Tyler.: Guitar Nerds Help

Tyler. 07.24.13	So pretty much is the squire worth hanging on to if I can replace somethings or should I just buy a new one?
fr33convict 07.24.13	I've got an assortment of guitars ranging from a few hundred dollars to about a thousand or so in value. My absolute favorite guitar is my "lower end" Chinese Telecaster. A pickup swap can change the sound to just about anything you need. I'd say keep the guitar if you love how it plays and if not just get the ESP.
XingKing 07.24.13	No matter how much effort you put into making that Squire a better guitar, it will always be a shitty squire. Putting better electronics is a waste of better electronics
JohnnyoftheWell 07.24.13	Depends how much you enjoy playing your Squire, try a couple of other guitars instore and if you like their feel more, go for it, otherwise ask for p-ups Personally, I'd get the ESP just because you'll still have the Squire (presumably) with acceptable p-ups, and having two guitars is always a good thing
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	Don't listen to XingKing, that is the first step
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	For real though, XingKings advice is 100% bullshit If you think putting new electronics in your Squire is worth it, than it is. Modding is really fun and I've modded a few guitars now and nothing is more fun or easier than taking a guitar you already like and modifying it to make it better and more unique
JohnnyoftheWell 07.24.13	Btw Chuck, which pickups did you mod your RG7321 with? I'm broke atm but am still interested
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	A Squier totally can sound good, but with the one you probably have it will take a lot of modding. I would recommend getting a new guitar and putting American Fender pickups in your Squier, or Dimarzios. Personally I would recommend Fender over ESP any day. But that's just me.
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	@Chucky, agreed. Some of the best sounding guitars I have ever heard were cheap models that were modded to hell. I also own a Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster that plays and sounds incredibly. Not every Squier is cheap crap from Indonesia.
Tyler. 07.24.13	If I had they money I'd definitely do both. I like how the squire feels when I play it. So I'll probably mod that then buy something else later on
XingKing 07.24.13	Chucky: Upgrading your electronics is always a great idea but not when it is a Squire... It's a waste of money.
Tyler. 07.24.13	Other than pickups what else can be modded? I've never modded one before so I wouldn't know.
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	No it isn't. It's actually a better investment. Expensive guitars already have good pickups, so replacing them on, say an American Tele, is actually a waste.
XingKing 07.24.13	Pots, saddles, necks, tuning pegs, etc
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	Its only a waste if the owner deems it so. You are not the owner You can stick your dick in the ground :]
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	What you replace will probably depend on the guitar itself. It will never be an American-made Fender, but if you are happy with how it plays I would suggest putting Dimarzio pickups in it, as well as locking tuners and a new bridge. If you want to get really fancy you can order a custom neck from Warmoth.
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	If you play any sort of hardcore or punk or metal or whatever you are going to want a humbucker in the bridge if you don't already have one. if you don't like the neck you can always get a new one. You can get one on ebay, like a MiA strat neck or even get a Warmoth neck. Upgrade pickups, pots if they are sticky or just crap, the switch. You can get locking tuners which will make it a bit more stable in holding its tuning, and will make string changes easier/quick hold on gonna post more
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	Ahh yeah Ocean ninja'd me a bit
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	You can also change it aesthetically. Get a new paintjob, or sand it down to the wood and put on the clear coat, you know whatever man
XingKing 07.24.13	And all of those upgrades you spoke of just totalled up to hundreds upon hundreds of dollars and he could have just bought a solid Fender instead. In addition to that, he can't put humbuckers in the guitar without mutilating it anyway
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	Here is Mike Vennart of Oceansize with his shitty 80s Squier, and it sounds fucking amazing. http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4140/4755765012_5932e6f911_z.jpg
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	lol Xing you are so clueless
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	it all depends on what he would want to invest. $150 of investment would still be less than a decent MIM Fender. Why would he want to put humbuckers in a single-coil routed guitar?
