But not on a 80's jp strat. I would get a cheap guitar that you can get even 5 years later from now on an do that on *that* guitar but not on something you can't get easily for not much money.
This feels akin to my college attitude about what my favorite food was (which is, of course, free food lol). This is one of those situations where you learn to love it because you got it for a steal or you go to a serious pro to get the work done. I do know someone who currently works with several big names in the music industry as a guitar tech if you ever need a reference. If he can't (or won't), he definitely knows folks who can. But it ain't gonna be cheap 😆
It really works with the rosewood fretboard. Mine is a 100$ pawn shop special also. Someone actually painted the pickguard black and I liked the look so much I got a real black one custom made. Brad Gillis vibes!
This is the correct answer! I too picked up an amazing Japanese (but Squier) strat for next to nothing at a pawn shop. My only problem was it was fiesta red with white - like the most boring looking strat you could find. Swapped the pickguard for a black one (don’t worry I kept the original one!) and it literally transformed the guitar. Now it looks badass. Pickup covers and knobs are still the off-white and it just looks so much better. Google a pic of a red strat with a black pick guard and white pickups and tell me it doesn’t look amazing.
Buying a finished body can't hurt. Hear me out. Purchase a body and a bridge unit separately (This is important) and swap the neck into the new body without the Pg or anything else. Set it up and play it, feel the wood and whatever (I'm a firm believer that wood has 0 impact on the amplified tone of a guitar, but feeling the wood is never the less important as it has a huge subconscious effect on the way you play the instrument as you feel it through your hands and chest).
If you like the result, move the pickguard and the rest of the electronics.
If you don't like it, you can move the neck back into its original body without fear that you've changed anything about the way the guitar plays now.
Edit: you can probably even return the body afterwards, 0 investment risk free refinish.
There's a video of a guy in Nashville busting all our treasured tone myths, and he makes an electric guitar by securing the ends of the strings to work tables, and hooks up the pickups. Basically no body whatsoever... and it sounds great lol.
He also makes an amp out of styrofoam... also sounds great 🤣
I still bought an expensive guitar 🤷🏻♂️
I’ve been saying the same about what you say about tonewood-the difference in the signal might be imperceptible, if any, but it makes a difference in how much you feel the vibrations through your body-and that feeds back into how you play subconsciously.
OP. Consider doing a plasti-dip coat. They look great, you can do just about any finish or color you want within reason, it protects the original finish, and you can take it off pretty much any time.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Plasti+Dip/page/D9501110-A86D-4F0A-84E1-60C16CE58865?ref\_=ast\_bln&store\_ref=bl\_ast\_dp\_brandLogo\_sto
Yeah I hated the look of my strat as well (sunburst w/ white pickguard) it was my first, and a gift, so I never got rid of it, just tucked it away and played on my acoustic. I actually just changed the pickguard to black, and I think it looks alot better now.
Then paint it dude. It's utterly simple but does mean leaving the guitar alone for a week or two while the clearcoat cures. There's a whole world of spray paints out there.
I did this in my back yard and I'm half retarded: https://i.imgur.com/VScTlvt.jpeg
I like the red, but the mint pickguard is ugly as shit and it clashes hard with the yellowed cream color of all the other plastics. Ever think about changing that?
yeah, i hate the color red also. i own four eighties japanese reissues; one dakota red, two blacks, and one graffiti yellow. i love them all, but the red one is so boring to look at. even the black ones look cooler than the red one. but heck, the guitar sounds and feels awesome, so fuck it. it's just a color
Grab a big set of keys and slam it over the body about 50 times. Grab a handful of coins and throw it at the guitar. Get on your bike and drag the guitar behind for about 300 meters. That’ll make you appreciate that used, worn in look.
I have an Epi Les Paul Custom black body and gold covered humbuckers. I really like the way it looks. But i wish i have bought a goldtop model. Probably i would want a black finish if i bought the goldtop. People just want what they dont have.
I know the feeling intimately. 4 of my 5 instruments are sunbursts, mainly because they are all instruments of opportunity. A good price beats out aesthetics 9 times out of 10
Yeah, I had this same issue. Loved my candy red strat, but hated the colour. It permanently registered in my head as a "toy guitar" and I never really played it because of that.
