[SAK-XXVII]

That's a lovely Tele evilmessiah. Looking at your guitar brought back a lot of memories of mine.

My friend had a american standard tele 2008 finished in blonde and that was the first electric guitar that i ever played back in school. I was sold to it but he kept on insisting me to get the Yamaha silent guitar. You could just plug your earphones in and play it, it was compact and detachable, which made it perfect to fly under the radar in school. But it did not evoke the same emotions like that of the telecaster. It just felt like a digital guitar. I skipped it and unfortunate events in academics lead me to prioritize maths over music, so lost touch over playing them.

Once the pandemic struck, had lot of time in hand, so picked up my acoustic guitar to get back in shape and last year, finally the itch to get an electric guitar bit me. As much as i loved the tele, i am a big big Pink Flyod fan. The way David Gilmour plays those strings just elate me.

So i started hunting for a black strat, similar to that played by the big man, but i could not come across any in India. Nobody was even ready to get one on order. That made me think about getting a sunburst shade and painting it all black, just the way Mr.Gilmour did. I had almost finalised on it till i came across the aged cherry burst shade on the strat. Now i knew the exact shade i wanted my guitar.
Finally started contacting dealers and Akshit from Rooster guitars did help me(He is a car guy as well so that was a nice touch). He did place an order on request and it almost took a month to arrive but boy-o-boy i loved the shade. The detailing is just beautiful. It's in HSS configuration and sounds bright. I use the aged Digitech RP350 effects pedal which is almost a decade old (and almost broke) that i stole from my friend and Marshall MG15R amp.

Now that i've seen your post, i need to start thinking about what i can change to get better. Its never say never for me when it comes to upgrades that make the package a bit more sweet, so maybe i ll start off with a new effects pedal and then go on to the guitar itself. Any suggestions on effects pedals from experts here are welcome.

Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed reading all the posts on this thread.

Here is my guitar

[AZ911]

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

It was also very refreshing to see a vintage Yaschica camera and a Fujifilm DLSR with a wood grip along with a row of vintage watches in his man cave too.

How did I miss this??? This description makes me want to eventually have something similar. A few relatables.

[zurura023]

Originally Posted by AZ911

Peter and John Pereira near the Thane railway station are pretty famous. I’ve attached a pic with their details.

Thanks. Have availed their service for acoustic set up in May. Shall stick with them. Here is the contact in case someone is looking for it.

Peter Pereira
+91 9920631491
Old Bombay Road Near St John The Baptist School, Opp,Brahmi Vidyalaya Thane(W), Thane, Maharashtra 400601
https://goo.gl/maps/4oDPj9C1k9C7zUdm9

Originally Posted by PrasadS

Luckily the person who works on my Guitars has his workshop in Thane. Goes by the name Auddie Dsouza (CiprianoMusic). You can find him on FB. DM me if you have any trouble connecting with him.

Thanks Prasad. Auddie's setup is quite close to where I stay. Before going to Peter, I had called him to check the price for the set up of acoustic. since, I am a beginner and also my guitar was not that expensive, I preferred a slightly cheaper alternative to begin with. Will keep him in mind, when I plan to upgrade the electronics.

Originally Posted by SAK-XXVII

Once the pandemic struck, had lot of time in hand, so picked up my acoustic guitar to get back in shape and last year, finally the itch to get an electric guitar bit me. As much as i loved the tele, i am a big big Pink Flyod fan. The way David Gilmour plays those strings just elate me.

There is a certain flavour to his playing. He, more than anyone, gave me the impetus to start learning the guitar.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

Actually, the upgrade story for your Pacifica is very interesting. I had seen on Darrel Braun Guitar's channel on YouTube where he was doing an upgrade build for his lower end Yamaha Pacifica and he had mentioned that finding compatible parts weren't as straightforward and the lack of plentiful aftermarket options that is enjoyed by Fender/ Squier models. I'm a fan of the Pacifica series though and I feel that they are made better than Squiers and have more attention to detail.

I agree, the Pacificas are a slight step above the Squiers. If I didnt own a Yamaha for so long, I would have probably gone for a Pacifica instead. But I needed a change.

