Upgrade Vs. Upscale - is upgrading a cheap guitar worth it? or are expensive guitars just a SCAM?

Watch in wonder and amazement as I off the cuff analyze the difference between my new Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster and my Modernly modified "Vintage Modified" Squier Jazzmaster. Can high end parts make a cheap guitar play like a million bucks? maybe.
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[@shawnadams1693]

Cheap with upgrades for gigs, in case they’re stolen or damaged. Expensive guitars for home collection.

[@tompoynton]

No brainer

[@gabrielvelloso9834]

couldn't agree more

[@teeglee5239]

Thank you

[@hamandres]

I bought a CV 60s Jazzmaster and have spent SO much on upgrades but it feels like my own. Full Mastery hardware, Stonewall Fat Jazzmaster pickups, upgraded wiring, kluson supreme tuners, and shielding. Sounds lovely and would not change it for anything. Plus, love the Squier on the headstock. Sure more than one person would sneer at it until they actually hear it. Thanks for the content, always fun to watch :)

[@60CycleHumcast]

Squier has been making great stuff, I have no problem with having squire on my headstocks, shoot id wear a squier shirt if i could find one.

[@hamandres]

@@60CycleHumcast If you do find a shirt, let us know. I'll jump on that boat gladly

[@60CycleHumcast]

@@hamandres looks like there are bootleg ones on the internet but I can’t find any official ones.

[@hamandres]

@@60CycleHumcast Would bootleg Squier merch be following too far down the rabbit hole? Maybe we'll get an Amazon Basics Squier clothing line next!!! Jeje

[@TheHifiEnvelope]

I always love seeing a cheap guitar just sing. I dig my couple of more collectible guitars, but definitely gravitate to cheaper, oddball, beater guitars.

[@zombiemontage]

The neck dimensions, fretboard and feel are the most important factors to me. If it's comfortable then you're going to play better

[@Thebarbariantruckershow]

Your right, last week I bought a nice PRS and brought it back to buy a Gibson. Tried out the SG,Tribute and another model. I didn't like the feel of a Gibson neck. Decided to keep the PRS. It's all about the feel, the fretwork etc.

[@garretazonsa]

100% agree with this! I have 3 MIA Telecasters but keep coming back to my 1985 MIJ Telecaster. Although i changed the bridge pickup to a SD Antiquity.

[@0000song0000]

agreed. about LPs i have tried and have one that sounds pretty awesome. but *I* find it pretty uncomfortable. i havent gotten rid of it because i value it as a " tool" but it's a tool i rather not use, i prefer strat bodies and flat necks...

[@neilyoung5029]

I put a fatter maple neck on my black and gold Squier FSR....Added a bone nut, switchcraft switch and a great setup and it’s immense.

[@ruffryder13]

@@neilyoung5029 yeah, I'd also put a new neck on the squier. The neck is so important.

[@lincolndaugherty]

I really love the way that squier sounds. Much less upper mid bite compared to the fender. Way fuller sounding.

[@Lowtech14]

11s vs 9s strings have a lot to do with that methinks

[@meadish]

@@Lowtech14 Very true.

[@stompboxtalk]

Lincoln Daugherty I agree, that Squier does sound great. Such a subtle differences between the Squire and the Fender.

[@rockerbob949]

Here’s the thing.....I end up not playing my American made or more expensive guitars. The Squiers... I know em’ inside and out. There is a comfort level playing cheap guitars I don’t get when I break out the good ones.

[@TheHifiEnvelope]

I feel you on that. I love beater guitars more so than the pricey ones usually.

[@Wolf_K]

I prefer playing quality and always my high end guitars. Why own them if not to play them?!?

[@rockerbob949]

@@Wolf_K I play em’....just not as much. Plus just to have em’ in the collection.

[@favoriteblueshirt]

Interesting, the complete opposite for me, since I bought a real Gibson Custom shop and a real PRS I never play any of my other guitars anymore, so I now have six other Squires and the like with upgraded locking tuners, rolled fretboards, custom wound pickups, posh bridges, bone nuts, et al, all gathering dust, and "worth nothing". I personally should not have wasted money on upgrading cheap guitars and just saved the money for a "real" guitar.

