Added: 3 years ago
From: greasygroove
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  • will this work for a squier P bass?

  • @maidenfreak213 Yes, but on a P-Bass, the pickup may be mounted in the body itself - in which case you need not unscrew it to replace the pickguard.

  • @greasygroove oh ok awesome. thanks for ur help man, really appreciate it.

  • hi there, i have got 50's custom guitar, mexican 1..single coil pick ups like in ur video. I 'm thinking to instal double coil pickups(i don't know what it's called but it's double attached together :D). Is that possible??? and if i change it, how am i going to adjust the action??? waiting for ur reply!!

  • @surana87s Yes, you can change from a single coil to a humbucker (double), you would adjust the pickup height to get the sound you want, not the action. Thanks!

  • I cant pull the tone knobs h my off. Ive tried everything, they just wont come off with my fingers or a screwdriver. Could they have been stuck like that??

  • @mikeflow44 They could have been glued on. You need to apply some heat to the knob, wrap it in a hot damp cloth and put a blade under the knob and pry with a screwdriver between the blade and the knob (so as not to damage the pickguard), give it quite a bit of force but be careful you don't damage the pickguard. Thanks!

  • I have the same guitar :0

  • is it safe to screw my own hole into the body if a hole or two does not match the exact holes already in place?

  • @spiers240 Hi, Yes, if you don't mind having an extra hole or two under the pickguard. Put the pickguard on with the screwholes that do line up, then use something with a sharp point to push through the hole where you want the new screw to go - and push into the finish of the guitar (then you have started the hole for the screw to go into) - no need to go too deep with this, but if you make a hole about the size of the screw thread...

  • @spiers240 ... it will help stop the screw chipping the paint on entry.

  • surely removing the strings will cause pressure change, damaging to the fretboard. is this correct?

  • @piersnjake Absolutely not, the neck can withstand the tension change, it's perfectly normal to remove strings from an instrument, unless your guitar has serious issues it won't damage it.

  • can i use a fender p bass pickguard on a squire p bass

  • @HJT069 You will have fit issues, to guarantee a good fit you should get a pickguard custom made. Thanks

  • When you measure the pickup heights, are you measuring to the top of the pickup cover or the pole?

  • @truebluefliplover It doesn't matter as long as you remember what you measured, the top of the cover would be easier as the poles could all be at different heights - you just need to know the measurement so that you can raise the pickups to the same height once the new pickguard is installed.

  • Hey I have a tanglewood nevada fst32k and I was wondering would a normal Fender Strat pickguard fit or would I need a custom one?

  • @AaronnZeeSuperhero You would need to get a custom one made, please email us from our website for more info.  Thanks!

  • This video is great because the guitar he's using is the same as mine. xD

  • @MoGaDeX its same as my 2nd guitar, my primary guitar doesnt need pickups, but very helpful guide for my 2nd guitar.

  • Hey greasy groove do epiphone and gibson les pauls have the same measurements?

  • @juancho7965 Hi, No the pickguards have different measurements - you'll either need a custom cut guard for an Epiphone or one specifically for Epiphone.

    Thanks!

  • Hey, I purchased a 11 hole pickguard for my 70's MIM Fender Strat, and the holes do not line up. I thought all 11 holes were the same, is this because of the guitar model, do they have pickguards for it or do I need to do something with my guitar? Thank for the help

  • @fasionroadkill Hi, Vintage instruments can have some slight differences, if you don't want to drill new holes you can send us your original pickgaurd or a tracing and we can custom make a guard that will fit. Thanks!

  • Hey, I purchased a 11 hole pickguard for my 70's MIM Fender Strat, and the holes do not line up. I thought all 11 holes were the same, is this because of the guitar model, do they have pickguards for it or do I need to do something with my guitar? Thank for the help

  • Hey quick question, I purchased an 11 hole pickguard for my fender 70's MIM Strat, and the holes don't line up. I thought all 11 hole pickguards fit, is this something with my guitar, do they have pickguards to fit it or will I need to do something with my guitar? Thanks

  • @fasionroadkill There are many different pfofiles that have been used over the years. I have seen MIM guitars with subtle differences and these can be very inconsistant. Your best bet would be to send in a tracing and have it matched to a profile or even custom cut. The 2 main fender 11 hole profiles are the 11h standard and the 11h 1962 profile. Fender japan and Mexico have produced some profiles that are a little different.

