My Squier project

[Tobacco Worm]

Wade, your experience as a guitar tech is amazing and welcome!

David, those are very kind words. Thank you. (blush) And I vowed to use my powers only for good.


As to the Fender Tremolo, really the two outter screws support the entire unit. The four inner screws do not aid in any load bearing with the unit at all. In fact, they can be removed and no problems would arise. But then they'd get lost, and there's those holes in the bridge that would look unsightly to many folks. So for the sake of visual appearence and the need to see a "complete" assembled bridge, I always left the inner screws in place to keep my customers happy. Those four would be quite loose and sat up a smidge from the base plate to allow the bridge to move about without any contact.

Wade

 

[Heket]

As to the bridge being angled. This is a MIM style tremolo unit. It is a big block style. The Squier Strat bodies are often thinner than the MIM or USA Strats. Thus it is possible that the back plate is pushing the block toward the face of the instrument and cauisng you issue. May also be a contributing cause to the tuning issue as well. Remove the back plate and check for this possible problem.

This is a very valid point, however it is not the case here :)

I have one of those funny off-spec Squiers that were made in 97-98 in Taiwan which are actually quite different to most of the Affinitys made. They have a thickness of body the same as a MIM Strat, the wood is Alder, it has 22 frets as opposed to 21 and a whole load of other weird measurments. The reason I couldn't get a big block trem is because of width, rather than depth. The block on this MIM bridge is the same size as my old Squier one.

Do you have the bridge screws all the way into the body?

Yes I do! Thank you for pointing this out to me. I just assumed that a tight screw is a good screw (ooer). Unfortunately I kinda ruined one of the screw heads in the 3rd screw so I'm not sure how easy that'll be to get out. It's annoying, I could get beaten by a rabbit in a fight, yet I manage to ruin nearly all my screws! Bah.

As to the Fender Tremolo, really the two outter screws support the entire unit.

I had no idea this was the case. Thank you for that useful snippet!



Another thing that I thought of, I probably didn't screw the trem claw back in tight enough. I had to undo it quite a lot ofr me to manage to get the springs off, and although I tried to measure the length that it was before using the paint as a guide, it's entirely possible I didn't do it enough. That's another thing to look it!

I also read about popping the neck back into place properly by gently unscrewing the bolts until the tension of the strings pulls it back. Again, it's possible I didn't push it in hard enough as I didn't get any help with that stage.

This is exciting! The tuning instability was always an issue so it's probably too much to hope for it to be fixed, but the intonation I'm sure wasn't so bad that I can't even play open chords. If I can fix it using these simple steps then fiddle around with the saddles that would be fantastic. I measured the scale length today and it's a little longer than 25 1/2", more like 25 3/4".

As a side note I was very pleased to see how stable my SG is tuning-wise. I restrung on Wednesday last week and after 2 string stretches during the process it's stayed on the green on my tuner(s) since then.

 

[Tobacco Worm]

"I could get beaten by a rabbit in a fight"...That's funny!!
Miss Heket, you can, and do crack me up at times!!

As to the depth of the Strat you have, being on the other side of the planet I didn't know the oddities of yours. I was going by a common issue that arises with many Squiers I've worked on. The manner in which you set the screws in tight can be fixed quickly and this may ease some of the problems with tuning as well. Do get that claw in tighter if possible. Most folks set their trem flat against the body and don't want to set it with the "gap" to allow for a bit of "up pull" as well as being able to dump the strings against the magnets. Getting the spring tension right for that takes time and some experience as well.

Now perhaps you can go into training for rabbit fighting and be victorious in a battle with a bad bunny! Just kidding with ya. Unless of course, you do wish to be know as the "Bad Bunny Basher"!!

Wade

 

[dbb]

Most folks set their trem flat against the body and don't want to set it with the "gap" to allow for a bit of "up pull" as well as being able to dump the strings against the magnets. Getting the spring tension right for that takes time and some experience as well.

Well, they can have their decked tremolos, I like to be able to bend up a little, so I set my Strat bridge with that gap.

But, Wade's right, it takes a little tinkering to get set right, but it's pretty stable when set well and not used for major dive-bombing.

 

[Col Mustard]

this is all great stuff... and is one of the reasons I don't have a whammy bar on any of my guitars. all this technobabble makes me throw my hands in the air and run around like a duck that's had a near miss from a snapping turtle.

but I read it all anyway, I might learn something! i continually marvel at the amount of know-how and experience there is in this community. Sir Squirt is likely to end up a real player.

