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Dark, Dark, Dark black pearloid pickguard for Fender Jazz Bass

Discussion in 'Hardware, Setup & Repair [BG]' started by 707GK, Jun 18, 2019.

  1. Jun 18, 2019 #1
    707GK

    707GK

    Jun 13, 2013
    California
    Hello fellow TBer's,
    Just to start, I am not a fan of the relic look and prefer my basses to look nice and new. Obviously they will get dings, scratches and whatnot over time and I'm not worried about that, but I want them to look as good as possible. I just got a 2017 Fender Professional Jazz and I am absolutely loving it. However, somehow the pickguard was very, very scratched up. I don't understand how this happens, I play with a pick and I never touch the pickguard, even when I'm digging in and/or real tired and playing sloppily. My other bass has a more-or-less pristine pickguard after 6 years of gigging. Anyways, I got a replacement pickguard for it, official on the Fender website. They were running a deal on "black sparkle" on Memorial Day weekend for only $15 which was a good price, but it really isn't a deep black color; It has a greenish hue to it.

    I would like a black pearloid that isn't more grey than black, as it seems most are. I am doing a kinda "opposite" theme with this bass compared to my other one:

    My jazz is:
    - Passive
    - Alnico single coil pickups
    - Black pickguard
    - Maple fretboard

    Compared to my EBMM Sterling which is:
    - Active
    - Ceramic humbuckers
    - White pearloid pickguard
    - Rosewood fretboard

    I've looked through some threads here and found a few websites (WD Pickguards, Pickguardian, Greasy Groove, Warmoth, etc.) but all the black pearloids seem to be more grey than black. Have any of you out there had any success with a really dark black pearloid pickguard? Or is the standard Fender black going to be my best bet?

    Thanks in advance!
     
    484fenderbender likes this.
  2. Jun 18, 2019 #2
    Slater

    Slater Leave that thing alone.

    Apr 17, 2000
    The Great Lakes State
    Probably a slapper rubbing their fingernails against the pickguard.
     
  3. Jun 23, 2019 #3
    bbh

    bbh Supporting Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    I think standard blk will show scratches and swirling much more than pearl oil.
    It doesn’t bother me on mine but I never concentrate on it.
     
  4. Jun 23, 2019 #4
    guts

    guts

    Aug 13, 2018
    I don't see any black perloid that isn't mostly grey.

    It seems to be a problem inherent to the nature of the material.

    In order to make it perloid you have to create a swirled mixture of two different pigments, one black and one that is lighter and has mica flakes in it.

    No matter how dark you make the mica filled contrasting color in the swirls, it has to be lighter than the darker black area. Otherwise it wouldn't look perloid. So it's always going to make the pickguard mostly some shade of grey.

    That said I do tend to see two different approaches. There are some that use a white pigment in the mica filled plastic swirls, and some that use a grey pigment in the swirls. The ones that have the grey pigment look darker, but they still don't look black.
     
    707GK likes this.
  5. Apr 1, 2020 #5
    484fenderbender

    484fenderbender

    Feb 24, 2019
    Philly
    dark black pearloid jazz bass pickguard.jpg
    Found this on Flea Bay.....
    NEW - Pickguard For Fender Mexico Jazz Bass, 3-Ply DARK BLACK PEARLOID