Complete Upgrade - Squier Bullet Stratocaster

In this video I completely upgrade my Squier Bullet Stratocaster, including a tremelo steel block bridge, complete wiring harness and Texas hot wound pickups from Guitar Fetish. Also replaced original tuners with 70's style F Fender replacement tuners and replaced the nut with a Tusq self lubricating nut and nut tree. Was it worth it? Yes! I learned a lot and if I can do it, you can too!
See the before and after sound check video at: • Complete Squier Bullet...
Below are most of the components and tools I used:
Kwikplug Premium Harness - Fits Strat® Harness VTT 5-way switch 250K pots, Black and White Cloth Push Back Wires.
www.guitarfetish.com/Kwikplug...
Trucoil II, Improved Noise Cancelling, Kwikplug Ready!
www.guitarfetish.com/NEW-Truc...
Solid STEEL Block "Shorty" "Squier" and Import Compatible 10.5mm Chrome Tremolo
www.guitarfetish.com/Solid-ST...
Black/White/Black SSS Pickguard - fits Strat®
www.guitarfetish.com/BlackWhi...
70s "F" Style Guitar Tuning Machines/Chrome (Set of 6) (paid link)
amzn.to/3xS3z1W
GraphTech PQL-7004-00 TUSQ Sleek String Trees (paid link)
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
Graph Tech PQL-5010-00 TUSQ XL Self-Lubricating Guitar Nut, Fender Style, Flat Bottom (paid link)
amzn.to/3C5YnKp
Copper Foil Tape (2inch x 18ft) for Guitar and EMI Shielding (paid link)
amzn.to/3UDxHrJ
Buytra Guitar Fret Crowning File Tool Dressing File with Narrow/Medium/Wide 3 Edges Guitar Repairing & Luthier Tools (paid link)
amzn.to/3RfesBI
FretGuru Sanding Beam Fret Leveler 8" (~200mm) - Available in 8, 10, 16 and 24 inch lengths and includes 100, 240, 320 Grit Peel and Stick Sandpaper. Professional Luthier Tool guitar leveling file (paid link)
amzn.to/3C6yf26
Music Nomad MN105 F-ONE Fretboard Oil Cleaner and Conditioner (paid link)
amzn.to/3UPvQAi
Dreamtop Set of 9 Understring Radius Gauge Luthier Tools for Guitar and Bass Setup (paid link)
amzn.to/3ScaVp3
Guitar Pattern Recognition System - The NEW Way To Visualize Your Fretboard (paid link) - amzn.to/3yYOFbp
Rock Samurai T-Shirt
www.zazzle.com/rock_samurai_g...

[@michaelsimpson1961]

Just a quick note on the Tuners ,If you have the 8.5mm holes don't worry you don't have to enlarge to 10mm ,Hipshot and Graphtech do Tuners for the 8.5mm using their conversion kits ,Granted these days 99% of tuner holes are 10mm ,but was just letting ppl know there are kits out there that do not require you to ream the holes ,They are direct drop in replacements

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for the input Michael!

[@willb3534]

Gotta say, this is very helpful. Getting a Squier Strat soon and I’m very excited to mod it

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching and best wishes with your Strat mods!

[@markmillham483]

I love my squir strat. I did a couple of upgrade, but made sure the set up was perfect for me. I love it.

[@bobsaturday4273]

exited to spend $200-300 on a $100 guitar , I get affinities in pawn shops for $50

[@paigerasmussen5212]

@Trace Keenan @adan shane you just admitted to a federal crime in the US and serious crime in most countries. Bravo.

[@voornaam3191]

@@bobsaturday4273 Yeah, it is great that people go bankrupt and you can be the vulture picking their guitar. Never felt like vomitting?

[@carpathus]

What a great learning experience. Excellent work. Ordered a new Squier Bullet Strat yesterday and will be using this vid as a guide to install the same upgrades. Thank you very much for sharing.

[@StevenParente]

Cool carpathus! It was a really good learning experience. Let me know how yours turns out. One thing I would do a little differently for my next project, will be to assemble the wiring harness, pickups, etc. and place into the guitar cavity, BEFORE doing all the copper tape. There were a couple areas where I could have carved out with the dremel to make a better fit. Hopefully this will help you out. Thanks for watching!

[@hussamjamil4980]

You are correct about those early 2000's Bullets. I just picked up a 2010 bullet stratocaster, and the neck is really nice. I cleaned it up and refreshed it and it is such a pleasure to play, no sharp fret edges, they are polished (not mirror level but much more than expected).

[@StevenParente]

Nice! Thanks for sharing your experience and for watching!

[@looneyburgmusic]

I'm in the early stages of doing a total upgrade to a 20th anniversary Squier , and have been pleasantly surprised with how easy things have been going so far...

[@StevenParente]

Nice! Best wishes on your upgrade and thanks for watching!

[@choimdachoim9491]

Watch this in double-speed setting...save lots of time.

[@voornaam3191]

Why not simply buy a better guitar? What is wrong with those cheap dudes? Upgrading a cheap strat? Why? You are stuck with that cheap thing. Build something you really want. Duh!

[@MrMisterChiliPepper88]

@@voornaam3191 because it’s cheaper to upgrade and if you upgrade a cheap guitar with good pick ups tremolo etc it increases the value

[@ivorharden]

Because some of us wanna keep our first guitars in our arsenal.

[@choimdachoim9491]

@@voornaam3191 I completely rebuilt mine, replacing everything that wasn't wood including the frets and I feel like I not only understand guitars better but I feel like I really "own" this one. I've tried hundreds of guitars and orchestral instruments in my 74 years and many times a cheap instrument plays easier or better than an expensive one. But, the bottom line is that we form love-affairs with our instruments, regardless of their brand.

