Crazy Strat Mods.....

[Riley]

Well I have two Strats. One is my 'true' Strat, a Jimmie Vaughan Strat, which I love and does the strat thing wicked good. My other is a 10 year old MIM Strat, which was my first guitar. It's been modded many time with different sigle coil pups, and has USA electronics and wiring, a aftermarker pickguard, grover tuners, etc etc. It's an ok Strat, not nearly as lively as my JV, but is solid. I was thinking since I never play it anymore, I should mod it to something I'd like to have in my guitar collection.....a shredder. In other words, route out the single coil routes to accept humbuckers, install a Floyd Rose with a locking nut, and maybe have medium to jumbo frets installed.....the current ones are vintage and worn out almost. Problem is I dunno if I could handle all the work involved, and would hate to mess it up by making a mistake. But my lutheir would probably charge me a few hundred bucks for the Floyd and refret installs. But I think it would get used a lot if I transformed the guitar like that.......hmmmmmmmmmmm. It's this guitar.......

http://riley-music.com/Pics/GuitarGe...-06/Strat2.jpg

-peace
-Nate

[kerc]

Nate, I would put in some mean humbuckers, like the GFS Crusader, but I would leave the bridge alone...Maybe install roller saddles. But the Floyd conversion might be too much...Also, why not go ahead and get a new neck?

[tremoloman***]

I new Floyd Rose Strat is only $499 and you can find a used one on ebay for roughly $300 or less. I'd opt for a used one in this case.

[Spudman***]

Floyd type bridge $15 to $75 plus shipping
Fret replacement $175-$250 plus shipping if you have to send it away
GFS pickups $40 approx. each
Adding the locking nut to the neck $50
Having the bridge shimmed for the Fender radius $50
Routing the pickup cavities $30


You could not route and install JB's or Lil' Killers or Hot Rails to get a hotter output, but all the other stuff is gonna kill ya price wise. Sell the guitar to someone who wants a Red Mexican Strat - $200-$250. Then go buy a good shred guitar like an Ibanez RG or RG clone or S series clone or even the SA used are going for less than $200.

It's not worth what you want to do. You'll just butcher the guitar and probably still won't like it. Then it won't be worth anything to anybody. It will take a LOT of finesse to make it play and sound like a guitar worth all that you have spent on it approx. $600.

Check these out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NR-NEW-499-FLOYD...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ibanez-RG-copy-o...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-IBANEZ-SA-SE...QQcmdZViewItem

http://www.rondomusic.net/seg1std.html

http://www.rondomusic.net/product728.html

I think my point is that for $600 you can get a screaming good shred guitar and I was just providing links for the cheapies.

[Riley]

You guys make very valid points. And I'd probably be made at myself for turning my first guitar into something such as a shredder. Used Floyd euipped Guitar would be the best bet. I better start savin LOL! Thanks for your thoughts!

[Plank_Spanker]

Strats just have "Please mod me" written all over them.