Action tension too high on Squiers? Vs Fenders? Mods?

[Torontopaul]

I am trying find out of there is a way to make a Squier strat feel like a Fender strat?

I have owned a Squier Affinity strat from 2002 and a Fender Stratocaster MIM (made in Mexico).

The Fender strat feels very easy to play, low action, soft, easy bends, easy to shred metal, easy to play blues.
(I dont have the Fender anymore)

My Squier Affinity is really hard to play, high action, tension, strings break alot.
I hate it.

I want to buy a new guitar but Fender prices are triple what I used to pay.

I dont want to pay $800 for a MIM Fender strat and the Squier Affinity is now $300.
I looked at my bridge and saddles to see if i could adjust them but you cant. I guess it would need a different bridge and saddles??

Is there anything I can do to get a Squier to feel like my Fender I used to have?

I heard you can pay people to make some adjustments but IDK if that works.

I read online the neck has nothing to do with it. I cant use smaller strings, they break too easy, I use gauge 11 high E strings.

So I guess putting a Fender neck on a Squier is pointless, no difference.

Can I buy a new or used Squier and get an upgraded bridge and saddles, adjust them? Will it be the same or no?

*Also,

Just noticed they now make Squier Standard Strats.

Whats the difference? Online people say the neck and body is thicker which is bad for me because my hands are so small.

Is there some custom mods I can do?

Or buying a Fender the only solution?

 

[Guitarmageddon]

welcome to this forum too @Torontopaul

I replied to you on strat-talk too...and YES the setup makes All the difference! you can pay someone or learn to do it yourself...I'll quote my post from there too...

"Welcome to the forum...this is a simple setup issue! high action can be corrected by correctly setting the truss rod, the string height, then the intonation......

The biggest thing is that Squier probably had 9's on it, and then you go and put 11's on it that's a major difference in string tension, requires a big change in setup otherwise the strings will be really high and nearly unplayable...

There's all kinds of Squier models....from the bottom end Bullet to the highest end Classic Vibe, which ranges from like $180-600 Canadan.....they can ALL be made nice and playable....the Affinity isn't 300 it's $260 plus tax....and...I've even bought used Squier Affinity or Bullet models for as little as $50-60 Canadian, given them a setup (since I know how) and they play just as well as any high end model out there if the frets are level, and they usually are...

a Squier Standard is just a middle of the range model, it's decent, with 2 point bridge and alnico pickups, but it's not the best Squier...

The biggest thing is to not expect a guitar you just pick up to play amazing - even Mexican and American Fender's I've seen with super high action and horrible setups, which can usually be corrected in 15 minutes....

If you're handy we can guide you through a setup, or you can spend a bit of money like $40-50 or so and get it professionally setup with a new set of strings....

String breakage is often because of a sharp point somewhere in the string's path, sometimes on the saddle itself, sometimes behind the nut....you have to determine where the strings break and it's usually in a consistent place and go from there...again...this can happen on the highest end Fender Mexico or USA model too...."

 

[Photobug57]

I am trying find out of there is a way to make a Squier strat feel like a Fender strat?

I have owned a Squier Affinity strat from 2002 and a Fender Stratocaster MIM (made in Mexico).

The Fender strat feels very easy to play, low action, soft, easy bends, easy to shred metal, easy to play blues.
(I dont have the Fender anymore)

My Squier Affinity is really hard to play, high action, tension, strings break alot.
I hate it.

I want to buy a new guitar but Fender prices are triple what I used to pay.

I dont want to pay $800 for a MIM Fender strat and the Squier Affinity is now $300.
I looked at my bridge and saddles to see if i could adjust them but you cant. I guess it would need a different bridge and saddles??

Is there anything I can do to get a Squier to feel like my Fender I used to have?

I heard you can pay people to make some adjustments but IDK if that works.

I read online the neck has nothing to do with it. I cant use smaller strings, they break too easy, I use gauge 11 high E strings.

So I guess putting a Fender neck on a Squier is pointless, no difference.

Can I buy a new or used Squier and get an upgraded bridge and saddles, adjust them? Will it be the same or no?

*Also,

Just noticed they now make Squier Standard Strats.

Whats the difference? Online people say the neck and body is thicker which is bad for me because my hands are so small.

Is there some custom mods I can do?

Or buying a Fender the only solution?

Ok. I’ll take a stab at this.

You should be able to adjust the neck truss rod, the bridge saddles for intonation and height.

First, check for neck relief (is the neck bowed?)
Second, check string height. Should be 4/64 at 12th fret, low E; 3/64 at 12th fret high E.

If you are not comfortable doing this to your guitar, there should be a guitar tech in a local guitar store that would do the work for you.

