I think people spend way too much time worrying about tiny tone differences that no one will care about. One important "upgrade" I made to a cheap Strat' was shorter grub screws in the saddles so they don't dig in my hand while palm muting. I care about this each time I play. Levelling frets for proper action was another thing I did. And lubricating nut and string trees for tuning stability.
@@куглаземаљска I got mine on ebay. The proper size is M3 x 6mm long for guitars with metric parts (not American made). It fits on my Strats and Ibanez.
@@Leo_ofRedKeep I have squier se strat, and got installed recently fender trem bridge that goes in mexican series, and when I set standard string action, the screws are way out of the saddles... Thanks
I actually love the tone from the older MIM Fender stratocasters even though they have ceramic magnet pickups. They have the pickups with two smaller magnets on both sides of the pole pieces and the pole pieces stick out on the back side of the pickups.
A friend of mine has several high end Strats he's in a blues band, for a joke one night I told him to gig my stock debut it held up well apart from tuning stability. I have since put a hard tail bridge on it and it rocks. He intends to try it again..hehe!
I think that is probably one of the biggest things that sets higher priced guitars from cheaper guitars is the hardware, especially tuners and tremolo.
Bought 1 of these for Black Fri. for 99.00.I have a Fishman loaded pickguard that's been collecting dust for ages going on it.Listened in HD on good studio monitors.Nut & Block made a difference. Alnico pick-ups really stood out for me.Rolling the fretboard edges makes a huge difference.Same with getting right height screws to not dig into the palm of your hand.For Comfort..Looking forward to checking out the lighter thinner body. Thanks for All the Effort to make this video.I liked it.
I bought two of these Debut Strats , got 2 -prewired pick guards (HSS & single EVH Humbucker) , 2-trem bridges with brass blocks , I'll be ordering new graphite nut & locking tuners later today.
I just unboxed mine yesterday and those paltry boxes they put them in meant mine had been smacked on the lower arm rest and the paint had chipped off. Still, the neck pocket fit like a glove and the rest was solid so I dug the chips out of the bag, taped them up with a bit of magic tape and tuned it up and went to town. Didn't want to take the chance on getting an even more messed up one as everything else was so surprisingly fit. Only "mods" I did to it was added a green pickguard to go with the matte red finish for a corny Christmas theme and rolled edges of the fretboard a bit. My tuners aren't "perfect" but they hold, tones are crispy, comfort level is nice, intonation wasn't too far off and bingo: Christmascaster. If I were to replace anything, maybe the nut as rhe rest (tuners, teeny pots, pickups, switch, bridge) don't require much fuss from me. Maybe upgrade the string tree situation. But really, this is a fine enough little buddy to get you from total newb to calloused fretboard wizard without any real fight from the guitar-- the rest is up to you. And that's my Debut review.
Thanks for sharing! Both before and after mods made workable noises. If anything I am more surprised the stock sounded actually fine, may be a smidge thin, but not the end of the world! Apparently the tonal changes hinge more on the pot values and the capacitor, and the tone bleed. I too am doing mods and those are the areas I am focusing on.
I wasn't all that impressed with the Wilkinson pickups. A little to vintage stratty sounding. Maybe just changing the tone and volume with good quality parts would have made a difference.
I am currently in this process, hopefully with videos to come in the future. At the end of the day, if you are happy with the results then it was worth it. In your video I do hear an improvement overall with each step, but certain variables are making the change, if that makes sense. On my guitar when I changed the bridge and the strings (which I did first) made a big improvement. The guitar originally sounded "dead", and after the change it became much brighter with more sustain. I also think it comes from the way the tremolo is set up. I haven't changed the nut yet, but I did a lot of work on it to it to get it right. On my guitar I HAD to change the tuners because I received a bad low E tuner right out of the box, And my tremolo block was defective from the factory as well. So that had to be done just for functionality. With the change in electronics you will definitely notice a difference in performance, pot rolloff and better tone with a better capacitor. That may or may not be noticeable on video. Also adding a treble bleed to a guitar that didnt have it originally will also change everything quite a bit. The wilkinson pickups overall are not that much different from the stock, but I do hear a clearer tone with a little more brightness, which I do like. Cool video, I did enjoy it, and I hope you are happy with the changes. Sounds good on my end.
Thank you for watching. I think the improvement in tone isn't totally coming across in the video. Not sure how to capture that, maybe I'll do some audio samples with an amp plugin. But the new pickups are clearer for sure. The original pups seemed muddy to me, esp the middle and neck.
As in most guitars (in my experience), the biggest difference was, as you pointed out, in the electronics and pickups being replaced for better ones. If I can make any guitar play comfortably (according to my taste), whether it is a cheap or expensive one, changing the electronics and pickups will do it for me.
Yeah, except that: 1. Larger pots are not "better" than smaller ones. It is irrational to think otherwise (at least if you understand how they actually work and how they are manufactured). 2. Pickups are 1930s technology. Spending $100 on one is insane. The magnet type and number of winds has FAR more to do with the resulting sound than where they were made or who made them. Which is why Jayce preferred the ceramic bridge pickup to the "upgraded" alnico. Guitarists fool themselves by making needless "upgrades" that are at best "sidegrades."
I'm following your thoughts on this.. Fixing the playability is generally why I'm willing to spend anything with my guitars.. Only a microphonic pickup would be a reason to change it!..
I am in the middle of doing the mods. I put the big block trem in, then I added the roller saddles to it. New 62 Alnico 5 pickups. Big boy pots. Kept the switch cause it is fine. Then I added a brass nut. Not in love with the brass nut, will replace it with bone. Still in the mail is the black aluminum pickguard, and locking tuners. The tuners it came with are terrible and keep slipping. Frets were insanely sprouting. Fixed that. I love this guitar. I am also going to put the yellow squier logo on then nitro over it. I am surprised by how heavy it is. Neck is beautiful, the grains are almost flame. Killer guitar!
