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Pickguard help for an ugly Precision Bass
- Thread starter Travis Swearengen
- Start date
- Jul 7, 2010
- 3,383
- 2,311
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist for: Duncan Pickups; Line6, Hipshot, GHS Strings, Somnium Guitars
If you want to play it safe, get a white pickguard. It's a standard color, and will match any color scheme your band comes out with, if you care about that. Or, go with a black one. I have seen red quite a bit, and I think it can look cool as well. Any of those options.
Leave it as is! I think that's a beautiful bass but that's just my opinion. About the only thing I'd do is take that neck off, sell it and replace it with a maple fingerboard one. 
One other idea is to replace the hardware with gold to match the pickguard.
One other idea is to replace the hardware with gold to match the pickguard.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Forget the new pickguard. What you want is a gold competition stripe.
You have many options, and to be honest you can find PG's pretty cheap on ebay (for example). I suggest you get the bass if you like the sound and the blue. Then order a PG you think you'll like best. Worst-case you're out $5-$40 and you get a different one - peanuts compared to the price of a good bass plus the time required to find it!
IMO you can't go wrong with (in no order) white pearloid, black/white/black 3-ply (gloss or matte), black pearloid, black abalone, mint green, or parchment. It's so subjective that you'll have to decide for yourself.
Here's mine in black pearl, but note my Lake Placid blue is much lighter so I suspect it would be too dark on yours. The mint green it came with looks way WAY better than I bargained for but I'd already ordered this PG, and once it arrived and I tried it I was sold. I'm keeping the mint in case I ever want to switch it up or sell it stock.
IMO you can't go wrong with (in no order) white pearloid, black/white/black 3-ply (gloss or matte), black pearloid, black abalone, mint green, or parchment. It's so subjective that you'll have to decide for yourself.
Here's mine in black pearl, but note my Lake Placid blue is much lighter so I suspect it would be too dark on yours. The mint green it came with looks way WAY better than I bargained for but I'd already ordered this PG, and once it arrived and I tried it I was sold. I'm keeping the mint in case I ever want to switch it up or sell it stock.
WHAT? No black /gold? Thems fightin words fella
Both of my basses are black with anodized gold guards, P basses , one maple neck , one rosewood. Love that combo.
You have many options, and to be honest you can find PG's pretty cheap on ebay (for example). I suggest you get the bass if you like the sound and the blue. Then order a PG you think you'll like best. Worst-case you're out $5-$40 and you get a different one - peanuts compared to the price of a good bass plus the time required to find it!
IMO you can't go wrong with (in no order) white pearloid, black/white/black 3-ply (gloss or matte), black pearloid, black abalone, mint green, or parchment. It's so subjective that you'll have to decide for yourself.
Here's mine in black pearl, but note my Lake Placid blue is much lighter so I suspect it would be too dark on yours. The mint green it came with looks way WAY better than I bargained for but I'd already ordered this PG, and once it arrived and I tried it I was sold. I'm keeping the mint in case I ever want to switch it up or sell it stock.
Do you have any photos of that beauty with the mint green pg on it?
WHAT? No black /gold? Thems fightin words fella
I could work with black. This sucker is a metallic blue bass! hahaha
That is strange...I actually don'e even see that Olympic White is still available, based on the Fender site:
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I'll put it on (without screwing it in) and take one tonight for you. It's a verrrrry subtle green - so light people mistake it for white at first. I shuddered at the thought but in person I was very impressed - just looked like aged white in a way, which looked really classy somehow. That said maybe it only worked because of the lighter Lake Placid blue - not sure how it would fare with your darker metallic blue (but probably pretty sweet).
If they had a vintage white blonde with a maple neck and a gold pickguard , I would be thrilled. My first guitar was my grand dad's 1957-58 Fender Music Master and it had the same color scheme. To be honest, that would be my dream bass.
I actually read the whole thread, and one thing no one has commented on - that's not a garden-variety MIM P bass, it's a Special, which means there's an extra knob and your average aftermarket ebay P bass pickguard won't fit. I'm not sure it would even fit if you drilled a hole for the knob, it may still not line up right. The OP will need to order a custom one or else modify the one he has somehow. Depending on how much money he wants to throw at this, I'd suggest the latter - maybe paint it, or cover it with a sticker or decal, or decoupage a layer of fabric or lace or something onto it.
