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Building a SUPER SQUIER! - Taking Aim At Fender's Best!
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- Опубликовано: 15 авг 2024
- Follow along as I put together a Super Squier purpose-build for taking down a Fender Select Stratocaster!
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hey Darrell, I've been watching all your videos but never thank you properly. Now I'm saying it, I've never seen anyone like you with guitar so sincere and detailed. thank you for all your efforts.
Edit: Thanks for all the likes
+Crooked TV No problem ☺
I'm glad you are enjoying the videos and I appreciate the kind words!
Crooked TV that's rude you didn't say thanks for 100 likes
200th like ;)
420th like
Hear hear from Australia!, look forward to every episode, great advice. Informing all guitarists I meet to subscribe to your channel, keep up the great job! 🎸👍🇦🇺
My school give a courses of lutherie (guitar build) with a ebay Kit and it's totally free. Should I do it?
+BenFr PK Definitely! You're lucky for the opportunity 👍
+BenFr PK - You had to ask??? Wish I had that opportunity in school!
are you in college
Cris Reyes Im from quebec so its secondary (Im 13)
You'll never ever regret it
Whenever he says good morning afternoon evening etc...it really really feels like he wants you to have a great day☺
He ALWAYS sounds like that
He’s a Canadian and we genuinely mean that stuff
Hope you guys are having a great week!
if you guys have modified your Strats let me know what you did and how it turned out!
Upgraded the electronics and pickups in my Classic Vibe. Turned out great. Used a Rosetta Strat set from Blue Collar Pickups in Vancouver, full sized pots and orange drop caps
+Syrup Sucker Nice! 😎🤘
you've created a sleeper strat!
Hi from Costa Rica!
That sounds beautiful! Looks nice too!
I'm glad I held on to my starter Squier, it's super resonant and surprisingly nice feeling. The weakest points are the bridge, tuners, and pots--all things that can be upgraded. And, of course, the pickups could be as well
Wow You turned that Squier into a real beauty. The blackout pickguard goes really well with the darker rim on the body of your guitar. It matches up perfectly with the finish. And sounds great to boot. Wonderful job you did there Darrell!
I started with a 2001 Indonesian made Squier Affinity Strat (the one with the narrow nut), black with a white pickguard. Tore it down to just the neck, nut, and body. Did a fret level and dress. Routed the trem cavity flush and filled it with a block of wood and minwax wood epoxy filler. Scuff sanded, primed and repainted the body with shellac and then black lacquer. Drilled for string through and installed a black Hipshot hard-tail bridge and black Fender tuners just like yours...😊
Replaced the pickguard with a Squier Classic vibe black three layer, put in Carvin tbh-60 pickups with a Bourne push pull volume pot that switches them all to either single or humbucker. Set up the five way to run single coil to a 250K all pu tone pot (YJM) and a custom cap/resistor treble bleed, and the humbucker setting to a 500k tone pot with its own treble bleed. Hand-built a mini lpb-1 and installed that in the copper lined trem cavity and put a true bypass pedal button in the pickguard to turn it on and off. I also swapped out the jack for a Pure Tone...I call it the "Bad Idea Fairy" because it incorporates every bad idea I ever had...😉 You can't wring every tone out of it, but it comes close enough for live.
Makes me want to make a Frankensquier! Well done!
I had to drill out my Squier pick guard (3/8" iirc) to get the knob portion of the Obsidian blender through the guard. Just a heads up for those considering the Obsidian upgrade...you'll also need the larger Fender brand tone and volume knobs (the Squier knobs are too small and won't fit). Hip Shot locking tuners will fit on a Squier with no modification or drilling and they work great. Fender locking tuners require drilling out the holes on the head stock for Squiers.
The Obsidian is an awesome upgrade and well worth the $85...blends all 3 pickups at settings 2 and 4. Produces a really full sounding well rounded tone.
If you're gonna upgrade the electronics, spend the extra $20 and get new graph tech string tees and a graph tech tusq nut...will improve tuning stability big time. The nut pops off...just stick an Exacto knife under it and it'll pop right out.
Hey Darrell That was actually my first guitar. I've kept it alive it and I fully modded because of your videos. I'd like to show you some pictures of three projects I worked on/ working on.
I upgraded a Squire Strat with a loaded pickguard from an American Strat , locking tuners , solid brass tone block in the tremolo. It plays and sounds amazing. It sounds almost as good as my American Strat and it sounds better than my VG Strat. I also repaired a Squire Strat that my buddy found in the garbage. All I did was upgrade the pickups to Seymour Duncan, clean it and set it up and more often than not he chooses it over his American Strat that he paid big money for.
CLIFFROCK56 what size are the peg holes on your strat, I want to change mine!
What beautiful guitars!!!! 😍 Darrell should work on my guitars! 😂🤣
+Ian Gonzalez 😂 It is a lot of fun!