Larger pots are not "better" than smaller ones. It is irrational to think otherwise (at least if you understand how they actually work and how they are manufactured). Pickups are 1930s technology. Spending $100 on one is insane. The magnet type and number of winds of copper has FAR more to do with the resulting (subjective) sound than where they were made or who made them. Which is why Jayce preferred the ceramic bridge pickup to the "upgraded" alnico. Guitarists fool themselves by making needless "upgrades" that are at best "sidegrades."
I actually think the upgrades to the Debut made it sound worse! I have no idea how pots work! Hahaha. Guitars to me are like cars. I just turn the key and it goes. If it stops going I take it to somehow who can make it go again! LOL. Actually I know slightly more about guitars than I do cars.
I just got my Debut today (2 tone sunburst.) I only bought it because I had a loaded pickguard I put together laying around with alnico v pickups, big pots and thick braided wires and a set of new locking tuners, and the guitar was only $120, so I kinda had to. I'm very impressed with the instrument for the price, but it'll be a real shredder when I'm done with it. This is Strat #6 in my current lineup, and once it's upgraded, I suspect it'll be on par with my 2 Affinity Strats. Obviously not as nice as my MIM Fender, but still a great instrument.
Great video, Jayce! Question for you: did you have to shim up the new Graphtech nut? I installed the same one on my Debut, and have to shim it up to make the high clear the first fret.
i got a grote LP special2 clone from bamazon a few months ago that sadly arrived with a broken neck... they took it back no problem... that debut is shaping up nicely! i need to get crakkin on doing the modz on mine too! looks like wilkinson pups ya got in yours now....
These seem like a really good and CHEAP name brand mod platform. Would love to drop some fender noiseless vintage pups in there and some MIM tuners and a bone nut in there. Sounded better with the original nut vs the Tusq nut, but of course that’s through RUclips on an iPhone. What really matters is how it sounds in the room in front of that amp. It all comes down to preference. My only real suggestion other than noiseless fender vintage pickups(which new are 2x the cost of the guitar sadly) is shielding the everloving hell out of the cavities and under the bridge, pick guard etc to eliminate some of that single coil hum. Also can you confirm the routing under the pick guard was HSH? Heard it was but haven’t seen one in person with the guard off yet. Seems like a solid platform if that’s the case. And a follow up if you’re ever pulling things off and have a fender laying around… are the parts guard etc 1 for 1 with regard to interchangeability with fender and squire hardware? Like if someone buys fender branded loaded pick guards are they a drop in replacement?
I like your modifications, I think it sounds a little better. But the difference is not that noticeable. Still, it's a very nice guitar for the money. Awesome comparison video.
"I believe our perception of sound, much like our perception of color, is highly subjective. Just as individuals who are colorblind perceive colors differently without it impacting their daily lives (as I learned from a TED Talk), our auditory experiences can vary greatly without necessarily being a hindrance. In my opinion, the Alnico V pickups do produce a distinct sound compared to the original guitar pickups, but the difference, to my ears, is subtle at best. One crucial factor to consider is that I’m not physically present to hear the guitar live. Instead, I’m relying on my computer’s processor and speakers to deliver the sound, which may not fully capture the nuances of the live experience. To form a more informed opinion, I would need to perform the upgrades myself and hear the results firsthand. At this point, my impressions are based solely on the video. Therefore, I can’t definitively confirm or deny whether the pickups made a significant difference in the sound."
@@JayceAllanGuitar this I could believe . I was thinking about buying this same guitar used within the return policy of Amazon at a discount & changing out the picks ups like you had done & call it a day..
After the upgrades, I think I could hear each string better on the strumming. One thing though. Is it better to buy a $99/$119 guitar (depending on which sale is going on) and pay for the hardware upgrades or sum up the cost of all of those and simply buy a pricier guitar?
@@potato9832 I think the Squier is a decent guitar as is if you’re a beginner. I think modding it is only something someone should do if they like tinkering with guitars. But if you simply want a great playing guitar without needing to mess around with it spending $300 to $350 right out the gate will get you there.
Hard to tell. RUclips has compression.. You should try the Peterson strobe tuner. I have the StroboPlus HDC and it's excellent. Always had trouble getting my tele to sound right. Made intonation tuning much more accurate as well.
I never mod guitars/basses to sound ‘better’ because who decides what better is. I mod them to be what I want :D my perfect may be someone else’s idea of playing hell! Great videos by the way. I have been enjoying watching them since I found your channel last night.
I agree. At least to my old ears, I can never tell the difference. But the feel of the neck etc, that is something noticable. Thanks for watching I appreciate the comments.
Okay. So this confuses me because you aren’t the first person to say this about my videos. For this video I made sure the guitar was in tune and made sure it was intonated. Fuck, I don’t know. Maybe I’m becoming tone deaf or my tuner is shit. This really perplexes me.
So I went back and watched the video with a tuner on my desk and there are definitely some spots where it's slightly out of tune, not really more than +10 Cents. I'm guessing I was too busy thinking about editing to pay attention to a tuning. I wonder if some people can hear out of tune instruments more than others? Because you claim it's horribly out of tune and "unlistenable" which I don't know how to address. Interesting.
@@JayceAllanGuitar I'm sorry, man, I didn't want to call you out. Lord knows I struggle enough myself to play in tune, Honestly, I think people just hear differently. Some are way more sensitive to pitch than others. Can I give a bit of advice, and I don't mean to sound condescending. Tune to chords in the key you're playing in, not open strings. That works for me. And I use a tuner onstage, or to get the open strings in the ballpark, but then I always fine tune by ear.
