That screw in the middle of the pickguard....

Ty · Post by Ty » Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:17 am

IT HIDES MY LUCKY CHARMS!

Post by **Mike** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:38 am

If you don't know, you can't afford it.

Auriemma · Post by **Auriemma** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:28 pm

It probably is there tp prevent the guard from buzzing, or from bulging.

Chris Winsemius · Post by **Chris Winsemius** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:39 pm

It's an extra security to keep the mojo inside...

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:47 pm

Pickup is mounted on the guard isn't it? Perhaps it's some mojo bullshit to transfer more of the tonal energies of the pickup into the wood of the guitar.

Apparently it's not just some wood and some magnets. Apparently Eddie Van Halen can even tell the difference between not just if a picckup is guard or body mounted, but also what sort of material the pickup might be mounted on underneath the guard, whether it be black foam, or a block of wood glued to the body. Apparently.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:49 pm

Have you seen Eddie Van Halen recently?

I doubt he can even tell if he's got his trousers on the right way.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:53 pm

Last I seen was an interniew in a guitar magazine about five years ago where he just beat cancer. Apparently he told the cancer "okay guys, the party's over, you need to get the fuck out."* Apparently.

* actual quote

Post by **Mike** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:55 pm

hahah

All I see is bad photoshops on HC. It looks like he's drinking a lot again.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:06 pm

basically leo realised at some point that his guards were shrinking really fast in the right conditions so he started adding screws, ever noticed how many screws are in the electric XII'S? its crazy, its like he thought they were going to run away.

william · Post by **william** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:44 pm

robert(original) wrote:basically leo realised at some point that his guards were shrinking really fast in the right conditions so he started adding screws, ever noticed how many screws are in the electric XII'S? its crazy, its like he thought they were going to run away.

i wish they would've gone back to fewer screws when they switched to unshrinky pickguards. 11 in a strat and 8 in a tele is really excessive, if the pickguard isnt going to shrink anyway.

i love how few screws are in 50s teles. super clean.

wanderingjew · Post by **wanderingjew** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:05 pm

william wrote:
robert(original) wrote:basically leo realised at some point that his guards were shrinking really fast in the right conditions so he started adding screws, ever noticed how many screws are in the electric XII'S? its crazy, its like he thought they were going to run away.

i wish they would've gone back to fewer screws when they switched to unshrinky pickguards. 11 in a strat and 8 in a tele is really excessive, if the pickguard isnt going to shrink anyway.

i love how few screws are in 50s teles. super clean.

Regular pickguards can still warp, though.

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:10 pm

1448 has 3 screws to hold down it's half-pound PG. They're awesome.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:17 pm

i think there are like 21 screws in an electric XII.
there are like 17 in a bronco guard right?

william · Post by **william** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:08 pm

wanderingjew wrote:
william wrote:
robert(original) wrote:basically leo realised at some point that his guards were shrinking really fast in the right conditions so he started adding screws, ever noticed how many screws are in the electric XII'S? its crazy, its like he thought they were going to run away.

i wish they would've gone back to fewer screws when they switched to unshrinky pickguards. 11 in a strat and 8 in a tele is really excessive, if the pickguard isnt going to shrink anyway.

i love how few screws are in 50s teles. super clean.
Regular pickguards can still warp, though.

they can warp, but ive never seen severe cases like with the celluloid. and shrinking is no longer an issue.
if its a nice pickguard, its not gonna warp. pvc and acrylic dont warp, and neither does bakelite.

i hadnt thought about the silvertones, DSB. my 2 pickup has 5, because of the stupid around the neck pickup part. still, 5 isnt bad. and you can be sure these pickguards wont warp!

danelectros are the shit. one day ill get a proper 2 pickup DC or U, as they have solid center blocks. the silvertones have a boxier tone due to being fully hollow. itd be nice to have the option.

Mo Law-ka · Post by **Mo Law-ka** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:28 am

robert(original) wrote:i think there are like 21 screws in an electric XII.
there are like 17 in a bronco guard right?

18. theyre a bitch.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:57 am

On 50's spec Strats with the 8-hole pickguards the neck pickup actually has up-and-down movement (towards and away from the strings) a discernable amount once the 1-ply pickguard starts getting wonky, because it lacks the screw configuration/extra screws of the 3-ply guards. I just noticed it happening the other day on my Strat. It's not a big deal as it's a bit springy and only stays in one position unless pushed.

With all that bare surface on the stang guard, I'm sure the screw right between the pickups and right in the middle of the guard is just to keep those pickups on planet Earth. As robert and wanderingjew said, the guards all shrink/warp eventually.

The Jag-Stang guard doesn't have it because it's glued down with grunge.

william · Post by **william** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:11 am

paul_ wrote:As robert and wanderingjew said, the guards all shrink/warp eventually.

all celluloid should, but plenty of stuff is made of modern plastics and doesnt EVAR change EVAR. pickguards dont deform just because they are pickguards. the single ply white guard on my 86 strat is as flat (and as white) as the day it was made. scratchey, but flat and white as shit. and its a 57 style.

the guard on my 66 melody maker is pretty goddamn flat too. its 1 ply, but its nicotine yellow now. still, almost perfectly flat.

most of the warped/shrunken pickguards that i have seen are of the pearloid/tortoise variety.

you can observe this in old plastic junk at the antique store, or the thrift store even. there are antique bakelite jewelry boxes that are just as crisp cornered and smooth surfaced as ever.

william · Post by **william** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:21 am

pvc actually DOES warp. i was sort of assuming thats what my 1 ply guards were.

from what i can tell, celluloid reacts to the atmosphere, whereas pvc warps from excessive heat, so maybe i have just gotten lucky.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:04 am

My strat has been subjected to plenty of heat from my scorching licks and the broken A/C duct in my room.