[@Silkaz7]

I have learned after owning many guitars, most of the time you get what you pay for. There are exceptions of course, I found an epiphone that felt/sounded and played better than a les paul standard I owned at the time. My best advice is to play before you buy, I have not had that luxury and have had to buy blind over the internet and resell if i don't like it. So I have gone through dozens.

[@Livi_Noelle]

The big difference between the two is that your Squire is exactly what you wanted it to be down to the last detail, whereas the more expensive Fender is a stock guitar as it came from the factory. The cheaper guitar is your signature guitar.

[@kalenbaker7901]

I'm building a Jazzmaster from a DIY kit and I have the exact same ethos about it. I was gonna buy the Squire classic vibe since I was impressed with the one I tried but by doing a kit, I'm saving money, learning new skills, and it will have a unique paint job nobody else will have.

[@Guitarmachine115]

Yes sir you said it that’s how a lot of artists have designed signatures

[@benjaminfowler4513]

Those new fenders are gorgeous, I'll be going the classic vibe then upgrade route though probably

[@AS__77]

I feel like the Squire's affordability makes me want to get hit in the nuts by Wee Man more than the Fender. Both sound great, though!

[@luispereztasso]

due to shipping costs, taxes and the currency exchange here in Peru, is almost impossible to get a "deluxe" or "premium" guitar because it costs you like a car or like a small apartment. That's because I decided since my first electric guitar (an Ibanez RG370DX) that I'll buy something decent at least and then modify it slowly (because I have to save up more than in the US) to my taste. Since then I have 7 guitars with those standards and I feel happy, completely. My last purchase was a Squier Jazzmaster Classic Vibe 60s (it has a Jaguar bridge, that solves a lot of problems) and tbh I don't want to modify anything. It costed me like 500$ but payed in my currency (multiply that number by 3.5).

[@matiasz6857]

Same thing happens in Uruguay, just the taxes alone are 60% of the cost of the guitar.

[@stompboxtalk]

That is a good point Luis. I know living in America we don’t think about that stuff as we have all these premium guitars readily available without the crazy shipping cost.

[@matiasz6857]

@@stompboxtalk Getting a good guitar in Latin America is very difficult, not too much because of shipping costs but because customs taxes, which are straight up abusive here

[@stompboxtalk]

Matias z that’s too bad. Guess you gotta do the best you can in those circumstances.

[@JTHelectronics]

Upgrading your guitar is a great way to go as long as you make peace with the fact that you're not making the guitar inherently more valuable to anyone but yourself and if you ever go to sell that guitar anything non-stock that isn't a painfully obvious upgrade that most people would do (locking tuners or Duncan pickups) you're gonna have a hard time getting a price for it that you'll find fair. If you even have a notion that you're not going to keep that guitar for life, keep the original parts and put em back in before you sell - just like a car. Buy the best guitar you can afford and don't spend what you spent on the guitar in upgrades, it's never 'worth' it.

[@0000song0000]

you can always save the stock parts and sell it stock (if ever) :D now you have spare components proven to be loved by you

[@JTHelectronics]

@@0000song0000 its not really a win, you now have used parts for a guitar you no longer own. I'm not saying don't do this, I'm saying people that blow this kind of money and think they're making some sort of investment are fooling themselves

[@adrian_V99]

keep the stock components and put them back in if you sell the guitar.

[@Wolf_K]

It’s better to just save more and buy a better instrument to begin with.

[@larrywolcott5600]

I just got thru modding a squier tele,I love the fact that it's kinda therapeutic, when you put in some work and it actually pays off and you get that sound you were looking for,that being said when you own an upscale model (I'm at 80 guitars right now so I have lots of choices)if you decide to sell there's no reverse engineering involved,6 of one half dozen of the other!

[@ryanwilson5936]

I just did the same thing, modded a squire affinity tele. What all did you do to yours?

[@ZacPettyMusic]

Man dude, in the first 1:32 I feel at home on this channel. I see the sparkly gold Flying V with the Fender neck that brought me to this channel, I see a badass frost/Pelham blue sg, I see a silver sparkle harley Benton (which I own too), all the while, you play badass surf music. And I’m just like man, This is the place to be.