  • Thank you very much for the detailed video. One of my pots was loose, I didn't know how was it clamped to the pickguard, as soon as I saw you removing the knobs I relieved, I ran to my guitar and tightened the nut, and it is ok now. :)

  • hello greasy groove you seem to know something about wiring so i will hit you with a question. i had a problem with a short hot wire and ground wire going to the output and at first i tried to replace them but i read that there would be problems if i used different size wire so i soldered the hot to the middle volume lug and the ground to the back of the volume but when i tested it it did not play but i could hear a small noise while using the switch. can u tell me my problem.

  • @slicer841994 Hi,

    It's hard to say what the problem may be without knowing more about how you circuit is wired Everything sounds right but your circuit is incomplete somewhere. It is no problem extending your wires for a short runs - You may have read that you should use screened wire and this is the best solution, however a short extension to any wire should not be a big deal.

  • @greasygroove ok I took matters into my own hand and since I heard that different gauge wire will cause a problem I took the wires out and replaced them with uniform gauge wire. When I plugged my guitar into the amp and I heard nothing. The weird part is that when I strummed the strings I heard a scratchy kind of static sound which got worse when i touched it with metal. I would appreciate your opinion on this matter and anyone else who might know a solution to my problem can chime in.

  • Thanks, yea, I want to put a gibson dirty finger pick ups on a fender?... Is it possible.?

  • @ishidhjk1  You can swap your pickups for these. A straight swap should work fine. The pots on a Strat are generally 250K and will work fine - if you have any problems with output power (I don't think you will) you can replace the pots for 500K's. All you really need to do is get a modified pickguard and swap the pickups.

  • Anyone!!... If I want to change a three guitar pickups into only one, double guitar pickups. Is it possible for me to do that ..or how can I do that......?

  • @ishidhjk1

    It can be as easy as just removing the pickups that you do not want. By double pickup, I assume that you mean a Humbucker - you can just swap your existing pickup for that and it should work fine. If you just have one pickup, then you can also remove the switch and wire straight to the controls. I would have to know specifics about what you are trying to do to help more.

  • Can I also replace the single coils by humbuckers?

  • @pizzachickenyeah Yes, you can, you'll need to wire in it, get a new pickguard and you may have do some extra routing in the body (depending on how big the cavity is in your guitar). Thanks!

  • what is the method that you use to get these graphics on the pickgaurds? it just makes me wonder before i think of buying a pickupgaurd from your site.

  • @999m4em The graphics are embedded underneath the surface - they do not scratch or wear.

    Thanks!

  • Thankes

  • what do the tiny springs under the pickups do?.......

  • @hiz99 They force the pickup downwards, so that they will lower when you loosen the screws. Thanks!

  • The Best instruction. Thannk you!

  • Hey trying to put a kill switch on my strat. The desired location of the switch is right where wood is underneath. The area around the switch is surrounded by the pick guard so any hole I make will be covered by the pick guard. Is it advisable to (or not to) drill into the wood of my guitar? Is there a particular way to go about it? Thanks

  • Now that is a question for which there is no definitive answer. It may sound twangy because of how you play it, the amp, tone settings or a raft of things. It's something that I would have to be there to really know. Pickups may help but it depends on how you use them. JB's will sound twangy too if plugged into a poorly designed amp. If you are looking for fuller tone - try varying the pickup height - worth a try! People can buy pickups for all the wrong reasons - Seymour Duncan loves you.

  • hey i was wondering if i put a seymore duncan jb into a squire stratocaster would it make it sound less twangy?

