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Improve Squire

RuiSalvador

By RuiSalvador
in Electric Guitars

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Belva Newbie

Belva

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Anyone played the GFS lil killer ?

 

I have a set. Love them! I had the 10K in the bridge on another guitar with regular SC's. That's what I'd recommend if you just want to do one pup in your Squire. Works great in the bridge. I haven't met a GFS pup I didn't like. If you do this, don't disassemble your guitar until you have the replacement pup. GFS instructions say you can use Seymour Duncan color codes. Yes, but that's only with other GFS pups. With your squire pups, use the GFS color codes or you'll be out of phase and it will sound thin & wimpy. Just repaired a customer guitar today. He made that mistake and I took some of his $$$. Yes, I charged him more than if he'd just brought me the guitar in the first place instead of phucking it up.

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RuiSalvador Newbie

RuiSalvador

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I have a set. Love them! I had the 10K in the bridge on another guitar with regular SC's. That's what I'd recommend if you just want to do one pup in your Squire. Works great in the bridge. I haven't met a GFS pup I didn't like. If you do this, don't disassemble your guitar until you have the replacement pup. GFS instructions say you can use Seymour Duncan color codes. Yes, but that's only with other GFS pups. With your squire pups, use the GFS color codes or you'll be out of phase and it will sound thin & wimpy. Just repaired a customer guitar today. He made that mistake and I took some of his $$$. Yes, I charged him more than if he'd just brought me the guitar in the first place instead of phucking it up.

 

 

So for the little killer i use the GFS colors? ok . . . i am just searching how to do things so i probably am gonna to have the help of someone withe experience =) , do you know any good pickups fr bridge and neck to get along with the killer ? and the replacement bridge rem, good choice right ? =)

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Duffy1 Newbie

Duffy1

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Personally I would stay sss and go with guitarfetish.com.

 

They make some inexpensive sets of sss humbucking pickups in the regular single coil sss size so you won't have to change anything on your pickguard, they fit right in. They are called: "LITTLE KILLERS" and are twin rail humbucking single coils. They sound almost like full sized humbuckers but are single coil exact drop ins to your pickguard without modification. They come in various levels of power. The "calibrated" set of hot ones would be great and they are "NOISELESS". They give a big full sound, not a thin sound. They will rock the house dude! No need for S S H pickups because all of the little killers are H; H H H but in single coil double rail size pickups. Awesome tone. Of course you might want regular single coils, but I have had great luck with the Little Killers.

 

You can fix your tremolo yourself to work perfectly: there are six screws on the tremolo bridge plate. Loosen up the inside four screws about one turn and loosen the two farthest outside bridge plate screws about a half turn or so. This will loosen up the tremolo and make it easy to operate, even if you have a lot of springs in th back under the tremolo cover on the back. This loosening up of the bridge plate screws, except for only loosening up the outer two just a little, is a trick that works well with vintage tremolos, making them almost as useable as the new two point pivoting Fender style tremolos.

 

Try it, you can't hurt anything.

 

I would also think about replacing the pots: the tone and volume controls under the pickguard with good ones from guitar fetish. They are like a dollar a piece. Also get a good five way pickup selector switch for a couple dollars. This will improve the tone of the new pickups.

 

You can make an awesome guitar out of that affinity for very little money, especially dealing thru guitarfetish.com.

 

10k and 15k stand for "resistance" of the pickups in ohms, written this way 10kOhms and 15kOhms; 10 kilo ohms and 15 kilo ohms, electrical terms. What they mean generally in practical terms is that the 15 k ohm pickup is louder, stronger, more powerful than the 10 k ohm; but both are strong and powerful. Vintage stratocasters have 6 k ohm to 8 k ohm pickups. I like hot pickups, like the 10 or 15 k ohm or higher pickups in the single coil double rail little killer type. These transform your affinity into a very awesome guitar with chiming sound all the way up to roaring sound. 15 k ohms will ROAR when you turn your amp up. Great for some heavy, serious rock.

