Squier Bronco, possible upgrades to improve

[Storky]

I have recently acquired a Squier Bronco. Being a short scale it is very easy to play. Surprisingly it also sounds fairly good despite the fact that it has a strat' sized, 6 pole guitar pick up and cheep Alpha pots. I'm wondering what it would take to improve it? So, new pickup, new pots/wiring? I would love to hear your opinions/advice.

[MoonBassAlpha]

I bought one on behalf of a friend and didn't want it give it to him! I think they're fine as they are, I always wanted to pick it up.

[dannybuoy]

I was thinking of picking one of these up myself and fitting a mini stacked humbucker hotrail type pickup. This vid appears to have one of the cheapo Seymour Duncan Hotrail clones that you can find on eBay/Amazon etc - these pickups actually get pretty good reviews.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXld4T47Prs

[Sibob]

Standard stuff, pickup, tuners, bridge.
I had one years ago, it was fine.....think I'd prefer one of the older Squire Vista series though.

Si

[Wylie]

As inexpensive as the Bronco is, is upgrading worth the expense? I had one, and was glad to leave it behind. Squier makes so many inexpensive models now (Jaguar and Affinity series), it might make better sense to move up.

[tony_m]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1505486167' post='3372324']
I was thinking of picking one of these up myself and fitting a mini stacked humbucker hotrail type pickup. This vid appears to have one of the cheapo Seymour Duncan Hotrail clones that you can find on eBay/Amazon etc - these pickups actually get pretty good reviews.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXld4T47Prs[/media]
[/quote]

I replaced the original 6-pole pickup in my old Fender Musicmaster with a Seymour Duncan Hotrails Strat pickup - definitely a worthwhile upgrade, it turned it into a whole different beast.

[Storky]

Thanks for the comments. I think the pots are 500s, is it worth changing them to 250s?

[dannybuoy]

[quote name='Storky' timestamp='1505506646' post='3372537']
Thanks for the comments. I think the pots are 500s, is it worth changing them to 250s?
[/quote]

Only if you want a darker tone.

[dannybuoy]

Here's that pickup, less than a tenner:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B013SBRB2W

[NancyJohnson]

I bought a Badtz Maru off here. The machines wete awful, while trying to enlarge the holes for new ones, the top of the headstock sheared off.

So first up, new neck.

It didn't sound so great, so I put in a hotrails style humbucker.

It wouldn't intonate. The bridge was awful, so I put a Mustang bridge on it.

Oh, and Straploks.

Edited September 15, 2017 by NancyJohnson

[Storky]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1505507111' post='3372544']
Here's that pickup, less than a tenner:

[url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B013SBRB2W"]https://www.amazon.c...duct/B013SBRB2W[/url]
[/quote]

That's a really helpful reply, thanks Dannybuoy! I've ordered the pickup.

Hey, Nancy, do you know if I can still get a Mustang bridge? - I can't find one anywhere.

[timhiggins]

I have on which i did intend to mod/upgrade ,however it sounds great as is

the only thing i have done is put some flats on...job done

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I put a kent armstrong enclosed cool rails strat pickup in my '72 musicmaster which sounds much better (dark & punchy like a mustang) than the original bronco 6 pole pickup or the 'exposed' hot rails pickup I put in another early 70's musicmaster.

Every squier I've owned has had crappy mini pots & socket, so making a new CTS & switchcraft loom is worthwhile.

[skankdelvar]

Some small hole Wilkinson tuners, a rail pickup, Musicmaster pickguard from WD Music, a finger rest, a couple of Jazz-type pot knobs and a Rothko & Frost decal stating 'Fedner Musicmatser'. Probably cost more than the Bronco.

That's the plan, anyway.

Edited September 16, 2017 by skankdelvar

[waltsdog]

Broncos make a great base for modding, ditch the tuners and the bridge and stick any pickup you like in there.
Here is mine.
[attachment=254038:20170307_202137.jpg]

[Storky]

[quote name='waltsdog' timestamp='1505945467' post='3375479']
Broncos make a great base for modding, ditch the tuners and the bridge and stick any pickup you like in there.
Here is mine.
[attachment=254038:20170307_202137.jpg]
[/quote]

Nice. I like what you've done. What do you do about the bridge, aren't standard bridges too wide?

Edited September 21, 2017 by Storky

[Matt P]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1505510533' post='3372569']
I bought a Badtz Maru off here. The machines wete awful, while trying to enlarge the holes for new ones, the top of the headstock sheared off.

So first up, new neck.

It didn't sound so great, so I put in a hotrails style humbucker.

It wouldn't intonate. The bridge was awful, so I put a Mustang bridge on it.

Oh, and Straploks.
[/quote]

so that's what you did with it! i'm pretty sure you bought this from me, what scratchplate did you go with in the end?

matt

[neepheid]

Time to trot this one out again, I guess:



BWB pickguard, GFS Lipstick Strat pickup, thumbrest, full size tuners, bridge from a Vista Series Musicmaster, bored through for through body stringing.

[NancyJohnson]

[quote name='Matt P' timestamp='1506067189' post='3376178']
so that's what you did with it! i'm pretty sure you bought this from me, what scratchplate did you go with in the end?

matt
[/quote]

I put the Badtz Maru one back on...I love that it looks like a toy bass.

[waltsdog]

[quote name='Storky' timestamp='1506030708' post='3376070']
Nice. I like what you've done. What do you do about the bridge, aren't standard bridges too wide?
[/quote]

That's a standard bridge with 19mm spacing, it's fine as long as you don't mind the strings being a little close to the edge of the board (think stingray 5). The one I used was vintage style so you can change the string spacing a little but it's not really necessary. You will have to measure and re-drill for the new bridge though, it's not a drop in replacement.

[throwoff]

It's a cheap bass, in my opinion the perfect platform to try things you wouldn't dare on your more expensive instruments!

[Marc S]

[quote name='throwoff' timestamp='1507199755' post='3383830']
It's a cheap bass, in my opinion the perfect platform to try things you wouldn't dare on your more expensive instruments!
[/quote]

That's a good philosophy IMO
Quite like some of the upgrades people have done here