Squier Deluxe, string spacing and Fender pickguard. Would they match?

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BlueSquirrel

Dr. Squier
Dec 21, 2018
5,670
France
Hi everyone,
I have a question for the strat specialists that you are.
I was thinking about buying a second-hand Squier Deluxe to learn to play better, then, maybe in few years to upgrade it with a Fender loaded pickguard.

But I've just realised that the string spacing on the Deluxe is 10.8 and not 10.5 (different bridge), so would the mod work anyway or would the pickups end up too far away / off-centered from the strings?

Thank you very much in advance for your answer!
 
Guitarmageddon

Guitarmageddon

Squier-Axpert
Sep 27, 2014
11,596
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
BlueSquirrel said:
Hi everyone,
I have a question for the strat specialists that you are.
I was thinking about buying a second-hand Squier Deluxe to learn to play better, then, maybe in few years to upgrade it with a Fender loaded pickguard.

But I've just realised that the string spacing on the Deluxe is 10.8 and not 10.5 (different bridge), so would the mod work anyway or would the pickups end up too far away / off-centered from the strings?

Thank you very much in advance for your answer!
Click to expand...

The Squier Deluxe is not 10.8mm spacing.....that would be 54mm total....it's 52mm total....10.5mm spacing.....

Pickups poles don't have to be 100% directly under each string to work.....it's something people with OCD usually notice, but isn't a problem....

Also the Squier Deluxe has awesome Duncan Designed SC-101 pickups, so to me it would be completely silly to change it out for something else especially at the beginner stages of learning electric guitar.....

The Deluxe 100% stock is a guitar good enough for a pro who gigs 5 nights a week....
 
S

squi guy

Squier-Meister
Jan 5, 2019
193
North Canton,Ohio
"The Deluxe 100% stock is a guitar good enough for a pro who gigs 5 nights a week"


I've GOT to find one of these, the search for one is getting frustrating...ughhhh:confused:
 
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BlueSquirrel

Dr. Squier
Dec 21, 2018
5,670
France
Wow! Thank you so much for your input and for correcting me!
I've found another Deluxe in the classifieds. This time it's a 2008 model. The owner seems very nice. He says the guitar is in very good state, but to his knowledge the strings have never been changed.
He had bought it second hand for his son who has taken a fancy to ACDC and would like to buy a Les Paul-like guitar instead. The only drawback is that it's very far away... I hope it won't be sold to someone closer in the meantime. This time I'll take a screwdriver with me and my clip-on tuner. Unfortunately I still don't have a real tuning pedal. Thank you so much again for your help and wish me luck!
 
Last edited:
B

BlueSquirrel

Dr. Squier
Dec 21, 2018
5,670
France
squi guy said:
"The Deluxe 100% stock is a guitar good enough for a pro who gigs 5 nights a week"


I've GOT to find one of these, the search for one is getting frustrating...ughhhh:confused:
Click to expand...
Well sometimes they are mislabeled in the classifieds so they may be more common than we think (especially if the photos are low res, it's can be hard to tell). Look at the 2 point trem, the two string trees, the small headstock and the writing on the pickups.
 
Las Palmas Norte

Las Palmas Norte

Squier-Axpert
Feb 19, 2017
14,952
Vancouver Island, Canada
BlueSquirrel said:
...I was thinking about buying a second-hand Squier Deluxe to learn to play better...
Click to expand...

The Deluxe can't make you "play better". However it is a very comfortable Stratocaster. As pointed out, up grades are something to consider at a much later point, if at all. They're great as is. If you ever play for a living then perhaps an upgraded wiring harness would be in order.
Satin maple 22 fret neck, 2 point trem, Duncan Design pickups … a fine guitar for the money. Also available in Daphne blue.


I got one in the spring of '17.
Deluxe-01.jpg
Deluxe-02.jpg
Deluxe-03.jpg
Deluxe-04.jpg

Cheers, Barrie.
 
Las Palmas Norte

Las Palmas Norte

Squier-Axpert
Feb 19, 2017
14,952
Vancouver Island, Canada
BlueSquirrel said:
Barrie yours seems to be in pristine condition. Did you get it like this or did you manage to clean it/ pamper it so well that it looks brand new?
Click to expand...

I did by this new retail. To be honest, I haven't played it much. I guess I have more than enough (did I just say that?) within easy grasp, so the ones stored away such as this, don't seem to get out as often.

Cheers, Barrie.
 
Las Palmas Norte

Las Palmas Norte

Squier-Axpert
Feb 19, 2017
14,952
Vancouver Island, Canada
squi guy said:
Can't find them new anymore, discontinued from all the big internet sellers. Found one on craigslist, pearl white model 4 hours away driving time, great shape too, I just may be tempted to make that trip.
Click to expand...

Maybe buddy can meet part way and save some drive time? You never know until you inquire.
Good luck on what ever you decide. Cheers, Barrie.
 
archetype

archetype

Fiend of Leo's
Silver Supporting Member
Oct 24, 2017
3,480
Western NY, USA
BlueSquirrel said:
Wow! Thank you so much for your input and for correcting me!
I've found another Deluxe in the classifieds. This time it's a 2008 model. The owner seems very nice. He says the guitar is in very good state, but to his knowledge the strings have never been changed.
He had bought it second hand for his son who has taken a fancy to ACDC and would like to buy a Les Paul-like guitar instead. The only drawback is that it's very far away... I hope it won't be sold to someone closer in the meantime. This time I'll take a screwdriver with me and my clip-on tuner. Unfortunately I still don't have a real tuning pedal. Thank you so much again for your help and wish me luck!
Click to expand...

Take a .009 string set, too.
 
Shaytan

Shaytan

Squier-holic
Apr 10, 2018
2,033
Lisbon, Portugal
I'll tell you a little story. When I started playing, I've got a Squier SE, which is a very beloved model over here for the opposite reason of the Deluxe - while the Deluxe is great out of the box, the SE is quite on the okay-ish level, but having a great neck and body and being cheap makes it a great modding platform.

Well, at the time I really didn't enjoyed it that much. Back in my 16s I used to listen to bands like Black Veil Brides and so was all into an LTD Eclipse, the type of guitars those folks played. I also found the guitar quite difficult to play, having high strings and mediocre tone. Years later and as my tastes in metal also shifted, I still wanted something more metal than a Strat with single coils and a pearloid pickguard and eventually bit the bullet and got an SG; for a time I even considered getting rid of the Strat.

Eventually I did sell the SG because, among other reasons, couldn't adapt to it and upgraded the SE I didn't used to like to become now my most played guitar. While the investment in mods surely helped, the one thing that made it play so much better was a good setup.

The moral of the story is that you don't necessarily need a better guitar to play better. One of the most valuable things on a more expensive guitar is that it usually comes set up from the factory rather than just quickly put together, if you make sure yours is well set up (you can easily learn how to do that yourself), odds are you'll find it miles better than a new better guitar than comes poorly set up as well. I've seen a crappy guitar of a friend of mine, as well as what's notoriously known as the worst electric guitar you can buy around here, the "Toys r' Us guitar", in new condition for a bargain, and in both cases after setting them up and taking care of all the rougher details, they've found their way to loving homes.
 
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