Pickguard is not touching the body completely

[ugie]

Hi everyone,

A new member here.

Due to covid lockdown and everything, I decided to engage in some kind of indoor hobby this winter, so I decided to buy a bass guitar, which I did.

I bought Fender Precision Bass (Player Series). My bass arrived last week and while inspecting it I noticed the pickguard is bended upwards at some parts and not touching the body. In case my English doesn't make sense, I attached a photo here.

Is this normal?

 

[Drummerboy2]

Hi everyone,

A new member here.

Due to covid lockdown and everything, I decided to engage in some kind of indoor hobby this winter, so I decided to buy a bass guitar, which I did.

I bought Fender Precision Bass (Player Series). My bass arrived last week and while inspecting it I noticed the pickguard is bended upwards at some parts and not touching the body. In case my English doesn't make sense, I attached a photo here.

Is this normal?

No, that is not normal.

 

[Fernando Costa]

Welcome!

No, it needs an adjustment, either around the neck, around the pickup or the screw holes are not correct and need to be adjusted. Slightly loosen the guard screws and see if it does seat correctly. If it fits correctly, place only the screws that correspond to the holes and then correct the position of the others. If it still doesn't fit, a more difficult adjustment will be necessary around neck or pickup.

 

[Black Out Jazz]

Do the screws on either side of the hump appear to be straight, or maybe they look angled slightly?

 

[Goatrope]

Slide a pick in there so you can reach it if need it.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Slide a pick in there so you can reach it if need it.

My lowly Squier came without this feature

 

[ugie]

Welcome!

No, it needs an adjustment, either around the neck, around the pickup or the screw holes are not correct and need to be adjusted. Slightly loosen the guard screws and see if it does seat correctly. If it fits correctly, place only the screws that correspond to the holes and then correct the position of the others. If it still doesn't fit, a more difficult adjustment will be necessary around neck or pickup.

So I actually took out all screws and try to see if pickguard could be fit correctly: no luck. The pickguard itself is bended even when all screws are taken off.
Either pickguard was mal-constructed and had that humpy-bumpy shape in the first place or it took that form later resting on that body incorrectly for a long time.

The fact that the pickguard sits much much better when I press on it against the body kinda suggests that it is the pickguard itself that has mal-formation all along (yet I am not sure).

And I have no idea how to adjust the neck along longitudinal direction for better pickguard alignment.

One more thing: Not that I think this matters but not all the screws holes on the body are co-centric with the holes on the pickguard (see the photo), yet the pickguard holes still cover all the corresponding holes on the body.

 

[ugie]

Do the screws on either side of the hump appear to be straight, or maybe they look angled slightly?

I think they are straight enough.

 

[ugie]

Slide a pick in there so you can reach it if need it.

Duly noted

 

[FenderOli]

The pickup has a strange angle too.

 

[Black Out Jazz]

So I take any bass I buy to a professional luthier for initial setup. That's also a good way to have someone identify any flaws or defects. The guys and gals on the assembly line are not pro luthiers.

 

[fretno]

It’s warped. This is common on older instruments but should not be like this on a new one. I would try one more go. As Fernando said. But this time take it all the way off. Set it flat and massage it out. This stuff will get more flexible if you warm it up. It bends and stretches so warm it up by rubbing your palm into it. Then reinstall. Screw those 2 in first by the bent area. If you cannot get those 2 to sit flat first as you push and flex then it’s drilled or cut wrong. But you should be able to push and tweak into place. Working it around 1 screw at a time.

 

[Black Out Jazz]

It’s warped. This is common on older instruments but should not be like this on a new one. I would try one more go. As Fernando said. But this time take it all the way off. Set it flat and massage it out. This stuff will get more flexible if you warm it up. It bends and stretches so warm it up by rubbing your palm into it. Then reinstall. Screw those 2 in first by the bent area. If you cannot get those 2 to sit flat first as you push and flex then it’s drilled or cut wrong. But you should be able to push and tweak into place. Working it around 1 screw at a time.

Maybe a little hair dryer applied sparingly...

 

[ugie]

The pickup has a strange angle too.
View attachment 4519773

I am not very knowledgable on bass stuff but I thought the split pick-ups are designed to be tilted.

 

[FenderOli]

I am not very knowledgable on bass stuff but I thought the split pick-ups are designed to be tilted.

Yes, but not in that direction. Compare the strings and the red line in my picture, they should be parallel.
I would loose all screws (also the pickup screws), bent the pickguard straight and screw in all screws without tension.

 

[Black Out Jazz]

I wonder if the bridge side of that pickup is binding up on the guard.

 

[truand85]

Likely just a wire that's outside the cavity. You can fix that without even detuning.

Remove all screws on the pickguard, then slide it up and over the pickup and out from under the strings. Should give you a clearer picture.

 

[ugie]

Yes, but not in that direction. Compare the strings and the red line in my picture, they should be parallel.
I would loose all screws (also the pickup screws), bent the pickguard straight and screw in all screws without tension.

Ah I see.

Checking out this video on setting up pickup height (along the direction from knobs to fingers), the pickup in that video was also tilted along the other direction (from bridge to neck but opposite to mine). Maybe they can be a bit tilted in that direction as well.

Nevertheless, that tilt in my pickup that you pointed out seems too much to me now as well.

I am a noob so I better take this bass to a professional as "Black out Jazz" suggested.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi everyone,

A new member here.

Due to covid lockdown and everything, I decided to engage in some kind of indoor hobby this winter, so I decided to buy a bass guitar, which I did.

I bought Fender Precision Bass (Player Series). My bass arrived last week and while inspecting it I noticed the pickguard is bended upwards at some parts and not touching the body. In case my English doesn't make sense, I attached a photo here.

Is this normal?

You probably have a wire poking out. Something under it, is the only reason anything that is screwed to a surface, wouldn't be touching the surface.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I am not very knowledgable on bass stuff but I thought the split pick-ups are designed to be tilted.

He means the divet in the case.