The Shitan Guitar Mod Shop Challenge! Plus WIN the Modded Guitar!

[@Eric_Post]

Ok now take an expensive guitar and install squier hardware. I'd love to see that!

[@dominikruhrig7282]

That is an amazing idea!!! ;)

[@panchovilla7744]

Eric Post sadist

[@XneverstopfightingX]

Stop! You have violated the law! Pay the court a fine or serve your sentence.

[@lukenicholsonoriginalmusic5475]

Then let someone who didn't know what you had done play it and see what they think. Or a blind folded person play it alongside other similar guitars.

[@Shyn-Emberblossom]

Great idea! Love to see that happen

[@bigpapachance]

Things to consider: 1. Mods can be made in stages saving upfront purchase costs 2. Many many mods can be made, and parts sold or traded 3. If you love the guitar, if it feels right, but it needs a little something, mod it.

[@macmuggo5459]

c filan exactly

[@VintageSlide]

Modding is also really fun.

[@ithemba]

Also more often than not it makes financial sense with a budget guitar you've grown out of or fallen out of love with for some reason or another. Those guitars used usually sell for bad prices so you end up with the choice of selling it for a hundred bucks or put another 200 - 300 bucks into it and make it something special, learning in the process about guitar. I did exactly that with a epiphone sg I bought used many years ago, played only briefly and I then didn't touch for years. I refinished it completely in natural nitro, redid all the electronics, locking tuners, threw Seymour Duncan P-Rails into it, a bigsby and a roller bridge, detuned it to C# et voilà. It's a beast of a guitar and something very special now, a true addition to my arsenal and I would had have to spent waaaaay more money on getting anything even close

[@JohnOhkumaThiel]

Exactly what I did. Wonderful guitar.

[@willmurphy6996]

have a $99cdn solo guitar (strat knock off) for 16 yrs. The only thing I changed is the pickups and they were replaced with $20-30 pickups off of amazon. now mind ya it took 3-4 sets to find a set I liked the sound of. BUt still sound better TO ME than any strat I have or had in stock form.

[@danieldavies6881]

This channel is basically just old school Top Gear but for guitars. 🤣

[@aaronboothe283]

Is Danish Pete their stig?

[@goodgugamuga]

jonny j some say his hair charges from ions from the humbuckers.

[@juliankonowalski]

And that's why we all love it

[@duncan-rmi]

& without the thuggish bigotry & shit jokes.

[@thomaskolb8293]

Remember the discovery show....FURNITURE GUYS????

[@tomwyant9532]

I've really enjoyed watching The Captain become a better soloist over the years.

[@cody10184]

Right?

[@EdgeOfFuzz]

He’s improved greatly!

[@nealdew71]

While Rob bores the shit out me at times .

[@Elena-qt4ih]

For sure! I wonder if is it because they jam so much in the videos or because he actually practiced?

[@davehebert3403]

@@Elena-qt4ih If I had to guess, capt prolly practiced his butt off, because he's in the limelight in the videos. That, and you can bank on it that Rob probably taught him and gave him a *LOT* of pointers. He has improved a lot. Keep up the good work, capt!

[@_o99]

10:37 Rob says "I never play on 9's" But in the mod guitar challenge where he modded a t-body guitar, he specifically asked for 9 gauge strings and Lee made fun of him saying they were "woman strings". I've been binge watching these videos too much

[@bigoldSupaD]

Meh, string gauges and brands are such a mood thing. Maybe his hands were sore? It happens... But this is a lesson against using absolutes in your speech.

[@higheststandards3344]

@@bigoldSupaD idk. Brands for sure but I use 13s on my martin for a reason, and higher action. Not because of “ego” or “fuck yeah, 13s🤘” but just my playing style. I need volume to compete with the loud ass banjos and mandolins. Idk, even 12s are too quiet for me. Plus the bass of the 13s I find are much greater. That’s just me though:)

[@shubniggurath6464]

That was because he was essentially making an Yngwie Tele, with the scalloping and everything. Easiest vibrato is scalloping + thin strings.

[@OnzeManInKazakhstan]

Pete: « you need to know what you are doing with a drill » :continues to freehand drill through tuner holes, while holding the neck in his other hand: Luthiers all over the world just died a bit.

[@edpack4390]

LOL - yeah....I was thinking REAMER NOT A DRILL>>>>>>>

[@RocktCityTim]

@@edpack4390 I was thinking full job should have taken 90 minutes ...

[@davidlericain]

Yeah, I'd never use a power drill on a headstock. No way ever.

[@RocktCityTim]

@@davidlericain I have a jig and I still use a reamer. I've never run into a situation where I needed to remove more than 1/16" for any change.

[@franciscodanconia3551]

Isn't he Danish? I mean what else do you need to know?

[@NFMorley]

@14:00 - Lee got it spot on... There's a mentality thing to modifying and upgrading guitars too. Some of us like to tinker and alter; others just want to play. End of the day, it's all good!

[@GrimYak]

Nevermind yup. It’s like when driving a car, you should also know how to do basic troubleshooting. It bothers me a lot that i see a ton of guitarists that don’t even know how to adjust string height or intonate. For me i do my own soldering, change pots, pickups level frets etc. It is not rocket science

[@pawcio247]

This not-modded Squier sounds incredible and its only ~100 quids. Insane.

[@3badthebad]

Ya it's really a great time for affordable guitars

[@saqibshabir9755]

@@3badthebad Definitely agree!

[@kitoyobeni1]

In the 80s, a cheap guitar was still 300 and largely unplayable compared to today's guitars. Unfortunately, a big part of that improvement is on the backs of sweatshop labor rates, but also due to tech improvements in those factories.

[@hotman718]

and the modded Squier sounds like ass

[@racerevlon]

I received a $99 Squier Bullet Strat as a present. Upgraded all the wiring to larger gauge, upgraded the pots to CTS, and installed Dimarzio Virtual Solo Bridge, Virtual Vintage '54 Middle, and Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues neck. Set it up proper and I'd put it up against any American.

