There is nothing holding you back if you want to change the control knobs, pickup covers, pick guards or anything that makes the guitar “Yours”. I happen to love the Eyeballs the customer asked me to put on his guitar. There are so many choices/designs on “Dress Up” parts. One thing to be careful of is the number of grooves on your current Volume/Tone controls. Be sure to count the number before ordering the replacement knobs. Some knobs have a set screw and the number of grooves is not as important. AND, when you pull the knobs off or put the new ones on be careful because you can break the control if you yank or push too hard on it. It should be firm but no so much that you have to strain any muscles.

My current project is taking this old Fender Squire HM-2 and updating all the equipment. My customer insists on using a Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker and 2 EMG Active pickups.

make sure the electronics i.e. input jack, pickup switch and pots do not touch any paint or copper tape. This will ground out the devices and cause you a headache, take your time.

The guitar, as all musical instruments are an extension of your personality. It should first of all feel comfortable and good in your hands so you can produce the music that pleases your ears.

Frets get leveled in several different stages. You must be extremely careful to ensure all frets are uniform in height and shape.

You may be able to service the machine heads with careful cleaning and lubrication.

If you have a Stratocaster and you put a Humbucker in it there is an extra position on the 5-way switch for you to split the coils and have the single-coil sound.

When your controls become erratic and scratchy it may be possible to clean them but most likely they should be replaced.

When guitar strings are dirty, old, or lack tone quality, that is the time you should change them.

So many choices… Humbuckers, Mini Humbuckers, Stacked Humbuckers, single-coil and many more. How much money do you want to spend?

Any change in string gauge will require re-setting your intonation and checking the nut for proper clearance.

Nothing worse than getting on stage with strings that are constantly out of tune.

Whenever you change strings you gain access to places under the strings, the bridge and tail stop. Your guitar will appreciate a coat of wax to bring back the shine.