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Post by ozboomer on Jun 30, 2012 20:25:58 GMT -5
I'm currently doing some simple mods to a 2010 Squier Bullet Strat (being electronics/circuit and pickguard changes)... and was wondering about something a bit more ambitious (for me)...
The Bullets all seem to have a rosewood fretboard (or something stained to look like that(!)) on their necks.. but I wonder what I should be looking at to get a maple fretboard look (and, more critically, brighter sound) to the guitar?
From what I understand, the biggest question is to find a (model of) neck that will fit well with the neck pocket on the Bullet -- Would a Squier Affinity be good enough? Do I need to look at a Squier Standard... or do I even start looking further afield and consider searching for used Fender, GFS, Warmoth, etc necks?
I think there's probably a "preferred replacement"... it's just I don't know what it is(!).. Even so, getting into the mechanical, 'timber' side of the guitar scares me(!) 'coz if I muck it up, I chuck out the guitar (or so I think). Given that I can find a suitable size replacement (that is, the heel/pocket dimensions all match.. sort of), what do I do about shims.. or adjusting the angle of the neck - what's in the setup for that?.. Are there some decent on-line tutes or something that will help me through this quagmire?
Would appreciate any suggestions from my treasured fellow-Nutz..
John
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Post by reTrEaD on Jun 30, 2012 21:38:11 GMT -5
Cyn would probably know more, but to the best of my knowledge all the Squire Strat neck pockets and neck heels are made to the same spec for width and length. Not 100% sure about the height (depth) though. IIRC, the Bullet body is considerably thinner than the Affinity and Standard lines. Dunno if that means the neck pocket is less deep and the heel of the neck is less thick.
Maybe it's different in Oz, but around here used Bullets are a dime a dozen. Affinities are nearly a cheap and Standards are still pretty affordable. So it seems like you might end up putting a lot of effort into something that really doesn't have much resale value. I suppose if you had a straight used neck fall into your lap for very few dollars it might be worth it.
If the mods you're doing include a superswitch and/or PP pots, beware. I've heard they will bottom out on the control cavity and your pickguard will bow out a bit when you try to attach it to the body. The cavity isn't a deep as a Standard. This is second or third hand info, so don't take it for Gospel. But a few measurements might save you some headaches.
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Post by ozboomer on Jun 30, 2012 23:15:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the info about the similarity of 2 of the 3 dimensions of the 'Squier' necks... IIRC, the Bullet body is considerably thinner than the Affinity and Standard lines. Dunno if that means the neck pocket is less deep and the heel of the neck is less thick. Well, part of the trouble is that I have my guitars all 'working' at the moment (even the one currently being modified) and I don't particularly want to pull 'em down to make the measurement comparison... However, using some calipers on the upper bout horn on each of the Strat models, I get the following:- - Bullet Strat - CY05* - 41.5mm = 1-5/8"... swimming pool rout
- Bullet Strat - COS10* - 43.0mm = 1-11/16"... SC/SC/HB (N/M/B) rout
- Affinity Strat - CY05* - 41.7mm = 1-5/8"... swimming pool rout
(and I still don't know what the S/N prefixes mean, except I think they're all indicating Chinese manufacture(?)). New prices for Squier Bullet Strats range from A$160-A$199 and for Squier Affinities, the prices range from A$299-A$349, with Squier Standards running ~A$499. As no Bullets seem to have maple fretboards, I guess I'd be looking at an Affinity (ambivalent about the '70s headstock but.. meh..)... so I'd be looking at A$500 for a Standard, just to get the neck I want. Pffft. So, I figure it'd be worthwhile to chase-down a substitute neck somehow. Yup.. but I wonder if that would also apply to an 'E' Megaswitch? These are a couple of the things I'm trying to remember as well (but you likely confirm to be a problem) that a pot+DPDT switch won't fit within the Bullet cavity... and! if I start looking at trem blocks, I'd have to take to it with a hacksaw (ugly) or get, say, a plumber to slice the bottom 1/4" off it (another $100 = the plumber + labour)... so I won't be applying THOSE mods. The research continues...
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Jul 1, 2012 1:53:12 GMT -5
Both the Affinity AND" Warmoth necks "DO" fit. The neck cavities should be 2-3/16" Check this place out for more info on the neck replacement issue www.squier-talk.com/forum/squier-stratocasters/984-squier-bullet-cob-neck-pocket.html All models of the mega switches require a minimum of an. 1-3/8" cavity dept h, which is also what the cavity depth requirements for standard 3, 4, and 5 way blade switches are anyway, so no capatability issues should occur there. Are you replacing "JUST" the block or the entire tremelo? If you just want a new bridge id just swap the blocks if you "ARE" just replacing the block them you may not be able to get around having to cut exxess off of a full size block. HTH SBG...