[@christrouten9606]

​@@voornaam3191 so, spend $850 on MIM Strat and an additional $200-$300 on the pickups you want along with other upgrades to suit your desires and have a guitar that's worth $500-$600 on the used market (net loss $450-$650) vs a used Bullet for $100, add the same upgrades and have a Bullet that plays just like the MIM Strat and cost about a third of the price. The Bullet on the used market would still only fetch about $100 for a total net loss of only $200-300.

[@antoniovillarreal2308]

Awesome video! Thanks for taking the mystery out of DIY upgrading! I'm inspired to do it myself now! Thanks!!

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Antonio! This is the guitar that got me started building and repairing guitars, including refretting, winding pickups and more! The guitar in the video is my main slide guitar and I just wound a set of vintage style single coils for it. You can upgrade your guitars. Just take your time. The difference between a good guitar and a great guitar these days (because almost all shops are using CNC milling machines), are all the little details that take time. So less expensive guitar manufacturers don't do the extra processes, like rolling the neck, finishing and polishing the fret ends, installing higher end pickups and upgrading components, including tuners. But you can! And you learn a lot about what makes a great guitar. And if something goes wrong, you fix it and you also learn guitar repair. Best wishes on your guitar journey!😃

[@ItaliansShredsBetter]

thank you, this video was very useful! I’m planning to mod my squire myself, now I have a bit more confidence than before.

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching Alessio and best wishes on your own squier project!

[@preciseaudioblog]

Wow the guitar looks so powerful with the changes. Love that you changed the tremolo. I'm doing a similar project with a Squier Jazz Bass. Cheers!

[@StevenParente]

Cool, I hope your bass turns out well. Thanks for watching!

[@rickyman2307]

Thanks for the comment from Malcolm Hardwick for the help with fitting the springs back onto the spring cradle-that really made a hard job easy. Good video Steven Parente very useful👍🏻

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching Ricky! And to Malcolm and everyone else who has shared their knowledge in the comments section. I think musicians (especially guitarists :-) are the coolest people around!

[@amibreakz247]

Very helpful to proceed with the upgrades to my SBS. Thank you!

[@StevenParente]

Best wishes on your upgrade Thiago! Thank you for watching.

[@tonylo9300]

This is the best video I've ever seen.thanks a lot.

[@juanjuarez7289]

Very meticulously Clear and concise. Good job/JJ

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Juan and thanks for watching!

[@jerryfox3731]

Great job. It looks beautiful. I can see it was a labor of love.

[@StevenParente]

It was Jerry, and this was the stepping stone into starting my guitar building business and pickup winding. This Bullet is my main slide guitar!! Thanks for watching.

[@simontemplar3359]

Guitar Fetish is awesome. I'm glad to see you tubers using their stuff. I have a few builds where I've opted for GF pickups over Fender. My best upgrade was an Affinity Tele that I put a Surf 90 and a Nashville humbucker on it. Added some locking tuners and a push pull pot for coil tap for the humbucker. Took a decent starter guitar to the next level. I also added locking tuners (I know it isn't needed as much for stability, but quick string changes are awesome). Great guide video. if you ever need good tips, Phil McKnight puts out some great content on upgrading in his Sharpen my Axe series. Great project and a great guitar! I hope it brings you years of joy playing it!

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching Simon and for sharing your own experience. It was a fun build! It sounds like your Tele came out really nice. Guitar Fetish has some really good deals and the pickups I used were "hot" but very quiet. Good products. I have been watching Phil McKnights channel. He's great. Thanks again!

[@johnkirkpatrick1778]

When adding copper screening foil, make sure that there is continuity between the individual pieces: adding very small blobs of solder where the pieces overlap will make sure that the screening is contiguous. (Don't rely on the 'so-called' conductive glue on the back of the copper foil!) Note also that this method can be used when screening the rear of the pickguard: small, flat solder blobs across the overlaps can be done easily, just don't use too small a soldering iron: a very brief heating time will prevent the pickguard being damaged. It is a good idea to leave 'tabs' of copper foil coming up over the edge of the pickup routing, and covering a few of the pickguard holes. This way, when the screws are fitted, there will be a guaranteed connection between the foil on the pickguard and the cavity. Although there should be low resistive continuity between the body of the volume pot (often used as the 'common' ground point in the pickup wiring) and the copper foil, it doesn't do any harm to add a small brass screw through the foil, into the body wood, and solder a ground wire from it to the back of the volume pot. And please be aware: if the screening isn't connected to the common ground point in the guitar (this is also the 'screen' of the output connection socket) the screening may not work properly!

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for the input John and for watching. There are so many different opinions about shielding, but I appreciate your insights.

[@bfiume]

Nicely done Steve! I appreciate the video. I can give it a try now.

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Bob! Best wishes on your upgrade!

[@johnulrich5572]

Nice neat work. I like the way you explained eveything. Good job.

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching John!

[@grantkoeller8911]

Really great upgrade video!

[@StevenParente]

Thanks Grant and thanks for watching!

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

Safe way to install the springs in the block. Insert the end of the spring into the block, with a thin flat head screwdriver go through the eye of the spring and hook the screwdriver end behind the claw. The screwdriver will be at an angle. Lift the handel of the screwdriver making sure that the end stays behind the claw and the spring eye dosent slide up the screwdriver shaft. With my left hand i put my finger on the spring eye so it dosent slide up. As you are lifting the handel the spring will pop into place with no chance of sliping and damaging the body.

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for taking the time to explain in so much detail! Very helpful. And thanks for watching.

[@stevencollins507]

this guy is really detailed with his Nuts so gentle

[@StevenParente]

A gentle tapping out of the old and installation of the new Tusq nut to be precise. Very descriptive while waxing poetic Steven. Thanks for watching!

[@davidwildstallionjohnson4458]

great presentation of fret ends clean up.

