Chambered bodies and pickguard screws

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

On known, standard - non custom pickguard screw hole locations, why do some fall right in line with a chamber and only anchor in the thin laminate top?  Does it make sense to have a longer screw than what it's anchoring into?

 

[Cagey]

I was told that they do it that way in order to make you ask questions <grin>

Seriously, I'm sure it's a coincidence. I've never noticed it myself, but both my chambered bodies have maple tops, so the screw holes are pretty tight. Besides, they're not going to move the standard screw locations on the pickguards, so they'd have to redo the chamber routing if it was an issue. But, I'm sure it's not. There are already more screws than necessary holding on a Strat pickguard. If one or two of them aren't anchored in bedrock, I doubt it'll cause any problems.

 

[swarfrat]

Move screw holes is a no go (incompatible with other pickguards), but I'm a little surprised that they didn't leave a little meat for them. I'm sure the laminate top is plenty to hold them in though.

 

[Dan025]

drop a little super glue in the screw holes. they'll hold. not that you need to, my mexican strat is made from some sort wood. i mean soft. the screws dont really bite anything but it's not like the pickguard is structural in any way.. you could hold it on with magnets if you wanted too. and i might!

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

It has not been an issue...yet.  Like the neck without threaded inserts, there are only so many times they can be removed before a repair is warranted.  For those of us without maple topped Strats, atleast 2 of the pickguard screws of the standard layout J-bass pickguard in a Swamp Ash top hit air in the middle when drilling for the pickguard screws.

Most of them hold, so the others don't have to isn't really a good reason.  I don't have that attitude of things I install for a living.  I hope my vehicle and house weren't built like that.  Wouldn't dropping a little superglue in the hole just fall in the chamber?

 

[Cagey]

Dropping a little super glue in the holes will still leave some residue in the hole that will grab the screw when you run it in. But, when you take it out again, you're going to tear the wood a bit. Your worry about wearing out the holes by repeated installation/removal of the screws will come to fruition even faster. Because of that, I wouldn't do it.

There are a couple things you could do, if it's gonna make you lose sleep. One, since you don't need as many screws as are installed anyway, you could just bite the heads off a couple screws and superglue them to the pickguard at the positions where you're concerned about the punch-thru. Or, you could get some small threaded inserts, and change all the screws over to machine screws. Then, you could take the pickguard off almost daily without worrying about stripping the holes out.

Or, you could just not worry about it, which would be my choice.

 

[Steve_Karl]

you could just bite the heads off a couple screws and superglue them to the pickguard at the positions where you're concerned about the punch-thru.

It would be nice to have a diagram of which ones are going to punch through.

I'd guess that since the chambering is the same on all chambered strat bodies, maybe some one can do a photoshop mockup with red circles around the ones that are going to not find any body wood to anchor into.

Also maybe Warmoth ought to be making a note on which holes are directly over the chambered areas.