Fender Squier Bullet

[Steve G]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

A gen-u-wine Fender Squier Bullet neck.

That'll do for me!

[Kid Klash]

Well...

My Reranch coral nitro lacquer arrived yesterday, and the gold hardware (Wilkinson vintage "Kluson" style tuners, jack plate, neck plate, butterfly string tree, pickguard screws, pickup screws, switch screws and GFS vintage trem with steel trem block), a mint green pickguard, vintage cream knobs and pup covers, new pots and switch, and GraphTech saddles and nut are ordered (coming from four different sources) and should arrive this time next week.

I'll take her (my third Bullet Strat, fiesta red) apart tomorrow night and start working on the neck first... mask the fretboard, fill the original tuner mounting screw holes and one of the original string tree mounting screw holes, do the prep sanding, hit it with Reranch Fender amber, a couple coats of high gloss clear nitro, new decal, a bunch more coats of clear...

What fun!!!

[Rob DiStefano]

A Beefy Bullet

[Rob DiStefano]

A White Trash Rock 'n' Roll Bullet ...

[gtrman911]

TDL, baby....lol

and........mmmmmm....they come in pink

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

[goonrick]

Question for the modders, are you stripping the original finish of the necks before you apply your own or are you working them down in some other way? Just curious.

[manfesto]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

A White Trash Rock 'n' Roll Bullet ...

Haha, I just got a new MIM strat a few days ago, and I transplanted into it the pickguard and pickups from my modded bullet.

Now I have a Bullet with no innards, and I am planning on "Tom Delonge"-ing it like that once I can find $20 to cough up for the pickguard - one humbucker (in my case, my spare SD Invader, hence "Tom Delonge"ing), one volume, like that.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by goonrick

Question for the modders, are you stripping the original finish of the necks before you apply your own or are you working them down in some other way? Just curious.

In the two recent Bullet mods I've just posted, I reused the Bullet necks - clean 'em with naphtha (lighter fluid), rattle can spray with Guitar ReRanch butterscotch, clear coat with MinWax rattle can spray fast drying polyU. With these necks, I buffed out between coats with 1000 grit Klingspor abrasive.

[fidopunk]

I thought I'd add my two-cents.
I'm not a guitarist; I'm a bassist... However, my very lovely and deserving girlfriend is a guitarist, so I thought I'd make her a Christmas gift after looking at what some of you guys did.
Starting with the "Daphne Blue" Bullet, I replaced the neck and middle pickups with vintage wounds from GFS, the bridge pickup with a medium output humbucker from GFS, completely shielded the body, pickguard, and the two single coil pickups and covers, replaced the bridge saddles with stainless ones from GFS, changed the string trees to rollers, put on vintage split shaft Kluson-style tuners with matching bushings, stained the neck a "vintage amber", replaced the headstock decal and clear-coated the neck.
Sounds pretty damn good to my ears.
The only things I did do differently was sand the old finish off the neck to bare wood, then apply the stain with a rag instead of spraying it on-- I don't recommend doing this if you can-- spraying the tint would've been much easier.
I also wasn't a fan of the truss-rod adjustment slot, so I used a brown Sharpie to color it in before I cleared the neck.
You can see where I sanded through the decal ever-so slightly on the "d"... oops... I guess it makes it look older though.







Hope you like it.

[ASC67]

Where are you guys getting the fender logo's from ?

[Shepherd]

[goldtopper]

Originally Posted by ASC67

Where are you guys getting the fender logo's from ?

Careful- Can O' Worms Warning coming soon!

[ASC67]

well, they are getting them somewhere ?

It's ok to post pictures but not ask questions about them.

I guess it's a secret

[AgaveBlueCaster]

Originally Posted by Kid Klash

Well...

My Reranch coral nitro lacquer arrived yesterday, and the gold hardware (Wilkinson vintage "Kluson" style tuners, jack plate, neck plate, butterfly string tree, pickguard screws, pickup screws, switch screws and GFS vintage trem with steel trem block), a mint green pickguard, vintage cream knobs and pup covers, new pots and switch, and GraphTech saddles and nut are ordered (coming from four different sources) and should arrive this time next week.

I'll take her (my third Bullet Strat, fiesta red) apart tomorrow night and start working on the neck first... mask the fretboard, fill the original tuner mounting screw holes and one of the original string tree mounting screw holes, do the prep sanding, hit it with Reranch Fender amber, a couple coats of high gloss clear nitro, new decal, a bunch more coats of clear...

What fun!!!

I would like to replace the nut on a bullet strat -- can someone tell me exactly which one to buy that will fit correctly? Would this graph tech one stated to be "for strat" work?
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...ter?sku=360450

I was also thinking of replacing the tuners and wire for "superstrat" switching using the following:
http://store.guitarfetish.com/chsusmgost14.html
http://store.guitarfetish.com/toshsukit.html

Any further advice?

