3 Tips To Make Your Fender Squier Guitar Play Better in under 30 Minutes!

[@amos7458]

One tip I picked up from staining and finishing wood is you can use a piece of a brown paper bag that you would get from a grocery store as a super fine sand paper to essentially buff out the back of the neck. It's not rough enough to actually sand the neck, but will take away any rough spots or tiny raised parts of the wood.

[@ronmacneill7333]

I have done all of the things listed in your video on lots of cheap guitars and you can really make them very playable. One additional step I have done is to actually polish the back of the neck with wax foerwood . A small jar will last for years and it makes for a smooth fast surface. A great product is Claphams Beeswax Polish . Does a super job.

[@bsideguitar]

That is definitely a great bonus tip. Thanks for chiming in!

[@oliox8685]

If you use a bit of a natural beeswax bloc melted with mineral oil you avoid all nasty chemicals. I use this for guitars and solid wood furniture.

[@rangerdoc1029]

Those bullet mustangs have the most comfortable neck I've ever played. It's the only 24" neck with a 12" radius... & very thin too.

[@theWARMJET]

I still have the original strigs for more than a year, playing and bending every single day

[@ColeMac05]

@@theWARMJET that’s nothing to flaunt about. New strings will transform your tone

[@phillipholt6005]

The only thing that I have against my BULLET MUSTANG is the fret edges are horrible.

[@postoffice146]

@@phillipholt6005 Did you mean Bullet Mustang fret ends? My thin 9 E-string often gets stuck outside the fretboard under the fret ends.

[@michaelwroman]

I totally agree! I just bought an Olympic White Squire Bullet Mustang and was totally surprised at how nice the neck is. I love it!

[@peyotepete4903]

I'd include a little attention to those saw tooth fret ends to. Some Squires feel like running your hand over a chainsaw blade out of the box

[@bsideguitar]

Heya Pete. The one I received was actually pretty good on the fret ends. I imagine with the quantity they make there are plenty that need some love on those fret ends.

[@lw1391]

Really nice to see adjustments you can make without having to solder in new pickups. These are definitely within the reach of a beginner who is careful. Great tips!

[@AndyDion]

Great tips! So many beginners need this information!

[@bsideguitar]

Thanks man! Appreciate the feedback.

[@EpiLover]

Nice, informative video. Great review for anyone. Everyone should remember to do this to their guitars regularly. Just as an aside, I contacted Squier Customer Service and they told me all Squier guitars come from the factory with Fender 250 NPS strings. I've used them for years on a Tele without issue. Cheers!

[@Healcraft]

I got a squeir bullet strat, polished the frets, oiled the board, set up intonation / neck relief / string height / lubed the nut, put new strings on it, plays great, however the one thing that I want to change or fix is the bridge, on the high E string the saddle is kinda loose and will move down sometimes making the string closer to the edge of the fretboard constantly having to push the saddle back up.

[@yudipitre5720]

I just got a squir mustang yesterday. I am so happy with it love it. Thank for the advice. First time I see you subscribed

[@jonathanhandsmusic]

Good tips for any new guitar. I do this on all my guitars, acoustic, electric, and bass. I use boiled linseed oil on My unfinished fretboards. And metal kleen polish which is cotton soaked with some kind of chemical. Whatever works is kind of my system. As well as this, I have a fret file to smooth out rough edges. Good video

[@markpell8979]

Looks like there should be a Squier Bullet Mustang fan club judging by comments below. Mine was a mid price pawn shop find (a fair chunk under GC retail), 98% condition, great guitar with best commercial paint job I've ever seen. Near perfect fit and finish, pretty good hardware and not bad HH pickups. Did all the same tune-ups seen here but finished fret ends and set the truss rod, saddles etc. 24" scale is fun and fast, not too short. I wish they sold Teles and Strats with a 24" scale option. I could deal with a 20 fret neck if it took that since I almost never play those last couple frets. I bet most people don't. Anyway, would not trade my particular Squier Mustang for a Fender. If you have enough guitars that it could be called a collection, you should have one of these for fun.

