SQUIER BULLET STRATOCASTER MOD - PART 1 - Is it Worth It?
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SQUIER BULLET STRATOCASTER MOD - PART 1 - Is it Worth It?
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In this video I'll be starting the journey of modding my purple Squier Bullet Stratocaster and trying to answer the question, can a cheap guitar be a good guitar with some upgrades? And, is it worth it?
Many players love modding, and Squier's Bullet line is a great place to start. While the guitars aren't perfect out of the box, they give you a good, solid platform to work with. In the video, I will be changing EVERYTHING, except for the body, neck and bridge. I would have changed the bridge too, but with this being a Bullet, the body is thinner and can only accommodate a 38mm trem block, which is surprisingly difficult to source for a reasonable price.
I am putting the equivalent value of parts onto the guitar, essentially doubling the total value of the instrument. is this investment worth it? Or are modders barking up the wrong tree?
Intro - 00:00
Why Would You Mod a Cheap Guitar? - 00:12
What Parts Are Being Used? - 01:29
Removing the Strings - 03:01
Changing the Nut - 03:44
Removing the Electronics - 07:05
Adding Locking Tuners - 09:11
Tidying Up Fretwork - 14:38
Is Upgrading Worth It? - 18:34
Hope you like it! Don't forget to subscribe and like the video!
Enjoy!
Leigh
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Dont use super glue on the nut as it can set before you line it up.Better to use wood glue, very little, just enough to hold it. It can be removed more easily in the future.
Hey Malcolm,
I've never had any issues with super glue before, I find it always comes off with ease when I need it to. Every luthier I know uses super glue for it too, but it's just down to whatever works for you. Wood glue that doesn't set super fast would be really good for someone trying this for the first time because it'll give them a window of time to move it if they need.
@@LeighFugeGuitar Just I set up mamy guitrs and few times the glue sets before I got it im place. Bugger of a job to take off again! So yeah I just use wood glue as its easier to work with.
Yea, I agree from removing and replacing nuts, you only need a dot on either side of the truss rod. Wood glue, not super glue. If all you have is super glue, just a drop on each side of the truss rod again. The capo as clamp is a good idea.
Iâve always just used a tiny drop of super glue
Looking forward to part 2! I'm a huge fan of guitar mods and DIY projects so looking forward to seeing how this improves considering the foundation guitar seems pretty solid!
Part 2 will be coming soon! Editing it this evening, probably going to get it online tomorrow!
I love a DIY Project... I suck at it... but I love it! hahaha
But yeah, this guitar is pretty solid as a modding platform. It turned out pretty well.
That purple colour is gorgeous. I saw a tele a lot like this in a PMT store a while ago :)
Itâs a lovely colour. I think itâs the identical colour purple as the teles!
Great video Leigh, that was awesome man đđ€đ”đ„đ„đ„
Thanks man, glad you enjoyed! It's always fun to mod guitars.
RE: Broken screw. Use a drill bit half diameter of screw shank. Break tip of bit, u should have two sharp points on bit. Use small steel nail and hammer to lightly tap several indentations in the shank. Normally. The broken bit will bite just enough too reverse/remove broken shank. ( no guarantee, yet this has worked a time or to in my experience. Good luck. Great vid.
Yeah I thought about trying that sort of thing but admittedly I didnât get around to it haha! If I do try and it works Iâll let you know đ
A small screw broken off flush with the surface is almost impossible to remove. The only way is to get the smallest piece of metal tubing you can find, like a piece of automotive brake line or one of those old telescoping car antennas, and cut a straight piece of it about 1" long. Use your dremel cutoff tool to make "teeth" in one end. Now you have a mini hole saw to drill down around the broken screw. Chuck it in your hand drill. Drill, remove the screw.
Then you will have to drill and fill the hole with a piece of hardwood dowel. You can get these from a craft store. Make sure you have a close fit with the wood dowel. Use some Tite Bond or other wood glue to glue the piece of wood dowel in. Let it dry overnight. Then use a nice sharp wood chisel to shave it flush with the surface. Or a safety razor whatever you have handy. Then place your tuning machine back on and drill it out again for the fixing tab. Use a good quality screw and don't over tighten it again. Use some candle wax on the screws to lubricate them going into the wood.