[@StevenParente]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@damoneubanks9075]

I'm a bass player myself and do a lot of modding on my gear. A friend of mine recently gave me a Bullet Strat to give my 11 year old son who has expressed interest in learning to play. I'm gonna help him mod it up to at least Squier Classic Vibe level for now. Since people mod CV's a lot I suspect there are lots of parts out there for cheap. Looking forward to spending time with my son on this project. Appreciate your video.

[@StevenParente]

That's really cool Damon! You can make them play and sound really good. I have mine tuned to open tunings for slide work and am going to start recording with it. It sounds really good. That should be a fun project for you and your son. And you've got the makings of a good band already:) Thanks for watching and best wishes with your son's mod!

[@voornaam3191]

Yeah, cheap mods are the best. The Stones always played cheap modded guitars, huh? No?!

[@cmmnsenserules4339]

Dude, People dont modify their CV's. They're PERFECT as is. People modify Affinity Squiers and Bullet Squiers. I've literally never heard of anyone modifying their CV. Maybe they drop in some EXPENSIVE pups, Lolars or Fralins. But even that is ridiculous.

[@christrouten9606]

​@@cmmnsenserules4339 I agree. I bought my CV50 with a plan to mod it, but as you said, it's perfect as is. So now I bought an as-new Bullet for $100 to mod instead. I don’t get Voor Naam's hate for the Bullet. If a modded Bullet is good enough for Mike Rutherford to play on tour, it's certainly good enough for the average guitar hobbiest to play in his living room, the local coffee shop, or at his church on Sunday mornings.

[@fjsolossa29]

Very helpful. I Wish that i watch this video earlier. Now back to modding my kramer focus

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching! Best wishes on your Kramer!!!

[@shawnlennon1947]

Leave it as a floating bridge ! It’s sweet!

[@StevenParente]

I may, but I'm using this guitar for mainly slide work. Thanks for watching!

[@Rico_B]

Nice job, thanks for posting.

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching Rico!

[@lavatube1888]

Thanks for this video it will help me to make my own upgrade on my squier bullet stratocaster.

[@StevenParente]

paul lavaur Thanks for watching and best wishes on your build!

[@malabar2010]

Great work dude!

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching Malabar!

[@tannerhoke]

Borrowing my friends Bullet squier and found this video! Thanks man

[@StevenParente]

Thanks Tanner!

[@jamesmarciniec4787]

Awesome video. I have a Squier bullet Strat I bought in new in 2011. It's a great guitar but I loved what you did I think I will do an upgrade like yours. Thanks again 😃🎸🎶

[@StevenParente]

Sounds like you have a project! Thanks for watching James. Make a comment or send a photo when you've have it done. We ought to start a Squier Bullet club to show off our hot rodded Bullets:)

[@Voartist]

I put a Tusq nut and saddles on my Squier and it made a world of difference. Also put on locking tuners, new Seymour Duncan pickups and much higher end electronic guts. It sound awesome. Playing through a monster Koch amp and it sounds so clear.

[@StevenParente]

That sound great Jug Head, thanks for your story and for watching. If the neck is good, these guitars can sound really good with a little work. I took out the GF Texas pickups and installed Sonic Strat 60's two weeks ago. I have this bullet set up for slide with flat wound strings. It sounds fantastic now. The Texas pickups were a little too hot for my tastes. I plan on making videos playing it, not that I've been practicing more.

[@markaustin9590]

Like the way you explained everything

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Mark Our diver! And thanks for watching.

[@bugrahanteber4135]

You are amazing man well done!!

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Bugrahan and thank you for watching!

[@johnbrady1211]

Another quick tip: to test if the pickups are wired correctly BEFORE you go through the trouble of screwing the pick guard down. Connect the output jack to your amplifier. Put the selector switch on whichever pickup or pickup combination and tap the respective pickup(s) with a screwdriver. You can hear the pickup if its wired correctly. You can also check volume and tone pots this way. This saves having to unscrew all 11 PG screws if something is amiss.

[@StevenParente]

That's a good one John! I found out about that when I built my tele style kit last year. I posted videos about that build on KZbin. Thank you! And thanks for watching.

[@johnbrady1211]

@@StevenParente It’s a time saver if something is not right. I found this out the hard way. Nice job btw. I love Bullet Strats.

[@StevenParente]

@@johnbrady1211 You have a cool KZbin channel. I just subscribed.

[@johnbrady1211]

@@StevenParente Hey. Thanks, Steven. Funny, I subbed to yours also. I just started posting a few videos out of sheer boredom when the lockdowns came into being. I love working on guitars. It helps my PTSD says my VA psychologist. I don’t play as well as I fix them. My severe arthritis acts up and I feel like I’m playing with lobster claws. I just use a simple tripod and iPhone. drop by and say hi sometime. I’m fixing to make another video soon if I can think of something. Best regards, John…

[@StevenParente]

I will do that John, I will stop by. The iPhone is really pretty good at picking up sound. I think that's a good way to go. I use it all the time myself. Keep it going, you're an inspiration. When I'm feeling a bit of that guy Arthur Ites in my fingers, I break out my slides. This Bullet is set up for slide, and building some steel guitars right now. It's never boring. :-)

[@alexdelarge8772]

