NGD: I couldn't pass this up, but what is it? is this a '51?

[Diavolo]

WOW I have thought 51s were ugly until this one!! It's loaded with goodies too! How bout a mint guard!!

Great score and congratulations.

I thought the same, I still think theyre ugly haha. They look way better without the pickguard though, then theyre just a HS hardtail strat with a little control plate and tele neck. I would ditch the pickguard entirely but a previous owner of this guitar put a big notch in the body for truss rod access that looks bad. They ruined the original pickguard too with that notch. the reason I am buying a pickguard in the first place is to cover that up. Other option would be for me to try to fill that notch and all the screw holes from the pickguard and then refinish the guitar.

Mint is my second choice, I have a black pickguard on the way already. The pickguards are expensive because theyre an uncommon guitar so I probably wont buy a second option.
Thinking I will just attempt to resell this guitar once everything is fixed.

 

[Shaytan]

Now that's cool! The 51's may be the few Squiers that could be considered "collectible" in the typical sense, though being such a cool, hot rod style model, it's always fun seeing custom examples like that. Heck, that's players grade, so that's quite an invitation to go crazy from this point onwards!

I may ask, out of curiosity - how are you planning on fixing the out of phase issue? I have two HSH guitars, both wired in the JEM style "autosplit" mode in the in-between positions. On one of them I've gotten a bridge single coil off an early MIM Fender Squier Series and used in the middle position, so it's all in phase and hum-canceling when pairing with the coil-split humbuckers, the other still has its original RPRW middle single coil, so it gets out of phase.

Both humbuckers on that one are SD, so it's almost an invitation to replace the single with a better one, though the cash is short for that. My initial plan is to scrap the autosplit wiring in favor of a push-pull for the bridge only, but if only I could hack some solution (perhaps flip the magnets and wire the hot lead to ground and ground to hot, should work in theory) I'd give that a try.

 

[13druber]

I made a pick guard for mine so I could reduce its size. I made a 1/4" MDF pattern from a Bullet Strat one for the overall shape but with mods for the different control plate and then cut it out on my home brew router table.

Also removed the neck pickup cover so it matched the bridge better, and did the Bubba Mod by drilling the heel of the bridge plate so I could install intonated brass Tele saddles to eliminate the buzzy noise from the stock bridge.

Electronics, tuning keys and neck are all stock. Nice thickness to these early necks.

View attachment 246312

Beautiful work. I like this 9ne a lot

 

[DJGranite]

WOW I have thought 51s were ugly until this one!! It's loaded with goodies too! How bout a mint guard!!

Great score and congratulations.

I thought the same, I still think theyre ugly haha.

I guess beauty IS in the eye of the beholder...
I've had a couple and I thought they both looked good, 1 stock, 1 modded...

Stock early 51 Blonde


Modded early 51


There used to be a forum exclusively for 51s.

 

[playforfun]

Not sure exactly what you have I’m no expert, but that is one nice guitar. Love the neck. Congrats

 

[Diavolo]

Now that's cool! The 51's may be the few Squiers that could be considered "collectible" in the typical sense, though being such a cool, hot rod style model, it's always fun seeing custom examples like that. Heck, that's players grade, so that's quite an invitation to go crazy from this point onwards!

I may ask, out of curiosity - how are you planning on fixing the out of phase issue? I have two HSH guitars, both wired in the JEM style "autosplit" mode in the in-between positions. On one of them I've gotten a bridge single coil off an early MIM Fender Squier Series and used in the middle position, so it's all in phase and hum-canceling when pairing with the coil-split humbuckers, the other still has its original RPRW middle single coil, so it gets out of phase.

Both humbuckers on that one are SD, so it's almost an invitation to replace the single with a better one, though the cash is short for that. My initial plan is to scrap the autosplit wiring in favor of a push-pull for the bridge only, but if only I could hack some solution (perhaps flip the magnets and wire the hot lead to ground and ground to hot, should work in theory) I'd give that a try.

to reverse phase I'm just going to switch the hot and ground wires for the single coil - put the ground on the switch and put the hot to ground. try that with yours too.

 

[Diavolo]

Just opened my mail....

The black pickguard came! and it fits, which means this guitar is from the first run 2003-2006
I like it a lot better with the black.

The replacement bridge should arrive tomorrow.

 

[Diavolo]

Literally forgot i had this thing, played it a little tonight.
Not sure what to do with it, other than swap some parts and put it up for sale.
I have a new wilkinson bridge for it, and neck pickup.
Thinking about putting in two new Fender pots too.

