Fender Bullet Owners Club

[yoreel]

Originally Posted by bulletsq

hi,
I'm from Romania, Bucharest,i'm new here and i have found this forum few days ago.I own a Fender Squier Bullet1 MIJ Sq series, serial number SQ17114, since 2002, and i like it very much.It sounds great for a low cost guitar.Last week i was going to selll this baby, but yesterday i faught it-s a stupid ideea.i want to know thinks about this guitar, want kind of wood is constructed, i don-t know to interprate the serial number...what pickups are on it....i want to learn everything abut this guitar.and i realy want to know if she worths something.i want to change the pickups, waht pickups are u recomand me?i play blues, classic rock, i play something like TOTO, steve lukather...etc.
Sory for my english and i wait an opinion! i will try to put some pictures with it

Hello bulletsq & welcome,
I don't really know so much about the Squire Bullets, although I do own a few 84 MIJ models with SQ serial numbers, the SQ plus 5 digits is definitely 83-84. Your guitar should have a neck date written in pencil, not sure on the body wood, but it is solid wood & probably basswood, perhaps someone out there knows for sure ? The necks are good, I take back what I said in previous posts, about the Squier Bullet necks not being as good as the USA Bullet necks, because I based my findings on the first one I got & another I had played, both were not very good & poorly set up, but since buying two more, I can say the necks on those are very good & not much different to the Fender Bullet necks. The pickups are ok, but can sound a bit thin, for Fender tones they are great, I would think twice about changing the pickups & try to keep the guitar in its original state. If you really need to change them, there are loads of good pickups on the market & it may be better to get a new pickguard & build from there, then just remove the original & drop the new one in. A decent amp or good pedals will get those classic rock & blues sounds, but if you are after a Steve Lukather tone, you may want to consider a guitar with humbuckers or serious upgrades. As for value, they are definitely on the increase, I paid $167 USD for one a few weeks ago, but I have seen them go for more on ebay & craigslist, the selling price varies from $150 - $450 USD or more depending on condition etc. My advice is - if you don't need to sell it, then keep it, they can only increase in value, also everyone seem's hellbent on parting them out along with every other type of guitar, there won't be many original guitars around soon
Please see the pics of the one I bought a few weeks ago, which is the hardtail version with a string through bridge, the others I own have trems.
I hope that you can understand all of this & please ask more questions if you need to.
Leeroy.

[bulletsq]

i was having a problem with my laptop, and i don't have o picture edit program install, to modifie picture size...

i want to thank you very much, for advices, and support, and i'm glad to be here!i like the tele neck to, i think is great for a medium hand, realy is not good for speeding, but....for what i sing is excelent!i don't want to selll it anymore, i want to keep it...and restaurate it,....anyway, i want to change the pickups for begining...and i thing this is the single modification i can do for the moment!

[yoreel]

Originally Posted by bulletsq

i was having a problem with my laptop, and i don't have o picture edit program install, to modifie picture size...

i want to thank you very much, for advices, and support, and i'm glad to be here!i like the tele neck to, i think is great for a medium hand, realy is not good for speeding, but....for what i sing is excelent!i don't want to selll it anymore, i want to keep it...and restaurate it,....anyway, i want to change the pickups for begining...and i thing this is the single modification i can do for the moment!

Let us know how you get on.

You may find this site ok for pics http://photobucket.com/

Upload from your pc then resize pics in photobucket to the preset 320x240 & they load ok on here & most websites.

Highlight the image code , then copy & paste .

[jays0n]

Hey gang, I played one of my Bullets this morning (big deal for me lately, really no time for it) and wanted to recommend you all get a Bullet, wait .... some (all) of you might already have ..... well just BSing a bit, as I was blown away at how great these play and sound. Funny how this inexpensive (back in the day) entry level guitar won us all over in some way or other, but then again... playing it today, it is easy to see how that happens I guess.
I was given one in 82 that was my first electric and though I was in love with how shiny and new it was, I did not like to play it. I was in a punk band and thought I needed that gibson humbucker sound. Huh! Like anyone would have noticed. Heck we would have maybe stood out if I had the Bullet though my Deluxe Reverb, instead of the crap les paul I got at a pawn shop shortly after. (like most bottom of the line possible, I think it was called firebrand, due to it not having any logo, or paint, other than the word gibson burned into the headstock. Like AMC Pacer Ugly and had a neck as fat as my head.) Ugh!!!!! Why are kids so dumb. Someone go back in time and smack me.