As I understand it, and through experience, copper shield-taping the cavities and pick guard (or painting with shielding paint) is to create a Faraday Cage to block external radio interference that the electronics could pick up and cause noise (like when Nigel picked up air force radio noise in "This is Spinal Tap" - although he was also using a wireless unit between his guitar and amp, but it is a funny scene, anyway). This radio interference is different than noise in your amp and guitar from improper grounding or florescent lights in the circuit the amp is plugged into, etc.. But to create a full Faraday Cage the entire pick guard needs to be covered, or radio interference can leak into it through the plastic if it isn't fully covered. And, it needs to come in contact with the cavity shielding so the pick guard and cavity shielding are electronically connected. I usually let the cavity shielding (copper tape) overhang the cavity up onto the body in a couple of spots by the pick guard screws and control plate so when you attach the covered pick guard it makes contact with the cavity tape and completes the circuit. Furthermore, I always connect the shielding to the guitar ground by simply soldering a wire to the copper tape in the cavity and soldering the other end on the back of one of the pots. This is a completely shielded and grounded system. The first guitar I built like this was a Fender Tele as a gift to my brother, and he said it was the quietest (electronically - buzzing or humming) electric guitar he had ever played. He used to make guitars in the 80s and early 90s at Charvel/Jackson and later B.C. Rich, so building a guitar for him that he loved both for its play-ability and noiseless electronics was a great satisfaction for me. I have since built every guitar in that manner as far as shielding and have never had an issue with the copper shielding affecting the pick-up sound. You can trim the tape around the pick-up holes back about an 1/8" to a 1/4" to keep the tape clear of the pick-ups if you're worried about the sound being affected. One more thought on tremolo springs - though they often come this way from the factory, the outer tremolo springs on your guitar are angled. It seems to improve the tremolo bridge performance if you do not angle those outside springs. Keep all the springs straight and parallel so each spring holds equal tension. When the springs are angled on the outside, as your guitar was, the middle spring has less tension on it than the outer springs, and may affect the bridge set-up, feel of the tremolo, or cause buzzing or rattling from a spring having less tension than the others. I've even seen a case where the middle spring fell out of the claw when the tremolo bar was pulled all the way up. To reduce spring noise from vibration, I've seen several builders slip heat shrink tubing over the springs to dampen them. Don't forget, early reverb units used springs in the amp (Fender Deluxe Reverb) that vibrated to create the reverb sound. In the guitar you don't want those springs ringing! It is a nit-picky subject but if you want to cover all bases, dampen them. Good job on the upgrades on the Squier. I did the same with an SSH Squier Strat. First I played at least 20 Squiers on the wall at GC to find the best feeling guitar, then the upgrades. New bridge, new pots (CTS) and switch, Spertzel locking tuners, and roller spring trees. Turned a $130 Squier into a Strat that felt and sounded like a $1500 American-made Strat. Plus the work is fun and a learning experience!

[@StevenParente]

Great information Alex! Thanks for taking the time to comment in such details, and for watching!

[@gannamostafa5573]

THAT WAS REALLY HELPFULL !!! Thank you very much . I have a bullet HSS and I was thinking of making some mods but not as advanced as those but that was really great thank you

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching Ganna!

[@markferguson3745]

Nut, string trees, and tuners, if you have the cheapo type, as on this one.The pick gaurds are cheap &easy, and can dramatically change the look.Anything the strings touch are what really matters.Even the cheapest(ceramic) pick ups can sound good at the right height . If you want a great mid price($600) Strat, look @the new Charvel's.Really nice, out of the box.

[@ej1_drew]

i love my squiers as much as my fenders for this reason and genuine parts fit !

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching!

[@gergemall]

Nice job Steve

[@StevenParente]

Thank you JON.

[@prabirghosh8002]

A great upgrade

[@StevenParente]

Thanks Prabir!

[@bisayangorig-cjnegapatan3393]

Hi Steve Nice to see you and Michiko at Kta today very helpful

[@StevenParente]

Good to see you too! Happy holidays!

[@briandixon2009]

Very enjoyable video, thanks

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching Brian!

[@finnkunertutube]

I Have seen a few videos about upgrading a squier, cause I have one that I wanna upgrade. Your video ist actually the best I have seen and I will try it myself. Thx Steven..

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Finn!

[@tonyefc8423]

Enjoyed this video immensely. I am taking delivery of a Squier telecaster bullet this coming weekend (polar white, black scratchplate, maple fingerboard). I should really give it a try before considering upgrades ha! But this short film was informative, well explained and entertaining. Thanks for your efforts!

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching and best wishes with your telecaster!

[@musikmanfarm1413]

Fantastic video. Tnx. I learn a lot😊

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching!

[@tgdb4968]

Some great tips in this video thanks.

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Terry and thanks for watching!

[@tgdb4968]

@@StevenParente You're welcome! I have a Squier and I'm going to do the same as you have done so this video will really help.

[@toddplager8676]

Great instructional video.. I am making my first partscaster with all my spare parts .. this helped immensely ty!!🤘Now I want a solderless wiring lol!! I can solder just been awhile lol!!

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching and best wishes with your build!🎸

[@claudiocruzat8777]

Great work! . when I saw those wires i thought "why do we complicate life.. why" 🤣👍. I admire your patience.

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Claudio! Thank you for watching.

[@petermeijer3019]

Top video! Thanks for sharing,!!

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching Peter!

[@scottconger1266]

Great video, thanks, this has helped me alot.

[@StevenParente]

I'm happy it helped Scott. Thank you for watching.

[@robertclarkguitar]

You have earned my sub! Killer work man! I'm thinking of buying bullet tele!

[@StevenParente]

Thanks Robert! Look for a good neck and the rest can be upgraded. The neck can be made substantially smoothed out if it feels a little rough, just be sure it's straight and has a tight fit into the body. The main difference between an expensive guitar and a "cheap" guitar is the hardware (which can be upgraded) and the finish work... attention to detail.

[@robertclarkguitar]

Hi there Steve I'm sorry I did not know you responded back when i made the comment. Hahah. My apologies friend. I did purchase the bullet tele and am highly impressed so much that I will buy a bullet strat next. I've already a nice small variety of guitars since I started taking guitar seriously 2 years almost ago...I am , like most, now wanting to tinker with the building modding aspect to make my own little sounds , feel, etc. Thank you again my friend. I need to sell my keyboard workstation moxf6 and monitors so I can fund more ...Had a guy offer me a 78 US vintage Music Master 3/4 scale but I am not too sure I want to go that route. You take care and I'll be catching up on your latest. Feel free to check out my little channel if you like. I do reviews odd and end , mainly practicing over my own loops using Boss Gt1, Classic Vibe 60s, MIM strat FSR Gilmour vibe and few others ..recently I've set up LTD MH103QM by my son in law and have fallen in love with the trem so I need to float my strats next. Also need to Install a player series loaded tortoise pickguard I got in last week trade for humbuckers. Peace my friend.

