Squier '51 mod to baritone + stuff

[Jerry Overstreet]

Fun project during down time.

I started out with this Squier '51, pretty good player, small budget purchase.
Always wanted a B to B tuned 27 in. baritone guitar ever since Fender's Sub Sonic Tele a few years ago.

Missed out on the Blacktop series of Baris too.

I found a 27" scale neck from down under fretted and worked for tuners. Slapped that on the '51. Did the Bubba mod on the hardtail bridge and added Wilkinson 3 brass compensated saddles. Added a Zero Glide fret at the nut.

Added a Hipshot Double Stop on the low E [or in this case B] that lowers the B to G with a half stop to A which would be like the E to D drop thing but with an additional lower another whole tone.

Always like wang bars on my guits, so recently added the Bigsby. So, low and mean twangy stuff and trials at things like Killin Time, Queen of Memphis, other baritone things. Wichita Lineman etc. Lots of fun playing down there in that register.

Then Lo and Behold I saw this thing on eBay. Didn't know there was such a thing. It's called a B Blender. It replaces the trem arm on the Bigsby and has B bender function. You can use the Bigsby in the normal fashion or the B bender or both at the same time.

The Blender operates by pulling the trem arm sideways toward the strings with the pinky to raise the string pitch.

I think this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I got the bender installed a few months back but still tweaking everything as time permits.

Seems to work pretty good, but I may have to change out the saddles to the grooved style.

I'm hoping I'm done with mods...at least until I see some other gadget I can nail on there.

Lots of stuff for somebody that can barely play guitar, but I don't care.

I snuck it in the mix recently on the Yoakam song Turn It On, Turn it Up and Peaceful Easy Feeling.... Just sort of dabbling while the real players played, but I see the possibilities and I'm loving it. I liked it really well for the long lost Tic Tac effect that we used to hear in bygone days too.

I thought maybe some of you other mod freaks could identify with this.

[Bill Hatcher]

that bigsby set up sawing the strings through those saddles.....will never stay in tune. also the angle from the bigsby over the bridge is too severe. find a way to reduce that angle. look for some manner of a roller bridge while you are in the buying/tinkering mode.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Thanks for your input Bill. I don't have any tuning issues with it though. I've had the Bigsby on there for some time and it's pretty stable. I do have grooved saddles but haven't put them on yet.

The only tuning issue I have is with a little bit of hysteresis with the 2nd string bender and I've got some ideas on how to deal with that. That's all I have plans for.

[Doug Taylor]

That is a cool looking guitar Jerry, I had never heard of a baritone guitar until a week or two ago, somebody has Tele baritone for sale on Craigslist( Lexington I think, but not sure) and I Googled it.

I love mods!

[Jerry Overstreet]

Thank you Doug. I looked up the Tele. Yes, it's Lexington and it's one of the Blacktop 27" scale baritones. I could have bought one when they first came out 10 yrs. or so back for about $450, but you know...money. They've since become scarce.

The Danelectros of yesteryear were the first baritone I remember hearing about. I'm not sure, but I believe they were 30" scale. They were tuned to A. Fender has made several models too. Besides the SubSonic Custom and Blacktop models, there were Jaguar and Strat baris and a Strat Bass VI which is just tuned down an octave from standard I think. They come out with variations of different models from time to time.

I like the B tuned shorter scale as it feels more like the standard scale and it's pretty intuitive to play converting fret positions.

I also have a cheap asian Harmony that I just changed string gauges and tuned down to B but I wanted to do something different with this one.

[Bill Hatcher]

Thanks for your input Bill. I don't have any tuning issues with it though. I've had the Bigsby on there for some time and it's pretty stable. I do have grooved saddles but haven't put them on yet.

The only tuning issue I have is with a little bit of hysteresis with the 2nd string bender and I've got some ideas on how to deal with that. That's all I have plans for.

i have had good luck installing roller bridges for guys using that model bigsby.

[Jerry Overstreet]

So Bill, do you have any suggestions for locating a roller bridge for this rig? This is a standard hard tail bridge plate. I don't know if I want to do any more modding, but I'm open to suggestions.

[Jim Fogle]

Non gearhead question for Jerry Overstreet. Was your Squire manufactured in 1951 or is the '51 part of the model name of the donor guitar?

[Jerry Overstreet]

It's spelled S-q-u-i-e-r. Never mind, just a pet peeve of mine.

Yes Jim, the name Squier '51 is one of the models of the Squier Vintage Modified Series that was introduced in the early 2000's. It's a Strat style body, but the pickguard and electronics plate are based on the actual 1951 Fender P Bass. So just a take on that with a Tele neck.

The controls are unusual in that there is no tone control. One of the rotary knobs is the pickup selector. The other is a dual function pot...rotary volume knob that pulls up for 'bucker split coil.

Appreciate your interest.

[Jim Fogle]

Jerry, thank you for the reply. I guess my spelling proves I'm not a gear head. My apologies for the spelling error.

[Jerry Overstreet]

It's no big deal Jim. It's a common thing. That's what I meant when I said pet peeve...not particularly directed at you. Apologies if I offended you. Many people spell it incorrectly. I guess they confuse it with the earlier Fender name Esquire...I dunno. Cheers. Be safe.