Friday, May 22, 2015

Change A Pickguard On A Fender Guitar

Many players prefer to change the pickguards on their guitars


Longstanding instrument manufacturer Fender Musical Corporation offers plenty to guitarists, from the iconic Stratocaster and Telecaster series to Artist models that are near replicas of the same instruments played by noted pros. One mainstay in Fender guitar designs is the inclusion of a plastic pickguard. Available in black ply, tortoise shell, white and green tint, the pickguards are meant to protect the finish from possible nicks while picking and to hide the pickup wiring in front-routed guitars. Many players like to swap out pickguards to create a different visual.


Instructions


1. Lay the towel out on a stable surface, then lay the guitar on the towel to prevent accidentally damaging the body finish. Place the small pillow under the headstock to create a balanced work surface. Loosen the strings by turning the all the tuning keys counterclockwise.


2. Use the screwdriver to loosen and remove all the related screws around the pickguard's perimeter. Set the screws aside. Pry the old pickguard from the body with your fingers by gently pulling up on the edge. Slide the loosened pickguard from underneath the strings and set aside or discard.


3. Slide the new pickguard underneath the strings. Line up the holes on the new guard with the predrilled holes in the body. Screw the new guard in place using the screws from the old pickguard, then retune your strings to pitch.

Tags: Many players, pickguard from, underneath strings