A standard Fender Squier transformed into the guitar I had been imagining for years — rewired, rebuilt, stickerbombed, and customized down to the knobs, controls, and pick storage.
This was my first time doing real technical work on a guitar, so nearly every step involved teaching myself something new. I started by stripping the body down and covering it in alien stickers, then sealed everything under multiple protective spray coats.
A caution-tape strap completed the Area 51 theme, while the pickguard received custom-cut NOVA STELLA vinyl lettering.
The name means “new star,” which felt right for a guitar being given an entirely new identity.
It is also a nod to Tycho Brahe's observation of a “new star,” an event that helped undermine the Aristotelian idea of an unchanging celestial realm. I liked the connection between that history and a guitar rebuilt into something completely new.
What began as a cosmetic project kept expanding. Over multiple sessions I completely rewired the guitar, installed new pickups, redesigned the controls, and added several small custom parts.
By the end, the guitar had become both a musical instrument and a hands-on lesson in soldering, wiring, electronics, and how electric guitars actually work.
I rewired the guitar's internal electronics from scratch over several sessions, learning how the pickup selector, potentiometers, output jack, grounding, and signal path all work together.
The original pickups were replaced, and I deliberately left their outer covers off because I loved seeing the coils and construction that normally stay hidden.
The red tone control hides a kill-switch function inside the potentiometer. It preserves the normal control layout while giving me the rapid on/off effect I wanted for playing Buckethead-style parts.
I added a multi-contact output jack, designed and 3D printed knobs spelling U - F - O, and printed pick holders so spare picks would always be within reach during shows.
Nova Stella was the project that taught me I could open up something I cared about, understand how it worked, and rebuild it to better fit exactly what I wanted. Years later, it is still one of my most personally meaningful builds — and still a guitar I love playing.