[@Deepanshu412]

Dude I really want to buy the squire bullet but I'm worried about the tuning heads and modding them is a pain. I just like a guitar with a hardtail bridge and I really like the stock pickups. So can you please tell me good Sir are the stock tuning heads really that shity on this guitar ? Thanks in advance

[@bestplans9051]

Did the same with my Tele Bullet but used Seymour Duncans and Kluson locking tuners. I'd put it up against any $1,000+ Tele! And spent only half that much :).

[@bestplans9051]

I get and understand what the Captain is saying though, in retail the guitar IS whatever is on the headstock to be truthful and that's how it has to be sold. If I were to sell a "modded" guitar it would be a personal sale not through retail and especially not a pawn shop!

[@mattbough7072]

I think it’s underestimated how good the squires are.

[@fortj3]

I have a friend who gigs with his Squier Strats, instead of his Fender Strats. He replaced the tuners and strings and is just as happy with them.

[@rebeccahammond4671]

Are the Squire Strats that good of a 'cheapo' version, or the Fender Strats that crappy of a 'real guitar'? To me, all Strats sound like thin cheap bolt-neck guitars. I would rather play a set-neck $300 Epiphone Les Paul or SG vs a $1300 Fender Strat any day. But that is just one person's opinion.

[@bboyzagy]

@@rebeccahammond4671 It could be due to the pickups. I find myself disliking the strat pickups far too often. They sound anemic to me. I think it's all about personal preference, albeit a bolt-neck does affect the tone.

[@oldschool1107]

@@bboyzagy well I think the pickups you're referring to are the SSS, try the HSS Squire Bullet, there's a noticeable difference in the tone, it's closer to Les Paul plus it's more versatile.

[@metalthrashingnerdpodcast9864]

​@@rebeccahammond4671it's the output of the pickups themselves. Squire and fender do offer a HSS version but If you a re more comfortable with the Les Paul in shape, neck, and everything else then stick with that. I personally like the location of everything on my Les Paul vs any strat I've played besides a super strat like a jackson

[@chriscolabella880]

Blindfold test, Bea plays, Chappers and the Captain listen: Cheapest guitars with most expensive pickups versus most expensive guitar with Squire/fridge magnet pups.

[@jasondmello1046]

Cheap guitars are not shit anymore, they are affordable and still deliver great results.

[@recordlabeldao7820]

Jason Dmello yes thats true all squier haters can back off i have squier jazz bass and pj bass and i have both upgradet them to original fender things on them and they sound like the original fender basses.

[@markgowans]

@@ParaBellum2024 Lol I dont think many people watching his will be old enough to remember Woolies :p

[@TheMelody911]

I've moded an 200£ Les Paul copy with everything I could change from the Gibson Shop. I have to say the wood was perfect and the woodwork was to. Great sounding guitar that feels just like my '67 Les Paul.

[@AveMcree]

@@ParaBellum2024 You do know that millennials is anyone born between 1981 and 1996?

[@prestondoring2640]

Ave Mcree I was born in 04 and am considered a millennial some how?

[@BtR76]

Surely the best lesson to take from this video is that practice and new found insight on theory, technique etc (ala the Captain and his newly polished chops) is the best way to get killer tones from any instrument? 🤘

[@BeefNEggs057]

Funny that he plays that same G chord D chord riff he plays every time he picks up a guitar. I guess we all have our test riff.

[@richiehale1545]

I have a 30ish year old strat that my dad gave me a few months before he passed. He used this guitar for many years gigging, it has patina, actual relicing from being used, not being painted in that way. I have had to mod it though because the wiring is shot and the pups are tired. It does sound back to its full sound which is what I wanted to achieve. Keep up the great work

[@NickandShan]

"Bob Lazar worked on it for us" don't think your humor goes unnoticed Rob!

[@SerjBassist]

If you say about a cheap Squier "It sounds like a Strat", I see it as a compliment.

[@NolanZewariligon]

@@KZbinHandlesAreMoronic I think that Rob also couldn't hear those subtleties through a KZbin video.

[@jackmilligan550]

I reckon it may have been a lot closer if they bought some custom shop 69 pickups or some other low output pickups. They cost the same as the bare knuckles but are a lot more stratty! Hot strat pickups just don't sound enough like strats for me.

[@JimijaymesProductions]

Those Bare Knuckles are the cheap models they are alot less than normal Bare Knuckles pickups at 119 pounds a set whereas the normal ones are 175 pounds.

[@fransvenrooy4760]

I bought some custom shop fat 50s and they're really awesome.

[@brningpyre]

Yeah. Honestly, could've just left the pickups as is. The amp upgrade (which they barely even mention) made a far bigger difference for us as viewers, and I prefer the lower output as well.

[@mikew2256]

Okay. So I've got this right? This is to win Pete's purple telecaster?

[@randyvanvliet226]

Pete's Purple Squire Bullet Tele, modded, bashed, pummeled and clubbed, to look Vintage. Make mine Mexican, not Malaysian or Indonesian, please!

[@banteringboomer4280]

its yellow now

[@WhoWouldWantThisName]

Yes, and I believe they bundled it with a Victory Sherriff 44 if I'm not mistaken, well and a gig bag of goodies of course.

[@imprezabob]

I got this same hardtail fiesta red squire strat a few months back and am about to mod as follows: 1. Ironstone Silver pickups £38.95 2. Stainless Steel saddles £12.95 3. Electrics Upgrade Wiring Kit for Strat (with Oak Switch)CTS Orange Drop S/craft £29.95 4. Soldering kit £12.98 Plus just received my vintage Boss CS-2 pedal, which is amazing

[@jonyoung9408]

I did this with a prs se a couple years back... pre S2. I gradually upgraded the pu's, bridge, tuners & added push pull all to usa versions & it definitely holds its own compared to any Usa model I've played especially the S2 line they have now. But i like tinkering as much as anything. Its even therapeutic at times and its unique compared to other prs' or se. In other words i like doing mods!

[@metalloid3417]

"I don't need to be authentic." Gibson would like a word with you, Rob. Also, I've entered the contest.