[@davidkeller8084]

shielding, shielding, shielding, GREAT JOB

[@StevenParente]

You can never have too much shielding!

[@Vile0387]

I'm new to all this. Why did he shield the body and not the pickguard?

[@davidkeller8084]

@@Vile0387 If you want to shield the "face plate" that's fine just don't cover the pickups. Shielding helps to reduce electrical interference. It will not eliminate it and is no substitute for good pickups and proper wiring and grounding. All electrical devices cause interference with electric guitars and if the power supplying those electrical devices is not properly grounded no shielding will help. The same holds true for the electronics in your guitar. Most buildings today are wired to some pretty strict codes and should not be a concern but never let your guard down. Electric guitars and amplifiers plugged into a ground faulty circuit can kill you. So what is electrical interference? I guess the simplest way to describe it would be to think of it as a magnetic field generated by electrical devices. The more electrical devices around you the larger the field. What are pickups? Well, they are magnets attached to a coil of copper wire. Hence "single coil pickup". Believe it or not this generates a small electrical current. Don't ask me how cause I don't know. So why shielding? Lets try an experiment. Face your guitar towards an electrical device, (a florescent light will work very well for this because they generate a lot of noise) you will hear a hum or buzz. Now slowly turn your guitar (pickup) away from the light the hum will get quieter continue turning the guitar and the hum will get louder as the back of the guitar is now facing the light, not quite as loud as when the pickup was facing the light. Now with shielding in the pickup cavity the hum will be reduced even further from the back and sides of the guitar. Not much you can do if the pickups are pointed towards the light except turn to one side or the other. Now shielding or not, move the guitar closer and closer to the light and the hum will get louder and louder. So shielding helps to reduce noise, it will not eliminate it, in fact most high end guitars come with very little if any shielding in the pickup cavity but, high end pickups are very well insulated (shielded). Will shielding the pickup cavity help or is it even necessary? Lets say my band is playing in a small club. There are in this building beer coolers, refrigerators, air conditioners, fans, tv's blenders, fryers, "florescent lights", neon lights, not to forget all of the bands gear, now that is one big "magnetic field" and a hell of a lot of electronic interference, so you decide.

[@enverunver9636]

Very helpful. For those out there thinking of upgrading a Squier however, either use Affinity or SE or better-built models. Not only they come in better shape, dimensions are same with an original Strat, or very close. I own a SE strat built in late 90s, never thought of upgrading it except for the pickups as the quality of the guitar was already there, very close to American strats.

[@guy3749]

I’ve got a 1999 Squire affinity , I’m happy with it, maybe some day I’ll upgrade the pots and pickups, thanks for the info on the Squires.

[@vayabroder729]

@@guy3749 Mine is a ‘98 Affinity. Upgrade with your eyes closed; they are great guitars and worthy of upgrades.

[@krazykat64]

Thanks for this video. I just purchased a red sparkle Bullet Strat with the intention of making it a project and was very curious about the Kwikplug system. Going to make pretty much every upgrade you did but adding Graph Tech saddles as well as nut and string trees.

[@StevenParente]

Aloha John. The Kwikplug system works great. I've had no problems yet. These type of connectors are used in drones, so I would think that it will work for a guitar! It sounds like you have a fun project and the red sparkle must look really cool. Let me know how your Bullet turns out and sounds. Thanks for watching!

[@antro_oner]

I got my COB 08 for $70 at a pawn shop. Tusq nut and some wiring mods on the stock ceramic pickups. Treble bleed on the middle and a grease bucket on the neck, and I love the thing.

[@StevenParente]

Nice! Many of the Bullets are good guitars. Depending on which factory they were made in, the necks can be REALLY good! That's cool that you experimented with the wiring. There are so many small improvements that can be made, that make a big difference. Just takes a little elbow grease and research. Thanks of watching!

[@antro_oner]

@@StevenParente thanks for the great video!

[@Rockdrummer71]

Hi, I changed the tuners too at my Bullet-Strat (which was a Abo-Present from a Magazine), but I used a (in my opinion) better, but unconventional way, but it works very well : the original holes were 7,5 mm, my new tuner had 10 mm. I took some steel-drills (not wood-drills !!) in 0,5 mm distance (8 / 8,5 / 9 / 9,5 / 10 mm) and then I took my cordless screwdriver with counterclockwise direction (!) and scraped the new holes in stages. At least I took a conic grind-drill and grinded the little bit wood splints away. My holes were perfect, like made with CNC-milling-machine ! I was very pleased with the result !

[@StevenParente]

That sounds like your method worked out very nicely! Thanks for the tip and for watching!

[@Rockdrummer71]

@@StevenParente Yes, it's working very well and I changed the tuners on another guitar 3 weeks ago very well too !

[@craigusselman546]

You made your Bullet Strat bette!r/ and that is one gorgeous neck for a Chinese Strat terrific!

[@StevenParente]

Yes, craig, the neck is really nice. I'll have to shoot some videos playing slide. I think I'm up for that now. Lot's of practicing. It sounds great. Thanks for watching!

[@hernanbarboza3929]

Great video!!! thank you.

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching

[@dixee6498]

Thank you for sharing this! I bought the exact same Bullet strat, same color too lol, from a pawn shop a few months ago for just $80 because I was having the same ideas as you are now. Too bad I still don't play very much though. Maybe save this for a more indoorsy winter project when I'm not out cutting, collecting and processing firewood! Lol! Thank you again and please share more with us! Subbed! 🙂

[@StevenParente]

Thank you. This is a fun project. You get to use your hands, a few tools and make your guitar sound and play a lot better. I will post more videos. I'm looking for a place where I can crank up my amp and demo some gear. Thanks again for watchig and subbing!

