Hey all,
I am going to upgrade, hot rod, modify, chop, channel, bore out, re-jet, and rebuild my Squier Tele Custom. I tried this lovely axe bas it was part of Guitarist 50 Guitars to Play Before You Die.

I immediately fell in love with the neck and the look (black on black with silver humbucker covers). I love the shape of the pick guard too. I also like the sound but…………….alas I want it upgraded. I didn’t pay much for it and so this will become my first complete rebuild of a guitar. I am hoping for your opinions in this rebuild
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I am going to add either Kluson or Grover tuners, not necessarily locking. I am more interested in holding tune and possibly a vintage look. For the bridge, I will go with a Tone Pros, a Fender Custom Shop or a Bigsby assembly. (I love Bigsby).

I am not going to alter the neck or fingerboard. I would love a white perliod pick guard or plain white pick guard.

Now for the fun part. The electronics. I want 3 pickups…..a humbucker (Fender?) at the bridge, a P90 (Gibson?) at the middle, and a Fender single coil in the neck.
I would like to split the coils on the humbucker and have some sort of 7 way switching so as to maximize my pick up configuration options.
I may also opt for “blend knobs” which will allow me to dial in the each pickups output vs. each other. I also want volume and tone controls but unsure how to do that.
Your opinions, experiences, and input will be greatly appreciated on the best way to do this. I am not really flexible on the type of pickups .I want S-P90-HB configuration although I can be swayed as to the position of each pickup..
Please let me know your thoughts! Thanks!

Hi Cafaro, good luck with your project, please let us know how you get on. By the way - I got the black P90 version, not a bad guitar.

Thanks........how are the P90s? I am not necessary sold on Gibson's. I would actually perfer to keep it all Fender.

Can you post a pic please?

"Well my heavy throbbers itchin' just to lay a solid rhythm down"

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Cafaro
Thanks........how are the P90s? I am not necessary sold on Gibson's. I would actually perfer to keep it all Fender.

Hi Cafaro - I find the P90s ok - they,re Duncan Designed but they do the job.I modded a Squire Classic Vibe 50s Tele a couple of years ago - Seth Lover Bucker in the neck, Seymour Duncan lil 59 in the bridge- so two buckers. That sounds bloody good.Like to hear how you go with your project.

ok...thanks! Marhsall, I don't know how to post pix. I can send you an email or if someone can teach me ow to post pix, that would be cool.

thanks!

Wouldn't Billy Squier be a big help on this project?

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Cafaro
LOL! Maybe he can stroke me when I get Lonely in (is) the Night.

I ain't touching that one, dude.

Hey Cafaro, to share pics go to file sharing site such TinyPics or PhotoBucket. From there you can upload a pic and have it converted to HTML, the link to which you post here.

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Cafaro
Now for the fun part. The electronics. I want 3 pickups…..a humbucker (Fender?) at the bridge, a P90 (Gibson?) at the middle, and a Fender single coil in the neck.
I would like to split the coils on the humbucker and have some sort of 7 way switching so as to maximize my pick up configuration options.
I may also opt for “blend knobs” which will allow me to dial in the each pickups output vs. each other. I also want volume and tone controls but unsure how to do that.
Your opinions, experiences, and input will be greatly appreciated on the best way to do this. I am not really flexible on the type of pickups .I want S-P90-HB configuration although I can be swayed as to the position of each pickup..

Geeeez, all of that sounds like a total train wreck is gonna happen!
like a fairly good guitar getting demolished - but of course it's yours and you can do whatever you want to.

As you mentioned "50 Guitars to Play Before You Die" ... have you descovered the beauty and simplicity of an Esquire guitar?
one single coil bridge pickup, 3 different sounds at the flick of a switch?
especially with cocked wiring?

They speak about the Squier Tele Custom II, the one with P-90s. If you change those pick ups, then we are not speaking about one of the 50 guitars you have to play before die

Thanks ChrisM.

