Replacement tremolo block options for the Squier Bullet Strat
This part should be easy to get, right?
Wrong.
If you know Strat trem systems at all, Squier trem blocks look nothing like what goes into the Mexico or American Fender Stratocaster models. What goes in a Squier is shorter to fit the slim profile body of the Squier, tapered, and thinner.
If you have no idea what a tremolo block is, this is the thing that attaches to the underside of the bridge and what allows the tremolo system to do what it does. It is held in place by screws at the bridge and claw springs on the other side. The six holes present in one are the channels that the strings go through.
A common problem with these blocks - and I've gone through this myself - is that after about 15 to 20 years, the zinc alloy literally starts crumbling apart. There is no fix for this. Once a block starts to crumble, there is absolutely no way to restore it.
What makes the block crumble? Natural erosion from stress. You cannot prevent this erosion. All you can do is delay it. And the only way to delay it is to not use the tremolo system. This is an alloy block, meaning it's not like wood where you can treat it with solution. The block will crumble. It will happen.
Years ago, a crumbling tremolo block was not a problem simply for the fact there weren't Squier Strats that were over 20 years old. But now there are, and this problem is now common.
How do you get a replacement block?
This is where things get weird.
The first thing you must do is grab a tape measure and get the dimensions of your block. After that, you need to measure the spacing between the string channel holes. Then you need to start shopping around for a used block that is not over 10 years old, or the block will crumble apart just like the old ones do.
It is probably true that your string spacing will be 10.5mm. What you have to watch out for is the screw pattern.
You must get the right screws. And they must fit your existing Squier bridge as well. If either doesn't match, you're out of luck.
But then there's the screw pattern as well to take into consideration. This pattern also must match what your bridge has, or once again, you're out of luck.
Assuming you can find a block that has the screws and matches the screw pattern of your bridge, I've only seen a few places that sell replacement Squier Strat trem blocks. No matter where you get it from, I don't recommend getting a block that's even close to $40 or more. That's simply too much to spend for any one part for a Bullet Strat by Squier.
Why do block screw patterns and sizes vary from Squier to Squier?
Answer: Different manufacturers.
Anyone that has played Squier Strats knows they're made by different companies in different countries. Some are made in China (like Classic Vibe series) while others are made in Indonesia (like Vintage Modified series).
Unfortunately, none of the blocks for sale in most places state what series of Squier the block fits to, so you just have to take the risk, buy the block that looks right and hope that it fits.
What about just buying a whole replacement trem system?
I looked into that. What I found is that yes, you can buy an entire replacement tremolo system that will fit the Bullet Strat, but... it doesn't come with the one thing you wanted in the first place, the block. The system comes with everything except that.
This is a good argument for getting a Mexico made Fender Strat instead
While I do love Squier Strats, the one thing about a Mexico made Fender Strat - even if it's just the body - is that you can very easily buy replacement parts that will fit and are readily available. The Mexico Strat does in fact have the same body and pattern measurements as the USA Fender does.
Am I saying the MIM Fender is more mod and repair friendly? Absolutely. Squier Bullet Strats are cheap, no question about it, but when that block crumbles, it's tough to find a replacement.
If you do happen to find a replacement block, it will be used and cost around $15 to $20 USD. Yes, that's expensive for a Bullet, but I've not seen blocks that sell for any less than that.
Why does the Fender FA-100 guitar pack sell so well?
How can something so simple be such a hot seller?
Let's find out.
In the entirety of the Amazon web site, the only major brand guitar that shows up is the Fender FA-100 Acoustic Guitar Bundle. This bundles comes with the guitar, gig bag, strap, strings, tuner, instructional DVD and polish cloth. When you want a guitar pack that comes with everything you need, this is it.
Now of course, one of the major selling factors is price. It's cheap. But fortunately, the FA-100 is cheap and good. It's also designed right.
Scale length is 25.3", fingerboard radius is 11.81" on a 20-fret neck, nut width is 1.65", fret size is described as "vintage style," truss rod is dual-action, bone nut is compensated (this keeps the guitar in tune better across more chords,) tuners are die-cast and chromed. The back and sides are basswood but the top is spruce, giving the guitar a "snappy" tone that's bright and projects well enough.
