Squier Strat Mojo...Who'da Thought?

I was on a pawnshop crawl last month when I spotted in one place five black Squier Strats, all different ages and mfg. location. I found myself drawn to one for some reason; further study revealed to me that this axe had mojo! The rosewood fingerboard was all gummed up with finger/hand gunk and the frets were noticeably worn in lots of places. The body and pickguard showed a wide, aggressive strumming style; the bridge was a little rusty and corroded. It was obvious this guitar had been played...alot. Even better, the serial # revealed it was a "Crafted in China" axe, specifically Yako, Taiwan, in 1998, as bore out in serial # CY9811xxxx. The pickups are ***** hot, esp. when I'm in bridge/middle position, then it sounds belllike; think the rhythym guitar in Edgar Winter Groups "Free Ride". Like I said, the axe has serious mojo, like it sits there saying, "play me". All it needs really is a new bridge and 5-way switch. The topper? The pawnshop was advertising 40% off all musical instruments. Given what a used Squier usually goes for, plus the discount, I walked out with this baby for $88! What can I say, once in awhile in the assembly line, a real cherry beauty slips through, and ends up in the right hands.

Hey, if it plays nice for $88 that's a deal! Think I'd clean off the "finger gunk" if it was me though :lol: Personal hygiene - I mean, preference.

That was the first order of business...cleaned it with rubbing alcohol and rag, then rubbed some furniture oil into it. I almost don't want to get rid of the bridge...it is intonated perfectly, and the action is super-low and fast. I'm gonna take alot of measurements before I swap. Btw, it's a 98 "Standard" series, with the huge 60s/70s headstock.

Why would you get rid of the bridge if it works well?

May have been really setup well by the former owner. I bought a Stagg LP copy for $94 from a pawnshop that plays exceptionally well. I have tried other Stagg copies out since then with less success.

Cool finds like you have are why I still occasionally hit the local pawn shops and take a peep around. There are still bargains out there... they're just harder find. Congrats on you new axe!

photos please. i know, everyone has seen a black Squier strat...but still, Mojo can often show through in pictures.

I just wrote a small essay about a similar experience, then lost the whole thing by pressing backspace without the text box selected.

*Rage*

Yeah, I bought one around Christmas for $60. It was that low because it didn't have strings on it :shock:. I got as a cheap mod platform as I hadn't done even as much as change a pickup, and wanted something cheap.

But I don't think I've played anything else since I got it. And it was set up well enough that I've only made minor changes (the previous owner had it set up so that the upper 3 strings were set up very flat relative to each other -- no radius).

And acoustically, it rings like a bell.

Picture to come later today, when I get home from work. Keep playin'!

Try some CLR or LimeAway on the bridge. I used CLR to remove rust on some parts and they turned out new looking. Couldn't believe the difference.

Cheapo Squier Strats are awesome! I go through a few a year. I just picked up a Marlin Sidewinder for £32, it has the best neck I have ever played on a Strat! You would think it was made in the Custom Shop!

Please carefully consider replacing the bridge - if this guitar has 'that something' .. it already has it. Maybe no need!

I had a Squier Standard Strat and I put in a larger steel block bridge and Fender bent steel saddles . Difference? oh yes. 'improvement'? well .. I preferred something about the way it was. I put the old thinner alloy block Squire bridge back in. I did keep the bent steel saddles on though. (had to file the width a tad - no big job).
I sold it only because it weighed a ton. I simply cannot play well with heavyweights on the strap.

There are some absolute gems among the Squiers, and their various production lines around the globe over the years.
Congrats on finding an extra special one.

Congrats! As telepath stated, keep the bridge. Clean it up, and enjoy it without changing any hardware! Keep the MOJO...

Sorry, no pics at this time, but thanks to you guys, I've decided to keep and clean up the bridge, and find some nice brass or graphite saddles to put in. Speaking of the hard tail bridge, I peeked inside behind the bridge, and I was able to wiggle the whole bridge by moving that (aluminum?) block. What do you think of inserting another block to tightly fill that cavity, and maybe make a better bridge/body connection? A couple of measured wood blocks wedged in should do it. Preposterous? Been done before?

Pics or it didn't happen.

I really like Squiers and have had great luck with the Affinity series.
My butterscotch Tele and red Strat are amazing guitars and it is still hard to believe how cheap they were.
There are bargains to be had if you are patient and persistent.

I really like Squiers and have had great luck with the Affinity series.
My butterscotch Tele and red Strat are amazing guitars and it is still hard to believe how cheap they were.
There are bargains to be had if you are patient and persistent.
Hello will
When you say Tele and Strat, you mean Squiers, right? I have heard in a few places that The Affinity Series is inferior in terms of overall quality than the Standard Series...I don't know. I do know they are issuing some awesome guitars with quality that can match any "real" Fender anytime. When I bought my 60th ann. Tele Standard sunburst last year, I almost got the other one I had chosen instead...A sunburst Squier Tele with front and back binding, and rosewood neck. It looked so purty, and played so good, I almost pulled the trigger instead of the "real" Tele.

By the way, getting back to my Strat, i'm thinking of relicing it myself. Any suggestions out there for good sites on how to do a quick-and-dirty relic job?

Price, brand, and point of origin have very little to do with how much "mojo" any particular guitar has. Those who spent thousands on a guitar will argue that until they are blue in the face, but the fact remains... BTW, unless that bridge is effed up mechanically, don't mess with it! Seriously.

A friend who doesn't play has the same guitar in ugly purple used as a room decoration, and it reeks of mojo. I've tried to buy it or replace it with another many times, as I haven't found another that was even close. His wife won't let him sell it...it's a "vital accessory". Patience Grasshopper...

got one off CL for $50 I plan to use the body to practice painting