Different Pickguard Changes Tone

[Jughead6]

If it happens when the bass is unplugged then I will suggest that the two different pickguard materials have different natural frequencies of vibration (particularly the portion of the pickguard covering the pickup and electronics cavities). One pickguard's natural frequency of vibration is more easily excited than the other.

You've got yourself a semi-acoustic Precision bass!

 

[A-Step-Towards]

Kept looking for the punchline.

 

[ldryder]

I've always wondered why my Lakland was completely lacking in tone, and now I know that it's the lack of a pickguard.

Will black or white give me the best tone?

 

[blowinblue]

As a recovering audiophile and former subscriber to Stereophile and Absolute Sound magazines I find this thread refreshing...and liberating. This reminds me of the equipment reviewer who claimed his system sounded better when he removed his glasses from his face. I tried that experiment but could tell no difference. Maybe I just hadn't spent enough money on my audio system...or my glasses.

Maybe there is a discernible difference between the two pickguards in question but I confess to probably not being able to tell them apart.

M. M.

 

[stacker]

there, there.

Where, where??

 

[SamanthaCay]

I was totally serious about my prior reply btw.
A few of you mentioned conductance and however I'd wager that is part of it, I think it's just that, part, not the whole story.
Also someone mentioned the non electrical side of the coin and perhaps this has something to do with it however what initially came to my mind was purely electronic in nature.

 

[Jughead6]

I was totally serious about my prior reply btw.
A few of you mentioned conductance and however I'd wager that is part of it, I think it's just that, part, not the whole story.
Also someone mentioned the non electrical side of the coin and perhaps this has something to do with it however what initially came to my mind was purely electronic in nature.

Surely you can tell the TB audience this super duper trade secret..? We promise not to tell anyone else!

Whether it is an electrical effect due to the conductivity of aluminium or a mechanical effect due to natural frequency of vibration (or even a combination of these things), I think we need to convince the OP to post some sound samples so we can judge for ourselves.

 

[lowphatbass]

What about the folks who prefer nitro to poly because the nitro is more "open" sounding and doesn't choke the wood like poly. A P-bass pickguard covers a pretty large surface area. Assuming this theory is true it's possible that the difference between the two materials could be audible.

 

[MojoPenguin]

I swap all the knobs on my Basses for Brass ones, as they sustain much longer...

Also metal has different shielding properties...

 

[SteveCS]

To change the pick-guard on a P-bass requires the whole thing to be restrung and the pickup/wiring harness to be removed and replaced. In all likelihood the pickup height or alignment has changed or the metal guard has resulted in better shielding or grounding. Sometimes just changing the 'lie' of the strings over the saddle can seem to make a difference, and if the OP did a complete setup at the same time or if this change was combined with new strings, well therein lies the answer, I suspect...
Otherwise, all things being equal it should make no difference and I call shenanigans...

EDIT: Since posting this I have changed my view and think the OP is onto something...

 

[Kustom_Thunder]

Sprinkles are for winners

 

[peterkidd]

There seems to be a general agreement that the resonance of a body could Possibly have some effect on tone.
We could also agree that those metal pickguards are generally more rigid than a plastic one.
Drummers often tape their heads to achieve a particular sound.
Theoretically, could a metal pickguard , screwed flat to the body, have a subtle damping effect on the resonance?

 

[Gorn]

I believe that the OP believes that he heard a difference. People have been seeing and hearing things that aren't there for eons.

 

[Yahboy]

I got vintage mint green pickguard with my p bass, so....what sound I have actually?

 

[mongo2]

Did you make sure the anodized pickguard was grounded by scraping off some of the anodizing on the back of the pickguard so the pot casings and output jack ground can make good electrical contact with the pickguard?

 

[Bassgrowl95]

Minty fresh

 

[Ewo]

To change the pick-guard on a P-bass requires the whole thing to be restrung and the pickup/wiring harness to be removed and replaced. In all likelihood the pickup height or alignment has changed...

Actually, I'd guess this is what happened. String to pickup distance really can have a dramatic effect on tone.

The anodized guard is considerably thinner than the three-layer tort guard. If the pickup was installed so the cover stood proud of the guard the same amount in both cases, the string to pup distance would be closer with the tort guard.

As for the perception that the bass sounded better unplugged with the tort rather than anodized, I'm gonna go with the expectancy effect (induced by the inferior tone, plugged in, with the anodized guard).

 

[Funkmabassup]

How does no pickguard affect the sound compared too pickguard. If I have a white bass with a white pickguard, will it sound the same as a white bass with no pickguard? since they both are completely white? I already think my bass sounds pretty white even tough the pickguard is dark.

 

[Funkmabassup]

If you want the instrument too be more resonant and responsive I still think adding a neckbinding will do more for the sound than changing pickguard

 

[Joe Nerve]

This may have been said already, didn't read all the responses.

People made fun of Fieldy when he talked about caring most about his sneakers, but it's true that the shoes you wear make a BIG difference in your sound. That's part of why KISS originally started wearing those huge platform shoes. They were the first to realize the difference in sound that footwear could make. Guitars and basses both resonate a lot more through a thicker heal. Though hard to find these days, wooden heels are the best. I mean, it's a no brainer when you think about it. Most people just don't think about it. Feildy chose a specific brand of sneakers (don't remember which ones), NOT for any type of endorsement thing, but because they gave him some kind of connection with the stage that he wasn't getting from the (believe it or not) Doc Martins he previously wore. Interesting stuff if you research it a bit.