So You Just Bought A New Strat.. What is the first Mod You Make?

[steve_man]

interesting... any tonal difference after blocking verses the extra spring method?

[steve_man]

This is the guitar I'm talking about... it's a MIM Squire Strat.

[onelife]

There's many mods for me to do to make a strat playable. The main ones:

First, remove the middle pickup;

Second, remove the neck tone pot and do master tone wiring;

Third, move the vol pot to where the other tone pot used to be;

Fourth, deck and block the trem.

 

Why? Gotta move all that crap out of the way and stabilize it.

 

 

Why not simply get a telecaster?

[1001gear]

Add bridge to tone control.

 

This and then treble bleed and then noiseless. I always block the trem but screwing the bridge down pretty much works too.

[Juicy Elk Man]

 

 

Why not simply get a telecaster?

 

 

Don't like the body - simple as that.

[WRGKMC]

If you don't like a trem, just buy a hard tail. having an unrouted body does sound good under the bridge.

[DeepEnd]

Why not simply get a telecaster?

Because I think they're butt ugly, except maybe the Thinline.

 

interesting... any tonal difference after blocking verses the extra spring method?

Frankly, I'm sufficiently tin-eared that I don't hear any. YMMV.

[Steve2112]

Okay' date=' we're talking specifically about a Strat here. I realize there are many types of Strats out there, so maybe be specific about what you replace on certain models (i.e. MIM, USA, MIJ, etc.). Second thing is, why would you make that mod? Tuning stability, tone, playability, etc?[/quote']

 

The very first thing I would do is learn how to play it properly. If I played like SRV or Eric Johnson or Jeff Beck or Eric Clapton or Yngwie Malmsteen...then I would worry about changing parts.

[V-8]

A stainless steel tremolo arm, maybe with a custom shape and / or length.

 

[steve_man]

 

 

rolls of pennies?

[V-8]

On the spring side of thee tremolo block, you want to install a block of wood between the tremolo block and the body with a thickness that allows the tremolo bridge to sit flat on the top side of the guitar. Then you put the springs on (3 or more). But, you haven't finished yet. Install another block of wood on the opposite side of the tremolo block with a thickness so that the block will slip in and out of the tremolo cavity moderately easy. Now you have two blocks of wood holding the tremolo still.

[Glenn F]

Hard tail it.

[ToneGrail]

interesting... any tonal difference after blocking verses the extra spring method?

 

Not sure about that but blocking it effectively disables the trem. Technically it still allows upward pitch bending but then the block would fall loose. Adding an extra spring still allows downward pitch bending.

[Ancient Mariner]

I'd play it first, see what needed changing.

 

Had several strats over the years. My 80s MIJ strat had a really weak bridge pickup - all 3 originals were under 4K ohms, so that was replaced with a MIA PU. I also rewire pretty much all strats for master tone & volume, then use the 2nd tone pot to blend the neck pickup to the bridge. I left the trem floating on this guitar because it sounded good that way & tuning was stable unless I broke a string.

 

I've a MIM strat that was a basket case, so HAD to mod it. The original parts that were junk was the trem, which I replaced with a Wilkinson unit set flush to the top so it bends down only, and the pickups. But I also replaced the wilki pressed saddles with cast stainless (GFS) to take some of the really piercing snap out of the tone.

 

 

[WRGKMC]

rolls of pennies?

 

Looks like they're taped up. Not the greatest idea because that deadens the vibrations a bit and still allows a little give.

 

 

I had one where I installed a threaded insert and a bolt where I could crank the bolt out to lock the bridge down or crank it back in to allow the tremolo to work. You could even lock a floating bridge without having to retune or reintonate. The main advantage of this is you can leave the spring cover off and reach in there with your fingers and screw the bolt in so you could use the trem when needed.

 

 

I thought about making a latch that could be flipped to release it. Many trems do have that feature. My Steinberger has that. You can lock the floating bridge, get everything setup, then when you release the latch you had a knob to adjust the spring tension and tune all the strings so they matched the locked bridge in pitch. Its probably the best trem system made because once its set, you can use it locked or unlocked and the pitch is the same. If you do break a string (which is pretty hard to do with double ball ends that are epoxied) You can lock the trem down and still play. The broken string isn't wrapped around tuning pegs either and if it isn't shot off like a rubber band when it breaks, its easily removed while you're still playing.

[Knutsaq]

I've modded every Strat I have ever had. Most guitars I have owned actually. My most recent was a Custom Shop '66 and it got new pickups, Graph Tech saddles, the bottom tone pot rewired for the bridge pickup only, and a 5-way switch.

[Bloozcat]

Your amp and speaker(s)...

I've built numerous Strats and Teles, done a zillion mods on guitars from pickups to electronics to trems to tuners to nuts...and the one thing that stands out above all the rest: a good tube amp with good speakers.

I've heard and played crappy Squires, MIM's, Korean and Chinese made Strats through good tube amps with good speakers and they sound surprisingly good. Would certain guitar mods make them sound/play better? Yes, of course, but the difference would not be as great as just the amp itself.

[1001gear]

Such as... ?

[wankdeplank]

I've modded every Strat I have ever had. Most guitars I have owned actually. My most recent was a Custom Shop '66 and it got new pickups' date=' Graph Tech saddles, the bottom tone pot rewired for the bridge pickup only, and a 5-way switch.[/quote']

 

A man after my own heart. And I thought I was bad removing the lubritrac nuts on my US Hamers and replacing them with tusq and graphite (two guitars). But I swear they sound 100% better to my ears and that's all that matters. When you put your TLC into molding something to your own personal specs, it really becomes your own.