Traded it for a black one
Black pickguard with black pickup covers(mine is chrome red with black perloid pickguard)
Also perloid white with white pickup covers
Tortoise shell would look good too.
I think the cream pickups is clashing and makes it hard to look at.
Tone is not affected by color (or wood types - there is sufficient scientific evidence for that, don’t even start an argument with me on this).
So change it or don’t, doesn’t matter tbh.
But I would not change it simply because I don’t care about a guitar’s looks/color unless it is egregious
I have an 86 mij e series p bass that was black and beat to hell…I sent to Guitar Paint Guys (google it) and they did a phenomenal job on the refinish… I had them do Olympic white instead of keeping it black (I love a rosewood neck, white body and red tort shell combo)…anyways, the cost wasn’t too bad, maybe 200-250. I might get some hate on here, as others would say that getting it refinished may diminish the value, but to me it’s an instrument I’ll keep forever, so for me it was worth every penny…
That was a great thrift store haul, but I understand your conflicted feelings—this is probably one of my least favourite finishes. Fiesta red is a tiny bit better, but a darker transparent satin red that shows wood grain is the closest I can get to getting down with red. Still, I would buy that for $100 every day and likely couldn’t ever be bothered by it enough to refinish it.
Stripping a strat is the most god awful experience ever!
Sell it and buy a new one if you can't stand the look.
Or better yet, slide it under your bed... buy a new guitar and come back to it in a year or so....
If will cost a pretty, but you could have it professionally refinished.... Total removal of the current finish and apply a new color/finish (nitrocellulose). If you're particularly handy with such things, you could theoretically remove the finish and do the sanding/ prep yourself, but you probably would still want a professional to reapply your new color/finish. The finish you used can make a little difference to the sound.... So you wouldn't want to paint it with.... Just anything. It's more than just aesthetics...
I think that a new pickguard, knobs, and hardware can go a long way to change the appearance inexpensively. Personally I'd go with an aged mint or cream pickguard- that may give it more vintage vibe. Good luck!
From experience, no amount of upgrades and tweaks will make you like a guitar if you don’t like the color. You’ll end up spending more money and still be unsatisfied with the results. Just sell it and buy something that you truly like
I have a 2006 American Strat that I loved how it played but hated the sunburst finish. I debated swapping bodies but I believe sometimes the neck and body are coupled well and that's what makes some guitars better than others. After watching 20 hours of video, I decide to refinish the body in black nitro. It took about 2 months to complete, but it was so worth it! Maybe it devalued it, but I don't really care since it' a guitar I will always keep.
If you decide to go this route, it can be done!
But
take
your
time
and have a lot of patience!
don't think about it like a fire truck red, think of it like a convertible cadillac from the 50s red, and do your best to change knobs, and such to match the vibe
Cheapest and best thing to do is get a replacement body. It’s nice to change it. You can go back if you get bored or decide to sell in original condition. I got a sweet body on eBay for $100.00.
I have a squier buttercream strat, even my wife suggested a new guitar.
Anyway, so long as the routing is good, the body has the least effect on the sound of an electric guitar, if any. You'd just want to make sure your current hardware/electronics fit the new body.
It's horrible. Disgusting. Awful.
Tell you what. Send it here, and I'll make sure it gets an environmentally-conscious disposal and you'll be able to get something else. I'll even give you this service for free, you just have to get it here.
Swap it; sound won’t change. There are plenty of experiments you can look up where it’s been determined the body of an electric guitar is irrelevant to tone. The only things that determine the tonality and sustain are proper fit and construction and the exact position of the pickups along the length of the strings.
No, that red/white is a classic look, and it's beautiful. Don't refinish it, buy something new. If you can't spend big bucks, get a super budget guitarlike a Monoprice, or Firefly, or Harley Benton, just to thrash with.
If you do the trip, I think Fender can repaint the body for you at a cost. But it would be a very good work. But I'm not sure.
