Should I change this cheap Strat?

[442w30]

I have a Mexican (formerly squier) strat that is a beater. Lots of dings and stuff, allparts black pickguard maple neck that is a little fat for me, but I actually am comfortable playing it, it's just different. It's a guiar I don't mind leaving in the car or a friends house.
I don't like the fact that it looks like a SRV wannabe guitar, expecially cause I'm no stevie.
I am thinking of routing in a humbucker in the bridge and putting an Iommi pickup I have in that position. I like the single in the neck, even though it's a cheapie, but I play mostly 80s metal.
What changes would you guys make to a beater like this, or would you leave it as is and use it as an SRV wall hanger?
It has fender standard tuners on it from another strat, the squier was scratched off the headstock, and the body is multipiece, but not a laminate - though it has a veneer on it for the sunburst to look ok.
Oh yeah, also has the cigarette burns on the HS for that 'authentic' look. BTW, I love maple necked sunbursts, but an artist copy guitar is not my thing.
Which direction should this go?

[toejam]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

I'd probably change the bridge pup to a humbucker, or at least one of those single coil-sized humbuckers like a Duncan Hotrails or DiMarzio Chopper. Other than that, I think it looks cool and I'd leave it alone.

[VitaminG]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

I'd leave it as is. It's a classic look and I like it. If it had an "SRV" and "Custom" stickers, it'd look like an artist copy. But as it is, it's a classic tobacco burst/black pickguard/maple neck.

If it bothers you that much, you could swap the pickguard for a white one. Or tortoiseshell would look good too.

[FATKAT]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

You mean something like this ?


American Standerd Strat

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

thats not a beater man...it has mojo. I say do whatever makes ya happy. Mod the hell out of it [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I would add a humbucker and go back to a white pickguard like above or even pearloid, Throw a Floyd Rose original on that sukka and you have a smoking strat. That is a killer guitar base to do whatever you want to it. The body and neck are great.

[jgcable]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

I have a question... how did you turn a formerly Squire strat into a Mexican strat?
I would put a Hot Rails in the bridge and an HS-3 in the neck. I would disconnect the middle pickup and loose the 5 way switch and put a 3 way in wired Bridge/off/Neck.

[442w30]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

Thanks for the great suggestions so far, cutting a Floys in may be a little much, but who knows...maybe when I run out of other things to do around the house [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I actually bought it as a Mexican Strat.

This came up real cheap and I grabbed it without too much thought. I just thought it was a mexi strat with some 'character'. Upon closer inspection, the logo is all black and the place in the 'ball' of the headstock has a not too obvious spot where a small 'squire' might have been. At least that's my speculation. It also looks to have had the cheap tuners on it at one time - those wierd looking cheapos that the chinese fenders have on them, but now has 'F' logo tuners like a standard.

It's all speculation, but the Mexican 'Standard' guitars I've had - a toronado, tele, strat, and two basses have all had silver/black outlined logos and this one has a one color logo and serial #. Plus, this neck is WAY chunkier than any mexican I've messed with - not that my experience is that great.

That American is awefully purty.

I've got an Elite Sumburst/Maple that I'll never part with that looks real similar, but with a bunch of quirky Elite features that many people hate.

I think I'm heading toward shielding it and putting a hum in the bridge. Minimal changes, as I mess with it it may go somewhere.

I never use the middle pickup anyway, so that kill position sounds cool.

[nonamemx]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

I think I would get some good locking tuners (if they dont have it already.

That and get some a Air Norton for the neck and a Fred for the neck. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[toejam]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

David, I sent the white H/S/S pickguard out for you late yesterday afternoon. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[PowerTube]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

Toejam, I recently bought an old Squier Bullet with the intention of customizing it. It's blonde with a Tele-shaped body, but with H-S-S pickup config. I have some pretty evil plans for turning it into a conversation piece to hang on the wall eventually. Of course, I only paid a whopping $25.00 for it.

[442w30]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

Thanks guys,
TJ graciously hooked me up wit a white HSS pickgurad ( I liked the black, but ya run what ya brung [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )
The only hum I have left is the chrome Iommi, so it'll be interesting to see how it sounds in a strat.

[toejam]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

Oh yeah, your last name might be spelled wrong on the envelope. Your Paypal account said Stalligns, and that's what I wrote, but I noticed in your profile it says Stallings. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[442w30]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

Doh, It must have been that way for a couple of years, I haven't chnaged it and you were the first to notice. I'll go update it. Thx man. I think they'll be able to figure it out. I mail stuff to my brother's addy for Hugh Fajina all the time and he gets it OK.

[toejam]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

Yeah, shouldn't be a big deal, but I hate spelling people's names wrong. Anyway, let me know when it arrives. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[toejam]

Re: Should I change this cheap Strat?

[ QUOTE ]
Hugh Fajina

[/ QUOTE ]
LOL [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]