[@ianskelding5493]

Ive used steel wool on the back of a rough feeling neck, the very fine steel wool, it made a big difference to the feel of the neck

[@1badsteed]

Daddios, great strings. Been using them for 30 years,and I've tried many different brands. Excellent tips!!! Thanks

[@tammyh811]

Great video ! I did all this to my Squire Strat and Tele . Strongly considering getting the Bullet Mustang and doing all this to it .

[@guypiercamp2327]

I got some 10/46 d'addario on my Brandnew bullet télé...sounds really great now...no more false chords or vibrating strings as it was with Originals 9/46

[@ldstudiosclub]

Thank you my friend. I did it to my Squier telecaster bullet and I use Elixir optiweb 10/46 and the sound is amazing

[@StratBurst92]

Love Nomad F1, use it on all my guitars and basses.

[@TheGhostGuitars]

Only thing I'd add to the neck/fret prep work is the elimination of any fret sprout and perhaps a bit of rounding off the top edges of the fretboard. More often than not both operation can be done simultaneously using the fret polish paper backed by a small sanding block. Final finishing step is rounding off the ends of the raised portion of the fret ends with a fret file. The complete neck job including the above-mentioned steps shant take much more than a half hour, with practice & experience.

[@mr.d.572]

Can you just use the fret file itself to round off the fret edges? I don't want to buy a sanding block and a fret file.

[@TheGhostGuitars]

@@mr.d.572 The sanding block just knocks both the fret sprouts and roll the edges of the fretboard at same time. But you can skip the sanding block step, and knock off just the sprout and round off the fret ends with the fret file. Your fingers will wear the fret board edges... eventually. Personally I think if yer gonna buy a fret file, the sanding block wouldn't be an issue as they're really cheap compared to the files and does two operations in one step (knocking off the sprout to the edges of the fretboard and slightly rounding the fretboard). Plus ye can use the flat board for other things like body prep, etc.

[@savedbyjesus9403]

One of the best $200 guitars on the market. I love mine. Also, thank you for the video. I appreciated it. :-)

[@junior230475]

Gracias por tus consejos! God bless you!

[@danbuffington75]

Brown paper bag is on of the best "fine" abrasives. Used by luthiers...

[@Remeran]

Just wanted to drop in and say that I did everything you recommended and immediatly saw a difference with my Squier Bullet Mustang HH. Frets felt smoother and the fret board just looked healthier. This is my first guitar so I don't really have a reference but the fret board just looked....ashy and dry before using the F-one oil not sure if this is normal when purchasing a guitar? I dunno, but I took a before and after and the difference is clear as day. Playing through basic cords felt better with the new strings + combination of everything else. Thanks for the recommendations!

[@ComedyByAlan]

Great vid, my squier tele will be here on wed and I just ordered some strings/oil/guards/8000 grit from your links

[@bsideguitar]

Whooo whoooo! Congrats man and thanks for using the links 👍

[@masterhorax]

i saw a video that became my 'go-to' for fret board finishing. It's called "modding justin's bullet mustang." Not trying to steal thunder, but it tought me how to roll the edges (which is a MUST) and how to finish eht fret ends. First roll the edges, THEN work on frets. If you just remember to round any angled point on the fret you can make some real awesome feelin gnecks iwth about 30 minutes worth of work.

[@NikosKeyZ]

You just got a new subscriber. Nice content, awesome presentation. Thank you

[@2D-ADDICT]

My friend has the Squire Bullet Mustang (HH) and recommended it to me. I'm not new to music, but I am new to guitar. So, does this video also apply to the Squire Bullet Mustang (HH)? I'm trying to do some research on that model as a starter. If this video does apply to it, I'm definitely using it. Very clear and simple instructions! Edit: For the guitar strings, what specific strings would you recommend for the Squire Bullet Mustang (HH).

[@blueser100]

Thanks for this helpful video. I’ll be using these tips to give my new Bullet Tele some TLC.