Darrell Braun Guitar hey there Darrell! Just wanted to ask you an important question.... could you send me a link to where you got that black pickguard? Been searching for one for months 😂
Hi!
Just head over to the Warmoth site and order one from there 😀
You should display a total $$$ spent on the Squier. Great video and the playing was beautiful.
Yes. Total cost for the upgrades would be nice to know as well but still a great video
I reckon to do this in the UK will cost upwards of £400 on top of the guitar cost, personally I would just shop around for a good MIM Strat, I have a 1999 one that is just brilliant, cost me £350, my 2 other Fenders are both MIJ's from the 80's, again cost less than £400 cause people thought they were not much good at the time.
@@RushfanUK I don't know if a barebones MIM is much better than a barebones Squier Standard. Fender's own website says the MIMs are made up of up to 7 pieces of alder - that's a lot of glue.
@@squierjoshyt I just bought a MIM last week in Cherry Sunburst, solid one piece. If they glued that puppy together they done a damn good job of hiding it lol
@@mysty0 Well it said "up" to 7 pieces. I'm sure they save the ones with fewer pieces to make the sunburst models, since you can see the seams.
Darrell - Loved the vid. Just did something similar (cheaper) to my CY 2011 Affinity Strat this week. Here's what I did from end to end: 1. Fender locking tuners (noticed you had them backwards at the beginning of this video, then they were correct at the end - and you thought no one would notice :-)), 2. Fender bone nut, 3. 2006 MIM loaded pickguard from eBay (incl. serial #, $80), 4. Fender 'MIM' bridge and block (****) 5. Fender jack. I am in the process of adjusting the bridge for intonation. What a blast!
**** Question: The MIM block was too long (as the experienced readers would attest), so I cut (hacked) it with an angle grinder too short, so I used the original block with the MIM bridge. Why doesn't someone market a big block for the Affinity/Squire that is 1-3/8" long so it'll fit out of the box? I've looked at the big guitar sites, even FUTone, and called GC without luck.
I did modifications to my Squier Affinity Strat AND my Squier Affinity Jazz Bass.
I'm more of a bass player, but considering the Affinity edition is suppossed to be the lowest of the level, and many people don't even recommend it, mine works like a charm.
Something I did was to shield the guitar's cavities, and ground them. That and keeping the neck straight and calibrated, and the guitar works like a charm.
With the Affinity Jazz Bass (since that's my instrument), I did extensive changes. I changed the tuning machines to American Standard Jazz Bass ones (I bend one of the older ones), change the pickups to DiMarzio Super Bass, changed pots and cap, shielded the whole thing, and change the bridge to a KickAss Bridge 4.
The result on that one is amazing. I tried many basses, but at this point, I've never played anything better than my good old modded Affinity Jazz Bass. I wanted to buy a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass Edition, but right now I like my old bass much better. And I did a paint job, so it also looks awesome!
Thanks for the video!
Turned out nice Sir!
One thing to remember (not lecturing just a tip for all wanting to do this) get the right pickups/pots/tuners,not just the most expensive,but the one's making it sound/play better.
Saw a similar mod on Anderton's channel,a cheap Bullet that got modded,probably 500$ of parts went in,ended up sounding nowhere near as good as the original Bullet
This video has helped me a lot! I just recently got the same Squier Strat for my 16th birthday. I've been playing on a really really poor off brand guitar for the past 4 years and my new Squier strat has been such an upgrade. But this video has shown me that even though it's an upgrade, it's not the best out there. There's a lot of things I could spend my money on upgrading about my Squier and after a few years and upgrades, I could have a real nice guitar on my hands :)
+TheSuperMelon 99 Congrats on the Squier!
It's great as it is, but can grow along with you as you can afford upgrades ☺
Darrel I just finished the project assassin of my own and I'm loving the tone. My mim sounds like a legit American. Thanks a lot man.. I learn so much from your videos.
+Farshad Parvin Congrats!
Sounds like you've got a keeper ☺👍
I'm glad I bought a Squier for my first guitar. Knowing I can upgrade it down the road if I want makes me feel better about buying a cheap guitar. Thanks for the info and detail you put into your videos it is really helpful.
I took a Squier Classic Vibe and put locking tuners, roller string trees, all American pickups, pots, switch, wire, and out put jack, added solid steel saddles, and a full sized brass tremolo block. Best sounding strat Ive ever played.
This video is perfect! I have the same Squier and was planning to change out the pickguard and knobs etc... to black versions. Thanks!
Wow! I may just buy a squier in the future and upgrade it like you did!
Darkstarla that's cool, just keep in mind that if you put a lot of money into a Chinese Squier, it won't have an equally high resale value. On the other hand if you buy A slightly better guitar used you can usually recover the purchase value in resale. I like Japan made models. But whatever makes you happy.
Mods will cost more than the guitar itself haha
Doesn't matter. If he keeps all the original parts then no harm no foul.
