Another 2008 Daphne Blue Squier Deluxe Stratocaster came into the shop recently. I must say, though, that this one was in much worse shape than the last one I worked on. It was covered from headstock to lower strap button in grime, the frets were cruddy, and the bridge rusted out; to mention a few of its maladies. The worst problem was that it hardly made a sound plugged in, and the controls didn't seem to work. Yes, folks, it was time for an overhaul!
Most anything and everything that could be taken apart was, and then thoroughly scrubbed clean before being serviced and/or polished. This included the body itself, as well as the aged white knobs, switch tip, parchment pickguard and back plate. Cleaning/polishing agents used included soap, water, acetone, naphtha, Scratch-Dini; and good 'ole Autosol.
Sadly, budget constraints dictated that I only did the absolute minimum in getting this guitar back in shape again. For example, although the frets were so worn that a full refret was warranted; I ended up just reconditioning the fretboard and polishing the frets.
As for the bridge, the rusty twin pivot posts were stuck in their bushings. Had to pull both bushings out from the body, and then only work on removing the pivot posts. Getting the old saddle height screws out of the block saddles was an equally arduous task, I tell you. In the end, it was my mini butane torch that saved the day. You know it: heat, plunge in water, heat, plunge in water to the nth degree. The saddle height screws and intonation screws/springs were replaced, but I had to reuse the pivot posts after derusting them (budget constraints).
The Duncan Designed™ SC101 single-coils were still in good shape, but the five-way switch, pots and output jack were prime candidates for the dumpster. It was another case of water damage, for sure. Amongst the replacements were Alpha A250K pots and a Neutrik/Rean NYS229 output jack.
After stringing this Strat up with Ernie Ball Super Slinkys, setup wasn't all that difficult, thanks to the new saddle height screws and intonation screws/springs. The truss rod needed to be tweaked a little, and a Sen (Japanese Ash) veneer neck pocket shim added to obtain the desired neck pitch.
That's about it, folks. Thanks for checking in, and I'll see you again real soon. Meanwhile, stay home, stay safe; and God bless :)