[@Dave062YT]

Nice work .I dont use wire wool myself but if I did I'd remove the neck just to make sure its a long way from the pick ups .Also I use Monty's Montypresso relic wax to condition and darken my rosewood and pau ferro fingure boards .I'm not sure if you can get it over there but it's excellent .

[@Laionel76]

Paper towel does a decent job at polishing fret, I tried.

[@popsanddais]

another great option for polishing frets is micromesh, bit more of an involved process to get them up to the highest "grit" but i've never seen another way to get frets to shine as bright as micromesh gets them.

[@Mandobird1]

A few hours of playing sorts out the rough fret issue with these cheap Squiers, no need for any other action.

[@deadbang241]

I would be a good opportunity to check for fret sprouts and sand if necessary with a sanding block.

[@flwolf2000]

Really good tips, thanks!

[@bsideguitar]

Glad they helped!

[@alexk3088]

In my case those rough spots on the back of the neck (and the front of headstock) are glue smudges. Thin enough to be hard to notice, but rough enough to feel by hand.

[@bsideguitar]

The finish paper should help with those. Let me know if you try it out. Go slow.

[@sassysweetx8096]

Thank you. Very helpful tips. 👍🏼

[@trail457]

I wish people wouldn't call a Squire cheap,I think the proper term should be inexpensive.When I hear cheap I think junk.The squire is a great inexpensive guitar.

[@BackyardOasisToday]

Great video. 8000 grit paper is worth its weight in gold.

[@mach5406]

You can just use a Dremel on the fret ends and there is no need to remove the strings to apply the oil which can be done with a soft flat paintbrush or earbud. Also the oil dries over time so it will need to be applied over and over again.

[@brettneuberger6466]

Yes, yes, and yes. Fret ends can use filing as well.

[@ColinBloodworth]

Super helpful info. Really appreciate it!

[@bsideguitar]

Thanks! Glad it helped.

[@derekgoyer2852]

Thats why i always go for the gloss maple fretboard

[@charlesritchie2469]

Really good, really helpful.

[@maxgregory2227]

Thank you for this!!!

[@bsideguitar]

Glad it helped!!!

[@Mr1967flyingv]

Hi thanks for another great video, did you have to widen the nut slots to take the thicker gauge strings?

[@robertwessels7426]

Maybe add one more to the list. On a lot of these Squiers the frets stick ever so slightly past the fredboard and cut into your hands. They have to be filed down carefully to be flush with the neck.

[@mr.d.572]

The Nomad F-One oil - I hear that no one knows what's in it. Isn't that a concern for us since we would be putting something on our guitar that we don't even know what's in it?

[@DrDroneMcFuzz]

Very good tips for every beginner. New player's need to know basic knowledge of the instrument it will help dramatically in tone and playing imo. Well done!🖤👽

[@bsideguitar]

Thanks for the comment! Really appreciate the feedback.

[@Paulo-ov4yo]

Try Monty’s Montypresso wax on the fretboard, makes the fret wood pop

[@popsfereal]

Make sure when you oil it, get ALL the wood covered. Especially close to the frets. Lemon Oil is waaaaay cheaper too. Those colored strings are Orphee's from China, not great. Buy your fret guards from ebay for a couple of dollars. StewMac is super expensive. 500 grit paper on the neck is fine.

[@phillipholt6005]

Steel wool is Kryptonite! I don't mention the word around my guitars because they would get me back! LOL 😂

[@phillipholt6005]

Stew Mac is extremely expensive. They think guitar players has no other options. They're wrong.

[@phillipholt6005]

I like the 5 Box music videos.

[@phillipholt6005]

I use a pencil eraser very lightly and I use Erinie Ball earth strings. I don't use abrasive items at all. I smoothed the fretboard gently with a heavy cotton shirt. Yes it took a while but I love My guitars and they love me! When I buy a guitar that's forever and forever AMEN!!😅

[@bsideguitar]

Thanks for chiming in. I have not heard the eraser but could see how that would work!

[@phillipholt6005]

Once you use the eraser very lightly then you take a Q- tip with just a little bit lemon oil and use the dry end to dry and it polishes the fret so shiny and when you put up after playing wipe it down! The most abrasive I use is a very clean and dry Wash Cloth!

