Squier Affinity Strat doesn't work

[prehensiletoe]

Hi,

I'm new here. In fact, this is my 1st post.

I received a gift of a "Galactic Purple" 2000 Squier Affinity Strat (made in China). It had been sitting in a closet for a couple of years. The first chance I had, I plugged it into my Crate VTX15 amp. I got some loud hum, but no string sounds. I got no help from the volume or tone controls. I got some minor results from turning up the gain. Then I could hear some very faint string sounds. I also switched cords and got the same results. This was a guitar that got very little play in it's brief life. The person who had it plucked on it occasionally, but never really played or practiced. It was a teenage girl. Can anyone suggest a way for me to solve this problem easily and cheaply enough for me to get some life into this guitar again? Be kind. I know Squiers aren't liked much, but I like it and would like to salvage it. Thanks for your help.

[Mini-Strat_Maine]

prehensiletoe said:

HI'm new here. In fact, this is my 1st post.

Welcome aboard!

I received a gift of a "Galactic Purple" 2000 Squier Affinity Strat (made in China). It had been sitting in a closet for a couple of years. The first chance I had, I plugged it into my Crate VTX15 amp. I got some loud hum, but no string sounds.

I believe I read recently that hum often indicates a grounding problem, but I'm no electronics expert. (For proof, just read some of my questions to the group. ;D )

I got no help from the volume or tone controls. I got some minor results from turning up the gain. Then I could hear some very faint string sounds. I also switched cords and got the same results. This was a guitar that got very little play in it's brief life. The person who had it plucked on it occasionally,

Aha! Dry rot! No, actually, something may have just oxidized over time from sitting around.

Can anyone suggest a way for me to solve this problem easily and cheaply enough for me to get some life into this guitar again?

"Easily and cheaply" are always the best ways to start on a project. Something I found today while Googling around for something else: www.siogo.com/charlie_hargrett/guitar_school/guitar_electronics.htm (Yeah, I'm also a Blackfoot fan.) The fine sandpaper-in-the-output-jack trick may or may not work for your current problem, but it's a start. (And it's cheap.) Before you try it, wait and see if another member (or members) say that sticking sandpaper in there is a dumb idea. (I haven't tried it myself.)

Be kind. I know Squiers aren't liked much, but I like it and would like to salvage it.

And the price was right, too.
Actually, I don't think anyone here would come right out and diss a Squier. In fact, most of the members will probably quickly say that a "low-budget" guitar, properly set up (and especially when modded) is as good or better than any of the ones that cost more than some of the cars I've owned.
I've got a Squier Bullet that I haven't modded yet, and I'm pretty happy with it as-is. My other "pawnshop special Strat-wannabe" is a Johnson JS-050-¾. Both were under $150, and both of 'em make me "wanna rock'n'roll all night." (Okay, I'm not a big KISS fan, but the phrase works.)
Oh, and before I forget, DeOxIt from Caig Chemical comes very highly recommended in the electric guitar (and blues harp) community for cleaning scrufty control pots.

Rock on!

--
Doug C.

[pollyshero]

Get some contact/tuner cleaner and spray the pots, switch, and output jack before anything else.

WD-40 IS NOT CONTACT CLEANER - DON'T USE IT. Radio Shack sells the stuff for around $9.00. Any electronics store should have it, and it's readily available on the internet. I don't have a favorite, but some do.... I just buy the stuff at RS.

Remove the pickguard and turn it upside down. Make sure you cover the rest of the guitar with a thick towel to absorb any drips/overspray. PUT ON A PAIR OF SAFETY GOGGLES before you spray. The pots should have a spot where you can put the nozzle right up to & give a couple of shots of cleaner. Rotate the knobs fully back and forth as you spray (squirt-rotate 5 or six times, repeat two or three times).

If the switch is the open type, just spray the contacts and work the switch through it's entire range. Repeat as necessary. If it's the closed (circuit board) type you'll have to shoot through the top in the slot the switch handle pokes through.

Remove the output jack plate screws and shoot the jack contacts. Scrub with a toothbrush.

I'd be surprised if that didn't take care of your problem.

Good luck.

[Mini-Strat_Maine]

pollyshero said:

Get some contact/tuner cleaner and spray the pots, switch, and output jack before anything else.

WD-40 IS NOT CONTACT CLEANER - DON'T USE IT.

That part I'll agree with, but here's something I ran across today while Googling for something else. I had heard that Blue Shower was good for cleaning pots, etc., but here's a different opinion. This is what prompted my comment above about DeOxIt being recommended (okay, by at least one writer anyway) in the blues harp community:
www.harpamps.com/micKdiy/No-Tuner-Cleaner.html. Otherwise, PH's post reflects the "start troubleshooting easily and cheaply" philosophy that so many of us here have come to appreciate.

Some corrections and additions to the stock numbers mentioned in the page at the above link. It looks like the "MCL" stuff is going to be called FaderLube beginning in 2006. And the other product mentioned has been changed to something environmentally safe. Still non-flammable, also plastic-compatible. New number is DN5S-6N.

[prehensiletoe]

Thanks folks! This is just what I hoped to get. Now, the embarrassing part. I went to GC to buy a new input jack for $3. After I got home, I installed the new jack then removed the pickguard assembly. I also bought a $5 volume pot just in case. While examining the connections, I noticed the wire between the volume and the 5-way selector had come apart from the volume. There was my problem all along. I soldered it, reassembled it, and restrung it with 11s. I adjusted the truss rod to lower the action and I was in business! Now to learn how to do a good setup and I'm off to the races.

[Mini-Strat_Maine]

prehensiletoe said:

While examining the connections, I noticed the wire between the volume and the 5-way selector had come apart from the volume. There was my problem all along. I soldered it, reassembled it, and restrung it with 11s. I adjusted the truss rod to lower the action and I was in business! Now to learn how to do a good setup and I'm off to the races.

Well, alrighty, then! Relatively cheap, and pretty easy, eh?

Re learning to do a setup, check out the first tutorial on the list here: www.projectguitar.com/menu/tutorial.htm. Other members can probably offer some other resources.