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Post subject: warping pickguard problem
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:13 am
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I own a 1996 Fender Stratocaster Standard Fat Strat, and the pickguard near the neck pickup is warped and bows away from the body. The upper side of the guard, near the neck pickup mounting screw is warped away from the body a mil or two. It is not too bad, so I decided to live with it.
I just recently picked up a sweet deal. I got a 2001 3 tone sunburst Standard Stratocaster in excellent condition. It is really nice, but has the same warped pickguard in the exact same place, between the screws, near the neck pup. What is going on? Is this common to MIM Strats? Did it sit in the sun too long? Is it a problem from the factory? Does anyone else have this problem on their guitar? How do you fix it, other than replacement? Any thoughts would be nice.
Has anyone bought aftermarket pickguards to replace MIM ones from Warmoth, Allparts etc. and had trouble with the 11 holes lining up properly? Thanks!!


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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:17 am
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Ah-ha! Take a look at the shielding on the back of the pickguard. Are the screwholes in the shielding out of line with the screwholes in the pickguard itself? If so, then it's a known issue.

Go and have a look, and we can talk more if that is the situation.

Cheers - C


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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:51 am
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It's fairly common in single ply pickguards, but yours is a 3-ply, no?

Any fix possible? I don't know. Maybe Ceri has an idea or two.

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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:16 am
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I've seen people stick picks in that area. That could warp it.


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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:21 am
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If I know what you're talking about, then I'd remove the pickguard and look to see if anything is out of place or in the way.


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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:27 am
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My father ran across a 1999 MIM standard Stratocaster in a used guitar store last year that ended up coming home. That guitar had a warped pickguard much like the one you speak about. Probably from someone sticking picks in there.

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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:52 pm
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Play3r wrote:
If I know what you're talking about, then I'd remove the pickguard and look to see if anything is out of place or in the way.


Good idea I did a little work under my pickguard once and when I put it back together it was a little warped. took it back off didn't see anything put it back togehter and it was fine....must have been something out of place and corrected itself when I took the pickuard back off

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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:53 pm
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Go to www.sweetwater.com and buy a new genuine Fender pickguard. They have 'em and thier made by Fender too, so none ot the holes will be off unlike some of those other phony aftermarket parts makers. Now his guitar looks real sharp! It really stands out in contrast, cause he has an all Black Strat with a new Black pickguard and white pickup covers and knobs that really stick out and that thing looks real sharp! Really makes the guitar stand out. You can pick one up on Sweetwater for 'bout $19 bucks, free shipping too!


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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:38 am
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Well, no answer back from Paisley Strat to my question. But I’ll post my info anyway, in case it addresses his problem – or someone else’s.

Why I was asking about the holes: when that pickguard was made the screw holes were drilled through the plastic and the shielding foil together, so the two lined up perfectly. If the holes in the metal foil and the plastic are now not in perfect alignment, then it is a sure sign that the plastic has shrunk. If so, it’s a done deal: nothing for it but try to adjust the screw holes if possible to accommodate the change.

This was a vastly bigger issue with pre-1965 nitrate based pickguard material, which can shrink so badly the screw holes no longer meet those on the guitar, and sometimes the pickups get pushed right out of position. But movement can still occur in modern pickguards.

Additionally, the pickguard material, like everything else in the universe, must also expand and contract with temperature. Immutable law of physics. (A guy who worked on Concord’s design used to live opposite me: he said that the heat generated by friction across the air surfaces at Mach Two was such that the aircraft gained a foot in length during flight, and the engineering had to accommodate those extraordinary daily stresses. Could it be that you are playing your guitar at Mach Two?)

When the ‘guard moves, it pushes and pulls against everything it touches, including the guitar body at those eleven screws. That sets up tensions which don’t necessarily later resolve in the opposite direction – hence, warping.

One more thing. There is something going on with that pickguard edge just above the neck pickup. I have a three year old Strat, bought new and very carefully looked after, that developed an annoying buzz from the ‘guard in just that position. Picks never get stuck in there: it wasn’t that. It was only a few thou of space that had opened up – just enough to make an audible buzz. The only solution I could find was to put a small piece of acid free (so as not to react with the lacquer) paper in there to occupy the gap and stop the vibration. Assumed it was unique to my instrument, till I found someone else on this Forum with exactly the same issue. And now Paisley Strat as well.