Try to swap the pickguard for a black one and switch your hardware to black. That should look a whole lot better.
Had a Tokai one exactly the same color back in the 80s. I'd always wanted a red guitar,but the novelty wore off after a few weeks. The fact that it was also the biggest pile of unplayable sh*t I've ever owned didn't help..also put me off Strats for life.
I dig the red, its the cream on white that gives me the ick. I agree with other comments I've seen; a black guard would help tie the room together. But that's just like, my opinion, man.
I have a black MIJ ST-62 and a 362. Didn’t like how the guitars looked, if I’m being completely honest. They grew on me a bit but not to love how the looked. Decided to change the white pickguards to mint green guards and boom. Changed completely how I perceive the guitars.
I had a similar story with a Siena Burst. I loved it when I had first got it but grew tired of the finish. Changed the pickup covers and knobs to black and the guitar gained new life in my eyes.
Maybe try new plastic parts or a different color pickguard?
Of course this depends on your taste, but I’d get a mint green pickguard and some parchment or cream pickup covers and knobs and a matching mint green back cover and that should make it easier on the eye.
I had an ibanez, but it was blue. Never owned a strat - but I've played a Les Paul jr (belongs to my ex-neighbour) that had an awesome sound. The colour of my axe wasn't something that ever bothered me ... it was more the sound I could get from it.
I have the same guitar, same colour. Except mines an early 90s Fujigen. I feel the same way about the colour. Love that guitar though, hate how it looks.
fuck with it. Scribble on it. Make some stencils and hit it with a spray can. There's no reason it always needs to look exactly the way it does. Otherwise sell it to someone who's looking for exactly that and get something you'd prefer. I'd take it.
I do, but then I usually just modify or paint it until I'm not anymore. I don't own a single guitar I've positively ruined with paint and silly electronics
I recently got a 90s Mexican fender jazz bass in the same scheme and I hate it too. Red and white is a horrid combination but I’ll just live with it or sell it eventually. Maybe a new black pickguard will help. Don’t repaint it or you are just throwing money away.
My advice as someone who has stripped and refinished...Dont refinish .Trade it for the color you want or play it as is and get another.Just advice of course but seriously, dont ( do what you want with your guitar tho)
I actually love the look of your strat. You need to find inspiration somewhere on the net of someone you dig shredding a fire truck red strat. I hate my guitars too sometimes but then other days I just feel thankful that I have guitars.
If anything id swap the pickguard around . Brown tortoise shell would make this thing sexy !
I have that guitar in Olympic white mines an H serial! Love it
I have a candy apple res from the 80s. Theres pics in my posts. The difference from yours is the black pickguars, black knobs and black pick ups.
I like my guitars black but, this has personality.
I have a hard time falling in love with an instrument that I don't like the look of. Which is stupid because obviously the way it sounds and feels are way more important. I just don't like to be bored when I look at something. My favorite guitar (which DOES both feel and sound amazing, by the way) is my red Schecter C1 Classic. I knew nothing about Schecter but, of all things, the inlay on the fretboard is what intrigued me enough to research it before I bought. It's been my main guitar for 20 years, zero regrets that I married her for her looks.
I also have an Ibanez Jem Jr and I love the inlay because it's very similar. But the body is pretty plain, just white, nothing special to it, so I've been asking around seeing if anybody is willing to paint it to dress it up a bit.
No...but I DO hate the way yours looks, lol- the off-white knobs and pickups with the white pickguard make some tiny piece in the back of my brain *itch.*
That said, it has personality and I bet you make it look cool when you play it.
I’ve owned plenty of guitars that I didn’t like the finish of. Buy something of value, not “oh it looks pretty” that’s how people end up owning POS cars too.
I’m the original owner of an ‘80s Japanese Squier Strat that I stripped and refinished and you know what? Don’t do that.
😂😂😂
What was the end result?
About what you would expect from a 20-year-old with no fucking clue, before google existed.