[@jesselucero4581]

Im continually impressed by the progress the Captain makes, his playing is so tasteful. Well done Brotha

[@thegreatfire-livecoverband5377]

Jesse Lucero right? He’s really come into his own

[@robhuxtable]

Did I even hear him doing some pinch harmonics near the beginning? V. nice Lee!

[@thehound2161]

If it stays in tune it is a good guitar. Everything sounds different and i have not found a sound that i felt is bad. I have nine guitars. Perhaps i have been lucky. I suspect it is simply materials and quality checking that have evened the playing field. I find folks wanting to make every guitar sound like the tone in their head and end up with all their guitars sounding the same. I want mine to all sound different. I have replaced the nut on one, PUP's on one and tuners on one. Bone nut change on a T, PUP's were microphonic on the same T, and some Epiphone tuners were very bad on a LP.

[@rachelandryan]

I had fun visiting the shop for my 40th. Shout out to the excellent customer service at Andertons!

[@voodoochild1975az]

Never been to Guildford, but I know two things about it; be on the lookout for a man named Ford Prefect, and stop by Anderton's....

[@saqibshabir9755]

Guildford is a nice place. Went to Andertons on my birthday to get a pedal. It's a great store and the staff are awesome!

[@erextrum]

voodoochild1975az There’s a Trillian reasons to visit!!!

[@floydharper4653]

Just keep a towel handy

[@oliver-m7ocl]

I wish that Fender did more hardtail strats, preferably non-signature, e.g. the Robert Cray.

[@barnabylee9763]

Oliver Lorton on mine I do what clapton does and stick a wedge in the a trem. That gives it a floating tone. Pretty nice

[@jeffinmicheal4229]

Slowly putting upgrades into my pink Squier Bullet as my savings allow, feels awesome when you get to see it evolve over time

[@alrangelal]

I think that's what most people would do. I've had an Epiphone LP 100 for 7 years and all the mods I've done are the tuners and the bridge and I would like to eventually switch the neck pup with a P90. What I believe doesn't happen is a person spending 400-500 on a 150 guitar and 250-350 on components all at once.

[@jeffinmicheal4229]

@@alrangelal I'd agree with you on that, I'd certainly love to do it though (If money wasn't an issue). I guess it's nice that these two are doing it so we dont have to!

[@joshuaspencer1346]

Yeah, I think that's where mods make the most sense. You have an attachment to an old, maybe first guitar, and you're extending it's lease on life :)

[@ErimlRGG]

Did you sand the frets and rounded the neck a bit? Makes a lot of different, I love how mine feels

[@chuckie1652]

Buying a well built (body & neck) cheaper guitar and modifying it to your own specs is as close as most of us will get to our own signature model. 😎 I bought a Squier with the intentions of gutting it and customizing it the way I wanted it. I went middle of the road and got the Standard Strat with a better tail piece and regular Strat stuff seems to fit it.

[@darthhull85]

I think Lee is missing the point. If someone is getting a cheap guitar and modding it usually because they’re just starting out and they do so gradually. I don’t know anyone that’s bought a cheap guitar and immediately upgraded everything.

[@Kingsnax12]

Devin Hull yeah and it’s also the idea that when you are playing a show in someone’s backyard people look at your guitar it’s yours and no one elses

[@noname-ng6sj]

They're adults.

[@daveyrock6521]

That's what I'm doing. Gut a cheap guitar, install pro gear then get an intermediate or higher level instrument for a fraction of the price. Smarter than buying an expensive guitar you barely like, or buying a beginner guitar and letting it sit from lack of interest. I've seen so many people quit guitar because they've gotten a cheap guitar where the sound sucks, playability is constricted, and more than anything, the hardware is terrible. Not only that but simply the vibe itself can turn you away real quick. Getting a cheap squier or used reverb bolt on guitar can emediatly be turned into a guitar that has the value of a $1000+ price point instrument, IF you know how to do it. $100 guitar+$500 upgrades= $1300 guitar. See the price difference? Not only is it cheaper but an expensive model may not look, sound or have the stuff you want on it. If you mod the expensive, you lose overall value, if you mod the cheap, you slightly gain value. Not to mention the free upgrades, such as smoothing out sharp fret ends with a nail file or different grits of sand paper carefully, lubing the nut with graphite (pencil). Cheap upgrades, new tuners, new nut, new saddles on original bridge (cheaper than replacing the whole thing), and obviously, new strings.

[@modestextreme]

I have! $85 used squier bullet + $150 worth of Guitar fetish parts = an amazing instrument for less than $300. I also have a squier se special that I modded that compares nicely next to a usa g&l with fender vintage noisless pickups. It's worth it if you are into doing the work yourself. With so many reasonable priced upgrades out there, buying a cheap squier or no-name instrument is a no brainer.

[@michaelcottle6270]

Yep, that's what I did. As funds permitted I upgraded, took 3 years all told and ended up with a wizard profile rosewood/maple neck, Seymour Duncan pickups, Schaller tuners, a Kahler Trem, and wiring that works for me which means I have a "Strat" with the middle pickup volume on a tone pot that can be in or out of phase. Couldn't afford all that in one go. Couldn't buy that off the shelf. Did most of the work myself. I know it's worth nothing as a trade in but I'll run into a burning building to save it.

[@willmac3521]

What do you call a guitar that has completely changed parts? Trans-Fender.

[@jcherringfish1]

Bada Boom! Haha, nice

[@brisson182]

Be careful, you might hurt someone’s feelings

[@davidmc8478]

Make sure to refer to the guitar as they and not it

[@ScytherStevesy]

The Squier is louder because of the Ceramic magnets in the pickups. More output and bottom end. Alnico are more classic Strat

[@LeBoun64]

You're right, and to me, output level is not quality...

[@toledo2983]

@@LeBoun64 in this case, the fender sounds not better...in fact i liked the squier sound best.

[@michaelrobinson6629]

Why can't Fender make a hardtail strat on their main line?

[@chrishorton615]

They do, the Robert Cray Strat is hardtail.

