I recently bought a mint-condition 2005 Olympic White American Series Strat on eBay. Previous owner never touched or modified it. It seems to have a parchment pickguard and back plate. At any rate, the pickguard is slightly darker than the guitar body. Just slightly.

Last week, I bought a mint-condition 2009 Olympic White American Strat on eBay. Exact same model (hey, I'm a sucker for Buy It Now.) Previous owner also never touched or modified it. But this pickguard /back plate is definitely more white, and lighter/whiter than the body color. At the same time, it's not the bright-white (I KNOW that sounds crazy) of the pickguard on my MIM Strat.

I know this is too nit-picky to even worry about, but I was mainly just wondering if Fender changed the specs (or at least the colors) for pickguards between 2005 and 2009. The body colors are exactly the same. The pickguards definitely look different.

Okay, I guess this is the Stupid Question of the Month (or Year). Where do I get my award certificate? Please return to your regular programming.

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Stratocasters: 1989 American, 1994 40th Anniversary American, 1997 American Sunburst, 2005 American Standard Olympic White, 2010 American Standard FSR Vintage White, 2010 Limited Edition American Standard - Ivory. Plus lots of Gibsons.

When it comes to pickguards they throw on whats on the stack next..I'm sure both years probably had parchment or standard white..Three of my five Strats are white if i lay all three pickguards on top of each other they will all be a different shade..

Hi trapdoorspider: I have a 2005 American Series and the plastic parts on those Strats were definitely Parchment (when they weren't black). To the best of my knowledge the plastics on the 2009 Am Stds are Parchment too.

So could the difference be explained simply by aging/yellowing of your pickguard and covers over five years? Does the guitar live on a stand and catch plenty of daylight? Mine does - but since I don't have a new Parchment pickguard to compare it with I don't know if it has aged significantly over that time or not.

Presuming that both guitars do indeed have Parchment parts on them then I guess it is also possible that the shade of the plastic producer's Parchment recipe has changed a bit over time too. After all, one "Mint" 'guard is not always the same as another, so that could apply to Parchment too.

By the way, would you think about changing your username? There's serious arachnophobes around here...



Cheers - C

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Guilty as charged. I wouldn't even let that thing in my house, I wouldn't care if it was dead or not. Nassty spiders, don't...... like............. spiders.................


As for the differences in color on pickguards, could be a lot of things. While I'm not an expert on strats (or plastic for that matter), I have 2 plastic tables. One is in my basement workshop and the other was in my camper. The one in the basement is still white like it was when new. The one in my camper (which gets quite a bit of sun) is more of an ivory color. They started out life the exact same color.

The slight differences in the pickguards could be due to how the different guitars were stored, or they could have started life a different color.

One of the great mysteries of life I suppose.

Jeff

Hi Jeff: the one in the photo was given me as a birthday present by an ex-girlfriend. I'm was never sure if she intended it to be some sort of cure therapy or she just wanted to see me scream like a little girl when I pulled off the wrapping paper and found what I was holding.

Whatever: I've still got the spider but parted ways with that woman about 14 years ago. (I've had a much better one for most of that time.)

- C

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i have a 2004 american std and i took the knobs off and you could see the original colour the PG was when new compared to the rest of the PG, give it a go and post your findings

Ceri,
If she gave me THAT thing, I would have dumped her too. Dang, I just don't like spiders. Nope, don't like them at all.

OK, sorry about hijacking the thread... no more spider talk from me (did I mention I don't like spiders?).

Back to the pickguare mystery. I do think pulling the knobs and seeing what's underneath would be an interesting exercise.

Jeff

Ah, I just wish it had been that way around...

... (Time heals all.)(Sort of...)



Exactly. Good plan.

Cheers - C

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it could just aging over time. I mean the guy could have left it in the sun light, or maybe just let oil from his hands accumulate on the guard. It could be a lot of things

What a bunch of pus-ZZZsss, lol I'm writing this and laughing
So I'm just joking guys.

Parchment actually ages a little faster than non parchment.
My 05 am standard strat parchment pg aged rapidly

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

I don't get it, Ceri. How do you tell if one spider is better than another?

(Sorry)
OK, back to the thread!

Gridlok

uuuuuuugggggghhhhhhhh Ceri!
There's no way that thing would be hangin' anywhere in my house!