That said, the Manuel Industries store had an incredible sounding and silky smooth Yamaha RS320 at that time. It was around Rs 33K IIRC. I half thought of stretching my budget and going for it but in the end I played it safe and went for the Strat instead.

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

Quite right again. Some gems are there in older stock though. I remember Alister talking about a Godin and a Blackheart tube head and cab (I think both are rare in India) that was for sale at Sangeeth Mahal.

Yeah, Ive seen that Godin there since 2018, which is when I first visited Sangeeth. My brother owns a Godin and I had borrowed it for a couple of weeks. Such an under rated gem of a guitar. Unfortunately, its far too good for my plateaud out guitaring skills.

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

I also underestimated the Tele at first, to be honest. I was under an extremely silly prejudiced notion that the Tele is good only for country music. Playing one in real life was like having a bucket of cold water poured on my head in a cold winter morning in Ooty. The distinctive tone aside, playing the Tele invoked the same feelings (the good ones, not how badly it vibrated) I had when I was riding a 535 Continental GT. There was just something special about it. Plus, the simple, rugged build and the tuning stability were also attractive to me.

I too was quite surprised by how nice the Affinity Teles sounded.

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

Is Stelsie the store that your're referring to? They had a pretty good name back then- don't they have an outlet near the North Railway Station? You're right- Alister's looking at the enthusiast end of the spectrum and not at the volume based mass market. But even then, I don't think it would cost as much as the established manufacturers are charging for their flagships.

Yeah, thats the store. Thanks for sharing the ballpark price details.

Originally Posted by navin

Just FYI. Richards (aka Keith) also uses a Tele as his main guitar and Jimmy Page used a Tele for Led Zepp I and part of Led Zepp II.

True, Teles have been an integral part of the music scene. I just associate it with the Boss, who is one of my all time top musicians. There are two bands that I hope I can watch live
- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Foo Fighters

[Roy.S]

Interesting that I should stumble upon this thread on the day I get my Little 59 pickup!
I had been meaning to upgrade the pickups on my Squier Strat eventually but a couple of defective tone pots forced my hand and I took the thing apart. Disconnecting the tone pots cleaned up the sound to a large extent but the weak pickups were bothering me a bit. After a few false starts I managed to get a Seymour Duncan Humbucker from Bajaao.
Unfortunately my micro soldering station was not up to the job so for the moment the pickup wires have been joined with insulating tape.
The new pickup is miles ahead of the stock single coil but the easiest fix to improve a Squier's sound is to simply cut the tone pots out of the circuit.
The stock pickups are not terrible but the pots and selector switch don't last that long.

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

So this is a guide on the upgrades that were done to my Squier Affinity Telecaster electric guitar.......

That is a truly fabulous upgrade!
How was the experience ordering stuff from the US wrt delivery times and customs duties?

[navin]

Originally Posted by AZ911

Peter and John Pereira near the Thane railway station are pretty famous. I’ve attached a pic with their details.

Sunil Shinde (es Salu Diaz) is another option. He used to be in Malad but has now moved to Mira Road.

Originally Posted by PrasadS

I know a few people who have learned under Bismark sir.

Bismark is an institution. I also studied piano under his daughter Maureen (till she got married). Heck, I was invited to her wedding too. Good times. I haven't kept in touch since.

[evilmessiah]

Originally Posted by SAK-XXVII

.....My friend had a american standard tele 2008 finished in blonde and that was the first electric guitar that i ever played back in school. I was sold..

Thank you! Your account was quite useful. The silent guitar sounds like a great option for practicing quietly without attracting attention. I'm finding it attractive since it sounds like a good option for quick unobtrusive practice sessions without disturbing anyone. I should probably read up some more on it.

Originally Posted by SAK-XXVII

...As much as i loved the tele, i am a big big Pink Flyod fan. The way David Gilmour plays those strings just elate me.

Count me in as a Pink Floyd fan too. In fact, Pink Floyd was my stepping stone to music in the first place (I grew up listening to the Dark Side of the Moon and a Momentary Lapse of Reason on cassettes). Agreed! Gilmour's playing is on another level. Classy.

Originally Posted by SAK-XXVII

So i started hunting for a black strat, similar to that played by the big man, but i could not come across any in India...