I've done the same with my old Yamaha Pacifica,it's a fun project and you will end up with a great guitar.
Of course you will , I've done that to my Epiphone SG G400, EMG pickups, gibson bridge, new grover machines and i love that guitar I would never sell it haha
Thanks for the good ideas! My first guitar, 15 years ago, was the Squier. I've since "outgrown" it but now, instead of just having it sit collecting dust I've been inspired to turn it into a project guitar.
+Kevin Schumacher Awesome!
Let me know how it turns out ☺
Agree, What you do is Unique and Very Appreciated, it's much the kinds of things I'd 'like' to do, when I can.
Great video Darrel, I love taking cheap strats and mod them as you have done in this video. I love the Obsidian circuits thank you for the tip. I’ve all my 9 Strats with some mod, especially Chinese and Mexican they have all locking tuners and custom shop pickups: most fender different American pickups, but also 1 with a full set of Di Marzio and 2 with 2 different sets of SD. I think your next step for that squier should be to change the bridge. Thank you again for your video......keep going
I was gonna mod my Squier, and even had Guitar Center talk me into the locking tuners you have, without realizing they don't fit. I chickened out at the drilling part for the tuners though. I ended up having a shop set up my Squier and it sounds great. That said, what you did here with the electronics gives me a whole new view on modding my Squier! i had no idea they made pre-wired stuff that was so easy to install. I'm not a solder guy so seeing that was awesome. Great video!
Hi , which squier model did you mod ? And are you happy having it instead of a mexican ? Lastly how much did it cost ?
Dude...get with some videos here on RUclips and become a solder guy! The world of electric guitar possibilities will completely open up! Besides, if you screw something up you can always take it to Guitar Center like you did before and it'll cost the same to fix it! It's a Squire...you'll be able to get another cheaply! Or go onto Craigslist and buy a First Act guitar, they play great and you can get one for around $50 or so to cut your teeth on...if you come across a First Act VW Garagemaster(there was a promotion from VW in 2007 they would come with the car...lot of people got them that don't play guitar or wanna play so you can get them cheap when they're easily just as nice as a $500+ guitar) for $100 to $150, get it! AWESOME guitar...I play mine all the time over my American made PRS S2 Custom 24 ...anyways, go get some soldering on!
They make prewired pickguards and the only thing you need to solder is 2 wires to the input jack.
Great job.
I took a really cheap Squire (in a box with an amp) cost £120uk.
New Trem, New locking Tuners, New String Trees, Whole new electronics, New Iron Gear pups. I also copper foiled the cavity. It sounds the business! The parts cost me £130.
I'm delighted because it's really 'mine' I selected all the parts, did as much of the work as I could etc. The tech who did the soldering for me said there was no way I could get a similar spec'd Fender for under £800.
+Tim Jones Nicely done!
Hi Darrell, yours sound amazing! I have also upgraded my Squier and it kinda became my work horse instrument. I had a luthier doing the mods for me. They were the following:1 - Wilkinson Gotho Tremolo Bridge - high qualit, excellent and stable.2 - Dimarzio Stack Pickups - Tone Zone (bridge) - Heavy Blues (middle and neck).3 - Blender electronic System (can mix the different pickus from no mix to full blending) allows more tonnal variations on top of the 5 switch key. It is subtle but interesting.4 - Fender Roller Nut - for smoothing the HeadStock connection of the strings.5 - Sperzel USA locking tunners - An absolutely fantastic gear - Simply loved them. In my humble opinion, I got a very high end custom guitar for less than US$ 2.000,00 approximately, including the luthier’s work (very good btw). It sounds great for all genres such as ballads, blues, rock, heavy rock and metal. All the best,
+Beck Nader Sounds like a beautiful build! 👍
I think the Elite pickups back in the 80s and 90s were not noiseless. They sounded supreme. Listen to Ty Tabor on the first 2 King's X albums. Not sure about the noiseless ones. Never heard them in any comparison.
Always loved Ty's sound. Dogman is one of my favorite albums.
The result is awesome! Really great souding...
Cheers from Brazil, hope you having a nice week too!
So I modded a squier and put in an HSH configuration with Les Paul style humbuckers in it. Not actual ones, some Chinese knockoff that were actually surprisingly hot and they sound awesome. I put in a black pickguard and it looks amazing against the dark blue. I kept the stock middle cool and put a chrome cover on that and made the knobs and the switch cap chrome too. I got this (again) Chinese all black gloss neck that ended being pretty alright, it compliments the pickguard and backplate pretty nicely. I put some cheap locking tuners on it and they ended being pretty good (I got musiclily's for anyone wondering, and then beck was made by Ammoon). I'm super happy with it and it plays great, it sounds AMAZING and it is a performance machine, it's the only guitar out of my 8 that I bring to my six string gigs now.
+Jackson Schott Very cool!
