5-hole or more - pickguard

[robbysturgis]

Advantages - disadvantages?

[Curly]

I think it's mainly a matter of historical accuracy.
that is, the vintage reissues use 5 hole because that's what was used on those originally.

Fender later went to 8 holes due to some warping.

[aunchaki]

Originally Posted by Curly

I think it's mainly a matter of historical accuracy.

Yup. Also, the 5-hole guards are from the 1-ply era. You won't find historical 3-ply pickguards with 5 holes. So, go with the 5-hole on vintage-style single-ply guards, if you like the look. Let's not even talk about the 9-hole guard on the Muddy Waters Tele. ;D

[jwells393]

Hey ................ lets talk about the 9-hole guard on the Muddy Waters Telecaster. If you want to copy a Muddy Waters Tele, get a 5-hole guard and add the four extra holes...............that's what Muddy did.

[robbysturgis]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Hey ................ lets talk about the 9-hole guard on the Muddy Waters Telecaster. If you want to copy a Muddy Waters Tele, get a 5-hole guard and add the four extra holes...............that's what Muddy did.

Bobby's teacher was learning them about spelling:

"Who can use fascinate in a sentence? Bobby?"

Bobby replied - "My daddy has a nine button vest, but can only fasten eight."

Bobby's teacher was impressed, and followed up.

"Can you use defense and detail, in the same sentence?"

Bobby thought then said "De head of de dog jumped over de fence before de tail."

[boris bubbanov]

To me the main problem with the 5 hole pickguard design is the alignment of the holes in the body and those in the pickguard must be exact, otherwise buckling of the pg along the side of the right side guitar body will occur.

When one uses a real bakelite guard that's altogether another level of discussion, but if you have bought or made a plastic copy, it is better looking to have the neck pickup body mounted and have no hardware at all around the pickup showing. Nevertheless I now have 2 Teles with a 'seven' hole guard, as the stock chrome covered pup or the Keystone is mounted to a semi-gloss 5 hole guard. NOT accurate but pleasing to my eye nonetheless, in preference over a three ply white or parchment 50 hole pickguard. Too many holes! But if the holes don't align pg to body, try another and another and if none fit, don't force it on there, it'll buckle, urk.

Bubbanov

If you have a Stew Mac or other cheap 5 hole that doesn't seem to fit on any existing guitars, use it for a body from USACG. I'll be doing some pared down Merle Haggard sig profile pickguard shapes, and smaller still, in the black guard material using only 3 of the 5 original hole positions; in one case the small pickguard will be held on only by the long neck pickup screws, which fasten to the pickup then run down into a mounting plate with machine fittings in the neck rout. Am I ready for the critics?

[robbysturgis]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

To me the main problem with the 5 hole pickguard design is the alignment of the holes in the body and those in the pickguard must be exact, otherwise buckling of the pg along the side of the right side guitar body will occur.

When one uses a real bakelite guard that's altogether another level of discussion, but if you have bought or made a plastic copy, it is better looking to have the neck pickup body mounted and have no hardware at all around the pickup showing. Nevertheless I now have 2 Teles with a 'seven' hole guard, as the stock chrome covered pup or the Keystone is mounted to a semi-gloss 5 hole guard. NOT accurate but pleasing to my eye nonetheless, in preference over a three ply white or parchment 50 hole pickguard. Too many holes! But if the holes don't align pg to body, try another and another and if none fit, don't force it on there, it'll buckle, urk.

Bubbanov

If you have a Stew Mac or other cheap 5 hole that doesn't seem to fit on any existing guitars, use it for a body from USACG. I'll be doing some pared down Merle Haggard sig profile pickguard shapes, and smaller still, in the black guard material using only 3 of the 5 original hole positions; in one case the small pickguard will be held on only by the long neck pickup screws, which fasten to the pickup then run down into a mounting plate with machine fittings in the neck rout. Am I ready for the critics?

When I pulled the black pickguard off my Affinity, it didn't even fit my new body.

I need a pick guard, and was looking at the five hole. I don't have to worry about alignment because I'll be drilling for the screws anyway.

I agree, I like the neck pu to be in the cavity mounted. I like that.

[boris bubbanov]

Yeah, the challenge with body mounting the neck pickup on guitars with previous pickguard mounting is location as well as height is crucial. I think .500 is a good minimum rout depth, .750 is probably normal for body mount neck routs, and anything deeper than that might require a platform.

The Affinities and the other Squier products, particularly the Indonesian made Squiers are darned good guitars in many cases but the further you work down the MSRP chain the more certain you can be parts won't interchange with the North American stuff, and when parts do interchange its a delight, never a given. Really watch the depth on the Bullets, the space between the back of guitar and the rout depth is very very small.

Bubbanov