Members bluedevil0204 Posted December 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 31, 2008 Interesting thought. Ok, so... if you've GOT an old pickguard, you just line it up for the new holes you need to drill, but what if you don't? Like, buying a body off of eBay? Interesting challenge. I can see an elaborate jig for a drill press working, clamp the entire body in place so that the bit lines up with the hole, then put the pickguard in place, the bit will touch the right spot, but that's a LOT of work. Maybe make up a cardbord template, lay it over the body, puncture though the cardboard at the holes, and use that? Hmmm... The cardboard template I believe would work fine. I believe, unless I was assured by the mfg that the holes would line up, that I would just buy a no holes pickguard and then do me a template. thats sounds like the most sound idea so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluedevil0204 Posted December 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 31, 2008 I'll probably have to drill a few holes in a new Fiesta Red body as it was drilled for an 8 hole single ply pickguard. Since I want to make a '60s Partscaster with that body I'm going to have to drill some holes to get an 11 hole 3 ply pickguard onto it. They tend to lay flatter anyway. Exactly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluedevil0204 Posted December 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 31, 2008 i think its a good thing that this crappy thread is on the tail end of '08 and not the beginning of '09. i have big hopes and dreams for '09. Your post isnt sarcastic as you stated a couple of post ago. Its just down right common. If you didnt like this thread then you should have hit the back button as soon as you decided you wanted to make a ill natured post like that.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluedevil0204 Posted December 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 31, 2008 I've had good results replacing Fender Am. Std. strat pickguards with Fender brand guards made for Am. Std. guitars. I've done this 4 or 5 times and never had to drill new holes. Whenever I've used aftermarket guards, I've had to drill some new holes. If you buy a Fender PG for an Am. Std. you'll probably be fine, but you will pay more... 10-4 thanks for the sound advice. I will defiantly be going with a Fender brand PG for this one. thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PanaDP Posted December 31, 2008 Members Share Posted December 31, 2008 About transferring holes from the body to an undrilled pickguard, this is how I do it. You take the pickguard off and lay a sheet of tracing paper over the body and tape it in place. Then you go and rub over each screw hole with a pencil. make sure you get them all. Then you lay the pickguard over the tracing paper and put it around the bridge and everything. Make sure it goes exactly where you want it to go on the body. Then trace around the pickguard onto the paper. Take everything off and you have a nice template of pickguard shape with screwholes. You didn't even have to to anything destructive to get it, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluedevil0204 Posted December 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 31, 2008 About transferring holes from the body to an undrilled pickguard, this is how I do it. You take the pickguard off and lay a sheet of tracing paper over the body and tape it in place. Then you go and rub over each screw hole with a pencil. make sure you get them all. Then you lay the pickguard over the tracing paper and put it around the bridge and everything. Make sure it goes exactly where you want it to go on the body. Then trace around the pickguard onto the paper. Take everything off and you have a nice template of pickguard shape with screwholes. You didn't even have to to anything destructive to get it, either. Great tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HanSolo Posted December 31, 2008 Members Share Posted December 31, 2008 I'm sorry, but the idea of drilling a 12th hole in an 11 hole pickguard to avoid making another pinhole in the body (concealed under the pickguard) is just plain silly to me. I mean come on, when is the last time you sold a guitar and the buyer pulled off the pickguard, counted holes and said "uh-oh, deal's off!"? The idea of creating a tracing and transfering it to an undrilled pickguard is probably great on a $10,000 museum piece guitar, but why would you be modding such a guitar in the first place? Secondly, without a drill press, a depth stop, a clamp to hold the pickguard down and the right bits to chamfer the holes, you're not going to get a good job. I love guitars and I love modding them also. Standard equipment for a pickguard swap on a Strat (for me) is a drill to drill new holes in the right spot, a box of tooth picks and wood glue to plug the holes that aren't in the right spot. It's just a fact of life. Of the pickguards I have tried (Fender USA, Fender Mexico, GFS, Squier, AXL, Musician's Friend, MightyMite, S-101 and Eden), only Fender USA and GFS lined up on a Fender USA guitar and about half the holes lined up with the others. Fender USA and Fender MIM same thing, a couple of hits and mostly misses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members adlo76 Posted December 31, 2008 Members Share Posted December 31, 2008 Your post isnt sarcastic as you stated a couple of post ago. Its just down right common. If you didnt like this thread then you should have hit the back button as soon as you decided you wanted to make a ill natured post like that.... phew! thanks for sorting that out!! i wasn't sure about my intentions or my apparent lack of sarcasm when i posted. if i didn't have you to tell me my intentions i don't know what i would have done. you're so wonderful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MatteusNova Posted December 31, 2008 Members Share Posted December 31, 2008 Not too clear on this.. are you just countersinking (45-degree bevel), or actually boring a shallow straight-walled hole to recess the head screws? I don't think I've seen that done on a Strat. The way I did it was as you say, countersinking, 45-degree would be pretty much it. What I did was to measure the pickguard screws thoroughly. The different ones I had did even differ say 0.2mm in width, so I found one type that was close to the original, or what I thought suited the whole thing best.I guess it differs a lot between the ones made or sold in US and made in Asia/Japan, that I found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluedevil0204 Posted January 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 phew! thanks for sorting that out!! i wasn't sure about my intentions or my apparent lack of sarcasm when