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	Dude strats have pickguards, and under the pickguard is blank wood room for even 3 humbuckers if you wanted it. You just need a new pickguard with the correct routes
karmacost029 07.24.13	Buy American
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	^ buy Japanese
fr33convict 07.24.13	That's not always true but it should at least be routed HSS.
XingKing 07.24.13	I'm sorry for my bad advice. Clearly Chucky knows more than me about turning a super shitty guitar into a shitty guitar than wisely turning a decent guitar in a good guitar. My mistake.
Tyler. 07.24.13	What exactly does that mean?^
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	Humbucker-single-single
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	I don't mod Squiers but 90's MiJ Ibanez's all day son
JohnnyoftheWell 07.24.13	Here is Mike Vennart of Oceansize with his shitty 80s Squier, and it sounds fucking amazing. This is the guitar that recorded Trail of Fire and Sleeping Dogs...who would have known
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	If you're going to spend $1000 on a guitar, shouldn't you like how it sounds out of the box?
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	You know Brian May from Queen recorded some of the most popular albums of all time with a guitar made by him and his dad out of their fucking coffee table. Clearly Xing is clueless
fr33convict 07.24.13	"I'm sorry for my bad advice. Clearly Chucky knows more than me about turning a super shitty guitar into a shitty guitar than wisely turning a decent guitar in a good guitar. My mistake." Well let's compare the cost of making a cheap guitar sound great vs an American strat or something to that effect. Let's say your cheap guitar has a shit neck, terrible "tone-killing" finish, a horrible set up, and weak pickups. A new neck should run you no more than $250, a new finish can be virtually costless beyond the paint if you pay attention to what you're doing (but just for the sake of argument I'll put that down as a $50 expense), and fucking handwound pickups from Britain will run you around $300 for a Strat. $350 if he wants a bridge humbucker. A new set up should run at most $60. You've now put at most $710 into your "shit" guitar that will likely sound better and outplay a stock MIA Fender. The best part? Your total cost is about $1060, less than a MIA HSS Strat.
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	@Johnny, actually Mike recorded Sleeping Dogs with his standard Telecaster, which is even more surprising.
XingKing 07.24.13	And with that $1060 he dumped into the Squier, he could have bought a Standard Strat for $800 and had $300 left over for new pickups. Now his Standard Strat is already a better investment than the Squier would ever dream of being
JohnnyoftheWell 07.24.13	It is indeed...classic example the 'Size doing everything their way I guess I finally ordered Self-Preserved btw, it should arrive sometime soon
Tyler. 07.24.13	Yeah I'm just going to save up a bit more and just modd my squire as much as I can then. Thanks guys
ZombicidalMan 07.24.13	Got to agree with Xing here, only from my own experience. I had a Squire level guitar (it was a Jackson), and I loved the neck so much that I decided to just upgrade it. Well, I put $200 pickups into a $200 guitar, and you know what I had? A $400 guitar that still sounded like a $200 one. Unless you're willing to pour a lot of money and love into that Squire (like fr33convict pointed out), do yourself a favour and get something better. That also being said, getting a new guitar has another benefit, which is to say you can get the entire opposite of what you own to expand your sound. If you have a Strat, you could get an LP style or some sort of metal beast. That way you'll still have the Strat for certain stuff it's better suited to, and your better, cooler guitar for the rest. My recommendations would be a MIM Jazzmaster, a PRS SE model (245, Custom 24, whatever, they're all decent), an Epi, a Jackson Soloist, or look for used MIJ guitars.
DominionMM1 07.24.13	i was under the impression that a standard strat was around $1100.
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	That's why you should make sure you have a decent Squier before modding. Every guitar is different. Some Asian-made ones are great and some American-made ones are clunkers.
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	Cheese just screw the squire thing and get a 1987-1994 Ibanez RG550
XingKing 07.24.13	@Dominion: If you have an opportunity to play the guitar (and you should), then I'd always recommend buying guitars from people and not stores. You'll get much better deals. Regardless, you can find loads of standards for waaaaay below $1100 online.