[@lostrob]

Subscribed! The squire would be a welcome addition to my schools music department, the kids would love it. Keep up the great work and videos, Mr A

[@davidkastin4240]

I like them all. I like the chime of the neck pickup on the Squier most out of the 3. I always say " You can't go wrong with a Squier Strat. I have 4 of them all different

[@hdavies]

I personally really like the idea of modding guitars, I think it's a great way to make them unique and personal to you and your playing style.

[@erdiu]

I have gone down the road of mods quite a few times. It was great fun and I learned quite a bit. But is it worth it? Well, in terms of what you're gonna get as a final product, no it's not. I've spent way too much money on pickups just to find out that they don't sound that great or, even when they do sound great, that the guitar is just not worthy of them in terms of playability. Plus you spend a lot and your resale value doesn't go up. A guitar is a complex instrument, even two identical ones can sound different. Im with Cap. Lee on this one. Buy the guitar you like right off the shelf. If it doesn't have the ït"factor then, it will probably never have it, no matter how much you spend on parts for it!

[@pauldickinson286]

Should do a video upgrading a mexican fender players strat and compare it to an american professional..

[@Songbirdstress]

This. Next video please :)

[@dominikruhrig7282]

Yes please, great idea!!

[@roinerwonkler8754]

Paul Dickinson the Mexican made road worn telecaster are great

[@coltonreed8371]

I bought a second hand Mexican strat and put new pickups and locking tuners on it and I’ll put it up against American made Strat. That would be one hell of a video!

[@pauldickinson286]

@@coltonreed8371 very true there a great guitar.. and i have done the same.. ive had my mexican strat for 16 years which i got second hand, ive changed the pickups to a Seymour ducan pearly gates and 2 fender custom shops in the middle and neck position, it has a Wilkinson trem, graph tech nut and fender locking tuners. Ever time i go into a guitar shop and play a fender american stratocaster i realise its not as good as my mexican and leave lol..

[@Midgetcell]

Answer: Only if you never intend to sell it...

[@amorfo9127]

Yeap...you synthesized it pretty well. First guitar (a Bullet for many people) is something...you grew up with that thing, for sure then comes a moment in which you recognize its limitations *but* you would never sell it, no money for a brand new (without sell) so...bring some "love" on it. In this case the video is all wrong, criteria is monetized at first, and then comes a: cuestionable subjective sound taste from two different persons, but hey, is a funny video.

[@fortj3]

Sell? Guitar? What does that mean?

[@Lozh1993]

@@fortj3 this confused me too

[@alexhicks6207]

@@Lozh1993 what is selling is it like modding or when you buy another or something

[@kennvillegas2014]

Joshua Self ; Why would I sell a Squire? I mean in reality I have a pawnshop prize dual bucker bullet, it was exactly what one would expect from a dodgy guitar, but after I tuned and detailed it. Intonation was off action was crappy etc. If I took it to a pro guitar shop that setup, would have cost me more than the squire. My time was the only actual investment, and I have it set up pretty nice. Now friends think that it costs as much as a fancy guitar, IDK it’s great fun for what it needs to do

[@jasonrego2008]

I'd love to see you mod an epiphone Les Paul and compare it to a similar cost Gibson LP!

[@benlogan430]

Bullet in it’s original state sounded the best of the three for certain! My daughter has one in a burst that sounds and looks sweet!

[@artificialinsolence3182]

For me, the most hilarious parts of this show are when the crew behind the camera starts cracking up. I lose my shit everytime the crew bursts out in laughter. It's a fantastic sign, that really everybody is having fun with this show, not just the guy in front of the camera. Keep it up!

[@sewerman6754]

Friendship ended with PRS, now Squier is my new best friend.

[@markgowans]

Wow. I'd personally take a PRS SE over any cheap Fender

[@boggeshzahim3713]

@@markgowans :|

[@Spaceman2921]

@@markgowans fenders cooler

[@markgowans]

@@Spaceman2921 I do actually like both. I have an Elite Strat, A made in mexico Telecaster & a PRS Paul's guitar SE

[@Spaceman2921]

@@markgowans FEDNER COOLER

[@jameslewis2635]

Modding a guitar is a thing that you need to judge as you go along. You start with what you have and then work out what you want to change to make it better. You also need to think about what does work and apply a good bit of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' style common sense. Like on my Squire Vintage Modified P bass I didn't like how it sounded. It seemed weak next to what I would expect from a P bass, but the rotary only control system sucked. It literally has the two pickups draining each other's signal to produce a weaker overall tone. My solution was to install a cheap £20 active pre-amp (some routing required) along with a simple 3 way (Gibson style) switch leaving an overall volume pot and stacked trebble/bass pots for the controls. I don't like the basic Fender bridge so again that was replaced with a sub £20 part that is far more chunky. The tuners work fine, so I left those and the rest was just basic maintainance and setup like using a pencil to put graphite in the nut. All in, for the sum of about £40 + consumables (like lemon oil and many mugs of tea) and my own labour I have an instrument that plays better and sounds better in the most part. Yes, there are other things I would like to do with it such as fit strap-locks, change the bridge pickup to a humbucker and fit some better tuners, but these are things that I can do down the road. Essentially, these mods have been done on the same budget as a premium set of strings. You don't need to spend a lot of money to mod a guitar, just a few ideas and a bit of graft.

[@artwizardsam3238]

"The competition is open to UK residents only" The world: Am I a joke to you?

[@ChrisStoneinator]

@@0megalul309 MUUUUUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA!!!

[@thatziggs4062]

Remember when most of the world was the UK?

[@Ndlanding]

Apparently it's because Boris wants to move the capital of the UK to Gibraltar. Me, I'm a Brit and I live in Spain. Maybe I should stop subscribing/liking since I'm a worthless fuck-face.

[@Ndlanding]

@@thatziggs4062 No.

[@brianmulherin4535]

What about unruly colonists? Can we enter under those pretenses?

