crazy price of pickguard/scratchplates???

[jamblehamblebum]

why ? i mean generally its a ****ty pice of plastic that must cost about 5 pence to manufacture .. realistically i would say the max they should cost is a fiver ....i mean 15 quid for a crap bit of placcy ...c.mon

[notdave]

The plastic costs 10p, the manufacturing process costs a couple of quid, but you can't put a value on the added tone.

[Old Cane]

Great. Another anti-capitalist. Everybody should sell at cost right? That's the best way to make sure they stay in business.

[Cymro14]

Originally Posted by jamblehamblebum

why ? i mean generally its a ****ty pice of plastic that must cost about 5 pence to manufacture .. realistically i would say the max they should cost is a fiver ....i mean 15 quid for a crap bit of placcy ...c.mon

+1. If it makes you feel any better, I forked out over £20 for a 3ply black replacement guard for my Baja. Thwere must be a huge mark upu profit on those things!

[62 Jazzmaster]

Yet people will happily pay folding money for a plastic bottle of water.

[Adam S]

I wonder what pays the wages of the guys that make them, or the heating and lighting in the factory, or the wages of the guy in the shop selling it, or the business rates, utilities, tax etc...

[Jefe]

Originally Posted by jamblehamblebum

why ? i mean generally its a ****ty pice of plastic that must cost about 5 pence to manufacture .. realistically i would say the max they should cost is a fiver ....i mean 15 quid for a crap bit of placcy ...c.mon

No offense, but I don't think you understand the first thing about manufacturing. If it's that easy, you should probably start your own business making pickguards. You could charge 10 quid, undersell everyone else!

Step 1 - Buy some sheets of sh!tty plastic material.
Step 2 - ???
Step 3 - Profit!

[Skub]

Make them yourself then,that's what I'm doing,not because I'm cheap you understand...well I am actually,but I just like making things anyway.

[Cymro14]

Originally Posted by Skub

Make them yourself then,that's what I'm doing,not because I'm cheap you understand...well I am actually,but I just like making things anyway.

Hee..hee. Nice one

[Paul45]

Originally Posted by Old Cane

Great. Another anti-capitalist. Everybody should sell at cost right? That's the best way to make sure they stay in business.

Yes,that's exactly what he was saying.

[hongaku]

Originally Posted by Old Cane

Great. Another anti-capitalist. Everybody should sell at cost right? That's the best way to make sure they stay in business.

You know, you could have said the exact same thing without politicizing it with the first two remarks of your reply....plus, I doubt that was the intent behind the OP's statement. Some places/people DO charge too much for pickguards - even taking into account the machinations of the capitalist system that the entire world operates by (even them gosh darned "communist" countries employ capitalism to make their economies work). Let's keep it neutral folks!

[Jefe]

Originally Posted by hongaku

You know, you could have said the exact same thing without politicizing it with the first two remarks of your reply....plus, I doubt that was the intent behind the OP's statement. Some places/people DO charge too much for pickguards - even taking into account the machinations of the capitalist system that the entire world operates by (even them gosh darned "communist" countries employ capitalism to make their economies work). Let's keep it neutral folks!

You have to admit, though.. at the very least, the OP didn't really think this through, not even for 2 seconds:

Originally Posted by jamblehamblebum

pice of plastic that must cost about 5 pence to manufacture .. realistically i would say the max they should cost is a fiver

If something costs 5 pence to make, then the seller has to sell it for something higher than 5 pence, correct? I mean, he needs to eat, right?

[waparker4]

I believe the reason pickguards are £15 is that people will pay £15 for them.

[hongaku]

Originally Posted by Jefe

You have to admit, though.. at the very least, the OP didn't really think this through, not even for 2 seconds:



If something costs 5 pence to make, then the seller has to sell it for something higher than 5 pence, correct? I mean, he needs to eat, right?

