who has the most "authentic" looking tortoise pickguard for p bass?

bassingeorge · #1 12-30-2011, 09:46 PM

I'm looking to buy a tortoise shell pick guard for my Squier P bass...But I'm looking to buy a good looking tortoise...not like the economical ones that look bad.

Should I just get the 62 RI Fender pg? Or should I get one custom cut? I do want the holes for guard and thumbrest.

It's just that those authentic celluloid tort guards look soooo cool!

Thanks!

bstringrandy · #2 12-31-2011, 12:05 PM

Here's my MIM standard P-bass with what I believe to be a 62 reissue pickguard.

bassingeorge · #3 12-31-2011, 01:12 PM

Yeah that looks good!
The one thing I'm worried about is having something that'll look cheap...
I know that those celluloid pickguards were individual pieces, so no one will look exactly the same.

darkstorm · #4 12-31-2011, 05:20 PM

Get the one made from actual tortoise shell for most authentic looking one. Lol.

96tbird · #5 01-01-2012, 12:24 AM

Yeah, the endangered giant sea tortoise makes the best pg. Just don't get caught.

The devil made me say it.:P

96tbird · #6 01-01-2012, 12:27 AM

But yeah, real quality tort looks fantastic. Especially the stuff from the fifties and sixties.

bassingeorge · #7 01-01-2012, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 96tbird

But yeah, real quality tort looks fantastic. Especially the stuff from the fifties and sixties.

Yeah thats what I'm saying...every piece looks so unique...
Oh well a Fender RI 62 it is!

Happy 2012!!!

felixgun · #8 01-03-2012, 08:04 PM

I bought a tortoise pick guard for my Fender Jazz Bass off eBay and I think it looks good :/

Turnaround · #9 01-03-2012, 09:02 PM

FWIW, Sadowsky's tortoise guards look the best I have seen in a very long time. Roger won't tell me his source though.

One Drop · #10 01-05-2012, 06:04 AM

The closest I've seen to the '60s Fender P/Gs are from Tony at Pickguardian - pricey but gorgeous, deep and vibrant red tort, made from real nitro-cellulose. The white layer is more transparent than the originals, though. They most closely resemble the mid '60s tort, never seen anything close to the orangey pre-CBS 'guards.

Chandler sells very nice tort material, too, but not sure if they cut it as well, might only come in sheets (fnar, fnar...).

The Italian company that made the originals can still manufacture the same design and material, apparently, but their minimum order is so large, and the material quite costly, that no one has endeavoured to buy a batch to use for making replacement P/Gs.