Fitting a pickguard on a Fender Precision

[bhass]

I'm buying this bass:


I don't like the white so I am buying a tort pickguard. However, how do you fit it?
I know how to fit them on the Jazz model, but on precision basses, the controls are ontop of the guard. How do you fit it?

Also, has anyone got a picture of a black precision with rosewood fretboard with a tort pickguard?

Thanks

[smfingers]

Should be pretty straight forward. There are either regular or hex screws that hold the volume/tone knobs on their posts. Remove the knobs first and you'll find a couple of flat nuts holding the pots onto the pickguard. Remove these gently so that you don't scratch your pickguard and then remove the screws holding the pickguard to the body and voila. Just reverse the process with your new pickguard. Be careful to line up the holes for the small screws when putting on your new pickguard so that you don't put them back in at an angle. Good luck!

[bhass]

Thanks, how do you take off the knobs though? I seriously don't have a clue!

[smfingers]

Just loosen the screws on the knobs and they should pull off easily. The screws are on the side of the knobs in a recessed hole. They are normally regular screws or hex. When you take off the knobs you'll see the flat nut holding the pots to the pickguard which will need to be removed too.

[bhass]

Ok Thanks!

One last question:
When fitting a pickup cover (I also want one), do the screws get drilled in, or just put in with a screwdriver? Is there any dangers of screwing into the electronics? All of my savings are going into this bass, I don't want to destroy it...