I paid $450 for my squire case guitar about $592. I hate the bridge and I turning machines. So Iâm going to fix it all up in gold hardware. Itâs worth some money to me this guitar plays very nice. It has a beautiful neck it feels just like a real Stratocaster. So I think mine is worth remodeling. It is really going to be beautiful when itâs done is it worth it. To me damn right it is.đđđđŒđđž
I took my $90 off white Affinity Strat, stripped everything off of it, painted it Maui Blue and I installed locking tuners, roller string trees and a white pearl loaded pickguard with 3 single hot-rail pickups and 500k pots. I took the Affinity loaded pickguard (with alnico-5 pickups) and installed it in my cheap Glarry Strat, which now sounds as good as any Squier.
Thanks Leaf Huge
I've the same guitar (from Andertons) here at home ... so I'm pretty interested to see the part II :-)
I think there will be a few more parts! I ended up shooting a few hours worth of footage haha!
I reckon 3 parts.... maybe... !
It's a great guitar considering it's so affordable. I think it has a few little things wrong that you'd expect in this price bracket, but it's a great starting point for mods.
Itâs as cheap as chips. Iâve just done my mini jazz master and it cost me ÂŁ27 for new locking tuners, ÂŁ7 for a set of strings and thatâs it! First thing was to take the bridge off, pack the holes with cocktail sticks and re instal to cure the fact that only two screws where biting, then swapped out the tuners (you need 9.9mm or 10mm post hole tuners) used the old strings to clean out the nut slots, then in with a drop of nut juice lubricant and on with a set of 9.5 - 46âs check neck relief, re check bridge radius and finally check intonation and action. Job done, plays perfectly now and holds tune.
Iâm about to put my Seymour Duncan Jimi Hendrix pickups on one
That will be a great upgrade!
I have one & yes is worthed Great video đđ. I think the Wilkinson tremolo should work with it. Cheers.
Yes. You get a pre drilled, painted and fitted body. Replace the neck with a custom job to your specs. To me this is worth the cost alone to get and exact spec neck to your liking.
Yeah, and itâs a fun project too! Itâs always fun modding and upgrading guitars
Just got an Affinity strat 2nd hand for ÂŁ42 so excited to do some mods and upgrades on it to make it my own.
Wow, that's a great price! I love a bargain!! That'll be fun to do mods on. The Affinity stuff has a lot of potential with mods, with a little tweaking they can turn into pretty good playing guitars.
@@LeighFugeGuitar The idea is to mod it up as a hobby and keep it around. Then, when my son is older, if he shows an interest in learning it will be a nice gift.
That looks like one of the Andertons specials...... Too bad about screw. I don't know if an easy-out would work in that small screw. May have to drill it out and plug it and drill new. Anyway nice job. I love diy anything!
It is one of the Andertons specials, it's one of the Purple limited run they did at the tail end of last year, and I think the released a handful at the start of this year in the same colour too.
Yeah, I was thinking that it'll need to be drilled out and replugged.... that'll be a job for another day! hahaha
Nice vid, although it looks like this was possibly the first time youâve done anything like this đ
Nope! I've been butchering guitars for 20 years! Let's just say there is never going to be a career for me as a luthier!! I enjoy trying... but I always break something. I should stick to playing!
@@LeighFugeGuitar đđđ». Enjoyed the video nonetheless.
That purple!!!!
It's a fantastic colour!
use a instant superglue to stick the decapitated head back and take your time to unscrew it.
good luck
Lip stick? Cool
Iâm not wearing lipstick. But, would it bother you if I was?
@@LeighFugeGuitar nope
WellâŠ..woulda been nice to hear it before and after, but nice work
There is a full length video about the guitar that I posted on my channel a few weeks before the 3 mod videos đ
What tuners did you use? Do you have a link to them?
Hey Darren,
Yeah they are here: www.axetec.co.uk/guitar_parts_uk_037.htm
It's the MH606 set that I used. They're pretty affordable, but they're good quality and hold tune pretty well!
Superglue?!?!? No
Thank u!!! Which turners are??
The tuners are a set of locking tuners from a company called AxeTec in the UK. They're a small, parts supplier.
You should have installed fender locking tuners for the full true FENDER.
My opinion
Yeah I did consider it but the price told me otherwise haha!
I have a curiosity.. ÂżWould for example a carbon fiber nut work well?.
I don't see any reason why not. I've never tried one myself, but it would certainly work if you got the right size.
@@LeighFugeGuitar Aha.. đđđžđžđȘđžđȘđžđ©đ©
What grit of steel wool should I use?
I use 0000 grit steel wool, it's super fine and shouldn't scratch anything.
@@LeighFugeGuitar Thank you! đđ»
Glad that it wasn't just me who had an issue removing the nut. It took me ages to take the nut out on mineđ€Ł
Haha yeah! Iâm also glad to hear it wasnât just me! Iâve never seen a guitar with a nut so well attached⊠they did a good job fitting it!