I rebuilt an affinity telecaster and boy is it sweet. i decided to go with the gen4 noiseless pickups because most of my tone comes from my amp and speaker. they sound phenomenal though. with a fret job and a new pickguard it looks like and sounds like an american professional tele. but all in i have about $1000 including the original purchase of $200. I soldered my wires, and installed a bigsby b5. if you glue the floating saddle pieces together once the intonation is set it wont come out of tune when using the vibrato bar. it is an absolute beauty. vintage white with tortoise shell guard. all in i saved 800 from what i could have spent on a new one, and i get the satisfaction of plugging in with tone snobs and watching their brains melt.
Upgraded my Cheap vintage guitar with those AM Select SC from Fender, they sure do a great job, in terms of playability I would have swaped the plastic nut for a bone nut, but all together you did everything right, thanks for this vid Darrell, keep em comin !
Sounds good and looks good. This guy did a good job. I bought a Custom Vibe and it was great Straight Out of the Box. Made in China. I'm very impressed.
Great video as always! I have a squier that I love. Perfect neck, lightweight... Here's my mod: samarium cobalt noiseless pups (bought used dirt cheap, love'em), new pots and switch, new jack, new bridge (fender vintage), new tremolo springs, locking tuners (bought some chinese with good rep from aliexpress, they fit perfectly and they are flawless, for $20 shipping included!), converted from SSS to HSS (sold my bridge SCN pickup and bought a GFS humbucker), string trees, black metal knobs with no numbers, black pickguard. I had already done fret leveling, and she plays like butter and sounds like heaven! All that for about $150 (guitar) + $200 upgrades (all mods done myself, including soldering, YMMV).
Hey man. I just finished my NYPRO strat copy mods. Like the Squire I went with the Fender locking tuners, I swapped out the nut for a Graphtek Tusk nut, switchcraft output jack, volume is a Bornes push/pull for series/parallel, the first tone is also push/pull for neck on and a master tone for all pups, the second tone is a passive mid range shaper that was modeled after Rothsteins passive mid range shaper, and to top it all off, I went with roller bridge saddles and set the trem up to float. Truly a versatile guitar. But my Squire strat is a monster. Maybe I'll list the mods for it another time. Thanks for the inspiration to dig deeper into the search for THE tone.
I now in the middle of upgrading my Squier Deluxe with just about all the upgrades. But I am really jealous of the color scheme😛
Amazing and thanks for posting this. After owning and playing many high dollar Strats, out of curiosity I took up the $179 (including 1 watt amp and stand...) Chinese Squier my daughter left behind. What a smooth playing neck and what a super resonant body (it's a 1999 model)! For over a year now this is my preferred guitar. And after seeing what you did with yours, I can't wait to do the mods to mine!
+FJ WP Good luck with the build! ☺
'97 Affinity Squier had been gathering dust (purchased for my son who abandoned it as soon as he found girls ...). I sorted the setup, frets, bridge and trem thanks to Frudua TV and replaced the stock electronics and pickups with a prewired Tex-Mex Alnico V pick guard set from GFS. Left the stock tuners because they were actually very good quality. When completed, I had $187 and 4 hours invested (paid $99 for the guitar in the beginning) and I now have a second Strat that plays and sounds as good as my $2,200 American.
I picked up the exact same squier strat you have second hand and then painted it a great may white, put in some new Grover locking tuners and blocked off the term system to keep it in tune and then I just wired in a new Seymour Duncan JB with a single volume pot and it now plays and sounds amazing! Couldn't be happier with the outcome
+Ciaran Wilson Very cool!
As I just got my first electric - a Squier Strat Standard - I will keep this video on my list for future reference :D
the only mod i did to my squier is that i made independent switching for each pickup. i could us all 3 (hss) or go with the humbucker and neck. im proud of it. the clarity and sweetness from all 3 is great, when its neck and bridge, i can only compare it to the middle position on a les paul, but bassier
+Eddy Rosario Nice! 👍
First thing I would change on any strat is the tremolo block. Adding a steel one instead of the cheap zink alloy really made an improvement on my swamp ash partscaster. I also used to replace the plastic nuts to bone or metal (locking).
Bought a squier vintage modified 70, changed the pickups. Now it has the Fender CS Fat 50's, Fender CS 69 and SD SSL5. Also changed all the pots and switch for CTS and Fender's. Also changed the bridge. Now it has a Callaham Vintage with steel block. There. I have my Gilmour's Black Strat.
+Rogerio Sartori Very nice!
"drilling it ote" 4:04 CANADIAN!
i had to check darrel's youtube 'aboot' page yes.. Canadian
For the quality of material you produce, your subscriber count is criminally low. Keep doing what you're doing!
+Jabroni Fiftysix Thanks man!!
Of course! You deserve it!
2.5 years later he's passing half a million subs !