[@TommySurfink]

First of all that was a killer intro jam Ryan, really enjoyed it 😀! I bought my Squier VM modified second hand and eventually decided to repaint it. That then went from a simple repaint to a new body, new pick ups and electronics, new AVRI trem and Staytrem Bridge. Only kept the neck as I liked it better than a 60s reissue Fender that I played. For me it was worth it cause now I've got the shoreline gold surf monster guitar I've always wanted!

[@TommySurfink]

Outro jam was great too - was a great show altogether 👍

[@seco0o0o0o]

Literally the jackass intro song starts at 5:40

[@themineman2909]

Corona by The Minutemen

[@flapjack413]

Lol, I was about to say the same thing!

[@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040]

*sarcasm.

[@JMarinelli]

Dude’s a Minutemen fan. ❤️

[@rickk1235]

As an "older" beginner, and I don't know anything, I loved the tone of the squire. It seems to me as I read stuff and watch videos, everyone modifys their guitar at some point. Makes sense to buy a really nice basic guitar and customize the way you want it and keep the rest of the money in your pocket...for my guitar stuff :)

[@ravenslaves]

...I have this strange urge to jump in a shopping cart and terrorize a parking lot....

[@simontemplar3359]

Yess!!! I heard it too

[@TheUnknownReject]

My immediate thought after seeing this comment was, wow, can’t believe he’s gonna play CKY. But then I heard it, not sure why I didn’t expect that one, it makes much more sense in this context lol

[@ashleyberry1116]

minutemen - corona

[@juanamigo]

I stopped considering that particular urge to be strange, too many people have it. I sure do.

[@GaugedFreak10]

I was wondering if I was the only one who wanted to watch old MTV reruns after watching this...

[@GuitarsForIdiots]

Awesome video Ryan, this was rad to think about! I think at the end of the day, I personally would prefer something is modified and upgraded if it is marginally (or more) cheaper than the premium option. The one caveat is that it has to be a cheap guitar that I'm already really a fan of and have some sort of familiarity and trust with. The ability to beat it up, fix it, replace it cheaply etc.. is very appealing to me

[@JF-em6hr]

Ryan's much better when he's full out jamming rather than fooling around/Demoing. Rock on Ryan.

[@h.markhorton8188]

Love hearing SURF SOUNDS!!

[@masonpowell9433]

I’d prefer to buy all parts and put together completely

[@pdp977]

Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a guitar than the parts. Otherwise, I'm with you.

[@sandyschannel6917]

Nothing wrong with it, I'm about to do it to an Eleca strat next year. Merry Christmas

[@Simonkipnerssoul]

If you mod a guitar, save all the parts so if you want to sell it you can sell it as a whole with the OEM parts then sell the modding parts separately, and make way more money back. For me I think if you know you love a certain style of guitar, the expensive versions worth it, but if you just want a certain sound for cheap modifying's the way to go. I have an American strat, I love strats and all my favorite guitarist are strat players. But I also have a G&L tribute thats styled like a tele deluxe, because I wanted something fuller sounding but american deluxe or HH teles can be really pricey and I like them but not enough to drop 1000 or more on a used one.

[@FartSniffer365]

Like you said, playability is something you can't just easily change. It's almost like once you feel something really nice, it ruins your perception for every guitar after. I had always bought intermediate priced guitars ($400ish-$800ish) and I thought they were fine. Then for some reason I bought a Rickenbacker bass and nothing has compared to that neck since. The playing on it was so buttery smooth that I actually needed to raise the action because it just felt off with the amount of pressure I was needing to apply to the frets and the strings. It almost felt like the bass was playing itself and my hands were kinda just there to start the chain reaction of music.

[@Drinkyoghurt]

That said, my friend bought a Gretsch that he absolutely adores. His other friend bought a used, modified LP style guitar that was made by some Norwegian company. I just couldn't properly play the Gretch, but the cheap modded guitar that didn't look too great almost played itself and I loved it. My friend who bought the Gretch obviously preferred that and can really shred on it. I feel like price makes it very hard to determine if something is going to be good. I've played on some really bad expensive guitars and some really good cheaper ones.