[@ldf4064]

All my guitars have been modified: 1) On all strat type guitars I rewired the bottom tone control to the bridge pick-up. It’s a cheap and easy mod that vastly improves the instrument. 2) I added a Gilmour style switch to one guitar because I wanted a Gilmour style strat. (Who doesn’t?) 3) Someone sold a US Strat HSS pickguard, fully loaded with pickups and switches, for $120. It was the simplest thing to put that into my Mex Strat. 4) Replaced 3-way switch with 5-way on an HH guitar to increase tonal options. 5) Completely refurbished a cheap strat copy, head to toe, with upgraded everything, including new paint job. It’s only worth the cash and effort if it’s cheap and easy, if it gives you a mod not found on a stock guitar or if it’s pursued as a hobby. That last one on the list, no. 5, was a dead loss financially.

[@BanjoSayWhat]

I'd love to tell people I have a genuine Andertons Shitan just to see the confusion on their face.

[@WhoWouldWantThisName]

They should modify the headstock to say that. Something like `Anderton Shitan Series' and maybe `Custom Shop' for Pete's work. Would increase it's value tremendously.

[@ScareCrowReview]

Would love to see you do things like this for other affordable guitars, see how modding affects them. Or maybe a Bass version?

[@DOPEDOGTOPDOG]

THere are a lot of channels with the exact same video , recently I saw a guy upgrade a Squier Jazz Bass with Hipshot tuners and bridge , good pickups.... and the result was : everybody prefered the stock version , the blind test results were surprising as people prefered the stock squier too VS the modded one and a US model !

[@ScareCrowReview]

DOPEDOGTOPDOG it’s always funny, seeing people just prefer what it was previously to the mods

[@jvin248]

look up Johan Sageborn's channel and the upgrades and tests he did to an Epiphone Special (like putting Gibson pickups and controls)

[@daemonelectricity]

I love when the editing skews into Tim and Eric territory.

[@Pusheadcic]

I really enjoy the Andertons videos. You guys have the best ideas for concepts, comparisons and reviews. I will say, I do miss Prof. Bypass.

[@pd4165]

@@robjobse8860 Thomann got the video out 1st - but was it recorded 1st? Andertons make a shit-tonne of videos in two days and then release them over the month.

[@hadleymanmusic]

Yep. I bought a mako strat in 87. It was rigged up like a frankenstrat to a T. I rebuilt it all tricked out uli style. It now has schecter strat neck refretted by Don Teach. I put a pickguard HSS 5 way switch bigger bar. Routed body for block clearance put a bigger bar. Its even plywood body. Its got magic.ive yet to find any guitar in any store with those attributes.

[@nothousebroke]

I did that very thing with that strat bullet exactly what Chappers did. I bought a brand new Squier after I played like 10 of them to find the neck I liked everything the best. All those necks are all CNG cut meaning there's really no difference from guitar to guitar neck wise what I was looking for is how the neck fit in the pocket all the man error things that make things good or bad like if you'll notice some guitars the strings aren't centered into the center of the neck things like that or because the wood is cheaper in the neck is it straighter did it warp up a little silly thing is I picked the one I thought sounded the best without an amp just strumming it on its own I think when it's amped it sounds even better yet . The reason I built this guitar this way was because I was traveling a bunch and I wanted a really nice sounding feeling guitar that if it was broken in travel all I had to do was swap out the pickguard and tuners and I was back in business for a hundred bucks for my travel guitar the guts are what's important it was an added addition that it sounded nice on amped and the neck felt great put all those pieces together and what you've got is a guitar that if you drop it traveling something bangs into it the paint gets dinged up someone breaks the neck you don't get bent out of shape and you don't care and it's funny because a month after I modded and built this guitar I was traveling in my wife got her coat out of the car and the guitar in the soft case slit out of the car and banged on to the ground and my wife looked at me like I was going to be major grumpy and I said it's cool don't worry about it it's my travel guitar no big deal. That is exactly why I built it. The funny thing is is that Strat bullet and a tele that is the next level up squire are actually my two most played guitars I modded the telly terrifically in the electronics but I didn't have to mod the tuners because the next level up tele actually had pretty darn nice tuners.

[@billybadfinger597]

Rob only looks for ONE tone: GAIN+MORE GAIN...and mostly using the bridge pup...Pete would have really demo'd those mode better IMO...

[@TexanUSMC8089]

For some people, guitars are like cars. You can't just leave it stock. You have to make it a little unique and make it yours. Maybe that's an American thing, I don't know. Many years ago, I bought a new Harley. I pulled in and parked at a store and another person parked next to me with the exact same bike. The next weekend I sanded my new bike down and painted it. I hate buying something new and someone else has the exact same thing. I like modding guitars. At least change the pick guard to a different color. LOL

[@florianju5638]

"You have to be knowing what you are doing with a drill." Showing video footage of Pete, clearly not knowing what exactly he is doing with a drill. :D GOLD!

[@deutschmanxspike]

Awesome!

[@JSW104]

Doesn't the Squire have ceramic pickups which have inherently more output than the alnico pickups in the player series strat?

[@oskarileikos]

True! But ceramic magnets should also have a different eq-curve compared to the Alnico 5 magnets of the Player Strat. Surprisingly, the Squier and the Fender sound very similar eq-wise - very stratty. I would have wanted to hear the bridge pickups of the two because the cheap strat pickups may sound good in the neck position but weak/ice-picky in the bridge position.

[@sinjon]

Not necessarily more output but a different tone. Ceramic pickups are warmer where as Alnico pickups are more glassy and trebly

[@alexmedia8094]

It really depends. I bought an unwanted 1996 MIK Squier a few years back for £75 and decided to sand it down, install new pups, bridge, tuners and pots because the neck was PERFECT in everyway. Could easily go toe for toe with a top spec American Strat

[@NinjaGunner51]

Honestly almost anything would be an upgrade to my mid 90s chinese squier strat :D prefering the modded bullet to the unmodded in this through my speakers at least

[@gianlucabaruffato6687]

I'd love to own that Squier because I've always wanted a guitar with single coil pickups

[@metalmulisha0143]

Kind of agree with the captain, after spending £400 on upgrades to the squier you'd find the biggest tonal difference is the string gauge

[@underbear9683]

9's sound better.

[@BLUEYAZ00]

You can tell from the way that they move in the opening jam that no matter who is playing, a strat gives the player a very unique energy.