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	The American Special is like $800, which is definitely a good buy. It just depends on what you want.
Tyler. 07.24.13	What's so special about a rg550 chuck?
DominionMM1 07.24.13	"If you have an opportunity to play the guitar (and you should)," not a strat fan "Regardless, you can find loads of standards for waaaaay below $1100 online. " why would anyone ever buy a guitar online?
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	Lol dominion. The 550 is pretty much the best bang for your buck guitar of all time. You can get them around 500 all day and play 10x better than a MiA strat
XingKing 07.24.13	Hence the regardless
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	Yeah always buy used guys.
DominionMM1 07.24.13	i would never spend money on a guitar i couldn't play beforehand
XingKing 07.24.13	That's a universal rule
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	If you have played a certain production model before and can get a better deal online, then why not?
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	But it doesn't matter cause you really should always buy used.
DominionMM1 07.24.13	"If you have played a certain production model before and can get a better deal online, then why not? " because all guitars, even the same make/model, are different. there's no way i'd take that risk to save a few bucks.
ZombicidalMan 07.24.13	I dropped $1500 on a G&L I custom ordered even though I'd never played a G&L or a even a Tele. I was shitting my pants everyday I waited thinking it would be the worst thing ever, lol. But it turned out to be the best guitar I've owned and played. Nonetheless, always play before you buy. With bigger companies like Fender and Gibson you dunno what you'll get quality wise
ChuckyTruant 07.24.13	Yeah dominion I agree but still if I walk in GC and play a 800 dollar Jackson and can get the same guitar online for 700 then I will.
XingKing 07.24.13	G&L are super well respected so I wouldn't have worried too much
XingKing 07.24.13	"I walk in GC and play a 800 dollar Jackson and can get the same guitar online for 700 then I will." I don't think $100 off a guitar online is enough for me to not want to buy the one in the shop because even the set up could make it damn near the same price and at least I know the one in the shop is solid. Now if I know I can get my guitar for $500 cheaper, then hell yes I am buying online. I nabbed my Tele for $400 and it usually sells for roughly $900. That left me with moolah left over to upgrade it
ZombicidalMan 07.24.13	Yeah, haha, I know that now. Whenever someone's going for like a $1500 Fender I tell 'em to just buy a G&L.
UnnamedOcean 07.24.13	The problem with guitars in the shop is they are often fucked up by customers. I've had good luck buying online, and even though I prefer to play it before I buy, Guitar Center will let you return it if the guitar is messed up.
bloc 07.25.13	A little late, but does the Squier "feel" good in your hands? At times I think that people forget that a guitar should not only sound good but also feel good. If the guitar is comfortable to play, I'd suggest keeping the Squier.
Tyler. 07.25.13	it's all good. it feels good which is why i think i'm going to keep it. i'm going to try to replace as much of it as i can though . starting with the pickups
bloc 07.25.13	Pickups are a good start. If you still feel as though something is missing, changing out the electronics (pots, caps, jacks, etc) can make a huuuuuuge difference. Hell, even the pick and strings you use make a huge difference in sound as well.
jdennis31 07.25.13	thread is too long to read, but wtf on $350 squire
Tyler. 07.25.13	yeah it's going to cost a lot though lol. and what's wrong with that?
IbenizGEO1 07.25.13	wtf on $350 squire [2] Squire strat = useless
dimsim3478 07.25.13	Squier's are absolute shit compared to actual Fenders, so get an actual fucking Fender if you can spare the money. Even if it's a Mexican or Japanese, just get it because it's automatically 100x better than your Squier.
jdennis31 07.25.13	i just wasn't aware they even made squires past 200 bucks. 350 you could get a mim tele or strat
IbenizGEO1 07.25.13	Also XingKing is correct in this thread.
jdennis31 07.25.13	read all the thread and i'd agree with ibeniz. "worth" is subjective to the owner in this case, but it really doesn't make sense to me to put a lot of money into a squire that ultimately amounts to a platform for modding. might as well buy a better body to mod.