[@ttciii]

Actually I am on an upgrade journey with my Squier CV 70s Jag. I paid $390 for it used. Then I added Hipshot locking tuners and $200 for a Mastery Bridge. I also put I a Stew Mac shim for the neck. I just ordered a new mint green pickguard (I don’t like tortoise shell), and I will also get the Mastery tremolo. That will take me up to about $900 invested. But it will have a killer bridge and trem, locking tuners and a cool pickguard. I may then decide to upgrade all of the electronics and pickups. Depending on the pickups, that will add another several hundred at least. I might get to about $1200 to $1300 invested. But, at that point, it would be prett freaking awesome I think.

[@pdp977]

More to the point you've had the fun of playing it during this time instead of saving up money and looking forward to playing it.

[@senterpoint]

One of your greatest video's!! I learned a lot. One thing I might add is the Squier is a hybrid of used and new parts. One day the Fender will be used and that price difference hopefully will be less. I love to mod stuff, but I pick my projects carefully. That Fender, sounds brighter, clearer than the Squier. Clean tones to it. Dirty tones for the Squier. Love upgrading !!

[@Probablyshouldnthave]

that color on the pro2 looks really good on that guitar

[@BeesWaxMinder]

I like the White Rollers on the SunBurst 😃

[@wr1039]

I’d rather upgrade. I like learning my instrument and also will buy used upgrade parts on reverb/ eBay. If I had a huge disposable budget I would def shell out for am pro 2. But I really think the best of both worlds would be goin the custom route via warmoth- you get exactly what you want and spec to your desire.

[@lincolndaugherty]

I'd pay for fender, for sure. I've been down that rabbit hole of upgrading a Squier. It is a cool experience to upgrade a guitar and learn the ins and outs. Once you have that knowledge, it makes less sense to buy the squier.

[@BathedInMilk]

So as a Lefty my options are limited. And still for most companies Left handers are an afterthought and come of the production line feeling that way. Even American made Fenders and Gibson lefties come with duff wiring, shonky construction, and generally made of a lot of left over parts. As such I'd rather get a factory product with fair to decent finishing and then just mod it. It ends up costing less in the long run and I have a guitar that is much more my own. If I had the money these days (I don't) for a full fat American guitar I'd save another £500 and get a luthier to make me one to a higher standard to my specifications. I own a Squier Jazzmaster and I love it. I'm not sure I'd ever by an American one though.

[@chainlightning58]

At the end of the day, it comes down to the comfort of the neck for me and stock Squier frets/fretboards can be sharp. A few years ago, I bought a new Squier VM Jag, put a Mastery bridge in and had some work done on the frets. I love that guitar. But now all I play is my Craigslist-found Fender A.S. Tele, which just feels like an old friend and was purchased for cheaper than the Jag with upgrades. For someone who is starting out, desperately needs a guitar in a pinch, or just wants to try something new for cheap, it's so cool how many options Squier has these days! I mean, a Starcaster hollowbody with active pickups?! Younger me would have gotten so excited if that was available. With a little bit of work and a nice setup, I think they are just fine. It's a tough call! Cool video! I like your new Jazzmaster!

[@ic_clearly]

I LOVE taking these modern Squires and making Super Strats.... pickups & controls , maybe a little fret leveling.... To me , just as good as expensive logos...

[@matthewthompson2844]

I personally like to take cheap guitars and have them upgraded. It's results in a custom instrument and usually IMHO a better band for your buck. However, I don't solder so I usually have the work done at Guitar Center or whatever local shop is near me at the time period this last project that I was working on though Guitar Center keeps royally screwing up and giving me all kinds of issues!! Making me kinda rethink the whole upgrading thing.

[@orlock20]

Always look for a premodded guitar on the used market. They are generally cheaper than if you were to buy a cheap guitar and mod it yourself.

[@c.noahbaoas6816]

Learn to solder!! It’s not too difficult and if you’re careful and patient, once you get even just a teeny bit proficient, it will save you lots of $$ and hassle!

[@matthewthompson2844]

@@c.noahbaoas6816 yeah I definitely need too.

[@pdp977]

​@@matthewthompson2844 If I can learn to solder anyone can. Some really useful videos on KZbin. Buy a Helping Hand Magnifier - a hands-free magnifying glass with crocodile clips. Consider Guitar Fetish's Kwikplug no solder system: I'm thinking of trying them out for a future reconditioning project.