No worries, I appreciate the feedback. I've been wondering why so many people comment about the guitars in my videos being out of tune, even when I swear I've tuned them, so I did a deep dive on guitar tuning on RUclips and discovered a few things I can be doing differently. I'm working on a video about it.
The pickups definitely made a difference. You can dial the tone back on the bridge pickup like I think most people do anyway, but the notes did seem more defined with the new pickups. Nut and trem, I didn't really notice any difference but they're more about tuning stability anyway, or hand comfort for the saddles. How much did those mods cost in comparison to buying the next price level of Squier?
Cost comparison is in the description. I paid more for the upgrades than I did for the guitar! LOL But overall the guitar would still be under $300. So, maybe not the best course of action.
@@JayceAllanGuitar Sorry, I didn't notice it. I think the harness was worth the money. The nut was only $15 so not a big deal eve if it doesn't make much difference but if you really don't use the trem much then it's probably not worth the cost unless you really like experimenting and just enjoy customising your instrument.
@@vodkaman1970 I agree. I changed the trem/bridge on this out of curiosity, because so many people claim changing the trem to the bigger block will provide better tone. I personally didn't notice a difference. The new bridge definitely has a better tremolo, it functions way better, I should have included that in the video.
The only "tone" difference I notice is on the Ceremic vs. AlnicoV's. Alnico's sound a little Brighter in the Mid-Highs. Which does seem to work better in the middle and neck (like you said). Ceramics have a little touch of "murkiness" and do sound a bit better in bridges, especially in "high gain" or high distortion applications. At least, that's how it always sounds to my ears.
I’m going to mod my Debut Strat. What are good options / brands for the Debut Strat for better short block trem blocks and / or entire bridge assemblies?
This is the one I used. Wilkinson WOV01 52.5mm (2-1/16 inch) Vintage ST Guitar Tremolo Bridge 6-Screw Assembly with 36mm Steel Block for Fender Squier/Mexico Strat amzn.to/3RdymQE
Probably. I tend to rush when filming. I have a couple guitars on my wall that I set the intonation and they're still slightly off. Most people have better ears that I do.
I notice that you have 3 hss (affinity?) strat style guitars on the wall behind you. The tone coming out of my debut is flat in comparison to my Epiphone LP special 1 with 2 humbuckers (no longer made) I was wondering if the hss configuration is worth modding my debut?
@@philwood9760 I prefer the sound of humbuckers so I would think adding that would make the Debut sound a lot better. Other than the pickups it’s a decent guitar.
I had a knob with a whole shaft pull out of one of my guitars when taking knob off also. Like it was a different kind of pot than usual. You could actually pop it back in. But i changed that crap out.
Honestly, I listened with with AKG 240 headphones and based on what I heard, the endeavor was a waste of time. I agree the original pickups sounded slightly better. I hope you get back into making videos on what I thought was going to be your "niche" , trials and tribulations as you progress in learning Vectric software for CNC routing your own electric guitar bodys on your Long Mill MK2 CNC router.
Well, to be honest. The guitar videos out perform the CNC stuff. But my goal is to get back to doing the CNC stuff too. I just have a lot on my plate and the guitar review videos are easy and quick to make. The CNC videos take hours upon hours and my shop is all cluttered because of the ongoing home remodel. Maybe if I did RUclips full time I’d have time. I also run another RUclips channel that takes a lot of my time and that channel provides my revenue. So I get where you’re coming from I’ll see what I can do.
Too bright is not a problem in electric instruments. It would be on an acoustic one which is heard in the room without processing but anything that goes through an amp will be toned down to taste. I wonder what pots are ín this guitar. Squiers used to come with 500 KOhm pots which leave a lot of brightness through. I heard much more clarity in the new pick-ups, which I value for clean tones.
You mentioned that you used the larger replacement tone and volume pots, did you have to do any routing because I have had difficulty in the past trying to use the larger pots on import guitars especially telecasters and did you use a 35 or 36mm short block tremolo because since Squiers have thinner bodies if you use a 39mm or 40mm block the springs tend to rattle more and rub against the tremolo cover which is something that I discovered recently. Interesting experiment but a lot of things like tone as you mention tend to be subjective. I think the modifications a lot of times are for more durable components and to improve the playability of the guitar such as avoiding cutting one's fingers on the frets.
Nope. The new pots and pickups dropped right in. I used a short block trem designed for Squier type bodies. It’s full thickness and steel but short. I forget the size. I think there’s a link in the description of the video to Amazon.
I put $150 worth of upgrades into my Squier Debut and it only sold for $85 on Reverb. I should have left it alone or put the old parts back in it and sold it.
Thanks for the video...I have had a Debut Stratocaster for a few months now...I changed out the pickups for GFS Truecoils....12k b 8k m and 7k neck....Did make a big difference and i was thinking about the trem block and nut ....but after watching/listening to the video...I think i am going to leave it as is ...Have to say....I love this guitar...it just feels so good playing it....It is a real player
@@JayceAllanGuitarI'm probably going for a graphite nut on at least one of them , and probably brass on the other, since I bought two of the Debut Strats, I'll keep you updated!
I also bought two new shorti trem bridges with a brass block. I like brass because my SLICK SL54T has brass hardware ,I love that guitar , you should get one !
@@johnnie3Chords Oh sorry, all the parts are listed in the description of the video. Nut: Tusq Model PQ-5010-00 Slotted Strat Style amzn.to/3X8XZFQ The old plastic nut was flat if I remember correctly.
