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  • Cough.... Cough... just ordered another Monoprice Strat for $55 US. After getting the Burst model and seeing the piano black back, I was jonesing for an all black. Still loving the pickups on this thing.


    I was contemplating stripping the burst down and painting it all black, but I dont know how good of a job I could do for less than $55 :D


    -cheers

  • So, not a new guitar as such...in fact my oldest one...


    The black Tele is "only" a squier but its a Jap one made in 1985/6. It was my first "proper" guitar and carries a very high sentimental value.


    Conversely, I treat her very badly, no case, I stripped the gloss off the neck, made it string through using a hand drill, replaced pickups etc...


    Given I had my John 5 in gold "upgraded with some black hardware to add contrast, I felt inspired to create it's "evil twin" with my beloved black and chrome Squier by swapping the hardware for gold, which wasn't as a easy as I'd originally thought...


    This included trying to replace the pickup cover to gold and managed to destroy the pickup, respraying the headstock, trying to find the right bridge, covering the mirror scratch plate with car window tint ( to try and get a black mirror type effect - didn't work :) ) and to refit my leds using a push/pull pot...its been a fun project...

  • You talked about a LED guitar, i was curious to see it ! ;)

    Nice guitars,

    Thx !

    You can see it on the 3rd picture - what I did was, lightly drill through the mirror p[art of the scratchplate at the back so that part became clear perspex. I did these at the intervals on an LED strip. I then secured them behind the scratch plate and bingo...

  • Oh boy! New (used) Gear Day! Duesenberg Starplayer Special from 2010.


    I’ve been looking for these for a while now (the curse of being left handed) and finally one showed up online for a reasonable price.


  • You paid 1000$ for a strat and it had so such terrible saddles you had to replace them from a Squier?8| I would walk back to the store or sent the guitar back immediately.

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • You paid 1000$ for a strat and it had so such terrible saddles you had to replace them from a Squier?8| I would walk back to the store or sent the guitar back immediately.

    Long story.


    I bought the guitar (2013) to replace my dying Bullet. Bullet had SSH config. So I bought the American Standard in SSH. It is very heavy and the humbucker has wah peak so it only sounded good playing stuff like Alice in Chains. So I rarely played the guitar.


    I started wanting an SSS, so I bought the Texas Special set for it. Installed and rarely played it.


    Started working on my VST project and wanted some single coils to test sounds. Started playing it finally (2023). B string has some weird resonance. Instead of a nice pinggggggg it goes booowwwaaarrrrrriiiiiinnngggggg.


    The stock saddles are the thin little cast ones that dont hold the string at all. Bullet had the better ones that hold the string. Swapped them out. Got about 20-40% better. B string still sounds weird. Nut next? Tear the guitar apart and spring for a nut and new set of strings? Trem spring resonance?


    Buy $55 guitar, B string sounds fine. Problem solved. Put Strat back in case never to be used again.


  • ...Started playing it finally (2023). B string has some weird resonance. Instead of a nice pinggggggg it goes booowwwaaarrrrrriiiiiinnngggggg.


    The stock saddles are the thin little cast ones that dont hold the string at all. Bullet had the better ones that hold the string. Swapped them out. Got about 20-40% better. B string still sounds weird. Nut next? Tear the guitar apart and spring for a nut and new set of strings? Trem spring resonance?


    Buy $55 guitar, B string sounds fine. Problem solved. Put Strat back in case never to be used again.

    $1000 guitar that will never be used again is an odd reaction to a B string thats obviously suffers from some type of setup issue.

    Does it sound bad:

    1. when played open only? If yes, then probably a nut problem. Smooth, refile and make sure height is correct
    2. only at certain frets? If yes, then check neck relief, look for high frets, check action
    3. on all frets and when played open. If yes, then probably a saddle that needs the contact properly smoothed
    4. intermittently or specific to certain notes(frequencies). I have experienced guitars that have sympathetic vibrations to specific notes. This can be related to 'rattle' coming from a loose pickguard, volume or tone knobs, pickups vibrating in the windings or mechanically inside the mounts. In this case, play the string and use a free hand to dampen different areas of the guitar to isolate it.

    I would fix it or sell it, but would never consider putting in a case never to be used again. I suspect you can solve this on your own. If not take to someone that can. It shouldn't be costly and might be less than the Monoprice guitars which are very likely have issues in the near future.

  • $1000 guitar that will never be used again is an odd reaction

    I had posted a lot about this guitar above and did not want to waste anymore of anyone's time.


    Short of it is:

    - I only bought the guitar because my Squier Bullet frets were wearing out.


    - I just recently started playing the American Special on the regular and the frets are already wearing out.

    - The bridge saddles were questionable. The nut is definitely bad. B String sounds good on 1st fret.

    - Paid $369 for Tex Mex pickguard that sounds ok, nothing special.


    - The $99 Bullet lasted longer, sounded better, and was more fun to play.

    - The $55 Indio has better hardware, looks great, working nut, etc etc etc. When it fails, I pitch it and get a new one.


    I started to refret the Bullet but gave up. The wood was pretty much destroyed pulling the frets out. I may try again. If I get good at it, maybe I will redo the American with Stainless frets. Otherwise, I will most likely sell the American at some point.

  • Still loving these Indio strats! Since I have two I decided to mod one (half the reason I bought them to begin with). And it is becoming my favorite guitar (probably because of the TLC I am giving it).


    I tore the burst one down to the pieces.

    - Tried to put my old American pickguard and pickups on, but is does not fit. Could have made it work but decided against it.

    - Took a file and opened up the indio humbucker hole so I could fit my old Ibanez EMG in the bridge spot.

    - Stole the black knobs and switch cover from my American Strat.

    - I ordered black pickup covers today for the single coils. Both solid and normal pole piece variations.


    Next I plan to paint some racing stripes (photoshopped for preview). Still have the pickguard plastic on since I need to take it all apart again when the pickup covers arrive. So it looks a little dull.


    I have only played it a few times and the EMG sounds pretty close to the stock Indio. The Indio feels less compressed overall. But very similar.

  • Sorry but I've never understood the point of having more of the same guitar. But hey that's me and I accept and understand everyone is different. I've never understood what's the point with pickguard on Gibsons? So ugly if you ask me. Enough of my rant now. :)

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau