are there different tortoise shell shades?

[bubinga5]

Im aware of my stupid question, but im after a dark tortoise shell pickguard.. ive seen very bright red guards, or a darker guards as seen on this beauty... this is what im after..

also im aware that some pickguards have different hole positions.. i want one for an MIJ 75, just like the one in the pic... i think maybe im taking my chances when i order one....

Edited February 9, 2012 by bubinga5

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1328815003' post='1533198']
Im aware of my stupid question, but im after a dark tortoise shell pickguard.. ive seen very bright red guards, or a darker guards as seen on this beauty... this is what im after..

also im aware that some pickguards have different hole positions.. i want one for an MIJ 75, just like the one in the pic... i think maybe im taking my chances when i order one....
[/quote]

Yip - there's lots of types of tort. Some nice, some not-so-nice (think 'pepperoni', which is the common reissue & aftermarket material).

Howard the Bass Doc has some new tort in stock which looks remarkably similar to what's on my 70s Ps & Js. Drop him a PM.

[molan]

I have three tort guards sitting next to me right now, '63 original J, '72 original P & early 70's repro on a '63P.

Each one is slightly different with the '63 definitely much more orangey than the later ones (which actually works well on the seafoam green body).

I think Jeannie's has two different classifications - red tort & brown tort. I'm sure if you contacted them they could help

[umcoo]

Warmoth tort is one of the best looking ones...nice and dark, but not sure about it fitting a mij 75

[icastle]

Tortoiseshell is more of a description of the effect rather than the colour - in theory you could have cerise pink and lime green combined in a tort pickguard...

[Fat Rich]

The early Japanese reissues had a tortoiseshell that was almost red, nothing like the original ones from the 60s.

Also some of the Japanese necks have a slightly different dimension to US basses so you may need to do a little filing to get a good fit.

[benebass]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1328816812' post='1533232']
Howard the Bass Doc has some new tort in stock which looks remarkably similar to what's on my 70s Ps & Js. Drop him a PM.
[/quote]

+1 - Definitely worth asking the Bass Doc about making one to match the one you have already if you're not sure about an off-the-shelf one lining up. That's what I did last week!

Cheers,

B.

[Musicman20]

Personally I MUCH prefer the brown Tort, to the bright red MIJ Tort.

[JimBobTTD]

[quote name='umcoo' timestamp='1328817054' post='1533239']
Warmoth tort is one of the best looking ones...nice and dark, but not sure about it fitting a mij 75
[/quote]

Yup. I have one on my Warmoth jazz. It's a lovely shade of dark red/brown.

[Shaggy]

Honestly thought from thread title that this was about sunglasses...

Best ones I know of are from WD music, not cheap but it's the proper vintage spec 5-ply nitrocellulose, Howard bass Doc gets his blank sheet from there I think;

Brown: http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/Jazz_Bass_Vintage_-_Tortoise_Shell_JB-305

Red: http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/Jazz_Bass_Vintage_-_Tortoise_Shell_Red_JB-305R

(that's the Vintage template - "Standard" on there too)