Is it worth the effort to..

Rocker

try to 'do something' with a Squier Tele.  Pretty old, not 100% original and Crafted in Indonesia.  I mislaid the original pickup mounting screws and fitted alternatives that I had to hand also I fitted an Earvana nut.  Tuning stability is not great.  Strangely I kinda like the old thing and wondered if it could be got 'right'.  I know I could spend a fortune on bits and pieces.....

What do you guys think?  Is it worth the effort?  Should I leave it as it is and just enjoy it, warts and all?  Or hop it into a charity shop and get a decent replacement?  I am still on the lookout for a yellow [canary or primrose yellow, not butterscotch] guitar.....

TTony

Sounds like an ideal test patient ... use it to develop your skills & confidence?

WezV

yeah, mod it.      You don;t have to spend a lot, but you can if you want

jd0272

Yes, get the Sharp Things out. Nowt lost. Probably needs to be different colour too.

ICBM

The basic woodwork on these is OK.

If the tuning stability isn't great it shouldn't be hard to fix - it can only be the nut, the tuners or the bridge in that (steeply) descending order of probability.

Does it *play* in tune, or is it that it seems to not stay in tune because it doesn't?

OilCityPickups

Teles are probably the most commonly modded Fenders ... you can do so much for small bucks. Sort that tuning thing out firstways. As ICBM says, tuners, nut or bridge. Cheap but good split post tuners would be first on my shopping list anyway: to my mind as good as locking tuners when you learn how to use em. String hold downs are often problematic on those Fenders/Squires fitted with 2. I always revert to just the one on the E and B strings only. A very easy thing to try without!

I'd do pots as a matter of course ... and a Sprague 'Orange Drop' cap, Then enjoy it for a while before deciding if you want to go further.

Next for me would be a compensated three saddle ashtray bridge ...

And lastly ... but only if you feel you need a boost ... new pickups. If it it ain't broke, don't fix it!

ThePrettyDamned

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Teles are probably the most commonly modded Fenders ... you can do so much for small bucks. Sort that tuning thing out firstways. As ICBM says, tuners, nut or bridge. Cheap but good split post tuners would be first on my shopping list anyway: to my mind as good as locking tuners when you learn how to use em. String hold downs are often problematic on those Fenders/Squires fitted with 2. I always revert to just the one on the E and B strings only. A very easy thing to try without!

I'd do pots as a matter of course ... and a Sprague 'Orange Drop' cap, Then enjoy it for a while before deciding if you want to go further.

Next for me would be a compensated three saddle ashtray bridge ...

And lastly ... but only if you feel you need a boost ... new pickups. If it it ain't broke, don't fix it!

One of the nice things about teles is they *all* sound like teles across the range.  I tried an Affinity in butterscotch once and it has a reduced thickness body, plastic finish, odd colour, super cheap bridge and tuners and presumably mega cheap pickups, but it still sounded fundamentally like a USA Tele! Just an awful lot less refined - would benefit from an upgrade, but for a cheap impersonation of a tele, it was bang on. 

stickyfiddle

Crikey - definitely worth keeping and fiddling with. Cheaper than swapping for something "better" and you'll learn something too

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

One of the nice things about teles is they *all* sound like teles across the range.  I tried an Affinity in butterscotch once and it has a reduced thickness body, plastic finish, odd colour, super cheap bridge and tuners and presumably mega cheap pickups, but it still sounded fundamentally like a USA Tele! Just an awful lot less refined - would benefit from an upgrade, but for a cheap impersonation of a tele, it was bang on. 

I totally agree. The usual Tele purist/snob nonsense that it doesn't sound like a Tele unless it has an ashtray bridge with three brass saddles etc is total nonsense.

There are *small* differences but no more than that. Put it in a mix and a Squier Affinity and a USA Standard Tele both sound exactly like Telecasters.

imalone

My main reason for liking those wheel locking tuners is they're slightly higher geared. Also with a tune-o-matic style bridge you can remove the strings without taking them out of the tuners, but that's a minor benefit that doesn't even apply here. I also like well engineered moving parts...