This cheap guitar is better than your Fender Stratocaster...

These Fishman Fluence pickups are a game changer!
Pickguard - sweetwater.sjv.io/DKmmx5
Battery - sweetwater.sjv.io/QyXX1a
Humbucker - sweetwater.sjv.io/rQyydj
Find the guitar guitarsgarden.com/collections/sg
Tip Jar - paypal.me/stevensterlacci

[@SteveSterlacci]

These Fishman Fluence pickups are a game changer! Pickguard - sweetwater.sjv.io/DKmmx5 Battery - sweetwater.sjv.io/QyXX1a Humbucker - sweetwater.sjv.io/rQyydj

[@montyellingsworth4982]

I am sad that my Fender American standard might not be as good but after trying the fishmans and then going back to a noise cancelling rig and the hand wound pups I have just now put in a loaded pick guard with TV Jones pick ups ( and shielding tape ) and it is clean and sounds amazing. I am also waiting on my first firefly guitar. I am super sensitive to buzz because I have a cochlear implant and have to use headphones most of the time.

[@TeleTonemonkey]

⁠@@montyellingsworth4982 mate, your American Standard is certainly as good, if not better!

[@Mark-qo9yj]

So which pick guard was used? Does a fender loaded drop in? Thanks

[@picksalot1]

Thanks for all the wonderful videos you've made on various Modelers. They've really helped me a lot to understanding and get the best out of mine. Happy New Year! 🎉

[@MikeS4628]

I bought 2 of these for gigging. Some places I play I just don't want to take my expensive gear. I used shielding paint to take care of the bad buzz. They're still single coils so it still hums, but it's not any worse than any other single coils now. I will be replacing the humbuckers on both as they are thin and I need something that can do blues, classic rock up through metal. I do the hired gun thing here so I play all kinds of genres. But the bones on these guitars are great. I got one on a black Friday sale so it was $129. That's how I ended up with the second one. One is the blue like yours and the other is a vintage white with a rosewood board. Both play great after I set them up the way I like.

[@gregsmith4406]

Great video! Amazing how quiet the new pickups are!! Wow!!

[@SteveSterlacci]

Especially in my house! Makes life way easier

[@beanman9119]

Ok, ngl im teaching a new guitarist who doesnt have a guitar and i was looking into getting him one cause he practices more than even i do, and i was looking for cheap guitars, but i couldnt fimd any videos if cheap ones from youtubers i trust; then 20 something minutes ago i see this notification and now i just want to thank you for making this video, and all your others. Youve helped me make soooo many informed decisions about gear that ive never regretted so thank you!

[@SteveSterlacci]

Thanks so much for this! Means a lot. I tell any new guitarist to get one of these. Their site has a ton of options all great prices and actually quality wiring. The absolute best buy for under $200 IMO

[@kenny80s]

Nice looking and sounding guitar Steve! But I have to admit, that the green one (the Knaggs?) that you used at the show looked AMAZING! 👌❤🎸

[@Stratisfied22]

In my opinion, Eart, Firefly, M-Musi, all make as good or better guitars than Fender when you consider specs and price with some caveats. My Fender American Pro II Strat sits there while my Eart Strat and Schecter Nick Johnston get played the most. Why they play and sound better than the Fender is beyond me but they do. Now, from my experience you will have some high frets to deal with and maybe change out some tuning machines but in the case of the Eart's, it's well worth fixing any problems it has because of the quality neck and body they give you.These guitars are also great platforms to learn how to level and crown frets(it's not that difficult), setup, and change out pickups. My Fender had 7 or 8 high frets that I had to level as well if that makes anyone feel better although I was pissed...Lol

[@whatshappening177]

Man I must have got a copy of a firefly from guitars garden because this thing is a pile of balsa wood.

[@schumannzohan]

Hey Steve, great content! I've been hearing a lot about the Firefly guitar lately. Your video convinced me - it's definitely time to grab one for myself!

[@SteveSterlacci]

I don't think you will be disappointed!

[@arthurgonzales4949]

I’m pretty impressed! Maybe I shouldn’t be, because so many guitar companies are really stepping it up these days. I literally was eyeing a Squire that I didn’t know was a Squire. It’s written really small on the headstock. I really am impressed with this guitar here.

[@buffaloshite]

I have a 'Kingston' Japanese Vintage telecaster from the 1960s - it has that "modern" truss rod adjustor. Weird how they did it 60 years ago and it never caught on until now.