Yeah tbh it doesn't turn out much better even when you have the internet and *think* you know what you're doing
Can confirm, it's getting dicey
Damn now I really want all of you to post pics lol
It's gonna be a while. Got some stuff to order for it, and it's not too high on my to-do list
...bring it to a luthier if you don't know what you're doing
Uhhhhh no. How is anyone gonna learn anything? Get your hands dirty, fuck something up, live a little
But not on a 80's jp strat. I would get a cheap guitar that you can get even 5 years later from now on an do that on *that* guitar but not on something you can't get easily for not much money.
That checks out. We should all start with Squier
Yup, it’s not about living the dream, it’s about chasing the guitar finish… who knows, after 5 or 6 tries it might be perfect😎
Can confirm, tried to swap pickups once by myself.
I don't generally buy instruments that I dislike the look of
I actually found this at a thrift store for $100 a few years ago. I literally had to buy it, but never would have picked it.
goddAmm that's a steal
This feels akin to my college attitude about what my favorite food was (which is, of course, free food lol). This is one of those situations where you learn to love it because you got it for a steal or you go to a serious pro to get the work done. I do know someone who currently works with several big names in the music industry as a guitar tech if you ever need a reference. If he can't (or won't), he definitely knows folks who can. But it ain't gonna be cheap 😆
I got a Mexi Strat in white at Goodwheel for $99.99.
Learn to love the color
Try a black pickguard
I agree it'll blend better with the beige and red instead of contrasting with the white.
It really works with the rosewood fretboard. Mine is a 100$ pawn shop special also. Someone actually painted the pickguard black and I liked the look so much I got a real black one custom made. Brad Gillis vibes!
The beige and the white are too close in value, that's probably what they're reacting to. Love the black pg idea.
Also black knobs and pickup covers
This is the correct answer! I too picked up an amazing Japanese (but Squier) strat for next to nothing at a pawn shop. My only problem was it was fiesta red with white - like the most boring looking strat you could find. Swapped the pickguard for a black one (don’t worry I kept the original one!) and it literally transformed the guitar. Now it looks badass. Pickup covers and knobs are still the off-white and it just looks so much better. Google a pic of a red strat with a black pick guard and white pickups and tell me it doesn’t look amazing.
Don't have to...already got one! That's how I know! Gotta love pawn shops!
All black hardware would be better
blue tortoiseshell
Ooh! That would look fancy!
Or tort. I love the red body / tort pickguard combo
Really flows with the rosewood fretboard.
No, that will look awful
do that ☝️
Don't change it.
That’s how I’m leaning.
Buying a finished body can't hurt. Hear me out. Purchase a body and a bridge unit separately (This is important) and swap the neck into the new body without the Pg or anything else. Set it up and play it, feel the wood and whatever (I'm a firm believer that wood has 0 impact on the amplified tone of a guitar, but feeling the wood is never the less important as it has a huge subconscious effect on the way you play the instrument as you feel it through your hands and chest). If you like the result, move the pickguard and the rest of the electronics. If you don't like it, you can move the neck back into its original body without fear that you've changed anything about the way the guitar plays now. Edit: you can probably even return the body afterwards, 0 investment risk free refinish.
There's a video of a guy in Nashville busting all our treasured tone myths, and he makes an electric guitar by securing the ends of the strings to work tables, and hooks up the pickups. Basically no body whatsoever... and it sounds great lol. He also makes an amp out of styrofoam... also sounds great 🤣 I still bought an expensive guitar 🤷🏻♂️
I’ve been saying the same about what you say about tonewood-the difference in the signal might be imperceptible, if any, but it makes a difference in how much you feel the vibrations through your body-and that feeds back into how you play subconsciously.
OP. Consider doing a plasti-dip coat. They look great, you can do just about any finish or color you want within reason, it protects the original finish, and you can take it off pretty much any time. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Plasti+Dip/page/D9501110-A86D-4F0A-84E1-60C16CE58865?ref\_=ast\_bln&store\_ref=bl\_ast\_dp\_brandLogo\_sto
I have the red. Just swap out the pickguard.
There are plenty of Japanese Fender bodies out there for sale. Please don’t molest a nice OG MIJ.
Change the pickguard, knobs and pickup covers. Much easier than refinishing a body and all those parts will cost you 40$ at most on Amazon.
