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Post subject: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 3:52 pm
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Location: In my bedroom strummin my Strat
How hard is it to change out the pickgaurd on a strat?


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Post subject: Re: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 4:21 pm
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If you can turn a screwdriver, you can change a pickguard.

If you can't, I feel sorry for you.

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1986 Peavey Envoy 110
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Post subject: Re: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 5:49 pm
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Location: In my bedroom strummin my Strat
I thought it looked like it would be easy.


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Post subject: Re: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 6:01 pm
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The only hassle is setting the pickup heights again. You might want to measure them all very accurately, make a note of the heights and be sure to reset them where they were. Strat pickups are often very sensitive to height adjustments, find the sweet spot and you'll sound good, put them too close and the magnetic pull on the strings can throw your intonation right off.

Also watch for flying pickup springs (unless your guitar has the rubber tubing spacers under the pickguard). Those things can fly a good few feet when they want to and they're almost impossible to find on the average carpet.

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Post subject: Re: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 6:05 pm
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To swap the pickup on my warmoth strat I have to pull the neck. (Between the neck lip, tight pickup routes and the deepish dominger pickups you cannot get that damned thing back in.) Not difficult but certainly disconcerting.


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Post subject: Re: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 6:12 pm
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Depending on whether it's a loaded pickguard or not, you might want a soldering iron too. It's still very easy.

And, for some older guitars, the pickguard might have stuck a bit to the finish, so you may have to pry it off gently. With an older guitar, also keep some tooth picks ready, just in case a screw hole strips (old moisture can cause that).


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Post subject: Re: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 6:21 pm
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I would get a professional guitar tech to do it.trying to figure out the correct clockwise/counter clockwise sequence to operate a screwdriver can be tricky.And then there is the volume/tone pot nuts to deal with. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 6:27 pm
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Going on what Frank said, get a pencil and mark the lowest spot on the side of the pickup cover at its current setting, set it to the line.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic


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Post subject: Re: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:22 pm
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and be careful with those pickups,
especially the exposed winding.
I've broken a winding being careless, just a garden variety al-nico,
but still, kinda a pain.


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Post subject: Re: Changing the pick guard
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 4:52 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:15 am
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GilgaFrank wrote:
Also watch for flying pickup springs (unless your guitar has the rubber tubing spacers under the pickguard). Those things can fly a good few feet when they want to and they're almost impossible to find on the average carpet.


Still got that shag carpeting huh! :lol:


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