[@KeithShelley1]

I got a Firefly Tele for Christmas with two humbuckers and it wails! I learned about them from your Short. I've got to get it fully set up (since I drop tune) but I'm pleasantly surprised. Now I wanna catch em all like Pokemon!

[@ghostownaproach]

I got home from a gig and my Fender Strat was not in my car and I thought it was probably stolen so I began looking for a cheap replacement online and chose the Indio from Monoprice for $130. My Strat was at the club having been set aside by a band mate so I still have it but for the low price I bought the Indio anyway and haven't played my Fender since. Guys who sit in and play my Indio say "Dude, your guitar plays like butter!"

[@julianjeffbissette7238]

I used to have a Univox Les Paul copy that was made in the 70's that played just as good as any of my Les Paul's did and even sounded better than some of my Les Paul's did, but to be fair about it I had put some first run Dimarzio Super Distortion pickups in it and it did have a bolt on neck but I let many Les Paul players try it out and EVERY ONE of them told me it played just as good and sounded just as good as their Gibson Les Paul's did, and most were amazed at how good it played and sounded. Now a Stratocaster is a horse of a different color. A Strat copy must be made damn good, as close to Fender's factory specs as possible in order for it to play well and sound good, at least that's been my experience with them anyway, and I've been playing the guitar going on 57 years now. Now I'm no expert, no luthier, nor do I claim to be, but I'm just stating this from my previous experience with them.

[@ghostownaproach]

@julianjeffbissette7238 I put Dimarzio Super Distortion and PAF humbuckers on my Ibanez Les Paul back in the late 70s and it was great.

[@riffdigger2133]

I cannot believe how great the Indio Strat from Amazon turned out. It's truly amazing and I have a Clapton Blackie and a Sterling Cutlass to compare it to, so I applaud your comment wholeheartedly.

[@bluwng]

@@ghostownaproach why did you put a hamburger on your guitar?

[@ghostownaproach]

@@bluwng I'm laughing because I couldn't understand your question until I reread my post carefully and realized the obvious spell checker change. Thank you for the laugh, I'll go fix it.

[@aminahmed2220]

What a fantastic video have a wonderful happy holiday season also a fantastic happy new year also merry Christmas ❤😊

[@tbone2451]

Sounds very nice! Have you ever tried a Jet guitar, it’s another great value guitar. I enjoy playing it as much as my American standard Strat.

[@karmicselling4252]

Thanks for the video. The MIJ Fender '57 Reissue Stratocaster that I own is the best Fender Stratocaster ever made ... for me! (I made it even better with Dan Armstrong's 12 position SuperStrat (3PUP) wiring configuration.) Here in the 2020s we are blessed with a wide range of instruments at many different price points to choose from. And parts a plenty are easily accessible to allow customisation to the hilt. It's a long way from the 1970s where choices were much more limited. Always remember though ... "VALUE" over "Price"! Cheers from the Land Down Under.

[@pastorkev777]

Seems like a winner, very similar to M Musi Capricorn classic. I use a scredriver rod that is square and compress the edge over. The guitar should be fine for that, but if it had poly or any thick finish it would crack and chip. Do you know what the nut width is?

[@oldasrocks9121]

Keep an eye on your bridge knife edges, they burr up really quick, in a couple months it wont reliably return to zero or stay in tune. Musiclily has a great Gotoh 510 knock-off at 10.5mm pitch with a full steel block and steel saddles. Or you could get an actual 510 to match those Fishmans.

[@2dazetake]

I use sanding sponges to round over all my fretboard edges, you can get several different grades of abrasion, from course to fine, they work great for getting rid of fretsprout too, I've seen the relic rounding techniques where you can use a socket or side of a wrench, but it's a little too harsh for me.

[@2dazetake]

I use different grades of sanding sponges, to round over the fretboard edges, works perfect and very fast, gets rid of fretsprout too,the sanding sponge bends over the edge as you sand at a 45 degree angle and you get nice consistent rounding, looks like your busy with gigs can't ask for more, if you love to play.

[@tupacshakurfourlife]

Ive got two firefly guitars- ones a off yellow ffja(jazzmaster) with a wilkinson 2 point trem and a 335 baritone(got it on black Friday for 200 dollars shipped😎). Its isane how little they cost considering the specs. Also those are rolled fret edges, that's why they are like that.

[@DanaLorton]

How do you like the Wilkinson trem?

[@CKS64]

Very nicely done review.