Tyler. 07.25.13	i don't have the money to buy a new one and then mod it. which is kind of my problem. so why not just improve the one i have?
jdennis31 07.25.13	If you were only trying to replace the pick ups and get it set up by a pro luthier, i'd say that's a good idea. Definitely not what the dude was saying up there about pouring a grand into a squire.
menawati 07.25.13	"why anyone would buy a squire strat at all is beyond me." are they shit now ? where are they made ? I got a 20 yr old 2nd hand squire tele that was made in japan and it's the best guitar i've ever owned, great action and tone. Anyway i think people get too hung up on the name, I've played some truly awful les pauls and american strats you get good ones and bad ones.
InbredJed 07.25.13	I don't think you'll ever regret buying an ESP, but if you ever want to.sell it, they hold thier value. Squire is generally a low-end instrument, but there are certain ones that defy space and time and are somehow great sounding and playing. Depending on the styles of music that you play, and how serious you are, it would certainly be advisable to experiment by adding pickups or tuning pegs and what not. However, be forewarned... you will NEVER make a squire sound like a higher end instrument.
IbenizGEO1 07.25.13	Then don't mod it immediately. Retail ESP ps-1 > Modded Squire Strat
wacknizzle 07.25.13	I'm not into strats but I love teles. Used to have this shitty squire Telecaster but I put a hotrail in it got it professionally set-up(intonation n shit). After that the guitar played and sounded like a million bucks until one day at band practice I stepped on the cord and the whole input and wiring got ripped out. Broke my heart, that is still the best guitar I've owned. So yeah if you like Strats you might be able to swap some good pickups in, get it set-up you might love it.
InbredJed 07.25.13	You know you can fix that, right wack?
chemicalmarriage 07.25.13	i agree with menawati. i got a buddy with a squire and he shreds harder than most. squire's not my cup of tea but if you got the chops and a KICK ASS amp then it really won't matter much. On another note... Great amp with shitty guitar>>>>Shit amp with great guitar
wacknizzle 07.25.13	No shit I can fix it, It just wasn't worth all the time and money. Like all the wiring and electronics got ripped out. I just wanted to buy a better guitar cuz I know how happy I'd be saving up for a nice PRS. I have a good guitar now, but I need a Custom 24. I just hate that most 24 fret guitars have a 25.5 neck scale, the Custom 24 has straight 25 scale and it makes a world of difference to me, that's the problem with my guitar now.
menawati 07.25.13	"got it professionally set-up" that can make a huge difference, used to have an old Hamer LP junior copy seemed ok but buzzy so got it set up and it was like wow different guitar
InbredJed 07.25.13	^^^^ TRUTH!
InbredJed 07.25.13	Ye Wack I got you. PRS = Infinite Happiness ...usually
bloc 07.25.13	The Classic Vibe series from Squier is an underrated jem, believe me.
XingKing 07.25.13	Yep.
IbenizGEO1 07.25.13	Xing just give up i tried and failed
YakNips 07.25.13	I swear this entire thread is in a language I don't understand
DominionMM1 07.25.13	"I got a 20 yr old 2nd hand squire tele that was made in japan and it's the best guitar i've ever owned, great action and tone. " yeah the mij squiers are solid but they stopped making those years ago.
DominionMM1 07.25.13	i am curious as to what kind of amp you're playing through.
beefshoes 07.25.13	You can definitely make a Squire sound good man. You wouldn't believe how much a pickup swap, different strings, and even picks can make. Just experiment a bit. It's extremely fun and who knows what kind of sounds you'll end up coming out with.
Tyler. 07.25.13	A Roland Cube 30
DominionMM1 07.26.13	I'd take that money and upgrade to a nice tube amp
bloc 07.26.13	True, a decent amp is probably the most influential piece of gear you can own. In your case, I would think nothing more than a 15 watter is required.
