Upgrades

[Knottyhed]

I've got an old Japanese Squire strat - it was my first guitar and a few months back I dug it out - gave it some TLC and a proper setup and restored it to it's former glory. It plays like a dream and sounds great when strummed acoustically, so much so - i've decided to get rid of the stock pickups and upgrade it. I've a few questions:

 

1.) What pickups? I intend using it for funk and blues.

2.) Should I replace the switch and tone/volume pots too?

 

I'm happy to spend around

[Edward]

Personally i wouldn't be inclined to spend a fortune on pups - as had been said on here ad infinitum, a good amp is the more important link in the chain.... that said, I like what i've been hearing about GFS pups, and will be checking them out in the future..... They do a nice set of pups that are staggered but the other way up, if you see what i mean, to mimic Jimi's, which were strung the other way up than Leo intended, being left mounted as stock on right handed Strats strung left handed.

I'd also consider one of those Mighty Mite pre-wired plates, with vintage or hot vintage staggered pups.

You can find some pretty cool stuff at www.axesrus.com - if you're not fussy about name-brand pups, they have stuff that should work well cheap enough that if you don't like it you can always just ebay it for most of your money back.

In your shoes, I'd be very careful what you do with that MIJ Squier, as those are becoming more collectable all the time. As a general tule with strat syles and upgrades, i always advise hanging on to the original plate complete, and constructing an entire new one. That way if you decide to sell, you can easily revert to standard and keep your upgrades for another project - important, as there's no better way to guarantee a big loss on resale than pumping money into upgrades such as expensive pups.

[Knottyhed]

Originally posted by Edward In your shoes, I'd be very careful what you do with that MIJ Squier, as those are becoming more collectable all the time. As a general tule with strat syles and upgrades, i always advise hanging on to the original plate complete, and constructing an entire new one. That way if you decide to sell, you can easily revert to standard and keep your upgrades for another project - important, as there's no better way to guarantee a big loss on resale than pumping money into upgrades such as expensive pups.

 

 

Yeh - that has occurred to me actually. I saw a MIJ silver series in similar condition to mine (i.e. a fair few dings and knocks) and with the same sun-burst finish go for way more than I paid for it back when I got it. I brought it for

[Edward]

I loved the Silver series stuff - wish i could find some lefty versions.

Had I had the attitudes back then i do now, I'd never have saved for two years to buy a MIA US Std, I'd just have bought myself a coupel of Silver Series. I'll be very surprised if they're not the next Protones...