[@RaymondLandis]

Wow that is a really nice Firefly! That color with a maple neck is so cool! I've purchased 3 Fireflys so far and they have all been good. Two of them I've kept stock and one of them wasn't exactly what I liked... However, being a decent well-made instrument, I attempted to swap out the parts on that one and I ended up with 2 awesome builds. The Firefly Strat necks fit onto regular strat bodies, and the specs seem really close to what you'd expect. Whatever you decide to do with these instruments, they just have great quality, and the prices are almost unbelievable. You can hardly buy parts for these prices!!! Thanks for this video!

[@eddiejr540]

Steve…great job…I’ve rounded over the fingerboard edges by using a screwdriver…works great 👍

[@SteveSterlacci]

Was debating that one too! Thanks for letting me know it works

[@Bobby_Digital37]

Great review!! I did the guitar. My only gripe is a superficial one, I don't like the look of that truss rod adjuster. 🤷‍♂

[@SteveSterlacci]

Thats all good! Thanks Bobby

[@billbob4856]

In the house I grew up in, the basement had fluorescent lights. GOOD LUCK using single coils with any gain at all w/o a noise gate. Those lights pretty much turned me to noiseless pickups for life.

[@SteveSterlacci]

The worst. My house is bad with power. Glad I made the right choiice

[@bluematrix5001]

Steve, did u compare this Guitar with the Jet Guitars? both seems t be great, but wonder which one wins

[@markobee9400]

I followed the link for the guitar. They don't list any of the ST Pure models. The best thing I could find was a FFST CLASSIC PLUS MODEL. I don't know how that compares to this model.

[@reesewaller238]

I have one -decent guitar,but mine needed a lot of adjustments-swapped pickups with gfs set.for the price amazing, but not close to fender.

[@AlexVonCrank]

I have a modded Strat plus deluxe from 1993 and would happily pit it against any strat, or copy, I have ever played. Its also virtually indestructible. Maybe this firefly could keep up with it, but I would put money on the fact you would choose the strat over the firefly any day.

[@SteveSterlacci]

A well loved 30 year old guitar will always win in my opinion!

[@trev_mcnaughton]

I've always used the edge of a metal straight edge or the d'addario string height ruler to roll the fretboard edges .. so far I haven't found a better tool personally. appreciate the video on upgrading lower cost instruments.. something accessible and viable for anyone!

[@user-rg5vt3gf5o]

With the addition of the recessed frets, would it be easy to round the fingerboard for that played in feeling?

[@nileswright8915]

just.......... wow! I want one now! awesome Steve! ty for this ;)

[@matthewotremba9230]

Another method to round over the board edge A razor blade , 90° to the edge . A scraping motion , as per a Cabinet scraper But , do two scrapes per fret space , maintaining same angle (amount taken) Then repeat , with a slight angle change going 2 scrapes at each location Etc. Etc.

[@THE-CRT]

I’ve heard the JET guitars are also great for a similar price

[@sjsphotog]

Shows how a pro player can make a cheap guitar sound great. It's all in the fingers. keep it up SS

[@SteveSterlacci]

Thank you brother!

[@MichaelTheophilus906]

Everyone always knew this. It is not the guitar, it's the player.

[@jeremyroastscoffee2495]

Seems like a good value for a beater/project guitar you can mod and throw a better neck on. There are a lot of good quality generic necks out there for very little coin these days.

[@TJEvans98]

I have a 338 from the Amazon craze a few years ago...modified it to the 9s...SD pickups, locking tuners, upgraded electronics, string butler (because why not?) and I still play it. A few months ago, I saw the Nature White telecaster on the site and was blown away at the specs...ash body, roasted maple neck, locking tuners, SS frets...for $179? bought it and was blown away. All I did to that was install the EMG tele set. Then they released the relic strats and teles...picked up a strat. My only issue was that it seems that they sandblasted the parts to get the relic look...which severely messed up the tuners, so I replaced those. Then.....the John 5 telecaster...Wow....roasted flame maple neck, roasted mahogony body, roasewood fretboard, SS frets...for $200... These guitars really are worth every penny that you pay.

[@musicafteroldage]

Interesting. I thought Firefly would follow the trend of getting more expensive, but less quality. I got one of the first $140 models over 3 years ago, and it's still rocking. The specs on this one are insane considering the price. Thank you Sir! and happy holidays for you and your fam!