@@LeighFugeGuitar mine was a nightmare to remove. Usually they come out so easily. This one was welded in there đ
Is it only me but I cannot find the link for the parts what you mentioned. Sorry for being a pain!
Hey, I thought I added it to the description... perhaps I forgot! The website is: www.axetec.co.uk/
They make great stuff for affordable prices.
@@LeighFugeGuitar Thanks Leigh! Keep it up with these great videos! I love the way you play!
Go to gfs and change the trem for the short block vintage. The trem on the bullet are notoriously bad
Yeah, I looked at the GFS one, but living in the UK the shipping and import costs would end up costing me more than the trem block.
@@LeighFugeGuitar that's always what kept me from buying another bullet. I ended up just leaving the block sticking out. That pot metal just gives no response.
Itâs annoying because most trem blocks I can easily get hold of in the UK are 39/40mm but the cavity of the Bullet is 38mm. It wouldnât be too bad, but it would mean the end of the springs would stick out of the back and I know it would annoy me haha!
I looked at the GFS one but it wouldâve cost me more to ship it to the UK than what it costs, which is a shame. Surprised more companies arenât making parts to retrofit to Bullets because the mod market is huge.
Awesome video!!! new sub here! do you know which tuners would be a direct replacement for this squier bullet I have a 2005... I just want a swap option where I don't have to drill holes... any info appreciated thanks again! hi from Utah
What's the name of this color? đŻ
It was a limited edition colour from 2020 that I think they called Metallic Purple
That ink pattern on the head stock makes it worthless...
We all know while the tree was growing it didn't want to be strong.
And no birds or people sang to teach it to be tone wood.
I can hear the low grade of plastic in that pick Guard.
No antique original new old stock wire?...it'll sound terrible.
/s
I take it you're not a fan of modding guitars then? haha
Bunch of crap.
you guys know that /s means "end sarcasm" right?
@@kazzTrismus Nope. not a clue. I was born in the 1980s, I can just about grasp the use of "lol".
Seems like you rushed this too much.
Which part do you think was rushed? It was filmed over 6 hours so thatâs not what I consider rushed haha
@@LeighFugeGuitar no, not the video, I'm referring to the actual work, because you kept saying " that will do for now " which means you going to have to come back and redo it sometime. Also when you rush things, things break.
Anyway nice video nonetheless, thanks
Ahh, thatâs actually just the way we speak in Wales. âThatâll doâ usually means itâs done. The way we phrase things is always on the side of âitâll probably break!â. We also use things like ânot badâ to reference something thatâs really good haha
Your original question is the one that can't be answered. Is this a good piece of wood? Most likely not. One of the reasons vintage guitars are so prized is that the wood was cured for the proper amount of time before it was used. I'm a carpenter by trade and what is never discussed in these videos is the wood quality on cheap guitars. It is overwhelmingly bad. I'm not going to get into the process of curing wood. If you're interested there are plenty of good videos out there and they are worth watching if you really want to invest money in a good guitar. Suffice it to say the quality of wood on these Squires is poor. What does that mean for the quality of the guitar. Warping will take place far more quickly. No matter what tuners or nut or saddle or bridge you replace for modifications, the tuning and intonation will always be problematic. Better quality guitars with superior wood hold up over a long period of time with proper care just as well-made furniture or cabinets do when they are constructed with properly cured wood. The reason why pre-war Martin guitars are so valued is not simply because they used Adirondack Spruce, but because the Spruce was cured for a minimum of 10 years before it was used in the construction of the guitar. No cheap guitar is going to use that type of quality wood in its construction. You can put all the bells and whistles you want on these Squires or any cheap guitar, but the foundation (the wood) is poor. By all means have fun modifying it but understand that it will deteriorate no matter what.
All good points, and I personally own lots of high end guitars, so I understand where youâre coming from. I donât use this guitar for touring or any major projects but itâs a fun guitar for playing at home.
But letâs not forget, there are a lot of people out there who canât afford to buy a high end guitar or are unable to get their hands on one. Having a decent affordable guitar they can upgrade and improve is often a more realistic place to start.
Also, some people just enjoy having fun and modding things. Guitar doesnât have to be serious all the time
Absolutely. But too many of these videos use titles that are no more than click bait and then proceed to make claims that a $200 guitar with $200 worth of mods is somehow the equal of a guitar that took years to construct because the wood was so carefully chosen. To your credit you don't do that, but so many other videos do, and they come very close to being scams.@@LeighFugeGuitar