DominionMM1 07.26.13	agreed. unless you're gigging at some good sized venues there's no need for a real big amp. besides, you'd be surprised at how much volume you can get out of a quality 20 watt amp. my mesa studio 22 packs a serious whallup for its size.
XingKing 07.26.13	"you'd be surprised at how much volume you can get out of a quality 20 watt amp." This, so hard
MonotoneMop 09.15.14	I went from the same guitar to an Ibanez RG370DX, which I didn't like, then moved onto a Gibson New Century Explorer. That was pretty pointless and I only used it to record an album for my senior project. My fourth electric guitar was a Fender Standard Telecaster, which is still my favorite guitar. The only other guitar I own now is another Fender, a Thurston Moore Signature Jazzmaster. Definitely try out a Tele or genuine Strat. As far as the amp discussion is going, follow the advice saying not to go over like 30 watts maximum. You can mic the difference if you happen to be in a large venue (if they're large enough, they'll probably have their own PA setup). I'm currently stuck between an Egnater Tweaker 15w and a Vox AC15, so check those out.
Tyler. 09.15.14	need a new amp
bloc 09.15.14	Look at Traynor amps. Severely underrated and made in Canada. They are super cheap used. I owned a YGL-2 which is their take on a single speaker Vox AC30 and it was one of the best amps I've ever played through.
Tyler. 09.15.14	Cool I will. Cause I also want to get some peddals so idk I think I might buy a few peddals first T
bloc 09.15.14	Oh nice, what sort of effects are you looking for?
Tyler. 09.15.14	I want a nice distortion one as I Don't especially love what my amp has. I want a delay peddal and another for looping Like standard math-rockish stuff if you catch my drift
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	Look at Traynor amps [2]. Couldn't agree more with bloc. These amps are fantastic, the used ones are legendary and easy to mod, and the their new stuff is really good as well. I always recommend a fuzz or distortion and a delay as the two essential pedals. Related to this, I just grabbed a chorus pedal and a really cool MIJ Jazzmaster (it's on the way)
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	Grab a ProCo RAT for distortion, a TC Electronic Ditto for a looper, and a Boss DD-7 for delay. That's all IMO but I've owned all of these and they sound great and are easy to use too
anarchistfish 09.16.14	is it cool to get guitars 2nd hand? idk how much people sell them off for
anarchistfish 09.16.14	i've had this guitar for 5 years. only cost £100 or so. never properly used it up til now. don't even know what it is; looks like a telecaster but must be a crappy version gonna get a software amp but if it still sounds sucky after that do you reckon it's better just to get a new guitar rather than try modding it? probably not gonna use it extensively. not using it for rock
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	I'd suggest buying a new guitar (or a used one) instead of upgrading that one. You can get something different for a variety of tones, and you won't waste your time and money on a guitar that may not be worth it.
bloc 09.16.14	Gotta have reverb too! Perhaps not in a pedal if you're not too big on it (plus it saves money) but at least built into an amp. Even a small amount adds so much.
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	true. I couldn't play without some reverb (my amps reverb is terrible though, I bought a spring chicken instead)
bloc 09.16.14	Same here man, I have some on no matter what I'm playing. Interesting choice going for the Malekko, what made you choose that?
Tyler. 09.16.14	Yeah build in reverb is good. The only problem with peddals is that it sets you back so much money
anarchistfish 09.16.14	a software amp would have that no? not gonna be using it live I don't think. at least not yet. can't really get a new amp anyway with all the other stuff I wanna get first "I'd suggest buying a new guitar (or a used one) instead of upgrading that one. " aight I might look into used guitars at some point then. will definitely be better than this piece of kak
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	I had an EHX Cathedral for a few years and I found I was using only the Spring setting, so I thought it would be better to grab something smaller and simple. The Spring Chicken sounds really nice, plus it has the dwell knob so you can do the self-oscillating reverb. I like it because it can get a good range of light reverb and goes to crazy MBV reverb using the dwell knob
DominionMM1 09.16.14	"is it cool to get guitars 2nd hand?" if it's to your liking then fuck yes. i've always felt that a guitar's quality really shows years after production.
