In our top 5 Les Paul style guitars under $500 and top 5 Stratocaster guitars under $300 blogs (see main blog page) we reference that not only are these a great option for a first guitar but also many customers are buying these for project guitars to “do up” by retrofitting with better quality hardware and pickups. A common term for these guitars regardless of the type is a “parts caster” and savvy players can customise these fundamentally sound instruments with additions of their own choice to create exactly what they want in terms of sound, features, stability and durability.
Left to right - Fender ’61 Stratocaster; Gibson Les Paul Custom
Where do you start?
Generally speaking, the bodies and necks of the cheaper variety of guitars are sound, solid and are not really worth replacing as you will not find better necks or bodies unless you pay some reasonable dollars and that defeats the purpose in the first place. When you buy an entry-level guitar make sure it feels good for you to play, the neck is the right profile for you and the body is the right weight and is balanced both sitting and standing using a strap.
There is no better option between a Stratocaster and a Les Paul style of guitar, they are two completely different options with various advantages to each one. Generally, a Stratocaster will have a more crystalline chime and a Les Paul will be fatter and warmer, however, this can vary with each individual guitar.
The Strat having three pickups with five positions may be a factor for you in terms of sound variation, however, remember the Les Paul has individual volume and tone knobs for each pickup so it is surprisingly versatile as well, despite only having three positions.
The scale length may be a factor with the Strat slightly longer in length (25.5”) versus the Les Paul at (24.75”), however, as referenced earlier it’s matching the neck profile to your hand and comfort level that is most important here rather than the scale length which is something you can use, too.
Selecting a colour that appeals to you is not as critical, however, if you find something that inspires you to pick the guitar up and play it is a good thing as, after all, it’s what it’s all about.
Hardware
One of the first things you may consider replacing when you decide to pimp your guitar is the hardware. One of the ways to produce a more affordable guitar is for the manufacturer to save on the hardware by using generic parts. There are plenty of hardware options for both Les Paul and Stratocaster style guitars and rather than swapping them all out you can play the guitar in and find out exactly what is working and what isn’t before committing to sweeping changes.
Machine Heads
You can increase the stability of your tuning by retrofitting a name brand of machine heads such as Gotoh, Grover or Fender depending on your style of guitar.
Here are some ideas for replacement machine heads. Some have a classic “tulip” style look combined with a modern locking system, classic “kidney bean style”, vintage Fender style or more contemporary options with locking technology.
We recommend for retrofit machine heads - Grover, Gotoh, Schaller and Fender.
Left to right - Grover GRO533K; Gotoh G38; Fender Vintage; Fender Short Locking
Discover our range of Machine Heads and Knobs.
Bridges
Like machine heads, a cheap bridge can effect your tuning in terms of intonation as well as causing string breakage if there are any burrs or sharp parts where the strings meet metal. Les Paul and Stratocaster guitars have completely different bridge designs so they are not generally interchangeable. There are multiple aftermarket options and we recommend - Tone Pro, Gotoh, Graph Tech and Fender.
Left to right - Tone Pro TP6R; Graphtech PS889; Fender Complete Bridge Assembly
Discover our range of Guitar Bridges.
Nuts
Despite being one of the smaller parts on a guitar, if the nut is not functioning properly due to poor workmanship or its worn out; string buzz or breaks, fretting out or poor intonation will not be too far away. Traditional bone nuts are still offered in high end Les Paul and Stratocaster models and despite being old school technology they are still preferred by master luthiers for sustain and durability. Bone blanks are available at an affordable rate, however, prices for shaping and fitting a bone blank will depend on your local repairer and this job is definitely one for the experienced practitioner.
There is also a very large range using the latest technology which is challenging the bone nut. Graph Tech is one company which has redefined guitar nuts through innovation and the use of new materials. Self lubricating nuts allow greater sustain and less resistance and new materials such as Nu Bone and TUSQ are sustainable and provide a very solid middle ground between a hand cut bone nut option and cheap plastic one. We recommend Graph Tech and Fender for retro fit guitar nuts.
Left to right - Graph Tech Blank Bone Nut; Graph Tech Slotted Gibson Nut; Graph Tech Fender Nut
Discover our range of Guitar Nuts.
Pick Ups
The engine room of an electric guitar are the pick ups and one of the ways manufacturers can keep entry level guitars affordable is to supply them with generic pick ups. To be fair many of these work perfectly for the purpose that they were intended for, however, you can significantly improve the tone of your instrument by retro fitting pick ups made by specialists. In Stratocaster style guitars many have pre routed bodies that will accommodate double coil (humbucking) pickups found in Les Pauls so if you want to fatten up the sound of your single coil guitar you can experiment by dropping in a humbucker. The most common place to do this is in the bridge position. If there is no pre routing in the body there are also humbuckers available in a single coil format such as a Seymour Duncan hot-rail which will just drop straight into a single space. Once you step into this territory the options become endless and most anything is possible just be mindful to keep and eye on the cost of this to make sure you are not paying for a whole new guitar. Generally the safest way forward here is to upgrade your existing pickups with a similar style from a pickup manufacturing specialist. These can be purchased singularly or as a set if you want to save some money and there are are some really affordable great sounding options out there. We recommend Seymour Duncan, EMG, DiMarzio, Fender or Gibson for retro fit pickup options.
