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To Pickguard Or Not To Pickguard


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I find both of these equally attractive, but I know there's different routing options for both, and I'm having trouble deciding which one I should do. So I'm basically asking for everyone's opinion:

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I'm thinking that everyone else's preferences will tip me off the fence and help me decide. What do you all think?

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personally i quite like the way the pickguard breaks up the solid finish and it blends the silver on the headstock in.

However it looks like you photoshopped it in quite quickly and the shape looks a bit off to me i think it would be better if it followed the contours of the pin striping better.

It is a fine looking guitar either way

Simon

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I'd use a gold one, but I currently have no gold material to make one with. You're all right about the pickguard not lining up in the program. Perhaps if it lined up the votes would be swayed a bit.

But you've all convinced me with your landslide votes :D I just gotta be careful when I route for the switch... Unless I use a 3 way toggle... HMMMMM

Thanks everyone!

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Why not route it as if you were NOT going to use one - and then you can always add one later if you don't like it without? Much easier to add it later than regret routing the front side...

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Why not route it as if you were NOT going to use one - and then you can always add one later if you don't like it without? Much easier to add it later than regret routing the front side...

But I am going to use it... I switch pickups whenever I go between distorted and clean channels. I almost never use both at the same time, as it makes pinch harmonics difficult to hear.

And there will be pinstripes...

Oh yes,

There will be pinstripes...

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But I am going to use it... I switch pickups whenever I go between distorted and clean channels. I almost never use both at the same time, as it makes pinch harmonics difficult to hear.

You don't need a pickguard to be able to switch pickups. Everything would just be routed on the backside, and the slot for your switch, and holes for your knobs. Then if you decide you want a pickguard, you put it on. Now if you do this, then you will have your screw holes in the body, and most likely not go back to one without a guard, but it at least give you the option in the beginning. If you front route it - you have no choice - you need a guard!

Maybe I am not understanding your comment?

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I think if you could match the pickguard to the color and make it slightly smaller than the pin striping on that side it would blend in better. A bit of a pain to do the selector switch cutout in wood. But as a small pickguard the answer is I dont like it.

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I'd like it with a slightly smaller pickguard that followed the pin striping better, in black, not silver.

I have to question the mix of gold, silver and black and white here. I'd say if your string through ferrules and bridge are gold, use gold tuners too. Except your headstock appears to maybe be silver? Then the black tuners work there, so make the bridge and ferrules black as well. You can get away with black p'ups and gold or chrome hardware, but black pickups with gold and chrome hardware seems a bit much. And I don't think I'd throw a chrome pickguard that close to a gold bridge.

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But I am going to use it... I switch pickups whenever I go between distorted and clean channels. I almost never use both at the same time, as it makes pinch harmonics difficult to hear.

You don't need a pickguard to be able to switch pickups. Everything would just be routed on the backside, and the slot for your switch, and holes for your knobs. Then if you decide you want a pickguard, you put it on. Now if you do this, then you will have your screw holes in the body, and most likely not go back to one without a guard, but it at least give you the option in the beginning. If you front route it - you have no choice - you need a guard!

Maybe I am not understanding your comment?

Actually, I misunderstood your comment. I thought you were suggesting that I not use a switch :D i was running on 2 hours of sleep yesterday and I had a hangover. Sorry about the confusion!

[edit]

Most of the guitars I've had have all had something changed on them. Unfortunately all the stuff I could get my hands on never quite matched. For example, I had a gold bridge on a black and white guitar, and that's it. On my bass, I have 1 gold knob on a black body with silver pinstriping and 2 silver knobs, and a brass nut. Kinda junky, but the mixture of colors kinda stuck with me.

As far as the ferrules go, they're supposed to be black, and the neck is going to be my white ibanez's neck. My photoshop skills kinda suck, and again, there was lack of sleep involved :D. I should definately do a more accurate representation of the two final products... after these messages from our sponsors.

Edited by Narcissism
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