Marketplace Find | Squier Strat Guitar Rescue – Assessment & Fretwork

Another Marketplace Find made its way to the workbench and this time it’s a Squier Strat. In this episode we start the rescue the same way we always do: assessment first, decisions second. We take a close look at the condition of the guitar, evaluate what’s working, look for what isn’t, and begin figuring out what this instrument actually needs before changing parts or chasing upgrades. Along the way we inspect the neck, check relief and action, evaluate fret condition, and see whether this Strat has the foundation to become something special. This episode spends a lot of time on fretwork and setup fundamentals. We talk through how changes to relief affect action, check fret condition, use a radius gauge to inspect the board, tap frets back into place where possible, condition the fretboard, and finish up with fret end work to improve the playing experience. We also talk tools, setup workflow, and some of the little things that make work at the bench easier over time. If you’ve rescued a Marketplace guitar before, I’d love to know what your first inspection step is when one hits your bench. And if you see something in this Strat that you would approach differently, jump into the comments and let’s talk guitars and life. Guitto Guitar Cleaning Kit https://amzn.to/4gMJ5Pk Diamond Sharpening Stone https://amzn.to/4xRQ3sB MusicNomad Radius Gauge https://amzn.to/4w6kqK1 MusicNomad S-file https://amzn.to/4vx14xN TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Intro 12:03 – Strings come off 12:46 – Decision to begin fretwork 13:02 – Neck removal and inspection 13:40 – Neck measurements 14:07 – Relief adjusted 14:35 – String action adjustments 15:04 – Tool talk at the workbench 17:08 – Radius gauge and fret inspection 17:46 – High frets discovered 17:54 – Frets tapped level 18:07 – Conditioning the fretboard 19:30 – Fret end work begins 20:05 – Final fret refinement ____ Shoutouts: ‪@String_Pickers‬ (Casey) ‪@CalBandRockoCat‬ (Cal) Checkout our playlist page for more series and journeys    / @tedtalksguitars   Special Thanks to "The Jacks" our channel members Want to support the channel? Buy Me a Coffee (or a diet coke and a soft pretzel - smile) https://buymeacoffee.com/tedtalksguitars Merch Store: https://tedtalksguitars-shop.fourthwa... Channel membership options:    / @tedtalksguitars   Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3W3PZox *If you click on this link to shop at Amazon the channel will receive a modest financial commission from your purchases. Disclaimer: This video is not sponsored. Some links are affiliate links. If you buy something I may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Phenyx Pro https://phenyxpro.com/ Enter Discount Code: TEDTALKSGUITARS #Squier #SquierStrat #MarketplaceFind #GuitarRescue #Fretwork #GuitarSetup #GuitarRepair #UsedGuitar #Stratocaster #BudgetGuitar