"Increases harmonic content and richness" - that's marketing bullshit to say "higher frequency range", aka "more treble" (because a softer material will dampen vibrations, as Paul Reed Smith's proverbial dried chewing gum does). The nut only impacts the tone of open strings, obviously.
I thought the new pickups were ‘slightly’ brighter, maybe more high frequency content to the tone. However…. A non-guitarist and the typical audience member at a gig would not notice, or care. And once you start adding effects, particularly distortion, there will be absolutely no important difference; apart from the content of your bank account. If something breaks or is actually bad, upgrading for the sake of it, is pointless.
The biggest differences I noticed was the new pickups are brighter. The stock was more muted. All together it seemed that most of the differences would be easily changed by technique and amp /pedal settings changes. Not a horrible sounding guitar either way.
Instead of doing the mods, I imagine that it would be cheaper and far less work (with no worries about breaking something during the mod process) to just buy a Boss GE7 equaliser pedal and adjust the sound as needed. I would suggest that the only mods that are indicated would be for playability or reliability and not at all for tone or associated parameters.
I think if you really want to get to the bottom of it you'll have to get one of these picking levers and then put the signal into a computer and see if you can do a test or perhaps see whether the first three or four seconds is larger between the steel or chrome block. Otherwise, if you just listen to it you'll be swayed by your own bias or other people's biases or if you're feeling good or bad that day. Or maybe a company offers you premium brass saddles... The state of material science in guitars is dismal. We are a little more than monks during the Middle Ages; defending the faithful, using argument by Authority, and hoping alchemy will turn lead into gold.
Sustain is overrated. No one plays clean notes that last for 10s in a piece of music. Sustain is an issue when fret buzz chokes certain notes dead in their tracks. The real quality here is the high end: anything that reduces sustain also reduces the high end and that is what one would miss.
@@JayceAllanGuitar humans are easily influenced and they like to be part of crowd which in this case is the guitar community and all the superstitions that come along with that.
I agree with the OP about sustain. Except for some pathological issues, every solid and semisolid electric guitar has adequate sustain. There can certainly be differences among them, but all of them (assuming no defects in setup or construction) will have more than enough sustain and will be suitable instruments from this point of view.
That's a lot of time and money for maybe a small (maybe) real world improvement. In my experience a very good guitar player could make it sound like he wants just with his technique.
it's a $115 guitar and the plastic nut was going to wear out eventually. demos are always going to be better in person without the RUclips compression.
@@Leo_ofRedKeep - The real question is whether that even matters at all, to the audience or player. Sometimes a slightly "muddier" sound is irrelevant to the music being played, sometimes it makes all the difference.
@@JohnPrepuce It Matters to me. Why wouldn't you want a clearer sounding pickup that is higher output and has better dynamics? Squier probably spent less than $2 on the stock pickups.
@@Johnnynbk I wonder that too especially after making this video and realizing that the “upgrades” didn’t really do anything to change or improve the tone or playability.
I think people spend way too much time worrying about tiny tone differences that no one will care about.
One important "upgrade" I made to a cheap Strat' was shorter grub screws in the saddles so they don't dig in my hand while palm muting. I care about this each time I play.
Levelling frets for proper action was another thing I did. And lubricating nut and string trees for tuning stability.
Amen
How can I found shorter screws, ebay?
Thanks
@@куглаземаљска I got mine on ebay.
The proper size is M3 x 6mm long for guitars with metric parts (not American made). It fits on my Strats and Ibanez.
@@Leo_ofRedKeep I have squier se strat, and got installed recently fender trem bridge that goes in mexican series, and when I set standard string action, the screws are way out of the saddles...
Thanks
@@куглаземаљска I had the same situation. Screws stuck out by about 3mm.
6mm screws will be all in the saddles.
I actually love the tone from the older MIM Fender stratocasters even though they have ceramic magnet pickups. They have the pickups with two smaller magnets on both sides of the pole pieces and the pole pieces stick out on the back side of the pickups.
A friend of mine has several high end Strats he's in a blues band, for a joke one night I told him to gig my stock debut it held up well apart from tuning stability. I have since put a hard tail bridge on it and it rocks. He intends to try it again..hehe!
I think that is probably one of the biggest things that sets higher priced guitars from cheaper guitars is the hardware, especially tuners and tremolo.
Bought 1 of these for Black Fri. for 99.00.I have a Fishman loaded pickguard that's been collecting dust for ages going on it.Listened in HD on good studio monitors.Nut & Block made a difference. Alnico pick-ups really stood out for me.Rolling the fretboard edges makes a huge difference.Same with getting right height screws to not dig into the palm of your hand.For Comfort..Looking forward to checking out the lighter thinner body. Thanks for All the Effort to make this video.I liked it.
@@Barflew1 no problem thanks for tuning in. Glad you found it helpful.
I bought two of these Debut Strats , got 2 -prewired pick guards (HSS & single EVH Humbucker) , 2-trem bridges with brass blocks , I'll be ordering new graphite nut & locking tuners later today.
I just unboxed mine yesterday and those paltry boxes they put them in meant mine had been smacked on the lower arm rest and the paint had chipped off. Still, the neck pocket fit like a glove and the rest was solid so I dug the chips out of the bag, taped them up with a bit of magic tape and tuned it up and went to town. Didn't want to take the chance on getting an even more messed up one as everything else was so surprisingly fit. Only "mods" I did to it was added a green pickguard to go with the matte red finish for a corny Christmas theme and rolled edges of the fretboard a bit. My tuners aren't "perfect" but they hold, tones are crispy, comfort level is nice, intonation wasn't too far off and bingo: Christmascaster. If I were to replace anything, maybe the nut as rhe rest (tuners, teeny pots, pickups, switch, bridge) don't require much fuss from me. Maybe upgrade the string tree situation. But really, this is a fine enough little buddy to get you from total newb to calloused fretboard wizard without any real fight from the guitar-- the rest is up to you. And that's my Debut review.