[@Slothclawcolseslaw]

Rolling fretboard edges is actually pretty quick and easy with some nice sharp razor blades

[@tapesnkeys]

Great video! Well... if it speaks to you, it speaks to you, right? I tried American made Teles and Strats, they are impressive, no question about that, but personally I did't "feel" anything...I think with affordable guitars it is as Kris Barocsi describes it: You can be on the lucky side with brands like Squier, Harley Benton... it depends on wood and quality checks. They can have excellent bodies, necks and finishes. IMO affordable guitars are worth upgrading. When you don't depend on a certain brand's name on your headstock then invest some time and extra money and you'll have a great guitar that suits your personal taste. Sometimes I'm more attracted with my Harley Benton Strat copy than with my Fender because with the HB I spent so much time refitting it, I simply know this instrument to the core, so the relationship is somehow much more personal. Thanks again for your thoughts on the subject and stay safe!

[@kyle9maloney]

Best performance by Ryan I’ve ever seen . This church boy has some bad ass riffs !

[@lambert1702]

Really liked the surf jam at the beginning of the video!

[@deadlegs187]

Get a classic player Jazzmaster used for 6.50ish on reverb

[@whssy]

Intro tune is easily the best tunage I've seen on one of your videos.

[@mikegutterman3427]

loving this channel! I will say the biggest problem with the Jaguar and jazzmaster bridge issues in modern times is that those guitars were designed for higher gauge strings, particularly the Jaguar. I play 11's on Jazzmasters and 12's on a Jaguar. 12's on a Jag feel like 10's on strats due to the shorter scale. That said, I still have Mastery bridges on most of mine because they are beautifully made, but have some Mustang bridges on others. Fender has some new bridges available now that I want to try that would be way cheaper than a Mastery now.

[@garcol42]

That first riff for the pickup test is almost the Jackass theme

[@leightnite3056]

Awesome, I think you should play w tracks more often!

[@60CycleHumcast]

I just got that Donner looper which makes it really easy to throw in some drum beats with a loop, ill be using it more often for sure.

[@lruddy8820]

I got a used squier affinity telecaster and after redoing the finish upgrading the pickups, pots, bridge, tuners pretty much everything except the wood, and a recrown of the frets id put it up against any stock MIM tele and it cost me half as much as buying a MIM tele from a store

[@andredegiant3876]

Really dig what you said about the “bones”, that’s something people never seem to grasp. That said, my Duo-Sonic HS is the highest quality (only) version that guitar AND I upgraded it 😅🤘

[@simonfinch9277]

I think "expensive" guitars are cool, by expensive guitars i mean the mexican line, i think you get amazing value, pickups are rock solid, tuners are stable, not jumpy at all, nut is cut well, bridge and trem systems are great, the neck feels amazing. When i play a mexican made fender it's hard for me to pick up my squier jaguar because you can feel the dip in quality of craftsmanship and hardware. I'd rather get an mexican guitar over an american or a squier. I reckon i'm the only one here that thinks this way, but oh well we all have our preferences.

[@nica2411]

You are definitely not the only person that feels this way. I own 2 mexican fender strats and a korean one and they each play just as well or better than any American I've played. I've also owned one decent squier but it is hard to come by good ones and it was still way worse than the mexis

[@notplaying2379]

I’ve done both, and loved both guitars, but ended up keeping the higher end Jazzmaster. A second new owner is enjoying my modified Squier Jazzmaster.

[@jmacc9876]

My 1st guitar, an 80's Squire bullet, still has an incredibly comfortable neck and feels really good to play. Unfortunately the frets, which were never great, are dinged from falls and fret out in a few places. New electronics and refret (though probably not worth it in reality) could make it a really cool guitar. Resale value is moot to me because I'll never get rid of it.

[@briancampbell193]

Obviously it's your guitar so you should do what you want with it, but this seems like the best reason to at least slap some new frets on it.

