Bought a pawnshop strat today for $60...

[Bearer]

...but why I paid even that for it I'll never know...

I got this cheep butterscotch/blackguard "Premier" strat knock off so I could test a stereo switching scheme I cam up with. After taking the thing home, I first tested out how she sounded stock. Here, I noticed one of the vintage tele style string retainers was missing as well as how high the action was. Plugged in it sounded really dark, and there wasn't much difference between the neck and middle pickups. That and the volume knob didn't really work all that well. Okay, well, try to open the thing up...

so many things are wrong with this "guitar", that I thought I might just share my horror story here:

-The body isn't made of wood. It's made of MDF
-The cavity routing is so deep that I can poke through the layer between the pickups and tremolo cavity with my finger...
-all the routes look like they were done free-hand
-The neck pocket is routed for a tele style neck, not a strat style heel (which it has)
-the neck is plastic bound, but painted over.
-there's no fretboard! It's just a one piece neck painted really dark
-the neck is not maple. by how it feels after I took off some paint, I suspect cedar...
-I sincerely doubt the trussrod channel was made right, because the thing wobbles and moves
-the two tone pots are 500K audio taper pots, but the volume is a log
-there is a stereo cable connecting the output jack to the volume (the two channels are wired to the same points)
-the neck mounting plate is misaligned

...I'd post pictures but I really don't want any of y'all to throw up. Also, I have no camera at the moment. Just thought I'd share my pawn shop horror story.

[Groovey Records]

Nobody made you buy it. If your under 18 maybe your parents can make them take it back.

You know taking advantage of a minor.

[Bearer]

No no, you miss my point I'm afraid. I bought it knowing full well it would be awful, and for the express purpose of fixing it up. I just had no idea how bad it would be! It's actually kind of funny.

[tuuur]

Please do post pictures! Everybody around here love horror stories like this.

[mrmorrison]

Since this thing sounds like a real hunk of junk, here are some creative ideas:

1. Chop it up and make some expensive firewood.
2. Tie it to the back of your car and drag it down the street.

[atroy]

Use it as a prop at your next gig and smash it to pieces on stage.

Actually, I like the firewood idea. Being that it's winter and all.

[jrich99]

definitely use it as a Pete Townshend prop and smash it on stage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guitar_Ninja]

Originally Posted by Bearer

-the two tone pots are 500K audio taper pots, but the volume is a log

Not sure what you mean here. Audio taper and logarithmic taper pots are the same thing.

[Bearer]

Originally Posted by Guitar_Ninja

Not sure what you mean here. Audio taper and logarithmic taper pots are the same thing.

What I meant was that the volume pot is not an audio taper. I should have said linear, but the name escaped me for a minute there...

[superhand]

Yeah smash it. Gig it and smash it. Big +1 on that. Oh yeah and youtube it. Then you will get your moneys worth.

Pawn shop guitars can be hit and miss. You can find some real gems though sometimes. You should always try it out before you buy it. They probably have an amp, but you might need to bring a cable.

[buddywayne]

I've bought guitars like that but I usually pay at least a $100 for them. HeeHee!

[Octave Doctor]

You have to be REALLY careful with some of the '70's-'80's copies, I've worked on a few that burning alone would be too good for, but nobody wanted me to do the Howard Roberts Treatment, they wanted me to FIX them. Chopping these things up and burning them is the only real fix that can be done.

[voided3]

I'd say try wiring one of the pickups straight to the output jack and set it up for slide w/ super high action. If that fails, finish it!

[castpolymer]

Originally Posted by mrmorrison

Since this thing sounds like a real hunk of junk, here are some creative ideas:

1. Chop it up and make some expensive firewood.
2. Tie it to the back of your car and drag it down the street.

Don't burn it. The glues used in MDF are not particularly good for you. Definately go with #2 or the ol' Pete smashy - smashy!

[brewwagon]

re pawn or take it back and trade up

bw

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by buddywayne

I've bought guitars like that but I usually pay at least a $100 for them. HeeHee!

This is a great submission, Bearer.

Everybody is bragging how they went to this pawnshop or that and found a guitar belonging to Albert Einstein or to George Washington.

The Cold truth is, the vast number of pawnshop guitars I have seen need to stay right there in the pawnshops. I vowed a long time ago never to buy "throwaway" or "sacrificial" experimentation guitar. Over your life, more than enough of those WILL FIND YOU. You don't need to go looking for them.

[gruveb]

Sounds like a project. lol

[Jahmbie]

Make it a slide monster or a lamp.