So a few weeks ago I was sitting noodling on my Sire V when I noticed what appeared to be a protective film lifting from the scratch plate next to the bell plate. Thinking I mustn’t have removed this when I bought the bass, I foolishly pulled it and actually removed the top glossy layer of the tortoise shell leaving a dull lifeless brown shell pattern underneath.
After searching online for a replacement and trying both Fender USA and Fender Mexico replacements with no success, I bought some BWB scratch plate sheet material and made my own. It’s not perfect, but I think the black looks better than the tort😎