The best selling point of the FA-100, other than price, is that this is a genuinely well-built instrument that can take a beating. The dual-action truss rod will keep the neck bow set, the die-cast tuners will hold tune properly and the compensated nut will make just about every chord played sound the way it's supposed to, more so than other acoustics in the FA-100's price range.
My only complaints about the guitar are very small ones, and not really complaints.
The string gauge installed to the guitar from the factory is 12-52, which for my fingers is too heavy even though it's billed as "light" gauge. Fortunately this is very easy to change as I would just take off the strings and install the "extra light" 10-48 Fender 60XL set instead. Easy enough.
The guitar does not come with a string cutter nor string winder with peg puller. The string cutter is easy to understand as you need something to clip strings when changing them. The winder with peg puller is something that most beginners don't know they need. In order to change the strings, you need to physically pull the white pegs (also known as bridge pins) out of the body once the strings are clipped. Doing this with fingers can be done but it's very annoying to do it that way. A winder with the peg puller is much easier and the proper way to get those pegs out so you can change strings.
Other than those two very minor complaints, I can totally understand why the FA-100 guitar bundle sells as well as it does. It's a genuinely good dreadnought acoustic that's built well and priced right. In fact, it's priced so well that it's actually better than buying used.
Easy Squier Bullet Strat mods
I've talked about Strat mods before but I figured it was time to talk about mods for this very specific guitar.
The Squier Bullet Strat, while cheap, is the best low-cost traditional Strat you can buy. And like I said just recently, "traditional" means the old-style 6-screw bridge and no tone control wired to the rear (bridge) pickup.
Things to know about the Squier Bullet Strat
Slim profile body. The Bullet is thinner than a standard Strat is.
Differently sized potentiometer posts. In my experience they're slightly wider.
"Barely there" pick guard shielding. The Bullet only uses the absolute minimum shielding necessary to reduce single-coil hum.
Sealed tuners specific to Squier. The Bullet tuner does not use a nut to hold it to the headstock but rather screws in the back. In addition, the headstock holes are smaller than standard Fender Stratocaster tuners.
Mods that are not easy or not possible for the Bullet Strat
Because of the slim profile body, you cannot upgrade the tremolo block due to the fact the block will stick out of the back of the guitar. With the Bullet you have to stick with the trem block that it comes with.
A tuner upgrade of any kind will most likely require cutting away wood and drilling new holes. This is a doable but not easy upgrade.
You may find it difficult to find replacement control knobs that fit right. I actually suggest purposely seeking out the cheapest knobs possible because as crazy as this sounds, those have a better chance of fitting correct. If they fit too tightly, the easiest way to make them fit is by filing down the inner plastic using an emery board (the thing you use to file your fingernails with.)
Also know that if all you want to do is darken the white knobs for a vintage-like slightly brown look, you can do that with a coffee stain. Make a cold cup of coffee, submerge the knobs for 15 seconds, take out and dry. If the stain isn't dark enough, repeat the stain as many times as necessary until you get the look you want.
Mods are are easy to do
Pick guard replacement. The Bullet has a 1-ply white pick guard. Replacing with a 3-ply white-black-white is simple. However, you do have to remember to shield it with proper copper tape. You also have to remember that if the screw holes don't line up, that's a very common issue that even happens on regular Fender Strats. For whatever reason, people who make pick guards seem to have a really difficult time drilling screw holes that actually fit the guitar properly, so if you have to pilot a new hole or two, that's normal.
Electronics replacement. The Bullet has plenty of room under the pick guard to throw in pretty much any replacement pickup you want and rewire the whole thing if you like.
Wiring in tone control to the rear (bridge) pickup. I wrote a tutorial on this a while ago. All it takes is soldering in a 1-inch wire. If you can wire in a pickup, you can do this. Really easy.
Staining the front of the headstock. This is done using brown shoe polish. The maple portion of the neck is urethane coated. If you polish over the urethane, yes this does work but you'll have to re-stain every once in a while to keep the color. To permanently keep the color you have to lightly sand off the urethane, then stain, then apply a clear sealant. The only part you have to be careful of is to try your best not to sand off the Squier logo.