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Post by cynical1 on Jul 1, 2012 7:40:48 GMT -5
Squiers can be all over the place on their neck pocket dimensions. I don't have the spec off the top of my head, but consulting the Oracle (Google) will probably give you more information on Squier neck pocket size then you ever wanted. I never owned one and have only done some basic setups on a few of them. Squier owners rarely pay for much else...
However, I will say that for the money some were pretty good. Some must have been made on a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon... I believe the country of origin determines the neck pocket dimension, they're all actually cut to a Metric spec, hence the traditional 2-3/16" necks require some effort on your part.
And the maple neck will not necessarily "brighten" the sound of the guitar. I prefer a maple neck, but that's more of an aesthetic than a design consideration.
I would find myself a good set of calipers and measure out exactly what you have. My guess is that you'll be pretty close to 2-1/8"...maybe a bit on the heavy side, but not by much.
If changing the neck is an aesthetic choice, then plan on some looking and some retrofitting once the new neck arrives.
My suggestion would be that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Swapping necks is always more work then it looks, so if you don't have a bow, warp, twist, fingerboard separation or a truss rod issue I'd file this idea for a time when life is too easy and you're looking for some aggravation to break the monotony.
Looking at it logically, a new Squier or lower end Ibanez with a maple neck is cheaper in the long run then swapping the neck on your existing guitar. Not out right, but in tools and time you're going to be right in the neighborhood of a new guitar.
And said new guitar now offers you a platform to mod another guitar.
I'm not trying to rain on your parade. As I said before, I prefer maple to rosewood, but if I'm looking for a maple neck experience teaches it's easier to buy a maple neck when it's attached to the rest of the guitar at the time of purchase.
Happy Trails
Cynical One
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Post by ozboomer on Jul 1, 2012 17:48:34 GMT -5
And the maple neck will not necessarily "brighten" the sound of the guitar. I prefer a maple neck, but that's more of an aesthetic than a design consideration. Ya, I always thought that.. but whether it was just coincidence or not, I had the opportunity some years ago to A-B compare a couple of Fender Standard Strats side-by-side and blowed if I didn't reckon the maple fretboard version sounded brighter; same pickups, same chrome hardware, same body and neck (except for the fretboard) into duplicate amps/settings... Pfft. Although, I also reckoned at that time that there was no discernable difference in sound between ceramic and AlNiCo 5 pickups(!) [...further good info on necks and their measurements...] Well, that's what I always thought... but I guess I was just looking for the cheapo solution, even if! it had some more work involved... but my original nervousness about the job seems to have been justified.. and I'd probably do better just to sell-off my Bullets and grab a Squier Classic Vibe or Deluxe Strat... ...or I could always see about one of the new Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmasters, and forget about the maple neck requirement entirely, couldn't I!? ...and BTW, sbg... I'm still contemplating either/both options for the Bullets of bridge+trem block OR trem block alone. My Bullets are 6+ and 1+ year(s) old and the zinc block hasn't fallen apart (yet), so I'm just mindful of getting in there before things DO disintegrate. John
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Post by Teleblooz on Jul 14, 2012 2:28:52 GMT -5
For what it's worth, I at one point had both a Bullet (with rosewood) and Affinity (with maple). I got the idea to swap necks, mostly because I liked the Affinity's electronics but hated the big-a** 70s-style headstock. As it turned out, the Bullet neck pocket was considerably tighter, with of course a corresponding difference in the neck heels as well. I bolted the Bullet neck onto the Affinity without any problems (I did notice it felt a little loose in the pocket). When I tried to install the Affinity neck in the Bullet body, I could barely get it into the pocket. Realizing the error of my ways I pulled it back out, only to have it break out a chip of the paint 'cause it was wedged so tight.
Anyway, the short answer is yes, there can be quite a difference between Squier models.
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halfstack
Rookie Solder Flinger
Posts: 11
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Post by halfstack on Mar 17, 2014 19:10:56 GMT -5
Lots of Measuring I Just picked a real nice MIM strat neck and figured I would put it in my 96 Squire body .Took a ton of work. the neck was 2 mm thinner than the Squire Neck. and not as thick. Be Careful!
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