Fugly Pickguard Shapes

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

We've had threads about ugly headstocks, but I don't recall seeing one about hideous pickguards.

 

A few that I consider to be absolute munters:

 

 

 

something based on the shape of the pickguard on a Les Paul jnr or special double cut would have been so much better

 

This one gets extra points for the horrible grey pearloid

 

apologies if any of these are amongst your favourites

 

Edited December 10, 2024 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[PaulThePlug]

Most,much prefer rear rout control cavity neat 'n simple

[Lozz196]

Since using Mustang basses I`ve found that I far prefer having basses where the electrics aren`t under the pick-guard but under a separate panel, makes much more sense to me to have 3 screws and no strings to remove than 13 and all strings.

 

I`m not that keen on any of the above but particularly dislike the Variax one.

[ahpook]

 

That straight line below the neck pickup. Ugh.

 

Everything else flows beautifully, then it was 5 o'clock and the ruler came out.

[tauzero]

7 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I`m not that keen on any of the above but particularly dislike the Variax one.

 

I like the Variax one. My own Variax is sunburst with tort though. I've also got a Ray5 which is very like the second one. None of the other 30 or so have pickguards. Still, to add to the ugly pickguards:

 

 

and especially

 

 

 

[tegs07]

22 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Since using Mustang basses I`ve found that I far prefer having basses where the electrics aren`t under the pick-guard but under a separate panel, makes much more sense to me to have 3 screws and no strings to remove than 13 and all strings.

 

I`m not that keen on any of the above but particularly dislike the Variax one.

At least Sandberg thought about thiss 

[Delberthot]

I'm sure that if I returned in half an hour, every bass ever made with a scratchplate will have been listed here 😀

[Phill]

This Fender abomination of a pickguard

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Just thought of another

 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

The Rickenbacker 4001/3 pickguard shape works on a Ric as it is an iconic design, however on the Jackson X series, it is ridiculous.

 

[tauzero]

2 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The Rickenbacker 4001/3 pickguard shape works on a Ric as it is an iconic design, however on the Jackson X series, it is ridiculous.

 

 

Indeed, it's truly appalling how they've made it a constant distance from the edge of the bass all round the curve instead of going drunkenly right to the edge halfway round. What were they thinking?

[Elfrasho]

2 hours ago, ahpook said:

 

That straight line below the neck pickup. Ugh.

 

Everything else flows beautifully, then it was 5 o'clock and the ruler came out.

I own this very bass and in this exact finish and I've never once noticed that straight cut. Il never unsee that!

[ahpook]

1 hour ago, Elfrasho said:

I own this very bass and in this exact finish and I've never once noticed that straight cut. Il never unsee that!

 

I really am quite sorry.

 

 

[ahpook]

2 hours ago, Phill said:

This Fender abomination of a pickguard

 

Ouch...It's like they tried to put a scratchplate on and missed !

 

 

[Bassassin]

2 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The Rickenbacker 4001/3 pickguard shape works on a Ric as it is an iconic design

 

Objection!

 

It doesn't, and it's not. It's an ugly, throwaway afterthought slapped on to cover up some holes. Even John Hall thought it was so rubbish he didn't bother trademarking it, unlike every other aspect of the 4001/4003 design! Compare & contrast the original 1957 Roger Rossmeisl design, perhaps a bit oversized by modern standards, but it flows with & is sympathetic to the shape of the body. It was clearly designed at the same time on the same drawing board, by the same person.
 

 

By the time the 'deluxe' 2-pickup 4001 was launched, Rossmeisl had cleared off to Fender, so had no part in the redesign. F.C. Hall presumably got the tea boy to do it!

[ezbass]

 

I had one of these and hated the pg.

[meterman]

5 hours ago, Phill said:

This Fender abomination of a pickguard

Gooooooaaaaaallllll!!!!!  
 

Stevie Wonder and his trusty CNC machine really knocked that one out of the park (and into the nearest bin, hopefully)🤮

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

That's nothing compared to the Fender JP-90

 

 

 

[meterman]

I haven't got any decent pictures of it, but surely someone's going to post the original cut-down homemade bass that Bill Wyman made (Dallas-Arbiter with the frets pulled out?) in the early 60's that had a hilariously bad DIY pickguard.
 

Same goes for some of the early (late 50's / early 60's UK made basses. And some late 60's or early 70's plywood MIJ basses too. The pre-lawsuit "we're not really sure what we're doing but we're doing it anyway" ones. Teisco were repeat offenders. 
 

Italian company Meazzi also made some pretty wild looking basses, the Jupiter models in particular. I sort of admire their Italian bonkers-ness in a way.

[tauzero]

4 hours ago, Bassassin said:

 

Objection!

 

It doesn't, and it's not. It's an ugly, throwaway afterthought slapped on to cover up some holes. Even John Hall thought it was so rubbish he didn't bother trademarking it, unlike every other aspect of the 4001/4003 design! Compare & contrast the original 1957 Roger Rossmeisl design, perhaps a bit oversized by modern standards, but it flows with & is sympathetic to the shape of the body. It was clearly designed at the same time on the same drawing board, by the same person.
 

 

By the time the 'deluxe' 2-pickup 4001 was launched, Rossmeisl had cleared off to Fender, so had no part in the redesign. F.C. Hall presumably got the tea boy to do it!

 

Mainly works but there's a conflict between the way the bit above the neck flows into the horn while the bit below that doesn't follow the line into the lower horn. Other than that, far superior to the Rick slap any old thing on approach.

[casapete]

1 hour ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

That's nothing compared to the Fender JP-90

 

 

 

I think we have a winner here. 🤮

[Bassassin]

36 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

Mainly works but there's a conflict between the way the bit above the neck flows into the horn while the bit below that doesn't follow the line into the lower horn. Other than that, far superior to the Rick slap any old thing on approach.

I agree. I'd have the lower horn corner coming to a point to mirror the top, dunno why Roger R didn't do that. And he's not telling now.

[Bolo]

14 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Just thought of another

 

The Dimension is the only pickguard fender got right. The standard P and J are gruesome fails of design.

[Mykesbass]

Fugly Pickguard Jean-Luc... 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

How very dare you