[guitaradelic]

Originally Posted by ASC67

Where are you guys getting the fender logo's from ?

JFGI

[manfesto]

Originally Posted by AgaveBlueCaster

I would like to replace the nut on a bullet strat -- can someone tell me exactly which one to buy that will fit correctly? Would this graph tech one stated to be "for strat" work?
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...ter?sku=360450

I actually use that exact nut on every strat I touch, including my bullet (it has a touch of overhang on my bullet, but a bit of sanding fixes that just fine). I'm sure it's best to file a custom nut for every guitar, but it's slots are certainly close enough for my needs. The sound is fuller with more sustain after a nut change, too.

[Kid Klash]

Originally Posted by AgaveBlueCaster

I would like to replace the nut on a bullet strat -- can someone tell me exactly which one to buy that will fit correctly? Would this graph tech one stated to be "for strat" work?
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...ter?sku=360450

Any further advice?

Yep - that's the one. All my Strats have that nut (along with the GraphTech Stringsaver saddles), and they NEVER go out of tune, no matter how much wanking on the whammys or string-bending I do. I rarely break strings either.

You've got a cool forum member name too, by the way. I've got an Agave blue Tele myself. ;)

[Mr. Roboto]

Hey Guys!! New here.

Just got an Arctic White Bullet. Just loved the way it played in GC. I did not expect to buy it. However, The tuners are really terrible and will need to be replaced immediately. I also intend to swap out the guard / pickups with a pre-wire from GFS.

So, here are some questions. How does this guitar compare to a MIM strat? How do the bridges compare?

I have a $50 off coupon for GC and could get the MIM for $350 and it would include a gig bag. Plus the $100 for returning the Bullet.

For about $175 total, I could have the bullet to my specs, but no bag. In the end, my question is: Is the body, neck, bridge, bag and tuners of the MIM worth the $175 difference?

I'm thinking I should probably pony up for the MIM.

[HohnerFan]

Here are the newest Pics of my Daphne Bullet:

I like that used look, some call it Vintage

Daphne1.jpg

Grover Tuners

Daphne4.jpg

Fender Trem with Steelblock

Daphne10.jpg

Used Plastic Parts

Daphne6.jpg

Steel Block, I had to cut him a little bit to fit in the Bullet

Daphne11.jpg

[Scott V]

Originally Posted by Mr. Roboto

Hey Guys!! New here.

Just got an Arctic White Bullet. Just loved the way it played in GC. I did not expect to buy it. However, The tuners are really terrible and will need to be replaced immediately. I also intend to swap out the guard / pickups with a pre-wire from GFS.

So, here are some questions. How does this guitar compare to a MIM strat? How do the bridges compare?

I have a $50 off coupon for GC and could get the MIM for $350 and it would include a gig bag. Plus the $100 for returning the Bullet.

For about $175 total, I could have the bullet to my specs, but no bag. In the end, my question is: Is the body, neck, bridge, bag and tuners of the MIM worth the $175 difference?

I'm thinking I should probably pony up for the MIM.

To be fare, most guys won't be happy with a non-modified MIM Std for long, so factor at least PUPs for either guitar. If $350 is your budget and you like modding guitars, stay with the Bullet IMO.
For roughly the same price as that MIM Std you could have a Bullet like Rob's, Allparts neck, Vintage tuners, BL PUP's and new nut. It would blow the doors of an off the shelf MIM Std.
If your after the best off the shelf guitar in that price range, You might consider a Squier CV Strat.

[eddiewagner]

Originally Posted by Scott V

If your after the best off the shelf guitar in that price range, You might consider a Squier CV Strat.

that is true. i tried one in a shop and it was a really nice guitar. nothing would need modding.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by Mr. Roboto

Hey Guys!! New here.

Just got an Arctic White Bullet. Just loved the way it played in GC. I did not expect to buy it. However, The tuners are really terrible and will need to be replaced immediately. I also intend to swap out the guard / pickups with a pre-wire from GFS.

So, here are some questions. How does this guitar compare to a MIM strat? How do the bridges compare?

I have a $50 off coupon for GC and could get the MIM for $350 and it would include a gig bag. Plus the $100 for returning the Bullet.

For about $175 total, I could have the bullet to my specs, but no bag. In the end, my question is: Is the body, neck, bridge, bag and tuners of the MIM worth the $175 difference?

I'm thinking I should probably pony up for the MIM.