 

[AxelMorisson]

hey that is a nice looking guitar! Why sale? it seems to me the 51s are tonally versatile and interesting beasts... much like a super-tele. And about the somewhat wavy string ferrules on the back- I have factory guitars that have that! Some in a pattern, and some just.. freehand, and of these, the most remarkable is an 8 string that has a really wavy layout. It's true it's a Harley Benton but the same guys also do some with very very nice and intricate "double staircase" patterns or perfectly aligned ferrules.
As for the color and choice of pickguard, that is very personal. i would see that, for example, with a solid aluminum (brushed) finish or even chrome plated to match the control plate. Other choices I would make : carbon fiber textured, or mint green or... ah but never mind.
The flaming on that neck is insane! Upgrade all you need, but defer on sale.. give it a new try. Now I know there's guitars one can never bond with..but ..I mean just look at that beaut!
I am in the process of building one from a kit bash. Nobody sane has a 51 kit and the originals are rare and expensive for me, but I thought- well the recipe is simple, a bit of a tele with a bit of a strat and.. but that ain't it, it just has a little more...charm to it than that. I just have to find a way to fashion the control plate, maybe cutting a Tele control plate to size. I will keep the standard Tele bridge with the whole shebang..and rebuild the wood around the SSS route to support it.

 

[AxelMorisson]

Radical idea: how about...a whole body swap? Night of the body snatchers, ahoy! eere comes a Double Cut Tele!!!

http://www.guitarlifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/fender-doublecut-telecaster.jpg

In fact, was not the 51 inspired by a what if.. modernized DC tele? like- the evolved shape , from a tele to a strat. Would like to see a DC tele but with a prototype arm rest cut and belly carve ...as a kind of prototype for the strat that would come. At some point, in Leo's workshop, something akin to that must have happened. Not enough of it to see the light of day as a production item sure, but I bet he did build a "mongrel" or say, alpha version.. evolution one.. step 1, or whatever you want to call it- to pass from one shape to another, then went on to refine it. Nice, but he should have gotten that out on the market. With a body binding and nice burst or goldtop to match.

 

[Diavolo]

I only bought the thing cause I got it cheap. It wasn't something I was looking for.

Not sure if it was tonally versatile when it was factory. This one is modified.
I think originally they came with coil split and no tone control.

This one has a humbucker, a single coil and 3 way switch, 1 volume 1 tone.
Sounds just like anything else with a humbucker and single coil in those positions.

I replaced the damaged pickguard.
And I will replace the ugly bridge that someone sanded the chrome on.
Before I resell it I'm going to rob the DiMarzio humbucker from it and replace both pickups. That will simultaneously fix the out of phase issue when I replace the pickups and I will give it matching pots. Since it has one normal size and one mini right now.

Even after investing the money in parts I think I can flip it for a small profit.

As far as i know the '51 was inspired by an old Fender p bass design.
If you are trying to build something like it and want a control plate, just buy one that's already made. Look at bass parts. No need to buy a tele plate and attempt to fabricate.

It's styling is borrowed from various Fenders, but it's a Squier original design.

Think you got it a little mixed up;
The recipe is strat body, tele neck, p bass control plate and pickguard shape.

 

[Diavolo]

i ended up ordering another bridge for this guitar, one with brass saddles, since this guitar has a brass string nut.
the pickups i am putting in have gold colored poles, still waiting on new humbucker to arrive.
visually it think it will flow nicely when done.

bridge arrived just a little while ago and I immediately installed it.
so much better than before.
new humbucker coming soon!

 

[jdean074]

I forgot about this guitar too -- Brass nut -- Someone was going all out with this thing. And the bridge you've chosen for it is pure class!!

 

[Diavolo]

I forgot about this guitar too -- Brass nut -- Someone was going all out with this thing. And the bridge you've chosen for it is pure class!!

thank you!
maybe by the time I'm done with it I will appreciate the thing and keep it.
seems like i ended up with a bunch of projects when i was trying to downsize.

 

[AxelMorisson]

I only bought the thing cause I got it cheap. It wasn't something I was looking for.

Not sure if it was tonally versatile when it was factory. This one is modified.
I think originally they came with coil split and no tone control.

This one has a humbucker, a single coil and 3 way switch, 1 volume 1 tone.
Sounds just like anything else with a humbucker and single coil in those positions.

I replaced the damaged pickguard.
And I will replace the ugly bridge that someone sanded the chrome on.
Before I resell it I'm going to rob the DiMarzio humbucker from it and replace both pickups. That will simultaneously fix the out of phase issue when I replace the pickups and I will give it matching pots. Since it has one normal size and one mini right now.

Even after investing the money in parts I think I can flip it for a small profit.

As far as i know the '51 was inspired by an old Fender p bass design.
If you are trying to build something like it and want a control plate, just buy one that's already made. Look at bass parts. No need to buy a tele plate and attempt to fabricate.

It's styling is borrowed from various Fenders, but it's a Squier original design.

Think you got it a little mixed up;
The recipe is strat body, tele neck, p bass control plate and pickguard shape.

