This old guitar.

[Little Laguna05]

Okay, so my mom’s friend gave her a guitar and it had been in the garage for about ten years and recently I talked to her about it and she had taken it to guitar center to get it restrung and they said they couldn’t do it because something (we don’t remember what it was) was in upside down or backwards and so I said we could figure out what’s wrong and just buy the parts and learn it. So please help me out with this I really want to learn and figure it out. I will send pictures and I will answer any of y’all’s questions and all.

 

[Little Laguna05]

 

[Ed Seith]

Everything looks where it should be on the surface. Those frets have serious divots in them and would require a dressing before this could be any good.

 

[Little Laguna05]

Okay here is one on the inside

 

[Little Laguna05]

 

[Ed Seith]

Best way to see if that works is plug it into an amp (without strings is fine) and then, as you cycle through the pickup selector (with volume and tone on 10), tap each pickup with a screwdriver or some other magnetic metal. If you can hear the "click" through the amp, the pickup is on and working. Cycle through each of the 5 positions on the switch.

Position 1 (closest to neck): neck pickup only
Position 2: neck and middle
Position 3: middle (or possibly all three)
Position 4: bridge and middle
Position 5 (closest to input jack): bridge only

If that's backwards, it's just a matter of rotating the switch in the pickguard to make it correct. I still see no reason for GC to turn it away, except that it's GC.

 

[Little Laguna05]

Okay, the middle one doesn’t have any of the metal things so would it be through the plastic cover ?

 

[Little Laguna05]

Also guitar center said the strings were on backwards..

 

[Awex Came]

Looks like the truss rod is messed up? Sticking out of the top. Aside from that, I dont think there’d be anything stopping me from restringing,

Also, I personally refuse to acknowledge a Guitar Center employee as any sort of guitar tech, so maybe consider taking it to someone else

 

[Awex Came]

When testing if electronics works, I like to play a song from my phone speakers and hold it up to the pickups

 

[Little Laguna05]

Mm okay, thanks, my mom took it to guitar center a while ago so she wasn’t sure what they meant but like I figured I would ask you guys, because I’m you guys have gone through everything for a guitar

 

[Little Laguna05]

Also the guitar I believe is a Cortez Stratocaster design, not really sure, but the brand is Cortez that’s all I know …

 

[Ed Seith]

If it was strung upside down there might be some issues with the nut, but there also might not be. If this were mine, I'd spend the $6 on a set of basic strings (Ernie Ball Slinky for me) and string it up, tune it, and plug it in to see what happens.

This video is specifically for Strats, so it should be more accurate for your guitar than some other videos.

 

[Ed Seith]

In other words, learn to string it yourself and it will only cost you $6, versus the 25 or 30 a store would charge to do it.

 

[Little Laguna05]

Yeah I can string it myself actually also if my Laguna has been in a closet and all that and the strings haven’t been changed for almost seven years would they need to be replaced?

 

[Little Laguna05]

THANKS MAN! Now I know how to properly string a guitar hahaha, also the pickups do work so that’s a big plus!

 

[Little Laguna05]

Also if the nut is backwards could I just switch it back?

 

[Little Laguna05]

Last but not least do I need to adjust those what are they for?

 

[Ed Seith]

Yeah I can string it myself actually also if my Laguna has been in a closet and all that and the strings haven’t been changed for almost seven years would they need to be replaced?

YES!

 

[Ed Seith]

Also if the nut is backwards could I just switch it back?

But doesn’t look backwards, just a bit abused.