White pickguard on the 52RI?

[Lawson]

Is it sexy, or does it crash?

I was thinking about putting a white pickguard on my 52ri. I'm thinking pure white, with no borders, or even with borders? Whats your taste?

Also, I would love to see some good pictures if you got any!

[YoGeorge]

One problem if you live in a dry environment (like winter heat in northern states) is that the black bakelite guard on the guitar will not be as prone to static as a white vinyl guard. (When on the neck or both pickup settings, rubbing your fingers along the wiring channel will make a crackling noise.)

My stock '94 Hamer T-51 is butterscotch with a white guard and looks OK, but I've been contemplating going with black bakelite because of the anti-static properties and I frankly think black looks a bit more manly than the white. Of course, I have owned the guitar as is for 16 years now, so I'm obviously in no hurry to change it. And I have a piece of aluminum foil tape under the guard which grounds to the control plate so that takes care of most of the problem for me.

No handy photos, but if you google for 1955 teles you will see a lot of white guards so it is an authentic look--but they did do the bodies in a lighter blonde as well. And the white will be cooler in the hot sun if you play outside :)

George

[sonny wolf]

I tried it once,not with the intention of keeping it that way but to see how it looks.I didn't like it.The butterscotch is a dark yellow/orange that doesn't work with the white in my opinion....black looks so much better.I do like white on the lighter yellow blonde Teles such as the 50s roadworn however.

[Lawson]

Thanks. I looked around some more, and found a good comparisment picture:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachmen...leof2teles-jpg

I think the white one looks very classy. I'm gonna try it out.

[Hoopermazing]

Originally Posted by Lawson

Thanks. I looked around some more, and found a good comparisment picture:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachmen...leof2teles-jpg

I think the white one looks very classy. I'm gonna try it out.

That doesn't look white to my eyes. It's some sort of aged cream color.
That doesn't look too bad, but a truly white one would, IMO, look horrid.

[slack]

Originally Posted by YoGeorge

One problem if you live in a dry environment (like winter heat in northern states) is that the black bakelite guard on the guitar will not be as prone to static as a white vinyl guard.

I'm not aware of the AV 52 RI ever shipping with a real Bakelite PG. It is black plastic.

And whatever they're made of now, the white single-ply 54-63/64 PG's were ABS plastic, not vinyl.

[tap4154]

Originally Posted by slack

I'm not aware of the AV 52 RI ever shipping with a real Bakelite PG. It is black plastic.

And whatever they're made of now, the white single-ply 54-63/64 PG's were ABS plastic, not vinyl.

Well, then they're made out out some pretty good quality plastic, if they are just plastic. Very stiff and flat, and mine is still perfectly flat against the body with only 5 screws, after 8-9 years. Sure looks like bakelite underneath, but I'm sure that even if it is bakelite, it's a different formula than the originals.

[andyfromdenver]

Originally Posted by Lawson

Thanks. I looked around some more, and found a good comparisment picture:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachmen...leof2teles-jpg

I think the white one looks very classy. I'm gonna try it out.

That does look cool! I don't know if cool enough for the effort, but cool.
Is anyone else starting to feel cool in here?

[Fenderfiend]

Originally Posted by Hoopermazing

That doesn't look white to my eyes. It's some sort of aged cream color.
That doesn't look too bad, but a truly white one would, IMO, look horrid.

My thoughts exactly.
(Great minds think alike, and so do ours, apparently.)

Also, for some reason, a tortoise shell pickguard crossed my mind when I saw those pictures -and I don't know why.

[Davo17]

Originally Posted by Fenderfiend

Also, for some reason, a tortoise shell pickguard crossed my mind when I saw those pictures I don't know why.

Thats cause tort looks awesome on old blonde teles. Heres tort on a 52.

[telex76]

It would look pretty good with just about any pickguard, but I like black the best.

[tap4154]

Originally Posted by Davo17

Thats cause tort looks awesome on old blonde teles.

I have a 3-ply tort Warmoth PG that I laid over the black one on my '52 a while back (in pic), just to see how it looked. I like it, but IMO a nice single ply tort would look better.



Just hard to beat the looks of stock guard though IMHO.

[rangercaster]

Fender transitioned to a white guard in '53-'54 ... if it was ok with Leo, than it's ok for all !!!

[WaylonFan76]

Why mess with perfection ?

[Platefire]

That's one thing I always hated about the original tele was the black pickguard. I choose white any day of the week and twice on Sunday---but I don't have a real RI, just a Squire Tele Special BS--rewired, shielded and different PU's. I am happy for what I do have. Platefire

[xtrajerry]

Originally Posted by Davo17

Thats cause tort looks awesome on old blonde teles. Heres tort on a 52.

Does look nice.. I don't think I'd replace the black one on my 52 hot rod with one but will replace the white one on 50's road worn..

[YoGeorge]

The US '52 RI tele has always used a lacquered black bakelite guard as the original '52 tele did. Look up the Fender official replacement guard for the '52 RI--the price is higher than the plastic guards because it is lacquered bakelite, although there is not the circle underneath the guard from the quart can they used to put the guards on to lacquer them. I have one on a USACG-bodied parts guitar and it is lacquered black bakelite. And does not have the static issues that vinyl guards have. Really.

And my T-51 looks like the butterscotch photos in the thread with aged white guards--it has yellowed in 16 years. Go parchament or mint, not stark white.

George

[Old Has Been]

I don't know what it is about a butterscotch Tele (and maybe it's just me), but I think a butterscotch Tele looks sexy with just about any type of pickguard. Maybe it's the butterscotch that makes the pickguard look sexy and not vice versa.

[slack]

Originally Posted by YoGeorge

The US '52 RI tele has always used a lacquered black bakelite guard as the original '52 tele did.

There have been many discussions on this and other boards about this, and I believe that the consensus has been that they are not Bakelite, no matter how Fender is marketing them. I believe they are lacquered plastic, but it could be something else. I've had a lot of AV 52 RIs (from the very earliest ones to recent years) and Custom Shop Nocasters (including Cunetto's) and none of the black single-ply 5-hole PGs looked like a real vintage Bakelite PG to me. And all these modern ones are flexible by comparison.

I know Callaham and some other sources sell Bakelite PGs.

[Davo17]

Originally Posted by tap4154

I have a 3-ply tort Warmoth PG that I laid over the black one on my '52 a while back (in pic), just to see how it looked. I like it, but IMO a nice single ply tort would look better.



Just hard to beat the looks of stock guard though IMHO.

I almost posted your pic, it looks great. I think that striped tort looks good too. And agreed, one ply. 3 ply looks to refined for an early tele.