First Build pup/pick guard color suggestions

[Pasta4lnch]

First build - I'm impatient so I'm posting before all the parts arrive for pics but I'm lamenting an aesthetic choice of pup covers and pick guard.  Help me decide!

I'm doing a clear coated roasted ash strat body w roasted maple neck. P-90s.  I have ordered both a black and a tort pick guard and have both black and cream pup covers. I can't decide which combo.  What say you? 

My original thought was both black guard and pup covers.  But the cream is slowly creeping into my thoughts.  I'm hoping once I see it I'll know...

 

[bagman67]

Tortoise shell and cream pups and knobs FTW!

 

[Sovereign_13]

Personally, I'd say black on black.  You've got some potentially very beautiful and figured wood there, and in my opinion, you don't want to distract from that.  Keep the pickguard and pickups visually out of the way.

But of course, since you've already got all of them, I'd just dry fit and see what strikes you.  You never know what might just make it all come together.

 

[stratamania]

Probably black.

 

[MikeW]

I'm going to vote for the tortoise shell pickguard and cream covers and knobs. I'm a real sucker for that and tortoise shell and white.

 

[rgand]

My first thought is black for the same reasons Sovereign_13 mentioned.

The tort and cream would also look good so you will get to play with it when the parts all arrive.

 

[Rick]

Any one or two of three of the following, chrome, black, tortoise, cream or gold.  Pick your theme and stick to it.

 

[BigSteve22]

Tortoise shell and cream pups and knobs FTW!

+1  :icon_thumright:

 

[pabloman]

I struggle with the white layer on a pick guard and cream plastics.  Might just be too critical. :dontknow: I'd go with the tortoise guard and black plastics myself.

 

[Logrinn]

I too think that tortoise and black would be nice.

 

[Pasta4lnch]

Yeah this irks me too.  The black guard doesn't have it. The tort does.  The only thing I can say is the decade plus I had my strats and never thought about building one I never once noticed the white layer.  In fact I have white pups on my 2 daily drivers which I absolutely hate but never cared before I started toying with building my own...

Thanks for all the other suggestions.  As I figured it is pretty open.  My initial way was black/black and I lean to that more...I can't wait to see it w the body. 

So the controls will just be a pup selector, which I came with cream and black top and a single push/pull vol/polarity knob which I plan on doing a ridged metal knob.  Black for black and chrome for tort...

I struggle with the white layer on a pick guard and cream plastics.  Might just be too critical. :dontknow: I'd go with the tortoise guard and black plastics myself.

 

[Pasta4lnch]

So here it is - whatcha think?  I'm leaning towards D...at least today I am  :dontknow:

 

[rgand]

I tend to agree with you but they're all good and would make a fine looking guitar.

 

[fdesalvo]

Black pups on the Tort!