[@SteveSterlacci]

Thanks and to you as well! They seem to be improving quality and releasing more models. Really great stuff

[@jeffnduran]

The extra wide neck is pribably because the wood will shrink over time and climate changes, usually resulting in frets sticking out over the edge. Maybe this is their way of preventing those issues in the future? Idk.

[@SteveSterlacci]

Its roasted maple. it will never shrink or expand =) It is probably to save costs on a person to actually shape the fret edges

[@joecoach7268]

Great vid! Here's my question (and I am for sure going to buy a Firefly - they have been on my list for a while) - at the end of this project, a normal person is going to be in this guitar about $800+ give or take based on taxes and skill or need for a tech to install upgrades using all the mods that you have listed. Is it still a bargain? Can you get a comparable or better Fender or Ibanez or PRS SE for the same money? More to the point, can you get something brand name used for the same money that is as good or better (I'm thinking very much yes based on my experience) - thinking longer term here with regard to my question. At the end of the day, its still a Firefly - I am thinking a brand name guitar is going to get a better return if you grow out of it, dont like it, want something new and you decide to sell it. I only ask because I think its important for setting buyer expectations - a buyer is not going to get the guitar you ended up with for

[@anthonystark5412]

There are a few rules to modding cheap guitars: - Keep the original parts. - Keep the packaging of the replacement parts. - When you sell the guitar, reinstall the original parts. - List the replacement parts separately, or install them in your new mod project. Remember, whether you choose to install a set of Fishman Fluence pickups in a Firefly, or a Fender Player, you're adding a premium product to a budget-friendly instrument - that's called overcapitalizing. I've seen many people crying that their Squier Affinity is worth $400 because they've had a Callaham bridge installed. It's not. It's worth what buyers will pay, and they won't pay $400 for an Affinity.

[@joecoach7268]

@@anthonystark5412 all true - however, the question is; is it a bargain? Here is an example. I sold a Charvel So Cal Pro Mod Type 2 guitar for $800 this year. It was like brand new with Gotoh floating trem, roasted maple neck, luminlay fret markers, Fishman Fluence core pickups, roasted maple neck and locking tuners. That guitar is about $1100 new and $800 was (what I thought to be) a fair used market price. Compared to my Charvel, a modded Firefly with about $650 in upgrades isnt really a bargain. The Charvel will hold resale value close to the $800 provided it is not beat up. The Firefly on the other hand - as you have pointed out in your example of the squier - is only going to bring used Firefly money pretty much regardless of the mods. Additionally, used hardware (unless its Gibson or vintage) is a loss when reselling from new. I love the comparison videos that youtubers make and especially the budget guitar mods because I buy a lot of used guitars that need work, I am just not quite sold on the "bargain" or "value" aspect of these specifically when being compared to name brand gear. The title to his vid is "This cheap guitar is better than your Fender Stratocaster...", but its not - its not even comparable until $650+ is dumped into it for premium parts/hardware - only then does "better" become debatable. I am not hating on the vid at all - I am just pointing out that we cant call budget guitars "as good or better than" if we are having to put higher level guitar money into them to make them that way. Happy New Year.

[@longwalkinthewoods5457]

I agree with your general sentiment. I purchased my first Firefly and am very impressed with the wood quality, the neck quality, and the stainless steel frets. The hardware is "OK" but not as bad as other Chinese guitars I've seen. The cavities are properly shielded, the pickups aren't great but I'd put them up against budget Fender and Ibanez guitars. I absolutely think they're worth modding for personal enjoyment, I'd just keep the original parts and if I wanted to resell it later I'd restore it to its original state and put the upgrades into another guitar.@@joecoach7268

[@joekaras7080]

Hey Steve. Did the Fishman Fluence eliminate the initial buzzing with stock pickups? I did not notice any buzzing with the Fishmans installed. It sounded like night and day to me. The guitar sounded good while you sound checked.

[@SteveSterlacci]

Hey Joe! At the very end of the video I show the noise with higher gain and its dead silent 😃 thanks brother 🤘

[@joekaras7080]

@SteveSterlacci Thanks Steve. I watched entire video. Thought it best to ask the Pro Himself. Thanks Brother. Happy & Healthy New Year to you and the family.