[@Xaltar_]

I have always been a project guitar guy, even my expensive guitars have been modded, some extensively. I will say though that modding cheap guitars does not add to the value, from a playing or resale perspective unless you can do something to make it play less cheap. That requires skill, time and patience to do (or a lot of money which defeats the point). Things like rolling the fret board, setting the truss rod, properly leveling, crowning and polishing the frets and in many cases, stripping the finish of the back of the neck and redoing it in a satin finish. By the time you total up the expense and time of doing all that you may as well have started out with something like that MiM Strat which will save you a ton of time on woodwork and fretwork. Personally, I prefer doing all the work, it makes the guitar feel more personal, not to mention you can make subtle changes to the neck profile and other playability factors to really tailor it to your preferences. Whatever project guitar you end up doing however, ALWAYS hang on to the original parts. As Lee so aptly mentioned, you will NEVER get back the expense of your mods when you sell so just put back all the original bits and either keep the upgrades for future projects or sell those on separately, even selling the pickups (for example) at a loss you will still come out better than selling the guitar upgraded. Stupid people are responsible for value, people who only care about the label on the headstock even if you sunk $5000 into your axe in mods and it plays and sounds better than a $20000 custom shop, you still only get Squire money for a Squire. Real players don't determine value, collectors do and many of those wouldn't know a great player if you dropped it on their head. A player collector collects what they love to play, brand, year and other factors mean less than how it makes them feel. I still have a dirt cheap "Encore" single humbucker ST style guitar that I have owned since my teens and I have literally not changed a thing on it other than replacing the warn out pots, it just feels, sounds and plays fantastically to me and I will never sell it. Maybe it's nostalgia or maybe it was a hidden gem, either way, it's mine and I love it. Buy and build what you love and you can't go wrong 👍 If you can't get a project to play and sound like you want, restore it to how you bought it and sell it on to someone else who may like it better.

[@conordyer2307]

if your willing to put the work in to learn from youtube guides yourself and not pay someone to do the work then upgrading a cheaper guitar is super worth it especially if you have bought another since and its gathering dust, my yamaha pacifica is a beast now after ripping out the electrics completely, routing additional space for 2 volumes, 2 tones, split/parallel/series switches for 2 'alinco 2' humbucker pickups, a phase /out of phase switch, and series/ parallel option when both humbuckers are active, and filling the hole the trem system left to convert it to a tuneomatic bridge and tail piece like a gibson, sanding staining and oil finish with a 0.6mm walnut burl veneer on a wood pickguard and on the headstock , new tuners and fret job. Also built a small box that the pickup rings ascrew to the top of instead of the pickguard that sits in the massive pickup cavity they route in pacificas and the box connects to a rail system i made (essentially 2 bits of thin metal pole either side of the cavity and holes drilled the same thickness through a small square of wood attached to the box to hold the box steady so it doesn't move around while playing) either side so the pickup can move from the bridge to the middle position by moving it and the same for the neck it can move to the middle position or anywhere in between so you can have the 2 pickups right beside each other or spread out plus the combinations of single coil, humbucker, in phase, series/parallel etc. makes it a melter lol Its a crazy guitar with so many tonal options but its one that i always want to pickup as theres something more personal about having completely changed it to what i wanted lol

[@lexluthier8290]

Sounds wicked mate, good job! For probably 1/4 of the price of a custom shop & 4 times as versatile. Want one :-)

[@Zundfolge]

Truth is, the most important "mods" one can do on a cheap guitar cost nothing. Learning how to properly set up the action and tweak the intonation will do more to make a cheap guitar play better than anything and that'll only set you back the cost of a couple of screwdrivers.

[@Zundfolge]

@@confrex4256 I've built several guitars with Floyds ... yeah they can be a nightmare. I can only imagine how bad a Steinberger Trans-Trem would be though.

[@davidawilliams1782]

They all sounded good to be fair. Will enter the competition but last competition I won was on Wakaday with Timmy Mallet in 1986 so won't be holding out much hope lol. Great vid again guys cheers

[@NOTmel272]

David A Williams seriously... I don’t think I’ve won any giveaway... ever.

[@davidawilliams1782]

@@NOTmel272 I won a kite and a video at 6 year's old and nothing since😳

[@josephreed7667]

Personally I've always liked the idea of modding because it's a way to make the guitar unique

[@paulharris9309]

Classic vibe strat, cant go wrong

[@PC-hp6gz]

Chuck a Fender bridge in a Bullet and it changes again. The cheap out component is the bridge with their cacky little zinc sustain block. I feel that I improved the tuning stability and sound of mine by changing, at quite low cost, tusq nut, tusq string trees, Fender bridge and block, Wilkinson pickups and some decent strings. It is set up as a floating bridge too. The guitar, I bought 2nd hand for 75 quid. Total outlay, couple of hundred quid. The weight improves greatly with the weight of a proper steel block, tuning stability comes from changing that and anywhere the strings are in contact with a surface and the pickups are much nicer. Cleaned up the fretboard. Modding doesn't have to start with a brand new guitar which can cut costs immediately.

[@OnePaintedMan]

Bought my son a Squire Bullet Strat for £109. Even though I bought myself a beautiful PRS costing £750 the same week, that plays like a dream, I still sneak into his room when he's not there to play the Bullet. The neck is awesome and they are PHENOMENAL guitars for the money.

[@joshuadevries3459]

To each their own but who would pay someone to do the mods. That's the fun part and paying soming 40/hr is insane.

[@eddie3064]

Between these two funny, informative cats and the 'That Pedal Show' dudes, You have all the info you need on amps, guitars and effects. I'm American, but I prefer the Brits take on things. The laughs and entertainment value is off the charts... Thanks guys!

[@stankfanger1366]

The Top Gear of the guitar world. Comedy, character, charm, and charisma that accidentally breaks out into bits of consumer information once in a while.

