Is it possible to improve a squier strat?

Maynehead

Do you have 250k pots and are the pickups close enough to the strings?

If all else fails will the body route support a dual humbucker pick guard?

Lestratcaster

Maynehead said:

Do you have 250k pots and are the pickups close enough to the strings?

If all else fails will the body route support a dual humbucker pick guard?

I think they're 250k pots and the pickups are approx 0.5cm close to the strings.

robgilmo

Lestratcaster said:

Maynehead said:

Do you have 250k pots and are the pickups close enough to the strings?

If all else fails will the body route support a dual humbucker pick guard?

I think they're 250k pots and the pickups are approx 0.5cm close to the strings.

Have you experimented with the pick up height? Are the three balanced?

Lestratcaster

robgilmo said:

Lestratcaster said:

Maynehead said:

Do you have 250k pots and are the pickups close enough to the strings?

If all else fails will the body route support a dual humbucker pick guard?

I think they're 250k pots and the pickups are approx 0.5cm close to the strings.

Have you experimented with the pick up height? Are the three balanced?

I actually haven't touched them since they were installed. The bridge sounds brittle and harsh whilst the 2nd position sounds the warmest.

HerrMetal

Must admit I didn't consider that the Everything Axe set were humbuckers in SC size until I saw the photo then checked the SD site.

Lestratcaster

HerrMetal said:

Must admit I didn't consider that the Everything Axe set were humbuckers in SC size until I saw the photo then checked the SD site.

Yeah its meant to be the JB but in a single coil size in the bridge, called a JB Jnr but I don't like it!

Maynehead

With the low e held down at the last fret, the pickups should be around 2mm from the string. That’s about the right ballpark, then adjust to taste. Sounds like yours are a little further away than that.

HAL9000

Fez said:

If replacing the pick ups again is an option I would look at Oil City pick ups. The Stone tones are great and you could have an overwound bridge pick up with a base plate. A steel tremolo block might help a bit. 

Exactly what's in my MIM Strat. Very happy with it.

prowla

Lestratcaster said:

Grumpyrocker said:

Have a look at Iron Gear pickups. They are inexpensive but sound fantastic.

Any particular one? They got some good reviews on there, I'm tempted to whack one set in there as they're not really expensive!

I've got an Iron Gear Tesla Shark in a partscaster and it's rather good.

(The guitar has a MIM body and a Warmoth neck, so a bit of a step up from a Squier, though.)

Lestratcaster said:

Rabs said:

Put a humbucker in it 

My temptation was to put a JB in the bridge, the full size one, not the Jnr.

Funnily enough, I'm planning to put that in in place of the Iron Gear.

The middle & neck pickups are Tonerider City Limits, which are really (really!) good.

http://www.tonerider.com/city-limits

FYI, I've got a Squier Affinity Strat too and it's really a decent guitar; it plays like a Strat and feels like a Strat, but every part isn't quite as good as a proper Fender.

The thing is, though, the guitar is worth under £100, so I wouldn't put money into it trying to make it into something it isn't.

sweepy

Put a Wilkinson Vintage trem on it, solid steel block and a push fit arm, that will improve it no end

thegummy

prowla said:

The middle & neck pickups are Tonerider City Limits, which are really (really!) good.

http://www.tonerider.com/city-limits

FYI, I've got a Squier Affinity Strat too and it's really a decent guitar; it plays like a Strat and feels like a Strat, but every part isn't quite as good as a proper Fender.

The thing is, though, the guitar is worth under £100, so I wouldn't put money into it trying to make it into something it isn't.

Could you please snip the ends of the strings off the tuners?

mburekenge

You can improve it, but it'll never be a Marlin Slammer

stickyfiddle

Mine. Squier Standard Strat from 2000. New neck (x4) new pickups (x3, or 4?) new bridge x3, rewired, new pickguard etc etc

It currently has a Musikraft neck, Rio Grande pickups and a Callaham bridge. It's bloody fantastic. The body, jackplate and I think all the pickguard screws are still original

paulnb57

Double post....

paulnb57

I woulnt expect your current set of pickups to be sooo bad, perhaps not the sound you would like, could it be they are wired incorrectly?

Nikc

sounds more like an amp issue to me - what amp have you got ??

paulnb57

Nikc said:

sounds more like an amp issue to me - what amp have you got ??

I thought he said he tried a different amp?

Edit, replied to wrong post!

rossi

Just sand off the headstock label and lower the pickups .Sorted .I have played loads of cheapy Squier and the pickups sound OK when lowered.Take the logo off and its not a Squier anymore so a magic tone angel makes it sound better.On the other hand the advice just play it are the best on here  and always will be .

Lestratcaster

paulnb57 said:

I woulnt expect your current set of pickups to be sooo bad, perhaps not the sound you would like, could it be they are wired incorrectly?

They’re not bad just I’ve not been 100% happy with them for reasons earlier mentioned. I had them fitted by a very well renowned guitar luthier, Stuart Monks so I should think they were fitted correctly!

Lestratcaster

Nikc said:

sounds more like an amp issue to me - what amp have you got ??

It’s a Marshall DSL5c at the moment. Hoping to get a Kemper sometime as I want to join a covers band.