You have a cheap squier Strat or Tele laying around and you think that you are gonna save yourself a pile of money and do a baritone conversion.
You forget about the pickups sucking and probably having to get new tuners. Now that you are kind of building a custom, you think “I’m picking the best parts and this guitar is gonna be killer!”
You end up in a spot like me.
My situation
I had a 2012 Squier 72 Vintage Modified Tele. It was cheap, like.. really cheap. One of the bridge saddles stripped out the very first time I tried to adjust the intonation. Pretty much from the start I knew I was gonna convert it.
In 2016 I started buying parts. I was like.. “I’M GONNA DO THIS!” In the winter of 2019, I finally had all the parts.
The Parts
28-5/8” Baritone Conversion Neck
Warmoth • http://bit.ly/2Wp1WbB
$352.50 US
Gotoh Locking Tuning Machine Set
Philadelphia Luthier • http://bit.ly/2WqxQEs
$91.00 US
Gotoh Non-Tremolo Bridge
AllParts • http://bit.ly/2Z9so5G
$84.00 US
Lace Alumitone Humbucker
Lace Pickups • http://bit.ly/31n3b9O
Item # 1806-C
$207.00 US
Barrel Knob for Split Shaft
Next Gen • http://bit.ly/2KucHlr
$22.50 US
Long & Mcquade • http://bit.ly/2WNgH7c
CTS 550k Audio Taper Pot
$12.00 US
Switchcraft Short Frame Lever Switch
Long & Mcquade • http://bit.ly/2wGuWfm
$24.00 US
Switchcraft Jack 1/4'' Mono
Long & Mcquade • http://bit.ly/2KrETFP
$3.00 US
Terminator - Single Volume kit (didn't fit)
Mad Hatter • http://bit.ly/2WywKXo
$100.00 US
Total
$894.00 US
Putting it together
Mounting the neck and installing everything else was easy. The neck fit PERFECTLY. Getting it to play right though, has been a nightmare.
The Snags - Neck Choice
I went for the traditional tele neck. The truss-rod is in the heel of the neck.This means that you have to take the neck off for every truss-rod adjustment.
Setting it up
I’m ok with basic setups, but this setup is full of problems.
Setting up a guitar that already has a foundational setup is really easy. Setting up a guitar from nothing takes experience and time.
I initially went with the MadHatter wiring kit. It didn’t fit.
The switch was too long and the leads were too short. I do not have hookup wire or a bunch of switches laying around.
I took it to a tech to speed things up, the tech didn’t actually do the setup. So I brought it back, offered to pay ANY price, and still didn’t get a full setup which required some neck levelling that didn’t happen.
Should you do a conversion?
• If you have time and money
• If you already have a decent collection of guitar specific tools and strong setup knowledge.
• You'll need insight and planning. If you have a thorough ability to plan and forecast technical challenges, you should do ok.
• If you know an awesome tech.
Chris' Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BarC-x3nb-s
Baritone Obsessed Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/baritoneobsessed/
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Bunn