Pickguard/Body Shape Aesthetics

[ac100X]

I've long thought designers at Framus had a really good hand for body and pickguard curves. They have a, I dunno, a certain flow:

And I though Dan Armstrong was the first one to have a sliding pick up, that Framus has a sliding pick up.

 

[HaphAsSard]

And I though Dan Armstrong was the first one to have a sliding pick up, that Framus has a sliding pick up.

1962, so, give or take 10 years earlier than Dan Armstrong.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I was thinking the thumb has to rest somewhere.

While using a pick?
it's holding the pick.
Without the pick,.floating thumb.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I like most offset bodies but I don't always like playing them. I love the T-Bird shape, but it's horribly awkward for me to play. A standard scale Jazz or Jag is just too big for me to be 100% comfortable playing them standing up. Doesn't stop me from owning them, though.

The Mustang/Musicmaster shape gets two thumbs up for looks and comfort. The control plate and pickguard on a Mustang looks great.

Also, another vote for the T-40 pickguard here. It's very purposeful, almost logical, even though the face of that bass is crowded with the huge bridge and all those knobs and switches.

I love my Musicmasters and Mustang. But I was thinking about this thread and just how much I didn't like the chrome control plate. Since it doesn't match the guard, to me, it just looked like an afterthought. And I'm pretty OCD about things and the fingerprints and smudges on the chrome were very annoying.

Thanks to my TB friend @covermego I now have a control plate that matches my guard on my Mustang parts bass. Love it. Also I like a white guard, not mint, and no black center ply. This is a great player.

 

[ghostdog93]

I love my Musicmasters and Mustang. But I was thinking about this thread and just how much I didn't like the chrome control plate.
Since it doesn't match the guard, to me, it just looked like an afterthought. And I'm pretty OCD about things and the fingerprints and smudges on the chrome were very annoying.

I understand that. I do like the Musicmaster style one piece guard, too. My preference is for the separate control plate, but honestly, I'd be just as happy with either. Both look good, imho.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I understand that. I do like the Musicmaster style one piece guard, too. My preference is for the separate control plate, but honestly, I'd be just as happy with either. Both look good, imho.

We contemplated having this done as all one piece, like a Musicmaster. But since he is in CA and I'm in WI there was some question about fit, there's almost always some gap between the control plate and guard on Mustang basses. I just had to do a little filing to make these line up well.

It's a small thing I know, just something that I found annoying.

 

[covermego]

We contemplated having this done as all one piece, like a Musicmaster. But since he is in CA and I'm in WI there was some question about fit, there's almost always some gap between the control plate and guard on Mustang basses. I just had to do a little filing to make these line up well.

"It's a small thing I know, just something that I found annoying."

If they only knew, Chris........................if they only knew..................... Lol, glad you still like it !!!

 

[WI Short Scaler]

If they only knew, Chris........................if they only knew..................... Lol, glad you still like it !!!

Well I certainly don't want to share my very long list.

Yep, I still like it alot. That bass and the Tele will go to the gig next Friday.

 

[Not_Shane]

The Warwick Fortress is my favorite body shape i've found. Not only is it extremely balanced with no dive, it feels comfortable standing or sitting and i think looks killer.
View attachment 7272030

in regards to learning today that this thread is about body AND pickguard relations: I change my submission to the Fortress Flashback from Warwick! haha!

 

[Malak the Mad]

Discuss...

What are some of your favorite body and/or pickguard shapes?

I'm an "offset Jazz-shape" guy. No slam on other shapes, it's just my preference, visually and ergonomically. As for me and "pickguards", the inclusion or lack thereof a Jazz's guard and control plate depends on the finish. For example, I think a pickguard here would look unnecessarily tacked-on...

...but, for whatever reason, I feel like this design works better with their inclusion.

Big picture...those are just my thoughts and are objectively no better than anyone else's. (...even if I think I'm still right! )

 

[Bassinthemudd]

...those are just my thoughts and are objectively no better than anyone else's.

I'd say they are objectively better. Because the thoughts of yours that you are referring to are about what you like. And I'd say that you are the foremost expert on what you like!

 

[Malak the Mad]

I'd say they are objectively better. Because the thoughts of yours that you are referring to are about what you like. And I'd say that you are the foremost expert on what you like!

Objectively better for me, but I try hard not to inflict my beliefs on others.

(...even if others are wrong and my tastes are clearly more refined. )
[/sarcasm ]

In my capacities as a healthcare worker and as a human being, I've come to understand how different we all are, both in subtle nuances and broad strokes. If no one is getting hurt, then it's no big deal. It's just a matter of personal, subjective taste.

 

[definenredefine]

I'm an "offset Jazz-shape" guy. No slam on other shapes, it's just my preference, visually and ergonomically. As for me and "pickguards", the inclusion or lack thereof a Jazz's guard and control plate depends on the finish. For example, I think a pickguard here would look unnecessarily tacked-on...

...but, for whatever reason, I feel like this design works better with their inclusion.

Big picture...those are just my thoughts and are objectively no better than anyone else's. (...even if I think I'm still right! )

counterpoint -



The JDM Aerodynes also have arch tops, bound bodies AND pickguards/control plates, and they are gorgeous.

