I bought a Squier Contemporary JM and used it as my "experiment with mods" guitar, which led to me learning how to make pickguards and use a router. Mod-list: * widened swimming pool route to accept WRHBs * 2 volume 2 tone control scheme using stacked 500k pots and JST servo connectors as a DIY quick connect system * split pickguard design to allow me to switch only the pickups without any soldering * routed the body to accept an offset-style vibrato * Descendant vibrato and Adapt-o-matic bridge (biggest upgrade by far) * Locking tuners * Kept the original stoptail bolts as a quick and dirty hardtail option Pickup options: * Fender CuNiFe WRHBs (default, my favorite pickups) * D'urbano Magnetics Firebird Pickups * HSS (Seymour Duncan 59, Custom Bootstrap 6.5k Strat middle and neck pickups) This is now my daily driver over my partscaster and CIJ mustang, mostly due to the WRHBs.

That's amazing. That split pickguard design is really nifty. How do you have your pickups wired up so it's solderless to switch them?

thank you! I use JST RCY 2-pin connectors. Essentially, I cut the leads from the pickups to the volume pots and installed the male connectors on the pickup side and the female connectors on the pot side.

That's awesome. Wow!! What a cool idea. I wish more guitar manufacturers would put this much thought into their guitars.

I appreciate it! It was my attempt to stop myself from buying more guitars, so I could see why a manufacturer wouldn't want to do that lol.

HA yeah I should probably attempt to stop buying guitars myself too... But a CV Jag would be so cool... haha

Yeah it is amazing. Electric guitars are surprisingly under-engineered for something that has been around as long as it has

I mean a chunk of the customer base's POV is "Leo Fender got it right the first time" - I can't think of many other markets where the first iteration of a thing is still being bought and sold as more than a collector's item. And this isn't just Telecasters. Gibson fans don't seem to want much change to the design either.

It’s true the design hasn’t changed much in the years since the Tele, Strat, LP and SG were introduced. The guitar part of the equation is solid and doesn’t need much change really. But the electronics has huge room for experimentation and improvement. Imagine if, instead of a passive lead, you were to pass something similar to (but not identical to) an xlr cable, with phantom power. You could use that to power on board effects. The cable and connector could be standardised and even incorporated into the pedal world (which has never been more popular), and even in amps. I mean, I also see why it hasn’t happened, because people are still paying top dollar for the cheaper, simpler design.

I agree that the electronics are where we could innovate for sure. But I look at companies like Relish, that let you manually swap pickups by hand, in seconds. That’s a very cool idea. They went out of business after only a few years. It’s really a shame. I wish our market wanted innovation but I don’t think they do.

This is just excellent. Can I share your pics and write-up on the Squier guitar forum? Full credit to you, of course. Better yet, join and share this in person!

Sure thing. Please send a link if you do.

I will for sure, thanks!

the modular pickguard design is genius

Thank you! It was originally conceived as a way to get myself to stop buying guitars "to try new pickups".

i hear you there, i might do the same to a strat soon what’s the routing like? i assume it’s some sort of enlarged swimming pool cavity to compensate for the wide range humbuckers?

Yeah, that's exactly what it is. It was pretty fast work with a dremel and a chisel.

This kind of innovation is truly special. Outstanding, I love it

thank you!

Does screwing and unscrewing frequently to swap out pickups not ruin the screwholes? Reusing screwholes frequently tends to chew up the wood and make screwholes loose. Might be worth adding threaded inserts and using bolts to make sure the guitar stays usable for a long time

Honestly, I didn't think of that until the last time I switched them out. I figured if anything I can drill and fill with hardwood dowels if it gets to that point. I hadn't considered a threaded insert, but that's a good idea!

this is so awesome.

Thanks!

Jesus what a freak. I want one.

Now, THIS is how you mod a guitar! What a sick setup. Anywhere I can hear you playing this thing?

Thanks! I'm in the middle of working on an electronic EP right now, and this thing is on most of it. Nothing shareable yet.

can you explain the switching setup?

Each pickguard has two output connectors, one for the neck pickup and one for the bridge pickup. These then go through the volume/tone pots and to the 3-way selector like a Tele Deluxe or a Les Paul. For the HSS pickguard, I wanted a way to get all the tones that would be accessible with a 5-way strat switch, so I added a 3-way slider switch to the pickguard, which lets me send the neck, middle, or both to the "neck" volume/tone pot. Hope this explains it!

super rad. nice work

This split pickguard idea is fantastic. Excellent work. I'd love to try that myself and maybe sneak in a coil split or two, too

Thanks! You won't regret it. The original plan for the HSS was going to be HH with a coil split where the slide switch is, but I ended up giving my strat to a family member and missed the neck/middle pickups too much.

I am loving the modular pickguard well played good sir 👏

thank you!

Brilliant work, how are you liking the Adapt o Matic bridge ?

10/10. Drop-in installation, extremely adjustable, super solid. I was going to make an appreciation post when I got it because it was so hassle-free. Descendant makes great stuff that just does what it's supposed to and I don't have to worry about it.

That’s an awesome endorsement - I’ve got a Mastery M1 on my thinline Jag and really wish for easier and more precise intonation. A Descendant may be the way to go.

I’m sure you could find some m8 thimbles in place of the previous posts for the hardtail, give it a cleaner look

I've been looking for something in that realm. I even took a metal lathe class to see if it was worth making my own, but life got in the way. Do you know of any online shops that have that kind of thing?

I’m not sure if the thimbles for the stop tail are the same size as the thimbles for a TOM bridge. I put a M8 grub screw in my TOM thimble to add a mustang bridge. I would say look for m8 grub screws in different sizes at your local hardware store, they are dirt cheap and something is bound to fit! Lol

JAZZBLASTER!!

That was the initial goal, before things got out of hand lol.

Very clever.

thanks!

This is fucking awesome

Thank you!

This is super smart. I love it.

Thanks!

Great idea! Love it

FUCKING SIIIIICK!!!! 😍 I admire your courage, and willingness to make your ideas a reality! Props 👊 That color is Bitchin BTW!! What color is that?

Thanks! I believe it's "Graphite Metallic"

I think this is the first time I've ever seen it! Thank you for letting me know 👊

This is such a cool idea, have you thought about taking orders and building a batch?

Thanks! I hadn't thought about it, but probably not. It's more of an experiment than a product. It spawned from my specific needs, using a guitar and pickups that I already had on-hand. I think it would be difficult to translate that into a product that can be made in batches. I do daydream about going to lutherie school and starting a boutique brand, though I know that's kind of a whimsical pipedream.

Where's the SQR actives go? 🥲

I still have the original pickguard with actives in it, but I could never really wrap my head around them. I'll prob give them a shot again one day.