Genuine Fender Usa

Categorized | Guitar Basics

Posted on 14 August 2010. Tags: genuine fender usa neck plate, genuine fender usa parts, health, internet, marketing, online, tips

Genuine Fender Usa

How much do USA pickups effect tone on squier strats?

I have a squier stratocaster... a really tinny indonesian one. all the electronics are starting to screw up so i was thinking about either 1: replacing the whole guitar with a new squier, or
2: replacing the pickups/electronics with genuine fender usa equipment.
which do you think is the best idea? and do usa fender pickups make much of a difference in cheap guitars?

The other answerer is partly right. Its very likely that your tone pots or volume pot is starting to go. That is normally tested by turning each pot. If it turns smooth, and there is not crackle or volume loss (when amplified) that means that they are working fine.
Fender Squier is the cheapest level of Fender aside from the Starcaster. The next level up is a Fender MIM (Mexican) strat, then a Highway 1 strat, and then the USA strats. The difference in guitars is not only pickups, but the woods used, construction, tuners, bridge, quality of electronics, craftmanship and even the finish.
This doesnt mean that your guitar is garbage, you should be able to get a lot of use out of Squiers and it's not unheard of to upgrade them. However, upgrading Squiers does not need to be done with Fender USA parts. Actually, a lot of guitarists upgrade the USA strats with better pickups. So, why not get some kick ass pickups? 2 things I would definitely recommend upgrading on your guitar are the tuners and pickups. In both cases, keep your old ones. If you get really good pups and tuners, you can keep them forever, transferring them onto other guitars you may eventually buy.
If your guitar is getting a tinny sound, did you try adjusting the tone knobs on it? How about adjusting the EQ levels on your amp? Anyway, most Squier strats have S/S/S or S/S/H pickup configuration. You can get many aftermarket pickups for either configuration. Some excellent brands to look into are Seymour Duncan and DiMarzio. Carvin also makes some great sounding single coils (Check out the AP-11's). If your tone pots need to be replaced, keep in mind that single coil pickups normally work off of 250k pots and humbuckers work on 500k pots. If you have a humbucker and are looking to replace it, you will need a standard sized humbucker. Do not get an F spaced humbucker, it won't fit and won't line up under the strings correctly.
Don't put too much lipstick on the pic, but also consider buying a better quality guitar. I agree again with the other answerer, I have a few Fenders, Tele, Strat, Bullet, MIM, Jap, and USA, as well as 2 Squiers which I really don't play. But I love Ibanez, ESP, and even one of my BC Rich guitars.
An upgraded guitar not only has better wood and tone, but the construction of it makes playing it a bit easier. I would strongly recommend your neck guitar to not be a Squier. If you like Fenders, look into the Strats or Tele's depending on your music, and if price is an issue check Ebay for used MIM guitars. Otherwise, do check out the Ibanez and ESP/LTD lines... once I did, I never looked back.
Good luck, and happy strumming!