Anyway, you have two solutions. If you can see that a particular screw hole is exerting pressure on the ‘guard in a particular direction, then just file out the appropriate side of that hole by a few thou to ease the tension. Though I think that is a long shot.

The alternative is – buy a new pickguard. Which you knew all along…

Cheers - C


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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:45 am
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Ceri wrote:
Well, no answer back from Paisley Strat to my question. But I’ll post my info anyway, in case it addresses his problem – or someone else’s.

Why I was asking about the holes: when that pickguard was made the screw holes were drilled through the plastic and the shielding foil together, so the two lined up perfectly. If the holes in the metal foil and the plastic are now not in perfect alignment, then it is a sure sign that the plastic has shrunk. If so, it’s a done deal: nothing for it but try to adjust the screw holes if possible to accommodate the change.

This was a vastly bigger issue with pre-1965 nitrate based pickguard material, which can shrink so badly the screw holes no longer meet those on the guitar, and sometimes the pickups get pushed right out of position. But movement can still occur in modern pickguards.

Additionally, the pickguard material, like everything else in the universe, must also expand and contract with temperature. Immutable law of physics. (A guy who worked on Concord’s design used to live opposite me: he said that the heat generated by friction across the air surfaces at Mach Two was such that the aircraft gained a foot in length during flight, and the engineering had to accommodate those extraordinary daily stresses. Could it be that you are playing your guitar at Mach Two?)

When the ‘guard moves, it pushes and pulls against everything it touches, including the guitar body at those eleven screws. That sets up tensions which don’t necessarily later resolve in the opposite direction – hence, warping.

One more thing. There is something going on with that pickguard edge just above the neck pickup. I have a three year old Strat, bought new and very carefully looked after, that developed an annoying buzz from the ‘guard in just that position. Picks never get stuck in there: it wasn’t that. It was only a few thou of space that had opened up – just enough to make an audible buzz. The only solution I could find was to put a small piece of acid free (so as not to react with the lacquer) paper in there to occupy the gap and stop the vibration. Assumed it was unique to my instrument, till I found someone else on this Forum with exactly the same issue. And now Paisley Strat as well.

Anyway, you have two solutions. If you can see that a particular screw hole is exerting pressure on the ‘guard in a particular direction, then just file out the appropriate side of that hole by a few thou to ease the tension. Though I think that is a long shot.

The alternative is – buy a new pickguard. Which you knew all along…

Cheers - C


HEY CERI IM NEW AROUND HERE SO CAN U EXPLAIN ME HOW THINGS WORK AROUND HERE


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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:47 am
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I've seen some instances where humidity has affected the wood of the body enough to cause the pickguard to warp a bit.

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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:52 am
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P!C!S wrote:
HEY CERI IM NEW AROUND HERE SO CAN U EXPLAIN ME HOW THINGS WORK AROUND HERE


Hi, welcome to the Forum.

How things work around here - regarding what, in particular?

- C


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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:06 am
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Ceri wrote:
This was a vastly bigger issue with pre-1965 nitrate based pickguard material, which can shrink so badly the screw holes no longer meet those on the guitar, and sometimes the pickups get pushed right out of position. But movement can still occur in modern pickguards.


My 1964 strat's pickguard has done that shrinking (and has a wonderful deep green patina) ... the holes are out of alignment with its full size aluminum shield. I didn't try to "fix" the holes, so the mounting screws are in kind of angled. But! there's no warpage, it lies quite flat, thankfully.

Aw, shucks, here it is, even though I don't have any up-close photos showing the tilted mounting screws:

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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:22 am
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If it's unfixable buy a new one.


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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:23 am
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orvilleowner wrote:
It's fairly common in single ply pickguards, but yours is a 3-ply, no? Any fix possible? I don't know. Maybe Ceri has an idea or two.

And then
orvilleowner wrote:
My 1964 strat's pickguard has done that shrinking (and has a wonderful deep green patina) ... the holes are out of alignment with its full size aluminum shield. I didn't try to "fix" the holes, so the mounting screws are in kind of angled. But! there's no warpage, it lies quite flat, thankfully.


There: you knew all about it the whole time, but let me ramble on like a 'nana. And you actually own the real thing, which is way ahead of me. That is a superb instrument - I wonder what color that pickguard started out? It is really beautiful - the real thing! Eat your heart out, Custom Shop Relic!!

Kudos - C


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