  • hey, i have a squire stratocaster and it sounds extremely twangy, i was wondering if i put a seymore duncan jeff beck humbucker in it would it make it less twangy? thank you

  • I am trying to install a kill-switch on my guitar. Your video helped me a lot with taking the pick guard off but is there a certain way I should put the new hole in the pick guard? Will a regular drill press do or even a hand drill? Thanks

  • my pickguard has been stained yellow how can i get rid of this pls help

  • @vikykarthik Hi, Please let us know more info - what type of pickguard is it? What was it that stained it? Thanks!

  • Thanks this helped me :)

  • Great help thanks a million!

  • Dear Greasygrove, Can you tell me the name of the song that you use as the entrance to your video? I would love to learn to play it.

    Thanks!

  • @AprilMSept Hi, This is song is by The Shakedown Combo and the name is "What to do About Love" - they are one of our sponsored artists. Please google them - they just released a new CD. Thanks!

  • How can i remove the little head of the pick ups control

  • @ProduccionesFleko Hi, hold the switch and gove the knob a good pull, it should pull off. Thanks!

  • i need help, i changed my strat's pickguard. now every time i strum, the "g" string makes a rattling noise. how can i fix that?

  • Can you put an humbucker on the bridge and other on the neck? (sorry for my english)

  • @afas1995 Hi, Yes, you can make a HH pickguard, depending on what's underneath your pickguard, you may need to do some extra routing. Thanks!

  • can u play without the pickguard on???

  • @bukysanchez Hi, Depending on your guitar model, for example the pickguard on a Strat also serves to hold the pickups, knobs, and switch in the guitar (so you'd need to find another way to attach these), but a Les Paul pickguard can be removed with no problem (aside from the screwholes that will be left). Thanks!

  • are all the pick guards for a strat the same size?

  • @jocks0011 Hi, No, some have a different pickup arrangement and copies almost always have different screwhole positions, there are many other factors as well depending upon the Strat model. If you have a USA or Mexican Fender (not Squire) with 3 single coil pickups our standard profile will fit if you have something different please email us from our website and we can let you know what will fit.

    Thanks!

  • how do u take off 5 way switch thing , the tip wont come off!!!!

  • @bukysanchez Hi, You can try pliers, be very careful. If it just wont come off it may be glued in which case you can very carefully cut it off with a craft knife and buy a new one (they're not expensive).

    Thanks!

  • thanks a lot man!

  • hi..if i bought one..could i bring it and my guitar to like guitar center and have them do it for me?

  • @jaqua524 Hi, Yes, your local guitar shop should be able to install a pickguard for you. Thanks!

  • @greasygroove oh yessss thanks!

  • is it possible to remove a pickgaurd from a standard fender stratocaster and keep it without a pickgaurd?

  • You would have to take a look at your pickup routings and decide how you are going to mount your pickups. You could screw them in with a spring behind them - old tele style, or use small pickup rings to mount them in.

    Also you would have to have some type of plate to mount all of the controls to. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve by not having a pickguard.

  • Question sir.

    Is it possible to install a pickguard into a guitar that originally came without one, and would that be a good idea?

  • @Thing07 Hi, Yes it is possible, but you would need to create a very accurate template which fits your guitar perfectly - this can be tricky. You would also need to drill new holes into your guitar to instal it. It's really personal preference, if you prefer the look of a pickguard and are willing to do the work, go for it! Thanks

  • @greasygroove Ah, Thank you very much!

  • Do you sell pickguards for Gibson SG specials?

  • @undrclasshro Hi, We can make you one, please email us for details from our website. Thanks

  • Does anyone know if pickguards are screwed directly into the body (meaning that a metal screw makes contact with just wood) or if there is some type of metal threading within the hole so that the screw would be threaded into metal not screwed into just bare wood?

  • @mikal815 Hi, They are screwed directly into the wood body. Thanks!

  • Sup guys i wanna buy my first electric guitar should i buy the fender stratocaster or the squier stratocaster?......wich is better for me?

  • @Cheapooo Hi, If you're buying your first guitar, probably consider the Squier - it's going to be easier on your wallet, but still a great guitar to learn on and even play on stage. Many professionals play Squier. Just make sure you find yourself a guitar that is set up well, if you buy one from a store it should be set up. Beware of buying one blind on Ebay or similar.

