I am kicking around the idea of getting someone to rebuild my first electric for me, and was wondering if you guys had a sense of how expensive a proposition it will be between the parts and labor -- I'm sure it would be on the order of buying a decent guitar. Its a Squier Strat with a humbucker in the bridge that I bought in 1991. I'd like to keep the body and neck, but replace everything else -- pickups, new non-tremelo bridge, new jack, everything. About how much will this likely set me back, assuming I get decent stuff -- not top of the line, but good and solid?
Thanks!
Well, as you suspected, you could pretty much buy a better guitar than you will end up with for the same or less.
However, if the frets are in good shape and the body is not too beat,if you have some sentimental attatchment to it, it might be worth it to you. The hard part may be finding an aftermarket bridge thay will fit without redrilling. It's a non-trem Squire Strat? Odd, I don't recall that they did one. What else can you tell me about it?What kind of pickup do you want to use? (I'll check this thread on Tuesday, I have to get back to work now)
Hey Racer:
Sorry I didn't get back on the thread yesterday. It's got a
nonlocking whammy bridge, but the whammy bar was causing
more trouble for me than I could handle so I stopped using it.
I don't really know anything about pickups...something that would
make me sound like SRV maybe? The sound I really love is the
blues sound that Hendrix gets, but I heard he used a flying V for
most of that rather than his Strat. You are correct in the reason I
am considering rebuilding it is that it has sentimental attachment
to me as my first guitar, but maybe it's not worth the money to do
so, and I should just continue strumming its four remain strings
unamplified.
I had been thinking of buying myself a Les Paul Faded for my 30
birthday, but started picking up my old guitar and thinking about
fixing it up and then maybe buying an Epiphone LP at some point.
Pickups: Fender Texas Specials,used if you can find them.Fender Tex Mex pickups are a cheaper alternative, but go for the TX specials if you can.
Bridge: DO NOT go for a locking trem ala Floyd Rose if you want to sound anything like Jimi or SRV. They will make the sound brittle compared to a vintage style bridge. A good setup with the stock bridge and Sperzel or Schaller locking tuners would be a better bet. Easier to install and less likely to have compatability problems than a new bridge.
Poor stringing technique,badly cut nut,binding at the string trees, are all as big or bigger problems than the bridge in tuning woes.
Thanks Race. How much do you think that would run me?
You can probably find the pickups for around $100 and the tuners for $50-65. Used,even cheaper. Installation of the tuners by a pro,maybe $25-35,pickup wiring,$30-60 depending on whether or not you want the guitar restrung and cleaned up a bit.(these prices are based on what I charge and could vary WILDLY depending on who you talk to. If you have decent skills with your hands and want to do it yourself,let me know and I'll walk you through. ;)
Thanks for the info Racer. I appreciate it.