billionairebum
Hello all
I recently sold a my strat and it was the best strat I have ever played on and I want that feel back. I have an idea about building a guitar up and I would appreciate the advice of those that have done this before and your experience with it. My previous strat was a 89 jap made fender with Texas specials in it. I want to build a heavy reliced surf green strat.
1. Should I buy a MIM strat 2nd hand and just sand it down and add my desired pickups in it?
2. Should I buy an 87 Squire jap model and do the same?
3. Should I buy a strat type guitar for cheap and mod it from them?
4. Should I buy all the parts separately
I do want to keep the costs down on this. I would appreciate your advice.
Cheers
Chocklit_Thunda
My suggestion, buy a strat with a neck that you find comfortable. Probably the most important part.
The MIM idea sounds good for the most part. The parts and body wood should be decent and if you switch out the pickups you should be mostly there.
buttle
Should have KEPT your old guitar! ?
AlanRatcliffe
Sorry, missed this thread somehow...
Building up from parts is not usually the cheapest way to go, but it's the bet way if you know exactly what you want.
Buying a cheapy to mod is false economy - usually body and neck are cheap too and there's only so much you can do with parts.
Finding a guitar you like first can be the cost effective route if you find a nice feeling/playing one at a good price. Then you can upgrade parts as and when you need/can afford it. MIM and MIJ Fenders have both had good'uns and bad'uns (although recent models are usually a safer bet). MIA are far more consistent through the years (Well... since the '90s anyway).
Early '80s Squiers were good (especially in comparison to the US models of the time), later models were well made, but would often have non-traditional body woods and cheaper hardware.