And thanks, Heket for reminding us once in a while that your SG is stable and easy to play and sounds great with very little hassle. We knew that, but it's good to hear it anyway. It's an interesting comparison. But there are many of us who would love to have our first guitar back, in order to try and put it right.

I think it's also interesting when you describe the difference between the tone of your 490T in the Strat and the tone of your SG. Wade very likely has it right in suggesting that you wire the tone pot to give more control over the sound of the humbucker. Good idea. Certainly coming from years of bench experience. Which is priceless. Thanks, Wade!

I try to refrain from commenting on things I know nothing about... like whammy bars.
But I read all of it and usually add to my store of guitar knowledge on threads like this.
Plus, there is always the vicarious excitement of walking through a project like yours... Thanks for letting us look over your shoulder.

I think the upgrades to your Strat are quite spectacular, and predict that this guitar will inspire you to become a better player, in order to live up to the beauty of the whole package. It's a good process. And it's very rewarding to play a guitar that you've seen to yourself, as long as you get all the details right.

So I'm with the others who have suggested that you correct any flaw immediately. It's worth the cost of a set of strings, to have some of the little niggling things sorted out. Once you've done that, you'll be able to look at your Strat with satisfaction, knowing you've done things right.

If you have to remove some wood under your 490T, you might be able to do it by hand with a sharp chisel and a mallet. Sculptor style... just remove enough wood to allow the humbucker to be lowered into the body a bit. Make sure your guitar is resting on something that won't mar the finish. A yoga mat works fine. The Alder is hard wood, for sure. Sharpen the chisel with a 6" mill file. It's true that a good router makes a neater excavation. But I'm with Wade, thinking that hand tools and a human touch can
be better.

Good luck, again. Your old guitar has come a long way from its hiding place under the
bed. Knighthood indeed, like Sir Paul and Sir Mick.

 

[javamagic]

Sharpen the chisel with a 6" mill file.

Where did you learn your woodwork? NEVER sharpen chisels with a file. They (and plane blades) should be ground to the correct angle then honed to an edge with an oilstone, diamond honer - a large one, not the pocket sized - or Japanese waterstone. Use the coarse grade at first then repeat with the fine. If you're a purist/pedant you can also use a barber's strop after that for the final flourish. This is the correct and time-honoured way to achieve a razor sharp edge on wood cutting tools. :)

 

[Tobacco Worm]

Aye, the only time I ever used a file was to dress a plane iron was when one took a hard nick from a hidden bit of metal in a piece of wood. Once the nick was gone it took quite a while to hone it back into shape with my many stones I use for them. I have four that are used only on plane irons. There are other stones for gouges, spokeshaves, draw knives, and such. I must have twenty or more stones and hones in my shop. Yes, I am old school! :)

Wade

 

[dbb]

All the master woodworkers I know are both tool makers and experts at sharpening their tools. It was part of the trade.

 

[Tobacco Worm]

So true. I do blacksmithing as well. Many of my tools are of my own design and build. All my draw knives are made from lawnmower blades that I forged and hardened. They work great and cost nothing to build too! I've forged a few plane irons that were for block planes made back in the 1800's that the iron was missing when I got them. A real pain in the rump, but was worth it when done I guess... Shame I can't hold a hammer anymore in the right hand, but I'm pretty good still with my left... I've even taped tools in my right hand lately to do stuff. Now that's desperate huh?

Wade

 

[dbb]

I've even taped tools in my right hand lately to do stuff. Now that's desperate huh?

Wade

No, that's like me, stubborn!

 

[Heket]

All these tools, none of which I have! A human touch would be nice, but I wouldn't count on my strength been able to do anything more tickle the wood.

I'll have a nosey through what I do have, but it'll probably have to be buying a Dremel bit. I do have a big hand-held drill with a large bit, would that work if I poke a couple of holes next to each other?

It's something like this:

I wish I had a nice little shed with all the big tools needed for fixing up and even making guitars. I don't even know what those tools are, but it would be nice :)

 

[dbb]

(in Crocodile Dundee voice)

Now that's a screwdriver!

 

[Col Mustard]

I stand humbly corrected by these guys who really know their stuff when it comes to woodworking and all the lore and tradition. *grins ...Happy to be corrected, and learn something.

And I also stand in total awe and envy of Heket's submachine-rotary tool. Maybe it's an Aussie screw driller. A left-handed full auto Bosch/Kalashnikov/Fabrique Nationale rotary magazine Spitfire concealed weapon B.A.R. none. I hope she has the proper license for it. Looks like it was left behind when the Starship Enterprise visited Earth in a time warp. It's prolly the Scotty signature model.