Hey Darrell! I installed a dive-only Floyd Rose with locking nut, string roller trees, Hipshot locking tuners, straplocks, dome knobs, and a killswitch push button to my HH Squier Strat. I love that guitar more and more every time I pick it up...
+DrummerDude2604 _RUclips_ Whoa! That sounds like an amazing build!😎
I jut finished modding a black squier affinity I got secondhand for £65 and the tone knobs didn't work so I did a whole revival project on it; put in Tonecity Surfari pickups, copper tape insulated the inside of the body, added extra springs to the trem, got some locking tuners, rolled the edges of the fretboard, sanded the neck, put in new string trees, a new bone nut, cliplock guitar strap, replaced the pickguard and back plate from a black one to pearl and baught rosewood tone and volume knobs and the whole thing now plays as well as any fender I've tried and I saved a good amount too!🔥🙌🏼 wish I'd known about the obsidian electronics before I did it all though! Soldering was a long ass process 😂 I also just finished putting a bigsby on my telecaster (inspired by your previous builds) 🔥🔥
+felix gilbert That sounds like a really cool project! Well done!
Thanks man! it was awesome
Great Job! I'm about to perform the same process on a Partscaster I picked up for $65. Only difference - I'm going to buy a "Loaded Pickguard". Not doing the locking tuners - i have Gotoh's on it already, so they'll suffice. Can't wait to mod mine out after watching this.
Dave Monty I just did this about a week ago. I bought a loaded pick guard from Twilight guitars. Fender custom shop 69s. They sound so much damn better. I did have some trouble with the ground wire, I had to solder it a couple times before it would work properly but went smoothly other than that. Considering it was my first time soldering or really doing any guitar mods it went really well. Good luck. Hit me up if u hit a snag.
Sweet modifications and great video! That Obsidian kit looks super easy to use. Thanks for the great content!
Yeah, like how it's almost plug and play. No soldering.
My first electric was and is a Korean Strat that I bought about 25 years ago. Mods are sperzel locking tuners, Seymour Duncan pickups, fender ultra bridge and trem, roller nut, I shielded the pick-up cavity and installed a toggle switch so I can route the bridge pickup through the second time control.
+Peter Gallagher Nice!
just restored my '87 japstrat with new electronics and duncan alnico 5 pickups and had it refretted....used to have those awfull emg s on it. I now know why I never played it much. the tremolo bridge is fixed to the body.... It's my ringing sustain beast from heaven now.
Imagine a pearl scratch-plate on that finish! Just wow
I think it looked better with the tortoise shell pickguard against the red. The black is too plain. But it sounds awesome. Great job.
i modded my affinity strat. so glad i did. i changed everything from tuners, trees and pots
pick ups Seymour Duncan neck and middle and fender shawbucker for bridge
total upgrade cost £380
Hello my fellow Canadian. I modded my MIM strat. Got a great deal on it. I traded for an amp that I paid $150.00 for. Its only a year old and played really nice. I put Seymour Duncan SSL-1 single coils in it mated to a strat classic ObsidianWire (thanks Darrell Braun). It sounds amazing. I only play for my enjoyment so this pretty much got rid of need (want) for an American Standard Strat. I also bought the same Indio Classic that Darrell Braun modded. I put all my mexican strat guts in it, fender trem and wilkinson locking tuners. I had to get that guitar after watching Darrell's video. Thanks again Darrell for your awesome vids and tutorials.
Obsidian? I need to check those out. Great video!
I'm surprised you didn't change the nut too but if it stays in tune with the old one why change it
My Squier is a standard from Indonesia with a Mahogany body and HSS. The body and rosewood on maple neck are satin finish and there is no pickguard. Painted headstock. I have never seen another one like it. According to the old Fender catalogs online, they only made it for 2 years and only one in Mahogany. Chrome barrel knobs instead of the hats. All stock and I bought it new. It plays really well and I like the sound. Not a scratch on her. The only part that I did not like is the always loose trem bar. I just took a spring out of a cheap ballpoint pen and dropped in the trem bar hole and went from a floppy trem bar that I could not find a good postition for, to one that I can set anywhere without it moving. You can go crazy on it and it stays in tune with the just the standard tuners.
Just got me this Squier and first thing to do was to change things like you did. Best is to see how the black pickguard looks like. Much better then white. Never heard of pre wired electronic kits before, another useful hint. Thank you.
This is all super awesome!!! I happen to have a squire, and I've been really considering doing the same! I would love to know the total for this project?? Thanks!
Hi darrel, im a part-time luthier, man awesome proyect the one you are doing, i do a few of this same style in the shop, but man i think its important for tone n sustain get a good bone nut, n a good quality bridge, or good qualiti saddles? because that things are the only ones that affect the string vibrations directly, just a suggestion. Good luck with the project greetings from Chile (sorry about my cheesy inglish)
Totally agree with installing a quality nut.
+Halenmaster Hi! Welcome to the channel!
