Worth a Rebuild?

[6axepunk]

Hi. New to the forum, old to guitars (46 years). I have a guitar I'd like to build into a quality Frankenstrat, ala EVH. It is a Fender Squire Strat Affinity series. I already know the electronics are in the garbage. But, is the wood quality and neck build quality worth sinking time and money into it to make a pro-level guitar? Here's what I'm thinking... Strip the body of paint, have the edge radius re-done to make it less squared off, and more like an American strat, or Warmoth, et. al. Repaint it in a different color and drop in high-quality pups, pots, switches, etc. I'd also drop in a blocked Floyd Rose. For the neck I'd refret it with stainless jumbo frets, sand off the "Squire Strat" logo, leave it blank, and update the machines. I'm I just trying to polish a turd?

[ScottR]

The wood and neck should be fine. Check the fretwork and see if it can be tuned up or needs replaced. You are basically treating it like a hot rod. Taking it down to the frame, making sure that it is solid and replacing the drive train and modifying the body and polishing all the bright-work. Make sure the neck is square and straight and joins solidly to the body, and dig right in.

SR

[mistermikev]

for me... I guess it would depend on what you were looking to get out of the project.  If my goal was to see how great I could make a squire and learn some things along the way - I'd say def yes.  That said: if it were me - I'd want someone to tell me to think about the amount of work I'd be putting into what essentially is a $150 guitar, and consider if it was worth it to spend $350 to get some higher quality stuff from somewhere like musikraft.  I mention musikraft because you can get a pacer body and banana neck for $150 + 195.  also because I've always liked the 5150 kramer more than the frankenstrat!  ok, ok... this is YOUR project... carry on!

[iommichild]

Sounds like it'd be great to experiment with; if it ends up god-awful, you can rest easy knowing it was cheapo geetar. My experience with the Squier Affinitys is pretty much what is said above - electronics are crap, hardware is pretty crap, but otherwise they are (usually) solid.

 

When I was but a young pup in guitar-playing, my uncle told me "The guitar doesn't know what country it came from. Maple is maple." (I don't always agree 100% with this statement, but 9 times outta 10, its true)