Quite coincidentally, there was a black Squier Bullet Strat at Rooster when I was trying out the Tele and the Ibanez 121DX. There was another guy who was trying out the Bullet Strat and pulled the trigger on it. He was telling his brother that he planned to swap the white pickguard to a black one so that it looks like Gilmour's Strat. A man of fine taste indeed. Needless to say he's my friend now. Funny how we meet cool people in unlikely places like a guitar shop.

Originally Posted by SAK-XXVII

Finally started contacting dealers and Akshit from Rooster guitars did help me(He is a car guy as well so that was a nice touch)...

Ah, so my hunch was right that he was a car guy as well. He had remarked to me once that some of the older cars are cooler and have better soul and quality than the new ones (something I agree upon- I would rather own something like an E30 or E46 BMW M3 in an ideal world rather than the new buck toothed one). Seems he cruises around in a dark grey Superb these days ( a fine choice among present cars).

Originally Posted by SAK-XXVII

He did place an order on request and it almost took a month to arrive but boy-o-boy i loved the shade. The detailing is just beautiful. It's in HSS configuration and sounds bright. I use the aged Digitech RP350 effects pedal which is almost a decade old (and almost broke) that i stole from my friend and Marshall MG15R amp.

You know, I never paid much attention to this shade- the natural finishes and the pastel shades (Surf Green, Daphne Blue and Olympic White) were my favorites. But seeing your guitar's pics have changed my mind. What a looker!

Originally Posted by SAK-XXVII

Now that i've seen your post, i need to start thinking about what i can change to get better. Its never say never for me when it comes to upgrades that make the package a bit more sweet, so maybe i ll start off with a new effects pedal and then go on to the guitar itself. Any suggestions on effects pedals from experts here are welcome.

Is yours a Fender Player series model or the American Standard? If it's the Player model, I feel that you're actually set. The hardware is pretty good and I really feel that they offer more value over the American models. Some of the hardware is better on the Player series (like the tremolo block and the nut) The only nitpicky upgrades I can think of are locking tuners (a matter of preference, I guess) and maybe a high quality nut (that too only when the stock one wears off). A good set up by an experienced luthier who can make sure the frets are leveled, round off sharp fret ends and roll the finger board a little would be better for the playability and feel.

Even I'm looking at an effects pedal in the future. I see three options:

1) Get something like a Boss Katana or Fender Mustang amp and use the PC to emulate as much effects as we need via tone patches. I think the Katana actually has the guys of an older Boss GT1 multi effects unit inside it.

Pros: Cheap, Compact, Extremely Versatile
Cons: Some may find these amps to sound a bit too artificial. Classic jack of all trades situation.

2) Get a multi effects unit. I feel these have come a long way and can more than suffice for the needs for many unless one is a gigging musician or have a very specific tone in mind.

Pros: Cheap(er) than going for individual pedals, Versatile, Compact, Good units may sound better than the modelling amps.
Cons: Some units can be intimidating and complicated to use, some are expensive.

3) Go old school and build a pedal board with individual pedals.

Pros: Some of the pedals sound like an angel or Thor clearing his throat. Some pedals are truly works of art in terms of looks and build as well.
Cons: A dark rabbit hole where the spending never stops, A pedal board is large and unwieldy, Setting up power supply for all those pedals is tricky.

Since I have an amp with good cleans (Fender Champion 40), I might go for the multi effects option. Or else, I might be open to sell this and get a Boss Katana and call it a day too.

Originally Posted by AZ911

How did I miss this??? This description makes me want to eventually have something similar. A few relatables.

This is more or less how it looks like at my friend's place (it is blocked in a couple of the photos I've posted by his head). The cameras and the watches are stored like this to the left of the tool rack that is visible in a couple of the pictures.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

That said, the Manuel Industries store had an incredible sounding and silky smooth Yamaha RS320 at that time. It was around Rs 33K IIRC. I half thought of stretching my budget and going for it but in the end I played it safe and went for the Strat instead.

Oh my, this is beautiful! I think I've seen it at Furtados as well. I skipped it at that time for the same reasons as you did. I don't know why, but it also reminded me of a red 535 Continental GT in terms of looks. Weird analogy, but that was what came to my mind at first.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Yeah, Ive seen that Godin there since 2018, which is when I first visited Sangeeth. My brother owns a Godin and I had borrowed it for a couple of weeks. Such an under rated gem of a guitar. Unfortunately, its far too good for my plateaud out guitaring skills.