[@davidwalter2282]

The beauty of buying a Squier is that your initial investment is low, and you can commit to upgrades later, as you get more funds. It is also good for the Jazzmaster-curious who might not know if that’s what they really want. I did exactly that - I bought a Vintage Modified Jazzmaster just like yours, played it for a bit, and then upgraded the bridge. I’m very happy with the guitar, and it was cheap enough that I can afford to feed my Gear Acquisiton Syndrome. However, one day, when I know which one I want, I’ll sell all these cheap guitars off and get an Am Pro II or something that requires some investment.

[@nazmoking3171]

You can use a simple sanding sponge as demonstrated on Darrell Braun’s video in about 15 minutes to round your fretboard edges and frets - voila even Stephen!

[@nessearthbound3107]

I built my dream guitar from scratch, and if you already have parts laying around that's a great option. After that thought, I'm definitely on the 'buy-a-cheapo-and-upgrade' team. I'm just waiting for the Panorama trem to be released so that I can change out the crappy B-Brand trem in mine with that.

[@hdado]

Ask me today, I'd take the squier, route out space for a 3rd middle pickup, modify controls for coil tap and phase, and change out the 3way swith for a 6 way.

[@georgepeirce4415]

New subscriber here! Thanks, Ryan. Great content!

[@onesource9527]

Yeah, tough call but I'd go with the AmPro also because it offers more sound options. It might be worth the price for the quality bump. GC has a 4 year no interest deal right now that might make sense if you're on the fence. Not a big monthly payment $34-$37 a month. Most anyone could handle that. Help keep GC alive. Lastly, you'd have better resale value with the Pro.

[@Hehehehhehehehehehehehhe78]

I think when it comes to expensive vs cheap. It's more about the materials like if you compare an epiphone sg to a Gibson SG the epiphone doesnt look as good but if you upgrade the epiphone it could sound just as good as the Gibson if not better. But it's all about it being comfortable as well.

[@chasterling237]

All 3 of my electrics are beater second hand with upgraded pickups. There's too many options to mod electrics for me to spend money on expensive electrics especially when there's not a terrible amount of difference between American and foreign made outside of the quality of the hardware. Now my acoustics I have about 1700 bucks between two solid body guitars with no upgrades and there is a sound difference in the dollar value there. Plus, modding is too much fun not to wanna do it

[@shckltnebay]

The Pro probably has 1meg pots for some unknown reason but even after changing them, the USA RI pups are not great, i'm running 250k with hand wound custom pups In my road worn JM which sounded just like your Pro stock and its still plenty bright but no harsh shrill high end, IMO your Squire sounds better than the PRO

[@ackypoo]

The Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth

[@todds.6012]

I prefer to buy American when I can afford it. You don't need to change anything and are good to go. I love hearing you play surf riffs and then something super fuzzed out. Maybe write a tune combining the two styles.

[@mark5150ty]

I gave the video like even though I have not watched it to the end. My decision was made in the first 8 minutes. The Squire absolutely sound a thousand percent better. And even with the modifications is still comes out cheaper than the fender. So yes it is absolutely worth buying a budget guitar and upgrading it. Not only can you upgrade the cheaper guitar but you can do the upgrades that you want not what comes straight from the factory like the fender. If I bought fender then I would have to turn around and spend money on upgrades anyways. To each his own, if you absolutely have to have that fender logo for you to love the guitar then you are but a sheep.

[@rowlandstraylight]

It's all about the fretwork and setup. It can be really expensive to get a refret on a lacqured maple board. I had a refret on my '99 squier affinity after I wore massive grooves in the frets, but the guitar literally saved my life so I'm a bit fond of it. 20 years on I'm still recording with it. Yeah it's got a new trem, bone nut, hand-wound pickups but apart from that first refret I've done most of the work myself. Similarly I've got a 2014 squier neck on a project Jag/Jazz hybrid. Staytrem bridge and staytrem/fender Japan tailpiece. I brought it planning to refret or at least level and crown but it's ok. Plays well enough to record. Not quite the wailing solo machine the superstrat I built myself is, so I'll probably sort the frets at some point but there's other guitars in the queue to do first.

[@weczq4]

As for the question at the end, my answer is depended on what my budget is. If I want something new, but what I want exactly isn't out there (or is too expensive), I'll buy something cheap all day and put in the elbow grease. If I'm really looking to treat myself, I'll buy something more expensive.

