Best inexpensive strat to mod from??

I am thinking I would love a 22 fret neck on this guitar (Like I have ever played up that far, but still, GAS is not rational). Was looking at necks on ebay and saw that the Blacktops came with nice RW 22 fret necks, and that the necks separately sell for half of what a used Blacktop costs, and Warmoth necks are more. So, now I am half tempted to be patient and look for a good deal on a Blacktop and mod from there. Less modding to be done, but would end up a little more expensive.

If I started with a cheap guitar, I could do upgrades as I go and spread it out. But the Blacktop would get me there faster and save time.
 
sunvalleylaw said:
I am thinking I would love a 22 fret neck on this guitar (Like I have ever played up that far, but still, GAS is not rational). Was looking at necks on ebay and saw that the Blacktops came with nice RW 22 fret necks, and that the necks separately sell for half of what a used Blacktop costs, and Warmoth necks are more. So, now I am half tempted to be patient and look for a good deal on a Blacktop and mod from there. Less modding to be done, but would end up a little more expensive.

If I started with a cheap guitar, I could do upgrades as I go and spread it out. But the Blacktop would get me there faster and save time.
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This is how I ended up with an Ibanez Artist. :embarrassed:
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
This is how I ended up with an Ibanez Artist. :embarrassed:
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Yep. And I have seen good Blacktops for as low as $35o. If I got a squier for just under $200 or so, and added some parts in, I would get there pretty quick.

Or, @Help!I'maRock! , one on ebay with a nick in the paint, with Dimarzio pickups in it (a joe in the neck), and fender locking tuners, for $379.00.
 
Specifically, the one. https://stgeorge.craigslist.org/msg/5567786544.html

The seller is going to pull the craigslist as soon.

Deal pending with seller. Pretty excited as I think I got a good deal, and a good platform to mod from. :thumbsup :happy Now, just have to make sure the deal goes though on Saturday!

Here is one pic. I have a couple better ones I can upload later, maybe in a new guitar day thread. :grin: Or in both places.

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Now, just have to make sure the deal goes down properly on Saturday.
 
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sunvalleylaw said:
On the other end of the spectrum, there is the G&L Fallout Tribute. Seems like I would be paying more for one of those to mess with, but the controls are a little more versatile than the Squier '51 and it has a P90 in the neck which would go nicely with the PAF. Hmm.



They appear to be near $400 even used unless a guy got lucky.

Well, in thinking about this, I see I really want two pickups. A humbucker in the bridge, and P90 or similar sounding pickup in the neck. I also would like a tone control. This kind of gets back to my previous GAS for a Reverend Double Agent. I don't really care about a coil tap. I do not think I would use it. It would be like using the knob that turns off the suspension on my mountain bike. I just don't use it. And, I have guitars with single coils in the bridge.

so, the options are, in terms of expense I would think:

Get a Squier VM, Deluxe, or similar, strat, and swap out the pickups to what I want, either removing, or just ignoring the middle pickup. Probably cheapest. and most of the controls are already there. Just would lose coil tapping, that I don't care about.

Get a Squire '51, and find a way to put a tone control on. EDIT: can get a used one from GC for $149.00, picked up in the store.
And here is how to add a tone pot. http://65.23.158.135/forum.html?db=ngvbozikhoufuq&topic_number=792035

Looking like another good cheap way to go.

Buck up to the G&L Fallout and use my PAF pickup in there. Not likely. More money than I want to throw at it.
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I just recently picked up a used, mint Tribute Fallout, and like the Legacy I previously posted about, it's a sweetheart of a guitar for the money. I bought it off of Craigslist for $200. I thought I'd be in a big hurry to swap pickups, but the stock ones are really pretty good. The humbucker isn't all that great split though, IMO.
 
It showed up today! HNGD!! Looks very nice, and not much used. Fret ends need a little polishing. Strings need to be changed. Trem was floating WAY too high. You can see in the first pic when I first pulled it out of the pink peanuts and bubble wrap. I tightened it down a little and it is fine, but thinking I will do a little learning online and do a full setup. I am going to deck the trem in any case on this guitar, and will learn to check and adjust the intonation, relief, and action. I definitely will switch out the parchment PG. It looks pretty cool but is just not my taste. The Dimarzio should fit on there fine, as it looks and turns out. Cool! Project under way!

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Well, it is up on the wall! I took the strings off, did some initial very light file work that I will continue little bit later, did a thorough cleaning, not that it was that dirty, oiled up the fretboard, and further adjusted the trem.

It's action is too high but I don't have the right size Allen keys so will get those so I can adjust the neck relief which is a bit overdone and then adjust the saddles.

I just ordered a new pick guard and trem plate and will soon order the neck pick up. The nut for the truss rod is pretty buried in finish or gunk so will need to clean that out with some compressed air and maybe some unfolded paper clips or something so I can get into the nut better.

The guitar sounds pretty good as is, but think I will gain a little clarity with the new pick ups.
 
Trem plate? Have you owned a strat before? Those things are like the ashtray covers on Tele bridges, you take them off and never put them on again :grin:

That is a nice looking guitar. I can't wait to see it with the tort.
 
Chad said:
Trem plate? Have you owned a strat before? Those things are like the ashtray covers on Tele bridges, you take them off and never put them on again :grin:

That is a nice looking guitar. I can't wait to see it with the tort.
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yeah, HaHa! And I have always left mine on. Oh well, I already ordered it so it is coming. Maybe I will end up leaving it off. The tort will look good I think. The parchment/aged white/mint guard (hard to tell exactly what it is, looks kinda like the mint one that came on my tele in some lights) just is too bland for me. Also, I think I will like the looks of the open humbuckers more. Plus I think they will have a bit more bite than the covered ones. But it is a nice look. And the guitar will feel awesome to play when I am done cleaning it up. I think the solid body dual humbucker set up gives me something a bit different from my Hagstrom. Will be fun to explore.
 
Also, since I got this used and pretty inexpensively, I am feeling not worried about modding and learning to do my own set up work and mess with it more than on my other strat and Hagstrom, though I had no worries about the tele. Will be a fun learning experience that will hopefully generate some results and good experience.
 
sunvalleylaw said:
yeah, HaHa! And I have always left mine on. Oh well, I already ordered it so it is coming. Maybe I will end up leaving it off. The tort will look good I think. The parchment/aged white/mint guard (hard to tell exactly what it is, looks kinda like the mint one that came on my tele in some lights) just is too bland for me. Also, I think I will like the looks of the open humbuckers more. Plus I think they will have a bit more bite than the covered ones. But it is a nice look. And the guitar will feel awesome to play when I am done cleaning it up. I think the solid body dual humbucker set up gives me something a bit different from my Hagstrom. Will be fun to explore.
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If you want to get crazy, Warmoth will cut a guard for TV Jones pickups. :grin: It shouldn't take too long for Warmoth to get the guard to you. It only took them a week or so to ship my last one.
 
Well, I just canceled the order for the trem cover. LOL! Was thinking I am going pretty garagey on this guitar anyway and might as well leave it off. @Chad, what do you think? I am installing 5 new springs and will tighten down the trem. Worth blocking too? Looking for that sustain here.
 
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