P bass pickguards, do they vary much in terms of fit?

[shoulderpet]

Hi all

I am going to be starting a build soon and by end of this week I should have most of the components to make the barebones of the build (I have the bass body, neck, neck plate, bridge should be arriving this week) however I have no idea what bass the body actually came from (pickguard is a 9 hole job and the bass is apparently from the 90s if that helps at all) so my options are a)pop the pickguard in the post and get someone to cut one based on the exisiting pickguard b)order one and hope it fits

I would love for option B to be a viable option as i am building on a bit of a budget at the moment

 

So my question is, I know Jazz bass pickguards can vary quite a lot and it can be a complete cr*pshoot as to whether a pickguard fits or not, are P basses the same or are the pickguards more universal in there measurements?  thanks

Edited November 7, 2023 by shoulderpet

[PaulThePlug]

Vary... Yep...

But as long as the existing screw holes get covered...

On a budget? - take a look at Aliexpress - some funky Colours, Swirls and Pearls... Also the pickup foam - with a little spring in... Wax Cloth Wire...

 

If you haven't got a Jack Socket yet, I rate the Pure-Tone Multi Contact.

Edited November 7, 2023 by PaulThePlug

[shoulderpet]

2 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

Vary... Yep...

But as long as the existing screw holes get covered...

On a budget? - take a look at Aliexpress - some funky Colours, Swirls and Pearls... Also the pickup foam - with a little spring in... Wax Cloth Wire...

 

If you haven't got a Jack Socket yet, I rate the Pure-Tone Multi Contact.

Thanks, I am not really bothered about the existing screw holes as long as the pickguard physically fits the bass, quite happy to re-drill new ones

[Velarian]

From my limited experience I would say there can be variations. I once bought a P-bass "style" body which was subtly different to a standard P bass and the pick guard was completely different. Knowing the origin of the body would help and, if it is already drilled does it have 13 or 10 holes (some 70s Fenders also have an extra screw hole in the middle of the plate between the pickup and neck heel)? Also, where the truss rod adjustment is could be different e.g. Mexican fenders are adjusted from the headstock so the pick guard doesn't have a cut out for the truss rod adjustment which US Fenders have at the neck heel.

 

For reference, I've just pulled out four spare P-Bass pick guards which I had lying around and laid them on top of each other. They're all 13 hole models without the truss rod notch and all the pickup holes, control holes and fixing screw holes lined up exactly. There very subtle differences to some of the curves or pointy bits but nothing which would materially affect the fit on a standard bass.

Edited November 7, 2023 by Velarian
typo

[shoulderpet]

5 minutes ago, Velarian said:

From my limited experience I would say there can be variations. I once bought a P-bass "style" body which was subtly different to a standard P bass and the pick guard was completely different. Knowing the origin of the body would help and, if it is already drilled does it have 13 or 10 holes (some 70s Fenders also have an extra screw hole in the middle of the plate between the pickup and neck heel)? Also, where the truss rod adjustment is could be different e.g. Mexican fenders are adjusted from the headstock so the pick guard doesn't have a cut out for the truss rod adjustment which US Fenders have at the neck heel.

 

For reference, I've just pulled out four spare P-Bass pick guards which I had lying around and laid them on top of each other. They're all 13 hole models without the truss rod notch and all the pickup holes, control holes and fixing screw holes lined up exactly. There very subtle differences to some of the curves or pointy bits but nothing which would materially affect the fit on a standard bass.

Thanks, the body has a cutout for neck heel truss rod adjustment, the pickguard has 9 holes but I dont think it is the original pickguard as there is no notch for the truss rod adjustment, I will have to take off the pickguard and see if there are any additional holes in the body.

[Martin E]

Bodies can vary quite a bit as well. The pickguard should fit snugly around the neck and the cutout for the pickup remember determines it's precise alignment under the strings. Having done that you may find the guard does not properly cover the control cavity or the screw holes have no wood under them. Move it a millimetre to adjust and it throws out the fit elsewhere. 

I've had this problem with bitsa basses with bodies of unknown origin.

[asingardenof]

They definitely can vary. I once bought a new pickguard for my Squier and it wouldn't even cover the routing for the controls. Fortunately I decided I liked the 20-year aged white one it came with so managed to sell it on again.

[The Attic Man]

Glad I found this thread I'm a noobie here and with the bass.

I've acquired a Encore Bass and would love to change the pick guard for a tortoise shell one seen quite  a few on ebay but have yet to get round to measuring the one on the base. Would love some input if at all possible cheers. 

[Geek99]

didn’t I paste a thread for you on this very topic ? @The Attic Man

[Marty Forrer]

Sheets of pickguard material are very cheap from aliexpress, and come in every colour known to man. I've made quite a few, it's not difficult, just have to be methodical and patient. Also a previous poster's recommendation for the Puretone 4 contact output jack socket gets a big thumbs up from me.