I Swore I'd Never Show This

Nowadays, I do a lot of different guitar mods on my channel, some by myself (most with help from a real guitar tech) but circa 2011 a decided to take on my first ever project guitar. Out of embarrassment, I swore I'd never show this guitar on my channel. That is, until partscasters came up on the @DippedInTone podcast, and I was forced to reveal the story of how I basically ruined a mid 80's Japanese "E-serial number" Squier.

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0:00 Intro
1:06 The Story
2:39 The "Relic"
4:00 The Neck
5:26 Another Paint Job
6:50 Playing It For the First Time In Years
7:47 Final Thoughts
8:58 Don't Do What I Did

[RhettShull]

I found the original neck! Should we restore this guitar?

[stratoscorp]

Since you found the original neck, do a complete restoration and customize it to what you really like (including pickups and electronics).

[parnellitube]

The story is worth more than a meticulously restored guitar.

[craighawkins]

Give it to a teenager. When I was a kid getting a playable guitar like that would have been a huge blessing.

[recordingwhiz]

Its part of "YOUR" story... restore it.. but to your specs.

[SeanYeomans]

I can't believe you have a GEAR DUNGEON

[iambeetle]

I love these videos saying how crappy the guitar is, and then in turn plays beautiful music out of it... definitely help me to not worry about gear that much and really try to get better at playing!

[ennsguitars]

The question you should ask is, what would it take to make you want to play it. Then do that. A bunch of restoration work for a guitar that will just sit in a closet isn't worth it.

[martinjm]

Truth is that most people in a blindfold test wouldn’t know from the sound that it wasn’t a vintage strat.

[mikemorrisonmusic]

Looking at the paint, the first thing I thought was, “Perry? Perry the Platypus?” You should fix it up and gig the hell out of it!

[bluzzjazz]

That combination seafoam with the guard and maple neck looks really good. That's the thing with Fender's modular design, you can always switch to a different neck in you don't like the one on the guitar.

[Mikey__R]

That replacement neck should be very much fixable. You can plane down the heel, to lower it into the body; and you can carve down the baseball bat into a thinner profile.

If you sand and roll the edge of the fingerboard, that'll sort out the fret ends. Frets might still need levelling and polishing, maybe not.

Maybe you could send it back to your friend to rework it to their current standard?

[Krustenkaese]

this brings back memories. When I decided to start playing guitar when I was 27 I bought the cheapest strat I could find. I have a history of giving up on hobbies, so I didn't wanna spend too much on something I might never touch again after a month. But that knockoff strat I found was way more a blessing than it was a curse. Sure, the frets were shit and I sliced my palms open trying to play it the first month but that guitar taught me everything, I learned to restring on it, learned to swap pickups, played around with the bridge, almost snapped the neck by turning the truss rod too far. I carved the notes of the E and A strings into the neck to help me memorize them better. I carved pictures into the body. If I had bought an actual guitar I would've been to scared to touch the thing, let alone abuse it like I did my knockoff. That guitar taught me everything and I owe it everything. I still have it and play it occasionally when I'm feeling nostalgic. I have bought and sold way better guitars since then but I'm never getting rid of this one. It'd be kinda cool if I could be cremated with it lmao

this reminded me of that. Being bad at first is how we learn, don't feel bad about it. Well, maybe just a little bit... a freaking Squier from Japan? Dude.
lol

[jonkerr]

That thing is a perfect candidate for a restoration/modification series of videos. Do it right this time. Screw the relic job. Rich jewel tone color with a black pearl pickguard and black pup covers. And put the original neck on it.

[rkoz]

My first descent guitar is an E series '86 MIJ Squire bought new for $299. It now has Eric Johnson Custom Shop pickups and Emerson Blender circuit. Love it!

[djangor]

This reminds me of a story I heard recently about David Gilmour and Mark Knofler, who have amassed 100's of guitars over their playing years and now sit, unused, trophies gathering cobwebs at their homes. What the heck, if your're not using the guitar and its surplus to your requirements, either sell it or give it away.

[wario]

I get that it’s a collector, but it sounds like it deserves to be played. Who cares it’s not proper spec.

[harshtruth]

I buy loaded pickguards and change them out all the time....active, passive, single SSS, HSS, HH, I think its so much easier than buying new guitars or changing electronics.

[integerdivision]

It would be really cool to restore it talking to different experts and luthiers about the proper way to do refret, paint, relic, install different electronics, etc — it could be a whole series.

[PunchDrunk]

Restore it! Would need an awesome video. Always fun to watch something new brought back to its original glory