Squier California Series Stratocaster Upgrade

This strat was bought used for a mere RM250, according to the owner. Besides needing a full refret, it was suffering from years of neglect. Work done on this guitar included the following:
1. De-rusting and polishing the bridge plate
2. Replacing the bridge mounting screws and saddles
3. Replacing the tremolo claw and springs
4. Repairing a previously-botched fretboard "repair job"
5. Replacing the output jack plate
6. Replacing the stock 18-spline control knobs with genuine Fender 24-spline ones
7. Full shielding
8. Upgrading the electronics/wiring
(Gavitt wire/CRL 5-way switch/CTS 250K pots/Sprague "orange drop" tone cap/Switchcraft output jack)
 

1997 Gibson Les Paul Custom

When this guitar arrived at my doorstep, I was thrilled beyond words. I mean, this was the very first Les Paul Custom I'd ever worked on. Out of curiosity, I took a few pics and emailed them to Gibson Customer Service. Within 24 hours (bravo GCS), they replied that the "pictures and serial number" were "consistent with a Les Paul Custom model in Ebony finish, made on the 202nd day of 1997 in Nashville, TN." So, what I had in my hands was the real deal, and not a well-made knockoff. Besides the obvious, I've managed to ascertain a number of specs, thanks to the Gibson Guitar Board.

Finish:        Ebony
Body:        Mahogany/carved maple top
Neck:        One-piece mahogany/1959 rounded LP shape
Fingerboard:    Ebony/22 frets/24.75" scale/mother-of-pearl block inlays
Nut Width:    1.6875"
Pickups:    Alnico Humbuckers: Neck - 490R/Bridge - 498T
Controls:    2 volumes/2 tones/3-way switch
Hardware:    Gold
Bridge:        Tune-o-matic/stop bar tailpiece
Binding:    "Sumptuous multiple binding" on body/neck/headstock

Work Done
Fret dressing
Hardware cleanup/polish
Electronics cleanup
Rewiring
New tone caps: Sprague "orange drop" 0.022uF
    

Stagg S402 HSS Solidbody

Ramblings
This sunburst guitar is an HSS Strat-styled solidbody, for want of a better description. Boasting an alder body, bolt-on hard rock maple neck, classic six-screw tremolo bridge and 21 medium jumbo frets on a 21.5" scale rosewood fingerboard; the S402 delivers the goods.

There isn't much to complain about this guitar: it's solidly built and sonically versatile, thanks in part to the combination of neck/middle Stagg ceramic single coils and beefy bridge humbucker. To be fair, the oversized adjustable pickup polepieces do remind me of the "Invader" series of pickups from a well-known manufacturer. But, as they say, if you've got to copy something; copy from the best.  I almost forgot, the sleek 12" radius rosewood fingerboard and nicely crowned frets are a dream to bend on.

Now, at the risk of stretching the truth, I'll go ahead and say that the S402 sounds pretty darn convincing either sparkling clean, on the edge of breakup; or fully overdriven. Think Mark Knopfler meets Joe Walsh meets Billy F. Gibbons. Yes, it's that good.

However, the lack of body cavity shielding and generic electronics did not sit well with the owner. So we took care of the shielding and upgraded the electronics to full-sized Alpha A500K pots, a Sprague "Orange Drop" 0.022uF tone cap; and Switchcraft #11 output jack. Now he's quite happy. I say "quite" because we couldn't squeeze in a CRL five-way switch due to budget constraints. Sometimes you have no choice but to settle for what you can afford.

References
Stagg S402 Guitar - Sunburst - Long & McQuade Musical Instruments

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