Maher Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 Im thinking of buying a cheap squier and kitting it up with new electronics and stuff to make it a good guitar, but is it worth it? i know at the end of the day its still a squier but will it sound like a squier? is the feel of a squier that bad? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 just make a brand new guitar. dont bother with a squire, its shawty workmenship all around. i had a squire bass, and i hated the thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jehle Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 Squires come in so many flavors now, it's hard to say that they are all kak. I have a 1983 Squire that I love. But the new ones seem to have the cheap/cheaper/cheapest price ranges. You can dress up a pig if you like. I certainly changed mine with new pickups, new Floyd, new neck, and in the end it's still a great guitar. Of course, it's 21 years old now too. It's really broken in and plays like a 21 year old guitar. I'd say that if you played one and it felt good, that you could tweak it to improve the sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolcat Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 I recently bought two Squiers to take apart and use for parts: One was an Affinity and one was a Squire Standard. The Affinity I think was made in China. It seemed like a "toy" guitar made from plywood. It was thinner and sounded pretty shabby. I would stay away from them. The Squier Standard, which I got in a really cool gold color, played great! Real alinico pickups and everything! I would recommend that one as a first/beginner guitar. the gold one was a closeout, so it's cheaper than the other models... I forget where I got it. Check out Musiciansfriend or Music123.com. Good luck! [G] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Doyle Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 I would go with the Mexican Standard if you want to use it for building on. You can get a perfectly good one in your favorite color on ebay for no more than $225 or so...and I find for the price, the basic woods used are perfectly sound. They even use Alder bodies now, which is a huge upgrade from popular of the previous years. I have worked on my neck for 3-4 days, and turned it into a custom piece of work. It is simply amazing now, and I think the base was great with the Mexican strat. Just my opinion, but you are taking a huge chance with the Squier line. Some are amazing, some wouldn't even be found in my campfire its that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 give me an 80's 'made in Japan' Squire anyday. Except for the one I had that had a neck that was too narrow, so I sold it. I've seen more recent ones with plywood bodies. Stay away from those. Actually the good old one's from the 80's are not exactly rock-bottom cheap in price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
american_jesus Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 the MIJ squires are more expensive then tacocasters nowadays. used and new. squires can be decent guitars. the affinity series are pretty bad...so, i'd definately stay away from them. but for the standard series, they're decent. about $200 for a new one, or $120 or so on the bay. just make sure the logo is gold instead of black before bidding on ebay. upgrading the electronics WILL help, some...but it's not going to make it a great guitar. the trem could use replacing, with either a floyd or a better 6 point vintage trem. the ones on there are shoddy. a new nut(roller?) would do you well also. if you were to set all that stuff up, you'd definately have a passable guitar. it's just as long as you like the neck, that's pretty much the only thing you can't change... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarmonky55 Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 well i love rebuilding old guitars, and theres one thing i look for above all when considering it for a project:is the body itself good? necks, electronics,saddles, tuners, nuts, pickgaurds and frets and so forth are all replaceable and upgradeable. if the body itself sucks, then your in trouble. no matter what you do, you cant make a shoddy body sound good, regardless of the electronics and bridges and such that you put on it. i personally prefer epiphones for rebuilds because with the exception of the absolute lowest of the line, they are fairly solidly constructed and most all of them use solid woods as opposed to plywood ala squier. epiphone tends to cut corners on their electronics(evidenced by how weak their pickups are renowned for sounding) and other areas like that. i just finished my frankenphone sg, its got emgs in it, schaller locking tuners, earvana nut, scalloped frets, the works totally. it sounds and plays on par with or better at times than my 1000 dollar ibanez s1620fb. just make sure you get a decent body to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefm Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 Yeah...the epi's are good.... especially the ones with the translucent finishes...no hiding plywood there :-) but yeah....hella cheap pots....pretty bad wiring...the PU's I got in mine weren't bad but had a nasally sounding high end.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themikestro Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 Some of the modern Squiers are pretty good, obviously the old Jap Silver Series and Vista guitars are in a different league, I recently sold my Chinese made Jagmaster and I have to say it was a well made guitar, great finish, solid wood and decent hardware (for the price). But it's still better to either buy a good guitar in the first place, always a better option than just plonking Seymours on a crapocaster. Or of course build one yourself, but that is a different story. Oh, and Epi's, I don't think they are worth a second look, I had an Epi SG and it was rubbish. Real wood, sure, but badly put together, cack bridge and cack electrics, i'd avoid them like the plague! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 Decent squires with mods are good guitars. The series with the 2 point trems.....slap in some Duncans, and viola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themikestro Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 Viola? Like the small cello? That'd be a surprise, one minute a squier, the next... Boom, a Viola! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 As in the french word for BAM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 that would be voila... A viola is a member of the violin family, between the violin and cello in size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 Thank you setch. There's today's french lesson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maher Posted July 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 Hmm... im thinking i either get hold of a good squier and mod it or mod one of my Epiphone Les pauls, i wa thinking about putting this into 1of my Epiphone Les paul: -New Pickups ( SD 59s?) -New Tuners (not sure any recommendations?, one of the Les Pauls have Grovers the other i dont know) -Bigsby (im not sure what this will do to my sound or how much drilling and stuff i will have to do) -New Electronics make over (everthing, Switch, pots, jack..) So should i do 1 of my epiphones or buy a cheap squier.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 If you like the Epi, take care of it, tweak it to play and sound the best it can. But, new pickups are not so great unless you have a pretty nice amp and speaker to run it through. Electronics : You won't notice much if they actually still work ok. Tuners : If they work good enough and you're not at the point where you play on stage or do critical studio work with the guitar, it's probably good to put that off. Bigsby : really don't know what to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maher Posted July 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 the electronics make a load of crackling sounds even after i clean them and the switch is barsted aswell some times it work sometimes it doesnt, and the bigsby, well i have 3 electric guitars but no trems so i though it would be cool, but i dont want it to mess up my sound too much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
american_jesus Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 the bigsby wont mess up your sound much. it'll be a little different, but for the most part, still good. i dont know if you've ever played iwth a bigsby, but it's less of a tremolo sound, and more of a warble. it's not meant for radical bending, just a little vibrato to a whole chord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlleyw Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 Look for a PROTONE SQUIRE. They were made for 2 years in the late nineties in Korea to exacting specifications for marketing to serious players. For some insane reason the sold them under the Squire name, and they couldn't sell them for what they needed to get out of them. They were also priced to compete with the American standards. The quality on them is awesome. The wood, pickups, neck, even the cases were just fantastic. I've owned two. They sold for close to $700, but you can pick them up for $250 - $350. You might decide you don't even need to upgrade! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 If you get a good deal on the Squier get it if the body is plywood ditch it, ... And an Epiphone, I guess everybody got their opinion, I got one and I must add that it sound better than my neighbors Gibson. Here are shots of both, the Squier is going thru major reconstruction now, as soon as it get's done I will post more pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 ^^^ the body is plywood, I will make a new one or order the replacement from Carvin next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefm Posted July 16, 2004 Report Share Posted July 16, 2004 The Elitist Epi's are actually pretty drool worthy...a bit pricey but more reasonable than gibsons... the normal range of guitars is pretty affordable...and the bridge and PU's and electronics can be replaced pretty easily... Not that they're perfect...they're not top end guitars....finishing is mediocre...and the tuners are pretty cheap too... For the money they aren't a bad foundation...the resale value is awful too so you can get them second hand pretty cheap just like squires... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShreddyKrueger Posted July 19, 2004 Report Share Posted July 19, 2004 I bought a Squier last summer, and I had some pickups laying around from other guitars, and i bought some sheet plastic from my local harware store, and made a new pickguard, and i used to have a fender strat that the body got really burnt up in a small fire at my dad's so i used that neck, so it turned out to be a pretty nice guitar that only cost me about 15 bucks for the plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Librero Posted July 19, 2004 Report Share Posted July 19, 2004 I think lawsuit-era Japanese copies are much better than most Squiers and with a little work, can hold their own against Fenders nicely. I'd recommend checking them out anytime you see one along the way. I suppose I'm lucky enough to find them in relatively low prices, as in US$90-150. I got a Fernandes Revival which I was supposed to re-sell. I changed my mind after playing with it a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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