@@mykhedelic6471 well said. Glad it wasn’t too damaged. The way some of the shippers handle this stuff it’s surprising they are more damaged. Cheers.
Thanks for sharing!
Both before and after mods made workable noises. If anything I am more surprised the stock sounded actually fine, may be a smidge thin, but not the end of the world!
Apparently the tonal changes hinge more on the pot values and the capacitor, and the tone bleed. I too am doing mods and those are the areas I am focusing on.
I wasn't all that impressed with the Wilkinson pickups. A little to vintage stratty sounding. Maybe just changing the tone and volume with good quality parts would have made a difference.
I am currently in this process, hopefully with videos to come in the future. At the end of the day, if you are happy with the results then it was worth it. In your video I do hear an improvement overall with each step, but certain variables are making the change, if that makes sense. On my guitar when I changed the bridge and the strings (which I did first) made a big improvement. The guitar originally sounded "dead", and after the change it became much brighter with more sustain. I also think it comes from the way the tremolo is set up. I haven't changed the nut yet, but I did a lot of work on it to it to get it right. On my guitar I HAD to change the tuners because I received a bad low E tuner right out of the box, And my tremolo block was defective from the factory as well. So that had to be done just for functionality. With the change in electronics you will definitely notice a difference in performance, pot rolloff and better tone with a better capacitor. That may or may not be noticeable on video. Also adding a treble bleed to a guitar that didnt have it originally will also change everything quite a bit. The wilkinson pickups overall are not that much different from the stock, but I do hear a clearer tone with a little more brightness, which I do like. Cool video, I did enjoy it, and I hope you are happy with the changes. Sounds good on my end.
The only notes that are effected by the nut as far as tone goes are the open string notes when the string is not being fretted
Thank you for watching. I think the improvement in tone isn't totally coming across in the video. Not sure how to capture that, maybe I'll do some audio samples with an amp plugin. But the new pickups are clearer for sure. The original pups seemed muddy to me, esp the middle and neck.
As in most guitars (in my experience), the biggest difference was, as you pointed out, in the electronics and pickups being replaced for better ones. If I can make any guitar play comfortably (according to my taste), whether it is a cheap or expensive one, changing the electronics and pickups will do it for me.
Yeah, except that:
1. Larger pots are not "better" than smaller ones. It is irrational to think otherwise (at least if you understand how they actually work and how they are manufactured).
2. Pickups are 1930s technology. Spending $100 on one is insane. The magnet type and number of winds has FAR more to do with the resulting sound than where they were made or who made them. Which is why Jayce preferred the ceramic bridge pickup to the "upgraded" alnico. Guitarists fool themselves by making needless "upgrades" that are at best "sidegrades."
I'm following your thoughts on this.. Fixing the playability is generally why I'm willing to spend anything with my guitars.. Only a microphonic pickup would be a reason to change it!..
I am in the middle of doing the mods. I put the big block trem in, then I added the roller saddles to it. New 62 Alnico 5 pickups. Big boy pots. Kept the switch cause it is fine. Then I added a brass nut. Not in love with the brass nut, will replace it with bone. Still in the mail is the black aluminum pickguard, and locking tuners. The tuners it came with are terrible and keep slipping. Frets were insanely sprouting. Fixed that. I love this guitar. I am also going to put the yellow squier logo on then nitro over it. I am surprised by how heavy it is. Neck is beautiful, the grains are almost flame. Killer guitar!
I did notice the sounds on both pickups are a bit shrill. Extra bass in the amp will help, or turn the mids and treble down. Great video.
Thanks.
I would have liked to have used roller saddles , but I didn't think about until after I received my two new trems with brass block , the " Shorti"
Why don't you like the brass nut ? I'm not sure if I want to use brass or graphite , or one of each , or ???
@@johnnie3Chords for me, I had the nut laying around. Modding is fun!
Ive modded cheap strats. Its so nice to hear the difference. It really makes it into a good guitar. Thanks for sharing this.
No problem. Thanks for watching.
Larger pots are not "better" than smaller ones. It is irrational to think otherwise (at least if you understand how they actually work and how they are manufactured). Pickups are 1930s technology. Spending $100 on one is insane. The magnet type and number of winds of copper has FAR more to do with the resulting (subjective) sound than where they were made or who made them. Which is why Jayce preferred the ceramic bridge pickup to the "upgraded" alnico. Guitarists fool themselves by making needless "upgrades" that are at best "sidegrades."
I actually think the upgrades to the Debut made it sound worse! I have no idea how pots work! Hahaha. Guitars to me are like cars. I just turn the key and it goes. If it stops going I take it to somehow who can make it go again! LOL. Actually I know slightly more about guitars than I do cars.
I just got my Debut today (2 tone sunburst.) I only bought it because I had a loaded pickguard I put together laying around with alnico v pickups, big pots and thick braided wires and a set of new locking tuners, and the guitar was only $120, so I kinda had to.
I'm very impressed with the instrument for the price, but it'll be a real shredder when I'm done with it. This is Strat #6 in my current lineup, and once it's upgraded, I suspect it'll be on par with my 2 Affinity Strats. Obviously not as nice as my MIM Fender, but still a great instrument.
Thanks for tuning in. I think I agree with you. I have a MIM also, and the Debut, even after I upgraded it, isn't quite as nice as the MIM.
Great video, Jayce! Question for you: did you have to shim up the new Graphtech nut? I installed the same one on my Debut, and have to shim it up to make the high clear the first fret.
@@chrisswenson7392 No I did not. It was a perfect fit.