Leeroy, if you have my original Bullet in your stable, please give it a kick for not telling me to "get with the program" back then. Then please take care of it. It was misunderstood but wanted to be loved.

j

[Ploppy]

I've just bought a '81 fender bullet in need of some repair.Now the neck matches the body and apart from one of the pots it appears to be all original.
The neck has seen better days though - i'm not sure if someone has tried to refret it themselves at some point or unsuccessfully file the frets down.The result is that there are several gouges on the fretboard and along the edges of the neck as you can see in the photos.
I could just replace the neck but as it matches the body and is a very early bullet i'de like to keep it original.
It's a low number 100535 (no letter E on the headstock either) and the pups are dated 103081 so i'm guessing it's a very early one.
Can anyone advise what my options are to restore the neck?
Is it viable or not,
Ade.

[yoreel]

Originally Posted by jays0n

Hey gang, I played one of my Bullets this morning (big deal for me lately, really no time for it) and wanted to recommend you all get a Bullet, wait .... some (all) of you might already have ..... well just BSing a bit, as I was blown away at how great these play and sound. Funny how this inexpensive (back in the day) entry level guitar won us all over in some way or other, but then again... playing it today, it is easy to see how that happens I guess.
I was given one in 82 that was my first electric and though I was in love with how shiny and new it was, I did not like to play it. I was in a punk band and thought I needed that gibson humbucker sound. Huh! Like anyone would have noticed. Heck we would have maybe stood out if I had the Bullet though my Deluxe Reverb, instead of the crap les paul I got at a pawn shop shortly after. (like most bottom of the line possible, I think it was called firebrand, due to it not having any logo, or paint, other than the word gibson burned into the headstock. Like AMC Pacer Ugly and had a neck as fat as my head.) Ugh!!!!! Why are kids so dumb. Someone go back in time and smack me.

Leeroy, if you have my original Bullet in your stable, please give it a kick for not telling me to "get with the program" back then. Then please take care of it. It was misunderstood but wanted to be loved.

j

Hey Jay, I think I have that Bullet you mistreated - shame on you boy ! You gouged your name along the back of the neck & stuck "Anarchy" stickers all over the body, I can't get them off, what do you recommend ? Lol - Oh what it was to be young & full of angst (memories of that bad mustang experience) !

Hey were we meant to be brothers or something ???? I also had a crap les paul black beauty copy that never stayed in tune - an "Avon" I think; fresh from the Freemans catalogue, did you have those catalogues in the US ? Took me forever to pay for it from my paper round wages - oh the toil - getting up at stupid o'clock to earn pennies to pay for a crap les paul - Doh ! It looked great in the pics ..........
I also had a Fender Deluxe Reverb, I really regret selling that, it was a lovely amp, just not loud enough for a 17 year old geetar toting punk, so it got sold to finance a vox Ac30 & yes that got sold to finance a Marshall 50 watt top & 4 x12 cab - Oh the memories

Ha Ha we were dumb, but ain't that part of the growing process

[yoreel]

[QUOTE=Ploppy;2736715]I've just bought a '81 fender bullet in need of some repair.Now the neck matches the body and apart from one of the pots it appears to be all original.
The neck has seen better days though - i'm not sure if someone has tried to refret it themselves at some point or unsuccessfully file the frets down.The result is that there are several gouges on the fretboard and along the edges of the neck as you can see in the photos.
I could just replace the neck but as it matches the body and is a very early bullet i'de like to keep it original.
It's a low number 100535 (no letter E on the headstock either) and the pups are dated 103081 so i'm guessing it's a very early one.
Can anyone advise what my options are to restore the neck?
Is it viable or not,

Hello Ploppy,
Looks like someone has had a go at filing the frets to me !

I suppose your options really depend on what you paid for the guitar & if you intend to keep it ??????

I would recommend a refret & having the fretboard sanded down at the same time, it should get rid of those file marks & flatten the fretboard radius slightly, of course this all depends on costs to do the work.
Another Bullet neck is going to set you back a fair bit of cash, as people have realised what they are & that they fit any telecaster body.

I found a local luthier to do some work on my mustang, he did a total restoration job that also involved a refret & fretboard trim, sadly the late great Sid Poole is no longer with us R.I.P. Sid a truely great guitar builder !

Let us know how you get on.

BTW where are you finding all of these Bullets & what is the deal with those black tuners ?

Leeroy.

