Polishing a turd

[dcindc]

[dcindc]

It play'd ok, and I farted around getting the action set to my liking, but in the end the upper frets fell away from the strings, and it was clear it needed a shim.

Here's how I install a shim, and only after I've tried to do without one.

I slack the strings, I back the neck screws out about an 8th of an inch. I yank the neck away from the body. I stand the guitar up facing away from me, I put a pick against the exposed heel of the guitar, fat side down and I let it drop into the pocket. I've found that a thin pick is perfect for this. A medium is too much.

This pic is taken with the guitar laying horizontaly. So far my 3rd and 4th arms haven't grown in, so taking the pic with it standing up vertical couldn't be done.



Yes that's the pick that came with this guitar.

[dcindc]

Ok so I rushed several things, but I was impatient and wanted to see how far it had come along.

Yikes! Those strings musta been the original ones from the year 2000.

It's a whole different beast, soundwise. The changes I made to the electronics shouldn't have affected the sound in any big way.

I like these pups! They have a good tone. Not booteak, but they are staying! Makes my life easy. I love the sound that the blender pot allows; all 3 pups on, and neck and bridge pup together.

I think that I would like it if it was a little brighter, so I am going to go in and make the tone pot into a no load pot. I think I will also use a .022 tone cap.

[dcindc]

Q&A

No thoughts on the third testicle. I have enough trouble with my superflouis third nipple.

5 way switch, do it.

I recommended those 17$ pups cause they sound good. Spend more if you think it will sound better. But how will you know?

The neck is flat against the pocket now. I'll get a pic later but there's not much to see. Specifically, no gap.

[dcindc]

I'm really digging this guitar now. I played it a bunch yesterday.

I'd like to point out that so far the only replacement part on this git is the $3 nut. Since the pups are not gonna be replaced, I think that's it!

And that's really the point of this thread: how you can improve a guitar by just "polishing the turd".

I do this with many things that I own. I get them into exemplary mechanical/functional condition. I find it's inexpensive, enjoyable, and well worth my time.


Edit: I'm not done with the guitar, just reporting the progress.

[UllyssesSB]

Man this thread has inspired me to go buy a 2nd hand squire and polish that turd. Thanks dcindc for an awesome thread!

[Woody_in_MN]

DC in DC,

 

Thanks so much for making the effort to post all of this. I am surprised that a lot of players don't even bother dealing with the truss, or fine adjusting the bridge.

 

- W

[golias]

Where did you find that file that you used for the fret dressing?

[sleepeatplay]

Thank you for the thread. I learned a lot from it. I might do a reverse headstock partscaster strat build, so this is an inspiration!!

Questions; The frets were level? So you just milled the fret sprout?! Did you shield the cavity at all?

Thanks! Paul

[Doctor Morbius]

... I think that I would like it if it was a little brighter, so I am going to go in and make the tone pot into a no load pot. I think I will also use a .022 tone cap.

That's what I did with my Agile, just went ahead and made the tone a no load.



Great thread. Lots of really good information.

[_pete_]

Good thread DC!!

 

I do a lot of the same stuff to a guitar when I get one.

It's usually completely taken apart an hour after it's unpacked.

[NickCaveFan]

Very cool thread and thanks for taking all the fine photos and describing what you find and are doing.

Nice job!

[mikesr1963]

Lots of good stuff here. Couple of things to consider. First, an on off switch so the neck and bridge pup are on together and all three can be on at the same time. About $3. I read where one of your tone pots is a master pot, does that include the bridge PU too? If it does that's fantastic, if not, the Fender website shows the wire diagram for American Strat which illustrates the one wire connections to do that.

Nice job.

[darkone15]

Subscribededed

[jerry_picker]

There's nothing "wrong" with it, but there are the usual minor annoyances. Usually when I get a guitar, I just fix all this stuff. It's how I can play my cheap guitars with great satisfaction. Well, lots of people on here don't know how to do all this stuff. So I figure I'll document it in a thread with tons of pics, and tips. Did you subscribe yet? Click on Thread Tools, then Subscribe, then enter. See ya soon!

 

Okey-doky!

[dcindc]

Q&A

I bought the file from forumite MindRiot. If you ask him nicely, he might make one for you.

Ther frets are not perfect. Looks like somebody tried to spot level a few frets. I didn't feel like levelling it yet, so I didn't. I will soon though. That's what it's gonna take.


I haven't shielded it, and probably won't. I just don't care enough.

I know you do _Pete_! I've enjoyed your Macgyver threads too!

The master tone works on all pups.


Thanks for the kudos! More to come.

[dcindc]

And before I forget to mention it, the tuners were all really loose.
That HAD to have been sucking some tone.
They are good and snug and square to each other now.

[Dee Gan]

cool thread. i could use this. subscribed.

[book_of_lies777]

 

DC did you play a Squier VM Strat yet? I can't seem to run into one in the music shops. But my VM Thinlines are so nice I'm really wondering about the Strats. Stock pick-ups on the Tele are Cloth insulated and Brass plated on the bridge pup. Just like Seymour Duncans. A/B with my Tele actually loaded with the same set of Seymour Duncans? They are very very close. Output is the same, the Duncan designed sound a little thinner, but in a good way. I have never, ever played Dunan Designed built this well or sounding this good. And its not a fluke cause I own Two of the VM Thinlines.

 

 

 

I owned the brown sunburst Squier VM Strat - it was great, but not suited to my style of playing - sold it to Frets99 and he sure makes it sing purty!

[mikesr1963]

And before I forget to mention it, the tuners were all really loose. That HAD to have been sucking some tone. They are good and snug and square to each other now.

 

 

I have several Squires and I had to tighten the tuners on all of them. You make a great point about that sucking some tone.

[fretmonster]

Great thread dc, a very noble public service. Got a charge out of the title as well.

[Doctor Morbius]

Lots of good stuff here. Couple of things to consider. First, an on off switch so the neck and bridge pup are on together and all three can be on at the same time. About $3. I read where one of your tone pots is a master pot, does that include the bridge PU too? If it does that's fantastic, if not, the Fender website shows the wire diagram for American Strat which illustrates the one wire connections to do that. Nice job.

I've done both the neck on toggle and the blender pot to different Strats. I have just finished the blender pot version so I'm not as used to it as I am with the neck on switch, but I think I am going to like it better overall once I am more familiar with it.

For those who are curious about the diagrams, here they are. The first one is the neck on toggle. The second is the blender pot version. The third is a twist on a bridge tone mod.

For anyone wanting mini toggles cheap check out www.PartsExpress.com

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee239/Doctor_Morbius/NeckOn.jpg

http://www.acmeguitarworks.com/pdf/WiringDiagram_Strat_Blender.pdf

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee239/Doctor_Morbius/Tone-Control-Mod.jpg

[dcindc]

This thread had way over a thousand views, today.

[golias]

This thread had way over a thousand views, today.

I think there should be a "turd-polishing" sticky. Not just for this project, but for all advice about making el-cheapo guitars into workable instruments at minimal expense.

[Trextomb]

And just to answer an often asked question, yes Mighty Mite necks fit on Squiers. That's a MM Ebony compound radius neck sitting very nicely in the pocket. No, it ain't stayin. But damn it looks good, doesn't it?

thank you for answering this...thinking about getting a mighty mite and a cheap tele, and using some of your advice here to fix it up..i subscribed..feel this is stuff any guitarist should know.