  • @Cheapooo Hi-I've just bought a Squier Classic Vibe 50's strat- I spent £100 having a full setup and fretcrowning job done and it now plays like a top of the range american strat for a fraction of the price-ok it says Squier, but who cares....

  • @panca00 Hi, you can try whittling at it with a craft knife (making sure to be extremely careful) and cut the knob off. This will wreck the knob but it would seem that perhaps you've already done this if you'd tried with pliers, and you can get a new one for $2.99. Thanks!

  • can somebody tell me whats the name of the ruler that he use to measure the height of the single coils.

  • Its just a steel ruler - Anything would be fine.

  • Hi thank you for the video I have a strat knockoff it is a yamaha eg112c and i was wondering how much it would cost to have a pickgaurd made???????

  • @Martin8894 Hi, Please send us an email from our website and we'll get to back to with info and pricing

  • que buen tutorial

    

  • Would there be any bad side affects if I took the pickgaurd off my SG and didn't put any on?

    Thanks

  • @rileypoole1234 Hi, If it's a half face pickguard on your SG, the only downside is the screwholes will be visible. If it's a full face pickguard you'll have to replace it with pickup surrounds as the pickguard holds the pickups in place.

    Thanks!

  • thank you for the helpful video. I have a question though. I own a Peavey Raptor Exp, (it's basically a strat knock off.) However it is incredibly difficult to find a pickguard for it. It has ten screws with a master volume and tone nob. Would it be possible to attach a strat pickguard and just drill another hole for the eleventh screw?

  • @Jesusfreak31000 Hi, Unfortunately you would come accross alignment issues when attaching a Strat Pickguard to a Peavey - however if you send us an email from our website for more info we can create a pickguard for you which will fit.

    Thanks!

  • this doesnt relate much, but my guitar is the same exact model, and im trying to customize and put some EMG 81/85's in it. is there a sure way to do that?

  • I am not sure if you are installing the kit that EMG sell or trying to incorporate them into your wiring. The instructions that come with the kit are pretty good. Being active pickups there are some differences to the passive pickup setup. If you have any specific questions I would be pleased to help.

  • Hi,

    To wire the pickups in - it is the same as for passive pickups with the addition of an excitation circuit for the pickups. The actual pickups wiring is the same. There will be a battery connection as well with the +ve going to the hot wires on each of the pickups and the -ve going to the ground circuit for the pickups - this would normall be on the pot casings.

  • i find a simple spoon the best tool to get the knobs off.

  • good info mate  i have changed one before but was very scared in doing it lol

    it is easy though really like you have explained just a case of making sure you remember where everything gos

    cheers

  • Are you from Yorkshire mate? :)

  • Actually originally from Derbyshire (Neighboring County)

  • Many, many thanks to you for this very clear demonstration. I am the world's biggest klutz, but I just finished swapping out my first Strat pickguard...thanks to your help. And it worked...although I had the pots totally swapped around the first time because I got the pots and wires tangled up.

    When I realized what I had done, I made a note of which pot was controlling which function, removed the pickguard, labeled the pots and then swapped the pots out...correctly this time. It worked!

  • is the process the same for sgs?

  • @dakingofdanoobs Hi, Yes - the process is the same. Thanks!

  • @dakingofdanoobs k thanks

  • thanks . orderd the crome pickup covers off the vid .

  • hi how would will it take for an order to come from to me in england ?plz

  • @moderncolin Hi, Shipping with regular mail takes about 14 days.

    Thanks!

  • Just a little tip, that I learnt the hard way. Measure the pick ups off the strings before they're removed. I recently replaced the pick guard on my strat from a standard 3ply to a pearloid 5 ply. I did the same thing you did here but suddenly the pick ups were too high because of the thicker plate. Maybe something to think about.

  • i cant get my turning things and 5 mode thing off i got a fender stratocaster highway one.

  • @hendrix1809 Hi - They can sometimes take a little bit of leverage but with some perseverance you should succeed. Thanks!

  • Thanks for the help.

    I've got a texas classic strat from Blade, and I'm going to get a Fender pickguard. Will it fit?

