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How would 500k pots alter the sound in a strat though? Usually I see 250k ones in them.
I found new tuners made a difference as well.
Otherwise a really nice guitar.
But if the stock pickups are anything like what came in my 80s Squier (they had a single long bar magnet running along the bass plate if I remember correctly) then they need to go as well, they just sounded wrong, flat no sparkle. Though I suppose that could have been the tiny block.
The change to a steel block made such a difference. The position 2 "cluck" thing jumped out after that.
Oh yeah, rewiring a tone pot for the bridge pickup is very useful.
The guitar plays quite well , has big chunky frets , and sounds pretty good, but is maybe lacking a certain something . We suggested making some physical upgrades - many along the lines many of you have suggested.
4)swap the tremolo block to a cold rolled steel one, or maybe look at a Wilkinson with a steel block
2)put Duncan JB at bridge (Green Day "Dookie" tone required)
4) Select a 500k pot on volume (may use low ohm value one) & wire one tone to bridge and one to neck/middle
5) push /pull pots on tones ..one to coil split HB and one to bring in neck at any time - so all options can be accessed
Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.
Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.
Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com. Facebook too!
What I didn't mention before was I was a big Green Day fan growing up as a teenager in the 90's playing powerchords and I know Billie Joe Armstrong uses a JB humbucker in his strat so that's a little throwback to my youth (and the Dookie album reference).
I am very much looking forward to how this turns out and I'm sure we will update you all as it progresses!
Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.
Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.
Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com. Facebook too!
The JB Humbucker this is for a throwback to my teens really, half of me is saying "don't do it" but then why shouldn't I do it?! Haha.
This is the tone I would love (from 11 secs to 17 seconds) from the JB in the bridge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWOZ9R2XbSg
I know I probably won't get it with this particular guitar but to be a bit closer than what I had is a start!
The last photo of the guitar as I originally had it in the @FelineGuitars workshop:
And the photo of the Strat in August all transformed:
Obvious visual difference is the JB humbucker in the bridge.
It plays amazing and those upgrades you guys suggested (main ones being the trem block and switching to "true single coils") made all the difference. The single coils are the Oil City "Stonetones" which are just fantastic. More output, but keeping the "Stratty-ness" I wanted for the neck and middle. Cleans are chimey, warm and that neck/middle "cluck" is there!
I'm very happy with the results and so glad I did these modifications on a guitar I've had since I was 13 years old.
My extended thank you's go to Jonathan and Tom from Feline to make this dream possible, they took every single detail I wanted and made it happen.
So the final answer to the question is yes, I can make a Squier Strat sound better!!