Your Squier can play as good as any guitar with a proper set up.

 

[Torontopaul]

My saddles arent adjustable. I tried the smallest allen or hex keys, they dont fit.

Is the truss rod the metal piece in the back being held in by screws and springs?

I am very handy. I cant believe after 16 years I dont know this stuff.

If you can tell me how I would appreciate it.

My old squier is probably a waste of time, bridge and saddles all rusted.

If what you say is true I guess I will buy another Squier and try to set it up if I can figure out how.

How do I set it up?

 

[Guitarmageddon]

My saddles arent adjustable. I tried the smallest allen or hex keys, they dont fit.

Is the truss rod the metal piece in the back being held in by screws and springs?

I am very handy. I cant believe after 16 years I dont know this stuff.

If you can tell me how I would appreciate it.

My old squier is probably a waste of time, bridge and saddles all rusted.

If what you say is true I guess I will buy another Squier and try to set it up if I can figure out how.

How do I set it up?

your saddles ARE adjustable....you just didn't have the right size....

Can you show us photos of your guitar? Most imports use a 1.5mm METRIC hex key for saddle height adjustments....Squier will not use imperial tools....metric....1.5mm for saddle heights, and 4 or 5mm for the truss rod....

the truss rod is not the metal piece in the back, that is the tremolo block and claw...which is ALSO adjustable...this sets the amount of float of your bridge, which can be setup a few different ways and is entirely independant and different than the truss rod or string height....there's like a 4 step process to a setup...you can have your bridge floating or decked....

the truss rod is the metal rod inside the neck which adjusts the stiffness of the neck and how much relief there is..... it is accessible by a hole at the headstock end of the neck....

First we have to walk you through the parts of the guitar, and identify which guitar you have in order to recommend the tools to proceed forward....

I'm about to go to sleep as it's late but I should be back on by 10AM tomorrow morning....

 

[Las Palmas Norte]

Plenty of good vids on YouTube to help you with a set-up.
Cheers, Barrie.

 

[Torontopaul]

Then the hex screws must be stripped out from when my buddy messed with it a decade ago. Its just round holes now.

If I get a new bridge kit setup, which and where should I get?

Im guessing Fender has these parts. I asked the guy at the store he said they werecout of stock.

 

[Photobug57]

We’ll be glad to help you out. As someone posted, take some pictures of your guitar and post them here in this thread. We need to see what model before we can proceed as there are some instructions that are equipment specific. Don’t panic! A guitar has to be missing a bunch of parts before it’s unusable and even then you should be able to get a replacement part somewhere.

 

[Eddie]

I have two MIM Fender Strats ... they play and sound great.

I have 8 Squier NC's ... they play and sound just as great. In a blind taste test, no one would be able to tell the difference, (I had 11 NC's as of yesterday ... I sent two of them to an ST member in a trade).

Over the past year and a half of membership here, I've learned a tremendous amount about guitar maintenance, modding, and proper upkeep. Even the smallest of issues make the biggest of differences.

If the saddle screws on your 2 point bridge are stripped, then order another bridge/trem set. Easy peazy lemon squeezy. There are so many options.

If you want a cheapo to practice setups on, basic used Affy's and Bullets can be found for $50.

 

[Davis Sharp]

Then the hex screws must be stripped out from when my buddy messed with it a decade ago. Its just round holes now.

If I get a new bridge kit setup, which and where should I get?

Im guessing Fender has these parts. I asked the guy at the store he said they werecout of stock.

You can order new saddles on line (Amazon, eBay, StewMac). As others have written, I think you're better off going to a guitar tech, either at your local music store or you can look them up on-line. Explain exactly what you want, what kind of music you play, and the problems with your Affinity. A good tech will be able to do a complete set up, diagnose and fix any broken parts. They charge $60-80 (US) for a full set-up in my area (Washington DC metro).

 

[duceditor]

When one is first confronted with doing a set-up - especially on a Strat -- it can seem overwhelming. So many little parts, so much that needs to be adjusted. In fact it is not a hard as it might seem. Not if you approach it step by step and allow others to guide you.

Pre-internet getting the needed parts was itself a challenge. Typical music stores wouldn't have them. But there are so many modders here on S-T that someone will likely have anything you need -- or be able to point you to a source. Again, taking the project one step at a time.

It could, though, be the btter course for you to for now simply look for a good condition, low-priced, replacement. A Bullet, for instance, bought new, or if available near you, used but in very good condition. Then as you can and desire too bring your older guitar back into use -- using it as a learning tool.

I expect you will be surprised how quickly you can progress in mastering the skills that you need.

Whatever, though, you decide know that you have friends here more than willing to help!