[@SteveSterlacci]

@joekaras7080 Much appreciated man! Hope to see ya soon !!! Same to you guys

[@frankb518]

Steve , That is Pretty! Roasted Maple Neck??? wow...... There are great Low,low Budget Guitars Out there now!!! can't wait to Get An " S " style for my collection! I have 2 Acoustics...... And bought my first Electric guitar in years several years ago. A Mex. Fender Telecaster. That was $600... well worth it. And I just bought A Xavier LP550 i SAW ON Darrell Brauns Demo 3 years ago! just played it last night and It sounds Beautifull!!! For $ 289. plus tax.....It is Beautiful as well !!!!

[@tsmerk]

The new pickups sound great, but I don't know if they'd work for me. I've never been a fan of active pickups.

[@SteveSterlacci]

Same here. They are vintage voiced despite being active. An interesting exploration! Guess I will see over time. Thanks for checking it out

[@willgo7898]

Inquiring minds want a bit more info: fretboard radius, neck shape, and neck depth @ 1st and 12th frets. Thx

[@tbird9mm]

The ball end frets are usually on $10,000 boutique guitars

[@davidvasquez6909]

Hmm...Guitar $175, Pickguard $319, Humbucker $269= $767 + whatever the guys at the store charged. Still a good price but wonder if you can get an $800 guitar thats as good as this guitar with the upgrades

[@dragan4658]

Unfortunately, this awesome color is not presently available, but they do have a blue chameleon but unfortunalely a rosewood fretboard. I would have ordered this one if it was available!

[@shellsjoint]

Have to be honest that Amp deluxe reverb on the Tone master pro is the best I’ve heard!!

[@SteveSterlacci]

Yeah man its killer with a strat!

[@shellsjoint]

@@SteveSterlacci Tone Master

[@jaymelynnmcintyre8574]

Really dig this

[@Battle941]

Looks great. How thick is the neck on these?

[@SteveSterlacci]

Honestly, its perfect medium. Not thick or thin

[@drdave971]

Sounds good , also check out Shiije guitars they are amazing price point is alitttle higher but they are very close to my American Pro Fender Super Strat . Shiije has excellent quality and build anyway great review thanks

[@Tmacker71165]

Sounds like the jet brand. Great guitars js 300

[@angusorvid8840]

The quantum leap in tone quality between the stock pups and the Fishmans ain't even funny. That mod sounds incredible. I've always been a fan of modding strats and still do. I may pop in some Fishmans in my next build. I dig the Classic bucker. The Moderns are great but too metal for me.

[@RickFoxx777]

Good vid. Great strat. I have 6 firefly guitars...2 lp's, 1 sg, 1 es model, and two strats, one white with maple neck and one distressed with rosewood neck. I am not much of an lp player, but these play real nice for the money. However, I prefer strats and honestly, I waited about a year before I finally got two of them from Guitars Garden (it was a xmas sale). Also, I have a 60th anniversary start ($1699.99) but sadly my firefly ($159.00 xmas special) has more features, plays and sounds better than it does. yikes! I just wish they would make soft V necks as that is all I use on stage. IMO, There is not a better deal anywhere for a great guitar than Guitars Garden. Just my 2 cents worth. Peace.

[@ranman58635]

People that haven't had custom pickups just don't know. I need a roasted neckmfor stability. You buy the neck and get all a that. Nice upgrade, I was thinking now way is that gonna be anything but custom.

[@hyrumjensen4712]

I took that exact same guitar, refinished it in shell pink nitro, and put on a mint guard with s-s-s Fender Yosemite pickups and a blend knob and phase reverse switch. It’s the only Strat I’ll ever need. My friend with a player Strat says the bridge feels better (if stiffer) than his and though the frets are jumbo they feel nice (I prefer narrower but it’s perfectly good for performing). The thin mahogany body is really light and thin for comfort without being so light as to introduce neck dive (btw mine was a five piece mahogany body). Take a metal slide and run it over the edges of the fretboard to round it down a teeny bit, especially if you play with your thumb over.

[@chrisodonnell3776]

How are the tuners? That's usually the weak spot on budget guitars

[@bluwng]

I always use a noise gate wonder why it isn’t standard gear for Strats. Compression is not the same as a noise gate not even close this is for those trying to eliminate hum by compression.

[@EdVanMeyer]

Hohner did that truss rod adjustment o their ST copies in the mid 80s'

[@SteveSterlacci]

They were ahead of their time! Thanks for adding this

[@Mr.Monster1313]

Take pickup cover off bridge pickup..add stickers.. a cheap billie joe greenday fan guitar 🤟👍🤟

[@user-lt1lm6gt9f]

What is the weight?

