hesitated for years because I was afraid of devaluation, then I figured it wasn’t worth anything to anyone but me anyway. Not to mention I haven’t sold it yet and probably never will. Interested to see if you decide to upgrade yours further.
Were all the pots the cheap dime size ones on urs?
@@DrewsReviews07 Yes they were, had to replace them because they sounded scratchy and one had a broken post. I put a “No Pot” in the bridge position (I think that’s what it was called), standard pot, but with an extra click that removes it from the signal for a hotter sound when soloing or to induce feedback on demand.
It's a big mistake that you do not change the tremolo to a full size block Am standard
Like restoring a Yugo.
Awesome video, there's a certain satisfaction in that process, especially the neck and fret work, as that's a bit tedious! The end result was phenomenal!!! Great job Dave! Bravo !!!
thanks
Unless someone sanded off the squire logo, this is a traditional series
@22:06 you can clearly see the squire logo was sanded off. My mistake, definitely squire series
Nice job! But I would prefer black pickguard in style of David Gilmour's black strat. Your guitar looks amazing too👍🏻!
Thanks
but its a guitar not a fashion accessory do you think a black pickguard will make the noise coming out of the bedroom at your moms place where you live sound good ?
@@rum5812 No, of course not! Everything is in our hands. But more fashion guitar look would increase desire for more practicing on it))
@@rum5812 when you buy a guitar, you are free to buy it in the color you like. or, just because it's not a jacket, do you necessarily have to have it in a random color?
Good job, bro! Great video, too! Greetings from Brazil!!!
Thanks
I've got the same guitar, I change the tuners, pots and jack. I put a set of pickups Fender Am std and is perfect, of course I change the frets for an SS frets, it is perfect ❤️
Esta es definitivamente una Fender Stratocaster MIM Squiwe Series. El logo Fender en color negro lo confirma. Tuve esta misma guitarra y le cambié micrófonos de puente y mástil por DiMarzio HS3 estilo Malmsteen y fué una excelente guitarra. Debo reconocer que estas series merecen cambio de puente y clavijas de mejor calidad para acompañar una buena puesta en valor y extraer todo el jugo de este gran instrumento. Saludos desde Buenos Aires.
crappy tuners for mim !!
yup have to replace them
I think i recognize that strat. I have a 1995 black label Fender Mexican Squier Series. The pots and switch and the pups all look standard for a squier of that era. Plus, the small trem block. I love mine and am proud to have the "Squier Series" decal out there on the headstock where it normally says "original contour body" on a USA strat. It's a very special guitar.
These are great, I had 1 for yrs. But I HAD to change the hardware. Change the tremolo and tuners. Everything was phenomenal after that
Me too, with the small decal Squier Series.... i put some SC from LEO´s Sound, Germany and a big Block of Trem Bras on it. Now it plays and sounds like an U.S. Old Standard ...... never sell it out !!!!
@@jakeritchie3805 Very cool. Did you have to drill any for the replacement tuners?
自分も95年製のメキシカンテレキャスター持っています。スクワイヤのロゴでない物。ＭＮ5 150xxです。メイプルネックでボディは黒です。白だったピックガードを黒に変え、ペグをＦＥＮＤＥＲのクルーソンタイプ（ねじはマイナス）に変え、ガイドは〇形に変え、プレートをボトム寄りにセットするものに変えてます。エンドピンも黒に。弦がボディ通しでないのがメキシカンの特徴でしょうか。違うのは、ネックのプレートにはFenderの文字が入っています。お邪魔しまいした。 We eat , We well by Ajinomoto ! 👍
Thanks for sharing, yes these Fender Mexican just needs a couple upgrades to look and sound like the real stratocaster.
Should’ve upgraded a few things more.
yeah. planning to get new pickups on and a refret
I've got the same, but black 'n' white. I need to refret mine.
same here
good job. you may also use vinegar for metal parts to get rid of rust
yes, Thanks for the tip.
Man, people pay extra to get them aged like that 😆
I know, but for a MIM? its better to upgrade and do the relic on other good guitars.
Watch my guitar restoration.
Wow! Ilove restoration, thanks for sharing
Io avrei cambiato anche i pickups non mi piacciono i pickups ceramici
Really surprised the spring on the saddles didn't rust
Very nice work bro! 👍
Thanks
Great
Thanks
Great job! 🤘
Thanks
Nice! What is this spray that you used in body, plastics, pickup poles, etc?
I'm using Parker & Bailey Wood Cleaner & Polish spray
Hats off to you Sir if that was your only guitar since 1994!! Best Regards!!!!
I now have other guitars but I still like.
Some difference between mim and squier series (mim) in early to mid nineties. The original pickguard would be single ply white and the neck pocket would be stamped "squier". Very fun guitars to upgrade.
Great. Thanks for not skipping over the detail. Very good camera work. Thank you.
What tool was used at 4:10?
Just a simple allen wrench
Yes is an allen wrench I use for my bike
Do you know that putting Salon Bleach + the Sun rays bath to those Knobs and pup covers will return the original whitening or the baige color also including the pickguard ???
Try it and see for yourself !
Good to know!
I have done a few of these as well, the main upgrade you did was the Kluson tuners. This will only leave one old hole visible and it's not too noticeable as the new tuners cover all but one of the old holes. The tuner ferules are the same size, so no drilling there.
The other upgrades I usually do is to replace the bridge with a high mass MIM one and replace the all pots, switch and pickups with quality ones. I always put on a new pickguard and matching backplate as well. These will bring it up to a real nice playing and looking Stratocaster.
I understand if you don't have the parts, or whatever, you do what you can with what you have, and you have done a great job. You can always make improvements in the future. Great choice on the pickguard, one of my favorites for a black Strat too, looks killer!
This is exactly how I started out twenty plus years ago, I have restored, bought and sold hundreds of guitars since. You can make a few extra bucks, but you wont get rich, it's more for the love of doing it and the satisfaction at the end when you look at the end result of your hard work. Nice job my friend, and keep on rockin'!
yeah those are the only spare parts I have laying around during that time, just need to restore and upgrade few parts to up the resale value a bit. thanks for sharing your experience and for the advice.
Great job.i’v seen a fender squier similar to this.on abandoned houses the owner passed away he liked to read and was a musician and thay filmed the house and went into a room full of equipment drum we’re in cases cymbals laying around and the filmed the fender Stratocaster squier and a orb floated across the guitar 🎸🔵
Thanks
I had the same guitar, if the fender logo is black it’s a squire series, just cause it doesn’t say squire series on the headstock doesn’t mean anything, mine had that decal and it was lifting the day I purchased it, it peeled right off just from a rub of my fingers, if the fender logo is black it’s a squire series, still a good guitar comparable with the MIM strats but your guitar is a squire regardless of what you want to tell people
Exactly what is writing in my description and in the video, I never claimed that its not, so whats the problem?
the decal is under the clearcoat. you must have a knock off model and are still mad.
Hey does your black label fender have a thin neck neck ? . I just bought one from guitar center I was under the impression it was not a squire . I thought mine was a mim standard that had a body and neck of an American standard ?