Dif'rent strokes for dif'rent folks. You handy at modding? Got some good parts handy or can get for cheap? If so, the Bullet may be the better buy. Also consider that the Bullet's basswood body is thinner than the MIM's alder/agathis/whatever body. I prefer the thinner body, YMMV.

My comparison opinions ...

Tuners - big nay for Bullet, yay for the MIM
Neck (overall) - yay for both
Nut - nay for both
Body (overall) - yay for both, but a +1 for the slimmer basswood Bullet
Pickups - nay for both (ceramic crap)
Electronics - nay for both (Asian junk)
Bridge/Trem/Saddles - yay for both
Finish, pickguard, knobs, etc - yay for both

Not too handy, wanna hit the ground twagin' and not moddin'? The CV is absolutely the better buy by a long shot, IMO.

As always, YMMV.

[Mr. Roboto]

Well, As fate would have it, I went to GC yesterday to test drive a new MIM. Then I saw this:



A 2003 MIM FMT Standard in Tobacco Sunburst. The price for both this and the bullet was less than a new MIM.
HEre they are together:

[Mr. Roboto]

continued....

And, of course, the BUllet:



I've never seen another MIM like this one before. The neck is tinted and is real glossy. Does anyone have any info on this guitar. Does it look modified?

I'm going to replace the pickguard on the MIM as well. What do you guys think about cream pearl??

The bullet will get locking tuners from GFS. Any suggestions as to which will be drop in?

Both may get a GFS trem block also, but I'm not sure what size to get.

Lots of FUN for sure!!! Thanks everyone for the input so far!!

[Kid Klash]

Originally Posted by goonrick

Question for the modders, are you stripping the original finish of the necks before you apply your own or are you working them down in some other way? Just curious.

On mine, I remove the hardware and the original nut, fill the original tuner screw holes and one of the two string tree holes, drill out the tuner shaft holes to accept press-in bushings for the Kluson style Wilkinson tuners ( http://store.guitarfetish.com/wiklstnitusi.html ), mask off the top of the fretboard, then sand down the maple and lightly sand the edges of the rosewood fingerboard. This is when I remove the original logo too. Then I tint the maple with Reranch Fender amber stain, apply a few coats of hi gloss nitro, apply the new logo, then apply another 20-30 very thin coats of high gloss nitro. Having the patience to wait a few weeks before sanding and polishing the high gloss nitro makes all the difference. ;)

[dman]

So, Mr. DiStefano, could one ever entice you into posting some soundclips of your modded Bullets? I'd love to hear what they sound like...danged if they ain't cool-lookin'!

[Rob DiStefano]

dman - don't have any bullets left to record, they's all done gone off and flew da coop, and since my playing is at best one step away from poor i'll save y'all from holding hands over ears ... i'll leave the playing to real players ... unless you twist my arm and wanna hear boring ragtime fingerstyle

however, 'nother one on the way, a 'burst as usual - i like to see the wood grain. maybe i'll hold onto this one if i'm both smart and lucky .....

[blingdogg]

I got a Bullet early in January and I love it. Great neck, tone and build quality for low cash.

Here's my Daphne Blue Bullet Strat:


I still can't believe how good this guitar is.

I hate how people may say it's a "beginner's" guitar....it can suit any level guitarist.
Only thing worth swapping are the tuners. Pups are decent but I like to customize all my guitar's pups, so I'm planning on getting some GFS ones. And I want a humbucker in the bridge.

I have my MIM Standard Strat already, but the Bullet gets just as much love!!

[Kid Klash]

Originally Posted by blingdogg

I got a Bullet early in January and I love it. Great neck, tone and build quality for low cash.

Here's my Daphne Blue Bullet Strat:


I still can't believe how good this guitar is.

I hate how people may say it's a "beginner's" guitar....it can suit any level guitarist.
Only thing worth swapping are the tuners. Pups are decent but I like to customize all my guitar's pups, so I'm planning on getting some GFS ones. And I want a humbucker in the bridge.

I have my MIM Standard Strat already, but the Bullet gets just as much love!!

That's a mighty sweet-looking daphne Strat! You're thinking about adding a Humbucker huh? I bet this would not only sound great, but look great : http://store.guitarfetish.com/hueqhsswipic.html

[blingdogg]

Originally Posted by Kid Klash

That's a mighty sweet-looking daphne Strat! You're thinking about adding a Humbucker huh? I bet this would not only sound great, but look great : http://store.guitarfetish.com/hueqhsswipic.html

That could be a good idea, but I've had my eyes on some different pups. I'm definitely going the GFS route as I've got pups from them before and really like them. I'm planning on getting the 70s overwound Greybottoms for the neck and middle. And I've heard so much about BG-Pups from over at the harmony-central forum, that I'll be trying one of Bryan's humbuckers for the bridge: the Smoke Stack. It'll be coil-split for the versatility.

