Five Great Fender Strat Mods Anyone Can Make

Most guitarists have a Fender Strat, whether it’s a U.S., Mexican or some other variant of the model.

Of course, not all Strats are equal, and some of us have probably thought about upgrading the parts on our non-U.S.-made Strats from time to time. Unfortunately, some players are understandably squeamish when it comes to tinkering with their guitars.

If you fall into that category, this video is for you. Fender dealer and repairer Phillip McKnight demonstrates five simple mods anyone can make to a Strat. The mods include installing locking tuners and a bone nut, filing fret ends (more a maintenance issue than a mod), installing a better output jack, and adding strap locks.

Along the way Phillip offers some great tips for the budding modder, including how to use strings and sandpaper to file nuts, using an emery board to file down fret ends that extend beyond the fretboard, and how to identify the hot and ground wires on a guitar output jack.

Keep in mind that these tips will also work for other guitars you might own and want to upgrade.

Take a look. And when you’re done, visit Phillip’s YouTube channel for more of his great and informative videos.