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  • NGD / Project progress

    I bought this as a Christmas/ B-day present to myself. As much as I enjoy playing I like fixing, customizing and modding. So I sniped a MIM Fender (never mind the Squire Series) for a Jake E. Lee inspired project. It's in great condition looks as if it was never played, with little damage.

    The required before pic... GTWGITS



    umbucker




    FB before fret polish, cleaning & conditioning




    After, cleaned up nicely




    Tuners had to go, so I installed old Jackson tuners I had after gluing in dowels where the old tuner screw holes & enlarging the peg head holes.



    Tuners installed





    I'm still buying parts to piece it together. I went with a black output jack and used some old strap buttons I had. I'm still deciding if I will mod for the slanted single.

    Last edited by Sharkfin; 01-21-2012, 11:12 AM. Reason: broken links
    ____________________________________________
    Live your life like you're going to die your own death
    No one from above is going to take your last breath

  • #2
    Nice progress. Whereabouts in Maryland are ya?
    "Today, I shat a brown monolith ..majestic enough for gods to stand upon" BillZ aka horns666

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    • #3
      wow, it's remarkable how hotrodded a strathead looks with a simple change to black tuners.
      Hail yesterday

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      • #4
        Originally posted by VitaminG View Post
        wow, it's remarkable how hotrodded a strathead looks with a simple change to black tuners.
        My thoughts exatcly as well Gary! And of course the GAS comes creeping...

        Edit: It looks like a really cool project, and I'll enjoy following the progress! That white is awesome!
        Last edited by Anders; 01-01-2012, 02:17 AM.
        https://www.facebook.com/cutupofficial

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Axegrinder87 View Post
          Nice progress. Whereabouts in Maryland are ya?
          Thanks, I'm just outside Washington D.C.
          ____________________________________________
          Live your life like you're going to die your own death
          No one from above is going to take your last breath

          Comment


          • #6
            Projects are fun...... I would love to do more, but they always seem to cost me more than I originally anticipate.
            "clean sounds are for pussies" - Axewielder

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Sharkfin View Post
              Thanks, I'm just outside Washington D.C.
              Right on. I was born in DC, and lived in Charles County for many years before relocating to the south.
              "Today, I shat a brown monolith ..majestic enough for gods to stand upon" BillZ aka horns666

              Comment


              • #8
                You have yourself a Gem right there. The "Squier Series" are rumored to be from parts left over from CA shop when they moved it to the Mexican shop (What I've been able to find out). I have a 1995 same color and still all original except for the pickups. These guitar blow away the "Squiers" of today and are better than the newer MIM IMHO. I had Black one as well but let it go in a trade. I wish I never traded it. A lot of times you can pick these up for a good price because people see the "Squier Series"

                Here's a picture of mine


                Got this information at the Fender Forums..
                You might have heard of mexican made Fender guitars with a black headstock decal, sometimes associated with some mystery Squier Series made in Mexico. It’s true that there actually was a “Squier Series” that was made by Fender in Mexico and featured a black decal on the headstock, but not all mexican made Fender guitars with such a black label were part of that very “Squier Series”. Since there appears to be a lot of confusion and half-knowledge about these guitars out there, I decided to do some research on my own.

                The black label was used by Fender Mexico for a limited time only between 1993 and 1998. It can be found exclusively on the rather short lived mexican “Traditional” and “Squier” series for the Telecaster, Stratocaster and Precision Bass. Usually, Squier is to Fender what Epiphone is to Gibson. In this very case, the use of the name “Squier” had nothing to do with the actual Squier brand, as the series was named “Squier Series”, but it was by all means a Fender series, not a Squier series. The keyword is “series”, not “Squier”. The regular mexican “Standard” series was available too at the time, but it already featured the same silver-ish logo that is still used for it today. However, between 1993 and 1998, both labels (the black AND the silver-ish one) were used for mexican made Fender guitars, but for (slightly) different guitars.

                The guitars with the black label consisted mostly of overstock american made Fender necks and bodies. The parts were shipped to Mexico for assembly with mexican made pickups and far eastern hardware and electronics. The overall quality of these guitars turned out to be below the Squiers made in Japan and Korea, whose production came to an end around the time the mexican made guitars with the black label surfaced, yet above Squiers made in China and Indonesia, whose production had not yet begun at the time. The guitars ended up on the american and european market for just about as much as a guitar from the regular “Standard” series would cost at the time.

                Some (not all!) of the guitars were sold for a few bucks less as they came with 1-ply pickguards and hardware of slightly lesser quality. Those guitars (and those only!) had an additional smaller “Squier Series” label on front of the headstock, right were the artist models have the artist’s signature. Though some owners probably sanded off their “Squier Series” label, it is not true that all guitars with a black label had a “Squier Series” label in the first place. Most guitars with the black label featured tuners and bridges of decent quality as well as 3-ply pickguards. These guitars did not have the additional “Squier Series” label and were called the “Traditional Series”, which was stated nowhere on the headstock but the guitars were listed, advertised and sold as such.