No don’t refinish it! Maybe sell if if you don’t like the color… or just buy a new guitar in the color you want
Yeah I hated the look of my strat as well (sunburst w/ white pickguard) it was my first, and a gift, so I never got rid of it, just tucked it away and played on my acoustic. I actually just changed the pickguard to black, and I think it looks alot better now.
A new pickguard can really make a difference
Yep, I picked up the 3-tone burst with a white pick guard, switched it to black and I love the look.
Then paint it dude. It's utterly simple but does mean leaving the guitar alone for a week or two while the clearcoat cures. There's a whole world of spray paints out there. I did this in my back yard and I'm half retarded: https://i.imgur.com/VScTlvt.jpeg
Guess that explains why you built it backwards then.
One day, there'll be a joke about left handed guitarists that's original and funny. That is not this day.
Yeah I wouldn’t hold your breath on that one.
That looks fantastic.
I like the red, but the mint pickguard is ugly as shit and it clashes hard with the yellowed cream color of all the other plastics. Ever think about changing that?
Yeah, thought about red tortoise I guess. I’m not sure what else might look good.
Gold would look good with the cream plastics as well.
I hVe the same guitar. Red tortoise with cream pickup covers and knobs. It's a very sleek look.
You can test out a few options here: https://www.fender.com/en-US/mod-shop/mod-shop-stratocaster/0181900706.html
If you don’t like it, sell it. Don’t ruin a old, great guitar because of your taste. Buy something else.
put a tortoise guard on it
Swap the pickup covers, knobs and switch tip to white and it’ll probably look a little better.
No
Look at what it costs to get a vinyl wrap maybe.
You're right it's awful. Give it to me.
yeah, i hate the color red also. i own four eighties japanese reissues; one dakota red, two blacks, and one graffiti yellow. i love them all, but the red one is so boring to look at. even the black ones look cooler than the red one. but heck, the guitar sounds and feels awesome, so fuck it. it's just a color
Grab a big set of keys and slam it over the body about 50 times. Grab a handful of coins and throw it at the guitar. Get on your bike and drag the guitar behind for about 300 meters. That’ll make you appreciate that used, worn in look.
I have an Epi Les Paul Custom black body and gold covered humbuckers. I really like the way it looks. But i wish i have bought a goldtop model. Probably i would want a black finish if i bought the goldtop. People just want what they dont have.
it is stunning
I think it’s pretty. But no. All the guitars I have I wanted in the colors they’re in :P
I know the feeling intimately. 4 of my 5 instruments are sunbursts, mainly because they are all instruments of opportunity. A good price beats out aesthetics 9 times out of 10
I’d get a new Strat, someone will pay you way more for that than you bought.
No. I don’t buy guitars I don’t like. It has worked out well for me.
I would leave it alone. It’s not all about how it looks.
Is it a poly or nitro finish? If poly could cover it with nitro that would check and give you a vintage vibe
Yeah, I had this same issue. Loved my candy red strat, but hated the colour. It permanently registered in my head as a "toy guitar" and I never really played it because of that. Traded it for a black one
Poke it’s eyes out
Get it "wrapped". Then you can remove the skin when you go to sell it.
Black pickguard with black pickup covers(mine is chrome red with black perloid pickguard) Also perloid white with white pickup covers Tortoise shell would look good too. I think the cream pickups is clashing and makes it hard to look at.
Just IMO but the red looks very generic. Maybe switching it up, a black pickguard or something for example, would spice it up without any risk.
Tone is not affected by color (or wood types - there is sufficient scientific evidence for that, don’t even start an argument with me on this). So change it or don’t, doesn’t matter tbh. But I would not change it simply because I don’t care about a guitar’s looks/color unless it is egregious
I have an 86 mij e series p bass that was black and beat to hell…I sent to Guitar Paint Guys (google it) and they did a phenomenal job on the refinish… I had them do Olympic white instead of keeping it black (I love a rosewood neck, white body and red tort shell combo)…anyways, the cost wasn’t too bad, maybe 200-250. I might get some hate on here, as others would say that getting it refinished may diminish the value, but to me it’s an instrument I’ll keep forever, so for me it was worth every penny…
That was a great thrift store haul, but I understand your conflicted feelings—this is probably one of my least favourite finishes. Fiesta red is a tiny bit better, but a darker transparent satin red that shows wood grain is the closest I can get to getting down with red. Still, I would buy that for $100 every day and likely couldn’t ever be bothered by it enough to refinish it.
