onkeltuka
Joined: Dec 19, 2017
Posts: 5
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Posted on Sep 22 2019 11:25 AM
So I have a couple of years old MIM strat that I would like to upgrade a bit. I'm not rolling in money, but I could maybe use 500€'s on this project. What I have settled on is ordering a set of Fender locking tuners and changing those by myself, and then taking the guitar to a professional tech to get a new nut made to fit a heavier string set, probably a 12-set. The tech will also do a general setup and hopefully get the bridge setup so that I can actually use the whammy bar without the guitar blowing it's tuning in about five seconds.
After this I would have maybe 300€ left, so should I upgrade a pickup or two? Or is there something else that could /should be done? Preferably easy mods that don't require any drilling/cutting etc. Thanks!
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ldk
Joined: Nov 08, 2017
Posts: 369
San Francisco Bay Area
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Posted on Sep 22 2019 01:24 PM
What are your issues with the guitar now? It sounds like tuning stability and desire for heavier strings are two issues. I've never used them, but I guess locking tuners help with the first issue.
I'd probably widen, and deepen if needed, the slots in the existing nut, rather than buy a new one. While he's at the set up, have the tech make sure the frets are level, which will help the action. A newish guitar is no guarantee of level frets.
If tone is an issue, I'd wait until the 12s were on before making any further changes. You might consider converting a tone pot to one that blends in the neck pickup, as was recommended in a recent thread here.
— If I'd stop buying old guitars to fix, I might actually learn to play.
Bringing instruments back to life since 2013.
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Redfeather
Joined: Jul 30, 2016
Posts: 896
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Posted on Sep 22 2019 02:20 PM
Locking tuners don't really improve tuning stability; that's not even their intended purpose. They just make string changes a few seconds faster. I've never understood the appeal. Strings don't move on the tuning posts on any tuners. What does make a big difference, though, is high ratio tuners. Not for stability but for ease of dialing in the tuning.
I posted elsewhere about it but I'll repeat here that the Zero Glide nut system worked really well for me on my strat. It'll save you having to pay someone to make a new nut and it will give you great performance. You have to go with the stainless steel option, though. That's crucial. I believe this would solve your tuning issues. The nut is always the problem.
And yeah, level your frets. It's not hard to do yourself if you're willing to invest in a fret file for recrowning. I use a sticky backed sandpaper strip on a 2.5" wide piece of granite countertop remnant for my leveling block, which I got for free from the countertop place's dumpster.
The MIM pickups aren't terrible but they don't have the same jangle as some American strat pickups. I actually swapped in some G&L Legacy pickups to my MIM strat and it sounds great. Definitely more "Stratty." I would recommend G&L's PTB wiring to go along with them. It's cheap and easy to to. And you can add a push/pull pot to engage bridge/neck together while you're at it.
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psychonaut
Joined: Dec 08, 2007
Posts: 1304
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Posted on Sep 22 2019 03:07 PM
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edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 801
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Posted on Sep 22 2019 07:09 PM
For any guitar, I focus on what bugs me rather than what seems to be all the rage with some people. I'm another skeptic regarding locking tuners - I prefer split post tuners because you can stuff the string down the hole in the middle and not worry about slicing up your fingers with the string ends, so my recommendation would be some vintage style tuners (either Kluson style or F tuners).
I've got an old strat knock-off, and it sounds good, but I'm planning to upgrade the pickups because they are microphonic. If you're not quite happy with the sound of yours, trying raising or lowering them before trying new pickups.
And the nut is often the issue with tuning, but I find any of the Fender tremolos that are meant to be "floating" so that you can bend both up and down tend to go out of tune because they have to return to a very precise spot where they "float". Adjusting them to get rid of that float (which eliminates the ability to bend up) makes things a lot better (as does increasing the spring tension).
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onkeltuka
Joined: Dec 19, 2017
Posts: 5
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Posted on Sep 22 2019 11:10 PM
Yes, the lack of tuning stability is my main issue with the guitar. Next are the too light strings. I use the neck pickup 90% of the time because I find the other two somehow "flat and thin" in their sound. Especially with the bridge pickup I would want more dynamics and "oomph".
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DaveMudgett
Joined: Mar 17, 2019
Posts: 162
Central PA
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 01:17 AM
Since you're talking about dropping an additional $500 on a $350-400 guitar, I'd sell it and get one that I was happy with. My experience says that no amount of tweedling around with a guitar I'm not happy with is gonna result in one that I love. If you can get $350-400 for a Mexi Strat and you have $500 or so budget to add to that, it should be possible to get a used American Strat in the $800-900 range. American Std., American Special, no doubt others - good, solid guitars. Play a bunch, find one you love. Be patient, lots of them out there.
