Particularly in the Indonesian made Squiers, the original nut is installed with a healthy dose of superglue. On the upside, Graph Tech does make a Tusq nut that has a notch that allows the nut to sit flat, or if you need it to be curved you just pop out the notch.Įxercise caution when removing your old nut. There’s no hard and fast rule here unfortunately so you’ll need to either remove your nut during a string change to check (which can be tricky if it’s glued in) or google your model to see if anyone’s confirmed. One thing to be aware of when selecting a nut for your guitar is whether it fits into a flat or curved slot. This makes Tusq XL nuts self lubricating, which goes a long way towards extending the life of your string, and ensuring the guitar stays in tune for longer. Tusq XL nuts in particular are impregnated with PTFE, which is the chemical name for Teflon. You can read our opinion on the Tusq vs bone debate here, but the short version is that if you drop a bone nut it makes a thud, if you drop a Tusq nut, it rings. Typically people look to either bone nuts or Tusq nuts for replacements. Squires and Mexican strats in particular suffer from either cheap plastic nuts or in the case of the newer player series guitars, a melamine nut that’s better off being dishware than something you want your strings to sit in. Luckily with a strat you’re not looking at the kind of issues that Gibson owners have with their G strings, but a cheap or badly cut nut can leave you scratching your head as you tune up every few minutes.Īs with most production guitars these days, a Strat’s nut out of the factory can be something of a weak point. The biggest advantage of a nut replacement – typically the second most popular strat upgrade – is an increase in tuning stability, and improved tone when playing open strings. Strat Mods – Replacing a Strat Nut and String Tree If your aesthetic is more modern, these Wilkinson E-Z Post tuners also look great, and offer a plug and play tuner upgrade for most Squier models. Remember, if you are upgrading tuning keys on a Squier, you also need to be aware that you can’t just drop Fender tuning keys into a Squier Strat due to the pins (which sit into the back of your headstock from the tuners) being different sizes, so while they are often the gold standard, you’ll want to look elsewhere for drop ins. If you want the vintage look, Fender’s Road Worn Vintage Style tuners offer rock solid stability and look incredible. Should you decide to go the non-locking route, there are some other excellent options on the market that offer great looks and solid tuning stability. ![]() Not only do they offer locks for fast string changes and good tuning stability, they also offer a staggered post option, which sets up the guitar with the perfect break angle over the nut, making any Strat feel much more like a US made Fender. Hipshot makes some of the best aftermarket locking tuners for 6 in-line setups like you will find on a Stratocaster, and because they come with a universal mounting plate they should fit most Squier models with minimal drilling. If you decide to go with locking tuners for your tuner strat mod, the Hipshot Grip-Lock 6 inline 21mm Locking Tuners are a solid choice. This means that you will need to widen the holes to switch from vintage to modern (a task for a luthier), whereas going from modern to vintage will require conversion bushings ( StewMac makes them in a variety of sizes and finishes), unless you want to try and fill out the wood, which is a big task. 249″ diameter string post, while the die-cast tuning machines fit a 13/32 (10mm) hole with a. Some people want locking tuners to make string changes easier, some people want to go for more traditional look tuning keys, some people just want black tuning keys to make their strat look a little hot rodded.Īnother issue is the differing mounting holes for tuners – Fender’s vintage style tuners fit an 11/32″ (8.7mm) tuning hole and have a. However, picking a new set of tuners can be a bit of a minefield as there are so many options out there. Upgrading your existing tuners to a good set of locking tuners or even just a well made set of vintage style tuners is one of the first Stratocaster upgrades people do, because it can have a huge effect on the tuning stability of your guitar, as well as the ease and speed with which you tune up. Final thoughts on Stratocaster Upgrades. ![]() Strat Mods – Hardware (strap locks and jack replacement).Strat Mods – Replacing and upgrading Electronics on a strat.Strat Mods – Stratocaster Replacement Pickups. ![]() Strat Mods – Replacing a Strat Nut and String Tree.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |