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M29
April 6th, 2006, 07:51 PM
Hello,

Picked up a Squire Strat standard today at a Pawn Shop for 100.00. It has two small dings but overall is pretty good. The nut I am going to replace, I picked up a set of locking Grovers today and the tremolo bar is somewhat tight. First time for a Strat for me so I have to get into that trem bar and get familar with it. I will probably replace it do you guys have any recommendations on a good trem bar? How is your stock trem? Any good. The guitar sounds great I am pretty impressed with the Squire,was out to get a Squire 51 and found this. Shoot if I get all gased up again I will have to get a 51 too...

Any suggestions on a nut? Graphite, Roller?

Has anyone taken the finish off of a Squire body? Is the wood any good underneath? Sorry for all the questions.

http://www.qix.net/~lmjbo/mysquire.jpg

Thank you for your time and help.

M29

Spudman
April 6th, 2006, 09:11 PM
Congrats!
Where was that one made? Indonesia? Is it an Affinity? It should say on the headstock. If so it has a slightly thinner body and it should be Alder which is a great tone wood.
Trem bars are particular to the threads in that trem block. You'll have t look for the right one. If you plan on using the trem heavily you can take the block to a machinist with your new duty heavy trem arm and have them re-thread the block. Some guys are replacing the block with Callahan trem blocks and I'm sure you can get an arm from them too.

M29
April 7th, 2006, 01:38 PM
Hello Spudman,

Thank you for the help, I will look into that block. This Squire is from china, drats...but it seems okay so far. What a difference playing a Strat compared to a Les Paul type guitar. I put on Locking Govers and they are excellent, it sure is different but they appear to work great!!! When I brought it home the thing was all over the place trying to tune it but now it gets right to it and stays there.

Nope this is not an affinity.

Thanks again Spudman.

M29

Tim
April 7th, 2006, 03:25 PM
Good looking ax there M29. Have fun with it and let us hear it & you sometime down the line.

Spudman
April 7th, 2006, 04:45 PM
M29
China is alright by me. I just got two special edition Squiers one Silverburst and one Cherryburst both made in China and are fine guitars.
There is a lot of information about them on the web if you look around.
In regards to taking the finish off...with a solid finish like you have it is a real crap shoot as to what the body is like under the paint. It could be 3 pieces nicely matched or it could be 6-8 pieces that aren't or possibly even 3 pieces that don't look like they belong together. It's really an unknown. Myself, I would just keep it like it is and consider it relic-able. Go ahead and use the cr*p out of it. It was only $100 and you like it right?

M29
April 9th, 2006, 08:23 PM
Thanks for the info guys. I am experimenting with recording now like all the other Fret Netters but it is kind of slow. I have been reading all the other posts on recording and working over Roberts other site with the lessons. It is taking me some time to absorb Roberts exquisit workings, I am way behind you guys but am learning and that is awesome!!!
I am going to work on a lead to one of the blues tracks for the heck of it. I tried it last night and I can't believe how awful I sounded....but I will clean it up and see how it comes out in time. I am anxious to get to the point where I can play freely and experiment with the sounds. It seems so far away right now because I have so much to learn on the guitar itself.

The Squire Strat is working out great. I worked over the nut until I can get a good replacement and lowered the action and set the intonation and it sounds great and stays intune so nice. I love the sound, I never spent much time with a Strat type guitar before mostly Les Pauls and semi hollow bodies. I ended up cleaning up the trem bar threads with a die and cleaned out the block with a tap and it fits in good now but does change tune after a few twangs so I will probably replace it with a better quality unit later on. I am not big in to tremelo but I could be if the thing will hold a decent tune.

Man I love this stuff and this site is s wealth of information.

Thanks guys.

M29

Spudman
April 9th, 2006, 09:18 PM
When I was a kid I played a concert with a guy named Byron Pritchard. I'll never forget what he said to me. We were both Strat players although in different bands. He said: "Strats are a real bitc* but that is where it all comes from. When they sing they really sing."
Myself..I'm addicted to those *****es. They really make you work hard. That is where so much of the Strats personality comes from.

PS. Please don't tell my wife about the addiction thing. She'll beat me up.