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Old 12-31-2011, 04:31 PM   #1
Jack
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Member Sales Rating: (7)
 
Member#: 13699
Join Date: Dec 2001
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Hopkinton, MA
Vehicle:
2021 Building
It Better

Default Squier Strat "Blackie" tribute guitar $65

Ok....I've had this guitar for nearly a day! Time to move it.

$65

To be honest, I bought this guitar to give Guitar Center a reason to go out back and give me a box to ship my Ernie Ball Axis down to South Carolina. But I had some visual fun with the guitar and actually did some good with it....I think.

This is a China built squier affinity series. Looks like a 2004 from the serial number. Everything works perfectly. Here's what I did to guarantee that and my upgrades:

I first took the entire guitar apart. Chemically cleaned the pots and switch (I always do this) and they're silky smooth with no scratchyness or pops. I shielded the entire back of the pickguard with aluminum and sanded all pot/switch surfaces to make good contact to that aluminum to ground. I cleaned the output jack. I cleaned the springs, claw and block to make the strings actually at ground potential. I replaced the volume and tone knobs with new mim replacements. I removed the pickup covers to make them black. The pickguard has a vinyl overlay that is black with lightning like graphics. It has the sides of the white pickguard exposed for a nice outline. This can be removed if you don't want it.....just like racecar vinyl numbers. Pull it off and clean the adhesive with pretty much any mild solvent. I treated the rosewood board with wonder wipes several times. I also polished the frets. The back of the neck is lightly sanded with 600 to give it a much nicer feel than the finish alone and then it's lightly polished with a liquid polish. The setup is on the high end of the Fender specs because Squiers are not up to par of American necks or even Mexican necks. So 5/64" at the 12th fret with 0.01 relief. I will intonate it today. It plays quietly and doesn't have electrical buzz at all. Strung with 9's. There's no case or whammy bar but you can have the cool strap that's in the picture.

I've already written too many words for a $65 guitar that I probably put $100 of work into. I like working on guitars......you might have figured that out already.

I would also trade this towards a wayward Mexican Strat or Tele that needs work and add some $$ or swap for a Squier tele.

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