Something sounds out of tune, maybe the intonation, but it's not right.
i got a grote LP special2 clone from bamazon a few months ago that sadly arrived with a broken neck...
they took it back no problem...
that debut is shaping up nicely!
i need to get crakkin on doing the modz on mine too! looks like wilkinson pups ya got in yours now....
Yes, Wilkinson, they are very vintage "straty" sounding. Not sure I'm 100% liking the tone. But I'll continue to play around with it.
Nice & Informative - Thanks Man
Thank you.
These seem like a really good and CHEAP name brand mod platform. Would love to drop some fender noiseless vintage pups in there and some MIM tuners and a bone nut in there.
Sounded better with the original nut vs the Tusq nut, but of course that’s through RUclips on an iPhone. What really matters is how it sounds in the room in front of that amp. It all comes down to preference. My only real suggestion other than noiseless fender vintage pickups(which new are 2x the cost of the guitar sadly) is shielding the everloving hell out of the cavities and under the bridge, pick guard etc to eliminate some of that single coil hum.
Also can you confirm the routing under the pick guard was HSH? Heard it was but haven’t seen one in person with the guard off yet. Seems like a solid platform if that’s the case.
And a follow up if you’re ever pulling things off and have a fender laying around… are the parts guard etc 1 for 1 with regard to interchangeability with fender and squire hardware? Like if someone buys fender branded loaded pick guards are they a drop in replacement?
I’m pretty sure it’s HSH but I can confirm that. I also have a MIM Strat and I can check the pickguard.
I like your modifications, I think it sounds a little better. But the difference is not that noticeable. Still, it's a very nice guitar for the money. Awesome comparison video.
Thank you. I agree the improvement is slight.
Sounds more like a "difference" rather than an "improvement".
Not sure if I mentioned it in the video but I think I liked the stock pickups better.
@@JayceAllanGuitar You did, I like ceramic pickups on my guitars too. I have a handful of Peavey Raptors that sound and play amazing.
"I believe our perception of sound, much like our perception of color, is highly subjective. Just as individuals who are colorblind perceive colors differently without it impacting their daily lives (as I learned from a TED Talk), our auditory experiences can vary greatly without necessarily being a hindrance.
In my opinion, the Alnico V pickups do produce a distinct sound compared to the original guitar pickups, but the difference, to my ears, is subtle at best. One crucial factor to consider is that I’m not physically present to hear the guitar live. Instead, I’m relying on my computer’s processor and speakers to deliver the sound, which may not fully capture the nuances of the live experience. To form a more informed opinion, I would need to perform the upgrades myself and hear the results firsthand.
At this point, my impressions are based solely on the video. Therefore, I can’t definitively confirm or deny whether the pickups made a significant difference in the sound."
I’ve been playing the guitar quite a bit today and it sounds better than in the video.
@@JayceAllanGuitar this I could believe . I was thinking about buying this same guitar used within the return policy of Amazon at a discount & changing out the picks ups like you had done & call it a day..
After the upgrades, I think I could hear each string better on the strumming.
One thing though. Is it better to buy a $99/$119 guitar (depending on which sale is going on) and pay for the hardware upgrades or sum up the cost of all of those and simply buy a pricier guitar?
@@potato9832 I think the Squier is a decent guitar as is if you’re a beginner. I think modding it is only something someone should do if they like tinkering with guitars. But if you simply want a great playing guitar without needing to mess around with it spending $300 to $350 right out the gate will get you there.
Hard to tell. RUclips has compression.. You should try the Peterson strobe tuner. I have the StroboPlus HDC and it's excellent. Always had trouble getting my tele to sound right. Made intonation tuning much more accurate as well.
Thanks for the tip. I often wonder if the clip on tuners are not the best for setting intonation.
I never mod guitars/basses to sound ‘better’ because who decides what better is. I mod them to be what I want :D my perfect may be someone else’s idea of playing hell! Great videos by the way. I have been enjoying watching them since I found your channel last night.
I agree. At least to my old ears, I can never tell the difference. But the feel of the neck etc, that is something noticable. Thanks for watching I appreciate the comments.
Man, no offense, but all I hear is a horribly out of tune guitar. In every sample. It’s unlistenable.
Okay. So this confuses me because you aren’t the first person to say this about my videos. For this video I made sure the guitar was in tune and made sure it was intonated. Fuck, I don’t know. Maybe I’m becoming tone deaf or my tuner is shit. This really perplexes me.
So I went back and watched the video with a tuner on my desk and there are definitely some spots where it's slightly out of tune, not really more than +10 Cents. I'm guessing I was too busy thinking about editing to pay attention to a tuning. I wonder if some people can hear out of tune instruments more than others? Because you claim it's horribly out of tune and "unlistenable" which I don't know how to address. Interesting.
@@JayceAllanGuitar I'm sorry, man, I didn't want to call you out. Lord knows I struggle enough myself to play in tune, Honestly, I think people just hear differently. Some are way more sensitive to pitch than others. Can I give a bit of advice, and I don't mean to sound condescending. Tune to chords in the key you're playing in, not open strings. That works for me. And I use a tuner onstage, or to get the open strings in the ballpark, but then I always fine tune by ear.
No worries, I appreciate the feedback. I've been wondering why so many people comment about the guitars in my videos being out of tune, even when I swear I've tuned them, so I did a deep dive on guitar tuning on RUclips and discovered a few things I can be doing differently. I'm working on a video about it.
best mod will be a new tuner. Its really hurting i my head.
The pickups definitely made a difference. You can dial the tone back on the bridge pickup like I think most people do anyway, but the notes did seem more defined with the new pickups. Nut and trem, I didn't really notice any difference but they're more about tuning stability anyway, or hand comfort for the saddles. How much did those mods cost in comparison to buying the next price level of Squier?
