Fitting pickguard

[boomba]

I have purchased a new Allparts pickguard for my Japanese P Bass. Out of the package it would not go over the neck area so I will need to do some filing. Do I try to fit the pickguard as tight as I can or do I leave a space between the pick guard and the neck? I am asking this because the neck and pickguard are of different material and react differently to temp and humidity.

[Al Heeley]

The pickguard is not a structural item, you will be fine butting up against the neck. If you're worried about differential rates of expansion/contraction i think you'll find it is pretty negligible where the end of the neck butts up against the pickguard and body. If the neck expands it won't force the body down it will push the headstock further away!