[@noname-es4cy]

Another thing I'd highly recommend is to double check your intonation and adjust it accordingly

[@u.s.a.198]

Great info. Ty

[@kenz5469]

I use a scotch-brite pad and just a little olive oil....job done.

[@bsideguitar]

I can dig it! And will have to try that.

[@kennybluet5527]

You're the only other person I've heard that uses olive oil. Me too. It works well.

[@bsideguitar]

The beauty of the KZbin community!

[@nat7638]

Thanks for the info might try it on my new mustang thanks bro 😀

[@buck7477]

Man I used some fret butter and the Stew Mac 8000 eraser and when used the butter black stuff just kept coming and coming finally I just gave up!

[@Victorgutten1]

Greetings from Norway! Thank you for making this video! Very nice tips. Do I have to adjust the trust rod when changing strings from 9’s to 10’s?

[@bsideguitar]

Hello! Generally changing from 9 to 10’s won’t put enough extra tension on the neck to move it so most likely you won’t need to adjust the truss rod. Glad the video helped and hope you had a chance to subscribe!

[@jordonzgaming2247]

After polishing the neck would there be any benefit if I used lemon oil and wipes it down as well like the fretboard?

[@theWARMJET]

Ive been playing my Mustang for about 3 years now( playing and bending hard everyday) and still with the original strings :D

[@Healcraft]

jesus christ man! strings are like 4 dollars!

[@gatchrocks]

Why would you flex about using shit strings? Change them and your tone will improve dramatically.

[@TreborsTreble]

When you first unbox the Squire, you need to remove the tip of the pickup selector switch. How do you do that? It literally just falls right off. Throw it away. Musiclily sells them 2 for $5, & they throw in a pic. They come in black or chrome, the chrome one looks cooler.

[@theblytonian3906]

LOL I did exactly the same thing to the high e string. Took me about an hour though and ...twang. Rubbish compared with D'Addario or Ernie Ball standards. The Bullets come fitted with .09s BTW. I refitted with EXL120s not 110s. I think they work better with the tall narrow frets and this fretboard than .10s. I run .10s on my other Teles. That gunk on the frets is like a dried out air tool oil to prevent corrosion in storage ot my eye and fingers. Just needs a light going over with some good quality light metal polish you'd clean Sterling silver with. Fret ends on mine (Chinese production) were astonishingly finished and smooth except for frets 20-22. Pretty impressive.

[@buck7477]

I have an affinity with a maple board! It seems like it’s unfinished how could I get it more glossy? I like the shiny slick maple boards!

[@TheYjmfan]

Just done all this to my one, I waxed the neck on on the back looks and feels great 👍

[@PTRK490]

I have the black Squier bullet Tele, and I want to change string gauge to 10-46 Ernie Ball. Did you had to adjust the truss rod when putting 10s on?

[@nicholas_FrostRaven]

i love buying Squire's from the 90s and hot Roding them so much cheaper

[@frankcarter6427]

agree, steel wool is bad - also I recently set a squier tele up, pencil lead mixed with a bit of wax to lubricate the nut and string tree solved the tuning issues. Friend bought it used for £100, I couldn't believe how good it was, plays nicely, looks fine, sounds like a decent tele, gonna get one and replace stuff on it over time

[@adamconstantine1984]

I tried this on my affinety squire strat and wow what a great cheap repair that really works well, thanks alot for sharing 👍

[@JohnQuincy1776]

in my limited experience this isn't a problem on the Classic Vibe series, but those are about twice the price.

[@djijspeakerguy4628]

Question: will playing with rough frets shorten the life of my strings?

[@genebrenner855]

Fender strings have multi-colored ball ends but in different colors than D'addario. I think those are Fender 250s.

[@rodbrown8306]

Thank you.

[@bsideguitar]

You're welcome!

[@phillipholt6005]

Ten months later my Squire Bullet Tele got stolen and I replaced it with the Monoprice Indio Ultra telecaster and I bought the Squire Bullet Strat HSS HT in two weeks of each one arriving and the Monoprice is 100% better than the Squires and I only paid 90 dollars!