[@davidkeller8084]

Quick connect looks pretty cool, as the worlds worst soldier, I hope the stay connected during the gig, as do I hope my crappy soldering holds up, Nice job dude, you went after the most obvious upgradeds

[@StevenParente]

They work really well! Thanks for watching David.

[@neparizzy]

Good video gave a thumbs up

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Sneeze!

[@tatialo37]

Ns here!!! Going to hop up a bullet strat with hard tail!!! Cool video!!!!

[@StevenParente]

That’s cool Ruben! Thanks for watching.

[@alexn1184]

Subscribed cause u have heart , gave care and attention to sharing. Mahalo from Oahu

[@StevenParente]

Mahalo A N! I really appreciate your subscription and for watching.

[@fongy200]

Thanks Steven i have an Bullet i am going to upgrade, you've just inspired me to pull my finger out. I noticed when you started to remove the springs for the tremlo that the claw had been screwed in on a slant, mines the same and the only issue really, besides that their quite a good beginners instrument. Thanks again.

[@StevenParente]

Best wishes with your upgrade C Fong. Yes, some people say to unscrew the claw to relieve tension, which I finally did. There's a few comments on removing the springs if you read through. They may be helpful. Thanks for watching! You'll have to post something when you're finished.

[@fongy200]

@@StevenParente The way you were removing the springs didn't cross my mind it was the way the claw had been put in on a slant as is mine. I bought mine brand new about 13 yrs ago so it was done as it was being assembled. Thanks again Steve all the best.

[@williamkaylor1191]

@@fongy200 the slant gives you different amounts of rise in pitch when you pull up on the stick ie: g will go half a step, adn b will go up a whole step if adjusted correctly. See my post above

[@biguenzo]

The bullet is great, its neck is Nice.

[@StevenParente]

That good biguenzo! After I leveled a couple of frets and slightly filed and polished the fret wire ends, it feels like a custom build. I used a leveling block, a fret file and thin metel fret guards. I have links up in the description. I thin used a fingernail foam block that had a fine grit, a smooth grit, buffing and polishing sides to finish up. I bought it at Longs CVS for about $6. Thanks for watching!

[@MRsin084]

Very helpfull for my squier deluxe

[@StevenParente]

I hope your upgrade goes well JAYATRONIK. Thanks for watching!

[@eduardkhachatryan3909]

Nice job soo cool

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Eduard! And thanks for watching.

[@dufusbug]

Great video! I am getting ready to do a few modifications to my Affinity Squier. Like replacing the tremolo block, locking tuners this video makes it seem less intimidating for a noob such as I. This will be my first mod ever, so wish me luck!

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching and best wishes on your upgrade! Take your time and don't worry about doing it quickly. You are going to learn a lot! When you replace your tremolo block and set up the floating bridge, be very careful with your whammy bar. Do not put any pressure on it if it isn't moving. If the block isn't moving, something needs to be adjusted. I snapped my whammy bar on the first attempt. Check out this link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3TOo36ahrdplck

[@peterschristofi5765]

I recently upgraded my fender telecaster made in Mexico pickups with vintners 60s pickup easy to do with a bit of soldering and they sound absolute brilliant with a nice amp.

[@tonyefc8423]

What amp, for home use, would you recommend?

[@peterschristofi5765]

@@tonyefc8423 Hi Tony, I strongly recommend a fender blues junior amplifier as it’s amazing sound- tube amp, i have also fender modelling gtx 50 amplifier which is solid state which is pretty good but can not match the junior

[@brysonw1956]

Saw this video and went out and bought a bullet just to mod. First time ever trying something like this

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching Bryson and best wishes on your upgrade!

[@Music4Me1957]

I have the same guitar 2013. I would love to upgrade mine the same way you did yours. Excellent work.

[@Music4Me1957]

Steve, can you provide me a complete list of the parts you used to upgrade your Bullet Strat. [e-mail] Thank you.

[@StevenParente]

You can do it! Thanks for watching David!

[@StevenParente]

Hi David, I included the parts and tools I used with links in my descriptoin, under the title. If you are viewing on a computer, click the "more info" link. If you are viewing with a martphone, there's a little grey triangle, to the upper right of the video title. Click the triangle and it opens the info panel and you'll see all the parts and links.

[@dbarnes544]

There is a nice tool for doing those trem springs. It's like a fish hook makes it so much easier. I like the Squire's because....Generally they are lighter weight. I don't worry if I scratch them and if one of my nieces or nephews want a guitar, it's not a big loss.

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for the tip. I searched and found the tool and it looks like it would help a lot. Thank you for watching!

[@user-ll4xf1so9r]

They give you 4 springs incase one of the spring tangs breaks. It's rare but it happens once in awhile. They keep you happy and return business means prosperity for them.😊

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for the information... and for watching!

[@user-ll4xf1so9r]

@@StevenParente Thank you for posting.

[@GermanCarrazco]

epic video

[@StevenParente]

Aloha ​German Carrazco. Thank you... and thank you for watching!

[@frusciantegeartone]

Never heard about letting the trem rock as you screw in, then back it up. But I can see how this is a good uniform way of getting it done.

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching. Check out this video from Fender: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaeogX2Krr-Aadk You have a great YT channel. I subscribed!

[@alfiehenshall688]

Your voice kept reminding me of Joe Bonnamassa . Good vid 👍🎸😎

[@StevenParente]

Hope to play as well some day. Thank you for watching Alfie!

[@davidkeller8084]

Nice, you shielded the cavities, most people don't then wonder why their guitar buzzzzzes as you move around the room

[@StevenParente]

Yes! Thanks for watching David.

[@tomc.3987]

Great video. I just had pickups and tuners replaced on a bullet strat. I'd like to replace the pick guard next. Thanks.