I know that it's a mix of various Fender and Squire designs, with Squire being the "mixer" that made this possible. But they were so nice that Fender themselves brought out their own version. Yup, there's a Made in Japan Fender 51 - with a bit more of tele mixed in, like the bridge..

(at 13:49 a sound demo- sounds like a really nice tele, but that was the Fender version).

Something had to be right with these , or there wouldn't be such a case! I think it's the first (?) case of an original Squire design that gets ..adopted by Fender (and jacked up in price too) not the other way around. So it was a cheap guitar that got an expensive version.
Still about the P 51 body and mixing in various components, good call! Must get a kit but P51 kits are pretty rare, however the Pb 50 Harley Benton bass is plentiful. It does seem a pity to break down one of those ,because I really like the sound of mine! And the neck seems to be a bit more...hefty than the regular Tele neck. Must still find some parts, or just order from a custom furniture shop.. a slab body is not rocket science to make and if I get my measurements right that should work...

About the original controls and sounds, it did sound interesting to me, and pretty versatile, but you don't have to take my word for it. It was a YT video that showed me what this thing can do.
Original 51 Squire unmodded demo:

Ok, once modded, all bets are off- it can be better, it can be worse or it can totally change character.
Good call on the all-brass hardware. Looks amazing and from what I heard in various places, it does improve sound a bit.
So in short- unmodded, a 51 sounds like an interesting tele ..with a few extras. What can you do to it? Well the sky's the limit but... it does not seem like a dull guitar to me.

 

[Naked Strat Brat]

thank you!
maybe by the time I'm done with it I will appreciate the thing and keep it.
seems like i ended up with a bunch of projects when i was trying to downsize.

Keeper in my eyes...super nice.

 

[McRonson]

Pretty sure this is a Squier '51 so I'm posting this in this section of the forum.
Where are the '51 experts?
I want to source a replacement pickguard and bridge.

This guitar was listed CHEAP nearby.
From the pics in the posting it looked to have some parts on it worth more than the asking price.
Figured I couldn't lose. So I went and grabbed it up!

It was a bit of a mess until a couple hours ago, I took it all apart and polished everything.
It was missing strings, had a lot of mismatched screws, there were stickers on the pickguard, it had strings trees, and a little (car brand) emblem glued on the headstock hiding yet another botched hole for string tree.

Looks like it was a guitar someone who didn't really know what they were doing did some modifications too.

The neck isn't original to that body and was kind of sloppy in the pocket until I shimmed it. It has a brass nut which is nice. There are Fender staggered locking tuners, so I ditched the strings trees it had and plugged the holes. No branding on the neck heel, or any date in the neck pocket.
Truss rod adjustment is at the heel and seems like that off center access notch in the pickguard and body is an afterthought someone executed poorly.

The neck pickup is ceramic, slugs with two bar magnets, one on each side.
The bridge humbucker is a DiMarzio DP200!
The pickups are out of phase, but I can fix that easily. One pot is mini and the other is a full size CTS.
Along with a bunch of screws I changed out, I replaced the neck plate with a blank one because it had a Fender branded one on it with the little hole that goes no where on this body.

When I was removing the stickers from the pickguard they pulled off parts of the top gloss layer on the pickguard. Seemed like they'd been on there a long time. I would like to get a new pickguard for this, any clues to which year this is from so I can find one that fits correctly?
Also thinking to replace the bridge, this one doesn't seem original and its ugly because the chrome has been sanded.

Last thing I needed was another guitar, but I couldn't pass this one up.
Set up on it went easy, and now that its dialed in it plays great!

Friend of mine has one of these. He gouged the 'Squier' logo off it with a pen knife.

 

[Diavolo]

I havent wired it up yet but, got new pickups, new pots, new knobs, and a new switch in the '51.
(waiting on some parts for other projects so i can wire them all at the same time.)
After putting the new bridge on i figured it should have little gold accents everywhere. im not usually a fan of gold hardware, but i think this looks nice.

.....but heres a MAJOR problem the DiMarzio DP200 humbucker i pulled out of it needs a home!
now I have to figure out which of my guitars needs an upgrade / cream humbucker or do i have to buy another guitar?!

 

[Diavolo]

literally right after i posted that, a guitar body showed up on my doorstep.
the DP200 might go in it:

ding dong! whos there? NGD! (Sherwood Green Strat Project)

My Sherwood Green Strat body from GFS just showed up. Quality of routing and materials seems great, maybe not the best job on the evenness of the color coat at certain angles and lighting. However for the price its an excellent value. Now I have all the pieces for this, got about 4 other...

www.squier-talk.com

 

[Diavolo]

lazy day!
still havent wired this up, but im going around and updating all my "project" threads.
maybe after i drink a coffee things will change and I will go nuts on all my projects haha

edit: a few hours later: i worked on all of them except this guitar haha!