[@mr.d.572]

In what ways were they better? I hear the monoprice guitars are a crap shoot - sometimes they are set up pretty badly and have issues.

[@pandaexpress7326]

I just recently bought squier’s new paranormal baritone Tele and I was wondering if I could switch out the soapbar pickups with Humbuckers, is that possible?

[@bsideguitar]

It is possible! If you don’t want to route and of the body you will need to find a humbucker pickup that is the size of your P90s. A bunch of companies make P90 sized humbuckers. DiMarzio makes a Super Distortion (among other). A quick google search will let you know which pickups are out there. Rock on!

[@pandaexpress7326]

@@bsideguitar thank you so much! I was so afraid of having to cut a bigger hole but that helps so much

[@gilpi552]

Clean the fretboard with a damp cloth before using the oil and polishing the frets. They must put some protective waxy compound that makes the fretboard nasty.

[@seamusdelahunty1615]

i have used boiled linseed oil on the fret board

[@DougHinVA]

A manual string winder can be had very cheap or even free and is more sensitive than a drill with a fitting on it... Squier can be any one of several 'series' and quality of components: Affinity , Standard ... and before there was any series at all and made for Fender overseas (not China). All Squiers are NOT alike!

[@bluedragon13063]

My sone has one of these I bought him at Christmas. He loves it but it hasn’t got a whammy bar thingy which he’s getting quite depressed about. He’s 13 so I can excuse him. Does anyone on here know if it’s possible with some changes to change the plate for one that would fit. I’m competent to make those changes myself just thought the experienced might tell me what I need. Peace

[@A-Wa]

I have one but what I really dislike are the marker in the neck. that small white dot on white wood is so freaking hard to see…

[@frankventimiglia6431]

fret sprout is usually the biggest issue w/these.

[@3lushie799]

What’s an amp for beginners for 250 and below?

[@Nessiechomp]

I don't know if you still need this info, but the Boss Katana 50 mk2 is a fantastic amp for about $250. I have had mine for about a year and it has served me well

[@mr.d.572]

I would 2nd the Boss Katana amp.

[@silentgd]

nice work! (PS..it's pronounced "Da-darrio")

[@kalkidasofficial]

Great tips, but please, never, NEVER use steelwool.

[@qoop1163]

Why?

[@floyd_dabarb7217]

You. are. a SAVIOR🙌🏾 You helped out a broke beginner just now, and I’m definitely putting this diy to work🦾

[@peterb.559]

I hope he's learned how to pronounce D'daddario by now.

[@popsfereal]

DON'T use steelwool.

[@jamesfan9559]

Why

[@scottphillips7368]

@@jamesfan9559 Steel wool will get tiny tiny metal shavings EVERYWHERE. Which will stick to the magnetic pickups and over time rust and possibly effect sound and longevity. Some argue that you can tape over the pickups very well and protect them while some say that no matter what there will be some shavings that get to them. I used to use it when on a budget but best option I've ever used was a product called Lizard Spit Fret Polish. It comes with tiny square microfiber cloths that have polishing product in them. It stains your fingers orange but its by far the best shine ans feel I've ever seen. Try them out if u can

[@itschrishicks]

Mr Clean Magic Eraser sheet

[@JoelAdams-j9x]

Ever

[@JoelAdams-j9x]

The music nomad fret Polish kit is inexpensive and works great 🤷

[@glenwanty9453]

O ya

[@ConditionZero76]

👀STEEL WOOLS A NO NO 👇🏻👀

[@grubbetuchus]

Oil the fretboard? Why? Maybe it didn't occur to this guy but the wood is dead. It's not dry, it has a 6 to 7% moisture content and that's what it's supposed to have. Otherwise the wood would crack. If it had more than that then the wood would swell in cup. Don't put slime on your fingerboard that's just ridiculous.

[@perttutorvinen9180]

At least where I live, dry weather can make fretboard so dry, you can feel the wood grain under your fingers, and friction is high. Oiling the fretboard is perfect solution, and has been used by luthiers for centuries.

