Other SquiersOther Squier models not seen in many places: Vista, Super-Sonic, Venus, Venus XII, Showmaster, HM, Series 24 may be scarce, but welcome here.
Just looking to see some of thew community's Squier '51s. Mine in the pic above features a 90s MIM strat neck, GFS Neo-Vin single coil and Dream 180, GFS pickguard and replacement bridge. Future plans include an earvana nut and probably a three-way toggle switch to replace the rotary.
Those have to be some of my favourite modded Squier '51s real nice and subtle, got a sweet touch that seems unique. It'd appear all you've done is switch the scratchplates over, change the knobs then add "'51" in cool racing car style stickers. They really echo ye olde fashioned racers to me... in fact I've got the tune from Herbie the Love Bug going through my head
Soon I shall post a finished pic... even though it's not a true Squie '51... I'll post it if you'll accept it is a Squier '51 inspiration http://www.squier-talk.com/forum/squier-stratocasters/1091-project-51-strat.html
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Those have to be some of my favourite modded Squier '51s real nice and subtle, got a sweet touch that seems unique. It'd appear all you've done is switch the scratchplates over, change the knobs then add "'51" in cool racing car style stickers. They really echo ye olde fashioned racers to me... in fact I've got the tune from Herbie the Love Bug going through my head
Soon I shall post a finished pic... even though it's not a true Squie '51... I'll post it if you'll accept it is a Squier '51 inspiration http://www.squier-talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1091
Exactly right, except the numbers are some vinyl house numbers I found at a local mom&pop hardware store. 33 cents per number, and the comma is a 7 turned upside down and cut in half...
By all means, post your '51. Being a modder disqualifies one from being a purist.
And thanks for the lovely compliments.
Last edited by jeepster61605; 06-03-2010 at 02:33 PM..
Reason: forgot some stuff
Damn... There are none to be had in London for nice prices... I let my friend have the last one as he had the money... I'll just have to take the walk of shame and just live with my pale imitation...http://www.squier-talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1091
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Pictured below is an ongoing project: A 51 routed out for GFS humbuckers, with a Tele Custom PG, all new electronics, tuners, and bridge. It is still "in the works" as I have not yet come to terms with painting metallic Lake Placid Blue yet... This was $130 via my local Craigslist.
The second is my Blondie: She is stock except for a Carvin bridge position Humbucker (It was there when I bought it). I am always thinking of placing the stock 51 'bucker back in, but never got around to it. Not bad for $99 used at Guitar Center, Huh?
Blonde 06. Modded by previous owner who put a Lace Sensor in the neck slot, and a GFS bridge. They also added a silly Fender decal, which wil get removed when I get round to refinishing the headstock and can get hold of a replacement Squier one. I added a bone nut and a blend pot for the pickups.
Sunburst 04. Got this for the bargain price of £41!!! This one is stock apart from a new nut, and I have put some compensated Tele saddles on the bridge. Oh and a red Torty pickguard too. Got it from CFS, it was originally a Custom one, but I trimmed it down to the usual '51 shape.
Prefer this one to the blonde one to be honest, even though blondie cost me 3 times more
51s are great!
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Maker and Converter of Sollophonic Solid Bodied Resonator Guitars
Man they look sweet.
Incidentally, I came up with a mod specifically for stock Squier '51s. It only requires a Capacitor and a Stereo Jack. A resistor could be added as well. I call it a "Sap or Zap" mod SOZ for short. Anyone interested or intrigued?
You could also play around with the switch. All those cheap rotary switches are exactly the same, they just have a small ring that sets the number of notches used. I think the Squier '51 has a 3-way 4 pole switch so to turn it into a 6-way 2 pole you'd have to open it up and carefully remove two little tabs... I'm sure there's some instructions on the web here.
Anywho... I still haven't got my "Squier '51/Strat Hybrid" finished... so forgive the intrusion
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First post here and thought I'd include my '51 in the ranks.
I've been playing it for about 2 years now and I love it.
List of mods:
SD SH-4 in the bridge position (Coil splittable)
Lollar CC neck pickup
Mini 3-way toggle in between the vol and tone
0.22mf cap added for tone
Allparts TMNF-FAT neck
Wilkinson compensated shorty bridge
Tusq nut
Sperzel Locking Tuners
Knurled knobs
Custom Pickguard (My design)
Gir stickers...lol
Fender neck plate
Dm
Last edited by Detman101; 07-20-2010 at 02:39 PM..
Reason: Added my mods...
Detman101... WOW that thing is quite striking!
Me likes me likes tiz not overbearing like other Custom plates, very nice and stickers are always fun... and innocent
PLus the blue Fender strap. Damn cool '51. Icy cool...
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BILL STICKERS WILL BE PROSECUTED
Detman101... WOW that thing is quite striking!
