Pickguards

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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Bedroomdays
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Pickguards

Post by Bedroomdays » Fri Mar 13, 2020 10:48 am

Hey guys,

I have some questions about pre cbs jazzmaster pickguards. My main question is about the variations between the torteshell pickguards from 1959-1964 ( hole patterns, materials, appearance etc)

I have a 1962 Jazzmaster and am considering buy a 1964 pickguard. Are the pickguard from both those years the same?

I’d appreciate any insight!

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gishuk
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Re: Pickguards

Post by gishuk » Fri Mar 13, 2020 6:29 pm

I'm no expert on the other things you asked, but it will definitely fit on your guitar (any warping/shrinking notwithstanding).

My pre-CBS partsmaster is a 61 body with a 64 tort guard and theres no screw hole lineup issues. Don't know about material changes but someone here will!

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Re: Pickguards

Post by Sweetfinger » Sat Mar 14, 2020 6:20 am

I'd be wary of buying a vintage guard because it will have shrunk enough that it won't fit without redrilling screwholes. YMMV.

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Re: Pickguards

Post by Bedroomdays » Sat Mar 14, 2020 3:55 pm

Thank you guys for the replies!! This defiantly helps

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Ursa Minor
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Re: Pickguards

Post by Ursa Minor » Sat Mar 14, 2020 7:35 pm

It'll fit. Holes will line up. You'll def want to watch for shrinkage. Its just an issue with any vintage guard. I've had to angle in some screws though and (carefully) filling or sanding the pickup and bridge holes often needs to be done.

I've noticed the earlier 60's guards, even into 62, 63 can tend to be a little brighter red. They have a little more orange in them or something. I have a 64 JM and an early 63 Jag and the Jag has a much different guard. Its more swirly and faded into a really cool, almost coral color. I've seen other JMs from the early 60s with the same kind of fading. LOVE that look. My JM, while not faded, is more the typical, dark tort - more purple-ish red.
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Re: Pickguards

Post by Bedroomdays » Sat Mar 14, 2020 10:16 pm

kosmonautmayhem wrote:
Sat Mar 14, 2020 7:35 pm
It'll fit. Holes will line up. You'll def want to watch for shrinkage. Its just an issue with any vintage guard. I've had to angle in some screws though and (carefully) filling or sanding the pickup and bridge holes often needs to be done.

I've noticed the earlier 60's guards, even into 62, 63 can tend to be a little brighter red. They have a little more orange in them or something. I have a 64 JM and an early 63 Jag and the Jag has a much different guard. Its more swirly and faded into a really cool, almost coral color. I've seen other JMs from the early 60s with the same kind of fading. LOVE that look. My JM, while not faded, is more the typical, dark tort - more purple-ish red.
That makes a lot of sense and I can see that too the more I look. Thank you!

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Re: Pickguards

Post by blacktiger » Mon Mar 16, 2020 12:34 pm

The last change in pickguard specs was in 1959, when they went from the very short-lived 11 hole guard to the standard 13 hole. There were certainly different patterns over the years, but I think that the color variations are mostly (but not entirely) due to VU exposure over the years. The longer a guitar stayed in a case under a bed, the darker the guard will be. Look at pictures of ‘60s JMs when they were new - those guards all started out pretty dark.
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Re: Pickguards

Post by Sweetfinger » Tue Mar 17, 2020 3:53 am

blacktiger wrote:
Mon Mar 16, 2020 12:34 pm
but I think that the color variations are mostly (but not entirely) due to VU exposure over the years. The longer a guitar stayed in a case under a bed, the darker the guard will be. Look at pictures of ‘60s JMs when they were new - those guards all started out pretty dark.
The lighter, blotchier orange guards are faded, but for a while in the 60s, Fender used a 3 ply red tortoise with a white center and black backing that has a really deep cherry-red top layer and those don't seem to fade.

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Re: Pickguards

Post by blacktiger » Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:59 pm

Sweetfinger wrote:
Tue Mar 17, 2020 3:53 am
The lighter, blotchier orange guards are faded, but for a while in the 60s, Fender used a 3 ply red tortoise with a white center and black backing that has a really deep cherry-red top layer and those don't seem to fade.
Which years? Are you you talking about the “meatball” guards? Most of my firsthand experience is with guitars from ‘62-‘65. The very early guards and the CBS guards do seem to be somewhat different...
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Re: Pickguards

Post by Ursa Minor » Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:47 pm

The meatball guards of the CBS and later years have obvious differences. The real early tort 59-61 and even some early 62-63-ish guards have definitely been more red ime. Even the ones without any fading tend towards a more brownish brick red, but the red is definitely more pronounced than guards from my 64-66. It's subtle but there. They all fade to orange in extreme conditions. I've even seen mid-60s ones faded to a beautiful fiery orange.

I've never seen any guards with a white center and black backing though...? Perhaps late-60's-70's? I've never inspected a JM or Jag past '66 fwiw.
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Re: Pickguards

Post by andrewaward » Wed Mar 18, 2020 12:07 am

Your 62 'guard (if original) will have a "mint" back...………..the 64 may or may not. That's when they changed material.

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Re: Pickguards

Post by Sweetfinger » Thu Mar 19, 2020 3:49 am

kosmonautmayhem wrote:
Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:47 pm
The meatball guards of the CBS and later years have obvious differences. The real early tort 59-61 and even some early 62-63-ish guards have definitely been more red ime. Even the ones without any fading tend towards a more brownish brick red, but the red is definitely more pronounced than guards from my 64-66. It's subtle but there. They all fade to orange in extreme conditions. I've even seen mid-60s ones faded to a beautiful fiery orange.

I've never seen any guards with a white center and black backing though...? Perhaps late-60's-70's? I've never inspected a JM or Jag past '66 fwiw.
The three layer seems to have been sourced by Fender for Mustangs and Duos around '64 and seems to last through maybe '69? There are some pics of Jags with it but most Jags, Jazz Basses, and Jazzmasters got the different tort with more layers. The Mustang Basses had it.
Digital cameras have a hard time with reds. It's more intense than it appears in the photo.
Image

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Re: Pickguards

Post by Ursa Minor » Thu Mar 19, 2020 8:19 pm

Oh right! Mustangs and Duos had the black back. I guess my brain went straight to JMs and Jags since they seem to have a different material. Good distinction to me made for sure.
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