I'll look into upgrading the nut - thanks for the suggestion 👍
Nice looking (and sounding!) upgrades, Darrell. Yes a black tusq or bone nut would finish the cosmetics nicely!
Hi Darrel, Great Video thanks ! I recommend you Graphtech TUSQ as a nut. It has both slotted and raw versions with different fretboard radius.I use it on my MIM Strat with vintage radius. Fits perfect, increases sustain and secures the strings. Really a big plus on a strat.
Yep, when you take the old nut out drop it on a hard surface and it will probably go "ummph" and play dead, drop the Tusq and it will go "ping" and bounce, way better and less absorbent for a better transfer of the vibes from strings to wood.
I have a 1995 MiM lefty strat,havnt got the courage up to change anything on it,still all original,sofar,you make it look so easy,ty for the video
I know that doing comparisons between minor variations on guitar hardware is totally personal .... but if it's a Strat you "really" want,... Single Coil is the only option.
Saying that,... the styling and options here are pure gold,... Thank you for showing where my Squier Deluxe can go next..... awesome result.
My favorite guitar guy - very knowledgeable, great player and top notch luthier (and a pleasant guy in general) - always great videos!
+Nazmo King Thanks man! ☺👍
Darrell: Just curious (didn't see this info). Factoring in all the mods, how much did the Squier cost compared to the Fender?
There is something great about taking a lower-end guitar and beefing it up. I did the same thing with Fender Player Strat. I didn't stick with a Fender tailpiece though. I went with the Babicz 2 point Tremolo. I also upgraded the tuners with Fender locking machines. I know you're not a fan of the noiseless, but I went with the Phase 4 from Fender. To me, they sound great. It feels and plays like my Fender Deluxe Strat with the exception of the Trem which is better on the Player Strat.
I have a 2007 crafter in India Squire. I guess there are not many because the factory washed away. Mine is an SH 070 in Candy Apple red. Although there were Duncan's in it when I bought it used for $100 I replaced the HSS with the Lace sensor rainbow (emerald, silver, purple) pack to SSS. Threw in white pearloid plates and have been loving it since. thanks for your video!
Love my Obsidian Wire Harness for my Strat, mine is the Bleed Kit / Blend Knob system. Was that the stock nut? Mine has the TusqXL. It really came out fantastic, not a Squire fan but I'd buy that one.
JamCave Studio you need to play some of their recent models. I have a Squier Deluxe strat and it is truly remarkable what $300 will get you from Squier
JamCave Studio I have a question around your TusqXL nut. Did you find you needed to file the nut slots more? I see they come slotted, just curious if further adjustments are really needed.
JamCave Studio do you have to use solderless pickups for the obsidian wire kit or could i throw in my texas specials for example?
Is there a link to the all black pickguard somewhere?
I moded my Squire Standard with Fender locking stagered height tuners without a problem. And put a Musiclilly preloaded pickguard with triple Dadario hotrail pickups. Replaced the string tree with a roller tree plus added a second, replaced the plastic nut too sounds awesome
I used to be a big Floyd rose fan until I watched a few of your vids and seen you floating your strat bridge which inspired me to upgrade my strat and wow.... I never played it much but now it’s my main guitar, my Floyd rose guitars fight me when I try to flutter and with the floating strat flutters with ease thank you 🙏 but my mods were the floating bridge and a scalloped neck
Great build, the difference from the previous is huge. How about the costs? How much for the Squier stock + all the mods? Just to compare them to a Mexico or to an American one
I'm wondering the same.
It's way cheaper than those for sures, it's about 200 in total
Jose Andrade no way. I’d say about $350 at least
I have a Mexican strat I bought used for $400 Canadian and I am never letting it go.
+Graham Linux They are great instruments 👍
Darrell, You are awesome my good Man. I keep saying after I watch everyone of your videos, " That I am Going to do this ". Hahahahahaha You have me so busy, that My wife is complaining that I do not help enough around the House.
I have 5 Strats, one of which is an inexpensive Squier. As I tend to do with most of my guitars, I swapped out the pickups (and went from HSS to HSH) on the Squier. The humbuckers are SD Pearly Gates, my pickup of choice. It sounds really good and is well worth the time and expense that went in the project, since I would have swapped pups in any other Strat, too. It's not my favourite guitar, but I do like it and it plays very well. Generally, it's the backup guitar I bring to gigs, though I will sometimes play it even if I don't need it as backup.
+Marc Cote Nice! Sounds like a great setup ☺
So it's technically a tonewood test? Since you put exactly what you had in the fender into the squier. Pretty cool vid doe!
Can you do a squire bass upgrade? Make it sound like a real P-Bass?!
I took a classic vib 60s replaced the pickups with DiMarzio Area 58, 61 and 67. Added Fender locking tuners, replaced the pots and switch, and lastly I added a toggle switch so I could have a 7 way switch. I also setup my tones so the bottom tone controls the bridge PU and the top tone controls the middle and neck PU. I love the setup and the sound is very good. I have just about quit playing my American made strat.