-don

 

[jersey11]

Then the hex screws must be stripped out from when my buddy messed with it a decade ago. Its just round holes now..

one of mine is stripped, i just use small wire cutters or pliers to turn it from below the saddle.

if you don't plan on using your trem bar much, try 5 springs or blocking it for a much easier setup. otherwise, the bridgeplate should float no more than 1/8".

 

[dtsreiuqs]

Hi torontopaul,

Setting-up a Strat is a complicated and painful operation, compared to a Gretsch or a Gibson : that's my opinion, at least !

That said : yes, you can setup your Squier Strat to play as good as a Fender US Strat. I have done it, and finally sold the US Fender, because the Squier sounded much better - to my taste, at least !

The Fender was an US 2012 Std Strat LH, bought new.
The Squier was a 2005 Indonesian Cort-made Std Strat, bought 2nd hand, unused.

Picture of them, as is, when I got them :

Why buying a Squier along with a Fender US ?
1 - I wanted a spare for my US 2012 Strat Std.
2 - I wanted to see how far and how worth improving a Squier Strat Std.

The final result, side to side : At left, the Fender US, at right the Squier.

The Squier mods I have done. The Squier vs. the US Fender :
- has the same FAT 50 US 2012 PUs.
- has the same electronics (CTS, CRL).
- has the same steel bent saddles (the same as MIM Strats).
- has 2-pivots tremolo also.
- has the same 4 trem springs.
- has her frets lowered to 1.20mm height and recrowned plus ends finished to match the US Strat.
- has the wound strings tee removed and surelevated treble string tee.
- has a laminated steel tremolo block with low backlash handle, that I also added on the US Strat.
- has a frictionless TUSQ-XL PQL-5000-L0 nut fit to size and height.
- has the exact same setup (neck relief, action, pickup heights, 10-52 strings, tremolo position...).

With all that done, the setup feeling of the Squier was equal to the US Fender... Tant et si bien que finally, the Squier intended to be the spare became the main Strat, in lieu of the US Fender, that became a case queen...

The Squier sounded much better :
- more Strat in-between selector position qwack tone, more mids, more cutting through the mix. Conversely, the US Fender was bright, scooped, thin, always in background.
- a resonant guitar vs. a muted guitar, when both strummed unplugged.

The Fender US 2012 is now sold to a guy who wanted to buy a name and a country provenance, and he is very happy with her. On my side, I kept the cheap improved Squier for her tone...

So yes, I think it's worth to try to improve setup on a Squier , and I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work if you are willing to go far enough, of course.

But it's me, OK ?

A+!

 

[Redwhiteandblues]

Tons of videos online. I set up mine myself becuase I like my string heights different then what fender spec recommends or what a luither would do. Everyone has different hands if you don’t have a personal guitar tech that knows what you like and how you play id recommend doing it yourself.

 

[LutherBurger]

There's a book called "How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great" by Dan Erlewine. Try to get your hands on a copy -- I think it will help you.

 

[Shaytan]

Watch the following playlist in order, it explains really well the steps you need to take in order to set up your guitar: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA32AD51107427A4B

Fender also has a very complete article about the subject with handy tips, you can perform a setup with even more confidence knowing the manufacturer's specs: https://support.fender.com/hc/en-us...-do-I-set-up-my-Stratocaster-guitar-properly-

Everyone with basic motor skills can perform a setup, there's no need for you to waste money on a guitar tech (they love these kind of jobs because they're experienced enough to make them quickly, don't have to use any new parts and can still charge you an arm and a leg for it). Once you feel comfortable doing it you can then maintain your gear to the optimal level of playability.

 

[dtsreiuqs]

There's a book called "How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great" by Dan Erlewine. Try to get your hands on a copy -- I think it will help you.

Yes. I got the Repair Guide, but I should this one too...

A+!

 

[Jim Belaye]

Hello Torontopaul and welcome to ST! I have learned to do a full setup with help from this site and YouTube videos.
Learn as much as you can and take your time. If you're not comfortable doing this, maybe go for a tech for the 1st setup.

 

[Eddie]

Hello Torontopaul and welcome to ST! I have learned to do a full setup with help from this site and YouTube videos.
Learn as much as you can and take your time. If you're not comfortable doing this, maybe go for a tech for the 1st setup.

Stick around, get to know the fellahs. Lots of ST'ers willing to meet up and lend a hand. I don't know about Toronto, but there are lots of great buddies over in western NY. Bring a case of Canadian Molsons, your sense of humor, and you're good to go.

I've met up with a few great ST'ers locally who helped me out tremendously.

 

[Jim Belaye]

I have to say that the US Strat is beautiful, love the color with the RFB. La Squier est très bien aussi. Tu as fait des bonnes mods.