[@tomc.3987]

​@@StevenParente The bullet strat sounds much better than with the stock pickups. I got Bill Lawrence pickups and Gotoh 510 tuners. I really think the cheap plastic pick guard on it kind of absorbs the sound and muffles it. I also have a stock bullet telecaster. It definitely needs new tuners, but the pickups are Fender rather than the generic single coils that came with the the strat, and it sounds great. It's my go to guitar. I saved your build video for future reference. Thanks again for posting.

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for the input Ruckus. I really like the new sound, especially when playing slide. Thanks for watching.

[@theguitarnerd3984]

So rad

[@StevenParente]

Thank you.... and for watching!

[@sliverbox271991]

hey, I'm modding my bullet strat in the future, so thank you for this video and for the list with links for the tools and parts you bought, I got a question, where can I find these fender guide/instructions you talk about throughout the video? very educational video btw

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching Frutanegra. I get much information from the Fender KZbin site. kzbin.infovideos Also from StewMac.com and a few others. Thanks for watching and best wished on your upgrade!

[@vayabroder729]

Beautiful rosewood fingerboard. I have a ‘98 Affinity that I upgraded. I did the electronics, tuning pegs, tremolo block and installed a set of Tusq saddles, nut and string retainers. Came out amazing. These instruments have great bones for upgrading.

[@StevenParente]

Sounds like a very nice upgrade! Thanks for watching.

[@camiloperez1200]

Great video! Thanks a lot. Just a minimal correction: The electric guitar has no input jack. Is an output jack. Thanks again!

[@StevenParente]

Good point Camilo! Thank you. And thanks for watching.

[@DavidMorales008]

Very awesome im Very appreciative, I'm working on mine so far mostly cosmetic and making the neck as comfortable as a custom shop, now I need to work on the pickups, though I do have an affinity for the retro sound of them being non wax potted

[@StevenParente]

Best wishes for your upgrade David! You'll have to let us know how it sounds and plays. Thanks for watching.

[@TexanUSMC8089]

You can plug in to an amp, then just tap on each pickup to make sure they're hot and wired correctly.

[@StevenParente]

Thanks Texan!

[@jaimealvarez143]

Good job! I am a luthier. My speciality is upgrading cheap guitars- There are things you can do with limited bufget (and experience). You must change the nut for tuning stability. You can save a couple of bucks buying a bone one. Be sure to buy one that fits your strat because the if nut seat is curved and you buy a flat bottomed you will have to shape it. You should work on your frets.. use sand paper according to ant of the meny tutoprials here on YT or buy a cheap set of nut files (you don't need a pro set if you only work on your guitars). Abouyt the pickups that is a matter of choice. If you are a professional player you can a buy expensive Seymour Duncans, but there's no sense in placing 200$ of pick ups on a 150$ guitar. And to really appreciate the SDs you need a Good Amp. Go for Fleor or Wilkinson pickups... they are good and cheap- Also, you can test different wirings and you will have a lot of fun. I'd change the tuners.. but again.. you can buy Wilkinsons or any other cheap and good brand (read reviews) It is about upgrading.. not about trying to make a cheap and relatively well built guitar into a Fender. Do your best with your nice Squire and you will be ready to make a superb job when you buy a Fender. Good luck and again... good job and good video my friend. Very detailed.

[@StevenParente]

Great suggestions Jaime. Thanks for watching!

[@thehansongoons8975]

This has been probably the best instructional video on modding some things I thought I would never touch. I am looking at buying a squier classic vibe and upgrading to a steel block tremolo. You made all the repairs look incredibly easy. I never would have touched the pickup selector or wiring harness before seeing this video. Well done. Would love to hear the tones you sre getting now. In the future, is there anyway you could purchase a set of the fender pickups that are already mounted and show how to replace using those?

[@StevenParente]

Thank you HansonGoons and for watching. This guitar is my main slide guitar for open tuning. I'll have to put something together to show how it sounds. Good idea!

[@vayabroder729]

Actually Classic Vibes are already there; you really don’t need to upgrade anything.

[@tmeyer2022]

Squier Strat's come with 0.009 strings and 3 medium springs. Heavier guage strings (0.011's or heavier) need more spring tention for a proper set-up. Consequently you may need 1 or 2 additional springs. You can also find/order heavier strength springs for the heaviest strings. Also, since tremolo springs vibrate and the noise/sound can be amplified by the pick-ups, putting a piece of foam plastic/rubber under the springs eliminates the spring noise.

[@JoseEBF]

Que satisfactorio ver este video =D, ya tengo planes para mi Squier Affinity HSS Crafted In China.

[@StevenParente]

Gracias Jose por su atención y los mejores deseos para su actualización Squier!

[@steppenwood]

good vid. Thank you.

[@StevenParente]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@pmcm-ih1ep]

Did anyone else have a minor heart attack when he started running that scalpel along the nut right above his fingertip?

[@johnbrady1211]

Yep

[@webspaghetti]

the easiest way to install the trem springs is to start from the other end. Put the straight piece of spring into the trem block, then put a smallish flat head screwdriver through the loop end of the spring. Position the flat head of the screwdriver behind the hook on the anchor plate. Now simply use the screwdriver as a lever, push the handle of the screwdriver in the direction of the the anchor plate and the spring hoop will slide down the shaft of the driver and on to the hook. Very easy and no need to loosen off the anchor plate screws beforehand :)

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for that tip WEBspaghetti! And for watching.

[@chrisbrostrom4289]

New springs have a lot more tension than the old ones. For a strat I would recommend buying vintage springs, they come with 5 and are very affordable. Use all 5 and you will notice a much smoother action.

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for the advice Chris.

[@vayabroder729]

Jimi used all five springs.

[@blessed7047]

Educative video

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching Christopher!

[@turdfurguson77]

Very cool video! Doing a squire upgrade myself in the next couple days. Mostly the same upgrades as yours, just with Fender parts and Obsidian electronics.