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Note some pickups are active which means they require a battery to power them, if you are looking at these options please make sure there is room somewhere inside the body to house a 9 volt battery.
Discover our range of pick ups.
Left to right - Seymour Duncan Rod Rodded Humbucker Pickup Set; DiMarzio Cruiser SC Style EMG 81 Active Pickup; Humbucker in a Single Space (needs battery)
Left to right - DiMarzio FS-1 Stratocaster Pickup; Gibson 57 Les Paul Pickup; Fender Customer Shop Stratocaster Pickup Set
Here is an all in one solution from Fender, a pre-loaded, pre-wired pickguard complete with all authentic Fender pickups, pots, switches, and knobs.
Fender Pre-Wired Strat Pickguard with Original '57/'62 SSS
See our range of pickups here.
Tremolo / Vibrato Systems
Stratocaster style guitars have a tremolo system more often than not, Strat style guitars without tremolos are described as a having a hard tail. A poorly manufactured tremolo system can cause issues from tuning to string breakage and beyond, however, many guitars with entry level price points have tremolo systems that work perfectly fine and the old adage “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” still may apply here. If you feel you need to swap out or add a tremolo style bridge to a Stratocaster guitar there are plenty great options available that are very affordable.
Les Paul guitars generally feature stop tail bridges and only certain models of Les Paul guitars will feature a tremolo which is usually a Bigsby style similar to those found on Gretsch guitars.
Another form of tremolo is a Floyd Rose or locking system. These are great if they are well set up and in the right hands and a usually associated with high octane “shredding” styles of guitar. We don’t recommend retro fitting a Floyd Rose tremolo because of the heavy modification needed on a Strat or Les Paul style of guitar. If you do want a locking tremolo it is probably best to buy a guitar with one already installed. A popular quick fix for guitars with a stop tail bridge and tune o bridge is a Les Trem system from Duesenberg which can be affixed in minutes and is similar to a Bigsby style of tremolo.
Left to right - Gibson Les Paul with Bigsby Tremolo System; Fender Complete Stratocaster Tremolo System
Left to right - Ibanez JEM 77P with Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo; Duesenberg Les Trem System
Brand Name Retro Fit Components
Like pickups and machine one of the ways to make a guitar more affordable for a manufacturer is to fit cheaper generic components such as pots, pick up selectors and jacks. You can easily replace these parts with well respected brand name ones such as DiMarzio, Dunlop and Switchcraft.
Left to right - DiMarzio Les Paul Switch; 3 Way Switch; DiMarzio 5 Way Switch
Left to right - Dunlop 500K Super Pot; Dunlop 250K Super Pot; DiMarzio 250K Pot
Left to right - DiMarzio 1/4 Output Jack; Switchcraft 1/4 Output Jack; Switchcraft 1/4 Output Shield
Straplocks
Straplocks are not necessary, however, if you plan to use a strap with your guitar they are worth considering as they definitely provide a more stable way to secure the strap to your instrument. If you plan to go on stage for a full-scale rock and roll assault complete with guitar swings, these are mandatory. Most models allow you to use the strap of your choice and DiMarzio make an all in one strap/strap lock combo in various designs.
Left to right - Fender Straplocks Set; Ernie Ball Straplocks in Gold; DiMarzio Strap with Locks
New Strings
Okay these will be the one of the cheapest and definitely the most easiest thing to pimp on your guitar and will definitely make an appreciable difference to the sound and feel of your guitar. Realistically standard acoustic, electric or nylon guitar strings have a shelf life regardless of how little you play the guitar. They will tarnish and corrode even without playing and as a rough guide the maximum shelf life is around three months. Fitting new strings and even getting a basic set up from a trusted luthier (not a mates friend who reckons they can fix guitars) can make a world of difference to how your instrument sounds and plays. String life can vary wildly depending on use, how clean your hands are, if you wipe the guitar down afterwards, temperature, moisture, there are so many variables here, however, one thing is certain a new string is a good string.
New technology with string coating has vastly improved string life, brands like Elixir offer coated strings for acoustic and electric guitar and they are a good idea if you don’t want to string up too regularly.
Stocking up on single strings particularly the skinnier ones is also a good idea as string breakage can be random and unpredictable and is always likely to happen at the most inconvenient time.
Left to right - Daddario Electric Strings; Elixir Coated Acoustic Strings; Daddario Single String
In conclusion there are many options for pimping up your entry level guitar and they will all potentially greatly improve its performance, just be careful to make sure the cost does not outweigh the benefit and you would have been better off just buying a brand new guitar in the first place.
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