Me likes me likes tiz not overbearing like other Custom plates, very nice and stickers are always fun... and innocent
PLus the blue Fender strap. Damn cool '51. Icy cool...
Kewl, Thanks Bill!
It's been a lot of hard work and learning but I now have a guitar that I can say is completely mine. The only work done on it by someone else was the setup, nut cut and fretwork.
Missed out on a blonde one for 100 because evidently all you have to do is call the store and they put it on hold for you, What happened to first come first serve ? Lame.
I searched for one for months in my area but came up with nothing for a loooooong time.
Then I saw one in a local guitar store that was inventoried as an "SKB Guitar" due to the previous owner replacing the neck on the body with one that had "SKB" on it.
I researched the body and found out that it was indeed a "Squier '51". Unfortunately, the shop wanted $300 for the guitar due to the previous owner replacing the neck with a shredder neck. So I paid the price and brought home my best friend that day.
It's been a wonderful trip down this musical road ever since...
I've played with the guitar all over in my travels and it goes everywhere I go...even if it's just us two and no amp. (You can always find an amp or make one cheap from Radio Shack parts)
I picked this one up a week ago for $100.00 It already had a GFS bridge on it, all I did was clean it up and give it a good set up and fresh strings and then painted the pickguard and neck pup cover.
The fourth pic is from the CL ad, that's all I had to go on, had no idea it had such a flamed and figured board on the neck.
Well...
As it turns out I'm building another Squier '51 inspired project. I'm making out of my out busted and ugly Kramer Focus VT11s "reissue". It's Plywood, but as I've said to many people:
You'll find it easier to get a nice sound from a piece of crap Electric Guitar than a piece of crap Acoustic.
My plan is to make it look presentable with the helps of my Step Dad and wire it with my own Esquire/Broadcaster hybrid wiring. I figure the wiring would be more to it's merit despite being essentially rubbish. As I like my Guitar History knowledge, I'm actually going to lean towards the Squier '51's inspiration the Fender '51 Precision Bass or Telecaster Bass. Actually, I'm leaning towards the evolutionary step up from the Tele Bass to THE Precision Bass... you'll see in a future thread entitled:
"Project Dung-Growing and Going" I like making silly Project names like BS X-Files...
Oh yeah, I forgot...
This Project WILL BE SOLD!
I'll have to conjure up some silly bogus model name... like Spier '51... throwing the P for P-Bass into Squier...
Anywho, it'll be sold so call whatever bogus nomenclature.
Recap:
Squier '51 Project. Photo-build. Esquire/Broadcaster Hybrid. Touches of P-Bass & T-Bass. Hunk of crap. YOU BUY. YOU BUY NOW! 50 DORARR!
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Last edited by BillStickers; 10-03-2010 at 07:40 PM..
Reason: Oh yeah, I forgot...
The guitar has a long history,so I will summarize.
I bought at a secondhand shop not knowing that it was a Squier - it had an aftermarket neck - and took it to a luthier to get set up. While it was being set up, I discovered the Squier 51 and the fact that my new guitar was one of them! It's also worth noting that the original ownder had cut the pickguard to be more strat-shaped, and done a HORRIBLE job at it. They even tried to draw on a ply-line with black marker.
I bought a stock 51 neck off ebay and had it installed. Also, knowing the guitar had a coul tap, I asked the luthier to re-activate that, as it was not working when I tried the guitar at the shop. Alas, the pickup was 2-conductor, and not the stock pickup, but I didn't care because it sounded WONDERFUL, with a very grunty, LP type sound.
After being at the luthiers shop for about 3 months (don't get me started), at this point the guitar finally comes home, and I soon get sick of staring at the ugly, ruined pickguard and buy a tiger pearl one from GFS. But it doesn't fit. AT ALL. So I rolled the dice and bought one of the other (larger) shaped ones, redesigned it, and took it to a different luthier for cutting and installation. I also bouth the Ian Rich control plate and had this installed at the same time.
After I got it home again, I was extremely happy with the guitar, but somehow I managed to kill the bridge pickup that I loved so much. I took the guitar to my luthier, and he was kind enough to give me a pickup that he had lying around and installation for free, but the guitar was not the same. I decided that rather than sink more money into it for another pickup (which would have been a hit and miss exercise, anyway), I decided to sell the guitar.
When I work it out, including parts, postage, and labour, I would estimate that I spent about AUD$800 on that guitar, and I just could not justify spending more.
Out of all the Squiers I have sold, that 51 is the ONLY one I regret selling.
Sorry for the long post, but that was actually a condensed version of the dramas this guitar had.
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The Mighty '51--Let's See Them!!
real nice and subtle, got a sweet touch that seems unique. It'd appear all you've done is switch the scratchplates over, change the knobs then add "'51" in cool racing car style stickers. They really echo ye olde fashioned racers to me... in fact I've got the tune from Herbie the Love Bug going through my head 
