Grumpyrocker

I've just completed my little Squier Bullet project. I've used this cheapo Strat to learn the basics of guitar modification as it's not something I've really done before. I'm quite happy with the resulting cheap yet good sounding guitar.

It was a regular SSS guitar when I bought it. I replaced with the pickguard with one that's cut for a humbucker and the bridge. The pickups are all from IronGear - two single coil Pig Iron models with a Rolling Mill humbucker.

The trem is a Wilkinson model with the solid steel block - this along with the addition of a graphite nut have worked wonders for tone and tuning.

So that's that done. No really major work - I've not had to modify the wood as thankfully Squier had already routed the body for a HSS pickup layout already. I'm not going to go further with a new neck or tuners of anything like that. But I'm very happy with the result.

Reflected Floyd, originally uploaded by Cartmel Veteran.

Twenty years ago my late mother bought me an electric guitar - a relatively cheap Epiphone HSS Strat. I was always rubbish at keeping up hobbies, but I really took to the guitar rather late and I've played ever since.

I've owned other (and better) guitars but I've always treasured this one that mum bought for me. Alas time hasn't been kind to it - it was used hard before and during my university years and it hasn't really been playable for the last few years.

The Floyd Rose bridge was rusted and had a screw missing. The locking nut was threaded and had a lock missing. The tone pot doesn't work. The volume pot hardly works. The bridge pickup is falling apart and out of its mounting.

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