[Ploppy]

Hi leeroy, someone had drilled out the headstock to accomodate the gotah tuners - -they look rubbish so i'll refit some kluson type tuners but i'll have to either fit some sort of bush or i was thinking of glueing a piece of dowel and then re-drilling.
I do intend to keep it so what should i expect to pay for a refret and fretboard trim?

[yoreel]

Originally Posted by Ploppy

Hi leeroy, someone had drilled out the headstock to accomodate the gotah tuners - -they look rubbish so i'll refit some kluson type tuners but i'll have to either fit some sort of bush or i was thinking of glueing a piece of dowel and then re-drilling.
I do intend to keep it so what should i expect to pay for a refret and fretboard trim?

I have no idea what the work would cost, but there are loads of luthiers airing their wares on the internet, in my experience its probably better to find one close to you, if at all possible, so you can talk face to face. When I was researching the work on my mustang, I was prepared to drive 100 miles or so, but, I found Sid Poole on my doorstep - just luck !
Concerning the tuners, I would not do any dowelling or drilling, you can get round the problem by purchasing an adaptor bushing that will convert the drilled hole back to the vintage sized hole - probably the best option in your case.
See this link http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/Klu...%29_MB65N-L-US, google it & you may find a better price somewhere ?
Keep us posted,

Leeroy.

[Ploppy]

Cheers Leroy, your a blummin star!!
Just ordered a set, that's saved me a bit of bother!

[yoreel]

I thought I should really post this, its a 1981 Bullet & its in very good condition.

I always like to find out some history behind the guitars I buy & the story behind this one is ......

An old school friend of mine has been a pro guitar player since the early 80's, he has toured with many different bands all over the world & did a stint with the UK 60's band "The Love Affair". The singer in that band phoned me a few weeks ago & told me how he had got my number & he wanted some advice about the Fender Bullet he owned - to cut a long story short, he came to my house last week & I bought the guitar.

It was originally purchased for his friends son, who never played it & the guy being originally a drummer & now a singer hardly played it either & it has been gathering dust under the bed.

The pics don't really show it too well, but the ivory finish is probably how it looked when it came out of the factory, most I have seen have yellowed quite considerably, this guitar is what I would call a 9.5 out of 10 condition, virtually no fret wear with a 12 inch neck radius & Oct 81 pot dates.

One of the pics shows the dealer sticker of the shop where it was originally purchased, one is a close up of the saddles, the end two have polythene stuck between them, I'm not sure if this is left over from manufacture or someone stuck it there to stop the rattling - anyone any ideas ?
The last pic is of the twins - the first one I got & the new ivory one.

My guitar buying days will be over shortly, but I aim to get a couple more to complete the Bullet story in proper guitar form, I have a black 2nd edition S3 on the way - BTW Black & three tone sunburst were not advertised colour options, but they were available due to the ways that Fender worked.

[firemanbill]

Hello all.
I recently traded a MIM Blues Jr. for one of these odd guitars. 1983 Fender MIJ Bullet 1. I was really surprised by how good the neck is on this guitar. Then I plugged it in...wow. It really sounds cool too. On the flip side..the frets are really rounded off towards the low E and high E. The only other issue I have is the selector switch dos not work. So I haven't heard all the PU's yet. I think I am going to get the frets redone for a Christmas present...to me. :)

[yoreel]

Originally Posted by firemanbill

Hello all.
I recently traded a MIM Blues Jr. for one of these odd guitars. 1983 Fender MIJ Bullet 1. I was really surprised by how good the neck is on this guitar. Then I plugged it in...wow. It really sounds cool too. On the flip side..the frets are really rounded off towards the low E and high E. The only other issue I have is the selector switch dos not work. So I haven't heard all the PU's yet. I think I am going to get the frets redone for a Christmas present...to me. :)

Welcome firemanbill,
That will be worth doing, the guitars are like mini strats, you should get all of those classic sounds when the switch is fixed, it may only need a squirt with contact spray. Also the hardtail versions seem to stay in tune better, the 83 / 84 Squier Bullet models were quality guitars & not a lot different to the USA version & far superior to the modern Bullets.

BTW are you a fireman ? I am an industrial fireman in the UK.