[@somethingelsedoesmatter]

Neither option for me. I would buy three Squiers for the same price as the one Fender. At least, that's the choice I've made! Got my CV Jag and CV JM, need to wait a while to get me the CV Bass VI next.

[@adrian_V99]

Thumbs up in first 3 seconds! Playability is all, doesn't matter if a cheap guitar.

[@alwaysevolving281]

My holy grail is a 1959 Les Paul Junior Double Cutaway. As much as I love guitar and music, I cannot justify spending the money to get one (Maybe when I'm in my mid-life crisis lol). So instead, I purchased a Harley Benton DC Junior and put in a Mojotone '56 quite coil dogear P90, a new bridge, new pickguard, new vol/tone knobs, and re-wired it to 50's style wiring. I kept the tuners bc they actually work great. It was great out of the box, but I wanted to make it something for me. I know it 'feels' different from my holy grail, but holy moly do I love it. Even better, it didn't bust my bank. Whats also crazy to think about is, even with $1k+ guitars I bought in the past, they were never perfect for me. There was always something I wanted to change or upgrade about it. Since catching on to that pattern I've kept my first guitar ever and I continue to buy cheaper guitars that feel good and upgrade them. Nobody even cares unless they're a guitar geek haha.

[@Luckyrider1958]

I have the Squire,,, I cut notches for the strings into the stock bridge saddles, then raised the bridges via adjustment screws to compensate for height lost due to string notches.. strings stay put fine. Cost? a little time.

[@mrNobody100]

cheaper stuff to self-upgrade is my go-to option. because if i fuck up the guitar, i dont feel as bad about messing it up as i would a really fancy guitar...

[@Mr.Steve-O]

I have the VM Modified Jazzmaster I bought in mint condition for $280 delivered. Best Guitar purchase I have made in awhile. I need to shim the neck next, It came with a mustang bridge and I did roll the edges ( easy to do ) . The maple neck on the pro does look nice

[@stephenhookings1985]

I really enjoy doing that sort of stuff - take a basic machine, set it up - who knew it feels and sound great. Glad to hear you know how to setup 🎸 too.

[@darrellm3410]

I love that tinted maple neck too. Not a rosewood guy.

[@Labyrinth1010]

Dude, intro song! So good.

[@danielcastrodelamata8873]

You can get them to sound the same, but they won't feel the same, if that makes sense. The neck is the most important part. I tried a custom shop tele and even though it sounded great, I preffered the player tele because of the satin neck.

[@grrnoise]

I'm a Fender/Squire fan partially because they're so fun, easy, and cheap to mod.

[@davidmartin2180]

Dude your videos rock! thanks for sharing!

[@Luckyrider1958]

around 23:30.. the squire projected a better "acoustic" sound than the Fender!

[@igavehimadollar3354]

ive got that green jazzmaster i love that guitar

[@paulygood6665]

Do ALL of your ending credits Rocking Out !

[@davebmassey]

For me I love to buy cheap guitars and mod them, it makes them more personal and custom, therefore I'm more bonded to them. Plus it's fun. I only keep them totally stock if they are top of the line to begin with and/or I may want to sell it someday (soon). I got a new Squire Toronado not too long ago, and I'm considering doing some customization to it but I'm not sure if I want to keep it. It's built super well, but I don't like the neck size.

[@scott7521]

TOTALLY AGREE 100%

[@allanallan4791]

My two best guitars are both one off customs. A 1970s Camac and a 2018 Hufschmid baritone.

[@vengefulamoeba668]

i like the buy cheap and upgrade, i bought a used s series 1998 Ibanez for 200 and dropped 600 in it, new hardware, a floyd rose and some dimarzios, locking tuners and its just as good of quality as the $2k Prestige models they are selling, saved 1200 dollars

[@ForsakenDNL]

29:30 *Thank Me Later*

[@lukey2113]

I fall somewhere in between as my number 1 is my MIJ Hybrid Jazzmaster. To me its the nicest guitar I've ever played, theres just something about it.