  • @Fabian050680 Hi, A standard Fender Strat pickguard most likely won't fit your Blade guitar. However, if you send us your original pickguard or a tracing of it, we can duplicate it from the material of your choice, please email us from our website if you'd like more info.

    Thanks!

  • @greasygroove I live in the Netherlands so I think that it can take a bit long..

    But I think that the cavities below the pickguard will match and that I only have to drill a few holes extra. And to be honest, a new pickguard costs only ~20 bucks so it won't be such a problem.

    Thanks anyway :-)

  • Will this work on my bass?

    Btw why is the bridge pickup on strat offset?

  • For the Pbass, follow the same procedure. The pickup is not attached to the pickguard - it stays screwed into the body when the pickguard is removed. Control knobs have a small screw in the side that needs loosening to remove them. The Pots are attached to the guard the same as a Strat Pots and jack socket are easily removed with a small wrench. The guard can be removed without removing all of the strings - Just loosen them all off. Jbass is easy it has no controls mounted on it.

  • The bridge pickup is slanted on both a Strat and a Tele by desgn. Leo Fender slanted them to give the higher strings more treble - the slant puts the pickup further from the bridge for the lower strings to maintain a slightly fatter sound. If you look at a Hendrix Strat reissue - the bridge pickup is slanted the other way to simulate the sounds he got with the guitar strung the other way. (right handed guitar played left handed).

  • Hi, there, a lot has been said about removing all strings at once and how it would affect the guitar... is it really safe to do it? and if so what kind of adjustments should be done to the guitar after this procedure? do I need to take it to service after changing the pickguard?... thxs in advance and thxs for the video

  • @overdrive302 Hi, Removing all the strings from your guitar will do no harm whatsoever, so there is no cause for worry there. When you put all the strings back on, first of all put each string on with just enough tension to get it to ring when plucked and then tune each string in close to tuning pitch, and finally finish off all the strings a final fine tune...

  • @overdrive302 ...An inexperienced person could severly over tension the strings but you's have to go way over tension on every string do any damage. Basically, following a proper tuning procedure, you'll have absolutely no problems. Thanks!

  • That squire is made a lot better then mine.

    But mines a project guitar, so it doesn't really matter.

  • hi greasygroove! i was just wondering somthing, i have a left handed strat do i have have to have a left handed pickguard?

  • @PWangsterTV Hi, Yes - you will need a left handed pickguard. Thanks!

  • Thanks mate!!! I followed your vids step by step and now have a beautiful pearloid pickguard on my am strat deluxe!!! Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Hey I have a Squier Black and Chrome Fat Strat Electric Guitar and I was wondering how to take off the volume knobs cuz they're different from the regular strat?

  • @agentfancy Hi, You should see a little hex socket on the knob, you can loosen this off with a hex key and this will loosen the knob.

    Thanks!

  • HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    whats the diffrence between a LOADED pickguard & a PRE-WIRED pickguard

  • @Metallicaforever95 They should be the same, the pickguard has all the pickups, knobs and switch already put in place and wired together.

    Thanks!

  • this tutorial looks great! I was thinking about changing my white pickguard to a black one on my arctic white strat. Now i'm sure!

    But I have a question: i'm lefthanded, the only black available one has only 8 or 9 holes, my strat has 11, is that very important?

  • Hi,

    We have a left handed black 11 Hole pickguard available - please check our site greasygroove-dot-com or send us an email.

    Thanks!

  • How big a chance is there that you might screw your guitar up really bad by doing this, ruining anything that has to do something with the tone knobs, wiring etc? i don`t have a stratocaster yet, but my favourite guitarist uses an ESP Jerk =), it`s basically the same as a strat but with a different headstock, and he has a Chrome pickguard, and the one i am planning to get has a white one...=3

  • Hi,

    Just take your time and follow the instructions carefully, you shouldn't damage anything.

    Thanks!

  • Thank You! =3

  • @Twiggyay let me guess...an ESP Jerk....only one name comes in my mind....TERU!!!!!!!

  • @soadilias How`d you know?!