+Jim Barnes Very nice upgrades! 😎
I had a squier that I absolutely hated... So I took everything off the body, set it on fire to burn the finish off, after that I liked how it looked. I completely rewired it using some $20 alnico v pickups off amazon (they actually sound incredible) used push back wire and a three way bladed switch, all the pots are Seymour Duncan... I made a new pick guard out of some sheet metal with grey paint on it and use it ash shielding. I put a neck from Amazon on it because I wanted a maple fingerboard. Cheap necks are great if you know how to level frets, I put some vintage kluson machine heads on it and roller saddles. I want to put a brass block on the trem. And to finish it off, a neck plate with srv playing his number one engraved on it. Best guitar I own, even over my schecter with an invader and a sustainiac.
Fun project! Nice upgrades! Now I'm gassing to do the same. Did you keep a running total $$$ for the whole upgrade?
The obsidian wire kit costs around 85 dollars, Fender Locking Tuners are around 70-80 dollars, the black fender kit is around 35-40 dollars. On Google it's all pretty easy to find. I'd say it would total at around 150-200 dollars if you don't install new pickups.
cool thanks! but I wanted to get a 'real' Canadian cost. We're both from Canada, and sometimes the import/duty can be brutal
Noobioh Forgot the pickups
Noobioh thanks for that info! I was wondering the same about parts cost and source.
@ lando27music If you want 'real Canadian cost' you'll have to figure in beer. It's the law.
I have a 2018 Squier Standard Tele which has a really nice Indian Laurel fretboard and even the sunburst shows off some really nicely grained (three piece) Agathis. This guitar feels better and sounds better than two recent MIM Teles. Go figure. I made it an Esquire by removing the neck pup and put in an Esquire pickguard and a Seymour Duncan Broadcaster pup. Plays like a real Tele. But please cut out the guitar snobbery: Agathis is just Asian Alder...it is cheaper for Fender because there is no exporting American Alder to Asia. It is not a "cheaper" word forensically or clinically. I know several wood workers who claim Agathis to be either a cousin of Alder or Mahogany. Just because it grows in Asia does not make it cheaper aesthetically. It is less costly because the wood is local to the factories assembling them. But I have to ask: how many guitars do you need before you hit the EXCESS METER TO THE MAX? Too much of a good thing can be a burden and a responsibility that only complicates life.
I did a full Ritchie Blackmore-style scallop job on the fretboard of my Squier Strat - did it all by hand, took me 3 days to finish and it turned out awesome! I also put in a pre-wired H-S-S pickguard set-up from Guitar Fetish. LOVE it!
I added the locking tuners to my Mex. plus-top strat and I love them. I also added the American string tree but eventually restore the original but used a spacer so that it wasn't quite as extreme a break from the nut.
+Justin Driscoll Nice!
How to polish off that Squire? Take some fine sandpaper and sand the back of the neck. This will remove the gloss and give you a satin finish, without removing all of the lacquer. The neck will feel silky smooth with none of the poly drag/stickiness.
I really enjoyed this video :-)
Squier standard strats have unfinished necks, so there's no poly on there.
I just did my Squier Tele neck with my usual... Lemon oil on a 0000-grade steel wool pad. Works a treat!
No, the Standards have a finished neck but it is a matte finish and you wouldn't even know it's there. It is a very light coat and that is all!
Man, you are truly, painfully, incredibly nice. Nobody could ever find a reason for you to not date their sister. You're that nice.
I modded a squier jazz bass, the neck was warped, so my college gave it to me for free, I bought a warmoth lefty neck without the nut, a babicz bridge and some fender lefty tuners, got it all put together and it looks and sounds great, didn't mess with the internals at all though still has the Duncan designed pick ups in there
Wow, that Black Pickguard really sets off that sunburst Squier!! GREAT JOB!!
Thank you for this great video! Is the select strat better sounding than the new am professional series?
+Frinch K In my opinion it is. So far I have not been overly excited about the Vmod pickups. I'll need some side-by-side hands on time with them though ☺
Thank you Darrel! I was about to buy one but maybe I should wait... or buy an am standard... it's a shame I couldn't find any select strat on the internet... Or maybe I'll follow your advises and buy a squire.
+Frinch K The American professional series Strats and Teles are pretty sweet packages overall. The new upgrades make it a worthy successor to the American Standards for sure!
Ok, that sounds better! I don't wähnt to make mistakes. These guitars are pretty expensive. I constantly look at comparisions on RUclips in order to make my mind: "musicman cutlass vs. fender strat am pro", "am pro vs. Elite" etc. I even downloaded some videos, I loaded the audio track on cubase in order to put the two guitars in two different tracks so that I could compare each pickups instantly by switching the tracks with the mute and solo buttons.