While we're on the topic of J basses and Aerodynes, does anyone else think the US market got shafted by Fender? The Japanese market Aerodynes are absolutely gorgeous, and (to me, anyway) the AJB Aerodynes are better looking than the newer ones. Also I think they're the only J bass Fender offered with P/J pickups that were available, at least until recently. And that's kind of a shame.

 

[Malak the Mad]

counterpoint -

View attachment 7273950

The JDM Aerodynes also have arch tops, bound bodies AND pickguards/control plates, and they are gorgeous.

No counterpoint required. In fact, I have one in exactly that same color which, in my opinion, only adds to my "works better with a guard and plate" notion. Sure, the wiring, pickups and bridge are different, but that doesn't really interfere with it's whole "visual groove".

While we're on the topic of J basses and Aerodynes, does anyone else think the US market got shafted by Fender? The Japanese market Aerodynes are absolutely gorgeous, and (to me, anyway) the AJB Aerodynes are better looking than the newer ones.

Having researched the hell out of the whole FMIC/Kanda-Shokai joint venture, I would only say we got screwed as far as a lot of cool stuff was made primarily for the Japanese market. However, this did not stop certain U.S. vendors from getting their mitts on some of that cool-as-all-get-out gear. I can't say for sure, what with "teh intarwebz"being a bit of an equalizer, but if that joint venture never happened, many of that cool gear might not have been so easily found and procured on this side of the pond, let alone even existing.

Either way, it's quite a fun source of research and debate!

Also I think they're the only J bass Fender offered with P/J pickups that were available, at least until recently. And that's kind of a shame.

Nah, they were a bit rare, but not unheard of. Off the top of my head, there were the MIA Fender Vintage Hot Rod Jazzes, the MIM Reggie Hamilton Jazz, the MIA Deluxe Precisions and the JP90's. And, if one wanted a P/P, there were the MIM Blacktop Jazzes.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Oh, I forgot to add this MIJ beastie to my "Jazz body + no pickguard" aesthetic choice;

And, the all-black finish and side-mounted output jack were the visual touches that really brought it all home, for me! Suffice it to say, it sounded as fantastic as it looked!

 

[definenredefine]

Having researched the hell out of the whole FMIC/Kanda-Shokai joint venture, I would only say we got screwed as far as a lot of cool stuff was made primarily for the Japanese market. However, this did not stop certain U.S. vendors from getting their mitts on some of that cool-as-all-get-out gear. I can't say for sure, what with "teh intarwebz"being a bit of an equalizer, but if that joint venture never happened, many of that cool gear might not have been so easily found and procured on this side of the pond, let alone even existing.

Either way, it's quite a fun source of research and debate!

That's a fair point. Just kinda bummed they weren't' available domestically.

Nah, they were a bit rare, but not unheard of. Off the top of my head, there were the MIA Fender Vintage Hot Rod Jazzes, the MIM Reggie Hamilton Jazz, the MIA Deluxe Precisions and the JP90's. And, if one wanted a P/P, there were the MIM Blacktop Jazzes.

I meant currently available. I'm aware of the JP90 and Blacktop, but didn't those leave the market some time ago? Whereas the new Aerodynes were released about a year or 2 ago?

 

[Malak the Mad]

Also I think they're the only J bass Fender offered with P/J pickups that were available, at least until recently. And that's kind of a shame.

I meant currently available. I'm aware of the JP90 and Blacktop, but didn't those leave the market some time ago? Whereas the new Aerodynes were released about a year or 2 ago?

Comedic ribbing aside, now I see what you mean. However, since I've been on this forum for ten years longer than you have (which still makes me a newbie compared to many others on TalkBass ), "context" is important, especially since we're talking about items that come and go or have limited windows of availability.

That's a fair point. Just kinda bummed they weren't' available domestically.

Understandable. There was so much cool stuff that came out of Fender-Japan from the '80s to about 2015. What burns me is the sad fact that a lot of markets are artificially created barriers delineated by empty suits sitting around boardroom tables. (Don't get me started on "DVD MPEG2 compression and region coding" from just before the turn of the century! We'll be here all day and this thread was not built for it! )

But, if one was savvy enough to know where to scour the internet for this-or-that, or had a contact in the music instruments industry who knew how to order units from around the World, those barriers were more porous than those empty suits would like to admit. So, it may have been tough, but it wasn't impossible for those who were driven to find what they want.

 

[definenredefine]

Comedic ribbing aside, now I see what you mean. However, since I've been on this forum for ten years longer than you have (which still makes me a newbie compared to many others on TalkBass ), "context" is important, especially since we're talking about items that come and go or have limited windows of availability.


Understandable. There was so much cool stuff that came out of Fender-Japan from the '80s to about 2015. What burns me is the sad fact that a lot of markets are artificially created barriers delineated by empty suits sitting around boardroom tables. (Don't get me started on "DVD MPEG2 compression and region coding" from just before the turn of the century! We'll be here all day and this thread was not built for it! )

But, if one was savvy enough to know where to scour the internet for this-or-that, or had a contact in the music instruments industry who knew how to order units from around the World, those barriers were more porous than those empty suits would like to admit. So, it may have been tough, but it wasn't impossible for those who were driven to find what they want.

That's fair. I will admit that, though I have been playing bass since I was 14 (I'm 43, just for reference), I didn't really explore much of bass landscape until the last 10ish years.