 

[Tobacco Worm]

Ah Col., in my case this was part of my learning from my father. Of his many side jobs was cabinet work and installing Formica, linoleum, and vinyl flooring. All of which involved 80% hand tools in the '50's. His tools were always spotless and though used daily they never were thrown, tossed, or dropped into open tool boxes or the bed of a truck. When the tool was ready to be put up it was wiped down with an oiled rag to prevent rust and placed into a case or tool box made for the tools. His power tools were treated the same way. I have nearly all of his tools to this day and they are all in their place and properly treated. Those habits I learned from the time I was able to speak.

But as to the death-ray device Miss Hecket's about to attack her strat with? You bet. Must be Capt. Kirk's personal weapon! That thing looks like it'll take out a small army of body cavities no? Put a big Forstner's bit in there or a flat reamer and it would eat through the body like acid in a horror movie's bad guy's face in the final scene! Grusome!

Wade

 

[Heket]

you guys crack me up. Believe me, it's not a tool to be messed with. And believe me, much posing has been done with it before. Yippie ki yay!

On to more serious matters of intonation, I have done the levelling of the bridge and tightening of the neck to NO avail. Nothing I do to the saddles - lengthening them or shortening them - has any effect. I guess the next thing then is the routing so at least I can get the pickup further from the strings. Fingers crossed I'll be using my AK-47 this weekend.

I was doing some more research about it and read that intonation being thrown off whack right from the first fret (which mine is) could be caused by an improperly cut nut. Now, I've had this intonation issue a while and I have a feeling it pre-dated all this messing around I did so could this be an issue? The nut is practically the only piece of hardware I didn't change! I don't even know how. Is it easy or something best left for a professional?

I've got to fix the intonation. I WILL NOT give up, you hear me?

 

[Biddlin]

I used a graphite nut like this one from allparts on my last Strat mod and it required only a little sanding to make a perfect fit:

In the states , we pay about $6.00 for WD or similar brand.
WD Graphite Guitar Head Nut Slotted Strat Tele Great for Tremolo Bending | eBay
Biddlin ;>)/

 

[javamagic]

The nut is practically the only piece of hardware I didn't change! I don't even know how. Is it easy or something best left for a professional?

I've got to fix the intonation. I WILL NOT give up, you hear me?

The easy way to get the old nut out is to cut it in half across the width of the neck using a fine saw. You can probably find a flush cutting saw at Screwfix or B&Q. These work on the pull stroke like a Japanese saw. Cut to the bottom of the slot and then pinch the two bits with some pliers and they should fall out. :)

 

[Heket]

Update! "I" routed the wood in the cavity to give space for the humbucker this morning.

Not a neat job by any means, but it gets it done. My bridge pickup now sits properly! I can now extend the screws right down to the maximum depth to make it as low as possible. This means I can get the action down a lot lower than it is now, which is a relief for my fingers.

This also showed me that my intonation problem was not to do with the proximity of the pickup. Feeling a bit bold by the fact that I'd probably have to replace the nut anyway, I took some sandpaper to the nut slots. Using a test string on my most badly intonated string I slowly sanded away. After a little while of testing and sanding I have got the intonation being from 3 notches sharp on my tuner to only 1! It looks like it is my nut that is an issue with my intonation, so I'm glad I sorted that mystery. I'm going to go at it more this afternoon and with other strings, still keeping in mind that I might need to replace it if I fluff up. I am please that I can finally work on my intonation issue as that's the last thing left that's a dealbreaker! The project continues...

 

[Tobacco Worm]

Anita, that was smartly done. That Power Drill you used there is as big as the whole guitar body! Wow! Looks like it would drill through bank vaults if needed!:) But seriously you did well. Took out just enough wood to get the job done and no more. Good move. I know that I speak for all here in saying that we're all quite proud of you and your accomplishments with your project! And glad that the intonation is getting closer to being right. Nothing is more frustrating than a guitar that defies one's attempts for perfect pitch and such.

BRAVO on a job well done!

Wade

 

[dbb]

Update! "I" routed the wood in the cavity to give space for the humbucker this morning.
... After a little while of testing and sanding I have got the intonation being from 3 notches sharp on my tuner to only 1! It looks like it is my nut that is an issue with my intonation, so I'm glad I sorted that mystery.

You're doing great, and I would have just routed out the wood needed to install the humbucker too, like you, rather than do a mini swimming pool that looks neat.

Intonation at the nut is a big issue, and as often pointed out, where a lot of guitars need better set-up.