I know, and I wasn't trying to say I have a problem with the main point Old Cane was trying to make (the sarcastic "Everybody should sell at cost right? That's the best way to make sure they stay in business" part) - in fact I agree wholeheartedly with that specific part; I just found it exceedingly unnecessary to infer that the OP must be an "anti-capitalist" because he/she thinks that pickguards cost too much. I mean, this is a Telecaster appreciation forum; why bring that kind of vibe into any discussions taking place here?

Also, 5 pence would be like saying 5 cents of a pound, whereas the reference to a "fiver" would mean 5 pounds (or quid if you want to be colloquial). So, while still being pretty immature when you get down to it, the mark up the OP uses as an example is still a hefty mark up - reasonable even; but alas, the actual cost for producing your average pickguard is definitely going to exceed 5 pence.

All that being said though, there are plenty of deals on pickguards out there and the OP needs to search more thoroughly using the amazing power of the internet if he/she is paying 15 quid for a "crap bit of placcy."

[Rod Parsons]

Originally Posted by 62 Jazzmaster

Yet people will happily pay folding money for a plastic bottle of water.

I still can't understand the whole bottled water thing.. The first time I saw water in bottles in the super market, I thought I was dreaming. Cost of water .01 cent. Added costs = Labor + Bottle + label + advertising + more labor + profit + shipping + stocking the stores + cleanup of our land, rivers, bays and oceans... That is, to me, TOTALLY INSANE.... Do people by this stuff so they look COOL, or what. I shake my head in disbelief seeing so many with so much money that they are willing to fork over one to two dollars for .01 cent of water, and at the same time willingly decimate the environment. Coo coo coo coo. I think they must have been BRAINWASHED BY WALL STREET... Well?... That's nothing new. A pick guard for 15 dollars looks like a fabulous deal ,compared to the water thing. Just my opinion, of course...

[waparker4]

Originally Posted by Rod Parsons

I still can't understand the whole bottled water thing.. The first time I saw water in bottles in the super market, I thought I was dreaming. Cost of water .01 cent. Added costs = Labor + Bottle + label + advertising + more labor + profit + shipping + stocking the stores + cleanup of our land, rivers, bays and oceans... That is, to me, TOTALLY INSANE.... Do people by this stuff so they look COOL, or what. I shake my head in disbelief seeing so many with so much money that they are willing to fork over one to two dollars for .01 cent of water, and at the same time willingly decimate the environment. Coo coo coo coo. I think they must have been BRAINWASHED BY WALL STREET... Well?... That's nothing new. A pick guard for 15 dollars looks like a fabulous deal ,compared to the water thing. Just my opinion, of course...

Another reason it makes no sense, and here i'll provide a fact with NO citation, is that tap water is more highly regulated and cleaner than bottled water.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...FYU&refer=home

[soulman969]

FWIW here's a site with Fender style pickguards. Selection is good and for some, very low prices. They're not a domestic source but I refuse to get into that BS. If the some domestic sources weren't so expensive they'd get my business and where they're competitive they do.

https://www.eyguitarmusic.com/

I bought a 3 ply parchment for an MIM Standard and a 3 play mint for an MIA style Jazz Bass two weeks ago and with shipping they were less than $20 for the pair. The one for the Jazz Bass fit like it was born with it on and the one for the MIM just needed a little filing around the control plate to get it seated properly.

From anything I can tell they're no different than any others you'd order for twice this price or more. I'm satisfied with them an I'm pretty picky about stuff that looks crappy or doesn't fit right. The holes all lined up perfectly. No drilling required.

[Rod Parsons]

No matter what water these companies put into the bottles, it all has plastic residue from the plastic. And that is a suspected cancer cause.... Oh well... I have never bought a bottle yet. But I will if my life depends on it. 'Till then, yeah, right...

[Rod Parsons]

Thanks soulman for that sight. I need a black guard for a Tele.

[shorty1]

£5
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-SECO-T...item2a1be0c69b