[@StevenParente]

Great! Sounds like very nice build. What year is your Squier? How's the neck? Thank you for watching and best wishes for your upgrade.

[@stihlearning046]

I've never tried obsidian in a bullet. Be an interesting project. Best of luck.

[@flintdavis2]

Your the first guy I watched that didn’t put rag down to protect the guitar finish from scratches. Unless the adhesive on the copper tape is conductive that shielding job was a waste of time. Good thing your pocket was shield painted.Use a continuity tester . I had to fold back strips of tape to get contact across the whole pocket. Covered my whole pick guard, I used aluminum tape, same as around your pots and switch.

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for the input Flint. The copper worked really well, much less noise afterwords. I use a yoga mat to protect the finish. Thanks for watching!

[@HelterSkelter117]

A few years ago I picked up a Bullet Tele in surf green. It was on sale for around $130, so I snagged it. First of all, I understand these are budget guitars targeted to beginner players, but I was amazed at how awful the QC was at whatever plant this was built. The frets were not even slightly dressed. Sharp edges, expected, but not finished or polished at all. You could feel and hear the strings scratching on the frets when doing bends. It was awful! Second, whoever drilled the holes for the bridge managed to place it off center by about 1-2 millimeters. It's not noticeable at the nut down to the 12th fret, but after that, the bottom E basically rides the very edge of the fret board, resulting in that string sometimes rolling off the edge when fretting. I'm not a lead player, so I don't spend a lot of time in those frets anyway, but still. First thing I did was ditch the neck. I bought a beautiful Fender Modern Player Plus lacquered maple neck on Reverb. That neck is perfect! Then, I upgraded the terribly muddy Squier pickups to Mexican Standard Tele pickups. Sounded much better, but eventually I ditched those too and put a Seymore Duncan Quarter Pound Tele in the bridge position and a Wilkinson P90 in the neck position. That combo sounds fantastic! Now, it is one of my favorite guitars!

[@StevenParente]

Maybe the older bullets had a better build quality? At least mine did, which was 2009. I only had to level and dress the frets a little, but the neck was very good and still is. That was a good choice, buying the Fender neck and installing the pickups you have in now. Very good pickups! Thanks for watching and your detailed input!

[@elijahcedillo9842]

the extra springs are a preference to how much tension you want the whammy bar

[@StevenParente]

Thank you Elijah and thanks for watching!

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

Mounting the springs the wrong way around ;-) Stick them in the block first, then bring the round end over the claw using a flat screwdriver working as a lever.

[@nijo5427]

I've heard it's helpful to glue the nut with the strings on, but slack and to the side. Once you put in the freshly glued nut, tune to pitch. The tension keeps the nut properly seated as the glue dries. Nice video.

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for the tip Ni Jo, I'll check that out. Thanks for watching!

[@lisahill2154]

You can use a skinny or folded strip of paper as a "paintbrush" for the glue. I don't recommend putting the glue from the bottle directly onto anything. It almost always winds up being too much.

[@StevenParente]

Good tip Lisa! Thank you... and thanks for watching.

[@alfiehenshall688]

I watch a vid once by a guy at fender who said they don't shield cavitys as its a waste of time. They don't even bother on custom shop strats. 🎸😎

[@StevenParente]

That’s weird. It makes a big difference with single coil pickups. Thanks for watching!

[@davidkeller8084]

david keller 1 second ago @Pedro Soto If you want to shield the "face plate" that's fine just don't cover the pickups. Shielding helps to reduce electrical interference. It will not eliminate it and is no substitute for good pickups and proper wiring and grounding. All electrical devices cause interference with electric guitars and if the power supplying those electrical devices is not properly grounded no shielding will help. The same holds true for the electronics in your guitar. Most buildings today are wired to some pretty strict codes and should not be a concern but never let your guard down. Electric guitars and amplifiers plugged into a ground faulty circuit can kill you. So what is electrical interference? I guess the simplest way to describe it would be to think of it as a magnetic field generated by electrical devices. The more electrical devices around you the larger the field. What are pickups? Well, they are magnets attached to a coil of copper wire. Hence "single coil pickup". Believe it or not this generates a small electrical current. Don't ask me how cause I don't know. So why shielding? Lets try an experiment. Face your guitar towards an electrical device, (a florescent light will work very well for this because they generate a lot of noise) you will hear a hum or buzz. Now slowly turn your guitar (pickup) away from the light the hum will get quieter continue turning the guitar and the hum will get louder as the back of the guitar is now facing the light, not quite as loud as when the pickup was facing the light. Now with shielding in the pickup cavity the hum will be reduced even further from the back and sides of the guitar. Not much you can do if the pickups are pointed towards the light except turn to one side or the other. Now shielding or not, move the guitar closer and closer to the light and the hum will get louder and louder. So shielding helps to reduce noise, it will not eliminate it, in fact most high end guitars come with very little if any shielding in the pickup cavity but, high end pickups are very well insulated (shielded). Will shielding the pickup cavity help or is it even necessary? Lets say my band is playing in a small club. There are in this building beer coolers, refrigerators, air conditioners, fans, tv's blenders, fryers, "florescent lights", neon lights, not to forget all of the bands gear, now that is one big "magnetic field" and a hell of a lot of electronic interference, so you decide

[@metalmike570]

My Mexican built Fender Strat is like the Squire, and she goes out of tune pretty easy. I'm going to get the tuners you used here. I saw them at Guitar Center so I'll go there.

[@leelenlesueur8863]

Get the fender locking tuners. I got them for my mexican fender strat and she stays in tune perfectly. Changing strings is a lot faster too because you don't have to wind them around too much. Just pull the string tight, lock it, tune it, rock it \m/

[@metalmike570]

@@leelenlesueur8863 Well I went with the cheaper tuners...... If I'm not happy then I'll go with the locking type. Keep rockin' LeSueur!