bloc 09.16.14	Buying used is sooo much fun imo. Especially the hunt itself, you never know how good of a bargain you can find. Hell, even on ebay. Plus I never liked that crisp brand new look of a guitar (assuming it's not like some custom ordered $2000+ model). The classic Tele, Strat and LP shapes look so damn good worn and beat up to some degree
anarchistfish 09.16.14	how much do they tend to get for in relation to their retail price?
Tyler. 09.16.14	I got my precision bass for only like 400 like half the price that was the best
Tyler. 09.16.14	Just off some random dude I met
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	depends on the guitar usually. an old jazzmaster or an LP usually holds their value or go way up in price. My rule of thumb when selling used (and I have sold several guitars to people) is to sell for around 60% of new value. But I'm a nice guy
BigBlob 09.16.14	getting my new ESP next week http://www.espguitars.com/products/10030-e-ii-m-i-thru-nt-blks
Tyler. 09.16.14	Nice. I ended up getting the ps-1 and I actually dig it
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	sweet, looks just like Scott Ian's old Jackson
BigBlob 09.16.14	Love ESPs. Im having to trade in 2 guitars, an amp and 6 pedals to cover just half the cost of that guitar
DominionMM1 09.16.14	can't say I'm a fan of active pickups but sweet guit nonetheless
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	I just bought this (as well as a new tremolo, new knobs, and new pickups for it). Should be here next week http://image.rakuten.co.jp/kurosawastore/cabinet/premium02/fenj-jm66-sfg_1.jpg
Tyler. 09.16.14	Never owned an active pickup and can't say I want to
BigBlob 09.16.14	yeah. great for heavy stuff. but I also play a bit of metal on my fender and single coil pickups actually are pretty sweet for it
anarchistfish 09.16.14	there's stuff on ebay that looks like they're selling for a fraction of the price if i'm researching correctly PRS SE Santana for £150-£200 for example
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	since you're in the UK you should look into Burns guitars. Vintage ones might be a bit pricey but since they're based in London they're high quality
ScuroFantasma 09.16.14	I want to get new pick-ups for my Ibanez soon, the stock ones are pretty good but I think new ones would be awesome. Any advice on what kind to get?
anarchistfish 09.16.14	guitar type doesn't really matter when it comes to what kind of music you wanna play does it? might give it an interesting edge even if it does.. plus i like the ironic image lol
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	@scuro what genres are you going for? @fish. it doesn't really but pickups and amp matter a lot. You can still sludge it up with a Tele but you'll need some sort of pedal, pickups, or high gain amp to make it sound good
anarchistfish 09.16.14	can get a gibson epiphone black beauty for ~£200-250. Looks a sweet deal, guy looks legit
anarchistfish 09.16.14	dunno whether it's a good idea to jump so early though or whether I should get a feel for it all for a couple of weeks before going for something
ZombicidalMan 09.16.14	that's a pretty nice guitar tbh, and a not so bad price. Based on your ratings it could cover a lot of ground, especially Brand New, Sigur Ros and Bon Iver. Plus if you have some gain it'll do Deftones. Throw some black and gold witch hats on there and baby you got a stew going
anarchistfish 09.16.14	jus missed out. price bumped up to 203.50 towards the end. I was set on paying 207.50 anyway but I didn't realise the increments had to be 5 til it was too late oh well. sure I'll find something decent in the next couple of weeks
DominionMM1 09.16.14	if you're gonna buy online (which i wouldn't necessarily recommend) try to go to a guitar shop and try out the guitar you're looking at online so you have an idea of what you're gonna get
ScuroFantasma 09.16.14	@Zombicidal mostly metal, but I'd like them to have diversity too
ScuroFantasma 09.16.14	Oh and they need to be humbuckers