These 5 easy upgrades will supercharge your Strat – and they're all on sale for Amazon Prime Day
Take your Stratocaster to the next level with these 5 essential mods
If you’ve gotten frustrated with the way your guitar plays, you’re not alone. It’s something most guitar players go through, and something most guitar players remedy by buying an entirely new guitar. You don’t have to be so bold though, especially if there’s something you really love about the guitar you already have.
An upgrade to your guitar costs far less than buying something brand new and allows you to address the real issue you have which is rarely the guitar as a whole. Locking tuners can help with stability when using a tremolo, a new bridge can deliver better flexibility and more stable performance, while a fresh set of guitar pickups will elevate that beginner guitar to something truly great.
Most upgrades are relatively easy to fit too, and it’s one of the great things about the Stratocaster as a guitar. Whether you want to swap the pickups or change the whole neck, the Strat’s bolt-on construction makes it a great upgrade platform, allowing you to take a Squier guitar or Mexican-made Strat to a much higher standard.
We’d have never thought it from previous events, but it turns out this year's Amazon Prime Day guitar deals are the place to be for upgrades, especially if you have a Fender in need of a tune-up. A wealth of parts are seeing some hefty discounts, so here's five of our favorites that will help you take your Strat to the next level.
Fender Am Pro II Strat Neck: $799.99, now $429.37
Changing a guitar neck might seem like a huge operation, but the Fender Strat’s bolt-on design makes it much more simple than you’d think. A straight swap of Strat necks is simply a case of unscrewing the four bolts and replacing like for like. With a Squier you will need to double-check the width of the neck pocket, but on most Strats it really is that simple. For Prime Day you can get a seriously reduced Fender American Pro II Strat neck, with an absolutely ginormous $370.62 discount. Perfect to take that MIM Strat to a whole new level.
Fender Custom Fat 60s Pickups: $269.99, $229.50
Pickups are the most powerful upgrade you can make to any guitar, completely changing the tonal profile of the instrument. Lower-priced guitars usually use cheaper pickups, so if you’re happy with the playability then it’s the natural upgrade to go for. We think these Fender Custom Shop Fat 60s Strat pickups are how a Strat should sound, and with a nice $40.49 discount for Prime Day they’re excellent value too. You’ll need to learn to solder or brush up on your skills, but soldering is something all guitarists can learn and is a useful skill to have in your locker.
Fender Vintage Strat Bridge: $197.99, now $106
A bridge replacement can totally change the feel of your Strat, so if you’re not happy with how the trem reacts or sounds on yours, it’s an excellent way to improve it. This Fender American Vintage Strat bridge has a huge $91.99 discount for Prime Day, which is nearly half price. Installing bridges is slightly more convoluted than other upgrades, so you’ll need to check your string spacing, the depth of the bridge cavity, and make sure you’re swapping like for like, whether it’s a two-point or six-point bridge piece.
Fender Deluxe Locking Tuners: $99.99, now $66.94
Locking tuners are one of our favorite upgrades for any guitar, but for a tremolo-equipped Stratocaster, they’re ultra-powerful. Locking tuners deliver far greater stability, allowing you to use your tremolo more heavily without having to retune constantly. It’s not as stable as a full locking tremolo system, but it’s certainly miles better than regular tuners. These Fender Deluxe Locking Tuners are staggered too, so you don’t need to use a string tree, and with a $33.05 discount for Prime Day they're awesome value for money.
Fender Strat Pick Guard 8-hole: $76.99, now $42.80
Okay, so a pickguard isn’t going to offer any performance upgrades, but it can give your guitar a fresh look that might make you want to pick it up more. Whether your current pickguard has been battered, or you just fancy a change, a fresh Strat pickguard is a great choice for changing things up. This 8-hole version has a tasty $34.19 discount and is available in various colors with varying discounts depending on the style. There’s also an 11-hole version for more modern spec Strats, also discounted in the Prime Day sale.
Shop more Prime Day guitar deals
- 🇺🇸 The best deals on Amazon US
- 5 months Amazon Music Unlimited for free
- All sitewide deals
- All instrument deals
- Amp & effects deals
- Accessories deals
- Best non-Amazon sales US
- Fender: 10% off American Ultra
- Fender Play: 50% off annual subscription
- Guitar Center: Major Fender deals
- GuitarTricks: Get 1 month for $1
- Musician's Friend: Members-only sale
- Reverb: Shop big price drops
- Sweetwater: Up to 65% off gear
- Plugin Boutique: Up to 90% off software
- Positive Grid: Up to 40% off amps
- Waves: Studio legends sale
- 🇬🇧 The best deals on Amazon UK
- 5 months Amazon Music Unlimited for free
- All sitewide deals
- All instrument deals
- Guitar, amps & effects deals
- Accessories deals
- Best non-Amazon sales UK
- Andertons: Over 1,000 discounts
- Fender Play: 50% off annual subscription
- GuitarTricks: Get 1 month for $1
- Plugin Boutique: Massive software savings
- PMT: Shop their 'PMT Day' sale
- Positive Grid: Up to 40% off amps
- Thomann: Huge 70th anniversary sale
- Waves: Sale on studio staples
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Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites including MusicRadar, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog. A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and writing and recording in bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the country in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at.