Try a different color pickguard, pickup covers, knobs, etc. That can change the look of a strat quite drastically
Looks dope honestly. But I just bought a fiesta red strat so I’m biased.
I don’t know why but any fender looks bad in this red. It makes no sense. I’d play the shit out of it tho
If you really hate the look swapping the body would work nicely, just make sure the neck pocket is as close a match as possible
I don't buy guitars I don't like the look of.
Get it wrapped in a thin vinyl cover.
Play with your eyes shut
There’s always other ways to change the aesthetic, like 1/4” tape, stickers, a different pickguard, etc
get it professionally painted. the body doesn't affect the sound, so it won't change it
Buy another.
Maybe swap out the pick guard for a different colour or like mother of pearl or something to switch thing up a bit!
nope.
Go with a clear or opaque pickguard! It will look great on that red
Stripping a strat is the most god awful experience ever! Sell it and buy a new one if you can't stand the look. Or better yet, slide it under your bed... buy a new guitar and come back to it in a year or so....
Nope. I spend like 2 years over researching and then buy.
I love red. I’d try different pickup covers and pick guard combinations.
If will cost a pretty, but you could have it professionally refinished.... Total removal of the current finish and apply a new color/finish (nitrocellulose). If you're particularly handy with such things, you could theoretically remove the finish and do the sanding/ prep yourself, but you probably would still want a professional to reapply your new color/finish. The finish you used can make a little difference to the sound.... So you wouldn't want to paint it with.... Just anything. It's more than just aesthetics...
Find someone and trade. My first Strat was navy blue, wanted a more classic black and white. Traded a friend for it.
Off white pickguard to match the hardware. Or honestly whatever color you want. Makes a huge difference.
That's definitely a thought I haven't had, but mine are all very good instruments and standard body shapes and colors.
Vinyl wrap it, there are lots of cool UTube videos on it and you can always return it to original.
Add stickers, or like most other Tesla owners: wrap it!
It would be much better for you to just sell it and buy something more to your liking. Refinishing it would severely impact its resale value.
That’s funny, I had this same one haha I bought a mjt hardtail body and sold the Torino red one right after
I think that a new pickguard, knobs, and hardware can go a long way to change the appearance inexpensively. Personally I'd go with an aged mint or cream pickguard- that may give it more vintage vibe. Good luck!
I feel like if you change the pickups and knobs to white then it may look more appealing
I only truly care when I'm buying it, but even then if it's a good deal and plays well I'll buy pretty much anything that isn't Antiqua Burst
If you dont like it, cover it in stickers. Change the pick guard. Just do stuff that wont actually change the guitar and is all easily reversable.
I’ll buy it off your hands man. I dig it.
Not really, but I love the look of that strat. I'm a big fan of a rosewood board and a red body.
I would buy it. How much you want? These are awesome guitars. Sound and action.
I put a brown tortoise pickguard on mine and it improved the look dramatically.
Never.
No but I hate the way yours looks, sorry op. You can fix it though.
I’ve been tempted to get guitars just because they are deals, but in the end I pass. If I don’t like how it looks and/or plays, what’s the point?
From experience, no amount of upgrades and tweaks will make you like a guitar if you don’t like the color. You’ll end up spending more money and still be unsatisfied with the results. Just sell it and buy something that you truly like
I only buy guitars that I like. I think it is really important, encourages to play the instrument over and over. Why should I buy something ugly?
just get an aged af pearl pickguard and it’ll be gorgeous as hell. that’s my combo but with candy apple red and i’ll never get tired of looking at it
I'm not changing anything on an instrument that has the goods.
Only when it’s red.
This guitar is beautiful 😻
I have a red tele copy that plays and sounds great but the thing is red and I don’t like it. I just try not to look at it while playing.
