Jazzyguy, I am interested in the responses you get as I did the exact same thing when I got my new MIA Std. Strat two years ago. I will tell you that I've not noticed anything bad about the knobs being so close to the pickguard. The only thing I would say is that the knobs may rub a circle in the pg.

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2008 MIA Standard Strat 3-tone Sunburst
2007 Taylor 310 Acoustic
Fender Blues Junior NOS Amp
Digitech Bad Monkey OD pedal

:twisted::evil::twisted::evil::twisted:

hey,
while it may drag on the pg, it can also make it a bit less responseive to turn, so i'd say the best thing to do is when you're ready to put on a new set of strings (why waste them, right?) remove the pick guard and GENTLY pull on the pots so you can get a small amount of clearence under the knobs. I think there must be a standard spacing, but i'd say if you put a dime under the knob before you push it into place after removing it, then you should have the right clearence.

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peace

1993 Am Std Strat LH
1999 Am Std Tele LH
2010 MIM Strat LH (on order)
Princeton 112 Plus
Princeton 212 Chorus

Hey Jazzguy, I think you'll be fine unless you really have to use some muscle to turn the knobs gainst the friction of rubbing against the pickgaurd.

I like my knobs to spin very freely so I can do volume swells with my picking hand pinky finger. And I like to make tone changes quickly. If your knobs are spinning free enough for you to comfortably turn the knobs quickly and easily, I think you have nothing to worry about.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Most of the time they can be pushed all the way down and still rotate freely. If this is not the case for you then pull them back up slightly and take a thin guitar pick and place it under the knob. Push the knob down on top of the pick, then pull the pick out. You will have a gap the thickness of the pick between the pickguard and the knob.

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"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." Blazing Saddles...