it really depends on how it plays. is it comfortable to you? do you even like playing on it? do you like the feel of the neck. if you answer no to any of those questions, then i wouldn't bother with upgrades. if you DO like how it plays, then you may want to upgrade it. you can start with the tuners....good brands are schaller,gotoh,grover......seymour duncan offers a variety of pickup assemblies as does EMG. to be honest, you can pick up a decent strat on ebay or just about anywhere for what you would probably spend on good upgrades......

The electronics are really the only thing I'd change. Squire's are known to squeel like a pig. Look up an article on the web called "Quieting the Beast". Ahhh here's the link - http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/shield3.php .
Changing pups and following these techniques helped my squire alot.

if you want to go big with it you can get a custom made replacement neck from warmoth. www.warmoth.com

I agree you are probably going to spend more money on replacement gear than you would on a nice stock guitar but there is the added enjoyment of customizing it.

Satan is right though - I would definitely change the neck as Squires are renowned for having crappy necks. I know from my own experience that the necks are rough and of super low quality. It is almost like the fret wire sticks to the strings so they don't bend smoothly.

yeah, my suggestion would be to get a neck, then, when you want to upgrade the body, simply get a new body.... before long, you will have a brand new guitar that is comparable to an american strat!

It depends on how much needs to be upgraded and how much more you want to upgrade just for the sake of it. On my own cheap guitar I replaced the bridge, pickups and electronics. The total amount of money I put in it (including the guitar itself) could have gotten me a brand new higher end model. But I'm a tinkerer and I value the process of customizing things.



I'd say for starters, have a tech do a proper setup on your squire. If after that you like how it plays and feels in your hands, you can start by upgrading the electronics (pickups, pots, switches,cap...) to get it to sound like more to your liking.

I love my '99 Squier. I changed out most of the hardware on it tho because the stock hardware was crap. I also took the neck from a broken 2001 Squier Double Fat Strat and put it on the '99, the stock neck was maple and I prefer rosewood. The pickups are red, silver and blue lace sensors, and I like them a lot.

Well, the first thing I always change is the electronics. I love dimarzio pickups, so I will suggest some good ones for a strat. All of these are also hum-cancelling:

Area 58 - Looks and sounds a lot like the original 1958 strat pickups, but with no hum. At all.
Area 61 - Same as the 58 only a bit hotter.
Cruiser - It tries to sound like a single coil, but it ends up getting its own tone. Listen to Andy Timmons for an example.
Fast Track - If you want a SUPER hot pickup set, these are the ones to get.

If it has the swimming pool rout underneath the pickguard, you can put almost any pickups you want in there. You'll have to get a new pickguard, so while you're at it you might as well get one that is the exact color you like.

Next, I upgrade the hardware. Most squier bridges are crappy and won't hold tune, so they are the first things to go. I do my own work so I can afford to put in a modern 2-point style bridge...if you don't know how then check around for some prices on bridge replacement. I suggest a Wilkinson for the vintage style and an Original Floyd Rose for a modern style.

The nut and tuners are also generally cruddy. I'd change the nut with a graphite or roller nut and install some Schaller mini locking tuners. Combined with that bride, you'll never go out of tune. The floyd rose comes with its own nut and the tuners don't really matter with a floyd.

As you can see, this is already getting a tad expensive. And it takes a lot longer than just buying something with all the features you want. But this is what I do also, so if you feel up to it and have the dough then by all means.