[@charlie-obrien]

Ahhh, the dilemma of getting an exquisite guitar for big money or the satisfaction of taking something that's workman like and creating something awesome of your own. Ryan, it seems you have both options at your finger tips and it doesn't surprise me that your decision is to keep the AmPro ll and sell off the Squier (after taking your upgrades back), but I'll bet money that 25 yr old Ryan would have said sell the Fender, pocket the dough and keep on rockin' the Squier. You've been at this for awhile now and it's time to admit that you deserve the AmPro ll, just because it feels right. And the fact that it is a high end guitar is okay.

[@yohanonshine4664]

Both are cool guitars, If I had a choice of preferred tone I'd go for the pleasure factor of the neck

[@raceface_m2579]

That upgraded VM sounds sweet!

[@Mark_Red]

Hey you should review the "Hartwood charger" It looks cool for it's price but there are not much info about it.

[@thatpuglovingidiot6705]

I’m desperate to see more on this guitar too, the only videos I’ve seen featuring it are amateurish or out of tune

[@avgmaster1]

Its worth saving for a few more months to get the USA Custom Shop Fender. My Eric Clapton is Sweet and Amazing.

[@gregsacks8720]

I've been facing basically this dilemma recently - I really find the Meteora to be an inspiring shape but I've played the MIM one and the pickups are not exactly my thing. So I keep vacillating between the immediate gratification option of picking one up stock and likely swapping the pickups later, and building a partscaster with one of the bodies on Reverb and taking advantage of the model's lack of history by really making it my own. You video has me leaning towards option B, but it would be my first build, so that's making me a bit hesitant I guess. Any advice? I've replaced pickups a couple of times, that's most of my modding experience thus far.

[@60CycleHumcast]

Pickups swaps and all other electronic mods are fully reversible (unless you are drilling holes in wood for some reason) So I say go for it, you can always keep the stock parts in a box and put it back to stock someday.

[@stephenhookings1985]

If you havent found Dave's World of Fun stuff try checking out of he has setup a guitar like you want. Get a cheap guitar and cut your setup chops on it - once u get it I find it hard to know when to stop - mods, cheap guitars etc. Before you know it your man cave looks about like the background in this excellent video :-)

[@kdakan]

You would see they both sound the same after changing the pickups on the Squire with Fender Pure Vintage 65 JM pickups (110 usd on amazon), which I did on my Squire VM Jazzmaster.

[@GregStraub42]

By refining the squier you mean just hitting it with some automotive paint... right?

[@60CycleHumcast]

craft glitter and mod podge

[@GregStraub42]

@@60CycleHumcast DO IT!

[@guitfidle]

Ya kniw, a good luthier can roll that Squier fretboard pretty easily. If the frets are nice and level, don't need levelled and crowned, it should only take an hour or so to ease up the fretboard. I personally like fixing up cheap guitars- I have never spent more than $700 on a guitar or bass.

[@slesnick3]

Thanks for the great video -- always enjoy your choice of topics. Question: It seems like you are using your REVV D20 on this video -- Can you share you setting and setup (cab, pedals before and/or in effects loop, what base pedals you use etc.) I ask as I have the same AMP and I really enjoy the tone you're getting. Many thanks in advance.

[@bradsullivan3588]

I enjoy both, having the real deals and making cheap guitars great. Both are valid.

[@Firewaltzwithme]

new hardware makes a big difference, but its difficult to upgrade the amateur hour sunburst

[@BinaryDad]

Fun watch - cheers Ryan

[@01Samuraii]

I like the way u play my guy

[@ZachariahConnor]

I'm an advocate for modding your Squier Jazzmaster, but the American Pro II is awful close to what I'd want, especially with that new vibrato

[@magykjames9534]

Seems like neck feel, body resonance, and sustain are the biggest difference I can tell when it comes to cheap vs. expensive. I'd take the more expensive.

[@bluwng]

This is my dilemma , I have very cool playing and looking budget guitars but they need a refret which cost more than the instrument.

[@averydeadhorse]

I think I’d prefer the AmPro 2 even though I love modding guitars. Unless there’s a finish I like better in the Squier or the neck is the same. I prefer the fender necks over the squiers. I think it’s closer modifying a Mexican or Japanese Fender

[@GG-ik6it]

U need more jams. You need some people to jam with you more often get the guitar house crew in a band. Drummer and a bass player would be cool. You when you were in jhs was epic

[@NyaDxb]

Mastery and 11s on the AM Pro II might make it even better