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RuiSalvador Newbie

RuiSalvador

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Not sure about the bridge , i don't know really well how to do anything, i'm trying to find some help near my home, to mount the bridge rem and the pickups...

 

Why do i know if a tremridge oir a pickguard will fit on my squire ?

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cratz2 Newbie

cratz2

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Not sure about the bridge , i don't know really well how to do anything, i'm trying to find some help near my home, to mount the bridge rem and the pickups...


Why do i know if a tremridge oir a pickguard will fit on my squire ?

 

 

Most any 'normal' pickguard will fit in a Squier Affinity. Maybe 8 out of 11 screw holes will line up, and you might have to drill/screw 3 new holes. No big deal. All Fender/GFS/Allparts/Warmoth pickguards will work.

 

Pretty easy to change the trem. You need the 'import' trem NOT USA/Domestic/MIA trem. Just cut the strings, take out the springs, unscrew 6 screws, remove old trem, replace with new trem, screw in 6 screws, replace springs.

 

For pickups, you need to solder them in place. Pretty easy, but maybe you might have someone do it for you.

 

Yes... only get a setup after you install the new trem and pickup.

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Belva Newbie

Belva

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A pre wired pickguard may be a better choice. Depends on your experience with a soldering iron. And, of course, your budget. As far as the new bridge, I'd wait until you have the guitar set up. If it tunes well, don't spend the money right now on a bridge. Believe me, I understand what being on a tight budget is like. And, if you're relatively new to guitar playing, your choice of guitar may change drastically by the time you're ready to upgrade to a new one. It's been my experience that you never get your money back on guitar upgrades. Bad investment, but I still do it!

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RuiSalvador Newbie

RuiSalvador

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well , i understand , i will not have any return, but i'm not doing it as 70 bucks investment, i'm doing it for myself =) ,

About the bridge rem , i just want to be able to do somethings with the trem, and right now, i really can

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stevieb Newbie

stevieb

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Not gonna wade thru 4 pages to make sure no one has said this:

 

I upgraded a Squier Standard Strat, and thought every penny was worth it. Would have never looked back, but then I found a MIA strat, so now the Squier will be stripped of it's upgrades and sold. My order for it was, and would be again:

1. Pickups.

2. Tuners

3. Jack

4. Pots.

5. STOP! (I didn't do 3 and 4, no need to on this guitar.)

 

Worth it? For sure, insofar you mean as a guitar for YOU. But you will never recoup your expenses on upgrading a Squire (or a MIM, for that matter) unless you take the extras off and put the originals back on.

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RuiSalvador Newbie

RuiSalvador

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Not gonna wade thru 4 pages to make sure no one has said this:


I upgraded a Squier Standard Strat, and thought every penny was worth it. Would have never looked back, but then I found a MIA strat, so now the Squier will be stripped of it's upgrades and sold. My order for it was, and would be again:

1. Pickups.

2. Tuners

3. Jack

4. Pots.

5. STOP! (I didn't do 3 and 4, no need to on this guitar.)


Worth it? For sure, insofar you mean as a guitar for YOU. But you will never recoup your expenses on upgrading a Squire (or a MIM, for that matter) unless you take the extras off and put the originals back on.

 

 

 

 

About the tuners, my guitar stays tuned very well, i was thinking of buying a new bridge rem, but the issue is that i would have to remove the backplate, about the pots, i'm trying to understand how they work, what they do, and whats the diference between them

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bsman Newbie

bsman

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Don't worry about the backplate: It's only function is to cover the trem springs. I have removed the backplate from every strat I've ever had. To me, it gives an airier tone. It will screw back in quite easily if you want to. The pots (potentiometers) are under the tone and volume knobs. I wouldn't worry about replacing them right away unless there is a problem (i.e. scratchy noises when you turn the knobs). You can always upgrade those at a later date. Compared to the difference in changing pickups, you probably won't notice much difference if you change pots.

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