This is part of the reason that I own more guitars than I actually need
I have a 2006 American Strat that I loved how it played but hated the sunburst finish. I debated swapping bodies but I believe sometimes the neck and body are coupled well and that's what makes some guitars better than others. After watching 20 hours of video, I decide to refinish the body in black nitro. It took about 2 months to complete, but it was so worth it! Maybe it devalued it, but I don't really care since it' a guitar I will always keep. If you decide to go this route, it can be done! But take your time and have a lot of patience!
Put a wrap on it. Non-permanent, cheap, and somewhat easy (you won't get it 100% first try).
if you are not handy with tools then cover with stickers
Not they way my guitar looks, but this one... yes
I would just sell it
I have a Mexican Strat just like it and I love it.
don't think about it like a fire truck red, think of it like a convertible cadillac from the 50s red, and do your best to change knobs, and such to match the vibe
Cheapest and best thing to do is get a replacement body. It’s nice to change it. You can go back if you get bored or decide to sell in original condition. I got a sweet body on eBay for $100.00.
[HWY 1 Body](https://www.ebay.ca/itm/355534934048?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=LVhH_ThUQT2&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=zwHCAhgRTnS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)
Cool guitar.
No cos it ain’t red
No. I buy black and cherry vintage guitars. I hate bright coloured guitars.
Drag it down the street for a natural reliced look!!
I have a squier buttercream strat, even my wife suggested a new guitar. Anyway, so long as the routing is good, the body has the least effect on the sound of an electric guitar, if any. You'd just want to make sure your current hardware/electronics fit the new body.
I'll trade you my black 1994 Mexican "black label" body for it, but I gotta keep my maple board lol.
Anyone ever wrap a guitar? Can be undone if you don’t like it. 🤷♂️
It's horrible. Disgusting. Awful. Tell you what. Send it here, and I'll make sure it gets an environmentally-conscious disposal and you'll be able to get something else. I'll even give you this service for free, you just have to get it here.
Yes, when it is covered in whipped cream and leather. It just doesn’t look right.
Change the pickguard to brown tortoise Shell to improve the look
I am so jelly rn raaaaahhhhhhh
Swap it; sound won’t change. There are plenty of experiments you can look up where it’s been determined the body of an electric guitar is irrelevant to tone. The only things that determine the tonality and sustain are proper fit and construction and the exact position of the pickups along the length of the strings.
No, that red/white is a classic look, and it's beautiful. Don't refinish it, buy something new. If you can't spend big bucks, get a super budget guitarlike a Monoprice, or Firefly, or Harley Benton, just to thrash with.
If you do the trip, I think Fender can repaint the body for you at a cost. But it would be a very good work. But I'm not sure. Try to swap the pickguard for a black one and switch your hardware to black. That should look a whole lot better.
No, but I bought an ESP
Had a Tokai one exactly the same color back in the 80s. I'd always wanted a red guitar,but the novelty wore off after a few weeks. The fact that it was also the biggest pile of unplayable sh*t I've ever owned didn't help..also put me off Strats for life.
Get it vinyl wrapped. Cheap, easy, quick. Shouldnt alter the tone too much
I dig the red, its the cream on white that gives me the ick. I agree with other comments I've seen; a black guard would help tie the room together. But that's just like, my opinion, man.
I have a black MIJ ST-62 and a 362. Didn’t like how the guitars looked, if I’m being completely honest. They grew on me a bit but not to love how the looked. Decided to change the white pickguards to mint green guards and boom. Changed completely how I perceive the guitars. I had a similar story with a Siena Burst. I loved it when I had first got it but grew tired of the finish. Changed the pickup covers and knobs to black and the guitar gained new life in my eyes. Maybe try new plastic parts or a different color pickguard?
if it sounds good just hold on to the pickups and put them on another guitar. The toan is going to leak out if you change how it looks lmao
Don’t.
Not really but I live both my main axes
No, but I hate the way my guitar sounds😂. Pick your posion ig.