Right now I have GFS tuners on the way... I got the gotoh set.

Only thing stopping me from doing more on this Bullet is the money!!!

[Kid Klash]

Originally Posted by blingdogg

That could be a good idea, but I've had my eyes on some different pups. I'm definitely going the GFS route as I've got pups from them before and really like them. I'm planning on getting the 70s overwound Greybottoms for the neck and middle. And I've heard so much about BG-Pups from over at the harmony-central forum, that I'll be trying one of Bryan's humbuckers for the bridge: the Smoke Stack. It'll be coil-split for the versatility.

Right now I have GFS tuners on the way... I got the gotoh set.

Only thing stopping me from doing more on this Bullet is the money!!!

That's a killer pup selection! Are you putting a split switch on for the Smoke Stack?

Take your time... no rush on the mods... More time to PLAY! ;)

[blingdogg]

Originally Posted by Kid Klash

That's a killer pup selection! Are you putting a split switch on for the Smoke Stack?

Take your time... no rush on the mods... More time to PLAY! ;)

I don't know how I'll set up the Smoke Stack. I've had push/pull pots on my other humbucker guitars with splits, but those weren't Strats. I'm guessing a push/pull on one of the Strat knobs would work, right? (I'm a n00b lol).

I got the GFS gotoh tuners in the mail today, so that'll be the first upgrade, and while I'm at it, a graphite nut, the frets will be polished and the ends filed too. Next thing I order will be a trem block, and after that when I get the money, the pickups and a pickguard. I'm planning on getting a blue tortoiseshell pickguard which will be different from the usual red tortoiseshell we see so often. It should look nice with the daphne blue.

[spencer31st]

I bought my Bullet from GC and absolutly LOVE it. I bought the $15.00 protection plan and 6 months later was in the store when I remembered that my Bullet has a string buzz problem from the nut being cut wrong. I remember purchasing the proctection plan and decieded to see if they would fix it. To my amazement they stated that since the purchase price was under $200.00 they would give me my money back! And to top that I got to keep the guitar! $15.00 for a new nut and now I have a $15.00 bullet Squire Strat. They know what they are doing though, I took the $99.00 check that they gave me and added to it. Walked out with a CAR Squire Telecaster the day the check arrived. Long story long --- I fell in love with the Telecaster intantly and shortly after arrived here at TDPRI!

[tubeToaster]

Went to GC to buy a Bullet to mod and they had a new '08 MIM chrome red Strat marked down to $350. Could not pass it up considering that the '09 are now $499 - $599. I'm still thinking that a Squier CV Strat for the same price might have been the way to go. Or I could buy 2 Bullets and have $100 to buy parts . So many choices. I have not taken the plastic off the pick guard and have 30 days to take it back .

[scosystems]

I keep seeing the pink version in Argos (UK) dropping in price, now down to £69! They seem to be daring me to buy it!

I just love the pink strat / maple neck (would need a new neck) look.

Anyway until that here is a pic of an old strat copy I completed a while ago.
Any opinions welcome, although it sounds great so be as brutal as you like

[rhh7]

I like it very much. How did you finish the body?

[scosystems]

Thanks for that.

It turned out to be a happy accident to be honest. The original body had a very (and I mean very) thick poly paint job. The only way to remove it was via blowtorch!! being a cheapo copy if this went wrong it didnt matter.

This did create some very nice burns and scorching, even a couple of nice small splits.
Having got the thick paint off, and sanded the body down, I decided just to give it an open teak oil staining.

The dark areas of the body are where the body was scorched! it does create a nice effect.

[sassynebrasky]

I'm new to all of this, but it's been very interesting and informative reading these posts. I'm trying to modify my Squier Bullet with new pups, locking tuners and pickguard, but I'm having difficulty finding any information about which parts will work best on this guitar. The serial number indicates it was made in '07 in Indonesia Samick division and that's about all I can decipher. The headstock only states Squier Bullet by Fender and it does not say Stratocaster anywhere on it. The color is called "arctic white" however, to me it looks more cream. It's in excellent shape, though I'm no expert by any means. I also plan on replacing the strings when I get the chance. Anyhow, any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[reverend]

I bought the white Bullet. I have a question about the pickguard. The Bullet has 8 hole pg and almost everything I can found has 11 holes. For example will those GFS pickguards fit in Bullet?

or

[blingdogg]

Originally Posted by reverend

I bought the white Bullet. I have a question about the pickguard. The Bullet has 8 hole pg and almost everything I can found has 11 holes. For example will those GFS pickguards fit in Bullet?

or

I bought one of the GFS pickguards and all the holes matched up except for one.