Getting a Strat to play/stay in tune is mostly a matter of not binding at the nut and having the trem set up correctly. I use these Blue Hawk welding tip cleaners from Lowes as nut files - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-Tip-Cleaner-Kit/50021986 - with a stack of feeler gauges to against the nut to keep from going too deep, to widen and, if necessary, deepen the nut slots. Then set the trem with enough spring tension to bring it down to dive-only. Make sure the trem isn't binding - this is almost never a problem with the American Std Strats and others with the 2-point tremelo. Lube the nut with something like Tri-Flo, and stretch the strings in. If the tuners are decent, it should stay in tune - if that doesn't do it, locking tuners sure aren't gonna help it.
My take.
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DaveMudgett
Joined: Mar 17, 2019
Posts: 162
Central PA
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 01:24 AM
I just noticed, Euros, not US Dollars. So your Mexi Strat should be worth more in Europe (correct?), and 500€ is even more than $500, so that ought to hopefully offset the higher cost of something like an American Std. Strat in Europe. I'm saying that my point is the same, but there may be somewhat different economics in Europe that I didn't take into account in my first post.
— The Delverados - surf, punk, trash, twang - Facebook
Chicken Tractor Deluxe - hardcore Americana - Facebook and Website
The Telegrassers - semi-electric bluegrass/Americana - Facebook
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onkeltuka
Joined: Dec 19, 2017
Posts: 5
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 03:05 AM
Yes I've thought about swapping my guitar for a better one,too. I could maybe get 300-350€ for my MIM. The cheapest American strats are the Perf-series, they cost a little over 1000€ here. Then there are the Vintera-series, but I don't really get why a MIM suddenly costs several hundreds more with these new models? Maybe a used American model would be the best bet.
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Merlin
Joined: Feb 03, 2011
Posts: 111
Brampton, ON
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 06:05 AM
The advice others have given to get the nut optimized is also #1 on my list. I’d also look at the bridge itself. At a minimum, I’d get a high mass block, but it’s just as easy to replace the whole unit. For two point trems, I really like the Wilkinson. I haven’t tried their six screw trems, but pretty much everything they make is well thought out.
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edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 801
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 09:04 AM
If those two pickups sound thin, try raising them closer to the strings, if they're not already up too far.
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Redfeather
Joined: Jul 30, 2016
Posts: 896
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 11:19 AM
You don't need to get a different guitar. The functional improvements you seek can be achieved with a minimal outlay of money.
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Surfing_Sam_61
Joined: Jan 15, 2019
Posts: 1515
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 11:44 AM
^ Like he said - MIM is very good quality overall for the price.
They do sound different though but just adjust the knobs till you get the same sound
Last edited: Sep 23, 2019 12:06:46
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Surfing_Sam_61
Joined: Jan 15, 2019
Posts: 1515
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 11:55 AM
If the issue is tuning you might want to take the plate off the back and tighten up the springs on the bridge a bit. If your running heavier strings that will help a lot. You will need to check the intonation afterwards as well after going up a notch to 12's or whatever size strings you like.
Mexican made Strats are really made out of rejected woods and from the USA and many of the same green card workers eventually work USA or Mexico from what I understand. So the gear you have on it should work well. I didn't like the pickups on MIM - they seem harsh sounding toi my ear, I like weaker pickups like on the 1954 Strats - I think that sounds best for Surf myself- Surf is all about clean sounding high output amps not pickups. Just my opinion though.
What I did was swap out my MIM sss pickups with a cheap loaded pickguard You can by them new for like 15 bucks and sounds great for Surf - I just could not get the sound with the original higher output sss pickups MIM come with. I almost sold mine too, but I liked the gold metal flake body and to buy just a custom body the same color would cost as much as my whole guitar and case it came with. They sound great for other rock stuff it originally came with, but Surf sounds better with low output pickups.
But overall its thumbs up for MIM Strats - Best to modify as well. Its all what your looking for really. If you do change anything save all the parts and put them back to resale later, nothing kills value on used guitars than mods you make if nothing else they are hard to sell as well.
I'm sorry about the multiple posts . . . I hit the wrong button to edit Dumb Bump I guess lol
Last edited: Sep 23, 2019 12:14:53
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19335
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 04:16 PM
Mexican made Strats are really made out of rejected woods and from the USA and many of the same green card workers eventually work USA or Mexico from what I understand
Citation needed.
Maybe we should ask Mr. Wronski?
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Surfing_Sam_61
Joined: Jan 15, 2019
Posts: 1515
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Posted on Sep 23 2019 04:31 PM
This guy's video's are pretty good
I think this video explains how it works - some parts like 5 way switches etc are all made south of the boarder etc...Can't remember the video about the wood selection but it all goes through Fender USA first.
The main difference is 22 fret USA verse 21 fret MIM and the finishing is smoother on the USA Strat neck.
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