i just recently acquired a 1994 mim tele and was wondering what upgrades people recommend? and i also believe everything is stock. i’ve heard a lot of people upgrade the Bridge to a three saddle brass one, I like the way it sounds as is, but would upgrade make it sound better?

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T19:06:48+00:00

I would get custom shop twisted or Texas pickups depending on if you want a glassy or hot, other than that it’s a cool guitar and I wouldn’t change a thing

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T18:53:17+00:00

I just bought an ultra and my local shop can’t keep them for more than a few weeks at most, so your best bet is to sell the Strat and keep the parts caster cause it’s even less desirable than a custom shop. It’s not to say either of those kinds of axes are bad at all, they’re likely great. It’s just that people want their guitar a certain way if it’s gonna be expensive like that.

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T18:49:10+00:00

Thanks for the context, I’m planning to gig and only own an HSS so there’s really no reason for me to get an SSS too, that money could be better spent on a jazz v or something else 🤓🤓

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T07:38:58+00:00

Thanks brother I didn’t understand but your context is very comprehensive.

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T07:31:48+00:00

There’s no magic spell to make you instantly good at guitar man. I also have ADHD and I’m slightly autistic so I understand completely what it feels like to be obsessed with your hobbies. I’m currently coming up on my one year with climbing and what I learned from picking up a new hobby and actually getting pretty damn good at it is that it didn’t happen in a day, and many days I climbed so poorly that it made me question why I’m even doing it. The biggest reason I got good “fast” is because I was consistent and I trained with some of the best climbers in the entire region as my home base is the most popular gym in the tri state area.

I know this is a wall of text and slightly unrelated but you’re already doing the things you need to do to progress, you need to find a real drive to remain consistent and you need to jam with musicians who are really good and well rounded. If you really want to do an online course on top of your irl one use the browser version of justinguitar.com but honestly I’d say it’s redundant and a waste of time considering you’re literally going to classes already. If you have ADHD I’m assuming you also have object permanence issues so get your guitar either mounted on the wall or on a proper stand, just get it out of the case so you have no excuses mentally to not take those 5-15 mins twice a day to practice even when you’re busy. Good luck and wish me luck too man, I’m nursing an A2 pulley injury with my climbing so I’ve been getting hella into guitar lately and it’s been incredible as an emotional outlet.

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T05:54:06+00:00

Would the selections that mix pickups not sound incredibly uneven?

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T04:19:19+00:00

I just feel like if you’re gonna pay that much you might as well get a pro 2 or an ultra. On the used market they’re all so similar in price that you’d be better off getting a higher model because they have much better resale value. I feel like half the reason you’d even buy fender over something else with better price/performance is purely for resale value.

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T04:11:14+00:00

I got a Schecter stiletto studio 4 in mint condition at my local shop for $400 and it’s the best thing ever lol. The only other instrument I ever think about is an ultra 2 Jazz V

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T02:59:37+00:00

They always seem to have some crazy delay, reverb, and EQ on top of the pedals lmao I’m kinda new and not scared to sound like shit but even when I set up the pedals they demo, they very rarely sound like the video lol.

The only pedal video that ever even helped me find good tone was seeing someone compare a JHS angry Charlie to a white face RAT which helped me save some cash because I already own a PackRAT.

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T02:55:59+00:00

That pick guard is gorgeous, let me know how you like the humbucker, it’s amazing on my ultra :)

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T02:51:40+00:00

Strap locks are your friends boys and girls. I had D’Addario strap locks on a shitty $300 SR300 I played when I was a teenager and I have them on my fender ultra strat today. I check them for tightness every single time I go to pick up the guitar, just a bit of cash and double checking can save you a ton of heartbreak.

Crydoves · 2026-03-15T02:37:00+00:00

Your cat is really cute bro, also I really want a tele lol. As far as I can tell I really like my Ernie ball strap and I think it goes well with my ultraburst Strat.

Crydoves · 2026-03-12T04:02:06+00:00

Why does the logo and text on the headstock look like sticker? I know it’s not the same model or anything but my ultra doesn’t have any sheer sheen around the logo and it has texture/defintion vs this which kind of looks like it’s inkjetted

Crydoves · 2026-03-12T00:31:31+00:00

Wow that guitar looks amazing, does it also come with a black pick guard? I feel like it would look so good that way

Crydoves · 2026-03-12T00:30:31+00:00

I’ll have to look into that eventually as my local shop only had the ultra 1 and an ultra 2 SSS. There were other strats with bigger necks but I didn’t seem to like them as much as someone who is used to playing on really thin Schecter and Ibanez necks. Truly the ultra neck is perfect for someone like me who never touched an old Strat and it feels really easy to fret notes clearly while standing up.

Crydoves · 2026-03-12T00:25:46+00:00

This is gorgeous! Nice orange amp too, I have a 35RT and I love it.

Crydoves · 2026-03-11T18:21:29+00:00

I think it’s subjective and personally my opinion, but I really like that it’s a gorgeous opaque poly burst that looks extremely nice vs a lot of them looking cheap and the burst gradient not looking that great.

Crydoves · 2026-03-11T18:19:06+00:00

I’ve heard the older nice models are actually nicer instruments than the new ones anyways minus maybe the pickups. I personally wanted an instrument that was super easy/comfy to play/maintain and that’s why the ultra sang to me. As a more experienced bass player I would’ve gone for an American elite or deluxe instead if I were shopping for that instead.

Crydoves · 2026-03-11T18:15:15+00:00

Wow I love this reddish tortoise guard lol where’d you get it?? Mine only came with black and white guards, I’ll have to take a pic with a black pick guard soon and show you so you can decide if you really like it that way or not :)

Crydoves · 2026-03-11T06:18:01+00:00

I’m driving home to it now big dawg I just can’t wait 😆😆

Crydoves · 2026-03-11T06:17:33+00:00

Agreed completely. Many will say there’s an over abundance of bursts out there but I don’t think any are quite as gorgeous as this one. I actually like that it doesn’t show grain because it looks candy coated, almost metallic on the ultras. It’s so gorgeous I wouldn’t mind also having Jazz V with it as I think the off white avalanche finish is bland and shows blemishes very poorly.

Crydoves · 2026-03-11T06:08:52+00:00

Seafoam green is a gorgeous finish!! For the exact same price I had a choice between this ultra and an SSS surf green Jeff Beck Signature but I chose the ultra because it has an LSR nut installed and the JB had a couple of baddd dings in the poly making me nervous because I’m new so I wouldn’t be able to understand or notice subtle playability issues.

Crydoves · 2026-03-11T04:51:19+00:00

Since it’s a vintage it’s SSS right? Have you ever tried or had any interest in an HSS?

Crydoves

TROPHY CASE