I don't mean to be rude

[eddybuzzard]

I agree that the best pickguard is no pickguard. Unfortunately, it's often needed to cover up all that ugly routing done at the factory.
I don't mind a front control plate though, and it makes wiring up the bass a lot easier, especially when you get a little carried away. And yes, I know that Jaco only needed 1 pickup.
View attachment 5395936

That's pretty cool
(Honestly, JBs do absolutely nothing for me)
Scalloping is like the arch-enemy of fretless

 

[bootstrap]

Just for kicks, anybody got a pic of a rear cavity cover in torte?

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

Every clear pick guard I see reminds me of this nonsense. No thanks.

Also, avoid coughing with a mouth-full of coffee beans.

 

[DWBass]

I like it. I'm so NOT a Tort guy.

 

[KenD]

To each their own. I mean, I find the P Bass fetish to be hilarious but that's just me.

 

[DDawg]

Just for kicks, anybody got a pic of a rear cavity cover in torte?

Here's one.

 

[Andy Marshman]

My Fender Sting bass was made that way - large white PG over tobacco burst. I didn't care for it. At first, I swapped it out with a mint green one then went to black (not ever seen on the 50s P basses from the factory). I've had that one off and on (meaning zero PG) but finally I settled for keeping the black one on.

 

[logdrum]

Based on the username - I think we are not supposed to argue with the OP.

 

[Grinderman]

Black or anodized gold would look awsome.

 

[Snarf]

My sunburst MIM p bass from 2001 came with a white pickguard. Switched it to black a few years after that.

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

Agreed. Part of the attraction with this particular model is the stacked configuration.

However, the stock pots on these basses are unfortunately very poor quality so new pots aren't necessarily a bad thing here. Finding good quality, solid shaft, stacked 250k/250k log pots isn't easy. I gave up and ended up installing 250k/500k pots in mine, with 500k for the tone controls. But the stock pots had to go, total junk. Even if they had been decent quality, what MORON at Fender decided to use split shaft pots with set screw knobs??? The stacked knobs wobbled like crazy because of this and got stuck into each other, making them essentially useless. Amateur night at Fender HQ.

Apart from the pots these are really nice basses for the money (they're generally quite heavy though!). The pickups are perhaps slightly underwhelming but J-bass pickups can be easily upgraded, if needed.

I'm actually quite content with how the pots function (on mine, at least) but, yeah, the set screw/split shaft thing is maddening, and it's not confined to Squier. I will wedge a shim in the split shaft slot if I need to.

BBB

 

[DDawg]

I can't remember what I was on when I built this one, but at least there's no pickguard, and I think the rear cavity covers are even classier than the tort.

 

[MattZilla]

I agree that the best pickguard is no pickguard. Unfortunately, it's often needed to cover up all that ugly routing done at the factory.
I don't mind a front control plate though, and it makes wiring up the bass a lot easier, especially when you get a little carried away. And yes, I know that Jaco only needed 1 pickup.
View attachment 5395936

is there a full post already in another thread on this baddie?

 

[MattZilla]

I can't remember what I was on when I built this one, but at least there's no pickguard, and I think the rear cavity covers are even classier than the tort.
View attachment 5396029View attachment 5396031

I really really like that upper horn design.

 

[Ghastly]

View attachment 5396018

Exactly.

 

[DDawg]

is there a full post already in another thread on this baddie?

I believe I posted a picture of it a while back in a thread on basses with 3 or more pickups, or it may have been one about basses with scalloped necks, which isn't very popular around here.

 

[DDawg]

I really really like that upper horn design.

May not be pretty, but it's functional. I think it sort of matches the concept (or lack thereof) of the bass - sort of resembles a rocket ship, or maybe a paddle, or a shovel? It's just plain weird, kind of like some of the old Italian basses from the 60's. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. Everything but the pickups/pots/knobs is homemade.

 

[MattZilla]

May not be pretty,

I honestly like it a lot compared to not having it on basses that need an extension or Ric5’s plain single rod design.

It looks like it’d be great on a TBird, whether with black Dunlop locks in lieu of light-grabbing bare metal, or with the whole unit bare & plated to match the bridge & tuners.

I’d like to make a slightly smaller one for my Fallout, which I think could also look good matched to the other hardware.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

But why? Why a white pickguard on the sunburst some mods just don't work. View attachment 5395675

It looks odd with this pick guard shape. The white is distracting for my personal taste. But there are cases where white and sunburst do work together.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

You'd love my Amythyst Sparkle Stingray with the white guard and gold hardware. Jeez, I can barely stomach the thing...

I certainly would and do!!!