Solid Brass Pickguard... Has anyone seen where they are sold?

Bassman Ski · #1 06-10-2010, 12:44 AM

Someone please help me end the 16 year search!! About 22 years ago, I bought this 76 P Bass off a buddy of mine. It has a solid brass pickguard (yes, it is about as heavy as a boat anchor!) But since then, I bought a 94 P Bass... Same as this one but it is lighter and has a rosewood neck. I have one of those anodized gold pickguards but I want to get another solid brass pickguard. Does anyone know where to find one?

Here are some pics... yeah I know... finger smudges! SORRY!!

Bassman Ski · #2 06-10-2010, 12:45 AM

WOAH!!! that bass is REALLY smudged.... Cleaning it now!!!

Oh and I asked my buddy where he got the brass plate and he bought it that way.

Bassman Ski · #3 06-10-2010, 12:55 AM

There... cleaner

Fetusyolk · #4 06-10-2010, 01:33 AM

wow awesome i'm of no help but how much does that thing weigh on it's own!? and what kind of bridge is that?

Bassman Ski · #5 06-10-2010, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fetusyolk

wow awesome i'm of no help but how much does that thing weigh on it's own!? and what kind of bridge is that?

Holy moly! I just weighed it... Can it be 10 lbs, 12 oz? Dang! As far as the bridge is concerned, I THINK it is an old badass... I saw my buddy play this thing on stage back in 1984... and it had the bridge on it back then. I'll check.

Bassman Ski · #6 06-10-2010, 02:03 AM

OK it looks like "DarkHorse" here sold one just like it and from his description, it is something out of the 70's

Here was his ad: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...26tbs%3Disch:1

Fetusyolk · #7 06-10-2010, 02:20 AM

awesome, and that weight is ridiculous, some people wouldn't even play a bass that heavy, let alone just a pickguard!

Bassman Ski · #8 06-10-2010, 02:36 AM

LOL!!! I thought you meant the bass... I dont know what the weight of the pickguard is... pays for me to read a tad bit c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y

Fetusyolk · #9 06-10-2010, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassman Ski

LOL!!! I thought you meant the bass... I dont know what the weight of the pickguard is... pays for me to read a tad bit c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y

lol! thank heavens

**TheMutt** · #10 06-10-2010, 06:18 AM

I have to admit that looks pretty sweet. Hit it with some brasso and it'll look really awesome again.

I'm afraid that I can't be of any help personally, but I would ask if there are any custom pickguard makers who deal with aluminum if they could make a brass pickguard. Might cost quite a bit however.

testing1two · #11 06-10-2010, 01:26 PM

Here's a guy that does custom pickguards, although brass isn't listed on his site as a standard material:

http://terrapinguitars.com/

Be advised, solid brass is expensive now. Last year I CNC cut a brass pickguard for a Burns guitar (much smaller than a P-Bass) and the brass plate was $48 IIRC and I had to have one side polished after cutting.

R. Laevinus · #12 06-10-2010, 04:01 PM

...brass is a fairly soft metal, I'm sure that with a jigsaw, a file, and a buffer, you could make your own in an evening. Just trace the old one (or any pickguard) onto a sheet of brass stock, jigsaw it to shape, round over the edges with a file, and buff to a shine.

Of course, for that glossy finish, you'd need to lacquer it - but you can get lacquer in spray cans these days.

Bassman Ski · #13 06-11-2010, 01:06 AM

R. Laevinus, Yes, I had to lacquer it (had it done actually)... when I got it, it was all beat to hell, lots of dark patches due to loss of lacquer... looked great, now again it is scratched up. GOOD!

55pbass · #14 06-30-2010, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassman Ski

Holy moly! I just weighed it... Can it be 10 lbs, 12 oz? Dang! As far as the bridge is concerned, I THINK it is an old badass... I saw my buddy play this thing on stage back in 1984... and it had the bridge on it back then. I'll check.

That bridge looks like an old brass DiMarzio bridge. I have one sitting in a drawer somewhere. I wonder if the pickguard and knobs are DiMarzio too. I know years ago DiMarzio made all kinds of brass aftermarket parts.

PJSShearer · #15 07-02-2010, 05:00 AM

I have the same bridge on my Precision in (now peeling) Gold plate. I Bought it in the early '80s in a store in California (Guitar Village, San Jose?) and couldn't for the life of me remember who made it.

What I do know is that once I replaced a Badass II with it, my bandmates complemented me on how good my bass sounded AND once I set the intonation/string height on it, it doesn't move!.

It's defintiely the same as the one DarkHorse sold in this thread:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...26tbs%3Disch:1

... and his Gold Plating stayed on worse than mine!!.

**StrangerDanger** · #16 12-03-2011, 01:31 PM

I was wondering if the OP (or anyone else) found one of these anywhere. I would love a brass PG.

**StrangerDanger** · #17 12-05-2011, 07:17 PM

**StrangerDanger** · #18 12-10-2011, 06:25 PM

Found something pretty close on ebay if anybody else is looking:
Gold plated Aluminum P bass style pickguard and Bridge cover Clearance Sale | eBay

TomB · #19 12-10-2011, 08:47 PM

I was on a quest for this once. It's difficult to find. It may be unfair for me to guess based on a photo, but that "aluminum" one sure looks a lot like a black plastic-gold coated one that I bought mail order along the way. I'd be cautious about that one. At the time I also went into a high-endish brass fabricator locally to see what they might charge to make one. They said $450... I fled in a hurry. I finally found an actual anodized aluminum one which I believe is what Fender used in the '50's. I no longer own the bass but it still looks good last I saw it.

**StrangerDanger** · #20 12-10-2011, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB

I was on a quest for this once. It's difficult to find. It may be unfair for me to guess based on a photo, but that "aluminum" one sure looks a lot like a black plastic-gold coated one that I bought mail order along the way. I'd be cautious about that one. At the time I also went into a high-endish brass fabricator locally to see what they might charge to make one. They said $450... I fled in a hurry. I finally found an actual anodized aluminum one which I believe is what Fender used in the '50's. I no longer own the bass but it still looks good last I saw it.

I could get one made for $225 but this looked like a less expensive alternative. If it doesnt work, Ive only lost $40. And I could always go the more expensive route.
Anodized is fairly easy to get but Im looking for a different look.