Blacktop Jaguar Pickguard on a Vintage Mod. Jaguar

[Taxmaster916]

I have rerouted a squire vintage mod body for humbuckers. I have the bottom control plate and I plan on just having a 3 way toggle switch. I know the blacktop Jaguar has the style pickguard I need. So I'm curious if the blacktop pickguard will fit on my body? If not is there any model pickguard that would or do I have to fork out the extra cash and have a custom one made? Id like to go the cheapest route possible.

[Futuron]

I don't know for sure in this instance, but in general, Squier pickguards don't fit Fender and vice versa.

Would it be too much trouble to enlarge the pickup hole on the existing guard? (Or maybe you don't have one, you just bought the body without.)

[Embenny]

Your problem is that you've routed for humbuckers without using an existing pickguard as a template.

A Classic Player pickguard should fit the neck pocket and make it to the bridge thimbles (but will have a big cutout for a tuneomatic bridge that you don't need), but I can virtually guarantee that you didn't rout the humbucker placement exactly where they would land on that guard.

If you rout first and ask questions later, you have two options:

1) Buy a pickguard, fit it on the body with the neck attached and the control plates loosely screwed on so that you can finagle their positioning, and sand/file any edges that are causing fit issues (this can happen with any new guard), THEN mark out the humbucker location and re-rout to enlarge the humbucker routs to be in the right spot.

2) Use your existing guard to trace out a template for your guitar, mark where the humbucker routes are located, and either have someone make a guard for you, or buy a blank and cut it yourself (the former being WAY more likely to yield a good looking result).

[Taxmaster916]

I don't know for sure in this instance, but in general, Squier pickguards don't fit Fender and vice versa.

Would it be too much trouble to enlarge the pickup hole on the existing guard? (Or maybe you don't have one, you just bought the body without.)

Yeah I knew that about the squier and fender pickguard but I know the blacktops are from fenders China shop and heard something about them using the same template as squier. As far as the previous pickguard I don't have it plus i dont want all the other control plates normally on the jaguar and the color scheme would be off anyways. I think I'm just gonna suck it up and have wdmusi make me a custom one. I talked to their pickguard guy and he quoted me $70 so it's that or pay $40 on something that's not forsure and have more complications in the process..

[Taxmaster916]

Your problem is that you've routed for humbuckers without using an existing pickguard as a template.

A Classic Player pickguard should fit the neck pocket and make it to the bridge thimbles (but will have a big cutout for a tuneomatic bridge that you don't need), but I can virtually guarantee that you didn't rout the humbucker placement exactly where they would land on that guard.

If you rout first and ask questions later, you have two options:

1) Buy a pickguard, fit it on the body with the neck attached and the control plates loosely screwed on so that you can finagle their positioning, and sand/file any edges that are causing fit issues (this can happen with any new guard), THEN mark out the humbucker location and re-rout to enlarge the humbucker routs to be in the right spot.

2) Use your existing guard to trace out a template for your guitar, mark where the humbucker routes are located, and either have someone make a guard for you, or buy a blank and cut it yourself (the former being WAY more likely to yield a good looking result).

I don't have the original pickguard for it and at the time I was really excited to get the body and had nothing to do so I just went ahead and routed thinking I could get away with it and man do I feel dumb now.... I talked to the pickguard guy at wdmusic and he really knew what was up and set me straight quick and quoted me at $70 bucks which isn't that bad. I consider it $30 bucks extra to avoid more complications and the rest of the build be smooth sailing. Unless you happen to know anywhere for a better deal? Thanks for your reply and putting me in check. I'm very stubborn and impatient which is not healthy while building a guitar lol

[Embenny]

Check with Tony Dudzik at Pickguardian.

He has made me 4 completely custom guards based on tracings and guards I've sent him, and the majority have been cheaper than that (depends on materials and specifics of course).

You could, for example, measure or trace out the position of your humbucker routs relative to the neck pocket and bridge thimbles to have him make it to fit your current routing job.

He's not the quickest turnaround in the business, but he's super accommodating and has done a fantastic job making pickguards I couldn't get anywhere else (like my Bullet Mustang guard cut to fit the existing Strat bridge and three G&L z-coils). The only time he ever made a mistake was when he sent me a JM guard cut for Electric XII pickups when I had asked for a Jag (it was the only time I hadn't sent a tracing). He immediately shipped me the correct guard and let me keep the JM one free of charge with his apologies - just fantastic customer service, and the Jag guard was perfect when it arrived a couple of weeks later (to canada, it was shipped out almost immediately after our email exchange regarding the mix-up).

[loveinathens]

Fender AVRI/MIM pickguards fit the Squier VMs, so feel free to at least try it and see if the existing screw holes align. Also, Blacktops are made in Mexico.

[Steadyriot.]

Blacktops are made in Mexico, not China.