So, like 10 years ago when I got a big amount of money for Christmas, I went and bought my first guitar, which I could really only afford a Squier Bullet. Fast forward to now, I still have this but I also have a Epiphone Les Paul Standard a friend gave me.
I like the Les Paul, but I like the lightweight body of the Squier. It obviously sucks, it’s 10 years old and is not a great build quality, but I still like playing it. Barring personal feelings about keeping my first guitar or buying a new one, would it be better, long term, to just replace the parts on it that suck or is the whole build quality just holding it back?
@Artichuth Absolutely! I buy Squiers as project guitars all the time. As long as the neck feels good, and you’re willing to figure out your mods and wiring, its worth every penny.
From a money standpoint, modding guitars is basically never worth it. But there’s nothing more rewarding to me than having a customized instrument that’s uniquely yours.
When it comes to modifying a starter guitar it really comes down to how the thing feels to you. If you like the build quality and neck feel of your Squier, then slapping some great new parts in it is a great idea. If you don’t feel like it plays well right now, then it might be a better use of money to just buy something a bit better.
That said, I have a heavily modified Squier P-Bass that I absolutely love. Seymour Duncan pickup, Warmoth roasted maple neck, new machine heads, new tone cap, spray painted white, and so on. Looks, feels, and plays great! Wouldn’t trade it for anything. :)
As a side question, where do you get good quality guitars parts (in the US)? I have a cheap Jackson Dinky which is sort of dear to me but I need to replace the bridge. Amazon guitar parts look kinda questionable…
Musician’s Friend has some and they were a reliable source last time I used them, but that was also like a decade ago.
@Artichuth
So first of all if you ever plan on reselling the guitar then know you won’t get as much money out of the guitar as you spent on the modifications. However, if you like playing the guitar in general then it’s worth it to play with modifications to make it even more suited to your style.I never modified the cheap Radio Shack guitar I started with, but I keep it around as it was my first guitar. My MIM strat, though? I’ve played with all sorts of modifications over the years as it’s my main guitar. I did pick up a pawn shop special to experiment with humbuckers before modifying my strat and found it doesn’t suit my style, but otherwise? I’ve replaced sooo many parts on the strat over the years to make it my own.
I think it’s a personal choice. If you want to rewire any piece of equipment from scratch, go for it. But at the end of the day, the pieces you’re replacing are probably of inferior quality. Imo, a product is as weak as it’s weakest link, so replacing a couple pieces isn’t worth it
I bought an old Bullet Strat for playing when I have home in the states, and I would definitely consider putting in some mods. The fret edges are abysmal, but everything else seems solid. The only caveat is that you won’t get much of your money back for your mods if you ever sell it. They won’t really increase its resale value, apparently.
To work on your luthery skills, yes. For resale, no
I was given a bullet strat for free. Right now I pick it up every day cause it’s fun, and I have been messing with different saddle heights and truss rod relief. There seems to have been some fret work done to it at some point before I got it, so as long as what you get has even frets and not sharp frets I think they are fun little guitars.