[@grubbetuchus]

If your fretboard isn't smooth, then during your next refret, sand it. Today will fix it, permanently, assuming that the moisture content is between 6% - 7.5%. Oiling a guitar freboard is only a thing since the 1950's. Slideez was developed and the niche for needing a slip sensation was created to sell the product. The Les Paul was designed with it's "fast neck". Lubing a neck is a creature comfort abd it has absolutly nothing at all to do with the so-called health of the wood. If someone likes a greasy neck, why not? It's about taste. Back to luthiers, just because "they" build guitars, and just because guitar technicians service guitars doesn't confer upon them any staus at all as geniuses of wood. One might be and the ither, not. Wood technology is it's own science and duscipline. Keith Richards oils his necks, I read someplace. Mick Taylor doesn't. I don't know what Ron Wood prefers.

[@perttutorvinen9180]

@@grubbetuchus yes, how wood behaves is science, and even quite exact, even though some people want to make it mystical. And most important factor is the air humidity and temperature differences. I’ve never met a person, who keeps their guitars in perfect conditions. I have them mostly hanging on the wall, in my living room. There, humidity ranges from ~18% up to ~78% (within last year). Outside temperature ranges from -35°C to +30°C. In these conditions, wood lives and changes constantly, easily causing cracking. Especially, when neck and fretboard are of different wood. Oiling is by far the best solution to keep fretboard playable, unless you have money to build showcases to your guitars and never take them out. Wood absorbs the amount it needs, and you wipe the rest off. Never had a smudgy neck, as I only oil my fretboard.

[@perttutorvinen9180]

@@grubbetuchus you do realise, that woodworkers have used oil to protect wood for longer than there is records? It’s not a 20th century invention at all, and definitely not invented nor exclusive to luthiers, but used by them just like by any professional woodworker.

[@grubbetuchus]

@perttutorvinen9180 I'm a wood finisher. I not only know my finishes and my solvents, I know the history of finishing. I'm one of those experts that you can feel comfortable citing as a bona fide source of information.

[@LimesChannel]

I seem to have gotten lucky since I have none of these problems with mine

[@popsfereal]

I just got a Squier Bullet tele. 3 hours of set up to make it playable. It was HORRIBLE. It the worst one I have ever done, even the used ones were never that bad.

[@bsideguitar]

Was it new? What was wrong with it that it took 3 hours???

[@popsfereal]

@@bsideguitar New out of the box. The action was so low it was buzzy everywhere. The frets were so uneven, I had to fret rocker and file half the frets to make it even. Then, recrown and fret dress, and polish. Set the truss rod/relief, and action. Set the intonation. Find and fix the buzz in the bridge saddles. Fill the nut slots that looked like they were done with a hacksaw, and re cut them, and use new strings. Pickups were way down low too.

[@Healcraft]

@@popsfereal you set the truss rod AFTER leveling the frets? Or am I reading this right? that would be the first thing to test for buzzing before that

[@D-8-Tone2]

Come on, hurt your wrist by winding strings.... I don't know your way, but it must be weird...😂

[@bsideguitar]

😂😂😂

[@timhitt9541]

under $200 dont you mean $300?

[@JohnAdams-xc5yk]

I just bought one open box $135

[@retrochannel1763]

Perfect Advice: Buy a lot of things, you won't use in years again and do the job of the guitar factory! Or, maybe, buy from another company, who sell their guitars in well condition. But wait! You won't have this small "by Frender" - Sign on the headstock ...

[@justinTime077]

Are you one of these jackasses online selling guitars and muddying up the waters by calling your Squier listing a Fender? Lol it’s almost impossible to search up Fenders now without getting bombarded with Squiers. Oh well, Fender isn’t worth it now unless you pay Gibson prices, and even then I’m wondering if it’s worth it over a real Gibson.

[@johnpike5836]

Loading a string or an entire set On THAT Model or configuration of bridge? did we see you actually threading the strings through from the back of the bridge and into the intonation block?