 

So back to the question. What specific mods do I "replace on certain Strat models". I actually have two MIM Fender Squier Series guitars (from the 90's like yours) that now play and sound as good as my 89 MIA - these are amazing mod platforms because at the time all the necks and bodies were cut at the US plant and only finished in the MIM plant (mine have two piece bodies). First let me say that unlike my 89 MIA that only required a nut change to sound and play perfect (appalled at the cheap plastic nut that came stock), the early MIM Squier Series guitars do require some significant elbow grease to reach their potential IMO.

 

They both got new graphite nuts - better sustain and harmonic complexity even on fretted notes. I shimmed the necks on mine to eliminate any slope towards the body (I use all manner of wooden fashioned shims, the easiest being flat toothpicks and glue). For comparison, my MIA didn't require a shim or the use of its micro-tilt system (I'd install a shim before I would use that), and neither did my 83 Aria Pro II RS Bobcat which has the lowest action up the board of any guitar I've ever owned owing in part to the truss rod being located at the body. I digress, my shimmed MIMs play as well as any Strats I've ever played with very low action. The tuners are fine, though not the same ratio as the Fender USAs, I've found that they hold tune extremely well, and I use my whammys. I did replace the cheap string trees with the USA variety rollers - the cheap ones will cause tuning instability. I shielded the pickguards with gold electricians' shielding tape which did away with those annoying crackles caused by static electricity from your picking hand. Something I didn't have to worry about with my MIA but my MIJ (Matsomuku) yes. I replaced the trem blocks on my MIMs with a GFS Brass (don't care for their steel one - too trebly and sibilant) and a Fender steel. My MIA and MIJ had the better blocks to begin with. Why do this mod you ask? Not only for improved tone and sustain but to prevent your ball ends from sticking in the cylinders. And last but not least I replaced the ceramic pickups with alnicos on my MIMs and my MIJ. As Pete Biltoft (custom pickup winder) put it, "you won't get the bell tones from ceramic pickups". GFS has some incredible sounding Strat pickups for pocket change. (Used GFS vintage for one MIM and a Pete Biltoft combined with two lace sensors for the other and the GFS compare very favorably). As a matter of fact, I finally broke down and ordered a complete set of premium vintage pickups for my MIJ Bobcat for about $70 delivered. (Had held out on the Bobcat because the ceramics in it had a lot of character but eventually realized that they pale in comparison to the alnicos in my other Strats).

 

Didn't know I'd end up writing a dissertation, but the OP had asked for mods and justifications. I hope somebody gets something out of it.

[Vermoulian]

High on my list would be to replace the thinner zinc trem block with a full-sized steel one. I think it makes a huge difference. Of course, I appear to be the only person who actually uses the trem on his Strats.

 

Depending on the guitar, pickups might be a bigger priority, but that will vary, whereas any guitar with a zinc block will, I think, benefit from a steel block.

[aliensporebomb]

SuperVee Bladerunner trem.

[DeepEnd]

. . . I replaced the trem blocks on my MIMs with a GFS Brass (don't care for their steel one - too trebly and sibilant) and a Fender steel. My MIA and MIJ had the better blocks to begin with. Why do this mod you ask? Not only for improved tone and sustain but to prevent your ball ends from sticking in the cylinders. . . .

If I didn't have my trem blocked I'd probably consider that particular mod as well, if nothing else to keep the stupid ball ends from getting stuck. I'm not sure what sonic effect a heavier block would have with the trem blocked though.

[wankdeplank]

High on my list would be to replace the thinner zinc trem block with a full-sized steel one. I think it makes a huge difference. Of course, I appear to be the only person who actually uses the trem on his Strats.

 

Depending on the guitar, pickups might be a bigger priority, but that will vary, whereas any guitar with a zinc block will, I think, benefit from a steel block.

 

Another trem user here that prefers the sound of the big blocks. Feel like the pickup swap in the case of ceramics is a more significant improvement, but next to that, not much else will do as much to improve your tone. Some time ago, a forumite (no longer posts here) put up a soundcloud comparison of several Strats he owned and one had a fairly one dimensional tone and I correctly guessed that was the MIM with the zinc block, though the pickups had been upgraded. That being said, I found the GFS Steel block to be waay too bright, but am fond of the GFS brass block and the Fender steel. Never tried a callaham as I could get another Mexican Strat for what they want for them.

 

(Deepend wrote) If I didn't have my trem blocked I'd probably consider that particular mod as well, if nothing else to keep the stupid ball ends from getting stuck. I'm not sure what sonic effect a heavier block would have with the trem blocked though.

 

Would imagine that it would have some tonal impact but I think a lot would depend on how you had it blocked. When I got my 89 MIA last year, it came blocked with balsa wood and a ton of electrician's tape which just soaked up all of the sound transfer. That guitar was so constipated sonically you'd hit one note and it would be fine and another would just disappear - no sustain whatsoever. I had to scrub the cavity and steel wool the block to get all that gunk out and bring it back to life. It came with a Fender custom shop in the neck with the other two being noiseless, and it sounds impressive in every position now despite the noiseless pickups (don't know where they get the bad rap).

[mister natural]

I'm also a fan of very occasional trem-arm usage. My tech screwed the trem flush to the top which allows dive only usage(4 springs - set of 11s). I can come back to the instrument after 3 days of playing something else & it's still dead in-tune.

 

I'm OK with the 5 way and controls as stock. Big fan of Duncan pickups ex. for the stock middle. I'd say get the set-up done correctly first & go slowly from there

[Virgman]

I changed the string trees on a few guitars but that's all.

 

I'm pretty ashamed that's all I've ever done.