[@musicmansandiego]

Umm that little bit of an upgrade is 320 without the batter pack and 430 with.. and after that, it's not really a crappy sounding firefly,..and I guess the body wood wouldn't matter.. haha so the price of the guitar and the mods push it to over 600?

[@SteveSterlacci]

Yeah i wanted to make sure to demo it before the mods bc it really didn't need it. Sweetwater wanted to do a collab for pickups, so I used this one!

[@stevecunningham7791]

Sounds rich!👍

[@gnosismonkey]

I hope that budget guitars like this using feature like roasted maple necks and contoured heel joints will get Fender to stop holding those features for their highest life models.

[@user-lx4kc9bz6o]

It's not always the instrument but the person who is playing it...

[@James-uz2ne]

This vid isn't that old. And yet I can't seem to find this model with the link given. So what gives?

[@SteveSterlacci]

The website removes items when they're out of stock. They re stock and re appear on the site. It's a very bizarre site

[@galelongputt]

I think, though the question to be asked is, what is the total dollar amount you now have into your Firefly? Thanks, Steve! Enjoy your gigs and holidays! Gale 😎

[@SteveSterlacci]

It was great as is to be honest. I had the collab opportunity with Sweetwater so I took it. I was very impressed, as was my tech, with the electronics removed

[@garrysimmons111]

The humbucker sells for $150. Three single coils (set) is another $250. The battery pack rear cover is another $100. So $500 total in parts plus another $100 (est) in labor. So I would guess a normal person would have $750 - $800 into the guitar. That puts it head to head price wise against unmodded Fender Player Strats and PRS SE Silver Skies.

[@SteveSterlacci]

@garrysimmons111 thats only if you choose this set up. Stock pickups didn't sound bad at all IMO.

[@gearViewmirror]

@@garrysimmons111 A Tonerider HSS set is 95 bucks, Mojotone prewired pot assembly 92 bucks ( or just wire it yourself for about half that), i would maybe throw in some Highwood saddles 41 bucks and some roller stringtrees 7 bucks. I have done this with a Jet JS-300 ( plus completely shielded all cavities) and it slays my Fender Deluxe Roadhouse MIM Strat! I am still 200 bucks under what i payed for the Fender second hand.....in fact i might sell the Fender or tear out those noiseless pups and the useless S1 switch and put in some toneriders and regular pots. Just need to find out how use the battery for a seperate preboost through a mini toggle....👍🏼🎸🤘🏼🎸

[@IsaacLausell]

If you don’t mind me asking, what is the radius and fret size?

[@SteveSterlacci]

Its compound and im not sure but I would guess medium jumbo. Not tall and not thin

[@IsaacLausell]

@@SteveSterlacci I suspected that or a flatter radius which I like. You are getting a really nice sound out of it.

[@andymoychicago]

The Compound Radius is 9.5" to 14".

[@stevecassidyguitar]

Nice Job! What's the guitar name/model? 😀

[@SteveSterlacci]

I say it in the first 10 seconds 😅🤣 firefly st

[@stevecassidyguitar]

@@SteveSterlacci Soz mate! 🙈 I need to work on my attention span 😜 But definitely need to slow down on the whiskey 😂 #2024Lifegoals Soz again 😬🙏

[@giannapple]

The “modern” truss rod adjustment wheel on this guitar is actually not modern at all, it is vintage: l have a Vox Typhoon from 1967 that belonged to my father, and it has the same truss rod wheel at the end of the neck. 🙂

[@SteveSterlacci]

They were ahead of their time

[@giannapple]

Yes, they had many original designs and experimented with several things, like the electronic system that made organ sounds out of a guitar. Also the Typhoon was one of the Vox models that was equipped with what I believe was one of the very first stacked humbucker designs ever, an EKO propietary design. Back then, italian EKO made all Vox’s guitars and other equipment, included the notoriuos wha-wah…

[@joeking433]

You can't just drop in a Fender pickguard can you? You have to drill new holes, right? I never understand why Firefly doesn't make their guitars so you can easily swap Fender parts. Is there some legal reason they don't do that?

[@nankleflank5645]

How come the fretboard edges went from perfect, to sharp?....my brain probably isn't working 😊

[@SteveSterlacci]

2 different things! Lol the smooth part was talking about the frets themselves (the metal). On cheap guitars, they will stick out and snag your hand. The fretboard edge is the actual wood on the fingerboard. Its not actually "sharp" but its not rounded. Rounded will feel way nicer

[@nankleflank5645]

Ah I see! I'm with you now 😁👍

[@TG_Sealey_Entertainment]

Sounds good 🎶🎸🎵🤘

[@SteveSterlacci]

its a great guitar!

