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Post subject: American Standard Pickguards
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 9:40 am
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I have a 1993 American Standard Stratocaster which I had swapped out the original white pickguard to a perloid replacement. I have grown weary of it after all these years and will be reverting back to a more stock appearance, but this has lead to an observation.

It is my understanding that the current MIM and MIA Standard use the same part, but there seems to have been some minor changes that have occurred over the years in terms of the mounting hole locations and how the controls are aligned. Also, I believe I saw somewhere (this was a while back) that there were different aftermarket guards for certain model years of the American Standard. Does anyone know when these adjustments took place?

A friend of mine gave me the PG from his 2011 MIM Standard and some of the screw holes and even the locations of the tone and volume controls don't quite line up to mine. Granted that I am currently using an aftermarket part myself, I am going off the assumption that it was laid out in accordance to what Fender was using at the time.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Pickguards
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 10:34 am
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The screw locations did their last change in late '64/early '65.
http://www.guitarhq.com/65strat.html

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Post subject: Re: American Standard Pickguards
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 12:00 pm
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I have a reasonable selection now and this suggests all the authentic Fender ones (vintage/VRI accepted) are identical.

The Fender ones aren't the cheapest (by a long way in some cases) and have a fairly limited colour choice, but I wouldn't use anything else myself.

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Post subject: Re: American Standard Pickguards
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 12:47 pm
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This is not the first time I have heard of there being very slight differences in hole locations between MIA and MIM.
By most accounts, the differences are slight enough that you can almost always make them work.
A real stickler may feel otherwise.

As someone who does not own any MIM guitars I can't personally confirm or deny.

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Post subject: Re: American Standard Pickguards
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 1:19 pm
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I can't provide positive facts but, I will say when I bought a pearloid PG for my MIM Strat they did not ask if it was Amer or MIM. So I would assume they should be same or very close.
I did buy the Fender one though, but still no one asked country of origin.

Are you positive the one your friend gave you was an actual Fender PG? maybe it had been swapped at some time? just a thought.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Pickguards
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 1:31 pm
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avenger79 wrote:
Are you positive the one your friend gave you was an actual Fender PG? maybe it had been swapped at some time? just a thought.


Absolutely. He bought the guitar new and a few months later, purchased a Lace Sensor loaded pickguard for it. He gave me the entire MIM assembly including the old pickups, pots and switch.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Pickguards
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 2:15 pm
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93greenstrat wrote:
avenger79 wrote:
Are you positive the one your friend gave you was an actual Fender PG? maybe it had been swapped at some time? just a thought.


Absolutely. He bought the guitar new and a few months later, purchased a Lace Sensor loaded pickguard for it. He gave me the entire MIM assembly including the old pickups, pots and switch.


huh, yeah that's where I was going, if he bought it new, than you would think it would fit your guitar as well. Are they close enough to make it work or drastically different?


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Pickguards
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 3:32 pm
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It's not too much of a big deal. I'll just need to plug and re-drill a few holes but I just found it interesting that there was this subtle variation. I wonder if this may have had anything to do with the changeover from "American Standard" to "American Series" back in 2000.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Pickguards
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 5:17 am
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Don't know about MIA versus MIM, but I can say that aftermarket non-Fender scratchplates can be a bit inaccurate. I've had HH plates from a very reputable supplier where neither the screw holes nor p/up routs were spot on. As you say, the screw holes aren't too difficult to adapt, but when the p/ups foul the body that's not so good. Doesn't help that the bodies aren't identical either! I'd say it's essential to check the fit thoroughly before you put any visible marks on it; then at least you can return it.

I agree with John Sims. Buying the Fender item is preferable if they have a colour that suits.

Cheers - Peter.


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