This one made me laugh out! That one is going for something like 80K, isn't it? A positive steal for such a high quality guitar that I feel is better than some Fenders and Gibsons. If I remember correctly, Baiju Dharmajan plays a Godin. I wouldn't buy one for the same reasons as you said- it's too good for a beginner like me!

Originally Posted by Roy.S

Interesting that I should stumble upon this thread on the day I get my Little 59 pickup!...

Hey, nice post! Congrats on the SD Lil 59! Have you changed all the pickups or did you just replace one (looks like you've replaced the neck- do correct me if I'm wrong)?

One thing that I really love about Seymour Duncan is their very clear and precise wiring diagrams and instructions. We had cross referenced one of Seymour Duncan's 4 way Tele wiring diagrams for our project!

Originally Posted by Roy.S

I had been meaning to upgrade the pickups on my Squier Strat eventually but a couple of defective tone pots forced my hand and I took the thing apart. Disconnecting the tone pots cleaned up the sound to a large extent but the weak pickups were bothering me a bit.

Just curious- Is yours a Squier Affinity or a Bullet Strat? Do you recall which pots and switch came as stock? Mine were 500K dime sized Alpha pots and the switch was a Cort part.

Originally Posted by Roy.S

After a few false starts I managed to get a Seymour Duncan Humbucker from Bajaao.
Unfortunately my micro soldering station was not up to the job so for the moment the pickup wires have been joined with insulating tape.
The new pickup is miles ahead of the stock single coil but the easiest fix to improve a Squier's sound is to simply cut the tone pots out of the circuit.
The stock pickups are not terrible but the pots and selector switch don't last that long.

Since you've already taken the plunge and got a Seymour Duncan in, my humble suggestion would be to take it further and complement that lovely pickup with some world class electronics. Stewmac sells a wiring kit for the Strat which has all you need: https://www.stewmac.com/kits-and-pro...r-stratocaster . I love the CTS pots- they make a noticeable difference in feel and durability. No more scratchy sounds. The Alpha pots in mine felt loose and had a lot of play and had started crackling.

The only things that you should check for are:

• Making sure that the full sized pots would fit your guitar's cavity. You can send a mail asking this to Stewmac's customer support. They will take a couple of days, but they will reply and confirm.
• Chances are pretty high that you might need to change the control knobs or dremel it (and maybe the pickguard) out since the CTS shafts are wider. Easiest option is to order for OG Fender knobs from the same site and take advantage of the shipping (since shipping cost wouldn't change even if you add the knobs).

Or else, there is an option where they have a wiring kit with Alpha pots as well which is some 15 dollars cheaper https://www.stewmac.com/kits-and-pro...r-stratocaster

Sorry for the long post and links, but I'm writing this down in case someone else with a Strat is thinking of an upgrade.

Originally Posted by Roy.S

How was the experience ordering stuff from the US wrt delivery times and customs duties?

I have had a very positive experience ordering from the US. I was very satisfied in terms of customer service and how they answered my queries. With regard to delivery times, it took about a month (or about 3 weeks) to reach me. I had to mail Stewmac customer care for a tracking link, but the link they shared was accurate in showing the updates and ETA. I've sent you a PM with some more details.

[Roy.S]

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

...
Is yours a Squier Affinity or a Bullet Strat?....

I got the Little 59 for the neck. My first choice was a Lil 59 or Hot Rails for the Bridge position but nothing was available. I considered getting a full size humbucker but H-S-S pickguards were not available. There was a brief moment of madness when I contemplated cutting my S-S-S pickguard but it passed.
As you suggested, a complete wiring upgrade is now needed. Thanks for pointing me to the Stewmac website.
My guitar is a Bullet Strat bought on an impulse from Jeff Bezos's website. Towards the end of April '21 another lockdown seemed inevitable and I figured I'd give the guitar another shot. My first attempt at this had been a miserable failure over 2 decades ago.
The guitar was delivered to me a day before all non essential deliveries were stopped.
I really had no idea what to expect but this bargain basement axe turned out to be very well finished with absolutely none of the finishing issues Squiers sometimes have. There are only 2 things which were below par. The tone pots which I had mentioned earlier and a very badly installed jack ferrule.
The pots seem to be made in Korea but looking at how quickly they packed up I suspect it might be North Korea.
The output jack was obviously installed by someone who had just found out that their spouse had cheated on them.

