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USA Geddy Pickguard Travails

kmon

kmon

Supporting Member
May 11, 2009
3,012
5,205
Chocolate Disneyland
#1
I hate to complain, really I do, but I've been looking for just the right pickguard for a USA Geddy. I don't love the white pearl it comes with, and usually want to see an all black body on a black and maple bass.

Went cheap on the first round on a random jazz guard and it didn't come close to fitting. OK fine.

So I want with one of the big custom pickguard places that sell replacement guards for every bass ever built. $60 or so. Everything about it is perfect except where it hits the control plate. It butts up against it perfectly...but the edges. The inner I can live with, but the outer? C'mon.

Waddya think? I emailed them, we'll see what they say, but they advertise the USA Geddy as a stock model that they cut guards for so I'm looking for something a little closer than this. I can live with it but I'm not thrilled :)

IMG_1687.JPG
 
#3
Oof. Yeah, it's not a burn-down-the-world thing, but I would expect it to be a lot more right than that. I mean, it's not like the Fender Jazz control plate is an object of obscure mystery, whose dimensions are a closely-guarded secret. Plenty of other pg's manage to match those corners, and some even do it for less money, too. :wacky:

Good luck getting that sorted. Here's hoping the shop will work with you to get it right. :thumbsup:
 
#4
Like it or not, that is pretty typical.

A quick scan of several of my J-basses - only one lines up with both edges of the control plate - but that one has a visible gap. (it's a custom shop). ;)
EDIT: Just recalled that's an after-market pickguard. There's just too many "tolerances".

Not saying it's right or wrong, good or bad - it's just the way its' always been.

There was a thread in the past year that discussed this issue in detail.
 
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#5
J-Bass RMR said:
Like it or not, that is pretty typical.

A quick scan of several of my J-basses - only one lines up with both edges of the control plate - but that one has a visible gap. (it's a custom shop). ;)
EDIT: Just recalled that's an after-market pickguard. There's just too many "tolerances.

Not saying it's right or wrong, good or bad - it's just the way its' always been.

There was a thread in the past year that discussed this issue in detail.
Click to expand...

I hear ya, and I'm not looking for perfection, but these guys sell replacement Geddy USA guards as one of their standard items, so I assume they have a template. I'm just looking for "close".

Here's the original white guard, and then the one they sent me. Left side I can live with. Right side just looks like somebody was going too fast and took too much material off. It's not a clean line.

I mean I can buy a cheap guard and hack on it to make it fit, but I dropped $60 for something a little better...it's a shame bc I love the guard otherwise.

Screenshot 2024-10-31 at 8.29.27 PM.png
 
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#11
I bought a tortoise pickguard for a reissue’74 Jazz from WD. It was cut exactly like yours. Exactly. Bad pattern they are working from? It bothered me that a nearly $70 piece of plastic was flawed. I reached out to WD and they told me where to go.
 
#12
Yep. Pickguardian. He'll have you trace the original pickguard, or better yet, mail it to him for use as a direct template. Not cheap, but he does very nice work. I've noticed that misalignment at the control plate on many, if not most, Jazz basses. Seems like it's just a Fender Thing. If you are ambitious, making your own isnt that difficult, but requires a router and template bits.
 
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#15
Gilmourisgod said:
Yep. Pickguardian. He'll have you trace the original pickguard, or better yet, mail it to him for use as a direct template. Not cheap, but he does very nice work. I've noticed that misalignment at the control plate on many, if not most, Jazz basses. Seems like it's just a Fender Thing. If you are ambitious, making your own isnt that difficult, but requires a router and template bits
Click to expand...
+1 on Pickguardian. He made one for me on an obscure St. Blues P/J. I sent him the original and the replacement came back perfect.

A quick fix would be to Dremel the edges of your control plate to match the pickguard you have. That control plate then wouldn’t line up with any other pickguard but control plates are ten bucks. Just an option.

BTW - B/W/B is the correct pickguard color for a Geddy. Then you have the optimal all black-maple combo that looks just right.
 
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#17
Altitude said:
BTW - B/W/B is the correct pickguard color for a Geddy. Then you have the optimal all black-maple combo that looks just right.
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%. On this one I went with a more vintage-y B/Cream/B. Looks flippin' great with the cream inlays.

RESOLVED:

OK so to put an end to my first world problem here they're gonna do a custom hand cut for me, crediting the original cost. I'll send the original plus the return and they'll do it on a rush basis.

LOVE the look of the guard, if they weren't gonna resolve it I certainly would have lived with it, but looks like this'll work out fine.
 
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#18
Altitude said:
BTW - B/W/B is the correct pickguard color for a Geddy. Then you have the optimal all black-maple combo that looks just right.
Click to expand...
My CIJ Geddy currently sports a BWB guard and creme pickup covers--just says "rock and roll" to me. I only wish it had the pearl neck blocks like the USA instead of the black, but small niggle there. I bought a pricey tort for it and ran that for a while, but I dunno--with the blocks, the creme covers--looked too busy.
 

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