                The “Traditional Series” can be considered the slightly better but the “Squier Series” sure is the more obscure. At the end of the day, there really is not that much difference between the two. The most significant difference can be found on the Telecaster. The Telecaster from the “Traditional Series” had the traditional through-body stringing, while the Telecasters from the “Squier Series” were Top Loaders with different bridges, saddles and no string holes in the back.

                The guitars from that very “Squier Series” are official and genuine Fender guitars like any mexican made Fender guitar regardless, and if you have a mexican made Fender Telecaster, Stratocaster or Precision Bass with a black label and a serial number beginning with MN3, MN4, MN5, MN6, MN7 or MN8, you have a genuine Fender guitar – with or without a small “Squier Series” label."
                Made in the Ensenada plant long after Squier had departed for the far east (1992). Body and neck carved in Corona, the Ensenada plant didn't start carving timber till 2003. The body and neck are bigger than all except the JV Squier's, their full strat sized.
                Last edited by JetFixxxer; 01-02-2012, 11:07 AM.
                2009 Les Paul Kit - GFS Dream 90 (N), SD Seth Lover (B)
                2009 Gibson Les Paul Worn Brown
                2009 Epiphone Studio Deluxe
                2008 Epiphone Custom - SD P-Rail(N), Fat Pat (B)
                2008 Ovation Celebrity CC48
                2007 Agile AL3000 - SD Alinco II set
                2005 Epiphone Standard - SD Pearly Gate (N),SD Alinco II (B)
                2004 Epiphone Custom Plus Top
                2004 Gibson SG Faded - Stock
                1997 Epiphone Slash Snakepit
                1995 Fender Strat - SD Lil 59' Bridge, SD Hotrail Middle, Stock Neck


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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Anders View Post
                  My thoughts exatcly as well Gary! And of course the GAS comes creeping...

                  Edit: It looks like a really cool project, and I'll enjoy following the progress! That white is awesome!
                  Yeah, it looked snow white in the auction pics but I was pleasantly surprised to see it is actually a nice cream color.

                  Originally posted by Axegrinder87 View Post
                  Right on. I was born in DC, and lived in Charles County for many years before relocating to the south.
                  Cool, I've been in Montgomery County practically my whole life.

                  Originally posted by JetFixxxer View Post
                  You have yourself a Gem right there. The "Squier Series" are rumored to be from parts left over from CA shop when they moved it to the Mexican shop (What I've been able to find out). I have a 1995 same color and still all original except for the pickups. These guitar blow away the "Squiers" of today and are better than the newer MIM IMHO. I had Black one as well but let it go in a trade. I wish I never traded it. A lot of times you can pick these up for a good price because people see the "Squier Series"

                  Here's a picture of mine


                  Got this information at the Fender Forums..
                  That guitar looks familiar I had found the same info in my research as well. I had expected the body and neck to be of good quality with lesser hardware components. I have a 1989 Squire built in Korea that is basically built the same. I changed all the hardware, electronics and upgraded to 3 ply Fender pickguard. It looks and plays great. I can't wait to finish putting this one together.
                  ____________________________________________
                  Live your life like you're going to die your own death
                  No one from above is going to take your last breath

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I got some goodies in the mail... the pick guard is from Terrapin guitars. .90 Matte black, it's thick. It's my first time ordering from them and it was a good experience. The pick guards are completely customizable. I'm not sure of the control layout yet but I'm going with 1 vol, 1 tone and mini switch for the pickup positions.


                    Last edited by Sharkfin; 01-21-2012, 11:12 AM. Reason: broken link
                    ____________________________________________
                    Live your life like you're going to die your own death
                    No one from above is going to take your last breath

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Now it needs a zebra paint job.

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                      • #12
                        Meh, needs a floyd
                        Fuck ebay, fuck paypal

                        "Finger on the trigger, back against the wall. Counting rounds and voices, not enough to kill them all" (Ihsahn).

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                        • #13
                          A few more progress pics... I still need to acquire some more parts, but it's coming together nicely.





                          Last edited by Sharkfin; 01-21-2012, 11:13 AM. Reason: broken links
                          ____________________________________________
                          Live your life like you're going to die your own death
                          No one from above is going to take your last breath

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            A few more progress pics of the project so far. I had some problems finding pickup covers that fit. The pickup holes didn't all line up. I had some old ones lying around, bought 2 from Stew Mac and even ordered Genuine Fender covers. Each one had the same problem. In the end I took the old ones I had lying around and took a Dremel to each hole to make them bigger. Then I scuffed them up with 1000 grit paper and polished them with swirl remover. I wanted to dull them a bit to match the pickguard since they're matte black. I got the electronics all wired up and working today (Thanks Argos!). I have a Tusq graphite nut but I haven't installed it yet. I'm waiting to get the bridge once I figure out what I want to install. Any suggestions?





                            Last edited by Sharkfin; 02-05-2012, 04:11 PM. Reason: 'cuse
                            ____________________________________________
                            Live your life like you're going to die your own death
                            No one from above is going to take your last breath

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              looking very nice

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