Cost comparison is in the description. I paid more for the upgrades than I did for the guitar! LOL But overall the guitar would still be under $300. So, maybe not the best course of action.
@@JayceAllanGuitar Sorry, I didn't notice it. I think the harness was worth the money. The nut was only $15 so not a big deal eve if it doesn't make much difference but if you really don't use the trem much then it's probably not worth the cost unless you really like experimenting and just enjoy customising your instrument.
@@vodkaman1970 I agree. I changed the trem/bridge on this out of curiosity, because so many people claim changing the trem to the bigger block will provide better tone. I personally didn't notice a difference. The new bridge definitely has a better tremolo, it functions way better, I should have included that in the video.
The only "tone" difference I notice is on the Ceremic vs. AlnicoV's. Alnico's sound a little Brighter in the Mid-Highs. Which does seem to work better in the middle and neck (like you said). Ceramics have a little touch of "murkiness" and do sound a bit better in bridges, especially in "high gain" or high distortion applications. At least, that's how it always sounds to my ears.
I’m going to mod my Debut Strat. What are good options / brands for the Debut Strat for better short block trem blocks and / or entire bridge assemblies?
This is the one I used.
Wilkinson WOV01 52.5mm (2-1/16 inch) Vintage ST Guitar Tremolo Bridge 6-Screw Assembly with 36mm Steel Block for Fender Squier/Mexico Strat
amzn.to/3RdymQE
Think it's better sounding now!.. Can I hear the intonation a hair off?. Around 15.00?
Probably. I tend to rush when filming. I have a couple guitars on my wall that I set the intonation and they're still slightly off. Most people have better ears that I do.
Funny how people buy really cheap guitars, then upgrade them double cost. Why not get a better guitar from the beginning?
@@mrbesserwisser7447 maybe people like to tinker. I think it’s funny how that annoys so many people.
Guitars upgrades are pastime in their own right. , mostly nothing to do with music, more to do with personalisation.
The only real difference in tone that I noted was with the TUSQ nut. The added sustain was minimal IMO
I notice that you have 3 hss (affinity?) strat style guitars on the wall behind you. The tone coming out of my debut is flat in comparison to my Epiphone LP special 1 with 2 humbuckers (no longer made) I was wondering if the hss configuration is worth modding my debut?
@@philwood9760 I prefer the sound of humbuckers so I would think adding that would make the Debut sound a lot better. Other than the pickups it’s a decent guitar.
I had a knob with a whole shaft pull out of one of my guitars when taking knob off also. Like it was a different kind of pot than usual. You could actually pop it back in. But i changed that crap out.
This one actually broke, The threaded part that holds it in the body broke away from the pot housing. Cheap metal.
The nut can only affect the sound of open strings in cowboy chords, the nut cannot change the sound of a guitar as you play up the neck.
Honestly, I listened with with AKG 240 headphones and based on what I heard, the endeavor was a waste of time. I agree the original pickups sounded slightly better.
I hope you get back into making videos on what I thought was going to be your "niche" , trials and tribulations as you progress in learning Vectric software for CNC routing your own electric guitar bodys on your Long Mill MK2 CNC router.
Well, to be honest. The guitar videos out perform the CNC stuff. But my goal is to get back to doing the CNC stuff too. I just have a lot on my plate and the guitar review videos are easy and quick to make. The CNC videos take hours upon hours and my shop is all cluttered because of the ongoing home remodel. Maybe if I did RUclips full time I’d have time. I also run another RUclips channel that takes a lot of my time and that channel provides my revenue. So I get where you’re coming from I’ll see what I can do.
Good to know that your not giving up on making more guitar making videos @@JayceAllanGuitar
Too bright is not a problem in electric instruments. It would be on an acoustic one which is heard in the room without processing but anything that goes through an amp will be toned down to taste.
I wonder what pots are ín this guitar. Squiers used to come with 500 KOhm pots which leave a lot of brightness through.
I heard much more clarity in the new pick-ups, which I value for clean tones.
That reminds me to mention the pots. All three were 250K, the old ones on the Debut are also 250K, but dime sized. The new ones are full sized.
@@JayceAllanGuitar Size makes no difference. Value does. 500 K put a higher resonance peak in the 5KHz area.
@@Leo_ofRedKeep I see.
You mentioned that you used the larger replacement tone and volume pots, did you have to do any routing because I have had difficulty in the past trying to use the larger pots on import guitars especially telecasters and did you use a 35 or 36mm short block tremolo because since Squiers have thinner bodies if you use a 39mm or 40mm block the springs tend to rattle more and rub against the tremolo cover which is something that I discovered recently. Interesting experiment but a lot of things like tone as you mention tend to be subjective. I think the modifications a lot of times are for more durable components and to improve the playability of the guitar such as avoiding cutting one's fingers on the frets.
Nope. The new pots and pickups dropped right in. I used a short block trem designed for Squier type bodies. It’s full thickness and steel but short. I forget the size. I think there’s a link in the description of the video to Amazon.
I just got one for $99, instead of sinking more money into it I’d be curious how much a used one costs.
I put $150 worth of upgrades into my Squier Debut and it only sold for $85 on Reverb. I should have left it alone or put the old parts back in it and sold it.
Thanks for the video...I have had a Debut Stratocaster for a few months now...I changed out the pickups for GFS Truecoils....12k b 8k m and 7k neck....Did make a big difference and i was thinking about the trem block and nut ....but after watching/listening to the video...I think i am going to leave it as is ...Have to say....I love this guitar...it just feels so good playing it....It is a real player
@@billy2129 thanks for the comment glad you found it helpful.
every upgrade made a tonal deifference to my ears..