I understand the risks involved and I still want to go forward. This will be my first mod project and frankly, I am a little hesitant but I only spent $85.00 on it and worse case, I can work my butt off at work for a month and get enough $$ for another used one.

I am not going to do the wood work. I know a really good guitar tech who builds awesome guitars from the ground up. The only parts he doesnt make are the tuners and the actual platic and metal pieces and wire used to make the pickups, switches etc.
He made this incredible hollow body frankengretsch that is to die for. He told me that what ever mods he makes to the body can be covered up by the pickguard and he will try to use a spacer at the neck so we can out the Humbucker back and return it to stock. I mean, I fully expect it to turn out good so we'll see.

Maybe it will become te 51st guitar to play before you die. Why would it be a train wreck? And if it does become a train wreck...so be it! At least I tried.

Ok here is a pic of the orignial state

[s943.photobucket.com]

You will ruin a nice guitar which specifications are unique

Well, it is "only" a Squier after all, but I would not do that either. The guitar looks really nice on the pic by the way.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-06-30 10:30 by Happy24.

here is an idea .if you want to make such mods ,why not get a warmouth body and warmouth neck and make it any way you want .sell the squier or keep it but the warmouth might be the way to go seeing as this is your first mod.once you remove wood from a body or neck you cant put it back on .just in case you dont like the end product ,once you remove wood the value of the instrument drops a lot .warmouth has tele bodies and strat bodies and the assorted size necks for fender style instruments .

You can pick up cheap bodies, necks, etc. on eBay. Great for experimenting the way you describe and you've got the option to upgrade the parts when you hit on a combination that you really like - your "signature" guitar, in effect.

The Squier's a neat guitar. Upgrade the pickups if you really need to, but think hard before you butcher a nice guitar.

I second the Greek.

Go Dawgs!

Well........for the money I would spend on the Warmouth parts, I can probably buy 1 more used Squiers. I really don;t see it as all that nice. I bought it because of an article and I loved how it felt (the neck)....not necessarily sounded. What you can't see is the nicks , dings, and small gouges on the sides and back. Frankly, it doesnt sound all that great to me. The pickups are not good to my ear and I just traded my only guitar with P90s.I love P90s. I have had to replace the tuners, nut, input jack, and bridge just to make it playable.Why not keep going?
.
I paid very little for it and it was a beater before I bought it and I bought it with the intention to keep it that way.

Lets face it, a used, beat up 2005 Squier Tele Custom will not appreciate in value. And if it did, how much? $10.00? Its not like it;s a 1954 Broadcaster or even a Fender for that matter! Its an Indonesian built guitar most likely manufactured at the same factories with the same specs as the First Act guitars you can buy at toy stores.

I could see the lack of support if I were carving up a Fender or even a Squier from 2008 and up Squier as their builds are far superior to the one I have.

As an FYI, I am restoring to stock a 1976 Music Man Stingray II guitar. I am doin this because it is a great guitar. It was made wen Leo Fender still owned the company

Has anyone here ever modded or completely re-built a guitar? I am really looking for opinions from people who have done a serious mod or a complete re-build.

Hello all,
I appreciate your comments and thoughts. I will be scaling back the amount of work that will be spent altering the guitar. The good news is that I dont need to make any mods to the body as there is room for the 3 pickups. The wiring I want to change can also fit in the current cavity (like the oone in my head).

I thank you all for your opinions and I will keepp you posted.

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Cafaro
Hello all,
I appreciate your comments and thoughts. I will be scaling back the amount of work that will be spent altering the guitar. The good news is that I dont need to make any mods to the body as there is room for the 3 pickups. The wiring I want to change can also fit in the current cavity (like the oone in my head).

I thank you all for your opinions and I will keepp you posted.

good im glad to hear that ,also please keep us posted and a photo when you are done would also be nice .if you can do it a before and after photo would also be nice (under the pickguard and control cavity)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-07-02 19:41 by The Greek.

will do. Thanks