  • this is great, thank you so much, i succesfully done this, i was very nervous but it was easier than i expected, thanks again.

  • thats awesome ! helped me very much

    thank you :)

  • Hey, couldn't those magnetic tools you were using damage/mess with the magnetic pickups or what???

  • Hi,

    In short no - magnets can be damaged in many ways, but generally (unless you go out of your way to demagnetize them), you won't have any effect. Most people don't realize that dropping a magnet can make it loose its magnetism - so imagine what could happen if you shipped your prized pickup through the post. It's all negligable.

    Thanks

  • Question: Do you guys at grease groove give us the option to select our own picture to put on the pickguard? I've looked at your site, just not extensively to find the answer to my question. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you for your time.

  • Absolutely - just email us your picture and we'll send more info!

    Thanks

  • Alright! thank you for the very timely response.

  • wow thnks now i can take my pick guard to get signed :P

  • @blablabla12312312312 i did the same sign by the guitarist in the offspring

  • is there a way to change a pickgaurd to another one that has less screws than the one before without it looking weird??(I mean that it also covers less space than the one before.)

  • Hi,

    You can do this, but you'll be able to see the screwholes from the prevoius pickguard.

    Thanks

  • thanks, have an sg but i want a smaller pickgaurd than the original.

  • ok, I have ANOTHER question (i have posted several comments on this video)

    i have never had a les paul before, and i was thinking about an LP studio. but I wanna change the pickguard. on an LP, do you just unscrew the 2 screws and then replace it? (it looks like there is nothing attached to it)

    Thanks!

  • Hi,

    You will need to remove the pickguard bracket as well on a Les Paul (this is just a matter of an extra screw).

    Thanks

  • how much is one of your pickguards

  • Hi,

    Our prices are available on our website greasygroove-dot-com

    Thanks!

  • what kind of paint should i use to paint my pickguard

  • Hi,

    It depends on what meterial your pickguard is made of. We'd recommend having us make a new pickguard for you with your graphics - please contact us from our website for more info.

    Thanks

  • how often should pickguards be replaced?

  • Whenever you want to upgrade, repair or change the appearance of your guitar.

    Thanks!

  • Do you have to take the strings off or can you leave them on and be careful?

  • We recommend you take the strings off unless you are very comfortable with changing the pickguard - if you haven't done it before you may scratch the guitar.

  • Thanks for letting me know =)

  • hi,

    I was just wondering - is changing the pickguard on a flying V JUST LIKE changing one on a strat? thanks!

  • Hi,

    Yes, it is just the same. The springs and screws on Humbuckers are longer than single coils, these can be a little more fiddly. Also, you will have to take off your input jack, this may have a ground wire on it so be careful not to pull this out and make sure everything stays in tact.

    Thanks!

  • i did that with my hss strat and i saw all the wires and i got nervous and put it all back together i'll have it professionally redone

  • hi there,

    i have a fender starcaster (almost exactly identical to a standard strat ) it has 11 holes, but im not sure if the trace is accurate enough and i don't want to screw it up, what should i do? any suggestions are welcome.

    thanks.

  • Hi,

    Send us your orignal pickguard - it's the most accurate way and we'll return it with your order.

    Thanks!

  • is it possible to do this without destringing the guitar? cuz that and taking the pickups off is what looks scariest.

  • Hi,

    We wouldn't recommend not taking the strings off to do this if you haven't done it before (as you may scratch your guitar).

    If you follow the steps on this video I think you'll find it's not as scary as it may look.

    Thanks!

  • thanks!

  • can i put a pickguard on a squier

  • Hi,

    Yes - but you'l need to send your original pickguard or a tracing of it to have one custom made.

    Thanks!

  • can i put a pickguard on a squier

  • can i put a pickgaurd on a les paul special II ?

  • Yes you can, but you'll need to make an accurate drawing to have one custom made.  Please email us from ur website if you more details.

    Thanks

  • Awsome vid just what ineeded

  • If it's that hard to pull it may have been glued on - You can try to carefully cut it off with a craft knife and get another one (they're not very expensive).