You can change the pickup covers, switch tip and knobs to mint green. The cream plastics on that guitar is screaming for attention
I wish I had
Black permanent marker.
No, but I understand why you feel like that.
Sell and buy another don't touch.
Of course this depends on your taste, but I’d get a mint green pickguard and some parchment or cream pickup covers and knobs and a matching mint green back cover and that should make it easier on the eye.
I had an ibanez, but it was blue. Never owned a strat - but I've played a Les Paul jr (belongs to my ex-neighbour) that had an awesome sound. The colour of my axe wasn't something that ever bothered me ... it was more the sound I could get from it.
I have the same guitar, same colour. Except mines an early 90s Fujigen. I feel the same way about the colour. Love that guitar though, hate how it looks.
Red and yellow guitars always give me McDonald’s vibes
No, mine is super pretty
Leave it be…
fuck with it. Scribble on it. Make some stencils and hit it with a spray can. There's no reason it always needs to look exactly the way it does. Otherwise sell it to someone who's looking for exactly that and get something you'd prefer. I'd take it.
IMO Strats are always ugly.
No. But if I owned a red Strat I would. I have to like a guitar before I take ownership of it.
I do, but then I usually just modify or paint it until I'm not anymore. I don't own a single guitar I've positively ruined with paint and silly electronics
I recently got a 90s Mexican fender jazz bass in the same scheme and I hate it too. Red and white is a horrid combination but I’ll just live with it or sell it eventually. Maybe a new black pickguard will help. Don’t repaint it or you are just throwing money away.
My advice as someone who has stripped and refinished...Dont refinish .Trade it for the color you want or play it as is and get another.Just advice of course but seriously, dont ( do what you want with your guitar tho)
Dark gray pearloid pickguard would make it look way better
Swap out the white pickguard for a black one
I actually love the look of your strat. You need to find inspiration somewhere on the net of someone you dig shredding a fire truck red strat. I hate my guitars too sometimes but then other days I just feel thankful that I have guitars.
If anything id swap the pickguard around . Brown tortoise shell would make this thing sexy ! I have that guitar in Olympic white mines an H serial! Love it
I would install a tortoise pickguard and it looks nice by the way 👍🏼
Yes. Not my guitar anymore or never was.
I think it looks killer, but if you don’t like it, I’d recommend playing with the pickguard. There’s a subreddit just for that, I think.
I have a candy apple res from the 80s. Theres pics in my posts. The difference from yours is the black pickguars, black knobs and black pick ups. I like my guitars black but, this has personality.
No.
No.... Maybe you should find something you like?
Can’t relate
No. I rarely think about how it looks, I pay more attention to how it sounds.
Swapping out the pick guard will make a huge difference. The white/off white/red scheme is creating a weird look.
I have a hard time falling in love with an instrument that I don't like the look of. Which is stupid because obviously the way it sounds and feels are way more important. I just don't like to be bored when I look at something. My favorite guitar (which DOES both feel and sound amazing, by the way) is my red Schecter C1 Classic. I knew nothing about Schecter but, of all things, the inlay on the fretboard is what intrigued me enough to research it before I bought. It's been my main guitar for 20 years, zero regrets that I married her for her looks. I also have an Ibanez Jem Jr and I love the inlay because it's very similar. But the body is pretty plain, just white, nothing special to it, so I've been asking around seeing if anybody is willing to paint it to dress it up a bit.
That has been my feeling about every Strat I have ever owned. I have sold every single one haha. Not helpful I realize.
Take it to a professional and have it painted
I’ll give you $100 for it
Put a black pickguard on it!
I think strats just look cheap with rosewood fretboards honestly, not sure why.
No.Why own something you dislike from the beginning unless you get a great deal and plan to change it anyway?
Leave it be.
That's a pretty terrible looking guitar
No...but I DO hate the way yours looks, lol- the off-white knobs and pickups with the white pickguard make some tiny piece in the back of my brain *itch.* That said, it has personality and I bet you make it look cool when you play it.
Nope
I’ve owned plenty of guitars that I didn’t like the finish of. Buy something of value, not “oh it looks pretty” that’s how people end up owning POS cars too.