Let’s get one thing out of the way: most budget guitars suck. The wood is soft, the frets are sharp, and the pickups sound like they were wound by someone who hates music.

But here’s the question — can you turn a cheap guitar into a tone monster just by swapping the pickups? Like, if you throw real money into the electronics, will the whole thing magically come to life? I needed to find out.

So I grabbed the cheapest electric guitar I could stomach, threw in a legit pickup upgrade, and documented the whole thing. The results were… actually kinda shocking.

Step 1: The Victim – Glarry GST3 ($99 on Amazon)

I chose the Glarry GST3 Strat-style guitar — a guitar so cheap it comes with a gig bag, cable, and strap, and still costs less than a single boutique pedal.

First impressions:

• Plastic-y pickups with no depth

• Trem bridge that goes out of tune if you even look at it

• Finish looks decent… from 6 feet away

• Fretwork? Rough.

• Electronics? Noisy and flat.

• Tone? Like plugging into a wet sock.

But the neck was straight, the nut height was passable, and the body wasn’t particleboard. Good enough to mod.

Step 2: The Upgrade – Fender Tex-Mex Strat Pickups ($119)

I didn’t want to blow $300 on boutique pickups for a $99 guitar, so I grabbed a sweet middle-ground set: the Fender Tex-Mex Stratocaster pickups. These are real Fender pickups with Alnico magnets, vintage vibes, and some Texas heat.

Why Tex-Mex?

• Great balance of sparkle and grit

• Hotter output than vintage sets

• Legit Strat tone, but with balls

• Under $130 — a no-brainer upgrade

Step 3: The Surgery

Swapping pickups wasn’t hard… once I remembered how to solder. Here’s what I used:

Tools:

• Soldering iron and solder

• Wire cutters

• Screwdriver

• Some patience

The wiring:
Tex-Mex pickups come pre-assembled on a pickguard, so I either had to fully swap the guard or de-solder the originals and wire in just the pickups. I went for the second route to keep the original aesthetic (and because I didn’t want to deal with fitting issues).

What I learned:

• Cheap pots and switches can survive a transplant, but they’re sketchy.

• The Glarry’s pickguard is paper-thin and warps if you look at it wrong.

• Shielding? Nonexistent.

I added some aluminum tape to help with noise — total cost: $3. Not bad.

Step 4: The Sound Test – Before vs After

Before:
The stock pickups were lifeless. Thin, plasticky, and hissy. The bridge position was pure ice pick. The neck was dull. The in-between positions had none of that Strat quack.

After:
Whoa. Total personality shift.

• Bridge: Bright but punchy. Think SRV with more bite.

• Middle: Funky and clear, finally usable.

• Neck: Warm, round, and expressive — especially through clean amps.

• 2 & 4 positions: Actual quack. Not just thin buzz.

Through an overdriven amp, it finally sounded like a real Strat. I found myself actually wanting to play this thing, which was not the case 24 hours earlier.

Step 5: The Verdict — Was It Worth It?

Let’s do the math:

• Glarry Guitar: $99

• Tex-Mex Pickups: $119

• Soldering supplies and shielding: $10
  Total: ~$230

Pros:

• Massive tone upgrade

• Now sounds like a mid-range Fender

• Learned a lot in the process

• Still way cheaper than buying a Player Strat

Cons:

• Hardware still sucks (tuning is meh, tremolo is questionable)

• Neck is fine, but not inspiring

• Electronics are still on the edge of failure

Final Rating:

• Tone Upgrade: 9/10

• Playability After Mod: 6.5/10

• Value: 8/10

• “Would I gig it?” Maybe, with new tuners and a setup

• Fun Factor: 10/10

What I’d Do Next

If I were doing it again — or turning this into a sleeper gig machine — here’s what I’d also upgrade:

• Tuners: Fender locking tuners

• Bridge: Wilkinson vintage-style trem

• Pots + switch: CTS pots and an Oak Grigsby switch

• Nut: Graph Tech or bone

That would take the total up to ~$300–350, but you’d be flirting with full-on Player Strat territory in terms of tone.

Should YOU Upgrade a Cheap Guitar?

If the bones are decent — straight neck, stable action, usable body — absolutely. Pickups are the fastest way to transform a budget axe. And if you’re new to modding? This is a perfect first project.

Just don’t expect miracles. It won’t turn into a Custom Shop Strat, but it might become your favorite beater guitar.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Underestimate a Cheap Guitar with Good Pickups

This was more than a tone experiment — it was a reminder that gear is what you make of it. The right upgrades can unlock serious personality in even the cheapest guitars. And now? This Glarry doesn’t suck. In fact, it kind of rips.