[evilmessiah]

Originally Posted by Roy.S

I got the Little 59 for the neck. My first choice was a Lil 59 or Hot Rails for the Bridge position but nothing was available.

In India, Bajaao seems to be the only one providing reasonably priced pickups. However, what they presently seem to be having in stock caters mostly to guitars that have full sized humbuckers. You must have bought the last of their Lil 59 pickups!

Originally Posted by Roy.S

I considered getting a full size humbucker but H-S-S pickguards were not available. There was a brief moment of madness when I contemplated cutting my S-S-S pickguard but it passed.
As you suggested, a complete wiring upgrade is now needed. Thanks for pointing me to the Stewmac website.

By the way, that website also has pickguards in various colors and configurations. There is also another site called Guitar Fetish https://www.guitarfetish.com/ which has more affordable options for everything I mentioned above, but their shipping costs are higher than Stewmac's for the same items. They also sell their own brand of pickups which seem to have good reviews.

Originally Posted by Roy.S

My guitar is a Bullet Strat bought on an impulse from Jeff Bezos's website. Towards the end of April '21 another lockdown seemed inevitable and I figured I'd give the guitar another shot. My first attempt at this had been a miserable failure over 2 decades ago.
The guitar was delivered to me a day before all non essential deliveries were stopped.
I really had no idea what to expect but this bargain basement axe turned out to be very well finished with absolutely none of the finishing issues Squiers sometimes have. There are only 2 things which were below par. The tone pots which I had mentioned earlier and a very badly installed jack ferrule.

Hats off for doing that! I didn't have the guts to order one off Amazon (or even Bajaao)! Even I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of my Squier Affinity Tele and also of the Squier Bullet Strat that I had seen at Rooster.

Originally Posted by Roy.S

The pots seem to be made in Korea but looking at how quickly they packed up I suspect it might be North Korea.
The output jack was obviously installed by someone who had just found out that their spouse had cheated on them.

Good one! I was thinking that the Bullet lineup would be having unbranded pots, but you seem to be having dime sized Alpha pots as well. I was also having pretty good expectations from Alpha pots, but they seem to be a bit disappointing in terms of reliability and durability. While I didn't have as bad an experience as you did with the Alpha pots in my guitar, they weren't as nice to use or reliable like CTS pots. Mine had too much play and had some scratchiness.

Hahaha! Nice line about the output jack! That seems to be a common failure point for many as well. In your case, the premium wiring kit from Stewmac would be a worthy upgrade since that kit contains a very nice Switchcraft Output jack.

[Ranger747]

hi fellow motor-music-heads! Very informative thread here!

Just wanted to share a good guitar tech contact for the folks in Bangalore. I have done guitar setup and maintenance of a few guitars with Adarsh and he is a very good chap. He has a small home based operation and works on all kind of guitars. From my own experience I would definitely recommend him. He takes his time and do a honest work on the instrument.

I had some bad experience with repairs at music stores etc. before I found him. When you go through music stores, you never know who is finally working on your instrument. And this is not OK if they are expensive and special instruments.

Also for a long while I neglected to have my guitars setup. Even the best brands don't ship with best possible setup. And its day and night difference when you play a guitar after it is professionally setup. I would highly recommend that for beginners.

Adarsh Guitar Custom
Google map: https://g.page/adarsh-guitar-custom?share
Ph: +91 77952 38475
Instagram of his work : Link

please note, I am not related to his business in anyway. just a happy customer.

[Ranger747]

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

I have had a very positive experience ordering from the US. I was very satisfied in terms of customer service and how they answered my queries. With regard to delivery times, it took about a month (or about 3 weeks) to reach me. I had to mail Stewmac customer care for a tracking link, but the link they shared was accurate in showing the updates and ETA. I've sent you a PM with some more details.

What percentage you had to pay to the india Customs as duty? I recently bought some MIDI controller from Singapore and had a pay a bomb to collect it. almost 80% of the cost!! scare to try anything like that now!