[@renebauch6568]

Seeing a red strat... immediatly thinking about mark knopfler playing some of his amazing licks😂

[@jackcompton8752]

Got a used $80 squire mini strat & used $90 fender mustang I amp for grandson. Spent money on labor to smooth out fretboard edge and fret ends then swapped in new fender 250k pots, deluxe drive pups, graphtech nut & string trees, fender tuning machines.... and mounted Willy G 7's on it. Grandson loves to learn & practice. Best money I've spent at the guitar shop! BTW... I enjoy your vids! Drive on!

[@gaztayplays1210]

You know what ive didnt relise how nice red strats are its beautiful i gotta have one, one day. Ive subbed to all of the channels for a chance to win the strat!

[@austinhunter6554]

Look at captain getting creative and switching up his playing

[@TedSchoenling]

"Spend the money at the shops to get a better guitar" says the shop owner ;)

[@thatmg]

Well... when you buy a cheaper guitar and the upgrades he also gets your money.

[@brningpyre]

I mean, you're also probably buying the extra parts and the starting base from a shop, unless you're doing everything second hand online (and not through an online shop like Anderton's).

[@rob_whitelock]

To be fair, he a also said that if you bring a modded Squire into the shop to part exchange or sell, you'll only be offered the secondhand value of the original instrument. Whereas if you spend the same money on a higher price point guitar, you'll get a higher secondhand value.

[@rickdb8480]

Exactly

[@filianablanxart8305]

Statement #1 - Modifying is good , IF you want somthing specific/ unique not readily available stock . ie 7 way switching , particular combination of pot values & capacitor values , a specific pickup not offered from factory . Statement #2 - Much better bang for the buck for ( whatever) as original equipment than paying retail for specific upgrade parts . Statement #3 - If you ever sell or trade in , not only will the changes not add any value , you'll be doing good to not Decrease the value over stock . ********************* The factory strings on any instrument of any type should be considered disposable , and immeadately be replaced . It would be more instructional in comparisons of various instruments if the oem strings were removed , and each instrument had a fresh set of mid priced strings of the same gage from a mainstream string mfg .

[@bigzack53]

It's so cool to watch Lee's playing progress. I've been watching these guys since they started and it's been awesome to see him really improve over time. Cheers from the US!!!

[@AMBowers29]

I'm a tinkerer. I bought an affinity tele and upgraded the pots and wire and pull the neck pup out and it is now an affordable Esquire that sounds decent. Might upgrade the bridge pickup in the future

[@samsquanch6984]

Can you have chappers, the captain and Danish Pete sign the pickguard before you ship the guitar to me ?

[@choochoochooseyou]

Also shows how far along the "cheap stuff" has come.

[@CaptainScarlet1961]

Wow Lee has actually given his blessing to something I've been saying for years, a really great guitar has bugger all to do with how much it cost or what name is on the headstock or how it looks - it's all about how it feels to the individual & how it plays!

[@andrewf5390]

Very interesting follow to the “Clash” video. As a Telecaster player I’d love to see the Tele version of this, as well as a “shootout” of the cheapest Squire Tele against the MIM Player, MiA Performer, MiA Professional and MiA Elite Telecasters.

[@johnnyresin]

i had a similar experience as Mr. Pete when i put locking tuners in my old Shitan Sears catalog guitar. only i was a completely uneducated 16 year old 😂 they're slightly crooked, but still hold tune perfectly over 15 years later, so i guess i did alright! recently i had a buddy ask me to swap the tuners on his newer Fender for locking ones, and i was worried it would be the same ordeal, but i was ready for it this time! the new ones dropped right in, and the Fender even already had the 2 little holes for the little knubby guys on each tuner. it was like a 10 minute job this time!

[@jeffmalz7103]

Take a epiphone and les Paul. Put the same pickups and wirering in it and do a blindfold challenge

[@bgilley8199]

The Les Paul will feel much better to play, that's the important thing.

[@spartan8390]

I put SD Hot Rod HB in my Ep SG Pro, love it.

[@christophergregory1205]

@@bgilley8199 No it won't. Gibsons QC has sucked since about 2010. They just feel cheap to me. All the LPs I have played in recent years, the Epiphones have beat thr Gibson 9 times out of 10.

[@zepoasis]

Sheer, sheer lies

[@DannyStarr1976]

Jack Pearson played a Squire strat for a while.. even played it at the Gregg Allman tribute show...

[@billrand4138]

still does

[@istvandejesus]

Danny Starr Just what I was thinking. Jack Pearson loves he’s Squiers. He prefers the made in Indonesia ones.

[@bikerdhill]

I think you forgot to mention the bullet strat has ceramic pick-ups, vs the mexi strat that has alnico pick-ups. I think thats right

[@angellruiz6646]

i was thinking the same thing, and for the new mexican series they did go back to alnico pickups

[@evaskoklamut9479]

@prairie650kvf the old MiM Fenders had ceramic pickups, but the new ones (player series) have alnicos.

[@tlevans62]

I’ve got a 2002 Affinity Squire 20th Anniversary, it sounds great and is still going strong. Had it recently refurbished, frets polished, cleaned and oiled. Switch gear is still good. I think I was lucky with mine. I had it set up and restrung by a professional musician who’s played strats for the past thirty years, and he was quite shocked at how good it was. He borrowed it for a couple of gigs and liked that it’s a bit lighter than his American Standard and he is going to pick up his own and mod it. He liked the thinner body. He tightened up the tension on the nuts and it holds tune really well. The Affinity was better made than the Bullet, with better hardware.

[@anthonycutt8854]

The lesson I'm learning here is upgrade the pots and tuners, absolutely. But leave the pickups alone. You can get a good sound out of most of them, if you want a different sound get a different guitar.

[@xforeverknightx]

Subbed to all. It would definitely play better but the sense of achievement if you mod the guitar yourself would be priceless.

[@denisesparks4010]

My husband would definitely give that modded strat some time. He’s always happy to add to his collection 😉

[@Mr.56Goldtop]

But are you?? 😁

[@Zundfolge]

The one tiny advantage to modding that you didn't go over was the ease of cash-flowing the mods. You compared buying a more expensive guitar with buying and modding the cheap one all at once. But if you add the new tuners one month, and then maybe new pickups the next, then something else a couple months later you end up not eating all that cost up front (which for many "starving artists" is the bigger problem). That said, you're clearly better off just buying the more expensive one right off so that when the transmission in your car goes out and you have to liquidate a guitar to pay for it, you'll actually get something out of the stock, but more expensive one (again, "starving artist" problem). Modding cheap guitars is a great way to learn though, I will say that. And back when I started playing (back in the early 80s) cheap guitars were crap and needed mods to even be playable.

[@timothyritchie5290]

Like this interesting point. Its direct comparison might be a finance deal perhaps.

[@samwalker7567]

So I went out and bought a dirt cheap T-style copy as a guitar I could throw about and not worry about. I also had a Mojo gold foil pickup which lacked a suitable candidate until this point. I decided to combine the two things. The result, with a couple of other minor upgrades (new strings and saddles), set me back a smidge over £250 all in... It's fantastic. It sounds incredible and plays surprisingly well. It's not the nicest neck ever but the guitar holds its own against the real deal which costs significantly more. Certainly sound wise it doesn't feel like a cheap guitar!

[@simonreeder5648]

I totally agree with what he says about it doesn’t matter how much time and money you spent on it, it will still be worth what a squier is worth. Case in point, I bought a squier with a lace sensor plus pack upgrade on eBay for £110. 🤷‍♂️. Although that was 10 years ago and eBay isn’t full of bargains anymore because people generally know stuff 😢. 🎸.

[@thegreatfire-livecoverband5377]

Subscribed! If I win this guitar, it will go to my best friend who recently had to sell his - so we can keep making music together! Living the dream.

[@dagan5698]

John Haynes good luck too you.

[@matthewcattermole504]

Or if you don't win, dude you could always buy the bullet so you can keep jamming and upgrade when you can afford it?

[@musicsucks6969]

Hope you live in the UK

[@thegreatfire-livecoverband5377]

the nutstomper thank you👍👍👍

[@thegreatfire-livecoverband5377]

Mattermole Zursch great idea - though I do like the sound of the new pickups, even though they’re lower output than the original

[@darkrasmurn]

Captain "if people like modding guitars because they like doing airfix models..." Yep. That's me. literally all my instagram is at the minute. guitar mods and airfix models hahaha

[@KozmykJ]

I'd say that the comparative price should have excluded labour. I don't mess with a guitar unless it has a problem. I'll adjust and fiddle away like a crazy person but not mod. I Have done a complete fret job on a cheap 335 copy but not upgraded the hardware. Been subbed for years, all three plus keys and tech, but it would be interesting to win and see for myself what that modded Squire was like.

[@deutschmanxspike]

why though? most problems on cheap guitars are caused by crap tuners and a badly filed nut.... bung in some better electronics which dont cost that much antway ..... decent pickups are 3/4s of a guitar sound at least if you have a good base.....

[@KozmykJ]

@@deutschmanxspike I don't disagree. If the pickups weren't up to my expectations I'd consider it. So far though I've not needed to. One budget P90 guitar I bought I half suspected that I might need to upgrade but they turned out to be fine. Between some careful pre-purchase research and a bit of luck it hasn't been necessary. 😉 I have one or two guitars I might put better tuners on some day but right now there's no rush.

[@deutschmanxspike]

@@KozmykJ well if you are happy that's all that matters mate!

[@deutschmanxspike]

Oh an agree, p90s rock ! I have a budget ghs p90 on one of my guitars and it kicks ass!

[@KozmykJ]

@@deutschmanxspike I love the rich harmonics from my P90s. Although the cheap no-name ones in my SC-450 sound different from the neck SD P90 in my Yam 611, they still have the tell-tale characteristic tone; both when played clean And when nasty ...

[@superbford]

I've never really been into modding guitars much, but some things are worth trying. Last year I purchased a Fender Baja Tele.... great guitar... but had some trouble with tuning. The nut was fine but the brass saddles seemed to be the problem. I picked up some compensated brass saddles for it and it stays in tune much better now. That was a 30 dollar upgrade. I easily installed myself right before taking the guitar in for a setup. The tech made sure they were positioned correctly for intonation reasons. It made a strong guitar even better.

[@zoso219]

I have a 7 string PRS and the only changes made to it was swapping the pickups for a set of Pegasus/Sentient. Also I'd happily take that modded Squier to give away to a newbie to learn on.

[@Flyingcybersec]

When you did the switch test I thought you were queueing up the intro to “Money”

[@gallefreyan]

Loved my Epiphone Special II Les Paul, it got me into playing properly. Nothing wrong with a decent £100 guitar! Keep up the awesome content Andertons!

[@tommy8058]

Yes me too. Have also a cheap epiphone and be satisfied with it. 😊

[@fhqwhgads1670]

I cannot STAND the Epiphone headsock. -I'd probably own one, otherwise.

[@tommy8058]

@@fhqwhgads1670 Hi. What's wrong with it?😊

[@fhqwhgads1670]

@@@tommy8058 aside from being hideously fugly? nothing.

[@De4thInc4rn4te16]

@@fhqwhgads1670 as well as too big, i still own an epi 335 though, and will get an epi les paul plustop soon, just so i can play authentic you know ;)

[@T.H.W.O.T.H]

Convinced me that if I ever get a guitar I'm never going to mod it! Thanks for that 😼

[@buzzbabyjesus]

​@Ben Hackett I have 30 guitars. I had to learn the skills.

[@jamesbarros950]

I put a few hundred into a affinity tele, finally gave it away and will get a player soon

[@russellscott1151]

I’ve been looking at building some electric guitars but by the time I’ve bought decent quality parts, wood for the neck, fretboard, body, any inlay, paint, frets etc etc it would be cheaper to just buy a good guitar and that is not even allowing for time and tools to build them. And you’re not going to know what it’ll sound like until complete!

[@paulvenezio1291]

I like that, Old school Top Gear for guitars. Since it’s all subjective anyway, that’s the perfect way to go about it.

[@Atomic1710]

Facto

[@deezee8508]

Rabea didn't have any trouble getting good tone from the true grit pups. Just sayin...