[toyamigo]

Hi!
Today I got the guitar of my dad who died in 1991, of course I'm very happy to finally have it. Tomorrow I'll make some photo's and post them but for now I have a question.
The original color is Cream-white but due to standing in a living room where people smoke all day (and a lot!) now it's yellow
What's the best way to remove the nicotine?
Greets & fun playing.
Tony

[jamesl44]

HI<
I,m a newbie to this site and would like to pick the brains of some of you guitar buffs
I,m the owner of what i believe to be an early bullet complete with hard fender case and handbook.
I have to say its not in mint condition but would like your opinion on wether its worth having restored and what its value Approx would be,
Regards to all
Jamesl44

[toyamigo]

You see the difference between the wood under the plate and not?
Tonight I'm gonna get polish, hope it cleans it ok...
Does anyone know facts bout this guitar?
I think it's from 1981-1982, the serial says so...and are all Bullets that say Fender american or do they have to say 'made in the us'? I believe in 84 or 85 Squire started building Bullets in Japan...
Greets
Tony

[yoreel]

Originally Posted by toyamigo

You see the difference between the wood under the plate and not?
Tonight I'm gonna get polish, hope it cleans it ok...
Does anyone know facts bout this guitar?
I think it's from 1981-1982, the serial says so...and are all Bullets that say Fender american or do they have to say 'made in the us'? I believe in 84 or 85 Squire started building Bullets in Japan...
Greets
Tony

Hello toyamigo & welcome to the club.
Please whatever you do, do not try to clean the finish, its not all nicotine, a lot of it is due the natural aging process, you could do more harm than good trying to make it look new, it may well go wrong & look streaky. Collectors & enthusiasts will expect this type of aging with older instruments.
Please scroll back through these pages, you will find all the info you need to know about the USA Bullets.
If you want to know any more please pm or email me, my info is on here, I think you just click my name.

Leeroy.

[yoreel]

Originally Posted by jamesl44

HI<
I,m a newbie to this site and would like to pick the brains of some of you guitar buffs
I,m the owner of what i believe to be an early bullet complete with hard fender case and handbook.
I have to say its not in mint condition but would like your opinion on wether its worth having restored and what its value Approx would be,
Regards to all
Jamesl44

Welcome james144,
The guitar looks ok from the pics, bearing in mind it is now almost 30 years old, what do you need to restore ? Remember these are lower end guitars & the restoration cost may not be worth it, a refinished guitar will never be as valuable as one with an original finish ! For example a body refinish could cost anything from £300 upwards through a pro luthier.

Your guitar may have a neck date on the heel, the pickups also may have dates, the pots will definitely have dates if they are original.

The guitar is probably an early model due to the patent applied for sticker on the scratchplate, do not remove that, because not many Bullets have it in place, it was there before the patent for the all in one pickguard / tailpiece was issued to the designer of the guitar John Page & was his very first patent.

Please take the time to scroll back through the pages of the bullet owners club, there is loads of info here, if you need to ask any more questions please ask here or pm or email me.
I'm afraid value will always be subjective & people will have their own ideas, I keep an eye on prices, so I can only tell you what they have been selling for recently.

Leeroy.

[jays0n]

@toyamigo and @james144, I echo Leeroy's comments. Don't do to much too em if possible. Playability is something you might need to address, if that is an issue, but the finish could only get worse. Most of the off white ones I have seen are yellow, and Leeroy was just talking about how he found one recently that was not yellow and that was unique. Man, I am jealous that neither of mine have the patent sticker on em. I guess later models. Wow that is cool.

@leeroy, hahahha, I almost feel like I should not leave the house if don't see a message from TDPRI that you got another bullet in the mail. I thought you could not stop till you had em all though, and I was planning on holding out for the big bucks for mine :)

[yoreel]

Originally Posted by jays0n

@leeroy, hahahha, I almost feel like I should not leave the house if don't see a message from TDPRI that you got another bullet in the mail. I thought you could not stop till you had em all though, and I was planning on holding out for the big bucks for mine :)

Well Jay, I have been buying quite a bit lately, I raided my savings but it will stop soon as poverty looms ever closer lol.
I am sure our Bullets will rise in value as soon as this worldwide recession is over.

I can't wait to have some time to spend messing around with the guitar stuff I have on hold, so maybe there will be a between jobs period I can make use of, unless my better half has other ideas

I have got an unpainted proto type Bullet body from the Fullerton factory coming soon that should be interesting, you may have seen it on ebay. It has markings & notes in pen made at the factory & when it comes I will ask JP for some info about it & also post some pics, if anything it will verify the fact that Fullerton were using solid wood for the Bullet bodies, it looks like a nice piece of ash. I will keep you posted.

Leeroy.