i posted. if i didn't have you to tell me my intentions i don't know what i would have done. you're so wonderful! No problem dude! I knew when I saw your thread that you were the type that needed help sorting your own things out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nighthawk15 Posted January 1, 2009 Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 I got a GFS pickguard for my strat and I believe it was 3 of the holes just barely didn't line up. All I had to do was get a skinny kinda cone shaped round file out of the tool box and run the holes out a little bigger. The screw heads covered up the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted January 1, 2009 Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 Easiest way to make a template is use clear plastic. Then you can get the holes lined up one by one. You can see thru the {censored}! Once you add 2 screws, your template will stay in place to pick up the other holes. I've done aircraft sheetmetal work for too many years & this is how we replace skins. If this IS a valuable guitar AND you have the old pickguard you can google pickguards for someone to make a new one off your old one. If it's a POS, then why worry about Xtra holes that will be covered up by the new guard? One word comes to mind... ANAL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluedevil0204 Posted January 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 I got a GFS pickguard for my strat and I believe it was 3 of the holes just barely didn't line up. All I had to do was get a skinny kinda cone shaped round file out of the tool box and run the holes out a little bigger. The screw heads covered up the difference. Cool. Im glad it worked out for you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluedevil0204 Posted January 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 Easiest way to make a template is use clear plastic. Then you can get the holes lined up one by one. You can see thru the {censored}! Once you add 2 screws, your template will stay in place to pick up the other holes. I've done aircraft sheetmetal work for too many years & this is how we replace skins. If this IS a valuable guitar AND you have the old pickguard you can google pickguards for someone to make a new one off your old one. If it's a POS, then why worry about Xtra holes that will be covered up by the new guard? One word comes to mind... ANAL! Exactly if it is a POS who cares? I guess all the nay sayers that came in here with a smart ass remark didnt understand I was talking about more expensive guitars.... O well their inbreeds any way.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PanaDP Posted January 1, 2009 Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 Secondly, without a drill press, a depth stop, a clamp to hold the pickguard down and the right bits to chamfer the holes, you're not going to get a good job. Not at all true. I drill pickguards with a hand drill and countersink for the screws with a hand countersink and a bit of sandpaper to deburr the edges. It takes about 10 minutes beginning to end. Personally, I'd prefer to get an undrilled pickguard and to the job right instead of create one more of those guitars where there are a dozen half-assed modifications hidden by the cosmetic hardware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted January 1, 2009 Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 Sorry for the wise-ass remark. With an expensive guitar, by all means get the holes right. I've made pickguards before. But with an expensive one I'd be tempted to have one made to fit. Kinda like not going to a proctologist when your heart is giving you fits. I shoulda been a proctologist. There's money up the ass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PanaDP Posted January 1, 2009 Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 Sorry for the wise-ass remark. With an expensive guitar, by all means get the holes right. I've made pickguards before. But with an expensive one I'd be tempted to have one made to fit. Kinda like not going to a proctologist when your heart is giving you fits. I shoulda been a proctologist. There's money up the ass! I couldn't take all the "funny" remarks people would use to try and break the ice and make themselves feel more comfortable before you shove your finger up their ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted January 1, 2009 Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 O well their inbreeds any way.... I hope your pickguard situation works out, but this line is classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted January 1, 2009 Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 Gynecology is worse. come home "bushed" every nite! Sorry, my mother is retired RN & knows 'em all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluedevil0204 Posted January 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 Sorry for the wise-ass remark. With an expensive guitar, by all means get the holes right. I've made pickguards before. But with an expensive one I'd be tempted to have one made to fit. Kinda like not going to a proctologist when your heart is giving you fits. I shoulda been a proctologist. There's money up the ass! I totally agree with you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluedevil0204 Posted January 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 I hope your pickguard situation works out, but this line is classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted January 1, 2009 Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 WD has an option where you can buy their pickguards without any mounting holes. This.. but myself I just put a new hole in the body on the few holes that don't line up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted January 1, 2009 Members Share Posted January 1, 2009 To try to be constructive, I'm pretty sure there are a couple places where you can send in your pickguard and they will make you an exact replica out of your choice of material. That way your neck pocket will be a perfect match and the holes will line up perfectly. I'd still just drill the new holes. Aside from a few anally retentive members here, very few people would consider a 1 or 2 extra holes to be a 'hack job' when pondering a used guitar purchase. There's a 99.9% chance the future buyer won't know and won't care. If I went to buy a $1,000 used strat and the guy said, 'oh, by the way, I had a mint green guard on it for a while and I had to drill a new hole because one didn't line up' there is ZERO chance that would break the deal. Maybe I missed it, but what kind of guitar are we talking about? I'm kinda curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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