New to modifying

[Locnar1975]

Hello everyone!!!  I'm a newbie to the group, with a couple of questions that may seem stupid to some (but as they said on South Park, there are no stupid questions, just stupid people).

I have my old Squier Bullet Strat that I purchased new in 1994.  Chinese made- believe it was the first year they were.  I have no idea what kind of wood the body is made of, and my serial number does not help at all (It starts with an NC4 - not even Fender has any info on it, other than they exist) but I'm guessing Alder or Basswood. 

The neck is completely worn so it would easily need to be replaced.  Body is in great shape, pickups are horrible.  Pots are good - the cheap ones wore out and were replaced.

All in all - screaming to be modded. But I have a couple of questions that maybe I can get some help on.

1 - I'm quite confident in my abilities with wipe-on poly, have done it a lot.  But do I need to do the fretboard as well? 

2- If I go roasted maple, does it need anything to finish, or is it good to go right out of the box?

3- Has anyone tried replacing the pick guard on a Squier with one from Warmoth?  I'm looking at changing it on mine but want to know if anyone has had any problems. 

Any help would be..... Helpful.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[ChristopherG]

Welcome aboard.

It is really hard to tell with Chinese guitars as they will frequently make stuff out of whatever they have at hand, regardless of what the specs call for. My brother has a guitar that by all rights and sources of information should be alder but is made most definitely of swamp ash.

Roasted maple needs no finish.

I think they have a printable template that you can put your existing pickguard on to see if the holes line up, but I could be wrong.

 

[Cagey]

Roasted Maple does not need a finish, and is a super-fine wood to use for a neck. You'd be very pleased with it, I'm sure, especially if you go to the trouble to burnish it.

I don't know if Warmoth's pickguards will fit on a Squire. You might call them and ask.

Worst case, if they say "no", there are pickguard makers out there who will fab one up based on your existing part if you send it to them. One example would be Terrapin, who some here have had good luck with.

 

[Locnar1975]

Thank you for your input!

I had a feeling that it being roasted it would not need anything else done to it.  However the 2 hours of sanding sounds like it is truly well worth it. Thanks Cagey!

I will give them a call in the morning about the pick guard. Was more curious if anyone has attempted it with a  Squier.

Thanks for letting me know about the wood Christopher.  It being the first year of the Bullet series, first year MIC (as opposed to MIK) I did not know what to expect.  So it's a third potential wood.  All I know is it's not plywood or pressboard.  It's was $300 in 1994, it better not be!

I'm thinking roasted maple is the way to go.  I CAN do wipe on poly very well.... But doesn't mean I LIKE doing it! 

 

[Cagey]

If this would be your first "raw" neck, you're in for a real treat, especially with the roasted Maple. Feels like nothing else you've ever played. Plus, it stays that way.

Also, don't mess around - get stainless steel frets. Same deal: nothing like them. Doesn't affect the sound, but it sure affects the way it plays.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Worst case for the pickguard is you'd have to drill a few extra screw holes in the body to line up with the holes in the pickguard.

Totally agree on the SS frets.

A regular maple neck must have a finish. As previously stated, it will be a non-issue if you go with the roasted maple.

 

[Locnar1975]

Thanks everyone so much!!  This Noob appreciates all the help!

So I printed out the pick guard PDF and, lo and behold, its shy by a little over 1/8".  Therefore I would have to get one custom made, at great expense. So.. decided not to change it (which is annoying when it's white and I just bought cream coloured pickups lol).

Now with the sanding or finishing (whichever I decide to do)  - would I have to do anything to the fretboard as well, Or just leave it as is?  Thats the part I'm confused on.  Something tells me if I put a poly finish on, it will ruin the tone. 

 

[Cagey]

It's somewhere between difficult and impossible to do anything to the fretboard if there are frets installed, so outside of hosing it down with whatever the rest of the neck is being finished with, as is often done with regular Maple, it's generally just left alone. In the case of most exotics or other woods that don't require a finish, that's usually not a problem unless you're very picky. Myself, I buy the necks without frets so I can burnish the 'board along with the rest of the neck, then fret it after that. Makes me (and some of my customers) happier.

As for any finish changing the tone, don't worry about it. It's a groundless concern based on what can happen with an acoustic, but an electric doesn't suffer for it.

 

[Ace Flibble]

Finishes absolutely can affect the tone, but you'll only ever notice the difference if you go from one extreme type of finish to another—for example, no finish at all to an excessively-thick poly finish—and if you are playing a style of music and with a tone which will really showcase the slightest changes, such as using a piezo pickup and playing progressive jazz. Also, whether or not any change to a guitar will "ruin the tone" is an entirely subjective matter of personal taste.

Either way, in the case of wiping some regular poly on an old Squier, you're highly unlikely to hear a difference. With everything else that you are changing, it would be impossible to put the whole guitar together and then pinpoint what effect the finish material is having, if any.

 

[Kostas]

... It being the first year of the Bullet series, first year MIC (as opposed to MIK) I did not know what to expect.  So it's a third potential wood.  All I know is it's not plywood or pressboard.  It's was $300 in 1994, it better not be!

I'm far from an expert when it comes to the Fender history but I remember for years the Yamaha ad on the back of the Guitarist magazine I was buying in the early 90's. Also the word bullet doesn't sound good to me, I believe they are using it for the less expensive Squiers.

Check this link to see the ad and more
http://planetbotch.blogspot.gr/2012/08/the-1996-squier-korea-deluxe-strat.html

 

[Locnar1975]

Thanks so much Cagey and Ace.  I have no idea how to install frets so I planned on having them installed by Warmoth - at least I know it will be done right lol.  I'm really leaning towards the roasted maple, since I really like the look, so the whole discussion may be moot.  But good to know if I decide otherwise.

Kostas - I'm not quite sure about it being plywood, since they did use a natural finish on the MIC Bullets at the time. I think mine is just on the cusp of switching to hardwood.  I might sand it down in the neckhole where no one can see to find out.

EDIT - did a search for "Squier Bullet Strat 1994" and saw a pic of one sanded down and refinished, and it was alder. 

http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=699559