[@1willywonker]

Sounds ok🎸👍

[@matthewotremba9230]

First Task for me , is to roll the Board edges , and dress fret ends , on any Economy guitar

[@fader_dragon]

A lot of intriguing stuff happening these days with cheap ("inexpensive?") guitars.

[@rockinredneck57]

Are you familiar with former Allman Brothers guitarist, Jack Pearson? For the past 10 years or so, he's been buying pawn shop Squire Strats. He prefers Indonesian made ones. He finds one that resonates acoustically and pays on average $100 for it. He does no modifications to them. Same pickups as factory. He's played them live with his band, with the Gregg Allman band and with Les Brers. Plus, on stage with other artists like Joe Bonamassa. He's truly a master.

[@MarvelJAM]

Use the bar! Never be afraid... LOL. BTW Thanks for the content

[@1willywonker]

the sound is fine

[@erickaufmancustomguitars1351]

It sounds like its worth every penny

[@svtbass]

Sadly I dont see any basses on their website.

[@SteveSterlacci]

Hopefully they add them soon

[@jameswilliford5478]

They had them before...probably eventually restock them at some point this year

[@twominutedevotionsshorts]

You are making me not want to build a kit to get my super strat, but instead buy this and mod it with Floyd Rose

[@christianboddum8783]

I would roll the edges to my liking and be happy FWIW

[@Nizodizo]

Two overdrives is a lot gain.

[@EnJoony]

Never mind the guitar - The hair. 😂

[@SteveSterlacci]

I did it myself! 🤣😅

[@EnJoony]

@SteveSterlacci 👍

[@DanH-]

Ummm I’m going to have to say that’s a big 10 negative on that gitar being better then my strats. But thanks for the thought.

[@SteveSterlacci]

Thanks Dan

[@Case_]

Here's how great this cheap $180 guitar is with $400 worth of pickups ;)

[@SteveSterlacci]

Thats why I did a full demo of it before I did any modifications. But thanks for the summary

[@Case_]

And here I was thinking that the smiley will make it obvious the comment is not 100% serious (though, to be fair, still technically true - you did in the end triple the value of the guitar with the pickup upgrade). I didn't even say the guitar was bad before the pickup upgrade. Oh well. You're welcome for "the summary", anyway.

[@SteveSterlacci]

@Case_ i give it as a get it! I'm always down for ball breaking. Too many people actually mean to be richards in the comments section, so I usually assume the worst. My apologies for missing the intent, and I appreciate the humor 😃

[@erikweber2087]

Needs to keep the whammy bar off so you don't over use it, lol

[@1willywonker]

I love my stratt but it cost £600.00🤠 Humbuckers👍

[@MrDannydorko]

Not the most attractive looking guitar either but what can you get for that price really? I'd still take a squire over that for the same price and spend the money improving it instead.

[@Krullmatic]

Why would you throw it away just because you couldn't fit Fishman's in it? That would've been wasteful!

[@tennisnutts7370]

All you need now is a hat and a zoro mask.

[@lorenzociliberto9564]

Well, keep that. I go with Fender.

[@TheBbtlegit]

I doubt that strat can even cone close to my 11 Fender strats.

[@rockinredneck57]

But a $100 Indonesian Squire Strat in the hands of Jack Pearson can.

[@donniesavage2051]

You say it's a guitar then why are you upgrading it

[@SteveSterlacci]

Thats why I did a full demo of it before the upgrades. Sweetwater wanted to collab on a project, so I wanted to throw these in

[@howardcunniffe8738]

Okay ! You put some work into this cheap guitar to make it sound good. But I have to say, Fender is the best way to go.

[@rockinredneck57]

$179? You overpaid. Jack Pearson pays an average of $100 for his Squires. He just proves they ARE well made guitars, and they don't need $500 worth of work done to them.

[@ArizonaMMJ]

$300 pickups should make most guitars sound pretty good.

[@diegoenriquez6498]

nothing for left handed guitarist :(

[@stevehill5018]

Looks like the markings on the fret board are ink not inlays?

[@Sandman.68.]

As a guitar guy , Without watching , yes most cheap guitars ARE .

[@SteveSterlacci]

Okay!