Customed California Squier "Malmsteen"

Customed California Squier "Malmsteen" is the first guitar that is extensively modded and customized by me. It started out as an ordinary Californian Squier which I've bought while browsing in a second hand guitar store. I wanted a scalloped guitar similar to the one Yngwie Malmsteen uses, to practice my light touch fretting technique. Just so happened that I walked into the shop and found this 21 frets Squier (Made in China) that is cream in color, selling for pretty cheap. I also saw that the neck has some hints of birdseye maple grain and thinking that I should have a go in scalloping, I bought the guitar home.

After bringing it back home, I immediately bought some half round file, wood rasp, some sand paper and armed with guts started scalloping the guitar. Scalloping the guitar wasn't honestly hard, just takes a lot of work to get it there. After scalloping the fretboard, I oiled the fretboard with Tung oil for that smooth finish and proceed to setup the guitar again.

The neck warped at first, which was expected after a full deep scallop but what I never expect was to find the first 5 frets buzzing all over. So, what I realized was that they didn't QC the neck properly and to solve the neck buzz issue, the factory merely bow the neck. I proceed to do fret leveling for the guitar, getting rid of all the buzz.

What Is a Malmsteen guitar, if the nut isn't brass right? So I went ahead and bought myself a Brass Nut and cut it myself. The Brass Nut replacement went well and the open strings was noticeably brighter. I also ordered in a set of Malmsteen pick ups (Dimarzio HS4 x2, HS3) and got them installed into the guitar (Yngwie had to swtich camp over to Seymour Duncan after I build this but nonetheless, I do prefer his tone from his old albums). The Electronic parts were then replaced to Gotoh and as per all my guitars, Orange Drop and Treble Bleed Mod.

Shortly after, I acquired an old made in Mexico Fender Stratocaster Alder body. I immediately did a swap over to the new body, while at the same time changing the bridge to a Wilkinson bridge (big steel block). The only problem with the bridge was since it's alignment was made for US neck, the neck alignment was slightly off. But that didnt post too much of a problem. I've also taken the liberty to change the pickguard to limegreen, something closer to Yngwie's guitar.

The guitar was excellent, good acoustics and all but there was something that was still missing for me. I realized that it was the action of the guitar. I couldn't get it to set to really low action, which was what I prefer. So once again, I filed down the frets, making it compound radius. This ensured that I could set it to ridiculous action without the notes choking all over. This made the guitar very playable and feels nothing like a Squier. The slight mis-alignment of the bridge has also been solved after I replaced the bridge with a custom bridge made by Dragon-fire. It also sports a solid steel block, with the exception of the bridge fitting into Mexican or Asian made Strats. The Headstock has also been sand off and replaced with a Fender decal and for the fun of it, I've signed it "Adrian Malmsteen". Technically, the only thing left from the Squier brand is the neck, but nonetheless, it is undeniably a good guitar with good tone.

This guitar is named "Malmsteen" as originally, I thought it would be funny to have a Yngwie Malmsteen like guitar, in the form of a Squier. My DIY bug got the better of me and I just went on and on modifying it, with each step making it closer to a guitar worth over $1000. This guitar remains one of the guitars that I play extensively up till date.

Customed California Squier "Malmsteen"" Specs neck type: 2pc Maple neck with Skunk stripe fingerboard:Scalloped Maple with dot inlay and Graphtech String Saver String Tree body: Alder fret: Medium Jumbo frets bridge: Custom Vintage Tremolo with Soild Steel Block and Graphtech Classics saddles neck pu: Dimazio HS-4 middle pu: Dimazio HS-4 bridge pu: Dimazio HS-3 Neck Specs Scale: 648mm/25.5" Width at Nut 40.8mm C Shape profile neck Radius: 241mmR

Dimarzio HS-4 (Neck pickup)
Malmsteen neo classical by Adrian Goh

Dimarzio HS-3 (bridge pickup)
Malmsteen Over the hills and far away by Adrian Goh

Dimarzio HS-4 (neck pickup) clean
Girl from Ipanema Malmsteen by Adrian Goh