Cutlass vs. strat, there was a difference, especially on the bridge pickup. The strat sounded bigger fatter, better in my opinion.
Comparing the two fenders strat, elite vs pro, that was the result: no difference at all... on each pickup, each combination. They sound the same. Very confusing... I know, it's not a life test, but still, I could not hear any substantial difference. I know now, it's not gonna be a musicman. A strat yes, but which one?
+Frinch K If you play with a lot of gain go with the Elite. The noiseless pickups will keep things quiet. If you mostly play clean, go with the pro.
Sir can u please put gibson vs esp
The Jam Street high end ESP will blow Gibson outta the water. Gibson ain't what it used to be.
Yes hey man. Yea I have 4 Squier strats. I have changed all the pickups. Used Duncan's and Dragonfire. I'm very happy with the contemporary strats 12" radius I have both maple and rosewood fretboard models. Even my Bullet strat is great. I have it HH with Duncan's.
I bought my 2002 Parchment colored Squire "Strat" at a Pawn shop this summer $100 looked new, unplayed. I did those modifications you featured but used David Allen Tru 54 Pick ups mounted on a new Tortoise shell pick guard. Wired it 7 way with all new quality pots and switch. I used Spurzel locking/staggered tuners without string trees. The most important thing I did was the first thing, that is I converted the screw on neck to a true bolt on neck joint. I installed metal inserts in the neck and used machine screws, the neck joint is better by far, better even than any high end Strat IMO. The machine screws BTW are countersunk with allen heads not Phillips head which suck. Old style Fender decal. Ball end the frets and a new bone nut. I also re-finished the neck in nitro-cellulose lacquer after cutting the head cap down to the smaller pre-CBS style. It's now a fun to play guitar and sounds great too. The bolt on neck helps sustain as well.
+50gary That sounds really cool 👍😎
Thanks Darrell, decades ago I use to scratch build guitars and this was used as a "re-entry project so to say. Keep up the good videos fun stuff for sure.
Dude i put new strings on my squier. Totaly changes everything.
That first tune was mean. I was expecting little wing 😂
I ordered a obsidian wire kit 2 weeks ago. Have not installed yet but glad you are a fan of them. Going to use the kit on a modded warmoth build so that I can install different combinations of pickups without the hassle of soldering.
+spot mfd 👍Such a HUGE time-saver ☺
I didn't mod a Strat, but I have modded a Squier Affinity P-Bass. I installed a new pickup, new electronics, new bridge and nut, and La Bella flatwound strings, and it plays and sounds as good as a Fender Mexican P-Bass. Modding a Fender-based instrument is a lot of fun and you can end up with an excellent instrument for not a lot of money.
*+Darrell Braun Guitar* The Assassin wins by default over the Select in the most crucial category of all... the Assassin is obtainable. Even if you buy a brand new Squier Standard (full body thickness) it's only $250. After that you can piecemeal your guitar together and watch it improve right in front of you while you keep an eye out for deals, sales, etc.
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💲💲💲💲💲💲💲💲 *I see a lot of folks asking what this kind of thing costs, here's what I got:* 💲💲💲💲💲💲💲💲
Obsidian Wire Kit - $83
Fender Pickups - $200
Fender Tuners - $69
Fender Saddles - $43
Fender String Trees - $8
A couple of things you forgot, brother:
Fender Trem Block - $26 (I prefer the brass GFS block for $35 to the steel)
Tusq XL Graphtech or bone nut - $20 (Maybe a roller nut, per preference)
Grolsch washers ($2) or any strap locks - $18 (If you don't have strap locks, you don't love your guitar 😜)
How much does this makeover cost? I'd love to do exactly this to my Squier.
Fancy FA I was thinking the same
Plus I really wonder how much the intonation is improved on this Super Squier. Because my main issue with Squiers in intonation and how the fretboard feels. I wonder how much the new bridge, the locking tuners and possibly even a new nut would affect the feel.
*+Fancy FA* I come up with right at $400 + tax if you're a one-stop shopper getting it all new.
These upgrades probably wont change the feel of the intrument. If you dislike the fretboard you probably need a new neck.
*+konpaleo* 99% of you normal people would only do this stuff to a guitar that you already liked the feel of. I'm one of the few around that has ever taken a planer, an electric sander, and a sanding block to a guitar to change the shape of the neck. You've never been nervous in your life until you've taken that first swipe.
Man, that Squier looks gorgeous now! I'm really looking forward to the side-by-side...
I got my left handed Squire Strat from a store that was selling lefty's for the same price as a right handed, i couldn't believe it, their like usualy more expensive, Indonesian made 1996 Sunburst 50th Annivesary edition ( apparently?) none the less it's got the gold decals, the serial number checks out but mentions nothing of it being an anivessary edition. So my next course is to mod it. So thanks for the heads up on the Fender locking tuners, i know iv'e got some precision drilling to do.Again thanks Darrell.