nexrex said:
yeah, i normally would [scrap it all], but its really only costing me $300 AUD to do all of this, versus the $1000 to get a Warmoth. Am trying to save for a house deposit right now, and the project is also keeping me busy, and keeping my mind off my heavy workload.
I think what he was trying to tell you is that you're probably working too hard at the wrong thing. You're polishing a turd, which is a waste of time, money and effort. You'd be much further ahead to work on your ability to play. That is, lessons, jam tapes, books, maybe joining a band and what-not. Most of that sort of thing is relatively inexpensive and will give you the ability to make a turd sound great. You'd be surprised what a little talent applied to a POS can do.
You have to look at the instrument dispassionately. Can you tune it, and will it stay in tune? If so, don't worry about the tuners. Is the neck straight, and the bridge adjustable? Then you can probably get it intonated and the action set. At that point, effects pedals and amplifiers can work miracles.
When I was first starting out, I had a love/hate relationship with my guitar. I couldn't make that damn thing do anything right, and it was all the guitar's fault... until the neighborhood guitar hero came over and kicked my ass on it. The difference? He knew how to play. The lesson?
The player is the thing. A good player can make damn near anything sound good. I know, I know... there isn't time. But, consider this: If you can't play, it doesn't matter what brand or kind of guitar you have, or how tricked out it is - yer screwed. So, get your priorities straight.
A Squire isn't a bad guitar. They're not the best, but they're as much as Fender is willing to give you for the money. So, live with it. Learn how to play. You get good, and you can embarass the boom-boom down the street who's got $5K worth of gear and inadequate time in grade. At that point, people will seek you out - you won't have to sit on the sidelines and whine about other people's gear..