Playing starts at 5:00 mins
I added some chapters.
I wonder if anyone has tested this models frets for led ?
Not that I know of. I didn't keep it long.
Supplying the part# would be appreciated , is the plastic nut flat or round on the bottom ?
For the Pacifica? PAC012
@@JayceAllanGuitarI'm probably going for a graphite nut on at least one of them , and probably brass on the other, since I bought two of the Debut Strats, I'll keep you updated!
I also bought two new shorti trem bridges with a brass block.
I like brass because my SLICK SL54T has brass hardware ,I love that guitar , you should get one !
@@JayceAllanGuitar No , Squier Debut.
@@johnnie3Chords Oh sorry, all the parts are listed in the description of the video.
Nut:
Tusq Model PQ-5010-00 Slotted Strat Style
amzn.to/3X8XZFQ
The old plastic nut was flat if I remember correctly.
What was the weight of the guitar, I forget?
@@bluwng me too. It think 6-1/2. I’ll check it when I get a chance.
Good video though!
Thanks. I appreciate that.
"Increases harmonic content and richness" - that's marketing bullshit to say "higher frequency range", aka "more treble" (because a softer material will dampen vibrations, as Paul Reed Smith's proverbial dried chewing gum does).
The nut only impacts the tone of open strings, obviously.
I never actually thought about that, yes, once you fret a note, or do a barre chord you're kind of taking the nut out of the equation!
Fender noiseless pickups May make a better difference.
Thems not cheap! 🤓
@@JayceAllanGuitar right lol
I thought the new pickups were ‘slightly’ brighter, maybe more high frequency content to the tone.
However….
A non-guitarist and the typical audience member at a gig would not notice, or care.
And once you start adding effects, particularly distortion, there will be absolutely no important difference; apart from the content of your bank account.
If something breaks or is actually bad, upgrading for the sake of it, is pointless.
@@kurtklingklang5918 very true.
The biggest differences I noticed was the new pickups are brighter. The stock was more muted.
All together it seemed that most of the differences would be easily changed by technique and amp /pedal settings changes. Not a horrible sounding guitar either way.
I agree. I thought from the beginning that the stock pickups in the Debut seemed “muddy”.
Instead of doing the mods, I imagine that it would be cheaper and far less work (with no worries about breaking something during the mod process) to just buy a Boss GE7 equaliser pedal and adjust the sound as needed.
I would suggest that the only mods that are indicated would be for playability or reliability and not at all for tone or associated parameters.
I think if you really want to get to the bottom of it you'll have to get one of these picking levers and then put the signal into a computer and see if you can do a test or perhaps see whether the first three or four seconds is larger between the steel or chrome block.
Otherwise, if you just listen to it you'll be swayed by your own bias or other people's biases or if you're feeling good or bad that day. Or maybe a company offers you premium brass saddles...
The state of material science in guitars is dismal. We are a little more than monks during the Middle Ages; defending the faithful, using argument by Authority, and hoping alchemy will turn lead into gold.
Well said. I’ve seen those contraptions. I want one just to have it! Hahaha. Maybe I’ll build one.
Both pickups sounded too bright for my taste, I have to use my EQ pedal to adjust my Strats brightness and I have Texas Specials fitted.
I tend to think single coils sound bright. I tend to like humbuckers better.
Sustain is overrated. No one plays clean notes that last for 10s in a piece of music. Sustain is an issue when fret buzz chokes certain notes dead in their tracks. The real quality here is the high end: anything that reduces sustain also reduces the high end and that is what one would miss.
I agree, not sure why sustain is such a big selling point.
@@JayceAllanGuitar humans are easily influenced and they like to be part of crowd which in this case is the guitar community and all the superstitions that come along with that.
I love sustain , that's why I bought an Enya Nova Go Sonic , sustain and feedback.
I agree with the OP about sustain. Except for some pathological issues, every solid and semisolid electric guitar has adequate sustain. There can certainly be differences among them, but all of them (assuming no defects in setup or construction) will have more than enough sustain and will be suitable instruments from this point of view.
Going to need to change the tuners and pots on my Debut P Bass, then if needed the pickup
The next thing you should get is a tuner 😂
Out of tune 😕
That's a lot of time and money for maybe a small (maybe) real world improvement. In my experience a very good guitar player could make it sound like he wants just with his technique.
it's a $115 guitar and the plastic nut was going to wear out eventually. demos are always going to be better in person without the RUclips compression.
You can't make dull pick-ups sound clearer with technique.
@@Leo_ofRedKeep - The real question is whether that even matters at all, to the audience or player. Sometimes a slightly "muddier" sound is irrelevant to the music being played, sometimes it makes all the difference.
@@Leo_ofRedKeep maybe you can't but I've heard other people that can.
@@JohnPrepuce It Matters to me. Why wouldn't you want a clearer sounding pickup that is higher output and has better dynamics? Squier probably spent less than $2 on the stock pickups.
Show, don't tell.
Well that’s clear as mud.
Not really.
Why do people buy cheap guitars and shoehorn "quality" parts into them? Just enjoy the cheapness, it is what it is. Or buy a nicer guitar.
@@Johnnynbk I wonder that too especially after making this video and realizing that the “upgrades” didn’t really do anything to change or improve the tone or playability.
@@JayceAllanGuitar Was interesting experiment. I always figure I'd make a guitar worse that way, esp. the pickups. Not an electronics guy.
I hear ya, I hate wiring pickups. I always seem to do it wrong.
"Squier".
Says so right there on the fucking headstock.
Great you can read. Maybe now work on your social skills.
Im sorry, but why would anybody care?