I love Last Call with a Sonic Sprite, can run crazy fast and easily evade if in a tight spot, also cheat code sprite ideally so can button mash cheat codes to upgrade faster.
I haven’t played electric guitar properly in about 12 years, and recently got back into playing. I get terrible GAS 🤣 (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), like I know many of us do, and historically would always end up falling down a gear rabbit hole.
So I strictly told myself I would buy a budget guitar to mod/upgrade rather than go whole hog and shell out on an LTD or Schecter etc. for playing metalcore, until I committed to playing for at least one year.
Saw this “Special Black” Squier Strat on eBay, including a Hiscox hardcase, for £200 a couple of months ago, and jumped on it, and it has made a great base for a budget metal machine.
Mods/Upgrades:
Blocked the tremolo
Guyker locking tuners
Musiclily pickguard
EMG 85 in bridge (Adam D style)
EMG 60 in neck
EMG 3 way switch
EMG wiring kit (included with pickups)
New barrel jack
Graphtech string saver saddles (had these sitting in a box of spare parts for over 15 years, finally put them to good use 😅)
Last thing to do is install a TUSQ nut and get a good setup. I sold the hardcase, original saddles, tuners, loaded pickguard, and the total build has ended up costing me around £250. The contemporary series is awesome 🙌🏻
Last photo is the before.