NGD / Project progress

[Sharkfin]

I bought this as a Christmas/ B-day present to myself. As much as I enjoy playing I like fixing, customizing and modding. So I sniped a MIM Fender (never mind the Squire Series) for a Jake E. Lee inspired project. It's in great condition looks as if it was never played, with little damage.

The required before pic... GTWGITS



umbucker




FB before fret polish, cleaning & conditioning




After, cleaned up nicely




Tuners had to go, so I installed old Jackson tuners I had after gluing in dowels where the old tuner screw holes & enlarging the peg head holes.



Tuners installed





I'm still buying parts to piece it together. I went with a black output jack and used some old strap buttons I had. I'm still deciding if I will mod for the slanted single.

[Axegrinder87]

Nice progress. Whereabouts in Maryland are ya?

[VitaminG]

wow, it's remarkable how hotrodded a strathead looks with a simple change to black tuners.

[Anders]

wow, it's remarkable how hotrodded a strathead looks with a simple change to black tuners.

My thoughts exatcly as well Gary! And of course the GAS comes creeping...

Edit: It looks like a really cool project, and I'll enjoy following the progress! That white is awesome!

[Sharkfin]

Nice progress. Whereabouts in Maryland are ya?

Thanks, I'm just outside Washington D.C.

[tonemonster]

Projects are fun...... I would love to do more, but they always seem to cost me more than I originally anticipate.

[Axegrinder87]

Thanks, I'm just outside Washington D.C.

Right on. I was born in DC, and lived in Charles County for many years before relocating to the south.

[JetFixxxer]

You have yourself a Gem right there. The "Squier Series" are rumored to be from parts left over from CA shop when they moved it to the Mexican shop (What I've been able to find out). I have a 1995 same color and still all original except for the pickups. These guitar blow away the "Squiers" of today and are better than the newer MIM IMHO. I had Black one as well but let it go in a trade. I wish I never traded it. A lot of times you can pick these up for a good price because people see the "Squier Series"

Here's a picture of mine


Got this information at the Fender Forums..

You might have heard of mexican made Fender guitars with a black headstock decal, sometimes associated with some mystery Squier Series made in Mexico. It’s true that there actually was a “Squier Series” that was made by Fender in Mexico and featured a black decal on the headstock, but not all mexican made Fender guitars with such a black label were part of that very “Squier Series”. Since there appears to be a lot of confusion and half-knowledge about these guitars out there, I decided to do some research on my own.

The black label was used by Fender Mexico for a limited time only between 1993 and 1998. It can be found exclusively on the rather short lived mexican “Traditional” and “Squier” series for the Telecaster, Stratocaster and Precision Bass. Usually, Squier is to Fender what Epiphone is to Gibson. In this very case, the use of the name “Squier” had nothing to do with the actual Squier brand, as the series was named “Squier Series”, but it was by all means a Fender series, not a Squier series. The keyword is “series”, not “Squier”. The regular mexican “Standard” series was available too at the time, but it already featured the same silver-ish logo that is still used for it today. However, between 1993 and 1998, both labels (the black AND the silver-ish one) were used for mexican made Fender guitars, but for (slightly) different guitars.

The guitars with the black label consisted mostly of overstock american made Fender necks and bodies. The parts were shipped to Mexico for assembly with mexican made pickups and far eastern hardware and electronics. The overall quality of these guitars turned out to be below the Squiers made in Japan and Korea, whose production came to an end around the time the mexican made guitars with the black label surfaced, yet above Squiers made in China and Indonesia, whose production had not yet begun at the time. The guitars ended up on the american and european market for just about as much as a guitar from the regular “Standard” series would cost at the time.

Some (not all!) of the guitars were sold for a few bucks less as they came with 1-ply pickguards and hardware of slightly lesser quality. Those guitars (and those only!) had an additional smaller “Squier Series” label on front of the headstock, right were the artist models have the artist’s signature. Though some owners probably sanded off their “Squier Series” label, it is not true that all guitars with a black label had a “Squier Series” label in the first place. Most guitars with the black label featured tuners and bridges of decent quality as well as 3-ply pickguards. These guitars did not have the additional “Squier Series” label and were called the “Traditional Series”, which was stated nowhere on the headstock but the guitars were listed, advertised and sold as such.

The “Traditional Series” can be considered the slightly better but the “Squier Series” sure is the more obscure. At the end of the day, there really is not that much difference between the two. The most significant difference can be found on the Telecaster. The Telecaster from the “Traditional Series” had the traditional through-body stringing, while the Telecasters from the “Squier Series” were Top Loaders with different bridges, saddles and no string holes in the back.

The guitars from that very “Squier Series” are official and genuine Fender guitars like any mexican made Fender guitar regardless, and if you have a mexican made Fender Telecaster, Stratocaster or Precision Bass with a black label and a serial number beginning with MN3, MN4, MN5, MN6, MN7 or MN8, you have a genuine Fender guitar – with or without a small “Squier Series” label."

Made in the Ensenada plant long after Squier had departed for the far east (1992). Body and neck carved in Corona, the Ensenada plant didn't start carving timber till 2003. The body and neck are bigger than all except the JV Squier's, their full strat sized.

[Sharkfin]

My thoughts exatcly as well Gary! And of course the GAS comes creeping...

Edit: It looks like a really cool project, and I'll enjoy following the progress! That white is awesome!

Yeah, it looked snow white in the auction pics but I was pleasantly surprised to see it is actually a nice cream color.

Right on. I was born in DC, and lived in Charles County for many years before relocating to the south.

Cool, I've been in Montgomery County practically my whole life.

You have yourself a Gem right there. The "Squier Series" are rumored to be from parts left over from CA shop when they moved it to the Mexican shop (What I've been able to find out). I have a 1995 same color and still all original except for the pickups. These guitar blow away the "Squiers" of today and are better than the newer MIM IMHO. I had Black one as well but let it go in a trade. I wish I never traded it. A lot of times you can pick these up for a good price because people see the "Squier Series"

Here's a picture of mine


Got this information at the Fender Forums..

That guitar looks familiar I had found the same info in my research as well. I had expected the body and neck to be of good quality with lesser hardware components. I have a 1989 Squire built in Korea that is basically built the same. I changed all the hardware, electronics and upgraded to 3 ply Fender pickguard. It looks and plays great. I can't wait to finish putting this one together.

[Sharkfin]

I got some goodies in the mail... the pick guard is from Terrapin guitars. .90 Matte black, it's thick. It's my first time ordering from them and it was a good experience. The pick guards are completely customizable. I'm not sure of the control layout yet but I'm going with 1 vol, 1 tone and mini switch for the pickup positions.

[dragonclaw]

Now it needs a zebra paint job.

[wilkinsi]

Meh, needs a floyd

[Sharkfin]

A few more progress pics... I still need to acquire some more parts, but it's coming together nicely.

[Sharkfin]

A few more progress pics of the project so far. I had some problems finding pickup covers that fit. The pickup holes didn't all line up. I had some old ones lying around, bought 2 from Stew Mac and even ordered Genuine Fender covers. Each one had the same problem. In the end I took the old ones I had lying around and took a Dremel to each hole to make them bigger. Then I scuffed them up with 1000 grit paper and polished them with swirl remover. I wanted to dull them a bit to match the pickguard since they're matte black. I got the electronics all wired up and working today (Thanks Argos!). I have a Tusq graphite nut but I haven't installed it yet. I'm waiting to get the bridge once I figure out what I want to install. Any suggestions?

[guitardudeluke]

looking very nice