If you want that really nice browner color, you will have to sand the headstock completely including the logo, stain and seal. If that's the way you want to go, just get a custom waterslide decal made to replace the one you sanded off. It is okay to put the decal over the sealant as Fender themselves did that at one point for years (and maybe still does?)
Replacing the tuner buttons. Easy to do. Take out the old tuner buttons, put some wood filler in the holes, let that set, then thread in your new tuner buttons.
Replacing the string saddles. From my experience, any set of regular Strat saddles will fit the Bullet. You can even get roller saddles on the cheap these days (this does help keep the guitar in tune a little better.)
Happy modding!
Cheap guitar picks for 2017
As the 4th quarter of 2017 draws near at the time I write this, these are my picks for good cheap electric guitars for 2017.
To this day I am amazed at the level of build quality Schecter can deliver for a price so low. I don't know how Schecter does it, but even when you pick up one of their cheapest models, it feels like something that costs triple the price. The C-1 is a design that's been in Schecter's stable for a long time. It's balanced absolutely correct, never dives, feels good and it's a very easy player. This is pretty much a can't-go-wrong electric.
Still the best cheap good traditional Strat there is. 21 frets, 6-screw bridge, old school wiring with no tone control wired to the bridge-only pickup selection, all awesome.
I gotta admit that I miss the one I had. Some wonder why I ever got rid of mine. Simply put, I wore it out. I played the bejeezus out of that thing. Maybe it's time I get another?
While true Squier makes a Strat with HSS, this is simply the better guitar for the same price. Many players prefer the 2-knob layout of the Ibanez compared to the 3-knob Strat.
This is the most "expensive" (but still cheap) guitar on the list. While true there are Epiphone SGs cheaper than the G-310, this particular model has the full 4-knob controls instead of just 2. That means each pickup has its own separate volume and tone controls.
VE means Vintage Edition, as is stated on the truss rod cover at the headstock. While this guitar's electronics are the same as other low-cost Epiphone Les Paul guitars, what's different is the finish and the neck profile.
The finish is "vintage worn", which basically means low-gloss satin urethane. The neck is a bolt-on with a Slim Taper D profile. This profile is the slimmer style that many Gibson players prefer and you can get it for dirt cheap with the VE Paul.
Which is the best?
My pick for the best cheap electric from the above is the Schecter C-1 SGR. As for why, all I can say is that you'll know why when you pick one up. Everything just feels better and the playability is amazing.
This isn't to say that the others are bad because they're not. I still want another Bullet Strat. But I can't deny that out of this list, the C-1 is definitely best bang for the buck.
Affordable fanned fret - Ibanez RG Iron Label RGIM7MH Multi Scale
If you've been thinking about getting into the world of multi-scale guitars, this is actually a really good place to start.
Take the Ibanez RGIM7MH multi-scale guitar. The fact that it's multi-scale isn't the selling point here, but rather that the guitar has fanned frets (note the "lean" in the frets across the fretboard). Another selling point is that it has individual bridges for each string saddle as well.
Now granted, this beast is a 27 inch scale, but that's why it's a multi-scale. And while this is personally not my style of guitar, something like this at the price it sells for was simply unheard of before. A guitar built like this was previously custom-shop-order only and would have easily run you $2,500 to start. This guitar is way below that because it's a production instrument.
Do I have complaints about this guitar? Yes, but just two. First, I don't like pickups that are angled for no good reason. Both the pickups - while they are better-than-normal EMGs - are angled and I don't like the style of that. Second, there are no fret markers. True, you can easily go by the dot markers on top of the neck (I did so myself back when I owned a Schecter C-1 Classic with "vine of life" inlay treatment), but I prefer having markers on the fingerboard itself.
Aside from those two minor complaints, if I were to get a multi-scale, this Ibanez would be it because its positives outweigh the negatives, such as all strings being straight after the nut, an easily accessible truss rod adjustment at the heel (note the exposed "wheel" in front of the neck pickup), and no vibrato system meaning this thing will hold its tune well.
Is a fanned fret guitar hard to play? No. It looks intimidating but it's actually easy to get along with. You won't have to learn the guitar all over again.
Good to see Ibanez offering an affordable fanned fret model. Now you can get one easily without the high price tag.